“So. Are you mine for the rest of the day?” Penny flutters over.

“Sure thing, as long as we can talk business at some point in the next few days.”

“Absolutely, but I’m hungry.”

“Can we try one of the places in the Castle? You’ve got so many places I haven’t tried yet.” I’ve had my eye on a few cafes and as much as I love Guiseppe, I need other fare in my life.”

“There’s a Devonian place on the second floor that does a good stir fry and has views of the lawn? They only have local fare for beer, though.” She looks a little nervous about me not being happy with her choices.

I chuckle, “That’s fine, babe, I like the Summer Farms beers. More importantly, I like trying new things with you.” I bump her shoulder. “Though I can understand if you don’t want to be seen with me.”

She snorts, “I’m mostly trying to keep you from being a target. I can guarantee that I’ll likely be the one to mess it up. I tend not to think about where I am when I get excited about something.”

“I can probably handle that, not like you were terribly discrete ag Guiseppe’s.” She pokes me and drenches me in glitter. I can’t help the full body laugh of joy that flutters through me, and the hacking cough that comes after breathing in a cloud of sparkles.

When we get to the Devonian restaurant, the staff apparently knows her and lead us to a bar-like area and ask us to wait while they set up our table. I get an IPA and Penny gets a Galaxy-fruit Cosmo, we toast to ourselves and I grab her waist underneath the bar top and thumb the fabric on her side as we sip our drinks.

“Does this ever get weird?” I ask.

“I’ve gotten used to it. It’s convenient to always be able to get a table when I want one.” She shrugs and leaks a little aether into my arm, sending a pleasing shudder to ripple through me. I’m honestly amazed that people seem so happy to see me after all this time.”

“You leave a small fortune as a tip when you eat places.”

“It’s my preferred method of stimulus. I deplore giving hand outs, save basic subsistence, and I really appreciate people who put their hearts into their work.”

“Probably because you don’t know how not to put your heart in it. Do people tip you for your work?” My thumb has made it under the edge of her blouse and my whole body relaxes as my hand contacts her skin. There’s just something so pleasant, so reassuring about skin to skin contact with my partner, no matter how small.

Penny raises an eyebrow and smiles at me in a way that I love, making me contemplate kissing her right here. A server interrupts my train of thought and escorts us to a gate on their patio, which opens to a small table that they’ve put on the lawn.

When we get settled in and we both scootch up to the table, I’m tall enough now that my feet extend to her side and she can rest her feet on my shins. We order another round of drinks and she orders food for us. I would get mad at anyone else for presuming as much, but I am much more pliable for Penny—a definite mush brain.

“I do get tipped for my personal creations with weapons and enchanting, but usually with gifts or deals on other items. The mass produced stuff, there’s clearly no need.

“As for other business, I’m not ignoring your shuttle request, you know.” I raise an eyebrow at the non-sequitur. “Tessa is tired of seeing that requisition form on her desk. We just don’t have any surplus to give. While your mission is supposed to be a proving ground for the Coast Guard idea, that is for the Governor’s piece of mind. I’m shipping up to do it already. I wanted to talk to you and see if you wanted a dispensation to buy them of the open market, or to loan the fighter compliment of a Cutter until we commission the new ships.”

“If I had my druthers, I’d take the money, so there weren’t restrictions on my using the loaned shuttles. And giving them back would be a horrendous pain after we got used to them. Would I be able to get the purchased shuttles fit with a jump package?” I ask with hopes that I can get fancy warp facilities for free.

“The civilian ones, sure. All of the mods you want to make have to come out of your budget though. Don’t want people accusing me of wasting Government money.”

“You’re paying most of this out of pocket! How could they think that you’re using Government money.”

She laughs at that, “Much of our Empire believes that my wealth almost entirely belongs to the Empire, and thus, to them. Which is why the vast majority of my wealth is assigned to my private corporations. And a wedding present you have yet to be given.” Her smile is cunning and mischievous.

“Penny, you know how I feel about that.”

She waves me off, “I’m aware. I am also aware that you’re restructuring plans into a Mercenary Company will need some startup funds. Which is why I have arranged an interest free loan of 100 million credits available for access by you.”

My body goes through various modes of surprise that end up with me on the grass staring up at the sky, thinking of the staggering amount of wealth she casually put aside for me. She walks over to my head and crouches.

“Was that not enough? I was told by my ship guy on Ganymede that it was sufficient.”

I sit up and try to push her over, but she just smiles and flutters back on her stupid pretty wings. “it’s a ridiculous sum, hon, though an excellent compromise for me to accept your generosity.” I stand up, brush my butt off, and grab my spilled glass. “Thank you for being so considerate about it.”

She brightens both in expression and wing glitter and comes over and kisses me. “I’m happy you like it!”

So, that’s what she means about not being able to restrain herself while excited. The server at the gate seems alarmed at the revelation, but keeps the drinks in her hand level. Right on time lady, I think while waving her over.

The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

“Is there anything I need to consider legally about separating my Merc life from my Marshal life?” I right my chair and sit back down, making space for my new beer.

“Yes, of course. Tessa and Consul Mercer will send you the details, but it boils down to not tying up military assets and double paying people for the same time and your Marshal shuttles shouldn’t be used for Merc work. It may seem a little iffy, but It’ll supposedly keep the both of us from being verifiably shady dealings. I trust Mercer to know how to be a crook without legally being attributable.”

“Glad to hear it. It’ll also make me look more legitimate to the Profitocracy that the Five Families have set up.” I take a swig of my beer and Penny kicks me under the table.

“I’ve been gone, and I haven’t caught up. Deets, please, oh love of mine.”

“Gods, you cannot weaponize an eye flutter like that.” I shield my eyes with my hand. “We met under the eight plus one committee you set up, and the vote for a different style of government went through with my tie break to one without the Protectors playing a major part. Now, it’s set up like the old U.N.’s security council with five near permanent members, and another fifteen of the highest earners in the sector.”

“Let me guess, I inadvertently made you one of those.” She grins, not sorry at all.

“Yeah, probably a Belle instigated thing, but in either case, the Merc work should keep me on the list if the council votes for mercs policing their space instead of a funded police department. So thanks for the loan. I need to get a crew up and running, but I don’t really trust enough people.”

She sucks some air through her shark teeth before answering. “I know some folks, but it all depends on how you feel about aliens.”

“We talking about those Varmint-looking hunters, or the Herrat?”

“Both, actually. There’s still a ban on Herrat captaincy until one of them lawfully gains the position in the Navy and holds it for an entire tour. The hunters, they make great merc team leaders. They hyper focus a lot though, and anyone outside their crew is not teamwork they’re good at, but that’s why a good Flag officer is so important.” She’s trying to placate me with accolades!

“The people I know the best in that sector are all members of the Families or administrative civvies. I wonder if I can scam some veterans.”

“Send a note to the CoN, he should be able to hook you up with our transition to Civ life HR person. If frontier Merc is an option, I’m sure you’ll find a gaggle of them.”

I do just that as I jostle my legs to upset the Pixie’s foot rest.

“You know, there was a brief period where I thought that they’d vote to come back to the Empire, despite the penalty.”

“I’m glad they didn’t. Humans rarely develop anything great without hardship or inspiration—hardship being much easier to come by. Some of the most successful Humans in the Empire were originals in the crew of the Galilei.”

“Were?”

“I killed one of them, and another died trying to redeem herself. There are a few others, but they died from Earth related complications.”

I nod, with nothing additive to say. Our food comes moments later, with a side-soup accompanying our stir fry. The Focus of the dish is a firm textured, mushroom-like item that has a sharp, earthen taste. The soup is a thin, beef-like broth with noodles and a mixture of crunchy and chewy textures in the additives. None of the flavors are ultimately familiar, but the cooks have clearly cultivated an adventurous yet pleasing offering for us.

“It is odd to have never tasted flavors like these, but to be reminded of half a dozen items from Earth.”

Penny nods, “I feel the same thing. Everything is the wrong color, and the flavors are a bit topsy turvy from their likenesses, but the dishes are well-prepared and complete in flavor.”

We talk about the food offerings as they roll in, until I finally ask for clemency from the Empress. She smiles, talks to the waitress and then teleports us back to her suite. She’s in a cute strappy one-piece, walking into her lazy river.

“We haven’t discussed Kismet’s manning debacle yet.”

“We can talk and float, Mikki.” She points to the adjustable layout chair next to me with my preferred swim attire on it.

I smile and shrug, and make her watch me undress instead of changing my wardrobe via magic. As I’m about to finish tying my top, she’s kissing my back and tying it for me.

“That was not fair, baby bear. I really like your muscular butt and legs. They’re thinner now that you’re taller though.” She wraps her arms around my middle and squeezes me for a minute or three.

I lightly swat her kneading fingers, “Business before bawdy, pretty pixie.”

“Fine, but can I lay on you in your innertube?”

“No way, but you can share your private lounger float with me.”

She cheers up and then considers why I want the lounger. “You just want beer while we talk. Do you love beer more than me?”

I snort at that. “Hell no. But why be deprived when I don’t have to? You in one arm and a beer in the cup holder? These are what dreams are made of lady.”

She rolls her eyes but capitulates and summons her lounger and something bottled in the arm stand. I plop into the chair and Penny flutters on top of me, sinking into my arms in an attempt to fuse with me. I’m not sure I’d mind it, honestly. No time for tangents, Mik.

She settles between my legs, resting her head on my chest while flicking her feet in the water. With such prime placement, I begin absently running my fingers through her hair. She hums at me in pleased tones. We sit like that for minutes, her rhythmic foot patters almost lulling me to sleep.

“I want to handle Kismet manning in two stages. First a new captain and a smattering of officers and senior enlisted that will replace the folks I’m about to pull that were connected to the Captain Howard debacle. I never thought Howard’s plan to catch Serenity Gable would be this messy.”

My eye twitches as she reveals that a large portion of my recent hassle was a sting that I had no knowledge about. “I would really like to be in the know, one of these days. So Howard was being an ass as a part of the plan?”

Penny chuckles in my lap, “No. He’d been trying to get off that ship for months, and saw a way out without resigning his commission. He was a good officer for most of his service, so I’ll put a few reprimands on his record and stuff him in a closet somewhere, like a drydock or a pilot training program.”

“Ugh, no wonder it felt like he was trying to get fired.” I rub my face with my beer-reaching hand. “I bet you’re about to tell me the replacement crew is ready and you’ll be sending a ship with me to apprehend the others.”

“This is why I like smart people. You don’t have to explain everything.” She pats my leg like a pet that did the right thing. I wrap my legs around her and lock my ankles together to squeeze the little mischief maker.

Penny squeals and struggles and we end up dunked in the river. When I stand up, she’s grinning ear to ear. I grab her face with both hands and smoosh her cheeks together before pulling her in for a kiss. She grabs onto me and I wrap an arm around her back. I decide to revel in the wet kisses for several moments before I reap my vengeance with tickles. She squeaks and sputters, before deciding to teleport away.

She stands on the side of the lazy river, fists on hips with a pout on her face. So cute. “Just for that, I’m not going to help you dry off.” She disappears the towels on shore.

“Then I shall have to lounge alone while I dry off. Oh, the misery!” Knowing that Penny can teleport the pool float, I walk to the side of the channel and hoist myself up the side. As my girl hasn’t moved, I put my hand on her belly and kiss her cheek.

“I’m actually feeling a rinse and a nap, or maybe a snuggle and veg out on some mindless vids?”

She sighs dramatically. “That sounds amazing.”

With explanations finished and plans for the next phase in her social experiment explained, I finally start to relax and look forward to spending the next few days with my partner.