The formal attendant had given the Grand Marshall and his company a brief tour of their wing on
Starhome and by the time the Imperials arrived at their hall and before their respective doors, Kaine had pretty much had all the meaningless trivia regarding the glory of Hapes technology and the brilliance of the leadership provided by Dakkon Darksword he could stomach.
All in all, Simon wondered if the attendant had his lips surgically grafted onto the Crown Prince's ass.
The Imperial party was not large and so a spacious room was easily granted to Kaine as the highest ranking officer and a couple of smaller accomodating rooms for the staff that accompanied him.
He heard a communications unit chirping as he entered the lavishly decorated room and while attempting to locate the unit, he unbuttoned his uniform coming to a bedroom from which the sound was eminating. He answered the hail by activating the unit situated on a wall in front of a large bed that lay in the middle of the room.
Grand Moff Zell's face appeared in the screen and immediately he began his rant.
"Did you take that damn jewel and shove it up the Crown Prince's ass? " the older man growled. "Can I begin targeting the support pylons and set Hapes Royalty back a century?"
Simon noted a personal bar on an adjacent wall from the comm unit and the fact that both were located in the bedroom told him that the Hapans were old hats to the fundamentals of diplomacy. "We just said, 'hi', Zell. No need to declare war."
"He's a prissy, self bloated royal pain in a rancor's ass." Then his rant lost some of it's venom. "Kaine, what the hell are we doing here?" Simon could tell that Zell was bored. It was Regent Hyfe's idea that both men handle the Hapes negotiations which was strange since they were both soldiers and not really diplomats.
The Regent had been acting stranger and stranger ever since the war ended with the Coalition and the Outer Rim Soveriengty.
"Protecting our interests." he turned to Zell, coming out of his reverie and answering the old man's question.
"You can say that? After the gift you wanted to present? I had Gormul whipped in a dungeon to complete the work. And what did the Hapes prick offer? A damn rock!"
Kaine's shoulder shrugged in exhaustion. "The corridor between the Core and the Yaga Minor Proectorate lay just behind the Hapes Cluster. I would very much rather have their Battle Dragons poised outward and standing between us and whoever fancies themselves a destroyer of the New Order."
"Don't trust them!"
"Zell," a little of his tired exasperation was beginning to show, "it was just the initial meeting." He waved off the comm. "And it's way too late for you to be in this mood."
"Well..." Zell drew the comment out. "Excuse the fuck out of me, Graaand Maaaarshaall. Would his lordship..."
A noise was heard beyond the bedroom from an adjoining room and even the transmitters of the comm unit picked it up cutting off Zell's rant.
"What the fuck was that?"
"I.." Kaine's eyes narrowed, surprised at the noise. "don't know. I suppose I am not alone."
"I've ordered the
Rashion to target the pylons." Zell stated flatly and then slowly a feral grin began to form. "As soon as you are shot, I'll order her to open fire."
Kaine's wry grin did not reach his eyes as he murmured, "Nice to know I am being backed by the best and the brightest."
Kaine began to move away from the communications unit toward the swivel doors that led into a room that seemed to be entirely comprised of some sort of tile.
He stopped before reaching the double swivel doors and saw nothing.
"Is anyone there?" he calmly asked in a voice of authority knowing he should have had a weapon. The fact that a trigger happy Zell remained safely on the Venerator outside of
Starhome gave Kaine little comfort.
The fact that an opportunist like Azrael Zell could use the circumstance to rid Hapes of it's leaders at the price of a mere Grand Marshall was not lost on Kaine either.
And then a door was pushed outward as someone exited the room in a shy manner.
"Fuck me.." whispered Zell over the comm as a young woman stepped into the bedroom.
"Who are you?" Simon asked, slightly annoyed at the intrusion.
The girl was plainly nervous. "L... Lord Kaine. I ... I was to draw your bath.." she responded almost dumbly.
Confusion entered Kaine's mind and Zell barked out a laugh. "Forget what I said about that fucker Dakkon. He's a much farseeing man than I gave him credit for. We would do well to form an alliance..."
"Shut up, Zell." Kaine ground out not taking his eyes off the woman.
He stepped forward, "Do you know who I am?" he asked in a soft yet dangerous voice. Assassins were assassins even if they were pretty.
The girl, however, seemed to lose some of her color and cast her eyes downward. "You are Lord Kaine. All servants of
Starhome know the Conqueror of a Thousand Worlds."
Kaine ignored the whispered, '
What the fuck' from Zell and continued, "You're a servant?"
"Sweet Emperor's brittle bones, man!" The old Moff could not contain himself. "If she's gonna draw your bath, there's only one purpose the Crown Prince had in mind when assigning her to your room. Tell him I want three whores of my own." The Grand Moff's insinuations caused the girl to whiten further.
"You're here to have sex?" Kaine simply, flat-out laid it out much to Zell's delight and the girl's growing anxiety.
"Of course she is! When you're done with her.. send her to the
Rashion. Conqueror of a Thousand Worlds my ass. I'll show her the Conqueror of the Billion Whores!"
"Zell, for the hundreth time, shut up."
The Grand Moff grinned, "I'll leave you two kids alone. Remember, Marshall, I expect a full report." and the comm unit went dark.
The two people stared at each other until Kaine took the initiative. "You never answered the question. You are here for sex?"
The woman's eyes were those of one who had been caught in a trap. Her voice hesitated, "I.... If that is my Lord's .. wish.". Her eyes remained downcast.
"You are trembling.." Kaine remarked not moving and the girl silently cursed herself at the display. How events had moved beyond what she envisioned would be a quick duty suddenly became much more complicated. If the Imperial demanded her body she had no choice. Her duty to the Crown Prince was clear. To refuse the request of a diplomatic envoy would cast dishonor on the House of Darksword. In fact, if she angered the Imperial in any way, he would be liable to take it out on others for tear asunder any agreement her Prince would want ratified.
But the Imperial had not moved. He merely stared at her and she began to realize he was expecting an answer.
"I... I am sorry, Lord. I am new to this. I.....I am untouched." She fell to her knees knowing that that latter revelation would seal her fate.
"Get up, woman." the Imperial called out softly and turned his attention to pulling his black gloves off. "Just be glad you did not say that in front of Moff Zell."
The man seemed to smile to himself.
The girl was so lost in her thoughts that she did not realize the Imperial Grand Marshall step over to her and raise her back up by her shoulders.
"What is your name?"
The girl could not fathom her good fortune as the man made no attempt to rape her. Her sisters were both courtesans and were very good at their professions having been groomed from their early teens. It was a life of honor to please those that brought pleasure to their Crown Prince and his allies. It was a life with a prospect of great rewards if a courtesan found a wealthy personal patron. But it was a life that did not appeal to her.
"My name is Anya."
The Imperial Grand Marshall's eyes flashed in recognition of some memory but other than that displayed no emotion.
"Well, Anya. Is the bath set?"
"What?.. oh.. Y.. yes Lord."
"I am not a Lord."
"You are Lord Kaine, Lord. Conqueror of a..."
"..a Thousand Worlds. Yes, I heard you the first time. And for the record, I have not conquered a thousand worlds."
The woman looked at Kaine curiously. "To conquer Corsucant is to conquer a thousand worlds." she said with conviction.
Kaine flashed a tired smile, "You Hapans do like your titles. I appreciate you drawing the bath, Anya. You may go."
And Kaine moved out of her way taking off the uniform jacket and laying it on the bed.
The girl, not believing her luck, scrambled for the door and bolted from the Diplomatic Room as quickly as possible.
Kaine did not bother to watch her leave and his thoughts began to turn towards the meeting he would be having with the Crown Prince and the Coalition Representative.
