Resurgence

Nimbus

THE FOLLOWING CHAPTER CONTAINS GRAPHIC DESCRIPTIONS OF EXTREME VIOLENCE, BODILY MUTILATION, AND OTHER THEMES SOME MAY FIND DISTURBING!!!! READER DISCRETION IS ADVISED!!!!

Topa and Jorgan prepare the meat, high quality nerf steaks never frozen. They rub the steaks with a spicy marinade. Dergg chops up farm fresh produce, humming and whistling Quarren folk songs. Manning the grill is Bzeqoy, the quiet Rattataki with a heart of gold. Keeping an eye out for the night crew are their sentries, the Advozse man with the keen nightvision, Ceit Jendt and Falleen woman with an eye into the infrared, Cri Vosnug.

At the back of the kitchen where no one can hear them giggle, Frida and Yakkle bake the cake and sip down some Corellian spirits Frida swiped from the storeroom. Frida says, "I can't believe you've never had chocolate.... Madame Ishiyama uses chocolate in deserts all the time."

Yakkle sips down some Corellian spirits and says, "Oh yeah, and I never rode to the Galactic Botanical gardens of Coruscant in the back of my own private speeder or went to the opera on opening night either.... why did I waste my childhood on games like kick the can and hide and seek?"

Frida scrapes the rest of the cake batter into the pan, then hands Yakkle the plastic spatula provided with the cake ration and tells her, "Eat.... shut up... eat this..." Yakkle snickers and licks the spoon. She says, "Holy.... why don't they grow chocolate everywhere?"

"Right? Oh hang on..." Frida licks a smudge of chocolate off of Yakkle's nose, "You got some on you."

In the background, they're listening to volumes of erotic novels at low volume that Frida has introduced to Yakkle. At this point in time, the sultry tones and exotic accent of Anysia Braukkof describes a lewd act between the protagonist and her boyfriend that sends them into a fit of laughter.

Topa and Jorgan look over the girls, badly suppressing laughter from something presumably very funny. Jorgan asks, "What do you think they're laughing at?"

Topa answers, "Probably something girly.... like their hair."

Jorgan shakes his head, "Don't be ridiculous man.... they ate the New Year's Eve poultry dinner raw on a dare.... it's probably something nasty."

Dergg graces them with a proverb, "tis best not to speak ill of ladies behind their back. They will know."

Bzeqoy announces, "Food's done.... let's eat it hot while the cake is baking."

They agree to this. Jorgan runs the pot of stew up to Ceit and Cri. They're about halfway through the Cider on the hotplate. Ceit thanks him, "The new year is a new chance to think about the people we care about... I have seen how you look at Yakkle. You should tell her how you feel."

Jorgan's cheeks go pink, and not just from the cold, "She's pretty, and I respect her as a soldier, but that's all there is to it."

Cri slithers, "Nonsense... and don't you worry about Frida. Yakkle has place in her heart to keep Frida as her best friend and you as her boyfriend. Whatever prejudice your family taught you before, you have unlearned it now."

Ceit adds, "Not that they would think any less of you for bringing home a green skinned Mirialen...."

Cri agrees, "Not at all. Family is family. They would be happy for you in any case."

Jorgan climbs back down, making a note to say something to Yakkle later on, preferably before she is to drunk to remember it off the Corellian Spirits Frida thought she had been slick enough to swipe unnoticed. They finish off their main course, and Derrg Bek announces, "There were meant to be 4 bottles of Corellian Spirits in the larder, but there seems to be only 1 left. Well, let's see who's a thief."