BloodStar

Chapter 1: Goddess

“She is a Goddess.”  A young man said calmly as he sat in a chair made of the finest tufted brown leather available.  He then began to cut and subsequently light his cigar before looking over to the man pacing across the room. 

“A goddess, you say?”  The pacing gentleman replied.  This man was many decades senior to the other and puffed on his already lit cigar as he continued to pace.  “And might I remind you that gods and goddesses are capable of both great good and great evil alike.”

The younger man raised his hands and said, “Fine.  She is an angel.  And before you quip back, she is not a fallen angel but a holy one.”

The elder of the two men had a look of concern that his younger counterpart did not share.  “Fine, an angel.  Certainly not a fallen one.  She was born fallen.  If she is as you say, then she is a risen angel if there is such a kind.  And thus, my hesitance.  There is no such kind!”

The younger man was Senator Arthur Davis from Texas, and the elder gentleman was the Senate Majority Leader from Montana, Senator Irwin Hammond. 

Hammond took a seat across from Davis and said, “Look.  It’s not that I don’t want you to be right.  I do.  But I am old enough to have at least heard the stories from the Great War.  Her family has a historical tendency to destroy and oppress the citizens of this world.”

Davis sat across from Hammond smiling.  His charisma hadn’t wavered in the least bit as he said, “Ah yes, a historical tendency indeed.  I have read and studied the Great War.  Her family must have committed thousands of war crimes on thousands of occasions.  And yet, diplomacy prevailed at the end of the war.  And here we are today in a world that hasn’t seen a major war between countries or Master Families in over a century.”

Hammond frowned and said, “Yes, and I suppose you see it fit to cite the old Empress as a reason for the world changing.  How old is she now?  150 years old?  That’s not natural.  I suppose I don’t trust unnatural happenings.”

Davis smiled again, “Natural… unnatural… here are the facts… She waged war in her youth, and she has presided over a century of peace since then.  Her daughter is a goddess, and she has grown up in a world that only knows peace.  She is what the world needs to maintain peace I daresay.”

Hammond smiled back for the first time, “I daresay that I hope you are right.  However, we won’t get into the culture of their empire, will we?”

Davis blew a smoke ring and looked out the window, “Now that’s a problem, indeed.  But it is a problem for another day.  I’d like to think we are laying the groundwork for broaching that problem even if it isn’t years from now.”

“Your smoke rings have no integrity.  Have I taught you nothing?”  Hammond blew a smoke ring that was tight, a perfect circle, and symmetrically grew in diameter as it progressed across the room. 

Davis looked on in awe and shook his head, “I may never reach your great heights with the cigar.”

Hammond laughed and said, “My goal is to leave you with a world that at least offers you the opportunity to surpass me with the cigar."  He stood up and began pacing again, "Here is the bottom line.  Goddess, angel, demon, devil, war, no war… we don’t have the luxury of considering these greater questions.  Our hand has been forced.  We have no choice.”

Davis tossed his senior’s somber tone aside and blew yet another ring of smoke.  This ring was nearly perfect and traveled quite far.  He looked up at Hammond and said, “I may pass you yet.”  He then stood up and said, “Yes, our hand has been forced.  But it is not a bad hand to play.  The world may judge us at first, but we have a lot to gain.  The world has a lot to gain from this momentous olive branch.”

Hammond nodded and said, “It is true.  With great risk comes the potential for great reward.  I just wish the risk wasn’t so oversized.  Risk that can topple a nation will keep you up at night.  Of course, the reward is equally grand.  We could usher in an era of prosperity for humanity beyond any we have ever seen.”

At that moment, a knock occurred at the door.  Hammond and Davis simultaneously called out, “Come in.”

A fair young lady opened the door and curtsied as she reported, “Dear Senators, Princess Xenia Bloodstar of the Bloodstar Empire has officially set foot on United States territory.  Vice President Morrow, the now acting-President, asks that all lawmakers stay apprised of the situation in the small chance that he needs to call an emergency counsel with all United States Representatives.”

The two senators nodded as the young lady quietly closed the doors to leave them to their private discussions once more.  Davis for the first time showed a stern look and said, “There is no question she is a Goddess.  I suspect we will find out what kind, angelic or devilish, over the next 48-72 hours.”

And yet Hammond showed a genuine smile for the first time in response, “My dear boy.  Devils do not show themselves in a mere 48-72 hours.  They trick, deceive, and court their victims until it is far far too late.”  He looked out the window at a perfectly sunny day and softly muttered, “Yes, yes.  The next 48-72 hours will be both lovely and meaningless.  And in that regard, you are correct about one thing.”

Hammond turned to face Davis, and Davis smiled saying, “Mmm, yes.”  He puffed on his cigar before continuing, “For the next 48-72 hours we have ourselves an angelic Goddess.  Let’s do try and enjoy it.  For as you say, it may be short lived.”

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