[This should have been posted a few weeks ago, and is the missive written by the player running Timaeus, and sent to Princess Rao after the climax of The Borderland Run].
Tyokh, 206-1106 To her Royal Highness, Princess Rao of Drinax
O Jewel of Drinax, I trust that this message finds you as it leaves me – in good health and rejoicing in the continued good fortune of the Kingdom and its King. In fulfillment of the trust placed in me, I bring success.
The responsibility you charged us, the captain and crew of His Majesty’s Ship with has been fulfilled in as complete a manner as I and the crew of HRDM So Much For Subtlety could contrive. As you are no doubt already aware, we made contact with Prince Hteilotorl in Inurin.
Despite being importuned and bothered by persons of low character – pretending to the profession of “Bounty Hunter” – who did not scruple to persecute their betters, we were able to evade their attentions and distract pursuit. No direct suspicion attached to us, largely due to the deftness of Lady Penelope’s piloting and Lady Deanna’s even defter data manipulations.
Lady Deanna and Margravine Anastasia did excellent work in sifting the information regarding the Prince’s attempt to secure himself a holding in Arunsirr, and not entirely to my surprise determined that it was clear that he had walked into a carefully arranged trap, with the accusations levelled against him evidently false. The Prince is the very emblem of Aslan honour, and is by no means unintelligent – but in some ways he is perhaps too honest for his own good, and finds it hard to comprehend treachery in others.
As the deadline for delivery of his Highness was not pressing and we had become aware of multiple mercenary cruisers far above the SMFS’s mass class searching for him, we decided to show the presence of Drinax in several systems in a different direction. This diversion revealed a number of interesting facts which we will acquaint you with on our return to Drinax, but little of direct relevance to the mission at hand. I can however assure you that we all all times acted with decorum, in a manner becoming the representatives of the Drinaxian Court, and left behind us a reputation that will do the Kingdom credit I will not bore you with a detailed recital of the events in each system that we visited, but suffice it to say that opportunities for Drinax are to be found in some unexpected quarters, and if it be that we cannot take them all, we will be sure to take at least some.
As we have been made aware that much attention is now being paid to Drinax by the Imperium and other powers, I thought that discretion would be preferrable to failure in regard to mere potentialities. I should add that there were two occasions when I was forced to have the So Much For Subtlety deal quite strictly with pirates, and I took care to invite Prince Hteilotorl to join us in the execution of this duty. As you know, Aslan view these matters from their own perspective, and he was pleased, indeed touchingly grateful to be so included. This decision was subsequently to our great advantage, as I will further explain.
The prince requested that we stop at Sink (wherein the second of the two occasions mentioned above occurred) in order to face the one who the Margravine’s research had made it obvious was behind his downfall. This confrontation occurred, in a surprsingly peaceful, civilised manner. While this transpired, I regret to admit that we took advantage of the hospitatity that had been offered in order to do a little more practical investigation than Prince Hteilotorl’s rather clumsy attempts at eliciting information.
I beg you will find attached the complete records of the data gathering station there – it contained all we needed to conclusively determine the culprit’s guilt as it regards Prince Hteilotorl, but there was also a great quantity of other intelligence which I trust you will find of use. In Jumpspace between Sink and The World (where Hteilotorl’s few remaining allies, wellwishers and his consort awaited him) your humble correspondant made use of his education in law, rhetoric and the Classics to produce a speech intended to exonerate Hteilotorl’s name to an Aslan audience.
I had at this time little hope of saving the prince’s life, but I fully intended to save his good name! On arrival at The World, I had occasion to deliver this speech, and I gratify myself in saying that it was as good a declamation as I have ever given. A recording was taken, and I trust you will excuse my vanity in including it in the attachments to this message, as this same recording was soon to be of very practical use. Those who denigrate the value of a classical education should take note!
On arrival at Tyokh, we were initially greeted with what could tactfully be described as coolness, but when we openly declared ourselves a diplomatic mission from the Star Kingdom Of Drinax, carrying Prince Hteilotorl of the Iuowoi as we had beeen charged to do, and further sent the recording mentioned above, along with the accompanying evidence and carefully presented research, from Sink and the research done by the Margravine, we were soon given permission to land in the port controlled by the Iuowoi.
Prince Hteilotorl had advised us that once he touched the soil of the Iuwoi, he would be legally bound to silence. He requested that we be his companions and interlocutors, and of course we immediately accepted. We were quickly presented to the Iuowoi-Ko. The Ko did not himself deign to speak to us, but we were given an opportunity to explain our presence on a formal occasion. Here our exploits in battle with the Prince were repaid in diplomatic advantage!
Our credentials at least sufficiently established, I was allowed to repeat my declamation. It was sufficient to provoke denunciation of the traitor and his subverters from the court of the Ko – I fear I have done Drinax no favours in the eyes of the Tykhisto – and the Ko’s herald announced that in light of this, the Prince’s sentence could be lifted if one of his companions were to face and defeat the executioner of the Ko in his place. (I should here explain that although the prince would have ‘fought’ this executioner, he was required to lose. This requirement apparently did not apply to his champion, which is a quirk of Aslan law I shall not soon forget).
Needless to say in such a situation, a Count’s son was not found wanting, and as I write this with both my hands, you will infer that I was victorious and that Hteilotorl has now been exonerated.
Please see attached the recording of the battle; there were no details of wider significance, but His Majesty may enjoy seeing how his servant serves him when honour strengthens duty in the service of Drinax. I may add I was personally pleased to see Hteilotorl saved from unjust exection. Naive he may be, but he is an amiable, well-bred fellow.
The Ko finally personally acknowledged our presence – I will grant that one who believed he was about to watch his son be executed might previously have ben a trifle distracted from the intricacy of court manners – and inquired if we wished some boon to be granted as a reward for averting this doom. Having made some study of these Aslan, having “played by their rules”, so to speak, in the arena, and once again recalling my classical education on the subject of dealing with warrior rulers, there was of course only one answer I could give. I begged leave to assist the prince when he once again attempted to claim a holding on Arunsirr, giving my family sword, so recently the means of saving his son, in the Ko’s hands as a pledge of this trust. The subtext of this gesture was not lost on the Ko, a much more subtle person than his youngst son.
Consequently, we and Drinax are persona grata maxima on Tyokh (at least that part of it controlled by the Iuwoi). Additionally, the prince declared that said holding would pledge fealty to Drinax. I trust this outcome will please you. The Ko also offered to repair the damage to the So Much For Subtlety which was incurred in Sink, as well as completing the long awaited refurbishment of the interior. Battle logs of the engagement are attached for the enjoyment of His Majesty, but I pray that you will not trouble Admiral Wrax with the damage reports, as they will only distress to no good purpose a loyal officer with more responsibilities than means to fulfill them.
Faithfully yours, Sir Timaeus, Knight of Drinax.
PS I mentioned events in Sink – during these we made the acquaintance of one with similar talents to the Margravine. As we have found the Margravine exceedingly helpful, I thought perhaps your Highness might like to discuss the available options with this person* who currently occupies the #5 Low Berth of His Majesty’s ship. I should add that in my opinion she is not overburdened by scruples.
*The Seskehalen’s psionic astrogator
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