A meeting of the minds

[AlexiNestor@aol.com]

Players:
Nestor and Deirdre


Chamber of Blades -- Harkonnen Embassy (Kaitain)
A hexagonal chamber brightly lit by suspensor globes. The walls of the 
chamber are a soft blue soapstone; the floor is polished black marble that is 
worn as if it's seen much use. Harkonnen banners are hung on all the walls. A 
large circle has been marked off in the center of the room for sword and 
shield fighting. The southern area of the chamber is fitted with a variety of 
exercise devices. House personnel mill about, some practicing sword and 
pistol, some merely observing.
Exits:
 Hatch <D> leads to Grav Tank -- Harkonnen Embassy (Kaitain) 
 Archway <N> leads to Slave Pits -- Harkonnen Embassy (Kaitain)

Deirdre walks in from Slave Pits through the Archway.

Deirdre has arrived.

Deirdre seems a little uneasy venturing into this part of the Embassy, but 
venture she does.

Nestor
A thin man, not especially muscular though he looks to be toned and fit, and 
of average height. He walks with a noble gait, his head held high usually, a 
walk that betrays the self-confidence and subtle arrogance in himself. His 
eyes are green and always seem to be probing something or someone with a look 
of curiosity or determination about them. His black hair is short, around a 
centimeter long at all points, and is always kept meticulously clean and 
neat. His lips are thin and expressive and show the staining on and around 
them that are indicative of a user of the Juice of Sapho. Notable is that his 
left hand is most obviously Ixian in origin (+inspect Nestor=hand).

He stands nude except for a pair of blue foam-contoured shorts which cover 
the leg down to the knee. A shield-belt is wrapped securely about his waist 
with a standard blade and a slip-tip sheathed next to each other attached to 
it. Several thin scars, several long and short, can be seen running down his 
right forarm and right torso. What looks to be a burn scar can be seen taking 
up part of his left calf. Tiny scars can be seen every now and again 
fleetingly as if spattered on his skin.

Nestor stands in the center of a circle with two guards - each wearing his 
pin on their caps - launching seemingly random attacks at him. Most seem to 
be fended off well enough with suddenly fast movement, allowing the shield to 
deflect the cuts. He does appear to be bleeding from several small cuts, 
though - the Mentat is not perfect, it would seem. Ozone is thick in the air 
here indicating that the shield must have been going for some time to keep 
the scent wafting throughout the room.

Deirdre keeps a safe distance and watches, amazed by the combat skills 
involved. She tries to keep her presence as unobtrusive as possible, though 
an occasional gasp of surprise escapes her lips.

Nestor launches himself at one of the guards who does not have his own 
body-shield on. With a crack, the surface of the shield impacts the guard 
sending him reeling - the relative speed between the two exceeded the shield 
threshold effectively turning the shield into a mobile brick wall. The other 
guard takes the opportunity to advance slowly on the Mentat, his blade 
actually piercing the man's shield before the Mentat spins in his direction, 
backing away as well. A distorted smile can be seen through the shield and it 
is then that the fight is through. The standing guard sheathes his blade, 
picks up his comrade, and leaves the room to the infirmary - the other guard 
may well have a concussion or broken ribs. With a deep breath, a metallic and 
tinny sound through the shield, Nestor deactivates the field. His skin is 
coated in sweat and his chest is heaving to get breath.

Deirdre
     Thick brown hair, long and straight, is parted in the middle and pulled 
back into a loose braid that reaches to her waist. The dark mane frames an 
oval face with high cheekbones. Her eyes are brown and fringed with dark 
lashes and her full lips are red and slightly pouty. She stands about five 
feet and ten inches tall, very thin, with delicate bone structure and a 
willowy figure that is emphasized by her clingy gown.
     Midnight blue silk, so thin it is almost see-through, hugs her body to 
her hips, where it cascades to the floor in several layers of sheer dark blue 
and silver. Tight, three-quarter-length sleeves cover most of her arms and 
the low neckline of the gown shows off the slender column of her throat and 
contrasts with her pale pink skin. She is unadorned by jewelry or makeup. On 
her feet are a pair of soft leather half-boots.

Deirdre inclines her head, "Master Nestor. That was impressive."

Nestor takes a moment to recover his breath as he sheathes his own blade, 
then quickly runs a finger over his skin. He turns the fingertip toward her 
to show a combination of perspiration and blood. "One cut from a poisoned 
knife is all it takes to kill. Not very impressive at all, really. But then 
again, this is not my specialty to be certain."

Deirdre resists the urge to touch his skin for herself, "I don't know how to 
fight at all. It wasn't part of my education."

Nestor raises an eyebrow as he stretches his arms for a moment. "How strange. 
Combat was a facet of my upbringing. Just a single facet, though."
Deirdre says, "I guess they figured I wouldn't have a need for it...I don't 
think I was supposed to do as well as I have." She permits herself a small 
smile, and changes the topic, "I heard that the Baron paid the Countess 
Moritani a visit recently. Do you know what came of that?"

Nestor half-smiles, only now beginning to recover his breath. "And if I did, 
I should tell you, hm?"

Deirdre looks embarrassed and shrugs, "Naturally, that'd be up to you...I 
only wondered if the information Baron Falkenberg was helpful...if that's why 
he talked to the Countess."

Nestor walks toward the wall where the basic weapons are held in racks as he 
speaks. "I allow the Baron some modicum of privacy. I will be reading the 
reports from his guards, however, shortly. If any information that you have 
provided proved useful, you will be rewarded of course. Do not doubt that."

Deirdre nods, "I wasn't really looking for a reward. I just like to know that 
the work I do is...useful." She watches curiously, wondering what the next 
stage of the workout entails.

Nestor casually takes another shield-belt from one of the racks and turns on 
his heel back toward the Minister. "Success equates to reward in House 
Harkonnen, Minister - a fact that a woman of your station should be quite 
familiar with and not feel self-conscious about." He tosses the new shield 
belt toward Deirdre and picks a blade off of the floor - the guard must have 
dropped it when Nestor ran into him. With a deft flourish, he extends the 
blade to her, hilt first.

With all the reflexes of a beached whale, Deirdre lets the belt fall to the 
floor at her feet and has to bend down to pick it up, almost whacking her 
head on the sword hilt when she stands up. She takes the sword and attempts 
to juggle it as she puts on the shield belt, "I...really...I'm no good at 
this, Master Nestor." The statement is a plea for leniency.

Nestor raises that eyebrow again. "You assume too much, Minister. I, like 
most Mentats worth their salt, have an overdeveloped ego. Unlike some, 
however, I do not flaunt my skills for the sake of said ego," he says, dead 
serious. "You will wear the shield-belt outside of the Embassy for your 
protection and will get used to the feel of the blade for now...just the 
feel. I understand very ornate versions of the shield-belt may be purchased - 
you may wish to do so to compliment your vestments. I will not have a 
highly-placed official in this House assassinated without some trouble and 
effort on the assassin's part."

Deirdre holds the sword by the hilt like a snake by the tail, but she nods 
her understanding of the order, "Yes, Master...um...certainly. But wouldn't 
it be better if I just got a guard or something?"

The stained-lipped Mentat leans in slightly toward the woman and 
stage-whispers, "The best Masters of Assassins can kill their target with 
said target's guards being none-the-wiser. When such a time arrives, would 
you like a shield belt or the opportunity to scream out to those who will be 
unable to help you?"

Deirdre swallows hard and whispers, "A shield."

Nestor nods sagely. "A wise choice, to be sure."

Deirdre seriously considers never leaving the embassy as a third choice, but 
decides that won't work either. "I attended a meeting at the Venhei Embassy 
with Lord Andrei recently. They've patched things up...but Lord Setzer 
mentioned something about moving the entire population of his home world to a 
new world."

Nestor allows himself an extremely rare laugh. "The amount they would have to 
pay to the Guild would be financially crippling at best. The Venhei are 
simply not that rich. And for what reason would he even bring up this flight 
of fancy?"

Deirdre says, "I think he is trying to negotiate a more fertile planet with 
more than one economic commodity."

You say, "A bold maneuver - one that could easily destroy the House. It is 
difficult, at times, to admire such boldness."

Deirdre nods, "Lord Andrei said that House Harkonnen would not support such a 
move. Lady Germina was quite upset by Lord Setzer's announcement. It seems he 
hadn't talked to any of his people about it beforehand."

Nestor half-smiles. "A noble not consult other nobles before planning 
grandiose schemes? How could such a thing be?" he says facetiously.

Deirdre laughs softly, "Speaking of which...I had hoped to convince Alaurans 
to switch from his current assignment to the Sekuria under the new Colonel, 
but he is reluctant. In case he changes his mind I thought I should at least 
do you the courtesy of mentioning it to you."

The sweat is now mostly evaporated from his skin, leaving only coagulating 
blood in its wake. Nestor clasps his hands in front of himself in a more 
familiar pose. "And what prompted such a suggestion on your part, Minister? I 
know that you have had doings with the Commissariat, but what do you see in 
him that brings such a suggestion to mind?"

Deirdre says, "Honestly, I was hoping to steer him into a more neutral 
position. Lady Ulricke is also recruiting him for her private...was it a 
regiment?"

Nestor hmms momentarily. "I will be more interested to see what direction he 
chooses for himself...if indeed he has what could possibly be called free 
will in this area. Such a thing is worth a calculation, though, I would say. 
The Guardsman has piqued my interest on more than one occasion."

Deirdre says, "I think that people confide him in."

You say, "The question is, what percentage of this confidence has found its 
way into the Guardsman's reports. How loyal is he to the Baron when it comes 
down to the proverbial line? What does he hold more dear?"

Deirdre says, "He appears devoted to Lady Ulricke."

Nestor quickly counters, "Appearances are just that - appearances. I wish to 
probe more deeply. Perhaps he requires a meeting with the Colonel. The 
Guardsman has presently reached an important nexus in his life - the 
direction he now chooses will determine his path forever more." Has the 
Mentat already done some calculating in this vein?

Deirdre smiles, "I would argue that appearance is everything, but we would be 
talking about two different things. As for Alauran's future...I'll leave that 
in your hands."

Nestor purses his lips slightly. It is rare that anyone even alludes to 
'arguing' with the Mentat. "Of that, Minister, you can be /quite/ certain."

Deirdre notes the expression and quickly wipes the smile from her lips, 
"Um...I find myself between assignments at the moment, Master. Is there 
anything I can do for you?"

Nestor nods. "Socialize. Become known on Kaitain. Social attachment has a way 
of opening certain doors here. Also be certain to go to the infirmary for a 
contraceptive injection before going 'out on the town'."

Deirdre gasps and hopes that she isn't blushing, "Y-yes...I'll do that." 
Silently, she wonders if the Mentat just told her to sleep around.

Nestor stretches one last time. "You may go now. Enjoy what Kaitain has to 
offer whilst you are still at liberty to do so. And remember the shield-belt."

Deirdre nods, "As you wish, Master Nestor...." She curtsies awkwardly with 
the sword in one hand, "I hope to continue to be useful to House Harkonnen 
for a long time."

Nestor nods and says to himself, "We shall see..."