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"Ambassador Shoma-Tern is the first of her own House, Holy Couple," the Pemipinae answered. "However, on behalf of my people, the Maha-Rrin do not object to this mating."
"Lent-Ur, you will be surrendering your independence and possibly your Union Citizenship to become part of the household of Shoma-Tern. Do you do this thing willingly with full knowledge of what you are about to do?" the President asked.
"I do and I do so very willingly, Holy Couple," he responded with a smile.
"Shoma-Tern, this male is used to having his own way. Are you certain he is worth taking into your household?" the First Lady asked, getting giggles from many standing around the conference room.
"I find my day brightened by his presence, Holy Couple. He is worth the risk to my household," Shoma-Tern answered, getting outright laughter from many this time.
"Very well," the President stated. "As there are no objections to this mating we, the Holy Couple, give our blessing. However, we, the President of the Union and his First Lady, request to be present at this happy event.
"Now, the less obvious question...who shall perform the ceremony?" the First Lady asked.
Immediately the two High Priestesses began to loudly debate who should be the one to conduct the ceremony when Prakeshya interrupted their discussion.
"NO! They not Pod-Drran, not Maha-Rrin. They first to break isolation. They be Oranae now. Only one person can do this. She flicked her hand at a monitor and the image of the AI came up.
When the incident had started, Prakeshya and quietly activated her comp and allowed the AI to see what was going on.
"I agree, Prakeshya. The first of the new Oranae should be mated under my hand," she stated formally. Immediately, all the Pod-Drran and Maha-Rrin present took a knee and bowed to the image of Poda-La/Mada-La-Ail.
"Well, this will be interesting," the First Lady quipped from the other monitor...
Headquarters of the Church of the People, Capital City, Terra, The Sol System
The Right Reverend (RR) Joseph Dalman heard running feet getting closer until his right hand man James Leary burst into his office.
"The Chamber of Commerce of Liramor City on Liramor Prime has sent an invitation to the Interspecies Embassy to participate in Christmas and New Year's celebrations in the city. They have set up a party for the 23rd of December," James blurted out.
Dalman smiled. "I believe that there is a daily run that goes to Liramor Prime. Contact the Brethren and see who can attend this 'party'," he ordered.
Crew Quarters, Sierra Deck, Liramor-23, The Piscium System
On the 20th of December 2487, Gregory Dorman had finally arrived on Liramor-23. The first thing he did was to go through the local 'dating' app to verify if his partner, Satrina Kalenka, had arrived. He didn't see her but he was not worried about that. She would eventually arrive.
Dorman had seen many images of Liramor-23 but now he began to walk the platform when he wasn't on duty as a miner. It was not an unusual situation for miners to get to know their new environment. He frequented many of the local bars seeking 'companionship'. Again, this was something that happened in the lives of many miners. It also set up an opportunity to make Satrina one of his female companions and one that he would eventually begin to 'date' more exclusively. This would provide both of them the opportunity to work together without drawing undue suspicion.
Like others, Dorman eventually gravitated to the Concours and the Food Court, though his reasons for being there did not follow the norms. He was scouting out areas of potential engagements wherein he could lay in wait for his victim and determine methods of exiting the area after the assassination.
During his scouting he did encounter Raymond Clark on more than one occasion but was not in a situation in which he could exploit the encounter. He did want to survive. Assassins had plenty of patience. He would get his chance...
Ville de Liramor, Liramor Prime, The Liramor System
At noon on the 23rd of December 2487, the DA Yarl Asoc, the Asoc's Armed Fast Ship, the Kumar Resestess, the Trine, and several VIP Shuttles settled at the South Liramor Shuttle Port, disgorging hundreds of eager passengers and some very senior members of the Greater Community who kept an air of aloofness about them but were also eager to see this 'festival of lights' they had heard about.
From the Kumar Resestess and the Trine, many Kisory of the Maha-Rrin were exiting the ships in float chairs with help from the friends they had made of the Pod-Drran Kisory, each Kisory Maha-Rrin child paired with a non-injured Pod-Drran Kisory. They were helping guide the Maha-Rrin to the transports that had been allocated to them to take them into the part of the city near the music park, so called because it had a large purpose-built stage at one end of the park for concerts. They were eagerly looking forward to this evenings concert but had most of the day to look around the shopping area near the park.
The transports delivered their passengers to the designated area and returned to the shuttle port for more. It would be an interesting day of shopping and dancing, for those who could.
The media, of course, was out in force.
************
At the main space port another group of people was disembarking from the Terra-Liramor Passenger Run. Members of the Right Reverend John Dalman's Church of the People had arrived on Liramor Prime ready to ruin the day of fun of the villainous races of the Greater Community. The members of the Church were determined to prevent them from stealing control of the Union from humans. They would not reach the music park until after the supper hour, but they did not mind. They knew that a concert was planned and that was the venue at which they intended to stand up for humanity.
************
The Piscium family, the Kumar-Pair and their brood, the Jurte-Pair of the Fleet Shem and their brood, the Asoc, the Asost, Martte Garnal, and Martte Varren, Mylat Alafka and her retinue, along with all their bodyguards, took in the festive atmosphere of the city as they toured the shopping area looking for things they might need or want. They also had many of the injured children of the Maha-Rrin who were recovering from surgical recovery of their lost limbs with them.
The Cats were excited to be in the presence of so many children and were bouncing from shoulder to shoulder much to the annoyance of Junelliya who finally put a stop to it telling them to settle down.
"So pretty, momma!" Zarreniya exclaimed to Junelliya, the other children agreeing avidly as they looked at all the decorations.
"Wait until the sun starts going down and we can see all the lights," Liea told informed the children. She, Raymond, and their entourages had joined the Piscium family and the others when they had encountered them while wandering the shopping district not long before.
Their group was getting bigger as many of the friends of the children from the daycare were finding them and including themselves and their families in the now much larger group. They extended group now had families from half-a-dozen races with a total of seventy-four individuals.
The Piscium children started getting a little hungry so they entered a boulangère for some sweetbreads. As they waited in line, an older gentleman and his wife came up to the counter.
*How may I help you?* the owner asked in French.
"We find ourselves a might peckish and would like some of your sweetbreads please," the man asked. He heard little gasps and looked down to see two children looking up at him with wide eyes and open mouths.
"You say new word!" Zarreniya told the man.
"Can you tell us what it mean?" asked Ikekiya.
The man's wife laughed and knelt down to the two little girls. "Peckish, its an old English word that is seldom used now. It means to be a little hungry," she told them.
"Peckish," both girls repeated, looking at each other. "It mean little hungry, so if you have big hunger, you not use?" Zarreniya asked.
"My, aren't you two bright young ladies," the man stated.
"No, we girls, not ladies. Ladies is big women," Ikekiya said.
"Yes, but when you add the word 'young' you can be included as ladies as well," the wife replied getting looks of excitement from the pair.
They turned to look at their mothers. "Mommy, momma, we two young ladies are a little peckish," they spoke in unison, then laughed.
Both of the girls gave a little curtsey to the pair. "Tank you for teaching us new word," the again said in unison.
They heard knocking on the window and turned to see a large crowd of different races looking in and watching the Piscium family.
"Friends of yours?" asked the older man.
"Some are friends of my daughters from school, others are friends of their Godmother and her brood. Others are people we helped bring here so that could have a day away from the hospital where they are recovering from regeneration surgery," Hanalei told them.
"Regeneration surgery?" the woman asked.
"They are the Kisory, school aged children, of the Maha-Rrin. They were injured in the recent massive earthquake on Maha-Oran, the Maha-Rrin home world," Hanalei explained further.
"We heard about that. Such a terrible thing for anyone to go through, let alone children," the woman answered. She turned as the proprietor was giving her husband their plates.
*How much for what is left in your display?* she asked.
*I think about C350,* the owner told her.
*Is there more coming?*
*Yes, the new batch is twice as big as people are starting to come out for the concert tonight,* the owner explained.
*OK, please have your staff take these sweets out to the group outside. We will pay for it as a special treat for them,* the woman ordered.
"That is not necessary," Junelliya told her.
"Of course it is," the woman stated categorically. "We came here from Terra to enjoy this festive season on Liramor Prime. What better way to do so then being generous to others? Especially these children.
"Besides, we are retired professors from Terra. Teaching a new word to your daughters was a delight for us," she ended with a smile.
"You from Terra?" Zarreniya asked. "You know Denders Resort?"
"We have been there on occasion, but we are from the Capital. We are newly retired professors from Malton University," the man answered.
"OH! You know Aghavni Akopyan?" Ikekiya asked excitedly.
"We do, she is in the music department," the woman replied.
"We know, she friend of my momma," Zarreniya said. "She play piano with us."
"Friend of your momma?" the woman asked, looking at Junelliya suspiciously, recognition slowly dawning in her eyes.
"Yes, I am Doctor Junelliya Herlan," Junelliya said before she could ask.
"OHH!! I knew it!" the woman practically screamed. "Are you playing tonight at the concert?"
"We brought our instruments, but we have not yet been asked to perform," Junelliya replied.
"I do hope that we get the chance to hear you play," the woman returned.
The staff began to move items out on large platters.
*Is there anymore left?* someone near to the door asked in French.
*Yes, the new batch will be ready in five minutes so you will have plenty to choose from,* the proprietor reassured her customers. *That batch is for the children of the Maha-Rrin who are here for a day from the hospital.*
As soon as she said that, the people near the door made way for the staff to bring the treats out. Junelliya caught the attention of Kayl-Ur, made a cross with her fingers, then tapped her comp. She got a reassuring smile and a circular nod of the head from her friend who relayed the message to the group warning them to check the food before they ate it. They found places to sit and enjoyed the treats.
One of the Maha-Rrin floated in on her chair. "Is there a toilet available?" she asked.
"Yes, but it is not compatible with a float chair," the owner stated apologetically.
"That is OK, I can walk a little now," the female answered with a smile. She set her float chair down and pulled two crutches from behind her and lurched her way to the door and into the commode. A few minutes later she came out with an outrageous smile on her face.
"The toilette paper here is so much softer than at the hospital," she said to an inquiring look from Hanalei, who laughed when she heard the translation.
"We thank you for teaching out daughters a new word, they will remember you with fondness," Junelliya told the older couple. "And we thank you for your generosity toward our group."
"We like new words, we learn more every day, we have lots of friends at home and they teach us too," Ikekiya explained.
The woman gave a curious look to Junelliya.
"We live on Liramor-23 and we are surrounded by the other races of the Greater Community who are more than happy to teach our children their languages. They children have learned quite a lot for their ages," she explained.
"Just how old are they?" the woman asked as she looked at the pair.
"I be seventeen months old," Ikekiya told her.
"I be two and half months younger," Zarreniya explained, smiling at her sister.
"Yes, but I be two and half months smarter than Zarreniya," Ikekiya returned to a look of surprise and hurt from her sister...who then laughed with her sister.
"Are they like this all the time?" asked the older gentleman.
"We are constantly being entertained by their antics," Hanalei replied to knowing smiles from the two professors. The older woman cued her comp and touched it to Hanalei's and Junelliya's.
"I am Anne Beaumont, originally from the Québec Region of North America and this is my husband, Rudolph Salsburg, who is originally from the Bavarian Alps in Europe.
"I used to teach economics while my husband specialized in Astrophysics," she informed them.
"OOO! We know this, it necessary for pilot and navigator," Zarreniya said, wide eyed surprising Rudolph.
"You know this already?" Rudolph asked.
"Uh huh, we start learning ship. We want know all position," Ikekiya informed them. That got a surprised look from both the former professors.
"We will go to the music park from here, you?" Junelliya asked, forestalling further questions.
"Yes, we are just picking up some snacks before we head there. We will be doing a meal later this evening," Anne explained.
"Why don't you tag along with our group then?" Fayad invited them.
"I think we would like that," Anne said with a smile. Just then, the new batch of treats came out and was set in the display much to the delight of those waiting in line.
The group of adventurers sat wherever they could around the small shop, leaving the chairs for the human clients and excitedly chatted while enjoying the sweetbreads. Before long, they began to move again as they made their way down to the venue.
The venue was a natural amphitheatre with sets of bleachers set into the small hillside for people to sit on. Junelliya was surprised to see Galina Maricran on the stage, working the sound system and providing some taped music for the listeners while they awaited the orchestra.
The excited children were all on the floor space in front of the raised stage, running, skipping and jumping while under the watchful eyes of the adults, much like human children would. They were all bouncing in time to the music that Galina was providing. She waved at Junelliya when she saw her.
The Piscium children were talking animatedly with everyone around them, their agemates and adults alike. They were peppering the two professors with surprising insightful questions which very much astounded the pair.
Junelliya had made introductions to the professors of the more important members of their group. The retired couple was a little nervous to find themselves in such august company.
"I am surprised that your mother is not here," Hanalei commented to Mylat Alafka.
"It is her birthday today, so she is at an official function at the palace," Alafka informed them.
"OH! We have to send good wishes her!" said both the Asoc and the Kumaraie.
Alafka smiled and opened her comp. A few moments later, the face of her mother appeared on her comp.
"Hello, mother. I have some people that want to wish you a Happy Birthday," Mylat Alafka spoke.
"Adriné! You didn't tell us it was your day!" the Asoc exclaimed with a hurt look.
"Today is always an official event, >Catal. It is not usually shared with friends," the Mylatrin answered laughing. "Where are you?" she asked as she saw so many humans around them.
"We are waiting for a concert to start on Liramor Prime," the Kumaraie told her.
"The lights that I can see are amazing," Adriné replied.
"It is only starting to get dark," the Kumaroe told them all. "The lights will become even more spectacular after sunset."
Junelliya signalled Galina and had Alafka send her comp signal to her. The Mylatrin's image suddenly popped up on the screens on the stage.
"Ladies and gentlemen, this is the Mylatrin Adriné, the supreme ruler of the Byandi people, and today is her birthday," Junelliya advised the crowd. "You are seeing her live from the 'Castada ne Mylatin', the Grand Palace on Mylatinyl some five hundred light years from here.
"Let us all wish her a happy birthday in Byandi fashion by saying 'Ne rened aless harna Mylatrin Adriné!', to her," Junelliya instructed. The crowed cheered and followed her lead to send birthday wishes to the Mylatrin, who grinned at the spectacle, the people of her court and her guests watching in amusement at the people that the Mylatrin was viewing curtesy of her daughter Mylat Alafka.
Ikekiya was abruptly beside her momma, Junelliya, her sister, Prakeshya and her brothers, appeared beside her. "Momma, bad people come," Ikekiya told Junelliya, looking to an area of the hill that had no seats on it.
"Should we call for help?" Hanalei asked.
"No, momma and us can fix," Zarreniya reassured them all. She and her sister took their momma's hand and they led her to the edge of a clear area looking up the hill. A few moments later, a group of humans appeared, but they did not have the air of party goers about them.
The Right Reverend Joseph Dalman and the members of his Church of the People had arrived at the venue. He looked down at the crowd that was waiting for the concert to begin and noted the numbers of aliens around the venue, mingling in the seats with regular humans. It maddened him to see that.
"What are you people doing socializing with those aliens!" he shouted at the people down in the seats. "How can you call yourselves good Christians when you allow this to happen?"
Agitators, mostly people from right wing churches of Liramor Prime sitting in the bleachers, began to call out 'He's right' and 'What are we doing?' These people had been placed there by the local churches to assist Reverand Dalman and his church in their campaign to 'out' the aliens and prove their intent to steal human worlds from their human population. Their purpose was to provide legitimacy for Dalman by showing that the local population agreed with his comments.
Dalman started a rant about the atrocities that the aliens had planned and how they intended to steal Liramor Prime from its human population. The members of his own church were very supportive of his words, as were the agitators from the local churches but most of the people in the bleachers were not so supportive. However, Dalman, now completely into his rant, did not see that.
For most of the people in the event, this was a family event. It very much appeared that the Reverend Dalman and his idiots did not understand this and were interfering with their family time.
