Black Hearts, Part Seventeen (PG)

[jeriendhal]

Mavra Chan took Cavilo’s hand and shook it firmly. “Lady Mavra Chan, master of the Celestial Marauder. I have about fifty, ah, guests to be removed my ship.”

Cavilo raised her eyebrows, “That’s a bit larger than the number we usually handle, but I’m sure we can make accommodations for them. For a suitable surcharge of course.”

“Oh, I’ll be able to pay anything you like, I imagine” Chan said.

Baron Fell stood up and helped Cavilo to her seat. She looked around the gathered dinner guests, taking in Terinu and Captain Aynish with barely a raised eyebrow. When her gaze fell on Mark, it remained for a long moment, before her lips curled in a snarl that she quickly suppressed. “Vorkosigan,” she said, her words dripping with barely contained malice, “my god, you’ve gotten fat.”

Mark blinked. Oh, hell, this Jacksonian was an old enemy of Miles. Just his damned luck to be confronted by her without a proper briefing, like what Miles had actually done to her to piss her off. “Forgive me, Lady Cavilo, but you mistake me for my brother,” he said smoothly. “I’m Lord Mark Vorkosigan, Miles’ clone.”

“Really? I shouldn’t be terribly surprised that Vorkosigan’s ego would extend so far,” she sneered.

“Actually I was created for a substitution plot by enemies of the Barrayaran Empire,” Mark told her. “So for once Miles can’t take credit for this situation.” Though he was determined to have a definite word or two with him after this “situation” was resolved. Who the hell was this woman? Her eyes were practically smoldering as she stared at him, apparently fighting the urge to reach across the table and strangle him. “Forgive me, but would you mind telling me exactly what Miles did to anger you so badly?”

“Because of him, I was forced to abandon nearly all of my assets after the Battle of the Hegen Hub and spend over five years dodging Cetagandan assassination squads before I was able rebuild my organization here on Jackson’s Whole,” Cavilo explained in a growl.

His memory finally kicked in, and Mark recalled the exploits of Admiral Naismith, which he had studied intently during the planning stages of his botched raid on House Bharaputra’s cloning facility. “Oh, you’re that Cavilo, commander of Randal’s Rangers. I thought you were a war hero. Though given the Ceta’s annoyance at being repelled by both your mercenaries and the Dendarii, I suppose being targeted was inevitable.”

“You really don’t have a clue as to what happened there, do you?” Cavilo asked.

“Apparently not,” Mark said, putting a false smile on his face. “Nor do I care. My priorities have nothing to do with you.” Though that might change, if Mavra Chan chose to hand over Kareen to Cavilo with the other hostages. Damn, he couldn’t let any of the hostages fall into Cavilo’s hands. Letting them drop into a planet’s gravity well and be placed inside who knew how well fortified a prison would complicate their eventual rescue by an order of magnitude. Or maybe it would be better to just let the Barrayaran government take the financial hit and pay their ransom. No, Chan’s suggestion of slavery was a very real possibility. That and Barrayar was unlikely to pay blood money when they could make a better point by smashing a minor Jacksonian house flat, though that might risk innocent casualties.

“I’m sorry, is there a problem, Lady Cavilo?” Chan asked, her voice carefully neutral.

Cavilo turned away from Mark with an effort to focus on Chan. “It is easily solved. If this man is anything like his brother, you’ll want to slit his tongue, cut off his head, and disintegrate his body, before he ends up pulling your entire organization out from under you.”

Chan raised an eyebrow, looking amused. “Really? I think I’d actually like to meet his brother, then. As for my good friend Mark, I don’t think he’s going to do anything to upset me, are you, Mark?”

“No, Lady Chan,” Mark answered tightly. Not until I’m sure Kareen is safe. Then all bets are off.

Cavilo looked at Mark again, calculations going on behind her ice blue eyes. “What kind of hold do you have over him, and how much will it cost me to take it?”

Chan replied, “It’s enough that I’m sure he isn’t going to play stupid games with me. That, and I’m not certain he’s outlived his usefulness just yet. You’d have to offer me a very high price indeed to convince me to let him out of my hands.” Mark stiffened as she added, “Though once the auction is concluded, I’m sure I could give it to you for a perfectly reasonable sum.”

“By all means then, let us help you complete your business quickly,” Cavilo said, a sudden smile crossing her face. It was anything but friendly.

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