One Slap in the Face, Deserves Another

[NDak 0]

by N'Dak and t'Rexan

 

Meanwhile, tr’Baris sat hrrau his office, reading through io of the many ISD’s of information that he’d had brought to his attention. He knew that his fail safe ride off the planet in case things went wrong, had been destroyed during the battle above the planet.

 

Calling to his new aide tr’Gavin, he demanded an update on what was going on with the Daise’Khre’Riov, and why the areinneyehe was even out here?

 

“Rekkhai, the task force is planning to send down a small detachment to see au. I do na know what they are proposing, or what they wish to discuss,” tr’Gavin said to him.

 

Destorie and his small ‘team’ beamed to the governor’s complex, in the small courtyard he’d now visited several times, though he had to admit this was going to be his most pleasurable visit to the barren rock, yet. Or so he hopped.

 

Glancing to Aelion and Trion, he put a hand on his holstered ie’yakk, but did not draw it, signalling them do the same. They were met by two, very surprised, members of the governor’s d’heno garrison.

 

Io of them, the taller one, cleared his throat. “Enarrain,” he said pointedly, “had we known it was au arriving, we would have had something more... formal for prepared. Au communications officer, rhae au oira did na tell us it would be au the Daise’Khre’Riov was sending.”

 

Mildly amused, Destorie feigned innocence. “Oh,” he said. “How unfortunate. Then the governor is na expecting me?”

 

The guards looked to each other before shaking their heads. “Na,” the taller one finally said, “he was na expecting au, as I said, Enarrain.”

 

“Well then, if you’d be so kind as to take me to him.”

 

The guards lifted their brows. “We were na under the impression anyio would be meeting with the governor … he … he may be … unavailable.”

 

Sobering, and taking on a stern, though not imperious posture, Destorie locked eyes with the d’heno. “I am on official business of the Daise’Khre’Riov. He will make himself available.”

 

Shifting uncomfortably under the glare, if only because they dreaded telling tr’Baris that they had allowed the ‘fvai, and miserable excuse for a Rihannsu’ onto the planet; the guards frowned. “Very well, Enarrain,” the taller one said again. “But if you will wait here until we can inform the Governor.”

 

Destorie looked to Aelion and Trion, considering. “Why don’t au lead us there, and tell him we’re outside waiting for him?”

 

tr’Baris looked over at tr’Gavin, “Tell them they can send someone down once I have things under control down fahd. Once we contact them, tell them that they can send their team to io of our designated locations and we will receive them once I am ready.”

 

“Rekkhai, they are reporting that the Daise’Khre’Riov himself if here. What if he comes down himself?” trGavin asked.

 

tr’Baris looked at the guard, “I doubt he would be bothered to come down fahd himself anyway. He’s got enough to clenup with the kll’inghannsu fvai that he won’t notice us anyway. Anyone but him, well, of course na tr’Tronius, but anyone else, they can come back when my schedule allows. ”

 

Taking a rather deep breath, the two guards led N’Dak and his two lackeys into the facility proper. Neither of the two young d’heno were exactly looking forward to being the ones to tell tr’Baris, and both had a distinct feeling that their careers were about to be severely curtailed. The walk from the courtyard to the governor’s office typically not rather long, however, they took Destorie along a more scenic route in a futile effort to delay the inevitable. Finally coming to the hallway with the governor’s office, they stopped outside double doors where a guard was waiting, with lifted brow.

 

“What is this?” he said, incredulously towards N’Dak.

 

“The Enarrain is here on official business of the Daise’Khre’Riov, he wishes to meet with the Governor at once.”

 

The guard at the door frowned. “Official business of the Daise’Khre’Riov,” he said skeptically, looking the Enarrain over.

 

After a moment, he sighed. “The Governor is inside, you may wait here,” he said to Destorie and company. “Havrill,” he said to the taller one, “you may tell the governor he has guests.”

 

Havrill took a deep breath, steeling himself before entering through the double doors. The door on the right opened seamlessly and quietly, while the one on the left, made a long, slow metallic creak while it was fully opened.

 

Looking up as the doors opened, tr’Baris saw io of the guards enter in without calling for, and several other figures silhouetted by the outside light behind them. “What is the meaning of this? I did na call for any appointments?”

 

“My apologies, rekkhai,” Havrill said. “Please forgive the intrusion. However a representative from the Daise’Khre’Riov has arrived and requested an audience, immediately.”

 

“From the Daise’Khre’Riov himself? If it was so important, why didn’t he come himself? Oh, why bother, I might as well show them in.”

 

Havrill took another deep breath. “The Enarrain is just outside, rekkhai.”

 

“Wait....au said Enarrain. Which Enarrain? And don’t even start to tell me it’s that pompous ass from the Talon.”

 

Havrill looked at tr’Baris and simply replied with a tense, “Ie Rekkhai.”

 

“Fvaht!! tr’Garvin, take these chips, and put them where they’ll be ...safe for the time being.”

 

tr’Garvin took the chips, and went towards tr’Baris’s quarters to secret away the chips.

 

Outside, a staring match between the Talon d’heno and the Governor’s d’heno had ensued. Destorie stood calmly, hands tucked neatly behind his back, preparing himself.

 

tr’Baris turned to Havrill, “Well, au best show him in before he marches in and says we’ve been refusing him.” Watching as Havrill nodded and made his way back to the entry door, he moved around the heavy stone and wood desk and sat.

 

Reaching the doorway, Havrill stepped through and addressed the party. “The Governor has made a small adjustment to his schedule and can slip au in in now.”

 

Destorie did his best not to roll his eyes back into his skull, and opted for a polite nod. “Hann’yyo, show me in.” Destorie entered through the open door after being waved through by the guards, his own d’heno in tow.

 

Havrill turned to the other guard on duty, “Should we attend to the Governor as well, hi is an Enarrain, on the Daise’Khre’Riov’s business, there should be na trouble, ie? Then again, he took his guards with him.”

 

He stopped a few feet from the Governor's desk, giving him a polite head-nod.

 

“What is the meaning of this intrusion? Au did na have the courtesy to set up an appointment, and then barge into my compound unannounced?”

 

“My apologies for the lack of notice,” Destorie said, curtly. “However, the Daise’Khre’Riov requested that I attend to this business quickly.”

 

“And what business would that be? I’m busy here trying to get things back in order, and here I’m having to deal with unannounced guests.”

 

“If you’d like, I can always tell the Daise’Khre’Riov that you were too busy for him. I am sure that he would be, understanding.”

 

“Au are putting words hrrau my mouth. I did na say that, I said that I was busy and that au were unannounced.”“

 

Destorie smirked, mirthlessly. “Oh, my apologies,” he said. “I would na want to misrepresent au position to tr’Vatrix.”

 

“So, what is it that au want this time?” trBaris leered at him.

 

“Oh,” Destorie said. “This has little do with what I want.”

 

Though in truth, more than small part of him was rather pleased to be party to knocking the whelp back down where he belonged. “Na,” he continued. “This concerns what the Daise’Khre’Riov wishes.”

 

“And what, I’m supposed to be some sort of mind reader and sit here playing 20 questions with au, until I figure out what exactly it is, that is the Daise’Khre’Riov’s business?” Stating the last of the words with a tone of disdain.

 

“Na, na at all,” Destorie said, his mischievous grin widening -- he was enjoying this. “The Daise’Khre’Riov wishes to ask au some questions about an … acquaintance of aurs that is currently aboard my ship.”

 

The newly placed Governor, quickly thought to himself who it might be, then realized at that siuren, that fvadt! It might be her and if so, “Perhaps if au told me who this person of interest is, I could answer your questions right now. Otherwise I”m na in the mood to play au veruulish games. Just tell me”

 

Tipping his head to one side for a moment, Destorie finally shook his head. “As much as I’d like to hear those answers, I have my orders.”

 

“And those orders were exactly what? If I may authen?”

 

“To bring au to the Talon so that he may question au about au affiliation with the accused traitor Daise’Erei’Riov t’Rahks.”

 

“What!? I have ‘na’ affiliation whatsoever with that miserable little whore. Au would be better off asking some of the officers hrrau the Othan fleet. I heard she spent quite a bit of time shipping around the sector with them. And au come fahd, with the audacity to accuse the newly appointed Governor of this mining facility, and attempt to place me along side the likes of an accused traitor?”

 

Destorie smirked, even more widely before sobering. Replying, with a touch of sarcasm in his voice, “Strong words for some io who claims na to know her. No matter, au can explain au relations -- or lack there of -- to the Daise’Khre’Riov auself. If au are innocent, as au claim and as I have no doubt some io of au stature and honorable upbringing would be involved in such sordid affairs as those she has been accused of being involved, au have na thing to worry about.”

 

“I did na say that I did na ‘know’ who she was, I said that I have na affiliation with her. As for answering questions, why waste both of our time?”

 

“Ie, ie,” he said with a hand gesture reminiscent of those he often gave his younger brother when he was denying something. “However, telling me is not good enough. The Daise’Khre’Riov simply wishes to ask au a few questions, na thing more. And au know how this is, tr’Vatrix wants to hear it from au himself. I mean how else can he truly clear au name if he does not hear it from au directly? What would that sound like? ‘ Oh, ie, it’s fine. Destorie N’Dak said that tr’Baris had nothing to do with her sedition!’ “I can just imagine that winning au a lot of points with a tribunal.”

 

tr’Baris glowered at N’Dak, “How dare au use my name in such a denigrating way!! I’ll have au brought up on charges!! I’ll have au stripped of au rank au pompous veruul!!”

 

A look of amusement once more crossed Destorie’s face before molding into sobriety. “Governor, I am simply stating facts. You telling me that you have no affiliation with the accused means little. The Daise’Khre’Riov requires your presence aboard my vessel for questioning about the matter so au can take your threats elsewhere because I care very little for them. H’nah, the sooner we get this over with, the sooner au can return to au sandbox.”

 

“Why au little sseikkia!! I will make au pay for speaking to me thus!” tr’Baris reached out to backhand N’Dak across his mouth, and wipe that stupid grin off his face. “I am the Governor of this facility, na some spoiled son of a Deihu with delusions of grandeur.”

 

Destorie’s chin absorbed the blow and he barely blinked. The first one to get angry, he thought, loses. “Governor, I have orders to return you to the Talon in my custody. Either you can come willingly, or you can come as a th’ann. The choice is aurs, I suggest au make it quickly.”

 

Aelion and Trion reflexively reached to their holstered ie’yakk, drawing them and training them on the Governor, though they were quickly met by Destorie’s left hand signaling them to hold their fire -- he had little desire for this to become a shooting match.

 

At the same time, tr’Baris’s men did the same, pulling their weapons and training them on NDak and his men. “It would appear we have a bit of a stalemate here, as well as the fact I have a full garrison here as well.”

 

“Governor,” he said calmly. “While there are many who would give au a small reward for yy’aing me, it will not solve au longer term problem. Hanging above au head is a fleet of warbirds at the command of the Daise’Khre’Riov with enough torpedoes to bomb this facility into tiny pieces. So I will say again, au may come with me willingly, or au may come as a th’ann. I would prefer the former.”

 

“Fvaht! Vriha menkha, we will waste all of our time, and I will go answer these....questions, and when I am found innocent of these trumped up charges, au will personally pay for this. But to accuse me of sedition, on the words of a traitorous wench, that is too much.”

 

“Why Governor,” Destorie said with lifted brow and a feigned surprise in his voice. “Who said that she’d accused you of anything?”

 

“Au, were the one accusing me of being affiliated with her.”

 

“Ie, but I never said she’d told me anything about your relations with her, h’nah did I?” Destorie said, dripping with amusement. “H’nah, we had best be going, we wouldn’t want to keep the Daise’Khre’Riov, would we?”

 

Grumbling to himself about tr’Tronius na being there when this was his fault for moving too fast. “Menkha, let us get this over with, so I may return and actually take care of the problems plaguing this world, and get these damned indigenous people under control. Then, I will deal with au, thinking au are all big and important for riding upon au father’s coat tails.”

 

With a look that could only say ‘au are io to talk,’ Destorie tapped his t’Liss. “N’Dak to Talon, four to transport.”