Chapter Eighty-Five - Worrywort

Aurora really knew how to worry.

Ivil had to restrain herself from smiling as she watched the woman stand up from the comms console and start to pace the room. She did so while still holding onto a saucer and tea cup, so her every step trailed faint, tea-smelling vapours. "We need to take a step back and look at the wider picture here," she said.

"Go on," Ivil replied.

"There are more than just three factions in this game, but I think for the sake of simplicity, we can roll several into a single... player, so to speak. The Earth Alliance is an alliance of several nations. The Emperor of Earth is only popular with some of those, which makes any actions he takes somewhat contentious. In any case, this scenario implies that the entire Alliance isn't behind it."

"Do you think the rest of the EA would do anything about it?" Twenty-Six asked.

"Doubtful," Pixie said. "When accusations start flying, they tend to band up."

Aurora nodded and she seemed to agree with the general sentiment there. "The other factions are Mars, who despite having... minimal influence in the grander scheme of this particular incident, there's a slight possibility that, ah, they'll get involved." Aurora glanced at Ivil from the corner of her eye. Ivil's response was to perk an eyebrow up.

The young noble lady cleared her throat.

"Finally, we have the other big player in this. The League of Free Moons," Aurora said.

"That's not really just one faction, is it?" Twenty-Six asked. "It's like, two dozen moons doing their own thing, trying to all work together a little."

"It's a very young faction. For the purposes of arguing, I think we need to assume that the League will at least try to come together over this. Every moon is allowed a slice of the pie, the same proverbial pie that the Earth Alliance is trying to steal off the window sill."

"Your analogies are a little dated," Ivil said.

Aurora shrugged. "As long as we're all on the same page. So, first, let's make sure we really are on the same page. Evelyn, you said that you got information that a fleet was moving to Uranus composed of Earth Alliance vessels?"

"I did, yes," Ivil replied.

"How certain are you of this information, and where did you get it from?"

Ivil considered it for a moment. The truth would be complicated, but obfuscating the truth, even when meaning well, was the cause of several season-long arcs filled with drama and trouble in her soaps. "I got it from a MINT operative. MINT thinks it's true, at least."

Aurora's pacing stopped with a squeak of her shoe on the bridge floor. She stared at Ivil for a moment. "A MINT operative?"

"Yes," Ivil said. "They have a vested interest in not lying to me."

A few emotions flit by on Aurora's face. Confusion, conflict, then determination. "Are we ripping that bandage off, now?" she asked.

Ivil tilted to the side, her weight falling on one elbow as she repositioned herself in the captain's seat. She imagined she looked a little cocksure at the moment. "If you want to, go ahead."

"Oh-oh," Twenty-Six said.

Pixie scanned everyone in the room, from the still-standing Aurora to Sonic Spectre who was still kneeling next to her tea set and even Pepper in the corner. "What's going on?" she asked.

Aurora's tongue darted out to wet her lips. "Evelyn has been... keeping things from us."

"Not with malicious intent," Ivil said.

"Keeping things from others can often be pretty malicious," Pixie said. "What, are you a MINT agent or something?"

"I'm not a MINT agent," Ivil said. "And if my intent was malicious, you'd be star matter by now. I am quite decisive when it comes to maliciousness. No, this is a whole other thing, a little more complex, but I've been nothing but truthful in all matters not having to do with my identity."

Aurora set her cup down, surprisingly without even a faint rattle as it alighted onto its saucer. She locked eyes with Ivil, the tension in her shoulders softening. "I don't think it matters who you are, Evelyn Ville. Let's just focus on the matter at hand? I think it's less complicated."

"Less complicated?" Pixie asked. "This might spark a whole new Intra-system war."

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"Yes, less complicated," Aurora said.

Ivil smiled slightly. "A pragmatic approach. I can appreciate that." She crossed one leg over the other, a lazy action that nonetheless drew Aurora's eye. "Very well, let's continue that way, then."

Aurora nodded sharply, pulled up her cup, and took a quick sip. "There's no reason to hold back information, then. The League, as soon as they learn, will respond. Will MINT be informing them?"

"No, but they should be sending a message to the Emperor of Jupiter," Ivil said.

Aurora's hand went to her face and she pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Is that bad?" Twenty-Six asked.

"No. I have had my issues with that man, but he's rather level-headed, and I suspect he would back the League if push comes to shove," Ivil said. "They'll know soon enough."

"So, basically," Pixie said as she leaned forwards. She'd taken one sip of the tea, made a face, and set it aside. It was probably not sweet or caffeinated enough for her. "We know about a huge covert OP being run by one of the three scariest people in the system, and other than us and an intelligence agency, the only other person who knows is one of the other three scariest?"

"All three Emperors are well informed, or should be," Ivil said rather smugly. She ignored the stink-eye Pepper gave her from the corner. "In any case, you're correct, Pixie. They're trying to be subtle about this. This isn't a massive fleet movement, but it's probably large enough of a force to sweep in, take what they want, and leave before whatever defences Uranus has can act."

"That won't be much," Aurora said. "Uranus might have a small anti-piracy fleet, perhaps a few larger ships for defence, but nothing that could stand up to a modern military. That's one of the great failings of the League at the moment. We don't have a centralised force worth anything."

"The Sappho is pretty fast," Twenty-Six said. "Could we make it there before they do?"

"Certainly," Ivil said.

"I could strap my fighter to this ship," Pixie said. "But while I do think I'm one of the best fighter pilots in the system, and I have the kills to confirm it, I can't take on a fleet. Even a small one."

"It might come down to a negotiation," Aurora said. "One that we can't exactly do from here. If the Earth Alliance fleet arrives and finds resistance set up already, they might not even try anything. It's one thing to pull off a massive heist like this and come away with a thousand cores while bloodying the League's nose. It's entirely another to suffer heavy losses and come away with nothing."

"Victory justifies many ills," Ivil said with a nod.

"And if they find out that Evelyn is there?" Twenty-Six said.

Ivil grinned. "Then even if the Emperor of Earth himself is there, they'll consider it long and hard before trying anything."

Aurora eyed Ivil. "You're having too much fun with this," she accused.

"I'm having an immense amount of fun with this, yes," Ivil replied. "But not without reason. This might be exactly what you were looking for. Many of you. Pixie wants a great big battle where she can prove that she's the very best. You want something grand and impossibility political, where you prove that you're valuable to the entire League, to the entire system..." Ivil paused and looked over to Twenty-Six. The girl blinked back. "I suppose we can give whatever ships we capture to Twenty-Six? She has to start her collection somewhere?"

"Collection?" Twenty-Six asked.

"Of ships. Like those model kits you like so much... but more one-to-one in scale. With realistic battle damage, even."

Aurora set her teacup down, staring at Ivil with a mix of exasperation and reluctant amusement. "You're not even trying to hide how much you're manipulating all of us, are you?"

Ivil shrugged. "It's not manipulation if everyone benefits, is it?"

"... Yes it is," Aurora said. "That's still well within the definition of manipulation."

"Oh," Ivil said. "Well then, let me manipulate all of you into going on a small trip across the solar system to save your precious League and to prevent that upstart Emperor of Earth from padding his ego even more. It'll be like a... travelling date?"

"Dating is so weird," Twenty-Six muttered.

Ivil nodded. It could be, sometimes.

***