"During the years you have been in space our esteemed High Commissioner has secretly been laying the groundwork for a coup of his own. The situation is really quite simple; the Emperor wants to remain Emperor, while Czako wants to become Emperor. Fortunately, at the moment neither seems powerful enough to dispose of the other.
"Now consider the situation as it applies to you. A formerly unknown and unnoticed Fleet captain has suddenly been decorated and promoted on the orders of Hlar himself, and this after records concerning him were altered. He has been invited to the private chambers of the Empress, where few men are invited. The High Commissioner fears the Emperor and Hlar is jealous of his wife. So...."
Loong spread his hands expressively to finish the sentence, but Savage needed no more.
"That's clear enough," he said, "but how do you fit in?"
"I am the faithful servant of the Emperor and his representative, the High Commissioner."
"You said that before," Savage said.
Loong just spread his hands again. Then he asked abruptly:
"What do you think of our planetary policies?"
The question took Savage aback. "What do you mean?" he stalled.
"I mean our policy of immediate conquest and subjugation of any inhabited planet we discover," Loong replied.