->>] Pleasant Meeting, Empress. I’m afraid we are not prepared for a diplomatic visit. [<<-

I’m greeted to the translated speech of Individual Clor as I walk off the elevator into the satisfying embrace the dense aether of this moon.

->>]Embarrassed forgiveness. I was not intending to burden you. Now that you are not on a mission from the Forum, what should I call you? [<<-

->>] Curious Query. I believe Ambassador, Individual Clor, or V’tek’Clor are acceptable. To what do we owe this visit?[<<-

They finish forming from the flattened root platform I find myself standing on. ->>] Amused encounter. I only intended to recharge my aether and look for a place to place a training grounds. Perhaps a few hours at most. [<<-

->>] Anxious inquiry. How many humans would be training here? The Collective prefers sparsely populated habitats for our Groves. [<<-

->>] Understanding concurrence. My intent was no more than a few dozen in training at any given time, and a permanent population of maybe 1000 within a Mark or so. With nearby grounds for farming and hunting of course. [<<-

->>] Grateful relief. With billions of Humans recently added, I had feared perhaps millions would be migrating. [<<-

->>] Amused Horror. I would not want a million humans around my vacation or training spot either. Plus, this aether density would kill most of them. I’d planned on the bulk of humans that come to this system settling on Asphodel, the neighboring moon. [<<-

->>] Agreeable news. If you truly not here for an extended visit, I will leave you to your tasks [<<-

I bow slightly and ping agreement before getting back aboard the elevator. I head to the other side of the moon and try to find a place to land that incudes a water feature that isn’t swampland. What I find is a lake nestled in some worn mountains that were likely formed in ancient tectonics. I wonder if this moon gets cold enough for snow.

I cannot resist the urge to submerge myself in water and find out that it is freaking cold. Candidate for snowmelt for certain. The water is just as saturated with aether as the air, so despite the cold I decide to stay in it for a while. I name the spot Lonely Lake and start blocking out areas for buildings support stuff and recreation ideas.

>K] I set up an area around the ansible a lot like Summer station, except instead of the dorm thing, I made an apartment building. Combined the lab and farm buildings as well. And the ansible building is now offices. [<

>P] Sounds great hon, now all we need are people. [<

>K] I think we will have a shortage of ways to transport people that are willing to come out here. [<

>P] Beecham said he’d like that project, so once we get him back to Mercy, he’ll probably ask for an orbital shipyard or something.[<

>K] We should have something like that for repairs and whatnot. Going to need a space station for Moiriax and the mining there too. Just because you’re not burning consumable resources doesn’t mean everyone else isn’t.[<

Huh, I guess I did assume that as the only resources I’m spending are things that I personally make. Speaking of: >P] can you pick one of your moons that I can basically strip of aether and make into my crystal factory?[<

>K] I’ll work up a sensor array that can scan for aether and you can help me put it on those drones. Why waste a habitable planet if we can reap a barren one. [<

>P] Have I told you that I love you lately? Because I love you lotses. [<

>K] Have I told you that you’re ridiculous lately? [<

Pfft. Nice. I’m on my way to pick her up so there’s no real reason to continue this mental conversation.

“So what did you do with the old barracks and workshop I put down?” I ask after a kiss hello.

“I modified them as I said. It’s a lot cheaper to repurpose buildings, you can also reclaim buildings you don’t want anymore. Not enough to replace what you spent, but it’s about the same as I would be able to source the materials for. You should reclaim the dorm when we get home and build a new apartment complex.”

“I would be delighted to knock that piece of crap down.” A little flutter hits my belly as she calls Astoria home.

I’m getting better at augmenting warps with space magic. My advanced rating gives me the ability to define space subject to my control, so with a weak shield, I can define the contained space as dimensional space and the special barrier acts as an additional shield against the aether that permeates non-dimensional space. I have a lot of experimenting to do with pockets of space in other defined spaces, but it’s promising. It is also advancing faster than my aether manipulation, which is what currently controls my shields.

The next warp toward Lachesis feels easier than on the way out. Katie checks on me then steers us toward Lachesis where she wants to spend a good portion of her 10k CE to support the mining contracts she signed for the system.

“Is it smart to make a space station with no people to operate it?” I ask Katie, worried about hijacking.

“I have developed a skill similar to you parallel minds, and Atropos has convinced me that she can run the station remotely. Her capabilities will obviously advance when the Sector Host comes online.”

“I think it’s funny that my gut reaction when I saw that ansible was that I needed it and spent a seventh of my wealth in CE. Now that I analyze what it provides us, it feels like the single most beneficial thing I could have done with that money. It would be slightly more responsible for me to put the Host in Moiriax or Hades, but the max range hits Earth, and I am terribly, terribly proud.”

“If the star charts are any indication, the Milky Way is vastly under connected to the System. You could have built that host in any of your systems and have provided an immense benefit to the Supercluster. We don’t know what with be transport connected into patrolled space, but you have three thousand light years in every direction to expand our Empire, or connected network of planets, all immediately supportable to the best extent the Supercluster has to offer. Given enough time, Penny, you and I can create a transport network for pedestrians from one end of the Empire to the other. We are going to make so much fucking money.”

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

I chuckle that she finishes what was otherwise a great speech with a touch of greed. Maybe she’s low key afraid I’ll leave us destitute? Nah, with the magic and smarts between us, we can make as much money as we can think of ways to make it.

“Can the sensor suite we installed on this shuttle detect aether?”

“It can . . . you just want to get out of the drone work, don’t you?”

“Honey, if we’re already here, why wouldn’t I see if your moons can support my crystal habit? Our plans require hundreds of pounds of farmed corundum. This is a high priority item. Same as the aether collector.”

“As long as you’re not blowing yourself up again, I suppose.” Katie growls. I shouldn’t laugh, but I do. She caught me at my worst injury to date, experimenting without my EVA suit on to compensate for my stupidity.

Katie puts in her order in for the parts for an orbital station with cargo processing and loading. She tickets the delivery via pending Sector Host so she can put the parts in orbit and have a crew put them together. She’s hoping to co-opt the engineering company that is towing our ansible parts out after it finishes assembling it. To our surprise, they reply immediately with an adjusted timeline and to push back the station a few months for surveys and planning. Katie agrees immediately.

When we land on Lachesis, Katie proceeds to build the same setup as she did at Asphodel and adds a personal home at the top of a hill. The house has it’s own lab and library space.

“You planning on telling me something Kay?”

“Am I not expected to have a house in my system Penny?”

“I just thought you’d want to live with me, you know?” I look at my hands and fiddle with my ring, knowing I’m being pathetic right now.

“I get that recent events with Melissa have you skittish, little pixie, but I desire to take care of my system and to take my other activities away from a home we share.

I sigh, “Yeah, you’re right. I’m being extra clingy right now, and I know you and your condition have needs. I’m just scared Katie.”

“I know Penny, and I know that I’ve hurt you in a similar situation, but you can trust that I don’t want to alienate such a promising business partner.”

It’s weird that assuring me with her business acumen against our relationship is affective. “I would probably do some strange magic cult shit to make you come back to me.”

She smirks at that instead of looking horrified. “Make it a blood ritual and I’m down for some servitude. Your blood of course.” She croons in a voice she’s not suppose to use outside of the bedroom.

All of me is suddenly too hot. “Fuck Kay, you and that voice. Tell Atropos to drive. You have work to do.” I crawl out of my suit and Katie gets to work.

***

A pint lighter and surrounded by decadent cotton sheets in Katie’s new bungalow, I awaken to the sound of a loud roar. Tessa, are we in danger?

Sensors indicate that the dominant species of this moon is angry at your placement of abode. They appear to be a Dire variant of a wolverine-type creature.

Well that’s a solid “nope” if I’ve ever heard one.

“Katie! Your moon is mad at you!” I pull off our blankets and throw them on the floor.

She scrunches her face and starts pushing me off the bed. “You’re the Empress, go defend the realm, or some shit.” She buries her face under an embarrassment of pillows, “Be a good wife and kill me breakfast. I bet it tastes like bacon.”

“If you cook it, I’ll kill it.” I start poking her until she responds.

“FINE! Just go stab it before I stab you!” Aww, she’s so cute when she’s sleepy.

I go outside in my skivvies and my laser pistol to see what’s making a racket, and it’s two large furry monstrosities either fucking or fighting, I honestly can’t tell. I dial up the pulse length on the pistol and am rewarded with the most foul smell ever to greet my nose. It’s like someone tried to put out a trash fire with rotten meat that was caused by an oil covered peat bog littered with Sulphur.

I go back to get my EVA suit so I can skin it and leave that smelly mess of fuzzy bullshit outside the shield. It smells one thousand percent better once I have it in pieces inside Katie’s comfy house.

“KATIE! I provided! Get your ass out of bed!”

Ten minutes later a put-together but very cross Vampire walks into the kitchen. “I did not expect you to actually go kill us breakfast. I am aroused and angry that you have chosen to do so this early.”

I order and assist a summon of eggs and veggies that Francesca has been growing and selling. “These too please honey.” She narrows her eyes at me but nods anyway.

Despite her reluctance, Katie is an excellent cook and makes us steak and eggs, with ordered juice and fruit.

“How is this meat spicy?” Katie asks. “Did it smell spicy when you killed it? It would make an excellent hash. Hmm, maybe Frannie has potatoes.”

I tell her she’s welcome to go smell the pelts, but it’s indescribably terrible. She doesn’t believe me and goes to see for herself. She looks angry as hell when she gets back. I laugh the whole time we pack for Astoria. Grumpy and Broody Katie is still sexy. I’m kind of ruined on her being scary though, so I’m not a good judge.

Katie had more work to do, so I took a survey of Atropos, finding that it did have a solid average aether reading, and it was marginally habitable--Katie let me put up a warehouse full of crystal chambers and a sophisticated cutting and grinding lab. The aether collector was placed a kilometer away so it wouldn’t accidently collect aether from people. I had to pay extra to have the product pumped to the lab. I have to make my own imbuing equipment as it is not a common enough project and I sadly didn’t bring my setup from Earth with me.

I set up the place to start filling containers full of liquid aether until I come back. Andromeda, don’t let me try to play with gallons of aether at a time. I will probably die. Moving those reservoirs underground and not letting me play with containers, check. I was responsible today! Katie come praise me!

>K] You know I need lenses and small-scale batteries right? [<

>P] Yes, hon. Put it on my Honey Do list please. [<

>K] I will have that list full in ten minutes. [<

>P] Just go ahead and forget putting yourself on that list unless you want pig’s blood for a month. [<

>K] Half full then. Tease. [<

My fiancé certainly appreciates my body, but mostly for what keeps it running. At this point I miss it when she doesn’t drink from me, so who am I to complain. I complain when I’m dizzy; it’s a safety thing. I love the attention, and the contact, but she might kill me from a thousand thirsty cuts.

“Tessa, start Mercy Outpost’s habitat once we’re in range, and alert Francesca that we’re incoming. Send her 1k CE and 10k AE for station improvements. Thanks love.”

I need the low-grav fab operation if we’re building a drone swarm and I bet Katie has something else for me to work on in the month before Jembit Engineering gets here. Not that I mind the work, I actually love my Track and all the work I’ve been doing on it. And lets be honest, when we finish a project, and Katie is proud of me? Gosh, I feel so special when she looks at me with pride.

“I would like to be dropped off at the ansible, I have improvements to make. Shall I come get you when I’m finished?” Katie adds, including me in her afternoon.

“I think I’m gonna put a place up at the aether lake? Like the one you have outdoors at Bikini Atoll.”

“Why not at the pond?” Katie seems confused as to why I would not be closer to her.

“Because Mel decided asshole frogs and napalm cicadas needed to be a part of that ecosystem. That and the hull fragments in that lake make it a perfect re-charge while I’m using a lot of aether.” Katie looks uncertain as to what to say or do, so I guess at her issue and make a request. “When you organize a work station for yourself, maybe set a place for me too? I’ll do the same yah?”

She nods and her eyes mist up as she gives me a hug. Ask her though, and it never happened.