And Bahran worked for his position in the Rhimodian hierarchy.
"Princess," he said, wiping off his brow."I am busy."
"I see that," she said."Would it be better to speak later?"While she didn't want to disconnect, she understood if this was not a convenient time for him to talk to her.Though how much of it was talk for the peace treaty and talk just to hear his voice, she wasn't sure.Beyond his attractive build, something was soothing just about his voice.She could listen to him talk for hours.
Even argue
He could read a technical manual, as far as that went, and she would enjoy it.
He just had that sort of voice.
"Now works.Master System wants to finalize the date and times."
"I will send over what I propose for the peace treaty," Caoimhe said.She slipped a small data card into a slot on the communication device.It transferred the plans to Bahran, so he could upload them to Master System.
"You did not need to communicate with me," Bahran said."You could have sent the data."
She nodded."I know."
"Then why?"he asked.
"Because today, I feel as though I needed a friend."It was a subtle answer, a polite one, but honestly, he was one of her few strong allies in this whole prospect.
"Is that what I am?"
"If you would like to be," Caoimhe said.
He nodded."I would like to be your friend."
"Good."She smiled at him.
He tipped his head to the side like he was appraising her.He didn't say anything, and she felt very much like he was looking into her soul.
"You have a problem," he said.
"Why do you say that?"she asked.
"Yes.You do.You only answer a question with a question if you have a dilemma you're trying to work out."
"That is a particular piece of knowledge you have about me," Caoimhe replied.
"During our communications, I have noticed this about you.You ask a question when you're stalling.What are you stalling about?"
"I just have concerns about the coming negotiations."
"Why?"
"I fear that they will not go well."True enough.
"There is very little that the Rhimodians would want from the Terran Empire outside of our people."
"I know.That is what you tell me."
"It is the truth."
She sighed."I just fear that it will not go as we expect, is all."Her father's threats lingered in the back of her mind.She worried that she had to stop this negotiation if only to ruin his plans to attempt to sneak an invasion past the Rhimodian system shields.Their planets--moons actually--that orbited a gas giant in the center of the Sol system.They constructed shielding that used the gas giant as an anchor and projected a shield around the moons.No one could get through it without Rhimodian authorization.
And Caoimhe had permission.
