There were times when Syon Fand truly hated people.

That is not to say there were times when Syon Fand did not hate people; she found everyone outside her own skin to be some combination of insipid, incompetent, loathsome, or dull. The closest she came to liking someone was to view them as a competent opponent, an honor she reserved only for her eldest daughter. And to be clear, she hated Pryvani; her respect went only so far as recognizing that she was not a complete waste of flesh.

But while Syon always hated people, there were times she truly, deeply hated them, to the point that she would have willed them all into dust if she but had the power.

Raging incompetence, that’s what it was. She could already see in the silence after the Blueface conclave that Luviisa Aljansen’s grand plans had hit a roadblock. And then, of course, came the report in Ganas, one the media was already starting to chatter about. It had already been a waste of money, and now….

Syon no longer knew how much was left of the two billion dollars she had hidden away. The few hundred million that Yvenna Mirendy had known about had doubtless been recovered by Pryvani, and she had sacrificed seventy million when telling Tiernan just enough to make him think she’d told him absolutely everything; it had hurt, of course, but less than being eaten.

She had worked so hard to hide it, all through her marriage. And she had been disciplined; even when the hidden money was a hundred times her cash on hand, she had avoided accessing it. The whole point was for it to be available in a disaster, for the moment her opponent, her daughter, thought her bankrupt and bereft.

Toward the end, she had been tempted. And if Vasha hadn’t had the frakking key to everything dangling between her tits….

But this was an old annoyance, and not one that could be solved. The current annoyance was that a guard – one who was being paid a truly exorbitant amount to bring in communications – had brought information that they were taking thirty million credits for the next phase of the project, and that this would clear two accounts. And while it was going to be used to murder Rixie Carey…Syon was not sure that even that happy event was enough to make it worth it.

Maddeningly, she couldn’t really do anything to stop it. It was her money, but she had transferred control to the Noble Resistance some time ago, in exchange for their pledge to work to free her. (She had actually asked for them to push for her to be transferred to Rura Penthe; no, that would not technically free her, but once on Penthe, well…if a fool like Trell Pria could get off Penthe, Syon knew that she certainly could.)

At some point, the Noble Resistance was going to have to start turning a profit, or else her money was going to run out. And while she still had ten million in credit chits buried on a small asteroid in the Daraean system, if she was to ever be free, she wanted more than a paltry ten million to work with.

More than anything, though, she simply hated not being in control. She could see, quite clearly, the moves and countermoves in this match. Luviisa had everything she needed already; they would rebel against a Hoplite bastard taking the throne even more than they would against Vallero. Push for a Jotnar Republic, make a stand there, and you could win even more seats than you could with the prospect of Dronung Audara. Of course, Luviisa wanted Audara on the throne; she now had tunnel vision, and was going to spend everything she had to make it happen.

And in so doing, Luviisa was going to run smack dab into Pryvani, who was free, and could react quickly, and who would absolutely put forth an effort to keep her ally alive, to position Rixie for the Jotnar throne.

Syon really couldn’t understand that Pryvani would defend Rixie out of love, that her daughter did not care what Rixie’s title was, but cared that Rixie was happy and safe – those were alien emotions to Syon (she would have made a good Insectoid; she did not understand [not-taking]). But she did understand that Rixie was useful to Pryvani. And there was no reason for Pryvani to let Rixie be sacrificed when a trivial sum could help to defend her.

But this was all moot; Luviisa Aljansen and the other were calling the shots now. And they’d blow thirty million creds, and in a few weeks they’d likely be here with her in the dungeon, or dead.

Idiots. But then, they were people; that’s what they all were.

* * *

Nonull had been listening to the presentation to the old man as best he could, given that he was both sleep-deprived and using a heavy stimulant to compensate for the heavy depressives he’d taken the previous night. This is not to say that he was not comprehending what the man was saying; Nonull’s brain had long ago adjusted to function despite a panoply of neuroactive chemicals being perpetually introduced to it. And so he had been nodding along, agreeing with most of the tactical assessment.

“So who’s the target?” he muttered. “This princess, she have a name?”

“Yes,” Xyly said. “Rixie Carey. She’s a security officer for Pryvani Tarsuss. Now, if what you’re saying is right, Peten, we’re going to have a very tight window. We might only have four or five hours to get Nonull into position to strike. Can you be ready that fast?”

It took Nonull a moment to realize she’d asked the question of him. “I…um…Rixie Carey? The target is…it’s Rixie Tam?”

“Rixie Tam Carey, yes.”

“Rixie…Rixie Tam? You want me to kill Rixie Tam?”

“Is that some sort of problem?” Margu asked, visibly annoyed.

It took him a good minute to respond. “Yes,” he finally said, barely louder than a whisper. “Yes. Yes, it’s an enormous frakking….” He found his voice, and shouted, “You want me to try to kill Rixie Tam? Are you out of your gorram mind?”

“You’ve killed many people more important than her,” Xyly said.

“More important? Maybe. But that’s not the problem. I’ve seen Tam in action. She used to help train the Jacks. And she was…she was gorram good at what she did. Yes, we could take her out – but not easily. And she was always trying not to risk anyone’s safety. She was fighting with one arm tied to her side, and you think that one person can take her out? You’d need a squad of Titans, maybe Ler.”

“If you were attacking her fair, then yes,” Margu said. “But you aren’t, are you?”

“You don’t get it,” Nonull said, pointing his finger at the old man. “She’s not just a good fighter. She designed the security systems on Avalon. It’s only been breached once in the last twenty years, and ‘breached’ is stretching it – Jacks brought the ship down with an EMP and kicked the tails of the four people on it. Saved my village…that’s why I wanted to be one, when I grew up.” He sighed. “She’s going to have security systems in place. She’s going to be ready.”

“She won’t have enough time to adequately plan,” Margu said. “And you will not be without allies, you know.”

“And you’re good, Nonull. Very good,” Xyly said. “You can do this. Truly.”

Nonull looked up at Xyly, and swallowed hard. No, he couldn’t do this, he knew that.

But whatever it was they had together…he couldn’t bring himself to disappoint her.

“All right,” he said. “Tell me about our allies.”

 

* * *

If you were to imagine a stereotypical Jotnar cop, you would likely imagine someone very much like Thurl Niebal. He was a big, burly man with a forked beard and slicked back hair, hanging long, with two narrow braids, one tucked behind each ear. His face bore a few scars, the kind that could be easily cleared up in an afternoon by a middling doctor if one wanted them cleared up – which meant that he didn’t want them cleared up, he wanted to wear them.

“Senkeir, get a move on! Chief’s gonna be here any second!” he grumbled, as Aski Senkeir hustled into the briefing room. He was the last of the dozen members of Unit Four – Royal Guard to enter the room.

“Cutting it close, huh?” joked a young woman as Aski settled in beside her.

“Had to get across town, Tuva. You know what this is about?” Aski asked.

“Gotta be about the new princess. Or princesses, I guess,” Tuva said. “You see that Ganas is reporting it could be…whatshername…Carey?”

Thurl growled. “Tuva, I already told ya, we ain’t speculating on who heir number two could be, that ain’t our job. Especially if we’re speculating based on a site that gets vwofas close to calling us all bluefaces.”

“Didn’t say Ganas was good,” Tuva said, “just that they’re right sometimes.”

“Blind shaar finds a tupp sometimes. And even if they are, not our job to…Chief in the Briefing Room!”

Evwe Brantr was the only guard in the room wearing dress uniform; he nodded to Thurl as he took his spot at the head of the room. His parents had both been in the Imperial Military, and he’d spent a good portion of his life on a starbase on Dagau; while several of the people in the briefing wore braids, he was the only one with a full, long braid in the traditional style. When he spoke, he addressed the group in an accent that wasn’t quite identifiable, but his Jotnar was crisp and clear.

“Thank you, Lead Niebal. Unit Four has been tasked with a critically important job. We will be guarding the heir to the Carba Throne when they arrive on Jutuneim, starting the night before the Conclave resumes. Over the next three days, your job will be to secure the Jofur’s Suite at the Hotel Rikhat. This will be the base for the new heir when they arrive. We will then escort the heir to the Palace of the Three Shaars, ensuring they arrive safely for their meeting. Each of you should have briefing notes on your pad; I want to stress, this comes from the Dronung Herself. You are not to discuss any of this information with anyone, including your family. Clear?”

“And this ain’t a request,” Thurl added. “This is the next Dronung or Jofur we’re talking about. Could be any number of fools who want to make a name for themselves. We let this leak, we help them.”

“Chief,” Tuva asked, “isn’t it going to be pretty obvious that we’re prepping Hotel Rikhat?”

“Good question, Errisdat. The answer is that it would, but we have two diversionary teams prepping other locations.”

“Are we a diversionary team?” Aski asked.

“You are not,” said Brantr. “And I know, I could just be saying that, but…look, this unit has been exemplary. And that’s down to a very good lead and very good guards. The Dronung has communicated to me directly that there is a real threat against this new heir. I wouldn’t trust them with anyone else.”

“Chief, is the new heir this…um…Carey woman?” Tuva asked.

Brantr looked both ways, and said, “I am not at liberty to discuss that, but…as part of our activity we are to make sure that the suite is prepped for a human. Make of that what you will.”

Brantr nodded to Thurl, who stood. “Doesn’t matter if it’s Carey or Pryvani Tarsuss or the captain of the Jutuneim Shaars, we’re gonna protect them like we always do, with everything we’ve got. Now, settle in folks, because there’s gonna be some details you’ll need to be aware of.”

* * *

“Now, Sophia, are you sure that….”

“Yes, Rixie, I’m sure,” Sophia said. “Yurea and Quentin have both volunteered to help, and we’re already set up for toddlers thanks to the twins, I’m not worried about it. Now, how are you holding up? Do you need anything?”

“I mean, don’t mention this to anyone. Not that you would, you know how to keep a secret.”

Sophia snorted. “Yeah, I do. And we won’t. But Rixie…I don’t know if you’re excited or terrified, but you’re going to do fine. Of everyone on this mountain, you’ve got the best head in a crisis. I just hope you won’t forget us when you’re famous.”

Rixie sighed. “It’s a ridiculous reason to be famous. You know, growing up, I always thought, if I knew who my family was, maybe they’d be rich, and take me away and I could live in luxury, and it turns out they were, and I can, and….”

Sophia shrugged, and spread her arms out. “First of all, we’re all living in a pretty good level of luxury. But more than that…you earned your luxurious life. And if you get a little bit more, you earned that too. You know, Joseph told me that he talked to you, after the battle. That you told him that he’d be a good soldier – but that you also told him that he should follow what his heart told him to do.”

Rixie shook her head, braids tracing concordant angles as she did. “He just…battles are hard when you’ve trained for them. He’s very together for someone who went through what he did, but still…you need to hear from someone that you’re not crazy for not feeling like a hero, because heroes never do. And that you weren’t evil for killing when you had no other choice. And that you aren’t a coward for thinking that you don’t want to kill ever again, if you can avoid it. When you’re in the military, there’s always someone above you who’s been through it, who can tell you that. He didn’t have the military, but I was there, and paying that forward is my duty.”

“I know you think that’s just what you should do,” Sophia said. “And because you’re a hero, you don’t think you’re one. But you should know…it really did help Joseph. He did need to hear it.” Sophia smiled. “You’re a wise and decent woman. If you end up a Dronung, you’ll end up a good one. And if we can help you by taking Asteria for a week, we’ll do it gladly.”

Rixie smiled back. “Sophia, you’re the wise one around here, and we all know it. And don’t be afraid to make Alex and me pay you back by taking the twins for an evening or six. Whatever my title is….”

“You’re family,” Sophia said. “We all are. We know, Rixie.”

* * *

“Skip, you’re cutting my vacation short.”

Karral chuckled a bit, under his breath. “Gonna be worth it, Iđka. Besides, not like you were doing anything exciting, you were just hanging out on the promenade.”

Iđka Heneshin sighed as he sat down at the table. “I had a whole week of eating at Rixie’s, flirting with the wait staff, gambling at the casino. I know, Folkvangr may not be Navyenev, but it’s a lot better than running security on a Jona class for a month. So don’t tell me – I’m working security on a Jona-class for the next month. Can it at least be the Rusely? Stauseo isn’t too bad to work with.”

“Not the Rusely. You’re with my team on the White Shaar. Meeting two others at Naesavarna. And starting right now, no communications with anyone outside the team.”

“Getting paid that much, are we?”

“You are,” Karral said. “I’m splitting my share between the three of you. Doing it as a favor.”

Iđka blinked. “What’s…what’s the cargo?”

“Two passengers. That’s it,” Vilum said. “Extremely important. Opsec is max. I’m going to you because you’ve proven worthy of my trust over the past four years. But I want you to know that if you violate my trust on this one, I’ll space you and I won’t blink.”

Iđka leaned back, mouth agape. “I…you pay me well, skip. I wouldn’t….”

“What we’re doing here…you could make more by selling the information,” Karral said.

Iđka nodded. “That’s true a lot of the time. But it’s a one-time thing. This is a good gig. Really, I don’t knock it. You took a chance on me. I mean….”

“You’ve earned my trust. But on this one, I need your assurance as a Jotnar that you won’t slip up, not at all.”

Iđka nodded. “You have it, skip.”

Karral nodded. “We’re guarding the heir to the Carba Throne, Iđka.”

“Vallero?” Iđka replied. Karral laughed, this time loud enough for Iđka to hear it.

“You don’t follow the news, do you?”

“Try not to.”

“Probably smart,” Karral said. “All right, let me fill you in.”

* * *

Rixie was finishing her packing when the call came in. They’d be leaving tomorrow, but she wanted to get this done now so she could spend some time with Asteria and Thyllia and Lexie before they had to go. Unfortunately, she knew that this call was inevitable, and though she was not looking forward to it, she hit the accept connection button, and said, “Hey, Vanser.”

“I’m sorry, your importantness, to bother you. And I’m unsure on the protocol, do I need to bow throughout the call, or just….”

“I can suggest some protocol if you want. Not official,” Rixie said, “but I really am gonna mean what I tell you.”

“So you’re a princess.”

Rixie sighed. “I’m assuming you’ve talked with the Emperor about this, if you aren’t, please do so rather than going around him and the Dronung.”

“I have the Emperor’s permission to question you,” Vanser said. Rixie sighed.

“Vanser…you and I both know that what I should tell you is that I’m going to contact a barrister and schedule a time.”

Vanser nodded. “I couldn’t blame you. Even if you’re innocent as a baby, that’s the smart thing to do.”

“I’m not going to,” Rixie said, “because I know that you’re in a hurry and don’t have time to waste. If this theory is true….”

“If the theory is true, you’re in danger, but so is Sen. Tarsuss, and the Floor Leader, and the Royal Family. But because all of you could be in danger, I have to cross you off the list. So Magister-Imperator Carey: When did you find out you were a Princess of Jotnarherath?”

Rixie sighed. “Earlier this year. I met Kullervo in Selkaraf, met my mother not long thereafter. I mean…I talked to my mom by phone, first. But I went to see her after I met Kullervo, and Tellervo, and my brothers and sisters.”

Vanser nodded. “Did you meet Aud Aljansen then?”

“No, I saw her briefly at Ljied Umbas’s reception, but didn’t speak to her. I haven’t spoken with her since…oh, Gods, probably my wedding. When I got the Sword of Savarna.”

“You didn’t reach out to her? When you found out she was your sister?”

Rixie frowned. “I was already dealing with enough new family, and I wanted to wait until Kullervo told her, and he didn’t get around to it…and that was lucky, in the end…sort of.”

Vanser smiled. “You know, you’re not answering these in a careful manner.”

Rixie threw her arms wide. “This…this is way too much, you know? I just wanted to find out, finally, who I was. I didn’t want any of…you know…this. I’m not a princess, for frak’s sake! Imperator? Security officer? Bodyguard? Good at all of ‘em. But princess?”

“And yet you always played Tannith Ley like you were born into it,” Vanser said. Rixie snorted.

“I played Tannith Ley as a parody of every stuck up jerk of a rich fool that we ever dealt with, and the people I was trying to fool never caught on, because they’re impossible to parody.”

“So you were not interested in seeking the Carba Throne,” Vanser said.

“Vanser, we’re trying very hard to figure out a way for me not to end up on it. I’ve already promised Alex that if we can’t, I’ll be abdicating in the first month. The only reason I’m agreeing to any of this is that it appears whoever is trying to make this happen wants to hurt humans, and I’ll endure whatever I have to in order to protect Alex. ‘Interested?’ I’d rather sever my left arm.”

Vanser nodded. “I believe you. And I know that you would never risk hurting humans. I’m not saying that there is no possible way that you and your employer could be involved in something…questionable….”

“I’m happy to hire a barrister and schedule a call,” Rixie said.

“This is off the record, and outside of our discussion,” Vanser said. “You don’t get to be a Praetor-Imperator if you can’t figure out that maybe it’s best to just leave Pryvani Tarsuss alone. My point is…Sen. Tarsuss also would never risk hurting humans. So no, there’s no way you’re involved in this, and if you were, I’d be better off letting Lady Tarsuss settle things anyhow.”

Rixie smiled. “There’s still a standing offer for whenever you retire, you know. I could use you. There’s almost as much going on here as there is in the rest of the Empire.”

“I believe it, and if I ever do retire, we’ll talk. But for now…we’re going to do everything we can to nail these traitors. But they’re dangerous, obviously, and while everyone is being quiet, officially, Ganas painted a big target on your chest.”

“I can take care of myself,” Rixie said.

“Of course you can. But make sure you do, Rix. I don’t want to have to add your murder to the bill of particulars.”

Rixie groaned. “First Pryvani, now you. I’m serious, I am very sure I can handle myself. Trust me, okay?”

“We do,” Vanser said. “And Rixie?”

“Yeah?”

“I remain your obedient servant, Your Most Excellent Excellency.”

Rixie sighed. “Okay, so for protocol, here’s what you do. First, jam your…..”

* * *

“That went well, I thought,” Rajenlif said, as Gudda Nieadlgil left the room. “Gudda is still feeling chagrined about being used by Luviisa, I think. He could have drilled down much more thoroughly. But you both handled yourselves well. Thank you.”

Kullervo shook his head. “Still my fault we’re even dealing with this. Both of you…deserved better than what I’ve given you to work with.”

Tellervo smiled, and squeezed his hand. “I knew what I was getting into, and I don’t regret it. I can’t speak for you, Raja, but….”

“I’m not interested in relitigating the past,” Rajenlif said. “We have to deal with the present if we want the future to be secure. I am cautiously optimistic that we will survive the immediate danger. Then comes the more difficult part.”

“You have the support of five houses. And as the House of Aljansen just demonstrated, they cannot vote against the discommendation of their primate.”

“Oh, I know, but…I cannot simply remove half of the primates. Not even with cause. It once again gives them the ammunition they need to attack, to push for Aud, or perhaps a republic. But we cannot simply leave them in power, either.”

Kullervo nodded, and sighed. “You will come up with a solution, Raja. I know you. It is unfair that you should have to, but….”

“I would like to think so, my brother,” Rajenlif said. “But I am afraid that I am quite as much a part of the problem as your second daughter. And I do not know if I am the leader who can fix what had been broken. At least, I hope, we have prevented more damage. Because if not…then it could get very bad for Jutuneim, and very soon.”