A diplomatic mission

[Valeria_Benitez]

Before Lancehead’s heart attack…


Preperations for the great banquet were running smooth and going well. This banquet was to be held in honor of the familia’s foreign guests, the Xenos. It was held in honor of their generosity and honorable behavior towards one of the familia’s one Valeria Benitez.

After an accident with a nearby jumpdrive that was activated, she was stranded in Liberty, Colorado system, a place unknown and foreign to her.
The Xenos, usually not fond of foreigners at all, however spared her life and extended their hospitality to this involuntary Corsair guest because she had no intention to intrude and initially just wanted to leave again.

Dialogue was held and words exchanged and in the end, a meeting was arranged, if anything to thank the Xenos with the same hospitality they had extended to their Corsair guest. This was why Lancehead was on planet Crete now and why Valeria had her hands full to arrange and organise this great banquet....

“... steaks, check... “ Valeria was reading one of the lists for the banquet. Steaks were a must, Lancehead loved a good steak. It was hard to get but not impossible, she just had to pay a few smugglers very generosly and she would get a fresh steak and if it had to be imported from Liberty with a light fighter on speed.

“... huh.. hey! Don’t forget the sidewinder fang!” She called over.

“The what?” someone responded from behind a crate.

“The sidewinder fang.. or get me all ingredients. I need to be able to mix this drink for our honored guest” Valeria walked over and showed the list to one of the familia’s smugglers. “It is a foreign drink, I hear it is very popular and our guest is mucho fond of it.”

The smugler took the list and nodded. “Well, thats gonna cost you extra.” He said.

“Don’t worry.” Valeria responded. “Creditos are nada a problem. Just be sure to get everything, honorable behavior is priceless.”

It had taken days to arrange everything and start the preperations. She was glad that just recently a diplomatic banquet was held in Myrtos Villa, so the crew knew what they were up for. She had left Lancehead with Trueno and Anso for the time being, while she organised the banquet. They were supposed to show him around the artifact market, Trueno’s specialty, and show him why it was an advantage for the Xenos to be able to starve the cardamine market in Liberty by importing artifacts for a fraction of the price others charge.

By now Valeria was sure they had shown Lancehead around and introduced him to the possibilities of using the artifact market as a weapon against the cardamine market. Now it was time to visit Lancehead and the others again.


Present day...


Valeria walked the corridor to meet Trueno and the other Xenos guest. Si, in the meantime, another of their familia in Colorado seemed to have decided to visit.

This was muchos good... Valeria thought

It meant that the chances of the Xenos and the Corsairs reaching an understanding had increased.
What Valeria did not understand is why Trueno sounded so sad and worried when she spoke to him. But whatever it was, it could not have been so bad. With that she turned around the corner to meet Trueno and Pygmy.

“Buenos dias, hermano, senor.” She respectfully bowed her head to both of them. “It is a muchos unexpected pleasure to see another of your familia here, senor. You arrived just in time for el banquet, a muchos great opportunity to all get to know each other. I even managed to organise a few fresh steaks. Lancehead loves steaks.” She nodded and didn’t notice she started to talk a lot out of sheer excitement. “But thats nada a problem, we have arranged for additional unknown guests, as is tradition among our people when we do things..”

Now she took a breath and looked at both of them who probably looked somewhat displeased. Which Valeria did not understand at all.

“Amigos, why the long faces?!” She addressed them still feeling excited and happy. “You look like someone died or something, cheer up! Lancehead and you, senor, will meet our familia and, perhaps leave this planet with an unexpected friend in the edgeworlds.”

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Valeria Benitez

Signature made by the awesome micson128