Ann, Giton, thanks for your reviews. I know where this is going. I actually
have the last chapter written. It's the figuring out how I'm going to get
there that I'm having difficulty with. I'm trying to spice it up with a
little action (what kind, I'm not sure. Evil grin.) Enjoy the rest of the
ride.
Chapter 4 - The Royal Reception
"Onara, when will I be able to get to work on Talyn?" Crais asked impatiently as he began pacing.
"Patience, Bialar. There are forms that must be followed. We will take tonight to relax and will be able to begin work tomorrow. We are not a hasty people." She lounged on the couch.
"I am not comfortable here. These clothes, the furniture, the people, I don't fit in. I belong back on my ship." He was becoming agitated. Part of it was the link with Talyn. Talyn preferred to be in space. He felt vulnerable on the ground. The last two times he had landed somewhere had led to problems.
"You must talk with Father tonight at dinner. Even though Talyn is at the repair facility, you must still receive formal permission for repairs to be conducted. Father wants to know what kind of man you are. If you remain calm and polite everything will go well." She considered him for a moment, "You look good in those clothes."
He stopped short and stared at her, "You must be serious."
"I am serious, you look good," Onara purred while looking at him seductively.
As beautiful as Crais found her, he new he must resist her. He was almost positive the king would not be pleased if Crais did anything with the princess. "Given your station I believe it would be best for us to keep our relationship on a professional level."
She stood and approached him, "But that wouldn't be any fun."
He backed away, "I get the impression that many members of the court do not like Sebaceans. I do not want to upset anyone while I'm here. Talyn needs to be repaired and I will not do anything to jeopardize that."
"Well, maybe when Talyn is repaired..." she left off seductively. "I suppose I can behave for a few days. I suppose you were taught table manners at some point?" She lounged on the chair as Crais resumed pacing the room.
"I am not uncivilized. I know how to behave at a dinner table." His irritation again showed itself.
"Good, than you should have no problem gaining Father's approval for the repairs. Now take a deep breath and relax. Come, its time to go." She rose and extended her hand
"I did not think that much time had passed?" He again stopped.
"It isn't time to eat, but there is a social period before seating."
"I wouldn't feel comfortable down there. I think that's why your father wanted me to wait here."
"I don't care what Father wants," she said impetuously.
"I noticed that," mumbled Crais.
"It is one of my faults, at least according to Father. Come, everything will be all right." She again extended her hand toward Crais. He realized he wasn't going to win and escorted her to dinner.
Cocktail hour (arn?) was uneventful. Crais did his best to discourage conversation and the Kandori for the most part respected his wishes. Onara spent most of the time socializing with the members of the court. It was obvious she was very comfortable in this type of surrounding. Crais found himself wishing she could spend the whole time talking to him. She was incredibly exotic and beautiful. He wondered when his attitude towards aliens had changed. This was something he could probably blame on Crichton and the others on Moya, though his bond with Talyn almost certainly didn't hurt his knew outlook.
When it was time for dinner, the king was announced and everyone quickly proceeded to his or her seats. Onara found him to escort to their seats. "You don't look like you're having fun," she whispered.
"I'm not," he growled.
"Dinner should go better. Just be honest when speaking with Father and at least act like you are enjoying yourself."
The table was and elongated U-shape with the king sitting on the outside center. Onara sat at her father's right with Crais on her right. The other members of the court seemed to be seated by order of importance, with those less important on the arms of the U. The table was set elaborately; the dishes and flatware were gold, as were the ornate goblets. Once everyone was seated, servers brought out platters heavily laden with food. It was an incredible feast, Crais didn't remember ever seeing its equal and this was only the first course. Conversation was very light. He answered a few polite questions asked by those seated around him. Most dealt with what he did and how he met the princess. He kept his answers terse in an effort to be left alone. The rest of the diners were telling stories, laughing and enjoying their dinners. Crais wondered how long it would be until the king decided to question him. He only had to wait until the main course.
"Bialar, how are you enjoying your dinner?" The king also had an almost musical voice. Bialar thought it must be something the royalty was taught as none of the other Kandori appeared to have this musical gift.
"It's excellent your majesty. Your staff has done an outstanding job."
"I'm glad you are enjoying it. My daughter informs me that your ship requires some rather extensive repairs. How did your ship come to suffer such heavy damage?"
"He was injured during starburst, your majesty."
"That seems unusual for a leviathan. I thought that was a natural phenomenon for them."
"Normally it is, your majesty, but this starburst was conducted inside the hangar of a command carrier." At this statement the dining room went silent.
"You starburst inside another ship?" the king asked incredulously.
Unfortunately, Crais did not get to continue his story.
"MURDERER!" screamed one of the servers as he dove toward Crais brandishing a knife.
Crais was able to wrestle the knife free, twist the assailant's arm behind his back and pin him to the floor. Meanwhile complete pandemonium had broken loose in the dining hall. Members of the court were fleeing for the exits. Some were crawling over the table while others cowered underneath. It took only seconds for everything to be over. Crais had control of the assailant before the royal guards could get into the room. He looked for Onara. She and her father had been pulled into the corner by the chamberlain.
Crais relinquished his attacker to the guards and rose as if nothing had happened. With the arrival of the guards the chaos began to subside. About half of the dinner guests had managed to make it out of the room. Many of those that had fled or attempted to flee had sustained minor injuries in the chaos.
"Bialar, for your safety I believe you should be escorted to your room. A guard will be placed outside." Crais nodded. "Everyone, due to the disturbance this evening the rest of dinner will be cancelled."
Onara approached Crais, "I will see that dinner is brought up to your room. If you desire I can keep you company."
"Thank you for your offer, Onara. I will accept dinner, but I do not require you to keep me company."
"I didn't ask if you require company, I asked if you wanted company." Again she was eyeing seductively. Crais began to wonder if she saw him as a prize to be won.
"No, I will be fine." Crais replied tersely.
"Bialar, you just had someone attempt to kill you and your fine!?" Onara asked incredulously.
"It was a rather poor attempt. He shouted out early enough that I had more than adequate amount of time to react."
"I can't believe this! You were almost killed and you slough it off like someone just bumped into you!" She was almost shouting and was drawing a lot of attention.
Crais replied in what he hoped was a calming and soothing voice, "Onara, I have been a warrior most of my life. This is not the first time my life has been in danger, though I would hardly call this 'in danger'. The attacker was one of your kitchen staff with a knife. I'm sure his family at one point had a bad experience with the Peacekeepers and he felt he could avenge their deaths. It is a common theme for this type of attack."
"You've been attacked before?" asked the king.
"Yes, your majesty. I have found myself unwelcome on many different worlds throughout the Uncharted Territories."
"Interesting. We will talk after you have had time to settle down. I will have the guards bring you to my chambers in an arn or so."
"I look forward to talking to you, your majesty." Crais bowed slightly to show his gratitude. Crais was then escorted back to his quarters. He noticed a definite increase in the number of visible guards. The king was taking no chances that the assailant was acting alone.
(Picture the Batman TV series announcer's voice)
Will our heroic Captain face more danger on Kandor? Will he be able to resist the advances of the attractive Princess Onara? Will Talyn ever get repaired? The answers to these questions and more in the next chapter.
I know, I watch too much TV :-). I thought a little humor might be nice. Chapter 5 is coming soon. Need to let it sit a little while before I do the sanity check re-read.
Chapter 4 - The Royal Reception
"Onara, when will I be able to get to work on Talyn?" Crais asked impatiently as he began pacing.
"Patience, Bialar. There are forms that must be followed. We will take tonight to relax and will be able to begin work tomorrow. We are not a hasty people." She lounged on the couch.
"I am not comfortable here. These clothes, the furniture, the people, I don't fit in. I belong back on my ship." He was becoming agitated. Part of it was the link with Talyn. Talyn preferred to be in space. He felt vulnerable on the ground. The last two times he had landed somewhere had led to problems.
"You must talk with Father tonight at dinner. Even though Talyn is at the repair facility, you must still receive formal permission for repairs to be conducted. Father wants to know what kind of man you are. If you remain calm and polite everything will go well." She considered him for a moment, "You look good in those clothes."
He stopped short and stared at her, "You must be serious."
"I am serious, you look good," Onara purred while looking at him seductively.
As beautiful as Crais found her, he new he must resist her. He was almost positive the king would not be pleased if Crais did anything with the princess. "Given your station I believe it would be best for us to keep our relationship on a professional level."
She stood and approached him, "But that wouldn't be any fun."
He backed away, "I get the impression that many members of the court do not like Sebaceans. I do not want to upset anyone while I'm here. Talyn needs to be repaired and I will not do anything to jeopardize that."
"Well, maybe when Talyn is repaired..." she left off seductively. "I suppose I can behave for a few days. I suppose you were taught table manners at some point?" She lounged on the chair as Crais resumed pacing the room.
"I am not uncivilized. I know how to behave at a dinner table." His irritation again showed itself.
"Good, than you should have no problem gaining Father's approval for the repairs. Now take a deep breath and relax. Come, its time to go." She rose and extended her hand
"I did not think that much time had passed?" He again stopped.
"It isn't time to eat, but there is a social period before seating."
"I wouldn't feel comfortable down there. I think that's why your father wanted me to wait here."
"I don't care what Father wants," she said impetuously.
"I noticed that," mumbled Crais.
"It is one of my faults, at least according to Father. Come, everything will be all right." She again extended her hand toward Crais. He realized he wasn't going to win and escorted her to dinner.
Cocktail hour (arn?) was uneventful. Crais did his best to discourage conversation and the Kandori for the most part respected his wishes. Onara spent most of the time socializing with the members of the court. It was obvious she was very comfortable in this type of surrounding. Crais found himself wishing she could spend the whole time talking to him. She was incredibly exotic and beautiful. He wondered when his attitude towards aliens had changed. This was something he could probably blame on Crichton and the others on Moya, though his bond with Talyn almost certainly didn't hurt his knew outlook.
When it was time for dinner, the king was announced and everyone quickly proceeded to his or her seats. Onara found him to escort to their seats. "You don't look like you're having fun," she whispered.
"I'm not," he growled.
"Dinner should go better. Just be honest when speaking with Father and at least act like you are enjoying yourself."
The table was and elongated U-shape with the king sitting on the outside center. Onara sat at her father's right with Crais on her right. The other members of the court seemed to be seated by order of importance, with those less important on the arms of the U. The table was set elaborately; the dishes and flatware were gold, as were the ornate goblets. Once everyone was seated, servers brought out platters heavily laden with food. It was an incredible feast, Crais didn't remember ever seeing its equal and this was only the first course. Conversation was very light. He answered a few polite questions asked by those seated around him. Most dealt with what he did and how he met the princess. He kept his answers terse in an effort to be left alone. The rest of the diners were telling stories, laughing and enjoying their dinners. Crais wondered how long it would be until the king decided to question him. He only had to wait until the main course.
"Bialar, how are you enjoying your dinner?" The king also had an almost musical voice. Bialar thought it must be something the royalty was taught as none of the other Kandori appeared to have this musical gift.
"It's excellent your majesty. Your staff has done an outstanding job."
"I'm glad you are enjoying it. My daughter informs me that your ship requires some rather extensive repairs. How did your ship come to suffer such heavy damage?"
"He was injured during starburst, your majesty."
"That seems unusual for a leviathan. I thought that was a natural phenomenon for them."
"Normally it is, your majesty, but this starburst was conducted inside the hangar of a command carrier." At this statement the dining room went silent.
"You starburst inside another ship?" the king asked incredulously.
Unfortunately, Crais did not get to continue his story.
"MURDERER!" screamed one of the servers as he dove toward Crais brandishing a knife.
Crais was able to wrestle the knife free, twist the assailant's arm behind his back and pin him to the floor. Meanwhile complete pandemonium had broken loose in the dining hall. Members of the court were fleeing for the exits. Some were crawling over the table while others cowered underneath. It took only seconds for everything to be over. Crais had control of the assailant before the royal guards could get into the room. He looked for Onara. She and her father had been pulled into the corner by the chamberlain.
Crais relinquished his attacker to the guards and rose as if nothing had happened. With the arrival of the guards the chaos began to subside. About half of the dinner guests had managed to make it out of the room. Many of those that had fled or attempted to flee had sustained minor injuries in the chaos.
"Bialar, for your safety I believe you should be escorted to your room. A guard will be placed outside." Crais nodded. "Everyone, due to the disturbance this evening the rest of dinner will be cancelled."
Onara approached Crais, "I will see that dinner is brought up to your room. If you desire I can keep you company."
"Thank you for your offer, Onara. I will accept dinner, but I do not require you to keep me company."
"I didn't ask if you require company, I asked if you wanted company." Again she was eyeing seductively. Crais began to wonder if she saw him as a prize to be won.
"No, I will be fine." Crais replied tersely.
"Bialar, you just had someone attempt to kill you and your fine!?" Onara asked incredulously.
"It was a rather poor attempt. He shouted out early enough that I had more than adequate amount of time to react."
"I can't believe this! You were almost killed and you slough it off like someone just bumped into you!" She was almost shouting and was drawing a lot of attention.
Crais replied in what he hoped was a calming and soothing voice, "Onara, I have been a warrior most of my life. This is not the first time my life has been in danger, though I would hardly call this 'in danger'. The attacker was one of your kitchen staff with a knife. I'm sure his family at one point had a bad experience with the Peacekeepers and he felt he could avenge their deaths. It is a common theme for this type of attack."
"You've been attacked before?" asked the king.
"Yes, your majesty. I have found myself unwelcome on many different worlds throughout the Uncharted Territories."
"Interesting. We will talk after you have had time to settle down. I will have the guards bring you to my chambers in an arn or so."
"I look forward to talking to you, your majesty." Crais bowed slightly to show his gratitude. Crais was then escorted back to his quarters. He noticed a definite increase in the number of visible guards. The king was taking no chances that the assailant was acting alone.
(Picture the Batman TV series announcer's voice)
Will our heroic Captain face more danger on Kandor? Will he be able to resist the advances of the attractive Princess Onara? Will Talyn ever get repaired? The answers to these questions and more in the next chapter.
I know, I watch too much TV :-). I thought a little humor might be nice. Chapter 5 is coming soon. Need to let it sit a little while before I do the sanity check re-read.