“We have too many friends,” Alex said, thumbing through his pad on the armrest of the sofa. “Why do you say that?” Rixie asked, as she lounged on the couch, frowning as she read through her fifth attempt at Iron Maiden’s speech for the upcoming Tol-Bot banquet. “Really, it’s just the Archer-Dande-Kramer-Mavoy-Prias. Another wedding invitation …
Category: Birthright
Chapter Nineteen: The Receiving Line Titan: Birthright by D.X. Machina and Johnnyscribe
The autoshuttle cut through a driving rain – well, to the Titans it appeared more like a driving mist, but that’s merely a question of scale – as it banked toward the Palace of the Three Shaars. The usual protocol would have been to have the reception on Rimne, in the Sjedi family estate. But …
Chapter Eighteen: Next in Line Titan: Birthright by D.X. Machina and Johnnyscribe
Once more, Kullervo Throden had been summoned to the Palace of the Three Shaars. This would be about Tursas. What a terrible shock that had been. He was a good man, Lord Sjedi, a good person. More than that, he had been Kullervo’s big cousin, and once Kullervo had settled down and stopped being a …
Chapter Seventeen: I Walk the Line Titan: Birthright by D.X. Machina and Johnnyscribe
Rajenlif walked out of the secure comms room of the ISS Bay of Tuaut and turned to her husband. “We need to return to Jutuneim,” she said. “It’s urgent.” It was a testament to Tiernan’s trust in his wife that before asking any questions, he pushed a button on his desk. “Yes, sovereign?” a voice …
Chapter Sixteen: Cancel Half a Line Titan: Birthright by D.X. Machina and Johnnyscribe
Two Imperial weeks later, Rajenlif was getting ready to leave. It was always bittersweet, getting ready to leave Naesavarna; Rajenlif had long ago come to think of it and Tuaut as co-equal homes, but Naesavarna was always first among the equals, even if the time spent there was somewhat less than that spent in Tuaut. …
Interlude: 2093 MA Titan: Birthright by D.X. Machina and Johnnyscribe
The ISS Gyfjon was finishing a lazy turn at Jupiter, continuing its patrol of the Earth Restriction Zone; there was nothing much to report, other than one of those weird flashes of gamma radiation from Earth. These had worried the military brass when they were first sighted a few years back, but there didn’t appear …
Chapter Fifteen: A Very, Very, Very Fine House Titan: Birthright by D.X. Machina and Johnnyscribe
There were many reasons that Rixie was grateful for the fate that had brought Alex into her life; his ability to talk to anyone about anything was high on the list. It wasn’t that Rixie wasn’t a skilled conversationalist, she was. Even if she hadn’t spent the last Imperial quarter-century working as a consigliere to …
Chapter Fourteen: House Party Titan: Birthright by D.X. Machina and Johnnyscribe
“It’s okay to be nervous.” “I’m not nervous,” Rixie said, straightening her outfit for the ninth time. She was not wearing her uniform – she appreciated that Rajenlif had let her know that this was a semi-casual affair, and appreciated that Pryvani had taken her call to assure her that yes, she did have the …
Chapter Thirteen: A Tour of the House Titan: Birthright by D.X. Machina and Johnnyscribe
Rajenlif watched the shuttle descend toward the pad, as she had hundreds of times before. But for the first time in a very long time, she felt her nerves jangling as it approached. When was the last time she was worried about a visitor to the Palace of the Three Shaars? Could it be so …
Chapter Twelve: House Rules Titan: Birthright by D.X. Machina and Johnnyscribe
The Pygmallion had been grounded at Atrius III Starbase for no more than ten minutes, and if Rixie had her druthers, she would have lifted and headed back to Avalon. There was no reason for her to come here. True, Jutuneim was on the opposite side of the Empire from Avalon, but the Pygmallion was …