by Jessie Wolf
“I will, Dai Etsu, I will.” I smile up at this woman that I have come to love as my own mother. I would do anything for her. Hell I have already avenged her families honor against those who would have taken all they could have from them. Yes, I know that they are now my family, but still I had only married into it originally. However sense my transformation she and my sisters along with Alice have become what I have always dreamed of having, a family to call my own.
“Thank you, Maiha, now go wash your face dear. By the time you get back Miss. Gail should be here and we can conclude this business.” I head over to the bathroom in the Head Mistress office that I had used earlier. I knew that my punishment had yet to be handed down, but I would take it like the Death dealer that I was. Head held high and straight on.
I quickly wash my face and hands before heading back out to face my punishment. I find that mama has been joined by a very pretty young woman in a gray pants suit. De Dee gives me a quick read out of her personal information.
Green, Gail
Marital status: single
Age: 27
Education: Master’s degree in education, Master’s degree in sociology, Baccalaureate degree in business, Graduate of Highline University, Graduate of Joan Eunice Smith School
Current occupation: Dean of Admissions for Joan Eunice Smith School for young ladies
Home town: Heaven Port, Hades Prime, Death Gates System
So she is a hometown girl raised here on Hades. Not bad, all things considered. I just hope she doesn’t have any connections to the ‘Heathers’. “Maiha, I would like you to meet Gail Green. She is the current Dean of admissions here. Hopefully she can suggest some replacements for our former Head and Vice Head Mistress.”
“Lady Nakatoma, that is easy. Before you go asking me to fill ether of those two positions my answer is no. I like where I am, besides I am nowhere near being ready for this responsibility.”
“That’s quite alright dear. No what I need to know is who do you think we can put into those positions. Before we get to that, though, we have a minor discipline problem to deal with. It seems that my oldest here thinks it is funny to shoot people in the rear end with spit balls.” Mama has a smile that is telling me I’m in for a real kick in the pants. “How would you go about correcting this problem?”
“Well, seeing as how the young lady has a back ground in and of Military History I would suggest a… oh… I don’t know… say a twenty-five page paper on the roles of Death Dealers in our military structure and how they came about. How does that sound, Lady Dai Etsu? Oh and have a due date ten days from now.” Miss. Gail suggested to mama.
Now I have put up with a lot of nasty punishment and handed out more than a few, but this was not punishment. This was torture pure and simple. “Excuse me, ma’am, but did you say a twenty-five page paper due in ten days?”
“Why, yes, I did. You know I believe that is just a little unfair, but seeing as how this is your first offence we’ll go lightly on you this time.” Miss. Gail was actually smiling as she said this. Like she was doing me a favor or something. This woman is a sadist or psychopath I’m not sure which yet. “Oh, and it should be in the Harvard-Anglia reference style with all footnotes and reference materials listed along with a table of contents.” Yup, the vote is in. Ding, ding, we have a winner. The woman is a true psychopath as well as a sadist.
Mama is no help either. “You do know that she has her Master’s degree in both Modern History and Military Science. I believe that if you were to look at her transcripts you’ll find that she also has a full teaching certificate as well.” Now why did she have to bring that up! She knows I only got those so I could be promoted when I was serving in the Death dealers as a young Second Lieutenant. “Do you think she might be useful as a teaching assistant or maybe even a teacher?”
Oh bloody hell! She just did not go there! Me, as a teacher?! Has my adoptive mother lost her mind?! She cannot seriously be thinking this. I do not have the patience to teach the girls that go to this school.
“Well, if that is the case, I do believe she can be a better example as a teacher than a student, but only in the History Department. I figure she can teach one or two classes a day. That way she can cover all of the requirements she would need as a student here. As a matter of fact if she does that then we can move Doctor Wilf Brim in as the Head Master.” I swear Miss. Gail has it out for me already and she doesn’t even know me. “If she teaches three classes per day we can get Professor John Recco to act as the Vice Head.”
“Oh that would be wonderful. What subjects do they teach?” mama is quick to ask. Too quick in my opinion. I have a very bad feeling about this and it just keeps getting worse. “Do they teach the fields in which she can excel?”
“Oh, yes, very much so. Professor Recco teaches Citizenship and Moral conduct, yes I know it is not a normal subject or one you would expect to find here, but a few years ago we received a mandate from the Imperial Board of Education making it a required course. Doctor Brim is our current Modern History Teacher. The good thing about him moving up to be our new Head Master is he already has his Doctorate Degree in teaching so he’ll be perfect for the position. It’ll also increase the schools accreditation.”
“That sounds perfect.” Mama steps over to the door again. “Miss. Mitchell would you be so kind as to have Doctor Brim and Professor Recco come to the Head office, please?”
“I get right on it ma’am. Oh I have been able to get ahold of four out of the five other Board members. I have their responses here if you would like them?” she holds out a stack of papers to mama who takes them from her. “If you would like I can save you the hassle of reading them?”
“Yes, please dear. What were their responses to what is happening?”
“Well, my Lady, every last one of them is in full support of what you are doing. As for Board member Light, I was told that he is unavailable for comment at this time.” The look of confusion at this is not lost on me or mama. I can’t help but giggle at this. Lord Victor Light will be unavailable for comment for a very long time. The man is currently six feet under missing his head.
“Don’t worry about it dear, I know where he is and what is occupying his time. For future reference you won’t have to contact him or the House of Light ever again.” Mama tells her this with a straight face. I swear the woman could talk a snake out of his scales then sell them back to him at a profit. “Now, if you’ll get ahold of Lord Malcom McFeeters, you will find that he will tell of his appointment to this schools board of Regents.”
“Oh, I didn’t know, my Lady. I’ll get it right now after I get ahold of the two teachers.” The young woman was far too happy for my tastes.
“Thank you, dear.” Mama closes the door again and turns back to us. “Now that, that’s taken care of shall we relax while we wait for our new Head Master and Vice Head to arrive?”
“Excuse me, Lady Dai Etsu, but what did you mean by us not having to contact Lord Light? He is one of our senior Board members.”
I decide to save mama the hassle of explaining to Gail the current state of affairs here on Hades by being truthfully blunt. “He had his head cut off for High Treason against the Empire eight days ago by Imperial Command.” At her look of absolute terror I go on to give her the details of who were the leaders of the recent rebellion. I tell her how each one of the leaders of the seven Houses that were in open rebellion with the exception of Daniels who died on the battlefield, were arrested after the battle and tried by Imperial Investigators then sentenced to death by beheading.
When I finish she looks over at mama who just nods her head to confirm what I have told her. I wasn’t too thrilled with the Emperor’s decision to conceal the names of the traitors for now, but I could see his reasoning for it. There was still a large fraction of High Families who did not agree with the way he was running the Empire. Yes it was founded on the principals of the ancient Roman Empire, but it was not perfect. Too many of the High Families believed that the
civilians should not have a say in how it was run. A lot of them believe in the ancient belief of ‘Divine Right’, and they were the only ones who knew how to truly rule. This and the class system was a sore point with the Emperor. He wanted to turn our Empire into something more along the lines of the twentieth century United Kingdom or Japan. Where the people had an equal voice in how their Empire was to run. That was the whole idea behind the House of Commons.
“May I ask what will become of the other schools they sponsored?” Gail asked of me. Now this was news to me. I didn’t know that the Houses sponsored the private schools here on Hades and said as much. “Oh, all of the High Families sponsor at least one here. That is why there are so many. To be precise there is a total of sixty here on Hades. Each one is tied to one of the High Families. The High Families that you have named all are the sole sponsors for a school here. Why House Daniels is the sole sponsor for two, and Moore has two plus is part sponsor for three others. House Light has only the one but they are on the Board of Regents for five that I know of. The only High Family that doesn’t sponsor one of the boarding schools or academies is yours, my Lady. That is why I asked what would happen to them.”
I turn to mama. “Mama, I hate to do this to you, but you’re the only one I can turn to right now. As the Head of House I need you and dad to find out which schools are in trouble because of the actions of their sponsors. Once you have found that out get that information to Lt. Walking Water and have her take steps that they not be closed down. If however those schools should be in danger of having to close then she is to make arrangements for those students to be sent to other schools. It is not their faults that their schools are being closed. I know for a fact that some of those High Families will shut down those schools if they think it is hurting their bottom line.”
“I’ll see to it the minute I get home, Maiha. I will also get your father to check on all the military academies, they will be more apt to talk to him than me.” looking over at Gail. “Miss Gail, I need you to get me a list of all those schools.”
“I’ll go get it right now, Lady Dai Etsu. If I am right there are fourteen schools endangered.” With that she headed for her office. I look over at mama and I can see in her eyes, what is in mine.
Sighing I say out loud what’s on both of our minds. “This damned rebellion just keeps on giving.” I sat there shaking my head at all the trouble those seven shitheads have caused and are still causing even from the grave. “I wonder how much longer we’re going to be dealing with this mess.”
“I don’t know, dear. All we can do is try and keep it to a minimum and deal with each problem that comes up as it does.” I can tell mama is just as tired of all the heartburn as I am. First there was the actual rebellion and war, then the trials of all the traitors, the rebuilding of the government, and now this. What else could go wrong?
About that time we hear two new voices in the outer office. Mama gets up and opens the door to see two men standing there. “Gentlemen, would you please come into the office?” mama invited them into the inner office and then stepped back to let them in.
I stay seated as they come in and mama moves over behind the Head Masters desk and takes a seat. The older of the two is the first say anything. “May I ask where Head Mistress Caroline is and who are you?”
I watch as mama smiles up at him. “Allow me to introduce myself. I am Lady Dai Etsu Nakatoma and the Head of the Board of Regents. As for Caroline Vickers she has been removed as the Head Mistress of this school along with Karan Vail as the Vice Head.” She was extremely polite about all of this, and then she turned as hard as nails. That old Reverend Mother as always was just below the surface of her cheerful demeanor. “Now sir, just who are you, and why do you think it is acceptable to address someone you do not know in such a rude manner?” Man, oh man, mama is pissed and this poor fool is her target.
“Um…” he stops for a few moments and gathers his thoughts. “Allow me to apologize, my Lady. I did not realize who you were. I am Doctor Wilf Brim the History department chairman. The young man is Professor John Recco and our school’s current Citizenship and Moral conduct instructor.”
Mama calmed down and smiles up at them both. “Thank you, sir, and your apology is accepted.” Setting back in the chair she looks them both over. While she does that I have De Dee and Charlie pulling up their records. What I find surprises me to say the least. I quickly forward this information over to mama on our secure battle net. I should have been more careful though.
Professor Recco rounds on me and drops into a combat stance. “Who are you and what are you doing on a Death Dealer combat net?”
Yup, just as I thought his D.D.A.I. is still active. I send him the correct authorization codes to get him to relax before I say anything. “Calm down, Captain. We have more than enough right to be on that net. Allow me to introduce myself; I am Lady Maiha Mana Nakatoma, First High Lady of the Death Dealers, and the current System Governor. All appointed and approved by His Imperial Majesty the Emperor himself.”
I watch as the young man slowly stands up straight and a look of total surprise come to his face. I can understand why. It’s not every day that you meat a First High Lord of the Death Dealers because there are so few of them, but to meet the first very High Lady has to be a real shock. The fact that until recently no woman had ever been allowed to be a Death Dealer is also a shock to him. Then there is the fact that I am the current System Governor is almost too much for him to handle. That and the fact his D.D.A.I. is still active can get him thrown in jail is no small worry.
“May I ask how is it that your D.D.A.I. is still active?” I ask him bluntly.
“I don’t want to get anyone in trouble, my Lady. So, no, I won’t tell you. If you feel that you have to have me restrained feel free to do so. I know it is illegal for May Bell to still be active.” The young man had honor and courage in abundance.
“That is not my intention sir. All I ask is how and why you still have an active AI. I can hardly say anything as my own was illegal far longer than yours is. Now will you answer my question?”
“I was part of an experimental group a few years ago. When it came time for our AIs to be decommissioned they found that to do so would kill the host. Our AIs are so integrated with our brains that to even place them in the standard hibernation it shut down our nervous systems. So the High Command allowed us to keep our AIs and set the majority of us up as C and M teachers.”
Ok that explained why a Captain was teaching C and M. it also explained why he still had his AI online. Thankfully mama took over at this point. “This is quite a service record Captain Recco, yours isn’t too much different than Colonel Brim of the four ninety-first Highlanders. I have a question of my own. Why was the Board of Regents not informed of your service records gentlemen?”
At that point in time Miss Gail returned with that list for mama. “I was the one who hid that from the Board, my Lady. With the anti-military attitude of some of the former Board members I thought it would be best.”
“In the light of that, you did the correct thing, Gail. Now down to business, gentlemen the reason that you have been called here is to inform you of some changes here at Joan Eunice Smith.”
I watch as both men get this look of ‘Oh Shit, I’m sacked. Where will I find a new job’? Doctor Brim is the one to voice their concerns. “Are we being relieved, Lady Nakatoma?”
“Fear not gentlemen. You’re not being relieved or let go or anything like that. In fact you are both being given a raise and promotion to positions that are more in keeping with your back grounds.” At their blank looks mama turns to me. “Would you like to tell them Maiha?”
When they look over at me I the smile on my face is a mile wide. The fact that I get to give someone good news for a change really turned my day back around. “Doctor Brim welcome to your new office. And Professor Recco yours is just down the hall in the Vice Heads office. Congratulations gentlemen, you’re now the new Head Master and Vice Head Master o
f this school.”
At their shocked looks mama drops the other shoe. “I hope you gentlemen can straighten out the discipline problems around here. There seems to be a group of students who think that they run this school. I have already seen to the problem that brought me here today for my daughter. She is to have a twenty-five page paper on the roles of Death Dealers in our military structure and how they came about that is to be ready in ten days for your approval. Also since you two will be taking over as the Head Masters here she will also have a complete lesson plan and syllabus for your approval as she will be taking over as the instructor for your classes.”
“Excuse me, Lady Dai Etsu, but I would like to know what your daughter’s qualifications are first. I will not endanger this schools accreditation just to fill a vacant slot in our staff.” Doctor Brim was definitely on the ball.
“I too, must voice my own concerns in this matter, my Lady.” professor Recco my fellow Death Dealer was not too far behind with his objections.
“Oh, I can understand your objections, gentlemen. As it so happens Maiha is in truth my grandniece, it was through her actions that I now have this lovely young body you see before you to day. As you know…” and so mama filled them in on the cover story of how I came to be as the granddaughter of J.J. Owens and Matsu Nakatoma-Owens.
For the next half hour mama tells them how I was ‘homeschooled’ first by my ‘grandfather’, then by some of the finest private teachers money could supply. According to her my ‘education’ lacked nothing. Then when my ‘grandfather received permission form the Emperor to make me the first of a new generation of Death Dealers while my D.D.AI just ramped up my education and my ability to learn. The tale she told was so complete, so perfectly crafted, that I was starting to believe it myself.