((Genti II; Grand Central Establishment - Bairiri Hall; Central Courtyard))
Ever since the incident on the Arrow and the brainwave altering probe, the Gentii people had been overly courteous and accommodating. The crew were treated like kings of old, with no request denied or service refused. Maz had been a little overwhelmed at first, as the Gentii seemed to anticipate their needs and began offering things as soon as he opened his mouth to speak. The novelty soon wore off and he was honestly starting to wonder when they could politely leave and return to normal.
Still, their hosts were gracious and the accommodations superb. The food was good. The drinks were even better. The city they were in was vast and beautiful and really quite picturesque for a cosmopolitan metropolis.
The real work was piecing together the official Bairiri. Not one haphazardly thrown together in the mix up which occurred a number of days ago. A proper one. A practiced and rehearsed one! Maz had begrudgingly agreed to participate, having felt quite embarrassed by his previous attempts to play the saxophone while in the body of Serinus. But, he was secretly excited to perform again. He hadn't really practiced this much since the Academy, and though his former bandmates weren't there with him this time, he had taken full advantage of the Gentii holographic technology to recreate his old Academy band in all their photonic glory. Incidentally, he made a mental note to copywrite Photonic Glory as a band name should he ever form another band in the near future.
He beamed down to the rendezvous site to see the welcoming face of Maria Alvarez. It was no secret that she had dived into the events organization with an almost zealous gusto, and more than once had shanghaied members of the Science staff to ensure the event was properly arranged. Still, Maz didn't mind. It left him with the glorious task of re-calibrating the Astrometrics sensors himself, and a little alone time never hurt him. He wasn't in uniform, instead simply wearing what he called his old "gig" clothes, a simple pair of black jeans, his boots, and a white tank top with a now-faded lightning bolt on the front. Over that he wore a simple red and white button down shirt. He'd brought down a few things in his backpack too.
Alvarez: Welcome to the Brynja Bairiri Hall! Quite a spectacular location, don't you think?
Rodan: It's incredible!
Anyone: Response
Alvarez: Well, our display is to the east. It's actually pretty extensive - we managed to get some original artwork on short order delivered by autonomous shuttle. The crew also contributed a lot - if you have something you'd still like to put up, you're absolutely welcome to, but now would be the time. The Gentii displays are in the west and north wings. I haven't managed to look too closely yet, so maybe you'd care to join me for a stroll?
Rodan: Of course, and it's a great evening for it.
Anyone: Response
Alvarez: The "food court," for lack of a better term, is to the south along with the main performance stage. I did manage to try some food - it's really something. There's something I can only describe as a barbequed lettuce wrap... That's not even really it. It's crispy and juicy... tangy and spicy... just delicious. I'd be down to sample more of that too. Of course, we have several replicators set up too, as well as a couple of dishes made with aeroponics groceries.
Rodan: You really have outdone yourself. This is like a Risian resort complex... only nicer and less tacky.
He made a grin which made his cheeks dimple. He didn't mind Risa, really. But the staging area for this Bairiri was something else. The food sounded good, and Maz felt his stomach growl with anticipation.
Alvarez: Performances will be a little later today. We're expecting thousands, maybe tens of thousands, of Gentii citizens to stop in and look for at least a bit, so no pressure if you don't want to go up there. We'll do something holographic if we need to supplement. Heck, I'm not sure if I want to go up there after everything.
Anyone: Response
Rodan: What about the running order? Who's up first?
Alvarez/Anyone: Response
Rodan: I mean... I could. I've warmed up crowds before, but none in the range of tens of thousands!
Alvarez/Anyone: Response
Rodan: Oh I have it all figured out... ::He pulled an isolinear chip from his pocket which was coded with the holo-band and accompanying lighting effects and waved it around seductively.:: "Bad Maz Nevron and The New Breed". My Academy band. Just... don't laugh at the outfits. Or the hairstyles. We were young and stupid.
Alvarez/Anyone: Response
Rodan: Also, I have something else which might take the edge off opening night nerves.
He reached into his backpack and pulled out a tall thin bottle of almost near golden liquid. It caught the purplish evening sun and sparkled. He handed it to Maria.
Rodan: That is Trill Mead. So sweet you'll get diabetes. So strong it'll knock your spots off.
Alvarez/Anyone: Response
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