The Queen Ravileth and Representative Pen Nuren had a very candid conversation while Giovanni tried very hard to avoid losing his disguise.
“I know you are not Hajferis,” Representative Nuren said chuckling. “You can take off that costume.”
Giovanni and the Queen Ravileth shrugged at one another as he removed his feathers.
“This is the Earthling that survived on Vwrawl?” Nuren asked the Queen.
“No, this is Giovanni. Eakran’s personal bodyguard.” The Queen decided to be honest to see how the Representative would react and because they were already caught; if there would be negative consequences, they couldn’t avoid them at that point.
“Former guard,” Giovanni said as feathers seemed to float all around him. “I’ve trained with the militia and I consult on things.”
The Queen patted his head, “Sure you do.” She turns her attention to the Representative. “Do you know why I’m here?”
“You are here to speak with the Representative from Bromeran, to discuss your continued harboring of the fugitive of the IP Security Force,” Pen says.
“Representative Eakran has done nothing wrong and the black bounty on his head is a punishment without a crime.”
“Representative Eakran already has his legal advocate in Representative Prab,” Nuren said. “And this is not a trial.”
“What is this then? We came to speak with the Representative from Bromeran, why are we speaking with you?”
“Because I am in charge of security for this headquarters and it is my duty to keep everything aboard this craft safe. According to our computers, there is no record of either of you arriving on any ship in our docking station. Which means that you have illegally and clandestinely boarded the headquarters and are subject to imprisonment.”
The conversation to that point was very genial, but the Queen Ravileth knew that Representative Nuren was not being kind. It was a show to demonstrate the full scope of her power.
The Queen was not shaken, though Giovanni was obviously rattled at the Representative’s words. She laughed uncontrollably for a minute.
“Imprisonment? There is no IP jail, Representative. The most you can do is hand us over to the representative organization of our respective homeworlds with a recommendation for punishment.”
Nuren smiled, seemingly delighted at the Queen’s laughter.
“The official vote of the IP Representatives’ says otherwise. I guess you have not heard the news,” she said as the Queen regained her composure and stared at her skeptically. “Violations of Interstellar Laws established by the IP perpetrated by beings of represented cultures are now subject to penalties handed down by the soon to be established judicial body. Punishments will be executed by me and the forces of IP Law Enforcement that will soon be bolstered by increased volunteers from represented cultures. The IP prison will begin construction in the banned regions following the completion of the first ever IP war games.”
The Queen stared at the Representative in disbelief.
“Those are procedural changes that would require more than your majority vote,” she said.
The Queen Ravileth was a champion of the IP and the order they brought to the universe when she was on her homeworld of Oin, it is why she joined the militia and advocated for the official inclusion of Oin into the IP that has not occurred to date. She became well versed in IP procedures with the hope of serving as the Representative from Oin, though no representative has been named. But the ordeal she had survived on Oin with Maria and Whadgaf against the Mind Snatchers who had been contracted by Representatives of the IP, changed her opinion of the Interstellar Panel and the Queen Ravileth no longer supports the apparent aims of the IP that is planning to force its order onto others.
“Everyone supports peace,” Representative Nuren said. “The Representatives who are harboring the fugitive recognized the opportunity presented to them. The IP is now a fully functioning judiciary and Eakran can receive a fair trial. They are convinced that a trial will expose the truth, as it should.”
The Queen looked at Giovanni. If that was all true, and it was probably true, then there is no doubt that Representative Nuren has interim detention powers until the prison is built.
“I think we’re owed a phone call,” she said as she looked at the Representative.
“Right this way, and I will have Riswin show you to your holding cells.”
Representative Nuren leads them to holding cells located near the docking station and Riswin Hojar is there, smiling in her Law Enforcement uniform that is a dark colored standard issue spacesuit.
“Nice to see you again Queen Ravileth,” Riswin says with a slight bow and she glances at Giovanni, and flashes a genial smile, afraid to betray her fascination with the Earthling. “If you both will follow me, I will show you around our new holding cells and let you know what you can expect until a punishment is agreed upon or completed.”
The area is dark and made of black metal at the walls and the bars of the cells. It looks like the docking station, as though part of it was recently converted.
“You may place a call using the terminal at the end of the hallway there. I will monitor your communication.”
The Queen Ravileth thinks Riswin is extremely nice, but she is very angry at the current predicament. Riswin locks Giovanni in a dark cell with a single light dangling in the middle of the black walls.
The terminal for communication was small and Riswin stood near the Queen as she entered the information necessary to contact the personal communicator of Whadgaf Jiris.
“Where are you calling from?” Whadgaf asked.
“The IP headquarters. The Earthling and I are prisoners.”
“Hi,” Riswin says, waving at Whadgaf from behind the Queen. “Technically, no one is a prisoner, they are just being detained until Representative Nuren meets with the other Representatives.”
“Right,” the Queen said. “Can my friend come and visit us?”
“I’m sure we can make that happen, I will discuss it with Representative Nuren.”
The Queen is skeptical and says goodbye to Whadgaf as the terminal powers down.
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