A Spot of Lunch

After nearly three and a half hours the Chair was bringing the meeting to a close. The Commerce Sub Committee on Manufacturing Standards had been hearing testimony on the implementation of Alliance-wide standards for the manufacture of communication arrays. It was fascinating stuff and undeniably vital to the Alliance's future but there was a limit to how long anyone could spend on the topic at one sitting. Especially with lunch looming.

"...expect delivery of the report to the secretary before the next meeting."

The Chair turned from addressing the two volunteers for writing the report and addressed the room at large.

"It only remains for the Chair to thank the members of this committee for their attention and questions today, the committee staff for their work, and, most importantly, those who have appeared before us today for giving so generously of their time and expertise. Thank you all very much. The Chair wishes you a good day."

With that the gavel came down, dismissing the nine senators, the various staff and committee aides, and the smattering of press (mostly from trade or technical journals) to go about their business.

Alexi Hesith unhooked the translator earpiece he had been wearing, returning it to the slot in the desk before him, and stood. With methodical speed he gathered up his things. Datapads and stylus were stowed in his briefcase along with a clip of datacards and bundle of printed flimsi sheets. His wrist chrono, which had been propped on the desk, was returned to his wrist and the remnants of a glass of water tossed back. A quick glance to assure himself that nothing he needed remained in the area and he was off.

The Senator from Lantillies shuffled crabwise along the rear of the rostrum, excusing himself as he passed behind two colleagues still seated and engaged in discussion, to the steps down to the floor. With more room for manoeuvre he gathered pace and made for the committee room doors.

Emerging into the curving corridor girdling this part of the Senate Building, he found Lerrick Mondar waiting for him.

Lerrick was a hardworking office staffer with a domestic policy brief. He had worked for Alexi before his election and, based on his in-tray, he would still be working for the senator three years after one or both of them had died.

In addition to his prodigious workload and undeniable loyalty, Lerrick was a terrible worrier. For the sake of both their nerves, Alexi had ordered Lerrick not to attend committee meetings. The younger being's twitching and constant notetaking would have been a distracting presence in the audience and his unending apologies for that a strain on his employer's ears.

"Ah Lerrick," the senator greeted the staffer with a smile as if his presence were a surprising, "How has your morning been?"

Lerrick cocked his head and considered the question, then considered the answer, and the implications of the question and all possible answers before responding.

"Fine, sir, thank you. And yours?"

"Very interesting, thank you Lerrick." Alexi looked at his chrono and remarked to the Galaxy in general, "No wonder I'm hungry. We overran."

He turned to his aide, "Have you eaten, Lerrick?"

It was a little cruel really. Alexi knew that Lerrick would have been down by the doors at least ten minutes before the scheduled end of the meeting, keen to find out how it had gone. Lerrick would no more have had time for food than his boss.

Again the consideration of the question and possible answers before the aide admitted as much.

"No, sir, I haven't had lunch."

"Then I think we should find some, don't you?"

"Yes, sir, I do. May I ask..."

"How the meeting went?" Alexi smiled, "I'll tell you everything over lunch. Come along."

Lerrick trailed along behind the senator. After a few seconds he became aware of a presence to his left. A rather large presence.

He turned to find one of the senator's bodyguards beside him. Knowing how much these beings disliked staffers bobbing in and out of the cordon sanitaire around their employer, Lerrick quickened his pace to catch up with the senator.

"Afternoon lads," the Lantillian legislator greeted his protective detail.

"Good afternoon, sir. Where to? Back to the office?" There was a hint of hope in the detail leader's voice. The office was, to the protection officers, the second best place for the senator to spend his time. Even better was his apartment but he seemed oddly resistant to any effort to confine him there.

"Not straight away," demurred Alexi, "We thought we'd grab a spot of lunch first."

The Lantillian party moved through the halls of the Senate Building at a brisk pace. They passed committee rooms, waiting areas, and exhibition spaces as they went. Within the main building there were also a few eateries and places of refreshment but the senator passed these, too.

The group descended by way of passages, stairs, and lifts to the Grand Lobby, a vast space that was never entirely empty. In addition to the senators, representatives, and their aides the lobby drew diplomats, curious members of the local populace, and tourists at all hours.

The detail leader moved to a position directly ahead of the senator and, glancing back over his shoulder, enquired, "Where to, sir?"

The tone this time was more insistent than earlier. Like bodyguards everywhere, Senator Hesith's needed to plan ahead, however minimally, in order to do their jobs properly.

"Max's," answered Alexi and then, as an urgent addendum, "On foot, please."

Beyond the doors out of the Grand Lobby lay an immense portico, beneath which groups of beings had gathered. Several of them were tour groups, the beings in them wearing earpieces to hear the words of their guides. Lerrick caught a snippet of one guide's remarks.

"Through these doors is the Senate Grand Lobby. We'll be crossing this and making our way to the viewing gallery above the Chamber itself and then..."

Lerrick had taken several of these tours. He was determined to be prepared should he be required to play host to any visitors. As a result, he knew that at some point soon the guide would go on to remark upon the deliberate scarcity of office space within the Senate Building itself. She would be going on to explain that this was to force the senators and their aides out in an effort to prevent them becoming insular. Instead they were all obliged to move back and forth between the Chamber and a series of five buildings in the surrounding area.

Each of these buildings housed suites of offices for Senate delegations, for committees, and the fledging ministries. Some were still building sites, as workers and droids added on the finishing touches, allowing the buildings to offer additional facilities. In particular, the commercial spaces in which a goodly number of bars and eateries had already established themselves in some areas.

Nestled in the shelter of the graceful curve of a wing of Senate Office Building Besh lay Max's, already one of the most popular restaurants with many Alliance officials.

Senator Hesith's arrival occasioned a flurry of activity among the staff tasked with providing a welcome to diners. Max himself was summoned.

"Oh Senatir!" Max's exotic accent and exaggerated gestures were part of the place's charm, "Oh I am so sor-ri! Eef we had known you were coming we would haf kept your usual table for yoo!"

"Max," the senator laughed, "I don't come here often enough to have a 'usual table' do I?"

"Oh but yoo doo!" Max threw all six of his arms in the air, "Yoo most assuredly do!"

One hand dived into his jacket pocket and produced a slender data pad, which he keyed rapidly.

"Yoo see," the pad was waved around in Hesith's eyeline, "Loook! Five times in the last month. All at the same table."

The senator's smile broadened, "I cannot deny the evidence before my eyes. I concede the point."

"Excellennn!"

"And on this occasion I shall accept whatever table you can offer."

"Even more excellennn!" Max gesticulated for a waiter and led the way to a small table somewhat to the rear of the restaurant. It was, however, still reasonably prominent. There was, after all, value in keeping the odd decent table available for emergencies such as this.

"Thank you, Max."

"Yooo are most welcome, Senatir."

"You'll see to the lads? They're maddeningly reluctant to join me." He nodded to indicate his protection detail.

"Eet will be a pleasure as always. Mistir Kodal 'ere has a most discerning palate."

The lead bodyguard shrugged as he scanned the areas with suspicious eyes, "My family's in the food business. Spend enough time as a recipe test subject and you get good at detecting ingredients."

Max laughed heartily, "Verrri troo!"

"It's useful in food tasting as well." Kodal's eyes came back to Max and his face set into an expression of mild threat.

Max laughed even more heartily, unperturbed by the look he was getting, and led the bodyguard away. "Oh Mistir Kodal yoo are a one!"

Seated across from one another the senator and his aide perused their menus.

Well, the senator did. Eyes that had earlier been running over technical specifications and regulatory language now flicked from dish to tempting dish. His aide, meanwhile, sat with the menu before him, eyes not really moving.

After a few moments, the senator looked up.

"I'm rather tempted by the salt-baked Munaran hake. What looks good to you?"

Lerrick opened his menu and tried to make a show of considering the options. He was unsuccessful in this. Largely this was because he was a poor actor but it also had much to do with the Senator knowing his habits. Lerrick found something he liked and stuck to it.

Despite this, the Senator did allow his aide to go on with the charade for a little while. Then he said, "Alright, you can ask."