She shared the shuttle with a trio of Betazoids – a pair of women
with a young boy seated dutifully between them. Juliette could feel the boy’s anxiety as he held a small
wad of gauze under his nose, as a preemptive defense against the nosebleeds
that many times came with emotional hyper-sensitivity. She guessed his age about twelve. More likely than not, he would outgrow the
sensitivity. The headaches, nosebleeds and the rare seizure that came along with it would be long
forgotten. She could sense the boy's fascination which was split between her neatly
pressed Starfleet uniform and her plum colored hair. She looked up from her PADD and smiled at him. He continued to stare until one of the women lightly jabbed him with her elbow to break his attention.
Juliette laughed softly and gently thought at the boy such
that all three could hear, Do not be so
taken with Starfleet girls, young Sir. For we fly far away and will break your
heart. The boy blushed furiously, while the two women laughed.
He does not see many Starfleet.
The woman thought to her apologetically.
He does not mean to be rude.
I am not offended,
Matron. Juliette replied in a respectful tone.
She smiled gratefully, and her eyes glanced toward Juliette’s
gloved hands. Her expression wavered, and Juliette knew she saw the gloves for
what they were -- shields against accidental contact that could lead to
unexpected mental contact. She tried to reassert her smile, but her deep embarrassment betrayed her, and she busied herself sorting through her travel bag.
Juliette turned her attention to the viewport, watching as
the very highest clouds twisted by the shuttle as it descended. It is not me, she thought to herself in
her carefully shielded mind. It is what I
represent – the odds not beaten, fate and chaos handed out by gods unfortunate.
To the non-telepathic, the cavernous shuttle port was
unnaturally quiet, punctuated by the whine of impulse engines and the shuffle
of thousands of feet. For the telepathic, it was as loud and as chaotic as
any other spaceport -- louder still for the sensitive. Well rested and settled,
Juliette felt the maelstrom of telepathic communication as a minor buzz in her
head, with occasional bursts of interest directed toward her -- with far more frequency than she expected. She reminded herself that this was Betazed,
where being the second scion of the
433rd House of Betazed meant something (or was it 423rd? It seemed to change
daily). She returned flashes of
recognition with a smile and a nod, or a telepathic nudge of gratitude. She
was obligated to respond; ignoring respectful recognition would not do. As the axiom
went, Houses that forgot their place in things lost their place in things.
Second Scion of House Sri?
A much stronger surge of recognition made her stop mid-way
through the concourse toward the taxis. Even before she saw him, she could feel
his presence, maybe ten meters away. The tone was respectful, even cautious.
She glanced over. He was tall and pale, his face punctuated by the black on
black eyes so common among Betazoids. His hair was likewise black and cut
stylishly, just like one of those models in the fashion holos. He carried himself as one from one of the
houses, but she couldn’t be sure which one.
I don’t think I know
you. Juliette kept her defenses ready in the unlikely event he was hostile,
but didn’t push the contact away.
He replied silently with a smart bow. Andres Jordres. he pauses a moment while Juliette tried to
remember. House Jordres is 817th. It
would be my honor to escort the Second Scion back to House Sri. I have already
secured your Father’s permission.
Juliette sensed the truth in his words. The situation was
not all that unusual. Service was how houses -- especially those below the Pentahectad
-- bettered themselves. Houses below provided service. Houses above provided recognition
and patronage. It was how things had worked for thousands of years.
Accomplishments in their recognized fields were the chief ways houses
maintained and improved their status. As a House known chiefly for the
numerical sciences, House Sri mostly bettered itself by providing research to
upper houses, and gifting lower houses with projects and work so that they may
better their own standing, and a history of doing so long before the invention of space travel, let along warp drive.
The
addition of the Federation and Starfleet provided more opportunities for houses
to better themselves – permitting things like Starfleet rank and prestige to be
added into the measurement of the worthiness of a House. Tracking Houses of
Betazed had become as complex as any of
the Ferengi Exchanges, and House Sri owed as much to Juliette for her rank and
prestige in Starfleet as it did to Matron Karana for her patronage and careful
selection of successful alliances within the ever changing social structure of
Betazed. At least Juliette liked to think so, anyway. So, it was entirely possible
that Andres Jordres, in giving Juliette Sri a lift home – in most likely a
grand and public fashion – was simply trying to preserve or even better the standing
of House Jordres.
Juliette kept her doubts to herself and outward appearance
pleasant. A ride back home -- seemed too a small favor. Sure, he could talk
about how he had met Juliette Sri and escorted her back home -- and that could
actually count for something if the difference in their house ranking was
greater. House Sri was not in the Decadat. What else was at play? She promised
herself to call home as soon as she could do so privately
I thank you for your
generous offer. Forgive me, but I have been away for a long time. What does
House Jordres lay claim to? She
attempted to make the question sound conversational and light and by his
reaction he seemed to take it so.
He stepped forward, closing the distance between them. Her eyes
trailed up his chest to his face as she tilted her head back to accommodate his
height. She realized if she stood on tiptoes, her lips would just reach the
pulse at his jaw. She gasped to herself, and quickly closed her mind to contain her response. She looked quickly to the floor, then away from him and down the length of the concourse. Down,
Girl!
He maintained an amused disposition, and if he sensed her
sudden fascination, he demonstrated class in not reacting. House Jordres is known for its contribution to botany and Horticulture.
We have published works that have been reviewed and recognized as far as the
Hectad. Your work with the plant-sentient
-- the Biome -- is quite impressive. His thoughts were laced with
admiration and an interest beyond the academic that unlike Juliette, he made no effort to
conceal.
She found the appraisal pleasing, and smiled faintly. She
couldn’t remember the last time she had flirted with another Betazoid. He was an unknown as he was handsome and she balanced interest with caution. By force of will, cooled her fascination to mere
curious interest, and forced herself to look at his eyes, strengthening the
connection between them. With a gentle
push of her mind, she eased back the warmth of his advance, letting him feel
her longing to see her family again. A genuine feeling, but one she enhanced. Other things could, and would wait for later.
Andres stepped back a little, making the distance more
deferential. I should apologize.
There is no need to
apologi-
Then I will not.
You will find the
notes on the Biome interesting.
I would think that
House Jordres could offer some insight around the Biome.
What did Jordres want? Intimates? Alliance? She suppressed
the chill she felt. She remembered her brother Kent’s jaded phrase. Welcome to Betazed, where Mind Games are a
planetary sport.
So, this isn’t just a
ride home? she asked with a slight press of formality. The bluntness
clearly surprised Andres, his good natured chuckle clearly a stall for time as
he formulated his response.
His answer was cut short by another sense of recognition,
strong enough to make them both look. The woman who gave that recognition was light and delicate, her hair and clothing not
one that followed style but more made them. As long as Juliette had been gone
from the gossip and intrigues of the Houses of Betazed, she had been trained
far too well to not recognize a scion of House Morin, who, in addition to being
a member of the Hectad, was also well known for their contribution to the
biological sciences. She was flanked by a pair of bodyguards, smartly dressed
and only lightly armed. Smiling
I do not mean to
intrude. Welcome home, Second Scion of Sri.
Thank you. It is most
pleasant to be greeted by House Morin. You are... Second Scion, are you not?
Tessa. She
replied, surprising Juliette with the use of the familiar. Even far away you keep up with the Houses? That is most commendable of
you, Second Scion of Sri.
Juliette, please. She
sense Tessa’s pleasure at the offering to user her name
I had requested of
your House that I be permitted to pick you up from the Space port and see you
safely back to House Sri. Your Matron graciously approved.
Juliette tried not to freeze or give in to a momentary
panic. How could her sister and her father be so uncoordinated?. I see.
It is a ...most generous offer. Have you met Andres of Jordres?
I have. Tessa of
Morin pleasantly replied. I believe it
was at the Daystrom Auxiliary that we met?
Andres’ reply was cool and amused. It was. It is an honor to be remembered. I was here to also provide
transportation for Sri. My shuttle cannot offer near the amenities that any
transportation from House Morin could provide.
Juliette watched as Andres and Tessa regarded each other
with some amusement. Protocol for the situation was complex. Andres was
required to give up his favor to give House Sri a chance to get closer to House
Morin. However, it would be bad form for House Morin to accept Jordres' offer, as it could be
seen as Morin bullying a smaller house. The safest thing for them to do was
leave it up to House Sri, who would be opportunistic to decline a lower house,
and ungrateful to decline a higher house. Juliette concealed her frustration by
letting her gaze wander the shuttleport, wondering if her sister *had* known
she was accepting an offer from House Morin after her father had accepted the
offer from House Jordres, leaving the problem for *her* to straighten out.
I would like to see
some of the Southern Continent again. It would be an honor to travel with house
Morin, and hear what they have accomplished in the while I’ve been gone. If its
not too much trouble -- it has been so long since I’ve been around Betazoids --
could you accompany us, Andres? Juliette let her gaze drift to Andres
taking him in with a sweeping glance not lost on either one of them. I would appreciate the company.