After Chief Executive Torrent Hafnym left Sam and Cassandane, he manuevered through the crowd of VIPs to speak into the ear of several of the other Executives. Sam caught several of them glancing in her direction as they listened to their leader. Their reactions -- or perhaps Hafnym's message -- varied greatly. One squinted at her with cold calculation. Another went wide-eyed and shook his head. The sole woman of the group spared her only a glance before nodding.

The real politics complete, the Chief Executive shepherded everyone back into position for the public show. He called the room to order and silence slowly fell. "The next item we have to discuss is the matter of Samantha Wilcox, our resident English paragon." He gestured to the podium. "Please step forward, Samantha."

Sam's knees almost buckled as she stood and took her first step. She wobbled her way towards the podium, then seized its sides to keep herself steady as all eyes fixed on her. A fact forgotten in her outrage and concern over her fate suddenly came to mind: public speaking terrified her.

"Are you nervous, Samantha?"

"A little bit," she said.

"I couldn't tell . . . ." Laughter erupted in the wake of Hafnym's sarcasm. "For those not aware, as Samantha approached the building, she had a candid conversation with the Navigator. The contents of that conversation mostly confirmed things we already knew or suspected, but it ended with a provisional offer to talk again later. I don't think I need to stress the fact that the Navigator has been less than generous with the Angmari following our conquest of the Angelship. I for one am very hopeful that with Samantha's assistance we can begin a dialog. Samantha Wilcox, would you be willing to assist us in this way?"

"Yes."

Another executive leaned forward, one whom Hafnym had not spoken to during the break. "She's English. The talent embargo has been broken. It's time to revisit our need for native kinetics."

"Out of the question," another shouted. "This was not a sanctioned attunement! It might even be described as criminal."

Hafnym's eyes darted from Sam to where Cassandane sat and back, so fast she almost missed it. He stood. "Let's not make a spectacle of ourselves. Mengko Virkell will be providing us with kinetic Synths to ease the strain on our population. And I am hesitant to criminalize the circumstances that provided us with Samantha before we know more about her." Hafnym's hand, fingers stiff, pointed at Sam. "Why did you join the fleet, Samantha?"

She swallowed to bring some moisture back into her mouth. "I wanted to come into space. The Angelship is amazing. I wanted to be a part of your fleet."

"Now that you are here, what is your opinion of us?"

Time for my prearranged line, she thought. "I wish I was Angmari."

Hafnym's brow rose in shock. Had he not prepped her for this moment, Sam would have believed his reaction genuine. "You must really like space. Tell us about what life is like in the fleet for you."

Sam froze for a moment. She hadn't been provided with an answer to this question. Pulling more precursor to further expand her mind, she reviewed the comments so far. A way forward became apparent to her. "I spent the past couple of days with Stateira Cassandane doing shuttle runs. I helped pilot a spaceworthy vessel, load and unload cargo, and made some friends. I'm not sure what you intend to do with me, but if you gave me a say in the matter, I would ask to be allowed to work on the Angelship as a kinetic. Since I'm a paragon, I won't burn out and that would help some of my friends keep their talents longer. I really enjoy the work, too, it gives me a sense of purpose that I need. I feel like I make a difference here." The strategy and words formulated themselves in her mind, which held more nous than ever before, and she managed to speak them without more than a slight quiver in her voice.

"I was not pleased when I first heard about your attunement, Samantha Wilcox," Hafnym said. "But having met you, and knowing the esteem that the Navigator and my fellow Savior Stateira Cassandane place in you, I find myself in an awkward position. We can't afford the precedent of having an English talent. Yet you appear to be exactly the type of resource the fleet needs." He paused dramatically. "How badly do you wish to be Angmari?"

"More than anything," Sam said.

"Then I think I see a path that serves in the interests of everyone. I move that Samantha Wilcox be naturalized as an Angmari citizen, retroactive to the date she entered the Angelship." Hafnym turned expectantly towards the woman Executive, who solemnly intoned "I second the motion."

"All in favor?"

A chorus of ayes returned.

"All opposed?"

A single voice raised itself in dissent, the Executive who had wished to revisit recruiting local kinetics.

They went through a roll call to make the vote formal, then Hafnym addressed Sam once more. "Congratulations, Samantha Wilcox, you are now a true member of this fleet." A subdued round of applause followed, then a curt "You may return to your seat now."

Sam shivered as she sank down at Cassandane's side once more, the adrenaline from her all too public conversation draining to leave her exhausted and twitchy. The tension in Cassandane seemed no less now than it had when she made her stand against Hafnym earlier. That fact caused her some amount of concern.