[IC - Scene 1] The Party

[Overlord87]

Madeleine laughs as she says: "A trip to the moon... now that's something I would very much like to do. If you ever find a way to get there, monsieur, please let me know first. What about you, Colonel? Would you travel to the moon to and plant our glorious flag there?"

[Cearlan]

Andre Saint-Pasquet

Andre steps behind Jacques so as not to interfere with the conversation between Madelaine and the Colonel and extends his hand towards Jean-Luc, "Pleased to make your acquaintance Jean-Luc, Did I hear you say you were an astrophysicist, What does that entail if you don't mind me asking? I personally am a humble archaeologist at your service monsoiur."

[Mr. Handy]

"Ah, indeed I would, my dear!" says Jacques with a wistful look. "Would that I had the chance. Alas, it probably will not be within my lifetime. Still, an old man can dream, n'est-ce pas?"

[krzyspmac]

Jean-luc turns to Andre and shakes his hand saying "The pleasure is all mine Sir. As for the work itself today - it changed much during the ages. Some of us moved to stellar astronomical spectroscopy, that is the study of the electromagnetic spectrum of stellar bodies. But the old guard, myself included, still hunt for planets". He tries to hide his nervous, shaking hand, by hiding it in his pocket. "As you may know the irregularities in the orbit of Neptune make a ninth planet in our solar system a real possibility and me and my colleagues would very much be the ones to claim it".

[Overlord87]

Suddenly, your conversation is cut short by a commotion rising in the middle of the room. At the center of a group of half a dozen people, two men are confronting each other. One is young, wears the uniform of the french air force, l'Armee de l'Air - and shows a couple of shining medals on top of it. The other is a civilian, middle-aged, wearing an elegant but somewhat worn out dress. His face is grim and he has bags under his eyes. Everything in him gives the impression that he has seen better days.

The man in uniform has moved menacingly near the other one, and being easily 20 centimeters taller, is towering on him. He grabs the other man's jacket and screams: "Traitor! Be thankful I don't have my gun with me, or I would have shot you already!". The other man seems worried, but still manages to muster the courage to answer back: "It's never treason to speak the truth. Never!".
The man in uniform doesn't take those words very well, and throws the other man on the floor, violently. The situation looks ready to escalate into a very unpleasant one.

Julien rushes immediately towards the two men, a worried expression on his face.

OOC:   The Colonel can make a 1 point Military Talk spend to recognize the man in uniform.

[Mr. Handy]

OOC,Yes, I'll spend 1 Military Talk.

[Cearlan]

Andre Saint-Pasquet

"Ah Jean-Luc, it all sounds a bit scientific for me ... though I am an adherent of a eighteenth century German archaeologist, a Herr Winckelmann, who applied scientific ..." I do not manage to finish the sentence due to the commotion caused by the two men. I make to move between the two men and Madame Madeleine.

[Mr. Handy]

Jacques also strides forward to intervene, trying to position himself between the two men. "Monsieur Fonck!" he says, smiling. "I thought I recognized you. You're one of France's greatest heroes! Might I have a word with you?"

[krzyspmac]

Jean-Luc tightens the grip on his hat. He doesn't like fights and usually takes the fast way out. "I guess tensions are high around the city at the moment" he says forcing a smile towards Madeleine.

[Overlord87]

Jacques also strides forward to intervene, trying to position himself between the two men. "Monsieur Fonck!" he says, smiling. "I thought I recognized you. You're one of France's greatest heroes! Might I have a word with you?"

The man in uniform stops for one second, and that's all the time Julien needs to pick up the man on the floor and help him away. After seeing his opponent retires, the young man slowly shakes his head, then offers his hand towards Jacques: "It's a pleasure to meet you...", he pauses for a second as he looks towards Jacques' uniform to check his rank,"... colonel. I'm sorry if my earlier behavior caused a disturbance, but that man... he dared to say that we should propose peace to the Germans. Such disrespect to our fallen comrades... I could not accept it".

Jean-Luc tightens the grip on his hat. He doesn't like fights and usually takes the fast way out. "I guess tensions are high around the city at the moment" he says forcing a smile towards Madeleine.

Madeleine nods, suddenly a grave expression on her face. "Indeed they are... and I fear things will only get worse."
Julien has helped the middle-age man stand up and is accompanying him towards the piano, speaking slowly in a reassuring way. The man looks shaken, fearful and slightly ashamed. Madeleine makes a gesture towards one of the waiters, calling him close, then tells him: "Some whisky for the gentleman, please".

[Mr. Handy]

"Colonel Jacques Hebert," says Jacques, pumping his hand with vigor that belies his age. "I'm pleased to make your acquaintance as well. It's quite understandable, your reaction. I'd have been furious too had I heard what he said. The important thing is you maintained discipline in spite of the provocation."

[Overlord87]

"Colonel Jacques Hebert," says Jacques, pumping his hand with vigor that belies his age. "I'm pleased to make your acquaintance as well. It's quite understandable, your reaction. I'd have been furious too had I heard what he said. The important thing is you maintained discipline in spite of the provocation."

Renè shakes Jacques's hand with as much strength. "Well, I still think a couple of punches could have been... helpful... in fixing his head, but perhaps that would have ruined the party for everyone else. And that would have been a shame. It's not often that we get a chance like this, these days. I feel I'm spending more time on my airplane than in Paris, recently." The young man shakes his head. "But still better than in the trenches. It's a bloody massacre down there. That's not how decent people should fight a war".

[Mr. Handy]

"Sadly, that is all too true," says Jacques with a sigh. "Warfare is not like it was when I was a young man. Where is the glory in mowing down thousands of men with machine guns? In the air, though, you can at least pit your skills against other pilots. Knights of the sky..."

[Cearlan]

Andre Saint-Pasquet

Seeing how smoothly Jacques has managed to calm the agitated pilot down Andre raises his eyebrow in appreciation and turns to Madame Madeleine, "Well that was smoothly done by our gendarme friend." Andre nods his approval toward Jacques.

[krzyspmac]

"Well indeed. My guess is the Colonel disarmed quite a few brawls in his life." says Jean-Luc with a relief. "I guess I will forgo my next question about the war." he says with a smile, trying to disarm the tension.

[Overlord87]

"Sadly, that is all too true," says Jacques with a sigh. "Warfare is not like it was when I was a young man. Where is the glory in mowing down thousands of men with machine guns? In the air, though, you can at least pit your skills against other pilots. Knights of the sky..."

Renè nods vehemently: "Yes, yes! Exactly! I'm glad to meet someone that can see... can understand! The future is in the air, colonel. I hope the higher-ups understand this"

[Overlord87]

Madeleine nods towards Andrè: "I expect the Colonel has dealt with more than one brawl in his many years of service. We were quite lucky to have him around tonight".

The other man has sipped some whisky and seems to have regained some composure. He is still speaking with Julien, nodding and apologizing. The two move away, towards the paintings hung for display on the far side of the room, careful to avoid the the Colonel and the young pilot.

"Well, we seem to be safe." Madeleine says, smiling. "Let's forget this unexpected incident... Monsieur Saint-Pasquet, with your work, I expect you have had many chances to travel the world. Where you have been? Any adventurous tale you might share with us?"

[Mr. Handy]

"Indeed, just so!" says Jacques, just as pleased to meet a kindred spirit. "The aeroplane will change warfare forever. I think the generals recognize that, but they don't yet see all of the ways in which it can be used. If I had stars on my shoulders, I could better make my suggestions heard. Well, I'm sure there will be opportunities to earn them before this war is over."

[Cearlan]

Andre Saint-Pasquet

"Just so Madame Madeleine, A Gendarme's lot may not always be a happy one as the English are fond of saying." Andrè smiles ruefully to his play on the English saying. "Please Madame Madeleine, I insist that you call me Andrè. As for my adventures, such as they are, are fairly limited. I have worked in Francois of course - the Grand Massif; principally Cévennes and the Gorges de la Jonte. As for adventurous travelling of the world - I was on a dig in the French Congo just outside of a village called Bour. The local shaman took an intense dislike to one of my colleagues and put a a primitive curse upon the expedition. Now I am a man with a scientific mind and have no belief in this type of mumbo-jumbo, but a lot of small ... shall I say accidents started to happen." A pained look crosses Andrè's face then he breaks his reverie and looks at Madeleine.

We were jointly funded by Rennes and Leipzig Universities, quite a while before the current state of affairs between ourselves and Germany. The targets of these accidents seemed to be at the French members of the party only, until Hans Terbell, the German epigrapher was found murdered. The Germans in the party laid the blame squarely on us, but I am convinced it was the natives. The funding was swiftly withdrawn from both Universities, despite some decent results. I decided to sail back to Saint-Nazaire with the digs finds whilst the rest of the two parties flew back. Both planes however seem to have simply disappeared and the sting in the tail is that I am the only remaining survivor. Andrè shakes his head sadly at the memory.

[krzyspmac]

"How dreadful" says Jean-Luc. "I hope you won't find this presumptuous of me - but how fascinating at the same time! Coming from a astrophysics professor's position I must say that is quite adventurous of you Monsieur! The loss of life is always tragic but I would be more than willing to put mine on the line in the pursuit of science than for petty squabbles with no real gain other than..." - he abruptly stops and looks around the room as if looking for potentials eavesdroppers.