Extending an elegant handshake to her colleague, she said: "Senator Sodun -- lovely to see you, even if you are a shameless flatterer. But any chance to dress for an occasion, hm?"
I accepted Senator Fortan's handshake offer, capturing her hand with my large, leather-covered, rough and rugged palm, chuckling at her complaint.
"My apology, then. I am a mere man of the people, Senator. Intricacies, such as how to show my proper courtesy to a fair lady must've been beyond my station and education, I'm afraid."
Natasi moved closer to Sodun so that they could speak without being overheard. "Lovely night for it," she murmured conversationally as she gazed out the window overlooking the courtyard. "Tell me -- if you don't mind -- what's your angle on the Echani? So soon after Thyrsus, it makes me wonder if there might be more friction than we'd like."
I checked our surroundings as my colleague leaned closer. Diplomatic events like this one are often peppered by spies, informants, and lobbyists. Luckily, the usual suspects are nowhere near our position at the moment. It's still not the most ideal situation, the several inches that separate us make discreet exchange tougher, yet it is still safe enough for the conversation we have in mind. I lowered my voice while still keeping my alert.
"My angle? Too early to tell. My main interest is how the chaos, not just this, but also everything else that's happening across the galaxy, could affect my constituents."
I kept my gaze on her face during the conversation, trying to study her reaction. Shifting my eyes for split-second glances, I tried to locate the suspicious guests, one of them speaking to Xetha. She can handle this. Leaning back to Senator Fortan, I continued my answer.
"At this point, I'm still yet to determine whether I am more afraid that the Alliance is making a reckless decision, in front of an ever more turbulent state of the Galaxy, or that the central government does exactly what they need to glob up more pieces of the pie. That it's all part of their game."
It is not a secret that I, and the government that I represent, are opposed to central government overreach and rapid expansion of the Alliance, as well as the unchecked influence of the corporation. However, the exact things that bother me about this decision, and all the recent moves that the Alliance had done shall be kept in the shadows for now. Perhaps, Senator Fortan has other insights that she could share first.
"And you? How exactly does this situation concern your mighty republic?"