The third meeting she had arranged, was to be held at the Trigon Club. In this case, it could be considered neutral ground. Arriving at the club on time, Ardine Makapet was surprised to learn that her sister was waiting for her.

Escorted to the alcove selected, Ardine appraised Li Glwen, wondering at the same time if she could remake the contact that sisters should have with each other.

“Welcome sister, you look well.” The words sounded welcoming enough, but Li Glwen did not rise and there was a note of insincerity in the voice. Ardine pursed her lips. Sitting down, she ordered a drink from the usual slim and scantily dressed young attendant.

“No food, dear? You don’t wish to eat with me,” purred Li Glwen.

“I have eaten already, sister,” Ardine accepted her drink with a smile of thanks to the attendant. “If you wish to eat, by all means go ahead.”

“Oh, I will, but let us talk first. It has been so long since we had the chance for a chat.”

There was a note of malice in Li Glwen’s voice and coldness in her eyes. Ardine sighed.

“Sister, can we at least be civil?”

“I suppose we can, if you don’t try to convert me to the Empire and try to convince me of its goodness.”

“I have no intentions of doing either. Or of trying to convince you that outsiders or outworlders, whatever you want to call them, are just as good as you,” Ardine calmly replied.

Surprise flickered in Li Glwen’s eyes at her sister’s statement. “Are you coming to our point of view?” She asked incredulously.

“In a way, I always was. It all depends on how you want to proceed.” Ardine smiled at her sister’s look of confusion. “You see I too am a person of Ti Lepus. I experience the same feeling of revulsion meeting an outworlder and have no desire to ever leave Ti Lepus, just like you. The difference is in how we each deal with it.”

Li Glwen’s eyes opened along with her mouth which snapped shut as the last words registered. “How we deal with it? There is only one way to deal with it. We shut out all those who would pollute us!”

“Really. And how do we do that?”

“We close down all our space stations and refuse entry to all outsiders!”

“And how is that going to work when a freighter shows up with needed merchandise, such as needed medical supplies that we can only get from outside?”

“Let them die. They are weak!”

“Including you?” Ardine put down her drink as her sister sat back in her chair. “How is your condition sister?”

After a fraction, Li Glwen looked away then gave a bitter look at her sister. “How could you? You know what the virus does if I don’t get treatment.”

“So long as you take the medication, the virus stays dormant. If you stop, within fourteen days, you die. I have not forgotten.” Looking at her sister, Ardine continued softly, “If I could cure you with my death, I would. You are my sister, I would give my life for you.”

Li Glwen let out a bitter laugh. “Easy to say when there is no chance of having to deliver.”

There was silence for a fraction. “I agree, it is easy to say, which is why I have not said it before.” Silence again. “But I would do whatever I could to save your life, which is what I want to do now.”

Looking suspiciously at her sister, Li Glwen considered her words, “What do you mean?”

“You are on a path which will lead to bitter pain for all of us, possibly death, certainly for many, including yourself.”

“How can you say that? We, I want to save us not hurt any of us!”

“Like Lewes?” Ardine challenged her sister.

“He was a martyr, a credit to us all!” Was Li Glwen’s scornful reply.

“How many do you want to die? And for what?”

“As many as necessary to gain our freedom!”

“That is something I don’t understand. Freedom from what?” Ardine leaned forward to encourage her sister.

“From the oppression of the Empire.” Li Glwen sat back satisfied.

Her sister stared at her. “What oppression? I have never been oppressed by the Empire! And I know no one who has either? I do know many of our sisters and brothers who have been oppressed by our own people however.”

“We depend on what we can beg from them. I have seen it.” The lives of lower class members of Ti Lepus society seemed of little or no concern to Li Glwen.

“We sell them goods, there is no begging, and other planets sell us their goods. They approach us. We don’t even have to go to them most times!”

“Ha, we will never be free unless we go our own way.”

Seeing this was going nowhere, Ardine recognised her sisters ingrain point of view, she asked a simple question. “What do you think the Empire will do?”

“Nothing!”

“Do you really believe that? Do you really believe that the Empire, having spent the lives and the blood of its troops on countless worlds, would let one tamely leave?”

“Why would they want to keep us if we make it clear that we want to leave?”

“Because when you join something like the Empire, you don’t just leave. This is the Empire, not some club like, well this one! ” Ardine waved her hand around. An attendant hurried over but was dismissed with another wave of the hand.

“Ha, well we will see who is right!”

“And if I could show that you are already wrong?”

“How could you do that?”

“I have information that you may not have.”

Li Glwen leaned forward, eagerly. “What is this information?”

Sitting back Ardine marvelled at the eagerness her sister was showing. This was not characteristic. Why was she so eager?

“What do you know of our master, the Dark Lord?”

“No more than anyone,” Li Glwen gave a shrug.

“You know that He is extremely powerful?”

“So the stories go. Probably a lot of lies to keep people frightened.” Li Glwen gave another shrug.

“His habits are interesting. Every couple of hundred years or so, He takes an extended holiday, possibly to Tantalus, but no one knows for sure. He took one earlier this year, but came back to Tihab suddenly and unannounced.” Ardine leaned forward and took a sip of her sparkling water.

“Go on.” Her sister urged her. “This is not anything startling, but I will listen.”

“Well, He was in a very bad mood it seems and no one knew why. After all, apart from a few small areas of unrest, the Empire was quiet. But this was just after the Lewes trial. Also, He put the Legion on high alert and has ordered several sub fleets into this galaxy. Even into this system.”

“And you think that all this is aimed at us?”

“Yes I do.”

“Why? Those movements could just be maneuvers that the Legion does from time to time.” The sneer was obvious. “And his bad mood, hah! All this is just conjecture.” She laughed. “So where did you get this information from.”

“A private source, but reliable. I know many people.”

After a fractions silence, Ardine continued, “You really think that you could rub the Dark Lord’s face with the excrement of a Propis, and get away with it? All the stories I have heard agree that He is not the forgiving kind.”

“Why should He care about us? We are nothing to him!” Li Glwen laughed.

After taking a sip of tea and waiting for her sisters further comments, Li Glwen spoke in a confident and unruffled manner about the revelations, “You seem to have bought into all the stories about this Dark Lord. I don’t believe He even exists, except as a legend.” She made a dismissive waving motion with her hand. “An artifact to keep planets compliant and submissive!”

With a start Ardine realised that there was not a hope of changing her sister’s mind. Her beliefs had become so ingrained into her personality that the two were now inseparable. Ardine sat back in her tall chair with a sigh. She knew that she had failed. There was only one thing left that she had to do.

“I see, you and Leves are determined to lead the planet down a dark path. Even if the Dark Lord appeared beside this table, you would dismiss him. Well there is but one thing I have to say.” Ardine stared directly into her sister’s eyes. “No harm is to come to Lorena. I will not stand for it. Understand?”

There was a hiss of an intake of breath. “You threaten me? Your sister?”

“I have said what I have said. On your head, be it.” The traditional declaration of unbreakable resolve was delivered in a flat voice and without expression.

With an angry gesture, Li Glwen jerked herself up from the table and stalked out of the club. After settling the account, Ardine also left, leaving an interested and somewhat confused attendant behind her.