Lust & Wrath (The Blood Matron)

[Voices of The Deep]

High heels clacked along the metal surface of the Pillar of Ascension almost sluggishly as The Ice Queen made her way towards the meeting room... She was in no rush today. Why should he be. Ice blue eyes stared straight ahead of her. Every once in a while she would notice a soldier or two pass her and instantly salute the woman of drop to their knees in a groveling bow...Winter would give a nod of acknowledgement and continue onward...but really paid them no mind. Why should she? They had work to do just like her. Her title of Queen had not gone to her head...in her eyes, she was not here to sit back in the lap of luxury while others got their hands dirty.

No...she was here to get results. To inspire those who looked up to her...to lead them into a future that was not empty. A sigh left the woman as she closed her icy blue orbs. She had been doing this for so long now...things had become almost trivial.

She had a meeting with someone who had recently contacted The Awoken about a business contract...And seeing as Winter liked to handle these things personally she figured she would go and see what was up. She wasn't really paying attention to what she was doing as she walked. Blind to everything else around her. The womans head swam with thoughts of her past. Her family...her home...

No.

The Awoken was her family now...and as of the moment she was their Queen. And with that The Ice Queen clenched her fist tightly. Her ice cold eyes staring diligently forward as she approached the open doors that lead into the meeting room. Wasting little time, she quickly walked in. Arms at her sides as her posture slouched as if she were disinterested. A scowl playing her feminine features as the tall woman stood dominantly in front of a long table...wondering who was the one that demanded The Queens presence.

[member="Zenva Vrotoa"]

 

[Zenva Vrotoa]

Zenva sat in an overly plush chair, at least by her standards, one leg crossed atop the other as her lacquered nails drummed the table. Impatience had begun to cut small grooves into the wood as her nails struck the table at a steady pace. She was unaccustomed to being made to wait. In fact she was unaccustomed to being the one to open these kinds of meetings. Nearly all of her clientele had come to her, either actually approaching her shipyard or sending for her. Now she had endeavoured to provide her services to The Awoken, their Queen in particular. And she was made to wait. Her nails hammered the table one by one.

Arrayed behind the Blood Matron stood a quartet of her Elites. Each one swathed in heavy combat armor and, out of courtesy to her hostess, they wore only their side arms and a vibroblade. Gone were their grenades, wrist rockets, rifles and numerous other tools of destruction. By the Blood Matron's account she was here in her most diplomatic of states. Only four guards, not forty, and they were fairly under armed at that. As for herself she wore a simple silver dress in place of her typical armor and trench coat. She wore no weapon belts or shield emitter. She appeared, every bit, the elegant noble woman she claimed herself to be.

Impatience won out as the Zabrak rose from her chair in a huff. Before she could open her mouth to call for an attendant however, the very target of her endeavor strode into the room. Even in heels of her own this Queen stood taller than the Zabrak. Yellow-red orbs trailed across the woman's body for a brief moment before a smile split Zenva's coal painted lips. "Your Majesty." Her horned head inclined slightly to the curvaceous Queen as the Zabrak spoke, a strange musical quality to her voice, "I am Zenva Vrotoa, Matron of Clan Vrotoa. I'm very glad you have granted me this audience, my lady."

One hand rose and feel, a signal to the captain of her guard. The soldier strode to the opposite end of the long table and placed a small wooden box before the Queen. He removed the lid and returned to his position behind his Matron. Her voice carring across the room once more, "A small gift, Majesty. A distilled Vodka from Naboo. The liquor itself is chilled over ice from the polar caps of Hoth before it's bottled, or so they claim." The Blood Matron gestured toward the seat before the Queen, opposite her own seat at the long table. "Shall we sit, your Majesty? There is much I wish to discuss with you."

[member="Lady Sovereign"]

 

[Voices of The Deep]

Those icy optics wandered over the red skinned woman sitting on the opposite side of the table...silver dress sparkling under the dim light as the young woman before her greeted Winter politely.

"I am Zenva Vrotoa, Matron of Clan Vrotoa. I'm very glad you have granted me this audience, my lady."

Winter gave a brief nod of acknowledgment before averting her eyes to the guards she seemed to have with her. Her arms crossed firmly over her ample chest as the woman looked them up and down. For some reason she felt oddly outnumbered for this to be a civilized business meeting. And yet here she was sitting before what most would consider a Sith Pureblood with armed guards. Winter was not terribly fond of these odds, not even on her own ship.

And as one of the guards brought a small wooden box before The Queen and the Blood Matron explained the gift Winter tilted her head a bit and flicked her gaze to the box, then back to the woman before nodding once more.

"Thank you for the gift..." Winter stated callously. Not wanting to seem completely rude since The Ice Queen was very often perceived as so. And when she was invited to take a seat Winter looked down at the chair and grimaced.

"I prefer to stand...but we can begin." The Queen muttered, her reserved and dominant posture maintained as the sudden sound of loud heavy clanking sounded above them...Winter nearly rolled her eyes and shook her head as if her child was getting into something they shouldn't have...it seemed she was at it again. The scuttling and shifting from within the vents grew louder around them when suddenly one of the large, open ventilation shafts revealed four bright blue eyes from within its depths. An audible growl flowing through the air when suddenly a large monstrous beast dropped from the vent and landed behind The Queen...the ground shaking from the brute impact as a gust of wind forced Winters hair to dance in the air for a moment as Hati slowly stood to her full height. Towering a full two feet above Winter as the aliens gaze found The Blood Matron and echoed a small screech.

Winter sighed, not nothing to look back as she remained statuesque and firm.

"Don't mind her...she just wants attention." Winter growled coldly, the larger being behind her simply purring in response. "This is Hati...my mother." Winter stated bluntly, her expression unchanged as Hati suddenly walked around the table and towards The Blood Matron...leaning in close and examining the woman.

"Mother...leave them be. They are our guest...so i expect you to be on your best behavior." Winter scolded, her voice full of frostbite as Hati turned to look at The Queen before grumbling and strolling back to Winters side. Crossing her four arms over her own chest...standing side by side, it became obvious that both of their postures mirrored one another almost perfectly.

Like mother like daughter.

[member="Zenva Vrotoa"]

 

[Zenva Vrotoa]

The sounds of Hati moving through the ductwork drew Zenva's gaze upward. Behind the Blood Matron the four guards shifted back a half step in almost perfect unison, hands falling to their sidearms. When the brute dropped through the vent to land behind Winter the startled concern that rushed through the Zabrak was plainly written on her face. Her eyes widened as her head jerked back a fraction of an inch in a clearly shocked reaction, her hand however started to come up as though she were about to shout a warning to the Ice Queen.

The Queen's blatant lack of concern over the whole situation stopped the Blood Matron's hand in short order. She settled her hand on her hip and schooled her expression back to impassive. While the guards grew more tense with every step the large creature known as Hati took, Zenva simply watched the large woman's eyes. She was examined briefly, her gaze never leaving Hati's glowing orbs, until the Queen called the brute off. There was no fear in the Zabrak as the two stared one another down. She had face Wookies in single combat with nothing but her bare hands. She had stared down and even argued down Gen'dei with not but a vibroblade in hand, a useless implement against such creatures. To stare down Hati with four guards at her back was nothing in her mind, why choosing what to eat for dinner would be more cause for concern.

Once Hati rejoined the Queen, the two side by side with what amounted to the exact same bored posture, Zenva began to speak again. "As I was saying, Majesty. There are certain things I desire to discuss with you. Primarily the lack of strength this ship possesses." One hand swept to her side to indicate the Pillar of Ascension itself. "This ship is woefully under armed, Majesty. My own flagship, The Grand Hammer, is more than three hundred meters shorter than this titanic vessel of yours, yet boasts enough firepower to scuttle this ship in an engagement."

The Blood Matron gestured almost absently. A different guard moved forward to set a holographic projector in the center of the long table before returning to it post behind Zenva. The device came alive and cast a holographic representation of the Pillar of Ascension above the table and beside it a clearly smaller vessel was represented, Zenva's "Grand Hammer" warship.

"I pray you forgive my bluntness, my [member="Lady Sovereign"]. This ship you stand upon as the might of your fleet among The Awoken, is weak. I wouldn't need the whole of my personal fleet to utterly destroy this ship. It's an injustice, a travesty, my Lady. One I wish to remedy for you. If you're interested that is?"

 

[Voices of The Deep]

Winters icy optics remained locked and steady upon the womans fiery orbs as she sat back in her seat and began to call this 'meeting' to order. The Ice Queen remained still...arms crossed over her rather heavy chest and her expression unchanged as Hati besides her purred and echoed every couple of moments...and as The Blood Matron went on with her rant about the weakness of the Pillar of Ascension, Winter knitted her brows tightly together before scoffing in distaste.


"I'd advise against speaking to me as if my intelligence is comparable to that of a beast...i am fully aware of the weakness of this vessel...because i designed it to be a home. Not a warship. We are a small faction growing at a decent pace but the rate in which our ships can be built takes time...there is a reason i keep this ship in the far reaches of the outer rim..." Winter explained dominantly, her cold eyes looking to the holographic projection. "Still...you are right. But next time, do not come to me with a problem. I can't do anything with problems. Meet me half way with a solution." She stated, rubbing her fingers along the fabric of her sleeve before closing her eyes and taking a deep breath.

"Now...as for the solution you suggest...what is it exactly you desire from me in return? If it is money, so be it. Though you did come here out of your own interest...and as a result i consider this a debt. So you also attain one favor from me...no matter the request...no matter when or where. A sovereign always repays her debts." Winter expressed coldly, a small glance being shot towards Hati who purred almost lovingly towards The Queen and nudged her with one of her four arms...Winter scoffed and grimaced from the sign of affection.

[member="Zenva Vrotoa"]