Alterations of Tactics, P1

[m_k_tksa 0]

Alterations of Tactics, Part 1

Daise Erei'Riov t'Ksa & tr'Aieme

 

“If au could plan the event, what would au do?”

 

It was na the question itself that stopped tr’Aieme at the door, as potentially provocative as it could have been. It was the tone of voice. Na accusatory as he expected, but instead it was curiously distracted. As if t’Ksa was all ready planning something. He turned, watching her walk across the room to a large viewscreen in the casual area of the quarters. He could na help hide the disgust in his voice as he responded, “It certainly would na be this monstrosity.”

 

“That’s a given.” t’Ksa answered as if that was a given fact. She toggled the ISD in her hand to the viewscreen. She was most certainly planning something, it was in her facial expression. She had the same pensive look her face that she’d held the day she tripped him with her g’Olf club - only he failed to recognize it - he had thought she’d finally grown bored with his company.

 

Intrigued, tr’Aieme followed her, “How did this get so far out of hand?”

 

t’Ksa shrugged a moment, tapping commands on the ISD. The viewscreen in front of them flickered to life, the menu of their collective rinams’s work displayed on the screen. She clicked on io folder marked ‘Guest List.’ then froze when she saw the sheer size of the document. “Oh Elements.”

 

He too had been surprised when he'd seen the list which rivialed a D'deridex Warbird crew manifest. When she did na move after several moments, Maec laid a hand on her shoulder to reassure her. “Morgana...”

 

This seemed to bring her to her senses and she started to scroll through the manifest, “There. That is how.” She paused, highlighting a name. “The House of Lovok. My guess is they instigated it.”

 

“The House of Lovok?” Maec stared at the name. He did na recall the name before.

 

Morgana sighed softly, setting the ISD down on the table before her, “A distant cousins. Connected to Ksa through Thue t’Ksa who entered into a bonding with Kalabum tr’Lovok.” She scratched the top of her head, still connecting the details. “I think she’s one of my mother’s aunt’s grandchildren, or some other such nonsense. I was never clear on her connection. Only that she is rather ambitious whelp. A social climber who tried to attach herself to the back of my uniform sash after last year’s award ceremony.”

 

“I canna stand her. She’s too ---” Morgana waved her hand vaguely as if trying to put a label on her feelings. When she could find no such vocabulary, she continued “Anyway, my guess is she somehow convinced Lannisal to go out all in the ceremony, challenging her to create something worthy of my perceived standing within the Galae. She of course thinks I’ll become the next Daise’Enarrain of next Galae flagship or some other such nonsense - or so she told me last year when we met again. So by doing so, it would elevate her own bondmate status - I hear he’s running for local office in the Riga providence.”

 

tr’Aieme stared at the viewscreen, “Au rinam never seemed susceptible to such schemes.”

 

“Neither does au rinam. Yet, here we are.” t’Ksa slapped her hands against her thighs. “Lannisal - she is only doing this for jol, but she can easily be swayed, manipulated even, to others whims when she’s excited about a project.” the Daise’Maenak turned to face tr’Aieme, “It is actually quite easy to do. I once convinced Lannisal that our youngest rinam was a foundling we adopted from a poor young dying mother based merrily on the fact that Kalicia was far more skilled at Khariat than we were.”

 

“Au rinam thought Kalicia was adopted because she was better at stacking sticks?” Maec blinked.

 

A teasing smile curled across t’Ksa’s features, “Ie. For two months she thought I was serious. She was too young to remember the Kalicia’s birth so she did na question my recollections of the event. The more she questioned me, the more elaborate the story I wove, thinking she’d finally discover the joke. At least Kalicia had the forethought to question this. She looked up her own birth records within a day of my storytelling. Lannisal on the other hand...” Morgana shook her head with a laugh, “It kept her well distracted as I practiced my own game. Well, we are very competitive. Au should know that.” She bumped her hip against his, teasing him about their own complex rivalry in medical school.

 

He smiled, “But as au pointed out, my rinam would na or should na have been susceptible to such manipulations.”

 

“Na but au rinam has na had the unlimited,” She waved her hand, “well, nearly unlimited resources to exercise her artistic ability, has she? Again, I do na think she did this to hurt au. More likely swept away in my own rinam’s enthusiasm.” She returned to staring at the list. “So, if au were in change. What would au do?”

 

Maec’s good humor faded, “I do na know. At this point, I am so overwhelmed with what has been done against our wills. Besides, it’s too late--”

 

Morgana turned to face him, cupping his face in her hands and giving his cheeks a gentle pat, “If au are going to be a Ksa, au must learn it is never too late.” She flashed a lopsided mischievous grin.

 

tr’Aieme reached up and held her hands, “How?”

 

t’Ksa released him, “We start with the venue. We may na be able to change everything, but we can at least we can alter it to our liking.” She kissed him on the cheek. “Au contact the proprietor, I will draw up the plan of attack. Tonight, we launch our own offensive.”

 

“Au make this sound like a military maneuver.” Maec watched t’Ksa pick up the ISD and move towards the bedroom of her quarters.

 

“We are Galae officers, ie?” She grinned. “And do they na say all is fair in jol and war? Or would au rather surrender au’s dignity to re civilian party planners?”

 

“Na particularly,” he chuckled, activating his personal communication device.

 

“Then get moving Khiensa, au have work to do.” She grinned at him as she disappeared behind the door.

[STSF_BluRox 0]

Oh oh! If we don't watch out, we'll all show up at a wedding to find they've eloped!