Royal Questions (D17, LN, Closed)

[Leonora Stone]

Bruun, after being dragged from the storage compartment on the Thunderbolt, had been led through a Union dropship interior, one less cozy and lived-in than Calico, and thrown in a storage room under guard.

Around half an hour later, the door had opened, admitting a stern looking woman with straight brown hair, a nasty looking baton, and combat fatigues. Behind her came perhaps one of the most beautiful women Bruun had ever seen, smooth tan skin, astonishing curves, long fit legs, contained within a loose-tied top and shorts, with tall boots, wavy brown hair and sultry eyes.

This woman was every bit the queen and consort any man might imagine on a lonely garrison night.

Moving with steps that practically oozed sensuality, she prowled into the space, walking around Bruun just a few inches past arm's length, tantalizing, predatory, and vulnerable, all at once.

Finally, after letting the silence draw out, she paused, hand on ever so fine hip, and inquired in a voice smooth as silk, "So who are you then? I've never seen your gangs colors before, handsome."

[Dorgan Bruun]

Bruun's eyes notice everything about this queen, as well as the unpleasant enforcer who's with her. With as bland an expression as he can manage, the man stands in the hands clasped at-ease he remembered from some previous employer.

"Lieutenant Bruun, Fortunate Ones mercenary company," he responds, eyes forward.

[Leonora Stone]

"Mercenary..."

She paused. "Then who hired you?" A glance at the guard, and a wave for the woman to wait outside.

Drifting closer, yet still not in grabbing distance, she added, thoughtfully, "So professional as well... now I'm especially curious who could afford such a well armed and trained band. It wasn't that fool, Davin, was it?"

[Dorgan Bruun]

Bruun continues to look disinterested, although his face scrunches up as he asks, "What's a Davin?"

"We're here with some science company, ma'am. Echo Exploration or something like that."

[Leonora Stone]

She paused in front of him, studying his face.

Stepping closer, she clasped her long fingers before her, gazing over them at him, that beautiful face fixated on his.

"Davin is a man who has been shorting what I am owed... and blamed you and yours for that."

Rubbing her thumbs against each other, she added, thoughtfully, "No, 'or something like that' Lt. Bruun. You answer my questions, and things stay pleasant. Perhaps they become more pleasant. You lie to me or play dumb, things get less pleasant."

Glancing at her ever so perfect nails, she added, sweetly, "You seem like a good man - you fought so bravely for your lancemate. Was she your girl, or your best friend?"

[Dorgan Bruun]

Bruun keeps an impassive face through most of her words, but he snorts at mention of Andrea.

"I keep all my people safe, ma'am. Don't have to have special feelings about them."

"And I'll answer your questions as best I can, but don't expect me to remember every detail. I'm a mech pilot. I've spent a lot of years getting good at that, and I don't do much else."

[Leonora Stone]

"I see."

She stepped closer, running one nail up his throat to cradle his chin, watching him as a snake might observe a mouse.

"Then let me be plain - I'm the queen of the Slate Eaters - I took my kingdom from the body of the man who used me - and I will not have any witless thugs trespassing and destroying what I have built."

The nail pressed slightly harder, and she added, in a voice of poisonous sweetness, "I had a lieutenant of my own running things here. He hasn't sent what he owes for almost a year, and then he sends a message claiming that you and yours are the reason why... but you don't strike me as pirates, or lackeys of pirates. So tell me who you are, and why you are here, and maybe you will survive trespassing on my land and destroying what is mine by conquest."

[Dorgan Bruun]

Bruun looks at her, cool and steady.

"Ma'am, we've been here 17 days. Some of your people picked a fight -- tried to ambush some of our mechs -- on the second day and got their teeth kicked in. You wanna know more about the military side?"

"And we came -- Echo and the Fortunate Ones -- looking for old tech. Archaeology type mission. I don't do science, so I can't tell you much about any of that."

[Leonora Stone]

She studied his face, probing for deception, and then cupped his face with one smooth hand. "Yes, Lt. Bruun, I would like to know all about what happened - how a dangerous force entered my kingdom and became my foes - how you come to pilot ancient and superior mechs when I was told your company fielded light and medium mechs, at most."

Leaning in so that she was close enough he could see her eyes and feel her breath, she added, in the softest of tones, "I would very much appreciate it if you brought me up to speed... and spared no detail... so we might manage a more pleasant conclusion to these events."

[Dorgan Bruun]

Bruun still knows where all this is leading, and with focus he mostly keeps a hold of his strategy, even as a few cracks in his demeanor appear.

"Pleasant sounds promising," he breathes, making sure she sees some reaction to her efforts. With a deep breath he begins to describe the ways Davin was either unaware or was hiding things from her, with several discoveries -- like the dropship he'd found personally -- possible even without fancy scientist help.

He sticks to the militarily significant things, mentioning only the mechs from the combat she'd seen because he doesn't recall what all they had found. Which, by this time of day and with battle fatigue, is genuinely true. He shares only Creed's name, when specifically asked, and is hazy about any questions regarding exact strength, saying honestly, "I ain't no quartermaster."