[color=slategray][b][@everyone][/b]
[url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRKT8BuMmqY][color=slategray]The Khan's Liszt[/color][/url]
The Meeting Place[/color][hr]The Hungarian Rhapsodies. A complex and beautiful set of piano pieces written by the brilliant Franz Liszt. Though the 2[sup]nd[/sup] Rhapsody enjoys its time in the spotlight, all 19 were wonderful in their own right. Played by the descendant of the same mind and musical brilliance, it was a euphoric two-and-a-half hour experience. Franz Liszt VI was on a low stage in the same open space the Khanate used to parade, dark lighting and a silent crowd to set the scene. Around this humbly dressed chimp on center stage, were several dignitaries from around the Meeting Place but mainly, the Khanate ambassadorial staff.

One day, the simple performance of a particularly talented son of Mozart V, a mere clerk in the Khanate staff, was enjoyed by many. Henceforth, Herald Temujin II held twice-weekly performance showcasing the many different musical talents of the Khanate. Sometimes, the space was filled to the brim by people listening to their cultural heritage on display. Right now, despite the masterpiece playing and the genius playing it, it was quiet. It was not an insult to Liszt or his descendants, it was just the mere fact that such vivid performances had played twice every week since the Khanate had arrived.

Humans got bored of even the most beautiful things if exposed to it enough.

As of now, there were a few people of note and some not, along with the entire ambassadorial staff of the Khan. Recent events also impacted participation. It was written in the contracts they signed that each staff member, from janitor to ambassador, needed a certain amount of off time. To the eccentric Temujin II, he found these performances to be the perfect time.

It was here, in this dark space with a spotlight on the pianist center stage, two of the most important apes wined and dined, in one of the many elevated opera-style boxes on stilts. Uniquely primitive, wooden with steps but ornate and extravagant all the same, standing over the common seats below. Priestess Joan wiped her mouth with a white cloth having finished the 6[sup]th[/sup] course of her meal. The ape across from her merely sighed, pouring another glass of Old Earth red wine to the brim of the wine glass with shaking hands.

"This one does not know much about alcohol, but this one believes you should avoid drinking this much so often Mr. Descartes."

The powdered-chimp, looking dignified yet worn, smiled after drinking half the glass. "That may be, madamoiselle, but we Freemen have always been on the alcoholic side. We love our drink almost as much as we do our democratic processes." He swirled the drink in his hand, staring at it with melancholy before downing the rest in one gulp. A dying man's actions, for sure.

Joan had grown up over her time as ambassador, seen the glass she tip-toed everyday. The stress wore on her, draining her dealing with all of these foreign ambassadors. Recent events only proved how precarious their, and the Khanate's, true position in this galaxy was. That meeting with those strange hybrid Mahre humans only edged away at her purist heart. Spirits bless the Conservationist's souls if they went through what they wanted, she thought, glancing down at the [APPROVED] stamp in her hands.

[Hider=To the Mahre Collective]
[code]To our fascinating comrades, this one shares a proposal which may interest you. The Conservation League wishes to explore the introduction of Earth species into our planet of New Gift, as part of a rehabilitation program. Furthermore, they wish to look into your symbiosis with your own planet. The League has always strived to be better in touch with their environment and wonders if your own modifications could be applied to simian subjects.

This one looks forward to relaying communication between you and the League.[/code][/hider]

This last action at the end of this week only tore away at her soul, as she stared at the unfortunate young chimp before her. So young, so foolish. "This one is typically not allowed to make friendships but finds themself missing you already, Mr. Descartes."

"Ahh madame, you wound me so. I am young and free, I will not be dying any time soon." They neglected to talk about the black-clothed guards surrounding the both of them. In truth, the young Descartes had been caught in dealings with a certain rogue gene-slave, the descendant of an Italian dictator. Along with his facilitation of a Legion experiment into New Hollywood, the Khan merely lumped the blame for Freemen desertion in the E.S.M.G on top of all his crimes. The punishment? A fate worse than death.

There was silence as their last dishes were taken away, Descartes' glass filled to the brim by a robotic server. It was purplish and viscous, swirling in the glass with a deadly trepidation. "As a last meal, this one must admit there are worse things to choose from than a six-course meal by Murata Yoshihiro himself. Well, a descendant of his."

A laugh. Maybe one of his last? "I admit I took many a trip to Neo-Japan as a young child, aspiring to be one of their cool samurai. Instead, I merely adopted a love for Japanese food only to return to a place where European cuisine was king." Descartes smiled, reminiscing with eyes black and blue. "That's why I wanted to become President, you know? Because as a boy barely grasping his branches, I wished to mandate that Japanese food be served at every dining table." Another laugh, this one more melancholic than the last as it ended in a series of coughs.

She smiled, her eyes feeling moist at the edges. "This one hopes the spirits embrace you in your eventual final rest, Mr. Descartes."

He snorted, tapping a shattered finger to the purplish liquid. "I do not know much of the spirits, madame [i]Orléans[/i], but I do believe there is no rest for me just yet. Perhaps never. We must see where the coin lands tomorrow." A pause. "What do your spirits say about an ape such as I?"

She chewed on the question, pouring her own red wine with more delicacy and care. "This one believes that the spirits see all of us as sinners, as guilty as those who survived. Thus we must strive to be good, to relieve ourselves of our guilt. This one believes you have done good and bad in your life, Mr. Descartes, and that the spirits are glad they have more time in deciding your fate."

He nodded slowly, tapping on the table in time with the music below. There was a silence shared between the duo before it was broken once again by him. "What are we doing about those fellows trampling about in Sol? In all this business, I never got around to sending a response to those Xandalian folk."

Business as always, even to the last. Joan smiled, handing over two files to the chimpanzee across from her. It would be one of the things she would not be missing about him: his insistence on physical files for everything.

[hider=To our fellow descendants (everyone)]
[code]We in the Khanate hope this message finds you in peace and good health. We believe our Xandalian comrades have led a brave response to the intrusion into the Sol system. But this one questions the hastiness in which military action has been put forward. This one understands that a strong face should be presented but the carrot may be more useful than the stick in this case. This one fears we are rushing into the unknown and that all parties, despite neutrality or disagreement with the actions taken, will be taken as hostile by these intruders. 

For now, we represent a united front in the neutrality of Sol. What gives us the right to enforce this neutrality to beings who know not of our agreements? What stopped any of us from doing what these intruders are doing? This one believes it was through peaceful efforts and believes that hasty action may result in unnecessary lives lost. Perhaps we should seek to contact these beings before going in guns blazing.

Well wishes to all.[/code][/hider]

[hider=To our unknown friends (Ustonians)]
[code]We greet you in peace, fellow beings. Though we know not who you are, we hope you greet us in peace also. This come from fellow sentients who believe in extending diplomatic messages, not declarations of war in the form of ship and cannon.

- The Khanate.[/code][/hider]

He smiled, nodding in appreciation. "Good work, as always madamoiselle. Hopefully that message to the intruders goes through, I see you tried to send it through all known frequencies. Most likely the message would arrive after action is taken. You were always better at this ambassadorial nonsense than I was. Perhaps my replacement will find you as good a company as I have." This time, Joan could not stop the tears fall from her face. He merely frowned, attempting to dab his ever-present handkerchief on her cheeks.

She waved his hands away, wiping the liquid into her fur instead. "Never mind that sir. This one is merely moved by this musical piece you have chosen. It would be good for you to know, before you go that is, that there has been a recent flower found in the garden here. Change is coming, Mr. Descartes, and this one is proud to have known an ape to have been part of the wheels which move history." The music continued in the background, never stopping. Truly, music could move emotions so. He smiled in response, happy at having shared one last moment with a friend. 

A pistol harshly placed itself behind his head, cutting into the reverence of the moment. Descartes sighed, looking more aged than Joan had ever seen him. 

He raised his glass. "To the next life, madame Joan Orléans."

She raised her own, a vintage red to his dark purple. "To the next life, Mr. Descartes."

They drank their glasses to empty. Slowly, one of them lowered themselves on the table into a gentle rest. As he was dragged away never to be seen again, she turned her misty gaze towards the beauty below. 

"This was his favourite part." She muttered to no one, alone in the darkness, listening to Liszt long past the end of the performance.