In many ways, Ryan Carey was relieved when Nom Zinter finally said, “Sir, Navarchos Gwenn is asking to speak to you.”

Ryan got up from the command chair, and nodded to the officer behind him. (In point of fact, he and Zinter were on entirely different decks – Ryan was operating from the human-scale bridge, Nom from the Titan-scale one, with each projected holographically – but that was beside the point.) “I’ll take it in my office. Commander Neb, the bridge is yours.”

Ryan went into his office and sat down in his chair, rubbed his temples, and steeled himself for an argument. He flipped the switch on the viewscreen.

“Navarchos Gwenn, ma’am, what can I do for you?”

Lauryna took a breath, let it out, and said, “Captain Carey, you don’t have to act like nothing’s wrong.”

“I absolutely do, ma’am,” Ryan said. “We’re at war, and my crew needs me to be steady on my feet. If my dad dies – and my mom’s last message was that they’re actually pretty optimistic that he won’t, so that’s good – but he’s not the only person who risked their life this week, and not the only one who might have to pay with it.”

“Truly the sentiment of an Imperial Officer. Now stuff it,” Lauryna said. “You’re not in front of your crew right now. As adjutant of this fleet, I want you to know that I’m not going to think any less of you for worrying about your family – any more than you would come down on a member of your crew that had just found out a parent had cancer, or a sibling had been in a shuttle crash. And that is hardly the only issue you’re facing…Your Royal Highness.”

Ryan bounced from his seat, and began pacing. “Okay, look, if I admit that yeah, I’m terrified for my dad and my mom and my whole family, will you promise never to call me that ever again? I know gorram well the namesake of this ship flat ordered people not to use his royal title while he was in uniform. I earned the uniform. The title’s just a weird accident.”

Lauryna nodded, and smiled. “You have certainly earned the uniform, Captain Carey. I promise I will refer to you neither as Prince Ryan or Lord Carey unless we’re stuck in a situation where protocol demands it. Is that better?”

“Aye, ma’am,” Ryan said. He awkwardly sat back down. “And ma’am…I am sorry for my outburst.”

“Barely registers as an outburst; nice thing about having Navarchos Kgggggr as my CO, you get used to loud. And even if it did…again, Captain, I know you’re smart enough to know when to call out an outburst, and when to let it go. You’re managing Crewmate Rockfist well, that’s impressive in and of itself.”

Ryan nodded. “Point taken ma’am. And ma’am…I know why you’re calling, because…well, it’s what I’d be asking Neb or Zinter to do if we had a member of this crew dealing with something similar. I want to assure you that I’m fine, ma’am. A little stressed, but I’ve been through worse.”

“You’ve been through a lot worse,” Lauryna agreed. “But that’s doesn’t mean that everything’s great.”

“Maybe not,” Ryan said, “but ma’am, I am fit for duty.”

Lauryna nodded. “I believe you. But I do want you to be aware of your fitness, and to continue to reassess it. There is no shame in transferring command to your XO for a day or so if you need to. Indeed, I expect you to do so if you need to. And understand that this is an order – if Commander Neb expresses to you that he thinks you may need to step aside, you will step aside. If it has reached that point in his mind, it has reached that point.”

Ryan held his tongue, and simply said, “Aye, ma’am.”

“And in exchange for that order…I promise to take the heat if anyone in Tuaut or Naesavarna wants their new prince to come visit while his ship is in a forward position.”

Ryan smiled. “As much as I’d like to see my daughter…I want to see her when the Antero rotates back to Allied space. As long as we’re forward, my place is on the bridge.”

“And we’re safer with you there, Captain Carey, so I will let you get back to it. But I do want you to know…I’ve known your father for a very long time. And I am not surprised that he’s a gorram hero. You had to learn it somewhere.”

Ryan laughed, and shook his head. “Got heroes all over my family. My mom, my dad, my birth mom…I’m just a guy who isn’t smart enough to know that fire’s hot.”

Lauryna laughed, but said, “It’s a good line, Ryan, but your dad is simply equaling your example. And I know when he wakes up that he’ll tell you the same thing. Good hunting, Captain. Dismissed.”

“Good hunting, ma’am,” Ryan said. As the call ended, Ryan gave himself just a moment to sit, and worry, and pray.

And then he stood up, straightened his jacket, and headed back to the bridge.

* * *

Venla Lavra set her pad down and leaned back in her chair. She rubbed her temples, and tried to process the torrent of news that had swept across the world.

Siru had sounded exhausted when she called; she was happy to be engaged (it was too soon, Venla thought, but then, both Siru and Aleks had said they wanted to wait to be married until after they were both graduated and settled, and honestly…given what the two had just been through, Venla understood their need for some form of stability), but overwhelmed by everything else.

Venla agreed with her daughter that Skor was probably more of a fool than a criminal, and that Luviisa and Aud were probably more likely criminals than fools. They were all detained, and that was good enough; Siru said that Princess Daz had promised to help her through the transition, and from what she knew of Daz Zakrov, she would steer her daughter well. Certainly, the Boyara had experience dealing with the fallout from a disgraced house.

She knew she should call her brother back, but she was letting Uđđi stew for the moment. She’d warned him may times about cozying up to Luviisa Aljansen, not out of anger at Skor – she’d gotten over it many years ago, and she got Siru out of the deal, and that was enough – but because she’d recognized exactly how ruthless her former mother-in-law could be. Now Uđđi was on the outs with the Dronung, and while her brother had expressed deep concern that this could cause their house to fall on hard times…Venla wasn’t worried at all. Her mother had taught them both that there was no particular honor in being born to a noble house, that honor only accrued to it so long as its custodians were honorable – and that more often than not, they weren’t. Venla had listened; Uđđi had not. Oh, she would pitch in at some point to avoid utter ruin; she didn’t much care about the house, but she didn’t want her nephew to have to rebuild from nothing. But she was going to have a long talk with Uđđi before she started helping him. And she was going to demand that Uđđi cease his opposition to hybrids – not just because his niece could be the mother of one someday, but because nothing was more damaging to their house than hatred.

No, she wasn’t going to call Uđđi. But that didn’t mean that she had no responsibilities. Well…to be fair, she didn’t have any responsibilities, not legally. She could ignore this. It wasn’t her problem, really. But….

Riggu Umbas was effectively an orphan. It didn’t matter that Skor Aljansen hadn’t been involved in killing Ljied; his wife had been. And his mother. Riggu and Skor might be able to work through that someday, but for now, there was no way that Riggu could possibly go home to his father’s house. Venla knew that Ranu Aljansen would not turn the boy away – if Ranu managed to stay free. But she also knew that Ranu was a kind, artistically brilliant, and scattered person who really shouldn’t be in charge of the welfare of others. She was somewhat concerned about what the future held for him.

But Ranu was an adult; Riggu was a child, not yet thirteen. And while Venla knew his Aunt Ljali well enough to know that she would gladly take him in…Ljali lived on Archavia, and that was a long way from Jutuneim.

Venla groaned; she knew what she had to do. She typed in the padcode, and waited for the person on the other end to answer.

“Hello Venla,” Ljali Umbas said. “I…don’t even know where to start. I guess…is Siru okay? And….”

“Siru is fine,” Venla said. “She’s at the Palace of the Rising Sun. I don’t know how much has been shared with you, but…she had been giving information to the Dronung and the Imperators, as soon as she worked out what had happened, and what Luviisa and Audara might be planning. Her fiancé…he overheard them plotting. He put it together….”

“Gods, what a mess,” Ljali said. “I…am glad to hear Siru was not a part of this. It’s bad enough, all of it…but I couldn’t imagine….”

“From what I know, Skor was not directly involved in the planning. I don’t know what he knew, and neither does Siru…but she thinks he figured out some things between last week and this; he called her to warn her that she might need to distance herself from her family. Fortunately…she was already working with the Royal Family.”

“I would like to think that Skor isn’t involved. He didn’t treat my sister well – or you – but I never thought he would be capable of this. Luviisa…I’m less surprised than I should be.”

Venla chuckled mirthlessly. “Same here.”

“I…do appreciate you letting me know what you know,” Ljali said. “I talked to Riggu just briefly, but he…well, he wasn’t in a mood to talk. He did say he’d talked with Siru…and that she’d told him their grandmother had been involved in perhaps a dozen murders, including Ljied’s. I can’t…I can’t believe….”

Ljali wiped her tears. “I can’t believe that anyone would hurt her.”

“Neither can I,” Venla said. “Your sister and I got to know each other pretty well, I considered her a friend. She deserved much better.”

“She liked you too,” Ljali said. “And Siru. She liked her. I…I know you must be busy, and…I…we’re processing things too, so….”

“I did want to offer one thing,” Venla said. “And I want to stress that it is an offer, not a request or anything like that. I don’t…think that Riggu is going to be able to live with Skor, not after all of this.”

“No,” Ljali said. “I did…I’ve been contacted by Child Welfare Services, I…will likely become his guardian, as well as legate.”

“And he is fortunate to have you. Are you planning to have him move to Tannhauser?”

Ljali shrugged. “I honestly don’t know,” she said. “I’ve barely begun to think about it.”

“Well, I know that Riggu is in school here, and most of his friends are on Jutuneim,” Venla said. “I also know that you and your family have strong roots in Tannhauser. I just wanted to offer…if Riggu he wishes to stay on Jutuneim, for any amount of time, short or long…he is welcome in my home.”

Ljali leaned back, and wiped away tears. “That is…that is far more generous than you need to be. You have not wronged my house, nor has Siru. You do not need to do anything to repay us.”

“It is not a payment, or a way to save face,” Venla said. “Riggu is a part of my family, the brother of my daughter. And given everything that has happened, I know he will need all the love and support he can get. I will give whatever you would like me to. Including none – you are his guardian, and I do not wish to do anything but help you.”

Ljali nodded. “I think…I will have to think more. But it is a generous offer, and appreciated. I will talk to him about it…I think much will depend on what he wants and needs. Also Venla…Siru is on Archavia now, for school. No matter what else happens, Riggu will probably need to come here for a bit, when the school term ends. If…would she….”

“Siru loves her brother,” Venla said. “I have no doubt that she would be glad to make the trip to Tannhauser. Just give her a little warning; she also has a trip here, and a trip to Avalon in the near future.”

“Oh? What’s on Avalon?”

“Her fiancé’s family,” Venla said.

Ljali waited a beat, and said, “She…is she engaged to a Tarsuss?”

“No, a human,” Venla said.

Ljali smiled for the first time in the conversation. “Oh, gods…I sure hope Luviisa finds out.”

* * *

“Well,” Hercule said, “if I do not go, I will be late for my rotation, and that will simply not do. After all, I am not Italian.”

Glyta chuckled. “Some day, I may remember my European stereotypes. Italian…Italy, right? The province that looks like a foot?”

“Oui,” said Hercule, as he straightened his jacket. “It is a charming nation. Fine food. Not as fine as France has, but still. Its capital was the heart of the Roman Empire.”

“Which is where Latin is from. You should just talk languages, I’ll remember then,” said Glyta with a smirk. She sobered, and added, “I know…I know you said it’s fine, and I believe you, but….”

Hercule looked up at the beauty; he still wasn’t sure he believed this was real. Perhaps he had died and gone to Heaven. If so…it was a better heaven than he had expected. “The only thing that worries me is that it could hurt you. I…do not want to be the reason you lose your family.”

Glyta stroked his back with one finger. “I know. But you aren’t. My mother may never accept you…but you are a part of me now. As I am with you. And if she cannot accept you, she cannot accept me. You grieve that, you hate that, and you would step aside so that you would not force me to choose. Which is why I do choose – I choose you. And if that means I lose my title, or my inheritance…then we’ll build our own family and our own legacy.”

Hercule smiled sadly, and said, “I am with you as long as you will tolerate me, mon chéri. I just hope that your parents will see reason. But if they will not…you see me as I am, and that is all I could hope for.”

He stepped into a hamster ball, and said, “Bon chance, Glyta. I will see you tonight.”

“Have a good day, my love,” Glyta said. She waited until the ball disappeared into the tubing of the ship, straightened her own jacket, and sat down at a terminal. She accessed the communications relay system – she had picked up enough comms shifts that she was trusted to run her own personal calls – and sent the call through.

“Hello,” Glyta said, as the call connected. “I have a personal call for Senator Joceusa Idisoko.”

“Hello, daughter,” her mother said. There was not much warmth behind it.

“Please be advised that this call is placed through Imperial Military channels and is monitored,” Glyta added.

“You should turn off monitoring,” Joceusa said.

“I can’t. As you know,” Glyta said. “Nobody looks up call logs unless someone tries to share classified information, and I don’t. But the only calls that aren’t logged connect to the triumvirate or the Emperor.”

“Still, if we’re discussing family business….”

“Then it will be recorded,” Glyta said. “If you disagree with this policy, I’m sure you could discuss it with the Emperor.”

Joceusa crossed her arms. “And if I terminate the call?”

“Then I’ll just go ahead with my plans, without talking to you first,” Glyta said.

Lady Idisoko took a deep breath. “What are you planning, Koronoglytara?”

“I intend to send a letter to the new Lady Aljansen, expressing personal support for her in this trying time. And I intend to send it from both myself and my fiancé.”

“You have no fiancé. You are not betrothed.”

“Hercule and I….”

“I have not arranged your marriage, and you will not marry a human!” roared Joceusa, standing and pointing at her daughter’s image on the screen. “I have indulged in this charade of yours for long enough, if you….”

“It is no charade. No game,” Glyta said. “I love Hercule and he loves me. If you find me a suitor I will reject them.”

“You are to end this now, Glyta. I told you, when you came to me and said you intended to propose, that you dare not publicize this, that you dare not share it. There are consequences to this action, daughter. Think carefully.”

“No, you think carefully,” Glyta said, matching the intensity of her mother’s tone. “You’ve seen the coverage of the fall of the House of Aljansen. Luviisa Aljansen was tied into the anti-hybrid groups, that this was the goal of her plan – to fight hybrids. Which leads me to an obvious question, mother – did you know about this plan yourself?”

“How dare you! Luviisa committed her crimes, she’s on her own. I am fighting against hybrids openly and honestly, not through assassination and lies.”

“Right, you’re an open bigot, I forgot,” Glyta said.

“They are not Titans! They’re….”

“They’re people,” Glyta said. “They’re people. That’s all that matters. If they’re something other than Titans, then who the frak cares? Sorcha Freeman and Joseph Archer-Mavoy did more for the Empire than you or I ever have. They’re hybrids. What do you have against them?”

“They’re unnatural,” Joceusa said. “They’re freaks.”

“They don’t want you stop you or me from existing,” Glyta said. “Seems like we’re the freaks.”

“If you do this, I will file for you to be discommended,” Joceusa said. “I have to fight for the integrity of my family.”

“Very well. On what grounds will you be objecting to Hercule? It can’t be that he lacks honor, or has shown cowardice. You could challenge that he isn’t a member of a family, but the 79 Families have not upheld a discommendation on that for two centuries, and everyone agrees that it’s unenforceable. As for money, I will testify that Hercule offered to sign a prenuptial agreement, and that I have agreed – as long as it’s designed to split our assets equally. So it can’t be that. So what grounds will you choose?”

“That he is a non-Imperial,” Joceusa said.

“Ah, a brand new theory! I suppose saying “he’s human” was too obvious. All right, now, who will be your allies in this? Lord Carey? No, probably not. Perhaps Lord Bass? Oh, gosh…no. Lady Aljansen…I have a feeling Siru Aljansen will want to put her mother’s treason behind her. That’s probably true of all the ten Jotnar houses. Will the Emperor back you? Lady Zakrov? And mother…do you think Lady Tarsuss will sit idly by and allow this challenge? And if she rallies support against you…how many families will back you? Indeed, if Pryvani Tarsuss is aggrieved – and believe me, mother, I will tell her exactly why you are doing this, not that she doesn’t already know – do you think this won’t rebound against you? Do you think you will survive this challenge with our family’s honor intact?”

“You are the one risking our family’s honor,” Joceusa said. “You could simply stand aside for your brother.”

“Jola is with me on this, mother,” Glyta said. “And even if he wasn’t…our family has no honor if we stand for bigotry. If this causes the House of Idisoko to fall…then our house did not deserve to stand.”

Joceusa bowed her head. “I feel the same way. If we do not stand for Titans, we are not a Titan house. I will file to discommend you. And it breaks my heart.”

“And I will file to dispute your discommendation,” Glyta said, wiping tears from her eyes. “And it breaks my heart too. But at least I know that tonight, Hercule will be by my side to help mend it. And that will get me through.”