Carshoulis Rising

[Taataani Meorrrei]

Carshoulis Prime
The Sun Palace


There were only two beings in the galaxy who could tell Taataani Fai'sheeaa Igaarraai Meorrrei to wait, rather than be seen on her terms. She had met with one such person four days ago, and today she intended to meet with the other. Waiting was a power dynamic - or at least tasking your guest to wait certainly was. A guest was made to wait to put them off balance - to set them against their waning patience and to remind them at all times during the ordeal that they waited at the pleasure of their host, who was either their better or had designs to be considered so.

The antechamber of the iiss'grratta'Saanja was at least far from an unpleasant place to wait. The hugely vaulted room was packed with rich color as was the royal tradition. Paintings, tapestries, beautiful flowers and cages with exotic-plumed birds all competed to be devoured by the eyes. It didn't end there, not hardly. Six oiled, coiffed, and barely-clothed korrtirr stood vigil at the perimeter of the room. The royal harem weren't guards - not that any needed to be seen to be felt. Instead they were simply there to be beautiful distractions. Look, but don't touch. Another clever power dynamic. One didn't have to imagine much to consider how little coaxing their silken sarongs would need to fall from their hips. But if Taataani Meorrrei could be distracted by something as easy as a harem boy, she would have no business climbing to the heights she'd reached.

No, the waiting wouldn't undo her. The beautiful distractions wouldn't undo her. Today was the day that she would redefine power dynamics - starting on Carshoulis and rippling across the entire galaxy.

[Kiattaarra Feessaarro]

Kiattaarra Feessaarro, Pride Mother of the Cizerack Pride, sat gingerly on the gratta'Saanja, her great golden throne. The Iiss'grratta'Saanja was brightly lit and decorated to extremes with gold and crimson, the sun motif of Saanjarra everywhere one could look. To enter the throne room one had to pass through the darkened Nomaa'iirrssa, the Nomaani themed hallway that served to leave everyone blinking in the excess of the Pride Mother's presence.

Senator Meorrrei was here to pass on some news, something no doubt boring that Kia would have to pretend to be interested in. The newest Sajoi fighters were coming off the line at Cana'darri, and she would rather be reading up on their performance specs than listening to whatever gossip Taataani was bringing with her from the Alliance.

Put it in a report and let her read it at her leisure. Face to face meetings required subtlety and poise. A strong businesswoman turned politician like Taataani Meorrrei was an alpha predator, and Kia did not relish the verbal sparring match that was no doubt on the near horizon.

<"Show her in,"> Kia said, straightening up on the throne and staring at the door where the Senator would emerge, blinking, into her light.

[Taataani Meorrrei]

The heavy doors parted with an audible crack, and another four kortirr from the Nomaa'iirrssa emerged from the dim corridor as escorts. Taataani fell in with the servants, who escorted her down the incense-filled passage. Smoke and perfume ringed her, filling the air with something rich and alive. The scant light within was reflected back in slightly-luminous blue eyes, before the veil threw back at the throne room itself.

It forced Taataani to pause. It always did. The moment for her eyes to recover to the changing light and fixate on the figure seated in a purposefully-languid pose at the sun throne. How much of a fortune had been spent to appoint the throne room to give exactly this effect to every guest of the High Mother? That, like so many demonstrations of power before, had a profound effect that only the most foolish discounted.

Her eyes now accustomed to the rich natural light, Taataani approached the gilded sun mosaic at the center of the room, gathering her dress to curtsy deeply as the string music of a kiisau slowly drew to silence. She bowed her head, waiting for the Pride Mother to call her to ease.

[Kiattaarra Feessaarro]

Kia could feel the presence of her Emissary at her back, standing behind and just to the side of the immense throne. She was not dealing with a foreigner, however, so he was not required to speak for her. He would remain as part of the scenery unless called upon.

She had considered having the Emissary do the talking, but ultimately discarded the idea as too disrespectful to a female of Taataani's stature.

As the senator curtsied, Kia watched impassively. Centuries ago the Pride Mother would only take audiences while wearing a gold mask, and for all her face moved Kia might have been wearing the mask today.

<"Rise,"> she said in Cizeri. <"Welcome, Daughter, to the Palace of the Sun.">

[Taataani Meorrrei]

Taataani rose as instructed, grateful she didn't have to hold the supplicative pose a moment longer.

<"Thank you, your Grace."> she returned in their native language, <"Your hospitality is boundless.">

This was how the game was played. Refusing to play was tantamount to losing, and the Pride had never long suffered women who lost. Taataani gave her queen a radiant smile, a smile that hid completely the cool contempt she held for this brash cub wearing the crown. Kiattaarra Feessaarro was a pale imitation of her mother. She had spent the past several years clumsily trying to wield the power her matriarch had once held effortlessly. Even if her rule had brought the Pride to the brink of ruin with defeat in the Republic War, the late Queen was bold, daring, and willing to risk. All qualities Taataani admired. All qualities she saw lacking in this child.

The faintest movement caught Taataani's eye, only for a moment. It was difficult to not see the Queen's First Consort, Keerrourri Sarrtarroa. He was as beautiful as he was formidable, and Taataani suspected the reason the young queen had kept her house in order this long was because Kiattarra's Emissary had once been her mother's Emissary.

<"I've come with good news from Bothawui. News that may benefit our Pride for many years.">

The Senator's smile showed teeth, and her ears raised slightly. The vaulted room was quiet, but not so much that court denizens at the fringe couldn't be heard muttering unintelligibly from the shadowed alcoves.

<"First Minister Ave of Onderon intends to resign his position and his Senate seat, and will name me as his candidate for successor.">

Taataani awaited how the High Mother and her consort would take this news.

[Keerrourri Feessaarro]

In this encounter, Keerrourri Feessarro, the Sorr'Arr'Fai and Emissary, was an ornament. He was a handsome bauble at his queen's side, and determined to remain so until it was necessary to speak. Still, he was not present simply for Kia to display his richly-adorned person. He had two good ears, and a sharp mind between them that were at his Lady's command. While he held his tongue, Keerrourri contemplated the possibilities of Senator Meorrrei's words, for they contained avenues of both profit and ruin.

While he dared not speak, the Emissary nevertheless stood ready to wordlessly offer insight. The tuft of his tail curled down and behind so that it rested at the back of Kia's right ankle. There was a manner of courtly dialogue a High Mother and her first consort shared without words. If needed, he could urge caution where warranted.