…This certainly wasn't the Maru…
"Not my usual taste, you know, but I thought you deserved a special accommodations, as my special guest."
Beka lay on a thin mattress, under a sheet and coverlet (both threadbare) pooled around her legs. A flat pillow still held a shallow imprint of her head. A slightly darker carpet covered the floor from wall to wall except for the space around a small shape in the room's opposite corner. An old-fashioned toilet, Beka decided as she squinted. When she finished her inspection of her new residence, she grimaced at her… host. "At least it's bigger than my cabin on the Maru. Looks pretty damn boring, though."
Silk rustled quietly as Charlemagne shrugged his shoulders. "I'm afraid things will be rather dull for you for the next… while. Of course, if you should ever wish to speak with me about the Andromeda… or anything on your mind… I will be glad to break the monotony."
At first, Beka was honestly confused about her present situation. Had she suffered an accident and been brought her after an emergency crash landing? That hardly seemed likely; Beka wasn't known for crash landings or Nietzscheans for hospitality.
"You kidnapped me, didn't you?" She sighed, more annoyed that irritated. She'd never been important enough for an abduction while running cargo on the Maru, but that was what happened when one flew around trying to restore civilization. "You're mad because Gaheris didn't let you into his Commonwealth." She found it difficult not to roll her eyes.
"Quite right on both counts," Charlemagne chuckled. "although I plan to remedy the latter soon." He stood smoothly. "I apologize for not offering you finer quarters for your stay, but I'm sure you can understand that you're a part of my scheme as much as your captain."
Something that had bothered Beka since she awoke burst into her consciousness. "Harper!"
The Archduke turned to face her, eyebrows raised in surprise. "Ah, your crewmate. How very altruistic of you." He shrugged. "He is here and breathing." A slight frown crossed his still undeniably handsome face. "Verbose little fellow, isn't he?" Beka's eyes narrowed, but Charlemagne smiled brightly and left.
"I told you, Gaheris," she muttered. "I told you, and Tyr told you. Charley's not gonna let this go. And then he starts blackmailing potential members, but that doesn't change your mind. Oh no, and now he'd kidnapped me and Harper."
She smiled crookedly. "In some ways, Gaheris, I think you're the most honorable guy among us. Well, 'cept maybe Rev." The smiled faded as her eyes returned to the present scene. Ugh.
Her head ached. She rubbed the back of her skull gingerly and winced. "Looks like Charley's not above a good ol' whack upside the head." Her head dropped us as she thought of her scrawny crewmate. Even if Charlemagne didn't order the kid tortured, Harper had an especially charming manner with Nietzscheans. She didn't doubt that he could convince a guard or two to conveniently forget orders and let Harper suffer an accident.
"Not my usual taste, you know, but I thought you deserved a special accommodations, as my special guest."
Beka lay on a thin mattress, under a sheet and coverlet (both threadbare) pooled around her legs. A flat pillow still held a shallow imprint of her head. A slightly darker carpet covered the floor from wall to wall except for the space around a small shape in the room's opposite corner. An old-fashioned toilet, Beka decided as she squinted. When she finished her inspection of her new residence, she grimaced at her… host. "At least it's bigger than my cabin on the Maru. Looks pretty damn boring, though."
Silk rustled quietly as Charlemagne shrugged his shoulders. "I'm afraid things will be rather dull for you for the next… while. Of course, if you should ever wish to speak with me about the Andromeda… or anything on your mind… I will be glad to break the monotony."
At first, Beka was honestly confused about her present situation. Had she suffered an accident and been brought her after an emergency crash landing? That hardly seemed likely; Beka wasn't known for crash landings or Nietzscheans for hospitality.
"You kidnapped me, didn't you?" She sighed, more annoyed that irritated. She'd never been important enough for an abduction while running cargo on the Maru, but that was what happened when one flew around trying to restore civilization. "You're mad because Gaheris didn't let you into his Commonwealth." She found it difficult not to roll her eyes.
"Quite right on both counts," Charlemagne chuckled. "although I plan to remedy the latter soon." He stood smoothly. "I apologize for not offering you finer quarters for your stay, but I'm sure you can understand that you're a part of my scheme as much as your captain."
Something that had bothered Beka since she awoke burst into her consciousness. "Harper!"
The Archduke turned to face her, eyebrows raised in surprise. "Ah, your crewmate. How very altruistic of you." He shrugged. "He is here and breathing." A slight frown crossed his still undeniably handsome face. "Verbose little fellow, isn't he?" Beka's eyes narrowed, but Charlemagne smiled brightly and left.
"I told you, Gaheris," she muttered. "I told you, and Tyr told you. Charley's not gonna let this go. And then he starts blackmailing potential members, but that doesn't change your mind. Oh no, and now he'd kidnapped me and Harper."
She smiled crookedly. "In some ways, Gaheris, I think you're the most honorable guy among us. Well, 'cept maybe Rev." The smiled faded as her eyes returned to the present scene. Ugh.
Her head ached. She rubbed the back of her skull gingerly and winced. "Looks like Charley's not above a good ol' whack upside the head." Her head dropped us as she thought of her scrawny crewmate. Even if Charlemagne didn't order the kid tortured, Harper had an especially charming manner with Nietzscheans. She didn't doubt that he could convince a guard or two to conveniently forget orders and let Harper suffer an accident.