Timestamp: 7.538.996.M41

Location: Maiden of Golgenna, under warp drive in the Golgenna Reach

Situation: En route to Scintilla from Sepheris Secundus

Body: And that was that really. They let you and the girl go and Odessa took you uptown to meet with Xerza. You stayed for nearly a week at the Imperial - the best hotel in town, more like a palace, catering to the nobility and the filthy rich. Xerza seemed t think they you've earned it. Some of you more than others, but still. You could have gotten used to it...the luxury, the view, the food, the everything. But even after a week you could feel corruption seeping in with that luxury...the feeling that wealth makes right.

Anyway, Haxtes made good friends with Trooper Rhia, one of the rookie Arbitrators. Probably a pointless contact to have, but if he ever got back to Sepheris and needed a firm but to fondle, she'd be ready. And Anna made some friends too, but that's just Anna - very friendly and outgoing. Maxi didn't make any friends though. Much too uptight.

But soon you were back aboard the Maiden. She'd undergone some temporary repairs - which was what had delayed your departure in the first place. She'd still need months in dock, but at least there would be no immediate danger of critical system collapse. Weird how quickly one can get used to the fact that one is traveling in the bowels of an abominable intelligence. Given recent events your troubles with the Maiden seem distant and unimportant. Guess that will come back to bite you in the ass some day.

En route - the trip would take almost fourteen days at the Maiden's current pseudo-velocity - you were given the opportunity to hear Vern lecture you a little about the sector in general and the Scintilla system in particular (see separate post). Other than that preciously little - Xerza didn't bother you too much with lectures and stuff either. Some bright head gave the girl the name Eris, short for SephERIS Secundus. Get it?

And then you were there, Scintilla, crown of the Calixis sector...