There was a time when ignorance made

Our innocence strong

There was a time when we all thought

We could do no wrong

There was a time, so long ago

There was a time

But here we are

In the calm before the storm

Rubén Blades - “The Calm Before the Storm”

“...and so, it gives me great pride to introduce Chief Healer Raichret, to dedicate the Tetrarchy’s newest addition to the fleet...the Hospital ship Florence Nightingale!”

The crowd erupted into applause as she stepped forward, accepting the proffered bottle of champagne from the Prime Minister before taking position in front of the exposed section of the ship’s hull. The rest of the vessel hung in space, ready for launch, but the ancient human custom required a reachable spot. Raichret faced the crowd, and intoned, “May the Creator bless this ship and all who sail in her,” before raising the bottle and smashing it against the metal structure.

Cheers and applause filled the space once more, as she smiled and posed for the cameras alongside Leandra Singh. From the wings Nassat beamed with pride, pointing out his mate to their children, Taichist and Chechla. They watched with wide-eyed curiosity as their mother played her part like a professional...until the reporters spotted them in the crowd.

“...Colonel Nassat! Does this continued shipbuilding mean you expect renewed hostility with the Khonhim?”

“...do you feel the Tetrarchy military has expanded too far?”

“...is this a provocation for war?”

Ten years of practice kept him from sighing and rolling his eyes. Instead, he glanced over at the Prime Minister, who gave him the barest of nods. Bowing to the inevitable he whispered to the twins, entrusting them to the human who stood at his side, before stepping out onto the stage and taking his place alongside the other honored guests, as a hush fell over the crowd.

“First, let me say that this ceremony has little to do with me,” Nassat said with a gentle smile. “I am here to support my talented wife, without whose hard work and dedication this ship...and her sister vessels...would not exist.” He took her hand as they shared a brief smile. “Speaking as someone her medical skills once saved, I can only say that I am gratified that these ships exist...and pray we will never need them.”

The more fervent journalists in the room weren’t mollified. “Colonel Nassat, do you favor renewed hostilities with the Khonhim?”

He turned to face the speaker. “I favor the security and safety of our worlds, but if I am given a choice, I would much prefer to see that take place on the field of diplomacy, as opposed to the battlefield. War should always be the last resort, that irrevocable step taken only when all other options have failed.”

The other reporters began shouting out their own questions, only for the Prime Minister to step forward. “I’m afraid that’s all the time we have,” she said with a smile, as the junior functionaries guided them out of the room, the din disappearing behind them as the door slid shut.

“Dear Creator, I hate those things,” Nassat sighed, as he and Raichret leaned on each other for support.

“Oh, I don’t know,” Leandra chuckled, “you’re getting quite good at it.”

“Only because you forced us into this,” Raichret snapped, her features softening as the twins came bounding up to meet them.

“Mother! Father!” they shouted with glee, prancing all around them with the energy all young children seemed to share. “You said we could go on the ship!” Taichist demanded.

“You promised,” his sister whined, as their keeper caught up with them.

“Now what have your parents told you about running off?” Sergeant Major Lin asked, giving the adults a wink.

To their credit, the twins looked suitably chagrined. “...we’re sorry,” they said in unison, prompting another chuckle from the Prime Minister.

“They didn’t run that far,” she said in their defense, kneeling down beside them and producing two candies from the folds of her gown.

They quickly snatched the sweets up. “....thank you, Auntie Leandra!” they shouted, as the candies disappeared into their mouths.

Raichret gave the other woman an old fashioned look. “You will spoil them,” she clucked, pulling the children in close beside her.

“If I didn’t know you loved them as much as we do, I would accuse you of engaging in bribery,” Nassat said with an exasperated smile.

“Well of course I am,” the Prime Minister chuckled. “I’m a politician, and must maintain certain standards.”

The group laughed before she grew serious. “I’m afraid I have to pull you away from your family for a moment,” Leandra informed him, as Nassat nodded in understanding.

“Dear...could you take the children on that tour?” he asked. “It is your brainchild, after all.”

Raichret shot the minister a look, before turning to the twins. “Come along,” she said, “we’ll meet up with your father later.” The children bounded forward, as their mother hurried after them, begging them to slow down.

Nassat glanced at Lin, who shrugged, before turning his attention back to Singh. “So...what is it you wished to discuss?”

Leandra found a comfortable chair and sat down. “I take it you noticed the tone of the reporters’ questions?” she asked.

“I did,” he said. “I assume there has been some recent development?”

“Yes and no,” she replied. “They got wind of the latest speech from the new Dhyaksh, and it seems he’s been dialing up his rhetoric as of late. Many believe it is nothing more than saber-rattling, but...I am less convinced.”

He stared back at her. “Prime Minister, it has been ten years. Ten years of hard-earned peace. Why would he risk jeopardizing that now?”

“It’s like I told you at the beginning...the war was little more than a setback, in the greater scheme of things,” she said quietly. “Yes, we hurt them...but far less than they hurt us. We’ve had minimal contact with the Khonhim since then and being honest I was fine with that state of affairs. We needed that time, Nassat, to build a capable fleet. But despite all the ships we’ve constructed, ten years isn’t enough time to create the military we’ll need if the worst happens. We’ve expanded the Navy and Army, and we properly train the recruits we turn out now, unlike what you and the others experienced. But a decade isn’t enough time to create the traditions, the wealth of experience a military needs to fall back on if the shit hits the fan.”

“Perhaps if we detached some of those ships and sent them to keep a closer eye on the Khonhim,” Nassat suggested. “That would go a long way to allay people’s fears.”

“You do not know how much I wish I could,” Leandra sighed, “and if we’d done so at the beginning, we could have gotten away with it. But now? They would see it as a provocation, and at the moment that’s something we don’t dare risk.”

Nassat grimaced. “We did not have the ships available to monitor them then.”

“Trust me, no one knows that better than I do,” she said. “We were lucky enough as it was to get them to agree to a ceasefire. If I’d pushed them any harder Jiyazh would have balked...which would have meant fighting it out to the bitter end. Now perhaps we could have still pulled it out, but the numbers at the time weren’t encouraging.” She sighed, leaning back in her chair. “I made the best bargain I could, Nassat...but that doesn’t mean it was a good one. In the world of diplomacy, if you’re not dealing from a position of strength…then you’re just not dealing.”

For the first time, Sergeant Major Lin spoke up. “I always said it was another damn Treaty of Versailles.”

“Maybe not quite that bad...but close,” Leandra admitted. “At least we didn’t slap them with the punitive damages the Allies insisted on at Versailles...again, because we didn’t have the means to enforce it then. As it was, I had to show the other Ministers the door just to get it approved. Their replacements were much more…”

“...pliable?” Nassat suggested.

“...I would say pragmatic,” she replied, as Lin snorted.

“There’s a growing number of individuals from the old Triumvirate unhappy with your decision to force out the old guard, Prime Minister,” Nassat said. “Many of them see it as nothing more than a Coup, perpetrated by humans.”

“And they’re not wrong,” Leandra said, “but it was...necessary.”

“I just hope that decision does not prove to be our undoing, in the fullness of time,” Nassat said with some disquiet.

“As do I,” the Prime Minister agreed. “But it’s like the old saying, “It’s hard to remember your job was to drain the swamp…”

“...when you’re up to your ass in alligators,” he finished for her, with a rueful chuckle.

Nassat paused for a moment and then cocked his head. “You know, I’ve always wondered...just what is an alligator?” he asked, as the two humans laughed out loud.