Private Competitively Posh

[Desric Terassi]

Desric's Yacht
Ukatis

To say that the engagement party had gone poorly was an understatement - Desric himself had been riled up enough to drop his usual tact in favour of insulting the Prince. He did not necessarily regret that part. He had entered the conversation irate and left with an even worse impression of Corazona's fiancé.

Still, some degree of diplomatic damage control was warranted.

For that reason, he had generously opened his yacht to a variety of disgruntled nobles - nobles who had dressed up only to find the party they were attending interrupted by everything from a falling chandelier to attempted mind control.

As was to be expected, it was opulent in the extreme; the foyer was centred around an aurodium statue of an idealised humanoid holding aloft a constellation, the floors were made of a mixture of complex polymers and finest lumiwood, and the main lounge - which was even now filling with guests being attended by photogenic robotic servants - featured a large aquarium populated entirely by otherwise extinct species revived solely to serve as Desric's decorations.

As far as the man himself was concerned, it was far superior to the event he just came from.

Giselle Dune​

 

[Giselle Dune]

"MARVELOUS PARTY, MISTER TERASSI!"

Lord Vultan Dune's shout from across the yacht could be heard by all present. Holding his drink aloft, the jovial, bearded man descended the stairs and went over to shake Desric's hand vigorously. "Lord Vultan Dune. Corazona is my wife Amanoa's niece!"

Somehow his thin, pale wife Amanoa was able to keep pace with him. "A pleasure to meet you, sir."

"And then there's my daughter, Giselle." He looked around, expecting to find the girl close by. "GISELLE!"

Giselle had lingered behind, exploring the vessel. While she had seen starships before, she had never left Ukatis. If she were to travel the stars, however, she would like to do it in a vessel like this.

Now she gathered her skirts and glided on over. "Yes, Father?"

"This is our host." Vultan gestured to Desric, grinning broadly. "My son's too young for parties like this, or I'd have brought the dear boy along."

Desric Terassi

 

[Desric Terassi]

Desric met the spirited noble's greeting with a warm smile and a firm handshake.

Behind the pleasantries, his mind was picking apart possible angles. Their local connections were potentially useful. Add to that the Tetan angle and they were definitely worth his attention - even if politeness hadn't demanded it.

"Is she now?" He knew, of course. "Are your families close?"

Attention shifting to Amanoa, he nodded in greeting. "Likewise, Lady Dune."

Then there was the daughter. She appeared to have been distracted by the ship, not the art or the decor. At least that was what Cadence seemed to think. No doubt she was tracking eye movements again. "Delighted to make your acquaintance." He shifted slightly to address all three.

"I hope you are finding my yacht satisfactory? This was all on rather short notice."

A chuckle accompanied the words, though little about the event seemed improvised. Evidently, the yacht had already been configured to host large numbers of guests or Cadence had done some very quick redecorating.

 

[Giselle Dune]

"Are your families close?"

"Not as much as we'd like, I'm afraid!" Vultan grabbed a drink from the tray of a passing droid servant. "The von Ascanias have bigger holdings than we, and with more land comes more responsibilities. Not to mention greater expectations, and much more attention from other parties..."

"I am not a von Ascania by birth," Amanoa revealed coolly. Unlike her loud and indiscreet husband, she was soft-spoken and chose her words with care and precision. "While my adoptive parents welcomed me into their family with open arms, not all of my siblings share the same affection for me. But my brother and I are on good terms, even if we are not close."

"I hope you are finding my yacht satisfactory? This was all on rather short notice."

"Really? I couldn't tell!"

"What type of ship is this?" Giselle asked. "Did your family's company make it?"

Desric Terassi​

 

[Desric Terassi]

Desric nodded sympathetically even as he took a drink of his own.

"Understandable. Especially given the precarious nature of Ukatis' agricultural output." That was what he said, anyway, though he doubted the von Ascanias were all that involved in the nitty gritty. It seemed more likely that they considered themselves more important than their less well-connected relatives and so did not make time.

At Amanoa's clarification, he made a noise of understanding. "Family, biological or not, can be complicated."

He did not specify what he was thinking of - specifically, a certain deceased Sith Lord brother.

"My assistant did a lovely job, as always." He smiled, then turned towards Giselle. "A Mirage-class yacht, albeit one with some rather exotic additions - and indeed it did! Do you have an interest in vessels like this?"

 

[Giselle Dune]

"A Mirage-class yacht, albeit one with some rather exotic additions - and indeed it did! Do you have an interest in vessels like this?"

"Exotic additions?" Giselle stopped looking around and faced Desric head on. A much younger man than she expected, though there was a certain artificiality to his appearance that could've been the result of treatments or modifications to make him look more youthful. "I'm not an expert on starships, if that's what you mean. I just took a guess that it must be a Globex vessel."

Which was to say she had done some research on Terassi before coming here, at her mother's urging. Social gatherings, for the Ukatian nobility, were battlegrounds fought with words and knowledge as weapons. Best not to come to battle unprepared.

"It's a fine ship, all told!" Vultan declared. "My compliments to your assistant!"

Desric Terassi​

 

[Desric Terassi]

"Oh yes - and neither am I! Still, one hardly needs an engineering degree to appreciate comfort."

Comfortable was an understatement. It had better amenities than some royal palaces. "As for the additions, there are quite a few. Advanced medical devices, a cloaking device, and a rather thorough communications suite." Another understatement. The yacht had a more powerful comms relay than most planets.

The price tag was supposedly eye-watering, but he wouldn't know; Cadence handled his finances.

"Why thank you." A droid waiter said as it passed by. "I try my best." Another one said before presenting a platter.

Desric took one of the more common treats - a chocolatey sphere with a liquid core, impaled on a thin caramel rod.