> Representatives of the Sector Ranger offices in the Alui and Chommel sectors announced a joint enforcement operation aimed at combating an increase in organized crime. Information Officer Duss Mobo stated that the Rangers will be 'working closely with planetary authorities' to investigate illegal activity and arrest those who engage in 'acts of piracy, spice-running, and other illicit enterprises'. When pressed about the sources of recent uptick in illegal activity, Mobo offered a range of explanations, including lax local enforcement and a 'regrettable' lack of attention by the New Republic.

- NoukGrach Hovmezaloot

HoloNet News Legal Affairs Correspondent

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41:03:23 GrS

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Neela walked a few steps in front of Sera along the stone-lined path toward the garage, two hundred meters from the manor. After a couple of days the staff seemed like they'd grown accustomed their light-skinned, off-world guests, mostly. At least she didn't get the constant stares from the family's retainers that they'd endured upon their arrival.

The young chambermaid had given her a furtive side-eye but Sera put that down to the girl's youth. She grinned when she thought about how innocent Neela must be. At that age Sera had been a slave of the syndicate for probably a decade, a skeletal wraith of a girl, strung out on stims in a mostly-unsuccessful bid to blunt the brutality and hopelessness that was daily life on the streets of Corellia.

Her grin faltered; she pushed the memory away and looked up at the warm morning light from Surai. I wonder if those rays can burn away all of that filth?

Rounding a turn past a gray boulder surrounded by dwarf bamboo and festive-looking lemonferns, she saw Lyra standing next to a shiny blue Aerosine airspeeder. Kalli was already seated in the enclosed passenger compartment and the footman Seelam stood beside the open door.

"You're late," quipped Lyra. She was dressed in a deep green sayaka with sleeves that fell to her elbows and a broad cream-colored sash. Her hair was drawn back on the right side, fixed with a green and gold enameled pin.

Lyra's usual prickliness jostled Sera out of the vestiges of her dark reverie. She extended her leg and bowed with a flourish of her hands. "Please excuse my tardiness, my lady." She rose, looking wicked.

Lyra scowled. "Knock it off, Rebel."

Sera only laughed harder when she saw Seelam's disapproving expression and Neela's look of horror. She gave Lyra an approving lift of her brows. "You look good in that. Can't take the Inusagi out of the girl, I see."

"Thanks," she replied, appraising Sera's casual outfit of olive shorts, a dark compression shirt under her jacket, and chestnut leather utility boots. Equipment pouches crowded her belt and Lyra was certain the retired commando had at least one blaster nestled inside the jacket. "That's a breezy look for you."

"Gonna be walking all day. Figured I should be comfortable."

"Just get in the flyer," Lyra ordered with a quick motion of her head.

Sera didn't miss her bare smile. "By your command," Sera chuckled and climbed in.

At a nod from Seelam the chambermaid bowed and started back for the mansion.

"Neela, would you like to come with us to the capital?" Lyra asked on a sudden whim.

The chambermaid's eyes dilated. "Oh, no my lady, I couldn't—"

"Of course you can," she countered. "We're sure to need another pair of hands with all the shopping we're going to do." She winked at the girl, whose face had transformed with a blush to match the sakoola petals floating in the morning air. "Seelam, inform the majordomo that I'm borrowing Neela for the day."

The footman paused an instant before nodding sharply and plucking a comlink from the folds of his sash.

"In you go, Neela."

"Yes, my lady!"

When they'd settled, the flyer rose smoothly and turned north. At a word from Seelam, Neela opened a compartment and began preparing tea. She served Lyra and Sera, giving the off-worlder another nervous glance before she put the refreshments away and sat next to Seelam again.

Lyra glanced out the window, recalling the dozens of times she'd made the same flight into Lankash, accompanying her father to some gallery or exhibition, or going shopping with Allegra and her mother, or heading to the final, climactic day of the sakoola blossom festival. She pursed her lips at that last memory and drew a wistful breath. She caught Neela watching Sera, trying poorly to hide her curiosity.

"Neela, do you want to ask Sera a question?"

The girl looked aghast and shook her head vigorously, making Sera smile.

"There's no need to be shy," she assured, "is there, Rebel?" She shot a barbed look at Sera.

Sera crossed her legs and spread her arms across the seatback. "You'd know better than anyone how harmless I am, Imp."

Neela looked scared but Lyra smiled and beckoned with her hand. In a timorous voice she said, "Your... honored guest treats with you in a most disrespectful manner, my lady."

"Neela—" Seelam began.

Sera burst out laughing, drawing the expected scowl from Lyra, who smiled a second later and cut Seelam off with a raised hand. "Let her speak, Seelam."

"But my lady, it's not proper—"

"She's curious, Seelam. How will she learn if she doesn't ask?" She turned to the chambermaid. "Rendix here's an uncouth rebel, just like all of them." When Neela's expression only grew more confused, she sighed. "Neela, how do you behave when you're with your friends? You relax around them, don't you?"

The girl made the barest nod.

Lyra pointed back and forth between herself and Sera. "We're like that too."

"But," began the girl, feeling suddenly emboldened, "Honored guest Rendix was a Rebel." She pronounced the word like a curse. "Is she not your enemy?"

Sera shared a look with Lyra. "We were enemies, Neela. Our first encounter was on a battlefield, a desert planet called Jakku. Lyra's ship was carrying Imperial stormtroopers. Our side shot down her landing craft, and she was badly hurt."

Neela looked frightened, but her eyes held a determined light. "Did you hurt Lady Lyra?"

Sera shook her head. "No, but I might have if the circumstances had been different. As it was, the troops she was transporting ambushed us when we came to investigate the crash." She peeled back the synthskin on her cybernetic leg to show the steel and circuitry beneath. "I lost part of my leg in the attack."

Neela gasped, and even Seelam's impassive look gave way to curiosity. The girl's brown eyes flicked between the two women. "So Rebels shot down Lady Lyra's ship, then my lady's troops fought back?"

"Something like that."

"Then why do you not hate each other?"

Sera let out a thoughtful breath. "I suppose we might have, if we'd never met."

"You see," Lyra began, "They teach us to hate our enemies, Neela. If we didn't, how could we fight? So we were taught that Rebels were terrorists and... some of them were." She flicked her eyes toward Sera.

"And we thought that Imperials were heartless oppressors, taking what they wanted and killing without mercy whoever resisted," Sera continued. "And some of them were."

"I still do not understand, my lady."

Lyra leaned forward, her elbows on her knees. "Most of us had good reasons to fight, Neela, good reasons to hate each other. But most Rebels weren't terrorists; they were fighting to defend their families and their homes, desperate to maintain their independence. And most Imperials weren't soulless monsters, they were just carrying out orders, doing what they thought was just and right.

"The thing is, when you meet someone, face to face, you learn about them. You find out that people you thought were your enemy might actually be a lot like you." The gentle smile on her face faded. "And sometimes you find out that the people you thought were on your side will betray you."

Her face grew hard, remembering what had happened after the crash. "The Imperial troops that ambushed Sera? They didn't try to rescue me; they used me for bait." She touched her arm where the skin was still slightly faded. "I would have lost this arm, and I probably would have died, if Sera's soldiers hadn't found me, and if Taz— Mr. Oktos, hadn't healed my wounds."

Sera restored her artificial skin, pressing it into place. "Lyra stuck around our camp after that, and when we found a ship, she helped us fix it up and fly it. She even went into business with us. We learned to work together and we didn't let our grievances keep us from seeing each other as people."

"But, they killed your family, my lady."

"Yes," Lyra said, feeling the reflexive sadness, "but the Empire killed theirs. Mr. Oktos's family were killed when the Empire bombed their city. They did nothing wrong, they were peaceful citizens, but there was a rebellion on his planet and to crush it, the Empire needed to make the people too afraid to fight. So they destroyed a city. The Empire— my side— burned millions people to death." She finished and sat still.

After a long silence, Neela quietly asked, "Then why does honored Mr. Taz not hate you, my lady?" Her familiar use of Taz's name drew a stern look from Seelam, but Lyra flicked her hand to silence him.

"Because we both suffered, the worst suffering anyone could endure. You understand? We felt the same grief, the same anger, the same loss. We're the same, we were just on different sides. And because he understood my pain and I understood his, we were able to forgive each other and become friends. Friends don't make war; they look out for each other. They... love each other." Her face grew suddenly warm and she glanced down at her hands clasped in her lap.

Sera cuffed Lyra on the shoulder. "Friends tease each other, too. We're both strong-willed. We butt heads a lot."

If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

"That's because you're a giant bruiser with muscles for brains, Rebel."

"No, it's because you're a windbag killjoy automaton, Imp."

"Psychopath."

"Maniac."

Neela looked back and forth between them, unsure what to think until they both laughed. Then she giggled too, until her cousin's disapproving look made her stop.

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Compared to Pratikaya, the planetary capital of Lankash was jammed with traffic. The city nestled among hills and valleys, stretching into a long metropolis that bordered the sinuous Kamaveri river. Surface vessels cruised the azure ribbon in the dozens and moored at plentiful wharfs that punctuated the rocky shoreline. Approaching the royal district, the river branched into the ubiquitous engineered curling streams and pools, each fronted by artistically-executed, sprawling compounds.

Sera recognized the architecture from when they'd landed at Pratikaya. "Are those more nobles' homes?"

"All the noble clans have home territories, but they also maintain estates in the capital. It's partly a show of prestige, partly so the clan chieftesses will have a place to stay when they come to the city."

"I've only heard you refer to chieftesses. Are there no male heads of clans?"

Seelam drew a sharp breath.

Kallista answered her. "Inusagi's clan structure is matriarchal, Captain Rendix. Males are barred from holding any position higher than that of majordomo, or chief steward."

"Why is that?"

Lyra shrugged. "Men just screw things up."

"I'm liking this place more and more," Sera smiled.

Lyra shared her smile. "A few millennia ago a cabal of Sajoku women— wives of clan leaders, mostly— decided we'd be better off without men constantly fighting wars and plotting against each other. If you believe the chroniclers, all the Sajoku and Tavit-dar clan chiefs were gathered to advise the royal Chieftain. The wives employed a secret clan of female assassins as 'companions', who plied them with strong drink and wanton behavior before cutting all their throats." To Sera's raised eyebrow, she added, "It's said the matron of the Temorishu clan personally strangled her husband with her wedding veil." She finished with a wry look. "Turns out women are just as ruthless, petty, and scheming as the men were, we're just better at dressing it up. Now it's shivs hidden up silk sleeves, poisoned wine cups, and betrayal beneath sweet smiles, so to speak."

"Human nature, I suppose, regardless of who's in charge," Sera mused and glanced at one of the compounds they were passing over. "So what happens when the chieftess isn't here?"

"Every Sajoku has a staff of retainers to liaise with the royal court, represent the clan's interests, and help run the government. These are their residences. Uncle Shin used to live here when he was the clan's military liaison with the Royal Defense Force."

"Hmm. Sounds expensive."

"It is. The noble clans maintain sizable communities in the capital." Lyra pointed out the viewport. "The largest pools, the ones closest to the royal palace, are owned by the most powerful Sajoku."

The palace was long, though lower than Sera would have expected. It was built in a style that was similar to the Nimors' mansion, but instead of wood, the palace was made of brown stone. A long path from the front gate on the western side of the building led to an immense circular pool, surrounded by a carefully groomed park. An outlet from the pool curved around the palace in a channel that ran through more parkland and fell over a sixty-meter cliff to the Nikotama Sea far below.

"Looks like there are two pools between yours and the palace. Who are the other two?"

"The Pindu Sajoku holds the royal throne of Inusagi." Lyra pointed at the pools upstream from the palace. "Next in line is the Tamasing, then the Ashali."

"And the clans compete for power?"

"Constantly." Lyra rolled her eyes. "Everyone wants the throne, obviously. Elections are supposed to be held every eight years or so, but since the Emperor's governor was assassinated..." she stopped for a second and glanced at Sera, then the others in the car before she continued. "The current chieftess wasn't much older than I was when that happened. The Pindu clan practically welded themselves to the Empire as soon as the replacement governor set foot in Lankash. The Empire put the planet under martial law for more than a year and they needed a figurehead, so they allowed an election. But everybody knew the result beforehand. Lady Pindu's been on the throne ever since." Lyra didn't hide her cynicism.

"You know a lot more about this planet's politics than you let on," Sera pointed out.

"I—" Her scowl was deeper than usual. "It's not like I was following every little thing, Rendix. I just checked the news from time to time while I was in Customs."

"Just while you were in Customs, huh?"

Lyra shrugged. She loathed politics and despised those who lived only to increase their own power at the expense of everyone else. Intra-clan squabbles had caused so much strife for her family, so much more than she could ever forgive, that she knew she'd never feel anything but revulsion when she thought about politicians. Even with that, though, her mother had drilled into her the importance of knowing what was going on, inside and outside the clan.

The Nimor clan's compound in the capital wasn't as large as the main house in Pratikaya, but what it lacked in size, it compensated for with magnificence. At the captial, the Inusagian tendency toward humility balanced on a knife's edge with ostentation. Statuary in polished black volcanic stone made a sort of honor guard on either side of the path from the landing pad to the house. A well-groomed lawn joined the five-lobed pool in the likeness of a sakoola blossom with the square main house. Auxiliary buildings sat further back, connected by cobbled walks. Cleverly hidden among bamboo groves were communication antennae, power generators, and other infrastructure. Dozens of people and a few droids moved between the buildings. A black iron fence atop a low wall of cut fieldstone surrounded the property, which must have covered at least a thousand hectares. Its gates were open, but Sera could see the telltale glimmer of ray shields protecting the perimeter.

The elongated oval of a flyer descended, yawing lazily around its axis. It contacted the landing pad with barely a bump. Sera smiled. "Nice landing. You should take lessons from that guy, Nimor."

"Shut up, Rendix," she retorted and stuck out her tongue for good measure.

Seelam and Neela exited first and stood by the wide door while the others emerged. Lyra took Seelam's offered arm. A man with a face that was beginning to wrinkle and a full, artificially-dark beard emerged from the house, a miniature swarm of functionaries roiling in his wake. His gait made his long robe and the white, four-knotted sash around his ample abdomen swish back and forth with uncommon vigor.

Stopping two respectful meters away, he greeted Lyra with courteous deference. "Welcome to Lankash, beloved Lady Lyra. I am your humble servant Manu, the Sajoku's representative here at the capital."

I doubt he means a word of that. He's as much a snake as his sister. She nevertheless assumed the requisite smile and made the requisite reply, extending her hand to receive the requisite kiss. Moons take these rutting traditions! "Thank you for your kind hospitality, cousin Manu."

"How may we make your stay more comfortable, my lady?"

Lyra raised her hand. "No need to make any efforts on our behalf. We're going into the city to shop."

"Ah! I will detail servants to accompany you, Lady Lyra."

"As I said, no need for that, honored Cousin. I'm sure your staff have more important things to do than to traipse around the markets with us."

"I'm quite certain that Lady Nimor would want—"

Lyra's hand cut through the air. I'm sure that harpy would love to keep an eye on my every move. Her smile held a hard edge. "Seelam and Neela are sufficient, Cousin."

The man hesitated, but he withered a degree under the Imperial Officer's glare she cast at him. Manu lifted his hands in what passed for acceptance, though she could tell he wasn't happy about it. His head bowed as he stepped backward. "As you desire, Lady Lyra."

"I'll be sure to inform Cousin Senna of your warm welcome. Please return to your duties with my gratitude." She tugged Seelam along as she strode down the long path toward the avenue that paralleled the river. He was tardy by half a step, but he skipped along until he matched her pace. Manu's salutation floated on the air behind them.

Sera's long legs closed the gap between them in a few paces, while Kalli and Neela shuffled quickly behind. "That was a little brusque, wasn't it?" she said, leaning in. On Lyra's other side, Seelam's face barely twitched.

"Forget them. They have nothing but contempt for me, and I'm not about to let my aunt's son ruin my shopping trip."

"I might be gaining a few grams of respect for you, Nimor."

Lyra felt Seelam's arm stiffen along with the rest of his body. She ignored him and jammed her elbow into Rendix's side. "Come on. We'll take a zip port into the city."

"My lady, at least let me take a speeder from the compound."

"No need, Seelam. It's just a short ride."

"But my lady, riding with the people—"

She turned on him. "What's wrong, Seelam? Is rubbing shoulders with the Tavit-wey too much for your enlightened sensibilities?"

"My lady—"

Lyra uttered a tired sigh. She was about to unload on him when Rendix prompted, "May I have a word, Lady Lyra?" She wasn't mocking like usual.

Lyra looked mildly surprised, but she walked off a few paces with Sera. "What?"

Sera held up her hands. "Listen, I know you're frustrated."

"There are just so many... small minds!" she managed through grinding teeth.

Sera's green eyes were sympathetic. "I'm no stranger to small minds, believe me. You can't imagine the number of places Rei-sha and I have been where we can't... What I'm saying is that you and I have experienced a lot more of the galaxy than Seelam has. He only knows what he's seen all his life."

"That doesn't make it okay, Rendix, any more than you and Rei being mistreated is okay."

"Not saying it is," Sera said, "I just think, maybe try a softer approach."

"Softer?"

"Seelam knows you can make him take the zip port where he'll have to stand shoulder to shoulder with people he doesn't want to mix with. Maybe surprise him by asking instead of ordering."

Lyra started to object, but an instant later she realized Sera might just have a point. Despite all of her years away from Inusagi, she'd fallen right back into her expected role, treating the family's vassals like subordinates. They were, but that didn't mean she had to reinforce the point constantly. If she wanted Seelam to see things differently, maybe that needed to start with her taking a different point of view.

She slapped Sera's arm with the back of her hand. "You're a pain in the ass, Rendix, but... you keep surprising me."

"I'm going to assume that's a compliment."

Lyra scowled. "Don't let it go to your head, Rebel."

"You're welcome, Imp."

Lyra walked back to Neela and Seelam. "Look, I know the Tavits don't like to mix; I grew up here too. But I was an Imperial officer for eight years." She swept her arm across the sky. "You see a lot of things out there, a lot of cultures, a lot of... points of view. You know what was hardest for me?"

Seelam looked surprised and confused. "I— I don't know, my lady."

"The hardest thing was realizing that whether someone looked like me, or like this—" she took Sera's hand and held it up— "didn't matter. The only thing that mattered was that the crew performed their jobs with competence. Where they came from, their social status, none of that counted for much of anything. The Navy didn't care whether I had dark or light skin, whether I was a noblewoman or a former slave. All they cared about was how well I did my job, and how well I served the Empire."

"Not the greatest example," Sera quipped.

Lyra shot her a look before turning back to Seelam.

"I'm... not sure I understand, my lady."

She started to sigh at his lack of vision, but she caught the look on Sera's face. Try another angle, Lyra.

"How many of the household's servants are low-born, Seelam?"

"I don't precisely know, my lady."

"Most of them, yes?" She received a nod from Seelam. "They're inferior to you, according to their Tavit. Do they do their jobs well? With skill?"

"I believe they do, my lady."

"You've seen them work. Do they take pride in doing their jobs well?"

"Yes, I would say so, my lady."

"You're skilled at your job, are you not?"

"I am, my lady," answered Seelam immediately, standing up straighter as he said it.

"And you take pride in doing your job well?"

"Of course, my lady."

"I'm a good pilot, Seelam. I take pride in doing my job well."

"I am certain that my lady is an excellent pilot."

Sera stifled a smirk with a hand to her mouth.

Laugh it up, Rendix, thought Lyra, though she kept it to herself. "Is your pride inferior to mine, Seelam?"

"My lady?"

"Does your pride mean less to you than mine does to me?"

"I— I don't know, my lady." Seelam looked conflicted and apprehensive at the barrage of questions, but for just an instant she saw a flash of indignation in his eyes.

"You feel insulted, thinking that the pride you feel should somehow be inferior to mine."

"No, my lady—"

"It's alright, Seelam, I'm not mad at you. I would feel exactly the same way if someone challenged the value of my pride." Lyra grinned a little. "The Tavit-wey servants take as much pride in their work as you take in yours, and I take in mine. Their pride is no less valuable to them than ours is to us. In terms of pride, there's no difference between us."

Seelam looked like he might be considering that, but he still objected. "But my lady, that's different."

"Is it, Seelam? When you really think about it, is it that different?" She paused a beat, then said, "I know it's hard to think in those terms. It was hard for me too, at first, just like it was hard for me to see my enemies as people with the same feelings as I had."

"What you're saying is very... radical, my lady." Seelam looked around to be sure they hadn't been overheard.

"Being a little radical isn't always a bad thing, Seelam. If we're going to progress, we need to challenge our own assumptions every once in a while." She shook her head. "I won't order you to accompany us, Seelam; Sera, Kalli and I will be just fine on our own. The people on the zip port won't be the Tavit-wey servants you work beside every day, so I understand that you might be uncomfortable around them. You and Neela may await our return here and nothing will be said. But I'd like you to consider that we might have more in common with each other than we think we do."

"I... understand, my lady." Seelam rubbed at his beard, which he kept trimmed short, unlike many of the men in the clan. He didn't look convinced, but he drew himself up. "I will accompany you, my lady, as is my duty."

"Thank you, Seelam," she said and did an admirable job of hiding her surprise. She turned to the chambermaid. "If you're uncomfortable you may remain here, Neela."

"I will go with you, my lady," said the chambermaid after a quick glance at Seelam.

"Good," Lyra said, feeling pleased with herself. Sera gave her a nod and looked impressed. "Come on, we're wasting time and there are merchants to haggle with!"