“I’m glad you were able to do so,” Olna said. She sounded completely sincere, and Hal hoped that was true.
He knew she would have gotten a message about his presence either from the admiral’s aide or the admiral herself, and by the sounds of things, Fiona’s arrival had caused more than a few complications for Battle Center’s Balco Station.
The noise in the hall suddenly increased, and Hal turned to see Baruke and his entourage had arrived.
The Leader was in his formal robes, and he was accompanied by a few of his staff.
He probably had body guards with him, as well, but they weren’t obvious.
Hal saw Baruke was greeted formally and with much ceremony, and as he was led to his table, staff began to ask the guests to take their seats for dinner.
It looked like . . . Hal tilted his head in surprise. Baruke was being seated at their table.
Hal and Fiona said their goodbyes to Olna, and as they headed back to their seats Fee flicked him a quick look, eyebrows raised.
“Aren’t we fancy?” she murmured.
He had forgotten how hard it was to keep a straight face when he was around her. She was one of the most irreverent people he knew and he enjoyed seeing their world through her eyes.
But it was hard to keep his stoic expression in place.
Hal saw the moment Baruke noticed him and Fiona headed his way.
To say he looked ambushed was an understatement.
He took an actual step back from his chair, his eyes widening when he realized they weren’t just approaching him, they were his dinner companions.
“Fiona. I didn’t know you would be at this event.” Baruke’s gaze moved between them, and then turned slightly to look over at the Battle Center table.
“It’s nice to see you again, Leader.” Fiona had not pulled out her chair, and she gave a kind of bow that Hal guessed might be an Earth custom.
Baruke was momentarily thrown by the warmth and politeness of her tone. “Likewise,” he said eventually.
Hal helped Fee into her chair before he inclined his head in greeting to Baruke and then sat himself. It seemed as if they were the only two other guests seated with the Leader and his entourage.
“It’s Captain Vakeri, isn’t it?” Baruke glanced over at the Battle Center table again as if trying to work out why Hal was sitting at the VIP table, and not with General Olna.
“It is.” Hal leaned back a little in his chair.
Could it be that Baruke wasn’t aware that he and Fiona were a couple, and that when he was on Larga Ways, he stayedwith her in the apartment that had once been the leader’s accommodation on the way station?
He was once again forced to suppress a smile, because he suddenly remembered that Baruke had literally been ousted by Fiona when it came to Larga Ways.
The moment they sat, Balcoan waitstaff came swirling around in pale gray robes which matched their eyes almost exactly, to pour water and place frothy lavender drinks in front of each person.
“What is it?” Fee asked. “I haven’t seen this before.”
Hal shook his head. “I’ve never seen it before either.”
“It’s grilko,” one of Baruke’s aides told them. “It’s only available in season, so it isn’t well-known outside of Balco. We tend to consume all the bottles that’re produced ourselves.”
“Is it . . .” Fiona frowned, and glanced upward. “Alcoholic?” she asked.
“This is a word you don’t know in Grihan?” Hal didn’t remember the last time Fiona hadn’t known the Grihan word for something. He also knew when she looked upward, she was usually talking to Eazi.
“Eazi says there is no equivalent.” She seemed very intrigued. “What I’m talking about was banned on the four planets before you were even born. And while not banned on Balco, isn’t actually produced due to lack of demand.”
“Banned?” Now Hal was intrigued. “Because?”
