Le Village Buffet

Posted on Sun Feb 16th, 2020 @ 2:11pm by Captain Enalia Telvan & Death & Hera & Baroness 2nd Class Schwein von Alcott & Commander Rita Paris & Lieutenant Commander Mnhei'sahe Dox & Lieutenant Commander Thex sh'Zoarhi & Lieutenant JG Tovanna Mah & Ensign Briaar Gavarus & Ensign Fiona O'Dell & Petty Officer 2nd Class 'Big Ethel' Jablonski
Edited on on Wed Feb 26th, 2020 @ 1:02pm

Mission: Bachelorette Bash
Location: Risa's Paris Hotel
Timeline: 2397

Having received the message naming the time and place of the midnight meal planned as the baroness Schwein von Alcott’s celebratory bachelorette feast, the demigoddess, Valkyrie and security officer were all surprised to find they were essentially already arrived. Thus the Paris Hotel's Le Village Buffet were graced first by Schwein, Ethel, and Hildr, now back in their party clothes, passing through the vast hotel lobby. Greeted by the concierge, they were led into the restaurant which had been fully reserved for the evening’s festivities by the Hera's buxom first officer, Rita Paris.

Rather than holographics, an entire small 18th-century French village had been built inside of the grand chamber, and the ceiling had been lit to look like a night sky with something akin to projection holography rather than modern holographics. Each shop had a different course and food specialty, open for taking in this spectacular buffet array, while several long tables had been arranged in the middle of the room just for the guests. Even the chefs and crew were in authentic French chef and server garb, as they slow-roasted meats over fire, baked bread in stone ovens, roasted vegetables and casseroles the old way, and even made pastries by hand. There was even a small bar where a barkeep poured mead and beer on tap in wooden mugs and wine in hand-blown glasses.

As the first trio were escorted to their seats by a maitre'd, the silver-haired pirate couldn't help but gaze in wonder at how much went into this one restaurant. Having known Enalia for so long, she could spot handmade items with ease, and she knew that even the floor tiles had been crafted by hand, rather than manufactured in any way. "Gott in Himmel..." she muttered as she took her seat and started planning out which meat vendor she was going to visit first.

“Oh gosh, this is so quaint! I have to say, I didn’t quite expect all this,” Jablonski marveled, takin in by the charming and cozy atmosphere of a Parisienne street café, created artificially indoors through set design and careful craftsmanship.

Scooching her seat just a touch closer to Ethel, the mountain of Nordic muscles, the Valkryie Hildr, grinned as she looked across at the options available. "Truly, this seems a feast worthy of the very Gods them... Oooh! Mine nose detects the aroma of eggrolls! Eggrolls and thou at my side, Ethel. Perhaps the statue felled me and this is Valhalla.

A few scant moments later, Enalia's group arrived, fresh off the pirate adventure stage. The spotted pirate queen turned Starfleet captain, however, being used to such luxuries as handmade furniture, almost missed the quality and care that had gone into the restaurant. But once she had been seated, she quickly reassessed their surroundings. "They went through a lot of trouble to make everything as authentic as possible. That means the food should be otherworldly. Don't tell Maica, but I think I'll start with a cup of tea."

"My lips are sealed. Your secrets die with me, Enalia." Lieutenant Commander Mnhei'sahe Dox said with a slight smirk. As the night went on, the young red-headed Romulan pilot was getting a little better at calling her Captain by her first name, though it still felt powerfully awkward.

Looking around, Dox noticed that Masato Rei wasn't there and, considering how the conversation between the embodiment of Death and the Hera's new doctor, the El-Aurian woman named Tovanna Mah had gone, she likely wouldn't be returning. Dox's smile weakened just a bit at the thought as she knew that a night of actual socializing was rare for the woman. Rarer even than it was for the anxious Romulan herself. But the night was supposed to be an enjoyable one and she didn't want to bring the mood down so she took off her black bolero jacket and tossed it over a chair to check out the food options.

Arriving next, the black leather-clad commander entered, arm in arm with a goddess on each arm. Loki winked and flirted as she entered, while Hera took in the restaurant experience with an appreciative eye as the delicious scents of the open kitchens wafted in the air, promising delights and fulfillment. As for Paris, she looked around in satisfaction. The virtual tour had been accurate, and the restaurant was precisely as advertised. With the party set apart, delicious food in the offering and enough room for all, Rita nodded in satisfaction. It was just what she’d hoped for, and this should satisfy even the immortal hunger of the gods… hopefully.

"My compliments, fair Rita. It appears you have spared prepared for every taste with so sumptuous a feast." Running a hand down her svelte middle, the trickster Goddess smirked. "It may be to my benefit when this night is done that I can change my shape. This will make it a fair bit rounder, to be sure "

"Oh same here. I think if they have... Yes, there's my favorite over there. If you'll excuse me, I will be claiming a roast pheasant all to myself," With an uncharacteristically greedy grin, Hera scampered off to fill a platter with food, starting with one of the slow-roasted pheasants she had eyed.

The doors slid open again as the still armor-clad Andorian stepped through the doors letting out a sigh as she did so. Risian security had been keeping her rather busy asking her to explain every last detail of what had happened. Still, they'd asked the last question and she was free to go. Though one of the last piece of info they'd let slip was bugging her at the back of her mind. She'd need to look into that later. Placing her helmet down on the table she pulled up her chair. " Sorry, I'm late everyone Risian security was keeping me busy." She said to the heads that had turned to her.

Tilting her head back to take in the Hera's azure engineer, Dox cricked an eyebrow quizzically. "It looks like the Captain, the Doctor and I aren't the only ones that had an... interesting time. Is everything okay, Thex? What happened?"

"Just been mistaken for the daughter of an Andorian media baron, by thugs hired by the daughter of an Orion syndicate boss, with some serious mummy issues. Then had to have a long conversation with the local security who really need to up their game." Thex replied jokily with a grin as she kicked the back of her armour causing it to vanish back into its storage pocket dimension. Thex decided to leave the last thing she'd found out of this conversation. "What happened to you guys?"

With a light smirk, the red-headed Romulan woman shrugged a bit. "We went to a Pirate-themed dinner theatre show of some sort, that ended up being run by a former adversary of the Captain. We ended up on stage in costume in a somewhat real swordfight as he was trying to reclaim some misperceived lost honor, or some such nonsense. He was a... what did you call him Tova? I'm much better insulting people in my native tongue and am not as up on Earth profanity as I should be but that was a good one."

"A schmuck... it was the nicest thing I could say about him after he placed so many in danger for no reason." Tova looked around the table and looked around at all the guests, noting the absence of a particular dark-clad woman. She looked over at Dox and quietly whispered to her, "There's now way Rei can be asked to join for the sake of the party is there? She and I may have issues but her absence from a celebration for friends at a joyous time should not be overshadowed by my pettiness." She looked at Dox with remorse, then quietly looking at her plate.

Looking down for a moment, Dox sighed slightly running a hand nervously over her ear. And old habit she rarely still did, but here she didn't quite know how to respond other than to try and not hold Rei's absence against the contrite new ships CMO. "I don't have any specific way to call her, no. She usually calls me if she needs to talk or... anything. Hopefully... she knows. She usually does."

"All right, who are we missing... the big girls are... GIRLS? Just use the trays as plates, don't be dainty, alright? There you go. So the big girls are at the buffet, Baroness is sampling the wine, mead, whatever they had... some kind of punch I think- oh right, souvenir ceramic cups with removable lids, make sure one gets delivered to each of them now and after..." Snapping open the collapsible tablet she generally kept hidden alongside her left breast, tonight being no exception, Paris logged into the hotel's gateway and ordered the drinks and the delivery, then multiplied the drink order to make it 5 drinks apiece. These were some heavy drinking women, after all.

As if on cue, Gavarus and O'Dell made their entrance, dressed like tourists in flip flops, cargo shorts and yoga pants with big straw hats and sunglasses. Gavarus was bearing a 40 in each hand, while O'Dell had a tiki glass that had something of a fruit explosion coming out of it, with an umbrella perched delicately upon it.

"Ladies, ladies, ladies." Gavarus announced, clearly well and truly drunk. "We are frickin' starving. If a Mugato in a suit comes looking for us... Just say we're dead or something."

"Oh don't worry he's going to be seeing stars for a while after how hard I hit him," Thex said taking a sip of her Andorian ale.

"Aye, ye'd think that, wouldn't ye?" muttered O'Dell as her eyes lit up, her nostrils flaring to inhale deeply. "I think those are real potatoes, Briaar! Sweet laird jaysis on a pogo stick, it's like I've died and gone to heaven!"

At that, the impish astrogator raced first from one display of food to the next, growing more and more excited. "Real fresh baked bread! Potstickers! Actual real potatoes, seared, baked, au gratin, mashed, fried, crisps! Prime rib! Honeyed ham! Chicken wings! Sausages! Theyyyyy've got blaaack puddding...!" Whirling on her porcine partner in crime, the wee tourist poked her finger up at the space swine defiantly. "Now dinna ye give me no grief aboot what I eat here tonight, and no tellin on me to Minnie Moo, neither, aye? An' that goes fer the LC too, aye?"

Pointing to the baggy pale blue t-shirt she was wearing, O'Dell tented it out in front of her to make the legend clearer to read: WHAT HAPPENS IN SPACE VEGAS STAYS IN SPACE VEGAS.

With a beer in each hand, the ponderous Porcine waved them in mock protest. "Hey, I didn't say shit. Go t' frickin' town. Hell, if My stomachs could process it, I'd probably join you, as messed up as it sounds."

Then, she looked over to where their Romulan superior was standing, eyeballing the tangy buffalo wings with hungry eyes. Married to a woman from an avian race took poultry off her menu as well, but Mona Gonadie was 47 light-years away and the young Lieutenant Commander looked weak.

"As for the L-C, it looks like she needs some more liquid persuasion to lighten the eff up. Ya' think?" Gavarus asked of her pint-sized partner.

Sliding up beside the somewhat salivating senior officer, the upstart ensign spoke softly. "Y'kin smell the vinegar in the sauce, aye? aThe way it stings the eyes joost a bit, so's ye know it's a respectable heat. Awww, and lookit that- they're twice baked, where they shoov 'em back into the oven in a tray of the sauce for it to boil through the meat as it subtracts. Oh aye, those are..."

O'Dell had been looking at the food, and not at her audience as she'd delivered her love letter to hot wings. But noticing the expression on the redheaded Romulan's face, O'Dell's eyes grew wide, and she took a half step back, holding up the t-shirt like a religious warding. "I'll not breathe a word of it if you won't. Aye?"

Looking over at the only woman in the ship shorter than she was, also a vegetarian because of her partner, Dox smirked slightly. "I'm a Romulan. I can keep a kreldanni secret. You have a deal, Fiona."

As she spoke, she began loading her plate up with the zesty forbidden poultry, "Consider my lips sealed."

"Mine too," Enalia added as she passed by, grabbing a few of the wings and adding them to her tray of guilty pleasures as she passed. Indeed, the Captain's tray was stacked with pastries, desserts, puddings, roast meats, and all the things that Maica had said were bad for her health over the years. Not to mention the stein filled with a royal milk tea that looked sickeningly divine and cavity-inducing all on its own.

As the ladies of the Hera filled their plates and began, one by one, making their way back to the tables, the black and green clad Goddess of mischief walked through the assemblage. Listening, watching and observing, she had collected a modest plate of her own and wasn't doing anything, in particular, to attract any real attention as she did. But after a few moments, she sidled up to the other Goddess in the room, Hera.

The goddess of women and family was filling her own plate with roast meats, vegetables, breads, and enough butter and gravy on top to drown the smallest among them as she noticed the presence of the other deity in attendance, as the Asgardian agitator spoke, "It warms me to see you renewed, no longer needing to rely on glamors to maintain yourself, my dear. And it is equally good to see you seeming to enjoy your place aboard the vessel of these noble mortals."

Looking over at Ethel Jablonski who was already deep into her meal sitting next to the Valkyrie Hildr, Loki raised an eyebrow. "And without even seeking it, you seem to have collected followers that hold you in reverence. However, you have imparted your strengths to them, rather than renewing yourself from their worship. This is a potentially dangerous path for one such as yourself. After all, even the devices that I provided to renew your strength are finite."

"This is true, that there's more give than take, but I think I prefer living this way. If there comes a day that I can no longer live like this, then so be it. I'll roam somewhere performing miracles and living off of people's thankfulness and appreciation or something." She had a soft smile on her face as she set her plate and a whole bottle of wine down next to where Rita was sitting. "After all, I've made a lot of mistakes in my life... like Meroset... and I'd like to spend what time I've been given making up for those mistakes, as best I can."

"Then you have truly found redemption here, among these mortals who protect and nourish you." Loki added, taking her own seat on the table opposite Rita and Hera. "It is good to see such things are still possible in a universe that no longer worships our kind. And better still to know you are so content, my dear Hera."

As usual, it was difficult to gauge sincerity on her face, but she seemed to have no malice or subterfuge to her words as she spoke, sampling an eggroll in sweet and sour sauce. "Ahh, fair Hildr spoke the truth. These are sumptuous."

"Why are said devices finite? Have you lost the ability to make more?" Thex inquired having been listening into the conversation. Having still not finished getting the last three artifacts that Hera had been storing on Meroset, she was always looking for any clues that could help her get them fixed. 

Turning to face the azure engineer, Loki smiled lightly. "All things are finite, Miss sh'Zoarhi. As stars become black holes and galaxies collapse, so too does the kind of energy that fuels our kind wane. And those that possess the skill to craft or repair such devices are... even rarer. We are in no danger of running out anytime soon, as our lifespans are measured, but I have found that it is a healthy position to never consider oneself truly immortal."

Thex nodded that did make sense. Starfleet was working on a plan to try and survive the eventual heat death of the universe, but as of the present, it was nothing more than theoretical papers and pipe dream blueprints. " Seems like a very good piece of advice. I know I probably know very little of your kind's tech, but if you need any help with any of them, I'd do my best to get them working."

Taking a sip of wine, Loki looked the young Andorian up and down slightly. "Well, your skills have already broached some of it, and even figured out how to power that armor bonded to you. No mean feat, to be sure. And I do believe that the Dwarf maker, Eitri, will be at the wedding. Perhaps I can arrange an introduction, if you are truly curious."

"I'd like that! It would be nice if I could figure out how to make everything work properly," The sapphire engineer replied with a grin.

"I can make that happen, then. Perhaps in exchange for a display of your dancing skills I've heard so much about, after dinner has concluded." The mischievous goddess replied with a sly grin of her own.

"I'm sure I can manage that," Thex replied, feeling a slight rush as she did so.

"Don't let her kid you, Thex is always up for a dance and thrilling a crowd," Paris offered, as she couldn't help but overhear the conversation. Lowering her voice, she muttered an aside to Hera. "You said that your aspect did that to the Amazons about the ship without you doing anything, it just happened from your presence. Is it costing you energy, Hera? Are you burning yourself out? Are you not getting anything back from us?" While there was a tone of accusation involved, the concern in Rita Paris' tone was unmistakable.

Tova quietly assessed her recent patient, giving her a once over and figured she was fine to dance considering the mayhem that everyone had been up to on the trip so far. She continued her dinner and silently listened to the banter of the crew as was typical of race, especially in light of the night's recent adventures.

Hera leaned in and spoke softly back. "Their dedication to service feeds my aura and that's what feeds them. Thankfully, it drains little to nothing and what little it costs me personally, I am more than happy to give. Worry not, dear heart. The fact that they may thrive and grow stronger, so that they may survive the rigors and dangers that you and yours face, warms my old heart more than enough to keep me going. It's the rest of what I try to keep up that taxes me overmuch."

"Which is?" Paris pressed. She noted Loki making a show if not listening, although at this distance she was sure the Asgardian could hear every word, and that the god of mischief had set this situation in motion just to ensure that she was privy to this conversation. But Rita cared far less about that, and far more about what Hera was doing with her energies that might be harmful to her.

"Keeping dangerous entities from being attracted to your fine vessel." The matronly goddess leaned in and lowered her voice a bit more, knowing that even still, Loki could hear every word. "If you haven't noticed, there have been a lot of high powered beings visiting and calling it home, even temporarily. That leaves a... Let's call it a scent. And that often attracts unsavory things in the universe. Things that I would have you never face."

Sitting back in her chair for a moment, Rita Paris smiled, a wry expression. "All this time you've been trying to make sure we don't have a target painted on us, at least for your level of attention, and you never mentioned it because you didn't want to worry us. Plus telling us you're doing it is somehow less selfless, so rather than guilt us over it, you don't mention it... it works on so many levels. Well done, Hera." Nodding in approval, Rita leaned back into the table. "Thank you for your efforts- we do appreciate them. I can't ask you to stop, because it's not really my place to say, and you are volunteering it. Plus I don't know what you're keeping us off the radar of, which is likely an entirely different discussion that I likely wouldn't be happier knowing."

"Just... please, let us know if it gets to be too much, all right? We're big mortals and we can handle the undue attention of a bad guy or two, rather than you wasting away, hm? So just keep us in the loop- fair?" Rita beamed a smile at the goddess and patted her hand. Changing course quickly, the Earth girl from a long time ago stood, raising her glass and clearing her throat.

"We've had food, we've had adventure, we've had drinking and dancing and good times. And all for our friend, to celebrate her betrothal," Paris drew out the word, to make it a bit funnier. "So raise your glass and say a few words, each of you, to embarrass the woman of the hour with our maudlin sentiment. Toasts from one and all!"

The moment hung in the air for a second, but before anyone else could chime in, of all people, Briar Gavarus raised her 40-ounce bottle of beer and stood up, still chewing on a full mouth of eggplant parmesan. "Hey, I'll go first. I'm drunk enough!"

"So... hi. I'm Briaar, and... *snicker*... and I'm an alcoholic!" the tipsy Tellarite said, holding her glass out to the silver-haired bride-to-be. "And, like, technically, this is the first night we ever met. But the creepy chick with the horn helmet wanted us to come along, so here we are. And, so far, you seem pretty cool. In the lobby, every news feed showed you throwing frickin' lightning bolts at a giant statue and that shit was the tits. Right, Fee? So, like, congrats on your upcoming wedding, it's nice to meet you, and your hair is really frickin' sweet!"

Standing beside her porcine partner, not that there was much difference for the diminutive Fiona O’Dell, she raised her glass and intoned with all seriousness, “Hullo, I’m Fiona, and I’m nae an alcoholic. They go ta meetings, I’m joost a drunk. So Sláinte chuig na fir, agus go mairfidh na mná go deo!”

“Wazzat mean, Fee?” Gavarus asked, and as if she’d been waiting for the cue, O’Dell stood on her chair to gain enough height to be seen and heard.

“S’gaelic, traditional. It means ‘Health to the men and may the women live forever!’ Seemed to suit the occasion, aye?” the pipsqueak pilot grinned like the devil's own mischief, then took a long drink from her mug.

With a wide grin, the silver-haired, one-eyed pirate raised her mug of ale in reply. "And you are the finest schwein and piglet couple I have met in all my life! We must drink until there is no more to drink, ja?"

“Copy that,” Gavarus replied, downing her mug’s contents with a satisfied smacking of the lips.

Next to stand was the Andorian engineer. " Hey, I'm Thex, as I'm sure most of you know. I'll admit I don't know the bride to be as well as I hope to, I'd like to offer some advice from myself. Marriage is scary, but it's totally worth it. I wish you and your betrothed all the happiness in the universe."

Again, Schwein raised her mug in response. "Thank you, Thex, for your wisdom and blessing!"

Tovanna stood up with drink in hand and cleared her throat, "Marriage is a beautiful union. May you bring each other support in times of sorrow, laughter in time of pain, patience in time of strife and may the flame of your love never extinguish." She smiled and took a drink before taking her seat.

"And may your lollipops ever inspire your patients!" replied Schwein, pulling one of the lolis from the bouquet from earlier out and hoisting it rather than her mug.

"I suppose I can't stall getting up to speak any longer." The perpetually anxious Mnhei'sahe Dox said as she stood up. Clearing her throat, the red-headed Romulan woman raised her glass of lehe'jhme wine and smiled lightly. "Since joining the Hera, you have been nothing but a friend to me. We met on the day that the Caa... that Enalia... made me a Baroness and you welcomed me with open arms. Since then, you helped me navigate the unique politics of that position. You helped show me how to hold a sword, you helped me learn more about who I am and where I came from, and you drank me under the table more than once."

"We have seen each other at our best... and at our worse... and I am honored to be among those who will get to stand by your side as a Spearmaiden on the day you marry your love." Dox held her glass a little higher to her fellow Baroness before taking her seat again.

"And I'll keep drinking you under the table, ja? But you beat me to the altar, so there's that. Thank you as well," With a great smile, Schwein once more lifted her mug.

This time it was Hera's turn to stand and raise a glass to the silver-haired privateer. "From the halls of the Artan Fortress to the Halls of Valhalla, I have seen glimpses of the good that you have wrought upon this universe and the nex,t by both Enalia's side and next by Thor's. I give you the blessings that I may give so that all that you set your mind to may come to pass." As Hera finished speaking, a slight golden glow could be seen from both Hera and Schwein.

Rather than raise her glass, the one-eyed cyber-pirate bowed her head politely. "Thank you, fraulein. I accept your gift with humility and gratitude."

Standing up, the mountainous mass of muscle known as the Valrkyre, Hildr, raised her massive mug of mead into the air and shouted towards the Baroness with a wide smile upon her face. "HO! In the months since your betrothal to my lord, Thor, we had stood side by side MANY times! As your strength and might have grown, together we have routed many beasts and faced many threats to the nine realms together and I would face legions more!"

"But think not that any amount of mead will make me forget what occurred with those damned elves that stole your armor and undergarments in the hot springs of Alfheim! Perhaps, with some MORE mead, I shall tell these comrades the tale!" Hildr finished with a sly grin to her friend and comrade in arms. "You will honor Asgard with your rule, my lady! You are a mighty warrior, a fierce friend and an honorable lady of the Golden Realm that I shall serve until Ragnarok- AND BEYOND IN VALHALLA!!!"

“Yeah, yannow, what she said. You’re good people, Schwein, and I owe you one for Hera. So you just keep bein’ you and we’ll get along just okely dokely!” Jablonski added, tinking her mug against Hildr’s.

"That was quite the adventure! I look forward to many more and hope you join us on a few of them!" Again, the silver-haired pirate raised her glass.

"Well, in the face of such weighty praise, I suppose the sibling of the groom should speak." Loki said as she stood, drink in hand. "But I shall be brief, dear Schwein. You have achieved a feat none have in a hundred thousand mortal lifetimes: you have stolen the heart of my mighty brother AND I actually like you anyway! May you weather being kin to me with all the strength and guile I have come to expect of you."

"Ja, and you know I can take a joke and dish one back!" Rather than raise her mug this time, Schwein leaned in conspiratorially. "Like last week when I put your helm on a horse and led it into my betrothed's restroom."

Tilting her head slightly, Loki's eyes widened with a look of delightful surprise as a smile creased her face. After the briefest of pauses, she let out a deep and throaty laugh that seemed completely authentic. "My Lady, you impress me more with each passing moment! Perhaps I may need to hope poor Thor can keep up with you! HAA!"

Looking around to read the room, Rita Paris stood and raised her own glass. "You were the first pirate I'd ever met... well, aside from the pirate princess starship captain, but that's another story entirely. As for space pirates, you were the first one I ever met. You were friendly, kind, generous, and you taught me the basics of swordplay. Which has saved my life more times than I would care to count, believe it or not."

Pausing to let the chuckle happen, Paris wound it up. "I'm glad you listened to me that night, and I'll always be proud of you for taking that chance." The night and chance to which she referred, Paris did not elaborate upon... instead, changing the subject. "Now... I've always avoided saying your name because it always struck me as disrespectful, and I've called you 'The Baroness'. But that won't do for the bride of Thor and a lady of Asgard. So here's to my friend, the cybernetic supersoldier space pirate turned demigoddess by divine injection, Schwein von Alcott!"

As the cheers went up for Rita's toast, Schwein barely had time for a counter toast. "And to the first true 'fleeter I properly called a sister and an ally! To Rita Paris!" Then another round of cheers went up and Enalia stood with a mug of what was assumed to be royal milk tea.

The spotted Queen of the Artans was in good form as she hefted her mug high towards her 'piggy'. "Schwein, you were the very first of the first to follow me properly. You say I saved you from that decimated colony. I say nay! I but gave you a knife and the opportunity to save yourself. You did the rest. Since then, you've pulled my butt out of more fires than I care to remember, and some are hard to forget. Like that time I beamed us into the middle of a pit of hungry..."

Schwein interrupted with a groan. "You gave your entire command crew silver hair that day!"

Grinning at the nervous chuckles, Enalia continued. "Be that as it may, we all survived thanks to you. The things this woman can do with a soup spoon are scary. All joking aside, you deserve happiness and all the great adventures that married life has in store for you. I know that you and Thor will be very happy together and live a blessed life. To the greatest Baroness and crewmate a young princess could ever hope for! To my little piggy!"

With the cheers for Enalia's speech, Schwein had to blush a bit as the nickname 'piggy' was a bit private, but she stood anyway, sensing that it was her turn to speak. "It has been so long since I gave a speech... Thank you all for this. I..." Moisture was building in her eye as she tried to think of what to say. "Well, I really can't imagine how it could be a better evening. Scheisse! I never expected to find someone or get married! Rita, thank you for pushing me into calling him back. Enalia, thank you for getting me the time from my duties to you to... uh... see him. Loki, thank you for being a cool younger sibling. Everyone else, thank you for your support, ja? This... It is a dream come true."

With the biggest grin and tears in her eye, she raised her mug once more for a toast. "So here's to everyone! To the crew of the USS Hera!"