THIS IS THE CENTAURI THREAD.

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It is often said that if you looked at the lifespan of the Earth as compressed into a single minute, that humanity would only appear in a final few seconds of glorious growth and light.

Imagine if it was slowed down; In a moment, Humanity leaving the cradle of the earth behind, their light traveling. First to Luna, then Mars, then Europa - and then beyond, following an ever-growing webway between the worlds, a hundred colonies united and linked. Expanding, exploring, and yet...

Imagine, a moment later, Earth ignited, lit by a thousand lights, a thousand fires. The links shattered, contact lost, and all left to fend for themselves.

Imagine all those little lights, all those colonies, one by one winking out.

But not all of them. Some had clung to their survival, bereft of supplies and aid. Some had even grown. Their lights still burned in the darkness.

One such light was the Bodhi System.

Settled late in the colonial period, Bodhi had enjoyed all the benefits that the harsh lessons of space colonization had brought without nearly as much of the pain; What had been far more beneficial, however, had been the discovery that its second planet, a terrestrial rock slightly smaller and slightly hotter than Earth, had all the necessary materials and components for settlement. An atmosphere, an active core, and most of all water - nearly twenty-eight percent of its surface covered by it, an incredible find.

They were lucky - obscenely so. And as a result, when Earth burned and the Gates that kept the colonies together were severed, the Bodhi system survived.

They grew - first expanding across the slowly terraforming world they had come to call Nirvana, then building their way back to the stars. Satellites, stations, and even colonies of their own on several planets; including the largest on the seventh planet in the system, a resource-rich airless, frozen rock that they came to call Samsara.

Yet in time there came to be friction between the main world and its colony; protests of living conditions, of oppression claimed and retaliation in the tunnels. It came to blows in bars and molotovs in the halls, until soon enough the coalition of mining colonies and outlying stations declared independence.

It had been war, long and bloody and fought with warships and weapons essentially no more advanced than a sharpened stone, and had the outside world not suddenly come rushing back it would likely have spelled the destruction of both. But a Centauri probe passing briefly through the system picked up the signal of its long neglected Gate, and suddenly the light was alone no longer.

Eager for the rich potential of a garden world that Nirvana presented, the Centauri gladly offered to support the colony in their battle against Samsara - provided, of course, that certain deals were agreed upon... And only a short period later the Federation followed suit, declaring it their intention to protect the sovereignty of the Samsaran miners, who had - cut off from the supplies of Nirvana - openly accepted the idea that they would return to Earth's side.

The stage was set, and now both were waiting only for their cue.

Bodhi II (Nirvana) - Low Planetary Orbit

"Innocent Blade, you are clear to dock at port 5. Cargo'll be up shortly, they're on their way up. Berths are clear - you've got a smooth path in."

Lights moved in a glittering dance against the backdrop of the void, starships in motion, slowly orbiting the planet below; a dry world of browns and greens, with a few wide, glittering blue oceans and huge cloudbanks that drifted lazily along the surface.

A silver ribbon seemed to be strung across the sky, catching the light here and there to glint against the color behind, but where it didn't it was nearly invisible save for odd circular objects that seemed to hang suspended around it - wide metal rings with protrusions that were obviously turrets of some kind. It was only as a small corvette passed by that the immense size of the weapons became obvious.

A space elevator!

When the Centauri wanted to impress, they didn't do things by halves. It had been a gift for their new allies, to facilitate quicker movement of supplies and traffic between orbit and the surface - though given the planet's thick atmosphere, simply mounting a rocket on a spaceplane had proved to be fairly efficient at getting free as well.

At the focus of the glittering ribbon was a station - a massive superstructure of steel and painted in graceful, artistic ways; one almost got the impression that it had been made almost as much to look good as it had been to work correctly.

Because, of course, it had been. It took a lot to impress nobles sometimes.

In the control room of the station, its wide arching windows overlooking the entire enormous structure, a Nirvanan engineer turned to her companion, who was removing his headset. "What's taking them so long?" she asked, glancing at a readout of the platform's progress - it was moving at barely three-quarters its maximum speed. "They're gonna drain the gens at this rate..."

"Sure they're up t'something," the other said, with a shrug. "Prolly somethin' important. Whole lotta foreign nobles on there, and our guys too. Maybe they're talkin' about plans?"

Bodhi II (Nirvana) - Aboard the Space Elevator

"Yes, yes - my plan!" The clink of glasses, while a harp with orchestral accompaniment strummed a haunting melody. "As I was saying, I'm telling you - your ships need more pizzazz."

"Pizzazz," echoed the flat, accented reply of the Nirvanan parliament's leader, the Maharani Shyama. "And... Why is that?" She was staring at the Centauri nobleman like one might at a particularly disturbing insect, although fortunately he was too distracted by himself to notice.

"Come now, you don't want your soldiers to look boring, now do you?"

As it happened, it was a party. The Centauri never did anything by halves.

A space elevator is not, usually, the prime place for a meet and greet. In fact, they usually tend to be like elevators normally are - crowded, smelly, and paranoia-inducing, not to mention having every bit of volume available crammed with cargo. Space and energy come at a premium, and wasting either is generally frowned upon rather severely by those who value their money. However, renting out the entire cargo space for a lavish dinner party tends to win people over, especially if you include alcohol. The usually bare and spartan space had been outfitted in gold and brass, its metal roof covered in expensive drapes of red and gold silk that hung in swaths over the proceedings, lit from above by dimmed lights to cast the floor in a shimmering array of orange glow and shadows.

The elite were out in force - Centauri nobles were clumped in groups, usually organized by political standing or wealth. The more powerful and influential had crowds of hangers-on and sycophants surrounding them like a small agreeable fog, while the less powerful usually kept close to their allies or those they thought were their allies; though such things changed often and indeed sometimes changed multiple times over the same glass of wine. There was an energy here, a sense that this was almost a game - politics at its most pompous. Liberal amounts of alcohol and dishes of spectacular delicacy helped oil the wheels of progress, and a number of suit-clad waiters darted here and there through the crowd with plates and bottles in hand. The native leaders were more subdued, dressed, generally, in unisex suits or more sober dresswear, as opposed to the wildly elaborate clothing that the Centauri wore - often clashing or bizarre in shape and origin. Not a single person there, more than likely, owned less than a manor.

Except, of course, some of the Knights, who were mostly standing around with all the awkwardness that a military man in a civilian party usually possessed. With a few notable exceptions, of course. They were to accompany the nobles up to the geosynchronous station - and from there to put on a demonstration for them using their Frames.

But for now, they were in a cargo-hold-turned-dinner-party, surrounded by expensive wine and even more expensive people, and the air smelt of a feast.

edited 13th May '14 8:21:07 PM by Hydrall

It was a rather typical party; both the Nobles and the Wine were far too rich and over aged, bitter but with sweet aroma. There was one critical difference however; Fergus enjoyed the wine inspite of its flaws. He'd been at diplomatic parties in both mentalities: to gain friends while following along with the formalitiesor and simply as a bitter spectator to laugh with those likeminded souls you would often find at these.

As it was, he didn't have much reason to play overly kind as he was quite comfortable with his station and so forth. Gottwald worried him a little as she was young and might let slip something he'd rather she didn't.

On the other hand, barring an international incident; he was secure. And this showed, he sipped at his wine casually and smiled, ready to make polite, or impolite, conversation as it was called for but otherwise allow the night to unfold as it was.

edited 13th May '14 9:29:23 PM by Fauxlosophe

"Oh, but I could not, my good Lord Tijiworala." Fourth Knight Riley Elizabeth Lee brought her hand up to cover the polite laughter after the Nirvanan had joked that she should marry his son. "A Knight is devoted to her work after all."

The smile on her face was betrayed by a slight fidget. Her enthusiasm for the present company was just above that of meeting with her old arithmetic tutor, who looked and behaved very much like an angry potato. The nobleman, though a sloppy eater who talked with his mouth full and leaned in closer than her personal space felt comfortable with, did not, at least, berate her to the point of wanting to smash her tablet over his head as her tutor had. These unseemly questions though were just, well, unseemly! Of course, the nobleman was making his comments in good humor, but Riley had overheard him talking about the difficulty of convincing his heir to find a bride, so she suspected there was a grain of truth in his words.

Most jokes state bitter truths. Her uncle had told her his friend had made that remark in response to one of his jokes. Uncle had insisted that his friend had said it to excuse his inability to be funny, but Riley felt there was truth to the old proverb. That, and her Uncle's jokes were all horrible anyway, so the reaction had without a doubt been justified.

The Nirvanan lord started talking again, but Riley was only half-listening now. Instead she scanned the party for familiar faces. The uniformed Knights stood out to a degree that was a source of obvious discomfort to some of them. Lord MacMorna was standing off to the side, which was a typical place for most of the Knight's present but she felt it unseemly for a Trio Knight to not at least give some regards to their guests. Then again, considering her party partner, perhaps he had made the wiser choice.

"My apologies, Lord Tijiworala." She said once she noticed her cup was empty. "But please, excuse me. I believe I shall take another drink."

Riley waited until he had waved her off before excusing herself with a bow. Backing off, she turned around and moved with as much speed as etiquette for a Centauri lady allowed and tried to match it with as much presence as she felt a Knight was entitled to. She was polite smiles to everyone she passed, occasionally giving way to those of higher stature. When Riley did arrive at the fountain for drinks, she took a ladle and poured herself a small refill. A small sip was what she felt appropriate before setting her cup down and scanning the party goers again for her comrades.

"Lady Lee," Fergus said with a smile, standing over by the drink table, "Enjoying the company?"

edited 13th May '14 9:13:38 PM by Fauxlosophe

Meanwhile, High Above the Surface of Nirvana, Aboard a Space Elevator of Destiny...
Rick set down his empty glass of wine, and picked up a new one, which he managed to inhale in a matter of seconds. It wasn't so bad if you took it all down at once, it almost felt like a real drink if you did it that way.

He chuckled when Riley returned to the drink table. "Is that a new record? How long did you manage to stick about with the nobility this time before they tried to put a ring on it? Though if any of them try to set you up with their daughters instead, think you could put a good word in for me?"

"If by company you mean wine," Riley said with a raised glass in a mock toast before taking another sip. Then she grimaced. "Then the answer would be no. This is cheap quality."

Probably not lady like of her to say that but since this was a Centauri thrown party, she was fully in her rights as a Knight to be critical of her superiors. "I could have selected better. I have selected better back home. And very funny, Rick. Perhaps if you presented yourself better on these occasions you wouldn't need my help to woo noble girls."

edited 13th May '14 9:27:18 PM by Parable

"Cheap quality is unfair," Fergus said with a sarcastic smile though he nodded in agreement, "They probably paid a good deal for it."

"There are certainly far better wines," He moved his glass around, "Most for a far more reasonable price. However, I was refering to company in the more literal sense; you seem on edge."

edited 13th May '14 9:30:24 PM by Fauxlosophe

It was all Victoria could do not to stand at permanent salute among the gathered nobles and the native dignataries. Although she was to understand that her pressence as a Knight was meant to impress, her uniform hardly seemed adequate compared to the flashy outfits surrounding her. She took note of her squad leader seemingly at ease, and more so noticed his liberty with the wine. He wasn't the only Knight drinking, either. She was certain that they'd all be piloting frames as part a demonstration later, was this really such a good idea?

She cast about for the other Knights she'd met, her new comrades Gabriel and Elaine. She certainly hoped Elaine wasn't drinking.

"Some people can be so uncouth." Riley said with a frown, looking over to where the Nirvana lords were laughing loudly at something or another. "Oh, I'm sure it's all in good fun, but still, I wish people would be a little more aware of themselves."

She took another sip from her wineglass.

Gabriel stood stiffly at the bar, eyeing his coffee warily, as though considering a particularly difficult opponent and checked his wrist-comp for the time.

Several hours to launch... He contemplated, before nodding to himself. Yes, that should be enough time to allow myself some.

He motioned the bartender over and requested a hard liquor to compliment his coffee. If the bartender found the on-duty Knight's request to be out of the ordinary, he did not mention it, instead swiftly producing a decanter of whiskey. Gabriel thanked him, before pouring a great deal of the contents into his glass, until it was more liquor than coffee. He stirred it and sipped, before grunting his approval and giving the bartender a respectful nod.

He turned away from the bar to gaze across the floor at the other patrons as he drank, including some Knights like him in uniform. His own uniform was fresh and neat, and rather plain. If he had medals or accolades, he did not show them. He recognized Sir Mac Morna (he still felt uneasy calling his commander Fergus ) speaking to a petite Knight around his own age and a bear of a man in the same uniform. He surveyed the nobles dotted around the deck and snorted. Mac Morna seemed to be getting along relatively well with the crowd, although privately Gabriel suspected he was less than enthusiastic, but he himself was a nobody amongst the nobility. Aside from an intoxicated older woman introducing herself cheerily an hour before, he hadn't spoken to any of the blue bloods around him.

He wondered for a moment how much alcohol it would take before a group of this many egos overloaded the space elevator and sent it crashing to the ground. A ghost of a grin graced his face for a second at that. He remembered Asharah once calling such a gathering "dinner hour in the prison yard" and flinging a plate at a noble for... something or other so that she could have an excuse to leave. That would've been... Christ about eleven years ago. His smile faded and he toyed with his ring idly. Had it really been that long.

He gave a melancholy sigh and took a long draught from his crystal glass, before spotting Knight Cascade moving stiffly through the crowd, seemingly also searching for someone else. He gave another glance at Sir Mac Morna's table before heading through the crowd towards Victoria.

"Dame Cascade." He greeted her as he shouldered his way through a pair of nobles blocking his path. "You seem to be enjoying this parade of peacocks as much as I do." He took another long sip of his drink. "I've found it best to stick to the outsides of the pack, you don't have to compliment their plumage as often then." He gave a thin smile.

edited 13th May '14 9:50:09 PM by rabbitRider

"She just became a knight recently, didn't you Elaine?"

Elaine nodded politely, staring at a point on the opposite wall. Her uncle, Jeremy Gottwald, was currently boasting to his friends about his niece, unaware of the fact that many of them had zoned out before she had even approached the table.

"And how did you get it again?" he asked, beaming at the others. "Blew up a pirate hideout, didn't you?"

She nodded a little more stiffly, replying, "It was nothing, really. It was more luck than anything else."

"Here, now, don't be so modest, Elly! It's no small thing to serve the Commonwealth, after all. And I'm sure we can all sleep a little easier, knowing that you're in the cockpit should the Federation cause any trouble, eh?" He chuckled, elbowing her in the ribs. She winced, but remained smiling.

"I'm just happy to help out in any way I can, really," she shrugged. "In fact, Uncle Jeremy," she looked around the room, spotting a few others at one of the tables, "I think I'm needed with the others, if you don't mind. It wouldn't look good if I kept them waiting, so if you'll excuse me."

They said quick goodbyes, and she carefully moved away from the table, breathing a sigh of relief once she was out of earshot. These types of parties weren't her thing, being too close to the biannual Gottwald family gatherings. She wasn't one for conversation, and her family was the only network she really needed. Still, this was one of her duties as a knight, and she wanted to fulfill it as perfectly as possible.

She detoured towards a server, took a glass of wine, and made her way over towards the table with the others.

Completely lost in thought, she bumped into somebody on the way, looking up (and it was always up for her) to quickly apologize.

"Oh, I'm s-" she stopped, and was instantly brought back to reality once she identified the other person.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Sir Leon! I didn't see you there!"

"No one's asked my opinion on their outfits," Victoria grinned faintly at Gabriel's comment, glad to see a familiar face which wasn't consuming wine. She looked approvingly at his cup of coffee. "And please, call me Victoria. I may still call 'Fergus' sir, but you and I don't need any formality between us if we're going to be flying together.

"Of course the nobles are doing their part in all this, in their own way," she felt it was important to point out. It was Centauri's aristocracy which kept it standing as the pinnacle of humanity, above the coarse and base Federation as well as independant nations like the one they were helping to rise up. She started to elaborate on this when Elaine rather abruptly joined them.

"Hello Elaine," she smiled in relief to be just outside this awkward encounter.

edited 13th May '14 10:25:29 PM by Satinel

Gabriel seemed to hesitate slightly. "Uh, very well D-Victoria." He gave a rueful smile. "Sorry. Old habits and all that." He took another sip. "And yes, I am sure the peacocks can admire each other all they like as long as they do their duty. Just wish they wouldn't drag me along with them." He muttered.

"Ah, Dame Gottwald as well." Gabriel greeted her. "I was just mentioning to Dame Cascade that we seemed to of a similar opinion on these... ego fluffing parties the nobility insist on." He appraised her as if seeing Elaine in new light. "You seem to be getting along almost as well as Sir Mac Morna though." He said, motioning at the commander's table. "I sense he doesn't enjoy it but it seems he finds it a bit more tolerable than we two." He indicated himself and Victoria.

He surveyed Elaine again. "Why, you fit in perfectly however, even down to the wine glass." He chuckled. "I prefer my own luxuries." He motioned to his beverage and took another swig, the potent aroma of strong coffee and liquor drifting through the air.

edited 13th May '14 10:29:11 PM by rabbitRider

"Dame Cascade," Elaine nodded to Victoria, trying to discretely scan her uniform to ensure that everything was in order. "It's good to see both of you here." She looked around, then lowered her voice a little, "I understand that these things are necessary, but is this really the best use of our time? Time wasted on enjoying ourselves could be better put to use training together." She paused, "Or at the very least, reading up on things. And I can't stop thinking how all of this money wasted on such a lavish party, not to mention the clothes, could have been better used elsewhere."

Her look of disapproval only deepened when she smelled Gabe's drink. She glanced down at it, but didn't want to say anything rude to a superior.

"One rarely finds a great deal of self reflection in a Crystal Glass," Fergus said to Lady Lee before a moment's pause, "At least, not the kind you are looking for."

He looked over at the table and thought for a minute, "It looks as though my Hounds have found their home, so to speak. I ought to greet them, if you will excuse me."

Fergus bowed formally to Riley and more briefly to Rick. There was a hint of exaggerative sarcasm in the ceremony but an honest smile afterwards, "Good luck, and you know where I am if you need me."

He indicated the wine fountain there.

Following this, he headed towards the table where his flight had assembled themselves with his second glass in hand; "How are you lot settling in?"

edited 13th May '14 10:37:48 PM by Fauxlosophe

Victoria caught the scent of liquor from Gabriel's coffee and frowned in concern. She quickly covered it up with a neutral expression. Clearly she was wrong about the situation, and Knights were all expected to partake in the celebratory mood. She was about to respond to Elaine's disapproval when Fergus arrived.

"This all takes some getting used to," she answered his question, before glancing at the other two.

"It's not the first one I've been to, but it is one of the few in which I am forced to suffocate in their perfume without an actual atmosphere to save me." Gabriel replied stonily. "Should the liquor run out however, I may begin to see the lack of air outside as an opportunity to escape." His glass was almost empty now. "There is only so much I can drink away before death becomes preferable."

He gulped down the rest of the drink and looked at the empty cup. "Damn, that's all that I was allowing myself for the trip up. It's suffering or suicide now." He set the glass on a passing waiter's tray and sighed. "And to think I enjoyed these once."

edited 13th May '14 11:00:19 PM by rabbitRider

"Don't be so eager for fresh air," Fergus said, "There's plenty more wine to dull your wits on until the conversation becomes sharp. Try the fountain over there."

He indicated the fountain with his free hand as he looked over towards Victoria, "Just keep in mind that these are mostly people who are as nervous as you. Most people here have something to prove and some find it genuinely relaxing to chat with someone who doesn't want anything of theirs and they don't need anything from."

"If you want genuine entertain however," Fergus scanned the group for any interest, "Keep an eye on the Maharani; she's got her wit and a short patience for needless pleasantries."

edited 14th May '14 1:00:25 PM by Fauxlosophe

"Yeah, good luck back at ya," Rick replied to Fergus as he left. Thinking about the wines, as far as things went, while he wasn't exactly a wine sort of guy, Riley and Fergus must have been used to some pretty fancy stuff, it seemed like. The rare times he had ever had to buy wine, the ever-popular Siddhartha Vineyards label, or Two Quid Sid as those who drank it liked to say, was just fine with him.

"Hey, I can present myself just fine," he said to Riley. "I got plenty of game. All I gotta do is pull out two tickets to the Gun Show, and I bet I can impress just about any eligible bachelorette in this room." As if to prove his point, he kept his right arm at a right angle, flexing his bicep as he awkwardly set down his glass and picked up another, before bringing his arm back to a more natural position.

"And that, my dear Lords and Ladies, is how yours truly personally delivered the pirates of the Geist Belt unto their final ends!"

Duke◊ Valentine Goldschmidt finished his only moderately embellished story of adventure and conquest with a hand over his heart and a slight stage bow for his thankfully small audience of elites. The Nirvanans had initially been keenly interested in his series of little "war stories" for obvious reasons - he and his fellow Knights were the reason their world hadn't yet been swallowed whole by those Federation-backed Samsaran dogs, after all - but by the end of the tale, his mocking imitations of the pirates' speech and demeanor had managed to set them all roaring with laughter.

While his present company were busy composing themselves, the Trio smiled privately to himself at the memory of obliterating that last marauding ship. Yes, it had been so, so satisfying to watch the vessel explode into a small archipelago of charred wreckage. Not only had those bastard thieves kidnapped him and treated him like some common hostage, but they'd had the gall to only ask for twenty million as his ransom. The nerve! The Duke Goldschmidt's randsom was worth at least fifty times that, as he'd told them repeatedly. Of course, the fact that they had laughed off those remarks as well as his oath to return and personally destroy them hadn't prevented him from following through with his promise. The looks of shock on their faces as they realized just who was part of the forces attacking them had been positively delicious-

"Mm?" Valentine was suddenly brought out of his joyous reverie as he brought his coffee to his lips, only to realize it was empty. Blast! Where's a waiter when you need one? What are we paying them for, anyway? Excusing himself and leaving his Nirvanan fellows to trade their own stories, the Edenite found his pointless ire fading quickly. Rather than returning to his earlier group after refilling his cup, the Knight found himself walking aimlessly around the floor, wandering thoughts interrupted only by a sudden flash of gold out of the corner of his eye. Turning to face the color's source, he caught the eye of a certain familiar, golden-tressed woman in what could only be described as a very old-fashioned and ornate ballgown. Although she seemed to be alone and unnoticed in the sea of guests around her, the two shared a pair of knowing smiles.

Feeling considerably better than he had been all night in spite of suddenly sensing what might best be described as "destiny" looming like an ominous cloud on the horizon, the young Duke pivoted toward the table where his squadmates were standing and strode over. "Lady Lee! Rick! Good evening to you!" he greeted, grinning, "How are you on this fine evening?"

edited 13th May '14 11:41:33 PM by darksidevoid

"Sir Mac Morna!" Elaine greeted, straightening up considerably. "It's good to see you, sir. How are you enjoying the party?"

"It definitely takes getting used to," she sighed, in response to Victoria's comment. "The problem is, I'm afraid we'll have plenty of opportunities to get used to it." She looked around the room, then back to her glass. "Though I'm sure it will always be from this side of things, at least for me," Elaine added bitterly.

She glanced over at the spiked coffee, then the wine in her hand. "Is it really okay for us to be drinking right now?" she asked. "I thought official regulations prohibited consumption of alcohol so close before piloting a frame."

edited 14th May '14 1:27:36 AM by RenaTheArchmage

"I'm afraid I will have to steer clear of the fountain, Sir Fergus. Even this drink was a luxury I do not often afford myself. I just occasionally need a but more to get me through these infernal things." He twisted his ring out of habit. "I will stick to my coffee alone for the remainder of our torturous ascent. And perhaps see if they have any fish."

"I believe that there are regulations, Dame Gottwald, but they tend to be considerably lax for practice demonstrations above friendly territory. In any case, I will not be having any more."

edited 14th May '14 2:43:18 AM by rabbitRider

"If I was a gambling woman, I might have taken you up on that." Riley said even though she could not help but crack a smile at Rick's 'presentation.'

Lord Valentine chose that moment to stroll up to them with a friendly greeting. "Better evening that it was a few minutes ago, Lord Valentine." she said with a bow. "And how fairs yours? See any friends from back home?"

edited 14th May '14 7:39:33 AM by Parable

Off to the side, Rozaliya Mikhailova watched the going-ons of the party through her mask. Despite her uniform, showing she was off-duty, and her mask, showing that while she was a noble, she did not currently want to be referred to as one, a few young men and interested fathers sought her out. But they did not stay for long, rebuffed by her swift and cool rejection. Fools, the lot of them.

Once she might have enjoyed taking a cup of wine with them, and spoken of trade and music, politics and poems. And in truth, she missed doffing the uniform and mask for a ballgown and jewellery. But at the moment, she could not let herself be distracted by such petty things. She was merely starting her career as a Knight, and a much better match could be made for her once she was of higher rank.

To distract herself, she signalled a waiter and was offered a selection of well-arranged local delicacies. She daintily picked four for her own plate, then waved him on. The wine might not be very good, but the food was quite delicious. A strange red fruit filled with an odd pink paste had in particular won her over, which the waiter had described as Nirvanian pomegranate with liver pâté from a local sea-creature. It was surprisingly sweet, quite luxurious and no doubt the best thing about this soiree.

"There are regulations which limit your blood alcohol content, but I intend to remain shy of those," Fergus said taking a sip, "However, this is a far more tenuious and difficult show than the one we will be performing soon."

"If you'll excuse me, I'll be back in a moment."

He took his leave and headed towards Rozaliya,

"Dame Mikhailova, I presume?"