"Turn off the music!" Jakobi shouted.

Petra gestured and the music went silent, but everyone else was already silent too. (Except for Secretary Woody, who was still giggling madly at whatever the last joke was.)

Jakobi's eyes stabbed over.

"Oh, calm down, Jakobi," Woody slurred. "There's enough here for everyone."

Petra strutted across the room to greet Jakobi man to man. "Are you enjoying the party so far, sir?"

"I understand you have a rebel infiltrator this evening." Jakobi announced. "I am here to save you from a terrible misunderstanding."

Petra spread his hands. "My parties tend to attract all manner of scum, Moff Jakobi. If there is one here, I'm sure they're just in it for the appetizers."

Jakobi considered him carefully.

"In fact, now that your here," Petra strolled in a large circle around the room, around Jakobi, eyeing each corner carefully as he spoke, "We can now commence with the pièce de résistance. My intention of this gathering is to extend the hand of friendship."

As he spoke, three droids rolled out to set up the small table in the center of the star with a half dozen customized drinks.

Petra continued, "I think we can all agree that this is a pivoting point in the history of the Empire, and I, for one, intend to embrace out new leadership with a hearty handshake." He turned his feet significantly back towards Jakobi, and picked up one of the drinks. "Will you join us in a toast?"

Kess panicked. Surely not all the reps had a chance to read what was on the card. And Baron Flintob didn't get one at all! Vanech lowered his fingers to her elbow and pinched until it hurt. Kess forced herself to relax. They watched.

"To new friends," Petra lifted the drink with significance and eyed the other five reps in the corners. "May this declaration of amity among the Serra Arm strengthen our resolve."

Danje was the first to climb to his feet. He strutted over to the table next to Petra and raised a glass.

Tesseoni also stepped over, sharing a nod with Danje, and picked up her drink.

Clarissa nudged Woody, grabbing his jacket and whispering harshly into his ear. Woody stumbled over. "Alright, alright." And wobbled over to pick up the drink, completely lost at what was going on.

Baron Flintob, clueless, strutted cockily over and lifted his drink with grandeur.

All eyes looked to Her Holiness.

Ro'Salia looked over the whole group. Her eyes landed on Petra, on Jakobi, and grazed across Kess. Then she looked at the selected group at the table. Small breaths of shock blew through the room as Her Holiness daintily rose to her feet and slid over to pick up a glass of water.

Then everyone else in the room raised their glasses too.

Ignored in the corner, Vanech waved a server droid over and grabbed two more drinks. One he kept, the other he handed to Kess. Eyeing her with instruction, he held it in the air.

Terrified of what was really happening, Kess toasted.

But she noticed Tesseoni's eyes peaking her way. She noticed Petra grinning to Vanech. Not all parties were at the center table, but all six systems of the Serra Arm, and the Alliance had a drink in their hands.

With an uncertain scowl, Jakobi picked up the last drink and lifted it into the air. "Long live the Empire."

Petra blinked a strange grin, but grinned it off, and his threw the shot down his throat.

One by one, the Serra Six drank, sipped, slurped, nodded, and set down their glasses again.

Petra slammed down his shot glass last, turned back to his throne, and muttered. "Fucker."

He then threw his hands in the air with a grand smile. "Music!"

The party roared up with fresh fervor and Vanech tossed his glass to the server droid without caring where it landed.

"What the hell just happened?" Kess whispered.

"We just signed a treaty." Vanech grabbed her drink from her hand and tossed it to the wall. "Let's get out of here." He pinched her elbow again and turned her fast around to duck out of the party.

And Laha followed.