The Sigil made its decent through the atmosphere of the planet, the ever present darkness basking the planet from the dull red sun making the plant life glow radiantly with their bioluminesant glow. On the dark side of the planet, this glow was even more prominent, giving it something of a mystical, fae lands appearance. The ship had identified itself and was given the coordinates to the Hangar doors that lead to the Hangar Cavern.
It was a a modest fit. A spaceship underground uncommon, but this tunnel seemed all to well built for it, lights actng as indicators along the length. Even underground, it was quite the journey before the ship made it to the main hangar. Several large pads with painted slots for smaller ships could be seen, towering up the massive space. Easily enough room to fit several of the Ayana-Class ships inside, but only one pad was lit up, with several vekimen at the ready.
The armed guard introduced themselves curtly, and Zoia explained their reasons for being there. It was for their protection against the general population, rather than the other way around. The Security team seemed rather cutloose around the morbidly clad Elf. They had a respect for her on sheer presence, and it was clear.
The trip from the hangar to the city was likewise long. Travelling through a tunnel system that appeared to be built to confuse rather than a direct path to the city. The team had prepared for this though, several accomdations made for the now flightless, comparitavly immobile Elf to facilitate her safe transport to the city. It was long, but felt shorter still, the teams commander easily slipping into a simple conversation.
Once in the city, the scope of it was huge. 100,000 Vekimen barely filled the massive cavern they had elected to start their city in. It was easy to tell this was the start of more a military garrison than a city built with a civilian in mind. Large domes pocketing the cavern, holes built into the walls and even ceilings of the Cavern. It seemed if the Vekimen could dig, they would go.
Training fields for various things, melee combat, range, vehicle simulators, all here present and had their place. Domnating the cavern, on a far wall, was a large, ornate building literally carved into the wall, a historical story seemingly carved into the very stone surrounding the archway. VDTF Headquarters as Zoia explained. The security team no longer paying attention to the two now they were admist the general population.
Morioka could clearly see armed patrols waltzing about the "streets" as the population did miscillanious things. Some could be seen particpating in odd little games, most prominent a vocal battle between two Vekimen staring each other down. Their voices carrying in complex patterns of sound, each adding a new varaiable until one finally stumbled on the pattern, several passerbyers screeching their cheers, others hissing there jeers. In the distance the Elfess could see what looked to be a female getting pulled off a rather brutalized male by a couple armed and armoured Vekimen. A mating attempt gone horribly wrong Zoia explained softly.
Staying on the designated path, the two finally made it to the Headquarters, to which they were met with an equally busy, yet denser population. Vekimen scrambling all over the place, from this room to that room, filled the halls. Not a single bandless horn to be seen, with quite the variation of clans. Many looked at the two wth a mixture of confusion and curosity, while some had more of an aggressive stare, which Morioka patiently ignored.
It wasn't until they made it to the back, to a large airlock by the looks of it, did the two run into any real issues. It was a large Laderen coupled by two Kiraten blocking the door. Zoia initated in a quick conversaton with the Laderen, her body language clearly one of upset and even outrage, but when it seemed the Vekimen would not budge, holding a glare with Morioka's eyes through the helmet she wore did Zoia finally give up her attempt to fight.
"He demands you relenquish your weapons... Weapons are not permitted in the Thyva Chamber..." Zoia grumbled, glaring at the Three banded LAderen who held the gaze of Morioka, holding out a simple containter for her to place her weapon in. She did not move to utilize it immediately. Instead, Morioka peered at the three in front of her through the helmet that she had been given, the skull of a vekimen whose likeness she had been, more or less, granted the right to adopt.
"Is this an insult?" she asked Zoia, in the same tone that she had been asking all of her other clarifying questions this evening. "Though you have explained to me some of my rights, I had thought carrying my swords was one of them."
Zoia took a deep breath. "Weapons are not permitted by the Sraralumee within the chamber. I tried to explain that one of the swords are granted to you by Khelena, but he doesn't care. It's a weapon, it is not physically a part of your being like claws or teeth as he explains, it cannot be allowed into the chamber" The small vekimen sighed.
For most of this trip, Bhelith's hands had rested, casually, and very naturally, on the pommels of the two swords. Beneath her left palm, Claw the Retainer, and beneath her right, the more richly brown and gold handle of the Oath. The elf weighed her retainer's explination, then asked, "In your culture, I do not, or I do, have the authority to slay those who oppose me in this way? Or is this person a direct representative of your Monarch?"
"I... Can't answer that question properly. He is a Zukan acting on orders. They are not his demands, but the demands of Khelena that have not been appropriately sorted out" Zoia answered.
The elf's gold eyes traveled back to the three Vekimen in front of her. "Would they treat another one of your clan leaders in this way, in the same situation, or is this because I am not a Vekimen, in your opinion?"
"I have no idea. You are the first in over two thousand vekimen years. I can tell you that there are not even armed guards in the chamber" Zoia sighed.
Finally, Bhelith asked, "In that case, what do you think I should do?"
"Relenquish the blades, and inform the Sraralumee of the misunderstanding. Only she can resolve the issue, no other voice holds more weight than her own, especially here" The alien reluctantly stated. "I am sure it can be quickly resolved... But only in that way without appearing to be hostile to all the other Vekimen here. My hands are tied, I'm sorry I cannot do more..." Zoia frowned, bowing her head slightly.
"Please tell them that I will comply," Bhelith decided, and though Zoia could see that her heat patterns changed around her shoulders and her hands, the elfess removed her swords in a professional and dignified manner, one and then the other, placing the sheathed treasures in the provided, comparatively unassuming box. The elf might have given up her swords, and before that yeilded her Nekovalkryja body to Yamatai, but Zoia knew that she was still prepared to fight, if fighting were necessary. That pattern was how she had appeared, daring Zoia's favorite to kill her.
Zoia twitched, but informed the Zukan of what Morioka was saying. The Zukan took the box and placed it to the side, bringing attention to several more boxes that had weapons in them. They were not exclusive. The Laderen keyed in a code to open the frst set of doors, allowing the two to pass.
Once inside, the first door sealed, and the second opened to let the two hear a loud, vicous argument being displayed between multiple Vekimen. None had any less than six bands around their horn, aside from one who had a horn of solid gold, appearing rather annoyed and rubbing at the bridge of her muzzle between her eyes.
They all layed on odd chairs, built to prop them up and allow their tail to sway free, but none used the rest. Most seemed highly agitated, manes expanded, before one stood up sharply. The following set of actions were hard to follow, as two other at the table mmedately launched themselves at the one who stood, quickly cutting him down before placing their hands to the floor. This was when Khelena herself stood.
"In the midsts of guests and one could not follow the simplest rule of this chamber!" She snapped, in trade of all languages. The two who dealt with the Vekimen who stood quickly went back to the seats, and the room became silent. Khelena turned to Morioka.
"Bhelith Morioka, I am glad you have taken the time to me-" She started, looking at her a little more critically. There was a moment before her eyes narrowed. "Where is your sword?" She asked, her cool voice growing a little dark.
"I did not wish to introduce myself by slaying your door guards," Bhelith Morioka answered, the simple tones of trade placed against the backdrop of the sudden lack of the Vekimen's complex language almost harsh, even to her own ears. "My swords are with the other confiscated equipment, at the door, your Excellency."
Khelena narrowed her eyes, standing a little straighter. "Is that so... It would seem I am surrounded by deaf idiots" She growled, walking from her postion to the door. She opened both, walking out and grabbing Claw from the bin, and grabbing the Laderen sharply by the horn to drag him into the chamber.
"What did I tell you? Specifcally, you, when I told you we were having an important guest arrive?" She asked, pulling him down to his knees by his horn. She reached out with the other hand, and held out the weapon for Morioka, while the Vekimen tried to speak.
"Trade you fool" The leader ordered.
"Do not take the Claw..." The Male growled.
"Bhelith Morioka, can you please tell me the name of that sword?" Khelena asked.
"In your language it is Claw," Bhelith replied, having accepted the sword by its scabbard, without bothering to retie it to the wide swordbelt she had been provided along with the armor.
Khelena just threw the Vekimen down. "He is yours to do what you wish. Snap his horn, kill him, I gave him clear orders" She said, turing and rubbing her face with a exasperated sigh. She appeared a little stressed out. The Vekimen on the ground pushed himself back onto his knees, his one leg shaking as he waited for the Elf to act.
The sword remained sheathed. Bhelith examined the being on its knees in front of her, keenly aware of the eyes of the entire council. And yet, Zoia saw her body heat cooling, as though somehow the elf were entering a state of calm, or relaxing, despite the pressure.
"What is your name?" the elf asked in trade.
"Buhan Sar'Laderen" The Vekimen responded, the vekimen language hard to pull from his voice which gave him a gutteral tone. The Thyva in the room stared, Khelena walking over to a table with simple clay tableware. Pouring herself an odd blue liquid before sipping on it lightly.
"Why did you take my sword, at the door, even though my Retainer explained to you its importance?"
He did not respond, he just held his gaze with the floor. He, and every other Vekimen in the hall knew the answer. "The child holds no authority" He finally said, narrowing his eyes. "It is not her place to attempt to circumvent the Sraralumees order, and until I was given the order, your sword was a weapon" He stated.
Bhelith stared the Vekimen down for a while, in judgement that seemed strangely bereft of anger. Indeed, Zoia saw, the Lady's heart beat calm and serene. Despite the tension in the room, the elf was in her element.
Eventually, the elf shifted the scabbard to her right hand, and turned slightly, offering the hilt of her sword, a second time, to Zoia.
"As my Retainer, this man has offended you. I give you permission to take his life if you wish to do so, to regain your honor and rectify the insult. Spare him and he will know that it was you, whom he has insulted, who has given him back his breath. Slay him, and all here will know I value you and that you speak with my voice."
Zoia stared at Morioka for a moment, then at the Laderen. Moments later, she stepped on his muzzle, lifting her other foot and stomped down on the horn that had the bands wrapped around it. The Laderens head twisted just enough to not fully break the horn, held on only by a slight length. Bhelith, meanwhile, let the scabbard slide back down into a better grip, and held it at her side, watching.
"There... I spared him..." She growled as the Vekimen squealed in pain, clutching at the broken appendage.
It seemed, Khelena had enough of noise in general, waving her hand with an order, all the Vekimen being removed from the room, the dead and dshonoured Vekimen dragged out.
"I grow tired of their childish screaming..." She sighed, looking to Morioka. "Please, sit where you like" She offered casually, to which Zoia immediately moved to take a seat. Morioka chose a seat nearby on the same divan, and sat the sword in her lap, sitting straight-backed with the strange-looking vekimen to her side. Because it seemed as though they were now in private conference, she also removed the Vekimen-skull helmet, setting it atop the blade in her lap and freeing her unbound hair to fall over the leathery, scaled pauldrons, gold over black.
"I apologize for the hassle, and I feel you would have rathered both swords, but I may only make exception for your claw" The Vekimen explained, pouring yet two more cups of the blue liquid and laying them in front of Morioka. "If you so choose, they are yours to give to Zoia 'Morioka or drink yourself. Made from a fruit on this planet, rather nice to drink over water" She explained, taking a seat so she could face Morioka with little discomfort. The elfess took one of the drinks, allowing Zoia the second by default and with a small confirming nod. She scented it, and then sipped, testing it to see if she liked it, or whether it would cause her to be sick. It was lightly sweet, neutral. It had sugar in it clearly, but nothing like a pop or other sugary drink. Zoia sipped at hers, silent as she cooled down from the voilence. Morioka took another drink of it, finding it not unpleasant in the least bit, and then returned her attention to the alien monarch.
"I had intended to sit on your council, and not to cause trouble. I understand that Zoia went far out of her way to introduce me to you."
"Quite far out of her way. I will admit, I was not pleased with her disappearance. I don't like not knowing where my people are when I send them to other nations, and when her shuttle returned far later than they were expected, without her I was rather agitated. I am pleased with the outcome, and glad you accepted our offer" Khelena said, looking to Zoia for a moment. Turning her attention back to Morioka, Khelena sighed. "Are you happy with her?" She asked.
"Yes, I am," Bhelith replied, with a certain amount of reverence. Though the Lady was a noble in her own right, Zoia clearly saw that she was making an effort to respect the local customs that had empowered her, here, and acting within those boundries. Every move was precise, unhurried, and held some weight of attention.
Khelena nodded slowly, taking a deep breath. "Not to embarrasse the poor girl, but she feels otherwise. This is a complicated situation, but I believe it can be easily resolved. From what I understand Zoia is seperate from you and others she considers Clan Member in her own room. You have slept with her once, and nothing more?" Khelena almost asked, relaxing in the chair.
Zoia looked down, twiddling her thumbs as a child might if they had been caught tattling on someone, her drink left on the wayside as her attention was drawn to something seemingly more interesting on the ground. "I have slept with one clan mate... Since we last spoke..." The girl mumbled uneasily, but Khelena seemed to take the comment as passing information.
The elf paused to consider that, looking Zoia over in a kindly way, and then turned back, her voice its typical clear and even lilt. "Excellency, my species does not sleep in the way most species do, and our cultures in this case are different. Although I am sensitive to yours, nevertheless it is difficult to change mine, or the culture of those in my employ. As she mentions, one of my other Retainers has listened to her and explained to me what it is that she seeks, and we are seeking a resolution, now. In the meantime, please simply think of it as a difference in culture and not as an insult, or as though I dislike or do not appreciate your subject."
"I never took it as an insult. Who am I to tell you how to do anything within your clan?" Khelena asked, before waving her hand. "And please, drop the language. You are a Clan Head, as am I at this point now. For now there is no ranking Bhelith Morioka" The Sraralumee added.
Bhelith glanced back to Zoia, gold eyes luminous as they gathered every scrap of the dim lighting. Then, she looked back, "Very well, as you wish. My sexual preferences are my own. It has little to nothing to do with her. She does not displease me, otherwise."
Zoia nodded slowly, and Khelena nodded in turn. "Then that is settled. I just felt I should see if it was not simply a misunderstanding. We are an intmate race, you are not. These are things we will have to accept, is that right Zoia?" Khelena asked.
"Yes Sraralumee. I am sorry Lady Bhelith, I should have spoken to you about it" She added, looking at Morioka.
"Yes, you should have," Bhelith confirmed, "But it is easily forgiven."
The elfess sat the helmet aside on the divan beside herself, along with her sword, and rested her hands upon her scaled and armored thighs. The armor had been crafted by the vekimen themselves, out of their own dead, and she had worn it knowing that it implied she were a vekimen. Beneath her helmet she had worn the dull silver circlet of her rank in Xiuluria, and it caught even this dim lighting.
"Since we are speaking frankly, I have been wondering why it is that I am here. At first when I was told of this appointment, I had thought it were simple recognition, because of Zoia. Now I learn that there are only three clans in your culture and that I am the fourth, the first new one in over a thousand of your years. I find the appointment strange, especially because we have never met before now. Why am I being honored like this?"
Khelena thought about the question for a moment, seeming a little troubled. "That, is a question I was expecting, but even now I am not fully prepared to answer it. Not, at least, without an understanding from you that what is said here does not leave this room and those who currently inhabit it. More so, if you would mind having your retainer wait for a while outside. I will ensure all her wants are attended too while she is here. I do not mean to offend, but this is sensitve even to her ears, and I trust you can understand that my postion comes with secrets that I must seek to control" Khelena explained, looking at Zoia, then to Morioka. The elf nodded to Zoia, and said nothing that wasn't already implied.
Zoia stood and bowed slightly, going to leave the room. When she was gone and the two of them, the elf and the vekimen, were alone in the quiet and spacious room, Khelena turned her attention back. "Zoia tells me a lot about you, Bhelith, that you were once a great commander of Yamatai, you have joined people in unity, and have a great amount of wisdom. Wisdom of someone either far more versed, or far older than your average person. To us, at least" She said, narrowing her eyes. "You have also gone through great pain in your past. I will admit, the girl just cannot stop talking when it comes to your praise, I would admit my own followers spoke of me so highly" The lizard laughed.
Bhelith, seeming to relax from the natural elvish grace and poise that came so easily to her now, smiled slightly. "They rarely say so to your face, I find. Instead, they find you kinship in the strangest places. Zoia may not voice what she feels about you directly, but through placing us here, I think that is praise of its own. She is remarkably loyal."
"Indeed, I would hope you are correct, but you do not answer my question. I know we just met, but I can assure you can trust me. I trust you, we work together. I am no higher to you than you are to me. I have the VDTF, you have Morioka. I am happy with this arrangment, it gives me the hope that the Vekimen may yet carve a slot of this galaxy yet" She explained.
"What you have said of me is true," Bhelith confirmed, simply, watching the elder vekimen, as no doubt she herself were being watched. "And if what I have seen of your people holds true for all of them, I also believe that your place on the Star Ocean will come, as well, though there will be points where you may lose that hope as well. Some will want to control you and harness you, and others will sell you technology that will place you into debt to them, forever. I am sure this has already happened, has it not?"
"Spoken wisely. You are somewhat right. We were helped by Yamatai, twice. Once when our station was attacked, and again when our station was too damaged to get us anywhere. Control has not been made and attempt of that I can see, but I do have a debt I suppose you can say, though Yamatai claims it to be a humanitarian aide to us. I was wondering if you would shed light upon that, as I am to understand you are no longer of Yamatai?" She asked, her tone a little confused.
"I am a hereditary Warden of Xiuluria," Bhelith explained, summerizing rather than delving fully into the intricacies of elvish culture, nobility, and governance, "And have my autonomy, to conduct my own affairs. Xiuluria is a protectorate of Yamatai, and provides a representative to their body of governance. I can advise you, if you wish, though like your words to me, it must be privately. I do not wish to endanger my people, or cause them greater suffering."
"Take a look around Morioka. This room has no cameras, no recording equipment, nothing. I value trust, and the only way I can assure that is to give my people a chance" Khelena offered.
"If the word is spoken by Ketsurui Yuumi," Bhelith began, after a hesitant pause. Her coloration changed again in the thermal scale, though not drastically. "Humanitarian may in fact be the truth. She and I are old acquaintances, and she is wise and temperate. The Premier is the reason that Yamatai is as peaceful as it is, now. In part, she distracts the military families by reminding them they are a country as well as a fighting force.
"However," the elfess continued, serene, "if spoken by Ketsurui Yui, then I would be wary of how she says that and when. It may very well be that too much military action on your behalf by Yamatai would signal to other bodies, other nations, that your ties are close enough to imply alliance. She will sooner or later remind you of what she has done for you, and that is how the Lorath were taken, to their eternal bitterness. Yui has been tempered over the last ten years, and she has enlightened moments, but she is yet a child, first abused, and then spoiled. Her glory is war, and Yamatai is a warrior country."
Khelena's head rocked back in a hearty laugh. "Ten years old?! Surely you are joking!" Khelena, asked, snorting a little.
"No," Bhelith corrected, "She is close to thirty six, if my memory serves me correctly. Yuumi is also a similar age."
"Thirty six? You are correct, they are both very much so children, but I will trust your word in regards to Yuumi. You are of similar age to them? You mentioned being their friend" Khelena asked.
"No," replied the elf, simply, though the admission clearly embarassed her a little for once, "I am a century their senior."
"Ah, and I am yet centuries older than yourself I would assume?" Khelena asked. "By your years, not my own. Yamataian Years" She clarified.
"Though most would not believe me, I think," Bhelith noted, outwardly unperturbed, gathering her hands in her lap and folding them together, "I am actually young for an elf. Our elders are many, many times my senior, and I am only a minor Warden whose holdings are no longer existant. The fate of many of our houses, more or less noble. Even so, my people believe that I am unwise to involve myself as deeply as I do with other races, and they may be right."
"You make your own way, Morioka. You have done well for yourself, and as unwise as people may think what you do is, they are ultmately your choices. You will suffer whatever outcome they have" Khelena explained. "You are the first elf I have heard of, and I have had my feelers out for information for quite some time. That is what interests me so much. That is why I took such a bold move in what I did. You do what you think is right for whatever reason you may think, and your people follow you. I am old, and I have seen much strife. In my age I feel I may be to old to learn new tricks as your kind may say, but I know I am good at one. One that I do not wish to make Vekimen as a whole suffer through" Khelena sighed.
The elfess turned her head slightly, enough that a few elegantly smoothed bangs ghosted near across her circlet. She waited for the vekimen to continue, having clearly given her sharp attention.
"I hope I have not perturbed or offended" Khelena asked.
"No. I take you to mean war?"
Khelena laughed, but it was sad. "I have known nothing but war. I am good at war. I revel in it, and I know many of it's secrets. Not all, but a good many. I have forgotten how a Clan was to be run in the past. Long forgotten, longer than I have been stuck on that prison. My people have come to see it the same. War, conflict, it is in our blood and runs far deeper than that. I do not wish for the Vekimen to be known as Warmongers, but that is what I am. You, you help people. You commanded armies, but you also joined people in unity. You seek out things to be better than what they are, no?" She asked.
After another moment or two of consideration, a pause to formulate a proper response, Bhelith said, quiet but clear, "It is my divine duty."
"You must accept my apology Bhelith Morioka, for despite my desire for trust I have made one lie too you. When you came in, it was my full intention to have your swords removed from you. I wanted to see what you would do..." Khelena said softly, gripping the rest of her chair with an obvious tension. She paused, allowing the Elf to respond.
In response, Bhelith informed her, "I trust my Retainer and you have stressed her greatly, I think. You also gave her an opportunity to prove that herself."
"You acted as I had hoped, the girl... Well I can see there has been some change in the right direction. While what she did was just as sever as death, she did not kill him, as any other Vekimen in this room would have done given a similar opportunity. Any other Vekimen on the planet infact. You have proven to me that you are quite capable of handling the title I have bestowed upon you, with all its rights and responcibilities. You did the exact opposite of what I did when I was faced wth a similar test in my own youth" Khelena smiled toothily, seeming to relax.
The elfess nodded again, stirring the brilliantly blonde cascade of hair that mantled her armored shoulders. Then she looked to the door, and to the pool of blood on the floor of the meeting Den which seemed to mix with the rushes, with the detritus of their communal meeting.
"The - Ladaren?" she asked, looking back to Khelena. "His horn was not completely broken. What is his social status, now?"
"He is Sodohis regardless. It is unfortunate, but he knew what he was doing."
"He was brave," Bhelith observed, "And if they do not wish him, I would have him. You ordered him to die and he died."
"He will be broken, but he may go with you. That is not for me to decide, it is for him" Khelena frowned. "My people will throw themselves at death if they believe it is for the greater good, and I try not to abuse that" Khelena explained. "But he may already be dead. Losing a horn is crippling, and he will not be accepted by other clans"
The elfess sighed gently, but seemed to put that out of her mind afterwards. "I shall ask Zoia what else I am entitled to. I appreciate your trust. Is there something else about which you would like me to advise you?"
"You can make offers to Vekimen, to join your clan. If that is what you are wondering. Advise though, I would like an opinion. There is a race of creatures out there who committed a grave wrong against us. Were it not for their actions, about 50,000 Vekimen would still be alive today to enjoy this and I am pushed by my Thyva to make them suffer. They are small, and arrogant in their actions. Even more bloodthrsty than I am, attacking an innocent, Vekimen they had pulled from space and resusitated. She was gone for eight years, to wake up to them tearing her ship asunder and vying for the taste of her flesh. This is something that I cannot let go to pass without risking some Vekimen growing discontent, as you unfortunately witness" Khelena sighed. "The people have spoken, and while I command the people, they also command me. I cannot ignore this for long"
"Do you know the cost in blood?" Bhelith asked, watching the vekimen. "How much of it will sate your followers?"
"A lot... But they want dominance, not destruction. I would be lying if I said I did not feel the same" Khelena replied.
The elfess's eyes shadowed, and she didn't quite look at Khelena, but she didn't quite look at the wall past her either. She seemed to, for a moment, be looking somewhere else entirely, the reflected dimness in her eyes seeming ghostly and spectral.
When she drew another breath, and came back, she said, "I think that in that case, whatever your enemy, unless they are as dedicated to bloodshed as you are, I should find what they hold valuable. A planet, a resource. A ship or a person. I would seize that, and cause them to bend the knee so that your people's pride and sense of sovereignty is satisfied. Afterwards if you wish to be merciful, they will be perhaps more receptive to that mercy, and you will remain secure. At least, that is what I think.'
"A good plan. These creatures have a Queen, but she is heavly guarded by far more soldier than I currently have. If I were to make that attempt, then bloodshed would be required regardless.
"Is she the sole regent?" the warrior elf asked, taking the Vekimen helmet into her lap again, her gauntleted fingers tracing the lines of tooth and jaw.
"They are. They are like... A hive. She is the only one who breeds, they are all her children" Khelena explained. "They will likely defend her to the death"
The elfess nodded, gently, as though she were talking about the weather, rather than the life or death of a species. "And what sort of a person is she?"
"We have never spoken. I will try to avoid conflict, but I cannot avoid bloodshed. We will as for repirations first, that is actually what caused the outrage of the Transportation Thyva. He wanted us to destroy them without thought or mercy, and I would rather avoid that be our first claim on the Galactic Theatre" The lizard said, taking her cup and pouring the last of the content into her muzzle.
"An emissary, even were they declined, may tell you more about her than she intends. In my culture, repirations are called wairgilt. If she does not meet with you, she intends to attack first. If she meets with you and rebuffs you, she is preparing to defend, and if she meets you and bends the knee you will have succeeded." The elfess's eyes glittered a bit, and then she smiled easily.
"You sound like one who has been in this situation before. What if she bends, and then she attacks?" Khelena asked.
"Bloodshed will be required regardless," Bhelith echoed Khelena's words, though without sarcasm or irony. "Unless she has total control over her people, bending the knee will lose her popular support and may create opportunities not yet existant to you. If as you say, you are the weaker force, you only stand to gain, if such a conflict is inevitable."
"You are as wise as I had hoped. Good. I feel this may be a successful arrangment between us Bhelith Morioka. I am once again glad you accepted my offer" The leader explained with a pelasant grin.
"Yes," Bhelith answered, bowing her head just slightly, apparently pleased as well. "In the future I hope that I can call on you in similar measure with my own ambitions."
"One final question before I call the girl back in, and we can continue to explain what you can ask from us right now, or you part ways to learn via other methods. What is it about young Zoia that has you... Unwilling I suppose is the closest word I can think of in your language, to show her the affection she craves from you? You mentioned your preferences? Are females your issue?" She asked.
The elfess suddenly laughed; a light sound, a musical sound, and though it were brief it seemed to ease her whole body. She tucked her hair behind her long ears and said, "No, not at all. Women are as beautiful as men to me. I hold no such reservations. But may I ask a question of you, before I answer? Do you sleep with all of your followers, at once, or is your nest a privilage?"
"That is a bold question, but I suppose I have been bold so it is only fair. I sleep with those I see worth sleeping with. I would not sleep with every Vekimen in exstence or else I may never get any work done" Khelena laughed in turn.
"Then my answer is similar," the elfess reasoned back, gathering up her sword as well. "if you will allow it. In my work, I have only a very few followers, serving me directly. Before, I had a mechanical mind and could interface with computers. I could run fleets by myself, oversee operations by myself, and I slept with whomever caught my fancy while the rest ran in the back of my mind. Once, I orgasmed to the sound of aether carronade, during the first Draconian war. But I am mortal again, ageless yes, but mortal. And I spend a great deal of time on my House's affairs, and upon adventures such as this one. I have my lovers, the ones I prefer and have preferred for many years, and some I have chosen just recently, but I must take time to give to them and that time is not always there for them. I am, I suppose, lecherous as I happen to be, outpaced by your people's mating, if that makes sense. Sometimes it is just not possible."
"No, I understand. Do not mistaken our mating for what she desires though. She is young and full of energy, but it is a bond she wants. Again, I have no say in the desires of your clan and how you wish to run it. I can only impart the advice I have for the Vekimen you have under you, learned through countless generations of watching them and understanding them. Now, before she worries she may be forgotten, I will allow her to return if you so desire" Khelena offered.
Bhelith settled the helmet back upon her head and doing the straps as Zoia had taught her to do, so that the rest for the jaw connected to the skull of one of her suit's benefactors. Her golden hair, unbound as it was, spread across her shoulders and over her breast as though it were, itself, a veil of quills. "If you have something you must say to her then let us call her. Otherwise I would send her to see after the Ladaren. If he is dead, I wish the shattered horn. If he lives, I will take the rest of the man with it."
"Of course. It was a pleasure speaking with you Bhelith, I hope we can spend more time together in the future. Perhaps I will visit you next?" The Sraralumee offered.
"I should have to find suitable quarters. At present I reside in a house that is quite small."
"The girl's would do me perfectly Bhelith, do not fret. I have no vision of grandure, and would admittedly feel quite isolated on my own" Khelena laughed. "If she would have me share a den with her, of course" She added quickly.
"I do not bother much with my follower's lives in that way," the elf assured her, after apparently mulling that over until it made sense to her, in her own words. "Only my own. I think that she would enjoy the opportunity, though that is only a guess."
"Then that would be settled for now, until next we speak Bhelith Morioka, Clan head of the Vekimen. May the earth never shift out from under your feet" Khelena bid, bowing her head and tracing a claw along her horn.
The elfess rose and touched the pale horn of her own helmet in a similar fashion. "May your ambitions see you to as many stars as can be seen in your sky. Alaum aluri velida."
It was a a modest fit. A spaceship underground uncommon, but this tunnel seemed all to well built for it, lights actng as indicators along the length. Even underground, it was quite the journey before the ship made it to the main hangar. Several large pads with painted slots for smaller ships could be seen, towering up the massive space. Easily enough room to fit several of the Ayana-Class ships inside, but only one pad was lit up, with several vekimen at the ready.
The armed guard introduced themselves curtly, and Zoia explained their reasons for being there. It was for their protection against the general population, rather than the other way around. The Security team seemed rather cutloose around the morbidly clad Elf. They had a respect for her on sheer presence, and it was clear.
The trip from the hangar to the city was likewise long. Travelling through a tunnel system that appeared to be built to confuse rather than a direct path to the city. The team had prepared for this though, several accomdations made for the now flightless, comparitavly immobile Elf to facilitate her safe transport to the city. It was long, but felt shorter still, the teams commander easily slipping into a simple conversation.
Once in the city, the scope of it was huge. 100,000 Vekimen barely filled the massive cavern they had elected to start their city in. It was easy to tell this was the start of more a military garrison than a city built with a civilian in mind. Large domes pocketing the cavern, holes built into the walls and even ceilings of the Cavern. It seemed if the Vekimen could dig, they would go.
Training fields for various things, melee combat, range, vehicle simulators, all here present and had their place. Domnating the cavern, on a far wall, was a large, ornate building literally carved into the wall, a historical story seemingly carved into the very stone surrounding the archway. VDTF Headquarters as Zoia explained. The security team no longer paying attention to the two now they were admist the general population.
Morioka could clearly see armed patrols waltzing about the "streets" as the population did miscillanious things. Some could be seen particpating in odd little games, most prominent a vocal battle between two Vekimen staring each other down. Their voices carrying in complex patterns of sound, each adding a new varaiable until one finally stumbled on the pattern, several passerbyers screeching their cheers, others hissing there jeers. In the distance the Elfess could see what looked to be a female getting pulled off a rather brutalized male by a couple armed and armoured Vekimen. A mating attempt gone horribly wrong Zoia explained softly.
Staying on the designated path, the two finally made it to the Headquarters, to which they were met with an equally busy, yet denser population. Vekimen scrambling all over the place, from this room to that room, filled the halls. Not a single bandless horn to be seen, with quite the variation of clans. Many looked at the two wth a mixture of confusion and curosity, while some had more of an aggressive stare, which Morioka patiently ignored.
It wasn't until they made it to the back, to a large airlock by the looks of it, did the two run into any real issues. It was a large Laderen coupled by two Kiraten blocking the door. Zoia initated in a quick conversaton with the Laderen, her body language clearly one of upset and even outrage, but when it seemed the Vekimen would not budge, holding a glare with Morioka's eyes through the helmet she wore did Zoia finally give up her attempt to fight.
"He demands you relenquish your weapons... Weapons are not permitted in the Thyva Chamber..." Zoia grumbled, glaring at the Three banded LAderen who held the gaze of Morioka, holding out a simple containter for her to place her weapon in. She did not move to utilize it immediately. Instead, Morioka peered at the three in front of her through the helmet that she had been given, the skull of a vekimen whose likeness she had been, more or less, granted the right to adopt.
"Is this an insult?" she asked Zoia, in the same tone that she had been asking all of her other clarifying questions this evening. "Though you have explained to me some of my rights, I had thought carrying my swords was one of them."
Zoia took a deep breath. "Weapons are not permitted by the Sraralumee within the chamber. I tried to explain that one of the swords are granted to you by Khelena, but he doesn't care. It's a weapon, it is not physically a part of your being like claws or teeth as he explains, it cannot be allowed into the chamber" The small vekimen sighed.
For most of this trip, Bhelith's hands had rested, casually, and very naturally, on the pommels of the two swords. Beneath her left palm, Claw the Retainer, and beneath her right, the more richly brown and gold handle of the Oath. The elf weighed her retainer's explination, then asked, "In your culture, I do not, or I do, have the authority to slay those who oppose me in this way? Or is this person a direct representative of your Monarch?"
"I... Can't answer that question properly. He is a Zukan acting on orders. They are not his demands, but the demands of Khelena that have not been appropriately sorted out" Zoia answered.
The elf's gold eyes traveled back to the three Vekimen in front of her. "Would they treat another one of your clan leaders in this way, in the same situation, or is this because I am not a Vekimen, in your opinion?"
"I have no idea. You are the first in over two thousand vekimen years. I can tell you that there are not even armed guards in the chamber" Zoia sighed.
Finally, Bhelith asked, "In that case, what do you think I should do?"
"Relenquish the blades, and inform the Sraralumee of the misunderstanding. Only she can resolve the issue, no other voice holds more weight than her own, especially here" The alien reluctantly stated. "I am sure it can be quickly resolved... But only in that way without appearing to be hostile to all the other Vekimen here. My hands are tied, I'm sorry I cannot do more..." Zoia frowned, bowing her head slightly.
"Please tell them that I will comply," Bhelith decided, and though Zoia could see that her heat patterns changed around her shoulders and her hands, the elfess removed her swords in a professional and dignified manner, one and then the other, placing the sheathed treasures in the provided, comparatively unassuming box. The elf might have given up her swords, and before that yeilded her Nekovalkryja body to Yamatai, but Zoia knew that she was still prepared to fight, if fighting were necessary. That pattern was how she had appeared, daring Zoia's favorite to kill her.
Zoia twitched, but informed the Zukan of what Morioka was saying. The Zukan took the box and placed it to the side, bringing attention to several more boxes that had weapons in them. They were not exclusive. The Laderen keyed in a code to open the frst set of doors, allowing the two to pass.
Once inside, the first door sealed, and the second opened to let the two hear a loud, vicous argument being displayed between multiple Vekimen. None had any less than six bands around their horn, aside from one who had a horn of solid gold, appearing rather annoyed and rubbing at the bridge of her muzzle between her eyes.
They all layed on odd chairs, built to prop them up and allow their tail to sway free, but none used the rest. Most seemed highly agitated, manes expanded, before one stood up sharply. The following set of actions were hard to follow, as two other at the table mmedately launched themselves at the one who stood, quickly cutting him down before placing their hands to the floor. This was when Khelena herself stood.
"In the midsts of guests and one could not follow the simplest rule of this chamber!" She snapped, in trade of all languages. The two who dealt with the Vekimen who stood quickly went back to the seats, and the room became silent. Khelena turned to Morioka.
"Bhelith Morioka, I am glad you have taken the time to me-" She started, looking at her a little more critically. There was a moment before her eyes narrowed. "Where is your sword?" She asked, her cool voice growing a little dark.
"I did not wish to introduce myself by slaying your door guards," Bhelith Morioka answered, the simple tones of trade placed against the backdrop of the sudden lack of the Vekimen's complex language almost harsh, even to her own ears. "My swords are with the other confiscated equipment, at the door, your Excellency."
Khelena narrowed her eyes, standing a little straighter. "Is that so... It would seem I am surrounded by deaf idiots" She growled, walking from her postion to the door. She opened both, walking out and grabbing Claw from the bin, and grabbing the Laderen sharply by the horn to drag him into the chamber.
"What did I tell you? Specifcally, you, when I told you we were having an important guest arrive?" She asked, pulling him down to his knees by his horn. She reached out with the other hand, and held out the weapon for Morioka, while the Vekimen tried to speak.
"Trade you fool" The leader ordered.
"Do not take the Claw..." The Male growled.
"Bhelith Morioka, can you please tell me the name of that sword?" Khelena asked.
"In your language it is Claw," Bhelith replied, having accepted the sword by its scabbard, without bothering to retie it to the wide swordbelt she had been provided along with the armor.
Khelena just threw the Vekimen down. "He is yours to do what you wish. Snap his horn, kill him, I gave him clear orders" She said, turing and rubbing her face with a exasperated sigh. She appeared a little stressed out. The Vekimen on the ground pushed himself back onto his knees, his one leg shaking as he waited for the Elf to act.
The sword remained sheathed. Bhelith examined the being on its knees in front of her, keenly aware of the eyes of the entire council. And yet, Zoia saw her body heat cooling, as though somehow the elf were entering a state of calm, or relaxing, despite the pressure.
"What is your name?" the elf asked in trade.
"Buhan Sar'Laderen" The Vekimen responded, the vekimen language hard to pull from his voice which gave him a gutteral tone. The Thyva in the room stared, Khelena walking over to a table with simple clay tableware. Pouring herself an odd blue liquid before sipping on it lightly.
"Why did you take my sword, at the door, even though my Retainer explained to you its importance?"
He did not respond, he just held his gaze with the floor. He, and every other Vekimen in the hall knew the answer. "The child holds no authority" He finally said, narrowing his eyes. "It is not her place to attempt to circumvent the Sraralumees order, and until I was given the order, your sword was a weapon" He stated.
Bhelith stared the Vekimen down for a while, in judgement that seemed strangely bereft of anger. Indeed, Zoia saw, the Lady's heart beat calm and serene. Despite the tension in the room, the elf was in her element.
Eventually, the elf shifted the scabbard to her right hand, and turned slightly, offering the hilt of her sword, a second time, to Zoia.
"As my Retainer, this man has offended you. I give you permission to take his life if you wish to do so, to regain your honor and rectify the insult. Spare him and he will know that it was you, whom he has insulted, who has given him back his breath. Slay him, and all here will know I value you and that you speak with my voice."
Zoia stared at Morioka for a moment, then at the Laderen. Moments later, she stepped on his muzzle, lifting her other foot and stomped down on the horn that had the bands wrapped around it. The Laderens head twisted just enough to not fully break the horn, held on only by a slight length. Bhelith, meanwhile, let the scabbard slide back down into a better grip, and held it at her side, watching.
"There... I spared him..." She growled as the Vekimen squealed in pain, clutching at the broken appendage.
It seemed, Khelena had enough of noise in general, waving her hand with an order, all the Vekimen being removed from the room, the dead and dshonoured Vekimen dragged out.
"I grow tired of their childish screaming..." She sighed, looking to Morioka. "Please, sit where you like" She offered casually, to which Zoia immediately moved to take a seat. Morioka chose a seat nearby on the same divan, and sat the sword in her lap, sitting straight-backed with the strange-looking vekimen to her side. Because it seemed as though they were now in private conference, she also removed the Vekimen-skull helmet, setting it atop the blade in her lap and freeing her unbound hair to fall over the leathery, scaled pauldrons, gold over black.
"I apologize for the hassle, and I feel you would have rathered both swords, but I may only make exception for your claw" The Vekimen explained, pouring yet two more cups of the blue liquid and laying them in front of Morioka. "If you so choose, they are yours to give to Zoia 'Morioka or drink yourself. Made from a fruit on this planet, rather nice to drink over water" She explained, taking a seat so she could face Morioka with little discomfort. The elfess took one of the drinks, allowing Zoia the second by default and with a small confirming nod. She scented it, and then sipped, testing it to see if she liked it, or whether it would cause her to be sick. It was lightly sweet, neutral. It had sugar in it clearly, but nothing like a pop or other sugary drink. Zoia sipped at hers, silent as she cooled down from the voilence. Morioka took another drink of it, finding it not unpleasant in the least bit, and then returned her attention to the alien monarch.
"I had intended to sit on your council, and not to cause trouble. I understand that Zoia went far out of her way to introduce me to you."
"Quite far out of her way. I will admit, I was not pleased with her disappearance. I don't like not knowing where my people are when I send them to other nations, and when her shuttle returned far later than they were expected, without her I was rather agitated. I am pleased with the outcome, and glad you accepted our offer" Khelena said, looking to Zoia for a moment. Turning her attention back to Morioka, Khelena sighed. "Are you happy with her?" She asked.
"Yes, I am," Bhelith replied, with a certain amount of reverence. Though the Lady was a noble in her own right, Zoia clearly saw that she was making an effort to respect the local customs that had empowered her, here, and acting within those boundries. Every move was precise, unhurried, and held some weight of attention.
Khelena nodded slowly, taking a deep breath. "Not to embarrasse the poor girl, but she feels otherwise. This is a complicated situation, but I believe it can be easily resolved. From what I understand Zoia is seperate from you and others she considers Clan Member in her own room. You have slept with her once, and nothing more?" Khelena almost asked, relaxing in the chair.
Zoia looked down, twiddling her thumbs as a child might if they had been caught tattling on someone, her drink left on the wayside as her attention was drawn to something seemingly more interesting on the ground. "I have slept with one clan mate... Since we last spoke..." The girl mumbled uneasily, but Khelena seemed to take the comment as passing information.
The elf paused to consider that, looking Zoia over in a kindly way, and then turned back, her voice its typical clear and even lilt. "Excellency, my species does not sleep in the way most species do, and our cultures in this case are different. Although I am sensitive to yours, nevertheless it is difficult to change mine, or the culture of those in my employ. As she mentions, one of my other Retainers has listened to her and explained to me what it is that she seeks, and we are seeking a resolution, now. In the meantime, please simply think of it as a difference in culture and not as an insult, or as though I dislike or do not appreciate your subject."
"I never took it as an insult. Who am I to tell you how to do anything within your clan?" Khelena asked, before waving her hand. "And please, drop the language. You are a Clan Head, as am I at this point now. For now there is no ranking Bhelith Morioka" The Sraralumee added.
Bhelith glanced back to Zoia, gold eyes luminous as they gathered every scrap of the dim lighting. Then, she looked back, "Very well, as you wish. My sexual preferences are my own. It has little to nothing to do with her. She does not displease me, otherwise."
Zoia nodded slowly, and Khelena nodded in turn. "Then that is settled. I just felt I should see if it was not simply a misunderstanding. We are an intmate race, you are not. These are things we will have to accept, is that right Zoia?" Khelena asked.
"Yes Sraralumee. I am sorry Lady Bhelith, I should have spoken to you about it" She added, looking at Morioka.
"Yes, you should have," Bhelith confirmed, "But it is easily forgiven."
The elfess sat the helmet aside on the divan beside herself, along with her sword, and rested her hands upon her scaled and armored thighs. The armor had been crafted by the vekimen themselves, out of their own dead, and she had worn it knowing that it implied she were a vekimen. Beneath her helmet she had worn the dull silver circlet of her rank in Xiuluria, and it caught even this dim lighting.
"Since we are speaking frankly, I have been wondering why it is that I am here. At first when I was told of this appointment, I had thought it were simple recognition, because of Zoia. Now I learn that there are only three clans in your culture and that I am the fourth, the first new one in over a thousand of your years. I find the appointment strange, especially because we have never met before now. Why am I being honored like this?"
Khelena thought about the question for a moment, seeming a little troubled. "That, is a question I was expecting, but even now I am not fully prepared to answer it. Not, at least, without an understanding from you that what is said here does not leave this room and those who currently inhabit it. More so, if you would mind having your retainer wait for a while outside. I will ensure all her wants are attended too while she is here. I do not mean to offend, but this is sensitve even to her ears, and I trust you can understand that my postion comes with secrets that I must seek to control" Khelena explained, looking at Zoia, then to Morioka. The elf nodded to Zoia, and said nothing that wasn't already implied.
Zoia stood and bowed slightly, going to leave the room. When she was gone and the two of them, the elf and the vekimen, were alone in the quiet and spacious room, Khelena turned her attention back. "Zoia tells me a lot about you, Bhelith, that you were once a great commander of Yamatai, you have joined people in unity, and have a great amount of wisdom. Wisdom of someone either far more versed, or far older than your average person. To us, at least" She said, narrowing her eyes. "You have also gone through great pain in your past. I will admit, the girl just cannot stop talking when it comes to your praise, I would admit my own followers spoke of me so highly" The lizard laughed.
Bhelith, seeming to relax from the natural elvish grace and poise that came so easily to her now, smiled slightly. "They rarely say so to your face, I find. Instead, they find you kinship in the strangest places. Zoia may not voice what she feels about you directly, but through placing us here, I think that is praise of its own. She is remarkably loyal."
"Indeed, I would hope you are correct, but you do not answer my question. I know we just met, but I can assure you can trust me. I trust you, we work together. I am no higher to you than you are to me. I have the VDTF, you have Morioka. I am happy with this arrangment, it gives me the hope that the Vekimen may yet carve a slot of this galaxy yet" She explained.
"What you have said of me is true," Bhelith confirmed, simply, watching the elder vekimen, as no doubt she herself were being watched. "And if what I have seen of your people holds true for all of them, I also believe that your place on the Star Ocean will come, as well, though there will be points where you may lose that hope as well. Some will want to control you and harness you, and others will sell you technology that will place you into debt to them, forever. I am sure this has already happened, has it not?"
"Spoken wisely. You are somewhat right. We were helped by Yamatai, twice. Once when our station was attacked, and again when our station was too damaged to get us anywhere. Control has not been made and attempt of that I can see, but I do have a debt I suppose you can say, though Yamatai claims it to be a humanitarian aide to us. I was wondering if you would shed light upon that, as I am to understand you are no longer of Yamatai?" She asked, her tone a little confused.
"I am a hereditary Warden of Xiuluria," Bhelith explained, summerizing rather than delving fully into the intricacies of elvish culture, nobility, and governance, "And have my autonomy, to conduct my own affairs. Xiuluria is a protectorate of Yamatai, and provides a representative to their body of governance. I can advise you, if you wish, though like your words to me, it must be privately. I do not wish to endanger my people, or cause them greater suffering."
"Take a look around Morioka. This room has no cameras, no recording equipment, nothing. I value trust, and the only way I can assure that is to give my people a chance" Khelena offered.
"If the word is spoken by Ketsurui Yuumi," Bhelith began, after a hesitant pause. Her coloration changed again in the thermal scale, though not drastically. "Humanitarian may in fact be the truth. She and I are old acquaintances, and she is wise and temperate. The Premier is the reason that Yamatai is as peaceful as it is, now. In part, she distracts the military families by reminding them they are a country as well as a fighting force.
"However," the elfess continued, serene, "if spoken by Ketsurui Yui, then I would be wary of how she says that and when. It may very well be that too much military action on your behalf by Yamatai would signal to other bodies, other nations, that your ties are close enough to imply alliance. She will sooner or later remind you of what she has done for you, and that is how the Lorath were taken, to their eternal bitterness. Yui has been tempered over the last ten years, and she has enlightened moments, but she is yet a child, first abused, and then spoiled. Her glory is war, and Yamatai is a warrior country."
Khelena's head rocked back in a hearty laugh. "Ten years old?! Surely you are joking!" Khelena, asked, snorting a little.
"No," Bhelith corrected, "She is close to thirty six, if my memory serves me correctly. Yuumi is also a similar age."
"Thirty six? You are correct, they are both very much so children, but I will trust your word in regards to Yuumi. You are of similar age to them? You mentioned being their friend" Khelena asked.
"No," replied the elf, simply, though the admission clearly embarassed her a little for once, "I am a century their senior."
"Ah, and I am yet centuries older than yourself I would assume?" Khelena asked. "By your years, not my own. Yamataian Years" She clarified.
"Though most would not believe me, I think," Bhelith noted, outwardly unperturbed, gathering her hands in her lap and folding them together, "I am actually young for an elf. Our elders are many, many times my senior, and I am only a minor Warden whose holdings are no longer existant. The fate of many of our houses, more or less noble. Even so, my people believe that I am unwise to involve myself as deeply as I do with other races, and they may be right."
"You make your own way, Morioka. You have done well for yourself, and as unwise as people may think what you do is, they are ultmately your choices. You will suffer whatever outcome they have" Khelena explained. "You are the first elf I have heard of, and I have had my feelers out for information for quite some time. That is what interests me so much. That is why I took such a bold move in what I did. You do what you think is right for whatever reason you may think, and your people follow you. I am old, and I have seen much strife. In my age I feel I may be to old to learn new tricks as your kind may say, but I know I am good at one. One that I do not wish to make Vekimen as a whole suffer through" Khelena sighed.
The elfess turned her head slightly, enough that a few elegantly smoothed bangs ghosted near across her circlet. She waited for the vekimen to continue, having clearly given her sharp attention.
"I hope I have not perturbed or offended" Khelena asked.
"No. I take you to mean war?"
Khelena laughed, but it was sad. "I have known nothing but war. I am good at war. I revel in it, and I know many of it's secrets. Not all, but a good many. I have forgotten how a Clan was to be run in the past. Long forgotten, longer than I have been stuck on that prison. My people have come to see it the same. War, conflict, it is in our blood and runs far deeper than that. I do not wish for the Vekimen to be known as Warmongers, but that is what I am. You, you help people. You commanded armies, but you also joined people in unity. You seek out things to be better than what they are, no?" She asked.
After another moment or two of consideration, a pause to formulate a proper response, Bhelith said, quiet but clear, "It is my divine duty."
"You must accept my apology Bhelith Morioka, for despite my desire for trust I have made one lie too you. When you came in, it was my full intention to have your swords removed from you. I wanted to see what you would do..." Khelena said softly, gripping the rest of her chair with an obvious tension. She paused, allowing the Elf to respond.
In response, Bhelith informed her, "I trust my Retainer and you have stressed her greatly, I think. You also gave her an opportunity to prove that herself."
"You acted as I had hoped, the girl... Well I can see there has been some change in the right direction. While what she did was just as sever as death, she did not kill him, as any other Vekimen in this room would have done given a similar opportunity. Any other Vekimen on the planet infact. You have proven to me that you are quite capable of handling the title I have bestowed upon you, with all its rights and responcibilities. You did the exact opposite of what I did when I was faced wth a similar test in my own youth" Khelena smiled toothily, seeming to relax.
The elfess nodded again, stirring the brilliantly blonde cascade of hair that mantled her armored shoulders. Then she looked to the door, and to the pool of blood on the floor of the meeting Den which seemed to mix with the rushes, with the detritus of their communal meeting.
"The - Ladaren?" she asked, looking back to Khelena. "His horn was not completely broken. What is his social status, now?"
"He is Sodohis regardless. It is unfortunate, but he knew what he was doing."
"He was brave," Bhelith observed, "And if they do not wish him, I would have him. You ordered him to die and he died."
"He will be broken, but he may go with you. That is not for me to decide, it is for him" Khelena frowned. "My people will throw themselves at death if they believe it is for the greater good, and I try not to abuse that" Khelena explained. "But he may already be dead. Losing a horn is crippling, and he will not be accepted by other clans"
The elfess sighed gently, but seemed to put that out of her mind afterwards. "I shall ask Zoia what else I am entitled to. I appreciate your trust. Is there something else about which you would like me to advise you?"
"You can make offers to Vekimen, to join your clan. If that is what you are wondering. Advise though, I would like an opinion. There is a race of creatures out there who committed a grave wrong against us. Were it not for their actions, about 50,000 Vekimen would still be alive today to enjoy this and I am pushed by my Thyva to make them suffer. They are small, and arrogant in their actions. Even more bloodthrsty than I am, attacking an innocent, Vekimen they had pulled from space and resusitated. She was gone for eight years, to wake up to them tearing her ship asunder and vying for the taste of her flesh. This is something that I cannot let go to pass without risking some Vekimen growing discontent, as you unfortunately witness" Khelena sighed. "The people have spoken, and while I command the people, they also command me. I cannot ignore this for long"
"Do you know the cost in blood?" Bhelith asked, watching the vekimen. "How much of it will sate your followers?"
"A lot... But they want dominance, not destruction. I would be lying if I said I did not feel the same" Khelena replied.
The elfess's eyes shadowed, and she didn't quite look at Khelena, but she didn't quite look at the wall past her either. She seemed to, for a moment, be looking somewhere else entirely, the reflected dimness in her eyes seeming ghostly and spectral.
When she drew another breath, and came back, she said, "I think that in that case, whatever your enemy, unless they are as dedicated to bloodshed as you are, I should find what they hold valuable. A planet, a resource. A ship or a person. I would seize that, and cause them to bend the knee so that your people's pride and sense of sovereignty is satisfied. Afterwards if you wish to be merciful, they will be perhaps more receptive to that mercy, and you will remain secure. At least, that is what I think.'
"A good plan. These creatures have a Queen, but she is heavly guarded by far more soldier than I currently have. If I were to make that attempt, then bloodshed would be required regardless.
"Is she the sole regent?" the warrior elf asked, taking the Vekimen helmet into her lap again, her gauntleted fingers tracing the lines of tooth and jaw.
"They are. They are like... A hive. She is the only one who breeds, they are all her children" Khelena explained. "They will likely defend her to the death"
The elfess nodded, gently, as though she were talking about the weather, rather than the life or death of a species. "And what sort of a person is she?"
"We have never spoken. I will try to avoid conflict, but I cannot avoid bloodshed. We will as for repirations first, that is actually what caused the outrage of the Transportation Thyva. He wanted us to destroy them without thought or mercy, and I would rather avoid that be our first claim on the Galactic Theatre" The lizard said, taking her cup and pouring the last of the content into her muzzle.
"An emissary, even were they declined, may tell you more about her than she intends. In my culture, repirations are called wairgilt. If she does not meet with you, she intends to attack first. If she meets with you and rebuffs you, she is preparing to defend, and if she meets you and bends the knee you will have succeeded." The elfess's eyes glittered a bit, and then she smiled easily.
"You sound like one who has been in this situation before. What if she bends, and then she attacks?" Khelena asked.
"Bloodshed will be required regardless," Bhelith echoed Khelena's words, though without sarcasm or irony. "Unless she has total control over her people, bending the knee will lose her popular support and may create opportunities not yet existant to you. If as you say, you are the weaker force, you only stand to gain, if such a conflict is inevitable."
"You are as wise as I had hoped. Good. I feel this may be a successful arrangment between us Bhelith Morioka. I am once again glad you accepted my offer" The leader explained with a pelasant grin.
"Yes," Bhelith answered, bowing her head just slightly, apparently pleased as well. "In the future I hope that I can call on you in similar measure with my own ambitions."
"One final question before I call the girl back in, and we can continue to explain what you can ask from us right now, or you part ways to learn via other methods. What is it about young Zoia that has you... Unwilling I suppose is the closest word I can think of in your language, to show her the affection she craves from you? You mentioned your preferences? Are females your issue?" She asked.
The elfess suddenly laughed; a light sound, a musical sound, and though it were brief it seemed to ease her whole body. She tucked her hair behind her long ears and said, "No, not at all. Women are as beautiful as men to me. I hold no such reservations. But may I ask a question of you, before I answer? Do you sleep with all of your followers, at once, or is your nest a privilage?"
"That is a bold question, but I suppose I have been bold so it is only fair. I sleep with those I see worth sleeping with. I would not sleep with every Vekimen in exstence or else I may never get any work done" Khelena laughed in turn.
"Then my answer is similar," the elfess reasoned back, gathering up her sword as well. "if you will allow it. In my work, I have only a very few followers, serving me directly. Before, I had a mechanical mind and could interface with computers. I could run fleets by myself, oversee operations by myself, and I slept with whomever caught my fancy while the rest ran in the back of my mind. Once, I orgasmed to the sound of aether carronade, during the first Draconian war. But I am mortal again, ageless yes, but mortal. And I spend a great deal of time on my House's affairs, and upon adventures such as this one. I have my lovers, the ones I prefer and have preferred for many years, and some I have chosen just recently, but I must take time to give to them and that time is not always there for them. I am, I suppose, lecherous as I happen to be, outpaced by your people's mating, if that makes sense. Sometimes it is just not possible."
"No, I understand. Do not mistaken our mating for what she desires though. She is young and full of energy, but it is a bond she wants. Again, I have no say in the desires of your clan and how you wish to run it. I can only impart the advice I have for the Vekimen you have under you, learned through countless generations of watching them and understanding them. Now, before she worries she may be forgotten, I will allow her to return if you so desire" Khelena offered.
Bhelith settled the helmet back upon her head and doing the straps as Zoia had taught her to do, so that the rest for the jaw connected to the skull of one of her suit's benefactors. Her golden hair, unbound as it was, spread across her shoulders and over her breast as though it were, itself, a veil of quills. "If you have something you must say to her then let us call her. Otherwise I would send her to see after the Ladaren. If he is dead, I wish the shattered horn. If he lives, I will take the rest of the man with it."
"Of course. It was a pleasure speaking with you Bhelith, I hope we can spend more time together in the future. Perhaps I will visit you next?" The Sraralumee offered.
"I should have to find suitable quarters. At present I reside in a house that is quite small."
"The girl's would do me perfectly Bhelith, do not fret. I have no vision of grandure, and would admittedly feel quite isolated on my own" Khelena laughed. "If she would have me share a den with her, of course" She added quickly.
"I do not bother much with my follower's lives in that way," the elf assured her, after apparently mulling that over until it made sense to her, in her own words. "Only my own. I think that she would enjoy the opportunity, though that is only a guess."
"Then that would be settled for now, until next we speak Bhelith Morioka, Clan head of the Vekimen. May the earth never shift out from under your feet" Khelena bid, bowing her head and tracing a claw along her horn.
The elfess rose and touched the pale horn of her own helmet in a similar fashion. "May your ambitions see you to as many stars as can be seen in your sky. Alaum aluri velida."
