Naomi calls me up for meetings upon meetings. Guess I have to be the Empress today. With the Founder’s festival coming up again—feels like I just did one—and a teeny little thing like war, it seems I’ll be busier than I like to be. I haven’t had Zia long enough to figure out all aspects of my life with her in it, but here’s hoping having a well-developed toddler makes that easier.

The weight of the Empire seems much heavier of late, even though I’ve found proficient people to work the day to day, there’s always something looming on the horizon. This time, however, there could be a dawn on the horizon. With political struggles and discontents thinking that they can do better than a kid Empress—despite the act I’m in my mid forties—what I need is something to prove that I can get them through hardship.

Sure, the continuing effort to transfer people from refugee camps on Earth is helping people through a hardship, but it’s so easy to attribute that to the people that are doing the day to day work, the hands that direct you to your new homes, the faces that smile as they hand you food, and the company your with when you first regain the feeling of safety—that’s what people remember.

Politicians remember that their job is on the line, but public office is relatively new in the Empire and the old politicos are elbowing out space in the new environment. An environment that I have purposefully reduced the need for near-constant campaigning and cajoling from these greasy individuals. Sure, my bio parents are among those that vie for favor, but hopefully Mr. Mercer will be content as the highest ranking financial advisor in the Human sphere.

Now that I’ve been “highly encouraged” to review the reports that my Consuls have had their assistants forward to my assistant, I’m seeing how much this new government is coming together. We have steady trade with 16 different species, 4 of which have permanent residences within the Empire. With the founding of Ash and the four boroughs, city planning has taken off and more cities around Astoria and Atropos are buying back their infrastructure. More and more people are coming off rations as an every-day food, and interest in the frontier is growing.

Legal matters are still a shit show. Part of this year’s Forum is dedicated to electing/appointing Imperial Justices. I still feel that each system should have a Justicar, a person that can make rulings on interparty disputes and serves as a screen for any Imperial appeals or frivolous law changes, but the Governors don’t seem to be a fan of that particular element, even though it’s not a lot different that the federal court system of the old US.

I hear a knock at my office door.

“Enter,” I reply.

“Empress, Rich wants to speak with you,” her smile is sad. “He’s asked if you would come see him at his estate.”

Andromeda, we’ll have words if you’re letting him die on me. “Tell him I’ll be right over.” Check if there’s anything on my desk I need to finish and walk to my balcony, knowing that Naomi will confirm with Rich as I leave.

I extend my little winglets and push mana into them and they start fluttering. Flexing the muscles surrounding them I lift off and head towards the Consul estates. I don’t normally fly like this, as I’m often in my Reentry Suit, but as Zia may need some coaching when her wings come in I should probably get better at it. It’s not fast in any case, 50kph or so. It’s freeing though.

In no time, I’m at Rich’s estate and I rap the knocker. I middle-aged man answers the door and invites me inside.

“The Master is in his study, Empress. Please follow me.”

Hired a fancy butler, did he? Calls him master also. Makes me wonder if there’s a whole staff for the house. Op, there’s a maid, guess there is. Probably has a cook too. The decorating here is not as opulent as the extra staff may indicate, however, just a lot of functional furniture, like benches and couches.

“Would you like anything, Highness?” A server pushing a cart into a doorless room asks.

“A coffee with Summer Farms sweetener if you have it.” The woman nods and continues into the room.

Rich is there at a large desk, hunched over some actual paperwork, with some sort of half-helmet headwear and a device on his left arm. He looks tired, exhausted and I’m afraid that it’s not just overwork.

“Hey Rich, good to see you’re getting some cyborg parts.” I try to make light of the situation.

“It’d be funny if I was, but aside from a few implants here and there to make life easier, nothing large, nothing’s been replaced.” He sighs and organizes his papers for a few seconds. “It’s part of the reason I wanted to talk to you.”

His maid hands me a coffee and I think I might need to sit down for this. I take a sip of sweetened caffeine as I plop my fanny on a hard wooden chair.

“Even with the neural rejuvenator and the mess of magic serums in the arm-band, I’ve got maybe 5 to 10 years left.” He raises his hand as I open my mouth to protest. “I’ve done the research and talked with some tier 2 researchers and they say that Humans are too new, and our physiology is too different from Elves to appreciably prolong my life. The stuff I’m wearing just makes those remaining years more livable.

“Long story short, I’m resigning. I want the rest of my time to be untethered in a world worth seeing. With a few helpers, I may even be able to have an adventure or two.” He chuckles and coughs a little.

My heart sinks, but he’s not just disappearing, but he won’t be on the Consul committee anymore. Not that he’ll stop giving me advice, he will just avoid giving me professional advice. I guess his aide was doing most of the work I wanted done anyway.

“Sorry to hear that, Rich, but I was surprised when you agreed to do the job in the first place.”

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

“With pay and a house, how could I refuse?” We both chuckle at that. “I’d say my aide would be a fine replacement, but I think Recruit Training Commander whatsisname would too.”

“I do like the way Captain Jessup deals with difficult situations and people, but I need him in the fight for the war, so if your aide can stand in in the meantime, that would be preferred.”

“He and I figured you would want that. But you shouldn’t need him for much as I have our defense plans lined out here.” He taps an index finger on his desk and then flicks something at me. Nothing physical, turns out, but a data packet hits my point to point data hub and I pull it up.

“Okay, two additional light cruisers?” I whistle, “that’s impressive especially with the refugee sitch. Only a dozen fighters though.”

“That’s both good and bad. Jenna and R & D worked on a fighter based on your skimmer. Responsive as hell, but they make our pilots sick. Good for long term, when our folks can mutate and mod toward those acceleration profiles, but for now only a handful can pilot them effectively. However, we have been able to retrofit 30 short ranged shuttles for gunfighting with two reverse-shot torpedos instead of missile banks.”

“Oh! That’s pretty sick. A decent number to defend the Alaris or Galilei, but hard to do both.”

“Don’t tell me how to run a squadron, shipmate. We’re going to run 12 each, six in reserve, with two of the new fighters for both Capitol ships. And yes, we are delivering and extra for you.”

I pump my arm in victory.

“The light cruisers we’ve installed laser turrets around the ship to help deal with anything small that targets then, with a large “Main gun” that will work to break down the shields before we launch torpedoes. Four forward tubes, solo-shot aft. Similar but smaller power structures as Alaris and advanced warp capable. Speaking of Alaris, the ripple cannon is a work of madness, but the ship and her Captain seem to love it. Fires a five kilo slug faster than anything in human history. Even at medium range, it’s impossible to avoid.”

“Your pet project on Mercy is entering component testing right now, but we won’t be able to test fire without risking the Herrat knowing about its capabilities. It’s ambitious for sure, and not terribly strategic, but it should be able to pop one of their ships before they hide from it. All in all, it’s a damned fine Navy for nation of two million, but there’s no way it will stand up to the concentrated might of an actual space-faring species.”

I nod at that. I’m freaking thrilled at their progress and I want to see my new ships! However, he’s got a point. “I’m hoping that they back off when, not if, we destroy the token fleet they send. Our weapons can crack tier 3 shields, they’re expecting tier 1 with blips of tier 2 after the altercation I had with their diplomat. The issue will be if they call for reinforcements instead of backing down. Then, I’ll kill as many of them as I can, and see if they respond logically, or emotionally.”

“I don’t like the sound of that, Penny. It sounds a lot like war crimes.”

“I mean, under dissolved Earth organizations, maybe. But the race has a habit of preying on new users of the Matrix and turning them into slaves, and they tried to kill me under the guise of diplomacy.”

“I don’t care what they’re willing to do, we have to be better people. We have to do this the right way or we’re no better than them!”

I snarl at him, “So what, we play by the rules, and if we lose it’s just: good game, lets try to enjoy slavery?! No, Dick, YOU have to be a better person to give an example to the people, I have to prepare to be the monster to protect them!

“You saw what happened on Earth. I was convinced to let Nations run themselves within the system, let people who know how to run countries run things. I could have saved BILLIONS of lives if I had told them to fuck themselves, murder ten thousand people in government and ruled over the ashes. But no, I let it play out, I let you all watch what happens when repressed people get destructive powers and lead fucking rebellions!”

“You could have saved them all by not bringing the swarm to Earth in the first place!”

I snort a laugh. “The US and Chinese governments would have injected their own with it and used it to get a tighter stranglehold on their power. Fuck that. They wouldn’t have used that for better healthcare or free food for everyone.”

“You don’t know that! We could have done real good if we’d organized it’s release.”

I raise my hands, “what’s done is done. I could have approached it better, but I did warn people, and they didn’t take me seriously. I really don’t want this. I want to punch them in the nose and have them back off. But that’s not what arrogant assholes do Rich, they stew and ruminate until they figure out a way to teach their prey a lesson on what the defiant get.

If the Herrat don’t back down, I will do something ugly. Me alone. I will not force the Navy to participate, so you can’t bemoan about subjecting Sailors and Marines to my villainy.”

Rich’s head is in his hands, no longer full of anger or at least not expressing it.

“At least you have that much sense.”

I shake my head and sit there and drink my coffee for a minute or so. “I’m sorry I yelled, Rich. I’m not really angry with you, just the situation we’re in. I really need this to be the last hurdle to jump for a while you know?”

He nods, “Its why I’m stepping off the track.”

“Do you know where you’re headed to?”

“Back toward water I think. Go to the Cotton Sea get myself a boat, and when I’ve had enough, head out into the Goliath Sea until I hit the other side or get eaten.”

“That sounds almost poetic.” I sigh as I picture sailing off toward a sunset over a cerulean sea.

***

“You brought your daughter to space?” Captain Jessup questions.

I collected Zia from Naomi at the office after meeting with Rich and “took my shuttle” here. I really teleported to the maintenance tunnels and walked back up to the hangar and shipyard, all conveniently located beneath the surface of Mercy.

“She’ll be fine, plus she started crying when I tried to leave her with a friend.”

“Want to be with mommy.” Zia pouts.

I point at my girl while looking at the Recruit Training Commander. “Just came by for a short chat. I’m headed to Alaris after this.”

“Ahh, Captain Casey does love your visits.” He smirks, to which I snort.

“I can’t wait. Anyway, I was talking to Rich, and he said that you were on the short list that he’d recommend as Consul of Defense.”

“Old man finally throwing in the towel? Good for him. While I would do the job, and do it well, I would prefer to stay here, with the recruits. It’s a new world and a new Navy, and I think I understand what you’re trying to do well enough that I can teach it.”

I nod at the man, and I like the passion. “You have me convinced.” I smile, “I’m not in a rush to pick his replacement, as his aid agreed to fill in for the war, but I figured I’d as while I was in space today.”

“Oh yes, of course, it’s only an extra 350,000 kilometers, but I suppose with warping, it’s not that much of a hassle. Was there anything else you needed?” He is really quite polite about telling me I should leave.

“Yeah, I’m promoting you and Admin to Rear Admiral and Casey to Commodore. I don’t want there to be any confusion as to whose advice people should listen to. There is also some re-structuring I want to do after the war, so might as well get ahead of it a little.” That and I want a card in my pocket to play when I inevitably piss Casey off today.

He nods his acknowledgment and thanks me while I walk myself out. I head out to the surface after briefly ensuring I have an airtight shield in place for Zia before leaving and summoning my shuttle on in the soft grey dust of Mercy.