Black Hearts, Part Nineteen (PG)
Mar. 14th, 2007 07:44 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jeriendhalTags: Miles, Rufus
Miles only let himself relax when the doors of the consulate slid shut, encasing all three of them in the familiar, peculiarly paranoid security of a Barrayaran installation set in foreign lands. Home, sweet paranoid, home, he thought. Well, safety was relative. Depending on how desperate other governments might become to get the secret of the FTL drive, the polite notion of an embassy’s sanctity might be violated with nary a qualm.
“All right, my Lord Auditor, what is this all about? Who is this person?” Vormelcher demanded, gesturing to Rufus, still in his space suit.
“Not until we are in your office with all the monitors turned off, Consul,” Miles said. Vormelcher raised his eyebrows but said nothing, gesturing for the two of them follow him. They entered the Consul’s office, a relatively small affair as such things went, this being just a branch of the larger embassy down on the surface of Jackson’s Whole. But it was fully equipped with the latest in anti-monitoring equipment, which the Consul turned on as soon as the doors shut.
“I must ask again, Lord Auditor, what is going… on…?” Vormelcher mouthed dropped open as Rufus removed his helmet, revealing his foxish face and a smile for the Consul.
“Consul Lord Vormelcher, allow me to introduce the Viscount Ru-Ofanius Brushtail, of the Vulpine Lords,” Miles said by way of introduction. “You are to consider him the ambassador of a friendly power and treat him appropriately.”
To Vormelcher’s credit, his shock at Rufus’s appearance was quickly suppressed. A city bred man half a generation older than Miles, if he held any anti-mutant prejudices, they would have to be deeply hidden for him to be able to function in such a cosmopolitan world as the Consortium. The Consul bowed to the Vulpine and shook his hand politely. “Count Brushtail, welcome to the Consulate. How may I serve Lord Auditor Vorkosigan and yourself?”
“Just Rufus if you please, or Captain Brushtail if you must be formal,” Rufus replied. His face turning serious, he added, “You can help us by updating us on your current situation here. Did a ship arrive recently of a wildly unfamiliar design?”
After a quick glance to Miles to confirm that it was alright to give out the information, Vormelcher said, “You must mean the ship called the Celestial Marauder. It’s been orbiting in the vicinity of Fell Station for the past thirty six hours. But, how could you know of it? The report I couriered to ImpDip could not have arrived back on Barrayar already. Unless…” The Consul was not a stupid man, Miles realized. He looked over Rufus one more time and said, “There were rumors the ship was carrying aliens aboard. Aliens with a fantastic new drive system. I take it there is truth to this?”
“Indeed, Lord Vormelcher,” Miles said. He gave the consul a speed précis of the events of the past few days, ending with, “So our priorities are to one: rescue the hostages; two: prevent any government hostile to Barrayar from obtaining the technical specs for the FTL drive; and three: capture this Mavra Chan and her crew before they can cause any more havoc.”
Vormelcher nodded. “Your information confirms the reports the embassy’s ImpSec officer has been receiving from his agents in Baron Fell’s organization. Apparently he’s organizing an auction on Chan’s behalf, for both the drive and, ah, “Unique sentient biological specimens.”
“She’s selling her own crew?” Miles asked.
“I assume the announcement means genetic samples,” the Consul said.
Rufus cleared his throat uneasily. “With Mavra Chan, that is not necessarily a safe assumption.”
“I am disturbed by one aspect of the reports though. Actually, I’d originally suspected that it was the reason you had arrived,” Vormelcher said. “Baron Fell hosted a dinner for Chan. Among the other guests were two of the reputed aliens, and a short, heavyset man who resembled your clone, Milord.”
“My brother, Mark,” Miles corrected. “He and his wife are among the hostages and he grew up on Jackson’s Whole. It’s possible that Chan is using him as a native guide, most likely coerced with threats to his wife, Kareen.”
“What of the aliens, were you able to identify them?” Rufus asked.
Vormelcher shook his head. “One appeared to be an officer of Chan’s, an individual with bird feathers for hair and unusual tines or strips of bone where his ears would normally be.”
Rufus nodded. “I believe that would Captain Aynish, a Galen. Terinu mentioned him a few times, when he was in a mood to discuss his past.”
“The other appeared to be a servant or slave of some sort,” Vormelcher continued, “a young man with gray skin, horns and a tail, led on a leash.”
“Fruit!” Rufus exclaimed. “That’s Terinu himself. By the Holy Den Mother, Chan must be threatening Leeza as well, for him to agree to be led about like an animal. Damn that terrible woman!”
“Did they meet with anyone besides Baron Fell?” Miles asked.
“Yes, with the head of a House who specializes in, ah, ‘human asset negotiations’ as the polite phrase goes here, obviously to deal with the hostages that Chan has captured,” Vormelcher said. “Her name is Lady Cavilo.”
Miles felt his jaw open, then shut it again abruptly. “I’ve met the woman.”
“Memorable experience?” Rufus inquired, upon seeing his reaction.
“Like you wouldn’t believe. Face like a goddess, mind like a diseased f—, er, badger. The idea of her being in charge of negotiating the release of innocent human beings boggles the mind.”
“Apparently she has a reputation as a superb negotiator,” the Consul said. “Though it’s recommended you come to a deal quickly with her, or see loved ones reduced to organ bank supplies.”
“Marvelous,” Rufus said sourly. “Either she and Mavra Chan are going to get on like long lost sisters, or they’ll end up shooting each other. We can only pray for the latter.”
“Quite,” Miles agreed. “Which is why I intend to cut the middleman out of this equation.”
“I’m sorry?”
Miles smiled. “I think its time to have a chat with Lady Mavra directly, don’t you?”
Miles only let himself relax when the doors of the consulate slid shut, encasing all three of them in the familiar, peculiarly paranoid security of a Barrayaran installation set in foreign lands. Home, sweet paranoid, home, he thought. Well, safety was relative. Depending on how desperate other governments might become to get the secret of the FTL drive, the polite notion of an embassy’s sanctity might be violated with nary a qualm.
“All right, my Lord Auditor, what is this all about? Who is this person?” Vormelcher demanded, gesturing to Rufus, still in his space suit.
“Not until we are in your office with all the monitors turned off, Consul,” Miles said. Vormelcher raised his eyebrows but said nothing, gesturing for the two of them follow him. They entered the Consul’s office, a relatively small affair as such things went, this being just a branch of the larger embassy down on the surface of Jackson’s Whole. But it was fully equipped with the latest in anti-monitoring equipment, which the Consul turned on as soon as the doors shut.
“I must ask again, Lord Auditor, what is going… on…?” Vormelcher mouthed dropped open as Rufus removed his helmet, revealing his foxish face and a smile for the Consul.
“Consul Lord Vormelcher, allow me to introduce the Viscount Ru-Ofanius Brushtail, of the Vulpine Lords,” Miles said by way of introduction. “You are to consider him the ambassador of a friendly power and treat him appropriately.”
To Vormelcher’s credit, his shock at Rufus’s appearance was quickly suppressed. A city bred man half a generation older than Miles, if he held any anti-mutant prejudices, they would have to be deeply hidden for him to be able to function in such a cosmopolitan world as the Consortium. The Consul bowed to the Vulpine and shook his hand politely. “Count Brushtail, welcome to the Consulate. How may I serve Lord Auditor Vorkosigan and yourself?”
“Just Rufus if you please, or Captain Brushtail if you must be formal,” Rufus replied. His face turning serious, he added, “You can help us by updating us on your current situation here. Did a ship arrive recently of a wildly unfamiliar design?”
After a quick glance to Miles to confirm that it was alright to give out the information, Vormelcher said, “You must mean the ship called the Celestial Marauder. It’s been orbiting in the vicinity of Fell Station for the past thirty six hours. But, how could you know of it? The report I couriered to ImpDip could not have arrived back on Barrayar already. Unless…” The Consul was not a stupid man, Miles realized. He looked over Rufus one more time and said, “There were rumors the ship was carrying aliens aboard. Aliens with a fantastic new drive system. I take it there is truth to this?”
“Indeed, Lord Vormelcher,” Miles said. He gave the consul a speed précis of the events of the past few days, ending with, “So our priorities are to one: rescue the hostages; two: prevent any government hostile to Barrayar from obtaining the technical specs for the FTL drive; and three: capture this Mavra Chan and her crew before they can cause any more havoc.”
Vormelcher nodded. “Your information confirms the reports the embassy’s ImpSec officer has been receiving from his agents in Baron Fell’s organization. Apparently he’s organizing an auction on Chan’s behalf, for both the drive and, ah, “Unique sentient biological specimens.”
“She’s selling her own crew?” Miles asked.
“I assume the announcement means genetic samples,” the Consul said.
Rufus cleared his throat uneasily. “With Mavra Chan, that is not necessarily a safe assumption.”
“I am disturbed by one aspect of the reports though. Actually, I’d originally suspected that it was the reason you had arrived,” Vormelcher said. “Baron Fell hosted a dinner for Chan. Among the other guests were two of the reputed aliens, and a short, heavyset man who resembled your clone, Milord.”
“My brother, Mark,” Miles corrected. “He and his wife are among the hostages and he grew up on Jackson’s Whole. It’s possible that Chan is using him as a native guide, most likely coerced with threats to his wife, Kareen.”
“What of the aliens, were you able to identify them?” Rufus asked.
Vormelcher shook his head. “One appeared to be an officer of Chan’s, an individual with bird feathers for hair and unusual tines or strips of bone where his ears would normally be.”
Rufus nodded. “I believe that would Captain Aynish, a Galen. Terinu mentioned him a few times, when he was in a mood to discuss his past.”
“The other appeared to be a servant or slave of some sort,” Vormelcher continued, “a young man with gray skin, horns and a tail, led on a leash.”
“Fruit!” Rufus exclaimed. “That’s Terinu himself. By the Holy Den Mother, Chan must be threatening Leeza as well, for him to agree to be led about like an animal. Damn that terrible woman!”
“Did they meet with anyone besides Baron Fell?” Miles asked.
“Yes, with the head of a House who specializes in, ah, ‘human asset negotiations’ as the polite phrase goes here, obviously to deal with the hostages that Chan has captured,” Vormelcher said. “Her name is Lady Cavilo.”
Miles felt his jaw open, then shut it again abruptly. “I’ve met the woman.”
“Memorable experience?” Rufus inquired, upon seeing his reaction.
“Like you wouldn’t believe. Face like a goddess, mind like a diseased f—, er, badger. The idea of her being in charge of negotiating the release of innocent human beings boggles the mind.”
“Apparently she has a reputation as a superb negotiator,” the Consul said. “Though it’s recommended you come to a deal quickly with her, or see loved ones reduced to organ bank supplies.”
“Marvelous,” Rufus said sourly. “Either she and Mavra Chan are going to get on like long lost sisters, or they’ll end up shooting each other. We can only pray for the latter.”
“Quite,” Miles agreed. “Which is why I intend to cut the middleman out of this equation.”
“I’m sorry?”
Miles smiled. “I think its time to have a chat with Lady Mavra directly, don’t you?”
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2007-03-15 12:22 am (UTC)Mind, Miles/Mark teamwork should be a thing of beauty to watch unroll. (I hope!)
no subject
Date: 2007-03-15 03:36 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-03-15 12:22 pm (UTC)Nice way to update Miles on the situation. I'm really looking forward to Miles' contact with Mavra. Oh yeah. :)
*Smile*
Woah
Great one again...
Rufus for tha Rescue *lol* - hope they will make it...
Oohh, what is Gwen doing at the moment???
mjkj