Yet Another Layer

Posted on 25 Jul 2009 @ 10:58am by

1,158 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: M2: Aggressive Negotiations
Location: Ra'tleihfi, Romulus
Timeline: Current

Though he would never admit it there was something about the residence of Senator Rhiu ir-Ainleth that made Fveirrolh tr’Illialhlae feel uncomfortable. It was located on the wrong side of Ra'tleihfi, for a start, far away from the ancient city residences of the Great Houses that dotted the edge of the forest beyond the river – vast, sprawling compounds that seemed to have grown from the land itself – beside them buildings like this looked artificial and new. Perhaps that was it, that and the smell of earned wealth, and tainted honour that seemed to hang in the air – though he admitted that could just be the atmosphere that clung to the senator herself.

Following distinguished service in the Dominion war ir-Ainleth had risen as a planetary governor, then, in the vacuum left by the loss of most of the senate during the Shinzon uprising she had found her way into the el'Deihuih (Upper Senate). Somewhere along the way she had found time to marry her brother H’daen ir-Ainleth into a Great House and as the husband of Arrhae i-Nn'Verih t’Rehu his Galae career had been kick-started, but her own efforts to join the ruling caste had not been so successful.

It was rumoured that Rhiu ir-Ainleth had been his uncle’s lover for a while but despite her efforts he would not marry her. Fveirrolh himself had found his way into her bed not long before the Empire joined the war against the Dominion, and he had not yet managed to find a way to crawl out of it – he’d been twenty then, she was forty years his senior, well connected and committed to helping him become much, much more than a second son.

As he strode down the corridor, Fveirrolh mused on this, one did not lightly attack one’s parents, and one did not lightly tear the fabric of Romulan society, each event over the last fifteen years had been given its due weight and consideration in the scheme. He was, he reckoned, within five years of taking control of the House; the only people left in his way were his mother, his sister and his ‘uncle’ and he resented each of them as much as the next.

‘Uncle’ Nniol had seemed certain that Isha would agree to their terms, certain enough to persuade Fveirrolh to go along with his plan even though its execution coincided with the operation that Rhiu had set in motion … his mother was always going to be the biggest barrier to his ambitions, the mother who had never quite looked at him in the same way as she looked at Fveirrolh’s siblings … and now he knew why.

It was possible, just possible that the Senate would take both his uncle and his mother out of his path in one go and then only Aidoann would be left between him and the House; his sister, Fveirrolh thought, would step aside if asked which left only Rhiu … and he had no intention of sharing power with her once he had achieved his purpose.

Fveirrolh entered the room, a gloomy caricature of what she believed a study should look like; all heavy fabrics and overstuffed furniture. She was still in her senate robes, one hand knotted in her hair as she leaned over a padd, as she raised her head the visible puffiness around the eyes implied that she had not had an easy day.

“They’re missing, Fveirrolh,†she said, her words almost a sob.

Having escaped from the Vrelnec in a hurry in a small short -range craft the last thing on his mind had been reading reports. He had been lucky to encounter a sympathetic vessel so soon on crossing the Neutral Zone and to reach ch’Rihan this quickly – Fveirrolh had absolutely no idea what Rhiu was talking about and to be honest, he didn’t really care that much, she hadn’t been required to risk her neck furthering their ambitions, so let her weep.

He raised an eyebrow and went to the table by the window picking up the open bottle of aylihl his eyes travelled to the glass on her desk as he poured himself a measure, “How much of this have you had?†he asked, thinking as he swallowed that she needed to invest in a better quality of ale.

“The statues!†she cried, “they weren’t recovered.â€

Fveirrolh leaned against the edge of the desk, “You’re drunk,†he said.

“You’d be drunk if you had my troubles. My buyer, Fveirrolh, I’ve already taken partial payment if I don’t deliver …â€

“Sahe'lagga (passion flower),†he said reaching over and taking her hand, “The Senate will support us, so far they’ve disavowed involvement, but when things begin to escalate it will become clear that the Federation fired on a minimally defended ship full of monks taking a handful of priceless ornaments on loan from your colony on a pilgrimage, everyone will conclude that your statues were lost then … demand compensation. It will take a few more strikes before the Senate see the opportunity for what it is, and then you’ll have your war. And the destruction of the warbird for the heinous act of defending that vessel … well, the populace will only tolerate so much sacrifice before the Senate have to respond to the Federation’s aggressive action.â€

“Why did Nniol have to fire first, then? Why did he have to complicate our operation?â€

Upset your attempted fraud, you mean, Fveirrolh thought, though he smiled and did not say so. “My mother has requested a Tribunal, however they decide, we are strengthened. The events appear to be entirely coincidental, it was planned that way, though from what little I’ve had a chance to glean since my return the Federation seem determined to pin the blame for everything on my Uncle. The rest is politics - see, nothing to worry about,†he said. Fveirrolh chose not to mention that his mother seemed to know about the other dark secret in ir-Ainleth’s past, if not of his own involvement with events at Chin’toka, and that was what he planned eventually to use to hang Rhiu with.

Senator Rhiu ir-Ainleth sniffed loudly, her eyes stung, but she was not nearly as drunk as she appeared to be, Nniol had a contingency plan, and so did Rhiu, not that either of them had thought it necessary to inform Fveirrolh of the fact. Rhiu’s own future depended on making herself part of that House and she did not mind which man was responsible … she was quite certain that Nniol would escape but if Isha did not make it home … well, then there would be no Tribunal, and it would once again become Nniol who was Rhiu’s best prospect.

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Fveirrolh tr’Illialhlae
Senator Rhiu ir-Ainleth

NPCs by Louise

 

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