Chapter 6

Chiira, 22 Shiaa, 4400 Orthodox Calendar
Wednesday, 20 November 2013, Terran Standard Calendar
Chiira, 22 Shiaa, year 1326 of the 97th Generation, Karinne Historical Reference Calendar
Foxwood East, Karsa, Karis

Well, one thing was for sure.

Sex with Dahnai was no different in his bed than it was in hers.

He was a little tired though, so she was somewhat considerate of that, not expecting him at his rested best, but despite that, it was still just as good as it ever was. Five years had done nothing to dampen the attraction they shared, and their long periods apart made each conjugal visit a rekindling of that attraction and passion. Besides, Dahnai was an Empress, and that made her very bold and creative in bed, each session a chance for her to conquer her partner anew with her sensuality, her incredibly sexy body, and her passion.

And Jason just loved to be conquered by her.

It was sunrise, which was when Jason usually got up, but Dahnai was still asleep. She was snuggled up against his back, an arm thrown over him and tucked under his own. Even in sleep, she had a somewhat active mind, which was occasionally telepathically aware. That was both a function of her powerful talent and something of a trained condition that made her very sensitive to changes in her environment. It made her wake up if she sensed unknown active minds approaching her or close to her, and that made her a very light sleeper. She wasn't in an active phase right now, but she was maintaining something of a lingering touch on him that had yet to dissolve. Dahnai was a very forceful sender during sex, trying to invade the private realm reserved for him and Jyslin every single time, which made sex with her a telepathic wrestling match of sorts as he maintained the proper distance while she tried to wriggle through his barriers. She was a taker, just like any Empress, trying to take everything she wanted, despite however others may feel about it. He didn't hold it against her, though. That kind of strength and will was mandatory in someone who ruled over the violent and unpredictable Faey.

He reached out a little bit. Jyslin was asleep, as was Symone and Tim, but the very act of reaching out also stirred her, as she sensed his searching thought. Jason and Jyslin had any number of bonds between them, and they were both extremely sensitive to each other. He could sense her moods, could feel it when she was upset or angry, and any time she was emotionally charged, it induced a response in him. But, since he'd been busy himself last night, he didn't pay much attention to her, because he had his hands full.

Good morning, she sent privately to him, rather sleepily. His light touch to see if she was awake had actually woke her up.

I'm sorry, love, he apologized.

It's nothing.

How was it?

You know how it was, came the satisfied response. Tim really enjoyed it. Just to save your pride, he didn't last any longer than you did the first time. He came literally as he was penetrating me. At least you got it all the way into Symone before you popped.

Well, we just can't withstand it. You two are just too damn sexy.

You're such a tease, came the playful response. How was it?

Same as it ever is with Dahnai, he answered. She assaults me with her body and then tries to break into our private domain with her sending.

I felt it here and there. This was the first time you've fucked her with me nearby. She's really invasive, isn't she?

Yeah, but nothing I can't handle.

Thank Trelle you didn't imprint Dahnai on me, she sent with relief, but I think Symone may not have escaped that. I caught a couple of stray thoughts in her about those memories you shared with us of Dahnai naked, and it was getting her horny. You should warn her that Symone might be a little… grabby. Symone wasn't entirely straight to begin with, so she's much more receptive to the idea of attraction to other women.

I'll warn her.

Tim's starting to wake up. You mind if we have a little fun before coming over, or do we have plans?

Nothing that can't be postponed for a little fun, he answered.

Good. You know how much I love a sunrise session.

That's half the fun with you, love. I know when we go to sleep that we're only halfway done.

I know you love it, she sent coyly. Woop, Tim's up. Time to get my piece. Later, my love.

Enjoy.

Jason figured that he should call in and see if things were still on schedule, so he tried to pry himself free of Dahnai. It caused her to stir, however, and she took a very firm grip on him. I don't think so, she sent firmly. You are mine until I decide it's time to get up, and I'm not getting up.

Good morning, he sent with an audible chuckle. Sleep well?

I like this mattress, she announced. Where did you buy it?

In Karsa. I'll give you the address of the store, they can deliver to you at the palace.

That's a deal, she affirmed.

I need to tell you something.

What?

Watch Symone, he warned. Jyslin just told me that she thinks she may have been imprinted with you. And Symone is not afraid of you at all. She was very tentative with Jyslin because they're so close, but you're a stranger, and she'll be very bold. She may be very grabby with you. She might even proposition you.

No problem, Dahnai shrugged. I'm not gay, but I'm not above letting a girl get me off either. If she wants to taste the Imperial pussy, she's more than welcome to. As long as she realizes it's going to be a one way encounter, not an issue.

Make sure you stress that if it happens.

I will. Now, let's talk business.

This isn't a good time to talk business, he told her evenly. It's a little distracting.

No, we're going to talk business, lover, she sent seductively.

Oh, well, now that I don't mind.

They got into some pretty serious business discussion, to the point where they'd just begun intercourse, when the door banged open and Rann and Shya both ran into the room. "Daddy!" Rann said, a bit scandalized. "Private time with the Empress? Mommy's gonna smack you!"

"Your mommy knows what we're doing," Jason said to him, a bit tartly. "Now out."

Dahnai laughed helplessly. "Oh, Trelle. For years the guards kept people out of my room when I have sex, and I finally get caught in the act by my own daughter!"

"That's what we're gonna be doing when we're older," Shya told Rann, throwing her arms around him possessively.

"I think it looks icky, but daddy says I won't think so when I'm older," he told her, in a rather clinical voice.

"This is not a lesson," Jason said dangerously. "Now out."

They filed out, and Dahnai laughed again. "Can you lock your door?" she asked.

"It doesn't have a lock. If you want to keep going, you better be ready for the chance that might happen again."

She gave him a sly look. "It's worth the risk," she told him.

They weren't exactly caught in the act, but Jyslin did come into the room just moments after they finished, while Dahnai was still feeling quite snuggly and affectionate. She was wearing a thigh-length robe, which she shed immediately upon closing the door, displaying her gorgeous body. "Morning," she told them. "I'm going to take a shower."

"Morning Jys," Dahnai said, waving to her. "Did you have fun last night?"

"I just finished having fun," she said with a wink. "That's why I need a shower. I'm a morning girl."

"Me too," she said with a nod. "Our kids walked in on us!"

"Rann does that all the time," she said with a dismissive wave of her hand, walking towards the bathroom.

I'm not used to that, it was almost embarrassing, she sent when Jyslin went into the bathroom and out of sight.

You get used to it, Jyslin told her. Did he warn you about Symone?

Yeah, it's not a problem. I can handle it.

Good. I didn't want it to be a surprise.

Well, I appreciate that.

While Jyslin was showering, Dahnai decided that a little more snuggling would bolster her to get up, then she finally decided to sit up and stretch. I hope Kellin wasn't too lonely last night. He won't sleep with Vizzi, just fuck her, and he's not used to sleeping alone in a bed.

I'm sure he's fine, Jason told her. He must not be awake yet, so clearly he managed to get to sleep by himself alright.

She climbed over him and got out of bed, and he had to just stop a moment and appreciate how awesome she looked. She worked out religiously, so she was very muscular, muscle that enhanced her feminine beauty to maximum effect. Deltoid muscles caused a sleek curve down to her narrow waist, giving her a killer silhouette, which was only enhanced by her naturally wide hips and long, long legs. Dahnai was graced with a great body even without all the working out, with wide hips, long legs, and fairly large breasts, but the muscle on her just made those attributes even more attractive. Dahnai was the only woman he'd ever seen that made ripped abdominal muscles sexy on a woman. Jyslin padded out with a towel around her, but she took it off to start drying her hair.

"Done with the shower, Jys?"

"All yours," she answered, but she too took a moment to look Dahnai up and down. It was the first time that Jyslin had seen Dahnai naked in person.

"Go ahead, appreciate it," Dahnai said outrageously, turning and striking a little pose for Jyslin, which made her laugh sheepishly.

"I'm just seeing where I need more work," Jyslin winked. "Jason goes on and on about your body. Sometimes it makes me feel fat and ugly."

"Oh please," Jason protested scornfully, throwing a pillow at her.

She dodged the pillow with a laugh, and Dahnai walked towards the bathroom. "Towels inside?"

"In the closet on your left," Jyslin answered.

"Can I borrow your shampoo, Jys? I didn't bring anything with me up here, it's all in that closet he put me in."

"Sure, second rack."

Jyslin sat on the edge of the bed, and Jason sat up behind her and dried her hair for her. You need a shower too, she sent critically. Go jump in with Dahnai.

She mussed me?

She really mussed you.

Alright.

Jason joined Dahnai in the shower, which had room for four people since it doubled as the washing tub, then Jyslin helped Dahnai dry her gorgeous mane of bronze-colored hair as Jason got dressed. The rest of the neighborhood also started getting going, as Jason heard Ayama open send to Rann, asking him to come down to the kitchen and tell her what he wanted for breakfast. Symone sent a tentative sending to see who was up, and Maya asked to come over for breakfast because she was out of milk. Is the Empress awake, Jason? Ayama asked.

I'm awake, Dahnai answered cheekily.

What would you like for breakfast, your Majesty?

Surprise me, she answered.

You never tell Ayama that, Jason warned. She takes all kinds of liberties. Just pick something, and keep it normal, Jason warned.

Yes, your Grace. Spoilsport, she added, which made Dahnai explode into laughter.

"Would she really have–"

"Yes," Jason and Jyslin answered in unison. "Ayama is all business, but she has an evil sense of humor," Jyslin added.

"The last time someone said that to her, she put a bowl of sand in front of them," Jason told Dahnai, which made her explode into laughter yet again.

I think I could learn to like living here, Dahnai sent to Jason with a smile.

After breakfast, a rather large one given that Maya, Vell, and their kids were there, Jason and Dahnai got down to real business. They sat down in his study, which was in secure mode to keep their discussion secret, and went over everything that happened in the battle in great detail–or as much detail as he could reveal without breaching Karinne secrecy. They then spent nearly two hours discussing what the Consortium had done, how it made no sense, and discussing what might happen in the future. The discussion widened when Tim and Miaari came into the study, Miaari wearing a memory band and carrying a handpanel. The first thing she did was contact his gestalt and download a series of datafiles into it, and she handed Dahnai the handpanel. She nodded to Tim, he returned the study into secure mode.

"This is a detailed account of everything we have learned so far from the wreckage," she said, "and also the preliminary intelligence gathered from the Urumi captain we have in custody."

"What did you learn from him?"

"Not much more than we have pieced together, but we did pick up one interesting bit of information," she answered. "It seems that he overheard a confrontation between the Queen and the Consortium representative. He related that the Consortium wanted the entire Urumi fleet to attack Karis, but the Collective was very resistant to that idea, because it is a six day jump to Karis from Collective space, where it is only a three day jump to Draconis. They were afraid that the Imperium would retaliate before they could get their fleet back to defend their border systems. In that respect, they were correct."

"Damn right they were correct," Dahnai said aggressively.

"When he was leaving, the Consortium was offering their own ships to defend Urumi territory, which the Queen seemed to not prefer."

"Who could blame her," Tim noted. "I wouldn't like a mysterious ally to park a fleet of ships in my territory when my entire fleet wasn't there to oppose them if they attacked."

"True," Dahnai nodded.

"The captain wasn't there long enough to hear the compromise that caused the Urumi fleet to split up, nor does he know what caused the Consortium to abandon contact with the Collective, but it does make one thing very clear."

"The Consortium specifically tried to destroy House Karinne," Tim concluded. "And they had some pretty detailed intelligence about us to do it."

"If they'd have jumped their entire fleet, it would have been ugly," Jason grunted. "But, given that Dahnai can get her fleet here faster than them, they'd have faced more than just us, and I would have welcomed that assistance. So splitting up the fleet to distract Dahnai did make sense. But why did the Consortium try to get the Urumi to do that?"

"Maybe they wanted the Urumi's fleet to get wiped out," Tim speculated. "Make them easy pickings for either themselves or someone else."

"That is a curious concept," Miaari said, as she started pacing back and forth. "Consider. The Consortium enters an alliance with the Urumi, but secretly have no intention of keeping it. They goad them into a war with the government that contains their true target, which is House Karinne, and arm them with weapons and technology they will need to be effective in that battle, but not superior in that battle. Without that technology, the Urumi are little more than targets of leisure for the Karinne and militarily inferior to the superior numbers of the Imperial naval forces that will oppose them. They attempt to get the Urumi to commit a considerable portion of their resources into the attack, which would be met with heavy resistance. The end result would, naturally, be the loss of a large part of their naval fleet." She turned around to look out the darkened window, her tail swishing behind her. "After the battle, given the assumption that they were victorious and what we saw in the attack on Karis was the large extent of military Consortium craft which were available to make the attack, the Consortium turns on the Urumi, which have been severely weakened by the battle. They defeat the Urumi, recover the technology they sold to them, then leave them at the mercy of their neighbors, for they will have accomplished their objective."

"Killing us," Jason grunted.

"It does have a kind of logic," Dahnai agreed after thinking a moment. "So, with the Urumi not going by that plan, what does that mean if Miaari is right?"

"That the Consortium is bringing another fleet to attack us, or the Urumi, or both," Miaari concluded in a grim voice. "Given that we have no contact or knowledge of this Consortium, and they can move their ships through hyperspace in real time, we must assume they are coming from a vast distance, and thus were not available in the previous battle. They had a timetable which was disrupted when we ferreted out their plans and exposed them publicly, which introduced them to the Kimdori in a very rude fashion," she said with a crooked smile, looking back at them. "As we have no knowledge of them, they must have had no knowledge of us. This created a dilemma for them. I do not believe that the Consortium was ready to make this attack," she explained. "The manner in which the plan was set up hints that they were going to allow the Urumi and the Faey to engage in war, and take time fully plunging both sides into that war, before making their move on Karis. The war over Trillane's insurrection would have taken time to fully develop, and that would give this Consortium time to complete the movements of their forces and be in a favorable position when the time came to attack Karis. That would explain another issue, actually. It seemed curious that this Consortium, who is technologically superior to the Urumi, was depending on them to help them accomplish their objective. If they must move their ships across a vast distance to engage in battle with Karinne, then it is more logical for them to enlist the assistance of a local government that would be willing to enter war with the Imperium, using what resources they have available to them here as best they can."

Tim picked up where Miaari left off. "So, the Kimdori nose out what they're doing and expose things, and it totally fucks–ah, excuse my language, your Majesty."

"I'm not a prissy, Tim," she grinned. "So, they fuck up the Consortium, then what?"

"It forces them to gamble," he continues. "They decide they have to take their shot at Karinne now, because the other governments might interfere and spread the Urumi too thin to be of any use to them. They try to get the Urumi to commit to an all-out attack, which they refuse, so they compromise. The Urumi pin down the Empress by sending a fleet at Draconis, they send a small diversion to Arctus to make it look like they're gonna pay the Trillanes back for backstabbing them, which gives what Consortium ships are here a shot at Karis without Dahnai moving to help."

"Well, put that way, it does explain some of the confusing holes we were seeing," Jason agreed. "But what about the attack on Kellin?"

"That is an issue that still remains uncertain," Miaari admitted. "I cannot see the value of attacking Prince Kellin over the Empress. We need more information, and we may get some."

"I contracted with the Denmother to dig as deep as she can," Dahnai told Jason. "She promised to put a large number of Kimdori on it. I want answers."

"And we will discover them," Miaari said simply.

"Well, that does sound quite logical," Dahnai mused, drumming her fingers on the arm of her chair. "When we look at it the way Miaari explained, it fits together. Jason's search for his people put the Kimdori in the right place to stumble across the Consortium and their plan, and in what was absolutely fucking brilliant, you expose them publicly," she said, giving Jason a very approving look. "The Alliance and all the others find out what's going on, and that totally screws the Consortium. They don't have enough of their own ships here to take Karis on their own, and they were depending on me being bogged down in a war with the Urumi to let them slip by and hit Karis without us being able to do anything about it. But then they have no choice, so they stampede the Urumi into attacking, then backstab them and leave after the Urumi launched the fleet and couldn't call them back, because the Urumi either didn't trust them or wouldn't commit their entire fleet to attack Karis."

"That or they were simply no more use to the Consortium," Miaari noted, turning around, putting a furry hand on the white band on her front that marked her as a Handmaiden.

"Well, I think we should go with this theory," Jason said. "It makes much more sense than anything else."

"I will report our theories to the Denmother," Miaari nodded.

"That was your theory, Miaari," Dahnai noted. "Make sure you tell her that. She'll be proud of you."

"I would not presume to do such a thing," she said self-effacingly, waving a hand negligently.

Now you see why I love working for her, Tim sent with a grin. She has quite a mind.

"Okay, so, now what?" Jason asked.

"We prepare for war," Miaari stated bluntly. "The Consortium is coming, Jason. They have tried to destroy us, and it would be foolish to believe that they will not try again. And now that they know we are aware of them, they will not be so coy or deceptive the next time."

"I can't argue with that," he sighed, then he leaned back in his chair. "But, we have a major advantage here. When we get the interdictor going, they won't be able to get anywhere near us."

"What is that?" Dahnai asked.

"It's something from my ancestors," he told her. "It's a device that prevents any ship from entering a system using hyperspace. When we finish building it and get it online, they won't get any closer than a light year. And from that far away, we'll see them coming and have plenty of time to get ready."

"That's why you bought a stargate!" she gasped. "It'll work even through this interdictor!"

He nodded. "We just have to make sure that the other end of the gate is heavily defended, and we're golden. The Consortium won't be able to attack us without a few month's warning."

"Jason. Darling. We have got to talk about that interdictor," she said, licking her lips. "If I had one of those in every Imperial system, we'd be fucking untouchable."

"We might discuss it," Jason answered. "If we can work out some kind of deal that keeps your people away from it, and lets us build and operate it in a secure way so we defend our technology, we might be able to hammer out a deal."

"You bring me any contract you want," she declared, "and I'll sign it."

Miaari's look showed him that she wasn't to bright on that idea, but Jason figured it was because the Kimdori might have a little trouble keeping an eye on things if they couldn't move about the Imperium on their own. But, it was a fair trade in Jason's eyes. He didn't see much danger in giving Dahnai something defensive, that would only protect the Imperium without giving her a way to use it as a weapon. And it was also a way he could keep a throttle on her. By threatening to turn off the interdictors, he could bully her into doing what he wanted. If she decided to declare war on a neighbor, thinking that they couldn't touch her own territory in return, Jason would be there to disabuse her of that notion very quickly.

He loved Dahnai, but he wasn't stupid enough to trust her that much.

"I'll bring you something," he said mildly. "I have to talk to Myleena first, though, to work out how we could do it."

"Alright, I need to talk to Lorna," Dahnai said. "I need to fill her in and get some advice from her on how ready we'd be if the Consortium widened it to a general war against the entire Imperium."

"It sounds like a good time to take a break," Jason agreed. "It's about lunch time anyway."

"Wanna go to the beach before the fleet gets here?" Dahnai asked. "We still have about five hours or so."

"Sounds good to me," he nodded.

Jason spent lunch sifting through the technical data Miaari put in his gestalt, which was considerable. The tech team had gone into overdrive on analyzing Consortium technology, and what was the biggest tidbit in that was Myleena's report on those brain implants in the insectoids.

They were a combination of communication and mind control.

They allowed those insects an almost telepathic-like ability to communicate, a radio in their heads, but they also could affect the minds into which they were implanted. Odds were, that sense of abject hatred in every mind he touched when he tried to attack them was from that device, hazing over their minds with hate and rage to spur them to fight, even to the point where they would commit suicide in kamikaze attacks when it was clear they'd lost, trying to take the Karinnes with them into death. That was very interesting, but it also showed him that these insects were naturally extremely resistant to telepathy. In a way, that was very bad news, because telepathy was the primary weapon of the Faey Imperium.

Surprisingly, the Consortium used plasma as a power source, just like the Imperium and many other races, but they had learned how to broadcast that plasma power to remote units, without a PPG. Now that was new, something either of them had ever seen before, and that was how the implants in the insectoid's brains were powered.

After lunch, they went to the beach. Everyone was there as well, making another party of sorts out of it, and Dahnai was almost devilishly happy to join in with the tradition that the private beach of the Grand Duke Karinne was a nude beach. Jason himself partook of that tradition, since he had to admit, he rather liked sitting naked on the beach. Jyslin had really converted him in that regard, for he felt it entirely natural to sit there in his beach chair, where everyone who bothered to look could see all his business. Dahnai planted her chair right by Jason and Jyslin, and wasted no time exhibiting her sculpted perfection to everyone on the beach by shedding her skimpy black bikini and sitting down with a handreader, holding some reports that Lorna had sent to her, so she could go over them while sunbathing.

"You'll like Karis," Jyslin told her with a grin. "The sun here is blue, just like home, so you can have a good bask without burning in half an hour, like on planets with yellow and white stars."

"Good," she nodded as she shifted a bit in her chair. "Too bad the sun here doesn't turn you blue," she said, giving Jason an evil smile.

"Thank God for small favors," he said mildly.

Jason saw that Jyslin was right to warn them. After a while, Kellin, who was helping the kids build a sand castle down by the water, got Dahnai got into helping out, and it was really intresting to watch her interact with the kids. Dahnai loved kids, and it showed as she bantered with them, smiling and laughing, being a very accessible and interesting adult that was geniunely interested in them. Symone joined them, and they sat there sending to each other while helping, no doubt that promised discussion about Jason. Jason watched them a while, went back to his gestalt, then Jyslin nudged him and pointed.

Symone looked furtively to her left, then to her right. Then she reached out and put her hand on Dahnai's shoulder in a casual way, but then her hand slid down. And it slid down some more, and then a little more, then she slid it over Dahnai's breast. Dahnai made no move that showed she was aware of that contact, but Symone didn't stop. Her hand ghosted slowly down, over Dahnai's muscled stomach, then quite deliberately stroked over Dahnai's trimmed triangle of pubic hair, her fingers slipping down over the crown of Dahnai's pubic bone and disappearing between her legs.

Now that was rather brazen. Symone felt Dahnai up right on the beach.

Dahnai didn't jump or jerk or make any outward appearance that Symone had her fingers on her genitals. She just made a single sending, which she deigned to open to Jason as well as Symone. Either let go of me, or we go back to the house and I let you get it out of your system.

Symone looked startled, but she licked her lips and glanced around. You wanna?

As long as you understand I'm not gay. Don't expect anything in return.

I can live with that. What can I do?

Anything you want that doesn't involve me touching you back.

Can we kiss?

No.

Well, can I kiss you?

Not on the face. Anywhere else is just fine.

Alright. Let's borrow Jayce and Jyslin's room.

And so, Dahnai got up and went back to the house. Symone waited all of thirty seconds, and got up and followed her.

How long do you figure?

I'd give them about half an hour, Jason noted, then he went back to going over the data in his gestalt.

It was actually more like twenty minutes. Dahnai returned and sat in her chair, then picked up her handpanel quite calmly, as if nothing had happened.

Well, that didn't take long, Jyslin sent with a naughty tilt.

It doesn't take long when it's one way, she answered without even the slightest hint of embarrassment. I can say one thing.

What?

She needs more practice. I've gotten better head from virgins.

Jyslin exploded into laughter, leaning over Jason and looking at her. Well, she's still new to being into girls, so just give her time.

I'm sure you can fix that, Jyslin, Dahnai sent, adding an imagined image of Jyslin allowing Symone to give her oral sex, which made Jyslin blush furiously, her whole face turning dark purple.

Ah, Dahnai, Jyslin sent, looking down.

What?

You're glistening a little, she said, pointing down.

Thanks, she nodded, taking her towel and drying off some moisture from her pubic hair and vulva. I guess I coulda left it, and let everyone think I was getting wet just sitting next to Jayce. You know, bolster his reputation, she sent with a wink at them.

That or make everyone think that you don't wipe after you pee, Jason added dryly.

Jyslin and Dahnai exploded into laughter.

Symone sauntered over with her chair and planted it by Dahnai, then flopped down. Hi, she sent with deceptive mildness.

Is it out of your system? Dahnai asked bluntly.

For now, she admitted. You've got a fantastic body, Dahnai. I really liked getting to taste it.

Thank you. I've worked very hard on it.

It shows. Umm, can we do it again later?

Maybe. After you get more practice, she sent, which made Symone flush.

Well, you wanna threesome with me and Jayce sometime?

Dahnai lowered her handpanel and looked at her. We might do that, she stated. I'm starting to feel a bit left out here, given I'm the other woman and I live on another planet. You guys have been doing all kinds of fun things without me, she sent, looking Jason in the eye and grinning. I'll need to get to know you better first, though, and let Kellin get to know you. Kellin would have to approve if I take up with someone other than Jason, even if it's a threesome with his amu dorai.

Really? Well, time to fix that, Symone stated, standing up. She went back to where Kellin was with the kids, sat down on her knees beside him, and engaged him in sending.

In mere moments, she had him laughing and pushing at her playfully, then she took a bucket of water and dumped it over his head, which made all the kids squeal in delight.

And that is Symone, Jason sent to Dahnai with mild amusement. She's impossible not to like. You're getting to see her unload both barrels of that charm on Kellin.

He's certainly enjoying being charmed, Dahnai agreed as he splashed a different bucket of water on her, but then she turned and bulled him to the sand, on top of him. Maybe a little too much, she added with a slightly dangerous, jealous undertone when Symone perched herself on top of him, pushing his shoulders down into the sand. The fact that both of them were naked, and Symone was in the right position to almost make it look like they were having intercourse, wasn't lost on Dahnai. No doubt Symone had something rather interesting pressing up against her at that moment. But then she screamed out "Get 'im!," and the kids started running to the sea to fill buckets to pour over Kellin's head while Symone held him down.

Trust me, Symone's not doing anything with Kellin she hasn't done with Vell, Jyslin assured Dahnai.

Those two have done about everything but have sex, Jason laughed.

Kellin struggled under Symone as the kids started inundating him with saltwater, throwing bucket after bucket on both him and Symone, then he laughed and put his hands over his face in surrender. She let him up, touched him on the arm and noted in an open sending he was caked in sand, he noted she was too, and they ran down and jumped into the ocean to clean up.

See? Symone's just getting to know him, and that's her way, Jason remarked. By the time they come out to dry off, Kellin will think she's his best friend.

That was about the way it went. They swam for a while, then she held his hand as they came out, going right back to the sand castle and sitting down to help the kids finish it. When she's done charming Kellin out of his last two credits, she'll come and do the same to you, Jason surmised to the Empress.

I'll see it coming.

That will not matter in any way whatsoever, Jason warned her. Be ready for it all you want, when she comes for you, you will fall to her.

That sounds like a bet to me.

It's your money.

By the time they wrapped up on the beach and decided it was about time to get ready for the arrival of the fleet, Kellin had a new best friend, Symone had Dahnai eating out of her hand, and Jason was richer fifty credits.


To say that Admiral Jaenne Meralle was startled was an understatement.

When the fleet arrived, nearly a thousand ships of every class, The first transmission they received, before they could even take sensor sweeps of the system to assess its condition, was the Empress. She was clearly already here, having beaten them to the planet by some utterly unknown way, standing side by side with the Grand Duke Karinne and ordering them to hold their position some distance from the planet, not to use sensors of any kind, and await further orders. The Admiral complied, naturally, but did request to be allowed to see the Empress in person.

That afternoon was when the real confrontation began. When Jason asked Dahnai to send the fleet back, she refused vociferously. Jason could appreciate her concern for him and the house, but she was absolutely dead set against leaving Karis, in her mind, completely undefended and just begging to be attacked. He tried reason, he tried force, he even tried yelling and screaming, but Dahnai would not budge.

After a solid hour of argument, he finally sat her down, put his hands on her shoulders, and looked down into her eyes. Alright Dahnai, it comes down to this. Do you trust me? he asked with absolute intensity, staring right into her eyes.

What–

Nothing but yes or no. Look into your heart and soul, Dahnai, then look me in the eyes and answer that question. Do you trust me?

She was silent for a long moment, keeping her eyes lowered, then she looked up at him. I trust you.

Then trust me now. Send the fleet back. I promise you, we'll be alright. Can you do that, despite your fear, and trust me to make sure it happens?

I hate you sometimes, she accused, slapping his hands off her shoulders and standing up, keeping her back to him. Then she shook her head, making her bronze hair sway in a very lovely manner, and looked back over her shoulder at him. I'll do it. But if something happens to Karis and I didn't have my fleet here to stop it, I'm gonna punch you.

I'll let you punch me all you want, he nodded.

Alright. Jaenne wants to see me in person, and I think that's best. If I give her the order to withdraw over gravband, she might not believe it. Can you arrange for her to come down?

I'll send a dropship for her. Let her know it' s coming, and she has to come alone.

I will.

Jaenne Meralle was a very, very tall Faey, only an inch shorter than Dahnai, with jet black hair that was pulled back severely from her face and done up into a braid that trailed down her back. Faey with black hair were very rare, and the fact that she was quite lovely probably made her a heartbreaker when she was younger. She was middle-aged as Faey went, but still had a youthful vigor about her. She seemed a bit startled to be brought down to what looked to her to be a neighborhood populated by blue-collar Faey commoners, but the fact that the Empress was standing on the pad to meet her dropship made it clear she was brought to the right place.

"Your Majesty," she said with a sharp salute. "How did you get here before us?"

"Magic," she said with a wink. "I want you to go back to the fleet and send them home."

"How many are we leaving in defense of the planet?"

She glanced at Jason. "None. The Grand Duke convinced me the planet is adequately defended. So go ahead and return to Draconis, where they'll have new orders for you."

"I'm not too happy with this idea, your Majesty," she said bluntly. "This planet has no defenses that we can see, at all. I do not want to leave you here without protection."

"This planet is full of surprises, Jaenne," Dahnai told her. "The fact that we're standing here talking on it without our flesh melting off our bones should be a good example."

"We were wondering about that," Jaenne said with a slight smile.

"So accept my orders, Admiral. Trust me, I'll be just fine."

She nodded. "Do you want me to return with any orders for command?"

"Actually, there is something you can do," she said, glancing at one of her guards. "Bring me that handpanel Javari," she ordered. The guard bowed and rushed off. "I'm sending you back with a handpanel holding quite a bit of technical data concerning the weapons and equipment the Urumi and the Consortium were using. Take it to Black Ops and they'll get to work on analyzing it."

"I'll deliver it personally, your Majesty," she said with a nod.

"Don't let it out of your sight, Admiral."

"I'll keep it in my bra, your Majesty," she said with a straight face, which made Dahnai laugh.

And just like that, the fleet problem was solved. After Jaenne had possession of the data to take back with her, she returned to her ship, and the entire fleet turned around and jumped back to Makan, a trip that would take them two days.

"You'll probably beat her back to Draconis, Dahnai," Jason noted as they watched her leave.

"No. I'll be here a few more days, hon. There's a few more things I want to see, and besides, I'm enjoying my time here. Would you mind?"

"Not at all," he said immediately.


The next day, during Rann's passing party, she showered him with sixteen presents and worked her way into his circle of friends. She circulated with his friends and family and basically wormed her way into their lives, moving from group to group and talking with them in easygoing, casual tones, which made them relax a little after a while. They all were a bit edgy around her, but she calmed them down quickly when it became clear she wasn't trying to drag any secrets out of them. She simply got to know them, that was all, and she made quite a few friendships. She and Vell particularly hit it off very well, since Vell was a scholar and teacher by profession, and Dahnai was a history nut. Vell, Dahnai, and Kellin spent over an hour standing over the punchbowl talking about history, which really aggravated Maya.

Jason rather liked having her around. His friends got to see the woman under the crown, and they saw that it was much more than her body that attracted him to her.

She certainly got very personal with them. That night, she decided that Symone had something of an idea, and initiated herself into the idea of sharing with her amu dorai. She brought Jason and Kellin to her bed in the guest house, which neither Jason nor Kellin minded. They were very good friends, so the idea of sharing the woman they loved between them at the same time was quite appealing.

He didn't sleep over with them, though. He returned home well after midnight, after they were done, coming back to Jyslin, who was in bed but not asleep, reading some technical manuals Myleena assigned to her. She looked up at him as he sat down in bed and gave him a slight smile. Well?

Well what?

Was it better or worse that threesomes with Tim?

More tentative, he answered as he took off his robe and slid into bed with her. Kellin was nervous, but Dahnai wasn't. Kellin got over it after a while, though. Dahnai knows all his buttons.

She'd better after five years, she sent impishly.

Yah, true. What's that?

Some of the data on the dark matter weapon. It's pretty weird.

How so?

It seems, well, almost Karinne, she explained, holding it out to her. Look at this circuit schematic. Does that look familiar?

Looks like a Tyka Bridge.

That's what Myleena thinks too.

Well, some of this tech does come close to what ours does. Maybe they just figured out the same things the Karinnes did.

Yah, but, well, it's weird.

I can't argue with that.

They were awakened early that morning in a usual way, but not by the usual person. Jason felt someone get into bed, which woke him up. "It's not even five, go back to bed Rann," he grunted, rolling over.

"And I thought you said you were morning people."

Jason sat up and turned on the light with his gestalt, and found Dahnai sitting there, nude, arm over him as she grinned down at them. "Dahnai? What are you doing here?"

"Getting my second wind," she grinned wantonly, pulling the covers down. "It's time to try it from the other side," she told him. "As one of two instead of the center of attention."

Make her go back to bed, Jyslin ordered from beside him.

Dahnai then cheated. Outrageously. She assaulted Jyslin with detailed and graphic memories she had of the night before, the most debased, debauched, graphic visual and tactile memories Dahnai could dish out. And since Dahnai was actually a very strong telepath, she could put a bandwidth into her sending that only someone of Jyslin's telepathic calibre could fully absorb and appreciate. It was a very dirty trick, but it worked, because Jyslin, like almost all Faey, were susceptible to that kind of graphic telepathic contact getting them sexually aroused. It quite simply could not be ignored. Jyslin rolled over and glared murderously at Dahnai, then sighed and laughed helplessly. That was a cheap shot!

Well, are you in the mood now? I don't want to fuck him in your bed and with you in it, with you over there just waiting for us to finish. I want to share him with you.

I will get you for this, woman, Jyslin sent with an ugly tone, but she did throw off the covers and sit up. And I get him first.

Fair enough.

Gee, I wonder if someone is going to ask me if I'm in the mood, Jason noted absently.

Your wife and amu dorai are horny. You're in the mood, Dahnai declared bluntly.

Jason laughed as she dropped down on top of him and kissed him.

After a very fun, if brief, interlude with them, they managed to get done before Rann and Shya barged in, almost expectant, grinning as they rushed in. But they looked crestfallen when they found their mothers and Jason laying in bed, Dahnai on her stomach laying across Jason and Jyslin's legs, as Jyslin read from a handpanel, Jason played with Dahnai's hair, and Dahnai kicked one foot back and forth as she traced circles on the sheet with her finger. "Go make sure all your toys are packed, girl," Dahnai told Shya. "We're leaving this afternoon."

"Aww, I wanna stay!" Shya protested.

"I have an empire to run, little lady, and as much fun as I've had here, we need to get back. There's a lot to do," she told her daughter bluntly.

Ah, so that's why she was so insistent, Jyslin sent privately to Jason.

It makes sense.

"Aww," Shya said, stamping her foot.

Jason.

Yeah Dahnai?

Get some rest. I'm not done with you yet. She looked back at him. After lunch, we give Symone her turn. Once I get that taken care of, it'll be time for me to go home.

You're hanging around just for sex?

No, I'm hanging around to get the same as what my amu dorai gives his other women, she answered. We may be on opposite sides of the Imperium, but I do love you, Jason. I want what you've given Jyslin and Symone. All of it. You threesome with them. I want the same. I want to leave this planet knowing I'm on equal footing with them, that you've given me everything you've given them.

Well, that's a good reason, Jyslin sent to him with a slight smile. She just wants to be included, love. It's hard to be the odd woman out when she knows we live with you, and she only gets you when business brings you her way.

Hell, why not just have all three of you in bed, he sent, a little flippantly. That way it's all equal.

Jyslin and Dahnai looked at each other, then looked at him.

Why do I get the feeling I shouldn't have said that?

Okay, we leave tomorrow morning, Dahnai amended.

Jason groaned. He paid for it, though, when both women hauled off and whacked him with pillows, which Rann and Shya thought was hilarious.

Symone, when she found out, couldn't sit still. Dahnai informed her she'd be coming to a threesome with her and Jason later that day during breakfast, in the same tone Jason might use to ask Vell over to watch football and drink beer. After that, Symone was glued to Dahnai. She stayed with her all morning, talking with her, hanging out with her, basically making sure that when Dahnai was ready, she was there. One of the few times when she wasn't with Dahnai, she was out on the patio with Jason, as he and Myleena went over some of the curious similarities she'd found between Karinne and Consortium technology.

What's her problem? Myleena sent privately, glancing at Symone, who was fidgeting.

Something personal, he answered.

Dahnai's invite to threesome with you and her?

Who told you about that?

Jyslin. I guess I'm family enough to share family business, she winked.

I'm gonna beat that woman. But yes, that's what it is. Symone got imprinted with Dahnai.

Ah. Not a shock given she' s so weak in talent, and you're so strong. So that's where those two went yesterday. Hmm, I didn't know Dahnai is bi.

She's not. She just let Symone have her fun.

I wouldn't do that. The only mouth that's gonna touch my pussy will be a man's, she snorted audibly.

Dahnai said all you have to do is close your eyes and pretend it's a guy.

Yeah, until you reach down and grab a hand full of a woman's hair.

I guess Dahnai's good at pretending. You shoulda heard her when she propositioned Symone. She made it sound like a business arrangement, laying down the rules and telling her she couldn't kiss her on the face and shit like that. I guess to Dahnai, it was just business. Dahnai got all the pleasure, and all Symone got was to give it.

She's the Empress, Jason. She's used to being the one getting and not giving. I have no doubt she has servants back in her palace that go down on her whenever she wants it, and odds are a couple of them are girls.

If you two are done gossiping about me, Symone sent privately to him, a little tartly.

No, I don't think we're done yet, he replied blandly. Sometimes he forgot that Symone could hear private sending, and nobody knew that secret but him, not even Jyslin. It was not his secret to reveal, it was hers. Eh, I guess if Symone got something out of it, though, it wasn't all one-sided, he sent to Myleena. And in a way, it was big of Dahnai to give her that much. She coulda just said no.

That's true, Myleena agreed.

I got plenty out of it yesterday, Symone sent to him after he finished with Myleena. I got to put my mouth on a pussy you've fucked, she sent nastily, trying to get a charge out of him.

Then it was good for both of you, he sent simply.

And when I get you two, I'm gonna put my mouth on that pussy while you fuck it, she added, looking him right in the eyes as she reached down and put her hand in his pants, fondling him.

I'm so glad you're planning this out, he told her dryly. Are you going to hand out a schedule?

Asshole, she jibed, smacking him on the shoulder, but she was grinning.

You'll have to reach in a bit further to reach that, Symone, he told her, quite seriously.

She burst into helpless laughter.

After lunch, Dahnai sent Shya and Rann with Kellin into Karsa, then reached her hand out to Symone. Let's go, she announced.

Hold on, I have to go get our schedule, Symone sent with a wink at Jason.

She led them up to his room, and Symone was out of her shorts and bikini top before Jason even closed the door. "Hurry up, I'm horny," she complained as Dahnai grabbed the tail of the tee shirt she'd bought in Karsa. Symone helped her pull it over her head, then bent down and started working on Dahnai before she could even get her clothes off, her mouth glued to Dahnai's breast, her hands pushing down her pants urgently.

"You're gonna sprain something if you don't calm down a little, Symone," Jason warned as Symone grabbed Dahnai's bare butt with both hands and squeezed. Dahnai tossed her top on the floor and put her hands on Symone's shoulders, but didn't push her away, letting her enjoy herself.

Shut up and get naked, Symone demanded. And I meant it, baby. I want Dahnai to sit on your cock so I can lick her pussy while you fuck her.

Alright, I'm horny now, Dahnai sent ruefully. Trelle's garland, she's dirty, she sent privately to Jason.

You have no idea.

Symone helped her step out of her pants, then walked her back to the bed and pushed her into it. Jason was about to join them, but his panel beeped, and a glance at the screen showed that it was Cybi calling. That was odd, usually Cybi just contacted him. He stepped over and turned it on, and found Cybi's face staring at him through it. [That's a strange way to contact me.]

[I didn't want the Empress to seem like something was amiss. The Scimitar will soon be en route back to Karis. It should be back in five hours, if she remains on schedule. Meya reports that she has news.]

[What news?]

[She did not say. She did say, though, that it was good news.]

[That could be almost anything.]

[Shall I contact her and demand a more detailed account?]

[Uh, Cybi, I don't want Meya coming back with Dahnai here. Can you get in touch with her and tell her she has to wait until tomorrow?]

[I will warn her. Do you wish to tell her?]

[No, I can't. Right now I think I'd get murdered if I tried to leave this room,] he added, glancing over at the bed, where Symone was already getting a head start. Dahnai had told her no kissing her on the face, and wouldn't touch her, but that didn't dissuade Symone in the slightest. She was splayed on top of the Empress, kissing her breasts as her hand rubbed Dahnai's genitals, masturbating her.

[Very well,] Cybi communed, maybe a touch amused.

[Don't start.]

[I would never dream of it.]


After a highly erotic and sexually charged couple of hours, Jason laid in bed with Symone and Dahnai and wondered what Meya's good news was. Well, if it was good news, then she must have found something concerning the fate of the lost crew. They were all long dead by now, after more than a thousand years, but there was always a chance that they had descendents out there somewhere. There were both men and women on that ship, since it was a scientific scout vessel. If that wasn't it, perhaps she found where they had gone, and maybe had recovered some technology or devices that were unknown to the new Karinnes.

Anything was possible.

Symone poked him in the ribs. "What?"

I said, we have to invite Dahnai over more often, she repeated.

Sorry, I was thinking about something.

Don't you dare think about business right now, Symone threatened. You didn't think business when you had her and Jys in bed!

We barely had any time, Jason said. You've already had a good hour more than Jyslin had.

Well, she can get it back tonight, Symone all but purred, reaching over and fondling Dahnai's breast brazenly. I'm already getting wet at the thought of it.

Don't look at me, Dahnai warned. I'm not going to do anything about that for you.

I think you three are being a little bit ridiculous, he sent churlishly. I mean, I love you, don't get me wrong, but this idea that you have to all three have me in bed at the same time is silly. Dahnai got what she wanted, she got to be part of everything you and Jys get to do with me. We should leave it at that and be happy with it.

Why Jason, don't you want us? Dahnai sent in mock surprise.

Push off, woman, he retorted, smacking her shoulder. You've been wearing me out for days now, and now I get to look forward to the idea of trying to have sex with all three of you one after another. I'm not sure I can make it through that.

I think we can agree that you don't have to come in all three of us, Dahnai sent with a grin. You can just take turns fucking us til you come. We can always compete to see which of us gets you off.

Oooh, we can play "who makes Jason horniest," Symone sent mischievously. We can kneel down side by side on the bed and he can just go right down the line, or lay him down and take turns sitting on his cock.

Now you're giving her ideas, Jason accused Dahnai. Giving Symone ideas is bad.

That's not giving her ideas. Inviting you three and Tim over to my place sometime for a good old fashioned orgy is giving her ideas. I think I could give Kellin free reign to fuck Jyslin and Symone for a night, if they're interested in him, that is. If not, I'll take care of it. And I'll admit, I think Tim is sexy. I wouldn't mind laying under that hunk of man, not at all.

"Oooooohhhhh," Symone breathed, her eyes brightening. I like that idea!

You would, Jason told her flatly.

Well, Kellin already knows Jyslin, and I've gotten to be pretty good friends with him while he's been here. Can you ask him, Dahnai?

Sure.

I'm starting to hate you, Dahnai, Jason sent privately to her.

A girl has to get her revenge somehow, and leaving you with a super-horny amu dorai, still flush with new and erotic escapades fresh in her memory, that is gonna be a wild woman for a while is just one of the little ways I get to say goodbye.

Bitch.

I love it when you call me names, she sent dryly, reaching over and patting him on the cheek.


It wasn't quite as bad as he feared it would be, but he also felt like a piece of meat.

The night with Jyslin and Symone and Dahnai was as erotic as he felt it would be, but they were also somewhat considerate of the fact they'd been working him pretty hard. They passed him around like a toy, and he had to admit, that part was fantastic. All three of the women he'd share a bed with in that bed with him at the same time, all within reach, taking turns making love to him in their own unique ways. From Dahnai's forcefulness to Symone's vigor to Jyslin's sultry sensuality, he had it all in one package, and for one night, he was satisfied almost every sexual desire a man could have.

But that was all it was, a single night of satisfying desires, not only his own. Symone was sure to get as much of Dahnai as she could before she left, and she was all over whichever woman wasn't engaged with Jason. When it was Symone's turn with him, Dahnai and Jyslin basically rested. Even after Jason was spent and exhausted, dead asleep, Symone went on, performing sex on Dahnai for hours, nearly anything she could do to her that didn't involve Dahnai touching her in return, who was perfectly content to lay there and let her do it for as long as she wanted. When Jyslin churlishly told her to go to sleep, she replied that since Dahnai was going home, she had to get as much Dahnai as she could so she could tide herself over until the promised orgy.

Jason was gonna kill Dahnai for giving her that idea.

In the morning, things went back to the way they were, back to normal. Dahnai and Kellin packed up and prepared to go home, and after a breakfast of pancakes prepared by Ayama, Jason told her it was time to go.

Dahnai broke her own rules, which surprised Jason. When she said goodbye to Symone, she kissed her dead on the lips. And it was not chaste. In fact, it was so sensual that after all the goodbyes were said, Symone grabbed Jyslin and Tim and dragged them upstairs urgently.

God, Dahnai was an evil woman. She did that on purpose!

Jason took Dahnai home, riding on the Abarax once again, and talked business while they were en route. Jason promised to work up a contract about the interdictors, and they agreed to share whatever the Karinnes and Black Ops discovered about the Consortium technology, through the Academy. They'd send all their data to the Academy, where they could combine their efforts and work in unison to unlock every secret the technology had to hide. Once they were at Draconis, though, he told her that that was where they would part.

"Aw, come down to the palace, hon."

"No, you won't let me out," he said with a wink.

"Well, you're right about that," she grinned. She stepped up and gave him a long, passionate kiss. "I'll call you soon, okay?"

"Remember," he said, putting a finger on her lips meaningfully.

"Always," she assured him with a gentle smile.

"It was a wonderful experience, Jason," Kellin said, shaking his hand.

"It was nice to have you, Kellin," he said. "I'm sorry if I stole her from you there for a while."

"You made her happy, Jason. How could I ever be angry about that?"

"You're a good man, Kellin Merrane."

"Coming from you, that's one hell of a complement, Jason," he smiled.

He picked up Shya and kissed her. "You be good for your mommy," he ordered.

"I'll try," she promised. "And remember, Unca' Jason," she said, putting her finger on his lips.

"That's right," he said around her finger, then putting his finger over her own lips, which made her giggle. "Remember, little lady, what the Kimdori say. They say a secret unspoken remains a secret. What you saw, what you did, it must remain a secret. You can't talk to anyone about it, even your own mommy and daddy Kellin, unless they tell you that you may. That's what it means to have a secret. You must lock it in here," he touched her temple, "and in here," he touched her chest, over her heart, "and never give it away."

"I'll keep your secret, Unca' Jason," she promised. "Cause mommy said if I ever said a word, she wouldn't let me marry Ranny."

"Now that's quite a threat," Jason said, giving Dahnai a sly smile.

"It's about the only thing that'll work," Dahnai admitted. "Rann's the only thing I can take away from her."

Dahnai's guards and Raptor pilots climbed into her dropship and the fighters, and she sighed and gave him a second, shorter kiss. "Goodbye, Jason," she told him. "Keep in touch, alright?"

"You have my number now, Dahnai. I'm only a call away."

"I know. Call me when you have that contract ready."

He watched them board their dropship, and sighed a little when the hatch closed. He couldn't deny it. He loved that woman. She was something very, very special.

He returned home and got down to the serious business at hand, not all of it good. He changed into a black suit, Jyslin and Rann put on the white robe of mourning, and they attended the funeral of Captain Travka. Travka was Makati, and they had very specific death rituals. His body was cremated with wooden effigies of his parents, and the ashes were placed on a stand, around which they conducted the funeral. During Makati funerals, people didn't mourn what was lost, they rejoiced that Travka would join his deity, the Earthmother, and no one was allowed to cry. It was still rather somber, especially for Jason, but he put on his best face and did what Travka would have wanted, got up and told jokes and funny stories about him when it was his turn to give a eulogy. Once the funeral was complete, they left the chapel of Trelle, opened the urn, and spread his ashes in the dark soil of an empty flower garden, so his body might nourish the soil and strengthen the ties of nature. Once the ashes were spread, gardeners began to plant flowers.

Jason, his guards, and his family piled into the hovercar and started home after that sober duty, but he was interrupted. "Jason, Meya has just called in The Scimitar is in Karis space, and will land at the pier in thirty minutes. She has requested you meet the ship. She has something she wants you to see," Cybi's voice came in over the communicator in the car, so Jyslin would also hear.

"Alright. We'll change and meet her there."

The pier was on the far side of the strip from Karsa. It was built, more or less, just so the Scimitar could land very close to his house, but it fell into disuse when they returned the scout ship to service doing what it was meant to do. Before that, it was more or less Jason's personal transport. Anymore, the only thing they used the pier for was a boat launch and a place to dive. Jason changed into jeans and a tee and walked out with Jyslin and Rann, with his four guards in attendance, and they saw the sleek ship descend as they were strolling down the beach. It settled up to the end of the pier as Jason and the others started down it, and Meya had the hatch open by the time they got there. "Meya!" he called as she stepped out. She took his hand, then hugged him warmly. "What is this news that Cybi was talking about?"

She grinned at him. "I'll show you," she said, looking back to the ship. Come on, Myri.

Jason looked into the hatch and saw Myri and Zeya, one of the Faey Generations, leading a third person out. When they got to the hatch, Jason got a good look at this third Faey.

He did not know her.

She was tall and thin, with burnished gold hair that was thick and tied back by two tiny braids that contained the rest of that thick wealth. Her eyes too were gold, and though she was wearing a Karinne duty uniform, he could see that she was quite burly beneath it, given from the width of her shoulders and the corded nature of her wrists.

"Jason, may we present Aura, Chieftess of the Karinne," Meya said, giving him a brilliant smile. "She's waited a long time to meet you."

"They survived!" Jason gasped. "Well, I'd like to welcome you here, Aura," Jason told her. "Even though I know I don't look it, I'm Grand Duke Jason Karinne."

"Mistress Meya explained the, conditions of your rise, my Duke," she said in archaic, accented Faey, bowing to him. Only Jason's encyclopedic knowledge of the Faey language let him understand her. Might we speak thusly, your Grace? I find it, difficult, to speak aloud among you. Your accent and use of words is quite strange.

It's just fine, he answered her, taking her hand. Do you know who you are and where you came from?

She nodded. Our history has been kept. We know we are the descendents of the survivors of the House Karinne, who escaped when the Imperium betrayed them. I was quite amazed to see this, ship, come out of the sky, she sent in wonder, looking behind her. It's something out of our history. The devices that our ancestors brought failed long ago, but we survived as best we could.

I can imagine. Aura, this is my wife, Jyslin, and our son, Rann.

It's an honor, my Lady, Aura said, bowing to Jyslin. And an honor to meet you, my Lord, she added, kneeling down and touching Rann on the face gently, sending so Rann could hear her.

"It's alright, lady, I can hear grown-up sending," he told her.

Truly? she asked in surprise, looking up to Jason.

He nodded. Our son is very talented.

Truly, you are the heir of Karinne, she smiled at him. It was said that the nobles of our house were of the utmost power in talent.

Please, come with me. I'd like to talk with you, Aura. Would you like something to eat?

That would be fine, your Grace.

Please, call me Jason. I'm not one for formality.

Jason, she corrected with a smile.

Aura seemed a little overwhelmed when he brought her home. She sat at the dinner table staring at everything around her, and was quite taken with handling the metal silverware. It was so amazing to fly on the ship. Everything was just as our ancestors wrote, she mused, picking up the plate Ayama put before her. It was like stepping into our very history!

Aura, Jason began as he sat down. How many are you?

About a thousand total, she answered. We live in a large island off the main continent, having fled there when the Gruug discovered us. They think us to be demons or monsters, and they tried to kill us. But they can't get across the sea to us, they lack the technology, where we could build ships using the skills taught to us by our ancestors. The island supports us, and we survive.

Wow, Jason breathed. How did you survive?

The Firstcomers were skilled in surviving, and they thrived on Exile, she told him.

Exile?

The name of the world, so we would never forget what it was, she explained.

Ah.

They taught our ancestors how to survive, and the lessons passed down to us. After the devices they brought all failed, they taught the ancestors simpler ways, simpler weapons. But they kept everything in books, and it's the duty of every child to read the books and know where they came from, so we never forget. We thought we were the last of the Karinnes, she told him steadily. And then that ship comes out of the sky! It caused quite a panic, she admitted. But there were pictures of it in the books of the ancestors, so we knew it was from our house. Lady Meya and Lady Myra represented the ship, and explained that they were searching for us. My Duke, do you truly mean to offer us a place in the house?

Aura, you are Karinnes. This is your home, and as you said yourself, you live in exile. We will bring you home, if that's what you want.

That is what I want, she sent adamantly. As to others, I don't know. Some think Exile to be home, but I want to see our history through more than just the books. I want to fly in those wonderful ships, she sent, wonder and wistfulness shimmering through her thoughts.

Now, Aura, tell him about the others, Meya prompted. "Listen to this, Jason. This makes it all fit."

The others? Ah, yes. The ancestors wrote of them, my Duke. Before the devices our ancestors brought failed, there were other ships they saw, but they weren't Karinne ships. So they fled the camp they made when they landed and hid from them, fearing they were Imperial ships that had come to kill them. But they weren't Imperial, they were something else. The histories say that a group of ancestors were captured by them, and the ones who took them looked like gigantic insects, led by a strange creature made of pure light. They took our ancestors into their ship, looted the camp, and they left and never returned. They even took the small ships the Firstcomers used to get to Exile. After that, our ancestors abandoned the camp and fled far away.

Jason leaned back as Meya beamed at him. Insects, and a being made of light. The insectoids and the energy being.

The Consortium.

The Consortium had captured Karinnes. That did make it fit. That was why Consortium technology looked so… familiar. They captured Karinne technology, including the dropships they'd used to get to the planet, then they took it apart, learned how it worked. Oh, he was fairly certain that they didn't get all their technology from the Karinnes, but it would have been enough for them to build on what they learned and develop similar technology to the Karinnes. But it fit. It did truly fit.

That was how they knew about Karis. Because they had Firstcomer prisoners.

That was why their technology seemed similar in some ways. They adapted what they took from Exile and expanded on it.

That might even be why the Consortium attacked, to capture more Karinne technology.

And when Jason built the Academy and announced to the galaxy that the Karinnes were back, it took a few years for it to spread far enough for the Consortium to hear, since the nebula where the scout ship had been hidden for all those years was literally halfway across the galaxy. But when they did, they came to either destroy House Karinne or take what they didn't get the first time.

Jason looked Meya in the eyes, and she winked at him. I'm glad you told us to stay out there, Jayce. We found them two days ago. If we'd have come home when we wanted to, we'd have missed them completely.

Aura, he sent with vast respect, you just answered several very nagging questions. We were attacked by those others just days ago, but we defeated them and drove them away.

Truly?

He nodded.

We couldn't figure out where they came from or how they knew about us. They seemed to know more than they could ever learn just by watching. Ayama, could you have Miaari come?

I'll call her, your Grace.

Surin brought spaghetti and steamed kaba nuts, putting a plate down in place of the one he took from in front of Aura, then handing the other to Jason. She watched Jason eat, then picked up her fork and mimicked him gracefully enough to not make a mess. Her eyes widened when she took her first bite, and then slurped up a stray noodle. This is incredible, what is it called?

Spaghetti.

I see you have kaba nuts too, she noted. Our ancestors brought them with us.

Miaari joined them when they were about halfway through dinner, as Jason listened as Aura describe her people. They lived what he might call an 1800's technological existence. They were actually capable of much more, but they lacked the raw materials to produce more complicated technology. They could make gunpowder, but lacked iron ore to smelt steel to make guns. They could generate electricity, and in fact used it using hand-stranded silver wire made from substantial silver deposits on their island… but they had a limited use for it. They used electricity for lights, but little else, for they lacked rubber and other compounds to build more complicated devices. They were quite ingenious with what they could make or build, though. Since they could make gunpowder but couldn't make firearms, they had adapted by making explosive arrowheads and sling stones, and they were quite adept and making various kinds of explosives and medicines. Their knowledge of chemistry, biology, and physics were quite profound, thanks to the books they retained, and they used those skills to adapt to what resources they had available to thrive on their island home.

Miaari put her hand on his neck, and they shared. Her eyes widened when she discovered what Aura told Jason, and she nodded knowingly. Aura was staring at Miaari in shock. She is a cousin? she asked in surprise.

She's a Kimdori. If that's a cousin, then yes.

Extraordinary! she sent with excitement. "I am honored beyond words to meet one of our cousins, Handmaiden," she said in horribly accented Kimdori.

"The honor is mine, Lady Aura," Miaari said simply, reaching out and putting her hand on Aura's neck. "I am Miaari. I serve the Grand Duke by being the emissary between House Karinne and my people. You have quite a knowledge of my people, my Lady, to speak our language and know that I am a Handmaiden."

"Knowledge of our esteemed cousins was not only a duty, but a privilege to learn," she said with a nod.

Is she a Generation? Jyslin asked. You're the only one Miaari calls "cousin."

No, but most Karinnes called the Kimdori "cousin" as a matter of tradition, Jason answered. According to Cybi's records, there were no Generations on that ship. These are all descendents of the unaltered members of the house, and the commoners that manned the ship. Remember, love, most nobles in Karinne knew about the Generations program, and back before they were destroyed, they held the Kimdori in very high respect. Jason had to avoid certain fundamental truths, of which even Jyslin was not aware. The connection between the Kimdori and the Generations was still the greatest of secrets. Only Generations knew that secret.

"Jason has imparted to me that your ancestors encountered those who attacked us here, long ago. This is vital information that brings much into clearer view, Lady Aura. I thank you for bringing it to us."

"I am happy to help, cousin," she said with a flush.

"I will inform the Denmother of this immediately," she announced, and she touched Jason on the neck briefly before rushing out.

Now, on to a much more important matter, Jason sent lightly.

What is that, your Grace?

Dessert. If you liked the spaghetti I think you're gonna love apple pie.

Introducing Aura to Cybi was very interesting. For one, it was the first time he got to see Rahne since she came to Karis, for Rahne was still under Cybi's tutelage, being telepathically educated and prepared to become a normal member of Karis society. They wouldn't keep Rahne with his family during the battle, Aya had put her foot down over that potential security risk, but once the battle was over, she was brought back from the shelter in Karsa in which they'd put her. He was escorted by his usual guards, Aya, Ryn, Shen, and Suri, with Aura padding along with them with both curiosity and nervousness tinging her thoughts, when Rahne came out of the main doors to Cybi's core. Jason took her hands fondly, then kissed her on the cheek. Aura, I'd like to introduce Rahne. She's new to Karis too. She's been taking instruction from Cybi because she lost her memory.

Lady Rahne, Aura sent with a bow.

Dinna' call me Lady, if ye'd please, she sent, her brogue maintaining even through her thought. Where did they bring you from?

Exile, she answered.

Aura is from a group of Karinnes we didn't know about, who hid after the war, Jason explained. Meya and Myra found them.

Well, welcome home, Aura, Rahne told her. Go on in, Cybi's waiting to see ye.

Inside, the holographic projection of Cybi hovered in the center of the circular room, by the crystal spire that was her core. She floated towards Aura as she entered, but Aura dropped to one knee and bowed her head. "The living computer!" she gasped aloud. "I greet you, most honored, and bid welcome to you from the Exiled."

"Stand, please," Cybi asked, which Aura obeyed. "I am pleased beyond measure to see you, Aura Karinne. To know that there were more Karinnes hidden in the galaxy brings me hope that soon the house will be complete once more." She ghosted up to her and put her golden holographic hands on each side of Aura Karinne's face. Aura looked about ready to jump out of her skin. "I beg of you, tell me how many more are there?"

"Just over one thousand," she answered.

"Jason, we must bring them home," she told him.

"I'll have the Abarax go pick them up," he promised. "He's big enough to carry a thousand people. As soon as we work things out, and Aura feels ready for another ride in a ship, we'll go."

"Can we go now?" she asked excitedly.

Jason laughed. "Not quite right now," he said. "Let's sit down and work out how we're going to do this, Aura. After all, once we get them back home, where do we put them? What do we do with them?"

She looked about to open her mouth, then laughed and nodded. "Yes, we must be ready, so all their questions can be answered," she agreed.

They did that, right there in the core room. Using a holographic map of the southern half of the continent, they decided what to do. There was a newly built town about sixty miles north of Karsa that hadn't been populated yet, one of the construction projects the Kimdori left behind. It was big enough to hold a thousand people, easily, empty houses that were sealed in bioplas, just waiting for when the Karinne Land Authority issued land grants to new immigrants to take up residence. The town was already set up with utilities and ready to go.

That was where they would bring the exiled Karinnes, along with quite a few people who would volunteer to help teach them about modern Karinne technology. They had historical knowledge of the technology they used to possess, but no practical skill with it.

"It's all set up, Aura. I'll arrange to have supplies brought in for your people and get some volunteers in to help you adapt to living here."

"Will you teach me to fly a ship?" she asked, her voice filled with wonder.

"You're asking the right person," Cybi smile. "The Grand Duke is quite an expert in flying ships. There is nothing that flies that he cannot operate."

Jason laughed. "I'd be happy to teach you, Aura. Personally. There's some other things you'll need to learn first, but when you're ready, I'll be there for you."

I believe I will love coming home, Aura sent with a beautiful smile.

Miaari entered the core room, and to his surprise, Zaa was with her. Jason stood respectfully, then bowed to the Denmother. Aura, not sure what was going on, also bowed, though she wasn't quite sure who she was bowing to, or why. "Denmother," Jason said, holding his hands out to her.

"Cousin, is this her?" she asked, taking his hands and looking at Aura.

"Denmother, this is Aura, Chieftess of the Karinnes in exile," Jason introduced.

"Child, we have searched for you for a thousand years," Zaa said, putting her hand on the neck of the woman, whose face was awed. "It relieves me beyond measure that we have found you. Where were they?" she asked Cybi.

Cybi motioned to her right, where a map of the galaxy appeared. "The Scimitar reports that they were found here," she said as a yellow blip appeared on the very edge of the the galaxy, about halfway around from Earth to the left as they looked at it. The image zoomed in, showing a six planet system orbiting a yellow star. The second planet started to flash, then zoomed in again to show an island off the southeast coast of a large irregular continent, about half the size of the Japanese island of Kyushu from the look of it."

"Ah, that is quite a hyperspace jump from the nebula where the Scimitar was hidden. We had not yet expanded our search area to include that sector."

"That's probably why Meya found them. They were working off the charts you gave us of what you'd explored. They just kept going."

"Have you started making arrangements for them to return?"

Jason nodded. "We have a plan."

"Good. Jason, my children have cracked the Urumi security. We now have a complete view of the Consortium. Handmaiden Miaari's theories were correct in assuming they were from a great distance. They are from Andromeda."

"Andromeda? Another galaxy?" Jason gasped. "They jumped hyperspace across galaxies? How did they survive it?"

"It is slightly more than that. According to what the Urumi learned from them, they are from Andromeda, but long ago they sent a colonizing force to this galaxy, but returned home in failure. Judging from what Handmaiden has told me, I would assume that that colonizing force stumbled across them," she said, pointing at Aura, "then they returned to Andromeda with that technology to study it, possibly fearing they had come to a galaxy where the inhabitants were vastly more advanced than them. When word spread through the galaxy that the Karinnes returned, somehow the Consortium learned of it, and decided to return to our galaxy to attempt to capture the rest of the Karinne secrets. They spoke of one secret in particular, Jason," she said intensely, then she reached up and put her hand on her neck. Through Kimdori sharing, she imparted to him exactly what they were after.

The Generations Program.

Jason felt his heart sink. The Consortium had learned of the Program through the Karinnes they captured, and now the Urumi knew at least something about it. Zaa imparted to him that the Consortium told the Urumi that the Karinnes had genetically engineered their telepathic power, and had built computers that were telepathically aware, and the Consortium wanted those secrets.

The Karinnes had bridged the gap between man and machine, and they were the only ones to ever accomplish it. But now there were others out in the galaxy that knew Karinne's greatest secret, and they wanted that secret for themselves. Jason had to accept what he'd been dreading for five years at that point.

They would be coming. They would be coming for that secret.

"I was to present this to you when we had a little more information and some corroboration, but when Handmaiden Miaari told me of this discovery, I had to come see her in person. And since we are together, I felt giving you at least what we knew would be prudent. There will be more refined information coming, as my children comb through the Urumi computer network to seek out every truth."

"I, thank you, Denmother," he said grimly. He looked at Cybi, and she had a concerned look on her face when he communed Zaa's discovery to her.

Now more than ever, getting that interdictor built was critical. With the interdictor up, the only way in or out would be a stargate, which they could turn off to make the system only reachable by a year-long flight through space at sub-light speed… and that was if they could move at the speed of light.

He knew then. Karis had to be completely self sufficient. They had to be able to survive as if they were the last life in the universe, where they needed no materials or assistance from the outside. If it came to it, Karis would have to be completely separated from the rest of the universe to protect its secrets.

They had a lot of work to do.

He gave Zaa a long, serious look, and she nodded. "The only mystery left is why they tried to kill Kellin instead of Dahnai."

"It was ordered by the Consortium," Zaa answered. "For some reason, they wanted to keep Dahnai on the throne. My best guess is they wanted discord between you and Dahnai, but wanted to keep Dahnai in power. The why of it is still a mystery, but it will present itself in time."

Rahne flushed and looked away. She knew that she was to be the assassin.

"It is not your fault, my child," Zaa told her gently, putting her hand on her shoulder. "What you were no longer matters. You now get to choose who you want to be. And if that is not who you want to be, walk away from the past and never look back."

Rahne nodded, looking at Jason.

[Jason, that is a matter for a later time,] Cybi told him. [We will worry about it later. For now, rejoice that the long-lost children of the house have been recovered. If you brood, Aura will believe you are not happy to see her. Don't give her that impression.]

He gave her a grateful nod. She was right. He could worry later. Right now was a time to celebrate.

"Aura," he said. "How do you think your people will like living here?"

"I think that many will love it, some will tolerate it, some will wish for what they left behind, and some will not come with us."

"Well, now that we know where they are, we can make sure we take care of them," Jason assured her. "Even if they want to stay on Exile, we'll make sure they're just fine."

"That would pleasure me, your Grace."

"That would please you," he corrected as Rahne giggled. "The way you said it would be, ah, rather personal."

She blushed a rather pleasing shade of violet. "I apologize. Your accent is so strange, but I would speak so as not to offend our cousins."

"That is alright, child," Zaa said with a slight smile.

Jason returned with Aura and Rahne to his house, and Aura spent the afternoon meeting his friends and family. Zaa attended, sitting at the kitchen table with Miaari hovering near her, taking turns putting Jason's children on her lap and talking with them, one by one. Aura seemed quite overwhelmed by it all, but she also seemed quite happy to be there, and excited about the thought that her people would soon be coming home.

Meya and Myra sidled up and sat down on either side of him, leaning on the table, staring at him from both sides. He glanced at each of them. What?

We leave for a month, and boy, have you been a naughty boy, Myra sent with a mean smile. Jys and Symone and Empress Dahnai, all at the same time? We want details. Lots and lots of details.

Life can often be full of bitter disappointments.

Oh, we already got Symone's side of it. We want yours, Meya told him.

I'm gonna strangle that girl.

Push off, Jason. We'll get what we're after, it's just a matter of time. Then they leaned in and kissed him, one on each cheek, which made Jason laugh helplessly.

God help me, I've missed you two.

You better miss us, Myra sent teasingly. But we need your help.

With what?

While we were gone, Kumi broke into our houses and filled them with crash foam. From the basement to the attic.

She didn't!

Yeah, it's a fucking mess. So, it's about time for revenge.

Revenge, you say? Jason grinned, looking at the twins in turn. It's gonna take some doing to top the last one.

Oh, we'll think of something, Meya winked. You in?

When it comes to making Kumi scream, I'm always in.

Good.

Jason put Aura up in the guest house, showing her around, and then he gave her an interface. This is–

I know what these are, your Grace, she told him, putting it on her face. They're part of the histories we read. Does it truly work as our ancestors wrote?

Just think to the interface what you want something to do, and it tells the machine to do it. Like so. I'll turn off the lights. The lights turned off, plunging them into darkness. Now you turn them on.

Lights, she sent, but she must have put something to the interface, for the lights did wink back on.

You don't have to send out loud of course, just thinking at the interface does the tricks.

It is truly right out of our history! she sent in wonder, then she impulsively leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. Thank you, your Grace! May I keep it?

It's all yours. That interface works everything, Aura. The lights will turn on and off, and when you need water from the kitchen, the faucet will give it to you, however hot or cold you want. And when you need to go to the bathroom, it even flushes the toilet.

That took some getting used to, she admitted. I wasn't on the ship long enough to do anything, so when I finally had to relieve myself, it was here. Your wife was kind enough to help me.

I had Ayama bring you some clothes, they should be folded on the bed. There's soap and shampoo in the bathroom for you.

What are those?

He explained what those were, then explained how the shower worked to her. Now if you need anything, just send. The guards will be listening for you, and they'll come and help if you ask them.

If I get hungry, where do I go?

Come to my house. If Ayama's not awake, the guards will help you make something to eat. Now I wake up early, so expect to be up and about not long after sunrise. We're going to go get your people tomorrow.

I can't wait.

Me either.

Goodnight, my Duke.

Goodnight, Aura. Sleep well.


Jason was indeed up with the sun, which really disappointed Rann. When he came bounding into the room, Jyslin was still asleep, but Jason was sitting at his desk, on his panel, sending Dahnai a message that the interdictor contract would be delayed a few days because of unexpected house business that came up.

The interdictor… he wouldn't feel safe until it was online. The stargate they bought was now in orbit around the planet, and he had a crew to operate and maintain it already in place. The gate on the other side was already in place, and the two gates were now linked up, but it wasn't ready for traffic yet. The quasar was a high-radiation area, and it was going to take some extensive preparation to get it ready so humans and Faey, and about anyone not Jakkan or Kimdori, could jump in without getting fried. That radiation was both a danger and blessing, for the quasar's high radiation and intense gravometric field would hide the gate from any long-range sensor, protecting the back door into the Karis system once the interdictor was online. There was a huge fleet of Kimdori ships swarming all over the Karis system, patrolling in readiness in case another Consortium fleet appeared to attack, and until his own fleet was repaired and the interdictor was online, they were going to depend on them.

Even if the Consortium did appear, they'd find a fleet of Kimdori warships waiting for them, ships that were being armed with Karinne technology. Jason had ordered the weapons on the orbital platforms taken off and armed on Kimdori ships, so they would have a powerful edge if the Consortium attacked. It did not surprise him at all that they had the plans and ability to build Karinne weapons, but they did not, because they had made an oath not to do so. That proved their amazing discipline and adherence to their promises, that they would not break their oath to build weapons that may make a decisive difference in battle, just as it amazed him that they hadn't built biogenic computers to replace their failing biogenic parts after Karinne was destroyed. All because they gave their word.

It sometimes surprised him that the Kimdori kept that fleet, because the Kimdori had never been in war with anyone, ever. Their oaths forbade it. Even back when Jason had first taken the house, the Kimdori would only man his ships under the direct orders of a non-Kimdori, so they maintained their strict oaths not to initiate war. But they did, Zaa confided, keep a fleet of about one thousand ships, where they basically stayed in the home system and protected it in case someone tried to invade. That was all they did. Virtually that entire fleet was protecting Karis now, though. That was all they were allowed to do, for their oaths didn't permit them to get involved with other races in such a manner. The only reason they were here and may engage in war with the Consortium was because Jason was related to them, and he had lost his ability to protect himself. They had no choice but to defend him now, to prevent the house of Karinne from being destroyed a second time. They were defending their own, and that allowed them to break their oaths of non-aggression.

It was looking good, but still, he wouldn't breathe a sigh of relief until that interdictor was online. Then he'd build more and install them in Imperium systems, to protect Dahnai from a Consortium attack. They had an interest in her as well, and now he knew why.

If they knew about the Generations program, then they knew they needed Faey or humans to serve as the link between man and machine. And the only place one could find Faey or humans in the universe were in the Imperium.

The Consortium would have designs on the Imperium as well as on Karis. Karis, they wanted to conquer, but the Imperium, they wanted to control. That could very well be why they tried to kill Kellin, a step in their plan to somehow gain control of Dahnai and bring the Imperium under their dominion.

He'd have to tighten security around Earth. Earth couldn't have an interdictor because of the Academy, but the Consortium might decide to try to engineer humans to be Generations. Humans and Faey were virtually identical, with only very minor differences in their DNA, and Jason and Rahne proved that humans could indeed be Generations.

No. Wait. They had sent Rahne to kill Kellin. Could Rahne be engineered? An artificial Generation?

No, no, no. If the Consortium could indeed engineer Generations from scratch, then they would never have allowed the Urumi to send the humans they had back to the Trillanes.

Yes. That was true. So the Consortium needed Faey.

So… if that was true, then did the Consortium even know that they had held a Generation in their hands, and let her slip through their fingers? After all, there was no way to distinguish a Generation from a normal telepath without a DNA scan, and only if you knew what to look for. And the Karinnes they abducted from the Exiled were not Generations. They had no way to know what to look for. They knew what they needed, but they needed more to know how to find them, or how to engineer them. That was why they wanted the Generation Program data that was on Karis.

Yes, that seemed logical. The Consortium wanted the Generations, and in the mother of all ironies, they had had one… and let her slip away without ever knowing exactly what they had.

He realized it then, it hit him like a hammer. The Consortium wanted the secrets of the Generations. They had exiled Karinnes, who would know about the CBIMs. They knew exactly where to go, exactly what to do.

They didn't attack Karis to kill Jason.

They tried to capture Cybi.

That was just another reason to make Karis impregnable. Cybi was the soul of House Karinne, and he would do anything to protect her. She mattered more than everyone. His friends, his family, even himself. Cybi was the most important thing on Karis, and he would defend her to the death, with his last breath, if he had to.

"You need to go get dressed, kiddo," Jason told his son. "You're going to spend today with Maya."

"Aww, I wanna go with you!" he complained.

"Sorry, kiddo. I had to twist Aya's arm to get to go myself. But you won't be alone. Mom will be with you."

"So you're gonna go bring back Miss Aura's people?"

He nodded, glancing at the clock. "In fact, I need to get dressed too. We're leaving in like half an hour, and it takes me a good ten to get my armor on."

He got up and put his Crusader armor on, then woke Jyslin up with a kiss. I'm going to go, love. Take care.

Be careful, love.

I'll have my babysitters with me. They'll keep me out of trouble.

They better, she grinned.

After a few English muffins with Aura and the twins, they gathered up their guards and walked out to the landing pad. Aura looked excited at the idea of flying in ships again, and Aya marched 16 guards into the dropship in front of them. She was taking a large contingent, because they were going into unknown and possibly dangerous territory.

"We are going to fly," Aura said aloud, putting her hands to her chest. She was wearing a black tee shirt and blue jeans, what Ayama had laid out for her, and she looked completely normal, like any other Karinne woman on the planet.

Which was a wonderful thought.

They had a lot of work ahead. The Exiled needed to be integrated into Karinne society, and they had to shore up their defenses in the face of the threat of a government in another galaxy, but they would make it. Jason had every faith in his people and their resolve.

Come what may, they'd stand strong.

Let's go get our people, Jason said. It's time for them to come home.

Amen.

The End

And thus ends the story
of the Insurrection.

In the next short story,
Unification, the
House Karinne brings
the Exiled descendents of the
house home, discovers that there
can be growing pains in such
a combining of cultures, and
prepares both itself and
the Imperium for the threat
of the Consortium.

They are coming.

And, as always, there will
be other stories to tell.