CHAPTER 14: QUEENS AND EMPERORS

CHAPTER 14: QUEENS AND EMPERORS

Interlude: Mao

Commander Fleming had taken them to the Security command center after they had made it planetside in a shuttle following the Captain's yacht. Ultra Marines and black ops teams of the most elite special forces units in the Union worked together to keep the VIPs safe. Joint command of them had General Alycia Lichfangh.

Mao had had the same basic security training than all the other cadets and Midshipmen and he had rotated into that department to deepen his skills and knowledge. His declared goal was to become a Ship weapons specialist, a Tactical Systems Officer but the Navy believed in in cross training and it was especially evident during their third year.

This was Security and Counter terrorist activity of the most professional level. It was way beyond his league. He tried to be alert as possible and learn as much as he could. The Soldiers and Special Ops beings treated him with great courtesy, there was an atmosphere of split second readiness and a level of professionalism he had not experienced anywhere he felt more than a little out of place. Hans was in his element and it showed. He knew the teams and units and what they did, he understood every world of their conversations heavily laden with terms that meant little to him.

Hans explained to him." Pluribus the planet is by and large a peaceful world and there are actually very few known security threats. Of course that does not mean there are none. This is a world of many billions and it is a great target for any enemy of the Union. The Diamond Ball is is like no other target to anyone wishing the Union harm as all the important leaders are in one spot. It is tempting and attracts more crooks, assassins and terrorists than any other event,but these are specialists and they do this sort of thing for a long time and today the first Narth that joined the PSI Corps team are here as well. "

"So what are we going to do?" Mao asked.

"Nothing much actually, we are part of the visible security. Meaning we stalk around outside a little so the spectators and guests can see us. It's called impulse threat deterrent, like if someone in the crowd suddenly gets the idea to throw an egg or something at one of the guests, wants to jump the barrier to get an autograph or a grab a piece of clothing as a souvenir. It also gives the participants a sense of security, because they never going to see much of the real security work behind the scenes."

"What if someone attacks from space?"

"There isn't an armed ship of unknown origin within a light year and not only the Devi but several battle groups are in the system, not just for the parade but for security. To all this you add the system defense forces, Ultra long range TLC sniper cannons installed on a net of deep space forts and of course UMBRELLA, all Pluribus can be placed under a Para Dim Shield at split second notice. The Assembly , the presidents residence and the Crystal Palace are also separately equipped with strong shield generators."

Mao looked around." With all that they sure don't need all this, but it is nice to know everything is safe."

"The legendary TSI chief Cherubim once said. The enemy will always find a way, and there is always a weak link in any system. So it is our job to make sure we find the enemy first before they find a way in."

Mao shrugged and said." I am going outside and walk around a little. Doing that deterrent thing and maybe I can slip by the kitchen and see if I can sample some of the food, purely out of security reasons of course, if that is okay."

Fleming who stood nearby listening to the latest brief turned and nodded, showing he had followed their conversation as well." Go right ahead Mr. Mao and later once the party is almost over we are usually allowed to demolish what's left of the buffet. There is always tons of stuff left!"

That was promising outlook for Mao and he went outside. A cool sea breeze brushed over his exposed face as he walked on a wide ledge circling the Crystal palace underneath the main level. His suit showed him the locations of other security personnel. He knew there were at least hundred Marine snipers deployed on camouflaged hover platforms all around the place and he wondered in how many target optics he was at the moment.

Huge color changing spotlights were submerged all around the crystal palace and bathed the shimmering construct in dazzling light. It was actually quite pretty.

He sat down at the ledge, let his feet dangle almost 500 meters above the actual water surface and then Mao activated his visual recorders and hoped he could send some of the visuals home so his father and his tribe could see some of this. Whenever Mao send a Visual home, his entire tribe led by Mao Pappy Vouza, his father would travel by steam ship to Papua Town and the Hotel owner would bring the Visualizer outside and play it for them.

Mao had been to one of these Events during his vacation before he started third year. He still loved all his family and his father, but the exposure to the Universe had changed him and he knew he would never really fit back in.

Before he left, his tribes mud huts, with Oagga Palm leaves looked big and perfectly alright, when he came back he found them small, shamefully primitive and dirty. He enjoyed the trip with the White Puff, one of the Steam ships at first, but then took off with his flight belt, making the trip in twenty minutes instead of seven hours. when he was a kid he found the Steamships marvelous and huge. Now he thought how primitive and slow they were. Someone who traveled across many light years aboard something like the Devi had a hard time to get excited about a rusty steam powered ship.

As he returned to the Academy for his third year he found he had more in common with an Alien Spider and a chrome machine being than with his family. His brooding thoughts vanished as he thought about Krabbel, he and the rest of the Olafson gang had grown closer to him than his tribe.

The voice of his suit interrupted him." User alert! Systems detected the power up cycle of a Mossberg Shrap Gun Type 18, 581 meters below us. "

"Some security guy of course."

"No Mossberg Shrap Gun type 18 has been issued, the weapon is not Union standard Issue since 4855."

Mao blinked at Hans symbol on his retina display and established a two way link." My suit thinks someone activated a weapon that is not standard. Most likely one of the special forces guys, I am going to check it out though."

Hans responded." Okay just make sure you don't get shot by a trigger happy Spec Ops Marine and keep your Friend Foe differentiator signal on. I linked to your suit and check on your scanner data."

Mao pushed himself off, brushed the helmet over his head and closed the face plate. The suit automatically activated an aerodynamic optimizer force field around him.

Interlude: Shea

Shea excused herself from the table to find the ladies room. Her highly intelligent mind analyzed her own behavior and the situation. Elfi was her best friend and so was Eric. She knew he had not asked to guard or accompany the princess, so why was she upset when she saw them like that? Because she realized she cared for Eric more than she wanted to admit, but she was a Sojonit trained to think of men as helpless prey, men ruled by their simple minds and one track hormones. Men were scum easily baited by breasts, butts and the promise of satisfaction gained from sex in all its variations. This was the mantra of the Sojonit Order. Men could be controlled through sex and promises to part with their money, their riches and their secrets.

While it was true in most cases, she had learned it could be different. Rex her step father never looked at her for what she was, but treated her like a real daughter. Not like the horror stories she heard in the halls of temple, and what some fathers did to their offspring. She learned that the stories were true but not the norm. She trusted Rex and learned to love him. He never made any attempt to see her naked or to make her come to him. Her father never touched her in any way inappropriate.

She had many challenges during the Academy, especially during basic training, but the rigid military rules protected her for the most part. No one liked her ,because of the mask and the veil of abstinence. While others made friends, she remained an outsider. It was better during second year as she went the science route and her class mates were geeks for the most part. Intelligent and scientific minded but those who were human were not interested in friendships. The second year was intense studying and she had little time to feel sorry for herself. Of course she could always quit and go home and she had considered it more than once, but in the second year she learned what a Science Officer aboard a vessel did. Not limited to one subject or field, not just researching but applying science to solve a myriad of challenges. One day dealing with an alien life form and the next day observing a Quasar at close range and then on to isolate a virus for the Med Department, that was what she wanted to do, and so she decided to postpone her decision to quit and go into the third year.

There everything changed, Aboard the Devi she became part of a group and from day one no one treated her bad or tried advances and then came Eric and out of nine individuals became a family of nine friends, her first real friends. She belonged among them like she never belonged anywhere before. She would not be jealous of Elfi. If she had chosen Eric as her partner then she would rejoice for both and be their friend regardless.

She smiled at her own silly emotions. Emotions were for girls and women, She was a Sojonit and in control, and more her intellect was far superior to feelings, so why could she not completely dismiss it all?

Now where was this bathroom? All that thinking made her realize she actually needed to go. Eric and Elfi had approached the table and exchanged words with the Admiral. She was sure she could fool Eric and the others, but Elfi was a woman and knew her, she might be able to see through her disguise and recognize her as Wetmouth.

The table was full so they could not stay for long, hopefully they were gone by the time she returned. Oh how she wished she could simply go over there and tell her friends who she was.

In her thoughtful state she had gone the wrong direction. The ladies room was at the other side. Here was only an elevator. The Computronic inside would surely know where another bathroom could be found.

CHAPTER 13: Queens and Emperors

Riding the Ammutherathi through the air made me feel so certain that I had ridden something big before, maybe in a dream. There was nothing to ride on Nilfeheim except Fangsnappers.

While I was standing in the stirrups I received instructions through an ear peace. Where to go and what to do.

The beast was at least 30 meters long and had an enormous set of leathery wings underneath the leathery skin were rock hard muscles and they worked these wings in a fantastic display of raw natural power and grace.

When she told me first what they wanted me to do I almost declared them crazy, especially after Elfi said that the beast was a little cranky from the long voyage in a cargo hold of a Saran ship and the subsequent security scans by Pluribus police. The beasts head resembled according to Elfi that of a Crocodile and it was this feature that made the Saran believe it was related to the crocodile headed devourer of those who failed the test of the balance. Elfi tried to explain to me as much as possible.

What a crazy way to travel through the air, even though the princess told me that her people had done that long before their industrial revolution.

Right the first time as I approached the monster it snapped its massive jaws very close to me and then hissed, telling me how unhappy it was. I wasn't much happier about this either and almost pulled the sword, not that I would had much of a chance against that thing.

The handler of the beast was a woman, wild looking, wearing tight leathers made of the hide of one of these monsters.

She was Saran, but belonged to an independent mountain tribe, rejecting modern technology. At first she was, much to Elfi's silent amusement quite hostile to me and did not like the idea of a a stranger riding her over-sized pet.

Elfi's Dynasty came from that mountain tribe. The wild tribes woman kept mocking, then the beast snapped again close enough to smell its hot breath. I was ready to take a flyer and leave this fools job to someone else. Just then the beast roared high pitched shrill and coarse at me, so close i could feel its hot breath. Out of an impulse I roared and screamed back as loud as I could at the beast, drawing the sword and stepping forward instead of evading and slapped the flat side of the blade across its snout. The mountain tribe woman yelled something and I was not proud of my response to the mountain woman in my anger, but the huge Saran monster lowered his head and wings and the mountain woman told me how to use the reins and how to steer the beast without any further insults. The Ammutherathi reacted to the pulls of the reins. All this went through my head again as we approached the Crystal Palace. Elfi sat in a basket thing strapped to the beasts back and behind a wind shield.

I began to like it, the wind tugged at my cape and I wondered if real warriors flying those beasts in the days of old would have worn stupid capes. I imagined how it would have been when the Saran tribes fought wars sitting on huge birds and these Ammutherathi. I wondered how someone would get the idea to ride something like that in the first place, it was as if a Neo Viking decided to ride a Rock shark or even a Tyranno Fin. I grinned at my own fantasies.

The ride was over faster than I liked and we landed. Elfi got out first and I waited till she had been announced and followed her, taking her outstretched hand and then I saw McElligott on one of the tables and on another was Admiral Stahl and he was sitting right next to Exa and there was Egill, Elena and Sif. I didn't know the others, but there were two Narth and while they looked alike I knew, my throat tightened a little and I thought as loud as I could. "Narth is that you?"

"Yes Eric, it is I and I do rejoice to see you!"

The Queen arrived behind us sitting on her throne in the outstretched hands of what Elfi said was one of 24 modified RAMA bots the Saran Empire still used, I had no idea what a Rama Bot was but I was sure it was something big.

Almost with a slight sense of regret did I watch the Sarans take the Ammutherathi to a waiting cargo flyer. The queen and we following her were guided to a large table with a Klack, a man I recognized as the Pan Saran Emperor from pictures and two Archas!

Elfi's mother whispered to us." It is okay if you want to go over there until they serve the food and the entertainment starts."

One of the Archas waved and scurried fast towards us, why I recognized Krabbel right away, before I even saw his version of formal dress one. Someone screamed as the Spider wrapped the legs around the princess and black dressed women of the Queens guard had suddenly appeared, deactivating their active camo-fields. To my surprise two Klack guards near their queen collapsed and the other two lowered their spears, neither Elfi nor Krabbel had noticed. I heard her say." Krabbel you made it! Just don't call me Elfi, I am sort of incognito here."

I put my hand on the hilt of my sword and said to one of the Shadow women raising her arm." Try to use that glove against my friends and I cut it off!"

The black dressed guard glared at me but as she met my gaze she swallowed whatever she wanted to say. I guess I managed to express my resolve adequate. Now Elfi noticed and added." This is Krabbel a dear friend of mine. Stand down!"

Krabbel was clearly confused." I am sorry if I caused trouble or a breach of protocol. I…"

Elfi wrapped her arms around Krabbel and said. " You did nothing wrong. You are my friend and nothing else matters."

While Elfi and Krabbel talked I noticed the onlookers and bystanders seemed embarrassed by their reaction all went back to whatever they had done before. Seth's Shadow Guard disappeared, but the woman I had threatened said." You could not stop me, man!"

I shrugged and I made it to the table. Egill actually got up to look me up and down and then introduced me." This is Eric Olafson, something like a grandson of mine.

I saluted the Admiral and gave everyone else a military style acknowledgement and nod. Exa literally flew from her chair and wrapped her arms around my neck. She had grown considerably."Eric!"

Elena was right behind her, and did the same. Exa's eyes no longer had that sorrowful, tortured look I remembered she had when I first met her and for all the bad things I did and was not proud off, having sent her to Nilfeheim was one of my best decisions and I felt proud of her. "Eric, everything is amazing here! We have seen the parade and Papa Hogun is here and Aunt Freydis too and little Eric Narth Olafson is here too! He is already 3 weeks old and we flew in a big…"

Elena curbed her with a laugh." Exa, I think you need to give him a chance to say hello too!"

"Oh right!"

I hugged both of them as well, but before I could ask something everyone on the able rose to their feet and bowed as Elfi followed by Krabbel came over. I already hated the stiff formalities as the introduction game started again. I learned that the one of the men at the table was Rex Schwartz.

Sif was there too but she had not joined the others to greet me and only gave me a cold stare. I guessed she decided that she hated me after all. I had thought our last mutual adventure had changed things for the better. Seeing her I remembered Astrid too and as I did I had the feeling she too recalled those events as well.

Meeting and seeing my friends and family was great, but the greatest surprise was Narth. There were two of them and except for small differences on their shrouds they looked exactly alike, yet I knew who one of them was. He got up and I looked at his glowing eyes and I grabbed his underarm and he did mine. "It pleases me far beyond any logical reason to see you, Eric."

"I missed you too Narth. "

The other Narth also got up and said." All that is Narth rejoices to physically behold the sharer of Narth."

Interlude: Shea

The Elevator carried Shea up and the system voice said:" Destination reached. Alternative bath room facilities can be found across the hall in the performer and staff dressing rooms."

Shea found the door right away opened it and stared at eleven girls in skimpy chiffon dancer outfits

One of them hissed at her." You are late! Sharpton will kill you for this! Hurry and get into your costume." The woman spoke in Naidian to her. That was a secret codified language used by the VMA. This criminal association known as the Violent Mothers association. It had its headquarters on SIN 4. The Sojonit Order considered them enemies as it was founded by a former Sojonit Sister using her training from what she had learned from the Old sect. Shea knew right away there was something wrong and that the eleven women weren't here for the party but for sinister reasons. She responded in the same language." I am sorry I had to evade security ."

" That security won't matter, the pheromone Gas will make all males our willing slaves . We got less than twelve minutes!" By the mirrors two women handled underarm long glass rods with a greenish liquid. Shaill bio-genetic Pheromone Gas, a nasty concoction of oxygen activated microbes spreading an extremely complicated neural trigger molecule based on the Piostla Psionic spores. Her analytical mind not only identified the stuff, explained how it worked but she also envisioned how to make a counter active agent.

The woman handed her a costume and a deactivated TKU hand gun. Just then another woman came in, most likely the one they expected. Shea realized how well she was trained as she reacted right away. She performed a spin kick and racked her heeled shoe across the face of the new comer. Her heel was made of Ultronit and she switched the symmetry to razor blade configuration with a toe flick. Simultaneous she activated the TKU handgun and fired at one of the women at the mirror, using the beam of the weapon to cut her arms off. Thus preventing her to release the gas. Shea yelled." On the ground all of you, I can burn most of you before you can draw and activate your guns. I am immune to your chemical tricks."

Two of the VMA actually went to their knees, the rest decided to fight. One of them managed to activate her blaster ,Shea dropped as the hot beam singed the air where she just had been. and used her deadly heels to execute a leg sweep with a bloody and gory result. Her weapon malfunctioned and did not fire, but neither the guns of her opponents. Some sort of security field or feature had kicked in rendering the weapons useless. They were good, well trained Hand to hand experts, but she had trained with Har-Hi, Hans and Eric intensifying the already master-level training of the fleet and the deadly training of the Sojonit Order, not all was love and sex. Sojonit sisters were trained to survive on Sin 4. Since she could not wear her Sojonit Outfit and be here at the party, she did not have access to many of her hidden weaponry, but she would not be a Sojonit to be completely without. Her fingernails grew to three inches length and the tips were razor sharp. Her stepfather had arranged to have her Sojonit implants updated to the most modern SII standards, complete with molecular carbon fiber finger bone reinforcement. She took out three more before the entire wall behind her collapsed into molecular dust and Union Special Ops arrived.

The security officers stared at the blood splattered blond and six gruesome maimed dancers.

Interlude: Steven

The Elevator overwrite program was active and the doors opened. Steven commanded his group inside and then the dumbest thing ever happened, he dropped the Spore bomb and the baseball sized doom device rolled away!

He yelled at his followers." Go! I will be right behind you in the next one!"

The program could not be stopped. The timing was crucial.

He ran after his bomb, hoping the device was not damaged, while the Elevator doors hissed close and his team went up.

Sharpton sighed." What a clown! Let's hit the rich bastards and mow down a good lot and that will give give us all the Ears we need. My Girls will have done their part by now. Lets cause some mayhem, make our demands and get rich!"

The elevator ride should have not lasted more than two minutes but it seemed to last much longer.

Sharpton said." Activate your guns now! "

The doors opened and they stormed out. Sharpton and the Gore Defenders stared into the ready weapons of a platoon of Ultra Marines and Cerberus Robots and a woman in a long black dress with long white hair said." Welcome to the party. Nice for you to stop by. Now fight us or give up, makes no difference to me."

Sharpton immediately thought Steven had sold them out, him dropping the bomb was just a rouse! IF he would get out of this alive he would kill that traitor.

The fanatic girl with the Shrap-Gun yelled and fired. Or at least tried to, her gun did not work. One of the Ultras backhanded her across the face.

The woman glared at Sharpton and the most hidden deepest fears suddenly surfaced in him and he cried like a baby in total horror and wanted to tell the woman anything she ever wanted to know. She laughed cold." They really thought they could succeed, their Saresii Psi shields are not bad, but you forgot your regular bio-electric signatures. We had you on our monitors for the entire time. Now where is the bomb?"

Sharpton coughed blood, the horror of the mental attack were so utterly frightful he cried." He is still down there with the bomb!"

The elevator door opened again and Mao stomped out holding Steven in one fist and a spherical object in the other." Midshipman Mao Vouza reporting, I found a loon in the basement with an active Spore Bomb."

Alycia Lichfangh, the PSI Corps General smiled." Well done Midshipman. A friend of yours cleaned house upstairs and the situation is under control and the VIPs will never know."

"Eric rounded up the rest?"

She laughed." No surprisingly, not. Now let's get these Clowns interrogated and out of here. We need to find their helpers too."

Interlude: Sif

Much to everyone's disappointment Eric and the princess had to return to the table of the Queen as the official part of the evening begun. Sif was still brooding and tried to get certain about her own feelings. Eric had changed much and at the same time he was still the Eric she knew. Did he still think about the girlish things or had he grown out of it. Did she really hate him? The last days they had spend on Nilfeheim seemed so far away and so much had changed. Perhaps she had given him too much of the cold shoulder and he now had too many choices of beautiful girls who had no problem being nice to him. Sif was sure she had missed the boat. She was no longer on his mind and perhaps this was the way things needed to be. She tried to tell the Saran Princess with a glare what she was thinking! Why did the Princess have to look so incredible beautiful? The next time Egill suggested something she decided to take his advice.

Another Saresii woman arrived. She looked the part but Sif was sure she was a woman. Her hair was not silver as with al Saresii she had seen so far but truly white, and her face was much finer cut than that of Algear, her eyes were almost impossible big and made her look alien despite her human appearance. The youngest daughter of the Schwartz family was with her, the one introduced as Shea. Why and how the masked girl managed to change her dress she could not guess. Maybe the Schwartz family had a portable auto dresser everywhere they went.

Admiral Stahl got up and introduced the white haired woman as as Alycia Lichfangh.

Egill leaned over and whispered." This is the Commanding officer of the PSI Corps and rumors have it she is the most talented Psionic user alive. Now that there are two Narth on our table it is perhaps an overstatement but Algear and the Narth speaks of her with the utmost respect."

She crossed her arms." I don't really care who she or who anyone is." She tried to find someone else to be responsible for her feeling miserable and lashed out at the Old Man. Even as she did it she knew it was wrong and very childish of her. Egill was nothing but being nice and so was Eric. He had never done anything to her, and tried to be a friend. It never was anyone but her own arrogance and self-importance that got her in trouble. In all this she forgot that Egill could easily read her mind. Instead of snapping back he took her padded her hand and said." I am torn between giving you a real good spanking young lady or give you a hug. Neither is really appropriate for me to do of course, but I think before you continue your studies, you need to find yourself and make sure you are going the right path."

"But I must become the next representative and seeing our people today becoming more involved I actually understand the dangers Erik Gustav had seen. The dangers had cost Astrid her life and we barely averted a horrible catastrophe to our world." As she spoke she found her center and smiled at the old man." No Egill I know what I want to do, I am just not clear about myself, but if you help me I figure that out. Seeing Eric I remembered Astrid and why I agreed to do this. She sat up more straight and paid attention to what was going on.

To her surprise she saw little Exa in a deep conversation with the mega tycoon and wondered what they talked about, Exa's face was quite serious.

Elena laughed and giggled talking to Algear while servers brought the food.

Chapter 13: Continued

I wished I could have stayed with Egill and the others but my mood could not be dampened not with Narth being back and in full health. I was telling him everything that has happened and he told me that he was fully restored and well, but not able to join us on the Devastator just yet. He had to complete his third year at another posting but he was confident we would see each other after we graduated.

Elfi elbowed me into the side and made me pay attention to the events around me." The Emperor of the Pan Saran Empire has just asked you a question. " She whispered.

I tried to save the situation and addressed him in Latin, the language of state of the Pan Saran Empire. " I am sorry Your Highness I was in such awe at the presence of all the nobility around me I was overwhelmed."

The man looked a little like Lt. Merkus. He had the same coiffed locks around his head, had a very sharp looking nose and wore a golden breast plate." He looked down his beak shaped nose and a faint smile curled his lips." It is understandable, being in the presence of Queens, Princesses and Emperors can have such effects. I noticed your military decorations and must say I am deeply impressed. It shows me that you are quite the soldier. What do you think of the current Nul situation? Do you think we should simply declare war on them and get it over with?"

"Sir, my political knowledge and experience is not deep enough to call for war. Wars are easily started but very hard to stop. I am just a Midshipman and I will of course do whatever is asked of me to fight, defend and protect this Union of ours. Yes I believe in war as a last resort and sometimes unavoidable, but in my humble opinion it should always be the last resort."

He nodded ever so slightly." Your words echo those of Egill Skallagrímsson, who is a relative of yours if I understand correctly. It seems your world Nilfeheim's reputation of being a world of Neo Viking pirates is misleading as it appears to bring forth men of reason and caution."

"Your Highness you humble me with your praise. I am but a shadow compared to the experience and wisdom my Great grandfather Egill possesses and as much as I would love to agree with your assessment of my home world, we are still far from being a civilization of reason and caution."

The Klack Queen moved her drop shaped head and looked at me with her black almond shaped eyes." We think you should enjoy your evening and not pay too much attention to our titles and positions, simply speak your mind and don't worry about protocol. It is even confusing to me sometimes."

I responded as best as I could reaching high notes while speaking Klacktic." Thank you, Queen of the first Nest."

She wiggled her antenna." How delightful, a human taking the time to learn Klacktic and speaking it well too! How come?"

"I spend several month aboard the USS Hyperion. She has a Klack XO and he taught me during the night watch hours."

Elfi who specialized in communications and linguistics added also speaking Klacktic, "Eric is always good for a surprise and full of hidden talent."

The Emperor applauded." Well done! The Navy schools his young officers well! I was surprised at his good Latin and now they both speak Klacktick without the aid of Computronics or implants."

The affair dragged on with artists and entertainment, none of it really very interesting and the music was also not my cup of tea. What I did like was the faces of Suppor and Clusen, they and the other Midshipmen sat at the Captain's table with nothing but fleet officers. Especially Suppor was glaring over to me with a mixture of envy and hatred. To my delight I learned that the blue and the yellow team had been invited by the Daoine and had a great time judging by the merry laughter from their table.

Finally the Klack Queen rose, declared the evening a great success and crawled into her tub to leave.

That was the start and more guests started leaving. The Saran Queen said." We will leave within the hour as well, so we can celebrate the Night of Baseth, but until then I know you are eager to talk to your friends, so join them until we also need to go."

I thanked her and rushed to talk a little more to Egill and the others before I had to go. Egill actually intercepted me half way obviously he wanted to talk to me alone.

He put his hand on my shoulder and said." You have grown Eric, in many ways. I used to be able to talk to you the other way but it can't no longer."

"I am sorry Egill. I apparently received some sort of Psionic shield when I merged with my friend Narth to save him. I don't know if I can be turned off or something like that."

"It is alright. I know about your friendship with the Narth. I meet the representative of the Narth almost daily. You know me, I am a grumpy old man from Nilfeheim, who spend centuries in a filthy tower all by myself. It was you who suggested me to go to Saresii Prime for treatment and it not only saved my life, it changed it completely and I gained new and true friends."

" I am glad it is so, but why you are saying this now? Are you trying to tell me something difficult?"

He grunted." Of course not, I am not going to die or anything, at least not yet. I am here to talk to you about Sif."

"About Sif?"

"You must set her free, Eric. Tell her you are in love with the Princess and you going to marry her or something like that."

"I like Elfi she is a dear friend, but I don't love her. All this was just a show for her people or something. I was ordered to be her protector."

"I know, it makes no difference what you tell her, one lie is as good as the other, but she must know that she is not the one."

"She never was! She never liked me in the first place! She used and when I thought she changed she turns out to be cold as before. Besides it was you who told me she had quit University and ran off with another girl."

"For a guy who loves being a girl, you sure don't know much about women. Sif has crossed that line, she is is not a girl anymore." Egill made a sad face that reflected something like guilt. "She had to make a few mistakes, we all are allowed to make a few of those Eric, it's the mistakes more than our triumphs that makes us what we are. She is as stubborn as you are and I neglected her. That is another story altogether."

"I never had the chance to be the girl I want to be. Never spend more than a few hours and letting my female side free. I never claimed to understand it all, but I am not ever going to marry anyone, I don't know what I am so how could I expect anyone else to know." I pointed upward. "When I am out there it does not matter, I sat in that chair, Uncle Egill. There I know beyond any doubts who and what I am. I will command a ship one day, a ship of my own and this was and will be my goal. I will tell her that, but I am not going to lie."

"Yes Eric, maybe you are right. The truth is best after all and before you do that let me say I am proud of you, very much so."

He turned his head and I knew he used Psionics to call Sif and she got up from her seat and came over.

Elfi was unquestionably beautiful and looked very regal in her Saran gown, but Sif was just as regal, just as beautiful and she looked every inch like a Valkyrie, a Norse goddess should look. The black leather suit made by a master fitter of the trade, fit her like a second skin, the silver snapper fur collar of her cape encased her shoulders in a very attractive way. She wore it wide open giving anyone a look at a deep neckline and an eye catching cleavage. Her straw blond long hair in thick triple waved braids, hinting on the gorgeous length her hair would have when unfurled. Her face carried the clean crisp lines of her old Clan. She didn't even notice the looks she received from men all around us. Her hand was resting on the hilt of a broadsword, adding a hint of danger and readiness to her commanding appearance.

She had become an adult there was no doubt. I gestured to a set of double doors that led to a balcony outside so we could talk undisturbed.

The two bright moons of Pluribus painted long streaks of light over the shimmering waves of now dark ocean. As always the sight of water and the fresh air made me urge to simply jump and take a long swim.

She looked at me and I turned so return her gaze. After a few moments I tried to keep my voice steady I said." I am not sure how to say this, Sif. I was not prepared to say anything until Egill asked me to."

She nodded and her eyes glittered and it was more than just the reflection of the Crystal palace. " It is quite a while ago since we talked. I have some very bad things when I came here to Pluribus…I am sorry."

"You are not the only one who gets into trouble. I seem to have a special talent for that."

"I am so confused Eric. I still don't like men but with you I can't make up my mind... with you I remember there is Freya too! And now you are in love with a real Princess and we all witnessed some sort of engagement tonight,right?"

"No Sif, I am not engaged with Elfi. She is a good friend and nothing more or less. I am not the marrying kind. I would reject her if she had such plans. I am married to the fleet, Sif. I am already in love with the star ship I will hopefully one day command. This is my goal and my only desire and any other ties would only get in the way, Sif."

She sighed deeply and a tear streaked over her cheek." I am sure Egill told you to say that, but I know it is the truth. You are many things but you are as honest as a Norse can be and I know I needed to hear that Eric. I will cry over this but I be alright tomorrow . Seeing you tonight also reminded me of my promise I made to Astrid on the day of her funeral. I had forgotten it, but no longer."

"I am sure you find your way, Sif and I know the person that deserves your love is already out there somewhere, all you have to do is meet him or her."

She kissed me and then said." Wait here!"

It took only moments and she came back with Elena and my lovely sister carried a basket and said." We were not sure you would be here, but Exa insisted we come prepared." She handed me the basket." With greetings from home, there is a Hot Keeper jar with Fin Stew made by Midrill and fresh Nilfeheim bread."

I swallowed try and hugged them both." Where is Exa anyway?"

"She left with the Schwartz family, the evil Tycoon turned out to be a nice man after all. She somehow managed to get him to take her to the premiere of the Unicorn experience. It's some new attraction every teen girl dreams about for month now."

Egill joined us on the balcony." It is also time for us to leave, we must rise early to make sure the Nilfeheim Delegation finds their way safely off planet. Some of them are here for the first time and are a little overwhelmed by the entire Pluribus experience."

While he spoke a black Volo-flyer had approached silently, most likely responding to a signal of Egill and they boarded it after another round of hugs.

I watched until I the flyer was very small against the horizon.

"Your Sisters are very beautiful!" I turned and saw Har-Hi coming from the entrance.

"Yes I think so too!" Then I turned." I didn't know you are here! Come I must introduce you to Narth!"

"We arrived just ahead of you and that dragon beast riding stunt of yours. If anyone knows how to make an entrance it's you!"

"It wasn't my idea. Elfi's mother has strange ideas but she is a queen and all that!"

He chuckled." I know what happened, Elfi told me just a few moments ago. You almost knocked the thing out and screamed at it like a misaligned plasma vent."

"I didn't knock it out, I tapped it with the flat side of the sword."

Har-Hi chuckled even more." That poor Ammutherathi probably needs counseling now. Come Eric before I meet your friend let me introduce you to my father and my mother is here also, but don't talk to her first!"

Interlude: Stahl

Stahl got up and Alycia said." Are you leaving?"

He smiled at her." Not just yet, I thought now that most of the big wigs are gone and the band plays nice old Earth tunes I know I get up and ask you for a dance."

She got up just a little too fast to appear dignified and with a deep smile. "You truly are a master tactician, old man. A simple offer and all my defenses are obliterated."

They joined a few other couples already dancing, almost all of them humans knowing the old music."

"I think it is you who is the master of tactics here!" He said to the woman." Only you knows I like this type of music. I bet the Orchestra leader had specific orders."

"A girl has to do what a girl has to do!"

"Will you come along when we leave in three days?" He asked her

"No, I need to be here for a while. The Diamond Ball draws them near like moths to the light, the assassins and terrorists and the insane and we caught a more this year, than ever before."

"I thought the Union is stable and the general public is as content as can be?"

"Of course and they are, you know better than anyone how big our Union had become. There is no way we can please everyone. For a political system with so many different cultures keeping a government approval rating of over 95 percent without being a police state or a dictatorship is an achievement unprecedented in any history we know of and the numbers haven't changed much in over 500 years."

He swirled her around and showed he was a good dancer." Yes I know all this of course I was just wondering because you said there were more this year."

"Not only did we add 1500 more talents to the PSI corps this year, we have eight Narth now as fully integrated agents. Our best agents can scan a crowd for so called trigger thoughts, the Narth Agents scanned all Pluribus before I could even finish my explanation. The reason I am so busy is that we followed more leads than ever. You know of course that your Midshipmen have foiled a big problem right here."

Stahl gasped." I have seen Eric the entire time, what did he do?"

"Your wonder boy did nothing tonight. He behaved very nicely. It was Midshipman Wetmouth who caught a group of Sin 4 Assassins with Shaill pheromone gas and knocked the living daylights out of six of them before they even knew what hit them, and Midshipman Mao Vouza caught the one that almost got away, complete with a real and active Spore bomb in the basement. It's not just Eric, it looks like other Midshipmen of your big ship are just as amazing. Maybe you should introduce them to your protégé, maybe they would be a great team."

The old admiral swirled her around once more with a deep smile." You are supposed to know things, my beautiful witch. Look over there. Right next to Eric, that is Hans Neugruber a Saturnian, the Dai Har-Hi is the son of the Dai lord, there is Krabbel, Cirruit, Mao Vouza, Elfirata the princess. The black guy introducing the Zulu King to the Dai Lord is Shaka his son. Only one missing is Wetmouth but that is the Olafson gang and the Narth that stands on Eric's other side is no official member yet, but belongs to that group as well. Each one of them quite remarkable, together they manage to amaze me every day and that isn't as easy as it sounds."

She stared over there and then in his rugged heroic face." And you have put them together!"

"I had a hand in it yes, but I had no idea they would work out together, they went beyond anything I expected. I had some luck to find one or the other, but not ten at the same time."

"What are you going to do with them once they graduate?"

"The other old man had an idea and I think it is the best he had in decades."

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