[007] Lady Alicia's Yacht - The Kiara Surabi

[shaidar]

Sara looks at Harper. "She tends to be a little over-zealous in her self-depreciation"

Harper smiles "I had noticed that. Although it's true that the family is unlikely to listen to anyone not born to them. But my point is that I lived a childhood of privilege, I was a wild teenager who literally indulged their every whim, and I've spent the last twenty years in the Navy, what do I know about what normal people want or need. To be honest I'm not sure change can come from within the family, unless things have changed in the last twenty years they are going to need a little encouragement" she shrugs

[Tiglath]

As Foix describes his ex-wife Harper's face darkens and a look of concern touches her features.

This concern changes to surprise as Foix offers her the job. She thinks for a few seconds and then shakes her head
"While I'm flattered, thank you but no. I'm not the right person for the job. Why not Anastasia? She seems far more suitable than I. That aside, I'm in."

Clearly pleased Foix smiles and replies “Lady Harper I am delighted that you join our cause”. He then instinctively adds “Of course you are the right person for the job - you are my cousin and I trust you! Besides that you are one of the least morally decadent nobles in the family. You are at the top of a fairly short shortlist – which, ahem, also includes myself”.

He looks across to Ana with a wry smile “When I am restored I believe that the new Baroness will find herself too busy defending what we have won to oversee social reform in the Domain. I believe conducting a very active defence of the realm and terrifying courtiers will take up all of her time”.

She says "I don’t know about this. I always want to help my friends, I just... it sounded like we were being asked to fight a war."

Turning to Sara he replies “You are. It may be a bloodless palace coup or a short sharp series of engagements. Ana and I will focus the fighting to achieve our aims and minimise civilian and collateral damage. We will provide the encouragement that Lady Harper suggests is necessary within the family to benefit the people of the Domain”.

[joertexas]

Turning to Sara he replies “You are. It may be a bloodless palace coup or a short sharp series of engagements. Ana and I will focus the fighting to achieve our aims and minimise civilian and collateral damage. We will provide the encouragement that Lady Harper suggests is necessary within the family to benefit the people of the Domain”.

Vee's complexion pales as she listens to the conversation. "Should we be talking about this here?" She instinctively presses closer to Gauvain, and tightly grasps his bicep.

[Ramona]

Sara looks at Harper. "She tends to be a little over-zealous in her self-depreciation"

Harper smiles "I had noticed that. Although it's true that the family is unlikely to listen to anyone not born to them. But my point is that I lived a childhood of privilege, I was a wild teenager who literally indulged their every whim, and I've spent the last twenty years in the Navy, what do I know about what normal people want or need. To be honest I'm not sure change can come from within the family, unless things have changed in the last twenty years they are going to need a little encouragement" she shrugs

“If you undersell it is so much easier to over perform.” Ana says to Sara with a wink.

She looks at Harper, “For your sake I hope they’re more amenable to change than you recall, the ones that work where the change is external are rarely favourable to your people.”

He looks across to Ana with a wry smile “When I am restored I believe that the new Baroness will find herself too busy defending what we have won to oversee social reform in the Domain. I believe conducting a very active defence of the realm and terrifying courtiers will take up all of her time”.

“So much for a quiet retirement,” Ana remarks wryly.

She says "I don’t know about this. I always want to help my friends, I just... it sounded like we were being asked to fight a war."

Turning to Sara he replies “You are. It may be a bloodless palace coup or a short sharp series of engagements. Ana and I will focus the fighting to achieve our aims and minimise civilian and collateral damage. We will provide the encouragement that Lady Harper suggests is necessary within the family to benefit the people of the Domain”.

“Technically we’re being asked to organize an insurrection to reinstall the legitimate ruler,” she looks at Foix, “and I haven’t said yes.”

“I want to see the data first so we know what’s going on before I commit to anything, this could be a whole lot of sand and no storm.”. She looks at Sara, “How about tomorrow, after breakfast, we grab whatever we can and while the ship in for servicing we go over that data and see whst we can learn.”

Vee's complexion pales as she listens to the conversation. "Should we be talking about this here?" She instinctively presses closer to Gauvain, and tightly grasps his bicep.

“There really is no right place to discuss capital crimes, except perhaps a wine cellar.” Ana shrugs and looks about, “I mean I suppose the ship could be wired or someone could be a double agent but his wife’s a witch, so she can probably scramble our brains inside our skulls and then rip them out our nostrils so does it really matter where we are?”

[Tiglath]

“Technically we’re being asked to organize an insurrection to reinstall the legitimate ruler,” she looks at Foix, “and I haven’t said yes.”

Foix replies with a wry smile “I have noticed”.

He adds “I do agree we are light on Intelligence and I would be grateful for any enquiries you can make to discover more. I will also ask Alicia if she can conduct some research to see how matters lie with the family”.

(OOC: Foix doesn’t have Computer of anything as useful for data mining but Alicia does ... ).

He says “The nobility love trading information and plotting but there is a delicate line to be walked. Whilst spying is seen as a thoroughly grubby business actual eavesdropping is deemed so terribly base that most nobles wouldn’t dream of it. We may therefore be more secure than it appears. Lady Alicia moves in non political circles which may be another advantage”.

Grimaud has been studying the crowd specifically looking for anyone attempting to listen in on the group’s covert conversation or otherwise paying them too much attention.

(OOC: … we should all be plotting in a curtained alcove in a private members club or similar but there was this big public holiday in RL so we could all post frequently! )

[Ramona]

We’re in your aunt’s starship so as long as your cousins or aunt aren’t spies.

[Tiglath]

Yes - I think we're secure enough. Maybe an outside chance of one of the select guests being a local information broker or similar but we're not an "active" insurrection as yet and the (non political) Lady Alicia's drinks party is probably not a "hot ticket" for gossip columnists let alone spies!

A more credible threat would be one of her crew being an agent for the other side but again that's probably something of a "reach".

That said I wouldn't mind a bit of combat. It seems a shame to waste all these military skills that we have in such depth!

[joertexas]

That said I wouldn't mind a bit of combat. It seems a shame to waste all these military skills that we have in such depth!

We?

[Ramona]

That said I wouldn't mind a bit of combat. It seems a shame to waste all these military skills that we have in such depth!

We?

[Tiglath]

Running about to draw enemy fire is a vital contribution to the team effort!

Don't let anyone tell you otherwise!

[joertexas]

Running about to draw enemy fire is a vital contribution to the team effort!

Don't let anyone tell you otherwise!

That's reassuring.

[Ramona]

Ana looks a out the room, “Well, if we’re done being treasonous here, I’m going to wander back to the ship. I owe someone a story and perhaps a back rub for not splattering us across 1,000 square kilometres of countryside this morning.”

She drains the champagne flute, “And maybe ramen, I could really go for a big bowl of ramen right about now, before the hangover kicks in.”

[Tiglath]

Foix glances sidelong at Ana and smiles “Our loyalist business does seem to be concluded. I will call on Lady Alicia in the morning and ask her to conduct certain enquiries into the current status of the Foix family”.

He turns to Vee “Lady Anevay would you care for an evening stroll back to the ship?”

[joertexas]

He turns to Vee “Lady Anevay would you care for an evening stroll back to the ship?”

Vee loosens her grip on his arm and nods with a strained smile. "Yes, my lord, I think I would like that." She hands off her empty glass to Grimaud, and follows Foix's lead.

[Tiglath]

Foix takes his leave of Lady Alicia and bids Lady Harper a fond farewell promising to call in on her and Lady Alicia in the morning.

He pauses to light a slim cigar and then dons his anachronistic bearskin colpack before offering Vee his arm and setting off into the “night” of Arthiop’s dome. He speaks softly “Ma chérie, I am not so base as to not hear silence as well as words. It seems you add discretion to your great store of admirable qualities! What is it that you would know?”

[joertexas]

“Ma chérie, I am not so base as to not hear silence as well as words. It seems you add discretion to your great store of admirable qualities! What is it that you would know?”

Vee walks with him in companionable silence for a few minutes. "First, I want you to know that I am truly your vassal; yours to command. Second," she turns her head to look at him, "I love you, Gauvain. Maybe it's too soon to say that, but it is true." She looks ahead and sighs. "A part of me is afraid of where this movement will lead, but it is my cause because it is yours. I would not want to see innocents suffer, and that is where my fears lie. Another part fears that you will die in some sort of fight." She thinks for a moment, and then chuckles softly. "I do not fear my own death more than I did when we walked into the party, though. That's interesting."

[ffilz]

I'm not sure how clear it is...

The party is aboard the Kiara Surabi in the lounge area. The only folks present are the PCs and Lady Alicia and her crew. Squee is still in her autodoc.

Frank

[Ramona]

Foix glances sidelong at Ana and smiles “Our loyalist business does seem to be concluded. I will call on Lady Alicia in the morning and ask her to conduct certain enquiries into the current status of the Foix family”.

“And now we wait for 4 months,” Ana grins, “you’d think they’d have found a faster way of sending a letter.”

She holds the hatch open for Foix, Vee, Sara and Chu.

“I’m starving,” she whispers to Sara when the others are a ways away, “cucumber sandwiches and alcohol is not real food.”

“Your call, you kept us alive, so you get to pick. Before you ask, no I wan’t kidding about Ramen but this is a you meal not a me meal so I’m flexible.”

[Tiglath]

Vee walks with him in companionable silence for a few minutes. "First, I want you to know that I am truly your vassal; yours to command. Second," she turns her head to look at him, "I love you, Gauvain. Maybe it's too soon to say that, but it is true." She looks ahead and sighs. "A part of me is afraid of where this movement will lead, but it is my cause because it is yours. I would not want to see innocents suffer, and that is where my fears lie. Another part fears that you will die in some sort of fight." She thinks for a moment, and then chuckles softly. "I do not fear my own death more than I did when we walked into the party, though. That's interesting."

Foix stops and says “Forgive me. My head is full of the nonsense of noble houses and I forget how to walk a pretty girl home”. He unclasps his pelisse and drapes it about Vee’s shoulders against the evening chill. He smiles “Hussars were truly swordsmen after my own heart – their uniforms come with a spare jacket for a female companion!”

He says easily “I think I love you too. Anyone who is willing to fight Ana for me must at least be worthy of that. You were magnificent today! However, you must expect me to be a little cautious - my last "whirlwind romance" didn’t end so well …”

Foix replies to her thoughts on the night’s plotting with a warm chuckle “My Lady it seems you are so much better at nobility than I am. Mon Dieu, you redefine it! My first command is therefore to disobey any of my orders you don’t agree with”.

With absolute certainty he then states “I must recover what is mine! It is my duty to the people of the Domain” and then with uncharacteristic passion “I will not let them fall into darkness as the Imperium withdraws. That is the duty of my blood!”

Then he recovers and laughs again “Don’t worry about me. I’ve been nearly getting killed for so long now I’ve become quite skilled at it! The trick is in the “nearly”. And now you have overcome a mortal fear of drinks parties. We are invincible!”

[joertexas]

Then he recovers and laughs again “Don’t worry about me. I’ve been nearly getting killed for so long now I’ve become quite skilled at it! The trick is in the “nearly”. And now you have overcome a mortal fear of drinks parties. We are invincible!”

"Indeed," Vee says with a wry smile. "I hope to do better by you than she did. I can only prove that to you day by day. So, I will worry about you, Gauvain. It is my station to worry, to support you, and to even risk my life at your side. I will do what I can, though my skills and experience lie in starship operations, not in being a soldier."

She falls silent for a moment. "What are our chances of success when the Imperium withdraws?"