interrogation?"

"As soon as you wish, Highness. That particular chamber is always kept
ready."

"Let's get it over with, then. Putting it off isn't going to make it
any easier, and I'd like to end this war as soon as I can--if that's
possible at all."

"It will end, unfortunately," the Warleader said. "Not for some time,
I hope--the Empire is the most competent enemy we have yet
encountered--but it will end."

"With the Empire destroyed, the way you're going," Medart said.
"That's not exactly what I had in mind. At home, you're a vital part
of the Empire--a crucial part of our military, and contract police on
any world that really values law and order. To me, that's the ideal--but
I'll settle for having you as friends to this one, allies against
the worst enemy any civilization in any universe has ever faced."

Ryan looked suddenly interested. "Oh? An even better enemy?"

"I thought that would intrigue you, if you hadn't already heard about
them. Ask me about the Ravagers while you have me under--they're
something nobody would believe on simple hearsay. If you're lucky,
you'll never run into them--but if you're not, and they show up here,
you'll be glad of any allies you can get."

* * * * *

Clan-chief Ryan watched as his people fastened Prince James into the
interrogation chair. He'd had a primarily-Vader fleet in the area
because of an information-gathering spell that had told him his clan
would benefit by an intercept here, with a "side note" that it would be
best if he seem to be less than his true rank. Deception was difficult
for Sandemans, but introducing himself as Warleader rather than
clan-chief was failure to reveal he was both rather than an active lie,
so he'd been able to manage it. Lying was for Shapers and their kin.

This Prince James was obviously related to the Shapers, from his size
and coloring, but Ryan found himself wanting to believe what James had
told him. Not that he'd given Last Gift to a Vader warrior, or that
Sandemans were actually part of the Empire he came from--even though
that was something chiefs couldn't either deny fully or reveal--but
that he had gotten the saber honestly, and his motives for claiming
what he did were equally honest. It was impossible to believe that one
who risked himself as James was could do so without some overwhelming
motivation beyond the self-advancement of Shaperkin!

When the restraints were all in place