The Southwark Summit

[The Kingdom of Bretonia]

The visiting delegates had been attended to by a host of junior government functionaries and serving staff, offering refreshments, tours of the hotel facilities, and opportunities to relax and unwind before the difficult work of the day ahead. After a suitable period to collect themselves, the visitors were guided to a conference hall. The wait stretched on slightly too long, before the party of senior Bretonian politicians swept in.

First was Sir Ambrister Jones, Bretonia's Prime Minister. He smiled warmly first at Kusari's Prime Minister, Foreign Minister and Ambassador, followed by Crayter's attendees. Despite putting forward a bright and cheerful facade, the man appeared tired and deeply stressed. He moved down the line of delegates, shaking hands and thanking them for their attendance.

He was followed by Vernon Mortimer. The portly Minister of Defence's normally jovial face was now grim set and preoccupied, his eyes repeatedly flicking down to the PDA on his wrist, checking for notifications. Something was clearly going on that deeply concerned the Minister.

Next was Benedict Thomson, the Foreign Secretary. The wily statesman had once been described as "more weaselly than a sack of mustelids", and clearly relished the thought of verbally sparring with his counterparts. Of the three Bretonian Cabinet members, he appeared the most sanguine, beaming at the assembled party with what seemed to be genuine enthusiasm.

After a few minutes of small talk and introductions, Prime Minister Jones moved to the head of the procession. "Thank you all for being here today. Despite all of our states' difficult histories, we have found common cause in our mutual interests and enemies. We are honoured to host these talks to discuss the ongoing economic security of the Colonies, and the future of the Tau sector.

Given a number of rapidly evolving concerns, I would like to invite you all through to the adjoining chamber where a meal will shortly be served. Following that, a briefing will be provided by the Right Honourable Minister Mortimer, followed by the Right Honourable Minister Thompson."

As the procession moved through to the dining chamber, the Kusari delegation also began to receive messages - updates from the Kishiro and KOI facilitators supporting the Somerset taskforce. They had been evacuated from the staging area. The final update before a communications lockdown had been imposed indicated something big and unannounced was happening.

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