Octavia set her gloved hand into Mr. Fischer's and walked away with him. 

"A dance sounds like a charming idea, thank you." The dance floor was well used, but there was always room for two more. 

Octavia tried to recall if Mr. Fischer had been at their parties before. His name certainly came up enough around here. Mother would ask how Maximillian's projects were going, she loved long dignified names. Father would talk about Max, the mathematician and his engineering, his flying, and his heart for the work. 

Right from the start Octavia had avoided taking sides between her father and brother. Max Fischer had not even been grown yet when Father brought him into the PAS, and he had nothing to do with her life. Octavia deliberately decided to hold no opinion on the young man, that way she couldn't possibly be jealous of him. She loved flying with her father, their rambling conversations, and little projects at home together. There was no need to bother about how much more time Max might or might not have gotten with her Father in the long hours at work. Now, Mr Fischer was certainly the closest connection she could get to Father at the PAS.

Octavia settled her hand on his shoulder and waited to continue the conversation until they were dancing at a discrete distance from others. Though she had already figured for the perfect scenario and for multiple disasters, Octavia put the calculation to him. What better way to find a mathematician's interest than an equation? Especially an equation in which Hubert losses. 

"If Hubert's company wasn't the only one with access to the latest innovations, and competitors' new designs were publicised before the PAS unveils its new ships," a sly smile crept across her mouth, "how long do you project Hubert could then sustain his so called success?"