2164 AD
૨૧૨૫ MA

“So, Forna, how was Avalon?”

Qorni glared at the Floor Leader. “You’ve seen the news.”

“Yeah, I have,” Rodrec Zeramblin said. “Couldn’t have been more of a disaster than if you’d gone and tried to attack the city at full-size. But smart, you having Kigler make a move on you.”

Qorni smiled tightly; anytime she wondered if she might want to maneuver against Zeramblin, he managed to remind her that he knew exactly how the game was played. The media was chattering about whether Roli Kigler’s challenge for the leadership of Green and Black would work, and whether it signaled that Qorni was weakened by the debacle in Avalon. But of course, Qorni had asked Kigler to challenge her, because the quickest way to defuse any chance of a real challenge was to have Kigler make a half-hearted attempt and then, when the votes went decisively against him, withdraw quietly and move to re-endorse by acclamation.

Besides, while the trip had been a debacle in general, the base had loved it. If there were any complaints, it was that Qorni hadn’t been dismissive enough of the humans. Her poll numbers in the Empire generally were upside-down, but conservative voters now favored her over Zeramblin just slightly.

But Zeramblin knew where the bodies were buried. And she was not going to be able to spring anything on him.

“You know, Mr. Floor Leader,” Qorni said, “in the past few terms, we’ve bypassed the formal presentation of the budget proposal. But this is a more narrowly-divided legislature. I would recommend strongly that we actually hold the joint budget session this year. And I think most of the caucus will agree.”

Zeramblin laughed at that. “Well. I was gonna ask if you were gonna consider any other options to blocking emancipation, but the answer is obvious, isn’t it? So a year, then – that’s what you’re pushing for. And then what?”

“Sometime in that year, I may be able to do something to keep the committee from reporting out,” Qorni said.

“Yeah, I really am looking forward to you trying. Just so you know, no matter what the polling says, I still have a firm 325. And yeah, I took the count – I’ve got 205 votes to oust you from the cabinet if I so decide, and enough undecided that I could probably push it through.”

“And yet you aren’t.”

“No,” Zeramblin said. “I am not. Not until after the budget. And I am giving you the budget to run, Forna. Your baby. You’ll slow-walk it until the day before the Emperor has to act, and that’s fine – I’d rather you were just doing it rather than fighting me the whole way. Incidentally, the second your little caucus funtime sketch show concludes, I’m sending out a release telling everyone how much faith I have in you to run a smooth and expeditious budgeting process. Something to think about a few months from now, when your favorables are in the single-digits.”

“I could oust you now, you know,” Qorni said. “You’ve all but admitted you support human citizenship.”

“And you’ve all but admitted you’re going to slow down the budget process out of spite, and which do you think will make more people angry? Go ahead and make your move, Forna,” Rodrec said. “Given your most recent performance, even if you oust me, it’s no guarantee you get the Floor Leader’s job. The minority just skipped over the obvious heir apparent; that kind of thing happens all the time.”

“I will look forward to running the budget,” Qorni said, with a smile. “And I will be waiting for the right moment. You might want to make your move, Rodrec. Sooner than later.”

“Forna, you’re smart as a scilith’s sting, but you have never understood that in politics, timing is everything. If I’m going to make a move, you won’t know it’s coming until it’s too frakking late. Good luck with your ‘challenge,’ Forna.”

“Have a lovely day, Mr. Floor Leader. And really savor this time. Because you never know just how long you’ll have this office for, do you?”

“Nope,” Zeramblin said. “You never do.”

* * *

One Terran month later….

“Ted, I’m glad I caught up with you.”

“Admiral Chandrasekhar, ma’am, I’m glad you did too. We’ve got the Alcubierre ready for the home run; dodo eggs are in stasis, and those tweaks you made on the power plant are working great. We should be ready for departure tomorrow.”

“Excellent. That’s not what I wanted to talk to you about. First, I understand congratulations are in order.”

Ted beamed. “Yeah, it…we’d been planning to wait until I got back, but she was here for the visit…and it’s two years, and she at least got some good anti-nausea meds from Dr. Pria before she left, she’s managed to keep flying despite morning sickness.”

“You’re going to make a great dad, Ted. Even if your kid could accidentally crush you.”

“Yeah, well, Alex and Rixie make it look easy, but…they’ll be Tig’s kid. They’ll be awesome.”

“They’re half-yours, Ted.”

“They’ll manage to overcome that.”

“I have no doubt of that,” Mukta said. “Listen, I have two things to talk to you about. First,” she said, handing him a datastick, “is this. This data is coded Alpha Alpha.”

“I don’t have clearance for that, ma’am.”

“Correct, which is why you’re ordered not to look at this data or to tell anyone you have it in your possession. Upon returning to Titan Station, you are to deliver it directly to Admiral Xú.”

“Aye aye.”

Mukta smiled. “Not going to ask what it is?”

“No, ma’am. I learned long ago that when a superior officer hands you something to deliver, and says not to ask questions, that you don’t then start asking questions. A lot easier to pretend you don’t have something you can’t look at if you don’t think about it too much.”

“Smart man. The second bit, Captain, is about the next mission of the Alcubierre. I wanted to talk to you about it.”

“That’s the extended trip back to Vulcan, right? I…well, it’s not too far. But I was kind of hoping to have some time to settle before going back out. Of course, I’ll do my duty.”

“You will, Ted. You will. And it’s the timing of the trip I wanted to talk to you about….”

* * *

Three Terran Months Later

Yamanu woke fitfully from sleep. He was shivering; he was cold, and though a warm wind was blowing over him, he still felt chilled.

There could be only one explanation.

“Give me back my blanket, Gae, and stop blowing on me. I still have a few hours to sleep.”

“You do, and you can go back to sleep in a bit,” Gae said, giving him a soft kiss. “But you have a call, dear.”

“Call? Feh. Who is it? Jaco calling to tell me I’m being too deferential?”

“No, no, I wouldn’t wake you for that. It’s someone from Earth. Some committee or something.”

“Well, all right, I suppose,” Yamanu said, struggling awake. “But I get to go back to sleep after I’m done, or next time you go to sleep, I’ll try to wake you up, and we’ll see how you like it.”

“Given how you usually manage it? I’ll take my chances,” Gae said. She grabbed her pad, and set it down by Yamma; leaving the video off, she turned audio on.

“Hello, this is Yamanu Neutha,” he said, leaning forward.

“Dr. Neutha! It is good to talk to you,” a woman’s voice said. “I apologize for waking you.”

“Quite all right. How can I help you?”

“Dr. Neutha, my name is Ulrikke Tennfjord. I’m the chair of the Norwegian Nobel Committee. I do not know if you are familiar with our organization, but I have the honor to tell you that you personally and the Aenur Foundation as an organization have been selected the recipients of the Nobel Peace Prize for 2164, for your work for the emancipation of humans in the Titan Empire.”

Yamanu blinked. “Ms. Tennfjord…I am familiar with your organization. My son and daughter were both named after Nobel laureates. But…I mean, this is a great honor, but I am hardly the only human working for our emancipation here.”

“True. There may be others who merit consideration in the future. But we have had the opportunity to see your work through Imperial media and through discussions with others. You are a quite deserving recipient. We would invite you to Earth; there is a ceremony on December 10, and we would hope you could be there for it, but we know it may be logistically difficult.”

“I…I will do my best to sort it out. I…this is a true honor, Ms. Tennfjord.”

“We are the ones who are honored. We will get further information to you via the embassy; if you have any questions, please call or message. For now, we will let you get back to sleep. Well…after one question, if I may.”

“Of course.”

“Do you think you will succeed?”

Yamanu smiled. “We are close than we ever have been. And I hope – I dare hope – that we will get to a legal equality in my lifetime. But you know history as well as I do.”

“Indeed, there is never an end,” Tennfjord said. “But at least, perhaps, there will be a beginning.”

“I believe there will be. And that belief keeps me together.”

“Good luck. And again, congratulations, Dr. Neutha,” Tennfjord said. “Sleep well.”

Yamma signed off, dazed. Gae smiled. “This is a rather important award, if I remember right.”

“It’s the highest honor any person seeking to make human life better, fairer, and more peaceful can earn,” Yamanu said. “I don’t know as I can be worth it. I’m not Dr. King. Or Secretary-General Yousafzai. Or Sirleaf, or Mandela, or Adjaye, or…there were great people who have won this, Gae.”

“And another one can be added to the list,” Gae said. “As can our entire organization.”

“It can,” Yamma said, with a smile. “I’m more proud of that, you know. Frustrating as it’s been, we’ve done so much. You…have been amazing, Gae.”

“No,” Gae said. “I have been married to amazing. But that’s pretty marvelous.” She kissed him softly. “Now, I’ll bug Eyrn and see what we have to do to get you to Earth, and when exactly ‘December 10’ is. You get some sleep.”

Gae walked toward the door, then paused. “You know…once you’re there…I mean….”

“I’m not moving to Earth, Gae,” Yamanu said with a chuckle. “Not without you. Never without you.”

“I love you,” Gae said, switching off the light in their bedroom.

“I love you too,” Yamanu said. He knew he’d manage to doze for an hour, if that, before he got up. But he also knew he’d have to be coherent for the press conference that Thurfrit would insist upon. So he did his best to sleep, and try to feel just the tiniest bit worthy of any of this.

* * *

One Terran Month Later

“My friends,” Elaine Ridgemont said, “this is not just a victory for me, or for my supporters, or for the American people. This is a statement by humanity to the Titans – we are not going to be your pets anymore!”

The crowd that had massed by the Gateway Arch in St. Louis roared its approval. Ridgemont hadn’t won an overwhelming majority – the crest of the anti-Titan anger had broken, and it was now down to a more general unease. But given that Thornton had been Martin’s Vice President, and Martin was currently off on Archavia…it hadn’t been hard to argue that the United States should perhaps take a step back from being the best friends of the Titans. Be a little more careful. A little more wary. Just in case.

“Make no mistake, we are not saying the Empire must go,” Ridgemont said. “We are not saying that we cannot work together. But we are saying, so loud that they will hear us six hundred light years away, that we are their equals, and we will never accept anything less.”

The crowd roared at that; an ocean away, a politician shook his head.

“This is why I’m doing it, Tatenda. We can’t win with me leading the MPA. We need a new face.”

“Yes, but why me? Why not Ngozi?”

Ngozi Agu laughed. “Tenda, you know why not me. I’ve been the heir apparent for ten years. Everyone expects me. Amadou Touré has been attacking me more than he’s attacked Filfi.”

“Exactly,” Tatenda Marechera said, smiling at the Minister of Defense. “You’re the next in line. I hate jumping the que to take your position.”

“The polling is clear. With you leading us, the MPA wins. It’s narrow, but it’s a win. You’re popular. You’re well-liked. You called out Filfi on the floor – and that was good!” Ngozi said. “You’re not the old guard. And you’ve met the Titans, and you aren’t afraid of them – and it shows. And I will get over my disappointment. After all, I’d rip my arm off to keep a Touré from leading the government.”

Tatenda laughed at that. “So would I, which is the only reason I’m willing to do this. But I only do this if you will remain on as Defense Minister, Minister Agu. I will need you if I’m to be more than just a caretaker.”

“Then it’s settled,” Filfi Adjaye said. “We’ll make it effective the first of January. It’s a good time for new beginnings.”

“First Minister….”

“Eighteen years is a good run, Tatenda. It’s time for me to retire. I can actually enjoy not running things for a change. It has been a long time.”

“Well, First Minister, I have a feeling you’ll find a way to stay involved,” Tatenda said, watching the screen as Ridgemont left the lectern. He had never aspired to any of this. But he had always wanted to serve. And so he would serve. He just hoped he would be half as good as Adjaye thought he was.

* * *

Six Terran weeks later

“You wanted to see me, sir?”

“Yes, Cato,” Ted said. “Come in. Sitrep?”

“We’ll be ready to depart in twelve hours. You’ll rotate on in eight, as will I. Lieutenant Njie has the conn and the bridge.”

“Excellent. Then you’re free for a drink. It’s our last day in a system that isn’t Sol. Thought we should toast it.”

Cato van der Graaf smiled. “Royal berry schnapps?”

“Of course,” Ted said, pouring a couple ounces into two glasses. He looked over his shoulder briefly; the brilliant white light of Sirius A lit the room as much as the lights did, even from their position twho hundred thousand kilometers out. He lifted his glass. “To the end of the tour.”

“Proost,” Cato said, lifting hers. She took a sip.

“So, Commander,” Ted said, putting his glass down, “what are your plans when you get back to Earth?”

“Heading straight to Curaçao. I am disturbingly pale. If I didn’t know we would be home home in nine days, I’d be tempted to climb out onto the bow and try to get a tan here.”

“That’s probably a bad idea, but I get it. It’s been a long mission, even with the time on Avalon.”

“It has. And I haven’t been separated from my husband.”

“You’ve been separated from your boyfriend,” Ted noted.

“Well, yes, but Wilmer and I…we’ve always had a fairly loose relationship. I’m…permission to speak freely?”

“Always.”

“You need someone, Ted. And you found her, and bless you, that’s wonderful. I…I like Wilmer, he likes me, but…I’m happy on my own.”

“You’ve told me about sailing the Caribbean solo. You know, there are going to be many more missions like this. The ξ Ursa Major run alone is probably three months.”

“I know. Though I probably won’t be on that one, that’s a run planned for the Alcubierre. I’m…well, I am hoping….”

“You’re hoping for the Copernicus. Alas, you won’t be getting it. The plan is that Ananth Bachchan will be commanding the Copernicus, and Eliška Vesely will get bumped to XO, with the intention of giving her the Payne-Gaposchkin.”

“Oh,” Cato said, looking down.

“You look glum, Cato,” Ted said, after he let her stew a long second.

“Well…sir, I had hoped….”

“I am disappointed, commander. Do you honestly think that I would be calmly telling you that you weren’t getting a ship? If you weren’t getting a ship, I’d be in open rebellion against Houston. I’d ask my wife to pay Admiral Harwell a visit, full-sized. You’ve done an exemplary job. Of course you’re getting a ship.”

“I…is there another Alcubierre class ship under construction?”

“No, no. It’s just that I know for a fact that the flagship of the JTSA is going to have a vacancy open. And you will be filling it.”

“But sir, the Alcubierre….” Cato’s eyes went wide as she realized what Ted was saying. “I’m getting the Alcubierre?”

“You are. We will be holding a change-of-command ceremony when we dock at Titan Station. In the meantime,” Ted said, digging out a spare insignia pin, “I have the honor to promote you in rank to Captain. We’ll get you your own rank pin once we get to Titan.”

“Sir,” Cato said, holding the slightly-dulled rank pin, “with due respect…I’d be honored to wear this one, if you can spare it.”

“I can,” Ted said. “And the honor is mine.”

Cato took a drink, and swapped out rank pins…and then the penny dropped.

“Sir…what are you going to do?”

“Well, while it may be sensible for me to retire and become a homemaker, I won’t be doing that. This is not for discussion, Captain, but Admiral Harwell is retiring in February, and Admiral Xú will be replacing him as Flight Director. And I will be replacing Admiral Xú as co-commander of Titan Station. I was a little concerned about it, but technically, the new acting CAG isn’t in my chain of command, so it should work out.”

Cato smiled. “Well, sir, I am glad, primarily that I don’t have to follow a captain who’s been run out of the fleet for incompetence.”

“Never would happen. I’d blame my XO,” Ted said with a grin.

Cato laughed. “Captain…Ted…thank you. I…this has been the most amazing experience of my life.”

“It’s second for me,” Ted said. “Soon to be third. And it shouldn’t be. This is so amazing that the captain really should place this first. Which is precisely why I know this ship is going to be in excellent hands, Cato.”

Ted raised his glass one last time. “To the next captain of the Alcubierre. May she always steer her true.”

Cato raised hers in turn. “To the captain of the Alcubierre, who always has.”

* * *

Just Over Two Terran Years Later

2167 AD
૨૧૨૬ MA

“Madam Chair,” Loona Armac said, calmly. “This is all but an admission that no further testimony is needed. There is no reason to recall the head of Tannith Ley Design. Ms. Rozlan Debborruh is not going to say anything different than she did last month. And Magister-Imperator Tam was very, very clear about the way that the Tannith Ley operation was structured, and if anyone has questions about the transfer of ownership, Sen. Tarsuss has graciously agreed to answer them personally.”

“I missed part of the testimony,” Forna Qorni shrugged. “Indeed, I need to leave here to deal with the biennial budget, which is why I recommend recessing this committee until we have a decision on the budget….”

“Madam Deputy Floor Leader, you cannot possibly be serious! The entire Empire is aware that the budget process is moving slower than it has in decades, despite the majority’s assurance that you have everything under control. You could solve most of these issues in a week if you wanted to; I don’t have any idea why you won’t. It’s hurting the Empire. But your inability to do your job is not this committee’s problem, and I will strenuously object to anything designed to delay. And I will do what I can to prevent it, which is why, Madam Chair, I move that this committee formally declare its fact-finding complete, and that it move on to discussion of solutions to the issue.”

“That will require a two-thirds vote,” Forna Qorni said.

“Only if you object,” Loona said.

“I do,” Qorni said.

“Motion has been made. All in favor? Opposed? By a vote of 11-4, the motion carries.”

Pryvani smiled. Qorni could object that there should have been debate on the motion – which there should have been – but she wouldn’t. There was no point.

“Madam Chair, I ask that we delay deliberations for three months, to allow the budget….”

“That request is denied, Madam Deputy Floor Leader. If you are unable to do your duty to this committee, I recommend you resign and ask the Floor Leader to replace you,” Pryvani said, curtly. “The Minority Leader is just as busy with the budget as you are, but she manages to make every meeting.”

“That’s because she has family members who are human,” Qorni shot back.

“What an interesting concept,” Pryvani replied, dryly. “I do wonder if that is possible, given the current legal status of humans? Regardless, if the Minority Leader can be here, so can the Deputy Floor Leader. We will meet back here in one week’s time. This committee stands in recess.”

Qorni glared around the table. She’d managed to hold the elected conservatives – and nobody else. She might be able to peel a vote or two back depending on how big Loona tried to go, but the committee was clearly ready to move.

She needed to back off now. She needed to stay on the committee. There was a plan in place. It might even work, if everything fell right. If Armac did what she expected.

Qorni swept out of the room, and off to her next meeting.

* * *

“The good news, Your Imperial Majesty, is that the new Secretary-General has asked me to stay on.”

“I am surprised and gratified to hear that, Ambassador. I know you are political rivals.”

“Secretary-General Ridgemont and I disagree on…most everything, to be honest. But while our approach may differ, we both are in agreement about the necessity for changes in the Empire. There are hopeful signs that they may soon come. If nothing else, given the status of debate, I think the Secretary-General decided not to change horses in midstream.”

When the sovereign looked at her blankly, Robyn Martin chuckled. “I’m sorry, Your Imperial Majesty. An Earth metaphor.”

“I think I get the gist,” Tiernan said with a smile, one that faded. “I hope to see it soon. Fifty years I’ve been Emperor, and for almost half of that time…I still remember when Rhionne came home from college, and introduced her human roommates, and demanded Rajenlief and I treat them as equal people, and explained why…at the time, I couldn’t believe it. If it was true, my people had committed a grave crime. And so I read, and watched, and listened, hoping all the time to discover that my daughter was wrong.”

He sighed. “As usual, my daughter was absolutely right. And so I have been working to change this. And every day that goes by, I debate whether I should step in and utilize the powers that I and my ancestors have intentionally allowed to atrophy, if the affront to democracy would be less odious than the affront that is your people’s continued degradation. And every day I have decided that the change must come through the democratic process. And every night I have laid down and wondered how I can sleep, having done nothing.”

“Your Imperial Highness,” Ambassador Martin said, with a smile, “for what it’s worth, you are right. Probably both when you rise and when you sleep, true. But allowing it to pass through the legislative process…it gives this legitimacy. And it will pass, eventually. Indeed, I just got a notification that the committee has moved to end its fact-finding phase.”

Tiernan blinked, and grabbed his pad. “11-4,” he said, with a smile. “That’s…that’s a good start.”

“I hope, before I return home, that I will be able to say that all humans in the Empire are truly equal to all other sentient creatures under the law. But Your Imperial Majesty, I do not question for a moment that their sovereign sees them so.”

“I do, Ambassador,” Tiernan said, softly. “I most certainly do.”