Operation Wyldhand

"The Deliberative Chair recognizes, again, the Solar Exalt Lord, Artur. Please state your point of order."

The Secretary rapped his gavel giving official permission for Artur to rise and address the Solar Host. A web of golden Essence swathed his person confirming his identity and active charms as well as recording his commentary for future incarnations. For this matter, I AM had been ordered to not broadcast any debate regarding operation Wylhand.

"According to the rules of our session, any amendment which requires the commitment of troops to a peaceful area of Creation requires a roll call vote taken with no less than two thirds of the Solar Host voting."

The Chair rolls his eyes, sighs, "The point is well taken..."

"Point of Information! Is this not the amendment the Deliberator just proposed four hours ago and then badgered us with exacting detail after exacting detail until just now it passed by secret ballot at his request?" Bright Shattered Ice, again.

"The point of in..."

Artur interject, "Point of order, that point of information was clearly a statement intended to assassinate my position..."

The Chairman cuts him off. "The point of information is taken. Artur, answer the question, then we can get back to the business at hand."

Artur stands, uncreases his sleeves, clears his throat, takes a sip of water, and clears his throat for a second, more dramatic, time before answering, "Referring to the amendment 317-A to Paragraph 172 of Section 7-Le of Appendix 8, titled 'Post-Trama care of Enlightened Mortals' of the Bill 'Operation Wyldhand' entered into this assembly on Ascending Earth the second of year 3490, yes." He then seats himself.

Bright Shattered Ice sits.

The Chairman groans and begins again. "The point of order is well taken. The vote was in error. Messengers will send for the missing members. I move that we recess until 10:00 tomorrow morning. Is there a second?"

An anonymous younger Exalt, "Second!"

"All in favor?"

The body in unison, "Aye!"

"All opposed?"

Silence.

"The motion carries, we will recess until tomorrow and take up a proper vote on the issue." *Rap rap rap*.

As the assembly exits, Ice approaches Artur. "You know, your tactics will only delay this bill. You can not sink it with amendments, points, procedures ad nausem." She stated this as a fact with no hint of malice or pride. Hundreds of years with the same woman had given Artur insight into her. She was as pissed as he had ever seen her.

"Dear, my goal isn't to sink this legislation. It is to put off having to vote against it until my oathbound time in Meru is up. Well, that and to perhaps sneak something in that will really get under your crawl when you find out." He was taunting her. Maybe she would send a demon assassin, or he would get a nice visit from his own shadow. The point now wasn't to defeat this bill. The point was to defeat the powers behind it. He wanted to see something this insane brought low.

She took a deep breath. When Artur shook Salina's hand and thanked her for staying so long and being the source of his inspiration, Ice took a second, "Artur, I assure you, I will miss nothing ever again." She parts them and brushes past.

The next morning a proposal arrived in the Mandala subcommittee. It read, "In honour of their impending, unavoidable sacrifice, the souls of the mortals slaughtered as a result of Bill 167-Fa shall be reincarnated into the appended families". The accords were amended without the list being read by even a single Deliberator. It specifically singled out the families of the Dragon-Blooded Gens of Bright Shattered Ice and her circle as well ass all of the free Gens.

Three months later, Artur left for his manse in the Western Ocean. Three months after that, in the last day of the session, his blocks and amendments were unravelled enough that the final vote was actually taken. The rest, is sad history.