Chapter 10
An Interlude of Vultures
Tap tap tap tap... The sound of boot heels on tile advanced steadily down the grand hall and mixed with the general murmur of the scattered crowd. Supreme Palace Captain Hiso kept his hand draped lazily over the top of his ferengor, which was looped and secured to his right hip. His steps were sure and brisk. A titter off to the side drew his attention. He slowed long enough to give a small smile and nod to a couple of courtiers.
One was a lithe blue-skinned female, bald with black eyes that blinked suggestively. A gauzy veil flowed from her head to her ankles. She covered her lips with the tips of her slender fingers and giggled again. Her companion was another female, peach skinned with fiery red hair. That one fluttered the hem of her translucent dress and formed her lips into an unmistakable kiss. She winked at Hiso.
He touched the brim of his guard cap and nodded again, agreeing to the silent request, then resumed his journey. Several more courtiers attempted to get his attention in the same manner. Some he accepted, others he brushed off and the rest he ignored completely. It didn't matter that he'd already arranged a dozen or so encounters at that point. He certainly intended to enjoy his recent status of "hero."
The details could always be worked out later. He had already decided one particular courtier, Uwaki Mono, wife of Fuzen-jin Premier Yota Mono, would be a good start. The way she always smelled of rain and fruit had often intrigued him.
Smiling faintly at the thought, Hiso reached his destination. Two very large, very ornate doors sat in the wall he faced. Precious metals and gemstones winked from the dark mahogany wood. A pair of grandly attired elite guards stood before the portal, carrying golden bladed spears with crimson streamers.
Hiso took a moment to straighten his jacket and make sure his war ribbons were affixed correctly. He smoothed the thick fabric of his uniform. Satisfied that his appearance was in order, he signaled to the guards.
The door swung open silently. The guards moved to the sides and bowed the captain into the room beyond.
A lofty throne sat on a raised dais at the end of the long room. Columns of marble reached from floor to ceiling. Various antique tapestries, statues and paintings adorned the area. A deep pile, royal carpet with silver border stretched from the doors up the dais stairs to the Emperor's seat. The air within was warm, infused with a spicy cinnamon apple scent.
Several favored courtiers stood about the dais, casting curious glances at the newcomer. Whatever conversation might have been flowing between the occupants had ceased when the doors open. It left the room strangely quiet. Even the harp girl in the corner had stilled her music.
Hiso squared his shoulders and marched into the room. He paced up the carpet, the tap tap of his boots changed to a muted thud thud. When he reached the lowest step of the dais, he knelt down before the Emperor.
Emperor Seisan regarded the man silently, his eyes half closed. He was wrapped in gold threaded silk robes. A courtier was currently running a fine ivory comb through his slick hair. The black strands were streaked with silver and royal blue. Every so often, the pale skinned courtier would massage his scalp.
"His Supreme Self Emperor Seisan commands my presence and I obey at his pleasure. How my I serve my lord?" Hiso intoned, his deep voice clipped and not quite as humble as it might have been.
Seisan pursed his lips at the tenor of the question but did not address it. He waved away the courtier attending him. As she departed, he said, "We are most pleased with your recent contribution to the sanctity of our palace. Those rebel dogs did their best to defile our glorious home. Your quick wits and cunning perhaps saved us a more grievous injury to the pride of Dokusei."
Hiso bowed more deeply, his ego pleasantly stroked by the words of his Emperor. He wondered if he had been summoned so that a reward might be bestowed upon him. His pride rankled a bit that if it was so, that the Emperor hadn't seen fit to make an occasion out of the situation. A little ceremony of few thousand in attendance, a feast as well, surely wouldn't be too much for his turning the tide in the fight with the rebels.
He didn't ponder it much longer as the Emperor had continued, "...therefore, we grant you the title of Second General, Emperor's Private Task Force."
"Se-second General?" Hiso sputtered. He wasn't very successful in keeping the slight contempt out of his voice. That rank was a scarce step above his own. And Emperor's Private Task Force? A glorified errand boy!
"You are not... pleased with this, Second General Hiso?" inquired Seisan with a hint of disapproval. He raised a black eyebrow.
Hiso choked on his indignation. He wasn't stupid enough to voice his true feelings on the matter. Instead, he swallowed his hurt pride and replied evenly, "I live only to serve His Supreme Self Emperor Seisan. That is honor enough."
Seisan smiled knowingly. The former captain loved to overstate his own worth. The Emperor was convinced it had merely been a fluke that Hiso had been in a position to overhear the rebel commander. After all, if the palace guards had been properly trained in the first place, the rebels wouldn't have even breached the outer walls.
"Excellent," Seisan stated, settling a little more into the cushions of his throne. He noted absently that the stuffing was thinning in a few areas. He'd have to discipline his personal throne attendant for allowing it to go unchecked. The idea warmed him and he relished the thought. "And we have just the mission to test your skills at your new post."
Hiso allowed himself a quick glance at Seisan. He mumbled, "Of course, I will be truly honored, Emperor Seisan."
Seisan nodded. One corner of his lips lifted a little further, he motioned to one of his personal elite guards. "Ekian, bring it in."
A man with yellow toned skin stepped behind the kneeling Hiso, bowed, then strode over to a side door. He shoved it open and reached into the darkened chamber. There was muffled crying as he drew out a woman clad in a ragged dress. Her face was striped with puckered red scars, her eyes were swollen from tears.
Ekian half dragged the woman across the room. She didn't really resist him but couldn't quite keep her legs from buckling under. She stumbled to a halt beside Hiso. The personal guard pushed her down onto her knees.
"Our poor Dorei," Seisan murmured. He shook his head and clucked his tongue in pity though the smile didn't leave his face. "Tell Second General Hiso what occurred on the night the rebels attacked."
Dorei hiccupped and licked her lips. She tried to smooth her frazzled hair. Her hand rubbed away the tears, though she winced when it brushed over the scars. Voice trembling, she said, "It was Mai... she went wild, came at me!"
Seisan's eyes narrowed, he frowned at Dorei. "Do not bleat over your lost vanity. The whole tale or We'll have you whipped right here!"
A stifled whimper was Dorei's reply. She nodded shakily. Taking a breath, she added in a strained voice, "The south wall was struck by... by something and it exploded into the common room. A group of rebels came and opened the doors. They didn't say much, only that they would return. They left the doors open..."
Hiso shifted a little. The woman's whining tone was beginning to annoy him. He didn't see what was so important about listening to some slave's tale. Surely the seraglio was a low priority in any case.
The Emperor glared and wiggled a finger, indicating that Dorei should keep going.
"It was Brussi and Mai!" Dorei wailed, not able to keep her fear reigned in. Seisan's reputation for punishing harem women was terrifying her. Her mind couldn't stop picturing the various tortures she might endure as punishment for someone else's crime. She wasn't about to take the blame. "Brussi was the one who said she was leaving. Ran right out the door! Didn't consider she had no right! Then Mai followed! Then... then that demon came back! I was trying to order the others, to keep them from fleeing as well, my Emperor, and she attacked me for it!"
Dorei's voice rose to a screech at the end of her tirade. Her face became flushed, the scars turned a dark red purple.
"Silence!" Seisan bellowed. Dorei's once beautiful face disgusted him now as it twisted with anger and fear. Her voice, once low and husky, reminded him now of nails on slate. He grimaced at her, then addressed Hiso, "As you now know, Second General Hiso, the palace guards under your command failed to hold the seraglio."
Hiso didn't respond. He was fairly sickened that his time was being wasted on the subject of a few escaped harem women. He kept his expression neutral, though, in spite of his thoughts.
Seisan tapped a knuckle against his teeth as he studied the bent form of the former captain. Then he continued in a more mellow, almost apologetic tone, "We know that some would consider two escaped slaves of little import. But you must realize the strict discipline it takes to assure proper respect is accorded to Our Supreme Self and our rule."
The pause prompted Hiso to nod and murmur a response. "Of course, my Emperor. You are always wise in such grand matters."
Seisan smirked and folded his hands in his lap. "Then you must understand that we cannot let this matter go without remedy. The escaped slaves must be tracked down and punished accordingly."
"Tracked... down, my Emperor?" Hiso shot Seisan a questioning look. A small knot settled into his stomach.
"Of course," Seisan nodded sagely. He sighed, making a resigned face. "And we believe since it was your officers who failed in their duty, well..."
The Emperor shrugged and continued, "It is now your duty to retrieve them."
Hiso bit down on his tongue to prevent a curse from slipping out. He bent his head further to hide any expression of displeasure. He forced himself to say, "Indeed, my Emperor, your judgment is without fault. I shall begin a search of the immediate area, then broaden it to-"
"There is no need," Seisan cut in. He waved his hand negligently. He slid Hiso a sidelong look. "Some guards have already confirmed that the two stole an Aisu-jin ship. We were not pleased with the favors extracted as recompense."
Hiso stared at Seisan. For the moment, he forgot his supposed humility and blurted, "But they're slaves! How can they fly a ship? It must have been rebels instead!"
Seisan frowned at both Hiso's ignorance and lack of submission. He stated firmly, "It was indeed the slaves. The one named Brussi was kept at a Buki-jin shipyard before she came to us. We believe her old masters were lax in their attention to proper duties."
Hiso scowled, then lowered his head again. "And my duties?"
"Find them and bring them back," Seisan ordered. He steepled his fingers. "A ship has already been prepared for your journey. Take whomever you please from the last army training class. Ten cadets should be sufficient enough for this mission. You will find all necessary details in the main computer files."
Hiso touched his forehead to the floor, then rose. His expression was void of any dissention, a perfect mask of military efficiency. He placed his hands behind his back. "As you command, my Emperor."
Seisan nodded and motioned a dismissal. The courtiers who had been silent observers to the meeting began to chatter. Clothes rustled as they moved about again, behaving as if they hadn't been privy to the discussion. The harp girl in the corner plucked out a new song. A fur clad female offered the Emperor a dish of candied fruit.
Hiso turned from the scene and began to walk back to the large doors. Seisan's deep voice pulled him to a halt. "Ah, Second General Hiso, there is one more thing."
Hiso faced Seisan again. He asked in a steady voice, "Yes, my Emperor?"
Seisan pointed carelessly to Dorei, who was still kneeling before his throne. "Take this refuse with you, it mars the beauty of our grand home. Kill it and throw the body out as a sacrifice to the wild gods."
"No!" Dorei screamed and scrambled to her feet. She ran toward the exit. A grim faced Ekian drew his weapon and fired a stun bolt at the fleeing woman's back. The slave crashed to the floor unconscious.
Hiso grimaced, then nodded. "As you wish, my Emperor."
He strode over to the prone woman. Reaching down, he took hold of her hands and slung her over his shoulder. She didn't weigh much but she smelled sour, as if she hadn't bathed in a while. He wrinkled his nose and headed to the doors. A pair of guards who matched the ones on the other side opened the way for him.
Second General Hiso stepped out of the throne room, on to performing the duties he had been given.
Seisan sucked on one of the candied fruits he had taken from the courtier's platter. He let a slow, satisfied smile spread over his features. He wondered how long it would take Hiso to pick up the trail of the slaves. Oh, he had provided the man with some general information. The fact that the ship had taken off in a fairly straight course and where that course would lead was there.
But he wasn't convinced of Hiso's cleverness. He doubted Hiso kept up on the news of worlds outside the Doku-jin empire. It wouldn't surprise him in the least if Hiso would be startled to arrive at a planet that wasn't there. The information on the destruction of Vegetasei was in the computer memory stores. The question was whether Hiso would bother to check the files before he set his course.
Seisan chewed the sugary fruit into a mush, then swallowed it. He picked another from the dish and popped it into his mouth. He had some idea where the slaves might go. If his sources were correct, the green one's home world had also been destroyed by Frieza.
What they had done to incur his wrath, Seisan didn't know. He had always thought the Aisu-jin to be a bit on the unstable side. But the Planet Trade equaled Seisan's own empire in strength if not in size. He had decided it wasn't worth the possibility of being overthrown to gain a few more tributes. Especially when he could just buy the planets offered and Frieza seemed content enough to keep his fingers out of Seisan's business.
The Emperor stroked his chin thoughtfully. Knowing the Saiyan's temperament, he was fairly certain she would want to seek out the destroyer of her planet. He wasn't sure about the Namek. Still, the green one seemed to follow the other's lead.
Yes, that's what they would do. They would track Frieza down. It would take them to Chikyuusei, where the Aisu-jin and his father had disappeared over ten years ago.
Seisan chuckled evilly. He had no idea what sort of creatures lived there that were strong enough to take down one of the most powerful beings in the galaxy. He supposed he would find out... if Hiso survived.