Twenty minutes later….
"Rogue are you ready yet? Damn I told you twenty minutes…." Volt yelled through the room.
Almost in that same instant the door slid back open, Rogue was standing on the other side
mere inches from Volt's face as she answered, "Ah think ah'm ready don't ya?"
Rogue was dressed in a clean combat suit of black, lined with dark red. The gloves themselves, however, where primarily a dark red of the same shade with stitching work of black lacing down the entire glove. The suit was form fitting and though flattering her figure was actually quite modest in appearance; a black and dark red shear hood was attached to the back which she had down at the moment.
"Well, ah guess the appropriate question would be, how do ah look?" she asked as she planted a hand firmly on her hip.
Volt blinked several times unsure of what to say. Granted that she looked great in the other combat suit but this one flattered her beyond what he would have expected and he wondered, why would anyone give her such a fantastic combat suit unless they were expecting her to stay?
"You look great…." He said softly not revealing what he really thought, "we really should be going to your meeting with the emperor….."
"Right…." Rogue half muttered with a nod, though her hair was pulled back in a ponytail her silver streak still rested beside her face just behind her ear and with that nod her streak came out from behind it.
As she half way passed him he fell in beside her though he kept looking at her every couple of moments.
"Do ya have a starin' problem?" she asked breaking a fairly uneasy silence.
"No, of course not…." He answered shakily causing her to give him a sideways glance as she pulled the streak back behind her ear.
"Right…." She answered simply as she quickened her pace slightly causing him to increase his so he didn't lose her.
Outside the emperor's audience chamber…..
"Now remember… don't speak unless he requests an answer he finds that especially rude," Volt counseled, "Remember… everything that he is offering you should be taken seriously."
"Alright Volt, alright ah'll remembah…. Ya don't have ta hound meh," Rogue responded waving her hands in front of him trying to get him to calm down, "Ah get it…. Ya don't want meh ta mess up ah understand fully."
"I just want to make sure…. That's all…." Volt said nervously, "I don't know what he wants to talk to you about so…. I can't give you any heads ups…."
"That's alright…" Rogue answered as the door slid open, "well ah guess ah should entah…"
Slowly Rogue entered the dim audience chamber. As she walked she could vaguely make out pillars with figurines that didn't look real on top of them. Among what was on top of the pillars were busts of this young woman though her hair and eye color could not be determined by the extremely blue color of the image it could be told that she was a very attractive young woman perhaps in her late teens early twenties. It was obvious that this man's interest in this young woman boarder lined on obsession.
"Please come forward so I might better observe you Rogue," the Emperor said from a gently lit podium in the rear of the chamber.
Rogue snapped back to reality after hearing the firm yet unusually gentle voice. If ah didn't know bettah ah might think that this man fantasizes himself as a fathah or somethin',
Rogue thought as she approached the podium and soon was within its pale glow.
"Ah Rogue, the girl that we obtained from the world known as Earth or at least one of the Earths that we have been to," the Emperor said gently as she stood in front of him, "It is refreshing to see someone that would remain standing before me."
"Ya were the one who sent Vile ta fight meh weren't ya?" Rogue asked though she already knew the answer to that question.
"Yes Rogue, I was but it was his own choice to take it to the point of his own death… I lost an excellent officer with his death," he answered regrettably, "I wish that he had had the better sense to not bring it to his own death and because of his actions it has forced me to find a new officer to take his place."
"What does that have ta do with meh?" Rogue asked crossing her arms lightly across her chest.
"I am prepared to give you the position my dear," he answered calmly, "All I ask is your loyalty."
"Ah'm not interested in joinin' the empire thanks," Rogue answered quickly as she started to turn around.
"Is there something that you want in return my dear?" he asked genuinely, "Certain conditions that you want to be freed under perhaps? Or is there something that you are running from?"
She spun around almost instantly, "How did ya know ah was running from somethin'?" she asked.
"Merely a guess my dear," he answered, "but it would seem that you are indeed running from something. Are you sure that there is nothing I can do to convince you to stay and work from me as an officer? You would be Volt's partner; the two of you would be my personal guards as is the position of the officers stationed on this ship."
"So ya want meh ta be your personal guard? Is that it?" Rogue asked unconvinced.
"Yes, and any conditions that you wish I will allow your freedom," he answered slowly ensuring that she understood his offer.
"Any conditions ah want huh?" she said to herself then looked at the emperor, "There is only one person that ah've evah loved…. His name is Gambit and if he evah shows up for any reason what so evah than ah'm leavin' with him no mattah what any of ya say. Also, if ah must ta ensure that both of us can leave ah will kill ya."
"I understand your conditions fully Rogue but I must give you a code name because all of my officers have a number," he said with a nod, "From this day on you will be known as Violent Rogue or just Violent understood?"
"Right…. Mah name is Violent Rogue now well thank ya for at least keepin' mah real name in there." She said softly.
"You are welcome and welcome aboard the Crescent Moon Violent Rogue this is the flagship for the Corgalani Empire and only my best are aboard this ship," he said with a smile, "now if you will talk to Volt he will explain everything else to you I am sure."
"Ah won't have ta go through any of what's happened to Volt will ah?" Rogue asked nervously.
"Not unless you want to Violent…. That is your choice alone," he answered almost laughingly.
"Alright, thanks. Ah suppose the correct way ta address ya would be sir wouldn't it…" Rogue said then corrected herself, "Thank ya sir."
She then quickly turned around and walked out of the chamber as an announcement sounded that she guessed was a summons for Volt considering that he entered and passed her about half way down the room.
"Wait for me outside," he muttered to her as he passed.
"Alright," Rogue answered as she exited her range of hearing though she wasn't out of his.
Rogue finally got out of the room and waited as Volt had told her. Her nerves were nearly shot as she waited anxiously pacing back and forth in front of the door.
Fifteen minutes later…..
"Volt!" Rogue half yelled as he finally emerged from the chamber.
"You're my new partner…" he answered her half stunned, "I don't know what to say… I didn't think that this was the reason that the Emperor did that… to see if you were worthy to be his replacement."
"Please don't think of meh as just a replacement Volt… ah know he was your friend and ah understand that but ah can't undo what's been done," Rogue said knowing that if they didn't get along than they would have problems with their jobs as officers.
"I know Violent… it's just a bit hard to accept right now but working beside you should prove interesting," Volt answered.
"Alright as long as ya don't have any ill will towards meh," Rogue said with a faint smile which looked and felt odd being that she hadn't smiled sense before what happened to Gambit and it surprised her.
"I'll be fine, let's go get you an actual room," Volt said as he clamped his hand down on her shoulder.
"Alright," Rogue said with a slight nod and they walked away from the audience chamber.