“Are you ready for this?”

Pryvani Tarsuss turned to look into the wizened face of the man standing beside her. Zerreleous Phemo had been old for as long as she’d known him. He was one of the depressingly few of Chyuri Tarsuss’s advisors who hadn’t turned on her father when her mother had made her (alleged) bid for power. Her father’s lawyer had been instrumental in keeping the vast majority of the Tarsuss fortune out of Syon Fand’s grasp, patiently guiding the young Pryvani through the legal labyrinth that her mother had erected to try and rob Pryvani of her birthright.

Indeed, Pryvani suspected that by doing so he’d also saved her very life.

The young heiress took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “No.” She admitted with a tight smile. “I’m not. But this has to be done sooner or later, or I might as well just hand it all back to my mother.”

“All right then.”Phemo nodded and squeezed her shoulder gently. “Best not put it off any longer.”

Pryvani nodded and attempted to swallow the lump that had formed in her throat. She took another deep breath and made to step towards the conference room in front of her, but found her feet stubbornly refused to move.

“Are you certain you can’t go in with me?” Pryvani asked, her voice trembling only slightly.

“Very certain.” The old man responded softly. “It would send the wrong message. You have to show them that you are in control. If I go in there with you, they’re going to think I’m there to pull your strings.”

He turned Pryvani to face him and placed his hands on her shoulders. “Steel, my dear. You need to be completely impenetrable to them. It will be the only thing that saves you. You have the upper hand, don’t let them make you think otherwise.”

“Steel.” Pryvani took another deep breath. “Right.” The young woman squared her shoulders and ran a hand through her snow white and sky blue hair.

Without another word, she took a step towards the conference room door, fully aware that she was about to confront a pack of hypposhaars, most of whom wouldn’t have shed a tear at her untimely death a few days earlier.

Steel. She reminded herself, slowing her gait to a purposeful stride. Let them wait a little longer. She thought, even as she schooled her features into a passable imitation of her mother’s expression. They were in her world now, not the other way around.

The conference room door snapped open in front of her, and Pryvani sailed through it without missing a beat.

“Pryvani, I really must protest this meeting.” A rather indignant voice greeted her as she stepped over the threshold and into the well-lit conference room.

Pryvani ignored the middle aged man who was currently the head of the Board of Directors for the Tarsuss Corporation. Instead, she calmly pulled out the chair at the head of the table and sat down.

“Lady Tarsuss.” She said, leaning forward and tenting her fingers on the table in front of her.

“I beg your pardon?”

“You will refer to me as Lady Tarsuss, Mr. Jezkin. You and I? We are not friends; therefore I insist you address me properly.”

Andoro Jezkin snorted contemptuously. “I don’t care who you are, I will not address some teenage girl as ‘lady’.”

“Now Andoro…” The slightly younger man sitting across from him said in a calming voice. “There’s no need to be hostile. She is, after all, the duly appointed primate of the Tarsuss house. She’s within her rights to want to have that recognized. Now, I believe we’ve started this meeting out badly. Perhaps we can begin again, and work towards a mutually beneficial… understanding?”

Jezkin straightened his shirt and cleared his throat. “Of course you’re correct, Tansin.” He turned towards Pryvani and favored her with a smile that very nearly turned her stomach. “Lady Tarsuss, I do hope you can forgive my rudeness.”

Pryvani smiled serenely. Had any of them actually been paying attention, they might have seen the predatory glint in her eyes.

None of them were, however.

“Not at all, Mr. Jezkin.” Pryvani murmured in a conciliatory tone.

“Excellent.” Tansin said simply. “Now, with that out of the way, we can move forward. Lady Tarsuss, it’s our opinion that perhaps you are too young to assume full control of this company. We believe it’s in the best interests of the corporation as a whole for us to control the day to day operations while you finish your schooling.”

“Sure. I understand.” Pryvani said reasonably. “A seventeen year old girl, in charge of a hundred-trillion credit company? Seems insane doesn’t it? I mean, you’re all seasoned professionals. And I’m just a girl, right?”

“Good.” Tansin breathed a relieved sigh. “We’re glad you understand, I’ll have the legal department draw up papers to have control transferred back to you when-”

“I do wonder…” Pryvani continued over the older man. “Exactly how much of my money you’re planning on siphoning away while I’m off ‘finishing my schooling’?”

“I’m… I’m sorry?” One of the other executives muttered. “What makes you think…?”

“Let’s not take each other for fools, shall we?” Pryvani said, leaning forward and briefly making eye contact with each of them men and women around the table. She took note of which of them were willing to hold her gaze for longer than a second or two. “I’m well aware of the role you all played in my mother’s attempt to take what’s mine. She wasn’t able to defeat me, what makes you think any of you can succeed where she failed?”

“That’s a mighty big accusation.” President Jezkin hissed. “I think you’d do well to reconsider your next words carefully.”

“I always do.” Pryvani crossed her legs and reached for her data pad. Her fingers flew across the screen as he entered in a string of commands. A moment later a cacophony of buzzing noises and electronic beeps sounded around the table as each person there received a message on their own pads.

“I’ve just sent each of you a small dossier on all the little black spots on your souls. It’s by no means comprehensive, many of you have far too many ghosts in your backyard for me to include in one short little document.

“What is the meaning of this?” A blonde haired woman spluttered, staring at the screen of her pad in horror.

“Call it an insurance policy.” Pryvani said quietly, leaning back in her chair. “In case any of you think you can do to me what was done to my father.”

“How dare-”

“Don’t try to deny it.” Pryvani snapped coldly. “You took advantage of my father’s trusting nature to drive a dagger into his back. Well, I am as much a product of Syon Fand as I am of my father, as much as I loathe that fact. So from this point forward, I own all of you.”

Pryvani leaned back again and surveyed the ashen faces of those sitting around the table.

“That is with the exception of four of you. Some of your sins were too deplorable for me to overlook. For those I’ve notified the authorities. They should be along any moment now to collect you.”

Pryvani noted that nearly every face around the table suddenly looked very worried. There was a small part of her that took satisfaction from that.

“Well, now that we have that little bit of business sorted out… Why don’t we go over this quarter’s earnings report? I’d really like to know why-”

Her sentence was cut off as the door chimed from outside. The sudden noise caused a number of the people around the table to jump nervously. Pryvani somehow managed to conceal her amusement, as she used her pad to open the door.

The temperature in the room seemed to drop suddenly as five men and women in Investigative Branch uniforms pushed their way into the conference room. Pryvani’s quick eye noted the ranks of each officer as they entered, identifying the lead officer by the silver comet insignia on his lapel. Pryvani also found her eye drawn to a tall dark-haired woman with Jotunn braids who brought up the rear. The rest of the squad filed into the room and took up posts around the perimeter.

She rose out of her chair with practiced grace and turned towards the balding dark skinned man, who was in the middle of barking orders at his subordinates.

“What can I do for you Legatus…?”

“Zisko.” The man replied, grasping Pryvani’s wrist gently in his large hand. “I’m sorry for the intrusion, Lady Tarsuss. We’ve received intelligence that some people in your employ were involved in some illegal affairs. We have a warrant.”

“Of course.” Pryvani replied demurely. “We at the Tarsuss Corporation are always happy to comply with Imperial authority.”

She watched placidly as the Imperators ordered four of the board members to their feet and placed handcuffs around their wrists. Most went quietly, however Andoro Jezkin protested loudly about his own importance and demanded to know each of the officers names so he could report them to their superiors.

He met Pryvani’s gaze one final time before he was forcefully escorted from the room. Pryvani would remember the look of panic in his eyes for the rest of her life.

After the commotion died down, she turned to face the rest of her Board of Directors. Now, none of them seemed to be able to look her in the eyes.

The message had been well received.

*.*.*.*

Avalon

It had likely been about ten years since Pryvani had set foot on the moon’s surface, and she only had vague memories of the moon that served as her family’s vacation retreat. While her father was alive, the moon didn’t seem to matter much. She knew that humans lived on the surface, indeed the preservation of Earth fauna was the moon’s primary purpose. But considering that Pryvani herself had never been allowed to set foot outside of her family’s vacation home, so whatever lives the human residents had seemed remote and unimportant.

But now, as she looked down at her family’s moon through the port-hole in her cabin, she couldn’t help but feel a certain fascination with the idea of thousands of humans living on the surface, living almost entirely free of Titan influence, save for the occasional visit from whatever woman was playing the Goddess role.

Ever since Pryvani’s father had died, that role had been played by Pryvani’s second-cousin Eres, who was also employed as Caretaker for the compound.

Pryvani’s train of thought was derailed as her shuttle touched down in the compound’s hangar bay.

“We’ve arrived on Avalon, Lady Tarsuss.” The radio on the wall of her cabin crackled to life.

“Thank you, Captain.” Pryvani replied as she gathered up her bag.

Moments later, she left the hangar and entered into the Avalon compound properly.

She was rather surprised that no one was there to greet here. If no one else, as caretaker her cousin Eres should at least have met her at the landing bay.

“Hello?” She called into the entryway. “Eres? Are you here?”

The only response was silence.

Pursing her lips in irritation, Pryvani walked through the hallway, looking for any sort of signs of life. It wasn’t until she got to the main living room that she found anything.

Of course, it wasn’t her cousin she discovered. Rather, it was an unconscious man passed out on the floor. He was completely naked save for the sky blue bedsheet tangled around his body.

Now, Pryvani was no prude, nor was she unfamiliar with the male form. Nevertheless, she was a bit shocked to find a strange nude man in her home. One of her homes, anyway.

“Jalen… where’d you put the hustain…?”

Pryvani turned towards the new voice and found the disheveled form of her cousin leaning against the door leading to the master suite. Eres was a few centiunits taller than Pryvani. Her bushy green hair was tousled from sleep, and she was only wearing a long shirt that covered her thighs.

Pryvani checked the time on her pad and noted that it was well past midday, even taking Avalonian time into account.

“Hello cousin.” Pryvani said mildly.

Eres’s mouth froze open mid-yawn, before snapping shut. “H-hi Pryvani… I wasn’t really expecting you… to… be here.

“Clearly.” Pryvani responded, poking the prone form at her feet with her toe. The only response was a slight groan and something mumbled into the carpeting on the floor. “I thought my mother asked you to keep an eye on this place.”

“And I have been!” Eres responded defensively, shoving her legs into a pair of wrinkled trousers. “I keep an eye on things here in the house; I even go check on the humans every few weeks or so.”

“What do you do for the humans?” Pryvani asked curiously.

Ere waved a hand dismissively. “Oh you know, I go down to that little hovel they all live in and prance around acting like a deity for them. Occasionally I’ll scare ‘em a bit to make sure they stay in line. Nothing major, really.”

Pryvani’s eyes widened. “Scare them how, exactly?”

Her cousin shrugged dismissively and bent down to pick up the half empty bottle laying by the unconscious man on the floor. “I didn’t hurt them or anything. Just yelled and said I was displeased with them. Maybe stepped on a cart or something. Little bit of divine wrath, I guess.”

Pryvani cringed, suddenly feeling a hollow sensation in the pit of her stomach. “Eres… I’d like you to leave.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean that your… services… are no longer required. Please gather up your things… and him… and leave.”

There was a loud thunk as the bottle slipped from Eres’s fingers and dropped to the floor.

“You’re kicking me out?!” Eres gasped. “Where am I supposed to go?”

“Frankly, I don’t care. Go back to Larinius and see if he has a job for you.” Pryvani turned and left the room, leaving her flabbergasted cousin and the unconscious man to sort themselves out.

As she stepped over the threshold into the next room, Pryvani heard a loud crash of broken glass behind her, followed by a frustrated scream. Pryvani didn’t turn around. In fact, she fully expected to return to find a swath of destruction left in her cousin’s wake. No matter. She could replace whatever her cousin destroyed, and she never much liked the furniture anyway.

*.*.*.*

The walk from the mountain down to the city, which she’d learned was called Atlantis, was not nearly as arduous as Pryvani had originally expected it to be. In fact, the slightly overgrown trail that lead down the mountain to the city was rather scenic. She was surrounded by woodland, although the trees only came up to her calves.

The city, such as it was, appeared over the horizon. It was a collection of primitive wood and stone structures surrounded by a wooden fence that probably wouldn’t really prevent much from entering. Certainly not a Titan like herself.

As she neared she could hear trumpets sounding and shouts as the residents notified each other of her approach. She wasn’t sure just what sort of reception she’d be receiving. They expected a Goddess; but from what her cousin implied, and what Pryvani knew about her mother, they likely weren’t expecting a particularly kind deity.

Well, Pryvani aimed to change that.

As she drew closer to the gate, and eventually stepped over it, she could already see the population of the little encampment gathering in the center of the ring of buildings, kneeling reverently.

There weren’t very many, maybe a few hundred only. Pryvani knew that the total population of the moon was about twelve thousand, all scattered across the continent in small groups such as this one. However, she’d known that the population was a lot bigger when she was a child.

Presumably the sudden drop in population was thanks to the negligence of her mother and cousin.

She stepped carefully into the center of the village and looked down at the doll-sized creatures kneeling on the ground around her. She wondered if she should say something, when a man in a blue robe rose to his feet and stepped towards her.

“Great Goddess…” The man intoned, raising his arms above his head. “We thank you for blessing us with your presence this day.”

The words were nice, but even from far above them, Pryvani could see the signs of fear and worry in the humans around her. She wondered if she should have brought something for them. Something to reassure them that the days of the vengeful and neglectful goddess were over.

She had just opened her mouth to speak when a muted gasp came from the crowd. Pryvani looked down at her feet to find a small boy, barely more than a year old, had broken away from his parents and dashed over to where she stood.

The boy’s mother had tried to grab for her son, but was held back from pursuing him by the people on either side of her. Pryvani was deeply unsettled by the look of fear in her eyes, and not for the first time she wondered just what atrocities her mother had wreaked on the moon’s population.

The boy, on the other hand, showed only wide eyed curiosity. Carefully, Pryvani knelt down and scooped the small child into the palm of her hand, before standing back up and raising him to eye level.

“Hello.” She said softly. “What’s your name?”

“Dhantnee.” The boy said, as he absentmindedly traced the lines of her palm with his hand.

“Hello Dhantnee.” Pryvani responded. “It’s nice to meet you. Why did you run away from your mother like that?”

“Wanted to see you.” The child said with a shrug.

“Well…” Pryvani smiled, knelt down to the ground again and placed her hand flat against the ground. “I’m sure you’ll have many more opportunities to see me, but for now, she looks a bit worried about you. Why don’t you run along back to her?”

“Okay.” The boy muttered as he clambered from her hand and ran back to his parents, who looked very relieved.

The other humans looked more confused than anything. This was not the Goddess they had known for so long.

“Now then…” Pryvani turned back to the man in the blue robe.

“Tulak, my goddess.”

“Tulak.” Pryvani acknowledged. “Tell me about what your people need.”