Though Luana couldn't sing a note, she felt like jumping up on a table in the mess and performing a concert for everyone present. She decided to settle on whistling as she made her way through the line and piled the mystery meal of the day on to her tray. The only problem with whistling was it interfered with the severe case of perma-grin that had affected her since awakening that morning.

"So, how did it go last night?" the familiar voice of Lia penetrated her thoughts as she joined her in line.

"What?" Luana asked, startled out of her contemplations of Starbuck.

"The triad practice. How did it go?" Lia asked again.

"Perfect." Luana replied with a smile that could light up the commissary.

"Really?" Lia asked in amusement. "Exactly how 'perfect' did it go?" She hadn't seen her sister so happy since . . . well . . . uh . . .

"Couldn't have been better." Luana replied.

"Did you score?"

"Did I ever." Luana replied chuckling.

"Good. Learn lots?"

"Oh, yeah." Luana gushed.

"Gonna do it again?"

"Hope so." Luana waggled her eyebrows.

Lia paused as she considered her sister. "Are we talking about triad here?"

"What else would we be talking about?" Luana grinned, her eyes sparkling with devilry.

Realization hit Lia like too much Empyrean Ale on an empty stomach. "Holy . . . , did you . . .?" She almost dropped her tray as she figured out the reason for her sister's inexplicable happiness.

Luana's reply was a lecherous grin.

"But what about Cassiopeia?" Lia asked in a quieter tone of voice, noticing the attention they were attracting as heads turned in their direction.

"What about her?" Luana shrugged. Damn the consequences, full speed ahead!

"So . . . Starbuck's seeing both of you now?" Lia asked.
"I . . . uh . . . " Luana stuttered.

"I see." Lia replied. "Haven't quite thought it all through, have you?"

Luana flushed and bit her lip as she headed towards the nearest table. She slowed her approach as she noticed all heads turned towards the monitor with full concentration directed towards the IFB announcer and interviewee.

. . . legal sports betting taking place in triad. Even the suggestion of fixed games has come up. For instance, the unusual lackluster performance of late by one of the league's top players has me wondering if perhaps the financial recompense of throwing a game or shaving points has already affected the outcome of this season.

The telecast was accompanied by a variety of sports highlights, many of which featured Starbuck as he repeatedly fumbled the ball, missed shots and drew penalty shots in apparent frustration.

"Starbuck wouldn't throw a game!" Luana spat out vehemently.

"You have to admit though, he's been playing like a rookie lately . . . " someone else offered.

"Shh!" Lia interrupted.

Are you inferring that Lieutenant Starbuck's appalling performance of late might be associated with sports betting? Zed asked.

Oh, I wouldn't go so far as to directly say that. However, as long as sports betting is both legal and encouraged through the publication of betting lines, the temptation to shave points or throw a game will always be there. The well dressed, officious looking gentleman replied.

"Who is that?" Lia asked the several people already sitting there.

"Dracus." Jolly replied with a scowl. "He's a bureautician. A lesser renowned member of our illustrious Council. This must be his cause of the sectar."

"Cause of the sectar?"

"Yeah," Jolly added, "He's a puritan. Despises what he perceives as moral corruption. Seems he's getting on his upper equine about something just about every sectar. Obviously, now it's sports betting."

"But he practically just accused Starbuck of taking bribes to throw his games." Luana pointed out. "How does a moral puritan justify that?"

"The key words are 'practically just accused Starbuck," Jolly shrugged. "Yeah, he's put it out on the IFB for everyone to think about, but he didn't actually incriminate him."

"He didn't?" Lia's eyebrows arched. "Seems like a fine line to me between inferring and incriminating."

"Privilege of speech. Bureautician." Jolly stated, as if that explained everything.

So what are you suggesting, Sire Dracus? Zed asked.

Without some action, we'll no longer know if our favourite sports are a form of pure competition or simply an act that had its ending carefully scripted in the backrooms of the Rising Star. We need to put a stop to sports betting.

"Starbuck's gonna go ballistic when he hears this." Luana told them.