Act I: Our Slumber is Over

[Alvino Castillon]

Ueno listened to the dispirited answer and sipped her tea quietly. After she regained her composure and finished the answer, Ueno nodded and placed the empty cup down. How unfortunate, she mused bitterly. There may not be a way out of this crisis, and that would mean the death knell of her career and... no. There had to be a way. Right?

There is, she pondered. The old guard supported her. Maybe, just maybe... there was nothing else going for her now, so what the Hell.

"An unfortunate thing to hear," Ueno replied, before leaning a bit forward. "If I am being sincere, and off the record of course, I always appreciated your pragmatic stance, especially when it came to ending the disputes that have haunted our nations. Few have had the courage to push forward to lasting peace; you are one of those few."