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CHAPTER FOUR

  Tanna’s smiling as we walk towards the landcraft storage area. We were able to get out of there pretty quickly after the battery requisition was complete. Tanna delegated most of the remaining work to her staff, and most of my work doesn’t start until the morning after everyone else submits all the other urgent requisitions. I’d feel bad about it, but I know that the dung pile will eventually roll uphill straight to my desk while the rest of them get a break, so they can deal with it tonight.

  I just wish Tanna wasn’t smiling so much. I can tell she’s up to something, but I can also tell she’s not going to let it out. I’ll just have to wait patiently and watch out for goblin hit squads she may be hiding on the way to the restaurant. Or worse – potential boyfriends.

  My best friend loves to try to find men for me whenever we’re on-world. It’s both really sweet of her and really annoying at the same time. Tanna’s idea of ‘the perfect man for Rylae’ is a beautiful elf with money who can’t otherwise string two words together. She says that’s important, so I can be the elf-in-charge in the relationship. In reality, Tanna prefers ‘big, sexy and dumb’ more than I do… which, sadly, LC Aelon Onoviel generally fits the bill for. He’s a genius pilot, an excellent navigator, and a great department head, but I don’t think anyone would ever consider him to be the brightest officer in the room, though… even if he’s alone in the room. Not that Tanna leaves him alone in a room very often.

  We get to the landcraft and climb in. Tanna sets the direction, we close the doors, and the craft starts rolling along. Whoever invented the first landcraft probably had no idea what some dwarven engineering and goblinite backwards spellcraft could do to the poor simple machines. It’s hard to imagine these used to be pulled by horses and mules back in the old days, instead of controlled by navigation and momentum spells. Now you just set the direction in the holoterminal and the landcraft drives itself. I wonder what we still use horses and mules for.

  With the landcraft on its way, Tanna turns to look at me. I think she’s finally about to burst with whatever she’s hiding, but then she chuckles and turns away. I hate when she gets like this, because there’s no chance of conversation until we get there. If she tries to talk, she’ll just blab whatever she’s hiding. She’s terrible with secrets. But then she’ll be mad at me for making her give it up, so I let her have her fun.

  With the work done until tomorrow, and the mission not starting for two days, I have nothing to really think about. It’s not often I get to ride around Terra and not have anything urgent to think about while I’m going somewhere. Normally I’m going to official events and thinking about them in advance, or going back to quarters and thinking about them afterwards. Dragons be damned, now I’m thinking about how I don’t have to think about things! I’ll just look at the city instead.

  Admiralty City is exactly what it sounds like – a city built around the UCST Admiralty and the Academy. It’s a modern city, full of buildings forty and fifty levels high made from metal, stone and glass. Offices, residence halls, schools for children, shopping centers, factories, warehouses, and more beyond that. Landcraft aren’t exactly filling the roads, but there are a few going in our direction and a few going back the other way. It’s nice without feeling overcrowded.

  I wonder what it used to be like back before technology. I’m a student of technology, but not much of a scholar for history. I’ve heard some of the same stories all the kids know, of course. Small villages popped up here and there, with maybe a couple hundred folk in each living in small huts or wooden shacks. Blacksmiths worked the iron, bakers made the food, innkeepers ran the inn, soldiers patrolled the town, and adventurers in armor would show up every so often with gold to spend and tales of faraway places to spin. It was a special time where everything was new and everyone was willing to fight for whatever they could find.

  Looking out now, I’m glad for technology. Sure, there’s less forests around for the elves, but there’s also less need for mining dwarves to live underground and for goblins to attack villages for food and profit. There’s thousands of folk living in Admiralty City, and there’s dozens of other cities on Terra . And between those cities is all the rest of the world.

  No two cities are close to each other, requiring hours of landcraft travel from one to another. In the middle are forests enough to satisfy any elf, empty mines and caverns to satisfy any dwarf, and abandoned villages which can be sacked by fake goblin war parties. And if that’s not enough to satisfy someone, that’s what all the other worlds are for.

  The folk that couldn’t easily get along with other races in cities packed up and left. Early starfield travelers quickly found worlds that were habitable, and groups started leaving in colony ships for the new worlds. Adventurers never became completely obsolete after all, as they led groups of their folk on new adventures to new worlds. Now folk are all over the starfield inhabiting a few dozen worlds.

  I check the time on the holodisplay of the landcraft, and it’s a decent time for a late dinner. It also reminds me that I need to double-check what the hours on Stenchstone are before we leave. All ships have to tweak their day/night schedules to match the worlds they’re going to. It’s easier to twist around a couple shifts during flight than it is to get to a world and find out that you’re just waking up when they’re getting ready for bed. By the time we get there, our morning will sync up with the world’s morning.

  We should be at the restaurant in a few minutes, and I’m bored thinking about history and time changes. Time to poke the dragon. “I can’t wait to get to House of Ryvvik. It’s been a long time since I’ve had good homestyle elven cooking. It’s been too long since you and I have been out alone together, too. Remind me to thank this goblin on Stenchstone for getting arrested and giving us the night off!”

  Tanna bursts into laughter. “Yeah, I’m sure that’s exactly why he did it. He knew they’d declare war on us and we’d be the only ship around to pick up the slack, so after a long meeting the two senior officer best friends could have dinner. I’ll be sure to remind you. That’s a conversation I want to hear!”

  She stops again after that comment, obviously remembering whatever she’s trying to hide. I know her too well, though. Before my joke, when I had just made the comment about being out alone, her eyes got shifty. She’s up to something, and there’s some other folk joining us for dinner. Dragons be damned. She probably had these men ready at lunch, and made them come back for dinner when I cancelled for the meeting. I’d kill her, but I’d never find another Chief Engineer quickly enough to replace her.

  The landcraft slows as the restaurant gets near, eventually coming to a stop inside a local storage area. We get out and walk toward the front door, with Tanna on my left still smiling. As we get near, we come up to a large reflective part of the steel wall, where Tanna stops to adjust her clothes. I walk up next to her to take a look at myself as well, now that I know we’re going to be meeting someone.

  Miss short-pink-skirt-and-long-legs standing next to me makes me feel like a dwarf, but the top of my head still comes up to her nose, so it’s not that bad. I run my fingers through my shoulder-length black hair, shaking it out so it looks a little fuller and covers the points on my ears which I think are too high. Since I was just sitting for my test all morning, I didn’t bother with any color around my green eyes, so the reddish freckles on my cheekbones seem to stand out even more than usual. I brush my hands down the uniform, adjust my small breasts under the fabric, pinch it out around my hips so they don’t look quite so shapeless, then sigh, shrug, and smile. I am what I am, even if what I am doesn’t seem like quite as much next to Tanna.

  We turn to leave the storage area, and I can see the restaurant across the road. I’m just about to make another comment when a hand comes down on my right shoulder. Instinct and training kick in. Drop the shoulder, kick the right leg back and out, sweep to the front to take the knees, con
tinue the spin and drop knees-first on my face-down attacker.

  I hear wheezes below me and I’m scanning for more attackers when I notice Tanna laughing so hard she’s down on her knees. The male elf under my knees turns his head and gasps out, “Nice to see you too, Little Sister.”

  I finally recognize the man as Srindin Aldamiel, Tanna’s brother, and I know now what Tanna was hiding the whole ride over. She knew exactly how I’d react if I didn’t know he was here, and since Srindin is younger than Tanna, the older sister had to get the younger brother using me as the device. Again.

  I’ve known Srindin as long as I’ve known Tanna, however long that’s been. He’s 130 years old, nine years younger than Tanna but six years older than me, so he’s taken to calling us Big Sister and Little Sister. Tanna’s family lives in Admiralty City, and we spent a lot of time with her family during our academy days, since mine live on Tir Tairngire. Srindin is a supply lieutenant in one of the dock warehouses, so it’s nice that he was able to come out to dinner with us – although a little warning from Tanna would have been nice.

  I climb back to my feet and offer a hand to Srindin to help him up. Again standing, he brushes off his uniform and sees Tanna still laughing on her knees. He punches her in the shoulder, then offers me his arm. Taking it, I stick out my tongue at Tanna, which only makes her laugh even louder. Arm-in-arm, we skip to the restaurant, leaving Tanna behind on the ground. She’ll catch up eventually.

  Srindin opens the door for me, then bumps shoulders with the host before leading me to a table. He was obviously here before us and knows the elf at the front door. We come to a round table with five chairs, and he sets me in one before sitting on my right. I look at the extra chairs and give him a questioning look.

  Srindin sighs. “Big Sister didn’t tell you anything, did she? Can’t take that elf anywhere nice. At least that explains why you attacked me. Nice leg sweep, by the way. You’ve been practicing. Never got me down so quickly before.”

  That makes me giggle. I hate when I giggle, but I only giggle around family so that makes it okay. “Lada would have my head if I wasn’t able to take out a single attacker in two seconds. And that’s a real attacker, not some weak-kneed warehouse sitter!” I wink at him, but he knows I’m playing. “But no, she didn’t tell me anything. Two more chairs… are Mom and Dad coming too?”

  He points back to the door where Tanna’s walking in with her parents. Noticing her mother in uniform, I’m standing again just as the elf at the door speaks a word to cause a whistle to echo through the restaurant – the same whistle from the ship. All UCST-uniformed diners, and a few in casual clothes, quickly come to their feet, turn to the door, and salute.

  Most buildings on worlds with UCST stations will sound a whistle for uniformed admirals. Most only see uniformed admirals if they’re visiting officially or are high-ranking family members. Admiralty City obviously sees more uniformed admirals than most, but it’s still a rare occurrence for most folk in the city. Admiral Maeralya Aldamiel, Tanna’s Mom, salutes the room and gestures them to be seated. Everyone returns to their seats, but Srindin and I remain standing.

  Tanna’s Dad, Adamar Aldamiel, is also with the women. Smartly dressed in a blue shirt with red-striped tie under a grey jacket with grey slacks, he looks good with the uniformed woman on his arm. Adamar is a popular local engineer and architect, having designed a lot of buildings within the city. The new Admiralty building holding the High Admiral Council chambers was designed by him. He’s not personally much of a celebrity, but everyone knows his work. Tanna learned a lot from him, and between the two parents it’s no wonder Tanna is where she is on the Corsari.

  I’ve known Mom and Dad long enough to call them Mom and Dad. I hope we get the chance to spend more time on my homeworld so Tanna can get to know my parents as well as I know hers. It’s nice that I have Mother and Father back home, and Mom and Dad here. And it’s a much nicer surprise than the “parade of potential boyfriends” that I was expecting to be waiting for me!

  Hugs are exchanged before we all sit down. I’m really glad to see them, which must show on my face because Mom seems to notice. “Rylae, dear… Tanna didn’t tell you I called her about dinner, did she?”

  Tanna starts chuckling, so Dad reaches up a hand to flick her ear. “Ridiculous girl. Probably got her brother on the ground again, didn’t she?” Srindin nods, Tanna chuckles louder, and Dad flicks her ear again. Srindin and I share a glance, and I giggle again. Dad doesn’t care how old Tanna is. He’ll gladly remind his daughter to behave, even if it’s just a flicked ear. They’re a good family. I love them all.

  “No, Mom, she didn’t tell me anything, but I’m glad to see you all! Is there an occasion? Were you already planning to eat here when we got out early?”

  Mom touches the insignia on her collar pointedly. “I know you two are leaving again in two days. It’s urgent, and it could be dangerous, so I wanted to pull everyone together tonight. Adamar wasn’t busy, and I may have called in a favor with Srindin’s LC to get him out today.” She winks at her son, who salutes and chuckles.

  I smile. “Thanks for thinking about us. Honestly, I’m not that worried about it. It sounds like cut-and-dry diplomacy, and between Cap and the Admiral they should get it all sorted out. We’ll be back before we know it.” Tanna nods in agreement.

  The waiter comes over, and we place our orders. The conversation through the rest of the meal is light and fun. We talk about Srindin’s recent terrible girlfriends, Dad’s newest building designs, and a bit about Tanna and Aelon. There’s not much about myself to talk about, and Mom doesn’t bring up any more about work.

  I do notice Mom glance at me quite a few times during dinner with a pointed look. It’s not something I can describe, but it looks an awful lot like she’s telling me to pay attention to the mission, and that things might not be as simple as they appear. As soon as I’m thinking that, she looks content and doesn’t give me any more weird looks.

  I wonder how that works. It’s like some type of command intuition or telepathy or something. We just make weird motions and think things really hard at another officer, and they pick up on it. Only works for command situations, though, and only with senior officers. I’d tried it with ensigns before and it just doesn’t come across the same. It’s like they don’t think the same way we do, so they don’t even come close to understanding.

  Beats me. I’ll think about it more tomorrow. Right now I want some of those delectable cherry crème puffs they serve here. At least two or three. Maybe I’ll save one for the morning while I’m doing paperwork. Or maybe I’ll just eat all of them here. I haven’t decided yet.