The morning arrived as tomorrow's problems became today's problems, and there were a few new ones added on – namely in that his head was hurting from the fight and the aftereffects of Terran drink. He laid there awake for a long time, wishing he could go back to sleep and even asking the living gods why such pain was allowed. The varied aches and pains were refusing to allow the bliss of further sleep, but were also stubbornly insufficient to kill him. As his mind struggle to further consciousness, he became aware of a cold-pack over his bruised eyes. Finally he rose, moving slowly to the bathroom and was once again surprised at the lavish decor and care placed into everything – it seemed a very Terran sort of thing to blend form and function.

Being an officer appeared to have several perks, not the least of which was a very nice place to live. The bed and bath area for himself and Grezzk was by itself larger than the entirety of his quarters in the manor, and those were opulent by their standard. And the children each had their own rooms that were only slightly smaller, as well as a third for the coming children. And two bathrooms for the family was a luxury reserved for Lords. He dressed and paused to look at his face in the mirror. It was definitely not his best look. The swelling where the mug had hit him had gone down a bit, but his vision was still fuzzy on the right side. He checked the mirror and it looked worse then it felt. That may have been because he wasn't fully awake, but any port in a storm would do.

He dressed and made his way to the kitchen, where the squad – his squad – was waiting. They definitely looked as if they'd had a rough night, however their scent was clean and their clothes were fresh, reflecting their new company.

"Ha-hem." Grezzk moved from the children's room to the kitchen where there was a small breakfast waiting with a few wake-plant leaves for garnish. Next to that was a small glass of water and several painkillers. "I hope this is not a nightly tradition – I do not wish to become overly familiar with the medical capability of the Terran printer." She glanced meaningfully at Edwards and Reilly for confirmation, who nodded along with Gryzzk.

"No ma'am. This was a very special occasion for us. We're tough, but doing that every night would be a thing nobody would want to do. " Reilly was speaking very slowly and carefully, as if the night had taken an exceptional toll on her. The bruises on her face had purpled and looked painful when she took her own cold-pack off her face to adjust it, along with the second cold-pack on her shoulder. Her voice was rough, but it seemed as if she hadn't fully lost her normal perkiness. Roberts was not much better, with a large lump on her forehead and a bandage over her eye.

Gryzzk leaned into his wife a bit, taking a few minutes to soak in her warmth and scent. While the day wasn't starting off perfectly, it was certainly not the worst one he'd had in recent memory. Her scent was very mixed, and it seemed that she was pleased that he was home and with her, there was a tinge of disappointment. Probably about the fighting; in his service to Lord A'kifab, quarterly testing of the newest brightwines was a standard practice. At times, the testing carried well into the next morning. But there was no brawling.

His tablet chimed repeatedly, and Reilly darted to grab it and hand it over to Gryzzk with a slight wince. He tapped and Major Williams' image resolved to hover just above the tablet itself.

"Morning, Captain – I see you had a night. According to the reports, an exceptional one. I will start off by saying you look like you've been in a fight. Now officially, brawling by officers is....it happens, but we'd rather you not make a habit of it. Unofficially, did you actually take on two of Bad Moon solo?"

"Ah...Omnia Possum Explicare?" He hoped he'd formed the words properly, as a mispronunciation with magic words could be problematic.

The major lifted an eyebrow. "Continue."

Gryzzk swallowed. "Major, they initiated the fight, and they were attacking Private Edwards in an unfair manner, sir. I couldn't let them continue without a response, and I felt it incumbent as a leader to lead that response as best I could."

The major nodded as Reilly and Edwards remained silent. "Good enough. Try not to beat them up too often. They tend to harbor resentment. Now then, on to official matters. We're going to need you to come down to the stockade and assist with the Vilantians you picked up. The local Vilantian Consulate here states that the ships' crew are to be returned to them as quickly as possible for trial. The non-crew folks on board – the position of the consulate is that they are all criminals who had their official sentences interrupted. Now to that, our legal department found some precedent in the past regarding modified sentencing – as they were sentenced to fight in the war and there is currently no war to fight, they're in a bit of a gray area. Now if they were to be hired on by the Foreign Legion, that might solve a problem for both Vilantia and the Legion. To that end, you and the rest of the company proceed to the stockade where they're being held. After your initial briefing of them, you'll want to report to the Twilight Rose, we're going to be discussing her refit. Lastly, with regard to the status of Nhoot. The Hurdop have no record of her birth, and as you are in a unique position to assist them, they have approved you as her guardian. You'll find what you need on your tablet. " The major paused as his image rotated to face the privates.

"Reilly, Edwards, your transfer paperwork just came in from Lieutenant Muranaga. He strongly recommends you study for the NCO board that's coming up next week."

The major received nods from both Reilly and Edwards. "Alright Captain, you've got your orders. Go find yourself some troops."

After the Majors' visage disappeared, Grezzk gave them all a look. "Before you go, you've eaten and kissed the children, right?" Reilly and Edwards both looked at each other awkwardly.

"We, uh...forgot breakfast." Reilly spoke while Edwards nodded, causing a soft sigh from Grezzk.

"You're not leaving until you eat something. Light gods know you'll need it." Grezzk walked into the kitchen and set up the printer for two more servings of what Gryzzk was having, and set them down on the table. "Eat. You'll be needing it." She then went to the bedroom to look in on the children.

It took a few minutes for Reilly and Edwards to start eating, and they glanced at each other before deciding it was good and then inhaling at speed. They were just finishing as Gro'zel and Nhoot came out looking sleepy and slow until they saw Gryzzk. That appeared to activate some manner of booster as they each latched onto a leg. This was becoming their habit, and Gryzzk began walking to the kitchen slowly with them attached to place his breakfast dish in the recycle bin.

"Papa are you going to stay home today?" Gro'zels scent was a bit anxious as she awaited the answer.

Gryzzk shook his head. "No, little one. Papa has a few things to do, but he will be home tonight. I promise."

Nhoot looked up from her perch on Gryzzks foot. "Did you get into a fight? You have ouches."

Reilly answered. "The other guy started it."

Nhoot seemed thoughtful before nodding. "The bad things come out at night. Mostly."

That seemed to satisfy Nhoot, who clung to Gryzzk very closely as he walked to the couch to look at his tablet for a few minutes – he did have a few messages regarding personnel, as various commanders were making suggestions and hinting that there were a few personnel who wouldn't be a good fit but there were others who might do quite nicely. The message from Major Williams was a bit blunt in that there was no way he was going to let First Sergeant Brooks go – but that said, the sergeant did have a younger sister who needed a billet and was further from retirement.

Gryzzk waded through the message traffic and tapped a few things to update his personnel listings, and finally stood up. "Okay girls. I know you don't want to, but I have to go to work now." Gryzzk looked down and two adorably pouting faces looked back up. He picked them up, one in each arm and walked gingerly toward Grezzk. "Dear, I have two very small problems that appear to be latched on. Would it be possible to have them removed to your care while I do things?" He set them both down so they could latch on to her.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

Grezzk smirked at him. "Of course. But you must promise me that you'll be home at a decent hour and stay home tonight." She leaned in and gave him a quick nuzzle. "You are all going to be the death of me." She then looked at Reilly and Edwards. "You two. Come here, you've already forgotten your breakfast, do not forget your hearts." She went over to both of them where they were seated and touched her forehead to theirs before taking the empty dishes away and making a shooing motion. "Now hurry up and go or the day'll be done."

The two children came over to receive hugs from Reilly and Edwards before going back to Gryzzk for the forehead touches and shoulder nuzzles. With that they darted back to Grezzek and held tightly to her dress to begin plotting their day.

The three of them left and went down the steps carefully in silence, as they were all still feeling aftereffects of last night in some way. They passed several people going up the stairs carrying boxes and wearing clothing that seemed more than casual. As soon as they reached the ground floor and started toward the stockade, Reilly glanced at Gryzzk with a sly smile. "I like your wife. You did good marrying her."

Gryzzk looked down a bit. "I didn't have much in the way of choice. Lord A'kifab selected her for me. She was from a neighboring clan that he wanted to create a greater tie to. I will say that I am most fortunate."

Edwards followed up with her own question. "How does that work and like, what about your Thrones and stuff?"

Gryzzk considered. "Well, each member of the clan has an authority they submit to. Wives and husbands are selected by their fur and scent. If a match is found, there are typically negotiations of some sort, and once all is agreed the couple meet for a final confirmation of compatibility. For the most part it's a formality as the Clan Lords are careful in their selection. A poor match reflects poorly on the Lord who made the choice, but usually the wedding takes place soon after." There was a smile at the memory." It was a beautiful day before the spring planting, with an arch of summer and winter flowers mingled." There was a pause as he shook free of the memory to complete his answer. "For the Throne, it's different. As they are representative of all Vilantia both male and female, they are required to take both husband and wife in order maintain the illusion that they are of both genders." There was a shrug. "It seems to have worked, for the most part."

They both seemed to consider this deeply for the rest of the walk where they were greeted by a rather rotund individual wearing a gray uniform - it looked like he was security personnel. He greeted the three of them with a nod. "Cap'n Gryzzk. Sergeant Roake, dayshift security. Couple things, we got the most of 'em in the rec area. Figured you'd want to talk to them all at once. Second thing, them crew members you got? Well, the boys were planning on playing a prank on someone and snuck a hair removal thing into the shower water. Damnedest thing though, nobody noticed it until them crew members were all bald from tip to toe. Hope that don't ruin their day none, but they're pretty much out of your hair and going on the first transport back to Vilantia." He shrugged. "I don't expect you'd have much to say to 'em, but we figured you should know. Anyways, the rest of them's over thataway. Total's about seventy-five, including the children."

Reillys' eyes widened. "Captain, with all due respect we have got to see that."

Gryzzk considered it for a moment. No fur meant no scent, which meant until their fur grew back they would be painfully handicapped. The odds were good that he'd probably never see them again, since even the minor things like not transmitting a manifest upon request and maintaining a false manifest would see the crew in the Twenty-First GreatClan for a long time. Still, he had a duty of sorts to perform. He checked his tablet for his instructions and found them maddeningly vague.

The sight he beheld as he came upon their holding cells was very discombobulating. Being stripped of fur was an act only done in the most hyperbolic of myths, done to a lords' servant to inspire the lord to some great deed to clear the clans' name. Even in the chaos before the Great Civilization, fur was only taken from the shoulders. And yet now there stood twenty Vilantians in ill-fitting incandescently green jumpsuits, completely bereft of fur with only a few markings to show differentiation in fur patterns that would be seen again when it regrew. If it regrew.

In a rare moment of synchronicity, both Reilly and Edwards breathed out "Ho-ley [bzzt]". It didn't exactly take a brilliant mind to translate what was said.

Still, Gryzzk had to make some sort of offer to them. He walked back and forth among the cells as he spoke, keeping his eyes toward the floor. "Everyone hearing this, your immediate future is not in doubt. You will be placed on the first available transport to Vilantia. There you will be tried, and with the evidence found, you will be joining the Twenty-First Clan for a measure of time. After that, your life is yours to live. I have no doubt you'll all find some manner of employment after, but consider this - an honest life moving cargo between here, Vilantia Prime, and Hurdop Prime. I'm leading a new company of mercenaries. Led by Terrans, but staffed by Vilantians and Hurdop. The Terrans have a great many things, but what they do not have is fresh drurie or wakeplant. Their brightwine is soft and lacks a proper scent. I will ask you to think about what happens when rejoin your clans. It is of course, your life to live as you please, but your fur is known. Your lives were spared by my orders, and know this. If you stay in this part of space after your release and return to the trade that caused our trails to cross, then you will see my face smiling at you from the twilight before your journey to where the dead gods dwell. Consider that during your time with the Twenty-First."

There was only dark sullen silence in reply, and their scents were so faint Gryzzk could barely tell if they were taking his words deep. He glanced about the cells one last time before he left. Hopefully at least some of them would consider a new life choice and contract with the company for logistical support.

As they left through the locks to the gymnasium, Edwards was the one to ask. "Twenty-First Clan?"

Gryzzk nodded. "Mmm. On Vilantia, there are twenty-one Great Clans. Twenty of them are dedicated to a specific area. Farming, building, technology, and so forth. There is crossover of course, but the Twenty-First Clan is the clan of the criminals. The greater your crime, the greater the amount of your fur is given over to the clanfur of the Twenty-First."

"And that works?"

"It has."

Edwards seemed to thinking deeply about this as they all continued to walk toward the gym. Gryzzk pulled to door open and was greeted by powerful scents. Sorrow, hope, and uncertainty were all he could immediately identify, but it was enough for the moment. Gryzzk looked out and had an immediate concern with his audience. They were comprised of the very old, the very young, and those who were of service age all seemed infirm in some way. Gryzzk scented an immediate a wash of concern in his nose as the color of the uniforms was seen. Once it settled, Gryyzk began to speak in a voice much calmer than his scent.

"Everyone, if I could have your attention. I must start with introductions. Here, I am Captain Gryzzk, head of the Terran Foreign Legion. On Vilantia, I was formerly the Thirty-third Gryzzk, Lead Servant to Lord A'kifab who stood in service to Great Lord Aa'porti, but now I am Nameless." He waited for a few minutes for the buzz to die down at this pronouncement and waited as a few of them scooched back from his presence.

After they had settled once again, Gryzzk restarted. "We have a unique situation in front of us. The Vilantian Consulate advises that you were all part of a penal company to be sent to the front to fight against the Hurdop. However, the war is now concluded, and with that we are forming something new – a company of mercenaries comprised of Vilantians and Hurdop. Under the Collective, mercenary service can be performed instead of service to their Twenty-First Clan. However, as mercenary work in the Collective has been the exclusive province of the Terrans, the option has been mostly forgotten. We are now remembering." Gryzzk paused before continuing. There was a great deal of uncertainty from the room, especially at the prospect of working with those who had been up until a few days ago their sworn enemies.

"This has been given the approval of the Throne, as it is the Thrones' belief that we must begin to work together in some semblance of harmony. There will be challenges. But these wars do us no good. And we will be the test to see if we can walk together or if we must walk away before both societies are destroyed and the remains of Vilantia swept to a forgotten corner of the Collective."

The uncertainty scent continued as Gryzzk continued to speak. "Now, you are not without choice in this. If you choose, you will be returned to Vilantia for an appeal of your sentencing. However, the court may still find you guilty and adjust your sentences accordingly so that you join the Twenty-First Greatclan - much like your captors. You can also choose to fill out this questionnaire on the tablet in front of you. If you choose to join the Legion, you will be given accommodation and receive pay for your service. Those of you with children will be given appropriate chances to raise them properly. Each contract is of different length due to your initial convictions, but is a minimum of one year. You will be offered employment in line with your skills, or you may wish to seek out new skills that you can be trained in - including combat. I will stress this now, if you join the Legion, you will be working with Hurdop, you will be answering to Terrans. They in turn will be answering to me."

Gryzzk took a deep breath, exhaling out the nervousness he felt inside. "And now we come to the fork. Discuss among yourselves, make your choice. If you have further questions, please hold them for the moment. I have a meeting to go to, however I will be returning in a few hours in order to provide answers."