I wake up in a nearly oppressive warm, like being half buried beneath sleeping bodies after a good party. I try to wipe the sleep out of my eyes, but my vision doesn’t clear. Huh? I search the area around my face and find a small mask covering my nose and mouth. I search wider with my arms and feet and find that I’m in a capsule that’s only large enough for me to crouch. The last new feature is a cloth like texture with a hard strip with dim lights on the side.
->M] Penny? Did I get abducted or is this a medical thing? [<-
->P] Mikki!! Thank Andromeda. You’ve been in that pod for 16 hours, and I was about to transport the manufacturers here and start threatening them. Hold on, let me do a final scan and drain the pod.[<-
A minute or two into the tank draining, I start getting sprayed from multiple directions by something that smells faintly of antiseptic, but affectively removes the opaque goop that I was submerged within. As the goop falls from my feet and another spray happens the cover pops open and I’m yanked out of the pod and wrapped in Penny’s arms and wings.
“Why didn’t you dodge to the side, hon?” She whispers with a quiver in her voice.
“After that roar, the stun scrambled my thoughts. I guess I needed more time with it to make it instinctive.”
“I’m so sorry, Mikki, I’m so sorry.” She pulls back and looks up at me with tears running down her cherubic cheeks.
I bring my hands up and wipe the tears away. “I’m not mad baby. I let you talk me into a battle where I wasn’t familiar with all the gear I was using. Too many new things I think.” I run my fingers through her hair, “I also think I’m lucky my partner can teleport and has access to high tier medical equipment. It was kind of a fun date until a giant tiger thing cut me in half.”
She starts sobbing again, and whatever she’s trying to say is lost in the tears. “I could have saved you but I froze. I was so scared.” She starts grasping at my back, trying to pull me closer, but with it being impossible in this configuration, I start giggling.
“Did I at least miss the meeting with the Protectors?”
“What?” she sniffs and wipes her nose on me, which is extra gross because I’m still mostly naked. “No, I postponed it to this afternoon. You didn’t die, so you have to go to work.”
That gets a big laugh out of me. “There’s the Empress I love. Tiny tyrant and champion snuggler.”
She flicks my arm in annoyance and then starts focusing on the bandage that’s still covering my midriff. When she finishes removing them, I’m surprised to find a scar from just beneath my ribs to my hips.
“That’s not supposed to be there, is it?”
“No, this is a tier 4 medical device. It can re-make a whole body given enough time.” She runs her finger down the scar, making me shiver with delight. “This means that some kind of poison or corruption was on it’s claws and it degraded or started re-writing your biologic information. This is something that Francesca will be interested in.”
“You’re looking at me with science eyes again.” I pull her hands away. “Do we have to repeat the mantra now that we’re together?”
“Ugh, no. I know I’m not supposed to examine you while I’m touching you, but injuries should be exempt!” I smile at her.
“Tell me you weren’t thinking about taking a tissue sample from my scar, and I’ll consider it.” Her eyes go wide and then she blushes furiously, lowering her head in embarrassment.
“Neither Zia nor Alphea liked when I did that either. Isabel and the twins would look at me in the same way so we’d sit and study each other for hours. Each of them is this brand new thing, how could I not want to learn more about them?”
I chuckle at the tangent, “I think you’re missing the problem, honey, but that can be for another day. Is Kitty nearby? I’d like to put some clothes on and grab a meal if you’re expecting me to people today.”
Penny blips us to my cabin and sits me down at the table and pours me a coffee with a touch of cream. She then summons corned meat hash and slaps it down in front of me. She must have been terrified if she’s serving me like this. Poor Pixie.
“Not that I don’t appreciate it, honey, but I’m alive and I’m not upset with you, okay?”
She huffs and smushes both of my cheeks with her hands, “Thank you for your forgiveness, but staying busy is keeping the thoughts of putting you in a hazard proof bubble at bay.”
I surge forward to sneak a kiss, “That doesn’t sound fun. Thanks for keeping your urges in check.”
She scrunches her face and sits opposite to me and summons a plate of sushi, only to eat it aggressively. I shrug and tuck into my favorite breakfast. A few minutes of silence later, I hear a thundering gait approach my door and see Kitty’s chassis behind it.
She rushes over to wrap me in a hug before I can set my fork down and turn around.
“Your vitals were scary to watch.”
“Scary to experience too. Several things caused that predicament, Kitty, most of them preventable. Sorry I frightened you.”
“Just don’t do it again, okay?” she lets go and steps back from the chair.
“I’ll try, but I’m just a clumsy human. It’s dangerous to be fleshy.” She huffs and turns away at my attempt to lighten the conversation. When she leaves the room, leaving the impression that she would have slammed the door if she could, I turn my eyes back to Penny.
“Never thought I would adopt a teenage ship, but that’s what this feels like.” I say, slumping further down the chair.
“She definitely calls me mom, but I don’t know if she’s decided whether you feel like a sibling or a parent. Not sure it matters either way. You should have heard how she complained about you in the beginning, but now, she worries about you.”
I nod and decide that coffee is what I need if I need to sit through a government meeting. Penny leaves me to dodder around my cabin while she distracts herself with menus while laying on the bed. I muse that she still pokes at her display instead of just selecting things mentally. I do it too, so I shouldn’t make fun.
I change into slacks, a button-down and my Marshal vest, paying some attention to un-tucking part of my white shirt to hang out from the vest. I think I look good, ready for a dustup or a meeting. “Hat or no hat, hon?”
“Depends on if you’re going to make eyes at me. If so, wear the hat.” I look over to see what she’s wearing, and it’s her Admiral jumpsuit. Not the cutest thing I’ve seen her in, but she’s got an ass that looks good in everything.
“Maybe I should wear sunglasses too.” I joke. We jump while I’m trying to be funny, but I get dizzy after and fall on my ass, making my partner laugh anyway. I call it a success.
As soon as we hit atmosphere, Penny teleports to her office, where we will be meeting, while Kitty is instructed to land at the Castle and that I should take a hoverbike to the Consul’s building.
“Can’t I come with?” my ship asks.
“Eh, meetings are boring, I don’t even want to go. You should hang out with Oren mk 7 instead. I’m sure he’s got a wealth of info you can scam off him, including those multi-threading, or hyper fractal things or whatever you said last that confused me.”
“How can you be so indifferent with technology when you have that interface Talent? Don’t you want to know what I’m getting into so you can be prepared for it?”
“Ah, I see the issue. It is important to me, but the scientific part of it, doesn’t matter a whole lot to me. What it does, what it feels like? Those are what I care about.”
The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
“Yeah, I should head up to see Oren. Have fun at your meeting.” The little turd takes off in her Avatar, leaving me standing looking for transportation.
I send out feelers for Penny’s property and everything lights up. Well, that’s not helpful. May as well just choose whatever. I walk over to a go-cart looking thing and hop in it. The steering wheel energizes, reads my palms and starts right up. Guess she really did update my permissions. I switch out my hat for a helmet in my spatial storage and get to karting.
I fall out the back of the damned thing as it darts forward, which is pretty much the funniest thing ever. I hop back in and feather the throttle and I take off at a more reasonable speed. Three minutes later I’m already at the stately government building I’m headed for and decide I like the sporty little circus conveyance.
The receptionist asks me if I want anything for the meeting and I tell him an Aether Berry cocktail and some water would be great. Not sure if that’s what he meant, but the man nods and messages someone afterward. Maybe this meeting won’t be so bad after all.
***
The First Consul and the Speaker for Governors look like they would rather be anywhere else. The majority of the talking is being done by Petra, where Jenna and Mr. Chase Renault haven’t really made their report.
“Petra, I understand that you feel harassed, but frankly I had assumed you wouldn’t get personally involved in smuggling as the planet’s Protector. Your personal involvement in making the local economy more antagonistic cannot be ignored.” Penny replies.
“You appointed me, you knew I would be involved.”
“I did, and I assumed you would be discrete as you had normally been on Astoria. As this is a circumstance that could very well happen without my appointing a Protector, I’m interested to see how it plays out. Before we go on a deep dive of this issue, lets hear from the other Protectors and parties gathered.”
“We should finish this now! I will not be held hostage for . . .” Petra is standing and gesturing angrily, causing Penny to put on her Empress demeanor.
“Time out for you.” She reaches out and clasps the air and suddenly there are no words reaching us from Petra’s moving mouth. The Russian also seems to be attempting to leave, but a struggle is all I see. “Well then. Yes, I am familiar with all of you, but in government proceedings remember I am also the void-damned Empress.”
She takes a deep breath and gestures to Chase. “Mr. Renault, please tell me some gossip that was not included in your report.”
“My report was quite thorough, Empress. However, I have recently learned that Dash’s major families are split in how much they want the Empire involved. Even so close to the top as nieces and grandchildren, there is a preference toward full inclusion in the Empire. Otherwise, the different demographics largely just want to live their lives away from the pomp of Aelea, but otherwise don’t feel much impact with being Citizens out in the Frontier.”
“How are the non-Family businesses seeing this?”
The man pinches his nose and then adjusts his glasses. “Anyone working trade routes has been picked up by the Castillo Family or the Carmichael Family, and the rest of the businesses don’t have to deal with pricing out tariffs, so they only see the end point rise. As the raise in prices was expected by Dash’s financial specialists, the populous isn’t looking to hard. Castillo losing their preferred vendor status is still having repercussions.”
“I imagine this has seen an increase in smuggling efforts, we’re seeing a lot of trans-belt traffic in Brony-one.” I chime in.
“It has, but the smugglers are staying within the hundred million kilometer demarcation of frontier space, so we haven’t asked for additional assistance. As I mentioned in the report, Castillo and Carmichael assumed the Warden would maintain her presence, and so far cannot agree to what level of policing they desire, let alone how to fund it.” Renault’s resigned sigh saying volumes about his hopes for the remaining 5 years.
“Have you seen similar trends Jenna?” The Empress asks.
“There’s not a lot of people on Apple Jack, and even fewer ships. What we’ve noticed is an uptick in our imports being held ransom after being intercepted in another system. From what I can tell it was a few times a year, now it’s a few times a month. Sure it’s only been three months, but it’s still noticeable.” The large, burly woman checks her notes before sitting back down.
“And now we will get into preferred adjustments. Petra, I will be asking you last, as you will likely have a lot to say, can you handle that?” Penny asks the petulant Russian. The Mobster gestures to keep going.
Penny points to Jenna. “As the Muzashi Family and I haven’t had luck linking an organization to our issues, we would like information to be passed to us if the Marshals hear of our ships being targeted, even in system space of the other Brony systems.” I can see Petra fidget as Jenna suggests this.
“Those of us in Dash, would like similar information, but also a presence to act on piracy within the system. We currently have no options to deter violent crime in space outside of Dash’s moons.”
Penny gestures toward Protector Volkov and the silence and restrain magic dissipates.
“It is hard to listed to such pitiful cries. Are Protectors not supposed to assist their planets to achieve more?” Petra accuses.
“They’re supposed to protect the general populous from exploitation, not encourage it to line your pockets.” I scoff.
“Sounds like someone who lacks vision. My vision includes a larger system zone and no listening stations. My vision continues with allowing the Protectorates to manage the Prospects as well.”
“Such things were provided in their initial proposal, Petra. As they have not cobble together a government yet, I doubt they are ready for more responsibility.” Penny sighs as though she knows where this topic is headed.
“What if the Protectors formed a Triumvirate to run the systems?” Petra proposes.
“If that is the system the Families propose, then I will consider the change.”
“The Families are shortsighted, bickering children! In a year we will be having a much different conversation if we do not intervene now!” Petra shouts at Penny.
“If I intervene without their input, I may as well conquer them and put them in the Empire; but I highly doubt that is what you are proposing.” Penny replies sarcastically.
“She’s proposing to make her rule over Twilight official, specifically what Protectors are put in place not to allow. If anything, they should only get involved when law has broken down, not to supplant it.” I add, watching the blond Russian practically snarl.
“Says the washed out military cop.” I flip her off with a grin as she tries to spin me up. “A cop whose actions have overstepped her authority several times and cost me tens of thousands of credits.”
I raise an eyebrow at that. Challenging my interdictions and seizures is a tack I didn’t expect her to take in front of the Empress.
“Which ones, Miss Volkov, the ones where ships fired on me outside of system space? Or how about the ones where they disabled other vessels with violence? Everyone was informed I have a zero tolerance policy for piracy. As for the seizures in prospect space, well, I’m just protecting prospect rights that the Empire has issued.”
“You are killing my people!” She shouts.
I look around to make sure I wasn’t the only one who heard that. “Look, Petra. It isn’t personal. I’m patrolling where the data tells me the most crime is happening. If the Empress, the First Consul, and the Speaker for Governors think I’m off base, then I will change my behavior.”
Before Protector Volkov and return fire, Penny chimes in to redirect. “Excellent segway. Colsul, Governor, what would you add to this?”
Tessa gestures to the surprisingly fit bureaucrat named Jeffries.
“Well, as the Governors are discussing the Coast Guard initiative, I have a vested interest in the three additional Marshals being involved in each of the Brony systems. However, this discussion brings to light how important setting the boundaries of action for the Marshals could take in response to various activities.
“I agree that violent crimes in space hurt the host planet more than a seizure or a smuggling action as we lose people, goods, and a ship. I also believe that a beleaguered system government should be able to call on the more combat oriented force should they need assistance. Though I don’t imagine my input means much as Imperial law is not accustomed to Protectorates as a whole.”
“Perhaps, Governor, but you have given me ideas to deal with problems as they arise while we figure out a more . . . permanent structure.” Penny thanks the man, then gestures to Tessa.
“I find that Senior Marshal Solari’s responses have been in accordance with Imperial mandates, though almost negligent in combating smuggling in her sectors. I also find it intolerable that the Systems have not established a government as mandated, or even proposed a nominal framework for a future government.
“I find that a council may be an appropriate forced option until they submit a better one. Not as simple as a triumvirate as Volkov suggested. Five plus three plus one would add a nice tie breaking number where the Families had the largest say, and the Senior Marshal could be the silent tie-breaking vote.”
“Mmm, Consul, that is a fine idea. Pick your favorite Council model and send the draft to the Senior Marshal. Governor, send me your latest articles for the desired Coast Guard. I know it’s not finished, but I find it’s best to continue where the research is headed.”
“You’re giving the Marshals more power? You’ve got to be kidding?”
“Power? No. The Senior Marshal’s power will not change, but I am giving everyone else more agency. The Empire will not negotiate with the separate Protectorates as per the original petition, however, this interim government will be attended to.”
“This is absurd, Penny. The Marshal’s should not be involved in governance.” Petra counters.
“And if you and the Families do your jobs, they won’t be. Marshal Solari’s Job is to maintain law and order. A split vote is disorderly. If the Families had done the work in the first place, we wouldn’t be here.” Penny sounds tired of the whole proceeding at this point, I can tell she wants to wrap this up.
“Will you be sending any resources for this council?” Renault asks. Decent question.
“No. In fact if you want an effectively neutral place to meet, the Kismet is a fully capable Astorian Navy corvette under Marshal orders. All four of you have budgets that allow for entertaining dignitaries. If you’ve spent it all already, then you’re a fucking idiot. I gave each of you millions of credits, if I suspect you have been using it for private matters, you will not be getting any more.” My Partner glares lasers at the Russian, daring her to be flippant.
To my surprise, there’s a moment of silence in respect to her soft threat. “Unless there is anything else, you are all dismissed while I talk to the First Consul and Speaker.”