Xeno Alliance Leadership and Hellfire Legion Leadership "talks". (AO)

[wainwright]

He took the profferred glass apprehensively, and sniffed the liquid it held. The fumes made his eyes water slightly, though it didn't smell too bad. He mimicked the Xeno leaders way of drinking, knocking back the contents of the glass in one.

The liquid slipped down effortlessly, leaving a slight burning tingle on the tongue and throat. It was a most pleasant drink, reminding him of some of the finest Bretonian whiskies. It was only when Richard breathed in that the trouble began. The tingle turned to fire, and he felt his airways constrict. The burning in his throat exploded in his stomach, and at the same time it felt like someone was pouring molten lead into his lungs. Gasping for breath, he pounded the table in front of him.

"Good god!" he wheezed. "This stuff is worse than Molly poitin!"

The woman, Coral, passed him a glass of water, which he raised to his lips. Just before drinking it, a thought occurred to him and he turned to Jones.

"Drinking this'll make it worse, won't it?" he asked, raising the glass. He took a quick glance at Coral, and spotted the edges of her lips curling up as she tried to withold a smile. Jones beamed openly. "Thankyou for your concern, Miss Patrick."

A bout of coughing interrupted him. Once it had passed, he felt like he could breathe properly once more. It was time to begin.

"We all know why we are here. We have similar ideals, I believe, but we are both hindered by the forces that oppose us. Alone, we struggle to achieve our goals. It is the belief of the Hellfire Legion that together we can overcome these difficulties and prosper. It seems likely you feel the same."

He paused, and studied the Xenos intently.

"It is for this reason we propose an alliance between our groups. In this, I speak with the full authority of the Hellfire Legion."

He leaned back to allow the Xenos to speak, and to better guage their reactions.

---

All the old knives, that have rusted in my back, I shall drive deep into yours.

Betrayed