He placed the laptop on the desk and opened it, keeping the bottle of water beside it.
Leaning over the table, he clicked a hidden button beneath the small softboard in front of his desk. The sound of clicking machinery echoed as the entire wall in front of him slid back, revealing a collection of softboards filled with newspaper clippings, data sheets, and a multitude of red strings.
This was his private investigation and planning board, his favorite aspect of his life.
It was a hobby he had cultivated since childhood. Something about paper and red string intrigued him far more than digital presentations and documents.
However, there was one crucial detail about Cassian: he abhorred small-scale planning. The softboard before him was merely a fragment of the larger, more comprehensive board.
He maintained a separate location with additional softboards, documents, sheets, and red threads that would undoubtedly bewilder and entangle anyone attempting to navigate it.
Another preference of Cassian's was physical copies.
Digital copies were vulnerable to hacking and theft, whereas physical copies could be easily concealed and duplicated while containing information inaccessible to most individuals.
When everything was laid out before him, he could visualize his plan with remarkable clarity.
Despite the urgency with which he had moved apartments prior to joining the AU, this location, although secret, was not the safest repository for his plans.
As he later confirmed, his mother had quickly discovered both him and his apartment after he joined the AU.
He reviewed the entire board, tracing the red strings to interconnected news articles and official documents.
Following the Rebel leader meeting and a family work party, he understood how much he had missed out on.
While on the run, he could only gather scraps of information, which he subsequently pieced together using his extensive knowledge.
However, now, armed with some information and detailed documents and pictures, a comprehensive image emerged before him. In his mind, he visualized articles and papers and how they would connect within the board.
He typed on his laptop and printed various incidents involving AU personnel and Libra executives.
As the printer went off, he opened his drawer and extracted a red thread.
He tied one end to a list of high-ranking AU members and brought it to the left web, connecting it to a pin. He then attached a photograph and information sheet beneath the pin.
"Admiral Helena Voss, Naval Operations. Weakness: trust issues. Classic…" he murmured, recalling almost everything about her.
Not just those details but also her body language, tone, and self-care habits.
He considered her for a moment, adding articles and information to the pinboard. One day, perhaps not sooner than later, but one day she could either make or break him.
The AU web expanded as he incorporated Marshal Julian Cross and his details onto the board.
Time continued, but the red web and information proliferated.
After a while, Cassian slowly sat down into his chair, gazing at his work. He tilted his head and chuckled softly at the intricate tangle of the board.
'I'll need to relocate this to the red room soon,' he thought to himself.
It wasn't that the boards were diminutive; they were three 16-inch by 16-inch boards. Rather, the volume of information was overwhelming.
He scrutinized his work, reviewing every detail.
What he had done was incorporate the new rebel group and its members, as well as fresh intelligence about Libra from the meeting. He had consulted Jessa regarding certain information he couldn't acquire independently. He had also searched through the AU's database to uncover hidden or concealed accidents and matters deliberately suppressed by the AU.
These incidents typically involved high-ranking members and errors that could jeopardize the authority and balance of the AU.
He linked one incident to another, creating a list of prominent recurring members from each group. These were individuals whose disappearance could potentially cripple their respective groups. These were also individuals who, if won over, could assist Cassian in establishing his dominance.
And finally, these were the individuals who would pose the greatest threat and obstruction to his ambitions.
All these files were attached to the main board, including the Celestine nobility and celebrities he had encountered at the party.
After all, even they possessed the influence to effect change. It was all a matter of timing and preparation—what benefit would knowledge provide without a means of utilizing it?
Half of the groups, despite their connections and power, were ineffective due to their incapacity to leverage their influence effectively.
'Looks like gramps' teachings really came in handy,' he smirked, reflecting on the trajectory of his life.
But there was nothing to be happy about. He soon sighed, rising from his chair, gathering most of the files, and placing them in his locked drawer, along with some other items.
He then stepped back to ponder aloud, whispering, "Their timing is worse than I imagined…"
His gaze then remained fixated on the one file left. It was one regarding a specific section of the red web near Libra's domain. More importantly, it was in regards to one specific Bandit.
"Cyrus. Power: Ice. Band Rank: Unknown. Weakness: Unknown. Recent Sighting: Near AU Private Station."
Cyrus was not just another Libra operative; he was skilled, cunning, and undeniably dangerous.
What troubled Cassian was how many times their paths had crossed. And each, that Bandit had almost eluded his grasp.
Their most recent encounter wasn't one to be forgotten—Cyrus's ice powers, and then his words, had reminded Cassian of someone with a drive, akin to his own.
He leaned closer, tapping the pin on Cyrus's profile.
'I was refraining from hunting him down and killing him,' Cassian thought to himself. 'Should I still do it?'
Despite the amount of intelligence available, he had a troubling pattern. Cyrus's proximity to critical AU facilities was not a coincidence. Whether acting under Libra's orders or pursuing his own agenda, Cyrus was a threat Cassian could not afford to ignore.
Connecting another red thread to Cyrus's pin, Cassian made a mental note to intensify his surveillance. There was no room for loose ends, and Cyrus would soon learn that Cassian was not one to tolerate unanswered questions.
He placed a piece of paper on his pin, containing a list of questions he intended to pose to Cyrus the next time they met. Either that, or interrogate the Bandit by force.
"Cyrus..."
The name, uttered aloud, evoked amusement within Cassian. He wasn't so eager for their next encounter. But at least for this time, he would try to shed away all of Cyrus's mysteries.
Cassian pressed the button again, and the wall retracted to its original position, concealing his plans.
He then closed his laptop and walked towards the kitchen, pouring himself a glass of wine. He leaned against the counter, gazing at the moon.
"Timing, precision, and inevitability, he declared as he finished his glass. "That's how one builds an empire."
The night went by as he stared out the window. Sleep escaped him. How could he sleep when there was so much going on?
The plan was his, and his alone. It was simply brilliance and bewilderment, but nothing he knew that he couldn't handle. No one could really tell what was going to happen next if they weren't already up to speed. And if they didn't know, they wouldn't be able to stop him.
He slowly exhaled, feeling the burning feel from the wine. Perhaps now he could get some rest.