571 571 Agreement Made
“While we all wait for the experts to get back to us about the changes to the agreements, I have a fine selection of foods and liquors as recommended by the data we have obtained on your species. I know that the Hunters are a big fan of the Reaver Rum, so I will prepare a few bottles at the end of the meeting to send back to you for later consumption.”
The Huntress laughed at that and drew a dagger from her storage to slice a chunk off of the pile of roasted meats that had been placed on the table.
The other envoys looked a bit scandalized at the action, given that it was a very large combat knife and they were in the middle of a negotiation about peaceful interaction, but that was just how Hunters were, and the humans didn’t seem to be bothered by it.
The blue-skinned envoy sniffed at the bottle of Rum and then poured himself a shot glass full of it before wheezing and coughing, then pouring himself another.
“That is incredible. I have tried many replicated alcohols, but none have preserved that unique aged flavour that this Rum has. I should go easy though. My species is not well known for its ability to handle its liquor.
If you happen to meet the Han at some point in the future, be sure to share this with them as well. They hold all of their negotiations after a night of drinking, with the logic that all ideas must sound good both drunk and sober or they are not worth agreeing to.”
Max smiled at the short man’s honesty and made a note to find out who the Han were and what sort of deal they might want to make with the Reavers. They sounded like the sort of people that would be easy to get along with.
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The experts had returned their opinions by the time the group was done eating, finding no flaws with the new deals, so the two agreements were signed and finalized with only an hour-long meeting.
That had to be some sort of new record for intergalactic negotiations, and it seemed that the Alliance envoys weren’t prepared for it.
Even after it was signed, they seemed unsure of what was going on, and unprepared for what was to come next.
“If anyone would like to stay here aboard Terminus a little longer, we have some fine suites reserved for visiting dignitaries in the Cruise Ship portion of our vessel. You are welcome to them if you like.” Nico suggested, then brought up a hologram of the accommodations on offer.
“Yes, that would be excellent. Like the Innu, my species has an affinity for water. It is most of the reason that we keep our environmental suits on, our skin dries out very quickly when we are out of water.” The blue-skinned envoy replied.
“In that case, you will want the units on level three. The humidity is kept high there, but more importantly, we can turn a mist spray on in the hallways as well as the rooms if you like, and the water park there has a perpetual mist, requested by the Innu for fellow amphibious species.
“You would put a mist spray inside a suite?” The Giant asked.
“We have waterproof versions of everything already in our programs, designed for aquatic use. I can’t personally vouch for their comfort, but I am told that they are sufficient for regular use by humans and Innu.” Nico replied with a shrug.
The blue-skinned envoy made a purring noise before speaking again. “Simply keeping the humidity up is enough inside the room. The water parks sound amazing though. Were the gravity slides I have heard so much about an Innu innovation?”
“Quite the opposite. They were the attraction that convinced the first group to stay on with us. We designed them as a recreational feature, but they have quickly turned into the most popular mode of transportation inside the vessel.
It led to a distinct change in fashion sensibilities as well, since everyone began to expect to be constantly wet, swim shorts and quick-drying shirts have become the normal fashion for most guests, though some do still prefer to use gravity control or the elevators to get around between floors.” Nico explained.
“I too will stay. If I bring back Reaver Rum, my crew will never want to leave, and we are only here to verify the contents of the deals you were making with the others, we can’t stay long.” The Huntress sighed.
“Are you sure? We are not far from the nearest Klem-infested Star System. Huntress Khan could give you directions and you could stop for a short Hunt on your way home. They aren’t sentient, but they’re a wickedly smart and deadly prey species.” Nico offered while Max flipped through the available rooms with the Valkia envoy.
“If I do that, they really won’t want to leave, and they will only whine and complain at the next destination that we are sent to. Political duty is seen as more of a punishment detail by our species, so you can imagine how it would be to get a small reprieve and then have to return to the daily drudgery of negotiating with people you are not allowed to stab.”
Most of the room shook their head at her strange logic, but Nico nodded in understanding. “Life is full of difficulties. But if you change your mind and want to give them a bit of hope that political duty might not be all bad, we are available anytime, and we have a fairly detailed list of likely hunting spots.”