How This Came Together
In Compromises, a political science fiction short story set in the Transformation series, a tense meeting inside a young triumvirate exposes how fragile power truly is. After five years of careful progress, a third triumvir arrives with funding, political goodwill, and a list of demands. What begins as a debate over colonization ships and planetary equality quickly becomes a calculated exchange where leverage, not volume, determines the outcome.
As tensions rise between Caitlin, Quinn, and Malark, the question is not whether compromise will occur, but who truly benefits from it. In a world still reshaping itself after the fall of the Larian Federation, governance is not built through force alone. It is negotiated, tested, and sometimes weaponized.
Music Pairing
Sprightly Twilight accompanies this story with a tone that flickers between tension and reflection. Its energy underscores the fragile balance at the heart of the triumvirate, uncertain, shifting, and never entirely settled. The music mirrors the story’s central theme: power rarely explodes; it teeters.
Behind the Scenes
When I sat to pen this installment in the story, I only had a vague idea where I wanted to take the government. But I knew Caitlin and Quinn were central to the story. Since they were paramount, I needed to introduce some friction, without dragging out the initial steps that weren't all that interesting. As a result, I leveraged the third triumvir to accomplish both goals. While I needed a second pass to refine my original idea, this episode continues the overall series while focusing on a single moment that has more action going on than you would first suspect.
📌 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for weekly original stories, original blues music, and magical storytelling.
🛡️ New episodes every week, don’t miss what’s coming next.
If you enjoyed the story and are looking for something else consider my book, Dead Man’s Hand.
Click here or use Rumble, if you prefer,If you enjoyed the story and are looking for something else consider my book,
Excerpt of Eloquent Tales & Blues presents, Compromises
“Where is he?” Caitlin glared at the empty seat, her finger tapping against her desk.
Looking up from his papers, Quinn sighed and glanced at his friend. “I’m not surprised, considering Malark knows how much his tardiness annoys you.”
“Excuse me?” Caitlin’s eyes narrowed as her gaze shifted to the other triumvir.
Quinn shrugged with a lopsided grin. “Why do you think he’s always late?”
“Is expecting a degree of decorum unreasonable?”
“It’s not. However, if you learned to ignore his antics, he’d stop squandering our precious time.”
Caitlin rose and walked over to Quinn, her eyes narrowing when the door flew open. With a glance over her shoulder, she spotted the heavy-set individual waddling into the room. Caitlin huffed as she stalked back to her desk. Before she returned to her seat, the new arrival entered and spoke with a tired voice. “I apologize for being late. A meeting with several concerned citizens occupied me.”
Caitlin lifted her pen as she shook her head. “Malark, it’s still far too early to discuss the eventual workings of the federation that’ll replace the Larian Federation.”
“Why’s that, my dear?” Malark marched across the room and relieved his legs of the strain of supporting his bulk. Once Malark’s carved chair supported his weight, the plump man withdrew a small rectangular rod. He unclipped one end of it and opened the fan. As he began fanning himself, Malark’s eyes became harder as he continued. “It’s been five years since the two of you founded this triumvirate. That question still lacks a satisfactory answer the people are willing to accept. They’re more worried about this issue than either of you are prepared to admit.”
“Malark, there are more pressing concerns we have to deal with.” Quinn shuffled the papers on his desk. “What you’re talking about is fifteen to twenty years distant.”
“We disagree on that, Quinn.”
Caitlin narrowed her glare on Malark. “And who is we?”
“Plenty of the population disagrees with you. Besides, they possess the resolve, not to mention the funding, to alter the makeup of this triumvirate.” Malark fanned himself as he offered a smirk to Quinn.
He recognized the deliberate threat and looked over at Caitlin. When she noticed Quinn’s look, he shook his head. The objection on her lips died as she settled into her seat. Quinn returned his gaze to the pudgy man as he steepled his fingers under his chin. “What do these individuals desire to discuss with us?”
“We feel that the new colonization ships need to be approved.” Malark swiped his fan onto his desk. Then he tapped the fan on its uncluttered surface.
Or if you would simply prefer to read the story, click here.
Have a wonderful day my friends!