Hounds of Orion

As the door closed, Augustus turned and looked at his son, who was gazing back in defiant silence. After a moment he clapped his hands together, diffusing the awkwardness that now permeated throughout the room.

“Well. I say we get this show on the road. I believe some introductions are in order.”

As the King spoke the three strangers rose to their feet, Cameron following a moment later.

“You all know me, though I doubt my son has enamored himself with you yet, judging by the reactions.” His head nodded in Cameron’s direction as he raised a hand to make a grand twirling gesture. “Cameron Pellyn, prospect consort and Seneschal to the royal line of Ketris and her people, 27th of his mantle.”

Cameron, though still holding his father’s gaze in a flash of spoiled rage, understood that certain customs must be observed as he stood and gave a low bow, the others responding with a silent nod. As he sat, the pudgy, bald man spoke.

“Lord Lazarus Lendrick, ambassador and high scholar of Amreith, I speak for Prince Seprith Caustos, shall the stars hear and bless his name.”

The weasel man spoke next, a thick nasally voice that was grating and unpleasant as he nearly pushed his head to the floor in a grand, overexaggerated bow. "Count Wervil Darwin, high council to Prince Timas Lo'Dain, and Grand Marshall to the planet Ma'Kir, a pleasure my lord."

Cameron had to fight the urge to roll his eyes at the man's bombastic introduction. Kiss asses were common on the court, but this guy took pompous to a whole new level. Luckily, he had better things to set his eyes on, as the woman stood and nodded her head, speaking in the strange off-system accent unique to earthlings.

"Sybil Moore, ambassador of President Cortez and agent of the Department of Planetary Relations." When she spoke even the king listened intently. Sure the Pellyn family ruled their world, and these men were in charge of much of their own home planets, but a representative of the mother-world was due all the respect one could muster.

As the woman sat, the silence was broken when one of the other dignitaries, the one named Lendrick, spoke. "I didn't think that the mother world sent dignitaries for this sort of matter. Sector celebrations are one thing, but I cannot recall a time I saw someone at your station for a simple coronation, my lady."

Sybil smiled and gave a shrug. "It's a new initiative the President is tackling, outreach to the frontier systems has been... lackluster in the past few hundred years. My ship was in the area, and when word of Lady Miranda's appointment reached my ears, I stopped in to make an appearance. Also, Lord Lendrick, it's Ms. Moore. We rid ourselves of nobility centuries ago. Not to say it doesn't work here, but it certainly didn't for us. She gave him a smile that Cameron could tell was fake, but Lendrick only nodded thoughtfully and began diving into discussion about the dynamics of Royal and Non-Royal planetary relations when the doors opened behind them and everyone turned to look.

Marcus was back, though he was not alone. Next to him, striding in a confident silence, stood the most imposing man that Cameron had ever seen. He was tall, easily surpassing Cameron in his six foot three height, and twice as wide. His shoulders nearly took up half of the doorway where he stood. His head was shaved and his black goatee, flecked with wisps of grey, stood out prominently against his dark skin tone. Scars crisscrossed their way across his arms, and face, settling on one long cut underneath one of his steel colored eyes. His arms were slabs and his fists were boulders, sitting across a barrel chest, allowing the sunlight to reflect off of the iron divots that were set into his skin. This man was a pilot, and a fully integrated one at that.

He let out a long growl of a sigh as he walked. The man was dressed for combat with a black military trousers, cinched tight with a grey webbed belt. A grey compression shirt tugged at the man's massive frame. Cameron was so busy sizing the man up, that he was surprised when he looked up and saw that he was staring daggers at him. He crossed the hall in a few long strides and before Cameron knew it; he was standing over him, a titan looking down upon an insect.

"U-Um... Dad?!" Cameron shouted back, a twinge of fear breaking in his usual calm and confident voice.

The only thing more surprising than this mystery mountain, was the laughter coming from Lord Pellyn's throat. A deep hearty chuckle as if he was the only one in on the joke.

"Glad you could make it Logan, I suppose now that everyone's here we can finally begin."