The Kingmaker
Aug 31, 2016 15:31:59 GMT -5
Lt Cmdr Jonathan Cameron and Ensign Sebetharen Adryan like this
Post by Kossuth on Aug 31, 2016 15:31:59 GMT -5
LOCATION: ?
STARDATE: 95418.76
The butler carefully lit the many candles which were arranged in decorative patterns on the oversized dining table. This room saw a great attention to detail; every piece of furniture or adornment was selected with great care. One wall of the room was a window, looking out on a field of stars. The opposite wall held a variety of art from many different cultures.
The man made sure to give each seat a table-setting as they prepared for dinner that evening. In a back room, the cook worked feverishly to ensure the meal was perfect. Even though replicator technology was pretty much perfected by 2420, this cook took special pride in using what he called "real" ingredients.
The first guest to arrive was an older human, who slowly walked to the head of the table. He smiled as he pulled the studded leather chair away from the table, and sat gently in the seat. This man was followed by a young woman, clad in an old-fashioned dinner dress with long black hair down past her shoulders. He wordlessly greeted her by squeezing her hand, to which she smiled pleasantly and took her seat.
A third guest, a middle-aged human male with a business-like demeanor, greeted the two with a simple hello and sat down to the right of the older man. He was quickly engrossed in his PADD as the butler returned and began pouring red wine.
Finally, a Romulan walked in, looking somewhat annoyed. He greeted the room with a terse "Good evening, everyone" as he hastily took his seat. His eyes seemed to drill into the old man at the other side of the table, his ridged brow furrowed. The old man replied with one of those smiles that only the elderly are capable of. Yet the old man said nothing as the two others audibly returned the greeting.
The resulting silence was somewhat awkward as dinner was served; it was a finely-cut steak, medium-rare, with a side of vegetables and potatoes. The woman sipped her wine, but did not eat -- the other two humans dug in eagerly. She scanned the room intently, eventually resting her hazel eyes on the Romulan. He locked eyes with her, noticing a flicker of candle light in her eyes that was a subtle indication of her android nature. She grinned.
This seemed to frustrate him, as if it was the last straw.
"Are we just going to stuff our faces with meat, or are we going to talk business?" The Romulan made his outburst as he clutched his napkin in his right hand, his food untouched.
The older man and the younger man looked up from their plates at him. The older man continued to eat silently, while the younger man replied.
"My good friend, we are /always/ prepared to talk business." He smiled at the Romulan, who did not return the expression.
"In that case," the Romulan spoke, "Can you tell me why our primary subject had to be sacrificed? I spent weeks on that project. I provided you with the data from our project and integrated it with the leaked information from Salvation. We all know that I'm the only one capable here of doing such a thing! And I was not consulted on how the Operative was used!" Ego dripped from his words.
The young man began to speak, but was cut off by the old man, who spoke in a light German accent. Both the young man and the woman were surprised by this, as if the old man rarely spoke to anyone.
"You see, my friend... we may have lost Operative Talon, but we gained in other areas of research. It is, as they say, the long game." The old man seemed satisfied by own words, as if he though them to be totally sufficient, and went back to eating.
"Damn it!" The Romulan pounded his fist on the table, causing his silverware to rattle. The old man looked up with surprise as he chewed a bite of steak. "That's not an acceptable answer. You promised..."
His tirade was cut off by the old man. "My friend, this is not a proper demeanor for a future Romulan emperor."
That statement seemed to calm the man down, as if he was looking for reassurance. The old man continued. "You have offered me your expertise, yes. And I have offered you something in return, and oh yes, you will indeed sit upon the Romulan throne. But just as Romulus was not built in a day, neither will this happen tomorrow. Nothing good in life comes immediately, yes? You must have patience, which is one of the greatest strengths of any leader. Bide your time, my friend. One prototype is lost, nothing more."
This answer seemed to sate the Romulan, who began to eat in silence. In fact, the group managed to finish their meal without another word. When it was done, the Romulan took his leave.
The woman looked to the old man with an impish smile. "Dad, promise me that you'll make me Queen of the Safran Matrix before /he/ becomes the leader of that... disgraced shadow that they call the Romulan Star Empire?"
"Of course," he said reassuringly as he sent his assistant for more wine. "Anything for family. That man would be nothing, had he not been so familiar with the Empire's experiments into extrasensory perception. I have no... pressing desire to advance his interests."
She leaned back in her seat. "So why does he keep coming back to you, after you delay him time and time again?"
His assistant returned with a new glass of wine, which the old man brought to his lips.
"Because, my dear... he knows that I'm the Kingmaker." He smirked as he took a sip.
STARDATE: 95418.76
The butler carefully lit the many candles which were arranged in decorative patterns on the oversized dining table. This room saw a great attention to detail; every piece of furniture or adornment was selected with great care. One wall of the room was a window, looking out on a field of stars. The opposite wall held a variety of art from many different cultures.
The man made sure to give each seat a table-setting as they prepared for dinner that evening. In a back room, the cook worked feverishly to ensure the meal was perfect. Even though replicator technology was pretty much perfected by 2420, this cook took special pride in using what he called "real" ingredients.
The first guest to arrive was an older human, who slowly walked to the head of the table. He smiled as he pulled the studded leather chair away from the table, and sat gently in the seat. This man was followed by a young woman, clad in an old-fashioned dinner dress with long black hair down past her shoulders. He wordlessly greeted her by squeezing her hand, to which she smiled pleasantly and took her seat.
A third guest, a middle-aged human male with a business-like demeanor, greeted the two with a simple hello and sat down to the right of the older man. He was quickly engrossed in his PADD as the butler returned and began pouring red wine.
Finally, a Romulan walked in, looking somewhat annoyed. He greeted the room with a terse "Good evening, everyone" as he hastily took his seat. His eyes seemed to drill into the old man at the other side of the table, his ridged brow furrowed. The old man replied with one of those smiles that only the elderly are capable of. Yet the old man said nothing as the two others audibly returned the greeting.
The resulting silence was somewhat awkward as dinner was served; it was a finely-cut steak, medium-rare, with a side of vegetables and potatoes. The woman sipped her wine, but did not eat -- the other two humans dug in eagerly. She scanned the room intently, eventually resting her hazel eyes on the Romulan. He locked eyes with her, noticing a flicker of candle light in her eyes that was a subtle indication of her android nature. She grinned.
This seemed to frustrate him, as if it was the last straw.
"Are we just going to stuff our faces with meat, or are we going to talk business?" The Romulan made his outburst as he clutched his napkin in his right hand, his food untouched.
The older man and the younger man looked up from their plates at him. The older man continued to eat silently, while the younger man replied.
"My good friend, we are /always/ prepared to talk business." He smiled at the Romulan, who did not return the expression.
"In that case," the Romulan spoke, "Can you tell me why our primary subject had to be sacrificed? I spent weeks on that project. I provided you with the data from our project and integrated it with the leaked information from Salvation. We all know that I'm the only one capable here of doing such a thing! And I was not consulted on how the Operative was used!" Ego dripped from his words.
The young man began to speak, but was cut off by the old man, who spoke in a light German accent. Both the young man and the woman were surprised by this, as if the old man rarely spoke to anyone.
"You see, my friend... we may have lost Operative Talon, but we gained in other areas of research. It is, as they say, the long game." The old man seemed satisfied by own words, as if he though them to be totally sufficient, and went back to eating.
"Damn it!" The Romulan pounded his fist on the table, causing his silverware to rattle. The old man looked up with surprise as he chewed a bite of steak. "That's not an acceptable answer. You promised..."
His tirade was cut off by the old man. "My friend, this is not a proper demeanor for a future Romulan emperor."
That statement seemed to calm the man down, as if he was looking for reassurance. The old man continued. "You have offered me your expertise, yes. And I have offered you something in return, and oh yes, you will indeed sit upon the Romulan throne. But just as Romulus was not built in a day, neither will this happen tomorrow. Nothing good in life comes immediately, yes? You must have patience, which is one of the greatest strengths of any leader. Bide your time, my friend. One prototype is lost, nothing more."
This answer seemed to sate the Romulan, who began to eat in silence. In fact, the group managed to finish their meal without another word. When it was done, the Romulan took his leave.
The woman looked to the old man with an impish smile. "Dad, promise me that you'll make me Queen of the Safran Matrix before /he/ becomes the leader of that... disgraced shadow that they call the Romulan Star Empire?"
"Of course," he said reassuringly as he sent his assistant for more wine. "Anything for family. That man would be nothing, had he not been so familiar with the Empire's experiments into extrasensory perception. I have no... pressing desire to advance his interests."
She leaned back in her seat. "So why does he keep coming back to you, after you delay him time and time again?"
His assistant returned with a new glass of wine, which the old man brought to his lips.
"Because, my dear... he knows that I'm the Kingmaker." He smirked as he took a sip.