“I don’t want to hear your sarcasm. What happened to the Forr Da Antohbeeta?”
“That is an internal affair for the government to worry about,” said Till, after a moment’s pause. “I can’t leak that information to outside agents. Plus, it’s not exactly a topic for family to be getting into.”
“It is family talk. The Star Forces didn’t even attack the Forr Da Antohbeeta with anything close to their real firepower.”
“That wasn’t their real firepower?” A note of surprise in his voice. “Are you saying it was a limited strike? I mean, we know they could have bombed more—”
“No, as in, it wasn’t even a ‘limited strike.’ All that was, was a little show of annoyance. They thought you were throwing a wrench into their training exercise. I’ll give you all the details next time — that is, if you give me a next time. But let me ask you something — if the same level of attack that destroyed the Forr Da Antohbeeta were to hit Crandon, what would happen?”
“I never said the Forr Da Antohbeeta were destroyed.”
“It doesn’t matter whether or not they got destroyed. I’m asking you what would happen if the Star Forces were to vent their annoyance on Crandon?”
“Many citizens would die,” he admitted (reluctantly, if his tone was any indication).
“And among those dead might be my family. That’s why this is a topic for family!”
“I see you’ve become quite the sophist, Jint.”
“That’s a bad habit of yours, Till. As soon as you’re about to lose an argument, you call the other guy a sophist.”
“Only if the ‘other guy’ is a kid. Logic doesn’t go down with kids.”
“Lucky I’m not a kid. I’m all for logic.”
“All right then. Fine. Let’s talk. I just can’t talk about it right this second. I haven’t prepared myself to talk to you — to Count Hyde of the Empire — in an official capacity.”
“Not a problem. I want some time, too. I’ll call again sometime soon. Then we can find the best way forward for our system together.”
After dropping the line, Jint called together the interested persons of the Hyde Countdom.
“How did it go?” Lafier asked him.
“I managed to make a bit of progress,” he said, shaking his head, “but we ended up just talking about family stuff.”
“Nothing more important than family,” said Samson. “That said, is that really making progress?”
“I got them to agree to meet with me in person.”
Samson raised an eyebrow. “You’ll be representing us by your lonesome?”
“That, I don’t know for sure yet. I do think that’s the best way to handle this, though.”
“Where will you meet?” asked Lafier.
“That hasn’t been settled yet, either.”
“We can’t just let you go to the surface by yourself,” said Lafier.
“Whoa, Your Highness, you took the words right outta my mouth,” said Samson. “I can’t let my young Lord betake himself to the lap of danger.”
“Uhh, guess this where I say I’d follow His Excellency through a towering inferno?” said Paveryua.
“If Her Highness decides to go, then I will accompany her,” said Sehrnye flatly.
“Thanks, you guys,” said Jint. He organized his thoughts. “First thing’s first, we call over the Baucbiruch. Is its conveyance ship already out and about?”
“I imagine so,” said Lafier. “It went right after the exercise ended.”
“When’s its next scheduled fligh— ah, wait, hold on a sec.” Jint realized there was no point asking the people here, so he took a peek at the conveyance ship service schedule using his wristgear. Fortunately for them, now that the exercise was over, the schedule was no longer locked behind a firewall of confidentiality, allowing an outsider like Jint to access it without any issue. And evidently, the next flight would depart in around an hour.
“I’m taking the liberty to board this conveyance ship. The Baucbiruch should be arriving in three days’ time. Let’s decide on our policy in that time.”
“Spoken like a true lord, Jint,” said Lafier.
Jint had to wonder whether that was a compliment.
Chapter 9: Cipath Ésarr (Dinner With Family)
Just as Jint expected, the Baucbiruch arrived at the Countdom of Hyde three days later.
In the meantime, Trample-Blitz Squadron 1 was busy with bringing matters related to the exercise to a close. The starpilots were swamped analyzing all of the information, while the NCCs were occupied running checks on the ships. It was Star Forces tradition to cut loose in any post-combat feast, and the post-feast clean-up was perhaps the most vital of all of the copious things to do. With that, too, over and done with, Trample-Blitz Squadron 1 was returning to the imperial capital, thereby switching places with the Baucbiruch.
Before transferring to the Baucbiruch, Jint paid a visit to the captain’s quarters to offer Sobash some parting greetings. If he’d wanted to, he could’ve gotten Sobash to see him off at the point of transfer, but he figured the man didn’t have the time for a leisurely chat.
“We’ll miss you,” said Sobash. “Vanguard Ecryua included.”
“Her, too?”
“She did seem awfully taken with your cat. If you leave now without giving them an opportunity to reunite, she might be a little sad. Not that I ever truly understand what’s going through that woman’s head.”
“Ah, I see.” A wry smile. “Dyaho is on the Baucbiruch. He has a litter now, and one of the kittens looks just like him, so it’s obvious who he’ll be going to. The other kittens are really cute, too, though, so if you’re interested, I’d actually be thankful if you could take one of them off my hands.”
“I’m afraid I don’t find the prospect of bringing a cat into a warzone particularly admirable. We head into battle knowing what we’re getting into, but it’s rather rare for a cat to understand just what sort of sorry state of affairs it’s been dragged to.”
“Ah, right, sorry,” he apologized. While this particular voyage hadn’t been to an actual field of battle, his proverbial ledger was stained by a prior bringing-a-cat-into-war offense. And he’d been told off by Lafier in much the same way.
“Oh, there’s no need to apologize. I also love doing things the people around me are unamused by.”
“I mean, I didn’t bring a cat onboard just to grate on people’s nerves...”
“I will say that if Vanguard Ecryua takes responsibility, I won’t object.”
“Understood. I’ll try asking her later.” Then something dawned on him. “Are you not interested in them, Mr. Sobash?”
“Interested in cats, you mean?” Sobash shook his head. “I have a great deal of interest, but I’ve decided not to raise any.”
“...Ah. Why is that?”
“It’s a long story. Let’s save it for another time,” said Sobash, changing the subject. “In any case, it will be a slight load off not to get glared at by Fïac Lartnér any longer.”
“Glared at? By Fïac Lartnér?”
“Yes, that’s right. You haven’t noticed her glaring at me occasionally?”
“Nope. Not at all,” he replied diffidently. “Did something happen?”
“I wager it’s because I’ve become a ship commander.”
“This raid ship’s?”
Sobash nodded.
“Is it... envy?” Jint blinked.
“Saying I’m envied by Her Highness the Royal Princess may come across as my ego inflating, but, well, I don’t know how else to put it. It’s not me, specifically, she’s jealous of, of course. It’s all Caubh-class ship commanders. Though perhaps ‘envy’ isn’t quite the right assessment after all,” he corrected himself. “In all likelihood, she simply can’t grasp why she isn’t a Caubh-class ship commander herself.”
“Now that you mention it, that may just be the case.”
Sobash’s words did ring some bells. Lafier was exceptionally averse to voicing
anything that might resemble what she’d deem an idle complaint, but it was apparent through her attitude that she felt her being aboard this ship as a mere passenger was nonsensical.
Am I holding her in place? He shuddered at the thought. There was no way that was true. A prideful royal princess like her, committing herself to a set of circumstances she didn’t care for, while not obligated to? The thought wouldn’t even cross her mind.
“When all is said and done, Her Highness is caught in a love triangle.”
“A love triangle!?” That was an opinion of consequence.
“In short,” said Sobash, smiling, “she doesn’t know whether to choose you, or the Star Forces.”
“Ah.” Jint nodded, not sure how to feel about this. “I guess I should feel honored?”
“I would feel very honored if I were in your shoes, but to each their own.” Sobash sipped his tea. “Especially since your rival in love is the Star Forces. You have no chance of winning, but you’re putting up a strong showing just by hanging in there.”
“Are all Abhs like that?”
“Huh?” Sobash looked slightly mystified. “I’m not talking about Abhs. I’m talking about Abliars.”
“So that’s not necessarily true among most Abhs, then?”
Sobash’s expression turned yet more puzzled. “Just think about your own case. From where I’m standing, you aren’t the type to prioritize military matters over your crush.”
“Well, you’ve got me there.” Once again, Jint had ended up forgetting he himself was technically Abh.
“At any rate, I wish you the best. And I hope your star fief becomes stable,” smiled Sobash. “Let us meet again on the battlefield, Lonh. That is, if I live to see that day.”
If I’m still alive, let’s meet again — Jint used to employ that turn of phrase all the time when he was on Delktu. But in that context, it was just tongue-in-cheek hyperbole. On Delktu, people Jint and his friends’ age didn’t usually die. In war, however, that phrase reflected a fact of life. Descending from a world where the specter of death was ever present, to a world where that phrase was bandied about as a joke, Jint had felt a tad conscience-stricken.
“Let’s,” he replied, doing his best not to let his innermost thoughts leak out. “Best of luck in battle.”
Jint hadn’t needed to seek Ecryua out. He bumped into her on his way to his quarters.
“Are you leaving?” asked Ecryua, expressionless as usual.
“Yep,” Jint nodded. “It’d be great if we could meet again someday.”
“Great for who?” said Ecryua.
Jint needed a beat to bounce back from that, after which he asked her whether she’d like to adopt a kitten.
“I don’t want to raise a cat,” she replied immediately. “It’s more fun to look after other people’s cats.”
“Gotcha. Oh well,” he said, surrendering just like that.
There was no need to push the kitten on Ecryua. Jint turned to leave her.
“Wait,” she said, grabbing him by the arm. “Is that cat cute?”
“Yeah. Super cute. Among the kittens are raigh (pure white), striped just like Dyaho, and cnasraigh (black-and-white) fur patterns. But the striped one already has someone lined up.”
“Did you name them?”
“No, not yet. I think their owners have that right.”
Ecryua was staring a hole into him.
“Do you, uh, want one?”
“No,” she said, letting go of his arm. “I’ll be able to see your cat again soon.”
“I don’t know if you will, actually...”
They were called “Abh cats,” but they lived no longer than other cats.
“I know I will,” she declared.
“What makes you say that?”
“Vice Hecto-Commander Abliar will soon return, which means you’ll also soon return. Along with your cat.”
“That’s silly. Lafier reenlisting is her business, and me reenlisting is mine. I’m not Lafier’s accessory.”
“You just don’t understand.” And with that, Ecryua turned on her heels.
Jint watched as she walked away. The Star Forces was a vast institution. Jint figured that even if both of them ended up returning, there was no guarantee they’d be able to be together.
“Forgive my sneaking suspicion, Your Highness, but might you want to stay here, deep down?” asked Samson.
“Huh?” Lafier turned to look at him. “No, that’s not true. Why do you think that?”
“It’s just a hunch.”
“I got the same feeling,” said Sehrnye, concerned. “Your Highness seems listless, somehow. Is the current situation not to your satisfaction?”
“Your concern is unnecessary,” she said sternly.
“Three minutes until abordage,” announced the ship speakers. This time around, he was scheduled to transfer directly from ship to ship, as opposed to boarding a conveyance ship as a ferry.
“What is Jint doing?” said Lafier, happy to use the announcement as an excuse to change the subject.
Jint was here now, accompanied by his automated luggage. The starpilots of the Flicaubh assembled for a patfocechoth (gangway sendoff). After exchanging some ceremonial remarks, the Hyde Countdom group transferred to the Baucbiruch.
Over on the Baucbiruch, Investigator Yestesh and his subordinates, the top officials of the ship, lined up to salute him. Lafier stole a peek at Jint, who was standing beside her. He seemed a touch dispirited. Anger flared inside her; had it been a mistake, for her to be here?
“Chest out, Jint!” she whispered. “This is your battlefield.”
“My... ‘battlefield’?”
“Isn’t it? If it’s not, then I’m going back,” she said, and she meant it.
“No, you’re right,” said Jint, sticking his chest out. “If I fail here, I won’t die, but others might. And if my thoughtlessness ever makes victims out of decent people, then I’ll spend the rest of my life hating myself. I’m not going to live as long as you, but I still plan on living a hundred more years. And a century of misery is a long, long century.”
“I don’t need a soliloquy.”
“Right, right. But thanks for reminding me. The Countdom of Hyde is absolutely my battlefield.” His expression now cheerier by half, Jint strode forward. But Lafier got the sense both his face and his gait were a brave front.
Atop the chaise, the kittens were a tangled ball of frolicking fur. Meanwhile, their mother, Sercruca, was grooming on the carpet. It was difficult to believe that until very recently, the members of that litter would mewl betrayal when taken mere inches from their mother. Their father, Dyaho, was napping on the table. Jint reckoned he was overthinking it, but damned if it didn’t look like Dyaho was sulking.
One of the kittens slipped down from the chaise. With the typical Abh cat cry that so tickled the soul, it called out — for what, Jint didn’t know.
A hand reached for the kitten. The hand of a certain Abliar, who was seated beside the chaise.
The Royal Princess didn’t even look at it as she carried it back up onto the chair. It carried on playing with its siblings, evidently forgetting its embarrassing slip-up in a matter of seconds.
“If that isn’t the picture of peace,” said Jint.
“This isn’t ‘peace,’” Lafier stated, not taking her eyes off the screen projected from her wristgear. “This is just time in need of killing.”
“Oh, c’mon. A little leisure time’s a good thing.” Jint gazed out the window at the snowy scenery.
Suddenly, Sehrnye’s face took up part of the wall. “Your Highness, Your Excellency. A reply has arrived from the landworld administration.”
“Please send it to my wristgear,” said Jint.
“At once, sir,” she said, lowering her head. “Do you have any other requests?”
“Call Mr. Yestesh to the office, if you could. That’s it.”
“Understood,” said Sehrnye, before disappearing.
“Has th
at woman become your personal secretary?” asked Lafier.
“Yeah, but only temporarily,” said Jint. “Her job is antimatter fuel tank overseer, but here in ‘mine countdom,’ there aren’t any to oversee, so she’s got nothing to do. So she’s playing messenger for me, just to kill time.”
“That’s a good idea,” said Lafier. “I should have been the one doing that.”
“You?” said Jint, startled. According to most, Lafier would have exhibited much less psychological resistance to the idea of just barging in on him unannounced with whatever news, rather than playing messenger.
“What will you do now?”
“Work, of course.” Jint operated his wristgear, and the window, the snow, and the brick wall vanished, replaced by an inorganic wall and door. Beyond that door lay the office. Jint stepped through.
“An orbital tower construction base, you say? Oh, of course,” said Yestesh. “I forgot, this territory-nation doesn’t have an orbital tower yet.”
In the Empire, every landworld had an orbital tower, save for one. But the construction plan was exceedingly concrete. It was why the construction base existed. The war started right around when the base was completed, and it had been summarily abandoned. Martin’s star system government had proposed the construction base as a meeting place.
“I’ve never been there, but it seems like it ticks the boxes for a conference venue,” replied Jint, perusing the files attached with the proposal document. “The orbital tower construction plan is alive, and the base is being maintained, so it remains airtight. It also seems easy enough to guard.
“So you don’t have any objections to the meeting place, correct?” asked Lafier.
“Uh-huh. It may be a facility of the landworld administration, but it’s the closest thing to a neutral zone in my whole countdom.”
“I don’t have an opinion regarding the meeting place. But this...” Yestesh tracked the strings of characters on the screen embedded in the desk with his eyes. Just that moment, the landworld administration had sent a message detailing their conditions for giving sovereignty to the Empire, and the Investigator was processing them as he read.
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