“Three five nine…” Naskia mumbled and bit her bottom lip nervously.

“How many do they need?” Aisell the Wise, former leader of the tribe asked from the shoulder of her namesake.

“At least five hundred and one…” Pryvani responded unable to remove her eyes from the screen.

“Four hundred now.” Niall added.

No one looked from the screen. The eyes of everyone in Senator Tarsuss’ office were fixed to the screen that held the tally of votes. Members could be seen having their last discussions before stepping forward to cast their votes. Loona had guaranteed it would pass. She said it was a certainty but it was difficult for anyone to accept that as a cast iron guarantee. Only when they saw the magic number would they believe.

“And when it reaches five hundred and one my people will be citizens?” Aisell the wise asked.

“You will.” Pryvani replied. “The paperwork has been filed with the Department of Citizenship. They will process it and issue the IDs within a day or two.”

“I don’t know whether to be pleased about this or not…” Aisell the Wise spoke in a serious tone.

The room managed to tear their eyes from the screen and looked to the aged Aisell the Wise.

“Why!? I’ve been looking forward to this day my entire life!” Alesia said with no small hint of disbelief.

“At the moment our company is taxed on our profits and the money is then given to us and written off as an ‘investment in the business’. After we become citizen it will become an income for each individual which will be taxed. Because of variables in rates we will lose twenty percent of our income.” Aisell the Wise said with a stoic expression that matched the usual expression of Aisell the Titan.

Niall laughed “My wife has been getting taxed as a high rate earner as she receives my salary as legally I can’t own money. I’m looking forward to paying taxes. And getting to go to a doctor rather than a vet! There are some advantages to taxes.”

“Four hundred twenty nine.” Taron said.

“We have our own doctors…We will be studying the tax law. There must be loopholes or write offs we can make.” Aisell the Wise said.

“I’ll have my accountants call you. They’re very good.” Pryvani said. “Four hundred forty two…”

“I would appreciate that Senator.”

“Please. Call me Pryvani.”

“Four hundred and eighty…” Sorcha said two octaves above normal.

“I didn’t think this day would ever come.” Niall said watching the screen impatiently.

“I did.” Nonah said. “The second Loona announced her campaign I knew I’d see it. Loona said she would. And Loona always lives up to her word.”

Niall put his arm around his friend and gave her a squeeze. “You’ve always been more optimistic than I have.”

“No! I’m just not a grump!” Nonah nudged him in the side with an elbow.

“Four nine eight!” Pryvani said drawing everyone back to the screen.

The number ticked up to four hundred and ninety nine for a second or two and then jumped to five hundred and one. It was over.

There was hugging, shouting, crying, laughter and disbelief. Naskia clutched her husband to her chest and hugged her daughter. Niall was glad he was hidden away as he found he couldn’t quite hold back the great tears of relief. Pryvani held her husband to her face and smiled. Dhanyle hugged his daughter and his wife looked up to the screen and applauded her friend who had been so crucial in making this happen. Taron was already on his pad to his family giving them the good news.

As the bell rang out and the final tally was read Aisell let out a long, slow sigh. It was done. It was nearly four years too late for Luke and two years too late for Quendra but she’d kept her promise. Their children would not die as pets but as citizens. It was a relief. She couldn’t deny that but she still felt pangs of guilt and pain that Luke hadn’t seen this. That she hadn’t gotten him home. Perhaps if she’d done more. Perhaps if she’d taken a stand earlier…

“You can stop that.” Aisell the Wise said to Aisell Maris.

“Stop what?”

“Thinking you failed my grandfather. You did not. He told me himself. He told you himself…”

“I never got him home…”

“He is buried at the base of the Great Tree, his home, with his wife. He is surrounded by several thousand members of his tribe who would not exist or would be far worse off without him.” Aisell the Wise spoke. “Eyes like Ice, look at me.”

Aisell Maris looked to her namesake on her shoulder.

“This room is full of people hugging and laughing and yet you look sad. Let go of the past. Embrace the future you have built. And hug your friend.” Aisell the Wise said.

Aisell’s façade cracked and she let out and combined laugh and sob. She held the granddaughter of her best friend to her cheek and sobbed.

“Let’s go home. I know Lezah has something planned she wants us there for.” Aisell said to her wise, old friend.

“That would be nice.” Aisell the Wise replied.

Pryvani approached Aisell, seeing her upset and turn to leave. “You know, without you, without Luke none of this would have been possible.”

“Oh yes it would. Loona would have done it. Sooner or later.” Aisell said and took a deep breath to keep her grief in check.

“I agree with that completely. But within a single term since contact with Earth? She couldn’t have done that. Even with all of my help. That was your doing. You should be very proud.”

Aisell sniffed and nodded. “I just wish I could have done it sooner.”

“We all wish there was more we could have done. But tonight I will be legally recognised as a married woman. My children will be legally recognised as their father’s. I have the power to buy and sell entire worlds but I couldn’t force my people to recognise the man I love. Thank you for…just thank you.” Pryvani Tarsuss said and grabbed Aisell tightly and held her.

Aisell hugged back enough to be polite. She didn’t feel as if she deserved it. When Pryvani released her she turned and quietly left the group to celebrate.

Pryvani set her hand beside her husband and he stepped on. “We should go too. I’ve a meeting to attend. You’ll probably want to join me.”

“What could be more important than this?”

Pryvani smiled. “You’ll see…”

She turned to leave. “Sorcha, Alesia. Take a few days for a well-earned rest. The real work begins here.”

“Sure thing boss.” Sorcha said with the broadest smile. “We’ll check in the day after next.”

“The day after that. Zhan and I have a meeting to attend. Thank you all for all the work you’ve done over the years.” Pryvani spoke with pride.

“You don’t have to thank us. We should be thanking you.” Niall said from his wife’s hand. “My wife, my daughter, I don’t have them without you.”

Pryvani drew a big breath and slowly released it. She put on a practiced smile. “I would love to stay and continue this conversation but I won’t have time to make myself presentable for the meeting I have.”

The rest of the group laughed.

“We understand.” Said Naskia. “Go on. And thank you.”

Pryvani turned and walked into the echoing marble corridors of the Imperial House. She placed her husband on her shoulder, visible for all to see.

“I love you Zhan.” She said loud enough to carrying down the old stone walls and to the ears of all between them.

He laughed and kissed her neck. “I love you too my goddess.”

****

“All those in favour of adjourning say yay, those opposed nay…the yays prevail, the House stands in recess until tomorrow.”

Ammer chuckled; he was probably the only member of the House to actually have voted on the motion to adjourn – it was all but pro forma, and most of the members were already leaving the floor to hold their press conferences. But it was the first vote he had the opportunity to take; he wasn’t going to waste it. There would be time for casually strolling out of the chambers. Well, being causally carried out of the chambers – it was a long stroll.

Still, he’d be half-tempted to take it, were he not already late for a meeting.

“Care for a lift, Representative?”

Ammer smiled at the voice that floated down upon him. “Your time’s too valuable to shuttle me around, you know. You’re about to be Chief of Staff to the Deputy Floor Leader.”

“’About to be’ is the operative phrase, Representative Smit. At the moment, I’m unemployed. Hopefully not for too long.”

“No chance of that, Inna,” Ammer said. “You’re too damn good. Even if Loona didn’t hire you – and she will – you’ll have your pick of jobs after this.”

“Maybe so,” Inna said. “But nothing I could do would make me happier than to carry you from here to there, Representative.”

Ammer smiled at her. “You don’t have to use my title.”

“Oh, I think I do,” Inna said. “I’m engaged to the first human to ever serve as a member of the legislature. I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of calling you Representative Smit.”

“Eh, it was convenient for Avalon. I was already here.”

“Sure, and that’s why they picked you, just convenience, when they could have seated Zhan Tarususs, or Darren Xanthopolous, or any of the other people you recommended. Ammer, you earned this. You deserve this more than anyone I’ve ever known. Now,” she said, laying her hand by his desk, “I seem to remember that you have a meeting. You’ll get there quicker if I carry you.”

“You’re right. And….”

Ammer finally looked at Inna fully. It had been a rather significant day in his life; he’d become a citizen, gotten engaged, and been seated in the house within about a ten minute period. And…and he got to be here, with her, while it happened.

He sat down weakly in her hand, and lay back against it, feeling the soft warmth beneath him. “I love you, so much I can’t even put it into words, Innanae Lektas. Thank you.”

Inna lifted him up, and kissed him carefully, making sure that she got no lipstick on his jacket. “I love you, Representative Smit, citizen of the Empire. And there’s something I want to do after the meeting is done.”

“I don’t know, Inna. I know, we just got engaged, but…I’m kind of exhausted.”

“I’ll let you get some sleep first. No, I had a hardcopy made of your ownership papers. And the condo has a fire pit outside. We’re going to build a fire, and burn those gorram things, and celebrate the fact that I don’t own you, and I will never own you again, as long as we both shall live.”

“Oh, but you do, Inna,” Ammer said. “You own my heart. Now and forever.”

Inna kissed him once more. “And you own mine,” she said. She wiped away a tear, and said, “Well, we’d better get moving. We don’t want to keep Sen. Tarsuss and the Council waiting.”

Five minutes later, Ammer was settling into one of two holosuites in the offices of the Imperial Senate. Projecting hard-light holograms hundreds of light years used an ungodly level of bandwidth; doing so when you could just call via videophone would be sheer insanity, as an hour-long call could cost six figures – maybe seven.

Of course, for Pryvani Tarsuss, that was pocket change, and so Ammer was unsurprised when the program initiated, and he was sitting at a facsimile of the witness table in the council chambers, next to a short woman with hair dyed in three colours – Imperial green, Terran blue, and Avalonian orange.

“Hello, Representative, and congratulations,” Pryvani said, reaching out a hand.

“Senator Tarsuss, thank you,” Ammer said. “For everything.”

There was a tone, and a voice said, “We have handshake.”

“Thank you, Shaar,” Pryvani said, as the council chambers burst into view.

The council and the audience noted the arrival of their guests with raucous, sustained applause, which only built for a good five minutes. It took quite a while before the Vice Chair of the Council even attempted to gain order, and quite some time after that before order was achieved.

“Welcome, Senator Tarsuss, and welcome, Rep. Smit,” said President Joca Haerst. “It is an honour to have you both before this body on this historic night.”

Pryvani deferred to Ammer, which surprised him just for a moment; then again, he supposed he shouldn’t be. She had long been placing the needs of humans ahead of her own. Of course she let him speak first.

“Madam President, Mr. Chair, members of the cabinet, members of the Council, and my fellow Avalonians,” Ammer said, “thank you for inviting us here. It is my honour to announce that the Zeramblin Act has passed the legislature, and that as of today, the people of Avalon are full and equal citizens of the Empire.”

That brought more sustained applause, which Ammer joined in; he found he was tearing up, just a little. That wasn’t his style, but then, as he caught the senator’s eye, he saw she was tearing up as well.

What the hell, it was just one of the most important days in human history. It deserved a tear or two.

When order was restored, Ammer continued. “Madam President, there are too many people to thank, but perhaps nobody deserves our appreciation more than the person sitting beside me this evening. Senator Tarsuss – your work, not just in Tuaut, but throughout your life…you have made this day possible. We will never forget it.”

That brought the loudest applause yet, which built into a standing ovation for Pryvani. When that celebration finally ebbed, Ammer took his seat, and said, “Madam President, I know you did not just invite us here to celebrate. We are here to answer your questions about what happens next. And both of us are happy to answer them.”

“Thank you, Representative,” the President said. “Now, the first question is simple: we know from your previous statements that the coalition that passed this into law is unlikely to endure. Will the new coalition cause any problems for the law’s enforcement?”

“Madam President, Rep. Armac is going to remain as Deputy Floor Leader and Minister of the Interior under the new government. Her department will be charged with enforcing these laws. She has made it clear that the minority will withdraw from the coalition if there is any move to slow-walk enforcement.”

“Excellent news,” said the President.

“Now, it’s still the legislature,” Ammer said. “And this is going to be very complex for the humans in the Empire – we shouldn’t pretend this is the end of the struggle, it’s just the end of the beginning. But Rep. Armac is tenacious; I can’t think of a better advocate to have on our side.”

“Senator Tarsuss,” said President Emeritus Velos, “I know this is true, so forgive me for asking, but…we are a full and official province of the Empire now, correct?”

“Full and equal,” Pryvani said. “Avalon is at this moment as much a province as Vorsha and Azatlia, or Sector Six Interior, or Grelau, or Aement. More, really – you are an autonomous province, so you will have as much control of your internal affairs as the Ler Lands, or Avartle Space, or the Dunnermac Worlds. As of this moment, the provisional Republic of Avalon is officially the Province of Avalon, the 59th province of the Empire.”

“That is wonderful news,” the President said, “and it brings us to our lone agenda item for this evening. Mr. Secretary?”

“Thanks, Madam President,” said a gruff man, somehow speaking Standard Galactic Archavian with a Texas drawl. “Senator, though we are a province, our provincial home is still owned by you, though of course, not for long. We’re preparing to vote on your proposal for transfer of ownership and sovereignty, but we have some issues.”

Pryvani raised an eyebrow, and not just because Darren had used her title. “I’m…I’m sorry?”

“We’re not thrilled with the terms of transfer, and what we have to give you in return,” said the president.

“I’m confused,” Pryvani said. “I didn’t believe there was any requirement of payment of any kind.”

“That’s just it!” Darren said. “You’re giving us an entire world for free. That hardly seems fair.”

Pryvani smiled, and leaned back. “Oh, I disagree. It seems to me that just compensation would require additional financial support.”

“Like fun,” Darren said. “What’s the value of a world? Even for you, this has to be a fair chunk of change.”

“It’s valued at about seventy three trillion credits, but the only way for me to realize that would be to sell it, and there’s nobody in position to buy it.”

“Nevertheless,” said Haerst, “We don’t see how we can simply accept this world without compensating you somehow.”

“I agree, Madam President,” said Ammer, who had known this was coming. “The Empire’s laws allow for takings under Eminent Domain, but this seems excessive.”

“Well…consider this,” Pryvani said. “My family kept this world in a state of artificially delayed development for hundreds of years, using religion as a tool to manipulate you. If you wish, consider this world some trifling compensation to the people of Avalon for our transgressions.”

Haerst smiled at Ammer, then looked over at Darren, and then at Jor Siles, the Secretary of State. “Well,” she said, “that may be fair compensation, but there’s still the money your family spent terraforming this world and repatriating our people, and the money you have spent helping to develop Avalon over the past quarter-century. In payment for that, we would like to grant the Tarsuss Corporation exclusive mining rights to this world and system in perpetuity.”

“I would like to issue a counterproposal,” Pryvani said. “The Tarsuss Corporation would be very interested in working with the government of Avalon to develop a number of revenue streams for this world and system; we believe that to be in our mutual interests. Over the next few weeks, I would like to sit down with you and discuss some proposals. I believe it would be in my company’s best interest to work with you; a partnership with the people of Avalon, even temporary, is far more valuable than any mining contract.”

“You ain’t making it easy, Punxatawney,” Darren said with a chuckle.

“Indeed,” the president said. “And that’s hardly a payment; I think it’s a given that this council will always be honoured to talk with you, Senator.”

“Madam President, if I may?” Siles said.

“Please, Mr. Secretary.”

“We have discussed the possibility of granting you a title of nobility….” Stiles let the statement hang right where Darren told him to, and was gratified to see Pryvani react right on time.

“Absolutely not,” Pryvani said. “It’s bad enough I played a god. I am not going to play queen, either. It’s not fair to you. If you must have a noble – there is far more nobility on this council that I could ever aspire to.”

“Told ya,” Darren said with a grin. “Princess, you aren’t going to accept anything from us, are you?”

“Not that I can think of,” Pryvani beamed back.

“You’re wrong about that,” Darren said. “Because we have one final offer.”

Pryvani folded her arms. “I don’t….”

“Your compound, in the mountains,” the president said. “Do you plan to remain there?”

“Well…I had thought about turning it over to you….”

“Sorry,” the president said. “We don’t accept ownership. It’s yours, and your family’s, forevermore. And one more thing – though it is semantic, as we are an Imperial province now – but there is one title we can bestow on you and your family, one we think you’ll accept.”

Pryvani sighed. “I can’t imagine –”

“The title is citizen. If you will not accept compensation for this world, and you are transferring it to its citizens…then we insist that you share it with us, as a fellow citizen. No more, no less.”

Pryvani Tarsuss was rarely at a loss for words. She might affect being at a loss for words from time to time, but it was usually calculated, designed to elicit a response she might miss if she said what was on her mind.

Pryvani Tarsuss was at a loss for words. At least for a moment. When she found them, she found she could barely make them audible.

“Madam President…that…there…I…um, I’m not a human, you know,” she said, wincing internally at her uncharacteristically ineloquent response.

“D’you really think we aren’t aware of that, Pleiades?” Darren chuckled.

“Senator Tarsuss…you have defended and supported Avalon more times than we can count. You told us a hard truth, and followed it with hard work,” said the president.

“I…I owed you the truth,” Pryvani replied, regaining her voice.

“Indeed. But you were willing to tell it to us, to lower yourself from your pedestal to our level. Well…as near to it as possible,” Haerst said with a grin, drawing appreciative laughter from the crowd and Pryvani.

“Pryvani,” Darren said (and she knew she had to betray at least a bit of shock at that), “you’ve been on our side as long as any of us can remember. When we’ve asked for help, you’ve given it; when we’ve asked you to back off, you’ve backed off.”

“As a Terran politician once said, you’ve pledged your life, your fortune, and your sacred honour to this cause,” Ammer said.

“You’ve worked with us as a partner, as a friend…as an equal,” the president said. “You’ve placed yourself with us when you did not have to, risked your life to defend us when you did not have to. That you are of a different species is nothing compared to that.”

Pryvani looked down, just for a moment, fighting to keep her composure. When she looked back up, she did so with as broad a smile as anyone could remember.

“Madam President, members of the council…fellow citizens of Avalon,” she said, “thank you. In all my life, I have never been given, and never can be given, a greater honour than to be a citizen of this world.”

“And Senator Tarsuss,” the president said, gently, “We are honoured to count you as one of our number.”

The crowd burst into spontaneous, sustained applause, and Pryvani rubbed her eyes. She had doubted herself, so many times over the years. But in the end, the people of Avalon had accepted her. Not as a god, or a queen, but as a friend, a neighbour – one of them.

It was the greatest gift she had ever been given, the greatest gift she would ever receive.

———————————

Author’s note: And we’re off! More than two years after Physics ended it’s nice to finally post this. Some of you may have spotted that the second part of this chapter was written by DX. It was originally written for debate but was better suited here, so here it is.

I’m going to try to stick to a Monday and Thursday posting cycle. Obviously that may slip occasionally but I’ll do my best to stick to it.

Enjoy,

OHH