Carrying a small suitcase, Toby walked into the Terran embassy. He looked at the front desk in disbelief. Was that… Dawn? He almost didn’t recognize her.

She looked like a completely different person. When did she start wearing makeup? And those clothes, where did she get them? Hell, how did she afford them?

She looked up at him and smiled happily.

“Toby! Love the eye!” she exclaimed as she lounged behind the desk.

“Yes,” he said as he flexed it back and forth. “I’m quite pleased with it myself.” He was a little surprised. She called him by his first name and not by “gunny” and she didn’t rise to greet him. It wasn’t improper by any means. In fact she was doing exactly what he had recommended many times before. They weren’t in the marines anymore after all.

It just wasn’t like her. And that look in her eyes, it wasn’t entirely pleasant.

“You are looking… nice,” Toby said slightly confused.

“Thanks!” Dawn said almost breaking into her trademark sunshine filled grin before she caught herself. She settled down almost immediately and gave Toby a cool smile. “I’ve decided to invest a little more time in myself these days.”

“Well it certainly shows,” Toby said discreetly scanning her string of pearls with his new built in scanner. They were not only real but natural, not cultured, and quite high quality. They were worth a year’s worth of her salary, easy. Only one person here that she could get those from, he thought to himself.

Her clothing style and makeup already looked like someone in particular. The pearls started to confirm his suspicions.

“Those are some pretty nice pearls there, Dawn,” Toby said trying to keep the disapproval out of his voice.

“Why thank you! They are a gift from the Deputy Ambassador!”

“I see...”

“They are a reward for being a true Terran! I almost gutted this porkie when he started talking shit.”

“Well, that’s… nice,” Toby said grimly. The words True Terran were not what he wanted to hear. The implications of that ugly little phrase were a very bad sign indeed. He suspected he would find trouble and here was the first bit of it. “Well, I can imagine that Ms. Hu was a handful, huh?”

“Oh no! Not at all! It’s been an honor working for her!” Dawn exclaimed with joy in her voice.

Fuck, Toby thought to himself. “It’s no secret that she can be demanding as hell. It’s great of you to keep such a good attitude about this job. Don’t worry, though. I’m here to relieve you.”

“What?” Dawn said in a very nasty tone of voice. “Um, I mean I’m sorry,” she said in a much more collected cold tone of voice as she looked at him like she wanted to kill him. “I believe that the Deputy Ambassador would prefer me to remain at this post. I’m her personal assistant.”

“I don’t believe that the position of assistant to the Deputy Ambassador officially exists,” Toby said calmly. He needed to get Dawn away from Patricia Hu now.

“It does now,” Dawn said with ice in her voice. “The Deputy Ambassador assigned me the position and this watch and I think she might outrank you just a little.”

“And I outrank you just a little,” Toby said calmly but quite firmly. “You are relieved, Dawn.”

“How, exactly, do you outrank me, Toby?”

“Dawn, let’s not do this. You. Are. Relieved.”

“Toby,” Dawn said eyes blazing, “you can’t push me around anymore. This is my post. Go and find something else to do.”

“Push you around?” Toby asked in genuine confusion, “What the are you talking about?”

“Dawn?” a silky smooth voice asked through the intercom, “Is that our returning hero?”

“Yes, Deputy Ambassador,” Dawn replied. “Toby is here.”

“How wonderful!” Patricia enthused, “Please send him in. I want to welcome him back personally.”

Dawn gave Toby a cold smile and gestured towards the door.

“This isn’t over, Dawn,” Toby said and then he walked into what used to be Jon’s office. Behind Jon’s desk Patricia rose and walked forward to greet him.

“Toby!” Patrica exclaimed as she glided up to him, “How wonderful to see you back on your feet! I love the eye! How is it working out for you?”

“The eye and myself are both doing quite well,” Toby said with a polite nod of his “head”. “I am ready to resume my duties, ma’am.”

“Splendid. Just splendid,” Patricia purred. “Well, I have my assistant at the desk but I’m sure we can find something suitable for someone of your achievements. I think, due to your current display of valor and martial prowess, something in the security office, perhaps?”

“Yes, about that,” Toby said keeping his voice even and professional, “I don’t believe that the position of assistant to the Deputy Ambassador is an actual post here in the embassy.”

“Oh, that’s nonsense,” Patricia smiled gazing into his eyes, “I certainly merit an assistant don’t I?”

“Um… I…” Toby stammered as he struggled to keep his wits about him, “R-regardless of whether or not you feel the need for one as of now the position does not exist. Considering my position it is more appropriate if-”

Patricia smiled with genuine pleasure. She always liked it when her eyes didn’t work. It meant that she was facing someone worth her time.

“Well, I’m sure I can make it official, Toby,” she said with a wicked little gleam in her eyes, “I will get right on that. It will be official, along with her promotion to make her equal to you in pay grade, by the end of the day, tomorrow at the latest.”

She glided back to her desk.

“In the meantime, please feel free to take the rest of the week off. You deserve it.”

“Ma’am! I am perfectly capab-”

“I said take the rest of the week off. That’s an order, Toby,” Patricia said warmly, “Think of it as my way of welcoming you back to our little family. On Monday, I will have something for you over in security where your skills will be of much better use.”

“I am sure that the ambassador will have something to say about this.”

“Oh I’m sure that he will. Once he is back I will move to my new office in the back and I’m sure you will get your little desk returned to you,” Patricia said with a voice filled with warmth and good humor. “I wouldn’t dare make any permanent change to your assignment, you are still the assistant to the ambassador. It’s just that until he returns I already have an assistant, as you can clearly see.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Toby said successfully keeping the anger out of his voice. “See you on Monday, then.”

“Everything sorted out then?” Dawn said with a toothy ear to ear grin as Toby left Patricia’s office.

“Yes, Dawn, it is,” Toby said calmly. “Dawn, you have friends, myself included. If you ever need us, we will be here.”

“Thank you, Toby but I already have everything I could ever dream of.”

***

He staggered alongside his mother trying to keep up. They had been walking for over a week. The food ran out days ago and the water ran out yesterday. It was all he could do to keep just putting one foot in front of the other.

He was so hungry.

In the distance they could make out the walls surrounding their goal, a settlement. They had heard about it from a wanderer who claimed to have escaped. His mother thought that slavery seemed a better fate than starvation. They had to feed slaves didn’t they? She was willing to trade their freedom for a few mouthfuls of food. It was better than trying to trade her body for the ever diminishing scraps that she could manage to get. They were slowly dying. Maybe here things would be better.

Clutching his starving infant sister in her arms his mother approached the gates emblazoned with a red phoenix on each door and flags bearing a red phoenix on a white background on the walls. They were greeted by an armored warrior with a gauss rifle slung across his back and a crude sword on his hip.

He sneered at them.

“What have we here?” he asked.

“Please,” his mother plead, “we’ve come a long way and-”

“And what?” he laughed.

“We would like to come to work for you,” she said begging “I’ll do anything.”

“Look at you. You are half dead already,” he laughed. “You are too weak to do anything and you have a baby, just a worthless mouth to feed.” He looked at them appraisingly. “The boy might be worth something but the rest of you, worthless.” He laughed. “Hell, we would have to boil you for hours just to make a bowl of soup. The infant doesn’t have much meat on her left but at least it will be tender.”

He ripped the boy’s sister from her mother’s grasp.

“No!” his mother screamed and she threw herself at the warrior who just laughed and knocked her to the ground.

“Well, what do we have here?” a beautiful voice asked. The warrior jerked himself upright as an impossibly beautiful woman clad in red scale armor on horseback armed with a pistol and a dao on her belt rode to the gate.

The boy stared up in awe at her. She was amazing.

“Just some trash the wind blew in, my lady,” the warrior said with a bow. “She came begging. I thought that at least the baby would be tender. I thought it would make a good gift for you.”

“Ganz, let’s not be too hasty,” the woman said looking down at the boy and his mother with cold green eyes. “Woman,” she said looking at his mother, “where did you come from?”

“J-just outside Darhan, ma’am.”

“Quite a long way, impressive.” the woman said looking down at her. “You have shown resolve coming this far but I wonder,” she said as she dismounted. “What do you offer us?”

“Anything! I will do anything! Please!”

“Saying that you will do anything means you offer nothing, dear,” the woman said with a beautiful laugh, “Do you have any skills?”

His mother just looked down.

“What have you done to feed yourself, after Yellowstone?”

“I...”

“Oh, I see,” the woman said, “A whore. We have little need of those. And before?”

“I worked in a bank.”

“So no hands on skills then,” the woman said in a warm sympathetic voice. “Oh my poor little wandering harlot, you come here nothing but skin and bones with two other mouths to feed and nothing to offer us but ‘anything’?” The woman looked at her sadly. “It would take who knows how long to feed you up to the point that you could do even simple labor and then the children… The boy might be able to eventually earn his keep but this...” she said as she took the infant from her warrior, “this thing is completely useless.”

“Please! I’ll do anything! Please!”

“So you say but I see no strength in you,” the woman said piercing her with her cold green eyes, “What I had hoped was resolve is nothing but desperation. Desperation I have in abundance. Resolve is what I desire. Even so, I do have something to give you,” she said with a smile.

His mother looked at her hopefully.

“I shall bring your suffering to an end. You and your son shall feed my men and this little morsel,” she said as she stroked the crying infant, “shall have the honor of gracing my table.”

“No!” his mother screamed as she threw herself at the woman.

With one vicious kick his mother was knocked to the ground clutching her belly.

“No, please… please...” she moaned.

“Get up,” the woman said calmly. His mother just curled up weeping on the stones weakly pleading for her daughter. The woman just sighed. “Disappointing.” She turned to leave.

The boy grabbed a stone and hurled it at the woman.

“Leave my sister alone!” he yelled.

“Oh?” the woman said as the rock bounced off of her armor. Ganz started to draw his blade and stopped with a wave of the woman’s hand.

“You would stop me, child?” the woman said in a hopeful tone of voice. “Come then, save your sister. Show me your resolve.”

The boy charged the woman and received a vicious kick carefully calibrated to stop just short of permanent damage. He was hurled back several meters and landed coughing and gasping.

“Get up, boy,” the woman said as she looked down at him with unfeeling green eyes. “Get up.”

The man awoke.

“Always wake up before the good part,” he muttered. He got out of bed and stretched his muscular tattooed frame. He then started to slowly inhale and exhale as he moved his body, focusing his chi as he did so just like he has done every morning for the last one and a half centuries.

After he completed his exercises he showered and then shaved. He paused and looked at the young man staring back at him in the mirror. He chuckled and shook his head.

***

After he left his stateroom he walked to the cargo hold. Everyone snapped to attention as he passed.

“Good morning, Bloodlord,” a young woman said brightly.

“Good morning,” the man replied pleasantly. “That is a title from another time. It’s best to get out of the habit of using it. You never know who is listening.”

“Yes, Blood… yes sir,” the woman replied respectfully.

“There you go!” the man said as he tousled her hair.

“Um, sir…” the woman said hesitantly, “I was wondering if… if...”

“Yes, child?” the man asked gently.

“I was wondering if you, if you have time, if you’d-”

“Bah, just ask or don’t. Show some resolve,” he said with a smile.

“I’ve been studying muscle tendon changing and I was wondering if you could give me some pointers,” the woman said hesitantly.

“Not with that resolve,” the man said with a chuckle. “Try again.”

The woman took a deep breath.

“I would be honored if you would give me some pointers,” she said with more confidence in her voice.

“Eh, close enough. Sure. Catch me sometime when you are off-shift,” he said with a gentle laugh. “Remember, If you are ever dealing with Her Ladyship confidence and resolve are key. Don’t hem and haw like that around her. It will be most unpleasant if you do.”

“Yes, Blo- Yes, sir!” She then darted off breathlessly.

He watched her leave smiling indulgently. He wondered whose grandchild, or great-grandchild or great-great… whatever grandchild she was. She definitely looked familiar.

He entered the cargo bay turned makeshift gym. A few people were in there working out or doing forms. Among them was Crimson. She was there with her jian going through forms, her elegantly styled long red hair flowing as she moved. He took a moment to admire her slender frame. She as was flawless as her moves, absolute perfection.

She finished her form and then looked over at him with a smile.

“You look exactly as you did the day we met, Crimson. No, you are even more beautiful.” he said as he approached.

“And you look nothing like the frightened little boy whose virginity I stole,” she laughed as she hugged him, her blue eyes twinkling. “Oh it’s good to see you again, Marrow. How long has it been?”

“At least twenty years since we have actually been face to face,” Marrow said with a smile. “We were both a bit more wrinkly back then.”

“Ugh, don’t remind me,” Crimson laughed. “So, she has called for two Bloodlords… Has her ladyship revealed any of her plans to you?”

“No,” Marrow said with a chuckle, “I was going to ask you the same question but it seems that both of us are in the dark this time. All I know is that I was to board this vessel and that we were to wait here until informed otherwise.”

“Not only us, but so many familiar faces that one would think we were about to knock over a station,” Crimson laughed. “It’s so weird. It’s like looking back in time. If one wasn’t careful one would think it was the good old days.”

“Hmm… So many happy memories,” Marrow chuckled. “I doubt we will get the pleasure of laying waste to a porkie stronghold this time.”

“Well, maybe not the first week anyhow,” Crimson said with a little smile.

***

“Excuse me, ma’am,” Toby said sharply as he entered Patricia’s office.

“Well, hello Toby,” Patricia said looking up from some correspondence with a pleasant gleam in her green eyes. “I wasn’t expecting to hear from you until Monday. Is something the matter?”

“Yes, ma’am there is,” Toby said with an edge in his voice. “I’ve been meeting with the staff and there is something I want to get perfectly clear.”

“Yes?” Patricia purred.

“Our Embassy staff is here to perform duties essential to the operation of this facility. They are not your servants! They are not your subjects! They are professionals who have jobs to do that do not involve making your bed nor cleaning your room. They are to be treated with respect, not abused or degraded!”

“Oh dear, how thoughtless of me,” Patricia said with an apologetic tone in her voice. “I’m sorry, I am just used to having my own personal staff.”

“Well you don’t have that here, ma’am!”

“I cannot apologize enough, Toby,” Patricia said looking abashed, “I will correct things immediately.”

“Thank you, ma’am.”

“I’m so glad you agree that I need my own staff.”

“Excuse me?!?”

“Well, that’s what you just said wasn’t it?” Patricia asked with a smile. “I will make arrangements to have some of my people brought in right away.”

“That’s not what I said, ma’am!” Toby spluttered.

“Well, as you said, I clearly need my own staff so as to not encumber the embassy. The people have enough to do without having to deal with me so I will make a few calls and take care of things.”

“I...”

“I am so glad you brought this to my attention, Toby,” Patricia said with a pleasant smile, “I’m glad we were able to work together to find a solution to this issue. Please feel free to drop by any time with any other concerns while Jon is still on the mend.”

“But…”

“Enjoy the rest of your week off, Toby.”

***

“Jesus, Toby, you walked right into that one,” Jon said laughing as he spoke into a holo-monitor.

“It isn’t funny, ambassador!”

“Oh relax, she was going to get her own staff in there one way or the other. I bet she went out of her way to be an asshole to the guys to set the whole thing up.”

“It wouldn’t surprise me,” Toby responded, “The complaints ceased immediately after our discussion. Her people will be arriving tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow?” Jon asked. “Fuck. That means she already had them in route, the bitch,” he chuckled.

“Can’t you do anything, sir?”

“Nope. She went way above my head on this. It’s all approved and set in stone, along with Dawn’s promotion and appointment as assistant to the deputy ambassador. Now that is something I am pissed about. How bad is it Toby?”

“Bad, sir. Patricia has her hooks in so deep that you can barely recognize her.”

“Fuck. All the rest of it is just fun and games but now she’s gone and fucked with one of our own,” Jon said with steel in his voice. “Has she gotten to any of the other staff?”

“A few, sir, but she seems to be fixated mainly on Dawn almost to the point of obsession. She has had her quarters moved next door to hers and they spend a great deal of time off the books together both early in the morning and in the evening. Does Ms. Hu’s sexual orientation include females? Do you think she is taking advantage of Dawn?”

“I would very much doubt it,” Jon said with a frown, “That would be playing right into our hands and would be far too easy to catch. No, Toby, I think it’s something much worse.”

“Sir?”

“Nothing I want to talk about over the air. We will talk when I get back. Just… keep an eye on things. Document what you can but be discreet. I am going to get the fuck out of this hospital bed and be on my way soon.”

“Yes, sir. I won’t tell you to not push it because I know you and to be honest it would be good to have you here.”

“Just be careful, Toby. Just do your time in the security office and don’t stick your neck out. I’m going to need you when I get there.”

“Yes, sir. See you soon.”

The hyperspace transmission ended. Jon just leaned back and looked at the ceiling.

“Oh, Patricia,” he muttered. “I was going to play nice, I really was...”