Meet with Qara

I went alone.

Lily wanted to come. Eleni had several compelling reasons why she should come. I didn’t think the tension between those two would be productive to calming down the raging world breakers down there.

The Crystal Palace appeared on the horizon shortly after my shuttle crossed into Urath’s northern hemisphere. It looked like someone had carved a glowing castle out of a glacier. Translucent towers rose from the frozen mountains, connected by bridges hundreds of meters above the valley. Blue-white energy moved beneath crystalline surfaces like blood through veins.

According to the Captain, none of this had existed yesterday. My navigation system directed me toward a platform extending from the palace. I landed. The ramp lowered. Nobody was there.

I waited.

Still nobody.

“Hello?”

Nothing.

I crossed the platform toward a pair of crystal doors thirty meters tall. The doors opened when I approached. Inside was an enormous corridor lined with towering columns and red banners bearing the Cryptan Sigma shaped crest.

“Qara?”

My voice echoed through the palace.

Nothing.

I checked the coordinates she’d transmitted. This was definitely the meeting place. I kept walking. The palace was beautiful in the way museums were beautiful after closing time. Everything was immaculate, enormous and completely empty. My boots echoed against polished crystal as I followed the navigation marker deeper inside.

Eventually, another pair of doors opened and there she was. Qara sat at the far end of an enormous throne room. She’d positioned herself on a throne carved from the same blue crystal as the castle walls, one leg crossed elegantly over the other. Her crimson cape spilled across the seat behind her. Blonde hair framed an expression of absolute disinterest.

She didn’t stand when I entered. Didn’t smile. Didn’t even look particularly impressed that I’d found my way through her maze. For several seconds, she simply watched me approach.

The message was obvious. You have entered my palace. You have come before me. I am the conqueror here.

Okay. Two could play this game. I stopped several meters from the throne.“Qara.”

Her blue eyes regarded me coolly. “Lieutenant.”

“I represent the United Federation of Planets. I’ve been authorized to discuss the situation on Urath.”

“I am aware.” Her voice was calm. Almost bored.

“I assume the remainder of your delegation is still arriving.”

I looked behind me at the empty castle “Uh No, it’s just me.”

A pause.

Qara’s expression didn’t change. “Your senior diplomat is aboard the shuttle?”

“No.” Another pause.

“Your Captain?”

“Evacuating the locals.”

Her eyes moved past me toward the doorway. “Ambassador?”

“No ambassador.” I sighed. “Just me”

The Ice Queen cracked. Only slightly. Qara uncrossed her legs.

“How many Federation representatives were dispatched?”

“One.”

She stared at me.

I pointed at myself.

“Hi.”

Her mouth opened. Closed. For the first time, she looked like a flustered eighteen year old girl. “You came alone? Like actually alone?!” There was considerably more emotion in her voice now.

“That’s generally what one means.”

She attempted to compose herself and straightened on her throne.

“I merely find the decision…unusual.”

“Why?”

“Well…” She gestured to the enormous throne room. There were enough chairs arranged along the sides to accommodate perhaps forty people.

Oh. This wasn’t an empty throne room. It was an empty audience chamber. She’d prepared for them.

“You were expecting a delegation.”

“No.”

“You absolutely were.” I pointed at the empty chairs.

“I simply anticipated that the Federation might consider the proposed annexation of an inhabited planet worthy of at least a moderately substantial diplomatic presence.”

“How substantial?”

“That isn’t important.”

“Wait you’re the only one here, did you build all these chairs yourself?”

“They were already here.”

“You built this palace yesterday.”

Qara went silent. I thought I could see water well up a the edges of her eyes. As a single handed threat to an entire planet’s population, Qara was accustomed to people giving her whatever attention she wanted. She’d probably imagined dozens of Federation ambassadors filing through those doors while she sat on her crystal throne looking regal and terrifying.

Instead she got me. One single sleep-deprived Lieutenant.

Her eyes narrowed. “Does the Federation not consider me important?”

There it was. Not anger, worse. She was offended. “I wouldn’t be here if we didn’t. It’s just we’re pretty far outside Federation space, our patrols are stretched pretty thin out here.” I continued “My Captain has twenty-four million civilians to move. He sent me here because he trusted me to speak with you alone.”

Qara’s shoulders relaxed. “And your Captain specifically selected you?”

“Yes, perhaps it’s because he’s recently learned I have quite a gift for charming beautiful women”

The corner of her mouth curled upward. “I see.”

I saw my opening and decided to press forward.

“Think about it. I bring twenty officers down here, you greet them looking like that, suddenly nobody remembers why we came.”

Her carefully maintained expression cracked. “Looking like what?”

I gestured toward her. “You’re literally surrounded by mirrors. Surely you’re aware of how gorgeous you are.”

A blush crept across her cheeks. “That is hardly a professional assessment, Lieutenant.” She looked away but smiled.

“You asked.”

“I asked why you came alone.”

“Exactly. Your beauty would overwhelm the crew. Discipline collapses. Negotiations fail. Entire missions compromised.”

She tried not to bite her lower lip to hide her smile. “You’re suggesting that a trained Federation crew would be rendered incapable of performing their duties simply by looking at me?” Qara brushed a strand of blonde hair behind her ear, suddenly looking extremely pleased with herself. “Well.” She cleared her throat. “I suppose minimizing unnecessary personnel was prudent.”

“That’s what I told the Captain.”

Her eyes widened. “You told your Captain I was beautiful?”

“Well…” She nervously avoided eye contact with me. “I find you beautiful as well.”

“You really know how to make a boy in uniform blush.” I joked. “That’s pretty impressive of you..”

Qara looked immensely proud of herself. Then she hopped off her chair, turned and started walking down the crystalline corridor behind her throne, cape flowing behind her. “Come along, Lieutenant. I have considerably more impressive things to show you.”

I followed.

“More impressive than you?”

She nearly walked into a crystal column.

Okay. Complimenting Qara was definitely effective.The Ice Queen was melting rapidly.

“Since we’re apparently conducting this meeting privately anyway…why don’t we continue it in my bedroom?”