make herself ready and then escort her to her room.”
This time it was Rebecca who moved in close to Astra.
“Last night was amazing,” she said quietly as she stared into Astra’s eyes. “And I will not be long in your chambers.”
Rebecca felt Astra’s hand caress her hair and saw the ProConsul’s mouth turn upward in a slightly amused smile.
“Yes, dear, it was very nice. I have plans for you, Rebecca Sterling. And perhaps we will do this again,” she said with an inviting smile.
“I would very much like that,” replied Rebecca with a smile of subservience.
Rebecca’s skin tingled with excitement as Astra’s hand ran over her hair and then paused slightly as Astra moved her hand to Rebecca’s neck and slightly brushed her hair over her shoulder.
“Perhaps,” said Astra as she turned to join the senators who were already exiting the room.
Rebecca stood like a statue and watched Astra walk away. After a few steps, the ProConsul turned back toward her.
“And this is not my chambers; this is where I…entertain.”
As the doors to the ProConsul’s playroom closed, Rebecca dropped the sheets to the floor and sat on the edge of the bed with her head in her hands.
“Stupid,” she exclaimed, chastising herself out loud. “You’re being used.”
She flopped back onto the bed and stared up at the ceiling. She wondered how many others had lain on this bed feeling the same way—frustrated, ashamed, and above all, excited in a way she had never felt before. As she lay there contemplating her utter failure as a negotiator, she noticed the slight hint of jasmine and cherry blossoms in the air and a reminiscent smile came to her face.
***
Once outside her entertainment room, Astra spoke with her senators.
“This is excellent news.” She was smiling. “When that scaly thing bit into my father’s neck, it had no idea the blood that would be pulled from its carcass would be the downfall of his entire race. We have knelt before those reptiles for too long, my brothers. If we are careful, play the willing followers, and stay very, very, patient, we will take our rightful place as rulers of the known galaxy.”
Astra saw smiles of ambitious pride spread across the faces of Julius and Marcus.
“But patience will be the key,” she repeated. “And one day you’ll be rulers of your own worlds within the eternal Humani Empire.”
Chapter 5
Stone sat impatiently in one of the main briefing rooms adjacent to the command suite onboard the Terillian battleship Winter Moon along with Mori and most of the team. He could tell he was not the only one growing restless. Henry River, Mori, and Cassandra Orion each displayed their own subconscious idiosyncrasies. Henry, his war paint removed and his hair in two braids, sat on the edge of his chair with his head down and his feet fidgeting back and forth, up and down. Orion kept trying to smooth out the wrinkles in her uniform. Since rejoining the Terillian cause in earnest, she had been returned to her former rank of flight captain and was still getting used to her new wardrobe. Mori, also without her paint but with her hair free flowing over her shoulders, sat across from Stone and was repetitiously running her right hand through her raven-black hair.
Thay and Sandwick seemed much less concerned. Sandwick sat leisurely in a chair reading a digital letter from his father. Thay was asleep.
“Where’s Rickover and TC?” Stone asked Orion, more out of boredom than actual concern.
“What?” replied Orion. Stone could tell she hadn’t been focusing on his voice.
“Rickover and TC?”
“Oh, yeah,” recovered Orion. “Well TC’s too damn big for these chairs, or this room, and Rickover—well, he’s Rickover.”
Stone knew the answer but at least it broke the monotony of the wait. He looked toward Mori.
“And Katalya and—”
“They didn’t want to wait,” interjected Mori before he could finish. She was clearly tired of waiting too.
Stone
This time it was Rebecca who moved in close to Astra.
“Last night was amazing,” she said quietly as she stared into Astra’s eyes. “And I will not be long in your chambers.”
Rebecca felt Astra’s hand caress her hair and saw the ProConsul’s mouth turn upward in a slightly amused smile.
“Yes, dear, it was very nice. I have plans for you, Rebecca Sterling. And perhaps we will do this again,” she said with an inviting smile.
“I would very much like that,” replied Rebecca with a smile of subservience.
Rebecca’s skin tingled with excitement as Astra’s hand ran over her hair and then paused slightly as Astra moved her hand to Rebecca’s neck and slightly brushed her hair over her shoulder.
“Perhaps,” said Astra as she turned to join the senators who were already exiting the room.
Rebecca stood like a statue and watched Astra walk away. After a few steps, the ProConsul turned back toward her.
“And this is not my chambers; this is where I…entertain.”
As the doors to the ProConsul’s playroom closed, Rebecca dropped the sheets to the floor and sat on the edge of the bed with her head in her hands.
“Stupid,” she exclaimed, chastising herself out loud. “You’re being used.”
She flopped back onto the bed and stared up at the ceiling. She wondered how many others had lain on this bed feeling the same way—frustrated, ashamed, and above all, excited in a way she had never felt before. As she lay there contemplating her utter failure as a negotiator, she noticed the slight hint of jasmine and cherry blossoms in the air and a reminiscent smile came to her face.
***
Once outside her entertainment room, Astra spoke with her senators.
“This is excellent news.” She was smiling. “When that scaly thing bit into my father’s neck, it had no idea the blood that would be pulled from its carcass would be the downfall of his entire race. We have knelt before those reptiles for too long, my brothers. If we are careful, play the willing followers, and stay very, very, patient, we will take our rightful place as rulers of the known galaxy.”
Astra saw smiles of ambitious pride spread across the faces of Julius and Marcus.
“But patience will be the key,” she repeated. “And one day you’ll be rulers of your own worlds within the eternal Humani Empire.”
Chapter 5
Stone sat impatiently in one of the main briefing rooms adjacent to the command suite onboard the Terillian battleship Winter Moon along with Mori and most of the team. He could tell he was not the only one growing restless. Henry River, Mori, and Cassandra Orion each displayed their own subconscious idiosyncrasies. Henry, his war paint removed and his hair in two braids, sat on the edge of his chair with his head down and his feet fidgeting back and forth, up and down. Orion kept trying to smooth out the wrinkles in her uniform. Since rejoining the Terillian cause in earnest, she had been returned to her former rank of flight captain and was still getting used to her new wardrobe. Mori, also without her paint but with her hair free flowing over her shoulders, sat across from Stone and was repetitiously running her right hand through her raven-black hair.
Thay and Sandwick seemed much less concerned. Sandwick sat leisurely in a chair reading a digital letter from his father. Thay was asleep.
“Where’s Rickover and TC?” Stone asked Orion, more out of boredom than actual concern.
“What?” replied Orion. Stone could tell she hadn’t been focusing on his voice.
“Rickover and TC?”
“Oh, yeah,” recovered Orion. “Well TC’s too damn big for these chairs, or this room, and Rickover—well, he’s Rickover.”
Stone knew the answer but at least it broke the monotony of the wait. He looked toward Mori.
“And Katalya and—”
“They didn’t want to wait,” interjected Mori before he could finish. She was clearly tired of waiting too.
Stone
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