Adam shifted towards his slave when the call ended, his gaze sharply digging into Barruni as she started to shift uncomfortably. her talons twitched like she was readying for an attack when Adam spoke up. "So Barruni, have you gotten into contact with the Vanid who called you to stab me in the back yet?"
Her fear skyrocketed at this. Barruni was feeling comfortable with how her life had gone. she had sunk back into a comfortable work-life, even if she lost the privileges that were afforded to her as a free person, but it was far easier than the manual labor that any other master would force a traitorous slave to undertake. "N-no. My friend has tried to get me to talk to her again, but I'm worried that meeting with my old leader would cast doubts about my subservience to you, master." She stated, trying to keep her voice projected but Adam could easily tell that she was fighting not to whisper.
Adam nodded at that, leaning back as he seemed to look away. Barruni had seen this on multiple occasions and had realized that this was to show that Adam was in thought, which kept her on edge, she didn't know what he would do. did he not think that her actions were enough? Her answer came when Adam leaned towards her again, his hands linked, holding up his chin as he asked. "So Barruni, what would you do if you could work for that woman again without any consequences?"
Adam's question caused both her mind and face to go blank. his words made absolutely no sense. how could he be willing to allow acts of sedition under his very gaze? She was stuck like that for a good half a minute before the clicking of Adam's dexterous fingers caught her attention. "Hello? It shouldn't be that hard a question, why are you so confused about how to answer?" Her master asked with an irritated tone to his voice, causing Barruni to straighten up and speak her mind.
"Master, I am just surprised that you would entertain the thought of allowing sedition when you can see it, you have already had your life risked once due to betrayal, I just cannot comprehend why you would risk betrayal again?" To Barruni's surprise and slight anger, she found her master laughing heartily at her statement. What was so funny about her thoughts? This was a serious issue.
"That's not what I'm asking Barruni, I am asking if you would be willing to do the Vanid's bidding while working towards my own goals. It will take creative speaking and you will need to learn to lie, but I'm willing to let you get close to the Vanid if you do as I say." Adam's words rang through Barruni's mind as she tried to comprehend them. she would be working for the Vanid but also him? they were enemies though. She was going to lie? no one would believe a lie though...
"But how would I not get caught? The Vanid can easily get information out of you from the tortures they can conduct if you don't give appropriate answers. they won't let me go if I lie." Barruni was letting her anger build up again. This man was telling her to sacrifice her own self for some deluded concept of working behind the Vanid's back. "Why do you believe that you will get anything out of such an action?"
Adam sighed as she bit back at him, this wouldn't work if he wasn't clear that she would be on board with the action. "Easy, you won't be lying to her about what you do, only the actions around it. you will be her little tool, telling me about her plans and following her orders when you aren't doing things for me." When he talked about her tasks for him his grin grew devilish.
"And what do you aim to get out of it? You talked about lying, how will I be lying? She'll kill me if I turn against her in any way." Barruni stated, standing up now as her anger built. "This seems like a mission to get me killed, what are you planning?"
Adam groaned and leaned back onto the bed, his hand going through his unkempt hair, looking oddly out of place for most creatures, Barruni couldn't get a grip on whether humans looked better with hair or bald like Shu. "The idea is Barruni, that I want to know and manipulate the situations around the station. I cannot just live in my own world and get anywhere. I need to spread my influence without the Vanid becoming threatened by it and turning on me."
"But how do I working for that woman help? how can you influence the Vanid without them knowing?" Barruni shot back, her anger turning more into confusion as Adam dropped his c confidence and tried to explain things more clearly.
"Barruni, I'm a plant by one of the Vanid." adam stated as tersely as possible. staring at her with that confidence seemingly returned, his eyes projecting a force that caused Barruni to recoil from the revelation.
"Y-you are? I thought you were some uppity patriarch this whole time. how come you've been targeted to this extent when you were put here by a Vanid?" Barruni asked. her master was revealing truths about himself that she didn't know was actually there. everyone thought that he may have been under someone's orders, but no one could tell whose orders he was getting if he was.
"Do you see how easy it is for me to lie to you?" Adam's devilish grin returned as Barruni was mentally struck silent for a second time... he was lying? but he was so sure, he had no indications that he made it up... "You were lying? But it was so believable? How can you lie like that?"
"Easy, most species have no need for deception, they develop straightforward ways of supremacy, and deception gets put on the wayside as apex species don't need it against their foes. This fact separates humans from most other species as they naturally prepare for an enemy, and in preparation for enemies initially stronger, we develop deception to undermine their strengths."
"W-wha? Barruni asked as she was barraged by her master with statements about sapient species and the difference between humans and her. It made no sense to her and the more she thought about it the more confused she got.
Adam, for his part, noticed that she was confused, his eyes widening for a moment before he coughed to get her attention and waved his hand dismissively. "Sorry, just got into a bit of a philosophical rant. What I mean is that I can lie well and I can teach you how to lie well. I just want you to guide situations in my favor by following the Vanid when it helps me." Barruni could only squint at that though.
"And how will I be able to convince her that I'm helping her while only doing what you ask?" Adam chuckled as he tried to get out of the bed, only to pull on the medical devices, forcing himself to return to his position. Barruni would walk up to the young man to check on his body, making sure nothing was pulled out. "Master, I know you are bored in there, but if you keep moving around too much you will pull out the tubes." She lightly berated him, almost forgetting about the situation.
"Well Barruni, that is the easiest part." Adam began, his face near her ears as she worked on him. "You will receive tasks, then come to me to check what tasks I have for you. if I want you to turn down the Vanid, I just make up a task for you to undertake during that timeframe, causing the Vanid to be unable to use you, and you don't have to lie too much when you say you're too busy to do the task."
Barruni was taken aback by his statement more and more as she thought about it. He knew she was bad at lying, so set up a situation where she could serve the Vanid, do his bidding, and keep it under wraps if Barruni could have enough tact to not mess up. it was a good plan, and the more she thought of it, the more excited she got.
"Are you really okay with me going back to her though? If things don't work out, I'll be returned to her and you'll be..." She shuddered at the thought but looked back at Adam. "She's a gourmet Master." all Barruni saw when her master heard those words was squinting of his eyes.
"Well Thank you for the warning Barruni, and you're already doing what I'm asking you to." He said with a smile that she could tell wasn't exactly right.
"And what is that Master?" She asked. Talking to Adam was tiring, every time they talked together he just confused her.
"Giving me the information I can use to plan out actions to throw the Vanid into a civil war against each other."