Meno tugged at the collar of his moss green suit as the lift descended toward the Prelude Gala in the Grand hall of the temple. Angie and Paba stood beside him, Angie smoothing out the dress that Liv had arranged for her - a slick purple gown that clung to her frame - Liv had said that she had chosen it, particularly for Angie as she thought she would suit it. She had however been reluctant about it from the start. She was still uneasy with Liv’s casual mention of the gala as a simple dinner with the Traes. Despite her initial frustration, Angie eventually agreed to go, taking it in her stride, including the dress she clearly wouldn't have chosen for herself. Meno had wondered when last Angie would have chosen to wear a dress. She didn't look unfamiliar with holding it in her hands when she first examined it, as well as standing in high-heeled shoes, but she had also been on a planet in an exo-suit for twenty-plus years.

Meno couldn't help but think that the dress looked striking, but could see it wasn't Angie's style. Paba on the other hand had not stopped twirling in her bright pink dress, which had made her scream the moment she saw it. Meno didn't need to remark how she looked in it as she did that herself,

“Gods, I look absolutely, fabulous. I suit being a princess, dont you think? Meno! Dont you think?” she had said while spinning in front of the mirror. She had been beaming ever since and seemed to have developed a new walk which made her sway from side to side since wearing it. Meno and Angie had both needed to enter her room a number of times each, needing to identify if she was sitting in the most ‘appealing’ way, or drinking in a way that shows off her style.

Meno had spent some time looking at himself in the mirror in fact, only when he was absolutely certain he was alone. He noted the difference in his appearance since coming to Yeley. Long gone were the rat tails that he had always had atop his head, which had been periodically cut by Hellen with old scissors, now his hair was cropped on the sides, and left to a medium length on top, he was able to run his hands through it and part it for the gala. His skin, once a grey from a lack of sunlight under the poison fog of Gol, had some colour to it, though it had been noted by Paba holding her arm against his that it was not much. He thought that he looked healthier, definitely cleaner and thanks to being able to train with the Traes guard and 6, he had managed to keep his muscle mass up. Only his eyes remained the same: dark, set beneath thick brows, and—he hoped—still kind, as Hellen once noted. It was strange to see himself like that.

“Now remember,” said Angie who flattened her dress one more time while taking a slow breath, “Let’s keep our eyes open, and please, let’s act like normal people” she said looking over to Paba who seemed to not be paying attention to anything at all.

“Will do” said Meno feeling like Angie needed some type of response from them, and she most certainly was not going to get that from Paba. The doors to the lift opened and they were met by an immediate hum of people, there were sounds of chinking glass and laughter from the great hall which was just through the vestibule that they needed to enter. The doors were flanked by guards with data pads with people queuing to get ticked off the list before entering. They walked over to the guards that were standing in the doorway,

“Security is tight” said Angie, though Meno thought this was more to herself as she watched the guards moving around the queue of people. He saw in the gantries above that guards were patrolling, all in their full exo-suit gear. It felt uncomfortable, but to the people he saw walking around in brightly coloured dresses and suits, they didn't seem to exist.

Meno had become somewhat used to having an uneasy feeling in his chest now. Since the attack and the visit from Worrec, he had an underlying tension that was building up. He didn't like it but was using it as a way to keep himself alert, to keep focus. The attackers that they had managed to capture had not yielded anything under interrogation, which to Meno, and after consultation from Angie, seemed to be odd. The fact that they could glean almost nothing from the attackers besides that they were foreigners was concerning. In Meno’s mind this stank of something foul.

As they joined the line, the guards quickly ushered them into the hall, marking their arrival on a datapad. The moment Meno stepped into the Grand Hall, his eyes were drawn upward, captivated by the floating orbs projecting light across the room. Enormous images of the planet’s founder and goddess, Det'em, appeared in the four corners of the hall, each veiled by a blindfold and engaged in a slow, graceful dance, embodying different elements of Yeley within her hands.

In the far right corner, Det'em was formed from shimmering water, casting holographic droplets that sparkled over the room. Opposite her, she emerged from gentle fire, radiating the warm glow of Yeley’s sun. To his immediate right, Det'em took the shape of intertwining flowers and trees, a vibrant image of Yeley’s flourishing nature. To his left, she was constantly shifting, her form and attire flowing seamlessly from one face to another, each expression graced with a serene smile as she gazed upon the crowds below.

“She must represent the people” said Meno taking in the shifting form, but he found that neither of them was listening to him. Angie was looking around the room with her usual keen eye, Meno followed her eyes and noticed that there were guards moving at the perimeter of the room in the hall too, he also noticed that there were some plain-clothed guards in the room, as he recognised Commander Moran as well as August who raised his glass into the air at Meno, who awkwardly raised his empty hand. He noted, after he had recovered from his embarrassment, that Moran looked slightly more pale than the last time he had seen him, his eyes a bit more sunken. Meno imagined that with the attack, he must have been under enormous pressure, and on top of that, they now were hosting a gala in the temple itself. It must have been stressful.

He kept his eyes open, looking for anything in the crowd that might look out of place, and then he saw amongst all of the colours within the crowd, Meno’s eyes were drawn to a pale, gaunt-looking figure in a black suit with shoulder length black hair looking through the crowd. He struck Meno as strange, somewhat out of place in the brightly coloured perfumed room. Meno shifted to try and see the figure but seemed to lose him in the crowd.

“Must be two hundred people here” said Paba leaning into them distracting Meno. She had a glass of champaign in her hand,

“Where the hell did you…? Never mind, please be normal Paba,” pleaded Angie as she looked at Paba who was drinking her champagne and rolling her eyes. Meno had seen Paba’s quick hands on a few occasions now and merely smiled at her proud look as she took a sip.

“Ah, you all look wonderful” said Harold walking toward them with a plain-clothed Shilu Salfor who stood tall and proud. His hands were together and Meno could imagine that there had just been a small, silent clap. He was wearing white and purple robes that wrapped around him and his usual smile plastered to his face. Shilu followed closely behind also smiling at them, she was wearing a similar dress to Angie, but in black. She nodded to Angie, Meno knew that they got along, both being from Hulfean space, which he had learned had been where Harold himself was from. He had overheard them on a few occasions share an inside joke, or speak about different foods from their region. She wore the dress with a more familiarity than Angie though. “I was asked by Lady Olivia to find you as soon as you came in, I think she was worried that you may feel out of place, somehow,” he said beaming at them.

“This is quite an event,” Meno said taking in the brightly coloured dresses and suits of the crowd in front of them. It was quite incredible, the people of Yeley had always enjoyed wearing their colours, but this was somehow more, and in combination with jewels, the light music in the background, the holograms of Det’em slowly dancing over them and the perfumed air, it was a sensory masterpiece..

“Thanks for finding us,” said Angie looking genuinely relieved,

“So when does Liv speak?” asked Meno pulling himself back to focus front he distractions. He needed to remember everything that they had discussed,

‘We need to keep our eyes peeled at every point’ had said Angie before they had left, ‘The guard knows that these are dangerous times, but we need to assume that Worrec knows more’,

“We should be hearing her in…”

“These must be the new heroes Det’em” said a man who interrupted Harold speaking loudly as he came through from the crowd with two people trailing him. He wore a deep green suit with neatly parted greying hair and an overly confident expression, he walked with his arms open towards him. The woman that was following him looked stern and wore a silver dress with severe lines, the man trailing behind her was wearing a light brown suit and seemed to exude the same level of overconfidence as the man he followed..

“Ah Professor,” said Harold who turned to face the man who looked down on him with a cunning grin, “May I please introduce you three to Professor Isaac Grasci, head of Economics at The University of Det’em and the Head of Yelean Front,” he said holding his arm out to Meno, Angie and Paba. Meno felt his insides go cold, completely stunned, he looked wordlessly at the Professor. By all accounts, this man was responsible for the attack on Liv, and now he was standing in front of them, bold, arrogant, unapologetic. “Professor, this is Meno, Anglea Lawrence, and Paba Rebapa,” said Harold, his expression unchanging from its usual plastered smile. He showed his experience in diplomatic affairs.

“I regretted hearing the news of the attack, but was so warmed to hear of her companions that risked their lives in her defence,” he said taking them all in, his arms out once more, “How fortunate she is to have friends like yourselves,” Meno just stared at the man, trying to understand how he was here, everyone knew that he was behind the attack, so why was he here?

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Professor,” said Paba to Meno’s shock but saw that Angie was in a similar state to himself and had not said a word. She had somehow developed a high-class accent with a high-pitched tone, “But it was not just us that fought for the Lady Olivia but the people of Yeley too. They showed that they still firmly support the Traes,” she finished with a barb. The professor seemed taken aback but recovered well. Meno was also taken aback, where did that come from? “It shows the true character of the Planetary heads to have extended an invite to you during these most challenging of political climates” her accent even changed,

“Yes, they are accommodating, aren’t they? I’m glad that you are following the news on Yeley, from my understanding you are not from the planet yourself” he said with a wicked smile, “If you have the time, I would be happy to run you through the nuance of our landscape”, Meno and Angie both turned to Paba, watching this unseen version of her as she raised her eyebrow with a sardonic smile,

“Oh, no need Professor, I am familiar with populist rhetoric and a reliance on public outrage with no foundational substance, derivative really, but then I suppose that you have never needed to run a planet so perhaps you lack the nuanced understanding of a true political opposition,” Paba added that one as a special strike, “It’s seen all over the galaxy really, nothing unique, I’m afraid,” she said with a devilish smile, The professor for the first time looked shocked, his eyes tightened and Meno saw a slight twitch at the side of his mouth, but only for the briefest of moments, and then he laughed out loud looking at the rest of them,

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“Ah, Lady Olivia has found some interesting friends, hasn't she, even if they are not so well informed” he said raising his arms again, “Well it was a pleasure meeting you all, and I look forward to a time when we can properly discuss your stance, Ms. Rebapa,” he said bowing his head slightly, before walking away.

“What the fuck was that?” said Meno smiling wide-eyed as he looked at Paba, who looked smug and very proud of herself,

“Don’t mess with my people” she said with a little shake. She then looked over at Angie who was still dumbstruck, “Let’s act like normal people, Angie,” she said emphasising the name, which made Meno laugh. He was still in awe and found himself wondering what happened to the Paba that shrank under the question of Liv when they sat on a patio for lunch not so long ago.

“What the hell is he doing here, Harold?”, Angie said to Harold ignoring Paba. With everything going on, and with Worrecs warning about Yeley about to fall, was this not a bit too risky? Was this exactly what Worrec was talking about, that perhaps Yeley was going to fall simply because the Traes were making decisions like this?

Harold pulled them to the side, got all of them drinks and then explained that it was a move made by Liv herself, who had decided she could somewhat neutralise his power by pulling him into a situation that was not under his control. He would not have been able to decline the invite, and it would question his legitimacy of being a man of the people during his speech at the Sun’s Rising Festival as well. The old man seemed to be rather impressed with her. Meno had his reservations, and he saw that Angie shared them. Her eyes were now sharper than ever scanning the room.

“It’s risky, right?”

“Controlled risk,” answered Harold in his usual sage-like manner, “He will not be able to do anything without bringing any scrutiny on himself, even he will need the people in this room if he wants to legitimately challenge the leadership of the planet. He has to play by our rules now, and we are forcing him to remove himself as the pauper's hero. Everyone in this room knows that they stand above the average citizen, they may not say it out loud, but it’s no secret, and on top of that, no citizen truly believes that they are equal to anyone in this room. His position has been one that he fights for the people, with the people, because he is not from this world, well now he is. We have a chance here to compromise his position,”.

“There’s Liv,” said Paba with a big wave to the front of the hall, between the great sun and water effigies of Det’em. Liv looked at them, smiled, and waved with her hand held low and slightly behind her. Meno saw that she was performing her duties with her parents, both cast in white and looking more ethereal than ever, tall, compassionate, but with that heir of superiority that ensured that people knew them to be superior, but with expressions that showed kindness and empathy.

“They know how to stand out those two don’t they?” said Angie, who had already looked away. Meno had the feeling that Angie had seen the Traes and Liv long before Paba had spotted them. They watched the Traes, the two blonde parents and their dark-haired daughter as they greeted guests, receiving bows and smiles from the elite of Yeley and graciously speaking to all that came their way. Liv was so composed and controlled in her manner with the guests, he was so used to seeing her bubbly and energetic side that he had forgotten that she fulfilled a diplomatic role. He now truly saw her as the daughter of the Traes, in lineage for the role of Planetary head of Yeley. He felt his stomach twist in it as he heard the words that Worrec had said to him just a few days ago,

‘It’s not a question of if, kid, Yeley will fall’

The conversation moved to speculation around the Sun’s Rising Festival, which had been on all of their minds lately, like a bad itch. It was reiterated that while the Prelude ball was the most prestigious event on Yeley for the elite, though it was shown via hologram to the people, The Sun’s Rising Festival was the biggest and most important event on the planet. It represented the prosperity of the planet, its people, and the new year that would be coming in. Harold assured them that the security for the event could not be tighter and that Moran himself was overseeing the preparations, which to Meno, explained the fatigue he had seen on the Commander of the Traes Guard’s face. Shilu was explaining some of the finer details to Angie, proving to Meno that they really were trusted here, and he noticed Harold's eyes on him as he and Paba listened intently to the discussion around what needed to happen and how cautious they were being.

“It really is adorable how close you have all become” he said with a wink, which Meno initially smiled at and then looked back quickly at Harold recognising the wording, but before he could say anything, music erupted in the room and an announcer who was being lifted into the air by a square platform around a meter and a half wide and tall,

"Welcome, welcome!" greeted the woman in a dress crafted to resemble swirling snow—its surface truly in motion, with tiny snowflakes drifting off like whispered breaths of winter. Overhead, the grand images of Det'em lifted their heads in unison, and together, they raised their hands. In a synchronized gesture, each pair of the goddess’s hands extended toward the room’s center, igniting in a burst of brilliant light.

"...To the Prelude Gala!" she announced, flinging her arms wide. Her snowy dress billowed outward, scattering snowflakes like a passing cloud, before transforming into a radiant cascade of yellow and orange, shimmering as if woven from light itself. The crowd erupted in cheers as the statues along the walls joined hands, and ethereal images of the hostess floated between the goddess’s radiant forms.

“This is the premier Gala of the year, where the global heads of regions and industry meet, where Yeley’s future is decided, our impact here today will forge the Yeley of tomorrow and you are all part of it” She said with a glowing smile, to which the crowd cheered, “Now, as I am sure that you are all aware, Yeley has had a trying year, but as always we Yeleans stand firm together as a united front ahead of any storm. The people of Yeley are resilient, we always have been, since the days of our founder, Det’em, who cultivated this world into what it is today, a paradise, where the lands stretch with fertility, the sun rays nourish our very souls, and of course, where the people are free…”

“A bit thick dont you think?” said Paba leaning over to Meno,

“Yes, yes…” she said as the cheers continued, “Let us not forget, it has been a trying year, but not all harvests are equal, and we must work hard together to ensure that our bountiful lands move forward with peace of mind, to another prosperous year for all of Yeley! Of course, we are usually led in that by our graceful and dutiful leaders, Pac and Eher Traes who have worked tirelessly to make Yeley as great as she is,” there was controlled applause that fluttered through the hall “but this year, we have a small change” the crowd murmured, “Yes, we have a slight change this year, and let me tell you, it is one that I am so very proud to see, and I am sure that you will feel the same. We have all watched her grow up from a beautiful little girl, her mother's spirit when it comes to the people of Yeley, her father's fierce determination in the unknown, yes, after being attacked in the most hideous of ways just a few days ago, I have the very great honour of introducing you to this year's speaker, Lady Olivia Traes!” she roared the name and was immediately drowned out by the crowd that cheered. She had garnered more appreciation from the crowd than her parents had, he thought. Meno saw another square, the same as the speaker was on, rise into the air, and Olivia, standing with a composed smile lifted into the air above the crowd, the light from the images of Det’em bowed their heads at the daughter's ascent.

“Go Liv!” screamed Paba as she jumped up and down clapping. Meno just watched as she rose, and received a bow from the speaker, whose platform had started to drop below Lady Olivia Traes. She waited for the cheers to die down, giving an enigmatic smile and nodding to portions of the crowd,

“Thank you, all of you, for being here, for showing your support, for being the very foundation of Yeley itself” Once more the crowd roared its approval,

“Here, here!”

“Lady Olivia!”

“As you know, I and a convoy of my closest people were attacked within the city of Det’em, the capital of our most beautiful planet” Liv raised a hand as the descent was issued, “It was a terrible ordeal, and something which I most dreadfully regret, but it was something that showed me the truest character of Yeley. During the attack, even with the trained and ever-impressive guard, we were being overpowered, the reports are true, though our guard fought valiantly, the brutality of our attackers proved to be something sinister, there were just too many for us to take on, until…” The room had now fallen silent, all wanted to hear what really happened that day, and everyone wanted the inside scoop of what actually happened that day, “We were saved by the people” the crowd cheered once more, “By everyday members of our society, by the good people who work our fields, care for our cities and lands, who look after the children and nourish this world! Yes, I would like to issue my greatest appreciation to our people, the good and true and loyal people of Yeley, for standing and showing courage that should not be expected, but shone through the threat of the attack, for putting themselves in harm's way to defend their home!”

“Liiiivvvv!” cried Paba. Meno saw Harold looking up with absolute pride at the girl that he had trained, but there was almost a sadness in that ever-present smile of his,

“I know that there have been rumours that this was an attack by Yelean Front, I have heard them, I have seen speculations about this, and I want to formally quash those rumours” A hushed murmuring fell over the crowd, “We do not blame The Yelean Front for this attack, nor do we hold any grudge against our people's voices when they speak up. We hold the YF in the very highest esteem, it is a movement which embodies the very nature of Yeley, to be able to stand up, to say your piece, to be heard. In that, we have invited Professor Grasci here today” The light from the statues of Det’em ran through the crowd and found the professor who was now bathed in white light, and Meno could tell was not happy about this sudden focus on him but was polished enough to put on a face with a wave to the crowd, “Welcome Professor, we are so grateful to have you here once more, and to join in the festivities today” she said with a kind smile, and masterful devilry, “The Yelean Front is not responsible for this, the Traes have seen this movement grow, we have listened to their voices, and we have understood the reason why. Yeley has also been under scrutiny from our client planets, new regulations threaten our livelihoods, and more difficult conditions mean that the average Yelean now has less but is required to work more. This is something that I hope at this Gala we will finally find an end to. We now look forward to the Sun’s Rising Festival where we will usher in a new year, a new understanding, a new Yeley as we paint our cities and prepare for our new harvest, united, with a sense of need, a sense of purpose that changes must be made” Again the crowd murmured at these words, but she pressed on, “Yeley will not be moved by outsiders willing to change the way that we live, we are an independent world, our people come first, this land is Yeley and we stand firm!” she roared her message and was immediately drowned out by the crowd as elation leapt through the room. The cheers went on with people screaming out her name, lifting their glasses and clapping as her platform descended. She bowed and waved to the crowd.

“That was quite a speech,” said Angie looking at Meno in somewhat of a daze. He wanted to agree, but there was a part of him that felt like casting the light on Grasci had been a bold attack, and after meeting the man, not one that would be taken lying down. She had most certainly tried to remove him from the people there. Making it seem as though he was more aligned to the Traes than would have been previously thought.

“You must be very proud, Harry,” said Paba leaning over to the toad-like sage, who chuckled at her familiarity, it seemed she had swiped a few more glasses when Angie was not looking.

“Yes, yes, quite the performance” he said but again, Meno picked up something strange in his response.

“You alright, Meno?” said Angie looking over at him, he noticed that Shilu was looking at him too with a concerned expression,

“I’m fine, I think I am still blown away by her speech, that was incredible,” he said forcing a big smile, covering the lurch in his stomach. This was no simple speech, it was no frivolous thing, it was a strategic move to fight off an enemy. He couldn't help himself from feeling that this was just part of a very dangerous game, and now, it was their opponent's turn to make their move, and Grasci had the stage of the Sun’s Rising Festival and the ears of the people of Yeley.