From: "Kathie Care" To: Subject: Last night's log Date: Sunday, September 10, 2000 3:14 PM 9/9/00 Logfile from DuneIII Anthenaeum -- Rastanyev Embassy (Kaitain)(#2961Rnt) The Anthenaeum, or library, is a large circular shapped room. Its walls have been paneled with hand paneled redwood. Bookshelves, inset in the walls of the room follow the circular curve of the walls, breaking only for the entrance/exit to the southwest. The shelves are filled with books in a plethora of formats, old paper books, shigawire spools, and ridulian crystal tablets. Three long tables constructed from heavy oak sit in the centre of the room, each lined with eight high backed chairs. Diffused yellow light illuminates from antique brass lamps which have been scattered about the room, and suspensor bouyed glowglobes hover in convenient places about the room should any of the occupants require more illumination in pursuit of their leisure or studies. Pages and servants assigned to the library stand in alcoves throughout the room. Players: Aleksei Satyavrat Mikhail Exits: Etched Silver Door leads to Second Floor Hallway -- Rastanyev Embassy (Kaitain) The Anthenaeum is busier than usual tonight as it is occupied by the Earl and many of his advisors. The counselors scurry about the room consulting with harried scribes, pages, and reasearchers. As for His Lordship, he manages to somehow separate himself from the chaos, maintaining an expressionless countenance as he is pestered by man after man. A rather large leather bound volume rests open before him on the table. The Chief of his Lordship's Diplomatic Staff arrives on the scene several minutes after the rest of his staff. As instructed, they have taken up position on the leftmost table, the more experienced diplomats sitting down while the pages mill about compiling last minute reports. Satyavrat strides over to them to exchange a few quiet words before taking a seat at the Earl's table, slipping into the large chair at the Earl's left, his ubiquitous portfolio set squarely on the surface before him. Aleksei enters the Anthenaeum, his hands clasped behind his back, he glances around the large library, a few of his own military advisors follow behind him. He looks over towards the table and sees the Earl sitting there, and he makes his way towards him with a worried aire about him. Tat'iana sweeps through the door with a faint rustle of her stiff, heavy skirts. Slowly, she paces into the room, pausing only briefly just inside the doorway to see who else is gathered. As she joins Mikhail, she peers over his shoulder to the tome on the table. She looks up, though, and realizes most everyone else is seated. Quickly, she glances around at the remaining empty seats, obviously unsure of which one she should choose. The Earl looks up, rather agitated, at his sister and gestures to an empty seat next to him. Grabbing a page by the collar of his fine blue tunic he bellows right into the boy's ear, "Where is my Mentat!? I told you to send for my Mentat!". Obviously our young Earl is rather peeved about somthing tonight. And comestibles, there are none, has the kitchen staff fallen asleep? A sharp sigh, sounding rather like air rushing from a burst lung, issues from Mikhail, "And make sure you have the kitchens send up food. Decent food. No more of this slop I've had to put up with eating lately." Finally he lets the poor lad go. Satyavrat's eyes, drifting from person to person above a neutral expression, alight only briefly on the Earl. The man knows better than to stare at such an outburst, lest he draw attention to himself. Instead, he pulls a sheet of crisp paper from his portfolio and, in his cramped scrawl, writes a quick note on it. Raising his left hand over his shoulder, he summons a diplomatic page and gives the paper to the lad, whispering something in his ear. The boy nods and exits the room amidst the bustle of panicked servers, returning but a moment later with a good deal of poise. He delivers the note to the Earl with a stiff, formal bow, waiting with his face down. Aleksei notes the Earl's mood and debates what to tell him, he glances over to Tat'iana and then his eyes change to a more questioning look, he debates asking her now or during the meeting. He shrugs and sighs and makes his way to a seat that is empty. He sorts what he wants to say out in his head.. Tat'iana winces, but quickly hides it, as she pulls the chair out and slowly sinks into it. She rests her hands on the table, and looks across to Satyavrat, giving him a puzzled glance. Silently, she waits, without fidgeting. She sits rather stone-like, her expression falling to one of complete neutrality. Finally the kitchens manage to send up food. A team of servants pushing suspensor carts ladden with covered dishes make their way into the room. Almost as one, they bow and quickly make an exit. Mikhail frowns ever so slightly at this. The servants took entirely too long. His blue gaze drifts slowly around the table, looking for someone to take this anger out on, it falls upon the unfortunate Warmaster. "You! What is the current state of my military forces?" Satyavrat sighs inaudibly, closing his portfolio with his right hand as he swivels in his chair to face the Warmaster. Diplomatic affairs will no doubt not be discussed for quite some time, and no written note will spare the Delegate should his report entail inadequacy. Best to wait and listen to this one. Aleksei quickly looks towards Mikhail and almost jumps at the loud exclamation, "Lord, our military force on Garrashu are at their peak after a small uprising because of the state of the imperium. The troops here on this planet are ready to defend this embassy to the death, as always your majesty." Tat'iana rises from her chair and moves to the carts, pouring coffee for Mikhail and tea for herself. She carefully sets the steaming cup before him, and her tea at her own place, and re-takes her seat. Her hands cradle the cup, as she is wont to do, almost as though she seeks only the warmth of the hot tea for her hands. His Lordship raises a brow. Since when was he the Emperor? Sure didn't know about that one. "Uprising say you? Tell me of this uprising? What units were involved, which of my soldiers started it?" He turns his attention briefly to his sister smiling in thanks for the drink. Aleksei smirks and says, "Well, I should have said an ATTEMPTED uprising, which involved a few radicals who saw the death of the emporer as an opportunity to cause some attacks on the ruling class. They however didn't factor into their plans the guards that happened to be guarding their target, which happened to be Cossacks that were on guard duty. I have contained the attempted uprisers and now have them awaiting a punishment. Earl, what do you wish to happen to be these would-be uprisers?" With a decidedly dark frown at the empty table, Tat'iana rises once more from her chair, leaving her tea sit. She goes to the doorway, and with a terse word orders one of the servants back into the room to be present to serve beverages or anything else that might be needed. She grabs a platter of pastries herself, and sets it in the middle of the Earl's table. Sighing quietly, she again re-takes her seat, and lifts her tea cup back into her hands. The Earl glares at Aleksei as if to say 'wipe that smirk from your face, fool!' He steeples his fingers infront of him, seeming to ponder this question for a few moments. "Kill them," he states flatly. "You will kill them and turn their families out. I will not have such incometency withing my Ranks. And General, if it happens again, I kill you myself." He sips from the still steaming mug and grabs a flaky pastry from the platter. My my, he seems to have forgotten his manners too. Satyavrat eschews the sweeter pastries and picks up a lightly buttered cracker as the chastised servants return, carrying platters and carafes to their proper places. In a macabre gesture, he smiles appreciatively at the cracker before devouring it in two quick bites. As he raises a glass of fruit juice to his lips, he extends it in a silent gesture of thanks to Tat'iana. And all the while, Mikhail rails on about death. Aleksei clears the smirk, "Yes, it will done. It will not happen again, Earl", he quickly thinks of dropping every thought from his head, he is definitely pissed today.. Tat'iana remains silent, her eyes carefully averted from Mikhail's improper displays. She herself does not partake of the sweet fattening pastries, content to merely hold her tea. Mikhail glances at his sister before returning to his little tanget. Who is she to try and judge his manners? It is his house afterall. His attention is now fully focused on the Warmaster. "Of course it will not happen again. I trust that you will not allow it." He seems to have finished with poor Leks and now decides to embed his talons into the Diplomat. "And what have you to say for yourself, Lord Devhapti? Managed to do anything useful this week or have you gone soft as well?" "The Baron Harkonnen might agree with the latter," the diplomat says, not skipping a beat in the Earl's dance. "Continuing with the plan of action developed between myself and the Lady Tat'iana, I have uniformly avoided the attentions of his House. Several pacifying notes have been delivered, and it seems that the Baron is either intimidated by the Lady, or amused by our delays; while he has expressed his...eagerness to speak with me, the matter has not been pressed." Satyavrat clears his throat to disgorge a cracker crumb lodged therein, swallowing a swig of juice to smooth it down before continuing. "And while his Excellency the Count Moritani has been thus far unreachable, the Lady and I did pay a visit...to the Venhei. We were, of course, appalled by their lack of common sense and decorum. I have come to the tentative conclusion that the Baroness is nothing but a plaything in the hands of that commoner Novak. Your Lordship's sister may better fill you in of the details." The man's voice drops slightly at the end of his report, but his expression maintains its alert neutrality. Aleksei looks over at the diplomat and then looks over to Mikhail. Hopefully, the Earl will be calming down so he can discuss other information with him but that will wait. "The word for her is whore, Lord Devhapti," says the Earl. "A whore like that Bene Gesserit bitch, what was her name... Nad somthing or another." My my, the Earl seems to be quite angry with all of Kaitain today. "Nadira," Tat'iana supplies, her expression still remaining carefully guarded and neutral. It has been long since she has seen such a humor from her brother... Satyavrat's face doesn't even move as Mikhail rants onwards. Yesmen are the last thing the Earl needs right now, and no one save Family or Family-to-be would dare divert his thoughts in such a rage. Tat'iana takes a deep breath, and begins to contribute her part to the Diplomat's report. "The Lady Baroness was quite cool and shallow. I observed during several moments her open distaste for us. She hid it quite poorly, despite inviting us within their embassy. In one moment, she assured us we were welcome and that strained relations should indeed be repaired. And in the next instant, she contradicted herself and said she felt things would never be corrected. After that, she informed us that she had no sway over diplomatic affairs in her house, cementing for us the realization that she is truly just a plaything for her husband, the Baron. It was made quite clear, at that point, that we were completely unwelcome... I insisted we leave at that point. And I let it be known that I was sorely disappointed in how we were received." Satyavrat nods, an approving smile on his lips at the completeness of the Lady's report. "And all the while, we were watched over by a man who I've confirmed is the Obrenovi Warmaster. They clearly sought to intimidate us, if not outright harm us should it prove worthwhile. Extra pains were taken to ensure that the Baroness acknowledged at least a semblance of word-bond before either of stepped fully into that rat's nest." He wrinkles his nose in distaste at the memory of it all. "I would recommend that we accelerate any plans we had of bringing this offense on Kaitain to the attention of his Imperial Majesty." Tat'iana coughs quietly, her eyes downcast. "I have already mentioned it.... in a sense." She sips from her tea nonchalantly, listening and waiting to see if anyone will hit the roof. Rather than hitting the roof, the diplomat begins to smile, a cocked eyebrow questioning the 'sense' in which the matter was brought up. Belatedly, he brings his glass to his lips to hide the potentially offensive smile, draining the fruit juice therein with two of his impolitely large gulps. Serenely, sweetly, Tat'iana smiles towards the diplomat. "And.. I should thank you, Lord Devhapti, for your most wonderful suggestion of a tour in the Imperial butterfly gardens after the... 'visit' to the Venhei. His Imperial Majesty also sends his thanks and regards. It is one of his preferred places, and we passed a pleasant evening, in discussion." Aleksei looks over to Tat'iana, "Did you pose that question I had on my mind to His Majesty?" Having caught his prior slip up, Satyavrat does not alter his facial expression when Tat'iana reveals the rough details of this latest tryst with the Emperor. Tat'iana nods quietly to the Lord General. "Indeed, I was able to bring the topic about without giving any indication of our own situation. I am sorry, m'lord, but... the Sardaukar are in fact here for a long stay, I am afraid. From what I was told, anyways. His exact words were, 'The Houses must come to respect and revere the Imperial House again. The Sardaukar are a constant reminder of our power and might.'." <> Aleksei nods and scribbles onto a notepad some information, perhaps a little reminder to do something and then says, "I didn't want to hear such news, but it does in fact make sense since today the Emperor did announce that one of his infamous Sarduakar commanders now has full reign on this planet. I do fear that I have to begin to plan some type of long-term plan for the military present guarding this embassy. Tat'iana nods slowly, looking from Aleksei to Satyavrat, watching for any other signs of forthcoming questions. Aleksei hmms as he looks around the table, "I was wondering has the Sardukar bothered anyone of this house, I am just taking some notes down." Satyavrat makes no move to respond; had he or any of his staff been bothered by the Sardaukar, the Warmaster would have no doubt been informed of it by now. Aleksei nods as he didn't expect anyone to say anything anyway..