Sienna slowly unpacked her two small bags of personal possessions while gazing out the window of her room. She had been dragged halfway across the universe by a man she despised. She was held separate from her poor father, who now slaved endlessly for Gregory St. Croix, all to pay off her debt. It had begun simply enough, a fun junket with friends to a vacation spot on Pominia, a well known leisure spot.

Her friends had cajoled her into it, with their "Oh, come on! It will be fun! Drevin has use of his dad's lighter for a whole two weeks!"

It was all a great time until Drevin's drinking got him into trouble with the hotel staff at the casino. Then they had run off, two steps ahead of the authorities, stranding her at the hotel with an unpaid room and a four thousand-credit casino debt. The authorities had let her contact her father, who went ballistic. He didn't have enough cash to cover the casino debt, let alone pay a commercial flight to get her off the planet and safe home. Her 'friends' wouldn't even talk to him about it. Then he had been contacted by St. Croix. The man had been after her father to work on some project or other, with which her Dad had definitely not wanted to be associated. With his daughter's safety at stake, he had agreed to an arrangement with Gregory to gain her release and pay off the Casino. In turn, the court ordered a writ of indenture to guarantee repayment, making Gregory her warder.

Voices drifted to her from down the hall outside her room. She recognized the rasping bass of Gregory ordering around one of his corporate lackeys.

"I don't care what he says. I want the generators mounted in the superstructure now. The engines and all the rest are already in place. See to it. I have a dinner engagement to make, or I'd tell him myself."

Sienna's door flew open, and she turned to see the compact bulk of a seething Gregory standing at the entrance.

Composing his features, Gregory raked her with his eyes. "I've decided to see if I can't have you stay with some people I know near the compound. I don't want you wandering around here. Besides, there is nothing to keep you occupied. I don't have the personal staff to tend to you that I had at the refinery. You need to leave all this, "he waved to her half unpacked bags, "until later. We have to jaunt over to see the people I mentioned - an Avery Leone and his family.Meet me downstairs in say, half an hour."

His face cracked a half smile. "Try to be gracious with the Leones; it will be in your best interest, and make the time pass faster for you."

With this, he abruptly turned and retreated down the hall. Sienna stiffened, and then returned to her bags. He was right though, she would be better off away from Gregory - anywhere away from Gregory.

****

Avery personally answered the clanging gate bell, and was pleased to note that Gregory was on time. Dinner would not be delayed.

"Welcome once again, Monsieur La Croix - And this is?" Avery smiled at the girl, a young woman actually, and with very pretty blue eyes, too, he noted.

"Ah. Good to see you, Avery." Gregory pumped Avery's hand vigorously then released it to indicate Sienna. "Yes this is Sienna Mavens, my ward - as I mentioned earlier. Is your sister still here?"

"Of course, she would not miss the opportunity for company. Her husband, Daniel, is away one state business, however. I welcome you also, Miss Mavens."

Sienna returned a hesitant smile, but her blue eyes watched him attentively, and Avery felt pleased with this, too.

Dinner was a bit more elaborate than usual - Lucille had seen to that with some rather abrasive and loud conversations earlier in the kitchen. They finished with yet more of the fine estate wine. Table talk had been light and general. Avery watched Sienna slowly become more relaxed, often returning his gaze, which had strayed more to him than to Gregory.

Gregory sat back from the table palming his glass and raised his eyebrows, looking speculatively at Avery.

"Perhaps I could talk with you privately for a bit. Would you mind?"

Avery shrugged. "Lucille? Miss Mavens? Would you excuse us?"

The two women acceded, so Avery rose, snagging an unopened bottle, and directed Gregory out onto an adjoining patio where Avery often lunched, especially if he had been supervising the unending grounds work of the estate. It was a pleasant enough place, trellised with hops and airy despite there being no view save that of the household retaining wall. Avery leaned against the patio's oak railing and watched Gregory curiously. Gregory stood foursquare before him, brow furled.

"I am thinking, "said Gregory, "of taking up permanent residence here. My research plant isn't suitable for long-term occupancy yet, and I have questions about the security of Avon, an issue I need to address the council about shortly. Still, I am already starting more construction on the residential area, but it will be a few weeks before it's comfortable. I was wondering if I might convince you to put Sienna up as your guest in the interim. I would gladly compensate you for your trouble, of course."

A bit startled, the sudden announcement brought the image of Sienna forward in Avery's mind. How curious...still, a new countenance around the house would not be unwelcome, and hosting was almost a custom between estates.

"Well, I ah, I would be willing to discuss it with Lucille. We certainly have the room. This is a bit sudden, but if Lucille feels able, then I am sure something could be done. What concerns drive this interest in establishing yourself here, Monsieur La Croix?"

Gregory's eyes flicked side to side and dropped to inspect the patio flagstones. He frowned and shrugged. "New business interests, mainly, but I always intended to spend more time here anyway."

Avery pulled the stopper from the new bottle, and refilled his guest's glass, then his own, pursing his lips. "I will ask Lucille after you leave tonight. Come, it's getting dark. Let us go back inside."

He breached the topic after Gregory left. Lucille was predictably thrilled with the idea, and Avery was rather pleased with the thought as well. Lucille had gotten along well with Sienna, and it would give her some fresh company for a time, which in turn, should give him a bit more peace, so why not? He called Gregory to make the arrangements.

Gregory hung up the phone, a small smile creasing his features. He had planned for this time, and it was always good to see a plan fall into place. Not wasted were the months he had spent currying favor on this planet. Almost every one of the 600 or so holdings on Vega had agents in place - usually second or third cousins of the owners. In exchange for one favor or another, he had graciously offered to fund their off world educations, or provided favored household members with temporary jobs at one of his facilities. He worked diligently to subvert these scions of the Landholders, succeeding more often than not

He would own this world, and everyone on it.

A steady stream of mercenaries had been making planet fall since the moment of his arrival, some even before. They came down dressed as workers, mixed in with his core staff, bivouacked in segregated perimeter buildings.

The real charm of Vega was its lack of a significant civil government. It had been partitioned out in land grants by a development and distribution consortium only interested in a captive supplier base. Soon, they would be buying only from him.