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Sep 22nd, 2019, 03:38:20 PM
#41
"jIt'ss jyourr week'ss leave, jI don't ssee whjy not? Though whjy jyou'd want to sspend the entjirretjy of jit on thjiss sstatjion, jI can't jimagjine."
Taa swiped away a streak of blood on her lips before taking a drink.
"jI musst admjit, howeverr, that jI wanted to have djinnerr wjith the thrree of jyou alone, becausse jI have ssome thjingss jI musst ssharre wjith jyou fjirrsst."
The Senator set aside her glass.
"jI've rrecentljy met wjith Fjirrsst Mjinjissterr Ave. He'ss gjiven me ssome porrtentouss newss. jYou'rre the fjirrsst outssjide of the Prrjide Motherr to hearr of jit."
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Sep 22nd, 2019, 03:41:12 PM
#42
The sounds of dinner quieted, and Rai looked back to her mother, waiting to hear what followed. An untended drop of crimson dripped off her fingertips to the plate below.
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Sep 22nd, 2019, 10:25:41 PM
#43
T'yeellaa arched a brow, setting aside the morsel in her hand.
"What newss, motherr?"
From the First Minister, no less. T'yeellaa thought of the possibilities. An appointment to his cabinet, perhaps? Something else? Politics weren't her expertise, but she'd had to develop a rudimentary understanding of how the Alliance sorted matters of state from her time on Jovan. Being appointed Senator was considerable enough. What then could possibly be more portentous?
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Sep 25th, 2019, 11:47:27 PM
#44
Daani’s mind was focusing on a reunion with her favorite big brother, and it took a few moments for her to realize that Mother was about to announce something important. She hesitated, but took one more bite before mirroring her older sisters and turning toward their mother.
“Doess jit have to do wjith the Empjirrre? jIss the peace trreatjy jin dangerr?” Daani licked a finger clean while she spoke.
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Sep 26th, 2019, 12:07:13 AM
#45
"No." Taataani answered her youngest, a small smile of reassurance on her face as she dispelled Daanarri's guess. The smile ebbed, replaced not by a frown but by a staid expression.
"The Fjirrsst Mjinjissterr jiss ssteppjing down and rressjignjing hjiss offjice jin the Ssenate. He hass nomjinated me to take hjiss place."
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Sep 26th, 2019, 12:16:37 AM
#46
"Kosa..." T'yeellaa whispered, suddenly breathless. The room felt degrees smaller and hotter than it had just a moment ago. The K'ohta'rrou looked for anything in her mother's expression that might betray a joke, but there was nothing of the sort.
"Fjirrsst Mjinjissterr?"
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Sep 26th, 2019, 12:18:43 AM
#47
Rai'faani was similarly shocked, gasping at the revelation.
"The leaderr of the entjirre Alljiance? Of half the galaxjy???"
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Sep 26th, 2019, 02:01:24 AM
#48
Daani frowned at Rai. “The Fjirrsst Mjinjissterr isn’t the leaderr of the Alljiance, the Chjief of Sstate jiss. But jit ssoundss cool,” she added quickly, looking at her mom.
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Sep 28th, 2019, 09:50:48 PM
#49
"Trrue jin a mannerr of sspeakjing, Au'laana," she said with a nod, "though the Chjief of Sstate jiss larrgeljy cerremonjial. The Fjirrsst Mjinjissterr ssetss the votjing agenda forr the Ssenate, conveness the cabjinet, and holdss powerr overr executjing sstate poljicjy. That jiss wherre the powerr ljiess."
Taa reached down to spear another piece of liver with an extended claw.
"And jI have accepted the nomjinatjion."
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Sep 28th, 2019, 09:55:05 PM
#50
T'yeellaa's brow furrowed. Her tail switched with thoughtful unease.
"But motherr, what about djivesstjiturre? The Ssenate wass alrreadjy grrumbljing about jyou holdjing contrrol of IKM beforre. Thejy'll be howljing forr jyou to sstep down now, won't thejy?"
Last edited by Charley; Sep 30th, 2019 at 12:28:53 AM.
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Sep 28th, 2019, 10:01:12 PM
#51
"Oh..." Taa took a bite, nodding in full affirmation with her mouth full until she could swallow, "...of that, jI have no doubt at all. Therre'ss alwajyss a beadjy-ejyed Ssullusstan holdjing a knjife, and thejy have thejirr frrjiendss. But jI've accounted forr ourr enemjiess, Sailla."
The Senator grinned, sipping from her glass as she looked to T'yeellaa's left.
"Asss a matterr of fact, jI'm prreparred to name Netaali asss Barronesss Executrrjix."
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Sep 28th, 2019, 10:03:13 PM
#52
Hearing her name dropped, Rai choked on her wine, quickly setting the glass aside to hurriedly cough into a bloodied napkin.
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Sep 28th, 2019, 10:20:44 PM
#53
The wind was similarly kicked out of T'yeellaa, who gasped at the news, placing both palms on the floor to keep from pitching forward.
"Netaali?!"
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Sep 28th, 2019, 10:43:15 PM
#54
“Not me?” said Daani cheekily. “Orr, jyou know, Taliaala, Aleeha, or T'yeellaa? jI wass hopjing to have ssomethjing left to jinherrjit, jyou know.”
She laughed at the look on Rai’s face, and added, “jYou’ll do grrreat! Honessst.”
Daani sat back and started eating again, watching her mother and sisters. She really didn’t care anything about her mother’s business empire. She was going to be working as a pilot as soon as she could.
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Sep 28th, 2019, 10:49:04 PM
#55
"Thankss forr the vote of confjidence, the both of jyou!"
While Daani had at least hidden her iron behind the lace of jest, T'yeellaa had done no such thing. Rai's shock quickly warmed into anger she felt in the tips of her ears. The shock still remained beneath it, however, and she hazarded looking back to Taataani to see if there was any sign of a joke to this.
There wasn't.
"jYou want me to be Barronesss?" she asked quietly, as if speaking it any louder would cause the suggestion to cease to exist.
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Sep 28th, 2019, 11:02:11 PM
#56
"jI've thought about jit everr ssjince acceptjing mjy Ssenate posst - beforre all thesse thrreatss of djivesstjiturre."
Taa glanced to Daani.
"Taliaala and Aleeha arre effectjive admjinjisstrratorrs. jI trrusst them to be effectjive ssuborrdjinatess, but nejitherr of them have a leaderrshjip jinsstjinct. jI have no doubt thejy won't ljike mjy decjissjion, but thejy'll accept jit."
She turned a serious expression towards Rai.
"Bejing Barronesss rrequjirress leaderrshjip, darrjing, and a wjilljingnesss to accept rrjissk when needed and rressponssjibjiljitjy at all tjimess. jI've neverr doubted that jyou had the cunnjing and the jintellect to do what jiss necesssarrjy. jYou've grrown ssjince jI ssent jyou to Onderron jyearrss ago. jI'm asskjing morre of jyou than jI've everr assked beforre. Don't djissappojint me."
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Sep 28th, 2019, 11:08:32 PM
#57
More than the disbelief at Rai'faani being chosen came the sting of unsaid rebuke. She was the first-born sister. She was the one who was supposed to shoulder the burden of responsibility. While T'yeellaa had long girded herself for the day that she'd be passed over for one of her sisters, it still hurt to experience it.
T'yeellaa averted her eyes from both of them, watching the men continue to process the carcass at the other side of the room. This was the life she'd chosen for herself. She had to endure the consequences of falling from her mother's favor. What that would mean when her second-youngest sister would be named Baroness? She didn't yet know. But she certainly had an idea at the crush of expectations that came with the title, and a part of her wondered if Rai'faani would carry that weight, or be broken underneath it.
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Sep 28th, 2019, 11:12:25 PM
#58
Emboldened, Rai's ears perked at her mother's words.
"jI won't djissappojint jyou, Rrou'fai. jI'll do whateverr jit takess."
Rai briefly looked back to T'yeellaa, returning her attention to her mother.
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Sep 28th, 2019, 11:20:01 PM
#59
Taa looked for any sign that Rai'faani wasn't resolute. To her credit she didn't waver.
"jYou majy rregrret ssajyjing that, cub. Whateverr jit takess jiss gojing to change jyourr entjirre ljife down to jitss foundatjionss. jYou'll be taught morre jin the comjing monthss than jyou everr had to learrn beforre. jYou'll have to worrk harrd, ssomethjing jyou've onljy rrecentljy been pusshed to do. And therre'ss morre."
The Senator sat up slightly.
"jYou'll need to be marrrjied."
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Sep 28th, 2019, 11:22:37 PM
#60
At that, T'yeellaa turned her eyes back, fresh shock in her expression.
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