Fwurg

[Veolian Commonwealth]

((OOC: This thread takes place on Mirda, in the capital city. This thread is private to the following factions: Veolian Commonwealth, Praetorian Empire, Unified Republic of Darya, Sundarian Federation, Socialist Republic of Niom, Miomanian Colonists, Lifebringer Clans, and The Embers of Aten.

This thread is a branch of the [Private] The Inter-species Procreation and Culture Summit. I have taken some liberties with proceeding the time frame of this thread -- this thread takes place at the end of the summit.))

Invitations
On the morning of the seventh-to-last day of the summit each registered member of each delegation receives a handwritten invitation:

"You are cordially invited to attend the closing Ball
at the Summit for inter-species pro-creation and culture.

The starlit ballroom,
Mirda Convention Centre
Mirda, Smi-Halek.

Veolian ball traditions,
Black Tie"

Gifts & Arrangements
On the morning of the next-to-last day, those that accepted the invitation receive a small package.

The ladies receive a package containing a uniquely painted ladies fan, a dancing card, a small datacube containing some information on Veolian dancing etiquette, the names of few renowned tailors specializing in gowns and a small list of male and female veolians with names and pictures, and last but not least a handwritten note by Empress Saret Neferti:

"Please accept this gift as a token of my pleasure of receiving you at the closing ball of the summit. Should your busy schedule prohibit you from finding someone to attend the ball with, I have included a small list of noble veolians that would be honoured to escort you. -- Empress Saret Neferti"

The gentlemen receive a package that looks largely the same, albeit a little bigger. Contained within the package is a small datacube containing some information on Veolian dancing etiquette, the names of a few renowned tailors specializing in gentleman's clothing and shoes, and a small list of female veolians with names and pictures. The package also contains a well-forged short sword and a leather scabbard of the same quality together with a belt customized to fit. A note accompanies the gift:

"I give you this weapon so I may aid in the protection of your family. Let us hope it will never be necessary. Since your work will most likely have left you without opportunity to find a suitable escort for the ball I have attached a list of unattached noblewomen that would be honoured to be your escort, should you wish this. -- signed by Emperor Saret."


Veolian ball traditions (informative only: skipable)
Both the ladies and the gentlemen datacube contain the same information on Veolian ball etiquette. A selection of these is presented here.

• Duties of Gentlemen. Gentlemen whom the master or mistress of the house requests to dance with these ladies, should be ready to accede to his wish, and even appear pleased at dancing with a person thus recommended to their notice.
• Duties of Ladies. Ladies who dance much, should be very careful not to boast before those who dance but little or not at all, of the great number of dances for which they are engaged in advance. They should, without being perceived, recommend to these less fortunate ladies, gentlemen of their acquaintance. It is also proper to comply with the wishes of a lady of higher station to introduce her to another lady at or below a ladies station.
• Representative right of Ladies. Any lady attending the ball without the accompaniment of a gentlemen from her noble house or bloodline may assume the role of a gentlemen to represent her house or bloodline. In representing her noble house or bloodline she will assume the noble station of the highest ranking gentlemen of her noble house or bloodline.
• Refusing to dance. A lady cannot refuse the invitation of a gentleman to dance, unless she has already accepted that of another; or she is unacquainted with him and of social station exceeding the asking gentleman.
• Giving a reason for not dancing. When a young lady declines dancing with a gentleman, it is her duty to give him a reason why. No matter how frivolous it may be, it is simply an act of courtesy to offer him an excuse; while, on the other hand, no gentleman ought so far to compromise his self-respect as to take the slightest offence at seeing a lady by whom he has just been refused, dance immediately after with some one else.
• How to ask a lady to dance. In inviting a lady to dance with you, the words, "Will you honour me with your hand for this dance?", or "Shall I have the honour of dancing this set with you?" are more used now by gentleman than the older "Shall I have the pleasure of dancing with you?", or "Shall I have the pleasure?". The latter two are commonly used by ladies representing their noble house or bloodline.
• How to arrive. Gentlemen are accompanied by a lady. Married ladies are accompanied by their husbands, or other ladies; unmarried ones, by their mother, or by a lady escort.
• Wall flowers. The master of the house should see that all the ladies dance; he should take notice, particularly of those who seem to serve as drapery to the walls of the ball-room, (or wall-flowers, as the familiar expression is,) and should see that they are invited to dance. But he must do this wholly unperceived, in order not to wound the self-esteem of the unfortunate ladies. If necessary to accomplish this, the master of the house should introduce his wife and possibly some of his daughters or other ladies of his noble house or bloodline; in this single case are ladies allowed to represent their noble house or bloodline whilst a gentlemen of their noble house or bloodline accompanies them.

((OOC: Should you have any questions with regard to veolian dance etiquette, do not hesitate to PM me. Most veolian dancing etiquette is based on Manners, Culture and Dress of the Best American Society but portions have been changed to better fit veolian society.))

[Veolian Commonwealth]

The starlit ball room is in one of the more central towers of the conference complex. The roof has been replaced with a nearly invisible material that amplifies and project the light of the starlit sky onto the dancing floor.


The Starlit Ball Room of the Mirda Inter-Galactic Convention Centre by day.

A small group of musicians, consisting of five veolian women, and three Twi'Lek women provides live music for the ball. The music they play is slow and formal, but the dance cards indicate a few more involved pieces will be played later. A smattering of unobtrusive servants walk to and fro providing refreshments.

Those arriving are greeted by one of the ladies-in-waiting attached to Empress Saret Neferti, and announced by a male veolian wearing military dress uniform. Once the ball has gained some momentum, about half an hour in, the Empress herself makes an appearance. She carries with her a ladies fan akin to those given to the ladies attending the ball.

After few minutes of small talk with some of the attending veolian nobles one of her ladies-in-waiting point out a line on the empress's dance card. While the musicians are ending their current piece the empress politely asks one of the attending veolian noblewomen escorting a member of an off-world delegation to dance. Other ladies attending the ball can see on their dance card that the next piece of music will last for roughly eight minutes.

((OOC: To clarify: there are enough musical pieces to allow for at least 16 dances, and the empress will accept any dancing partner if asked politely. There is enough time in between the pieces to allow toasting, speeching, or other forms of public display.))

[Lady Peinaili de Montrève]

Lady Peinaili attended the closing ball with her entourage which consisted of several members of the Sundarian delegation, the 2 eldest children with their assigned chaperon and Thomas Pendra, who was accompanied by a young Veolian woman bearing the insignia of the noble house of Khaw.

Much had happened during this summit and the Lady de Montrève was pleased with the outcome. There would be a shared research into the fields of genetics, and the summit had succeeded in not only bringing the different worlds closer together, it had also forced a better understanding of each others culture, customs and historical events.

Back at Union she would hear more about the successes and cultural information gained by the several members of her entourage, and she herself would spend extra time with mainly the 2 eldest children, who had not only learned much about themselves, but could possess valuable information missed by her own staff.

But before she could return back to her regular duties at Union, there were two matters of importance that needed to be addressed, where one was a public announcement, the other was more delicate and needed careful timing and the right amount of courtesy.

Between the separate dances at the ball, there was enough time to talk with several delegates and Lady de Montrève waited patiently for all the delegation to arrive and participated in the ball before requesting a moment of silence and the attention of everyone present.

" Empress, " Lady de Montreve started with a nod of courtesy to Empress Saret Neferit, and she then raised her voice so that all could hear her words. " and esteemed delegates, if I may have your attention please. "

" It is my pleasure and privilege to express the congratulations and thanks of my Government and myself to the Veolian people for the success and organization of this summit. As nations work together, it is of paramount importance to understand each-others motives, culture and customs so that these do not cause problems during negotiations. While there is still much that can and will be learned, the first steps, which have been made here on Mirda, have narrowed the gap between our respective nations, and contributed to the unity for which the Union stands. Trade, peace, respect and shared economic prosperity , none can exist without an understanding and the necessary respect for the culture and customs of the individual member states.

The fact that I say this however, does not mean that my Government and myself always have that needed respect and sometimes make choices which, in the end, have proven to be rash and aimed towards short term economic gain. Therefore I have been asked to extend to the Veolian people, to Lady Khaw Rohana and to you, Empess; the heartfelt apologies of my Government for our shortsightedness and the disrespectful manner in which we have conducted ourselves during the negotiations on the Information Summit at Unity earlier this year. We hope to improve our relations with the Veolian Commonwealth, and with all members of the Union, so that we may all benefit from each others history, culture and knowledge.

Thank you. "

And with that she ended her speech and made her way passed several delegates, towards Empress Saret Neferit for a few words in private.

[Empress Saret Neferti]

After some small talk between the Empress and Lady Peinaili de Montrève the Empress positioned herself near the centre of the room.

"Ladies and Gentlemen", she waited for the room to quiet down, "I have a joyful announcement to make. On behalf of the whole of the Veolian Commonwealth, I accept the apologies offered by the Sundarian Federation. Cultural differences make negotiations and dealings more difficult, but a heartfelt apology transcends cultural boundaries. In light of the renewed ties between the Commonwealth and the Sundarian Federation I have second announcement."

The Empress paused for a short time, while directing her attention toward Thomas J.G. Pendra, sundarian diplomat, and Lady Khaw Jikena, grand-daughter of Lady Khaw Rohana, who stood hand-in-hand.

"It has come to my attention that this summit already had a profound impact on our respective races and cultures. Mister Pendra has asked for Lady Khaw Jikena's hand in marriage, and she has accepted his proposal. Let us toast to their prosperity!"

During the announcement a veritable wave of servants has made sure everyone has a drink to toast with. The toast was accompanied by much laughter and shouting of congratulations, especially from the Veolian men. After the toast, the musical ensemble started a slow waltz.

[The Lifebringer Clans]

The Lifebringer Clans delegation is small but high-ranking, containing several diplomats, the Senator and her daughter, and one of the scientists who had given a lecture during the summit, perhaps the only one extraverted enough to feel comfortable here. The Kiitik were announced, in pairs, with full names. The Senator had been kind enough to provide an audio recording to the organisation, in case the announcer would need help with the Kiitik vowels. Surprisingly, the man managed them flawlessly.

The entire delegation had studied Veolian ettiquette carefully, trying their best to make a good impression. The 'rules' of the ball seemed to focus on dancing in pairs, and in foresight, the Clans' Senator had arranged for a Veolian teacher to instruct the delegation in the various formal dances. It had been a somewhat embarrasing endeavor at first, since the dances were clearly not designed for the Kiitik physique, and the large difference in height between teacher and students was not paying off either. The Senator had been adamant, however, making it clear that it would be better to suffer embarrasment in a private rehearsal than at the ball itself. Over the hours of tutoring, the Veolian's disapproval at the Kiitik's abysmal technique had waned somewhat, and the delegation's efforts were showing. Some of the diplomats seemed to catch on quickly, and the Senator's daughter was at least not making a total fool of herself.

In the end, it was the instruction in Veolian social communication that took the most effort to grasp, with its delicacies, indirect remarks and other subtleties. The delegation probably drove their teacher to distraction with their ignorance and peculiar questions, but in the end, enough was understood to not cause undue offense to Veolian nobility. It would not do to offend when one was seeking to make an apology. When the ball arrived, Vestiik did not feel quite as nervous as she had on receiving word of the event being planned.


Inside, a tinge of fear crept into her thoughts. To deliver an apology in a room full of people, including an Empress even, was not an easy thing, and the senator felt as if she had stepped into the rancor's den. The atmosphere was pleasant, however, and slowly, the feeling subsided. Pairs of Kiitik broke off to dance. First, with each other. After a while, one or two were invited by members of other races. Vestiik herself stayed aside. As she understood it, the Kiitik Clans were close enough to Veolian Houses that she could take the role of representative. As she observed her fellows mingling, she felt the knot in her stomach begin to untie itself. She talked with members of the different delegations, and the good mood and raised spirits had a profound effect on her. The summit's lofty aspirations had been met. There appeared to be a bond here between many different races. It was a sign of the connectedness of all life, something no Kiiitik took lightly. In this mood, the announcement of Sundarian apology, and later, the announcement of marriage, were not interruptions. The Senators fear did not return, and one dance after the Empress's speech, the Clans' Senator requested permission for a speech from the Empress, then stepped forward. She briefly thanked the Empress and those present for their attention, and then commenced:

"On this evening, I have traversed this room, and what I have found are high spirits, good intentions, and the desire of cooperation and well-being. In some ways this room is a microcosm of the Union, and the principles of the Union. Joining it is the best decision any of us have ever made, and we owe our thanks to those who made it possible. In that vein, I would like to thank the Veolian people, who have made this summit possible. With this summit, you have fostered an understanding between very different peoples. Diplomacy is often a difficult undertaking, and with this summit, you have reached to the heart of that difficulty, and sought to remove it. Only when people understand each other can their good intentions come to fruition.

I would also like to thank the Sundarian Senator. In apologizing, she has paved the way for my own apology."

The Senator paused briefly. She continued more hesitantly. While she had prepared this speech, the still spoke slowly, as if tasting each word, testing its sincerity before voicing it.

"In the first months of our Union membership, the Lifebringer Clans organised a Summit on cooperation between corporations, aiming to start a joint venture. In this summit, we behaved disrespectfully towards the Veolians, shutting them out of negotiations in an effort to rush to an agreement. What happened was... it is not the way the Lifebringer Clans want to do business. I apologize for the unseemly behavior displayed by the Lifebinger Clans. I also thank the Veolian people for the chance to redress the offense we caused. I have conferred with the Veolian Senator, and we both believe we can forge a bond of understanding and cooperation between our people. We hope the research project started on this summit is a small step in that direction, and we hope we can announce an even larger joint project in the future.

Thank you."

[Senator Ght'Twwf of the Socialist Republic of Niom]

"Empress," the Senator from Niom approached the imperial family member. He had put on a black suit and tie, with the crest of Niom on the tie - or maybe it was just striped - with the simple design of the Niom insignia it was hard to tell. "Might I request of you the honour of a dance?"

The Senator of Niom was not a very skilled dancer - though it was obvious he had learned the actual paces well, he followed them through meticulously and without deviation, lacking the skill to adapt to changes in the available floorspace and neighbouring dancers. Luckily, the Empress was important enough that people made sure not to get in her way and the Senator by extension.

"I admit we do not have this as a customary style of dance on our planet. I do have to say though that it has a certain charm to it. The social rules seem very oriented towards including all.

This, and all that has preceded makes it clear to me that the Veolian Commonwealth may become a cornerstone member of the Union. You may rest assured that your people can count on the support of the Socialist Republic of Niom should your world endeavour to attaining such a position."

[Veolian Commonwealth]

As the evening wears on, small groups of guests start leaving. Once a third of the guests has left, the last dance is announced; a slow and smooth piece. With the finishing notes of the last dance being played, all guests go their separate ways.

((OOC: The ball is now over, the summit is officially closed in the main thread.))