Andrenne
bastard
PSD 840|26|3 - PSD Cycle 958 of the 95th Epoch, 26th Unit of the 3rd Cycle, Nandras - Equivalent Human Date: 7/11/2951
Heavy, armored footsteps echoed through the empty halls of the Chamber of Eons as Kess Dralas moved through them alone. The gaunt building in the capital city of Dravaz, on the capital and home planet of Yviira, was home to the Council of Kesses, the military and political leaders that made up the stratocratic oligarchy in charge of the Yviiri Syndicate. Though the light of their moons, Varas and Ieyma, shone through the skylights of the Chamber of Eons; the huge shadows within still made it seem awfully dark.
Dralas tapped the two toes of his left foot on the glossy floor impatiently. Nariks said they’d be here by 22:00. Yet here was Dralas, still waiting. What kind of dreg thought they could make a Kess wait?
“My Shar! Over here, my shar!”
Dralas snapped their head to the figure hidden in the shadows and spoke in a sort an odd hushed yell. His Naz Salan accent was as present as ever despite his best efforts to speak like a Yviiran.
“Quiet you fool, do you want to awaken the entire planet? Hush. Bring yourself to me, naz.”
“I- Kasa, of course my shar.” Nariks said in a now much more hushed tone.
Nariks certainly wasn’t much to look at. A ragged old Yviiri dressed in seemingly ancient armor, the many eyed mask covering his face had been damaged so many times at this point that some of the eyepieces were actually just holes. A stark contrast to the modern, clean, expensive, undamaged armor, mask/helmet, cloak, and fur scarf worn by Dralas.
He was far older than Dralas and, in fact, most of the Council. He knew everyone and everything, and had connections to just about every political figure on the planet. One would think a man like him would’ve found success as some sort of spy, but despite that he remained a lowly criminal.
“My access card for the Chamber, Nariks?” Dralas had given Nariks his spare access card for the Chamber of Eons last time they spoke, so that he could get in without Dralas needing to be there.
The elderly man fumbled through his many pouches with his bottom set of arms.
“Oh dear, oh dear, I can’t seem to find it! I do apologize, my sh--”
“Nariks, you don’t take me for a fool do you? I’m not a xeno merchant, you can’t pull the wool over my eyes as if I am.”
“Fine, fine…”
This time he pulled the access card out within a few seconds and tossed it at the Kess.
“Don’t throw things at me, raz. I’ll take one of your eyes if you try to deceive me again, Nariks.”
“Hm? I do apologize, my shar, I stopped listening after you called me raz. You must forgive my hearing, old age truly does ravage one’s senses.” Nariks grinned, revealing his sharp-toothed smile; which was fully visible given that he didn't need a rebreather kit on their home planet.
Dralas rubbed the sides of his face with the top set of his arms. “Whatever. Follow me- and don’t touch anything, the other Kesses will know you were here if you do.”
The pair moved towards the Commission of Kess Dralas- or in other words, his office here in the Chamber of Eons. Four banners sat outside his office, two representing the syndicate, and two representing the House of Wraiths, the House that Dralas both headed and represented on the Council, which had control of Zone-04. Dralas made sure no one else was following and shut the large, round sliding door behind them. Then he activated the shudder panels with the controls on his console, effectively blocking anyone from looking in just in case.
“Sit, Nariks.”
“Oh, no thank you my shar, standing is far better for one’s health at this age.”
“Sit, Nariks!” His voice boomed like thunder
“Oh, I’m sure you feel tough and strong yelling at an old man!”
“We don’t have time for this, just sit, dreg!”
The old Yviiri grumbled and begrudgingly sat after a moment.
Dralas drew a deep breath. “Nariks, you said you had information for me on Kess Uldra. If you do, I’m more than willing to pardon you for your past crimes. If you’re deceiving me-”
“Yes, you’ll take one of my last three eyes. Bah, do you have no faith in old crafty Nariks? I have information on everyone, even you, Dralas. Kasa, yes, I have information on Kess Uldra.”
“...As you have information on him, I’m going to overlook that you cut me off mid-sentence.”
Dralas paced around his office, all four arms behind his back. Nariks chuckled, grinning once more, and began to speak in a quick and frenzied manner.
“So, everyone in the Syndicate knows Uldra is a fiend, him and his whole House of Wyrms are full of scoundrels and former criminals, like myself. Uldra, recently, appears to have strayed from Zone-06, which is unusual for him, if you know his routine like my associates and I do.”
“Get on with it, Nariks. My patience with you is at an end.”
“I’m getting on with it, Dralas! Now let me finish. Uldra has been awfully interested in Zone-07 recently, the domain of Kell Izylkros and the House of Stone.”
“I don’t need a lesson on the political entities of the Syndicate, I’m a Kess myself, I know all the houses and all of the kesses.”
“Stop interrupting. He’s been rather aggressive towards Izylkros, it seems, even sending men away from the frontline with the Leviathan to try and pressure Izylkros into giving him more systems. Indeed, it’d appear that Uldra wants to steal de facto control of Zone-07 from her. Furthermore, he’s been hounding Kess Viiriks to try and get control of the eventual Occupational Zone you plan on establishing in Leviathan space.”
“That’s- Hm. Are you certain all of this is true? I despise Uldras but if what you’re implying is what I think you’re implying then I have my doubts, he’s no traitor to the Council.”
“Has my information ever been proven wrong before, Dralas? He has done something like it before. I was the one that predicted he’d challenge Kess Yndrekes all those years ago, and guess who is no longer in control of Zone-06?”
“Fine. I suppose I’ll have my men look into his affairs. But if you’re wrong…”
“I won’t be wrong, I promise that to you Dralas.”
“You better not be. Now get out of my Commission, you crazy old fool.”
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