IMP18

==Chapter 18 - Important People==
The Royal Palace
Tharkad City
Tharkad System
Lyran Commonwealth
September 3091
[Archon's ball...]
'Koren' turned out to be one of Irena's sisters, she was tall, like Amanda's roomie and friend, blonde, and wore her hair in a Mechwarrior crest over an evening gown.
"Jy is Anders! Waar het my suster jou liefie opgegrawe?"  it took Amanda a moment to sort out the accent.
"Koren, be nice!" Irena snapped.
"That's Afrikaans, isn't it?" Amanda commented, "Not quite English, not quite Dutch."
"Ya."  There was something distinct about the taller woman that grated on Amanda's nerves instantly.
"vậy bạn đã đụ ai vì đôi giày đó?" she asked sweetly, getting confused looks from both of them.  "It's Viet." Amanda said, "Since we're exchanging traditional greetings." her eyes glittered.
"Amanda, she's my older sister!" and more softly, "that was unkind."
"Okay.  I'm your little sister's roomie on the Frederick Steiner." Amanda extended a gloved hand.
"Koren Van Oosten, they don't issue medals in your...regular service?"
"They don't issue pointless ones." Amanda said, "Kit is kept to bare minimums for space and mass allotment.  What do you do, Koren? The hairstyle says Mechwarrior, but your outfit says lady-for-the-evening. Is a dress uniform insufficient??"
"I have enough rank to choose!" Koren shot back at the dig, "and the mess-dress uniform is...complex."
Amanda wanted to, she really did.  Something about the taller girl grated and she couldn't pin it down. 
"Aaand Now is a good time for us to begin again!" Irena interrupted.  "Koren, big sis, this is my friend Amanda. She's from Kowloon, and she's a Navigator."
"Bus driver huh?"
"No, no, no!!" Irena stepped in before Amanda could get a word edgewise, "She's Guild Certified as a Jump navigator!!"
"It means nothing to Kommandant Van Oosten." a voice pierced through and a young man who looked a little like the Archon but, wasn't, stepped in, "Excuse me ladies but, if you're going to snipe at one another at my father's party, I'm afraid you will need to wait while we set up a playpen full of lime gelatin and a betting board."
Andrew Steiner, the heir-apparent to the current Archon, he was twenty-two, and the same age as the others. (and younger than Amanda chronologically).
"Which I'd be totally into, except that it is messy, and undignified." he added. 
"Highness"
"Highness"
"Sir."
That got both of the Blondes looking at Amanda. "What??"
"O-4, he's a Sir, we're in uniform." Amanda stated.
"Call me Andrew, Lieutenant...Ngo is it?"
"Ayeh Sir." she said.
"While you being Guild Certed isn't something that will impress a member of the first royals. It does tick a box for me-you're assigned to the Frederick, ja?"
"Ayeh."
"Let's go have a drink. You can tell me what those medals are and Why you're only wearing one earring." he said keenly.
Amanda accepted the Heir's arm, and let herself be led away.
Irena watched her go, then turned to Koren.  "Well?"
"Where do you find such strange people to be your friends??"
"Around."
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