After a brief chat, the Skull Architect and his entourage briskly turned around and boarded the shuttle. Once his procession rose in the air and flew back to space, the meeting had come to an end.
Some time later, Calabast and the Swordmaidens deployed on the surface returned to space as well. When the woman entered the stateroom of her personal ship, Commander Dise already awaited her arrival.
"I'm impressed by how you've handled the Skull Architect. The meeting went smoother than I thought." The leader of the Swordmaidens remarked as she laid on the bed.
"The Skull Architect isn't as fearsome as you think as long as you give him a reason to respect you. His reputation in the frontier is not that relevant anymore now that the sandmen have overrun the old order there. He needs me more than we need him. If not for his potential usefulness to Ves, I wouldn't have bothered to offer my services to him. Obtaining the favor of a genuine Senior might come in handy one day."
"I'm not so sure whether it's wise to play with fire. Mayra once told me that she had to be very careful when she studied under him. He has a habit of blowing up on people."
"I'm pretty certain that some of it is an act." Calabast confidently stated. "While the Skull Architect is anything but a balanced individual, he needed to project strength while he was in the frontier. Now that he has reintegrated into civilized space, he ought to be rational enough to moderate his behavior."
The spy strode forward and sat down on the side of her bed. The two came very close.
"Want to have some fun?" Dise suggested.
"No thanks."
"Why not? We're lovers, right?"
Calabast slapped her supposed girlfriend's rear. "There's no need to keep up the act."
"Who says our relationship is an act?" The commander's eyes twinkled.
"We only agreed to go along this charade to assuage Gloriana's fears, Dise. If you want to earn my attention, then find some way to become an expert pilot."
"How is it so easy for me to make this step?" Dise helplessly shook her head. "Plenty of expert candidates have reached the limits of what they are capable of in this realm without finding any way to get past their bottleneck. My weird bond with the exobeast I've encountered at Aeon Corona VII doesn't help matters either."
"Find a way to resolve this issue. The sooner you advance to expert pilot, the more we can do by borrowing your strength."
Commander Dise rose from the bed and faced Calabast with a concerned expression.
"You're moving very quickly, you know that? Why are you in such a hurry to build up your strength and make so many deals with people?"
"Everything is changing, Dise. The Sand War and the Komodo War have smashed the existing order in the frontier and the Komodo Star Sector. The invasion of the Red Ocean is changing all of human space. Many gaps have opened up that we can take advantage of. The premise is that we have what it takes to secure our gains."
"You've been investing an awful lot in paving the way for that brat from the Bright Republic. I don't see why you even bother with him. Isn't he just a Journeyman?"
Calabast smirked. "He's not just a regular Journeyman. Trust me on this. We have to take very good care of him as he's our ticket to the top."
"Couldn't you have just built a relationship with the Skull Architect instead? After all, he's already a seasoned Senior."
"I don't have control over the Skull Architect. Didn't you just say that associating him is like playing with fire? I know my boundaries with him. It's not a good idea to get too close to him, especially when he has shown he is willing to cross a lot of lines to get what he wants."
"Is Ves any better?"
"You'll see why it's worth it to partner up with him sooner than later." Calabast confidently stated.
She never felt as confident in fulfilling her future ambitions before she encountered Ves. Though she knew that his actual identity was anything but simple, she dared to insert herself in his life because the opportunity was too precious.
This star sector was too small for someone of her ambition. Even if she was born a Hexer, and a member of the powerful Vraken Matriarchal Dynasty at that, she never held any pride over her origin.
A Hexer like Calabast might enjoy a lot of status in the Komodo Star Sector, but that was like a rat lording it over a cage.
Her true goal lay elsewhere!