[004] Arriving at Birach Highport

[joertexas]

Anne contacts Captain Pike and makes arrangements for her and Julliette to head down the the Downport as soon as is practical.

ooc: Are there regular public shuttles from the Highport that we could travel on to blend in? Perhaps paid for by 'cash' to try and avoid being tracked?

The planetary shuttles leave every half hour, and Juliette finds a VIP-class ticket that allows for travel under a pseudonym - with prior approval from the carrier (of which there are four primary carriers, and a half-dozen smaller outfits). There are also charter services available, and, of course, the Lady's ship's boat. The pinnace is... well, Anne doesn't know what's happening with it

[shaidar]

Anne arranges purchases two pairs of VIP tickets (with different names) from two randomly chosen carriers. She then chooses which of the pairs to use by random just before they are ready to leave.

With shuttle selected she informs Captain Pike of when to expect them.

[Tiglath]

1437.008.1230 Vee speaks up after a few moments. "My Lord, our mission here is to secure support for our part of House Foix before we see the Emperor. We are a week away from Atreo, and word of what has transpired will reach them before we do. I believe that any delay in being about what we came here to do will do more harm than good. If we choose to remain here aboard ship, then I fear that we will be perceived as weak and easily cowed."

Foix replies "We shall conduct our diplomacy as best serves the needs of the House. However, using the ship's boat and other private and discrete means of travel to meet our allies will hopefully limit the opportunities for this malicious media campaign".

Foix will plan to utilise private landing facilities and discrete limos/suburbans etc to provide less photo ops for media abuse and more physical security for the travelling retinue.

[The Bindoner]

Zhenya approaches Foix:
Comte, I propose to go out among the locals. I may be able to learn more outside your entourage than in it. I will acquire a new comm and set up a profile on the local datanet under the name Kuerzu. Have a new comm registered and contact me there.


If her proposal is accepted she arranges to make a separate trip, under a different identity, on a scheduled flight. She is intending to sound out attitudes to house Foix and, perhaps, influence them. She dresses in a business suit, but packs a varied wardrobe and distributes a selection of "equipment" between her luggage and person.

[Tiglath]

Foix grins and nods immediate agreement "This is what we need. Do it".

He adds "Zhenya, you will be careful of course but, if you hit trouble, know that I will extract you".

The emphasis is deliberate and seems to imply direct personal intervention.

[joertexas]

Recap

Zhenya is planning to go undercover - location TBD.

Anne and Juliette are scheduled for a 1530 flight to Ifningholm Downport using VIP tickets.

Foix is planning to use private transportation - destination and departure time TBD.

What is everyone else doing?

[BackworldTraveller]

Rock, Elvira plus their children intend to escort the social services crew and the refugees to wherever it is that they are to be temporarily housed.
The Count has offered to take some of the children under his wing. Does he have house infrastructure here?

[joertexas]

Rock, Elvira plus their children intend to escort the social services crew and the refugees to wherever it is that they are to be temporarily housed.
The Count has offered to take some of the children under his wing. Does he have house infrastructure here?

House Foix has a large estate in Ifningholm that may be able to house and care for the children. "Estate" in this case is a building in the city center that boasts living quarters, office spaces, shopping, and even a multilevel park. Four of Gauvain's cousins share ownership of the estate, with the eldest, Frederick, being the ranking baron. The estate's offices manage a small shipyard among a dozen medium-sized businesses in the Birach System.

[joertexas]

Actions?

[SpinwardMarch]

Taheri

She is going to accompany Foix as security. Diplomacy is not her department.

[BackworldTraveller]

Rock and Elvira arrange for the staff onboard to pack and for the Refugee and family children to be gathered to depart.

Rock will also look to remind himself what family assets are on-world and will contact the family administration to find out what the current family situation is regarding his brother. Clearly there is something up if he wants to flee. Also Family Security should know they have a new set of people to deal with, and the house staff will need to know the family is moving in. Finally, I'll be needing a new children's-tutor as the previous one has so badly blotted her copybook.

[Tiglath]

Foix will move his diplomatic operations to the "Forward Operating Base" of Ifningholm while accompanied by his close protection team and the rest of the retinue.

The strategy is diplomatic business as usual but also to deny the local media any either unauthorised or intrusive access while that business is conducted.

[The Bindoner]

Zhenya leaves the ship "to get away from everyone" for a few days. She visits several hotels, books a night in each, goes to the room, changes, exits via the service entrance and moves to the next using whatever transport is available. Satisfied she has created confusion, and now a blonde using a different identity, she books a private charter from Highport to planet.

[joertexas]

Everyone but Anne

Everyone's trip to Ifningholm proceeds without incident. They arrive in the city, where Foix's entourage and Rock's family are met by House Foix staff with their grav limos.

Anne

Anne and Juliette disembark at the Ifningholm Downport's Terminal 'C', as Anne had told Captain Pike. The pair makes their way to the luggage claim area, where they soon spot Captain Pike. He strides over to them and is instantly enveloped in a huge hug from Juliette. The two of them stand there for a long moment, and their eyes are moist when they finally separate. "I really missed you, Kiddo."

"Dad!" Juliette rolled her eyes. "I'm not a little girl anymore."

Pike smiles and looks to Anne. "She is right about that. How are you, Anne? It's been a while."

[shaidar]

Anne smiles at Rob

"I'm good, Rob. It looks like the navy did agree with me after all. You look well, and you have a daughter you must be very proud of"

[joertexas]

Anne smiles at Rob

"I'm good, Rob. It looks like the navy did agree with me after all. You look well, and you have a daughter you must be very proud of"

Anne and Juliette retrieve Juliette's three suitcases from the carousel; Anne had brought only a carryon. Heavy bags in tow, the three of them start toward the exit, when a middle-aged man dressed in business casual attire approaches. "Hello, Captain Pike," he says with a smile.

"Harmon," Pike says with a note of surprise in his voice. "It's good to see you. Is everything okay? This is Anne DuBois, and my daughter, Juliette Pike. Anne, Juliette, meet Harmon Baker. He and I work together on some Navy contracts with his company."

Baker looks at Anne with a slight smile and a small nod, and then his eyes settle on Juliette with a curious look. "Everything's fine. Look, I know this isn't a good time, but I don't think there will ever be such. I saw that you were coming to Birach, and I didn't know when I'd ever get this chance again." He stands awkwardly, his hands clasped in front of him. "I, uh, don't know how else to say this," he takes a breath, "but, Juliette, I'm your biological father."

Anne notes that there is a young woman, scarcely older than Juliette, standing behind Baker, and off to one side, with a tiny drone camera hovering at her shoulder. She's watching them intently, and her posture mirrors Baker's. Come to think of it, she looks a lot like Baker, too.

[shaidar]

Anne reigns in her emotions, years of navy training coming in rather handy. She is immediately suspicious of the timing.

She looks at Harmon and the the younger woman.

"Why are you recording this? That's hardly appropriate. How did you know we would be here? "

(she uses her best disapproving captain voice)

[joertexas]

Anne reigns in her emotions, years of navy training coming in rather handy. She is immediately suspicious of the timing.

She looks at Harmon and the the younger woman.

"Why are you recording this? That's hardly appropriate. How did you know we would be here? "

(she uses her best disapproving captain voice)

"Oh!" Harmon turns to the woman. "Meliana, please stop recording and come here." He turns back to Anne. "Look, I know this is a shock, and I'm really sorry. Rob, uh, Captain Pike, mentioned that his daughter was coming into town, and then I saw you both on the news vids. It's a big story." He shrugs. "I know it was a long time ago, and we were in, uh, altered, frames of mind. But, I do remember us, well, I do remember what happened."

The woman stops at the man's shoulder. "Dad, maybe this isn't such a good idea."

Juliette looks back and forth between the older adults. "What's going on?"

[shaidar]

Anne glares daggers at the man

"Who put you up to this? How did you know we would be here right now? We travelled under false names, only Rob knew. This is another setup, like Lady Vee and the video"

[joertexas]

Anne glares daggers at the man

"Who put you up to this? How did you know we would be here right now? We travelled under false names, only Rob knew. This is another setup, like Lady Vee and the video"

Meliana, who Anne can see is probably sixteen, bristles at her. "My father isn't a creep! He just wanted to meet his daughter!" She stops when her father lays his hand on her arm. "What, Dad? Just because Anne, or Lila, or whatever her real name is, wants to be all huffy?"

"This was a mistake," Harmon says. He's blushing to the tips of his ears, and he glances at Anne before looking down at the floor.

"What?!" Juliette looks at each of them as the conversation flows. "Dad, what's going on? You said my mother's name was Lila, and that she'd disappeared!" She turned to glare at Anne. "Who are you?"

"Okay, everyone, just stop!" Rob took a breath. "We're in public, and there's enough crap going around without this getting out. Come with me, all of you. We will go back to my place and sort out this mess." He points to the terminal exit. "Let's go."