"Gentlemen, I have already explained to you why we have to go forward with this project. All I need is your support."
Black Knight leaned back in her chair as the five faces on the monitor frowned at her. She'd spent the past half an hour on the line with her employers, trying to explain the mechanics of her plan and what it could mean for them, and it seemed all her arguments were falling on deaf ears yet again.
"We don't have to go ahead with anything, little lady," one of the faces spoke up. "We are the ones in control of this operation, not you."
Vostok. A former KGB agent, he was easily the most awkward of her employers to deal with and frequently took every opportunity to wave his alleged 'superiority' in her face. He had an annoying habit of referring to Black Knight as 'little lady' whenever he could, a trait that she found particularly aggravating. The two had almost come to blows on several occasions, and Black Knight had long ago vowed that he would be the first to go once she no longer had any need for her 'employers'.
"I agree with our Russian friend here," said another voice, this time Texan. "We've got no idea that this little project of yours is gonna work, and we hardly have the time to go chasing after some trivial discovery."
"I respect your concerns Mr Roswell, but I would hardly call this breakthrough minor." Black Knight responded, hiding her growing impatience behind a well-practised smile. "I've told you what this discovery could mean for us, and I highly recommend we- that is to say, you, should pursue it."
Roswell didn't look convinced. "Minor or major, it hardly matters. This thing is going to take time, and the longer we spend working on some side-project the less likely we are to find the Master Control Nanites before-"
"If this project works, we won't need the Master Control Nanites."
That shut them up. Black Knight's fake smile changed to a genuine one as she watched the expressions of her employers shift from impatience, to shock, and finally to contemplation. She could see the wheels turning in their heads as they considered the possible implications of what she had said. Her employers might not understand the science behind her proposal, but they could all spot an opportunity when presented with one.
At last, one of them spoke up. "If the project works."
"I assure you gentlemen, you have nothing to worry about. My top scientist assures me that everything will function as planned once we go ahead. By this time next month, we will be ready to end this petty war and you will finally get what you've waited five years for."
There was another pause, albeit far shorter than the last. Black Knight could tell she had won long before they responded. "Very well Black Knight. You are clear to proceed with this project." The screen clicked off, and Black Knight smiled even wider. It had taken a lot of effort, but now she could carry on with her plan unhindered. Her gaze shifted to a second monitor nearby, displaying the report Caesar had sent her only a few hours earlier. In it were plans for a new device that he had created. A device that, when applied correctly, would make even the power of the Nanites seem insignificant and obsolete.
In just a few short weeks, Black Knight would at last be able to win this game once and for all.