New Assignment

The coffee was hot, a trail of steam curling up from it as the mugs were placed on the cafe's outdoor patio table. Through the steam Lord Gregory Warten studied the woman seated across from him with a practiced eye.

Her black hair straightened and neatly framing her face, Rosellina Cooke was a beautiful young woman in her early twenties. With dusky skin that hinted at Tanaris blood, the twenty year old was wearing just the right amount of makeup to attract attention without overdoing it. Naturally pleasing to the eye, the skills she had been taught allowed her to enhance her best features for best effect; a fact that the older Lord Warten did not fail to notice.

The subject of his scrutiny seemed rather ordinary otherwise, wearing common civilian clothing consisting of pants and a fitted top. She bore no visible weapons whatsoever, although he knew that she was far more capable than simple appearances would lead one to believe. He watched as she began to pour heavy cream into her own coffee, his eyebrow shooting up as the black coffee soon became milky white.

Have some coffee with your cream there, Rose.

He shook his head and smirked, picking up his own black coffee and taking a sip before breaking the silence, "So you have found yourself a suitable place of employment that will allow you to carry out your assigned duties?"

The woman across from him nodded, setting down her coffee mug and smiling brightly, "Yes sir. I've secured a position with the Blackleaf Trading Company as an agent. They've got contacts with quite a few merchant houses and businesses. It should be a useful position to gain intel that I can pass back."

Gregory nodded, taking another sip of his coffee as he listened to her response. This was her first assignment since completing her training, and the excitement in her voice reminded him of the beginning of his own career many years ago. He set his mug down and leaned on the table, continuing to study her, "And you've secured living quarters? I'll expect a report indicating where you've set up dead drops so we can communicate."

She shifted in her chair, her knee high boots moving as she crossed her legs and 'accidentally' nudged the table. The vibration set his coffee sloshing in the mug and spilled some on the table. As he watched, she stood, murmuring an apology that was entirely staged as was the 'accident' itself. She blotted up the spilled coffee with a few napkins and he felt one of the napkins slide under his fingers. He picked it up, pretending to blot at the coffee on his sleeve before slipping the crumpled napkin into his pocket. She had written all of the information about her new address and the dead drops where they could exchange messages on it, and passed it on in a most unobtrusive fashion. It was impressive to see her training blossom into true real world skills.

"I've got a nice apartment along the canals outside of the Cathedral District," she said, returning to her seat. She shifted again, the low cut v-neck of her top drawing the eye in a distracting fashion exactly as she likely planned. He grinned at how well she had adapted to her new role as an SI:7 agent already.

"Excellent. This will likely be the last time we meet face to face for some time," he said softly. "You won't be on your own of course, and I will be closely monitoring your progress with other agents and trainers as needed. You can requisition equipment and supplies as we've discussed before you set out."

"I understand sir," Rosellina said without a trace of anxiety in her voice. "I won't let you down, you can count on it."

Gregory smiled, nodding and taking another sip of his coffee, "I know Rose. We don't make mistakes when we select new recruits. You've prepared for this for many years, and I know you will serve the Crown well. Before I leave, do you have any questions?"

She took a sip of her own coffee, pausing to consider. Her brown eyes met his across the table as she confirmed something she'd been briefed on, "And if I uncover a threat? What level of force am I authorized to apply?"

His answer came in a solemn tone, reconfirming the orders she'd already been briefed on, "You are to notify us at once so that we can take action. Of course if the situation is dire or there is an immediate threat to the Crown or Stormwind's assets you are to use your discretion to eliminate it in a timely fashion."

They both knew what the words meant. She would kill for the Crown, as she'd been trained to do. She nodded, her gaze never wavering and no hesitation in her voice, "I understand sir. As I said, you can count on me. You will have my first report by week's end."

Loyalty. It was a difficult thing to obtain; a commodity that some bought and sold but that ultimately was only reliable when it was instilled at a young age. Rosellina Cooke had been raised in a Crown funded orphanage as a child. She'd been hand-picked for training and given an opportunity to advance her career and enrich her life thanks to SI:7. That she was grateful for what had been given to her was obvious in eagerness to which she'd taken to her training. That she was loyal was beyond question, and Lord Warten almost felt pity for those who would betray the Alliance and the Crown, for if someone like Rosellina encountered them, justice would be swift and unwavering.

He set his coffee to the side, smiling with satisfaction. He rose, nodding to the young woman as he turned to leave, "Very well then. I wish you luck Rose, although I suspect you won't need it. You're competent and ready for what the world will challenge you with. I look forward to reading your first report. Good day to you."

He turned and began to walk down the street, hands in his pockets and a smile on his lips. When he was halfway down the block he turned once, looking back to where the black-haired woman had sat. The table was empty, with no sign of her anywhere on the street and no evidence they had ever met other than the crumpled napkin in his pocket. His smile widened and he continued on his way, heading back towards SI:7's headquarters. It was always good to see the return on an investment in a new asset.