"I was barely 13 when my whole world died. When it collapsed under the weight of loss and sadness. Both my parents lost in that fire, my aunt saying: 'You're coming with me.'

Like they say, this is my instawrite, and this is my story."

"It sounds so poignant when you write it like that. Have you, have you ever discussed this with anyone?"

"Yes, but only with people who were there. I never expected anyone else to understand."

"And what changed?"

"I discovered a second family here, on this ship."

"I know we are, when did you know?"

"At my wedding, it was the strangest thing, I was meant to be making ties outside the ship, but it only reinforced my ties on the ship."

"You don't weaken family by getting married."

"So how come you're still single?"

"I can't pick favorites in our family, that's why."

"Did you hear about Randjik?"

"Yeah, he's got a new hottie, not gonna work out. What about Mussel?"

"We agreed it wasn't going to work out."

"Oh, and your sweet Baboo?"

"Still Babooing, with me and her."

"Does it hurt?"

"I just wish he would say it. I know he prefers her."

"I doubt that."

"What do you mean?"

"Why would he say something? Silence means he gets to enjoy both of you."

"Ugh, I guess so."

“I think you’re both quite used to his silence too. Used to taking the lead, and letting him catch up.”

“Yeah, he’s.. Passive in his way, most of the time. It’s usually a shock when he takes a position. But by then changing his mind is quite impossible.”

“And you’re quite used to people following your lead. Impulsive sometimes, but mostly careful, just with a drive to get things done.”

“I wasn’t fishing for compliments.”

“Oh, Maelle, I wouldn’t have given you this one if you were fishing for it. It’s sincere. But go on. You were telling me about your instawrite, about your story.”

“Yeah.”

“What happened after that?”

“Well, I moved in with them, with her, and with him.”

“Were they living together, at the start?”

“Oh, no, you’re right, I moved in with my aunt at first.”

“And how was it?”

“Hard, everything reminded me of them, of my parents I mean, and my three siblings.”

“Oh, I thought you were an only child.” S

“No, I was the eldest, eldest of four. Amonica, Hankerion and Esperanza.”

“Three girls, and one boy?”

“Yes, Hankerion was the worse spoilt brat in the history of spoilt brats. Loved to do anything outside with Dad.”

“And the others?”

“Mom’s treasures, all three of us. Hankerion and her got along well, but we were her daughters, and never were second to any but each other.”

”And your parents, they got along?”

“Carita and Vredefort Comma loved each other from the day they met, till the day they died together, possibly without interruption.”

“Oh, that in love?”

“If there was a love detector, they’d set it off, continuously.”

“Oh, that’s so precious. And your aunt? She got along with Vredefort?”

“She was a little jealous, of Mom, actually, her and Vredefort had dated when she was younger, but he went for her older sister instead. Caith introduced them, for that matter.”

“Oh?”

“But Caith intimidated him a little, apparently, ambition, drive, plus she cast spells, and Carita didn’t.”

"Isn't that strange? Don't spellcasters run in families?"

"They do, but not every child of a spellcaster is a spellcaster."

"Oh, so you could have been a normie, too?"

"Maybe, but so could you."

"It feels less strange, I'm not third circle like you, with the sky the only limit to your potential."

"You think I could try for second?"

"I think you could try for first, but you'd get your heart broken there."

"I get my heart broken in third too, what'd be different?"

"Rumor has it, first circle is a man married to sixteen, maybe seventeen women."

"What? But a circle needs at least three men to be that size."

"And first circle has five men, one main, two alternates, and two trainees, they all married the main, only one of the women married another man first."

"First? She's married multiple times?"

"Yeah, just like your aristo sweet baboo, he's a noble, but he's a noble FOR being center of first circle."

"Oh, and I bet he's not just a ryder either."

"No, ranks under a Legendary. usually, but Meihomei pegged him for a Domeidom that was unoccupied."

"Pegged him, ha!"

"Hey! Not pegged like that."

"Maybe, you wouldn't know... Meihomei's kinda kinky...."

"Oh juicy!"

"Not THAT kinky, but she does demand her share of male attention."

"Oh, anyone I know?"

"Another Legendary... I forget his name."

"What about those juicy rumors? That she's into her cousin?"

"Her cousin the Domei of Garay? I ain't seen them getting busy.. I can't say I'd put it past her though...."

"Oh?"

"The cousin is kinda nice, just a little stiff... Really pretty too, like actress-level."

"Oh, theatre or movies?"

"Movies, video games, magazines, fashion, if she's not in the top 50 prettiest women in the world, I'll be shocked."

"She'd be the prettiest in first circle you think?"

"No, if anything, first circle would be where the competition is stiffest. Dang, you ain''t seen them dolled up, have you?"

"You have?"

"Twice, and I needed someone to put my jaw back under my face."

"Oh jaw-droppers?"

"Like you wouldn't believe. I don't know which one was prettiest, either, the competition was pretty stiff.."

"Would the Domei have made the top ten?"

"Maybe tenth, but no higher. If the top three prettiest women alivc weren't there, I'd be pretty shocked."

"Like?"

"Like the Excelsior, and the Paramount, and the Grand Fortuna"

"Commissioner Natalia Dell'Auro, I presume?"

"You presume rightly, you're one of Amarat's friends?"

"I've been his guest now, for some time.  Feyd Veneer left a cycle ago."

"In this flyspeck of a city? Where could he go?  You must tell me!"

"You are not in Eurani here, you do not rule, not in a Kagomine Embassy."

"I don't wish to rule, but I am concerned, it's unusual for your people to move about."

"Not for Amarat, he has many Lai friends."

"Friends!?"

"Friends, associates, for all I know he owns property in the city, he doesn't tell me everything."

"And it doesn't bother you?"

"He comes back to me, of his own free will.  That tells me much about him."

"Despite the fact you do not know if he does so only once he tires of others?"

"I doubt it..."

"Why do you say that?"

"When someone's thinking he's giving you space, but you've been spending twelve hours a day with them, you kinda draw these kinds of conjectures."

"You're kidding!"

"I would be, then I checked his portable jade bank..."

"Why would he let you see that?"

"He... doesn't have to, I was his commanding officer.  And he hasn't changed it since."

"You have hardware codes to the man's jade banks?  And he hasn't revoked it?  There's gotta be juicy stuff in there!"

Flora just quirked an eyebrow.  "Weren't you worrying about him a moment ago?"

"I was, I still am... Oh... that's why you're not worried, you know where he is..."

"I have some idea, yes, not a precise location..."

"Where is he?  I'll send a squad of my life guards to secure him."

"He left with about half the first Kagomei Life Guards, he was looking for his mother."

"No wonder I couldn't get an audience with her, she's the reason I was here, originally, but I figured I'd ask him..."

"And it didn't occur to you that asking about him first, when we're not even listed as guests, might make it look more suspicious, not less?"

"Err, no, obviously, you don't know me or at least, not the whole story.  Me and his mother get along like fuel-air explosives and a spark.  Whereas, as a childhood friend of Amarat's, I still remember him fondly."

"I thought he considered you his ex, not his childhood friend..."

"You're... probably right, but he and I haven't spoken in about two arnds, I didn't think he was my ex then...  Obviously, your Herevallin, and my engagement, then marriage, do change things."

"So you just... drifted apart?"

"Quiet, you two.  We've got inbound."  Spoke Mikhala, emerging from a panic room in the third subbasement, after enough curling stairs, she felt dizzy.  "My son left here to go carry a message to the Moniqans, he's not back, and we may have to abandon this city in our haste."  She looked at the two younger women, the model-pretty Natalia, and the more physically powerful Flora, who remained silent.  "What, no protests?  No: we can't leave him here to die!"

"You're his mother, if you think we should leave, we should leave."

"Amarat's a priest, no stranger to fighting, he'll join us soon, or re-group later, when we're safe, where are we going?"

"I'm impressed."  Exclaimed Mikhala.  "He's attracting better quality of women lately.  No simpering, no sycophants, just: what needs to be done."

"I'm the next best thing to a chief of state to over two billion people, you expected less?"

"Not from you, but again, you're an upgrade to his ex before you.  And you Flora, you know where he is, why won't you protest we should go pick him up?"

"He messaged he was surrounded, and not to try to help him.  I suspect he sees the numbers against him as too much to overcome."

"Where is he?"

"The wharf, the Moniqans never left, they don't have an embassy in the city, their embassy for the moment is their flagship, the newly commissioned Hunarch Madrigal."

"That's one of the new ones, a flycarrier?"

"Yes, they brought one with full escorts, enough firepower to level Lai Dang, I had to reassure Magister Dialekki for quite some time before she'd stop thinking it was a full fledged invasion.  I'm still amazed I managed... It IS enough military strength to invade and conquer Lai Dang."

"And the enemy brought more?"

"No, the enemy brought what it always brings, one Skycarrier, not enough to conquer, but certainly enough to leave unmolested, there's little we can do if they turn tail in the atmosphere."

"Unless..."

"What is it, Flora?"

"You... used my name... for the first time."

"I shouldn't call you child, you do not behave like a child, you're an adult, you make my son happy with your company, I shouldn't be churlish."

"Well, Nameihomei, I would ask of you a boon..."

"Make it swift, we must evacuate."

"Can you tell our friends in Moniq not to shoot Amarat while they defend themselves, I doubt they know he's there."

"Good thought, already done, as a matter of fact."

"How and why did you two get together, anyways?"

"We met at my mom's promotion dinner."

"That wasn't what I asked, I asked you what made you decide he was worth spending time with."

"Oh, well he made a pretty good impression, all things considered, when he invited me to low tcha with his priestess mother."

"But those are impressions, they're fleeting, was there something he said or did, that made reinforced your opinion of him?"

"Oh, yes, when he invited me to Crossed Stars World."

"That... amusement park?"

"Yeah.  I thought he was inviting me there only to give me something to do, to keep him out of his hair, you know?  But then I remembered, I had no idea how he was even going to get there, it's a 12-hour flight from Kagomei on a commercial"

"Where is it again? Friuli?"

"Saronno in Venetia, in Friuli yes, quite a date, he invites me to his place, tells me to pack for a day, and not to ask any 'silly questions'..."

"And did you?"

"I had to sneak out of the house, I didn't want to tell my mom I was even doing this...  I thought I was 'mature' enough not to be interested in running away for a day with a mysterious boy...  I was obviously deceiving myself.  He obviously knew me better than he should, I should have asked more questions, like how did he get permission to fly anything beyond the sound barrier..."

"What?"

"He borrowed Amalthea's own hypersonic transport a day she wasn't planning to use it."

"She has... personal hypersonic transport?"

"No, that one's an official aircraft, Kagomei Oh-One, "

"He took a JAUNT with his girlfriend on Kagomei-Flagged Aircraft?  That's not the Amarat I know..."

"We made it in 6 hours, Saronno has an international airport, hyper-flight-qualified, with an FBO."  She hadn't known what that meant, but the other two women, one a chief of state, the other, a chief of state's second in command and diplomatic head, did know, and were a little impressed.

"That's a lot of hubbub for practically a village."

"If you knew who owns Crossed Star Worlds, you wouldn't be surprised."

"Let me guess, their family names are Dell'Auro."

"No, not quite, but I wouldn't especially mind.  No, they're owned by a consortium of Friuli and Magratan royals.  That's actually gotten a bit of grief in Eurani politics, they shouldn't own their main tourist attractions like that.  Let alone share it with the next country over."

"Why not?"

"Basically, the newer rules of the pact state countries can't trade with other countries.  If you want transnational it has to be private, because otherwise, it won't be fair."

"I fail to see.." She got cut off.

"Aquavit's got two trillion Eurans for his RnD budget discretionary spending.  Delite's entire budget is smaller than that.  No way we can say there's a fair and meaningful equation between those two."

"But  isn't Delite a part of a country, like a province?"

"Sometimes it is, but for other things, it's not.  It keeps its own budget, separate from the Great United's for a reason."

"And if it can, so can other places."

"The rule is mostly because, in Rhuthen, the government owns all the businesses anyways.  We want to encourage them to stop owning everything, but it's taking a long time.  Anyways, we were saying local boy done good with a reputation for great parties, Amarat by name, took a frumpy redheaded girl on a date to a geek haven.  Bo-ring."

"I expected it to be boring too..."

"It wasn't?"

"He spent all his time doting on me, you know how crossed star worlds are all about your roleplaying, becoming a Rebel, or an Imperialist?"

"I've never been, but I've read the mission statement."

"I still don't know if Amarat even chose..."

"I don't see why that'd matter?"

"He was so focused on me the entire time..."

"Oh.  Amarat focusing on you... That's a known feeling."  She was blushing.

"I bet..."

"Hey!  I was an academy student without a boyfriend, and he wasn't dating anyone..."

"Is that it?"

"I'm 

a rich girl, Amarat's a rich boy some of my relatives want to match me with, at least, that's how it started..."

"You don't think of him like that."

"No, at least, certainly not since I got married, that'd be awkward."

"How did you think of him, say, 2 years ago?"

"The one that got away... No one but Amarat had ever said no..."

"How attractive was that?"

"Insanely... He knew what he wanted...  He didn't say I sucked, he said 'I don't want that with you'.  All of the other boys went into ad hominem the moment my back was turned, he could disagree, respectfully, and even propose an alternative that didn't make me feel shitty."

"I pity the both of you, are priests so boorish lately?" Interjected Mikhala.

"He's the first priest, or sorcerer for that matter, that I met."  Chimed Flora.

"He's the only nobleman I've met who was also a sorcerer.  He won massive points with every noble lady I know who learned of that.  I was getting offers of favours, just to introduce him to some."

"And did you?"

"Did I? introduce him to my competition? Not on your life!"

"But you moved on.."

"Kinda, the arranged marriage folks were not letting go, and I wanted to move up into the world, they suggested Aquavit could help me become a representative."

"And he had higher ambitions..."

"He managed to snag the commissioner seat for me using the balance of power he had. Then he proposed.  I probably should have thought about it longer than I did...  It says something about me that it took me only about a second to say yes.  Going back to that Crossed Star Worlds... what happened then?"

"He spent six hours making sure my roleplay of a rebellion non-com was just right, buying me Chiuber crystals in lavender, cuz purple was too last year."

"And you bought it?"

"No, I thought it was too over the top, too... insincere...  Then the gamemasters said we had used up his time and had to leave the room to let others play.  You're supposed to get 45 mins of play, I'd used up eight times that.  I spent 20 minutes just getting my skirt colour right!"

"And he didn't do anything on his own character, he was too busy enjoying lavishing that time on you..."

"Then when the gamemasters said we had to go.  He, unperturbed, said his Sky-Cutter was waiting..."

Natalia snorted.  "He would have it ready..."

"I didn't know about his support staff then...  Or about how efficient they are, or a million things.  I just knew I was being booted out of a game where I was the heroine...  And he was saying, let's go, she wants to go to Wien boys, let's make it happen for her.  I didn't know he picked Crossed Star Worlds because of the proximity to Wien."

"Has he taken you to Platinum Redoubt yet?"

"Yes, in Eurani, on Eutebia, on third floor, where you're... co-owner?"

"Damn, he MUST trust you, it's not exactly public that my family and his are the biggest shareholders, we keep about five layers of shell companies to keep it that way too."

"He just said if you nor Annunzia didn't object, he'd review the general manager."

"He's right, Veneer family, who passed to him, not his mother, owns the majority stake."

"I can't touch that, there's a clause in the legs that say you can't own anything in Kimagure and yet own the restaurant."

"And?"

"I'm the Domei of Garay, I'm literally the landlord of all Garay, through my... oops, through my son, the Stark of Kimagure."

"He will have to sell."

"I'm sorry, but I must interrupt, I am a herald of the platinum court of Kimagure, I bring official documents."

"Who are you?"

"Nameihomei..."  He paled.

"I hate to repeat questions."

"Oh, apologies, I am Quarterstaff Debullion Minzor."

"Minzor, what emergency brings you here?"

"Oh, not quite an emergency, or at least, I was attending to non-urgent business, and then all this...  Would Nameihomei be able to repatriate me?  I don't feel safe here..."

"I will make sure you come with us, what was the non-urgent business?"

"Oh, I am to locate Skua Flora Rolli, and hand her these official documents."

"Which happens to be the lady behind you..."  He clumsily, and rather riskily, tried to do a 180 degree turn, then kow-tow to the floor.

"Please, when she said lady, she was exaggerating."

"Well, I am to treat you with all respects, the Syndic of Kimagure has adjudicated you to receive these."

"These are share certificates."

"That's what the court said.  As the newly promoted Stark of Kimagure, Amarat Veneer Jr found himself unable to discharge his obligations to Meihomei and hold his family trust."

"They're in my name!"

"They will be yours, once you pay the fee."

"The fee?  I hope I can pay it with military scrip."

"Err, it's only fifty credits."

"Good thing I brought my key fob, I don't carry credits in uniform, it's against regulations."  She said this, oozing sarcasm.

"Well I could hold these for you until you find yourself in possession of sufficient funds."

"Certainly you can't hold them for me forever..."

"I am told I can hold them for a year and a day, then they will be auctioned."

"I'll pay her fee."

"I'm afraid that is not acceptable..."  She glared daggers at him...

"I would be making her a loan of the money, for her to repay.  Which, as my future daughter-in-law, she would have immediate occasion to."

"I can't accept.."

"Who are you kidding, fifty credits is your pumpkin spice budget for a week.  You'll just have to invite me to low tcha a few times.  At Responsible Disclosure."

"You seem to think I'll be living there..."

"Why not, as palatial as your mother's house is, doesn't the idea of living alone with your husband have any appeal?"

"Silly me, I thought that was your place?"

"No, it was my late husband's, and he bequeathed his title of Feyd and the house to Amarat on his death."

"Not willing to wait for you to retire huh?"

"No, I just wouldn't have noticed, I am the primary heir and  adopted sister of a ruler, one Feyd wouldn't have made a sizable contribution."

"What will happen when you retire?"

"My son becomes Aumhavar of Garay, Domei of Garay, and since I can't retire from Garay without retiring from the succession of Kagomei, he moves up one place."

"After Shen?"

"Yes.  When you met Amarat, there was talk of him being Bameimeito, wasn't it?"

"Not just talk, you introduced him to me such."

"I was rebelling, telling Amalthéa I wasn't going to be her heir, I was going to be independent."

"Then what happened?"

"I owed my life to my husband's and Tallison Moray's sacrifice and Nyakki Veyron and Dan Ma's help.  I was forcefully reminded I couldn't just enjoy riding horses in the countryside and ignore the duty I had as a ruler."

"Then what happened?"

"I asked Amalthéa what I could do that would make a difference, she said: 'Either the Military or the Diplomacy  Both need more help that I can provide, attention I cannot give.'  I told her I wasn't the discipline type to accept the military, but Diplomacy was something she'd seen me do."

"I imagine she has..."

"I'm one of the only people independant enough to actually employ diplomacy at Meihomei.  It didn't escape her notice."

"Then what happened?"

"I didn't know I was pregnant, then.  It wrecked all sorts of havoc at first."

"The morning sickness?"

"No, the petulant mother.  For a time, I was rather overbearing for an ambassador.  It took until the diagnostic for me to understand and take leave.  When I came back, packing Amarat with me was the smartest thing I ever did."

"Can't fault you for taking care of the offspring?"

"Yeah, but also, he was the reason I was doing this.  All the Kagomine babies, if I flub, they'll go to war, or have famines or other disasters.  He's the reason I have to bring my a-game.  Amalthéa had had competent negotiators before I got there, but they weren't as motivated as I was, and it showed."

"Well, Lai Dang treaty raised some eyebrows, even those of people who thought you were the best negotiator this side of Eurani."

"Why?"

"It's emphasis on contributing proportionate to population, it's like you expected only Asiran nations to join."

"I expected the Abendeen, Lai Dang, Yamagandi to join, I expected the Shou, Goguryeo and Nisei to join only if they could fleece the smaller nations.  But I expected them to storm out of the negotiations, if they found them too demanding."

"Bit surprised we're getting a request by the Olmeqs then?  And Eldorado?"

"New Lolland wants in?"

"Yeah, too late to be founding members, but we don't have any special benefits for founders, anyways."

"Just prestige."

"If they ask to be in, publicly, they see some value in joining."

"Well, the defense clauses are there for a reason."

"You think...?"

"I see I get to see the Intelligence take and you don't.  Flora?"

Flora Sighed.  "It's really Amarat's brief to give, but I'll do my best.  Plata de Fevereiro local news showed inbound hypersonics that left with unidentified minerals from the Panettone."

"Do we know what minerals they took?"

"Yes, Cobalt-rich, Potassium and Lithium-rich ores, like they needed to build batteries."

"They're in orbit off a strange planet, supplies are probably a concern."

"Since when does dough-boy give briefs?"

"Dough-boy?"

"He's been gaining weight lately... I guess chasing me was burning calories."

"Hey!"

"Just saying, he's comfortable, maybe too much if there are regulations about fighting trim he should be paying attention to."

"I'll make sure to recommend daily gym visits once he comes back."

"Recommend?  Well, as his priestess wife, you can certainly do more..."

"What?"

"You married him dear, you ARE Aumhava of Veneer city.  This reminds me, you need to update your file, add the title, and I need to take it off my own."

"What?"

"I don't mention all my titles dear, except at the most formal of occasions, but that one was a reminder of Amarat, the first, so I kept it for sentimental reasons."

"When would you mention them all?"

"If I'd been Aumhava at your wedding, I'd have brought the book."

"How come Meihomei didn't...?"

"She doesn't, she is Meihomei, she needs no others.  She does mention Domei of Megamisama and that's it, she's not even Aumhava of Megamisama."

"Oh.  And, just for the sake of waiting, since we're being evacuated, and our evacuation ships are not here yet, would the book contain?"

"Oh, about three pages worth of titles, I had to give up one or two."

"Titles?"

"Pages, well one page, I had lots more titles before Amarat and Shen were born.  It goes like this...:  'By the grace of the elements and their power, the Most Gracefully High Mikhala Damienne Sienna Anséoule Veneer née Kagomei, Domei of Garay, Domei of Lilleath, Hayley of Abbégaëlle, Hayley of Freezergaze, Siff of Townsend, Siff of Innu-out-of-the-walls, Willow of Simpson, Willow of Lilypie, Robin of Whitewaters, Robin of Flattenearth, Feyd of Damiano, Princess of the Fourth Rank of Kyoto-in-Nisei, Third-Buckwheat Princess of the Tsou, Mastarna of Ferrare, Countess of Sarn-Zaffre, Viscountess of Bondi-Lothren, Earl of Snowdon.' I'm sparing you everything below Willow, that's Viscount to you, Natalia."

"You are Mastarneir of Ferrare?"

"I am, keeping your father on his toes is rather fun.  Even if I have to act through intermediaries."

"How big is this Benevento?"

"You remember when you went to Wien, from Sarenno?"

"Yeah..."

"Benevento's smallest distance is longer than your trip, and it's the richest land in Brecia."

"Not quite true..  Brecia has no poor land."

"Benevento's the breadbasket, that and Campanile."

"And Ferrare, and Apullia."

"No, well you're confusing Agricultural regions in general with regions that actually produce grain for bread.  Apulia's got Olives and Ferrare has sheep, citrus and wine."

"Most of Brecia has wine."

"True, but we're rather proud of ours!"

"As you should, I don't mind a glass or two from time to time myself."

"So, as the Duchess of Benevento, you'd have vast agricultural holdings?"

"I only visited by sky cutter, it's a bit vast...  But I do remember lots of grains, and some fruits, a little wine, some fine beef and cheese too."

"Benevento is a rich land, and I say that by the standards of Brecia."

"And by the standards of Sarn?"

"Richer, by a little.  Don't tell my husband, Sarn is nice, but Brecia has two harvests to Sarn's one."

"Oh."

"Yeah, most of Brecia is warm enough to have spring and fall harvest, the closest I've seen to competing with them is Aegypsom, and they're several times larger."

"Most of theirs comes from one river valley, the rest is desert dotted with oases.  Good thing that river valley is among the ten most productive agricultural districts we've yet documented."

"Yeah, that top ten is just crazy.  Cirallia in Benevento is twelfth.  But then, the Innu plains are sixth."

"The Innu Plains?"

"Yes, in Kagomei, most people don't know just how rich the northern third of the island is."

"The northern third?"

"North of the Ararakh Mountains, mostly.  Dunkehl plains for sheep and Tcha, Lilypie Savannah for Buckweath, and Innu plains from there to the sea for cattle, sheep, fish, pearls but first of all, rice.  You're a pumpkin fan, so you're probably more familiar with Lavali's crop of pumpkin every year."

"Guilty."

"Oh, you're a pumpkin-spice Tcha fan?"

"And you?"

"Pumpkin-spice forever!  Let me give you a hug!"

"You said you were Siff of Innu-out-of-the-walls... How much of that are your feudal lands?"

"All of them.  I hold them in trust until Meihomei trusts someone else enough to make a new Domei of Innu."

"How likely is that?"

"There's not been a Domei of Innu since the second Moniqan invasion."

"Oh, they're..."

"Innu's the richest land in Kagomei, by some margin.  Thanks to industrialization, it's less populous than the surrounding land, so has less political clout, least compared to say, Megamisama, who's the closest neighbour."

"So basically, they're staying put, and putting food into everyone's plate, and under Meihomei's own watchful eye so they don't rebel?"

"My watchful eye as much as Meihomei's but yes.  They get special attention from being the ones with the food.  They need help mostly with typhoons, who don't always spare them, and their crops either."

"Oh, yeah, the Ararakh would protect the south, right?"

"Most Kagomei south of the Ararakh are considered 'soft' because they've never lost their house to the weather."

"How often does it happen?"

"Once a decade, maybe, for Kimagure, whose position at the centre of the Kagomei 'heart' just channels winds there.  Maybe every twenty for Megamisama, every two-to-five for Innu."

"What about Veneer?"

"Not happening, too close to Mountain Home."

"What?  What's the relation?"

"Mountain Home?  The biggest temple in the whole of Arnd?"

"Yeah, but..."

"The biggest temple to the Elements in the whole of Arnd?"

"Oh, so how's' the weather in Veneer?"

"Veneer and Simular have weather like Brecia, just dedicated to sheep, Tcha, tomatoes, plums and citrus."

"So how underranked is Feyd Veneer, really?"

"Not.  But Veneer's just the bright, shiny part, Simular has the grimy, industrial parts, and the agriculture starts in the suburbs and moves outwards."

"Can't be worth just a baronet."

"Legendary of Veneer-Simular is a thing.  She's kept out of trouble though."

"What do you mean, trouble?"

"Well, the Aumhavar of that area basically runs things, even to a point, she runs Amarat."

"And she is?"

"Nyakki Veyron, Potentate."

"Full-blown potentate?  On the high nine and all?"

"Yeah, nice lady, just do NOT get on her angry side."

"Oh?"

"Well, I shouldn't say anything, she saved my life, but then, I think it makes it even more signal that I say something.  She is not to be trifled with, and I was Bameimeita at the time."

"You're not now?"

"I am Nameihomei, takes precedence.  We don't have a Bameimeita or Bameimeito at this time."

"Why not?"

"Because Bameimeita is a title of courtesy, mostly like Infanté, it highlights someone whose authority is supreme but whose decision-making ability is being worked on."

"And Nameihomei?"

"It's half plenipotentiary and half executive officer.  If something happens to Meihomei, I become Meihomei, but not from being Nameihomei.  But at the same time, no one knows the business of Kagomei like I do."

"Give me an example of a plenipotentiary thing you do no one else can do?"

"If Amalthéa is wounded and needs emergency surgery, but can't consent, they'd try to reach me to provide consent."

"And then?"

"They'd do it anyways, they'd probably start on the surgery but still try to call me."

"Because?"

"Because I am expected to know if Amalthéa has a DNR or similar, in case they need to know later.  Plus, they're expected to perform the surgery without asking on strangers, but Meihomei is never a stranger to any Kagomei."

"Oh.  So it's a 'please, we have this woman to save, tell us it's all right?' kinda deal?"

"I suspect it's to allow me to withdraw support of a very corrupt Meihomei, but I don't see it happening.  Your Nameihomei is closer than most spouses."

"How close are you to Amalthéa now?"

"We've been living in each other's hair for months now, I want to scream at her.  I need space, but I have never gotten along with her better either.  We just need things to die down, some peace and quiet, so we can feel normal.  Right now the war just presses on from all sides and drives everyone crazy."

"The war?"

"The War, why do you think Flora here went from a cadet at the academy for Flag Officer with 5000 reports, in maybe two years?"

"How often is the palace hit?"

"Megamisama gets hit weekly, half the time they're hitting the palace."

"Elements above!  No wonder you're edgy."

"It helped with the negotiation, I mean: 'yeah, they're knocking at the door every week or so, but we're still here'."

"Good pitch."

"Amber Raptors, sound off with handle and unified rank!"

"Skycleaver, FFOF-03 here!"

"Rainfall, FFOF-02 present!"

"Embassy, FFOR-02 here!"

"Thistle, FFOR-09 here!"

...

"Slate Otters, sound off handle and rank!"

"Mountainstream, NFOF-04 here!"

"Meritant, NFOR-09 here!"  Lots of sharp intakes of breath over the channel, they knew that voice.

...

"Drab bruins, sound off by handle and unified rank!"

"Cointoss, GFOF-07

"Old Bruin, GFOR-08 here!"

"White bruins and any Rabid Tavars, sound off handle and rank!"

"Stampcollector, XFOF-06!"

"I'm in command of this mission, I'm Poster Boy, XFOF-07.  I won't pretend I have nearly enough authority to command everyone's good judgement in this mission.  Some of you have been under arms since before I was born.  I will say I believe in this mission, and I believe we ten are the only ones with a chance to accomplish it.  We are to board the remaining FlyCarrier and capture the officers if possible, or sabotage the ship."

"Welcome, please come this way, honoured brevet-adjen."

"You can read insignia?  I'm always amazed when a civilian can do that."

"Well, you were expected, as well."  He pointed to the guest list.  "You're our guest of honour, and I'll be your sun'ga."

In another time, in another place, still Thistle dreams.

"Are you ok?"

"No I'm not ok, Kon, there's this handsome married man who won't stay out of my head."

"I'm sure flirting with him will help."

"Well, he's a priest, I expect he has some idea how to deal with this."

"Afraid not, wasn't covered in priest school."  She knew he was teasing her, no priest would say 'priest school', they'd name the actual institution.  "And my father married 16 women, so I think the struggle is real."

"16 women total?"

"16 women as of today."

"But I mean, he..."

"Kannaveral, he's got 16 wives to keep happy."

"I didn't know Amarat Veneer the first claimed Kannaveral."

"It's a poorly kept secret I'm Amarat Veneer Junior in his honour, but I'm not his by blood."

"Oh, and whose are you then?"

"Dan Ma."

"I heard about him, the Earlmage Kautanissian, the Center for Mountain Home?"

"Among other things, and Domei of Didina."

"Fits, since Mountain Home is in Didina.  So's Veneer, so you report to Dad?"

"No, I report to Mom, Domei of Garay, mostly.  For reasons I won't dig into."

"Well, Garay and Didina split on a line that crosses Veneer, so it kinda makes sense."

"Should I stay away from Madagi, since you are having a hard time."

"That'd make it worse, I'd miss you, crazy sexy married nobleman."

"I'm not that sexy."

"You just appeal to me, the wholesome guy, with sound ideas and principles."

"Yeah, you two knock it off, ok?"

"I'm sorry, you did marry him, I shouldn't, it's improper."

"We're a bit more open than that, it doesn't bother me."

"Who are you trying to fool, I caught you crying the last time..."

"I... ok, you got me there. But we agreed, I should be bigger than this."

"Your feelings are your feelings, I can't just trample them."

"But I can't agree to let you do something, and them say it tramples my feelings to make you feel bad, I'm not that inconstant, and you deserve better."

"You can also just say you changed your mind."

"Except I haven't, I'm still intrigued by the possibilities..."

"Well, since I'm in the crossfire, just what possibilities are we talking about?"

The other two blushed.

"What?  I'm the one talking about Amarat being very handsome..."

"Exactly, you didn't say anything about Flora..."

"What, you come as a package?"

"That was the idea..."

"No offense, but I don't know you that well..."

"You don't know Amarat that well either, you just find him easy on the eyes...  Which I guess means I can guess your opinion of me."

"Well, I never really thought of other women that way..."

"This is getting way too uncomfortable..."

"What, that a women woulld try other women if you were in the package makes you uncomfortable?"

"Yeah, or at least, that I'd be used to persuade you to try something you wouldn't try on your own..."

"Well, don't be, I find you as attractive, and as inhibition inducing as strong drink, no more..."

"What a relief..."

"You're kidding, aren't you?

"Look at you, my big girl, rocking that FlyForce skirt!"

"MOM!"

"What, you are looking good in orange."

"Says you, in slate."

"I am Navy, unlike you, I can't fly."

"Is that all?"

"Commanding a Flycarrier? That'd be exciting, such beautiful, large ships."

It wasn't fair, it was totally, unacceptably, totally unfair, it made Flora's blood boil, it all started about a month ago...  Urggh, she better talk to him, yes, "talk" to him, although a tiny part of her was probably already escalading to shouts.

"Is something the matter, Mistress?"

"No, everything is fine, Nellun."

"I'm sure, but please do humour me, I've confiscated weapons off people with less visible anger than you have..."

"Argh, it's not fair!"

"Please, Master is coming, there's no need to be upset, I'm sure it can be made right..."

"I'll take it from there, Nellun."  Amarat spoke, coming into the room, Nellun took the opportunity to make himself scarce.

"You ok Flora?"

"It's NOT FAIR!"

"What's not fair?"

"For two months, we've been exercising together, and living together, eating together..."

"Yes?  That's very fair, we do the same things, together.  I quite like that."

"So how come I'm getting FAT and you aren't?"

"Now, we don't do everything together, and I suspect that's the difference here.."

"What is it exactly that we don't do together that's keeping you so trim?"

"You've never been a non-com, right?"

"No, no I haven't... I went from the Academy to Officer, and made Flag fast enough I equalled Maelle's record.  You're a Kon, what's that got to do with anything?"

"Every Kon has a specialty, even the Telbun, the Telbun's happens  to be specializing in Telbun-stuff, mine happens to be morale.  Then, when you are chosen to be above quota, you get a second specialty.  Mine is medical, I'm chief medical non-com for the whole port while we're at anchor."

"I know this..."

"Ever wonder what duties go with that?"

"Hmm, read infectious disease magazines?  Deliver babies?"

"Both, but more importantly, I lead every morning exercise session with the troops.  100 minutes worth of Cardio."

"Wait, so you do double the exercise I do?"

"Not quite double, but and this is important, since our sessions are on the way to base, I spend the best part of the beginning of my day doing high intensity workouts."

"Is that it?"

"It's enough, really, besides, you've gained curves Zim."

"Wha-what are you saying?"

"I'm not the most observant of men, but even I know you gained a bra size, recently, Zim."

"What, stop that.  And besides, you're the only one who seems to have noticed..."

"I'm sure I'm not."

"Well no one else said anything..."

"I'm sure that has more to do with your emerald ribbon, than with you being less attractive Zim."

"My Merit? What's it got to do with anything?"

"Any crass flirt could land the sender in a title 118, after all.."

"A title one-eighteen, really?"

"Gross disrespect to the bearer of a Merit of Honour.  Carries a 45 day community service sentence, a minima.  Trust me, they're not noticing you less, they're just a lot more careful about it..."

"I want to say that's a load of bullcrap..."

"But?"

"But, I was walking, and someone behind me started to whistle, I turned, and he stopped whistling so fast, he choked on his own spittle...  I suspect he was thinking I was going to report him...  Wipe that smug off your face!"

"But, even you agree with me, why shouldn't I be smug?"

"Stow it! I mean that..."

"And... well you did mention a bit of an upset about... a comparative weight loss..  I'm certaily not happy that you feel you're not losing weight fast enough to satisfy you..."

"But?"

"If I'm losing weight enough for you to notice, I'm certainly ahead of where I thought I'd be..."

"Well, if you're doing twice the exercise... Oh..."

"What?"

"Was that why you couldn't get motivated before?"

"No, I wasn't head medical officer yet.  They waited two weeks for the paperwork to clear before telling me I had to lead everyone's early morning suicide by exercise.  By that time, I was quite used to running after a certain shapely behind..."

"Oh, you!"  There was a silence.  "I got a question."

"Shoot."

"Can officers join suicide by exercise?"

"Only with a prescription, usually."  His tone was whimsical.

"A prescription, from their doctor?"

"Any doctor will do, why, you think one of my officers needs exercise so badly they need to run with the grunts?"

"Well, not sure about 'your officer', but I think I know one Flag officer or two who wouldn't mind some extra exercise.  I heard a certain Nessuna swearing up a storm that her belt notches were not in the same place as last month."

"A Nessuna?  Nessuna Maelle Comma is above such trivialities as weight gain, I mean, weight would ask permission, it's not stupid..."

Flora hid the guffaw she almost let loose.  "That was cute."

"You're pretty cute too... Here..."

"What's this?"

"Two prescriptions, good for 100 minutes of exercise, every work day, before work.  One for Tcha-chai, one for Pumpkin Spice."

"You can't call her that..."  She pouted.

"I can call her that, provided she's not around, and I kiss you within the minute, remember?  We negotiated..."  He grabbed her hand, and pulled her close.

"Well this mission is  full of surprises..."

"Keep your heads down, whoever they sent with a sniper rifle is no dummy.  Thistle is hit, repeat, Thistle is hit!"

In his armour, Thistle remembered a happier time, the stims and painkillers in his suit mixing in a way not totally recommended by the manufacturer, and sending him into a blissful sleep, remembering a much less hectic time...

"Zim wanted to see me?"

"Yes, I was looking at Thursday's menu..."

"Is there some issue, Zim?"

"No, well I am expecting a guest, a plant-eating-only guest, and was wondering if you thought of a suitable recipe, and if we had provisions..."

"We do milord, I would ask if the guest is under some other dietary restriction?"

"I do not believe so."

"And would the guest enjoy spicy foods?"

"Our guest's nickname is pumpkin spice tcha, I would imagine spice of some form is tolerated, why, what are you thinking?"

"Well Milord's Cacio e Pepe is quite good..."

"You're suggesting I subject our guest to my cooking?"

"I surmise Milord wants to make a favourable impression, a meal cooked by your own hands might just do so, considering the guest was not born to privilege, unlike yourself."

"And you think my Cacio e Pepe can do that?"

"Milord, remember when we were in Alessia last spring?"

"Yes, what..."

"Milord, I must confess a small misdemeanour, when I said your Cacio e Pepe dish was lost, it was a bit of an... exaggeration."

"And what happened to that dish?"

"I included it in a blind taste test by the senior staff of the Platinum Redoubt."

"Who are my employees, go on..."

"Zm, I switched one of the dishes prepared by the Executive Chef there, with one of yours, and sent it through their quality assurance process."

"And what happened?"

"Nothing happened, Zim, no one saw anything out of the ordinary.  Your cooking earned the same excellent marks as your own chef."

"I need to give you a raise, you said you've thought me to make five-spoon restaurant-level dishes?"

"Well, one dish, Zim, you may need further seasoning before you can replace that chef yourself."

"I wouldn't want to replace him, but perhaps, upon retirement, cooking at that level might appeal."

"Zim, I've long thought so myself."

"What, to retire as a chef?"

"Yes, albeit perhaps not at that particular establishment, whose norms are obviously extremely strict.  But Zim owns several hospitality concerns I believe I would be happy to spend the rest of my days cooking and welcoming guests for."

"I'll keep it in mind, what brought this up?"

"Zim, when you were two arnds of age, I was hired as your butler, it was twenty years ago."

"You've been working for my mother for that long?"

"Longer, but she's assigned me to your service for that long."

"And you don't yet hate me?  You must have the patience of the elements!"

"Zim is quite droll, it is quite an enjoyable position here for me, and Zim is not a demanding, yelling principal as others are.  In fact, if I may, I've brought a small token of my appreciation in honour of this day."

"Surely, this isn't necessary..."

"It's not a gift of value, but a gift of memories, Zim.  I've had this photo album prepared..."

"A photo album?"

"Yes,  starting with the first photo I was shown of Zim.  Then a few I was authorized to capture, and recent ones when Zim made the news."

"I've made the news?"

"Why yes, Zim being a Meritant of Honour made the news in quite a positive fashion, please do accept my late congratulations."

"Oh thank you and oh my, please do hide this, it is precious, but if Flora sees it before we are wed, she may call the whole thing off!"

"Zim must be joking, Zim was such a precious baby..."

"It's an intimate moment you shared with me, let her decide to join my family on her own terms..."

"Zim, of course, Zim!"

"What this? AWWWW, who's this, it's the cutest baby in the whole world..."

"..."

"Wait,   This is the same child, at five? Then ten...  Then you at 17?"

"..."

"The baby is you?"

"Yeah, Nellun gave that to me today, on his 20th work anniversary."

"And what are you giving him? A 'Clickex'?"

"Shares, for his retirement package, I'm making him a junior shareholder in Burrshire Thataway."

"That's the company you own?"

"The company my fake father founded, I am the major shareholder, I'm giving him half of one percent."

"How much is that?"

"Half of one percent is half of one percent.."

"I mean percent of what... Is it just a holding company?  Does it own other companies, businesses?  Are they all in Kagomei?"

"No, it's a participative society, those shares equal shares of all the businesses it owns, so Platinum Redoubt, the Veneer Mirages..."

"Anything else I know?"

"Sirtis Military Technologies..."

"Whoa...."

"What?"

"Sirtis made Northie and Southie, and more than half the craft aboard, it's own fraction of the Kagomine GDP is substantial!"

"I know."

"Wait, there's stuff you're not telling me."

"Like?"

"Wait, how come you know so much about Sirtis in the first place?"

"I own forty percent of Burrshire Thataway."

"Wait, you're... the majority shareholder?"

"Listen, it was complicated, but my mom and my aunt needed someone else to own shares of it.  Someone who could buy-in.  I took a bet, and took one-sixth of my trust fund, and bought Burrshire Traders.  In turn, Burrshire Traders founded Burrshire Thataway as an investment vehicle and bought the shares of Sirtis Mom and Amalthea wanted me to buy through them.  Giving it a veneer of independence, since I wasn't buying them, and I wasn't going to be owning the shares themselves, but the trading group."

"What's your profit on the transaction?"

"I'd rather not say..."

"Come on, you asked to marry me, I wanna know if you're ok with money."

"I recouped..."

"That's good..."

"Triple my investment the first year, then the stock split three-ways,  then two years later it split two ways again..."

"And you're still majority owner?"

"Barely, I still own 42% of the voting stock."

"But with a six-way split... you sold?"

"I sold some, had to replenish my trust fund."

"Just... how much money is in there?"

"Listen, the interest on there pays for the staff, the aircars, the skycutter, the house maintenance and taxes."

"Not the dividend on Burrshire, nor the capital, but just the interest on your actual trust fund?"

"Well yeah, the dividend I've been putting  aside if I have kids, I want them to have an education..."

"You've put... and if I'm reading you right, it's of a size with your ESTATE, in a trust fund for your kids?"

"My current estate yes."

"What... wait, 'current'?"

"Responsible Disclosure is small potatoes compared to Garay Domeidom...  Which I still am expected to inherit."

"Aren't you already the Stark of Kimaguray?"

"Err, ok, maybe not THAT estate...  I was counting only what's in Veneer."

"I'm trying not to panic here, Amarat, and you're not making it easy... But, suppose I marry you, and suppose you inherit from your mom, and again suppose we have four kids, and the last kid inherits the smallest domain you have...  Just how much of a pauper is he?"

"Hmm, well not really a pauper, he'd inherit and become Ryder of Slashkutra, and I'd split the trust fund  and the education fund four ways I guess..."

"Ryder?  You're a noble enough times, you can give your fourth kid one?"

"I can give my four kids, and their four elder children one, without wracking my brain too much.  When you're close enough to Meihomei your mom got raised with her, it's an embarrassment of riches you get used to."

"Do... do I get one?"

"You get one if you want..."

"Didn't you say I was Aumhava of Veneer City?"

"Yeah, but that's a priestly title, not nobility.  As my wife, you're eligible to be Na-Feyd of Veneer City of course."

"But I don't get one of my own?"

"Not... normally."

"Good.  I don't want one."

"Ok, any special reason?"

"Have I earned one?"

"Well, we all earn one being born..."

"You earn one being born to particular parents...  I wasn't born to those..."

"Ok, yeah, by that logic, you're not eligible.  Does it matter?"

"Kinda, I don't like things I haven't earned myself being attached to me...  It's like something I gotta repay...  The Merit was bad enough..."

"What was bad about the merit?"

"Five thousand people participated, two got a medal..."

"No, two people got a personal award for a Merit, 140 units got a unit citation, one of which was for the Merit, again then 24 people got a Meihomei's Cat, 10 are pending their inquest for additional Merits and all five thousand got a Bronze Star of Readiness, including the cooks, for being accounted for."

"What, how come I didn't know about the cats or the units or the stars?"

"You were in the hospital, recovering.  You got your Merit and the rest of Flag Country took care of it."

"I must be pretty supernumerary in there..."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, most of my crew gets a medal, and no one even bothers to tell me?"

"They weren't your crew YET.  Your direct crew got a unit citation for the Merit, and you and your XO got an individual award.  The flags were happy to have something to do besides clapping and saying good job Flora."

"You're kidding!"

"No, they were busting their asses trying to make sure all those five thousand two hundred and sixty-two bronze stars got to the right people before they got rotated or shift-changed.  They wanted to make sure no one felt short-changed, or worse, for any mistakes to be made."

"Why?"

"Listen..."

"Why did you go to Restful Repose Hospital two days ago?"

"I..."

"You visited Mark?"

"Yeah, he needed a pep talk."

"What kind of pep talk?"

"I'm chaplain, it's between him and me, remember?"

"Come on, I moved up, I need to know how steady he is, I'm thinking of promoting him!"

"I'd let him recover fully, before evaluating him for that.  He lost a leg..."

"Oh, so... He's one of those Meihomei's Cat's isn't he?"

"Uh, yeah..."

"I know you feel crazy responsible, Amarat, but would it have killed you if I'd joined you?"

"You couldn't walk or talk yet, and the orders... the orders said I shouldn't wait...  Good thing, we lost one... An hour after I left..."

"Oh, Amarat, I'm so sorry!"

"I'm just glad I was in time.  Mark was touch and go then, too, but he'll make a full recovery."

"Full?"

"I checked him, the elements will let him regrow his leg.  He'll be fine, it'll just take him another month."

"Oh, thank goodness!  Hmm, just what was this dish?  It looks simple, but it tastes just heavenly...  Can I have the recipe?"

"Sure, here you go."

"Wait, you wrote this, it's your handwriting."

"I've asked Nellun to teach me, I wrote down the recipe to help me learn it..."

"Wait, you cooked this?"

"Yeah, I did..."  He had barely finished, and he could feel her lips on his.

"What's that for?"

"For being the better person, I'm grousing at you about performing your duty while I was unable to do so, but you're not looking down on me for not doing it.  You're not looking down at others either, you're propping them up.  You're trying to learn and to grow, and appreciate those that help you.  And I'm self-centred and worried about how I fit into all this..."

"Zim, this is way too much!"

"Nellun, you've spent the last twenty years making sure I didn't have anything distracting me from making good decisions. Well, some of the time I did make good decisions, and part of that was thanks to you.  I want you to enjoy your retirement, and I know you have grandkids, who'd much rather you didn't burn yourself and end up in the hospital, working..."

"But Zim, those shares, I've checked, you could have given me ten times fewer shares and I'd still be a very rich man..."

"I've given you a small package of shares, Nellun, don't think it's a large gift, think of it as a small investment.  You've certainly invested much of yourself into me."

"Was our guest... impressed?"

"Not just that, but it did make an impression, and the item sparked a frank discussion, one I had been meaning to have with her for some time..."

"Has she accepted?"

"No."

"Will she accept?"

"I... gained hope...  I'm certainly not an expert of the female persuasion, but... she mentioned kids, multiple kids, in the form of a hypothetical question..."

"I... am no expert, I married just the one wife, as you know.  But... What I do know is that it's unlikely she'd ask the question... lightly...  even as a hypothetical."

"Thank you Nellun, for confirming what I thought was the truth..."

"Well, Zim, that, and you may want to hand this to her, discreetly..."  He handed him a laundered pair of panties he had found on the floor of the master's bedroom.

"Oh, I will just put it in her drawer..."

"Her... drawer?"

"She hasn't accepted to marry me... But she is telling her mom she's leaving clothes at Responsible Disclosure, now that she has a key."

"She's moving in with you Zim? Congratulations."

With that he started to regain consciousness, the pain was subdued, but his body wasn't ready yet.  The chatter in his earpiece was picking up though.

"Poster Boy, Poster Boy, do you copy?"

"Poster Boy here, Stampcollector, what's your status?"

"This is Cointoss, authorization Gamma Nebulon."

"Acknowledged, Cointoss, what would you have me do?"

"Get our people the hell out of this simulation, Poster Boy, you're doing more harm than good. Over and out."

"Why did you abort?"

"Thistle was hallucinating, his EKG was off the scale, and his combat-stims were interacting off the charts, he was going to die during a sim!"

"Oh, that's really not nominal..."

"You also both were so bad, I'm probably going to take a hit as your commander, just from this sim.  Which of you thinks it's a good idea to run into machine-gun nests supported by snipers without even a helmet on?"

Stamp collector, aka Jack Paper, acknowledged.  "I was terrible, no argument, that's on me, I'll do better."

"And you, do you only work properly if Simone's around, Patrick?"

"I'm a lot better when she's here, but I thought I was better than this without her..."

"You had something in mind for this review."  Interjected Simone Holmesse.

"First, we need someone with medical credentials to figure out what went wrong with the main medic on a mission!"

"I've checked him out, he's fine, he's just got an allergic reaction to the stimulants you pump into every powered armour that gets hit.  It gets even worse that you pump relaxants into them, but no one checked that your stimulant and relaxants have contraindications with one another.  Who picked them, Sirtis?"  Thistle's own commanding officer had stormed in, and with both her and him having a Merit and medical credentials, everyone made a note to step lightly...

"Yes, they came from the armour makers, and they don't have the best track record for safety or for sims.  You have a better recommendation, Raptor Rolli?"

"Yes, I'll let the Chaplain confirm these, but my medical opinion is that Thiopentacarine is more adapted to this need than Telepriomethadone, as it doesn't react with the Cortisol you stim your armoured warriors with."

"We'll let this go on the record.  Anything else?"

"Who, by all the Holy Elements thought that grabbing random Flags and Non-Coms from the fleet, FlyForce and ground forces was a good idea?"

"It's how all of SpecForce works, ever since we were constituted, we 'borrow' friendly forces for specific needs."

"And yet, for this one you have four of your own in here, disguised as SpaceForce, but I know the burr of SpecForce when I hear it.  You've all spent way too much time with Mister Tcha."

"I'm not at liberty to comment."

"Well, let me rephrase my criticism.  Normally, you have ONE operative from SpecForce, for every mission, not four.  What possessed you and your people to change what works?"

"We... fail this one, it's game over.  We're on the line for this."

"Then how about you give me Cointoss, Stampcollector, but leave Poster Boy at home, instead of putting him in command, he hasn't gotten laid in too long and it's affecting his performance."

"Why are you here, though?"

"What?"

"You're not cleared for this mission, Raptor Rolli."

"Correction, I wasn't cleared for this mission until Thistle got such a bad soup of chemicals his power of attorney kicked in!"

"You have power of attorney?"

"It was me or Nameihomei, I guarantee you, I'm nicer."

"Wait, NAMEIHOMEI?"

"Yeah, Thistle's mother.  Despite appearances, I'm much more reasonable."

"Just how unreasonable is she?"

"You didn't just ask that..."

"What Jack?"

"You're protected by Amalthea, we're not .."

"Yeah, and?"

"Amalthea's adopted SISTER?  Worried about her boy?"

"Oh."

"Yeah, let's minimize the times Amalthea Veneer Junior, Stark Kimaguray City, Feyd Veneer City, Na-Domei of Garay, Namei of Kagomei dies a clinical death, please.  I don't want to get called by my mother-in-law and her sister and have to explain you're taking such care of someone Amalthea herself calls 'My Hero' he's ending up dying, multiple times..."

Gulps resounded around the table.

"Why is he here then?"

"You mean, why did he pick all the other officers and non-com that weren't already SpecForce, for you, and propose a plan that had mostly good chances of success if you don't mess it up?"

"Oh."

"He's Thistle, he's the effing personnel officer Meihomei put in charge of this mission.  And he's going through so much political red tape it's a miracle he hasn't quit.  Reactivate Galladrian, OR-06, by the way."

"On what grounds?"

"Meritant, OR-09 should have been down checked, he's got green plague symptoms."

"You're going to down check a Merit?"  The words had left her mouth before fully realizing that the woman making the objection had 1) her own merit 2) enough of a blood tie with Meritant they probably met at family parties.

"I'm going to down check Cousin Tadros yes, he's too old to try to get into a lethal mission while fighting a virus in the middle of a war after retiring for the third time from the Navy!  Are you out of your mind?  He's at the contagious stage!"

"Are you current on Green Plague symptoms?  I thought he was a Slate..."

"They mutated, they mutate on a weekly basis, one of the signs that they're an engineered plague, designed to sow confusion and contention among our people.  They started with the green, went to Platinum, Lavender, then now Slate Grey.  If any of you were medics you'd know.  It's classified Asclepios-level, not any higher."

Cointoss tried to regain control of the meeting.

"As you point out, no we only have flags here, SpecForce usually borrows cadres for mission and that includes Thistles and Green Drops."

"Well, I'm giving Thistle a down check, he's not going to recover from your medical cocktail for at least three more days."

"We're only in sims for then, then we have one rehearsal, and we hit the target.  Can you handle his duties until then and hand things back to him?"

"No, there's too much to handle, I'll take his place instead."

"An OF-06 replacing an OR-09?"

"Don't focus on his rank versus mine, I'm holding his power of attorney, I'm close enough to call the shots while he's incapacitated."

"Like most senior officers of bachelor officers..."

"What are you implying?"

"Didn't he get court-martialed for a title 65?"

"Our whole unit got into that soup, but yeah, he was the main defendant."

"You were there?"

"Everyone in flag country, from Nessun-Honour Maëlle Comma got pulled in."

"And you're still his power of attorney?"

"After I got promoted out of his chain of command, his mother transferred her power of attorney onto me, saying it wasn't improper anymore."

"And how did you get that Merit?"

"We blew up Revenge, now you're going after Retribution, I'd say I like my chances."

"What, your box of honour has a FLYCARRIER in it?"

"You think that Merit was a party favour?"

Regim Douallé Moneydime opened her mouth then closed it, with a click, five times, trying to come up with words.  None of them availed.  No word wouldn't have bought her a title 118, really.  She didn't relish sixty days in prison, as a minimum sentence, even if she could have found words that wouldn't have been contempt of Meihomei, since, with Amarat's power of Attorney, Flora Rolli spoke as fourth in the line of succession right now.  She had no idea, it was better that way.

"Just so I understand what you said, and intending no disrespect, you, and I presume, Thistle, got a personal award of a Merit of Honour for directing, concentrating and aiming the firepower that destroyed SkyCarrier Revenge?"

"That's what the citation says."

"And he didn't invite you to the mission?"

"Unlike Poster Boy, I think he's a better soldier when he isn't getting laid.  Or even looking at me with smouldering eyes"

Lots of cheeks were bitten, trying not to guffaw.

"So this mission, where you were both on the same crew?"

"I was in command, he was my XO."

"And he..."

"He can't ask me to command a mission he's staffing, Title 3."

"But someone else can."

"Yes, your point?"

"I'm asking you to, as his power of attorney, to name yourself in command of this mission, replacing me, or anyone else you and he see fit.  Putting him as your XO, go get us results.  Title 3 is pretty good in time of peace, but we can't lilypad around like that now."

"He can't, but I can, acting in his place?"

"It says he cannot volunteer you.  It doesn't say you can't volunteer yourself using his authority."

"You're splitting some mighty fine hairs.  But there's a better reason why I'm not a good choice."

"Oh?"

"My latent power is minimal, his latent is marginal, neither of us should be in the suits.  We can be planning this mission for you though, and act as mission control."

"Who'd you replace Thistle with?"

"This is OF-03 Piersa Ouranos, 51st World Surfers, onboard Righteous Indignation, I'll be mission control relaying orders from Nessun Comma for this mission, sound off everyone, handle and unified rank on this Channel D.  Amber Raptors, then Slate Otters, Drab Bruins, Star seeds and Rabid Tavars last, copy?"

"Embassy, OR-02"

"Broadsword, OF-09"

"Rainfall, OF-02"

...

"Green Drop, OF-04"

"Valkyrie, OR-09"

"Shadow, OF-03"

"Mountain Stream, OR-04"

...

"Cointoiss, OF-07"

"Old Winnie, OF-07"

...

"Poster Boy, OF-06"

"Covergirl OF-06"

"Stampcollector, OF-06"

"OK Nisei flight 559 on channel D.  Pay attention, I'm not going to sugarcoat this, you guys get out of position, you'll get sucked into an airliner's engine, and I'll need to write a letter to your folks about why you killed hundreds of civilians, try not to do that."

"51st Gunskycutter-actual, if you give us positions, we'll keep in mind our lives depend on it.  Now give us positions, please."

"I acknowledge at least one of you matches ranks or outranks Nessun Comma, I'm taking your participating in this mission as accepting my orders, let alone hers.  I see what you can't, acknowledge."

"OF-09 CI-21 Acknowledge for this group, if I don't have trouble with taking your orders, I expect no one else will, and I will have a chat with anyone in Kagomei's Armed Forces who disagrees.  Prime Minister out."

"Well, that was easy."  Said Piersa Ouranos, to Amarat, seconded to her for this mission, since she still hadn't filled his vacancy.

"Zim, Eagles tend to do that, let alone someone who outranks the Defense Secretary."

"Obviously, you've met her?"

"Zim, I was aboard when she visited Southie the last time."

"What is she like?"

"Zim? At that level, they're all scary, let it go and focus on your job."

"You think I'm being intimidated?"

"Zim, I think you're focusing too much on who is on the mission, and not enough on the mission.  She accepted your authority, give her orders, respectfully, Zim."

"Since when do I rate a Zim from you, you're the owner of a full fifth of the fleet?"

"Zim, I am a non-com, I arrange things so when you give an order, servicemen respond, I don't give orders myself."

"No wonder I get hints that some officers under you are worried about that tribunal, Kon."

"Zim, I don't know what you mean."

"Kon, you've been on trial for harassment, the worse possible result, the most humiliating, is for a woman to be found to be suing you, for being attracted to you, and you denying them  I suspect it's part of your mystique, Kon."

"What mystique?"

"You're a nobleman, royalty in all but name, rich enough to qualify as a share of GNP, handsome, disciplined, and you know your limits?  You have to beat them off with a stick!"

"Zim, I try not to think about such things, they'll get me in trouble with titles in the sixties."

"You also know women can be trouble, and you don't treat us like 'the weaker sex', Kon, you hear me, that woman you married better be good to ya..."

"Oh, no complaints there, Zim."

"Just what does she do? I mean, hypothetically, what does she have that I don't..."

"Zim, We lived through Meihomei visiting, then saved each other's lives, Zim.  You kinda had to be there for either."

"I just bet, and you two are taking the next few months off, after the mission?"

"After Herevelling, we gonna do Hannabrid, as is proper.  Trip to four scenic locations, celebrating our relationship."

"Tell her I said she was lucky, please."

"Zim?"

"She is, you know.  I mean, what's her next worry?  Her career?  She's sky craft command for an entire fleet!  Money? You have enough to qualify as a small country just by yourself!  About the only thing, she has to work on anymore is keeping you..."

"Zim, I'd like to think that's the most difficult part, for either of us.  We've been quite successful, the Merit, etc..."

"I keep forgetting that, but it's more important to her than it is to you, isn't it?"

"Zim, What?"

"Your honoured mother, may she live quite a long time, is the fount of honour, Nameihomei, etc...  You inherit that because it's actually unheard of not to go to the son of his mother."

"Zim, I never really thought about it..."

"Your Mother countersigned both your merit and hers..."

"Aye, that she did.  It's literally written in the title for the merit that only Nameihomei can countersign, if there is no Nameihomei, whoever countersigns gets elevated to Nameihomei for an hour, just to perform the ritual."

"Except your mother isn't just Nameihomei, she's a Star-Emerald Knight of Kagomei."

"Apologies, Zim, but your information is incorrect.  My mother is automatically a Star-Emerald Knight of Kagomei, from being Nameihomei, not the other way around."

"And what does that entail?"

"Zim, the Star-Emerald Knight is a whole bunch of ceremonial, no actual power."

"So it's protocolary?"

"Zim, mostly protocolary, except for the fact that Nameihomei is the executive officer for the Empire itself."

"So if you weren't training for the job before, you are now.  Executive officer under Nessun-Honour Comma, known to her by name,"

"Zim, I don't think your information there is as good as you think, but I am an executive officer for a whole division, and I do so report through Nessun Andermani to Nessun-Honour Comma for that.."

"So they picked Andermani, did they?"

"Zim, Flora's dad and the Nessun-Honour go way back."

"I bet, so does Flora's mom..."

"Zim, what are you implying?"

"Nothing sinister, but with Flora's Mom at OPM, whoever says they don't think favouritism is involved is probably lying."

"Zim, are you saying you think Nessun Andermani is unqualified for the job?"

"No, I'm saying he's just as qualified for the job as some of the other Nessuni, but he got the job because he fathered a child on Nessun-OPM."

"Zim, I.. think you're wrong."

"Why do you say that, Kon?"

"Zim, knowing Nessun-OPM, they want Nessun Andermani to get the heck out of danger and stop taking crazy risks, like he's been doing all his career, respectfully."

"What about his cousin?"

"Taimine Dandelion? Just barely less taking risks.  And I hate to comment on rumours, but between you and me, Flora is Andei's daughter, not Juraian's, not that it changes much.  Respectfully, Zim."

"Well it changes that the one she had a kid with is the lesser ranked...."

"Zim, seems to me she's plenty fond of the both of them, but what happens in their bedroom isn't germane to their commands, insofar as it doesn't appear to affect either of their ability to get decorated nor promoted..."

"Have those promotions been vetted?"

"Zim, Aye Zim, by Meihomei herself."

"Who has met these officers personally?"

"Zim, They have served, both of them, under both Jima Rolli and Maelle Comma, as part of Meihomei's Own Fleet Detachment."

"Oh, so if there is favouritism, it's from Meihomei?"

"Zim, Meihomei's Own Fleet Detachment is the most decorated unit in all of Meihomei's Armed Services, by a landslide!"

"So what are you saying?"

"Zim, if there was any form of foul play, Zim, I'd expect either a Mutiny, Gross Dereliction of Duty or mass resignations, just how would a sub-division level out-medal a division if only favouritism was involved?"

"Wait, what?"

"Meihomei's Own is part of Third Fleet, since..."

"I'll stop you right there, I know Third Fleet is for all administrative purposes, just a big container of odds and ends on the ToE.  I also know Meihomei's Own includes a big black box no one but the finest officers in both clearance and authority can even see into."

Amarat, who was Meihomei's adopted Nephew, and so, could see into the black box, only nodded.

"Silly me, you probably know just how many lifeguards Meihomei has, and seen her give them medals, for that matter."

"Zim, I have been given the honour of meeting those of Meihomei's Lifeguards who wear green."

"Because you wear green yourself? Or your mother?"

"For both reasons, on separate occasions, Zim."

"At what age did you stop having your own squad of lifeguards, Kon?"

"When my cousin Shen became Bameimeito, Zim."

"Wait, you didn't grow OUT of being royalty, you were pushed out when Meihomei had a SON?"

"My mother is Meihomei's adopted sister, with respect, Zim, I am a Namei of the blood, and will be until I die.  And there are three ways out of being Bameimeito: someone is born who is closer to the throne than you, dying or you assume the throne."

"Namei, at the least?"

"Since I was named Bameimeito at birth, I legally cannot be less than Namei, with respect Zim, outside of a military context."

"And why is that?"

"Zim, I beg pardon?"

"What's different with the miltary context?"

"Zim, in a military context, I've only earned privileges equal to a Tiger-striped Dagger Bundle and take and give orders related to that, my birth does not enter into account."

"Let me guess, when you go off duty, you actually gain rank when you take off your uniform?"

"Zim can choose to see it that way."

"You don't?"

"I think that when I want to take off my uniform, it's to sleep Zim, and I salute my pillow with fourty winks, as is proper."

"What was cute, Kon, I sure walked into that one."

"Zim, but if I get your meaning, yes, I do lower my rank when I put on my uniform.  I take off the rank I was born to, to assume the one I've earned."

"How do you do that?"

"Do what, Zim?"

"Make lowering yourself in rank sound... I dunno, impressive?"

"Zim, I just had something to do with one, not the other...  Agency is important."

"I guess I see your point, carry on Kon."

The edge of town, twilight.

"Edge the sparkle, killer, down by the Tannhauser gate."

"Ugh, that codeword is so cliched, Rabid Tavar."

"Ugh, don't say that name, I may have the most cliched codeword in tarnation, that doesn't mean I don't need help not being noticed."

"I can't believe Meihomei would tolerate such incompetence."

"You should believe, we report to her special pet."

"I'm the special pet, whoever your boss is, he ain't me."

"Ok, coming from you, that's something, but our chain of command ain't exactly formal."

"And my chain of command goes: "Can I go, Mother?" and "Auntie, please?".  I win."

"Auntie? I thought your mother was an only child?"

"She was, then when grandmother and grandfather were assassinated, great-uncle Beltran and great-aunt Prityanka adopted her."

"I know... some of those names."

"Beltran-who-was-Meihomei, to you."

"Elements' fury!"

"You are Meihomei's adopted nephew?"

"As I live and breathe.  Come on, we're tarried here too long already.  We need to get back to the harbour."

"No, the harbour's dangerous, the Moniqi are flying CAP and shooting for interdiction!"

"Of course they are, they got a flycarrier on an island attacked by a SkyCarrier!  They're not stupid!"

"Then why go there?"

"If I can signal the Moniqi commander, I can probably get them to offer us a ride, considering I met her in person."

"Let me guess, she likes Merits of Honour too?"

"She insisted I tell her the story, that's as good a reason as any..."

"What do we call you?  I know that ribbon, it carries way too much weight for us to be so friendly with you... Zim?"

"Ugh, call me Kon, I serve at the pleasure of Meihomei's Telbun as an ornate dagger bandolier."

"Elements above, and you're above quota!"

"Nice pun there, Decorated Javelin Bundle!"

"Kon it is!  Guess you're Kon to almost anyone who ain't the Telbun, huh?"

"Yeah, and he prefers 'cousin'."

"Cousin?"

"My second cousin, twice removed, if my math is correct, which considering I have to qualify if I mean by birth or by adoption, probably means it's not.  But as he's the son of Alaitoc Dandelion, and I'm the great-grandchild of Alaitoc's sister Atalanta, he's probably my great-great-uncle or something for people keeping score."  

"Is there someone in a position of importance in Kagome you're not related to?"

"How far does it have to be for it to be not related? You know how Dandelions are related to almost anyone of importance, by design... We should get going."

"We're wasting time, you're right, and you ARE related to anyone I'd recognize as of importance, anyways.  It starts and ends with Meihomei."

"For Honour, Loyalty and Vision, her Secrets true, her mind a beacon of light to illuminate the lies of her enemies."

"What's he doing?"

"Calling by Jade Bank, crypto frequencies."

"I know that, why is he trying to reach the Moniqans?"

"To tell them that we're not aliens, and not to shoot us.  Do I really need to tell you what a colossally bad idea to go into that harbour with them shooting at us?"

"Well, no, but since when are Moniqans friendly?"

"Apparently, he's met one or two, his mom's the secretary of state, remember?"

"Oh, yeah... So he thinks he can get them to believe we're not aliens and not to shoot us?"

"Ephemeral, ephemeral, queso, queso-Laidanese, anyone on this frequency friendly to Kagomei, identify!"

"This is Freedom Soarer, Treaty Authority, Skua Piersa Ouranos commanding, identify!"

"This is Nameihomei."

"Countersign, countersign Zim, you know the drill!"

"Compromise Alpha Redoubt."

"That's a state code, not military, I repeat, not military, but we recognize your authority."

"I speak with Nameihomei authority, I'm bypassing the Secretary of Defense, the Prime Minister and anyone else who got between my position and yours, Skua, get the heck out of there, we cannot, we absolutely cannot let them get their hands on our tech.  We found out that's the reason we've been able to defend ourselves so far, they've no idea we have the Cormorants, or what they're capable of!  Keep a thousand-Klom exclusion area around their attacks, do you copy?"

"I copy Nameihomei-actual.  Anything else?"

"Send us some Pilder friends, you stay safe, but send reinforcements on this vector, with special orders: DO NOT engage Moniqan or Laidanese forces, for the purpose of the entire task force, they are to be considered valued allies."

"They are broadcasting as friendly already, and Meihomei has enabled them being considered friendly, glad you confirm, Nameihomei.  Anything else?"

"Where's my son?"

"Moniqi friends in Lai Dang say he's in Lai Dang Harbour, meeting with task force Hunarch Xanadrigal, under Hunarch Xhi herself."

"What about Mayor Dialekki?"

"Unconfirmed, but reports are that she is on Xanadrigal as well..."

"Lemma-Lemma-Doge-Doge-Syrtis, Dragon Lady."

"This is Dragonlady-actual, by the authority of the Hunarch, I declare friendship to all Kagomine in Lai Dang lands."

"This is Nameihomei-factual, code name Meritant."

"Tell me Meritant, what could you say that would make me trust you?"

"I remember telling you how I earned my Medal, I remember you saying it was a good tale, and I remember you saying you would be known by your name on our ship, but you would be known by your title on Meihomei's craft."

"Craft?"

"You singled out her cruiser, as a mere craft, instead of the Flycarrier I sailed on, Honoured Guest."

"Oh, the word for ship and craft is the same in Moniqan, I intended no slight...  But only one who had been there would remember such details, indeed, I remember feeling like I had blundered in my Kagomine, but not being sure what I said that was offensive.  Just that the crew around me looked irate."

"Majesty, please instruct your bodyguards to send someone to come pick up my group, we are cut off from support in Lai Dang dock quarter, near the tavern Impossibly Handsome."

"Nameihomei-factual?"

"SecDef-actual?"

"Got it in one, stepson.  Flora sent her regards."

"She's okay?"

"Yes, your mom's keeping an eye on her."

"Oh, such a relief."

"Come, I'll carry you."

"Honoured visitor?"

"Yes, Tanagri?"

"Thank you for your training, we have never had such success against the invaders."

"My pleasure Tanagri, let's get Meritant out of here."

"Meritant?  He is of such importance?"

"Meihomei asked me herself about this health, Tanagri, he is no trifling matter."

"Thank you for the rescue, Sothlee."

"You're welcome, let me get out of my suit..."  She disassembled her armored suit, leaving the pieces on the hanger.

"Are we going to Meihomei?"

"No, your dad wants a word."

"Dad!"

"Amarat, come here, I want my hug.  That was scary!"

"Not really, I was never in any danger."

"Yes, you were, but you did great getting out of trouble so deftly."

"It was mostly luck, I better leave you two..."

"Aw, he thinks I'm going to boink you... So cute, but, well, you stink of his Aunt, I'll pass, I'll look for my miptun instead."

"Blunt, but probably accurate, I need a shower."

"You were in the palace when all this went down then?"

"Yeah, Meihomei called me, I thought for business... Turns out she had... ulterior motives..."

"Well, now we're back

"Are you ok?"

"Yes, they just singed me!"

"Thank goodness, those sniper rifles put me in the hospital, I'd hate to see what they can do to you."

"I'm fine, I'm fine, they just grazed, let's get a move on, that sniper's got our number, for sure!"

"You bet he can read insignia too?"

"Looks that way..."

"Let's get you in private fatigues then, and some for me too."

"But Zim?"

"Anyone on this mission knows who we are Dagger Bundle, it's not a place for strangers."

"Zim-Zim-Zim!"

"Wipe that sauce off your face, Kon-Namei."

"Zim, sauce wiped. Zim!"

"You think this is an idiotic set of orders Zim?"

"No, I think it's idiotic we hadn't known about this before?  They weren't going to learn our insignia during this battle Zim, they had to know ahead of time, and we just noticed."

"You're challenging my leadership, Kon?"

"I'm saying we need better intelligence about enemy capabilities and intent Zim, like everyone else with sense has said since the beginning of this conflict!"

"Ok, I had that coming, didn't I?"

"Not everything that happens not in our favour is our leadership's fault Zim.  Mind you, some of it is a level or two above you, as well."

"You'd know all about upper levels, wouldn't you, Kon-Namei?"

"They know of me, Zim, it's not my fault, I swear."

"Yeah, it's not your fault you were born, Kon, relax."

"You say that like it's a bad thing..."

"Ah, no, totally a good thing, now give me a kiss before anyone notices..."

"Let's not tempt fate further, besides, I don't want to kiss you right now, you keep giving me a hard time, and I'm the one behaving."

"How cute."

"Look at that somei..."

"So cute isn't she?"

"Remind me why we're babysitting her?"

"Meihomei's and Mom are going to Moniq for a few weeks, attending Dad's second wedding to Xiang, under the Moniqan  ritual."

"What's that like?"

"It's like three time-parts long, full of promises of taking care of one another, and venerating each other's ancestors and thanking them for your spouse."

"Why weren't we invited?"

"Excuse me, milord, but you were.  Remember this invitation?"

"Yeah, I asked you to get it translated..."  His aide turned the card, where a helpful Kagomine version was located at the back, unnoticed since then.

Amarat started to read aloud:

"Most Mei, Honoured and Meritant Cousin Amarat Veneer, of the line and blood of legends, and a legend by your own deeds, Our August Person, Hunarch of Moniq by the grace of the Elements, Xiang Xhi, sends Mei Greetings, and a most cordial invitation to join us to you and your stalwart and legendary miptun..."

"Miptun?  She means me?"  He continued as if she hadn't interrupted.

"...Flora Rolli, Piper of Kagomine Sixth Fleet, OF-08 Goshawk, Meritant of Honour.  If the elements allow, you would be witnesses to our wedding."

"She got my titles straight!"

"She asked dad, no doubt.  Guess we won't be catsitting Robin then."

"Hmm, you think we should go?"

"You have ANY idea what being a witness to a royal wedding is, in terms of prestige?"

"Hmm, no...  I suspect it's a pretty high one."

"You suspect correctly, Moniq had at least two civil wars started because a witness was snubbed.  Nellun!"

"Milord."

"Please lay in supplies for the Nameita Robyn our guest, you will be keeping her company, while we will be joining Mother for the wedding."  He was referring to the cat, who had been titled princess when she was adopted by Meihomei.

"Can I help Milord with packing?"

"Pack regular clothes, and get me reservations at Toutatis' and if it pleases Flora, get her one at Bellisama's."

"Bellisama's?  You taking leave of your senses?  That's the most crazily-exclusive dress shop in Kagomei.  Won't we outshine the bride and groom?"

"Well, I happen to know the bride and groom bought theirs there... We will just ask for a lesser set..."  Flora bit her lip, of course, he'd know where his own dad bought his wedding outfit...

"A lesser set worth the monthly payment on a house, no doubt..."

"Bellisama's does not cut thread on anything below a luxury aircar..."

"You're kidding me!"

"Listen, just go, you can owe me..."

"I'm not ok with that implication..."

"What?"

"That I can pay you back with ..."

"What?  No...  You've saved my life, and I've asked you to be my wife, can't I just trust you to be worth it?"

"Why did you ask me to marry you, anyway?"

"What do you mean?"

"Listen, it's not complicated, I'm from so low down the totem pole, I need binoculars to see a Namei, especially a Bameimeito."

"You haven't been listening..."

"To what?"

"That you're simply a lot less boring than most of the people I've been matched with, by my friends, by my family.  It's not complicated, I just don't want you to go away."

"I've met Natalya, she's not boring!"

"No, she's exhausting, the other extreme.  It wasn't an accident I broke up with her."

"You two are still not over each other..."  She said it as a fact but meant it as a question.

"I'm over her, and she's busy now exhausting a man twenty arnds her senior, let it go."

"Hey Amarat, you look pensive..."

"Sure, yeah, that's odd, I thought for sure I upgraded this morning..."

"Safety protocol 9, what's the left checksum on the file?"

"The left?  Hmm, D0ADB00FEEE9."

"And the right?"

"F9A9A9D9D9D9"

"Come with me."

"Wait, just a minute..."

"No, you're coming with me, that's an order!"

"Sure..." Looking nonplussed.

"Arrest this man, Kons, tampering with equipment, uncertified application on military jadebank."

"Come with me Kon."  The others, mindful of the Merit.

"Oh, and give me that." She ripped the Merit off him.  The others jaws hit the floor.

"Carry on, Kons."  They were considerably less gentle, now that the Merit wasn't in the way.  But once their prisoner was in the cell, a bright flash occurred, and he disappeared.

"Drat, he was replaced, now how am I going to find the real him again?"

Amarat woke up, bound hand and foot, wearing non-descript workmen's clothes, in a warehouse, stashed between two widescreen boxes in a dark corner.  They'd not been aware of his powers, he thought, and summoned the least of his will, breaking the bonds with a snap.  Humming to himself, he explored his new prison...  "Ok, no one expected me to get free, or at least, not for a while... Interesting..."  He just walked out of the building, smack into the worse part of Lai Dang Harbour, dressed like a lower-level labourer, the kind of which was known by sight to everyone on his detail...  Ooops.

"What's this?"

"Reports that we've replaced the eminent target you warned us not to replace...  Something is a bit strange, thought-leader."

"You expect me to believe we didn't do this?"

"The warning you posted was quite graphic, and there is one detail..."

"Yes?"

"You warned us, if we should be so stupid as to try to replace him, to leave his medal alone, as that would make our cover more easy to pierce.  If someone of ours replaced him, they... Must have not gotten your memo..."

"That is thin, that is weak...  Many in our people call me thought leader to my face, but ignore my thoughts...  Ever more so in our temple..."

"And yet whoever it was was captured immediately... With the medal...  This will speak to your credibility, thought leader."

"I'd like to think so, in the meantime, have they found the replaced?"

"No, exalted leader."

"Grr, but that's exactly why I didn't want him captured, I need to defeat him, show my way is the true way, I can't do it while he's hidden like this!"

"I'll have our agents look for him, discreetly..."

"Mew?"

"You little somei, how did you get here? Your home's all the way across the country.

"Mew!"

"I know it's not your fault.  You can't run that fast..."

"Mew."

"You ok there?  You don't sound your usual bossy self... Hey, what gives, since when do I rate snuggles?"

"Hey, Amarat!"

"Avalline?  Did something happen?  You don't just pop up, what's up?"

"It's been a month, I talked to Flora about not being alone, and not letting Flora be alone tonight, either.  She told us to, and I quote, get our shapely behinds to Responsible Disclosure."

"She didn't say bring plum cake?"

"I'm a widow, not some trollop!"

"You were also her Miptun before your husband passed, I intended no disrespect!"

"Hey Flora, kiss?"

"Kiss."

Ding-Dong.

"Can you get the door?"

"Sure, it's for me anyway. I ordered some delivery."

"We have a butler, so you don't need to, you know?  It's kind of a bad idea to let people in often..."

"Consider that I'm making my way to the idea I'll never have a normal life again, on my own terms... Besides, I asked Doorstep for the full verification protocol, the Stepper has to provide a pin code, just for me to let him in..."

"And just what order had you so nostalgic?"

"You have to ask? Moonbread and Tcha-chai from Kannie's."  She dimpled at him.

"So, you were all about gratitude riposte earlier?"

"Yeah, and?"

"I think we should play the next round in bed."

"Hmm, why?"

"Hmm, because.  It's fun."

"No, I get the fun, why in bed now though, it's mid-afternoon."

"That's why I said 'next round'."

"What are you planning?"

"Besides sucking you dry?  Nothing.  I just want to suck on your cock until your balls turn empty and blue."

Amarat squirmed.  "You're doing that on purpose, what if someone hears?"

"No one but us in the whole mansion, silly.  Nellun's accepted that as Aumhavar, I can give him the day off..."

"You gave my staff, the day off?"

"I promised them I'd take really good care of you, too...  And cheated, I asked Nellun to make pancake batter for tomorrow morning."

"Oh, so I get pancakes tomorrow, huh?"

"Uh huh, I'd hate for you to feel mistreated..."

"After all, I got lots of dessert eating to do..."

She squirmed in turn.

"It's only fair, you're the one who said we should birdsik in bed..."

"We're back to married, you don't have to impress me..."

"And you think you're the only one who likes your spouse's toes curling?"

"Ahh, ehh, hrm...  Did my toes curl last time?"

"I counted three times your toes curled, last night..."

"You missed one...  That's why I wanted to birdsik in bed, actually..."

"Because I'm modest?"

"No, because you're getting too good at making me cum."

"I happen to cum as much as I dare, I don't want to be in debt to my more feral tendencies..."

"Hmm, so what's the solution?"

"Hmm, you won't like it..."

"What?"

"Hmm, well, we should consider oral only for preliminaries, that way, we can both cum at the same time..."

She shrieked.  Good thing they were alone.  "What's wrong?"

"Oh, nothing.  Nothing's wrong."  She was blushing, possibly redder than her hair, which was bordering on fire alarm red these days.

"Come on, you shrieked, something must have upset you."

"No, not upset, wrong word..."

"What then?"

"Delight."  She was still blushing.  "You know I love it when you make me all sticky."