“Welcome aboard the Mako, Ambassador,” Captain Taneka said, as she greeted him at the airlock. “Care for a tour?”

“Please,” Genvass smiled, before turning to the young woman beside him. “This is Captain Aukes, head of my security detail. I expect you’ll be seeing a lot of each other.”

The Corsair gave her a polite nod. “Back in the old Terran Navy days, they bumped a marine captain aboard ship up in rank as a courtesy to avoid confusion, especially during emergencies. Any problem being addressed as ‘Major’?”

“I’d actually prefer ‘Rúna’,” she grimaced, “but on those rare occasions when it’s necessary, I suppose I can live with it.”

“I expect they’ll be less rare than you’re assuming, but fair enough,” Taneka nodded. “Call me Aynur… off-duty.”

“And when is that, exactly?” Genvass inquired politely, as Rúna rolled her eyes.

Taneka’s grin was downright feral as she pounced. “A ship’s captain is never off duty,” she said with barely contained glee.

Genvass sighed and then glanced at his bodyguard. “I walked into that one, didn’t I?”

“Like a blind man,” Rúna confirmed.

The newly minted ambassador shook his head in resignation. “Something tells me this is going to be a long trip,” he said in defeat, before gesturing to Taneka. “Lead the way, captain.”

“Follow me,” she said, taking a right as they exited the airlock. The corridor emptied into what appeared to be a cargo hold, though it had obviously been modified. “This is our common room,” she informed them. “Mostly we use it for meals, hanging out off shift, what have you.” She pointed at a collection of exercise equipment off in one corner. “Our Master-at-Arms likes to work out here, as you can see.”

“I’ll need to coordinate with them,” the Valkyrie informed her.

“I’ll arrange something,” Taneka shrugged.

The pair glanced around the space. “Bigger than Gyrfalcon,” Rúna continued.

“That’s right,” the captain agreed. “She a Mjölnir-Class frigate, almost twice the size of a Jötunn-Class, like Gyr. Bigger cargo spaces, heavier armaments, you name it.”

“We might need to host the occasional dinner or soiree,” Genvass said thoughtfully. “This looks like a suitable space for it.”

“Just give us some warning first, so we can hide the barbells, but sure, that’s not a problem,” Taneka nodded. “Let’s head to the bridge,” she continued, leading them forward once more until they arrived at the piloting deck. To their surprise, the layout differed somewhat from what they’d seen elsewhere.

“There’s no captain’s chair,” Genvass said in surprise. “I thought all ships had that.”

“Most do,” she concurred, slipping into the right-hand seat, “but since I’m also the pilot, I never saw the point. Getting rid of it let us reconfigure the space into something more efficient.”

The Ambassador nodded, taking it all in. “I might need to join you up here, from time to time…”

“... we might need to join you,” Rúna amended, giving him a look. “Where you go, I go. That’s the deal.”

“Of course,” Genvass agreed, with a certain amount of fatalism. “We might need to join you on the bridge,” he continued, picking up where he’d left off, “like when we arrive in system and I need to get official permission for entry. Will that be a problem?”

“There’s extra seats back there,” the captain informed them, pointing toward the rear of the compartment. “That being said, I think there’s something we need to establish right off the bat.”

“Oh? What’s that?” he asked.

“You’re in charge of the mission,” Taneka said. “That means you get to decide where we’re going, how long we stay, that sort of thing. But I’m in charge of the ship, so if I tell you to strap in and hold on, I suggest you do just that.” She leaned back in her chair, awaiting his response.

“I would never presume to tell you how to run your ship,” the ambassador said in all seriousness. “But since we’re putting our cards on the table, there may be times when the mission forces me to override one of your decisions. It might mean staying put when all your instincts are telling you to haul anchor and run. Please understand it’s not something I would do lightly, and obviously, I’d be looking for your input and knowledge before I made the call. My question to you, captain, is if I veto a decision of yours, will you obey it?”

“That… depends,” she said after a moment, giving the question her full attention. “I won’t place this ship or my crew in unnecessary jeopardy.”

“Captain, I bow to your superior ship handling expertise, but if I ever quash one of your orders, I guarantee you it’s necessary,” he said matter-of-factly, “which brings me back to my original question.” He stood patiently, waiting for her to answer.

Taneka exhaled hard over an out-thrust jaw. “I don’t like being told what to do on my ship,” she said bluntly.

“I respect that,” Genvass told her, “but I’m afraid I must insist.”

“And if I say no?” she asked.

“Then this is where we part company,” the ambassador informed her. “I’ll leave it for you and the Dàifu to hash out the details, but I need to know now, before we cast off, that you’ll obey my order if I should give it.” He held up his hand. “I know I’m unqualified to make a ship handling or tactical decision that supersedes yours. Nor am I some capricious control freak. But while I don’t know ships, I do know people. This mission is important, captain, perhaps the most important thing that you and I will ever do. Which means there are times we might have to take some risks if the mission is to succeed.” His eyes met hers. “So I guess I’m asking, do you trust me?”

Taneka’s brow furrowed as she returned his gaze, the question being hotly debated inside her brain. Finally, she glanced over at Rúna. “Do you trust him?” she asked.

Now it was the Valkyrie’s turn to give him an appraising look. “Oddly enough, I do,” she said after a moment. “I didn’t use to, not going to lie about that, but that was then, and this is now. When it comes to this mission, I trust his judgment.”

“... Thank you,” Genvass said in surprise, caught off guard.

The captain watched the byplay with interest before finally reaching her decision. “All right, Ambassador, you’ve got yourself a deal,” she said at last, extending her hand.

“I’m glad to hear it,” he said frankly as they shook. “By the way, where’s your crew? I was hoping to meet them as well.”

“Gave them some time off,” Taneka explained. “There’s a lot here on New Terra to see, and lord knows they’ve earned it. Besides, I wanted to do this solo.”

“The tour?” Genvass asked her.

“... that too,” she said with a grin. “Speaking of, let me show you your cabins.” The captain led them both aft, to a passageway lined with hatches. “Saved the biggest one for you,” she informed them, palming the switch, “and there should be plenty of room for the rest of your entourage.”

By ground-side standards, it was tiny, with two narrow cots bolted to the deck, but by shipside conventions, it was almost roomy. “I’m sure it will be fine,” he smiled. “And Captain Aukes’ cabin?” he inquired.

“Right here,” Rúna snapped, yanking his head back around. “‘Where you go, I go’, remember?”

Genvass hung his head in defeat. “Of course,” he said quietly, “we’ll work something out,” while the Valkyrie just shook her head in disgust.

“I figured we’d hit Engineering next,” Taneka continued, “unless you’d rather hit the cargo section first. Not much to see there, though, just basic compartments.”

“I’ll want to examine the hold, and everything else,” the Valkyrie informed her, “but it can wait until my team is here. I assume there’s no problem with our running a security sweep?” She eyed the Corsair closely, waiting to gauge her reaction.

“No, of course not,” the captain said somewhat frostily. “I understand the Ambassador’s safety is your primary concern.” She paused for a moment and then leaned in. “As is mine.”

Genvass watched the silent challenge between the two women and had a sinking feeling he was getting a preview of things to come. “The mission is what’s important,” he stressed, stepping between them, “not just my protection. We all have a part to play, and I’m certain we can make it work, where we all contribute with a minimum of ruffled feathers.” He plastered a polite smile on his face while they looked back at him with suspicion. “After all, we’re a team, yes?”

“Aye, Ambassador, we are,” Rúna said after a moment.

“I’m certain we’ll figure something out,” Taneka said stiffly. There was an awkward silence before she gestured aft. “If you’ll both follow me, engineering is this way.” She made her way down the corridor with the pair in tow, while Genvass sighed internally. If they could ever put aside their egos, they’d make for an incredible partnership, assuming they didn’t strangle each other first. It seemed he had his work cut out for him.

Arriving at the ship’s core, the captain spread her arms wide. “And this is where it all happens,” she grinned. “Just don’t touch anything,” she amended, “especially whatever the hell that is.” She pointed at a cluttered workstation off to one side, where a collection of tools and disassembled machinery spoke to some half-completed task. “Avram’s always fiddling with some pet project, and he gets pissy if he thinks someone’s been playing with his toys.” She shrugged. “Tinkers. What can you do?”

“They are an eccentric bunch,” Genvass agreed, recalling Maggie. With Diggs on his survey team, they’d had several conversations as of late, and despite the obvious therapeutic effect a family had on her, she was still just as prickly as ever. Despite that, he also knew if his life depended on it, he’d rather have her working to save them than just about anyone else. As he pretended to examine the consoles and equipment, he saw that despite his lack of engineering expertise, the space itself looked impressive. It was spotless, except for the workbench, and even the places where repairs had obviously taken place, they’d also received extra care to make them as unobtrusive as possible. It tempted him to ask Maggie for a consultation, but he recalled how badly her presence had initially gone over with Gyrfalcon’s engineer. Tinkers were extremely territorial, he’d discovered, and the last thing he wanted was to get off on the wrong foot with Mako’s crew.

“So, how many are you bringing aboard my ship?” Taneka asked. “We need to lay in supplies.”

He turned to Rúna. “I think that’s more of a question for you at the moment.”

“At the moment I’ve got four people on my detail, besides myself. All individuals I’ve served with,” she explained.

“Five Valkyries then. Not a problem. We can easily accommodate that.”

“Actually, four Valkyries and a Knight,” she amended, “though the Knight in question started off as a Valkyrie before they transferred.” She glanced over at Genvass. “Figured having a medic on staff might be a good idea.”

“I certainly can’t argue with that,” he agreed. “Is there someplace we can set up an Infirmary for him?” he asked the captain.

“We can make space somewhere,” Taneka nodded. “I just hope he doesn’t get a lot of business.”

“Amen to that,” Rúna said quietly, reliving some dark personal moment before brusquely shaking it off. “What about you, Ambassador? Bringing anybody else along?”

“I’ve been debating that,” Genvass replied. “I’m still working through a couple of lists, but I promise to let everyone know before we lift.”

“I’d appreciate that,” the captain told him. “I don’t like leaving things last minute.”

“On that note, I’ll need a crew list from you before we leave today,” Rúna interjected.

Taneka was instantly on edge. “Why?” she demanded.

“So I can run background checks on them,” the Valkyrie informed her. “Anyone in the Ambassador’s personal sphere needs to be thoroughly vetted. It’s standard procedure.”

“My people have been vetted… by me,” Taneka hissed. “And you are rapidly approaching a line you do not want to cross.”

Rúna bristled, her eyes taking on a dark and dangerous cast as the two women stared daggers at one another. Bloody hell, Genvass thought to himself, as he placed an arm on both their shoulders, which, while momentarily interrupting their silent duel, only offered himself up as the target of their wrath instead. They both glared at him as he forced himself to take a deep, calming breath.

“Captain… Major,” he began, glancing at each of them, “this needs to stop. I understand you are both fiercely protective of your respective domains, and I respect that. But as I’ve already explained, this mission is important. I don’t believe I’m overstating its significance when I say the future of our people may well depend on it. If we’re to maintain any goodwill in the galaxy, then it falls to us to ensure it happens. But if we can’t find some way to work together, we are doomed before we even begin.”

He spotted a flicker of recognition in their eyes as they heard his plea. Neither of them were standing down, but at least they were dialing it back somewhat. “There will be times when we come into conflict with one another,” he continued, “and that’s to be expected. We’re only human, after all,” Genvass smiled. “But if we can’t resolve our differences peacefully amongst ourselves, how are we ever going to manage it when we’re dealing with other races?”

They were both still resistant, he could sense that, but at least they were listening. “Major Aukes, you’re only doing your job, and I commend you for that. But try seeing it from Captain Taneka’s perspective. You’ve only just met, and then you insist she hand over a list of her crew members to you. People she’s served with for years. People she trusts with her life. Surely, as a Valkyrie, you can appreciate that sort of bond?”

There was a long pause before she finally responded. “I can,” Rúna said grudgingly.

“And you, Captain,” he continued, “you realize the major isn’t accusing your people of anything. While you may know each of them intimately, they’re total strangers to her. If you’ve studied our history, you know that most attacks against diplomats came from within, by individuals who had axes to grind. She would be remiss in her duties if she didn’t at least look into their backgrounds, just to be safe. You understand that it’s not personal, don’t you? She’s just trying to do her job.”

“I suppose,” the Corsair said with obvious distaste.

“Then may I suggest both of you sit down together and go through the dossiers of everyone involved, both Mako’s crew and the security detail.” Rúna started to object, but he quickly shut her down. “It’s only fair she knows about the people you’re bringing aboard her ship,” Genvass pointed out. “She said it herself, the safety of everyone involved is her responsibility as well.” They glanced at one another, each calculating if his proposal was acceptable to them.

“All right, Ambassador, I’m willing to try it,” Taneka said at last.

“Yeah… me too,” Rúna agreed.

“I’m very pleased to hear that,” he said in relief. “I’ll just show myself out and leave you both to it then,” he informed them, before carefully extricating himself from the situation and making a hasty exit. He prayed they’d both heard him and had taken his words to heart, but mostly he was counting on their innate professionalism to get them through this first crisis. If they could do that, then the rest got a lot easier.

And I could use a drink, he thought to himself, though he couldn’t stop smiling as he realized he’d just helped to resolve his first diplomatic impasse.