"I am beside myself with appreciation for your delivering Lady Renata to me. She will prove most … useful." Duke Kendoh said with an air of unctuous contentment. Lusiel smiled and hummed at him with prettified graciousness.
The Duke continued to assume Lusiel was disposed towards affectionate, courtly attitudes, as every other woman of his sorry acquaintance had been. As if Lusiel was yet another Renata, to be prodded and maneuvered as Kendoh saw fit, hah! It suited her to leave him floundering in the miscalculation. Given enough rope, Kendoh would only hang himself in the end. So Lusiel tossed him another length of the thing and let him back further into a corner. Like a rat. With no big kitties around to save him.
She nodded in slightest respect towards Fimress, standing behind Duke Kendo, his suffered patience obvious.
And in the meantime she'd make use of Kendo as the tool he really was.
With that in mind, Lusiel smiled lightly, "Anything for House Thul." She sensed Quinn's approval behind her. Quinn far better understood her, anyway. He'd given her several valuable suggestions as they'd returned to Kendoh's estate. Lusiel enjoyed putting his advice to work. It was such an easy way to please her captain. Hey, another justification for restraining her desire to break Kendoh's face.
That thought actually helped her remain smiling as Duke Kendoh continued talking.
"Gesselle Oranna leads the Organna war effort against House Ulgo. Her headquarters is protected by an impenetrable force field. No firepower can breach it." Duke Kendoh pondered. "Our task, then, is to find a way around her defense … wait … yes! We can cut the power to the force field! I know which generator Geselle must be using. Once the force field is down you can just walk into the general's headquarters. It's perfect!"
Quinn stepped forward. "Do you have schematics that describe the generator and its defenses? We must ensure it doesn't disrupt the power to Thul resources." He tapped against the datapad that seemed permanently affixed to his fingers, barely glancing at Kendoh as he worked.
Duke Kendo scowled at him. "I'm not accustomed to servants who interrupt their betters with mere opinions. I'd already considered such concerns, anyway." Quinn looked up, his blue eyes sullen with disapproval. But he only nodded tightly before stepping further behind Lusiel.
Lusiel leaned her weight onto one hip and crossed her arms nearby her waist. "Well. What is it you're thinking, Duke Kendoh." She listened attentively to Kendoh's assurances about power distribution on Alderaan, nodding intermittently as he proceeded. When he stopped to stare at her attentively, Lusiel looked behind her pointedly. "Captain. Will the Duke's proposal succeed, or not?"
Kendoh started, gaping wide-eyed towards Quinn suddenly. Fimmress shifted his stance, smiling slightly as the Duke tensed. She did it so easily, threatened with barely a nod, admonished without saying a word. Praised, with only a glance. There was a deadly strength to Lusiel's every glance, her most utter breath. She was glorious a Sith.
"It's sound, my lord. If the force field operates on an emergency power tap, when the system transfers to backup sources, the tap will have to be reengaged." Quinn bowed his head slightly towards Lusiel.
Duke Kendo smiled broadly. "See? Your man obviously knows his stuff." He turned and waved at Fimmress, ordering the Sith to retrieve the necessary items for Lusiel's task. Fimmress did not bother hiding his scowl. Lusiel was more amused Kendoh believed she'd rely on anything he provided her, however. She glanced at Quinn, saw him dip his head at her. She knew her captain's capabilities, that he could create a deadly explosive without any doubtful assistance from the Duke. But Lusiel took the materials Fimress handed her, even thanked the duke.
Then she insisted, "The schematics, too."
"Oh. Erhm … Of course. Fimmress? Get the schematics for our friend, here, would you?" Duke Kendoh nodded. Lusiel bit her lip as Fimmress left sullenly to retrieve the schematics. She inclined her head as he handed them to her. Duke Kendo frowned as Lusiel easily passed the schematics along to her captain. The fellow seemed to be given far greater esteem than a mere servant was due. He watched as the Imperial followed Lusiel out of the room, thoughtful.
He asked, as an aside to Fimress, "Is it common for Sith to employ Imperial officers like that?"
Fimmress frowned at Kendoh. "No one tells the Sith what to do. The man is hers as long as she wants him."
Duke Kendoh was startled. "Wants him? Are they lovers then?"
"I would not presume to know the answer to that question, my lord. But she obviously values his skills and capabilities. It speaks highly of his potential."
Duke Kendoh looked at Fimmress thoughtfully. Then he mumbled to himself, nodding, "They're lovers."