This one was much brighter and quite a bit cleaner--everything was still older, but it was fresher and better kept than the room he'd been in before.
And there, in the room, was a table, with a woman sitting at it.
A Terran female.She dressed in clothing that concealed most of her face.Only her eyes were visible, framed by the intricately wrapped fabrics around her head and face.
And Bahran was pretty confident he had not ever seen a prettier set of eyes in his life.It took him a beat to remember himself and get back to why he was there.
With the Imperial Princess from the Terran Empire.
"Imperial Majesty."
"Rhimodian."She gestured to the table."Please.Sit."
He seated himself across from her.He noticed that she did not bring any backup with her either.It was merely her and him.
"I appreciate your trust in me," he said.
"Oh, I am not that trusting," she replied."My protection is here.They're just nothere."
"I would not expect you to come here without some kind of body guards."
"I would be a fool to attempt not to.Though some consider me a fool for the errand I am on at the moment."
"I did not intend to make you feel foolish."
She shook her head."You do not.I only mean that others think I might be a fool for listening to you."
"Do you think you are a fool?"
"My instincts believe I can trust you."
"Good, then we both have that moving forward."
She smiled.At least he thought so.From the way her eyes crinkled in the corners, he assumed it was a smile that made them close a little on the corners."While I would enjoy chatting with you about different aspects of your people, I do think that we must get to the heart of this meeting.I know that I am on a tight schedule, and you, I assume, are on some kind of schedule as well."
He nodded.Though he did not mention that his schedule was indicative of how long Jedriek decided to stay with the pleasure women.
"I watched your missive several times," she said."I enhanced and improved the detailing so that I could gather every piece of information in it before I went on a search for the prisoners of war."
"You found them?"
"No."
His heart sank.
Was this a wasted trip after all?He gritted his teeth, frustration coming up now, replacing the nervousness he'd had before."Was this a wasted meeting then?"
"I said I did not find them.But it's not because I quit looking.The prisoners are well hidden and protected."
"At least they are being treated well."
She shook her head."I said they are protected.Not that they are being treated well.There is a difference."
He felt a knot grow in his stomach."What are the options, then, to retrieve them?"
"That is what I have been pondering since I learned where they were.What would you consider the best options?"
His reply was instant."Take a squad in and retrieve them using stealth."
