An Offensive Request
Posted on Fri Aug 14th, 2026 @ 9:24am by Lonian Royal Sovereignty & Civilian Teevs Dosivi
Mission:
Season 6: Episode 7: Crossroads of Destiny
Location: Niea IV :: Location Unknown
Timeline: MD4 - after "High Security Wing"
1603 words - 3.2 OF Standard Post Measure
The two guards ignored the words from the other prisoners. The female guard grabbed Teevs and pulled him upright, ignoring his pleas to not be taken, before she tugged him forward. When he resisted, she tased him, her grip on his arm keeping him from dropping fully, and she continued to pull him out before he could recover.
As he stumbled out of the cell, Teevs spared one last look toward Mattias, Damien, and Naxea. The fear gained something else. Desperation. While he had asked for Kerilia's safety, there was no doubt that his eyes begged for help, protection, anything. The moment was brief, as it only took a couple paces to move on from their cells.
The female guard brought him to a door, opened it, and pushed Teevs inside, indifferent to the man's stumble as he fought for balance.
The room was fancier than the one he was in yesterday. It held a couple of chairs, a table, and a cabinet, but what made it stand out was that it felt much more formal. This wasn't just any interrogation room; it was an office. Teevs winced as he was led to a chair and pushed into it, feeling the guard adjust his cuffs so he was secured to the chair. The guard then left him alone, the door sliding shut behind him.
A few moments later, the door slid open again, and Lady Sama herself entered the room. Her expression was cold and unwavering, her eyes sharp as daggers. She took the time to look over his bruised and battered figure before standing on the other side of the table. There was a brief pause, then her voice broke the silence like a knife slowly being unsheathed. "I've been informed that you asked a favour of the alien prisoners."
His breath shuddered when he heard none other than Lady Sama speak to him. It was one thing to be interrogated by her guards, but it was bad when dhe ran the room. It meant he got her attention, and not in a good way. Her knowing the plea he made only moments ago to Naxea, Mattias, and Damien only made him more anxious. It meant they were being watched and couldn't speak freely.
"Your Grace," Teevs began, keeping his head down. He wouldn't dare raise his eyes to look at her, not unless he wanted 'disrespecting a Lady of the Four Houses' added to his transgressions. There was a reason why Lady Sama had the reputation she did. "I hope you will consider a-a modest request. I have confessed to my crime, and will accept my punishment. My daughter, it..." he gritted his teeth at the words he knew he had to say if there was any chance of appealing to her. "... it's my fault she bears the mark of the Kavai. She's my only daughter... I wish for her to be banished from our world instead of sentenced to death."
Sama studied him closely as she processed what he said. Her expression revealed nothing. "You wish to fix your mistake with banishment," she slowly repeated, her tone faintly incredulous. A modest request. The thought was almost laughable. "Why would I grant such a request?"
Teevs grimaced at her harsh words. "Your Grace... she's just a child," he said cautiously. "Her only crime was being born, something she had no control over. If she is made to never return, she can't pose a threat to our people."
"A child?" She asked, her voice laced with cold disdain. "She developed her ridge, did she not? By law, she’s hardly a ‘child’ anymore. She isn't anything. She's tainted with the mark of the Kavai, the symbol of our greatest enemy, and you speak of her as if she has a place in our society. As if she has the same rights guaranteed to you." She leaned forward, her gaze icy and unflinching. "You ask me to spare a life that should never have been born. Do you truly deserve such mercy?"
"N-no, your Grace," Teevs answered, his fear of her evident in the way his voice trembled. "I don't deserve your mercy. But Kerilia..." He momentarily shut his eyes to keep himself composed. "With permission from Her Grace: she has a future ahead of her, why is she not allowed to grow up like the other children?"
Sama’s laced fingers tensed ever so slightly, her gaze piercing and calculating. “I don’t normally entertain pointless questions, but your time is limited anyways so be grateful for the courtesy.” She paused only briefly as she began a slow pace. “Consider what happens if she does grow up. The mark will isolate her from Lonian society. She’d be harassed, perhaps even assaulted or killed. The Kavai won’t accept her; she didn’t grow up with their customs. She’d be an outsider to her own culture. She doesn’t belong here, and she wouldn’t belong there. She’d be in social isolation for the rest of her life.” Her voice was disturbingly calm, carrying a razor-thin undertone of annoyance. “I’m protecting her from a cruel and depressing future.” She stopped pacing and rested her hands on the table between them. “You fought in the war, Mr. Dosivi. You served our people faithfully. I can’t understand why this bothers you so much. Why do you want your own kin to suffer?"
Teevs fought hard against his tears, knowing that this conversation wasn't going well. "Please, your Grace... killing a child is wrong."
A slow sigh embraced the room like a chilled morning fog. Straightening without a word, Sama walked around the table, shoes quietly clicking on the marble floor before stopping in front of Teevs. There was a pause before one of her hands lashed out from the cloak. The sharp crack of a backhand was accompanied by a startled noise from the prisoner. "You have some nerve to lecture me on morality." Her tone shifted from composed to seething restraint. "Our laws are in place for a reason: to keep our people safe. Your defiance, your brazen decision to court a Kavai,” her added enunciation reflected her distaste, “... goes against centuries of wisdom, and your ignorance is astounding. That thing you call a child is an affront to our society, and you dare to suggest that taking that life is wrong??” Her eyes narrowed at the prisoner, the first outward display of her irritation across her features, and she spat her next words. “Your audacity is as offensive as your arrogance."
If Teevs could shrink away from her, he would. "For-forgive me for insulting you," he squeaked out, his cheek burning from the slap. Angering Lady Sama was sure to have consequences later. He could feel his tears sliding down his cheeks against his will. "Please… I’m- I'm a father. Despite my daughter's… despite her... her flaws, I can't… I can't bring myself to-to not care for her. If she is banished, if she goes with the Elysium, she cannot harm the Lonian people. If what the guards said of her is true-"
"Silence," she ordered. She couldn’t wait for his execution. His defiance was irritating. "You really think banishment is that simple," she scoffed. Sama turned away from him and walked back around the table with an eerie calmness. There was a pause as she collected herself, her back to the prisoner. "Simply relocating the problem is not a solution. It is a weakness, an admission of tolerance for the crime you have committed.” She turned to look at him again, her blue eyes attempting to burn into his skull. “Your sentiments as a father do not supersede the laws and traditions of our people. The disgrace bears the mark of the Kavai. That alone is enough to warrant the death penalty. Your pleas and emotional arguments carry little weight in the face of such an offense."
It was hopeless. Teevs' shoulders dropped as he realized that he couldn't convince her to spare Kerilia. He couldn’t convince Sama that his daughter was a person, someone who deserved a chance at life. Each insult to his daughter extended to insult his morals, and if there was any dignity left to save, he knew she’d find it and squash it if the conversation continued. "I understand, your Grace. Your enlightenment is a courtesy." His voice carried his defeat.
Lady Sama's ice-cold gaze did not waver. She watched him for a long moment, seeing his acceptance of her decision. When she spoke again, her voice was hard and devoid of any sympathy. "Your valour is stained by these despicable thoughts." With a push of a button on her desk, she signaled the guards back in.
Two guards entered, moving to either side of the prisoner. Both of them looked toward Lady Sama, not touching the prisoner unless by her wish. She usually gave additional orders after personally addressing prisoners, so the guard silently waited for either instructions or dismissal.
Lady Sama's voice was final as she addressed her guards, her eyes never leaving Teevs. "Before you return him to his cell, remind him," her eyes narrowed once again, "of the consequences of offensive requests. Do what you must until he learns his lesson." She stared at Teevs for a lingering moment, her eyes as cold as her voice, before striding past him to leave the room without another word.
