Chapter Seventy-Eight - Quiet Times

One must appreciate the quiet times when they can. Ivil had served in the Martian Navy for long enough to understand that.

To someone unfamiliar to military life, the 'hurry up and wait' mentality could be strange and strenuous. To those raised in it, it was just the way things were. No one wanted to be the one causing others to wait, so the best policy was to hurry at all times. Better to have nothing to do than to have to be the one rushing so that things could move along elsewhere.

She'd grown long used to time off afforded to her simply because noone else could keep up. Once, she'd even flown ahead and wiped out a small fleet before the navy could get into the formations it wanted to. It had taken both her side and the adversary's by surprise and afforded her several days where she had nothing more important to do than listen to the complaints of tactical officers and catch up to her soaps.

So the current situation wasn't all bad. She was back on the Sappho, waiting in the captain's room while idly reading through the brief MINT had given her all of a week ago.

Looking up, Ivil placed the tablet aside and gestured to the door. "Ah, hello, Sonic," Ivil said as she opened it with a stray thought.

The Tech Maid bowed at the hip before taking a single dainty step into the room. It was somewhat cramped with two people within. Certainly, this was the captain's cabin, but that didn't mean it was spacious. "Greetings," she said. There was the faintest of whispers as she shielded them from anyone trying to listen in. "Empress Antagonist."

"You weren't here when we returned," Ivil said. "Or on the Held Together. I imagine you visited your friends on that cruiser?"

"Indeed. I was onboard the Silent Sentinel Washer at the Gates. I hope that my absence hasn't caused any issues?"

"No, not as far as I can tell," Ivil replied. She tilted her head to one side. "Did you return to report?"

"If you would allow me, yes," Sonic Spectre said.

Ivil gestured again, and the Tech Maid saluted as she subtly shifted her posture from that of a demure maid to that of a soldier reporting to a superior officer. Less bowing, more saluting, and somehow her back got even straighter. "The Tech Maids of Mars are... tangentially aware of your presence in the system and are willing to assist you in any way," Sonic replied.

Ivil pursed her lips. She'd rather they didn't know at all, but she couldn't entirely fault Sonic for it. Had the leak come from the Martian side of things? Did Sonic let them know so that they wouldn't cause trouble?

"Anything interesting to report?" Ivil asked.

"I have gathered a list of ship sightings in and around Jupiter," Sonic replied. "Movement from politicians and allies of the Tech Maids of Mars, and more interestingly, a list of cores currently for sale or about to enter auctions in the Jovian system. There are also several Tech Maids in the employ of the Emperor of Jupiter's larger retinue who have some information that may be of interest, but nothing too crucial."

"I see," Ivil replied. "One moment."

She slipped past the tech maid and towards the door, which she opened just as Pepper was raising her hand to knock.

The MINT agent stared.

"Enter," Ivil said. "And do tell me how you made it onboard so easily. I don't recall you being part of the Sappho's crew."

Pepper slid into the captain's cabin and scanned the room at a glance. "Forgive me for saying this, but Miss Twenty-Six is... perhaps not the most guarded of people. She let me onboard without a question."

"Ah... well, that's fair, I suppose," Ivil said. Maybe Twenty-Six was a little bit of a security liability. No soldier would let a stranger onboard a ship without proper authorization, but Twenty-Six was no soldier. Ivil couldn't and wouldn't, hold her up to that kind of standard.

Pepper and Sonic greeted each other with perfunctory politeness while Ivil watched them both. The Martian Intelligence agent seemed to have all of the suspiciousness that Twenty-Six lacked and more.

"Have you come to report as well?" Ivil asked.

"Ah, yes ma'am," Pepper said as she straightened. "I was in touch with my superiors and have updated reports on a multitude of subjects. Political movements, the locations of politicians, the sightings of a few fleet elements in and around the Jovian system."

"I, likewise, have similar information," Sonic Spectre added.

They stared at each other. There was no glaring there, but Ivil could almost feel the competitive sparks between the two.

"You both realise that none of that information matters to me, yes?" she said. It was like emptying a fifty-five gallon drum of cold water atop a flickering matchstick.

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

The two stared at her, then their gazes met. Pepper flushed slightly, and Sonic flickered in and out of existence slightly more than usual. "It doesn't?" Sonic finally asked.

"Obviously. What do I care about the machinations of politicians or the movement of fleets? Aurora might care about the political manoeuvring, granted, and I'm certain Twenty-Six would be overjoyed to see more ships, but personally? I don't see why I would care except that they do." Ivil shrugged languidly. "Now... tell me of the dating scene on this station."

"The dating scene?" Pepper asked.

"Yes," Ivil said. "I need to invite Aurora on a pleasant first date. I don't know what to aim for, however. What would a woman like her truly enjoy? As for Twenty-Six, I fear that our first date was a terrible mistake on my part. A fancy restaurant?" She shook her head. "What a blunder. Why would Twenty-Six care for such things?"

Sonic was quick to recuperate from the shift in subjects. "Perhaps that same restaurant would be more favourable for Miss Sterlingworth? She might appreciate the higher class dining experience in a way that Miss Twenty-Six isn't equipped for."

Pepper nodded. "I've spoken a little with Twenty-Six... I do think that a nice restaurant was a miss. Have you considered something more like a museum for her? She likes technology and I'm certain she'd be interested in history."

"Are there any good museums on Driftwood station?" Ivil asked.

"Ah... no, I'm afraid not. There's a small one that tracks the station's history, but it's small, underfunded, and not highly rated," Pepper said. "Maybe something else, then?"

"Would she be interested in a more physical date?" Sonic asked.

Pepper blinked. "Sex?"

"No," Sonic replied. "I meant a gym outing, or sports."

"Oh," Pepper replied. Her cheeks flushed. "Yes, uhm, that could be interesting. Oh! There's an arcade in one of the stations on the far end of Driftwood. It's a rather popular dating site for younger couples. It's not exactly physical but it's active, loud, there's cheap food and small prizes. I'm afraid that it's mostly a way to scam tourists out of their money but it could be an interesting venue for a date?"

"An arcade... yes, I suppose that would be somewhat fitting. Pepper!"

"Yes ma'am!" Pepper said as she jumped to attention.

"Ensure that the gifts at this arcade are up to standard. Nothing exaggerated, of course. And perhaps we can have the venue scouted for any trouble that might show up around it. I won't have this date interrupted by some idiots with small brains and no common sense."

"Uh, yes, we can do that," Pepper said. "It's... actually kind of sweet of you."

Ivil refused to react to that. "Now, the date with Aurora... that will be somewhat more difficult. I think Aurora is someone somewhat harder to please."

"She has all she needs already," Sonic replied. "Is a nice meal at an upscale dining establishment not enough?"

"Don't be silly, of course it's not enough," Ivil said. She started to pace the room but quickly discovered that it wasn't nearly large enough to pace. So as she walked, she pushed space out ahead of her, enlarging the room with every step while maintaining the exterior dimensions.

"She will be more difficult to please," Pepper said. "Not that it's necessarily a bad thing, her standards are just... higher than most."

Ivil hummed and continued pacing.

"MINT has a list of the suitors her parents picked out for her."

Ivil stopped mid-step. "Pardon me?" she asked.

Pepper blinked, seeming surprised to have Ivil's full attention. "Did you not read Miss Sterlingworth's brief?"

"No, no I did not. I didn't want to sully the mental image I had of her by discovering what MINT could find from her past," Ivil said.

"Oh. Well, she has a few suitors picked out by her family. Marriage prospects."

"Why was I not informed about this!" Ivil said.

"Uh, it was in the brief?" Pepper tried.

Ivil glared, but... well, that was a fair point. "Does Aurora know about them?"

"I believe so? Her departure from Phobos was timed to avoid meeting one," Pepper said. "MINT psychoanalysis suggest that part of the reason she took on this mission of hers was to avoid being, ah, betrothed to certain people that she found unfavourable."

Ivil stewed. This put a whole new spin on all sorts of things. Now she didn't just need to win Aurora over, she had to prove that she was better than these unknown suitors.

But then... that might prove to be an opportunity.

***