Bureaucrat (level 7) Mavia Norgovosleb was a junior member of Infrastructure's Oestian embassy who'd been assigned to this posting a few months before the war began. She soon came to enjoy the capital city of Auvorin with it's warm weather, local peoples, exotic food and fine architecture, fashion and artwork were quite lovely, even if she spent most of her time in an office dealing with dull matter of commerce and states. These were of course important tasks to help support the war effort, but they were hardly the most stimulating. A few times she'd attended some function or other, which was usually something of a mixed experience for her. On the one hand, the Princess and her Lords were skilled at holding glamorous events with a regal grace and an ornate pageantry that she quite admired. On the other hand even if she was trained in administration the daughter of a village potter in a minimalist uniform was always out of place among the glittering ladies of court. But that aside they were still comparatively rare compared to the regular business in working out sales and deliveries, materials procurement, shipping, payment plans and loans.Then on a warm spring day she received an unusual order from her superior in regards to the Avesian Campaign. Some Thirty Six ships (mostly commandeered vessels) from Avesia were arriving in Auvorin this afternoon full of repatriated slaves, which she was to take pictures of. It was important enough so that she was ordered to take some pictures. This was important enough for her to get a new Film Camera. The ships first docked at 14:30, there was some push back by some dock official until the lord mayor of the city cleared things up and so at 15:48 the ship began unloading it's passengers.Mavia had gotten a few shots of the ships docking and similar beforehand, which were techinically proficient even without a tripod, but what made the whole thing worthwhile was the procession which came down the gangplanks and out of the Auvorin's streets. Some of them wore the ragged clothes of slaves, some wore infrastructural and others wore slaver outfits, most of them were a bit ripe from being on board old fahsioned sailing ships without showers and all but the very young among them had makeshift purses with a few commandeered coins. Even so, they all radiated a joy. Men, women and children who had been beaten, starved and treated like livestock and prepared for a life of miserable servitude on plantations, down mines, in brothels or in perverse mockeries of proper factories under the lash now had their wishes come true. Their might be complications down the road: they were still unemployed and by the looks of it not all of the people who were brought here were originally Oestians. Even so, they once again had the chance that all free people had. As another batch passed she put her fist to chest in salute.That night, the prints would be developed and soon they'd be sent off to be engraved for use in a broadsheet the Embassy published as part of an article. Empathy was as much of a weapon for the cause of Infrastructure as any rifle, rocket or cannon.Previous- Infrastructure: Part Two Hundred and Seventy Four Next- Infrastructure: Part Two Hundred and Seventy Six