Phantom Legacy

Chapter 4

Vkruk frowned when he saw the state of his protégé.

Shinzon and Heira were coiled together in the center of the bed, their arms wrapped around each other.

"Praetor." The viceroy said gruffly in an attempt to wake them.

Shinzon woke up immediately, his eyes snapping open at the sound.

He looked up to see what had stirred him awake.

What he saw, was his viceroy standing at the foot of his bed, looking very displeased.

He disentangled from Heira, then sat up quickly. "Yes?" He asked as if everything was normal.

Vkruk narrowed his eyes, but decided not to press the manner. "We have arrived on Romulus. You have an appointment with Commander Suran in one hour."

Shinzon nodded and stood.

Heira awoke as she felt the connection lessen. She looked up to find Shinzon's viceroy staring down at her with an almost disgusted look on his face.

She flinched back a little, straightening her gown, her eyes unconsciously searching for her host.

"We'll be ready in a few minutes." Shinzon said in an official tone. He could sense Heira's unease at having Vkruk in the room, and for some reason, her being upset bothered him.

Vkruk gave a curt nod, then stepped out of the room.

Heira sighed. "I don't think he likes me very much." She said, flopping back onto the bed.

Shinzon scoffed. "I've known him since I was about 9 years old…he doesn't like anyone very much."

He grabbed another uniform from his 'closet' and placed it on his bed next to his new 'house guest' who was in the process of falling back asleep.

"You need to get up." He said leaning over her.

"No." She said simply, turning over.

"Come on." Shinzon said, shaking her lightly. "You know how my Viceroy just looked at you? Well if I let you make me late for this meeting he'll be looking at us both like that."

Heira rolled back over. "Is that horrible, fake woman with the green tinted skin going to be there?"

Shinzon couldn't help but smile at that. "Yes, Commander Donatra is most likely going to accompany Suran to this meeting.""

Heira sighed. "Alright I'll get up…but I won't be happy about it."

Shinzon looked at her confused, before he realized she was joking.

"Get dressed." He said shaking his head.

Heira was amazed at her surroundings. She'd been in extravagant places before, but nothing quite like this.

Shinzon seemed unconcerned with everything but this meeting. She could tell that he had put a lot of work into gaining this position. That much was obvious by the mere fact that he was neither Romulan nor Reman, yet was the leader of one people, and on the way to being that of the other.

He sat in his 'Official business chair' as Heira had dubbed it. Awaiting the arrival of Commanders, Suran and Donatra.

She stood behind his chair, at a distance to his Viceroy that was a bit uncomfortable for her considering the glares and growling noises he would give her whenever she spoke to Shinzon.

The main doors were opened by two Reman foot soldiers.

Commander Donatra stood with a short graying Romulan man with a nervous look about him.

"Good day, Praetor." Suran greeted as they approached him.

Shinzon nodded a greeting to both of them, but said nothing.

There was a moment of uncomfortable silence, until Shinzon apparently felt he had better things to do than spend his day looking at a bunch of Romulans.

"I didn't call this meeting, Commander Suran." He said. "If there is something you wish to discuss, do get on with it."

"Yes," Suran started nervously." I wanted to talk to you about the speed of this operation. We followed you because you promised us results, yet we have seen none."

Heira followed the conversation carefully until she felt someone watching her. She glanced briefly at The Viceroy who she assumed it was, but he was focused on the conversation between Shinzon and Suran.

She then looked at the woman she had grown to despise without so much as a formal introduction. Perhaps it was because she was channeling Shinzon's feelings. It was, after-all quite irrational to hate someone you didn't even know.

Heira glared at Donatra, who was staring intently at her, as if trying to figure something out.

While the two of them had engaged in a silent staring contest, Shinzon and Suran had finished their conversation.

Suran gave Shinzon a mildly respectful nod, then walked towards the door. Donatra turned to follow.

"Commander Donatra, please remain." Shinzon stated quickly before she could leave.

Donatra turned back around slowly. "Yes, Praetor?" She said with mock respect.

Shinzon narrowed his eyes. "I thought we were clear on what your job is supposed to be. You were supposed to watch Commander Suran and report anything that looked suspicious to me…what part of that didn't you understand?"

Donatra raised an eyebrow. "The part where I'm supposed to be working for you."

Shinzon's face remained stoic, though his hands threatened to rip off the arms of the chair he was sitting in.

"Do not make the mistake of thinking I need your services more than I do, Donatra." He hissed. "You can be easily eliminated, and replaced."

Heira fought the urge to reach out and touch his shoulder. The anger he felt was gong straight through her, and if she could only make the connection he might calm down.

Donatra sneered. "And who would you get to replace me, Praetor. One of your Reman pets?…"

Vkruk growled deeply in his chest.

"Or perhaps your Concubine?" She finished.

Heira blinked twice. 'Did she just call me a…'

Shinzon's laughter echoed through the meeting hall. "So that's what this is about? You think that you've lost some edge you had over me? Please Donatra, I could not be more repulsed by you."

Donatra's eyes narrowed, but she said nothing.

Heira continued to stare wildly. 'Did she just call me a…!'

Shinzon stood from his chair, and gestured for his crew to prepare to leave.

He sensed Heira's anger now that his had subsided, due to the hilarity of what Donatra had said.

Without thinking he touched her hand briefly to make the connection.

He smirked and shook his head slightly. She really must have been loved by her family, whoever they were if something so small as being called a name enraged her so.

She smiled back at him, content to let the matter go. He really did have a nice smile, once he bothered to crack one that is.

She followed him down the few steps of the platform and ignored Donatra as she glared at them.

She could not however ignore the Romulan's last words:

"Does he have a leash for you, or has he trained you to follow him on your own?"

Heira's eyes widened slightly. Her hand twitched, in reaction to the violent feelings coursing through her,

"You said she could be replaced easily right?" She turned to ask Shinzon.

He nodded, not understanding. "Yes, wh-"

Heira raised her left hand and delivered a hard slap to Donatra's face

Shinzon blinked a few times.

The Romulan couldn't believe what had just happened. She stared after them as they continued to walk away. 'No one hits me…' she thought before racing after them.

She latched onto the back of Heira's shirt and turned her around.

Shinzon felt the connection weaken suddenly. It felt at if someone had pulled something out of him.

He turned around quickly to find Donatra about to land a hard jab to Heira's face.

Heira ducked just as Donatra's fist would have cracked her nose. Instead she got clipped right above her left eye, splitting the skin on her brow.

She quickly raised a hand to the wound, pulling back her fingers when she felt the stickiness of blood touch them.

There was murder in her eyes. She had never killed anyone before. Then again, she didn't think she had ever wanted to hurt someone s badly as she did now.

Donatra recognized that she had made a mistake. Besides being significantly taller than her, Heira was also considerably well built. And she didn't think that Shinzon would stand by and let something happen to his 'new toy.'

Shinzon stepped forward quickly to stop them before Heira ended up getting hurt, when he felt a strong hand on his shoulder.

Vkruk shook his head. "It's best not to interfere with women in a conflict."

Shinzon looked as if he was about to protest when he heard a harsh groaning sound.

Donatra landed heavily on the short stairs to the platform where Shinzon had sat minutes before.

Heira walked quickly over to Donatra as she was getting up.

"What was that about a leash?" She asked standing over her.

Donatra stood carefully, half expecting to be kicked again. She nodded curtly and sidestepped to leave.

She half limped out of the room until she could no longer be seen.

Heira walked back over to Shinzon, but stayed a relative distance from him.

"I think I could have handled that better."

"Did I ruin something for you today?" Heira asked sitting on the bed.

Shinzon stood in the bathroom at the sink. "No, Donatra was a nuisance. Anyway, she won't desert just because of that. Her livelihood depends on advancement in her career.

He exited the Bathroom carrying a small cloth.

Heira looked confused. "What's that for?"

Shinzon sat down next to her. "You're still bleeding."

Heira nodded, and tried to take the cloth from him.

He shook his head, and gently began to dab at the wound. "I can see it better than you can."

She put her hand down and let him tend to her.

Just as she was about to speak again, there was a sharp pain above her eyes.

"Ow, what did you do!" She asked pulling back from him.

Shinzon removed the cloth and saw that he had reopened a small part of the wound.

"I'm sorry…I didn't mean to." He rushed trying to stop the bleeding again.

Heira placed her hand over his. "It's ok, It just surprised me."

Shinzon looked into her eyes. "Really?"

She smiled. "Of course. If not I would tell you. I have a bad habit of speaking my mind even when I shouldn't…My mother says I ramble too, though I don't know wha-"

Shinzon couldn't take it anymore. Looking at her this close to him, but doing nothing.

He took a leap and did what he had wanted to do from the moment he saw her.

He leaned in and captured her lips with his own.

Heira sat frozen. She couldn't breathe. 'Oh my…'

Shinzon pulled back, taking her lack of response as a hint that he had done the wrong thing. Again.

"I'm sorry." He said standing up.

Heira suddenly realized what had just happened, and what she was about to allow to happen.

She reached for his hand and pulled him back down.

She trapped his legs under her own, and lowered her lips onto his.

Shinzon pulled back, shocked.

Heira smiled. "Don't be sorry."

And kissed him again.

TBC