The Spider Queen

(Hydra Star System- Planet Eryndor Prime)

(Private Garden)

"I must say that your garden is quite lovely Najet," Sophie spoke politely as she was guided through a long and narrow pathway that was surrounded by tall and leafy trees.

The grass beneath her feet was a lovely bluish-gold colour and small black insects buzzed from flower to flower.

Her companion was short five-foot-tall creature with two extra metalloid arms jutting out of his lower spine.

Najet was a Vorgon.

A race of alien traders from the Unovan Syndicate known for their ability to smuggle in spices through the border region.

His skin was dark brown colour with small lumps along his flesh that appeared quite repulsive.

Still despite his odd appearance, Sophie's face did not betray even a hint of her discomfort because that would not be polite.

"Thank you, Duchess Peterlor," Najet replied in common tongue. He gestured towards a deeper part of his garden and led the way.

The air had a lovely sugary sweet scent.

Sophie's footsteps paused for a moment as she took in a deep breath and enjoyed the peacefulness and tranquility of the moment.

"I hired the best landscape gardeners to design this space for myself and special guests and you my dear… are very special," Najet flattered charmingly.

"Am I special enough to get a discount?" Sophie asked teasingly with a raised eyebrow.

"No! No! No discount!" Najet's tone immediately changed as he abandoned his attempts to flirt with the beautiful hybrid girl.

There was nothing more important to him than money. Beauty would fade with time but the shine of Federation Enas… those would last for a lifetime.

Sophie laughed softly as she reached into her pocket and pulled out a small envelope that was sealed with a heavy red wax seal.

Najet led her over to a clearing where two benches had been placed facing on another. He sat down on the bench closest to the walkway and Sophie took the other one.

"Now… how can I help the esteemed Duchess Peterlor," Najet slipped back into a respectful tone as if his outburst had never occurred.

"I understand that you have been supplying Zoreyn Sage to House Thalassar, Avrilian herbs to House Volern and…" Sophie's voice trailed off into a whisper as she leaned in closer.

"Xyrian Turmeric."

"You are well informed…" Najet's voice cracked slightly as a serious expression flashed across his face.

He was forced to revaluate the young woman in front of him. He did not expect her to have a list of his clients as well as knowledge about his rarest spices.

"It is only a common courtesy when dealing with Vorgons. Your people respect those who are knowledgeable," Sophie replied with a polite smile.

"The purpose of my visit is quite simple. I would like you to sign an exclusive contract with House Peterlor to join as the head of our spice trading company."

Najet bared his teeth and Sophie could see blunt fangs gleaming under the sunlight that streamed through the top of the trees.

"And what would be the benefit for me? I make enough money selling to various noble houses… why would I limit myself to just one?" Najet asked with a hint of curiosity in his voice.

Sophie ran her thumb along the envelope in her right hand. She carefully used her fingernails to pry open the wax seal and slowly opened the envelope.

She handed the envelope over to Najet who took it from her palm.

The Vorgon merchant frowned slightly as he pulled out a letter and read the contents on the piece of paper.

His multiple eyes widened in shock as he continued to read.

The metalloid arms attached to his spine trembled ever so slightly as he placed the paper face down on the side of the bench.

"You… are you mad?" Najet stuttered in shock.

"Perhaps… but I am also the head of the most promising upper class noble family in the Federation. Do you dare to take a chance?" Sophie replied with confidence.

Her aura projected arrogance and strength in equal measure. For a brief moment Najet felt as though he was sitting across from a queen.

He did not know what to say.

What Sophie was offering… it was unheard of.

She was offering citizenship to him and his people on one of the planets administrated by House Peterlor.

In addition to other benefits as well that were just as attractive.

"Give me some time to think about this matter and I will have a reply by the end of this month," Najet finally spoke as he picked up the letter and placed it in his pocket.

"I look forward to hearing your answer," Sophie smiled with confidence as she stood up from the bench and used her full height to tower over the smaller sized alien.

She talked for a few more minutes with the alien merchant before finally bidding him farewell and heading off to her next location.

She hummed softly under her breath as she tapped a metalloid device attached to her uniform.

Her outward looks immediately changed as a cloaking device projected a hard light construct to mask her appearance.

Now if someone looked in her direction, they would see a tall bulky Mendolesa female wearing a white casual outfit.

This device was necessary when moving around because she would attract too much unwanted attention otherwise.

Sophie walked through the garden and eventually arrived at a busy main road that led to the heart of the capitol city.

She checked her wrist communicator, and two more locations were highlighted on the map. She typed in the coordinates of the first location and a red line appeared on the screen.

The hybrid girl rubbed her fingers together absentmindedly as she mentally went over the meeting with Najet in her mind.

It would be good news if she got him to agree to her offer but at the end of the day it was his choice.

Some nobles would have tried to force him to join their organisation, but Sophie was not one of those people.

Plus forcing someone to work for you in a role that was very important was just a recipe for disaster waiting to happen.

Buzz! Buzz!

Sophie checked the screen of her wrist communicator and saw a few messages from Cleo appear in her inbox.

Cleo: [Hey babe! When are you coming back? Did the meetings go well?]

Sophie: [Well I just finished the first one and he wants some more time to think about it. I'm going to speak to the second merchant now and hopefully it goes okay.]

Sophie: [The members of my dad's leadership team want me to only focus on university but… I want to do more. I want to expand the business and try to maintain my father's legacy.]

Cleo: [Well no pressure… I'm sure none of them will be able to resist your charms :)… and of course the money is good as well lol]

Sophie: [Trust me… I'm a generous person… money was never going to be an issue.]

The hybrid girl smiled as she continued to chat with her girlfriend. She walked through the crowded streets and entered a side alleyway that was very easy to miss.

At the end of the alleyway was an old run-down shop made from simple wooden materials mixed with dark brown mud.

The smell surrounding the shop could only be described as a mix between garbage and raw sewage.

Sophie's nose immediately wrinkled as she forced herself not to gag violently. This was one of the many times where having enhanced senses was a curse and not a blessing.