Requiem for a Monster

[Sakkra]

He stepped back and gestured with one thumb at the door leading to the grand ballroom. "Our staff is a bit more familiar with your dietary requirements than they were the last time you had occasion to visit the Empire, so we've prepared food for an army. If you're not hungry, it won't go to waste. I've made preparations to donate any excess to the poor. But I'm afraid I won't be able to go on any safaris for the foreseeable future."

Kraah made a note of the direction the thumb indicated and let out a low 'Hrrrrmmmm' with one eye on the ballroom; the other on his Grasswalker escorts who seemed to be signaling for his attention. "Some victuals would be nice, but if it can wait a spell, some refreshment would be nice as well. I will take leave for now so that you may attend to your guests." He bowed slightly. and Sszeera bowed as well. "I heard of that safari trip. Quite a fine holiday, if the stories serve. Not my forte, though. Feel free to visit our territories in the future when you get a chance, and we shall be glad to accommodate." She turned to follow her husband over to the refreshment area.

******************************************

One of the pair of Grasswalkers sidled up to Kraah, a jewel-like eye set on him. being as they're shorter and leaner in stature, it seemed tough to believe they're of the same base genus.Your Imperious, please be advised there are forces present. P'kweet and I will shield your and the Empress' psyche from the more intrusive ones, but many are unfamiliar. Kraah nodded silently as Sszeera came up beside him, claws clacking on the floor, as the Grasswalker resumed his position. "Is there an issue?" Kraah hoisted up a slightly oversized goblet of something stiff and noxious. "Nothing our escort can't handle on the moment." He leaned in a bit to her head and muttered "But if you feel something tickling around your psyche, do apprise T'waarl about it, yes?"

[Dread Lady Nathicana]

Cesare – Calvin/Habakkuk

Some people simply had all the luck. Or the money. Or the technology. Or a delicious combination of all the above.

Cesare was well aware of some, at least, methods available and used through various allied nations. He wasn’t sure what all the Oligarchy people did, or didn’t do. They were notoriously well … Hack-ety about things, in his experience. Best to have them on one’s side than off, all the same, given their extraordinary capabilities, and uncanny ways of finding out things.

At least it had been so in his experiences, and that was proof enough for him to be mindful.

Habakkuk was more of an enigma, as were the rest of the Caloris group. He recalled a visit some time ago, where the LiME had spent considerable time in the company of his associate, Evangelista Ravanelli, the Public Relations Minister.

Still, all in all, they had been good people to have at one’s back. The job they did with the Angelan-made fleet was a debt they had yet to properly repay. Reports had, in fact, called it nothing short of ‘miraculous’, however heretical one wished to take that. There was a quiet acknowledgment that the fleet itself would have likely had to have been scrapped entirely were it not for their intervention, when the ship minds and the network their crews were tied to went dark.

“Most likely a combination of those and other things,” Cesare agreed, returning the handshake confidently, and acknowledging the quiet assurance with a nod and a smile. “There will no doubt be a need for good advisers going forward, especially with this younger generation. No amount of teaching can substitute for experience, but sometimes we are introduced to situations ahead of when we hope. Such is the case here.”

“Marcus seems to be quite willing to accept advice and assistance where it’s needed,” he observed, glancing momentarily in the new emperor’s direction thoughtfully. “Though of course, I can’t speak for him. I can however, at least offer you some refreshment. Is there anything we can get for you gentlemen?”

--- --- --- --- --- ---

Looking Out for Family

Marcus had been running himself ragged in trying to be the good host. At least Naiya thought so in watching him in between her discussions. And true to his word earlier, he’d kept to the one scotch. It had been a little while since she’d noticed him with any further refreshment, so she opted to take the opportunity to provide him with some. In a manner of speaking.

“Please, excuse me just one moment,” she said to the Keepers, while nodding subtly in her brother’s direction. “I’ll be right back.”

Picking up a glass of the same juice she’d been enjoying, she threaded her way carefully through the crowd the short distance between them, much as she’d done since the beginning. Not drawing more attention than necessary if possible had been the goal, while assisting in meeting and greeting and smoothing arrivals.

She handed him the glass surreptitiously to avoid interrupting the conversation he’d been having with a guest, and it was a testament to how distracted he was that he accepted the glass with a nod as though she were just another hired servant. But it didn’t last; he brought the glass to his lips and nearly dropped it. “Mango?” His head swiveled around to stare at her. “Oh, sorry Naiya. I didn’t realize it was you. Please excuse me, Mr. Cruze.”

Naiya smiled close-lipped, and offered an apologetic nod to the diplomat. “I didn’t mean to interrupt. Just looking out for my big brother.”

“You know I don’t like mango,” he said as he stepped away from the delegate. “You and your pranks.”

“Bah. It’s good for you,” she teased, taking a sip of her own glass. “Much better than that nasty stuff you usually drink in any case.”

He smirked and handed the glass back to the bartender. “Orange juice, please. My sister mixed up our orders.” Then he turned back to Naiya. “Thank you for your help. You and Mama have been lifesavers.” He pulled her in for another hug.

“Famiglia,” she said simply, gingerly hugging him back, taking care not to spill her drink for one thing, nor press too close for another.

He stiffened slightly, and without letting go of her pulled back and looked down. “Naiya?” She didn’t need to be telepathic to figure out what he meant.

She smiled up at him wryly, then took another sip of her juice. “Yes, Marcus?” she asked, one brow arching up as she glanced towards one of the doors leading out of the library.

He shook his head. Now wasn’t the time. But he arched his own brow at the new bodyguard with an inquisitive look.

Her eyes shifted to Aeturnus as well, and her smile softened slightly. Now wasn’t the time for that conversation either. But no, it wasn’t him.

Marcus scowled. He hated having to wait, but circumstances forbid the conversation he wanted to have about her...delicate condition. Then his eyes widened. She hadn’t....

Naiya looked up at him with just a hint of challenge, quietly sipping her juice.

He slumped in defeat. This was all he needed. He didn’t even have to ask to know how Mama had likely reacted to this news. Did she know who?

With a slightly exasperated sigh she rolled her eyes, nearly putting one hand on her hip, but choosing to cup her glass in both hands instead.

He sighed heavily and gave her a slight nod, conceding defeat. But the conversation wasn’t over, not by a long shot. She needed to stick around after the wake so they could talk properly. She was supposed to be the mature one!

Naiya managed to smile in spite of her brother’s obvious distress. She lay one hand gently on his arm, then stretched up to kiss his cheek. “Enjoy your orange juice, fratello mio. I’ll check in with you later, yes?”

He looked grumpy, but nodded all the same. “Don’t push yourself.”

She really did look amused at that, and didn’t bother to hide it. “I promise.”

Nodding politely to the dignitary he'd been speaking with, she again crossed the short distance back to the Keepers, making her apologies quietly. “Not quite the same mischievous little devil he was on the beach these days. At least, not tonight.”

[Solont]

Benjamin Vitner stepped into the Burgundy Room where the Solont representatives were waiting patiently. His people hadn’t had to dig nearly so deeply to pull up data on the dignitaries present, although he was concerned about some of the claims inherent. If true, this wake was building up to something akin to the psychic event of the century. A bad misstep could result in a lot of migraines in all senses of the word.

The Empire of Treznor had never pursued psychic phenomenon to any serious degree, except for Devon’s obsession with Arda and the threats they’d posed. Ben’s own meager abilities were limited to what was essentially one parlor trick, although one he’d found immeasurably useful on occasion even though he was an administrator rather than a field agent these days. His old friend’s grandstanding notwithstanding, it wasn’t appropriate for a state official to go haring off on fact-finding missions, let alone wetwork. That’s what staff was for.

He didn’t allow his reverie to impede what had become a predictably busy day. He bowed carefully, lifted the tablet from his side and presented it to the Supreme Commander, Valcione Solis. “Thank you for coming today. As your staff have probably informed you, we’re interfacing with a lot of different national heads today and we’ve got a lot of different security protocols to interface with. The first entry here are our Imperial protocols; please press your thumb against the appropriate tab when you’re finished reviewing them. The next entries are the protocols of the visiting dignitaries and the last one is your own as conveyed by your security personnel. Please review them and indicate your understanding with another thumbprint.”

“Of course. You can rest assured, Mr. Vitner, that my daughter and I will follow these protocols to the letter,” Valcione said, her accent thick but her diction clear. She accepted the tablet and read it diligently; the protocols their hosts had put in place were nothing out of the ordinary, and certainly nothing she didn’t expect, though it paid to be courteous and mindful, especially at such a sensitive time as this. She did, however, raise an eyebrow as she read the protocols of the other guests. Wordlessly, she handed the tablet to Kana and motioned for her to read it. The presence of other psychics, telekinetics, and otherwise metanatural individuals amongst the visiting mourners was rather unexpected and worthy of notice, but not alarming. If they were as in control and well behaved as her daughter was, there would be no problem. Valcione’s own security brief, which her staff had provided to the Treznorians prior to her arrival, outlined Kana’s capabilities in the most general terms, as well as the measures put in place to suppress them. While Kana’s psychic influence could not be completely dampened, the wandering thoughts and memories of their hosts and fellow guests would be quite safe.

The young girl, however, did spark a glint of curiosity in her eyes as she read the brief. Aside from a single instructor, Kana had never met another person with abilities like her; the idea that she would not be unique at this function had never even occurred to her. She hoped that she would have a chance to meet them, once the formalities were out of the way.

“The Emperor is making an effort to visit with everyone today and thank them personally,” Benjamin said. “We’re handling this in the order of arrival, so please accept our apologies for the wait. If you need anything, we have personnel assigned to see to your needs personally so don’t hesitate to call on them. Private Yanning will be your direct liaison, but she isn’t the only person you can ask.”

“No no,” Valcione said, raising her hand. “No apologies are necessary. We understand that this is a difficult time for His Majesty. Please, let the Emperor know that we will take no insult if he takes his time. The last thing we want is to cause him any further stress.”

“That is greatly appreciated,” Ben replied as he accepted the tablet and quickly scanned it to verify everything was in order. “If you’ll follow Private Yanning,” he gestured to the young brunette in the severe black-and-silver livery of the Treznor guard. “She’ll take you directly to the library. There will be a meal served in the ballroom in the next hour.”

He gave another courteous bow and withdrew from the room without undue haste.

“Thank you, Mr. Vitner,” Valcione said as she rose to her feet. Calm, cool, professional... the arrival had gone off without a hitch, though she expected no less. She only hoped the rest of the affair would go as smoothly, though she supposed she could stand a little less formality after introductions were done and over with.

“I thank you as well, Mr. Vitner,” Kana clasped the scabbards of her swords in both hands and gave their liaison a deep and formal bow. Her accent was just as thick as her mother’s, though her diction was not quite as clear. It was obvious that she was not as skilled in her second language. “God’s blessings upon you for your graciousness and hospitality,” she finished, and fell in line behind the Treznor Private.

Yanning provided them with descriptions of the rooms they passed through with the confidence of a tour guide, hinting at one of her primary functions in the palace. They clearly skirted around a wide swath of the building, areas that she explained were dedicated to official government functions. The old, lamented Emperor hadn’t wanted to get in a car and drive ten minutes to get things done, so when the palace was designed it was intended to serve as an office as well as the official residence. There were very few doors connecting the two functions, so they were in for a bit of exercise to get there.

In roughly ten minutes she brought them to a cavernous room brightly lit by chandeliers and wall sconces. A platoon of staff in less severe livery than Yanning’s were busy bringing tables into the room and setting them up either for serving or dining. Based on the details in the security protocols, the guests would be far outnumbered by the palace staff present. No one would have to so much as rise from their seat to receive whatever service they required.

Yanning kept close to a far wall away from the center of activity. “This, as you may guess, is the ballroom where dinner is scheduled to be served. We have a wide range of foods prepared, depending on our trade relations with the assembled guests. If we don’t have your native foods on hand, we’ll be able to offer you something similar or whatever you prefer. Thanks to our membership in the Dominion Trade Network Alliance, there’s very little we can’t offer.”

“It’s a generous offer, Private, but we don’t need special considerations,” Valcione explained. “It would be a shame to come all this way and not experience the local flavor.”

Finally, Yanning stopped before a small set of double doors. “And here is the library, a favorite spot for Emperor Devon Treznor. Welcome, and don’t hesitate to ask for anything you need.” Then she opened one door and held it for them to reveal the wake already in progress.

“Thank you, Private Yanning,” Valcione gave the Treznor soldier a polite nod and strode with confidence into the crowded library, amidst the bustle of diplomats and dignitaries and heads of state, like herself, whose conversation ranged from the cacophony of boisterous camaraderie to the hushed whispers and soft tones of reassurance and sympathy. The Supreme Commander was impressed at the sheer diversity on display at the wake; she knew knew Devon Treznor was a major ‘player’ in the Sol System, but it was curious to note just how many of the guests seemed personally invested in the proceedings, at least at first glance. The man must have been quite involved.

For all that Valcione Solis saw and heard, however, she could not perceive the wake as it impacted her daughter. Even before Kana had stepped into the room, she became aware of the feelings of those around her, the surface emotions that colored the conversations Valcione’s limited senses could perceive. There was no shortage of sadness for the passing of the man of the hour... and yet, it was less than she expected. Perhaps there was an abundance of foreigners who were simply stopping to pay their respects, as international niceties demanded. They certainly wouldn’t be as invested in the proceedings as Devon’s friends and family. Or, perhaps it was simply denial, or a delayed emotional impact. Maybe many of the guests knew something the public didn’t... or maybe they were just cold hearted people, unable to feel grief at all.

Kana shook her head, clearing her thoughts. The evening had barely started, and already she’d caught herself judging and analyzing and scrutinizing everything around her. With her senses deadened by the limiter around her neck there was no telling why anyone felt the way they did, and it would have been rude to try and find out. She supposed she would have to get by with talking.

There was no shortage of that, either. In addition to the chorus of conversation that filled the library, Kana could sense an undercurrent of telepathic thought. Like muffled voices heard through a wall, it was impossible to divine any meaning from it, but she knew it was there, and coming from the machines she recognized as reploids from the Reploid Productions Shogunate. Furthermore, while it wasn’t exactly something Kana recognized, there was something about a woman at the far end of the library that set the hair on the back of Kana’s neck standing on end. She narrowed her eyes, peering through the crowd... Naiya D’Aquisto, Principessa of the Dominion. There was a difference about her that piqued Kana’s interest, one that she just couldn’t place. Kana was not just a removed observer, peeking into the minds of others from behind the safety of a glass window. Any of the dignitaries or their personnel who were sensitive to such a thing would have noticed the aura, of Kana’s mind filling the space around them, as repressed and muted as it was.

For what surely would not be the first time that night, Kana felt lost. She’d always been singular and unique in her abilities, and had always felt that she had a reasonable command of the things normal people simply couldn’t see. To acknowledge the existence of something both equal to herself and absolutely alien in her own domain was... well, she found it more than a little overwhelming.

“Just relax,” Valcione murmured, and laid her hand upon Kana’s shoulder. She could tell that Kana was on edge. “We’re among friends here. They’re strange and different, but they’re good people. You’ll be alright.”

“R-Right...” Kana nodded her head, and once again felt rather silly for being so bowled over. This was her first appearance at a diplomatic function, after all! She couldn’t afford to mess it up with distrust and xenophobia. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, once again clearing her thoughts.

“I am going to go and offer our condolences to our Dominion friends, while we wait for the Emperor to see us,” Valcione explained. “Why don’t you get yourself a drink and introduce yourself to someone? It’ll help you loosen up.”

Kana nodded wordlessly. It was a rare thing for her to be so out of sorts, but Kana was grateful for her mother’s support when she was. She leaned up on her toes, planted a brief kiss on her mother’s cheek, and broke from Valcione’s grasp to make a beeline for the open bar, where the intriguing Principessa and her immediate retinue seemed to be heading.

[Reploid Productions]

((OOC: Sorry for the laggy response!))

The Keepers and Naiya (And Kana?)
The Keepers both nodded politely as Naiya excused herself, making small talk among themselves. Something about the Sakkrans present made the Eldest smile slightly, no doubt some distant memory from his traveling days millennia ago. Najoedo made a mental note to apologize to Kraah's escorts at some point; even doing his best to keep his power suppressed and unintrusive, he knew those sensitive to the Arts would no doubt still be aware of him (and to a lesser extent, Oduh as well) sticking out the way the sun stands out at midnight.

"You know, Eldest, I actually started reading a copy of Journeys of the Far-Searcher the other day." Oduh remarked with a grin over his wineglass. "It's absolutely hilarious!"

"If you are referring to the glaring inaccuracies, factual errors, and bizarre misunderstandings, remember that the modern iteration of the tale was written by people who hadn't been there, based on misremembered accounts by those who had heard and passed down parts of the tale from me, and then translated by people who probably at the time did not even know how to translate all the foreign names and places I'd visited." Najoedo rebuked the younger Keeper mildly. "I will get an accurate version of the tale written down one of these days."

"Accurate, perhaps, but definitely more boring. The hack and slash adventuring and feats of swordplay and sorcery are fairly entertaining." Oduh chuckled. "At least if you don't personally know the protagonist to be a boring old stick in the mud."

The zing actually earned a raised eyebrow and a disapproving look from the steady white-scaled Keeper. "For all I respect her, Firefury-uccjooh has been nothing but a bad influence on you."

"I prefer to think I was an incorrigible pain in the tail long before we met her, Eldest." The younger copper-scaled Oduh retorted with a fanged grin.

"Pain in the something, certainly." The Eldest countered with a grin of his own.

If either of the Keepers had been watching Naiya with Marcus, it didn't show when the young woman rejoined the pair.

"It's certainly understandable. Time passes and things change." Oduh replied to her quiet comment. "And old pain may fade, but it rarely goes completely away."

Kana's arrival to the room got both the Keepers' attention, so much that in near-unison both the winged demihumans visibly started and glanced in the young woman's direction.

"She Who Sees All, another one?" Oduh swore silently.

"We are not the only purveyors of the Arts." Najoedo's mental tone carried a stronger hint of rebuke for the younger Keeper's oath and a powerful undercurrent of raw curiosity- a trait that ten thousand years hadn't yet managed to dim. "We merely have an unfair advantage in many areas. Be polite. Besides, the addition of someone else with talent may yield us a conversation opening to make our own inquiries."

Out loud, Najoedo picked up the thread of conversation the earlier startle nearly dropped. "Such is the way of things, I fear. Children cannot remain so forever - despite this whelp's best efforts -" This is accompanied with a wry look at Oduh. "And it is in times of pain that one truly learns just how strong they can be."

Firefury, Tsume, and Trevor

If the two Shogunate dignitaries noticed the escaping bundle of goo, both followed the lead of the goo's apparent owner and let the matter lie. Perhaps the Shogunate's diplomatic corps already had briefed the two about such creatures, or perhaps despite Firefury's claims to the contrary, the orange-armored reploid actually could be diplomatic.

Firefury instead muffled a laugh at Trevor's comment. "With Carlos, that isn't a problem anymore, to be sure!"

"Indeed, I seem to recall you being quite willing to make the disparaging remarks to his face." The mechanical dragon noted with a roll of the eyes. "And then left it to Nathicana, Devon, and myself to try and smooth things over before it could escalate beyond saber-rattling. I'm amazed you didn't drive Devon to a heart attack ages ago with that entire affair. Or Nathicana, for that matter."

"Absolutely masterful political maneuvering by all three of you. Especially after that time I none-too-subtly indicated what male body part I thought he was compensating for in an official communique." There is definite laughter in that recollection, matched by an exasperation on Tsume's part.

"And this is why Queenie has to let me proofread her official communications first." The drake noted dryly.

[The Garbage Men]

OOC: No problem, reppy. *hugs*

IC:

Trevor noded and smiled.

“It sounds like you, Devon and the Dread Lady had some fun in your time but I’ve found that on occasion that a person’s death isn’t necessarily the end of it.” He left that cryptic response hang in the air for a bit before glancing between the Firefury and her draconic companion, the Keepers, Naiya, Kana before finally resting upon Marcus and Kraah.

“Hmmm, what do you think, Ladies? Should we go over and either rescue Marcus from Kraah or Kraah from Marcus depending on how things are going?”

[Dread Lady Nathicana]

After speaking with the Luxans – a decidedly different sort of group – Nathicana made the rounds, pausing for a moment to briefly greet and thank those who had attended. The gentlemen from the Hack and Caloris Basin were thanked again for their longstanding support. The less-familiar Solontians, (though their forms were familiar enough with the various denizens of some of their long-time allies such as GMC and the old Ravenspire territories) were welcomed and thanked for their participation aboard Machiavelli.

The ever-businesslike Chairwoman from Northrop-Grumman was reassured of the Dominion’s intend to continue to support in whatever way they could, and was needed. Britmattia’s royal couple was greeted with due respect, and no small amount of relief at their presence for a number of unspoken reasons.

Midlonia’s ruling family was thanked both for their support, and for the friendship to her son, with invitations to visit again soon, of course offered. This was quietly accompanied with some pilfered sweets subtly delivered to the girls when she thought their parents weren’t looking.

The never-to-be-overlooked Sakkrans were warmly welcomed as well, reflecting back on some of the more colorful adventures that had been had, including safari, the acting troupe that had toured the Dominion, and a quiet acknowledgement of one General Shaar who had at one time done her a great favor that remained politely unspoken.

There was a warm hug for Firefury, a sympathetic commiseration for Tsume, and a respectful if careful greeting of the Keepers. Something about Trevor Desorte made her twitch, though she couldn’t put a finger on it. His success in his businesses along with her thanks for a successful venture aboard Machiavelli were commented on, with hopes the mutually-beneficial venture would be continued.

Nathicana constantly looked in on her children, though she tried not to interfere or hover. The strain of it all, along with the constant reminders of things that were, that were supposedly now not to be, eventually began to show. A tightness around the eyes, smiles that were more and more brief. While she showed no sign of being incapacitated, no less tipsy, a pair more of the scotch tumblers passed through her hands. She grimaced now and then at the taste but quietly passed on any other drink offers save her usual ice water.


(ooc: More or less if you'd like to speak, we can do so - I'll go with whatever/whoever posts first. If not, no big - just making the effort. It's all good.)

----- ----- -----

Naiya occasionally glanced at her mother, her concern kept under wraps. Nathicana wouldn’t appreciate a scene being made, nor the suggestion that she was anything but fine, she knew. It was still a situation she kept an eye on.

“I believe you’re right,” the young woman replied to Najoedo, smiling in understanding at Oduh as well, all irony at the statement of ‘attempts at eternal youth’ absent, of course. “What doesn’t kill us makes us stronger, yes? I don’t think youth will ever tire of trying the patience of our elders, I’m afraid. It all comes around eventually, though. I’m sure my mother will take no end of pleasure at seeing what any grandchildren manage to get up to, after all the trouble my brother and I got into. The walls at the villa withstood several years of creative ‘redecorating’.”

[Chrinthanium]

In what Nathaniel affectionately called the holding cell, Thomas continued to study the information given to him by Mr. Vitner. He read with childlike curiosity as page after page flashed across the screen, his glasses mirroring everything. He digested the information like a fine wine, savoring every new bit of information, his mind processing the data like a computer. To Thomas, there was no sense of time, there were no pressing matters, and there wasn't an anticipatory emperor sitting impatiently waiting for the eventual release from his prison; there was only the tablet. In fact, if attention to detail had been an olympic sport, it would stand to reason that Thomas Jones was going for the gold.

As Thomas continued reading, Nathaniel sat. He stared at the wall. He sipped from his drink. He checked his watch. He checked on Thomas. He sighed heavily. He watched the door. Then he stared at the wall again. This procession of events repeated itself over, and over, and over, and over again. The emperor who, to this point, had perfected snark in the previous hour of his life, suddenly changed course. He stood up and walked over to the engrossed Thomas. He peered over his shoulder.

"What do you think the chances are of me making a fool of myself here tonight?" Nathaniel asked.

"I'd give you less than 10% chance of this occurrence, Imperial Majesty," Thomas replied without releasing his gaze. "Just follow my lead, and don't attempt to befriend everyone you see. You know how to do this, sir. It's like being at court, only the people gathered aren't your subjects; they're foreigners. We have our ways just as they have theirs. Most, however, will follow a similar style of protocol to which you've become accustomed. Just pay attention to how people are interacting with one another."

"You act as though I am a child, Thomas, needing to be led by the hand."

"No, sir, I do not. I act as though you're a stranger in a strange land. I act as though you're aware of what is expected of you. I am not leading, I am simply getting you to realize that you have to start remembering what your father taught you while you were growing up."

Nathaniel replied, "Very well, Thomas. You've been very honest with me today. And, perhaps, I've been unduly hard on you today. But, I'm so afraid of failing that, well, sometimes I think I sabotage myself so that I will fail and have something to blame it on."

"Yeah, you do," Thomas replied, "that's why an entire empire still believes in your. Because they know who you are. It's why I still believe in you, because I know who you are. Just be yourself, Nate, and everything will work out. Trust me."

"And if it doesn't?"

"What if it does? Stop worrying about failure. You've been so successful at everything you've done, you could use a little failure every now and then. It builds character. Remember, back at school, when you only got a B on that paper on Ancient Chrinthani Culture? You thought your world was going to end. It didn't, but, at the time, you thought it was. But, you didn't use it as an excuse to intentionally screw yourself. You used it as the impetus to do better. If you want to succeed, you only have to set you mind to it. And, if you don't, then just move on."

Nathaniel peered at his watch, "Hmmm, it's getting near the time for Mr. Vitner to return. Hopefully, soon, we can be granted a reprieve and rejoin society."

"I hope so. While I find this information enjoyable to read, I could really use some contact with people who aren't you." Thomas smiled.

[Sakkra]

... and a quiet acknowledgement of one General Shaar who had at one time done her a great favor that remained politely unspoken.

The Empress bowed as the Dread Lady extended her greetings and gingerly clasped hands. Hard as it may be to believe, but she was easily a head taller than Kraah and even more muscular, as the females of this particular species tend to be. Kraah seemed to be holding silent congress as he eyed his Grasswalker escorts with one eye, and his drink with the other. Sszeera seemed puzzled a moment as her dewlap flashed a mix of purple and red scales. "General ...Shaar? Oh, I see. You mean her. She's becoming infamous within the Imperial Territories for her extreme temper. Even more so now that her hatchling is gravid. Many is the time during Congress that she and General Gaarm would erupt into an explosive debate that usually ends up with the room being cleared and nothing coming to a head, so to speak. Be wary of any dealings with her; but I'm sure I don't need to tell you this."

She leans in close, eye meeting eye. "If you feel that support is needed, one Empress to another, don't restrain yourself for the sake of appearance. Unlike Hubs over here ..." She knocks one of her two thumbs towards Kraah. " ... discretion is my strength."

[Dread Lady Nathicana]

Sakkra - Nathi

"What, that dear female, a terror? I don't believe it," Nathicana said dryly, being all too familiar with said temper having found herself on the wrong end of it when the hatchling mentioned had been put into harms way on her account ... which lead back around to the unspoken 'favor'. To say that Shaar was not one to be trifled with was an understatement of immense proportions. "I do hope they're both doing well. Sometimes a bit of fire is needed, not to mention, steadfast friendships - without which I may not have been here today to thank you and yours again."

At the reassurance, Nathi nodded subtly, and smiled back at Sszeera, close-lipped. "Discretion and support are, as always, very much appreciated. The sentiment is mutual, as always. Aside from some posturing and strutting on the parts of ourselves and the Ardans, I'm hoping there will be no further inconveniences. We're a passionate, temperamental bunch on both sides. My daughter assures me things will no doubt be smoothed over sooner rather than later, though she insists on suggesting any real problems will come from outside our current frame of reference. If we do come across any signs that things are not as they should be, our allies will be the first to know."

"Until then, we'll continue to keep an eye on things, as best we can. May you walk on warm sands, Empress," she said, raising her glass.

[Solont]

Nathicana and Company

The Dread Lady was, as Valcione expected, a busy woman, sought after and engaged with many of the wake's guests. The supreme commander had exchanged a few polite words with Nathicana in passing, but nothing substantial; it was just more of the usual formalities and pleasantries that protocol and manners dictated be shared, and Valcione was not satisfied. She made the rounds, but kept an eye on the Dominion Dictator, looking for a polite moment to intercede.

That moment came as Nathicana bid her good tidings to one of the scaled representatives from the Sakkra Empire.

“Pardon me, Lady D'Aquisto” Valcione said as she stepped forward and extended her hand to the Dread Lady. “Supreme Commander Valcione Solis of the Federation of Solont. I'm afraid we've never had the pleasure of meeting in person before. I understand Emperor Devon Treznor was someone you were close to?”

---

Across the library, Kana stepped right up to the bar aside Naiya, calming the butterflies in her stomach. This wasn't so hard. After all, the people around her were only international players of a game so grand in scope and so far-reaching in consequence that it boggled the imagination, and there was only something interminably and unidentifiably weird about Naiya.

'It's just like high school,' Kana thought to herself, and was grateful that her limiters would keep that sentiment out of the mental ears of anyone who happened to be listening. 'And you handled high school just fine. Compared to that, this is nothing.'

“Erm, excuse me... Naiya D'aquisto?” Kana said. “Hi. I'm Kana Solis, from Solont. I've been looking forward to meeting you.”

[Dread Lady Nathicana]

Nathicana turned to Valcione, taking her in at a glance, then adding the name to the face for later consideration. She accepted the offered hand and shook politely but firmly. Her expression became more guarded for a moment, however, as the introduction passed and the condolences were offered.

Close to. One might say that.

>>Well, I showed up at a party and insulted you and your fiancé. Then I spent the next few years coming between you and your husband until you finally divorced. Then I courted you for five more years until we finally exchanged vows on a battlefield. Yes, we were closer than some.

The raven-haired woman fought off the urge to look around the room, half expecting to see him standing off to the side somewhere, raising a glass to her with that familiar crooked grin.

Not now … not now, dammit.

Nathi signaled curtly for another drink, finishing off what she had in her hand. When it was offered, she accepted wordlessly, handing off the empty in an uncharacteristically dismissive gesture. “A pleasure to meet you formally, Commander. Have you had anything to drink?”

“We of course appreciate your attendance, both my son and I. You might say we were close, yes. He was my husband.”

----- ----- -----

The young woman felt her approach prior to hearing it. That resonance she’d learned to pick up on coupled with the relative black hole of the limiter made a part of her brain twitch.

Naiya turned and smiled as she extended her hand, however. She’d met Solontians before, and had never had a negative impression previously. There was no threats on the more international level concerning them, and whatever else well … there were all types out there. The fact Kana was being physically restrained on a mental level spoke volumes, both on the level of responsibility and precaution being taken.

“A pleasure to meet you, Kana. If I may, this is Najoedo, Eldest Keeper, and Oduh, another of the Keepers. They’re an ancient race who’s origins would take a great deal of explaining. Suffice it to say, they’re good people, and well worth the time to learn about. Can we get you anything?” she asked politely, gesturing to the assorted beverages on hand.  

[Chrinthanium]

The moment Thomas pressed his thumb against the last document, Private Hensley stepped forward and saluted. “If you’ll hand that to me, Sir, I’ll make sure it gets to the Minister. I can take you directly to the Emperor if you’re ready.”

Thomas handed the tablet to Hensley as Nathaniel stood and straightened his tie. “We are so ready, Private. At your pleasure.” Thomas replied.

Hensley tucked the tablet under his left arm and led his charges through the west door, beginning his tour guide spiel. Nathaniel followed the talk with half an ear, perking up when Hensley came to various objects of art that the lamented Emperor had spared no expense to procure. He recognized at least one marble statue that simply could not have been obtained through legal means.

Nathaniel paused a moment at the statue. His eyes studied it with care. It was an early Greek depiction of Echo mourning at her pond thought to have been lost during World War II. He turned his head to ask Private Hensley about the statue, however, he decided to remain quiet at that moment. Certainly a private couldn’t give him the answer he wanted, so the decision was made in his mind to bring it up to someone higher on the food chain.

The ballroom wouldn’t have been out of place in the old centers of power like Versailles. Again, the old Emperor demonstrated his concern for the appearance of wealth to visitors, and the attention to detail in the decorations and furnishing were clearly meant to impress. Hensley seemed to rush through his spiel as they approached the double doors, paused, then seemed to resign himself to cutting it short. Instead he opened the door to the library, revealing the wake in progress. “Although I’ve been assigned as your direct liaison, don’t hesitate to ask anyone in Treznor livery if you need anything. Welcome again. The Emperor is looking forward to meeting you.”

If there was any turbulence to begin with, as the Chrinthani delegation entered the library it would be clear that Nathaniel was there on official business. His attention to detail spoke volumes as to just what type of man he was. His tie was perfectly straightened, his shoes were shined in a military fashion, and his hair, as always, neatly appointed. As he and Thomas pressed deeper into the room, the one thought rolling through both of their minds was just how few people they actually knew.

Thomas, spotting a fellow in Treznor livery, asked for two mineral waters as Nathaniel gave the room a quick scan with his eyes. He processed the people in the room in his own head determining which one to speak with first. That is after paying his respects to the young Marcus Treznor. Nathaniel moved to Marcus first, not just to offer his condolences, but to formally introduce himself. In this particular instance, Nathaniel would dispense with the formality of having Thomas initiate and bring him in later. Nathaniel himself would initiate. To the Chrinthani emperor, it was a personal touch needed in the most personal of situations.

Marcus was standing near the bar (a thoughtful position, all things considered) nursing a tall glass of orange juice. An aide whispered in his ear, causing him to nod and turn toward the newcomers. “Your Majesty. I’m grateful that you could come. I’m Marcus Treznor.” He extended his hand toward Nathaniel in greeting.

Nathaniel returned the greeting with a polite handshake, “Your Majesty, I only wish we could have met under happier circumstances. On behalf of the Empire of Chrinthanium and her People, we offer our sincerest condolences. I am Nathaniel Thornton.”

“On behalf of the Empire of Treznor and myself, I thank you. But come, have a drink and tell me about yourselves. The Chrinthani have been isolated for so long, we don’t know very much about you. One of the parts of this job I truly enjoy is getting to meet new people. My sister says it’s so I have a new audience for my bad jokes.”

“And if my brothers were here, they’d tell me the only reason I want to expand the scope of the Chrinthani was to have more people to to drink with,” Nathaniel replied with a smile. “I’d introduce you to my right-hand man, Thomas, but, he appears to be engrossed in the surroundings. He’s always been a bit of an odd fellow. Good natured man, but odd.”

“As far as our story is concerned, it’s a simple story. Your basic tribal nation turned powerful empire who, through means both honorable and nefarious, managed to dominate its neighbors. Add into the mix a few boss Europeans, namely the British, and stir it all together on one continent, and you have the Chrinthani,” Nathaniel replied hoping the short and simple answer was sufficient for the moment.

“As far as our isolation goes, attempts were made in the past, but, previous emperors were more xenophobic than they’d ever admit. In this modern day, with news streaming in from far off places, and the ease of access to such information, the nation itself desires to explore the possibilities. As a servant of the people, it is my job to bring this to fruition.” Nathaniel paused at that moment. Due to the delicate moment in which this meeting was taking place, he resigned himself to simple greetings and generalities. In Chrinthanium, taking shop during a wake was a faux pas of tremendous proportions.

“A servant of the people,” Marcus mused. “I like that. My father didn’t subscribe to that philosophy. He worked hard and was all about duty and responsibility, but he wasn’t exactly...the type to serve. He ruled. He gave orders and he expected to be obeyed. He taught me how he worked the system so all he had to do was give the word and put his plans into motion. But it was never about the people, just his vision. I think I like your attitude, better.”

“It was an attitude born from hundreds of years of command and destroy,” Nathaniel replied, “People are an interesting group of animals. They can either be dominated or led. For the first half of our empire, emperors dominated. They won their power and their position on the battlefield against our enemies, and they ensured their positions by instilling fear in the people. Fear, while a powerful motivator, wasn’t the best way to ensure power.”

“My family,” Nathaniel continued, “came to power after the previous house fell by the very sword by which they ruled. Of course, not all of my ancestors felt that fear was a bad idea. It didn’t really change until my grandfather took the throne in 1958.

“He was a man of idea and principle. He believed that real power could be derived from the people themselves. He believed that an emperors job wasn’t to simply rule. The best way to keep ones throne was to serve the people. Give the masses what they want, within reason, allow them the freedom to decide for themselves, and ensure that the collective beliefs of the empire were protected from rogue forces, was the philosophy by which he ruled.

“My father took that a step further. While he was an emperor, he ruled like a president. He became very political. Rather than just decide on what was going to happen, he campaigned. He took his message to the people, convinced them to believe what he believed, and, when introducing laws, knew he had the support of the people behind him.

“Then there is myself. I gave the people more political freedom. Senators are now elected directly by the people instead of appointed, provincial governors follow the same direct-election rules as well. I instituted a lower house to the legislature where the people were elected by apportionment. I even stepped back from the power to initiate new laws without consent of the House of Representatives. I gave the people what they wanted.

“The people, Majesty, are the most important point in our system of government. We must ensure they’re given enough political freedom, enough personal freedom, and enough opportunity to gain for themselves. As long as the people are happy, your power will never be questioned and your head will always remain on your shoulders. If the people are for you, who can be against you?”

“That’s a far cry from the government my father created. When he took power from the old republic, he abolished the legislature and absorbed their duties into the executive. That’s why this building is so large, to handle the staff needed for the task. It’s been so long I don’t know how the Empire would react to the reinstatement of her congress. But I know how I can find out.” Marcus gestured to one of the men behind the bar. “Get this man a drink. We have a lot to talk about.”

“And such notions aren’t lost on our military. We abolished conscription. They’re a highly-trained, well-paid professional force. I served in the army myself, as my father, and my grandfather have done before. Such an act is important to the military. It gives them a sort of kinship with you. They know you were willing to die along with them in defense of the thing they loved: their homes and family. There’s no deeper bond that can be formed between an emperor and his military other than service side-by-side with those glorious soldiers. We may not have as big of a military as others, but our men are highly motivated knowing their emperor is willing to die to protect them and their homes.”

“Just remember that this type of power cannot come by the sword,” Nathaniel cautioned, “it must come out of a real desire and heart for the people. The people can spot a fake a mile away. The Romans had a name for this, princeps, or the First Citizen.”

“But the concept of the princeps was established for Julius Ceasar, who himself used deception and a false flag event to build his power base before establishing himself as the master of Rome. I would hope to be a more sincere ruler than Ceasar.”

‘And Augustus Caesar asked if he played the part well,” Nathaniel replied. “We know how the Romans failed. They failed because the principate was an illusion. In Chrinthanium, it is no illusion. We are very much a blend of republic and empire, of democracy and monarchy. The people, Majesty, the people of Chrinthanium are from whom my power derives, it is entrusted to me to govern them justly. The goal, the penultimate goal, is to ensure that the power is not abused for personal gain. We succeed because our people succeed.”

“We’ll have to see what the future holds. For now, I’d like to hear how your family went about instituting this reform.”

[Midlonia]

Henry had remained quiet and with Sarah for a while, noting the various people who had come to the wake. He couldn’t help but feel the surreality of the situation, many seemed to be from states which had remained predominantly quiet for the majority of his reign. The bright orange of Firefury, and the minor assistance lent during her kidnapping was noted, but aside from that there was very little the Midlonians had done to interact with the various powers here.

He decided he needed another drink, and with both of the D’aquisto children there, he took Sarah gently by the arm and they both headed over.

“Two whiskeys on the rocks, please.” Sarah said with a slight smile as she tucked a stray hair behind her ear yet again. After she was given her drink she rested her hand gently on Henry’s shoulder.

He leant into her slightly for a moment, then smiled to Marcus and his new companion. They were discussing army service. A topic which always intrigued the King and Queen due to their own stints within one of the... sharper Regiments of the Greater Kingdom, namely being part of the Mainland Regiment, one which consisted almost exclusively of the abhuman Ghouls.

It was often deployed on ‘rat-clearing’ exercises as a special operations force as opposed to being deployed in larger formations. Something which had happened once during the last five years, namely to crush Rephidium and bring it into the Midlonian Empire. It had also marked the first expansion of the Greater Kingdom’s borders in nearly two centuries.

“I think we could consider ourselves quite curious as well, if you don’t mind, Marcus.” Henry said with a slight smile as their drinks arrived and he lifted his glass with a soft clink of ice cubes.

“Especially when someone has served in their national armed forces, that always piques my interest.” Sarah said with a slight smile before looking over to Marcus. “Always did love a man in uniform.”

[Solont]

Well shit. That was a hell of a way to start the conversation. The error was hers. The personal connection between the Dominion and the Empire had been there to find; she just hadn't thought to look for it. Still, for all the embarrassment she felt, Valcione did an incredible job of hiding it.

“No drinks yet,” Valcione said as she mimicked Nathi's motion and summoned another drink. She didn't care which kind. “Though I'd wager now is a good time to start. Please forgive me, Madame D'aquisto. Solont may be new to the political stage, but that doesn't excuse my ignorance,” She plucked a glass of liquor from the tray of the server who had answered her call, and brought the glass to her lips. The liquid was thin, cool, bitter, and burned her throat on the way down. She decided immediately that she liked it.

“And, my condolences,” Valcione said. She caught Nathicana's guarded expression, and knew she must have touched a nerve. “I know it isn't easy, losing a husband. That's a hole that nothing – not kind words, not love, not the passage of time, not even a stiff drink – can ever truly fill. Setting aside international etiquette for a just moment, I would like to say this,” Valcione reached up and placed a single reassuring pat upon Nathi's shoulder before going on. It was a simple gesture, but a bold one. Outside of the odd handshake or a calculated embrace, physical contact wasn't really done between diplomats and heads of state at a formal function. “When the rounds are done, and you've said all you need to say to all who need to hear it, you're more than welcome to share another drink or two with me,” she finished. It was a sincere offer, clouded not by protocol-demanded doublespeak or ulterior political motives; it was only a courtesy, extended from one woman to another.

---

“A pleasure to meet you both,” Kana said, stepping forward and offering both Najoedo and Oduh polite bows. She didn't know what Naiya meant by calling them an 'ancient' race. After all, weren't all races technically ancient? But, a tale of unique origins sounded interesting. Maybe she could coax it out of them later that night, if they were as nice as Naiya claimed. Perhaps it would even offer Kana an opportunity to talk a bit about her own species as well. After all, Kitsuites were a rare sight, even in her home country.

“If I'm not mistaken, you three are the source of that strange feeling I've been getting ever since I came into the room,” Kana gave the three of them a bright smile. “You'll have to pardon me. There's no way I could keep myself from coming over to say hello. I've never really met someone else like myself before. And a drink sounds really nice, but nothing alcoholic please,” She says, placing her hands on the bar. “I'm... a bit of a lightweight.”

[Dread Lady Nathicana]

“Not to worry,” Nathi began, her senses further tweaked by the conversation going on not nearly far enough away. She had no idea who this ‘Nathaniel’ was, but it was clear, he’d begun meddling on arrival, and had no intention of slowing. And the Midlonians were encouraging it. Or at least, they’d begun to. To a degree.

Could they at least be free of business to a small degree for one day at least, in the midst of all this? Her son had dangerously idealistic leanings already. He didn’t need further encouragement in that direction. And certainly not now, when he was so vulnerable, and questioning his own abilities, damn the boy.

“A consequence of retaining our names, really.” She’d made that change once, and sworn never gain. And Devon had never asked her to. It had been a mistake. She’d known it was, really, and wanting that fact to be a lie hadn’t made it so. The man who had eventually shown her how much of a lie she’d been weaving for herself had been careful, patient,, taken all manner of risks. She was standing in one of the more obvious results of his efforts – the palatial seat of the government he’d overthrown and remade to his liking. All to approach her on equal footing. All to show he was worth more than just another look.

“God damn him,” Nathicana muttered, taking another brief drink, then blinking as she realized she’d said that aloud, brought around by the woman’s light touch. “My apologies, Valcione. As you’ve said, it has been … difficult, all of this. It hardly seems possible. In fact, I …”

No, no best not to admit that. It might be understood by some, but others would question, pester, insist on pointing to ‘the facts’ and how ‘no one had ever been found after so long’, and she did not want to hear any of it right now. She’d heard enough.

“I’ll be fine, grazie. Your sympathy is appreciated. I should have known the bastard would leave me holding the bag in the end. He’d warned me once I’d be the death of him. But it seems he was a victim of his own stubborn insistence on doing things his way. It’s part of why I loved him, and was constantly furious with him as well.”

----- ----- -----

Naiya adopted a neutral smile, shaking her head slightly, then gesturing to the Keepers. “No doubt it’s them you sense. Me, it’s merely a residual effect of my parentage, no more. It’s been known to fuss with certain people’s senses,” she said disarmingly.

“You’re in good company so far as the beverages go. I’m sticking to non-alcoholic drinks myself tonight. I think we have more than enough imbibing that I needn’t add to the mix. Besides, I’d like to keep my head, in case my mother or brother happens to need me. It’s the least I could do.”

Naiya pointed out some of the, in her opinion, better juice and flavored water selections to Kana, introducing herself in the process. “I’m Naiya D’Aquisto. Marcus is my brother, and my mother is Nathicana, just over there.” She subtly gestured to each with her glass as Kana was served whatever drink she decided on. “This may not be the most joyful of occasions to meet and greet, but it is a good opportunity all the same. I am sure my brother is quite touched by all of the concern, and the attendance of so many. He loved his father very much.”

Via more quiet avenues, she sent a brief message to her guardian. ‘The young woman I’m speaking with now may be even more dangerous to let anything slip with than the Keepers. She’s being restrained somehow, though it seems voluntary. Another gifted one. I just hope no trouble comes of any of it.’

[Chrinthanium]

Nate, Marcus, & Henry

Nathaniel greeted the new entrants to the conversation with a smile and a polite nod, "I did indeed serve. The Chrinthani 1st Airborne Division. I was part of a helicopter regiment." Nathaniel took a sip from the drink he had been given a few moments earlier. "Of course, when I ascended to the Throne, I had to resign. We don't allow emperors to be members of an armed service branch." Nathaniel sighed. "It was probably the best time in my life, though."

Then Nathaniel's expression changed to shock, "Forgive me, I am forgetting my manners. Allow me to introduce myself, I am Nathaniel Thornton of the Empire of Chrinthanium. It is a pleasure to meet you both."

Following that, he turned his attention back to Marcus, "Majesty, while I don't mind speaking on these matters, perhaps this is neither the time, nor the place. Perhaps, at a time of your choosing, we could meet again to discuss this further. Perhaps you would even enjoy a visit to Chrinthanium?"

[Britmattia]

Owen and Arwen exchange glances, Siri O'Neill, through the idiosyncrasies of the Kingdom's various intelligence-gathering agencies and no fault of her own, is referred to in private government circles as "The Mad Pointy Axewoman".
Yes, this is very unprofessional, but given the Kingdom's aggressive indifference to the Solar powers of late, not unusual.
What is unusual is the woman being up close rather than, as she says, across a table or in a holo or any of the other ways that someone important but distant might be in your frame of reference.
Still, breeding, so the couple smile at her and shake hands, protocol is important, allies, whatever their axe-murdering proclivities, are important. Indeed some of Owen's closest relatives and best friends are axe-murderers so he's not really going to judge.

Introductions over, Owen promptly concedes her point.
"You are correct, it is different to meet in a less, bureaucratic, shall we say, setting. A shame it had to be over the passing of an ally, especially one as influential as Devon Treznor, but maybe he'd have liked it that way, his demise shaking things up a little. Mm, yes, I think he would have. It's certainly brought old friends out of the wood-work, we haven't been in Sol for years and I'm reasonably certain our colleagues and friends from the Hack and Tsaraine haven't stirred from their own fastnesses in equally long. A pity, they have been missed."

Arwen nods, an observer might note that whilst the couple don't make a big deal of it, they are periodically holding hands, a little smile will fleet over the usually sober mien of the King or a grin will threaten to overwhelm the polite sobriety of the Queen, but that has no real bearing on what she says, other than her grin at her husband being a little sunnier than you might expect.
"Well, we can hardly complain my love, it's not like we assemble for good tidings, it's generally some political drama which turns out to be irrelevant to our purposes and we all go quietly back to our own business, whatever that maybe."
Her expression chills for a moment.
"I suppose I should be grateful for that, it means less interaction with some of the more reprehensible beings associated with the N.D.A. I must confess to being quite glad those disgusting people from Iraqstan aren't present."
She shakes her head, sun returning and smiles at Siri.
"Now then, to avoid unpleasantness, I shall attempt to satisfy a curiosity. Are you named from the same source as the other "Siri"? It's always been something I've speculated on."

[Reploid Productions]

Naiya, Kana, and the Keepers

Both the Keepers offered polite bows; wings spread slightly in the process to give the motion some extra flourish. At close range, Kana no doubt could pick up on the amiable curiosity from both of them; after all, though Najoedo spent some time travelling the world forever and a day in the past, the Kitsuite is still a new one even on him.

"Ah, so you've some talent with what we call the Arts, then?" The Eldest inquired after introductions are made. "You've my apologies- most of the Keepers tend to play havoc on the senses of those who are sensitive to the presence of those abilities. I fear after all these years I am easily the worst offender."

"Opportunity comes calling when it is least expected." Oduh quipped. "Or... what's the modern saying? 'Every cloud has a gold lining?'"

"Silver lining." Najoedo corrected the younger Keeper. "And here you claim to get out and socialize more often than I do; at least I can keep my sayings in proper order."

[The Fedral Union]

Marcus reached for another glass of juice -- he didn’t want to admit how much he wanted a stiff glass of scotch at the moment -- when another aide whispered in his ear. Another new arrival, previous unknown to the Empire. Ben cleared them, so he nodded and tilted his head to indicate he was available.

The Secretary of Foreign Affairs for the Terran Government was a tall, black haired brown eyed man who appeared to be in his twenties for this particular event he had chosen a black suit with a matching tie. He didn't want something too pretentious, after all the last thing he wanted to do was insult anyone in anyway. He wondered idly if his presence was known to the rest of the attendees. He walked into the room holding a an ornately decorated pastel colored frosted glass bottle. Its contents where a cream blue. Briskly and respectfully he walked up toward Marcus gently bowing toward the man.

“Your Majesty, it's an honor to meet you, even though it’s quite unfortunate we meet on a day like this. I'm Malcolm Shore Secretary of Interstellar foreign affairs of the United Terran Alliance. We'd like to officially pay our respects to the loss of your leader, I and our government realize our nations haven't touched base before, but we hope this day will mark the start of future endeavors. I've also brought some Dulce de Dragón roughly twenty or-so years old.”

Shore held it up the cream liqueur distilled on Camanios, suffice it to say it was an excellent year. He handed it off to a nearby aide.

Marcus accepted the bottle from the aide and looked over the label. “Bottled by monks? This promises to be interesting. Will you join me, Mr. Shore?” He deftly broke the seal and poured a modest amount of the pungent liquid into a glass before handing it to the gentleman and pouring another for himself.

“To new friends,” he offered, holding his glass in the air.

Mr. Shore smiled, he took the glass meant for him, held it up and repeated the statement, before placing the lip of the cup to his mouth starting to take a sip.

Marcus tossed back the glass and closed his eyes, savoring the sweet bite of the alcohol before he finally allowed it to slide down his throat. The burn reminded him a bit of his favorite whiskey, with perhaps a touch of menthol. He nodded. “That’s good. That’s very good. Thank you, I’ll savor this.”

[Northrop-Grumman]

Owen and Arwen - Siri

Oh yes, that was something she could relate to; the Grummians very seldom showed up for much of anything, unless it concerned the NDA. Their involvement in foreign affairs in recent years had been drawn back, mostly due to budget cuts and also because of the various leadership changes in the government. It was something that Siri had hoped to change eventually, but more pressing matters required her attention, like getting the economy and the government’s budget stabilized.

Then the conversation made a slight turn. Ah, yes, the Iraqstanis... The elf never had the pleasure – or misfortune, she supposed, in the Britmattians’ eyes – of meeting them personally; their troubles had been gone and dealt with well before the Grummians joined up with the alliance, and they had seemed to not have been a bother to anyone since.

Siri managed a chuckle at that curiosity towards her name’s origin. “Oh, that question; that one has been around for ages and the answer is no.” She paused briefly as she contemplated expounding upon her answer.

“Quite simply, we are two very different people from two very different worlds. Mine has yet to attain space travel or any significantly advanced technology and was, prior to my leaving, only visited by two outsiders – both of whom I know personally and both visited well after I had been born.

“And I know that neither she nor any of her associates have visited before I was born because – either someone would have undoubtedly founded a religion on the godlike mysterious invaders from above, stories of her presence would have undoubtedly lasted throughout the ages, or she would have, as she usually does, put down all elven oppression, shown us capitalism and freedom of religion and press and so forth and so on.” All of which was said completely devoid of sarcasm or being mocking; she was bluntly stating the facts as she saw them in a rather businesslike tone. “I have not seen any of that happen. So there is no way for it to be anything other than coincidence.”

[Solont]

“Sounds like quite the tumultuous relationship,” Valcione said, taking another sip of her drink. Tumultuous indeed. Nathi hadn't let much slip; despite her brief outbursts, Valcione could tell that there was much boiling beneath the surface of the Dread Lady's relatively calm exterior. Still, there was enough there for Val to realize that theirs was not simply a marriage of political convenience or mutually beneficial business. Only love, true love, could stoke that kind of anger.

“It seems like he was destined to leave you mad, even in death,” Valcione said. She hoped she wasn't stepping on any toes, but she had always had a frank tongue, and this at least was a subject on which she could speak from experience. “I don't know many of the details. Some sort of shuttle explosion. No body recovered,” She let out a wistful sigh, and rubbed the rim of her glass with a single finger. “It's always that way. Death is never easy no matter where She finds us, but it's worse in space. There's no satisfaction, no closure. You want to keep believing that someway or somehow...” She trailed off. Like Nathicana, Valcione had to be wary of making this conversation a little too personal. It wasn't time for that, not yet.

“I'm sorry, Nathicana,” She said. It was as much an apology for conversational trespass as it was a second, truer expression of sympathy for the Dread Lady's grief. “It's not my place to lecture those in grief. I'm sure you'll find peace with this on your own, in time,” she adds. “All it takes is time...”

“And in that time, we have good friends and smooth drinks to smooth drinks to soothe our wounded hearts,” Valcione said with a friendly smile and raised her glass to Nathi, offering a clink. “Don't let me monopolize you. I'm sure you've got many friends more familiar than me waiting to see you. We'll have plenty of time to talk later.”

---

“Them?” Kana raised an eyebrow, and turned to the Keepers, putting a finger to her chin in confusion. “But I thought that... Er, I mean... huh.” It was possible, of course. Perhaps it was just residual psionic interference that colored Kana's perception of Naiya. The relative blindness her limiters placed on her meant that such a mistake wasn't entirely out of the question. She wished she were allowed take them off, but her mother had impressed upon her just how big of a social faux pas that would be. “I'm sorry,” she said. “I don't usually make mistakes like that. I hope I didn't offend you.”

At Naiya's suggestion, she ordered a tall glass of orange juice which she nursed slowly throughout the conversation. “Anyways, I'm glad to finally formally meet you, Naiya. And, Oduh, Najoedo, you as well.” Kana said with a smile. “You don't need to apologize. Your presence doesn't affect me negatively. I'm just not used to being around others like me, especially not while I'm being handicapped like this,” she added, and tapped the fashionable golden choker around her neck for emphasis.

“So, are psionics common in your land? It's not really very common or well practiced on my homeworld. Definitely not enough for us to have given it a pretty name like 'The Arts.'” Kana said with a disarming giggle. The two keepers had a certain charm and approachability to them, and she found their 'old and married' sort of rapport to be very entertaining.

“And Naiya,” Kana said, turning back towards the Dominion Principessa and drawing in a deep breath. “You said your odd presence was because of your parentage, right? If Emperor Marcus is your brother, does that mean that Devon Treznor was your father?” She let her smile fade just enough to show Naiya that she wasn't treating the subject flippantly. After all, this was nothing to joke about.

“I'm sorry for your loss.”

[Dread Lady Nathicana]

Nathicana & Valcione

Nathicana smiled wryly at Valcione’s first words. Destined to leave her mad? No doubt. God only knows how much he seemed to enjoy tweaking her. Which lead right into the woman’s next comments. And again, gave her pause.

No, there hadn’t been any closure. No satisfaction that things were as they appeared. And given that bastard’s ability to wriggle out of the damndest situations – impossible situations, one might say – she did have her doubts. In spite of everything they were saying. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she looked over at Valcione.

It wasn’t as if the woman could read her mind. She was just being overly suspicious. And she did seem sincere enough in her well-wishes. The Solonti reports seemed to lean heavily in the direction of their Scolopendran allies – decent for the most part, hard-working, white-hats with a history of struggle.

The diminutive woman shook her head slightly, the smile faltering only slightly as she raised her glass to gently meet Valcione’s. “Again, appreciated. I just can’t help but expect him to show up after everything is nearly wrapped up, given his flair for the dramatic and sense of timing. ‘What, all this for me? You shouldn’t have, really.’ It would be just like him, I swear.”

She took a healthy sip, grimaced slightly, then offered her hand in acknowledgment of the offer of ‘later’. It was getting progressively difficult to accept all the commiserations, the looking back at ‘once was’, and assorted sympathies. It was expected, as was her stoic front. But that front was wavering.

“Perhaps we will have that opportunity later, Valcione. In the meantime, please, make yourself comfortable and don’t hesitate to ask should there be anything you need. Grazie.” And with that, Nathicana withdrew, giving both her children another look-over, just to make sure all was more or less well – which it was, as she knew it would be.

It was far too early to retire for any length of time. A quite word from Massetti filtered through her thoughts as he made a quick check-in with her over Spook. He’d positioned himself somewhat opposite Naiya’s attaché and was quietly overlooking the room, as he always did. Some things, at least, hadn’t changed.

After a brief confirmation, she chose a chair that was at least somewhat out of the way of most things, and sat down, quietly nursing her drink, her glance straying now and then to the door that lead roughly in the direction of the private quarters.

----- ----- ----- -----

Naiya, Kana, and the Keepers

Naiya was privately relieved that the Keepers picked that suggestion up and flew with it, so to speak. One could never account for the abilities, or inabilities of others. It was a reality she’d been learning to deal with since childhood to one degree or other. But until more recently, it hadn’t been such an important concern. Until recently, she hadn’t truly been a full-fledged Maia. And God willing, the people who shouldn’t know, wouldn’t until it was absolutely necessary.

Kana was not entirely convinced, however. Whether could be good or bad, remained to be seen. Naiya chose to simply wave off the apology with a smile, and brief assurance that it was no trouble at all, nor was any offense taken in the least.

On the confirmation of the young woman’s physical block to her more ethereal talents, the principesssa kept a neutral expression. Again, it seemed voluntary, and thus was likely another one of those things best left alone. She certainly wasn’t going to poke around the thing in any case. If there were limits being imposed, they were not doubt being done so for a reason. And this was certainly not the place to start experimenting out of idle curiosity. Not with the stakes as they were.

Instead, she smiled and nodded at the interaction between the other three, quietly observing until Kana asked her the question she had once dreaded, and now, tended to simply deal with as needed.

“That’s where our family gets a little complicated,” she started to explain. “Call it one of those interesting scientific flukes that happen every now and again. Superfecundation is what they call it – a case of two fathers, but one mother. Such is the case here, and the reason for our different last names. Given the ah … complexities of parentage, Marcus’s line is the only one who can inherit the Treznor throne. “

“It works out well, really. No in-fighting, though I hardly think that was ever likely between us two,” Naiya continued, smiling briefly in her brother’s direction. “So no, Devon was not my father. But I thank you for your concern. It has been a trying time for the family.”

She turned her smile back to Kana, leaving it at that for now, hoping to convey there was no offense taken by the inquiry. It was natural enough, and in a situation like this, questions would be asked, as they always had by those unfamiliar with the complexities of family politics.

That said, she still wasn’t sure who was or was not aware of her interesting paternal link. Some still held grudges, some didn’t hold it against her in the least, others were completely unaware of any significance there. But in the interest of keeping the relative peace, and not inviting trouble, she kept the name Alkanphel to herself.

[Treznor]

Benjamin Vitner stepped quietly into library and stepped aside to assess the mood of the gathering. There were a number of small groups talking soberly together, and individuals off by themselves taking advantage of the free drinks provided at the bar. Marcus -- the Emperor now, he must start referring to him that way -- was talking animatedly in a corner with a pair of dignitaries. Naiya was engaged with representatives from the Reploids and a woman from Solont with the psychic inhibitors. Nathicana's expression suggested gathering storm clouds, but that could be anything from the purpose of the gathering to her childrens' choice of associates. Ben didn't have anything resembling Devon's understanding of the Dread Lady. Although he had an entire department devoted to her in particular, he couldn't begin to predict her.

He made his way to the bar and ordered a dark lager with a good head on it. To be honest, he was grateful that he'd been kept so busy on this day because he was no happier about the reason for the event than any of the old man's family. Ben had always been close to Devon, long before they'd worked together to foment the coup that had created the Empire of Treznor. He'd been Devon's protégé, learning everything he knew about intelligence and statecraft from the old man. It was the reason he'd been second in command of the Empire and why he'd been entrusted with so many secrets. It had always seemed like in spite of the stupid risks he'd taken, Devon would outlive them all.

Ben felt old. He'd known that age had been creeping up on him for a while, and his wife had long ago stopped teasing him about how the silver in his hair outnumbered the black. There wasn't any black left now, it was all silver. But until today when he'd practically forced Marcus to sign the official document proclaiming Devon officially dead, he never felt that old. He'd never given serious thought to retirement the way he was today. He would have to talk to Marcus about his recommendation for replacements, but not now. Tomorrow was soon enough, or maybe next week. Give the boy some time to recover. Yes, next week would do.

Holding his glass carefully, he made his way to the big double doors that led to the ballroom. He rapped on them loudly to get everyone's attention.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I'd like to thank you all for attending this memorial today. In a moment I'd like you to join us for dinner, but first I'd like you to join me in remembering the man we're all here to honor. A man of vision and dedication, who was relentless in the pursuit of his goals. He was ruthless, even amoral in his actions. He lived by a code of ethics, but he always reminded us to never let our morals get in the way of doing what's right. He cherished his family and never forgot his friends. To Devon Treznor, may his legacy live on forever."

He tipped back his glass and drank deep of the lager.

[Midlonia]

“I am King Henry the second of the Greater Kingdom and this is my wife, Queen Sarah.” Henry said with a slight tilt of his head as his hand entwined with hers. “Marcus sounded quite keen, so I had to drop in a little to find out who had piqued his interest. I wouldn’t panic too much about talking shop. Not all of us knew his illustrious father except from legend.”

“Henry and I served in the Mainland Regiment, one of the pointier corps of the Midlonian Military.” Sarah said with a smile. “Aside from a couple of close scrapes I agree with you, Nathaniel. Best days of our lives.”

“So this life of luxury and happy family now isn’t?” Henry said with a smile.

Sarah tutted him. “You know what I meant. Back then they were.”

It was at that moment Ben made his toast, Henry raised his glass, as did Sarah but Henry gave Naiya a brief glance while the others were distracted by Ben’s speech. He sipped his glass before looking to Marcus and nodding soberly and murmuring. “With you on the throne, how can his legacy become anything but greater?”

[Dread Lady Nathicana]

Of course, it would be that time that Ben chose to make his speech. Inwardly, Naiya sighed at the all too true lines as they were delivered. Outwardly, she showed nothing but a quiet respect as they were spoken, turning just enough to give the man the attention he deserved.

He’d had vision alright. A pity it had been warped on certain points due to his paranoia and hatred. Understanding why now didn’t make any difference in the end. She doubted they’d ever really have had an opportunity to make things any better, as she’d reflected earlier. It had little to do with who she was, and everything to do with what she was. And what he was, and his inherent nature. Everyone had their limitations. Accepting her had simply been beyond his, in doing what he believed was right. Relentless, ruthless, amoral, yes. Cherished his family – absolutely. The two who actually were family, he would do anything for. Had done anything for.

At least her children wouldn’t have to live with the same stigma. Not from him. Anything else, she would simply have to deal with as it came.

“To Devon Treznor,” she murmured quietly, lifting her glass, then sipping in further contemplation until the conversation picked up again.

----- ----- ----- ----- ----- -----

Nathicana looked sharply to Ben as he knocked on the doors. As his intention became clear, she quietly rose from her chair, and stood as tall as her diminutive stature allowed, her chin tilted up in that imperious way she had.

If Devon really was up to something, Ben would know it. But nothing in the man’s bearing suggested anything other than the situation being as it appeared. It frustrated her even further, the doubting, the uncertainty, the nagging suspicion.

As Ben delivered his eulogy, she raised her glass, her expression seeming to challenge anyone to pass judgment. On him, on her seeming lack of tears or debilitating sorrow, on any of it. She’d cried enough already, and she was certain she would again later. Not here, not now. And especially not in case …

“Lascia che sia cosi,” she said, glancing first to Marcus, then over to Naiya, before draining her own glass. Let it be so. She handed the empty tumbler off to a functionary as she crossed the room with purpose, stopping once she’d reached her husband’s right hand man.

“Molto bene grazie, Ben. You know you meant a lot to him, yes? I don’t know what he … what we would have done without you, on many an occasion. I know Marcus has come to rely on you as well. You’re like family, you know. If there is anything …”

Nathicana paused, looking at the man searchingly, trying one last time to find any indication, any inkling of hope. Of course there was nothing.

Muttering a brief curse under her breath, she pushed those thoughts away again. She wasn’t sure what the man intended to do from here. In the circles they were familiar with, ascension wasn’t always followed by close staff. Perhaps it was a better time to address that particular point, rather than press on others.

“Thank you, Ben. I trust you won’t be leaving my son without guidance, whatever your plans may be, and wherever your path might take you. Not that you need it, or possibly even want it, but you’ve my blessing regardless.”