Off-Worlder Troubles

Posted on Sat Oct 3rd, 2015 @ 2:43pm by Lieutenant Commander William Harding M.D. & Solaana

Mission: Further Challenges
Location: Archadia

* Archadia III - Main Square *

The sun shone down on the main public square before the palace. It was late morning and so the area was sparsely populated for now. Soon, the lunch crowd would descend on the area as locals came to eat, enjoy the fountain, catch up on palace gossip. Today, that gossip centered around the collapse of the First Consort and his return to the palace yesterday. Speculation was rampant as to what had caused it, but so far, no one had any real answers.

On a bench along the side of the square sat an older, well-dressed gentleman with his cane propped against the bench. He held a cup of tea and sipped it now and then as he enjoyed the sun and listened to the gossip. The variety of guesses regarding the consort amused him, but he wondered how long it would take for the conspiracy theories to start circulating. He looked up as a younger man approached and motioned for him to have a seat.

The younger man sat and looked around the square, enjoying the sun and sights just as his older friend was. "Disappointing failure, my friend. Maybe something faster acting next time?"

“Perhaps,” the man answered. “But it is risky. If he has another ‘incident’ they might start looking closer to home. Do you really want that?” He kept his tone light and conversational, not looking at Parker just yet.

"No. But I do want my position back. And now she has a third," Parker sounded disgusted and annoyed. "He's another Terran, like the Doctor. She shouldn't be allowed to have off-worlders as Consorts."

“Ah, the gossips mentioned him. The tall fellow at breakfast yesterday, yes?” The man looked Parker over and smiled. “Can you blame her? They are rather more imposing than the native males. Sometimes those in power like to be the subjects.”

"Yes. The new one is imposing; he's not someone I'd want to tangle with barehanded." Parker, who wasn't a weakling himself, admitted. "If it's strongmen that she wants - we have plenty of Archadian males who qualify." His voice had risen in volume and he drew attention. He frowned at two women who were eyeing him.

“Keep your voice down. Everyone knows who you are. The last thing you need is to be seen as bitter towards her.” The man purposely didn’t use Solaana’s name. “You realize, of course, that what you tried to do has had the opposite effect? Does she now seem more attached to him? Where did you spend last night?”

"Shut up. I know it had the opposite effect. He was supposed to ...," Parker cut himself off and smiled charmingly at a woman. In a low voice, he continued, "The two Terrans slept with her last night, no doubt sharing her affection. Both need to be removed."

The man frowned slightly. “Don’t you think it interesting that the minute we made our attempt that a third, who happened to be there when it happened, is suddenly a consort? And Fleet I am assuming?”

"And Security, from what the computer tells me about him," Parker shifted poses, the better to show off his legs as a group of women strolled past him and his companion. "You think he might be a plant, not an actual Consort? Is he here to protect her or him?"

“Or both. At this point, what do they know? Perhaps this was merely a first attempt to get to her through him, or perhaps it was merely a strike at him.” The man shrugged. “You might want to start making alternative plans in case things go badly for you.”

"Badly for me? As long as neither of us talks, we'll be fine, Dad." Parker turned his charming smile on the older man.

“There is that but what if you drive them closer together so that she decides she does not need or want you? He does offer things that you cannot.” The man looked back at his son, well-aware of his limitations. “There may come a time when it will be wise to cut your losses.”

"Things I can't provide? Conversation?" Parker said the word like it left a bad taste in his mouth. "I could talk to her, but she isn't interested in what I have to say. Besides, he's an old man. He probably uses a medication to help him along in bed. Or maybe that's why his Terran friend is along for the ride now."

The man shook his head. “You have a lot to learn son. Not everything in love is physical. The romps are fun but it’s what comes before and after that make them that way.”

"She and I have that! She didn't choose me just for my looks, Dad. But now she has this old man again and has pushed me aside."

“Tell me, when they returned yesterday, what happened when you saw them?”

"What? Nothing. He was in bed, she was molesting the new one." Parker shrugged. "I left. I assume that the old one was laid up and she was trying out the new one."

The man nodded. “None of the gossips here seem to know what truly happened, which is good. What are your plans now?”

"Lay low. Just stay the course and try to get her attention off of the off-worlders. For a time, at least. Then we'll see."

“Good luck. And a word of warning. Beware if you begin to feel as if secrets are being kept from you. That will be a bad sign, my son.” The man finished his tea and dropped the cup into the recycler beside the bench.

"Give Mother a kiss for me." Parker said absently as his father left. He remained a while longer before heading back to the Palace.

****************
Parker
Dad
The Plot Thickens