Admiral Stonefist sat in the meeting room after the Council of Admiralty was done, finishing his notes.

He and Kinnit had come back from Techterra a couple weeks earlier, and Grimthorn had immediately filtered his messages to ignore anything coming from Commander Ordren's office. That would probably come back to bite him at some point, but he couldn't stand the thought of hearing one more word from the man.

Now he sat alone across from Admiral Balia. The Council had gone about how they usually went. Any hope he'd had that Admiral Cora Din would be on his side in every discussion had quickly evaporated. She disagreed with him as much as ever. Though she did seem less nitpicky, and more prone to listen. He was able to contextualize her annoying habits a little better as well: rather than getting angry about her digs, he'd started trying to figure out what problem she was actually complaining about, hidden behind her caustic words.

It was difficult and only occasionally rewarding. But it was working.

"You and Cora Din seem to be improving your relations," Admiral Balia said suddenly, startling him.

"We're working on it."

"So. Tell me about this business with your Assistant."

Grimthorn cringed. He'd been holding on to a slim hope that Balia had forgotten about that, that his off-again-on-again dementia had wiped that uncomfortable fact out of Balia's mind. Grimthorn opened his mouth to deny everything, to talk his way around it, but then he looked Balia in the eyes.

Balia knew. Denial was pointless.

"It's... going well," he said. "We're getting to know each other better."

"Mmm." Balia leaned back and stared at the far wall. He sighed heavily. "I don't approve, Grimthorn."

"Yes, sir."

"Not for the usual reasons, you understand. I know you're not just looking for a novel conquest, and you're wise enough that I don't believe you're being taken advantage of. I'm thinking of your long term, young Grimthorn. Have you thought it through?"

"I've done a lot of thinking, sir."

"Have you? What will you do when you're ready to take the next step? If things proceed apace, where will you both end up? You can never marry. You can't even leave her anything in your will. Are you hoping that you two can just... maintain the status quo forever?"

Grimthorn crumpled.

"I don't know," he said finally. "I can't plan my life that way. I just have to deal with each day as it comes."

Balia leaned forward.

"I've seen enough men head over heels for a young lady to know that I'm wasting my breath, but I'll say it anyway. This relationship is bad news for you and for her. It's going to end poorly. You realize that, right?"

"Yes, sir."

"Don't mule up on me, son, just let me say my piece. There's no path forward for you two. What will you do when it's discovered? You'll be stripped of rank, probably thrown out of the Navy. Are you prepared for that?"

"I am."

"And do you think it's appropriate for someone with such split loyalties to be an Admiral in the Imperial Navy?"

The term "split loyalties" had a galvanic response on Grimthorn, coming as it did so soon after Commander Ordren had used the term about Kinnit. Steel rushed into Grimthorn's spine.

"I'm not divided. I know where I stand on everything."

"Do you? Trust me on this, young Grimthorn, one way or another, you will have to decide between this Assistant of yours and the Navy. You should choose now. It will be far easier that way."

Admiral Balia levered himself up out of his chair and walked out of the meeting room, leaving Grimthorn deep in thought.

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Sol Baric stood tall, a fierce, proud smile pressing itself onto his face. He only just barely kept it from turning into a smirk. He was on his way to check in for his new assignment.

The lift he rode glowed with a powerful white light, making a pulsing thrum as it carried him through the structure of the ISS Swordheart, pride of the Imperial Navy.

He crossed his arms and stared straight ahead. He tried to force the smile off his face. He was a Naval Assistant, 22 years old, not some fresh-faced goob from the back end of the galaxy. He would be calm, strong, and mature. His days as a klutz were long behind him.

The journey here had been long: from the bucolic farmlands of his home planet to the Academy, then here to the far reaches of the Imperium. He'd been assigned to Captain Lonus of the Fifth Fleet. After three short years of service, he was being assigned to the highest post an Assistant could dream of.

The heart of the Ninth Fleet, the sharp spear of the Navy, reporting directly to the office of the great Admiral Grimthorn Stonefist, hero of Arcturus, sword arm of the Emperor.

It was all he could do to keep from laughing with delight.

The lift slowed, and with a gentle "ding" the doors slid open. He stepped out into the steel hallway. Bustling people of every species flowed by, brisk and professional, each one carrying out their own important errand. The hall was broad, clean, and well-lit. The conduits, though still visible, were tidy, well-organized, and tucked up near the ceiling out of the way. The cool, dry air, as it did on all ships, smelled faintly of machine oil.

He strode firmly forward, arms swinging, heart swelling with pride. Though he was a little short for a Terran, he walked with the swagger and self-confidence of a Dominarch.

This was it. Here, now, he would unlock his career, launch himself into the ranks of the distinguished officers. Soon he would explore the galaxy as a great Naval hero, helping the citizens of the Imperium.

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He felt it was his great honor and a mark of pride in the quality of his work to be so trusted. And if he could prove himself worthy, he would be able to protect the citizens of the Imperium.

He came to an imposing door and stood before it, the crowd mindlessly parting around him as it swept by. Imposing not because it was ornate or ominous or especially distinct; it looked like every other door in the hallway. But it loomed because of all it represented. His new life, his career, and the hopes of the citizens of the Imperium.

Finally, finally, he would be recognized.

His heart beat double time, giving lie to his stilled features. A grin forced its way onto his face as pulled out her scanner and held it in front of the door. It bleeped, and displayed a brief message.

Adm. Grimthorn Stonefist, Office

His grin shrank a little. Surely there should be a grander title than this, coming from the greatest military mind to ever grace the galaxy.

He reached out and touched the panel switch, his stomach flip-flopping as he prepared to meet his hero.

The door hissed open and he stepped forward, smooth, confident, ready to lift up the Imperium.

And he entered his future.

His step faltered as he walked in.

There, behind the desk, sat Admiral Stonefist, as imposing and serious as Sol had expected.

Sitting at the desk next to him, in the traditional position of Assistant, was a pale red creature creature. Sol's nose wrinkled as he saw the collar that adorned its neck. Some kind of Subject Species.

Admiral Stonefist's stern face rose from his console to pin Sol to the floor. Sol was lost in a moment of breathless awe.

"Who are you?" Grimthorn growled.

"Can we help you?" said the SS in a sweet, flutey voice.

It took Sol a moment to regain his mental bearings. Ignoring the SS, he turned to Admiral Stonefist.

"I'm... Lieutenant Sol Baric, sir? Your new Assistant?" Belatedly, he saluted.

Admiral Stonefist's brows drew down, and his face hardened.

"Excuse me?"

"Um." Sol began sweating. "Your Assistant, sir? I'm Sol Baric? Transferring from Captain Lorus?"

"Are you asking me or telling me?"

"T-telling, sir." All Sol's pride and fine ideas deserted him. He cleared his throat.

"Where are your orders?"

Sol fumbled his scanner out of his pocket, nearly dropping it. He opened it and began hunting for the transfer order among his documents. For a terrible moment, he couldn't find it. A gulf of fear opened in his gut and panic crept in as he floundered through his documents. Surely he hadn't been mistaken? Or been the victim of some awful prank?

He breathed a heavy sigh of relief as he found the appropriate orders. He pulled them up and handed his scanner to Admiral Stonefist.

"At ease," Admiral Stonefist said, reading through the document. Sol stood straight with his hands clenched in nervous fists by his sides.

Kinnit looked curiously between Grimthorn and Lieutenant Sol.

Grimthorn wandered back to his desk, his eyes riveted to the scanner.

"What is this latest CenCom fubar?" he muttered. He handed the scanner to Kinnit. "Validate that for me, would you Kinnit?" He turned to his console and started going through his messages.

Lieutenant Sol stood in the middle of the office, in the midst of the most intensely awkward experience of his life so far. He cringed a little at having an SS touch his scanner, but he wasn't going to say anything about it at the moment.

Kinnit frowned in confusion as she read the orders. She began running the message through the cryptographic validators on her console.

"S-sir?" Lieutenant Sol said. "Should I... come back at a better time?"

"You're fine, Lieutenant," Admiral Stonefist said without looking up. "I'm afraid there's been some sort of mix-up. I already have an Assistant." He gestured vaguely at Kinnit.

"Perhaps CenCom thought you needed an upgrade, haha." Lieutenant Sol's joke fell to the floor and died quietly in the sudden silence that filled the office. Admiral Stonefist fixed him with a glare at him that could have pierced a titanium hull.

"Lieutenant, I am going to do you the very large favor of pretending I did not hear that."

"Y-yes, sir. Sorry, sir." Sol reflexively saluted a couple times as Grimthorn turned back to his messages.

"It's valid, sir," Kinnit said. "The cryptographic signatures match up. These orders definitely came from CenCom. Signed by Commander Ordren."

Grimthorn froze, his fingers hovering over his console. His face took on a dangerous cast.

"Well, that will help me narrow my search for any messages that would explain this," he said, his voice quiet and dangerous.

Lieutenant Sol shrank into himself as the minutes stretched out. He was miserable and embarrassed, terrified of what the Admiral would say.

The SS came around her desk with a comforting smile and held his scanner out to him. He took it with two fingers and pushed it into his pocket, reminding himself to wash it later. No telling what kind of hygiene habits this one had. He'd heard stories.

"Hi, I'm Kinnit," she said. "I'm pleased to meet you." She held out her hand for a handshake.

He grinned in a way that came out as a grimace. His reflexive reaction was to tell her "I don't shake hands with SSes." Which was reasonable and right, as these things went. he glanced over at Admiral Stonefist, whose face was positively stormy. Sol realized that that approach might not go over well. He gingerly took her hand for a moment, then dropped it.

Grimthorn slammed an open hand down on his desk, making everybody jump.

"I'm not finding any communications on this," Grimthorn muttered. "Ordren is trying to pressure me. Typical of the man. Too cowardly to come out and say what he wants, too foolish to listen to reason." He glared at Sol.

Lieutenant Sol wilted. He wanted to crawl into a hole and die.

"Well, sir," Kinnit piped up, "perhaps you could use another Assistant? You were joking a few weeks ago about getting an Assistant for your Assistant. And we could use the help getting all the reports out on time." She winked at Sol.

Grimthorn sat back and rubbed his eyes.

"You're right, Kinnit. I shouldn't let my feelings about Commander Ordren cloud my judgment."

Admiral Stonefist stood slowly, his face set. He circled Sol slowly, looking him up and down.

"Why are you here?" Grimthorn asked.

"S-sir?"

"Why are you in the Navy? Why did you join?"

Lieutenant Sol straightened a litte under Grimthorn's gaze.

"Well, sir, initially I joined because it was a good career. My home planet is an agriplanet, so we always had plenty of food, but not much money. So I joined to support my family." Sol paused. "I never cared much about the Imperium, one way or the other. It was just a thing that was. After the Academy, while I was serving on the ISS Binhaven, we responded to a distress in the Aurivelle system."

Admiral Stonefist nodded tightly.

"The quakes?" he asked.

"Yes, sir. There was a previously unrecognized fault running below their major population center." He shuddered, remembering. "They lost so many people in the first quake. The continent just... split open. The people there..." Sol struggled to get control of his voice.

"In your own time," Grimthorn said gently.

Sol nodded. After a minute he was able to continue.

"We were the first to arrive. We spent weeks at Aurivelle. It was... difficult to watch. To help organize." He passed a hand over his eyes. "'The Imperium protects her citizens.' I recited the oath when I joined, but I didn't think much about it. Aurivelle showed me what it really meant."

Lieutenant Sol raised his eyes to Admiral Stonefist's.

"I want to serve the Imperium. Because the Imperium protects her citizens, and her citizens need protecting."

"You should salute," Kinnit whispered with a smile.

Sol fumbled his hand up and saluted awkwardly.

"All hail the Imperium!" he cried.

"All hail," they responded.

There was a long, awkward moment while Grimthorn stared at Sol with a calculating gaze.

"I like him, sir," Kinnit said. "Can we keep him?"

Grimthorn snorted a little laugh.

"First a shuttle, and now an Assistant?" He smiled. "Very well."

Admiral Stonefist stood straight and gave Sol Baric a full and careful salute.

"Welcome to my office, Assistant Baric."