Dinner With The Devil

Posted on Tue Nov 7th, 2023 @ 9:39pm by Lieutenant Commander Annalise Faulkner & Ken & Lieutenant Asher Stagg

Mission: S1 Episode 6: Joy and Ashes
Location: Officer's Mess; Gladius
Timeline: Date 2371-09-04 at 2100
4569 words - 9.1 OF Standard Post Measure

ON

The Officer's Mess had been cleaned to perfection and entry had been barred to everyone except Annalise, her guest, two security officers, and one command slave to serve them. They were seated at one of the four top tables to give them room, though two of the chairs had been removed to make sure they had plenty of room for their meals and anything else they might need.

Annalise was already there and had received word that the merchant - a man she had learned was named Lidan Madak - was being brought to her. She had opted out of her uniform and instead was wearing a very eye-catching dark purple dress with a halter wrap top that left a keyhole which exposed her modest but still attractive cleavage. The length was short, but not too short to be inappropriate, simply to entice. A pair of gold heels, gold hoop earrings, and several thin gold bangles on her left wrist finished the ensemble.

It was an understated ensemble, but still quite eye-catching on her body and she was wearing makeup to match. This particular game was one she could play easily.

She wouldn't be left waiting long as the doors to the Officer's Mess parted as Lidan walked in to join them; as opposed to his much more extensively covered clothing than the market, he seemed somewhat underdressed as he strode in wearing what appeared to be a finely tailored outfit. It consisted of a long-sleeved shirt made of an iridescent material, a pair of dark leather gloves, a sleeveless, indigo-colored long coat, a couple of dark pants tucked into a pair of finely crafted knee-high boots. To cover his head and face, he wore a keffiyeh style head wrap made from material that seemed to shift color under the light while now he wore minimal jewelry.

While certainly not the most strapping of men, he carried himself well and carried a small wooden case with him as he approached the table; it did not take him long as his gaze took her in as if he were drinking from a cool well of water. "Your uniform did not do such a lovely creature justice, mistress of Empire."

He set the box down on the table, leaving it between them. "A treat to share once we have finished with dinner; your physician said that they are similar to what Terrans call blackberries, which he and your bodyguard both approved to allow me to share with you."

"You are very kind." Annalise greeted with a nod and motioned to the seat across from her. She didn't rise to greet him; she felt no need to. "I am looking forward to tasting them afterwards. I've selected a few of my personal favorites."

"I cannot wait to try more of your Terran foods; what did you settle on for tonight's meal?" He asked while approaching his chair, looking her in the eyes for a moment before his gaze lowered to where her cleavage was visible through the window.

"Have a seat." Annalise prompted but did nothing to deter his gaze from her breasts. "We will start with a basic potato and leek soup that is quite a popular dish on my planet."

With a wave of a hand, the slave brought over two bowls to serve them. "Tell me about yourself... and take off that face covering."

Lidan did as he had been instructed, opening the head wrap and tucking it out of the way as he settled himself at the table. He took a moment to breathe deeply of the scent of the soup before his attention returned to Annalise. Something in the way she held herself gave Lidan pause, and for a solitary moment he found himself doubting the plan, understanding that he sat in the den of monsters. He had a feeling that this dinner would impact his life in ways he couldn't anticipate, and for a brief moment he felt the thrill of fearful anticipation.

Clearing his throat, the merchant turned his thoughts to her question and sat back in his seat. "I am the only son of my merchant father and his wife-concubine; his other children are all daughters and married off to suitable husbands of status."

He spoke very matter-of-factly as he sipped from his glass of water. "I learned my trade at my father's side almost as soon as I was old enough to count, my family belongs to an influential merchant's guild and it was an honor for my family that I was chosen to become an off-world trader to break new ground for my family and our merchant house."

"I am unmarried, but I was planning to return home to Miadas as my mother has been searching for the first of my wife-concubines."

“I assume your women only have one husband and men have multiple women?” She asked, pulling her soup closer and stirring it around a bit through her eyes never left the alien across from her.

"Yes, that is correct, the reason for this is because of our religious teachings," He explained while stirring his own soup to help it cool down. "Our first and second wives are considered to be our true companions, blessings from the gods for our faith; the first wife is the one that is chosen for us and considered to be the guiding voice of wisdom and our second wife is the one we choose for ourselves, they are considered one wife that the gods have chosen for us."

"Any wives that we take after are considered to be signs of the gods favor along with wealth and prestige, though while we are unmarried...it is expected that our eyes will wander and we will spread forth our seed with those we find attractive."

Disgusting, but she had expected nothing less. Every man's dream from world to world with women always being objects on some level. It was disappointing, but it did make men easy to manipulate in general. Still, she wondered if women might be considered just as capable and worthy somewhere out there. A fantasy though, no doubt.

She licked her lips and motioned for the slave to serve the wine. "Yes, well that's very interesting. What I am most interested to learn about however is this information you have about this other ship... how did you get it?"

"As I told you, one of my scouts was on a supply mission to the planet Anorra when he picked up an unknown ship on his sensors, I pay him a commission for any leads on unknown vessels, it allows me to expand my trade." He shared, relaxing back into his seat a little as they spoke of how he came by the records. "I've been running down leads on the other ship of Empire...and then we met here! It's almost as if the gods were smiling upon me today, allowing me to meet you and your crew."

"What other vessels did you learn about from your associate?" She asked, obviously skeptical of his explanation though she continued to eat as if nothing were amiss.

"There were a couple that were newer Vidiaan ships but I paid him for the updated records, a ship that I learned was Haakonian, I had never traded with them before, some Kazon vessels but I prefer to not do business with them as they are...unreliable and flighty." He continued, sharing with her the truth of what had been found, save he did work with the Kazon sects, often profiting off of their warmongering ways.

"You'll have to show me that information." She said and sipped her wine again. "How long have you been in this particular business?"

Lidan took a moment to taste the soup, nodding and smiling as he looked up at his lovely companion. "I would be more than happy to share what I have on the other species, for the right price of course."

"Though as to your question, I have been working as a trader for nearly ten years, I enjoy being a traveling trader as it affords me the opportunity to explore and see new sights wherever I go." He smiled before eating more of his soup, seeming to be savoring it. "This is quite delicious, I would love to have the recipe."

“Oh come now,” Annalise looked at him coquettishly. “This isn’t a table for business, this is a table for pleasure and freely giving.”

She indicated the soup in front of him. “I will happily share the recipe for this with you.” She looked at him through her long dark lashes, her beautiful eyes enticing. “It would make me very happy if you would share more information with me.”

The alien man paused for a moment as she began to flirt with him, his attention drawn to her once more and used the action of taking a drink from his glass as a means of buying himself a few moments to take her in, both her words and her appearance. It was a moment of quiet consideration as his natural instincts as a man were drawn towards this attractive woman and her attentions, though his years of training and upbringing as a merchant made him feel guilty about giving the information away for free. He didn't forget his role in the conspiracy hatched by his Kazon masters to eliminate the Imperial ships for all the trouble their presence had caused.

"What might you want to know, exactly, my dear?" He chuckled, responding finally after deciding to see what he might be able to get out of the exchange for himself.

“Well as I said, more information on those ships.” She leaned in a bit then, doing so in a way that her breasts pressed up against the keyhole in her dress and made her cleavage much more pronounced. “It just seems so strange you just happen to have this information to give to us.”

"Nothing strange about it, there are times that I've come across items others have written off as junk and discovered a treasure," He smiled while his eyes were drawn towards the valley of her cleavage, taking a moment to appreciate it as they sat together. "The Vidiaan ships as I said were of a new design that my scout hadn't encountered and the Haakonians were a new find for me as they tend to keep to their own borders but are quite willing to engage with outside merchants, especially for dilithium and other high technology."

"The Kazon vessels were trade vessels of their own, though there's a saying in these parts, the only difference between a Kazon trader and a pirate is if they have a weapon lock on you, I didn't pursue them since they are erratic at the best of times." He did manage to briefly glance away from Annalise's breasts back to her eyes as they spoke.

“Did your informant encounter any Terrans while he was doing his work?” She probed, keeping it light for now. When they finished their soup the bowls were taken away and they were given a moment to simply enjoy their wine while waiting for the next course.

"I believe he did, yes...he stated that he sold a medical research kit to someone from the ship, he stated that he had a distinctive gruffness that seems to be something possessed by all your people." Lidan nodded, sipping his drink while they waited, while a contact of his had sold a genetic samples kit, he also knew of the crew of the Imperial ship Vengeance and what they looked like.

“I see.” She lifted her hand and motioned for the slave to bring over the next part of the meal. It was salmon that smelled of honey, garlic and a bit of spice with a lightly dressed salad of mixed greens next to it. “What else can you tell me? Any more names?”

"What is the name of this dish? It has an interesting texture," Lidan didn't want to give everything away as he looked over to Annalise for an answer.

"Mmm... perhaps you didn't hear me with your admiration of the dish. What else can you tell me about this other ship or its crew?" Annalise prompted again. Her voice was pleasant, her eyes became less so.

"They were there to enjoy the resort and they had gathered a small fleet, a couple of Kazon and Vidiaan ships, the design of the ship from the outside was similar to your own, but they had paid with gems that normally are only harvested from worlds that either belong to or were once under the Vidiaans sphere of influence." He explained, feeling a little more nervous since Annalise seemed more interested in getting information from him.

“I see. This is a fish from my world called a salmon. I hope you enjoy it.” She pulled off a flaky bite of what was in front of her and ate it. This time she let the silence sit until it was uncomfortable. “How do you think they came by this fleet?”

"Conquest perhaps? There are places where one can salvage vessels left to drift if you know where to look." He replied and turned his attention to the salmon, eating more of it.

"There was talk of a woman with green skin who stood out and was often seen on the beaches."

“How do you like the fish?” Annalise asked, now her turn to brush past his offering as if it weren’t good enough. She could tell he was becoming uncomfortable - it was essentially why she had told him to remove his face covering.

"It is perfect; the flavor is rich but not overpowering, well seasoned...it reminds me of the meat of a flightless bird from my home world; the seasonings bring it all together." He nodded, trying to go with the flow of the conversation but needed to figure out where things were going. But now, as he sat here, eating this delicious meal, he couldn't help but wonder if he had made the right choice. Was it worth the price he might pay if the Terrans discovered who he was working for? Unless you had the strength to force the Kazon to kowtow, you never really had a choice.

You either worked for them or they killed you.

Now he wondered if it might have been better to let them kill him when they'd disabled his ship and trapped him in an airlock, threatening to turn him into so much organic paste by being sucked out into space through a small opening in the external door.

All in the pursuit of revenge against the Terrans for having upset the natural order of the region as many saw it.

“Good. I’m glad you are enjoying it.” Annalise gave him a pleasant smile, her eyes moving over his face and taking him in. She wasn’t a fool, she knew there was something more here; the question was what.

But she also couldn’t deny what she had seen and what he had told her. She couldn’t reasonably just write it off even if those around her were insisting it was some sort of fabrication or lie; perhaps they didn’t grasp the facts or were just in denial. The Gladius wouldn’t survive on its own. Playing pirate for the next seventy years wasn’t sustainable for a ship of their power.

“You know… my crew doesn’t believe you.”

"Yes, that has been hard to miss, especially from your Lieutenant Stagg, but I accept the suspicion because I bring news that seems too good to be true," Lidan nodded as he looked back to Annalise and seemed to be trying to gauge her, what her feelings were about this. "I understand that this information is valuable but I would also like to find a way to make this a long term relationship, so that we both may profit...and if what I have heard is to be believed, this other ship of Empire has been making their own impression."

"What impression are you left with, exactly?" She was quite sure of the answer - unless Petrov had opted to set aside the Terran way... which would be problematic in itself but it was an issue for later.

"The Butcher of Rakal has been leaving any who opposed the mighty Empire ruined in their wake; they have enslaved those who have resisted and stripped worlds of their wealth; there have even been rumors coming from the Banean-Numiri space that they led an armada into their war and conquered them both." He explained, trying to place the right tone of fearful reverence into his voice. However, it wasn't difficult with some of the evidence that he had seen of the Ocampan cities that had been turned to little more than craters and even some of the flayed bodies of Kazon that had opposed the crew of the Vengeance that had been sent to the other Kazon sects as a warning.

"The might of the Terrans is to be respected and feared, for to cross you is to seek to take the specter for death as one's bride." He continued, bowing his head to Annalise, doing his best to play his part even though he knew he sat in the lion's den and he was no more than a word's distance from death at any given moment.

Well, at least they had remained Terran. That was a good sign.

She finished most of her wine, letting the moment tense between them and then she leveled her gaze at him. "What do you think will happen to you here if you are lying?"

He looked up at her, eyes wide as their eyes met for a moment and the alien man had to consciously take a breath before licking his lips. "I...I believe that I would be made to experience terrible pain and if you were merciful I might be made a slave, though I would expect that for such a betrayal it would be a long journey to my eventual death."

“You will give me all of the information you have regarding the Terran ship and the rest of the ships around Anorra. There will be no trading, no payment. You will do this happily in the spirit of friendship.” She finished her wine.

“You will do this now.”

Lidan's mouth went dry as the ultimatum was delivered.

He knew that his information could lead to the destruction of the Terrans, which was the entire plan, but he was afraid for his own safety should his deception be discovered. If he didn't give it up he would be betraying the Kazon and that would be a short life, but if he did give it up and the Terrans realized he was betraying them, his life would be equally as short. Lidan looked up at the Terran woman - her eyes seemed as cold as the space outside her ship, her expression hard as stone. He could tell this woman was used to getting what she wanted, no matter the cost.

Lidan took another bite of the delicious meat before setting his fork down, pushing his plate away. He licked his lips nervously before he spoke, "I can provide the data now, I just hope that we might be able to find a way to have this be a profitable relationship."

Annalise by nature would have been considered a gentle Terran and she accepted that without reservation. It was in part why the Gladius had survived after all of its tragedies. She did not thrive off of blood, violence, or chaos and did not seek it out. She did not find it fun nor particularly appealing.

But she was Terran.

"I should certainly hope so too, but I will have my people go and retrieve themselves to assure that we have everything we need and that nothing was... missed. If you value the lives of your people and assets, you will tell them to cooperate."

"Your people will have their full cooperation, mistress of Empire, we are here to serve and we wish that you think of my services fondly." He bowed his head, doing his best to be respectful and subservient to her, his appetite gone and replaced by the heavy weight of fear, nausea threatening to cause what he'd already eaten to come back up in a decidedly less than appropriate display. He could hear the laughing voices of the Kazon in his head since he knew they would be amused to see him in such a state.

"Wonderful. Come step over here and you can send the message." Annalise stood and moved to one of the inactive displays on the walls, touching it to activate it and waiting on her guest.

Lidan nodded as he moved to stand, even the sight of her shapely rear moving away from him could really quell the queasy feeling welling up inside of him at the present moment. He was at the display a moment later as he put in the call to his people, the face of one of the guards appearing. "Mistress Annalise will be sending her people to inspect our records, you are to cooperate fully, we have nothing to hide from our Terran friends."

"Will the big-mouthed Terran be coming?" The guard questioned and looked between the pair before Lidan looked to Annalise, though his attention turned back to his guard. "I'm not certain who will be in charge there, but you are to cause no issues or I will have your family sold to the processing farms and you will be made to eat the ground meat made from them, understood?"

"Yes sir, I will not cause trouble."

Annalise loomed behind Lidan as he spoke though her hands were clasped in front of her in a feminine way. When he was done and turned to her, she smiled pleasantly and spoke.

“Faulkner to Stagg.”

“Stagg here.” Came Asher’s voice, sounding full of expectation. He knew that Annalise was meeting with this alien creature, and wanted to be completely ready should something happen that might require his unique set of skills. He waited on the bridge, as his duty required him to, but he was on alert.

“Please report to the Officer’s mess immediately.”

“On my way.” He said, standing up and handing the conn to someone else. The journey wouldn’t take him long, and he was in a hurry on top of that. He nodded to the two security guards he had on stand by, two brutal looking men, and they followed him.

When the comm line was cut again, Annalise looked at the alien man pleasantly. “Unfortunately, I still believe you are hiding something. I intend to find out what. If you cooperate, perhaps we will still be able to salvage some sort of relationship afterwards.”

"I...I understand, mistress of Empire." He nodded, feeling that sense of dread settling into his stomach even more heavily now since he knew that there was a chance his associations and who had put him up to this might be found out through this search.

“Don’t fret, if you have nothing to hide then it will be over relatively soon. I’ve always heard pain builds character and you will be alive to go back home to your sister-wife or whatever it was.” With a half dismissive wave the security guards stepped up to their captain in a protective way.

"I...but...there is no reason for this, I am but a simple merchant, a trader trying to cement my place among my people and the Terrans would provide that!" He exclaimed shrilly, backing away from the security officers since he was in essence a coward, more interested in preserving his own life but if he survived this somehow and the Terrans didn't take the bait, he would always be on the run from the Kazon and no one hid from the Kazon for long.

Annalise’s blue eyes were cold now. “The problem is… I don’t believe you either.”

The doors to the officers' mess parted, and Asher walked in with two security guards both holding phaser rifles. His handsome face was all business, its rugged features, signaling a dominance that spoke volumes without him watering at work. He didn’t seem like a joker or a loudmouth at this point, but he had to look of a competent and trained killer.

“You called, Captain?” He asked, looking at her, his narrowed eyes communicating that he knew how to play tough when the time was right.

Annalise was a stark contrast to Asher; she was the elegant beauty in her dress with her hair done and her face made up to bring out her beautiful eyes. She looked at her security officer as if she were searching for something, but it wasn’t entirely apparent what it was.

“While our guest has been quite forthcoming with information… I believe he still isn’t being completely honest with us.” Annalise spoke directly to Asher, not even acknowledging the alien anymore. “Please impress upon him the need for complete openness and honesty with his Terran betters.”

Asher nodded and issued his hand forward with a gesture, signaling to the security guards to grab the alien man. They strode forward, their boots rapping on the lightly-carpeted deck, and laid black-gloved hands on the man’s shoulders simultaneously.

“With pleasure.” Asher said with a smile. “Take him to the agonizer booth. I’ll be with you shortly”

Lidan jumped in shock at feeling the hands of the guards closing around his arms as an expression of panic spread across his face for a moment as the realization of what he’d gotten himself into was starting to finally dawn on him. It seemed for a moment that he might resist but whatever instinct had risen up within him died just as quickly as the guards began to lead him away.

As soon as the merchant was out of the room, Asher’s stone cold demeanor remained for the space of a few seconds as his eyes bored directly into Annalise’s.

“I’m just trying to figure out why you never dress up like this for our meetings.”

“You don’t promise me enough gold and riches.” Annalise replied easily and flipped her hair back behind her shoulder. “Don’t kill him, Asher, but whatever else you feel you need to do to get the job done, feel free.”

“I’ll handle him, don’t you worry.” he said confidently without being braggadocious. A smile crept on his face though, a large hint of his typical demeanor. “Don’t take this as some sort of pickup line, because it isn’t. But you look completely fuckable right now, Captain.”

He gave her a wink and then turned to leave.

Annalise didn’t even bother to acknowledge that particular comment from her first officer outside of simply staring at him until he turned to leave. “Don’t take too long, Lieutenant. I’m trusting your efficiency.”

“I’ll make it a quickie, ma’am.” He said and issued a charming wink before turning and exiting the room.

END