The roar of the crowd below was almost deafening even a few stories above. Sayeeda had opted to forgo her helmet, though her stripped down shooters glasses were tucked into her left pocket. She didn't have anything resembling formal clothing, the Armored did have a dress uniform, she was pretty sure, but she couldn't remember anyone actually owning one. Instead she wore her chestplate, although dinged and scarred by hard use in recent days, and combat pants in urban camoflauge patterns. In deference to planetary custom she carried only a pistol in a service holster. Aiden was dressed again in his armor, buffed and shiny for the situation. He strode down towards the King and Queen, waving majestically for the benefit of vid casters. Sayeeda was uncomfortably aware of the hovering air cars with stabilizer rigs recording the scene in holo.

Dar'monadi national costume appeared to favor long flowing garments in bright primary colors. There seemed to be some pattern to them which might be indicative of livery. Most of the soldiers were armed with ceremonial halberds and ornate large bore pistols in brightly decorated holsters. Unlike Aiden's troops these men and women seemed like they spent more time on the parade ground than on the range and from the look of some of the slightly flabby overdressed officers, rank might be a hereditary privlige rather than a real signifier of competence.

The king and queen were dressed in robes that shimmerd from dark bronze all the way up to white platnium on a two minute cycle before making their way back down through the metallic spectrum. They wore small but obvious crowns inset with a variety of dazzling gems. Beside them stood several young men and a woman whose resemblence both to Aiden and the royals were apparent even at a cursory glance. Each was dressed expensively although none went so far as to wear armor.

"Who are they I wonder?" Sayeeda asked no one in particular.

"They are Aiden's siblings," Ranald said unexpectedly, Sayeeda twisted her head to see the seargent, still dressed in his combat gear, spit on the ground.

"They are a scheming bunch of snakes if ever I've seen one." Sayeeda gave the older man a hard look, wondering what he was implying but unwilling to voice it infront of so many recorders.

"The prince certainly seems popular," she commented. The old man shook his head, lip curling in contempt.

"They are a mob captain, swayed as easily as any herd of beasts. He might be a hero today, but tomorrow who knows?"

Judging it best to leave the old soldier to his dark musings Sayeeda sidled over towards Neil.

"Have you ever seen anything like this?" she asked, making a broad gesture at the city as Aiden continued to converse with his parents. 

[@POOHEAD189]