This covers the Tol-Bot competition of 2102, the year Iron Maiden retired, and The Marionette reached his first final.

Rixie cursed as the door buzzed for the second time. “Alex, can you get that?” she called, finally winning the battle to close her pack.

“I’m the size of your thumb,” he reminded her.

“Right. Well, that’s hardly an excuse. Voice access, outside speaker, Hi, this is Rixie, I’m in the middle….”

“Oh, good! I was afraid you had already left, dear.”

Rixie groaned inwardly. “Hi, Pryvani,” she said.

“May I come in? I’ll be just a moment, I know you’re on vacation.”

Rixie shook her head no, but said the only thing she possibly could. “Of course, Pryvani. Just a moment.”

She lifted the pack, pausing only to eye Alex with mock indignation and pluck him from atop it, settling him in a breast pocket. She set it down next to its twin and two others, and opened the door.

“Darling! And Rixie, hello to you, too!” Pryvani seemed in a very good mood, which was to be expected, frankly.

“Hi, Pryvani. I don’t mean to rush….”

“Oh, don’t worry about that. I wanted to catch you before you headed up to Valhalla. You see, it just so happens that I’m going to Vorsha as well, and since it will be much faster for you to travel there on my shuttle, I insist you come along.”

Rixie affected a smile. “Oh, I couldn’t put you out like that, I….”

“Nonsense! We’re going to the same world, after all! Which reminds me – I know you mentioned once that you like Tol-Bot. Are you going to catch any of the Grand Tribute while you’re there?”

Rixie blinked, and said, “I’d love to, but I doubt I can get any tickets. I….”

Pryvani smiled wider. “Well, now, I have even more good news – the Emperor has invited me to his box for the semis and the finals. And he encouraged me to bring a friend or two. Oh, and believe me, I asked him if I could bring a human, and he all but demanded I do so. So not only is Zhan cleared, but I feel quite certain Alex would be welcome as well.”

“That’s…very thoughtful, but….”

“I know, it might interrupt your vacation a bit, but I’ve been thinking; really, you deserve more time than you’re taking. Both of you do. I’ll be happy to extend your leave another two weeks.”

Rixie closed her eyes for just a moment. “Pryvani, I…really, I can’t….”

“Oh, Emperor’s beard, I’m leaving out the best part of this! I seem to recall that you’re an Iron Maiden fan, yes?”

“Well, I know I am,” Alex piped up, drawing a brief moment of side-eye from Rixie.

“Exactly! Well, I also have passes to a meet-and-greet with Iron Maiden.”

“Iron Maiden doesn’t do meet-and-greets. She only does one appearance a tournament, for her sponsor, Bellona.”

“Right! That’s me!” Pryvani said, grinning. “I mean, Bellona is like three levels down, they’re a subdivision of Grelau Cybertainment. But still, Tarsuss Corporation is a majority shareholder. I’m always invited, obviously, but I’m usually busy. This year, though, it just so happens I’m available. And since you’ll be on Vorsha…well, like I said, you’ve earned some perks.”

Rixie sighed. This was a lovely offer. Really lovely. Were things different, she would have jumped at it. Almost anyone with even a passing interest in Tol-Bot would.

“Pryvani — I really, really appreciate it, but….”

“Please,” Pryvani said, more quietly now. “After all I put you and Alex through….”

“That was not your fault, Pryvani. Not at all,” Rixie said. “It was mine.”

“Like Hell!” Alex said. “It wasn’t either of your faults, and it wasn’t mine. And both of you can stop blaming yourselves. Please.”

Pryvani gave Alex a sorrowful smile. “I appreciate that, Alex, but….”

“But nothing! You didn’t hurt me, Pryvani. And neither did Rixie. And the bitch who did? She’s in prison now, and will be for a long, long time, and personally, I’d like to move on. The end.”

Rixie smiled at Alex. She knew he wasn’t quite over it. He still had moments where he needed to step back, still felt uneasy with Titans when Rixie wasn’t around – and occasionally, even if she was. It had taken months to get to this point – Archavian months. Almost a year by his measure. He had worked so very hard, and he had done it for her.

He could have stayed in Avalon, hid from them when they were around. But he’d fought through to be with her. Neither she nor Alex told each other “I love you” very often. But she knew how much he cared for her. She just wished he’d had a choice – a real choice – to be with her.

At any rate, Alex was coping, and she was incredibly proud of him for that; he was as brave as anyone she’d ever met. Gently, she laid a finger across him; she sighed contentedly.

“So you’re coming,” Pryvani said, flatly.

Rixie looked back. She didn’t know how she could talk her way out of this, not without just coming out and stating the reason for her objection. So she did the only thing she could think to do.

She lied.

“Okay, well…sure, Pryvani. We’ll be happy to go.”

“We will?” Alex asked.

“Sure we will,” Rixie said. Her head was swimming. Maybe she could call Lemm….

“Wonderful! Well, bring your things to the main hangar, we’ll leave in an hour. By the way, do you know how much I pay Iron Maiden annually in endorsement fees?”

“I…of course I don’t,” Rixie said.

“Over seven figures. And it’s worth it. She’s a champion. Keeps her focus at all times during the run-up to the match. And I certainly hope she isn’t considering pulling some kind of Earth sitcom two-dates-at-once scheme to fool me. She needs to keep her eyes on the prize.”

Rixie looked at Pryvani, looked down, and looked back up. The heiress was grinning like the shaar who ate the cavana.

“You…I….”

“Darling, I don’t just give anyone eight million credits a year — and yes, I know most of that goes to the Hoplites. Quite generous of Iron Maiden. Something I always respected. Between her generosity and her skill…well, quite naturally I would want to know who she was.”

Rixie did the only thing she could do. She laughed uproariously. When she finally recomposed herself, she said, “Pryvani…you were busting my chops the entire time, weren’t you?”

“Of course I was. And I’m quite proud of myself for it.”

“So you knew when you hired me on Titan Station?”

“I hired you on Titan Station because I knew,” Pryvani said. “Imperators, even Flag Imperators, are not a rare commodity. But one who has Iron Maiden’s demonstrated tactical knowledge, her skill, her acting chops, her charisma, and her grace under pressure, plus your quite impressive military record? When I put your resume together, I knew there was only one person I’d trust to run my security. And you, Ms. Tam, have succeeded beyond my wildest hopes.”

Pryvani stepped forward, and pulled Rixie down into a bear hug. It was a few moments before they abruptly broke.

“Oh, Gods, Alex, I’m….”

“Did you hear me complaining?” Alex said from Rixie’s breast pocket. “No, you didn’t.”

Rixie grinned. “So, boss, I’m grateful for the praise, and even more grateful for the pay — but you didn’t just come down here to tease me.”

“No,” Pryvani said. “I didn’t. Actually, I wanted to talk to you about one of your opponents. One of the novice qualifiers. PuppetMaster.”

“Really?” Rixie said. “What about her?”

“Well…we’ll discuss it on the ship. But you’ve watched the vids?”

“Of course. I’ve watched her novice knockout round matches, want to go back watch the group stage. Know it’s a long shot, but I’d love to see her up against Iron Maiden in the playdown. She’s entertaining. Tough. She’s willing to throw caution to the wind, but not stupidly so.”

“So she’s a decent player?”

“Better than decent. She’s raw, but she’s the best novice I’ve seen come through in my lifetime. Sharp as a knife. And she’s got some style. Well…I keep saying ‘she,’ but…I’m betting you’ve figured it out.”

Pryvani nodded. “The human is the player. Do you know who it is?”

“Kayfabe says I can’t possibly. Logic says it’s Darren Avery.”

Pryvani smiled. “You are good.”

“Hey, you aren’t the only one that can figure things out,” Rixie said. Then laughed. “Of course, it was Alex who suggested it to me first.”

Alex nodded. “Lysis needs someone with military experience. A human. That’s in short supply, but….”

“Come on,” Pryvani said. “We have much to discuss on the way.”

* * *

“Now you’re sure you’re going to be fine while I’m gone?” Aisell mused, puttering with her bags. “I mean, I know, you’re fine always, but….”

“Pup, I’m more worried about you. Are you sure you don’t need someone….”

“There’s a coach that Bellona put me in touch with. She was in the tournament a few years back. Frankly, it’s not like I need someone to go out with. When I’m not playing, I’m gonna be studying film, and when I’m not studying film, I’m gonna be practicing, and when I’m not doing both of those, I’m gonna be sleeping or eating, that’s literally my entire schedule.”

“Sounds fun,” Aezhay yawned, wandering out to the living room.

Aisell grinned. “It’s going to be amazing,” she said.

She was in the Tribute. The Tribute! She was one of the top 32 Tol-Bot players alive this year – and she had been pleased to see her run to the Archavian title match had actually clicked her over into the official top fifty for the first time.

Her previous, non-official best had been in the high triple-digits.

She didn’t have any idea what to expect, and she was trying to keep it that way. She wanted to just experience it. Breathe it in and breathe it out. She’d give it everything she had, and win or lose, she was going to put on a show.

“So, Lez, are you sure….”

“I’ll be fine. Heck, most of what I have to do around here these days is meet with Drugar anyhow. The Tribe is harvesting so fast that I’m worried we might have to slow down, or we might start moving the market. The first shipment already paid off the third mortgage, and this shipment should get us most of the way through the second – and don’t give me that look, I’m talking about our share. Luke might be able to buy a cheap shuttle for what the Tribe has in their account.”

“I don’t think he’s leaving,” Aisell said, and though there was a slight pang as she said it – because, after all, it wasn’t as if she was what held him here – it was overtopped by the idea that he had found a home, despite her best attempts to screw it up. And if they’d never have that again, over time, she thought they could rebuild their friendship.

And if all went well at the Tribute, she could start to take the next step – to start convincing other people of what she had already learned.

* * *

“So what do you think?” Pryvani said, as Rixie finished the video of the novice match. It was one of the round-robins, PuppetMaster against Tenacious Delta. The human had made quick work of his opponent – so Rixie had been able to ignore the strategy, and instead focus on the person playing.

“He’s got military training,” Rixie said. “He clearly understands basic combat organization principles, especially on land. That puts him ahead of a lot of Titans, even in the Tribute.”

“Is Sergeant an officer?” Pryvani said, handing Rixie a drink. Rixie shook her head.

“Earth military ranks get complicated – it isn’t an officer, not exactly, but it’s a senior non-officer. Probably somewhere around Decanus-1, maybe Decurion in practical terms. You can tell. He tends to focus a bit too much on the individual units. Not a bad thing, mind you – but his experience is company-level, maybe regiment-level.”

Pryvani nodded. “So Avery knows strategy. I’m curious if you think he could be a leader.”

Rixie leaned back. “Maybe,” she said after a while. “He’s clearly smart. Like I said, he understands military theory. And he’s part of the American Army, they’re one of the strongest militaries on Earth. Alex has told me a fair amount about them. His father was a soldier, did you know that?”

“Alex’s?” Pryvani asked.

“Yeah. Died in combat,” Rixie said. “He doesn’t like to talk about it much – I understand.”

“So do I,” Pryvani said, looking down at the tiny man dozing on the console.

“Too gorram many of us do, boss. Anyhow, it sounds like their organization is similar to ours, and really, the principles are the same no matter what the weapons are. Balvla the Unforgiving would be a formidable Praetor if you dropped her into today’s planetary defense corps. Just give her a few weeks to get to know the weaponry.

“Sergeants aren’t officers, but they’re leaders, and given his ability…well, I don’t think they would have had him guarding a high-value detainee if he was a fool.”

Pryvani nodded. “I’ll be dropping you off on Vorsha,” she said, “And then taking a brief trip to Archavia. From what I understand, he and his friend haven’t left yet.”

Rixie shook her head. “Boss, do you have eyes and ears everywhere?”

“Yes,” Pryvani said.

Rixie laughed. “Funny thing is, I know you aren’t kidding. All right. So you’re gonna recruit him?”

“Avalon needs a human who knows what a professional military looks like,” Pryvani said. “We could make you look like a human for a while, but….”

“…yeah, that’s not helping them. Not really. They need actual humans,” Rixie said. “Alex has been very clear about that.”

“Exactly. This may be the right person for the job. Especially given what else I know about him. But I want to talk to him first. Avalon may need a human to help – but it’s still my responsibility to find a good person to help them.”

“Why?” Rixie asked.

“I broke their world,” Pryvani said. “I can’t fix it directly. That will just make it worse. But I can find people who can. Humans who can. I have to try.”

Rixie nodded, and looked back to the frozen image on the screen. “Well, if he’s interested, he’d certainly be helpful, from what I’ve seen.”

“Good,” Pryvani said. “Get some rest. We’ll be docking in Tremarla soon. Zhan, Zara, and Thyllia will be getting off with you. Don’t worry, they don’t know. Taron, Sophia, and I will catch up with you later.”

“Sounds good,” Rixie said. “And boss?”

“Yes?”

“I would have told you about Iron Maiden eventually.”

Pryvani smiled kindly. “I know, Rixie. Really, I do.”

“No, it’s…my best friends know. I tell them, eventually. And…”

Pryvani nodded, and gave Rixie a quick hug. “Like I said, Rixie. I know.”

* * *

Thae Fally sighed as her pad buzzed. Third time today she’d gotten a call from a stringer. Fliarae was one of the best-known gossip sites in the Empire, and Thae was Senior Editor-Sports for it. It was the busy season.

“Fally,” she said, punching up the call. “What’cha got, Meres?”

The young reporter on the other end of the call smiled. “You’re gonna love it, Thae,” Meres Domol said. “I know who PuppetMaster is. And her marionette.”

Thae sighed. Meres usually covered vid show stars; she couldn’t be surprised he brought this to her. Still.

“Oh, really?” she said. “You mean you have hot gossip, or proof?”

“Proof! It’s the wild girl –Eyrn Fitzgerald. And the marionette….”

“Is Darren Avery. Yeah, I know.”

Meres was momentarily at a loss for words. “I…what do you mean, you know?”

“I know, Meres. We have pretty definitive proof for 27 of the 32 players in the tribute. I can tell you who Iron Maiden is if you want to know. She’s a recently-retired imperator, works for Pryvani Tarsuss now.”

Meres stared. “But…if you know…if we have proof….”

“Why don’t we run stories? Meres, I’m going to tell you the same thing I told Lutusa and Aiod earlier today – people don’t want to know.”

“But…I mean, we ran that article speculating….”

“Yes, we did. We ran the article speculating on who Daemon was, and one of the people we mentioned is, in fact, Daemon. People love to guess who the player is. But know? For sure? No chance! It’s much more fun for fans to think it’s possible that Spirit is really Pryvani Tarsuss in disguise than that she’s a teacher from Nivgrelau. I mean, for the love of the Emperor, everyone knows that Lord Black was Teustus Zyn, we have it absolutely and unquestionably confirmed. Why do you think we haven’t run with it?”

“But…I mean….”

Fally sighed. “Look, I understand. If this was vid stars, we’d absolutely run with it. But do you know Tol-Bot?”

“Don’t really follow it. I mean, I watch the Tribute….”

“When Tol-Bot began, the combatants disguised themselves so that losers would not be tempted to go fight the winners in actual combat after tournaments. And this had a rather interesting effect – those combatants could be literally anyone, from members of the royal family to soldiers to farmers to house-husbands. People loved the fact that their neighbor could well be a Tol-Bot champ. It’s part of the fabric of the sport. Let me tell you, if we run proof of a player’s identity – I don’t care if it’s Iron Maiden, or PuppetMaster, or Felltree, like Aiod was shopping – people will be outside my office with torches and swords, demanding my gorram head. Now,” Fally said, finally smiling, “if you’d like to work on an article that asks – asks – if the Wild Girl and the human that killed a Titan have teamed up, go ahead, but you’d better have some other candidates in the hopper. And you’d better make it more interesting than Nox’s story from earlier today that said the same thing.”

Meres sighed. “Tol-Bot is weird.”

“It is. But people love it. And we’re not going to be the ones to break kayfabe. If you really want to post proof, post it on a personal blog, because people post all sorts of things there.”

“Nah, I’d rather get paid. Um…what if I threw in some other humans, like that professor at Tannhauser Gate? I mean, he’s still there, so it’s a stretch….”

“No, that’s perfect. His students will know he’s there, but nobody else will, and I hear he’s handy with holograms – you could work the angle that it looks like he’s at Tannhauser, but is he really? I like that. Then throw in some random celebrities and their pets, call it a day.”

“Okay. Sure. And…Pryvani Tarsuss isn’t Spirit?”

Fally chuckled. “Pryvani Tarsuss could be. I’ve been here ten years, and let me tell you, you find anything approaching the truth about Tarsuss, you let me know, because I damn well will run with it.”

“She’s just a party girl, everyone knows that.”

Fally shook her head. “Meres, you’ve got a lot to learn. Look forward to the story,” she said, switching off. Of course, maybe Pryvani Tarsuss was just a party girl. There was no proof she wasn’t. Just rumors swirling around rumors. Which, Fally thought, was probably exactly what Tarsuss wanted.

* * *

Iron Maiden sat down heavily in the dressing room, and seeing that it was (almost) unoccupied, she removed her helmet. She leaned back, closed her eyes, and wiped just one tear away.

“You okay?”

She looked back down. Alex had been waiting for her, watching the match.

He wasn’t looking at her with pathos, or with pity. He was smiling slightly, though his eyes betrayed a bit of concern.

She paused at that; he was so small, and yet…she could read his eyes.

“That,” she said, “was a debacle.”

“Looked like it. You know me, I don’t know Tol-Bot….”

“Ha,” Rixie said.

“But you lost that one more than Dibilique won it, didn’t you?”

“Yeah, I did,” Rixie sighed. “Just…I was rusty. Haven’t had a chance to scrimmage much, but…that’s not it.”

“What is it?”

Rixie smiled. “You.”

Alex looked up at her, and blinked. “What…how did I…did I screw you up somehow? Rix….”

“Nah, you’re fine. It’s just…this was the big thing I did, Alex. The thing that gave my life some meaning. Oh, I was in the corps and I was good, but this…this was what I lived for. But that’s not true anymore.”

Alex looked at his Rixie, and said, “If you say you live for me, I will smack you. You might even feel it.”

“Not just you,” Rixie said, sticking out her tongue. “Everything I’ve done in the past year, from meeting you to stopping Trell to busting Syon Fand…that means something. More than this ever could. I guess…I just realized I don’t need this anymore. And that threw me off.”

“Well, Rix, I may have just started dating you because of the Tol-Bot stardom, but you know I’ll hang with you no matter what you do.”

“There would be more time for certain things.”

“See? But…I mean, if you’re here…well, as long as you’re in the Tribute, you may as well go out with a bang.”

Rixie leaned in carefully – it was getting better, but she always tried to give Alex just a moment to prepare – and gave him a soft kiss on the forehead. “You’re absolutely right,” she said. “I can break Lord Black’s record this Tribute, and then retire – just like Lord Black did when he hit that point.” She made a mental note to call an old superior officer when she had a moment.

“You certainly can. But enough wallowing. You want to watch the next match? Avery is playing.”

“Definitely. But first,” she said with a grin, “I have something to do…..”

She put the Iron Maiden helmet back on, and reached out an armored hand to Alex.

“I’ll be back in a moment,” she said, lowering him to the floor. “That is, if you want me to be.”

Alex grinned. “See you in a minute, Rix. After Iron Maiden drops by….”

* * *

Aisell returned to her dressing room and took her mask off, her mind reeling.

It wasn’t over her performance in the match – that had been fine. Nothing flashy, but she needed to get by the novice qualifier in the first match if she wanted to be in position to make the playdown, and while it hadn’t been a walkover, she was satisfied with her play. She’d study Deliverance a bit more closely tonight; that was the match she needed to worry about. Reefsman loomed afterward, but she hoped to just be playing him for seeding.

No, her mind wasn’t reeling because of the match – or at least, not its outcome. It was reeling because of what she’d realized not long into the first round.

It was Darren.

Darren and Eyrn. She’d wondered more than once – she’d figured out it was a human at the controls, thought it possible it was her friends – but she hadn’t known for sure until she had the chance to look down on the petite Titan “Puppet Master.”

She was almost giddy. For one thing, she’d taught Tol-Bot to a competitor who made it into the Tribute! A year ago, she would have been enormously proud to be able to say even that.

She wondered why he hadn’t told her – no, scratch that, she knew. It was the same reason she hadn’t told him. She had known he was thinking about competing; telling him she had made the Tribute would have felt like gloating. And since he didn’t know she’d qualified, he wouldn’t tell her that he had made it in – because he knew exactly how much time she’d put into trying to make it.

Well, she never would have made it without him – and that was no exaggeration. He’d pushed her in practice, and he’d gotten very good, very fast – obviously. She’d gone into the Archavian tourney playing the best Tol-Bot of her life, and she’d run all the way to the final. He’d gotten her ready, and she was happy to see she had done the same for him.

She wondered if he’d figure it out. It would be trickier, of course – spotting the human Tol-Bot player was easier than sorting out the many Titan ones – but Darren was nothing if not observant. He may not know yet, but watching her, playing against her…he would figure it out sooner or later.

She resolved to buy him a drink when this was all over – well, buy Eyrn a drink, there’d be enough for Darren – and to toast their success. Even if he went out after the first round, he was in the Tribute. He’d beaten Titans to get here. It was proof, yet again, of how much humans could accomplish if given the chance.

She also promised herself that she would not out Darren to Lyroo, no matter how tempting it was to pick up a pad right now, call the HOS, and say, “Here’s your ‘pet,’ Lyroo, playing in the Tribute. He’s smarter than most Titans. Suck on that.”

It was tempting, but it would break kayfabe, and that just wouldn’t be right.

That didn’t mean she couldn’t get some satisfaction from imagining it.

* * *

Grand Navarchos Teustus Zyn looked over the board in the CIC of the Star Carrier Xifos, trying to make sure coverage of Sector 18 was sufficient. Satisfied, he nodded to his adjutant. “All right,” he said. “Tell Aerti Bass that I’d like the Gyfjon to move back into the Sol Earth system in one month; we’ll have the Minatar come in for its drive refit then.”

“Aye, sir.”

“Sir!” the inbound comms officer said. “You have an inbound communication on a personal military channel! A Magister-Imperator Rixie Tam!”

Zyn smiled. “Wondering when she’d call. You have the CIC, Seminavarchos Aponith. I’ll take it in my ready room, Miss Tarlkgh.”

Zyn walked into his office, shut and sealed the door, settled into his chair, and brought up the feed. “Well, well. Rixie Tam. You aren’t trying to take on six Drazari by yourself again, are you?”

“That was one time! Will you never let me forget that, Navarchos?”

“No,” Zyn said, grinning. “I’m just glad you made it through with your career and right arm intact. Took some fast talking to keep you from a court martial. If you hadn’t actually found the datastick, doubt I could have saved you.”

“And as it was, I ended up with a Gold Flower,” Rixie chuckled.

“And my strong recommendation you look into the Imperators’ Corps. You would have been cashiered by now if you’d stayed in the fleet.”

“Oh, come on! By now I’d have a ship.”

“You’d bend it right away. No chance,” Zyn chuckled. “So, what can I do for you?”

“As if you don’t know why I’m calling.”

“No idea. Oh, incidentally, I watched the first match of the Tribute – Iron Maiden looked very distracted out there. Not herself at all. I hope she’s okay.”

“She’s fine, I’m sure,” Rixie said. “I’m just wondering…I remember when Lord Black walked away from the Tribute. Well, okay, I don’t remember it well, since he’s so very old, but I read about it. I’m just wondering why he chose then – how he knew that was the time.”

Zyn leaned back. “Well…when you’ve played Tol-Bot as long as a Lord Black or an Iron Maiden, and done as well as both of them have – well, if that’s what you’re good at, then that’s enough. But Lord Black, from what I know, had a husband, and a child, and a career he was very proud of, and Tol-Bot…Tol-Bot was a game. Not that he didn’t love the game – he wouldn’t keep popping up if he didn’t. But he’d done enough with the game. He had a life to live.”

Rixie nodded. “I think…I think Iron Maiden may have reached that point.”

“Really? Oh, I haven’t asked – how’s retirement?”

Rixie smiled. “I’m working for Pryvani Tarsuss. I’m busier now than I’ve ever been.”

“I’ve seen that. You may have saved the Empire, you know. You and Nix.”

“That’s – that’s just it. I’ve got a job I love, good friends, a…well, someone I care about very deeply – and that’s what matters to me. I think…I think that’s how Iron Maiden feels.”

“Well,” Zyn said, “she’s got nothing more to prove in the arena. I do hope, though, she’s planning to fight hard, if this is her last Tribute.”

“She is. Her…well, someone she cares about told her the same thing. She’s going to go out on top.”

“I have no doubt. Incidentally, Rixie – I’m hoping you break my record.”

Rixie chuckled. “It was an honor just to tie you, sir.”

“You’re retired now, you know, and a retired flag at that. You can call me Teustus.”

“No, I can’t,” Rixie laughed. “But I appreciate the offer. Safe flight, Navarchos.”

“And to you. And best of luck to Iron Maiden – in whatever is to come,” he said, warmly.

“Thank you,” Rixie said. “For everything.”

“Thank you for proving me right,” Zyn said. “Zyn out.”

He closed the channel, and sighed. He knew exactly what she was going through. He probably was the only person alive who could. But as impetuous as Rixie Tam could be, the girl had always been razor-sharp. He knew damn well that she’d land on her feet.
* * *

“Felltree entering the arena now – she’s a lot less animated than she was in the first two rounds, don’t you think, Chei?”

“She is, Horot,” Chei Obom said. “But then, this is her toughest match yet. Sure, she’s through to the playdowns, but she wants to get the draw with Reefsman, guarantee herself the top seed. Not just because it gives her a better draw in the round of 16, but because it will go a long way toward proving she belongs here.”

“Indeed,” Horot Chaete said. “Let’s recap for those of you out there watching – Felltree is through to the round of 16, and clinches the group with a draw. Reefsman is into the round of 16 with a draw, and clinches the group with a win. But even a loss probably sends Reefsman through; he will only be eliminated outright with a sweep by both Felltree and PuppetMaster in her match with Deliverance. Incidentally, that match is in progress, PuppetMaster is up 1-0 in the second round – you can watch that live on our sister feed, Imperial Feed 889.”

“Looks like the draw here is space, sea, land, air, Horot.”

“Felltree has done well in space rounds, can she carry that momentum here?”

“Doubt it. She hasn’t played Reefsman yet, and I’m sure he wants to rebound from that surprise draw with PuppetMaster.”

“All right, tone sounds and we are underway,” Horot said.

Horot Chaete would talk for the next seven hours, noting when Felltree won the second round to clinch the top seed, noting that PuppetMaster had done everything she could, sweeping Deliverance. His call picked up when Felltree won round three, guaranteeing PuppetMaster at least a combat round for the chance to move on. And as the air round wound on, his call reached a fever pitch.

“This is remarkable. Felltree is toying with the third-ranked player. She’s broken through his second wave of defense, and her bombs are raining down on the target; unless Reefsman can pull out some sort of miracle, he is about to be eliminated! Chei, can you believe this?”

“Horot, after she won the second round, you half-expected Felltree to ease up. She had it in the bag, she didn’t have to push this hard. Maybe in the third round, she caught Reefsman off-guard. But it’s clear she wants Reefsman out of the tourney, and she is going to do everything she can to oust him here, rather than wait for the playdown.”

“Reefsman moving his anti-aircraft artillery, a sound move?”

“His only move,” Chei said. “I have to tell you, I don’t care who you are – Iron Maiden, Spirit, doesn’t matter. Felltree is playing like a force to be reckoned with. She isn’t playing like a first-year player at all.”

“And Felltree has caught Reefsman in his move – she’s moved her bombers to take out the artillery! Didn’t have to do that, but she is going to pound him into submission! And that’s it – she can send her last wave in clear, she has done it, Felltree has swept Reefsman out of the Tribute!”

Horot leaned back, and chuckled. “What a match. Wow. A first-year qualifier, fiftieth-ranked, just made silgas out of the third-ranked player, and she’s going through.”

“And don’t forget, Horot – not just her. PuppetMaster becomes only the second novice to reach the playdown.”

“Yup, that’s huge, and credit PuppetMaster, she did everything she could do. But she owes Felltree a drink after the tribute.”

Felltree waved to the crowd, and shook Reefsman’s hand. The man shook his head, and the microphones caught him saying, “You could have eased up, you know.”

“Yes, I know,” Felltree said, evenly.

Reefsman actually chuckled. “Well, Felltree, next time it won’t be this easy.”

“Looking forward to it, Reefsman,” Felltree said. “Looking forward to it.”

* * *

“So, Goddess Mine, what are you thinking?”

Pryvani stretched, and after a good long moment, looked over at the tiny man sitting on her pillow. “I’m not thinking anything. Not after that.”

“Yes, you are,” Zhan said. “You’re always thinking.” Seeing Pryvani’s expression, he threw up his hands. “I’m not complaining! You wouldn’t be you if you weren’t trying to think four steps ahead all the time. I’m not mad, I’m curious.”

Pryvani grinned. “Well – for the record, I was not thinking about anything during all of that except you. On my father’s grave and the chance my mother could escape prison. Even if I’d wanted to – well, you have gotten very, very good at this.”

“We’ve had a lot of practice,” Zhan said. “But you have something on your mind. What is it?”

“Nothing bad,” she assured him. “Just…Avalon. And Darren.”

“I thought you said it was nothing bad?”

“I’m torn, Zhan. I think he was intrigued. I think he was leaning toward coming out. But he’s into the quarterfinals now. He drew with an elite player, beat a very good one, and he’s made it into the round of eight – well, someone is bound to figure out who’s pulling the strings. And once a human is shown to be good enough to play Tol-Bot….”

Pryvani sighed. “Well, it won’t be enough. Just like Niall wasn’t enough. But it will be another step in the right direction. And those are important.”

“I see,” Zhan said. “All true. But….”

“But if he does well enough…the life of a Tol-Bot champion is much easier than that of a constable on Avalon. I couldn’t fault him if he chose that. And so I find myself worried he’ll do well…and worried he won’t.”

Zhan stood up, and walked over to her chin, which was trickier than one might think. “So what’s the worst thing that could happen?”

Pryvani bit her lip. “Well…Avalon could fall apart.”

“Yes, it could,” Zhan said.

“And Darren Avery could be outed and everyone could hate him.”

“Well, sure, but in that case, he’d probably come to Avalon, don’t you think?”

Pryvani rubbed her eyes. “Honestly, Zhan…don’t tell anyone, but I have no idea if Sgt. Avery can fix Avalon or not. I broke it pretty well.”

Zhan smiled. “No, you cut off our leg so the infection didn’t spread to the rest of the body.”

Pryvani grimaced. “Remind me to get antibiotics into the cities.”

“If the people will take them.”

“Right,” Pryvani said. “I just….”

“Look, most of the damage that’s been done to Avalon was done by Trell and your mom. Yes, that’s gonna make it hard for some of us to work with you, but that’s not the only problem. Part of this is that we’ve never had to lead, we’ve never had to think for ourselves. You’re finally making us, and that hurts, but it hurts less than us sitting around waiting for The Goddess to tell us what to do. I mean, that’s easier. It’s a lot more fun. But if we’re able to run things…we need to run things. Or we’re just pets in a bigger crate. And that means we’re gonna fight, and some people are gonna try to take over by force and others will have to fight them. You were telling me a bit about Sperikos the other day. You have armies, you fight battles. Sad as it is…we need to learn how to do that, too.”

“So are you saying that I shouldn’t bring Sgt. Avery in?”

“No, I’m not. I’m just saying that whether or not he comes, we’re gonna have to figure this out. If he wants to help, we can use the help, and help from a human would be welcomed. But if he wants to stay in the Empire…well, if he doesn’t want to come to Avalon, he’s not going to be much help anyhow.”

“Probably true,” Pryvani said. She eyed the thumb-sized human sitting next to her with a contemplative look on her face. “Zhan,” she queried, shaking her head. “Just when did you become so wise?”

“Oh, you know…went on a quest. Climbed a mountain. Met a goddess. The usual sort of thing.”

Pryvani laughed for a good long while, before she sighed.

“Darling,” she said, “I don’t know what happens next.”

“I know,” he replied. “You don’t have to. You’re not a goddess – except to me.”

She looked down at him, and kissed him softly, a kiss that covered him completely. And then she kissed him again.

And not much more thinking happened after that.

* * *

Rixie watched the screen, mouth agape. She tried to give voice to her rage, but she was so beyond fury that her voice box glitched a few times before it locked on.

“…gorram fegercarber! How dare he…that’s…I just…of all the…gah!”

She got up and began storming about her hotel room, only to pause and turn back. “Gorram…you okay?”

Alex had been napping on Rixie’s right breast toward the end of the grueling match, and he’d been woken up to her shouting, and then he was falling as she stormed off. Fortunately, the drop to the bed wasn’t far, and gravity was low. Still, it was not the best way to wake up.

That said, given Rixie’s mood, Alex felt that this might not be the best time to register a complaint.

“I’ll be fine,” he said, dusting himself off. “What happened?”

“He – just – Daemon – he grabbed the Marionette from PuppetMaster! Grabbed him, like he was just a gorram thing. Then he outed him, but I mean…I just…I’ve never….”

“Rixie, you can’t kill him.”

“No, but I can torpedo his frakking career. It’ll be a warm day on Altes before Iron Maiden faces him. But that’s not what worries me. He’s lodging a challenge. Frakking sour loser. You don’t challenge after you’ve lost, not unless it’s something that affected the very last round. He didn’t have any trouble lining up against a human until he lost.”

Alex was fully awake now. “You think others know?”

“I think most of the competitors do. At least, most of us suspect. Spirit asked me if I thought he was the player after our last match.”

“I thought Iron Maiden didn’t talk to other players.”

Rixie grinned. “Only outside the arena, and only those few players she respects. I respect Spirit. She’s always been tough, and she plays the game the way it’s supposed to be played. Oh, it wasn’t a long conversation, but if she wants to talk to me, she has my padcode.”

“You know her identity?”

“Yeah, she offered to introduce herself after Iron Maiden lost in the ’97 semis. I like her. She’s like me – play hard in the arena, don’t make it easy, don’t give a centiunit – and when the masks are off and the match is done, buy your opponent a drink and congratulate them on a good match.”

“How many do you know?”

“Four of this years’ players, nine total. Well ten…I know Avery, but he hasn’t told me, so I don’t officially know, and if you tell anyone….”

“Yeah, you kill me, I know. Kayfabe.” Alex turned back to the screen, where talking heads were excitedly discussing events. “What do you think will happen?”

“I don’t know,” Rixie said. “I’m gonna see what the committee decides. But if they disqualify PuppetMaster…well, I think Iron Maiden will go home early.”

“You’d drop out?”

Rixie looked at Alex, and knelt down by the bed. “A year ago? Maybe not. But Alex…I couldn’t look you in the eye if I kept playing in a tournament that disqualifies humans.”

“I can barely look you in the eye anyhow,” Alex said with a sardonic smile. “It’s a long way up. Heck, even if I was Titan-sized, you’d be enormous.”

“I can’t help that I’m tall….”

“I’m sorry, did you think I was upset by that? No, Rix. No way. I’m lucky as hell. Just do me a favor.”

“Anything.”

“Don’t ever get that angry with me.”

Rixie smirked. “Well, okay…as long as you don’t do anything to make me that angry.”

“Fuck,” Alex said. “Knew there’d be a catch.”

* * *

Pryvani watched the unfolding events impassively; oh, she intended to destroy Daemon for this, but she wielded a great deal of power. She had come to believe that it was important to wait patiently for the right moment. Alex had once told her of a human saying – “Revenge is a dish best served cold.” She liked it quite a bit.

Besides, Daemon was doing humans a favor, in his oafish way. Someone had to point out who was the brains behind PuppetMaster. She just wished he’d done it in a less confrontational manner.

She began plotting out her possible courses of action. She knew enough about Arcturus Minokus to know that he’d be hesitant to disqualify Darren. Arcturus had been a popular champion in his day, and had a keen sense of what drew people to watch Tol-Bot. He had to know that the possibility of a human competitor would draw viewers, especially if they left the question open. Still, if they disqualified Darren, she’d have to act swiftly. Could she pull Bellona’s sponsorship immediately? Or would it be better to use the possibility as a bargaining chip? She’d need to get a hold of their contract with AMBO. It was afternoon in New Trantor, she could….

“That’s mean!” a small voice piped up.

Pryvani mentally filed away everything she’d been thinking, and turned to the voice’s owner.

“It is mean, isn’t it?” she said.

Thyllia stomped to her sister; she was carrying a piece of paper that she’d decorated, but she wasn’t paying attention to it. Instead she was watching what Pryvani had been watching – the Tol-Bot announcers jabbering about Daemon, and the replay of Daemon stealing the Marionette from PuppetMaster.

“Why did he take Puppet Girl’s friend? He should give him back!”

“Yes, he should. And he will, I’m sure.”

“Could someone take Zhan away from you?” Thyllia asked, crawling up onto the couch and leaning up against her sister.

“Someone tried to once,” Pryvani said. “But he and I fought her until she gave him back.”

“But he’s little!”

“He is,” Pryvani said. “But he’s very brave.”

Thyllia nodded. “Little humans…they don’t get treated right, do they?”

Pryvani smiled. She hadn’t led Thyllia to this. She knew Thyllia had picked up on things she said, but she hadn’t pushed Thyllia to take any position. Thyllia had come to this on her own.

“No, they don’t.”

“Like, Zhan is brave, and he’s smart; he taught me a song they sing in ‘lantis to kids, and it’s funny! It’s about a dodo bird that can’t find its mommy.”

“You like Zhan, don’t you?” Pryvani said.

“Uh-huh. And ‘Phia, too, and Alex, too. They’re all nice. Why aren’t they treated right, just because they’re little?”

Pryvani put her arm around her sister. “People…people aren’t always smart. They see humans, and see that they’re small, and they think, well, they’re small, they can’t be as big or important as Titans.”

“Someone should tell them they’re wrong.”

“People do. But when you’ve made up your mind on something…it’s hard to change it. And once you’ve decided someone isn’t important, you don’t listen to them when they tell you how wrong you are.”

“Like mom did with me,” Thyllia said.

Pryvani looked over at Thyllia; she was looking down when she said it. She had an expression on her face that Pryvani had seen in her mirror many times.

“And me,” Pryvani said.

“Our mom…she’s not a very nice mom, is she?”

Pryvani wanted to tell Thyllia that Syon was misunderstood, or that she had her good points, or that she tried – some kind of banal lie to reassure her sister that their mom really did love her. But Thyllia was as smart as Pryvani had ever been. And her sister, though young, knew Syon exactly as well as she did. Maybe Thyllia didn’t know all the horrors that Syon was capable of. But she knew what Pryvani had learned long ago – there was no soul at the center of Syon.

“She’s a very bad mom,” Pryvani said. “And it’s too bad, because she has a really nice daughter.”

“You are nice,” Thyllia said.

“I was talking about you, silly!” Pryvani said, tousling her sister’s hair. She looked at the paper. “What did you draw?”

“It’s a klipkaer,” Thyllia said. “I know, they don’t have wings,” she sighed, apologetically. “An’ they’re green….”

“Well, sure, most klipkaers are. But the flying ones are purple, everyone knows that,” Pryvani said with a wink.

“An’ they have yellow wings! And they can fly up to mean people, and they say, ‘You stop being mean, or we’ll tell the giant shaars about you.’”

“Giant shaars? Oh, dear. They sound scary,” Pryvani said.

“No, they’re really nice. But mean people think they’re scary, so they listen to the flying klipkaers, and they’re nicer.”

“We need to get a flying klipkaer to visit Daemon, don’t we?” Pryvani said.

“Yeah. But not mom,” Thyllia said.

“Oh? Why not?”

“Because,” Thyllia said, burying her face in Pryvani’s stomach, “I don’t want mom to get scared and take me back and pretend to be nice. I like being with you.”

“I like having you here,” Pryvani said, wiping away a tear. She worried, of course; she had very little idea of how to raise a child, and while her friends had pitched in to help…she was afraid she would screw up Thyllia.

“I love you, Pryvani,” Thyllia said.

“I love you too, Thyllia,” Pryvani replied. And in that moment, she realized that she might screw up – probably would, from time to time. But she loved her sister, and that was more than Syon had ever done for either of them. And as long as they loved each other…the two of them had a chance.

She put her arms around her sister, and hugged her tight. At least until Thyllia began to tickle her.

 

* * *

“You need to settle down, Felltree. The match starts in an hour.”

“If I go out there. Any word yet?”

“No, and why do you care? Win this round, then worry about your opponent in the next.”

Aisell turned to Ameo Opris, her coach, who’d made it to the quarters a few times as Bizarre. “It’s not about my opponent,” she said. “It’s about the integrity of the game.”

“You’re worried that a human will make a mockery of the sport?”

“No, I’m worried a worthy competitor will be disqualified,” Aisell said, not hiding her disgust.

“Interesting,” Opris said. “So you don’t care if the second pillar is bent?”

“The second pillar would have no force if humans were allowed to be citizens. Someday, I hope to see that changed. Until then, it is part of an unjust system, and I support anyone who can find their way around it.”

“But what does it say of the sport that even a human can play it?” Opris asked. “I always thought of this as a great game of strategy and endurance, and here we are, a pet among the final five.”

“So you believe that the Marionette is the player, right?” Aisell said.

“I think so. I don’t think Daemon would have done that if he wasn’t convinced.”

“Okay, well, you’ve played Tol-Bot, and I’ve played Tol-Bot. We both know how tough a game it is. Not everyone can hack it, right?”

“No,” Opris said.

“So if a human can hack it, why do you assume the game is easier than you thought? Why can’t the human just be good at the sport?”

“Well, he’s a human.”

“So what?”

“They’re pets! Klipkaers can’t play Tol-Bot.”

“Klipkaers can’t talk. Humans can. What if they aren’t dumb? What if they’re as smart as us, and we’ve just been ignoring that because it’s easier than admitting the truth?”

Ameo Opris stared at Felltree, then looked down. “That’s ridiculous.”

“Is it? Why? Tol-Bot is a difficult game, and a human has played his way to the semifinals, assuming that he is the real player – that proves they’re as smart as we are. Hells, he’s smarter than Daemon.”

“Well, that’s true,” Opris said. She looked up at Felltree. “I have a couple humans, back home. They’re…they’re not ready to play Tol-Bot. Trust me.”

“Have you shown them the game?” Aisell asked. “You might be surprised.”

Opris shook her head, and sighed. “Well, get your head in the game. If you want to make a stand, it’s in the next round. You have to beat The Executioner first.”

Felltree nodded. “I’m gonna beat The Executioner,” she said, with a slight smile.

“He hasn’t dropped a round all tournament,” Opris said.

Aisell bounced on the balls of her feet. “He will have by the end of the first round.”

Opris looked at her player, and smiled. “That’s the kind of focus I want, kid. I’m heading up to the seats. Crush….”

Opris’s pad chirruped, and she looked at it, and chuckled. “Heh. You got your wish. They denied Daemon’s challenge. Said it wasn’t filed properly.”

“That’s an understatement,” Aisell smirked.

“They’re going to hold the formal announcement until after your match, but it looks like they gave Daemon a handicap in qualifying next year for Untitanlike Behavior. They’ve signaled that if you want to challenge PuppetMaster, should you win this round, you may. You might want to consider it, it would be an easy path to the finals.”

“Gotta win this round first,” Aisell said. “And I don’t want an easy path to the finals. If I get there…I want to earn it.”

“All right,” Opris said. “Go earn it. Crush him, Felltree. See you in there.”

Aisell smiled to herself. Damn right she was gonna crush The Executioner. No way she was going to let Darren go further in the Tribute than she did.

* * *

“The Pain gave an interesting interview just a bit ago.”

“Did he, Crorye?” said the burly man entering the hotel suite. “I missed it. Was out.”

“Hmm. He was his usual laid-back, ditzy self.”

“Aw, man, ditzy? I like to think of him as like, calm and composed. The kind of guy you could share a Hustain with, you know? Approachable.”

Crorye snorted. “Approachable, eh? Custar, I can’t imagine anyone falling for a goofball like that.”

“Yeah, I know,” Custar said with a grin. “Almost as bad as falling for The Trickster. She’d just sit around all day, making sarcastic remarks and stuff.”

“Well, The Pain would give her plenty of reason,” Crorye said, putting her arms around her boyfriend’s neck. “But you’re right…he is very approachable.”

“And the Trickster,” Custar said, “I bet in person, she’s about the sweetest thing there is.”

The two kissed for a good moment, both of them rather enjoying their good fortune. They’d started dating a little less than a year ago – The Trickster upset The Pain in the Aement Invitational, and The Pain – well, he’d been smitten. A girl who could crush him and bounce off his one-liners at the same time? He had to know who she was.

The attraction had been mutual. Oh, both of them were a bit soft around the middle – but that had only added to the allure for both of them. Not to mention the fact that they had both improved their game quite a bit – being able to scrimmage a top-flight player any time you want will do that. Sure, they’d gone out in the round of sixteen, but neither one of them was particularly bothered by it. They were sharing a deluxe suite in Tremarla for another week. It was hard to feel too broken up about having a bit more time together.

“So, how are the kids?” Custar Nilio said, after a blissful while.

“Thought you’d never ask!” a small voice called from the table. “We’re fine, thanks for remembering us!”

Custar laughed at the feigned indignity of the human man. “Itasu, I don’t complain when you and Biaso are kissing!”

“You do too!” Biaso called. “That’s why we usually wait until you guys are asleep, or playing Tol-Bot.”

Crorye chuckled. “Probably smart of you both.”

If anything had cemented the relationship between Custar and Crorye, it was their pet humans. Biaso had been Custar’s, and Itasu had been Crorye’s. They hadn’t set out to find love interests for their humans, but quite frankly, they seemed even happier than their owners. Of course, fourteen months for a human was a long time. They probably felt like they’d been together forever.

“So did you mean what you said?” Biaso asked.

“Did who mean what who said?” Custar chuckled.

“That kayfabe thing is stupid,” Itasu said. “Did The Pain mean what he said in the interview? About humans?”

Custar looked back at his girlfriend, who sighed. “They had a few questions.”

“Well, you know, I did, guys,” Custar said, walking over to the table and sitting down. “I’m pretty sure that the puppet is really the brains behind PuppetMaster. And if so, I lost to a human.”

“And you think he should be able to play?” Biaso asked.

“Yeah, sure, why not? If he’s good enough.”

“So why can’t humans do other things? Like, work, or have our own houses or stuff?” Itasu asked.

“Like I said,” Crorye sighed. “Questions.”

Custar leaned back. “You know, guys, that’s a good question. Crorye, what did you say?”

“I said that it’s because humans are so small,” Crorye said, sitting down next to Custar at the table. “You know, it’s not your fault, it’s just…the world is pretty big.”

“Well, what if there was a place built human-sized?” Biaso asked.

“Yeah. Like the habitat, only for a bunch of different humans?” Itasu added.

Custar stroked his chin. “Well….”

“I mean, you guys both play Tol-Bot, and you’re really good, and there’s a human who’s better than Custar, so why shouldn’t other humans get to play Tol-Bot, or sell things, or write stories or stuff?” Biaso demanded.

“Well, your grammar ain’t perfect,” Custar replied, “but that’s not it. It’s…well…I mean, it’s been like this a long time….”

“So?” Itasu asked.

“So….” Crorye shrugged. “I’ve got nothing.”

Custar looked down at the humans, and sighed. “I dunno, guys. I mean, I never thought a human could beat me at Tol-Bot, but I’m pretty sure one did. And Crorye isn’t totally kidding when she says you’re smarter than me.”

“They have better memories for everything but strategy,” Crorye said. “Certainly, they remember to clean up after themselves.”

Custar looked at the humans a good long time. “Maybe it’s because Titans are stupid, and don’t listen to their humans enough. I mean…you guys, I never made Biaso do tricks or nothin’. It didn’t seem right. And there’s that…I mean…some Titan owners….”

“Neither one of you made us have sex with you,” Itasu said. “Is that what you’re saying?”

Crorye laughed at the directness of the question. “Well, no. I mean…I know some people do. It didn’t….”

“It didn’t feel right,” Custar said. “Probably because you and I both knew it, deep down, Crorye.”

“Knew what?”

“Biaso. Itasu. It wouldn’t be right to force them to do any of that. ‘Cause they’re people.”

Crorye looked at Custar a long time, before she nodded. “Yes,” she said. “They are. You are. Gorram.” She swallowed. “What…so…but what….”

Custar looked at the humans. Not his pets. They were his friends. His family. As much as Crorye was. “Guys, I don’t know what…I don’t know if other people would see it the way Crorye and I do. I mean, it’s…you guys are awesome, and smart, and funny, and….”

Itasu looked at Biaso. “Tell the truth, Custar,” he said, “neither do we. We don’t…I mean, it’s not like we want to leave.”

Biaso nodded emphatically. “Yeah! You’re our friends. We like staying with you. We like both of you, a lot. We don’t want to go live somewhere else. It just….”

Itasu sighed. “It would be nice if we could, you know? Not that we would…just that….”

Custar nodded. He looked over at Crorye. “As far as I’m concerned…you could. Don’t know how, exactly. But if you two ever wanted to go, live life on your own…Crorye and I would hate it, but….”

“If you ever want to leave,” Crorye said, “we will help you. I don’t know how, but all four of us are smart, we could find a way. But…there are millions…Custar, it’s too big to wrap my brain around. What are we doing?”

Custar leaned back. Some Tol-Bot competitors adopt personas that are completely different than their own, but Custar was the same laid back, friendly, gregarious guy outside the arena as inside it. It came in handy at times like this, when the universe seemed to have tilted 45 degrees.

“It’s too big for any one person to fix. Maybe the Emperor. Or Pryvani Tarsuss, someone like that. We can’t do it on our own,” he said. “But you’re right – it’s not just Itasu and Biaso. I mean, you guys, that professor, the Marionette…you can’t be the only ones. Lots of humans deserve to be free. Gotta be someone out there working on that. We can donate money. Maybe The Pain and The Trickster can support it now and then, you know?”

Crorye nodded. “All right,” she said. “And as for you guys…well, we’ll make a deal. You can stay with us as long as you want, and we’ll try to treat you as equals. Not saying we’ll be good at it….”

“No, you guys already are!” Itasu said. “You remember when you wanted to move in together – you didn’t just do it and make us do it to. You asked us what we thought. If we liked the idea.”

“And…I mean, Itasu was a big draw….” Biaso said with a grin.

“Yeah, but that’s…we heard you talking, one time, you had a fight. The big fight.”

Custar rubbed his hand over his face. There’d been precisely one “big fight,” and he’d been in the wrong – at least for the most part. “Yeah,” he said. “I know the one you’re talking about.”

“And he’s forgiven,” Crorye said. “You are, Custar. Promise.”

“I know,” Itasu said, “but – I remember what you both agreed. About us. You didn’t think we were awake…but you were loud, you woke us up.”

Custar looked at his girlfriend. “I’m sorry about that. But…you mean about you two? Well…yeah. I mean, when we calmed down, we talked about you guys…and we decided that if you want to be together, even if Crorye and I split up…we’ll let you stay together. It wouldn’t be right to split you up.”

Biaso nodded. “Right. Lots of Titans wouldn’t have thought about that. You thought about how we’d feel. You wanted us to be able to decide.”

Itasu nodded. “We don’t want you to split up. We like you both. But that…that meant so much to us. It meant…it meant you didn’t just see us like your vidscreen, or your Tol-Bot stuff.”

“You aren’t,” Crorye said. “You’re our friends. And we want you to be with us as long as you want to be with us. We love you.”

“Well, yeah,” Itasu said. “We love you too. I mean, you didn’t make us have sex with you….”

“…it was all your idea. And you’re good at it,” Custar said. “In fact…I don’t have much going on the rest of the day. Crorye?”

“Nope,” his girlfriend said with a smile. “Itasu?”

“I’m free,” he said. “BIaso?”

“I’m very busy,” the human joked. “But I’ll make some time.”

* * *

“What’s she doing?” Alex asked, as Rixie gasped.

“She’s resigning,” Rixie said, leaning forward. “Like The Biologist did against The Oncoming Storm back in 2020.”

 

Rixie wiped a tear away – just one.

“You okay, Rix?”

“There’s a competitor who understands the sport,” she said, nodding to the vidscreen. “It’s not just about winning. It’s about winning with honor. No honor in making the Marionette’s titan prop fight for him, no honor in fighting him and squashing him like a bug. But there is honor in recognizing that; honor in allowing him through.” She smiled. “In 2020, The Oncoming Storm was ill and frail, but mentally sharp. He played the Biologist to a draw in the quarters; she refused combat, out of respect to the past champion. The Oncoming Storm won his third title that year, and died two months later. The Biologist would go on to win two Tributes herself.”

Rixie smiled. “Felltree’s good enough to win someday, but if this is as far as she ever goes…well, she’ll be remembered by the players who matter as a combatant who was true to the game.”

“So you’re facing the Marionette?”

“Looks like it,” Rixie said. “And don’t try to tell me to go easy on him.”

“Nah, kick his butt. But Rix…what happens if you draw with him?”

Rixie looked down at the human, and blinked. “Gorram,” she said, quietly. “I had not thought about that. I guess I’d better just beat him outright.”

“He’ll have something to say about that, I bet.”

“He will,” Rixie nodded. Her opponent had gotten more and more polished as the tournament had gone along. She was better than him, but he had a puncher’s chance of getting a round or two off her. And if he got two….

She couldn’t concede. Honor or no, it was the final. You don’t concede the final unless you’re down 3-0.

“If he ties me,” Rixie said. “I need to fight him.”

“You mean her?”

“No,” Rixie said. “I’ve seen him play. He’d want to fight me himself. I don’t want to fight his friend.”

“Won’t be very fair.”

Rixie nodded, then smiled. “Could be,” she said. “Depending on how fast Pryvani can rig something up.”

“You mean – oh! Think they’d allow it?”

“If they don’t, I walk off the floor, and withdraw my support for the Tribute.”

Alex smiled. “And if they do – you’d better kick his ass.”

“I will,” Rixie said. “Now…how about a bath?”

* * *

Aisell was still in costume, still in the players’ area, when she was summoned.

She sighed. She knew this was probably inevitable.

She didn’t regret withdrawing. Well, not exactly. Part of her had wanted to go on. A match with Iron Maiden…that was everything she’d dared hope for. Losing to Iron Maiden would be a dream come true. Playing her with the title on the line? It was a lot to give up. And she was playing as well as she ever had. Iron Maiden was playing well as usual, but she was beatable. And beating Iron Maiden in her first tribute….

But while she lamented it, she knew she was right. She didn’t know if Eyrn would have let Darren stay in the ring against her, or if Eyrn would have stepped in herself…and she didn’t care. Darren would have fought her with everything he had, and lost as soon as she could locate him and pin him. Eyrn would have fought gallantly, and who knows, could even have scored a lucky win – Eyrn was a bundle of will – but she would have done so in Darren’s place. Once more, a Titan standing in for a human.

There would have been slightly more honor in beating Darren in combat, but only slightly. She knew her history. She had been prepared for this decision from the moment Darren beat Daemon. She would much rather have beat him, and if she had been smarter in the space round, she would have…although, to be fair, he’d played very well that round. He’d earned his draw.

She stayed in costume, and walked down the corridor to the meeting room, where her coach was waiting. Ameo Opris shook her head. “You’re an idiot,” she said.

Aisell laughed. “I played with honor. You would have squashed the human like a bug?”

“You should have challenged! He shouldn’t even have been playing!”

“I’m not Daemon,” Aisell said. “That human came back and tied me. He’s almost as good as I am. And today, almost was good enough for a draw. He deserved to be out there.”

Opris shook her head, and pressed the buzzer. The door slid open.

Alyc Opysachichi said in the room, pacing nervously. He was a short and slight Titan with a bald pate and a nervous air; that said, he was possessed of keen business acumen, which had allowed him to rise to president of Bellona.

“There you are. Close the door,” he said to Opris. “Emperor’s taint, we have a chance for an all-Bellona final, and this is how you behave? Felltree, how could you just quit?”

“I didn’t quit. I withdrew,” Aisell said.

Opysachichi threw up his hands. “Tol-Bot players. Criminy, why did I take the transfer to Bellona? I could have stayed in Cybertainment. Actors are so much easier to work with than you lot. Well, I have to tell you, the bonus for reaching the semis requires you to actually complete the match. We’re not going to….”

The door buzzed. Alyc started. He walked over, and pressed the speaker.

“This room is occupied. If….”

“Ah, Mr. Opysachichi! Excellent, I was hoping you were talking to her. Please, let me in!”

Alyc’s face went white. He’d met CEO of the parent company a few times, but having her just pop in….

The door opened, and Pryvani Tarsuss swept into the room, and ignoring her underling, headed straight for Felltree. “Marvelous, dear, simply marvelous! Deciding not to fight someone the size of your finger – why, that’s just tremendous sportsmanship, that’s what I told the Emperor – tremendous!”

Aisell stared for a moment; it wasn’t every day the richest and most powerful woman alive complimented you. Still, she rolled with it. “Well…Senator…that’s really kind of you to say. I’m not sure Mr. Opysachichi saw it the same way.”

“Oh, of course he did,” Pryvani said. “I mean, I’m sure he must have. Didn’t you, darling?”

“Uh…well…I mean…that is….”

Alyc Opysachichi swallowed hard.

“Of course I did!” he said, forcing a smile. “Like I was about to say, the bonus requires you to complete the match, but we’re not going to enforce that down to the letter. Sportsmanship, you know…important.”

“Exactly. And while I’ve got to run – having drinks with the Empress, really no time to talk – but your next contract with Bellona is going to reflect this. You’re the type of player I like to sponsor, Felltree. Someone who’s pretty, and good, and plays fair. Now, you’ll take care of all the legal stuff, right, Alyc?”

“Of course, Lady Tarsuss,” he said.

“Wonderful! Well, it’s lovely to meet you, Felltree. Alyc, come with me, I have a few questions. Some expenditures I don’t understand, maybe you can explain them. I could be confused….” she said, whisking him out the door.

Opris had been standing, gobsmacked, by the door to the changing area. Aisell turned to her, and smiled. “Well,” she said, “I should probably go change, shouldn’t I?”

Opris nodded dumbly, and led Aisell back to her dressing room. When she regained her voice, she said, “I’m sorry I called you an idiot. I…you know, I never got this close.”

“It’s okay,” Aisell said. “There’s part of me that thinks I was an idiot. Always will be. I’m just glad it’s not the biggest part.”

* * *

“Senator Tarsuss, it’s delightful to see you as always.”

“Your Honor, thank you so much for making the time, I know how busy you must be,” Pryvani said, gliding into the temporary offices of the Grand Diatati.

Arcturus Minokus smiled, and gestured to a seat. “Nonsense,” he said. “I can always make time for the owner of our biggest sponsor. How might I be of service?”

Pryvani smiled. “Well, you see, it’s about the human in the final.”

Minokus kept his expression level. “Officially, there’s no human in the final.”

Pryvani nodded. “Of course. And yet, PuppetMaster withdrew, you know, because she didn’t want to fight him – it was very sportsmanlike, you know – and you know, it’s funny, I just….”

“Senator,” Arcturus said, “let’s make a deal. I’ll admit that the human is the combatant, if you’ll drop the airhead act for a minute. We’re both busy; let’s cut to the chase.”

Pryvani grinned. “All right,” she said, dropping the façade, “you know that Iron Maiden will be leery of fighting a human, and unwilling to fight his Titan minder.”

“I think that’s likely. We’re exploring options to make sure it doesn’t come to that. Maybe a Cataclysm match.”

“Even they can be tied,” Pryvani said. “And what if it ends in combat? What then?”

Minokus spread his arms wide. “I’ve got no idea.”

“I do,” Pryvani said. “And Bellona will set it up for free.”

“Tol-Botnik won’t be happy about that.”

“They don’t have access to hard light holos. I do.”

Minokus leaned forward. “Hard light – you’re suggesting we scale up the human? Holographically, I mean?”

“Yes,” Pryvani said. “Just to his proportionate size if he was a Titan. And then let him and Iron Maiden battle it out.”

Minokus leaned back. “The question is whether Iron Maiden would accept it.”

“She would more than accept it,” Pryvani said. “This was her idea.”

Minokus’ eyebrows shot up. “What do you mean?”

“We sponsor her, you know. She contacted me after the end of the last match. She said that she respected Felltree’s decision, and that should the final end in a draw, she wanted to win with honor. That means fighting the player, not the prop.”

Minokus nodded. “All right,” he said. “Well, Emperor willing, it won’t come to that. But if it does…I can’t make this ruling by myself. And I don’t know as it’s wise to rule preemptively….”

“If I need to sell it, Arcturus, I will be happy to do so.”

Minokus smiled. “Well, if it ends in a tie, call my pad. You have the number, I assume.”

“Of course,” Pryvani said. “Thank you for your time.”

“Not at all,” Arcturus said. He frowned briefly, and said, “Senator…does Bellona have any problem with the human competing?”

“We would have a problem if he wasn’t,” Pryvani said.

Arcturus nodded. “Thought as much. Don’t worry,” he said. “We’ll make sure he’s eligible going forward.”

Pryvani’s reaction was inscrutable, but she said, simply, “Thank you, your honor.”

* * *

Rixie watched her opponent patiently, doing her best to ignore the roar of the crowd.

She hadn’t adopted the Iron Maiden persona just to intimidate opponents – though it worked well for that purpose. Really, she hadn’t adopted it for any reason other than that she couldn’t come up with a better persona, but once she’d tried it, she found it to be perfect for her.

Rixie knew herself. She knew she could get too keyed up if she didn’t force herself to remain calm. She didn’t need the help now, but she had as a kid, when she first tried playing professionally. And her ability to calm herself now was due in no small part to her training for this role – the tranquil fury that was the Iron Maiden.

By forcing herself to remain outwardly calm, she forced herself to remain inwardly calm. Forced herself to stay focused. Forced herself to remain steady. Forced herself to not overreact, to keep her focus on the strategy, on the game. To not allow herself to get swept up in the emotion of it all. There would be time for that, time to stand in the center of the arena, feeling the crowd’s approval washing through her. But not yet. Not yet.

The announcer name-checked the important people, before getting down to business. The crowd hushed, and she looked at the board, waiting for it to populate with information.

“Tonight’s Grand Tribute,” the announcer called, “will be a Cataclysm Showdown!”

Rixie felt her head tilt involuntarily in surprise, though she caught herself before she displayed any more emotion. Clearly, they thought Darren Avery was her opponent, too. They didn’t want combat. She allowed herself just one moment to sigh at the effort she and Pryvani had wasted.

She liked her chances as the board populated. It was always fun, playing the Insectoid side. None of that pesky insubordination from the AI. If she told them to fly into Sol Earth, they’d do it unblinkingly. It’s what made the Insectoids so terrifying – and conversely, why Rixie believed the Insectoids would never truly compete with the Empire.

Still, as she studied it, she began to feel uneasy. At first, she wasn’t sure why; she was in a good position. Her first instinct had not been wrong – she liked her chances.

She liked them just a little too much.

It was subtle. She couldn’t be sure. That was probably by design, she thought. A major imbalance, a major advantage – that would be seen clearly by everyone. This was more subtle. Her hive ship was a bit larger than any that had ever been seen, but not so much so that it would be impossible. Her forces were a bit stronger than war gamers would expect them to send, but not so much so that it was absurd. Saturn happened to be swung around toward Sol Hive Prime in its orbit, but of course, it always could be.

But it was lined up to give her the dominant position. If two equal players played this out, the insectoid side would win the vast majority of the time. She couldn’t be sure of that, but she strongly suspected it.

Her mask hid her fury, and she was somewhat sorry for that. This was an insult to her, and an insult to him. She was good enough to beat him on her own, she was good enough to beat anyone on her own. She didn’t need someone tilting the playing field in her direction. And he – he deserved a level playing field. She could beat him, she felt sure, but he deserved a fair chance. This was not a fair chance.

For a split second, she considered withdrawing, demanding a reset, calling attention to the potential imbalance. But she looked across the arena, and was glad the mask hid her smile. The Marionette was having his “PuppetMaster” cut his strings. He probably thought the field was tilted, too, and he was going against her, to boot. He knew this would be a desperate struggle. He knew what he was up against. So he wasn’t going to pretend. He was going to give it everything he had.

It was so very human.

A Titan might have worried about appearances, or that his opponent might call for the match official to stop the battle, that it might rebound against his friend and prop. A Titan might have been angry about the way the battle was set up, the way the odds tilted toward her. But he knew the odds, he knew how tough it would be…and he was going to fight with everything he had.

He was a human, and humans were used to it. Getting out of bed in this Empire was a fight for them, and every day, the odds were tilted against them.

Rixie studied the board. No, she wouldn’t withdraw. After she won, she would demand another match with him, one on a level playing field. But she would do him the honor of respecting his tenacity. She would play him today. He was a worthy opponent. It would be an honor to crush him into dust.

* * *

The crowd roared as the match rolled along. One spectator in particular had quite enjoyed the early parts of the match, but her attention had waned a bit as the action flagged, and she was currently wandering around the Imperial Box.

“So who are you cheering for, dear?” a voice asked. She turned, and looked up at a tall, fortyish woman, with long black hair and a tiara woven into her hair.

“I like Puppet Girl – well, her friend, I mean. Don’t tell anyone,” Thyllia said, whispering, “but he’s the real player.”

“I’ll be sure to keep it quiet,” the Empress said with a smirk. “So you like humans?”

“Uh-huh,” Thyllia said, sneaking a glance back at the action. “Pryvani has a few friends who are humans. They’re nice.”

“I agree,” Rajenlif said, kneeling down to Thyllia’s level. “You know, my oldest daughter has a friend who’s a human. But don’t tell anyone. It’s our secret.”

“Okay,” Thyllia said with a grin. “You’re nice, Empress, but I knew you would be.”

“Oh?” Rajenlif said. “And why is that?”

“My mommy didn’t like you. And if my mommy didn’t like someone, that means they’re probably pretty nice.”

Rajenlif was nonplussed for a moment, but the man walking up to her burst out laughing. “Young Lady Fand, you are a truly good judge of character. I am sorry about your mother, though,” he said.

“That’s okay, Emperor. My sister is really nice. She likes to play, and she colors with me, and she reads to me at night, and…she’s super-awesome,” Thyllia said.

“You’re right, Tiernan,” Rajenlif said. “Thyllia is a good judge of character.”

* * *

“This is tuppshaka, is what it is,” Aisell said, pacing.

“What do you mean?” Aezhay said, pouring a shot of royal berry schnapps; she knew the Tribe was making it rather constantly, but she still paused as she realized this was enough for…well, the whole damn Tribe.

“I mean they’ve set it up for Iron Maiden. It’s ridiculous. Ridiculous! I swear…I…um…I know some people….” Aisell said, walking away.

Meanwhile, Aisell’s younger sister’s hesitation had not gone unnoticed. “Tall as Tree, you don’t have to worry. We are happy to share.”

Aezhay shrugged, and downed it. The Tribe knew how to live, she thought.

“So those are supposed to be space ships?” Quendra asked with a sigh. It was polite to visit the neighbors to watch this sporting event, at least that’s what Luke said, and so she was trying her best to remain diplomatic, which did not come naturally to her. Still, she was starting to get a sense of the thing, even as she struggled to keep up with the dizzying array of concepts that kept assaulting her.

“Yes, Iron Maiden is playing as the insectoids, attacking Titan,” Degu Rockfist said.

“So that’s what Titan looks like?” Drugar asked. “Kind of dull.”

“It’s pretty on the surface, in its own way,” Luke said with a shrug. “You wouldn’t want to live there. It’s so cold that air freezes.”

“Yes, yes, you’ve said,” Quendra said. “I’m wondering why Iron Maiden isn’t using those. Is this a rope-a-dope?”

“Rope-a-dope?” Degu said. “What does that mean?”

“Something Quendra knows all about,” Luke said. “When she fought Kumn….”

“Wait, wait,” Aisell said, looking hard at the screen. “You…Quendra…you’re right,” she said. “Why isn’t she bringing in that wing? She could. She should. No reason to play tupp; she’s got him badly outnumbered. So if she isn’t attacking….”

Her jaw dropped. “Emperor’s balls. She sees it too. She sees it too.”

“Sees what too?” Luke said.

“She sees it’s a set-up. She sees they gave her the advantage! And she isn’t playing it!” Aisell paused, and looked at the silent competitor, who was watching her controls carefully. “Gorram. Well done, champ.”

“What do you mean?” Lezah said.

“So you’re saying she isn’t taking the unfair advantage?” Quendra said, leaning forward herself.

“Right. She’s keeping it even. She’s giving him a fair shot.”

“Do you think…does she know?” Degu said. “About…about the Marionette?”

“She has to,” Aisell said, “and she’s playing him fair. She’s….”

At that moment, a healthy portion of Titan’s atmosphere disappeared in a violent explosion, and Aisell laughed outright. “Oh, gods…more than fair now.”

She was aware of the background chatter, but she tuned it out as she watched the match’s denouement. Darren had this. He had this. Iron Maiden had been too fair. The clock ticked down. She had brought the residual forces in, but too late, too late….

* * *

Rixie slammed her fist into the console. Gorram, he was too good! She’d been playing for a tie, and if he hadn’t pulled that sequence off just right, they’d be looking at one. She’d been prepared to warp the hive ship out as she destroyed the station; it would be a reasonable move, as any tactician would know their force was insufficient to hold Titan, let alone attack Earth. If people questioned, she would say four words about honor; if pointed correctly, it would serve as an indictment.

But none of this would matter if she actually lost. And while it would be a fair loss – she knew it, she had balanced things, but he had outplayed her despite still being at a slight disadvantage – well…she wanted to fight the Marionette fair. And beat him.

She searched the console, and suddenly, she saw it. The hive ship didn’t have to warp out. There was another way….

She executed the command, and stood back, staring at her opponent, trying to read him. He was exhausted, and stunned – he had been so close, it had to hurt.

But despite his exhaustion, she could read his bearing. He wasn’t upset. He wasn’t angry. He was tired, but he was unbowed.

She smiled beneath her armor. She would have expected nothing less. And now, at last, they could meet as equals.

* * *

“So why did she do that?” Degu asked, as he and Aisell sat in the kitchen. The contingent from the Tribe was stealing a nap, save for him. Degu was still dazzled by the Tribe, still trying to figure everything out, but he was heartened to have been welcomed to them, especially once he met Tavas the Defender, whose skull had a slight indentation on the left side from where it had been struck by a rock-wielding human pet a few years ago. Tavas was friendly, though, and even laughed about it; he said his only problem was that he had trouble talking – well, he hadn’t said it that clearly, but though his speech was imperfect, it did the job, and he said he understood everything fine. He had said, “Was…fault…Tavas fault. Rockfist wanted…not to come.”

Degu would have felt bad, but Tavas’ wife, Pytae the Cook, was skilled at interpreting for Tavas when his speech got frayed, and she assured Degu that Tavas had never been much for talking before the injury, and frankly, he appreciated the excuse to be quiet. It was clear that she loved Tavas quite a bit, as did their daughter, and he was still a skilled defender, even if they didn’t need to defend themselves against much anymore.

“It was her only move,” Aisell shrugged. “A draw or a loss. She took the draw. Can’t blame her, I guess. Especially since she could have crushed him hours ago.”

“It looked like she was a bad loser,” Degu said.

“Yeah, it did,” Aisell said. “I’m sure some people will think that. But if it had been reversed, I hope I would have done the same thing. A champion doesn’t simply give up.”

“So now what? Does she have to fight Er…uh…PuppetMater?” Degu said, shaking his head at his near slip-up.

“No, I don’t think so,” Aisell said. “You know the Marionette as well as I do. You know he’s not going to let her fight this fight for him.”

“So he’ll be crushed.”

“Well…virtually, I suppose. Not literally. But yeah, he will be. Unless Iron Maiden does what Felltree did, and I don’t expect her to.”

Degu looked at Eyrn, and grinned sheepishly. “You know…I thought Felltree was pretty,” he said.

Aisell did a double-take. “You…you aren’t…Degu, I….”

“No, no,” Degu said with a laugh. “I thought Felltree was, but you’re…you’re Aisell. It would be weird. But…Felltree…I was really proud of what she did. It was amazing. And unless Iron Maiden does that…she’ll never be the player Felltree is,” Degu said, hoping he’d managed to state that in fluent Kayfabe.

Aisell smiled, and found herself tearing up, just a bit. “That means a lot, Degu,” she said, tousling his dreadlocks. “And I’ll tell you this. What you’re doing? It’s brave beyond anything Felltree’s ever had to do.”

“Hey, Ais – they’re making an announcement!” called Lezah.

* * *

“Welcome back,” the Emperor said as an Imperial Senator slipped back into the box. “I believe my wife may have stolen your sister.”

“Oh, my,” Pryvani said. “I’m sorry – Zhan was going to watch her, with Alex’s help. I mean, they’re small, but….”

“Oh, Zhan did a fine job, and Thyllia listened to him very well. It’s just that Rajenlif has missed having a daughter around.”

“What about Vallero?”

“She’s fifteen,” Tiernan said with a grin and a shrug, as if it explained everything.

Pryvani looked back at Thyllia, who was talking to Rajenlif about the colors of Herekleos. “So much to look forward to,” she said.

“Yes, there is,” he said. “Even fifteen. You will do fine. And Thyllia is a fine girl. I find it nearly impossible to believe you both are related to the woman who just moved into my dungeon.”

Pryvani nodded. “If you ever wish to take the Tarsuss name as penalty for her crimes, Your Imperial Majesty, I won’t protest.”

Tiernan laughed. “And why would I do that? Her daughter is a true blue defender of the Empire. And someone I am proud to call my friend. Now, I see you solved the problems of AMBO?”

“I hope so,” Pryvani said.

“Excellent. Holographics. A very fine idea. And I’m glad you had a plan in place, because had you not, I was going to have to butt in and make something up on the fly, and we’re all better off that I didn’t have to,” Tiernan said with a grin.

“Believe it or not, your majesty, it was Iron Maiden’s idea.”

“Well. That doesn’t surprise me. She’s always been smart. She was a good hire for you,” Tiernan said.

Pryvani looked out at the preparations, then looked back. Tiernan was beaming. “What?” he said. “You’re not the only one with connections, you know.”

Pryvani smiled back. “No your highness. I suppose I’m not.”

* * *

“Oh, gorram – rookie mistake, D…arrionette,” Aisell groaned, barely maintaining kayfabe in her frustration.

It had been there for him. Right there. He had her! And he celebrated too early.

She sighed, and chuckled.

“So who wins?” Quendra asked. She had napped and gotten up for the fight, which she had found to be very interesting indeed. The Marionette would make a good defender, she thought. He had bravery and fighting skill. Of course, so did the Iron Maiden; she wondered if the Titan was a defender for her people. She was impressive in battle.

“They both ‘died,’ so it will come down to points. Who fought better. They’ll look at the computer scoring and ensure it’s accurate, but I think it’s Iron Maiden by a shaar’s whisker,” Aisell said.

“Damn it,” Luke said. “So close.”

“Close enough,” Drugar replied. “Your people – they have to have seen that given the chance, our people can match them.”

“My people are idiots,” Aisell said. “Should be obvious, but it won’t be.”

* * *

Rixie laughed inside the suit, unable to see anything, but feeling the roar of the crowd reverberating through it. Oh, that was fun. The best combat sims couldn’t have matched that. She wasn’t sure she’d ever faced a Titan who had given her as much of a challenge. She hoped he would come to Avalon. She wanted the chance to fight him again.

Yes, he’d made a rookie mistake – the only reason she’d won. (She didn’t wonder how the diatitis would score it; she had beaten him, by her quick reckoning, by less than five points, but she’d beaten him.) She couldn’t fault him for making a rookie mistake; he was a rookie, after all. He would learn from that, and if he played again he would be an even more fearsome competitor.

He would not face her, though. Not in the Tribute. She thought, perhaps, that she would still fight the Champion’s Challenge this year; she could call him out and battle him again. And if he came to Avalon, she would hope they would have the chance to scrimmage often. But this was the way to go out. On top, after the fiercest fight of her career.

The restrictions clicked off, and she could see the arena again. It was the last time she’d be here. She got up, and smiled. Yeah, this was right; she was proud of her record, but she didn’t need this anymore. She had Alex’s love. She would never tell him this, because he’d tease her mercilessly, but that meant far more to her than the adulation of the crowd ever could.

She looked across at her opponent as her victory was announced. She considered, for just a second, claiming Darren as her property, just for the sheer absurdity of it. But she demurred. No, she would meet him after the Tribute concluded, and introduce herself – her real self. And she would try to sell him on Avalon. Because Avalon needed someone with Darren Avery’s fire, his guts, his perseverance. He couldn’t do it alone, of course; none of them could, not even Pryvani. But he could help, far more than he knew.

* * *

A few months later, the head of security for the Tarsuss Corporation walked into the office of the Grand Diatati.

“Magister-Imperitor Tam,” Minokus said, rising to greet the tall young woman. “A pleasure to see you.”

“Grand Diatati,” Rixie said, with a nod. “I’m surprised you would say that, given my communication.”

“Not at all.” Minokus gestured to the chair opposite his desk. “You said nothing in that message that I was unaware of, and your concern that I was involved in it…well, I cannot blame you for wondering.”

“So you weren’t?” Rixie asked, half-pointedly, half-with-relief.

“No. No, I did not realize it until the match was underway. Thankfully, Iron Maiden fought with restraint and honor. It was Doni Gallet who made the adjustments.”

“Gallet? Really? Didn’t he realize the potential ramifications?”

Minokus sighed. “Bigotry and prejudice will motivate people to do many foolish things. I think you know that better than I, Imperator.”

“So why not fire him? Why not tell people why?” Rixie asked, though she knew the answer.

“I would like to, but it would call into question the integrity of the game. You know its history. You know it has not always been fair. I have tried to ensure that it will be going forward, and I believe I have succeeded, for the most part, but this…it could undo so much.” Minokus sighed. “I do not wish to sacrifice the game. Perhaps that makes me weak, but it is the truth.”

He looked down for a moment, then looked up at the imposing woman sitting across from him – a woman who would have been imposing even without her height advantage. “I do not want to sacrifice the game, Imperator,” he said, “but if by choosing this path, I have forced Iron Maiden into retirement, if choosing this path has made her leave the game, then I want you to know that I will call a press conference tomorrow, and announce not just the firing of Gallet, but my resignation as well. You have every right to be insulted. Every right. And if you were not a player with your skill and talent, a grave injustice would have been done. As it is, I am still unsure if we did right by you or your opponent.”

Rixie gave Minokus the barest hint of a smile. “You did not. But that is not why I’m leaving the game. It may have solidified my decision, but I knew before the match that this would be my last Tribute.”

Minokus shook his head. “I am so very sorry,” he said, “that you had to go out like that.”

“It’s all right,” Rixie said. “I met with the Marionette. We discussed the set-up, but we are both comfortable that our skills were matched evenly enough that we may well have drawn an even match, and the combat…well, the closeness of our skill in combat speaks for itself. I believe I earned my win. My concern is more with how my opponent was treated.”

“On that note, I have good news,” Minokus said. “We’ll be sending out the post-Tribute rule guide soon. We can’t change the second pillar – there isn’t support for that, not yet, though maybe some day. But we have entered an official judgment that as PuppetMaster was not challenged by a semifinalist and a champion, her standing as a competitor has been vouchsafed; any further challenges are to be summarily dismissed. As a corollary, the ruling states for the record that the PuppetMaster’s identity is to be verified through the Marionette; so long as he is the same human we have recorded in our logs, he can play with literally any Titan, Ler, Dunnermac, or Avartle he wishes as his ‘puppet master.’” Minokus sighed. “Perhaps not full equality…but the entire Empire knows who is the fighter behind PuppetMaster. It is a start.”

“It is,” Rixie said. “And Grand Diatati, I am very glad to hear that you were not involved. I do wish, however, there was a way for Gallet to get punished without harming the league.”

“Oh, Imperator, there most certainly is. Mr. Gallet already has lost access to all trade secrets, and he will be resigning in the very near term to spend more time with his family. The only reason he hasn’t yet is that he is purchasing a home on Neith, it is taking him some time to make arrangements. He wishes to be en route there when the announcement comes.”

“Neith?” Rixie said, furrowing her brow. “Why would he go to Neith? There’s barely 100,000 people there.”

“Well, it’s funny, we had a conversation two weeks ago, Mr. Gallet and I. I asked him if he knew how much was bet on the Iron Maiden-PuppetMaster final. A billion credits, just on Grelau. Tens of billions throughout the Empire. And you know, some of those sportsbooks really took bath on that match. Do you know what they would do to someone who deliberately fixed that match? I don’t, and I’m sure glad I’m not in jeopardy of finding out.”

Rixie grinned. “That…that is vicious, Grand Diatati. So you asked him to resign?”

“I didn’t have to. Of course, he said he thought I was bluffing.”

“Were you?”

Minokus smiled. “What do you think?”

Rixie chuckled. “I think he was wise not to test you.”

“As do I,” Minokus said. “As do I. Well, champion, it has been an honor and a privilege; I doubt we will see a player the likes of you again. And while I know you are employed by Sen. Tarsuss…well, you know as well as I that there is still corruption in this game. Someone with your skill….”

Rixie shook her head, braids softly tracing concordant angles as she did so. “The work I’m doing now…it’s important, Grand Diatati. But I’m honored you asked.”

“Alas,” Minokus said, standing. “Good luck on whatever comes next, champion.”

Rixie grasped his wrist. “And the same to you, champion. As upset as I was…I’m glad someone like you is watching out for the game.”

Rixie had no sooner left the office when her pad buzzed. She picked it up, and sighed. “Boss, are you tailing me?”

“No, dear, I just know how long these things take. So did Minokus tell you who the cheat was?”

“Gallet,” Rixie said. “He’s resigning and moving to Neith.”

“Is he,” Pryvani said. “Interesting.”

“Minokus said that the sportsbooks would be upset with him for fixing the match.”

“Hmmm. Yes, that is true,” Pryvani said.

Rixie paused. “Boss…you own some sportsbooks, don’t you?”

“Well, technically, they’re in receivership; I’m likely going to have to sell them to clear my mother’s debts. But for the moment…yes.”

“Boss, you’re not going to do anything about Gallet….”

“No, no! Of course not. It is good, however, that he’s planning on this course of action. Given his options…exile on Neith would be a very wise decision.”

Rixie sighed. “All right. Well, you know, boss, you did say I was going to get some extra vacation….”

“Yes, I did, and you will. Unfortunately, I need you to come back to Avalon for a little bit before that. I’m concerned about temporary orbital defenses. It will be some time before the Avalonians can handle that; I want you to take a look at what we have.”

Rixie smiled. Alex had already headed back to Atlantis to work on his bar; it wasn’t like she intended to stay far from him for any length of time. And sure, she could request that both of them get some time off, travel a bit…but would it be as fun as playing with orbital phase cannons during the day? And playing with Alex at night?

“Okay, boss,” Rixie said with a grin. “I’ll catch the next shuttle. We’ve got a lot to discuss.”