Moving into the Dyrantoro wing of the palace was like stepping into another world. Not quite Earth, but not Nyx either.

Human girls walked from room to room, going about official business matters; Alex asked for directions, and, to her annoyance, the girl insisted upon inflicting her presence upon them.

She led them in blessed silence and knocked on a door to the right. There was a moment’s pause before the door opened to reveal a rather waspish girl who squinted at them over a pair of ugly, bright yellow spectacles.

“You’re late,” she said.

Alex shrugged. “I had social obligations I needed to attend to.”

The woman pursed her lips, clearly skeptical. “Social obligations?”

“Meeting the in-laws, not that it’s your business.”

The girl glared. “You should have come to us first.”

“I didn’t, though, let us in,” he said.

The girl scowled and turned her eyes to Lisril. “What about her?”

He glanced her way, shrugged for a second time, and turned away from the girl. “Let’s go find our room.”

“What!” the girl cried. “Stop.”

He did but didn’t turn. “You can’t just-” Lisril understood the girl’s folly immediately, but it didn’t take Alex long to illuminate the mistake for the human.

“Watch me.”

“Wait!”

He did turn then, meeting the girl’s glare impassively. “If you want me, she’s part of the deal.”

The human shook her head. “Fine, just come in and stop making a scene.”

Lisril didn’t like her tone and, on any other occasion, might have issued a challenge. But there was his status to think of, so she kept her peace.

They entered past the girl and found the room furnished with a broad table at which sat a Dyrantoro man in military dress, ruddy skin, dark hair as long as regulation allowed, looking, but probably not being, Lisril supposed, about forty.

Alex approached the table; Lisril took her post in one of the room’s corners. “Good to see you, Major.”

“You’re late.”

“Social engagement.

“In-laws?”

Alex sat and nodded.

“Well, I’m glad you made it.”

The girl seemed close to apoplexy, and Lisril was quite glad she’d declined to gut her for her rudeness.

The Major glanced at the girl. “You can go if you like,” he said. “This is a DoD matter anyway.”

The girl’s eyes widened. “I’ll stay,” she said, voice clipped.

“Suit yourself.” The man turned to Alex. “What do you think?”

“I like her,” Alex said.

The Major shook his head. “I was hoping for a little more than that.”

Alex seemed to think about it and said. “Strong-willed, knows what she wants, not made of stone, doesn’t like our diplomatic corps.”

At that, the girl perked up. “What for?”

Alex looked past the girl more than at her as though she were beneath his notice. “Because you’re women, but you fail to live up to her standards of womanhood.”

The human snorted. “I should have known,” she sneered. “Old fashioned, antiquated notions of-”

Alex’s hands slammed down on the table hard enough that the wood splintered beneath the blow, and though he didn’t stand, he suddenly seemed to fill the entire room. “Are you sure you want to be mouthing off about outdated social systems, bureaucrat?” He spat the last as though the word tasted foul.

The girl’s face twisted into a mask of rage. “It’s a free country; I’m allowed to have an opinion.”

“And in my opinion,” Alex snarled. “Bureaucrats should be lined up in front of a ditch and shot.”

The human really did turn apoplectic then, and Lisril feared she might launch herself at Alex. Part of her wished she would, as Lisril’s hand was already on the pistol she wore beneath her jacket.

“I’m not going to sit here and be treated like this,” the girl screamed, standing, and marched to the door.

The Major watched her go and showed no reaction when the door slammed behind her. “You’ve certainly got a way with words.”

“And your diplomat is tapdancing right on a line she should know god-damn well to stay a mile away from.”

The Major heaved a heavy sigh. “I heard, and you can bet someone heard her screaming, and she’ll write you up in some form or report, so it’ll have to go in my report. You might have just bought that girl a referral, you know.”

“I didn’t buy her shit,” Alex spat.

“A referral for what?” They were the first words Lisril had spoken since entering, and the Major’s eyes snapped up as though he’d forgotten she was there.

“Oh,” he grunted. “Court-martial.”

Lisril frowned. “Would m’lord enlighten me as to what just transpired? I should like to know if my man is in danger of reprisal.”

The Major glanced at Alex. “I don’t think so, but I guess I can explain. There was a coup - an attempted coup, actually. Seventy years ago now.”

“Seventy-six,” Alex supplied. “Just a bit before I was born.”

“Seventy-six,” the Major agreed. “The nation’s permanent bureaucracy got it in their heads that they could run things better than elected officials.”

“Why?”

“Because,” the Major said slowly. “They wanted us in the European civil war, but there wasn’t political support for it.”

Lisril nodded. “What happened?”

“Ultimately, there was a constitutional convention, lots of changes; the important ones here are that government officials can only serve for so long, and they give up certain of their civil rights while they do,” the Major said.

“And what happened to the rebels?”

The men shared a look, and the Major shrugged as though to say, you brought it up.

Alex returned the gesture and said: “They got lined up in front of a ditch and shot.”

A gratifying answer and yet more evidence that Dyrantoro men were her lost brothers. She nodded. “Better than treasonists deserve. Please, forgive my interruption.”

The Major nodded, glanced at the door, and began scribbling something on a scrap of paper. At the same time, he said. “Alright, Hagan, that’s quite enough excitement for one day. You know the technology better than I ever could, and I think you’ll be having a pretty early morning, so I’ll cut to the chase. You report to me weekly; anything you need, I’ll get it; DoD wants this done yesterday.”

The Major slid the note across the table, and Alex took it. “Bad season for it.”

“Nothing we can do about that,” the Major said. “Put a request for heavy equipment and self-replicators in writing; the civilian government doesn’t want to spook our new friends, but if I make it a matter of defense….”

“I’ll do that; anything else?” Alex asked.

“Not right now.” The Major stood. “You have a good night, sir.”

Alex followed the man’s lead, and Lisril escorted him to the door. “Major,” he said and led her out into the hall.

----------------------------------------

Something hard jammed into Lisril’s side, and she rolled over, pulling the blanket over her head. It came again, and she groaned.

“Get up.”

She rolled back over and opened her eyes to find Alex fully dressed and standing over her. “Alex?” she asked. “What time-”

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

“Get up,” he repeated.

She shook her head, sitting up. “Okay, I’m up; what?”

“You said you wanted me to tell you when I have somewhere to be.”

That brought her to wakefulness, and she scrubbed her hand over her face. “Is this about that note?” He’d refused to tell her what was written on it, and upon reaching their room, promptly threw it into the fire.

“Yes,” he said. “Now come on.”

She shook her head. “Wait, I need to dress.”

“No point.” He turned for the door. “You won’t be seen.”

She scrambled from the bed. “Wait!” But he was already gone.

She snatched his cloak and threw it over her shoulders, determined to maintain some level of decency, and chased him out the door.

He hadn’t gone far, and she quickly caught up. “What are we doing?”

“Going to a meeting.”

She shook her head. “Do you even know where you’re going?”

“It’s on my heads-up. You’re not coming in; stay quiet,” Alex said.

She blinked, bewildered, he had always been obstinate, but this was new. “Have I upset you?”

He stopped, turned, and smiled at her. “No,” he said, his voice taking on its familiar cast. “I’m sorry, of course not. But I shouldn’t be bringing you along, so I need you to do as I say, okay?”

She swallowed, realizing suddenly that his obstinance was perhaps not simply a matter of disobedience, and he was taking a risk to accommodate her. “Of course. Of course.”

“Come on,” he said, pressing a kiss to her lips.

He pressed on and entered one of the rooms without so much as a suggestion of a knock.

She stopped, waiting in the shadows as the door closed, leaning against the wall, listening. A Dyrantoro probably wouldn’t have been able to hear, but to her, the words were crystal clear.

“Hagan,” she recognized the Major’s voice.

“Callahan.”

The sound of furniture scraping over the floor, then Callahan said, “well?”

“Well,” Alex said. “I want a drink, a strong one.”

More shifting about, then. “There, what are you thinking?”

A pause. “I’m thinking.” Another pause. “I’m thinking,” he said. “What the fuck are we doing here, Callahan?”

The tinkling of glass. “I was hoping you’d tell me; that’s why I wanted the privacy.”

Alex sighed. “This is- fucked, Callahan; we’re going to get these women killed.”

“It’s not that bad.”

“It’s exactly that bad!” Alex growled low in his throat. “You put guns in these peoples’ hands, and their commanders are going to tell them to fix bayonets and charge.”

“They’re not-”

“Going to believe that machineguns exist until they see Divisions get cut to pieces. And you know it’s true because your ass went to West Point and learned the stupid, sad history of our commanders watching exactly that happen and still not believing it.”

“Okay. Granted, you’re right, so what are you saying?” Callahan asked.

“So,” Alex said. “What are we doing here? Why are we bringing the Community to come and burn their world? Why are we importing technology that’s going to tear their society apart? Soldiers? The military employs more truck drivers than this world has people. Resources? We have more than we can use in the home system. So what the fuck?”

A moment of silence then. “I don’t know, the State Department’s got me shut out, and if the brass knows, they’re not saying. But I’d like to know too, and now I happen to know someone discreet and on speaking terms with the Empress. So maybe he can find out.”

Listening to them speak, Lisril realized she knew exactly why the Dyrantoro were on Nyx. It had never seemed important before, secondary, really, silly to keep it a secret at all. But now, hearing Alex lay it all out at once, it all clicked into place.

She knew, and moreover, she could use her knowledge to her advantage and, more importantly, his.

“In the meantime,” Callahan went on. “You got any bright ideas?”

She heard the drumming of fingers and knew it was Alex. “Their religion,” he said at last. “I don’t know the details, but if they’re like us, and they seem to be, that’s where they’re vulnerable. Where things will start to break down, but also where we can get in, shore them up. So here’s what you do, go to the diplomats and suggest a faith exchange; they’ll like that. I’ve got a friend back on Earth, our foremost expert on Nyxian linguistics; I’ll write him and ask him to work up a Nyxian Bible, I’ll find a- whatever the local holy book is, and send it back to him too. Then, you find some chaplains with Special Forces training, and my buddy will coach them on the local theology.”

“I guess that seems sound,” Callahan said. “Then what?”

A long silence then. “We’ll start with hearts and minds and go from there.”

“And our military problem?”

Alex sighed. “I don’t know; I’ll keep my eyes open and see what I find. Maybe ask Lisril; she might have an idea.”

She smiled, happy he was willing to come to her.

“Do that,” Callahan said. “Just- it won’t be great for my career if it gets out I’m going behind the delegation’s back.”

“I’ll be careful,” Alex said. “And we can trust her.”

“Well, no choice but to trust you now. Goodnight, Hagan,” Callahan said.

More shuffling, she ducked into the shadows as Alex exited the room and closed the door behind him.

She followed, taking his hand. “We need to have that talk,” she whispered.

He nodded. “In the room.”

They walked back hand in hand, and while he took a seat in front of the fireplace, she added more wood and stoked the flames back to life before joining him.

“Alright, let’s talk about it,” he said.

“I know I took you by surprise; I’m sorry I kept it from you, but I had a good reason.”

He frowned. “What?”

“I thought it would be funny.”

It drew a laugh from him, and he shook his head. “That’s- a reason.”

“And I have another,” she said. “I was nervous, I know it’s… unorthodox on Earth, and I thought perhaps if you could meet Serra….”

“Then I wouldn’t be able to help falling head over heels.”

She nodded. “Like with us.”

“I don’t know, Lisril.”

“I do. You will marry her, and I’ll tell you why if you let me,” Lisril said.

He chuckled. “Alright, I might as well hear it.”

“Then I shall give you the reasons in the reverse order of their importance,” Lisril said.

“First, you need her connections.”

“Her connections?”

“That’s right.” Lisril nodded. “Serra’s family is old and powerful Nyxian nobility; her mother is one of the minor queens who abide below the Empress. She is tasked with defending a vital strategic region in the south and is well respected amongst Nyx’s military minds. Lady Faragal is not- not like you, let’s say- not a visionary. But she isn’t stupid nor small-minded; if you tell her of your military experience and show her the documents you alluded to earlier, she’ll listen, and if you convince her, others will follow, and so on until the new doctrine becomes common sense.”

He shook his head. “And she’ll just be pleased as punch that I’m stealing her daughter away from Nyx.”

“Well, we’ll talk about that, but it wouldn’t matter. Serra is her fifth daughter; she isn’t going to inherit anyway. And as Lady Faragal sees it, Earth is superior in military might to Nyx and so superior in esteem and culture.”

She saw the objection rising in his eyes and held up her hand to forestall him. “I know that doesn’t necessarily follow, but that’s how she sees it, and in this case, she happens to be correct. So, in her eyes, her daughter would be increasing her station by marrying you, which is rare on Nyx.”

He sighed. “Well.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “That is compelling, and you said that’s your weakest argument, so let’s hear the rest.”

She nodded. “Secondly, she’s my friend, and your rejecting her at this juncture would humiliate her.”

He rubbed the stubble forming on his chin. “And the third?”

“You love her.”

“Lisril-”

“No,” she said. “I saw it in your eyes when I came to collect you. I don’t think you love me any the less, but be honest, there are ways in which you and I simply can’t connect fully. You don’t need to be ashamed; it’s not- no, rather, it’s incredibly rare that a man marries one woman he loves, let alone two. I would be a poor friend and a poorer wife if I denied either of you that happiness.”

He shook his head. “And on the subject of two wives, this nonsense with the Empress.”

“Yes,” she said. “You’ll be marrying her too.”

“I think she might have something to say about that,” he laughed.

“She will,” Lisril said. “She’ll have ‘yes’ to say.”

“You seem pretty confident.”

“Please,” she scoffed. “Her mother was chronically absent, even before she passed, the demands of sovereignty, I practically raised her from birth.”

He hmm’d. “I can see why you’re so confident, and I suppose you’ve got a list of reasons I should say yes too.”

“It’s much the same, but we do need to talk about some things.”

“I’m listening,” he said.

She nodded. “First, how long do you expect the Empire to survive contact with the Federation? Really? I know it’s not long, and I know the chaos the collapse will cause weighs on you.”

He chewed his lip, and she pressed on: “That relates to the second subject I wanted to talk about, and it will be easier to demonstrate after having spoken on the third. You wondered why the Dyrantoro are here.”

“And you practically raised the Empress, so….” He said, pensive.

She bobbed her head sharply. “Just so, there is a plan to,” she said slowly. “If it should come to the worst, evacuate the Dyrantoro population to Nyx.”

She saw the outrage bubbling up, saw him rearing back in disgust, intuiting immediately what had taken her years to come to understand.

An evacuation of Earth was impossible. Even if the Dyratoro could be collected, Nyx couldn’t host that many people; her surrounding planets couldn’t be made habitable in so short a time.

She seized his hands. “I know,” she said. “I know, now. Because I’ve seen your world as you have. But think about it. Think of the average one of your countrymen, living in one of your tower cities, in their little community of a few thousand. Surrounded above and below by the billions of others also living in their little community of a few thousand and nearly never so much as even visiting their direct neighbor in either direction. How many of these would hear this plan and think anything is amiss, even if they really should be able to see it?”

She shook her head. “it’s not their fault; they live amongst the trees and so can’t see the forest for what it is. So too the Dyrantisa, we look around and see a mighty empire, greater than any other, undefeated in living memory, and lose sight of true grandeur.”

“Not least,” she said. “Because we weren’t told, I believe now that your leaders intend that some portion of your countrymen be saved.”

He scowled. “And leave how many countless trillions to burn?”

“Exactly. You see what I see, but you don’t see all of it.”

He frowned but nodded for her to continue. “I think we were not told all because your leaders understood we would never accept leaving any of our Dyrantoro brothers to the mercies of the takers.”

“But it’s impossible, I see it now, but Alex- such a failure, to allow so many men to die… even if the community doesn’t make the connection and come for us, the weight of the guilt would grind us to dust.”

“I need you to save them, save their very souls, Alex; I need you to show the Empress her folly as you have shown me.”

He shook his head. “Lisril, she wouldn’t-”

“But she will,” she insisted. “I couldn’t do it, she wouldn’t listen to me, but she will listen to you, not despite your being a man but because of it. Because your words are gentle to her ears. Because I have taught her to desire a man who possesses vision and can whisper in her ear the path to glory.”

“I always knew you were smart,” he chuckled. “But I never pegged you for canny.”

She tossed her hair. “The Empress also underestimates me; it’s why she was willing to send me away. Her mother knew better, kept an eye on me.”

He laughed. “There is a problem, though.”

“And what would that be?”

“You can’t give me permission to take multiple wives.”

She crossed her arms over her chest. “Why not?”

He scrubbed a hand through his hair. “Because I’ll never stop? Lisril, you’ve seen my relationship with excess.”

“Is that all?”

“Lisril!”

She patted his hand. “You want me to set boundaries, to ensure you don’t overstep and hurt me.”

He nodded, and she put a finger to her chin in feigned thought. “Very well,” she said. “I won’t tolerate any of those homunculi in my marriage.”

He coughed, caught between a laugh and a shout. “That’s spicy even for you. Points for creativity.”

“Why thank you,” she said, smiling. “And I mean it, the Dyrantoro have found their true partners; you don’t need any Human women.”

“Well,” he laughed. “We’re going to need more Dyrantisa then.”

She snorted. “Hilarious, but you’re the only man whose marriage I need to concern myself with; let the others fend for themselves.”

He sighed and laid his chin on her shoulder. “I love you, Lisril.”

“I love you, too.”

“There are laws to be concerned with.”

“Nonsense,” she said. “You can be wed before the Divine here on Nyx and then handle any necessaries with a contract on Earth; that’s basically what you do anyway.”

“And the Empress?”

“As I said, how long can the Empire really withstand contact with the Federation? We can ease it in, or it can be torn apart; I know which I prefer.”

“You make a compelling argument.”

She kissed him. “I try; now, let’s get you back to bed.”