"Aah. So you're the new... investigator... the Peacekeepers sent here. And what a pleasant little alien you look like, too," said the red-skinned female behind the desk, looking at the male clad in black who'd just stepped into her office. Both had an unreadable expression on their face, eyeing and mentally weighing the other. The man was the first to speak again.
"I fear you may overestimate my pleasantness, but yes, I am the evaluator. I find your planet most... interesting."
"So the Peacekeepers want it," she replied, looking slightly bored as she stated the obvious. "Tell me, Scorpius, will your report and presence here change anything or are you just here so they could get you out of the way?"
"Mmm. A bit of both, I should imagine," he said and smiled wryly. "But I'm not the one on trial here," he continued and the smile grew into a twisted grin which revealed his partially black teeth.
"Then I presume we must endeavor to make your report a favorable one," the female said looking at him thoughtfully over her steepled fingers.
Both fell silent for a moment, studying the person they'd be most closely liaising with for the next few weekens. Remeset was a high investigative official on her planet, Auronan, Scorpius the Peacekeeper assigned to sort out the trouble with the underground movement there, as well as decide if the situation called for a full-out PK presence or not. Up until now the Auronans had cooperated and willingly exchanged information on their technology with the PKs, tolerating their base on the planet, but recently something had changed that. The Auronan officials blamed dissident sections for the terrorist attacks on the PK base, which, though minor in scale, both Remeset and Scorpius were to put an end to. On her part this was possibly even more pressing, since the Peacekeepers would conquer the planet if she didn't replace the status quo. Auronan was on the outer edges of the Peacekeeper controlled territory and political and military reasons had so far ensured its independence. It was up to her to keep it that way.
The PK they'd sent here to "assist" Remeset - to keep an eye on her more likely - wasn't fully Sebacean, she knew and could see that. The information she'd managed to dig up about him wasn't much, and she specialized in acquiring information. She found it curious. The man was half Scarran, though why or how such a mating had occurred she couldn't see. He seemed quite comfortable under her scrutiny, and hadn't phased from her first remark about his alieness either. The black leather outfit he wore hid the details of his physique, but it was apparent he was quite lean, almost thin. Scorpius. Remeset tasted the name. She was intrigued by him, and that was rare these days.
Scorpius' face was like a mask hiding any thoughts and emotions as he on his part studied Remeset. She had dark red skin like all members of her race and the large eyes characteristic of them. He hadn't fully adjusted to being awake during the normal sleep cycle of Sebaceans yet, but he was sure the inverted cycle followed on Auronan wouldn't bother him for long. Her species was somewhat sensitive to light, but otherwise he knew of no weaknesses. There were some gaps in the PK files on the Auronans, true, but he invisioned no major difficulties arising because of that. He'd meant what he said about finding the planet interesting. The peculiarly low number of females compared to males among them and their high position in society was something he would have to remember to look into for one thing, if only to find out whether the unrest was related to it in any way.
"Have you been briefed about the current situation?" Remeset asked.
"Yes. You have two prisoners you believe to be connected to the investigation: one trader who may have supplied the equipment and explosives used, and one of your own people, a known male protestor."
"Word moves fast. We only caught the latter yesterday," she remarked.
"I take pride in keeping abreast with the latest news," Scorpius replied sarcastically. "I believe that was one of the reasons why I was sent here, as I'm sure you're well aware of."
She nodded, then flashed a cruel smile, revealing a line of sharp teeth. "Yes. I'm sure we'll have an interesting time comparing techniques for acquiring that information. Shall we?" She gestured toward the door and got up, ready to leave.
"By all means, High Official Remeset."
Scorpius looked at the room she'd lead her to with interest. His aide was waiting in the adjoining room. This one was dimly lit and housed an impressive array of equipment apparently used for torture. Some he recognized, some were indigenous to Auronan, or hailed from some planet the Peacekeepers weren't acquainted with yet. The room housed nothing that would shock him, but he did find it somewhat disappointing. His training had made him familiar with ways of extracting information by torture, yes, but he still found it somewhat crude. The problem was finding a better way to get the same results. It was a pity he kept running into the same things everywhere he went.
There was a chair with restraints near the back wall of the room. It was still empty, but Remeset had sent the guard to fetch the trader in. "May I ask? Is this..." he waved his hand indicating the contents of the room, "your normal means of extracting information?"
Remeset glanced at him, trying to interpret the look on his face. The cowl he wore and the strands of leather crossing his face made it more difficult for her to decipher his facial expressions, as she'd already noted during the short time she'd spent in his company. "It is one means to an end. Not necessarily the best, but efficient enough according to higher administration. I personally find it lacking in style, though, which is why I use my own methods to get results in addition to all... this." She ran her fingers over one silver-colored instrument that looked like slightly like a laser drill, then sighed and turned her attention on him again. He nodded. Somehow that had apparently been the right answer. He was curious, this Peacekeeper they'd sent to watch her. He'd asked her very precise questions about the way the Auronan society worked while on their way there, and she'd answered as best she could. His focus had been on the technology, which was no surprise, but he'd also asked her about the low number of female Auronans. She'd smiled and told him it was because any female Auronan could exhaust several males during her lifetime. His expression had been unreadable, but she'd felt the minor change in his body temperature, enjoying the effect she'd had on him.
"Let me go! I haven't done anything! You can't treat me like this!" came an anguished shout from outside. Remeset and Scorpius turned to look at the relatively short alien male being dragged in by the guard. Once he caught sight of where he was being taken his cries became even louder, filled with horror.
"Take a good look. I'll let you choose which ones we use on you." Remeset smiled to him, towering over the short and slightly bloated figure. "Everybody knows you're a snivelling little liar, so who are we to believe your claims of innocence?"
"Come now, Remeset, I wouldn't know..." came Scorpius' voice from behind the trader. He walked around the alien into his view, then fixed his gaze on him and ran a leathered finger down the side of his cheek. "Are you a liar, trader?" He glanced at Remeset who was following the scene with some amusement. "What is he called?"
"I'm not a liar! And I'm Rizlak Muhannin! Don't talk past me like I wasn't here!" the panicky trader screamed, uncertain if this new figure was going to be more understanding with him than Remeset, who he knew resented him.
Scorpius grabbed a hold of his chin, pulling him closer as he peered down on him like a piece of dren. "What is his name?" The trader tried to pull away from Scorpius, his eyes widening of fear.
"Rizlak Muhannin. A minor league arms supplier as well as a liar." The dark-red female stepped closer to the trader, held in place both by the guard and Scorpius. "I thought you didn't want to be here, Rizlo my friend, and now you want us to pay more attention to you? I wish you'd decide. I'm sure you're confusing our visitor with your behaviour."
The trader was now shaking visibly. He was used to the Auronans, but Scorpius frightened him to death. "Alright, alright! I'll tell you anything, what do you want to know?"
"Ah. I fear you truly must be a liar. You have no intention of telling us what we want to know at this stage," Scorpius said and released the grip on his jaw. "Remeset, I believe he's all yours."
"Thank you. Take him to the chair, guard, we'll work on it from there." The trader began screaming protests again. She shot a glance at Scorpius and made a mental note about remembering to ask him how he seemed so sure of Rizlak lying. Instinct, intuition, perhaps. She'd have heard him out, knowing he wasn't merely a liar but also a coward who didn't seem the type to withold information if the cost was getting seriously hurt in some way. "Now then, about your weapons trade..."
Scorpius sat down away from the chair with the restraints on it, the alien now strapped down in it, and regarded the scene with his usual cool clarity. Remeset seemed to know what she was doing, ordering the guard to start from the trader's fingers. He took the time to study her and form a better analysis of the situation on the planet. Her answer about the low number of females was interesting, though he'd refrained from asking for details. There'd be time for it later, in a more approriate time and place. She didn't seem too worried about the outcome of the inquiry either, although there was a set timelimit for how long it could take to sort the trouble out before the Peacekeepers would surely move in. His thoughts were interrupted when Remeset did something unexpected and the trader started wailing louder than so far.
"I told you to cooperate!" she snarled, spitting out half of the trader's ear, which she'd just bit off. Her colouring seemed somehow brighter, too. "Why do I always have to resort to extremes with people like you?" This was new. Apparently the rumour about Auronans being carnivorous to the point of being capable of eating other sentient species alive was true then. Was this connected to the females "exhausting" the males out? Scorpius was intrigued. Auronan had been neglected for far too long merely on account of there being no trouble, he would have to assign someone to look over the files again. The trader seemed ready to tell them what they wanted to know by now, too. All too ready, as he barely got the information out of his mouth before passing out.
Remeset sighed, wiping the specks of blood off her lips. "Filthy creature. Lucky for him, otherwise I'd have probably bit off his other ear, too." She flashed another of those cruel smiles, raising her left eyebrow as she looked over at Scorpius. "And how is our man in black? Put off by the performance? Or did the PKs finally send over someone who doesn't phase easily?"
"I am fine. See to it that the prisoner is kept alive. We may still need him," came the cool reply, and then he was already out. She sneered. "And who are you to tell me what I do on my planet, Mister Curious?" She nodded to the guard, who started to unchain Rizlak. "Take him to his cell and keep him alive." She looked at the place where Scorpius had sat for a few microts and then walked out.