Romulan Empire Log | Flickering Twilight Part 2 | Praetor Arrenhe t'Ahaefvthe

Posted on 241502.02 @ 7:58am by Praetor Arrenhe t'Ahaefvthe

Mission: Reconciliation & Reconstruction [Fleet Plot]
Location: Romulus
Timeline: Present

[Romulus, Ki Baratan]

Languid steps carried the exhausted shell of a Praetor up the spiral staircase towards the offices as loosened robes furled around her shoulders in a vain attempt at escape. Arrenhe felt the consequence of a long day as a dull ache that beat relentlessly against her temples. Every so often she would reach up and massage her forehead exhaustedly while her mind teasingly infused images of her bed into random thoughts. Arriving at the perch of the staircase Arrenhe found t’Mhren’s enraged visage waiting and felt that dull ache turn into a throb.
“It is late t’Mhren. Please tell me whatever foul affair that has you looking so dismal can wait until the morning?” Arrenhe tugged on her loose robes pulling the furls back against her neck and then lifted a consoling palm against her beating head.
“Forgive me Praetor I wish it could. The Tholian trade proposal has been blocked!”
Abysmal. Absolutely abysmal.
Arrenhe stopped and lowered her head feeling the toll of a long day like leaded weights against her tired person. “How did this happen? There was significant consensus within the Senate for the proposal. All major clans backed it.”
“It was…” t’Mhren grimaced like a child who had just tasted a sour candy and stuttered.
“Well, spit it out!” Arrenhe’s terseness echoed through the empty halls as tiredness overruled her patience.
“Your brother…”
“My brother?”
“Senator tr’Verelan and his allies within the Senate blocked the proposal from being moved for a vote to further study the implications of the agreement.” T’Mhren sighed “I tried to contact his aids but they will not answ-”
“So this is what that fossil meant by a squabble?”
“What?”
Arrenhe waved a tired hand at her aid “let’s be done for the night. It has been a long day and I wish to retire. The measure will pass eventually. This is simply a warning from my brother over Maec. Tomorrow I will speak with the Tholian ambassador to reassure them about our commitment. For now you may go.”
“But Praet-“
“Go.” Arrenhe added a measure of forcefulness to her tone. T’Mheni bowed and then descended the steps.

Arrenhe’s footsteps against the polished marble floor echoed deeply through the cavernous corridor where electric torches illuminating the rows of statues lining the hall’s edges casts dueling shadows across her path. Her mind was now a flurry of thought that seemed jumbled between current crises, both personal and professional, and her mind’s wanton longing for a bed. At the end of the corridor beyond two large sepia doors was her office. Her eyes narrowed as her steps stopped. The doors were parted slightly enough so that a sliver of light within cast a bright silhouette against the marble before her. No one should have been in the office. She tensed, considered calling the guards, and then simply decided she was too tired to bother with such trivialness. Marching forward with determined fury she barreled through the doors and into her office to face whatever awaited her. To her surprise instead of an enemy or another vexing aid it was the Bajoran Ambassador standing in her way.
“Praetor…” He met her with a curious gaze- perhaps wondering if she was crazed “your aid informed me you wished to meet. I had expected you earlier and when she disappeared I was set to leave.”
Arrenhe winced recalling that she indeed had told t’Mhren to set up a meeting with the Ambassador but she had not expected her aid to do it so soon. A scolding t’Mhren would need but for the moment she glanced at the Ambassador. Shaking her head at Po she relaxed and moved to the end of the office where a wide window overlooked the sparkling lights of Ki Baratan’s cityscape “no, that won’t be necessary.” She pulled opened the cupboard and removed a bottle of rhennish along with two tumblers which she set on her desk “it has been a long day for me Ambassador and I wish to wash away some of my ills. Will you join me?” She looked at him as she pulled against the bottle’s cork.
Coy. That was the best way to describe Lanril Po. Though she did have respect for the man. Much as he had earlier the Ambassador was never one to shy away from speaking his mind. That trait had certainly earned him a great deal of consternation and ridicule on Romulus but if such things bothered him he never showed it. With a subdued smile he made his way across the room until he stood in front of the desk “it would be an honor to share a drink with the Praetor.”
“Honor?” Arrenhe smiled amused by that. He probably thought her a butcher and she somewhat doubted he felt any real sense of honor in her presence but if he wished to flatter her she would not complain. “Good.” She filled both tumblers with the violet liquid and slid one across her desk to him “rhennish, AAnikh 2375, the best vintage, a great year.”
The Ambassador lifted the tumbler off the desk and then took a cautious sip whereas Arrenhe was being more generous with her own helping. Moving next to her he gazed out at the cityscape “amazing view.”
“A reminder of why I am here.” Arrenhe spoke between sips of the rhennish “my people.” Downing the last vestige of the violet hued liquid from the tumbler she set it down on her desk and pushed it away “that is why I asked t’Mhren to schedule a meeting with you Ambassador. To discuss something of great importance. I would like to meet President Sa’vak. War has torn the Federation asunder. The old power structure that kept the Beta Quadrant relatively stable is no more. The Romulan Star Empire seeks an accord with the Federation- let our recent cooperation be the opening for something greater.”

[To be continued…]