Except when @chopper came up with it, he reckoned with me. 
Anyway, 12,000th post, small crit. I had one up yesterday, sorry all - I should have had better timing (but then I'd be a day behind on my wip...)
So, this is a teaser from near the start of Sunset Over Abendau, book two of the Inheritance trilogy. Two familiar characters, one new point of view and a new race of people to get to know. Have at it.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Farran stepped off the gangway into the docking bay. Standing a few feet away, the New Empire’s Head of Intelligence was instantly recognisable, his dress uniform making Farran feel shoddy in his own rumpled pilot’s suit. He squared his shoulders – he was a pilot, for space’s sake, a flying suit was his uniform – and stepped forward, hand outstretched. “General le Payne?”
Le Payne took his hand and gave a quirked smile. “Ambassador Sil-Farran.”
“Farran, please. We Roamers prefer informality.”
“Lichio, then.” He didn’t sound surprised; it seemed Farran wasn’t the only person who’d done their research. “I hope you don’t mind, I’ve arranged a room within the port annex. It means you don’t have to undergo the full compound security.”
“Thank you.” Farran followed le Payne through the bay but stopped at the sight of the long bank of scanners ahead.
The other man smiled apologetically. “You might want to trust me on this, the compound is much worse. I’ll have you through in a few minutes, although you’ll need to leave any weapons here.”
“I carry no weapons.”
“Good, we’ll be even quicker.”
Farran walked through the scanner, waiting as the screen brought up his weight, accompanied by an amber light. He glared at the light. Too much time piloting and maybe, just maybe, a bit of middle age spread may well have taken him to the top of his parameters.
A needle pricked his finger and he waited for his genetic makeup to be confirmed, and an eye scanner dropped down. He stared into it until his retinal patterns were recorded. A moment later the scanning bank went green and the laser bar lifted, allowing him to follow Lichio down a functional corridor. The other man’s back was straight as he walked, nothing in his demeanour hinting at the ordeal he’d endured at the Empress’ hands. A hard man to read, it seemed.
“Here we are.” Lichio pushed a door open, ushering Farran into a small meeting room. He gestured at a woman sitting behind the only desk. “Ambassador Farran; my sister, President le Payne.”
She stood, her blue eyes widened in welcome. She looked too young to be leader of the Abendauii Senate, but hers was the true power in Abendau and growing more with each bit of legislature the Emperor ceded to the Senate. Whatever was the truth of it – whether she or the Emperor held Abendau – it wouldn’t do to underestimate her. It had taken four years of negotiation to get to this meeting, he wasn’t about to blow it now.
She reached forward and shook his hand, her grip almost as firm as her brother’s. “Call me Sonly.” She smiled, her eyes meeting his, and he could see why she was in the position she held, she was so disarming. “Sit down, please. Can I order some refreshments for you?”
“I’m fine.” He sat opposite. Lichio dropped easily into the seat next to her, stretching his legs out in a casual pose, but his eyes were sharp, missing nothing.
“The Emperor isn’t here?” asked Farran. His disappointment drifted up the mesh.
“He has other engagements,” Sonly said.
A lie.
“A pity.” Disappointment filled the hive of thoughts. “My Queen asked that I speak directly to him.”
“Why don’t you tell us what you want? We’ll ensure it gets discussed in full with him,” Sonly said.
The mesh clamoured to keep going. This was the nearest the Roamers had got to Kalyn. If the le Paynes supported their proposal the Emperor might listen.
“You know why I’m here,” he said. “Our Queen invites him to our planet to meet her. She has a gift from the Roamers.”
“And if he does?” asked Lichio, his eyes fixed on Farran.
“Then we, the Roamers, will give our fealty to him.”
It was a strong opening offer. The Roamers had never given their fealty to the Empress, nor negotiated with her. They existed outside normal planetary laws, nomads who drifted from planet to planet, abiding by local customs but recognising no authority other than their own. Their mesh allowed them to retain their contact and community, and their knowledge of space – and their discretion – meant their high fees were invariably met.
Sonly set her hands, palms up, on the table, the gesture indicating truth. Farran struggled not to smile; she was far too able a politician to be believed.
“We would be honoured to have the Roamer people as part of the empire,” she said. “But we need more information about the gift and why you will only allow the Emperor to receive it.”
“I can’t; our custom forbids me. The gift is a personal boon to the Emperor. In receiving it from our Queen he will honour the Roamer customs and ensure the fealty of all. We guarantee his safety.”
Behind him, the door opened and steady footsteps crossed the room. Lichio looked up at the newcomer but Farran continued to focus on Sonly, willing her to see how important this was. Convince her and she’d convince the Emperor.
“Ambassador Farran, I believe.” The voice was measured and firm, and Farran’s breath quickened as he realised who it must be. The buzz in his head intensified as the news spread through the Roamer network, mind to mind. More joined the mesh. It became fuller than he’d ever known it to be, and he had to push it away. Quiet.
Anyway, 12,000th post, small crit. I had one up yesterday, sorry all - I should have had better timing (but then I'd be a day behind on my wip...)So, this is a teaser from near the start of Sunset Over Abendau, book two of the Inheritance trilogy. Two familiar characters, one new point of view and a new race of people to get to know. Have at it.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Farran stepped off the gangway into the docking bay. Standing a few feet away, the New Empire’s Head of Intelligence was instantly recognisable, his dress uniform making Farran feel shoddy in his own rumpled pilot’s suit. He squared his shoulders – he was a pilot, for space’s sake, a flying suit was his uniform – and stepped forward, hand outstretched. “General le Payne?”
Le Payne took his hand and gave a quirked smile. “Ambassador Sil-Farran.”
“Farran, please. We Roamers prefer informality.”
“Lichio, then.” He didn’t sound surprised; it seemed Farran wasn’t the only person who’d done their research. “I hope you don’t mind, I’ve arranged a room within the port annex. It means you don’t have to undergo the full compound security.”
“Thank you.” Farran followed le Payne through the bay but stopped at the sight of the long bank of scanners ahead.
The other man smiled apologetically. “You might want to trust me on this, the compound is much worse. I’ll have you through in a few minutes, although you’ll need to leave any weapons here.”
“I carry no weapons.”
“Good, we’ll be even quicker.”
Farran walked through the scanner, waiting as the screen brought up his weight, accompanied by an amber light. He glared at the light. Too much time piloting and maybe, just maybe, a bit of middle age spread may well have taken him to the top of his parameters.
A needle pricked his finger and he waited for his genetic makeup to be confirmed, and an eye scanner dropped down. He stared into it until his retinal patterns were recorded. A moment later the scanning bank went green and the laser bar lifted, allowing him to follow Lichio down a functional corridor. The other man’s back was straight as he walked, nothing in his demeanour hinting at the ordeal he’d endured at the Empress’ hands. A hard man to read, it seemed.
“Here we are.” Lichio pushed a door open, ushering Farran into a small meeting room. He gestured at a woman sitting behind the only desk. “Ambassador Farran; my sister, President le Payne.”
She stood, her blue eyes widened in welcome. She looked too young to be leader of the Abendauii Senate, but hers was the true power in Abendau and growing more with each bit of legislature the Emperor ceded to the Senate. Whatever was the truth of it – whether she or the Emperor held Abendau – it wouldn’t do to underestimate her. It had taken four years of negotiation to get to this meeting, he wasn’t about to blow it now.
She reached forward and shook his hand, her grip almost as firm as her brother’s. “Call me Sonly.” She smiled, her eyes meeting his, and he could see why she was in the position she held, she was so disarming. “Sit down, please. Can I order some refreshments for you?”
“I’m fine.” He sat opposite. Lichio dropped easily into the seat next to her, stretching his legs out in a casual pose, but his eyes were sharp, missing nothing.
“The Emperor isn’t here?” asked Farran. His disappointment drifted up the mesh.
“He has other engagements,” Sonly said.
A lie.
“A pity.” Disappointment filled the hive of thoughts. “My Queen asked that I speak directly to him.”
“Why don’t you tell us what you want? We’ll ensure it gets discussed in full with him,” Sonly said.
The mesh clamoured to keep going. This was the nearest the Roamers had got to Kalyn. If the le Paynes supported their proposal the Emperor might listen.
“You know why I’m here,” he said. “Our Queen invites him to our planet to meet her. She has a gift from the Roamers.”
“And if he does?” asked Lichio, his eyes fixed on Farran.
“Then we, the Roamers, will give our fealty to him.”
It was a strong opening offer. The Roamers had never given their fealty to the Empress, nor negotiated with her. They existed outside normal planetary laws, nomads who drifted from planet to planet, abiding by local customs but recognising no authority other than their own. Their mesh allowed them to retain their contact and community, and their knowledge of space – and their discretion – meant their high fees were invariably met.
Sonly set her hands, palms up, on the table, the gesture indicating truth. Farran struggled not to smile; she was far too able a politician to be believed.
“We would be honoured to have the Roamer people as part of the empire,” she said. “But we need more information about the gift and why you will only allow the Emperor to receive it.”
“I can’t; our custom forbids me. The gift is a personal boon to the Emperor. In receiving it from our Queen he will honour the Roamer customs and ensure the fealty of all. We guarantee his safety.”
Behind him, the door opened and steady footsteps crossed the room. Lichio looked up at the newcomer but Farran continued to focus on Sonly, willing her to see how important this was. Convince her and she’d convince the Emperor.
“Ambassador Farran, I believe.” The voice was measured and firm, and Farran’s breath quickened as he realised who it must be. The buzz in his head intensified as the news spread through the Roamer network, mind to mind. More joined the mesh. It became fuller than he’d ever known it to be, and he had to push it away. Quiet.
