Kentauran date: Phoenix 1, 93
    MoonShadow is multi-tasking.  She is eating breakfast of fruit, toast and coffee, reading official Oficejo briefs and memos on her laptop, scratching her pet snark behind her ears, and notes an historical reference of how the 20th Century entertainer, Cat Stevens, later Yusuf Islam, neé Stephen Georgiou, was denied entry into the United States of America on National Security grounds.
    "Damo," the voice of the cyborg bodyguard/butler/secretary interrupts her reading. "Sinjorino Bella Nokto from the diplomatic Office approaches your outer door.  Shall I admit her?"
    "Jes, bonvole," MoonShadow pushes her work away, gently removes the snark from her lap, and stands, adjusting her clothes and making sure there aren't any toast crumbs on her.  Bella Nokto is admitted.
    "Damo MoonShadow, thank you for letting me see you so early in the morning!"
    "Damo Nokto, no problem at all.  To what do I owe the pleasure of our meeting?"
    "Do you remember the briefing of two days ago, wherein the Oficejo was advised of a dwarven starship encountered by the KSS Sonĝo de Fotono?"
    "Jes! Absolutely.  A previously unknown race, though obviously a sub-genome of humans.  I believe the captain reported that they spoke with British accents and spelt the English word "civilization" with an S.  Very exciting!"
    "Exactly.  We invited them to send a diplomatic envoy, and they are en-route, even as we speak."
    "Tre bona. What is their ETA?"
    "We are uncertain, since we are unaware of their FTL technology.  Soon, though."
    MoonShadow considers this information.  How does one prepare for a state visit without an ETA?  "Post a picket at the far outer reaches of our system in a line from Sol.  Have them report as soon as they detect the inbound dwarven ship."
    "Jes, Damo."
    "Jakobo," she addresses the cyborg. "Get catering on the line.  Have them research what it is that dwarves like to eat.  Perhaps Tolkien would be a good resource."
    "Jes, Damo."
    MoonShadow returns her attention to Bella Nokto. "Now, what else is there?"
    "Ĉu Damo?"
    "You could have sent a communique about the dwarven ship.  You came here personally because you had something else to say."
    Nokto looks embarrassed, but manages a grin.  "That's why you're the SP, ĉu ne? Jes." She takes a deep breath and says, " I thought you should know that the tabloids are breaking the news this morning about an unnamed informant who claims to be an aide to Ambasadoro Enrika, who says that the two of you have slept together repeatedly since the Balo de la Princino Ball last year."
    "And that this has compromised our relations with both the Kentauranoj and the Vladnoŝianoj."  MoonShadow anticipates the headlines while closing her eyes and pinching the bridge of her nose.  "Fi! I should never have danced with her."
    Nokto grins more widely and starts to whistle a Broadway tune from a bygone era, I Could Have Danced All Night.
    "Okej, mi devas fari tromultan. Out with you and your damn songs."  MoonShadow almost turns away. "Kaj Damo Nokto..."
     "Jes?"
    "Tre dankon por la informo."
    "Ne dankinda." Nokto nods her head and takes her leave.
=================
El Karnyort:
Diary entry...

Sitting on my bunk listnening to Bob Dylans 'Visions of Joanna' the news comes in that I as head of the ambassadorial attache of the Carnyorth ruling committee am to be sent into space to serve as first emissary to the newly contacted People of kronberg. It is our understanding that this civili(s)ation is to be found in the nearby Alpha Centauri system, which is fortunate indeed because I am unacustomed to lengthy space
voyages.

We will be taking a new ship the Hardy, which has had only one short shakedown trial, so goodness only knows whats going to go wrong with it. We are fortunate indeed however to have the famous captain Krasis, who was himself the first Dwarf in space, to command the ship.. i have shared many a night in the Dolphin Tavern with Krasis and find him to be a remarkable, if overly (more than even is normal) self assured dwarf
...
We will be taking a range of gifts of items of cultural interest from Carnyorth as well as our permanent ambassador to Kronberg Albert Jones, son of our esteem foreign minister. He is a good lad, but is prone to occasional lapse in judgement, for example the incident with the cucumber at the Styrland embassy party last week that I will not repeat here for fear that one day these diarys may be published by accident....

The ship is due to leave tommorow afternoon, so i must finnish my preperations, Krasis informs me that at warp 6 the journey to Alpha Centauri will take 4 days.