 
The Tourney

By Juliet Sem

Copyright 2012 Juliet Sem

All rights reserved

Smashwords Edition

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your favorite book dealer and purchase your own copy.

Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Table Of Contents

Chapter one

Chapter two

Chapter three

Chapter four

Chapter five

Chapter six

Chapter seven

Chapter eight

Chapter nine

Chapter ten

Chapter eleven

Chapter twelve

Chapter thirteen

Chapter fourteen

Chapter fifteen

Chapter sixteen

Chapter seventeen

Chapter eighteen

Chapter nineteen

Chapter twenty

Chapter twenty-one

Chapter twenty-two

Chapter twenty-three

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**Chapter one**

Crown Princess Keestu Ranell of Sandar stood with her feet apart, her wooden staff held out in front of her, facing her two assailants. The first was a middle-aged man, tall, with a wiry rather than muscular build. In one of his large calloused hands was a knife with a fifteen-centimeter blade. Her other attacker was a slender young woman with fine blonde hair who, like Keestu, wielded a staff.

The man lunged at her first, his knife blade flashing. Keestu danced out of his way, thrusting her staff at him when she saw openings. The man, however, was a trained fighter, and he easily avoided her jabs.

Hearing movement behind her, Keestu ducked the opening swing of the young woman. While the woman distracted her, the man darted in, closing the distance between them with unnerving rapidity, knife hand seeking an opening.

Keestu came up from her crouch to find the knife closing on her. Losing her balance while avoiding the blade, she managed to turn her tumble into a roll. She got back to her feet and whirled to face the man, who was now charging at her. She brought her staff up and dealt him a quick double blow to his core, and when she saw him lose his balance, she lashed out at him with her foot, knocking him down. His head hit the floor, and he went limp.

Keestu spared him no further looks as she faced her remaining aggressor. They stared balefully at each other while Keestu breathed heavily, looking for an opening.

She heard footsteps behind her. A soft male voice called out hesitantly, "Princess Keestu?"

It was loud enough to distract her, and she turned her head to see what her protocol adviser, Vahin, wanted. An instant later, Keestu found her feet swept out from under her by her attacker's staff, and she landed hard on her back, letting out a startled, "woof," as the air was driven from her lungs. She landed on the padded floor of her family's gym, but Keestu tried to keep her head from hitting the mat, as she had been taught. The effort caused her three-pronged four-tasseled headdress, which identified her as Crown Princess of Sandar, to shake loose and fall off.

Keestu's staff lay across her chest, and the young woman was quick to jam hers down next to Keestu's head, signifying a crippling or killing blow to her throat that she would not have had time to block.

"Very good, Rue," Keestu's first attacker said from behind her. He was Tenget Ayden, Keestu's personal defense trainer. Keestu's other attacker was Rue Soga, her handmaiden. Rue stepped back as Tenget moved to Keestu and offered a hand to help her up. She was yanked to her feet, and then stooped to pick up her headdress as Vahin timidly repeated his summons. "Princess Keestu?"

"What is it, Vahin?" She was more irritated by her sudden unexpected defeat than by her adviser as she waved him in.

"The delegate from the Autocracy has arrived. Prince Dinus wanted to meet you as soon as possible."

"Can't you tell him I'm busy?" Keestu dropped her staff to the mat as she reached for her headdress again, which had slipped from her fingers and bounced out of her reach on the resilient padded flooring. As she fumbled after the headdress, hindered by the protective padding she wore, she simultaneously felt the high bun at the back of her head and found that some hairpins had fallen out. She looked around her feet, trying to find the pins as well.

"Er, no, Your Highness, he's coming down the corridor as we speak."

Rue was standing next to the gym's door. She turned to face it as the stranger arrived, still holding her staff.

Keestu was standing behind Rue and Tenget and had to move so that she could get a better look at the delegate who her father accompanied into the room.

King Ismer started to gesture to Keestu, his firstborn and heir, but Prince Dinus looked around the room, and seeing that Rue was closer to the door, assumed that she was his intended audience. He bowed deeply to her.

"Pleased to meet you, Your Highness. I see you're well instructed in hand-to-hand combat methods." Keestu could tell by his tone that it was meant to be a compliment, though she thought it a strange one.

She gave up trying to find her missing hairpins and straightened up, examining the visitor. He was a tall, thin, and young humanoid, probably eighteen to twenty-two years of age, judging by the smoothness of his skin and the fact that his body hadn't finished filling out. His shoulders were broad, but his chest and arms only hinted at more musculature to come. His satin outfit consisted of medium blue pants with a four centimeter wide medium purple stripe running down the center front of the left leg, while the legs of the pants themselves were cinched snugly just above the ankles with a hook and loop closure, which kept his cuffs well out of the way of his athletic-looking blue leather shoes. His torso was overlaid with a matching long-sleeved shirt in the same medium blue, which buttoned up the front and had no collar. Running vertically from left shoulder to the waist was a stripe identical to the one on the leg of his pants. Embroidered on his right breast was a large geometric design consisting of a circle surrounding a rhombus made with purple thread that matched the stripe running down his left side. She opened her mouth to correctly identify herself to the newcomer, but her father gave her a quick hand wave behind the visitor's back that meant let the matter stand. Mystified, Keestu remained behind Rue, who also saw and recognized the sign. Rue gave a dignified bow of her own and murmured back, "So pleased to meet you..."

"Prince Dinus, House of Purvol of the planet Phaet in the Autocracy," Ismer informed her.

Rue bowed again, "Welcome to Sandar, Prince Dinus."

"Thank you. I look forward to talking at length later, Princess." He bowed his way out of the room and his and King Ismer's measured footsteps quickly receded down the hall. Keestu noted as he left that the purple stripe was repeated across the left back of the tunic top and center of the left pant leg, while the geometric design was not mirrored on his back. She realized that if the outfit were a single-piece jumpsuit that there would be one continuous stripe running the length of Prince Dinus's body.

Keestu bent and picked up her staff. "I wonder what that was about? Surely he doesn't think you're King Ismer's daughter? You look nothing like him or Queen Mewa; I do!"

Tenget chuckled as Keestu retrieved her staff. "Princess, not all royal families are as yours. Some kings have several wives at a time. Others keep various concubines with no status in the royal household purely for breeding, and some of those concubines do produce heirs to thrones. There are even planets with nations ruled by queens with more than one consort serving them; remember what we know of the Chtawlikt."

"Kee, Tenget, don't I always ask you to call me Kee?"

"Of course, Your Highness, um, Kee," Tenget agreed, "It just doesn't feel right to one of my station to address you so casually."

"You've been part of my staff how long, now?"

"Almost two years, Princess, and I'm still awed by the honor of your father's trust."

Keestu frowned at Tenget's comment. She didn't quite get all the excitement revolving around her station as Crown Princess to the planetary throne, though she was already assigned various courtly duties at the age of sixteen.

The timer chimed, and Tenget motioned them to leave the mat, as this portion of their physical training was done.

She and Rue put their staves and padding away in the weapons locker. Keestu looked into a mirror, gave up trying to adjust the bun that held her headdress. She removed the last of the pins and shook her hair out. She tucked the headdress and pins as neatly as she could into a cleaning bin, knowing the staff would replace it in her wardrobe. She had many headdresses and could put on another after she was finished with her PT. She brushed her hair and used several elastic bands to tie her hair back into a ponytail, securing it down its length with additional bands, as she didn't have time to braid it before leaving for her run.

"I still don't know why I have to wear things like that when I'm sparring," she grumbled to Tenget, "Will you explain it now?"

"You must be ready to face danger in an instant, Princess," Tenget said, "And that could come at any time, especially at a public function, one where you're required to dress to your station. You know now to secure your headdress more firmly so you may be as vigilant and prepared for trouble as a guardsman during Stemun."

"Or avoid getting knocked down while wearing it," Keestu said, tossing a sheepish grin at Rue. "That was a good shot, Rue."

Rue was not only her handmaiden and sparring partner, but also her best friend and confidant, and she glowed at the praise. "I saw your attention waver, and like Tenget said, it was easy to take advantage of it."

"You both must remember that those moments don't always come during a confrontation, and you must be ready to act on them instantly if they do. Now, we have to get ready for your run."

"Oh, do I have to?" Keestu groaned, stretching her stiffening back and neck. She was bound to have a bruise or two on her back tomorrow from her imperfect fall. She didn't dare admit to her discomfort or Tenget would probably make her practice nothing but falls for an hour every training session for a month straight.

"Yes," Tenget said, "You know King Ismer's orders you to run five kilometers every other day. You must stay in shape, as must the rest of the able bodied royal family and servants." He thumbed open the gym's weapons locker and pulled out two heavy plasma rifles. He walked down a short hallway and knocked on the physical therapy room's door.

Gontu Uton, Princess Keestu's personal bodyguard, opened the door. He was also an ex-military man though he was barely thirty. He was muscular man and stood two meters tall. He had a dark tan, short sun-streaked dark brown hair, and hazel eyes. He'd been discharged from the military with honors after he'd been selected to be Keestu's personal bodyguard five years prior. He'd been having a sonic massage after sustaining a nasty wrench to his shoulder while demonstrating advanced hand-to-hand combat techniques with Tenget earlier that week to Keestu's younger brother Skomer. He stretched it with a slight grimace, rubbing the still sore spot on his shoulder, but he nodded respectfully at Tenget as he took one of the rifles, tersely asking, "We ready to run?"

Tenget nodded in reply as they all wandered outside.

"As your personal bodyguard, I must protest your choice of running in public without a more guards accompanying you," Gontu complained as he did every time she went out.

"As Crown Princess in no danger in her hometown, I hear your protest and gleefully ignore it," Keestu replied with great humor. Rue tried to stifle a giggle as they stretched.

Her mirth made Keestu chortle as she led the way out of the palace grounds, breaking into a leisurely jog as the massive armored gate slid smoothly aside to allow their exit. The trick to distance running, Tenget had taught her, was a steady pace. Sure, there were times when speed was of the essence, but in a true escape or evade situation, being able to outlast your opponent was more important. Therefore, Keestu was being trained to run distances, not sprints. She checked her chrono, which was programmed to measure her pace. It showed she was currently running a seven and a half minute kilometer pace, so including her warmup walk, she should easily finish this five kilometer training jog in about the usual thirty-nine minutes.

There was little ground traffic this close to the palace in the middle of a workday, as it was fall in the northern hemisphere and cold, so there were very few lunch time pedestrians. The air stung her lungs, but Keestu kept up her pace. Although she was tall for a young woman at one point seven meters, it was hard trying to keep her weight between seventy to seventy-two kilos with all the formal dinners she ate which tended to start later in the evening. She had no idea what it would be like trying to fit into her formal wear if she didn't have her strict exercise routine, her trainer to enforce it, or Rue to keep her company while she did her physical training.

"Rue, have I ever mentioned how much harder this would be if I didn't have you running with me for company?" She puffed as they ran along with her guards behind them, giving them the illusion of solitude.

"No, Kee," Rue had no problem with the informal address; they'd been good friends for several years now.

"Well," Keestu wheezed, "I do. It's hard to do, but at least with company, it's a little easier to keep a steady pace."

"Thanks, Kee," Rue said, also wheezing a little bit in the cold air, "I agree. I can't see passing PT in a singles trial myself."

They jogged along on in a companionable silence, tackling short hills of varying difficulty along their course, which ran straight away from, then parallel to, then back to the palace grounds. Capital City, called CeCe for short, was located on the western continent and was laid out in a half wheel shape, with the palace located at the center of the hub. A wide empty field just outside the grounds separated the royal residence from the rest of the city. After the empty field, other roads formed the spokes of the wheel that radiated out from the palace. The palace sat at the base of a cliff at one end of a broad valley with rolling hills gently sloping away from it towards the east. Keestu liked to take one of the spoke roads out, then make her way among the several curved wheel roads, and then would take another spoke back to the palace for her five kilometer run so she could vary her route. After the security zone, the next several wheel segments consisted of the houses of nobles, and then came the Market with its various shops that were open to everyone regardless of station, while the commoners lived further away from the palace. At the far eastern end of CeCe lay the closest farm fields, though Keestu saw many houses growing fresh vegetables in gardens in addition to flowers.

Turning down the road that would lead her back to the palace gate, Keestu nearly stopped. The palace's private pad was where the Autocracy spaceship had been allowed to land. It was located on the northeast side of the palace, and Keestu hadn't seen the visitor's ship when she left for her training run from the gym's door, which was located in the south wall. It was a large ship, though the palace dwarfed it. The palace was in turn diminutive in size compared to the solid rock cliff rising nearly three hundred meters behind it. The back wall of the palace was embedded in the cliff, and there was a heavy gun emplacement located halfway up the massive stone face.

Known only to the royal family and a few of its extended relatives was a natural crevice close to the ceiling of the basement vault. It led into the mountain. Keestu's grandfather, who had built this palace, had disassembled some heavy robotic diggers, dragging them into the crevice, and then reassembled them in a larger hollow located at the end of the fault. He had used the diggers to create a maze of passages through the mountain. Only King Brei's direct descendants knew the fastest way through, which was twelve kilometers away, exiting on the other side of the mountain range. Keestu had been told in a private meeting with her father that both the city and the mountain held additional secrets from that more violent time that she would be told about when the time was right. She always felt herself bursting with the news when she looked up at the mountain on her mandatory jogs, but she was sworn to secrecy, and was not allowed to tell Rue anything about the crevice other than it "ran a little way" into the mountain and was considered too unimportant to seal. None of the palace servants were authorized to enter the vault on their own, not even to clean it. The entire royal family were the only ones keyed to enter the vault and its supply lockers, and that only happened when they were old enough to understand that it was the safe room they must reach during a crisis, as it also served as the royal safe room. It was reinforced with solid two meter thick rock walls on two sides, and had a full meter of hardsteele front wall with a hardsteele door securing the front. It was said that nothing short of a direct fusion bomb hit could penetrate that massive facade, and even that was in question.

Puffing more heavily with effort now, Keestu waved at the gate's guards, then moved her right hand to her side, briefly holding her first two fingers out in a V, signaling that everything was fine. The gate was immediately retracted, and the princess and her companions jogged back into the grounds.

Vahin was waiting just inside for her. He turned and started loping easily beside her, knowing she wouldn't stop until she was at the door of the gym.

"King Ismer orders that you are to wear your red jumpsuit to dinner this evening, Your Highness. He also bids you not to wear a headdress, but loan one to Rue for the duration of the Prince's stay."

"Fine," Keestu replied shortly. She wasn't anywhere near completely spent, but was reserving her breath as she'd been taught. She finished her run, dropping to a walk, randomly striding down the large outdoor garden's paths for her cool down, slowing her walking pace as her breathing quickly returned to normal, Rue matching her steps. Tenget and Gontu followed behind, rifles held ready, though there were other guards patrolling the palace grounds.

Vahin continued to pace her as he gave her instructions. "It is King Ismer's wish that you let Prince Dinus continue to think that Rue is the Crown Princess. He will explain later in the dining hall before the prince and his entourage enter, so none attending are left wondering what's going on."

"Oh, that's just great," Keestu groaned. Her brother Skomer was going to have laughing fits when he found out, and she'd be hearing taunts from him for the next few weeks.

Rue tried to suppress her grin and failed. "Sorry, Kee," she apologized, "But I think I'm going to enjoy this. Remember when we used to play, and you'd let me be Crown Princess for the day?"

Keestu suddenly found herself smiling as she realized that she for once wouldn't be the one under scrutiny. "Why yes, Your Highness," she quipped, bobbing a playful curtsy, "I look forward to fulfilling your every wish."

Hearing a snort from behind them, Keestu turned. Both Tenget and Gontu manfully suppressed their grins, so she couldn't tell who let that laugh escape.

Vahin, however, frowned beside her. As her protocol adviser, he always had propriety well in mind. Keestu thought that he must be having fits at the idea that the heir was reduced to playing the part of a mere servant, much less hearing Rue admit they'd played at it a few years ago. But, there was a reason behind everything King Ismer said or did, so she knew she'd be wise to obey. Once back inside the palace, she thanked Tenget for the lesson and retired to her quarters with Rue and Gontu in tow to get ready for dinner.

**Chapter two**

The great dining hall that ran half the length of the front of the palace was full. Prince Dinus and his entourage had yet to arrive as Keestu and her family entered the room and paced its length to their places on the south side of the room. Everyone was standing for the entry of the royal family, and Keestu could see that they had dressed in their finest. The men had hung their felt hats with their colored rank-striped bands on the backs of their chairs, while each woman was wearing a headdress, so one could tell at a glance each of the nobles' ranks. Keestu saw many she knew on sight, but the majority of the nobles she didn't recognize. She would have thought that only the highest members of nobility would attend this dinner to give them the first look at their alien visitor, but though all four counts and one countess were there, she didn't see as many of the planet's barons or baronesses as she was expecting, and there were a good number of high lords and high ladies present in addition to the lowest-ranking lords and ladies.

Keestu noted that the entire royal staff was dressed in red, as she was. Several women were in pantsuits, and while hers was more elaborate in cut and style, she found she blended in. It was one of the more comfortable outfits she'd ever been required to wear to a formal dinner.

Looking over the tables a second time, she saw that every noble man had worn a gray hat, and she wondered if her father had spread the word that they should all wear the same color, since black and dark brown were also acceptable formal colors for noble men. She spied some distance away a prince's hat, being removed by an older latecomer, who hurried to an empty seat at the table some distance away. Keestu was surprised to see it wasn't her 90-year-old great uncle Panat, but the one still living member of an opposing royal family who'd been granted the title of non-hereditary Prince by her grandfather for his assistance when her family had taken control of the planet during the Unification War of Sandar. He turned to King Ismer, bowing hastily before he hurriedly hung his hat on the back of his chair as he took his place. Ismer nodded solemnly back at the prince, and Keestu noted that he had chosen to wear Sandar's formal crown for this dinner. She saw that the black of her father's suit contrasted sharply with the red velvet of the crown, while the eight large bright blue topaz stones and one hundred and twelve smaller diamonds it contained caught the light and threw off bits of contrasting color as he turned his head.

The excited babble of voices was almost instantly stilled as Ismer raised his hands for attention. He glanced at his personal steward before speaking, and the man nodded reassuringly.

"Everyone will kindly address handmaid Rue as Crown Princess Keestu this evening. The Autocracy Prince, Dinus of Purvol, is here to discuss a trade treaty between the Union and the Autocracy and has mistaken Rue for her. I feel that this may be advantageous in the coming negotiations, so it is our will that you support the misconception."

Keestu saw all eyes turn her way, but she was used to being examined. She stood silently, back straight, next to Rue, just behind her mother and father, as was their custom before being seated at a formal dinner.

She felt her brother Skomer nudge her from behind. "We'll talk later," he whispered somewhat loudly, and she sighed, trying to maintain her dignified posture, though she'd love to make him pay for poking her. She could hear his mirth already. King Ismer glanced back, silencing his errant progeny with a severe look.

"Let Prince Dinus and his entourage enter and be announced," he ordered.

The tall double doors that led to the smaller private dining room that adjoined the formal dining hall were opened. It acted as a staging area for important visiting guests and had a video screen, so the proceedings could be watched by its occupants, but it was soundproofed so those inside couldn't hear any last minute orders the royal family would give before they entered the formal dining hall.

The footmen controlling the doors smoothly swung them open as the announcer stepped up.

"Your Majesty, Your Grace, Your Highnesses, and Nobles of Sandar, I present His Highness Prince Dinus, House of Purvol of the planet Phaet, member of the Autocracy, and entourage."

There was an appreciative murmur from the gathered nobles as Prince Dinus strode in. He was wearing the same outfit, and she realized why King Ismer had ordered her and all the servants to dress in red. The prince's entourage of half a dozen men was dressed in matching outfits of loose pants and tunics, though they sported a different geometric design across the right breast, an equilateral triangle with a rhombus inside, and their tunics were purple with blue stripes overlaid; the exact opposite color scheme of what Dinus himself wore. Keestu, trained to look for subtle differences in dress, immediately realized that the arrangement of the color of his outfit must be his badge of office.

Dinus marched the short distance to the main table and gave a stately bow. King Ismer and Queen Mewa gave dignified nods of their heads in return. The prince turned to the remainder of the royal family and sketched another stately bow, which Keestu, her siblings, and their assorted footmen and handmaids returned with bows and curtseys as appropriate. Dinus turned and bowed to the rest of the assembled nobles, who bowed and curtseyed back.

The announcer pounded his stun staff on the floor three times, at which signal Dinus was ushered to his seat in the place of honor just to the right of King Ismer. Dinus motioned for a footman to be seated to his right, while the others in his party arrayed themselves behind his chair. Keestu and Rue took their accustomed seats opposite the prince, to the left of Queen Mewa's chair, only this time Rue sat between Keestu and her mother. This meant that her oldest brother Prince Skomer sat to her left. She kept her face as neutral as possible as he smirked beside her and instead studied the prince's companion, who sat directly opposite her. She thought they looked remarkably similar, not just because of their matching clothing. Their coloring was the same, straight light brown hair and muddy brown eyes, and they both had a similar sturdy-looking bone structure. Perhaps he was a younger brother or cousin? Curious. She'd have to research what was known about the Autocracy when she had the time. She'd also have to report her observation to King Ismer at her earliest chance.

The first course was being served, a rich creamy soup. Keestu made a mental note that perhaps she'd want to run two laps on the trails the next time she went out to the countryside to train to compensate for what were going to be formal and fatty meals while they had company. She found herself presented with a bowl before Rue. Thinking the servant had erred in serving her first, she looked up sharply, but saw the same thing was happening on the other side of the table and managed to suppress her comment in time. The prince's table companion took up a spoon, elaborately wiped it with a cloth he produced from somewhere in his outfit and dipped it into the soup, trying not to slurp too much as he tasted it. A food taster? How quaint. All food was passed through a scanner as it was taken from the cart, making such a display unnecessary, but she felt Skomer poke her in the hip under the high table. Startled, she realized she was supposed to act as Rue's taster for the evening. She followed suit as muffled murmurs of surprise traveled down the tables.

After several moments, the servant across the table nodded and passed the bowl to Dinus. Keestu followed suit with as much dignity and poise as she could, trying not to spill any of the soup on Rue, who remained silent though her eyes were dancing with mirth.

"Did you enjoy your tour of our home, Prince Dinus?" King Ismer paused his eating to ask.

"Yes, quite. It seems quite a secure residence, and Your Majesty's designer is to be commended not only for that, but for the layout of Capital City as well. Most efficient."

King Ismer smiled, "We're sure our father would thank you if he could, Prince Dinus," he responded.

Queen Mewa spoke up. She deliberately slowly looked the prince over, but while he straightened up in his chair a little more, his attitude was otherwise unchanged. "Prince Dinus," her mother asked, "Have you no wife? We are saddened to see your lack of female companionship for we are most curious to learn more about your people."

Dinus actually flushed. "No Your Grace," he responded, "I'm not attached at the moment."

Princess Hemda, Keestu's younger sister, spoke up, "If you want a Sandarian princess to wife, I volunteer! I won't have a throne otherwise," she pouted.

Titters of laughter traveled up and down the table. Hemda kicked her wooden shoe heels loudly against the legs of her chair, the fabric of her voluminous skirts swishing around her legs as she did so. "I'm see wee us," she lisped loudly, to renewed mirth. She frowned, clamping her mouth shut over missing baby teeth, the presumed source of her endearing speech impediment.

Keestu had to give Dinus credit, for he formally bobbed his head in consideration of her offer and replied, "Well, I don't know how it's done on Sandar, but in my culture it will be several years before you'd be old enough to attach, and a lot can happen in those years, Princess."

His eyes flicked speculatively to Rue, and he suppressed a smile with effort. Keestu glanced at her father, who had seen that look, and he covered his own smile as he glanced at Queen Mewa, who was staring sternly at Hemda. "What have I told you about speaking out of turn, Daughter?"

Hemda paled. She knew she was in trouble when she was called "Daughter," with the implied capital D. She slid down in her chair, her dress bunching up around her, looking as if she wanted to crawl under the tablecloth.

Ismer put his hand on Mewa's arm. "Surely you remember the exuberance of youth, my dear," he said quietly, "and it's been while since we had alien dignitaries to dinner." Ismer turned to his youngest daughter. "However, I'm afraid I have to agree with your mother and Prince Dinus, Hemda," he said, "You are much too young to be considering attachment at this time."

Dinus looked greatly relieved, but cast another meaningful sidelong glance at Rue before responding to Hemda. "I thank Your Highness for your offer, though."

Keestu's youngest brother Prince Kang perked up. "So how many sisters and brothers do you have, Dinus?"

"I have four sisters and four brothers, Kang," Dinus replied, showing no annoyance at Kang's lack of formal address; equals on Sandar rarely used titles when talking with each other, and their visitor apparently was aware of this.

Kang's face screwed up. "Ugh, how do you deal?" Rue snorted and almost choked on the last of her soup.

"Oh, they usually stay in their wing of our home during the evenings," Dinus said. "See, we aren't a sexually segregated society, but my sisters find things to keep themselves busy so they don't have to spar with me or my brothers that much."

Skomer looked up at the mention of combat. He was a fan of military strategy. "You outnumber them, then?"

Dinus smiled. "At present, yes, but my stepmother is currently carrying a half sibling who may even our numbers up."

The second course was arriving. Keestu saw to her delight it was a salad that had hirot stalks in it. She saw another server pouring hirot liqueur into the tiny eighth liter goblets at each place on the table. Trying to mask her delight, Keestu picked up her salad fork and tried it. It was hirot shoots. They were crisp and had a refreshingly delicate flavor that was perfectly complimented by the light dressing the chefs had chosen. Hirot was grown on Sandar and was a major export. It was such an important commodity that it was seldom seen on the royal table, though her father kept a flask of hirot liqueur in his private cabinet.

Keestu saw the visiting footman pull out his own utensils, slipping what looked like miniature forks over each fingertip before spearing and sampling the salad for his Prince. Keestu smiled at the sight as she passed the salad to Rue and picked up the first goblet and took a sip of the liqueur. Its flowery fragrance tickled her nose while the fine liqueur burned in her mouth, warming her throat and belly as it made its way down. She had never been allowed to drink alcohol at a formal dinner before and found its mild sweet flavor appealing. She rather thought she'd be keeping a flask of hirot in the private cabinet herself when she ascended the throne.

She saw that her brothers and Hemda were not allowed to have any hirot, since they were all under the legal age of sixteen. Keestu wondered if her siblings were jealous that she was now allowed to drink, but saw no hint of emotion on their faces as she took another sip.

Always nipping at her heels, they were, but the older Skomer more so than Kang or Hemda. If he was the truly violent type, Keestu thought he'd try and take her title for himself by force. Of course, just a few minutes prior, Hemda had expressed displeasure at not having a throne of her own, so maybe it was more than simple sibling rivalry, and something she could not understand because she knew what she was to eventually become when she grew up; their futures weren't so certain.

Prince Dinus tasted the liqueur and the salad, donning eating utensils identical to those of his taster, handling them with skillful grace. Keestu noted that the metal of his utensils was decorated with a geometric design where his fingers slipped into them.

"These are major exports for Sandar," Ismer said after the Prince put down his goblet. "Hirot only grows on Sandar. Each blossom produces a generous 15 milliliters of nectar, which is fermented into the liqueur in your goblet. Fresh stalks, when chopped, make a popular salad green. In addition, when steamed, the stalks can also produce a volatile oil valuable for the perfuming industry, but there's only a minor market for that."

After taking another significant sip from his goblet, Ismer concluded, "Hirot liqueur is resistant to all repro vat processes. It must be fermented naturally with Sandarian materials and processes, or it lacks the fire of the original. The stalks cannot be used for artificial reproduction of the plant, and it is illegal to take hirot flowers, whole plants, or seeds off the planet, as it is our most important produce export. Our people would never think of doing so and possibly put themselves out of a livelihood, but we have had occasional smuggling attempts, which so far have been one hundred percent thwarted, so our position as exclusive supplier of hirot greens and liqueur is currently quite secure."

"Have you any cases of either on hand right now? I can see a market for both in the Autocracy."

"How much do you have in mind?"

"One thousand half liter bottles of the liqueur would be a good start. I would gladly take it back with me on this trip."

"We will have our advisers check to see if there is that much in the city, and if not, we can have it shipped in before you leave. How much of the greens did you think?"

"We have room in our stasis locker for one hundred kilograms."

"We are certain our suppliers can provide one hundred kilograms in fresh hirot greens. Consider that done. What do you have to trade?"

"I will have to have you look at our goods, Your Majesty. I cannot presume to speak for what you might like to take in trade."

Queen Mewa spoke up. "I'm afraid the king will be too busy. May we look at your trade goods, Prince?"

"Certainly, Your Grace. We would be honored to have you select your trade items from our cargo."

"You're too kind," Mewa looked back, eyes suddenly glittering. Keestu thought the foreign prince would come out much poorer than he intended; Mewa had a sharp eye for business and was a tough negotiator, having run her family's Market store for several years before meeting and marrying the king.

After the first two courses were done, conversation was opened to the nobles. As the course of fried breaded lodalvo fish from their closest neighboring Union planet Weegai was served, Countess Sulca Aralad spoke up. Keestu identified her as a fourth cousin, who'd married Count Hudu Aralad five years prior and with him oversaw all the baronies on this continent.

After identifying herself by name and rank, Sulca posed her question. "I am wondering, Prince, why you seek out Sandar for trade, when Weegai is closer to your star cluster by two and a half light years? They could just as easily sponsor your request with the Union and help you set up your ring schedule. For that matter, you could apply for a trade contract and permanent barter kiosks at the Hub in person and have direct contact with all the Union's trade liaisons, not just Sandarian."

"Because, Countess," the prince said without hesitation, "Your system of a single supreme planetary ruler is one that's familiar to us. We hesitate to extend an offer to other members of the Union, due to the possibility of diplomatic misunderstandings that may end negotiations before they are hardly begun. We do not understand, nor are we interested in dealing with Weegai's democratic system of rule."

Seated a little further away, Baron Ungwa Falas of the fifth barony of the Western continent spoke up, his deep voice booming as he introduced himself before posing his question. "I'm wondering myself why you are--the Autocracy that is--ending your isolation?"

"We are close to a change in power, and my father, Prató Béjan of Purvol, is most favored to win, and he thinks it's high time that the Autocracy stopped being isolationists. The Autocrat and Autocress who ruled before the current rulers disliked the idea of contact outside our cluster when they first ascended to their positions and issued decrees against it. However, the current Autocrat and Autocress allowed trade with the nearby planets of Triker and Rillul and realize it has been greatly beneficial to our people and have rescinded most of those restrictions, though they have not actively sought trade with the Union or Mining Consortium. However, others like my father can clearly see we aren't benefiting from having an even more broad trade base, and we have been encouraged to seek a trade agreement with the Union in anticipation of his taking power."

Baron Boamy, who administered to the third barony of Western, the barony they were located in, stood before speaking from the far end of the dining hall so everyone could see and hopefully hear him. "Tell, me Prince," he called out, "How is it you speak Unity so well?"

"We have adopted it as a secondary language in the Autocracy because we have much trade with the Triker, who learned it in order to trade first with Weegai and then with the Rillul, who had also learned it to trade with Weegai, and therefore we use it to trade with them and the Rillul as a neutral language we all have access to."

Keestu looked around the table with interest. She'd read about the Triker and Rillul. The Triker were a reptilian species who traded on occasion in the Union, but they had declined full Union membership benefits and responsibilities. Likewise, the Rillul only visited the Hub on occasion. She knew their ships brought raw goods that they traded for precious metals or other raw goods or finished items, not Union monetary Units.

The Triker, Keestu knew, never came to Sandar, and it was rumored to be because they thought most of the planet too cold, though she had heard of them visiting Weegai's various continents during their summer fishing season. The Rillul were humanoid in appearance, but no one who'd written a book on alien relations Keestu had read could confirm or deny if the green-skinned Rillul were truly mammalian humanoids or something else entirely.

She found herself wondering exactly how the Autocracy traded with the Triker and Rillul if none of them used money.

She slowly raised her hand. Ismer raised his eyebrows, but nodded to her. "Questions are open to all, Rue," he said gravely. Keestu noted her mother leaned forward, showing great interest in any question posed by her daughter.

An expectant silence fell over the tables as she thought how to phrase her question. "Your Highness, I was wondering if the Autocracy has its own money, or if all Autocracy trade is done through barter?"

"We prefer barter using goods or something we call barter credit, as the hours to produce any goods we buy or sell can be quickly calculated by our trained barterers, and the Dunnes--our commoner class--tithe in such goods. I understood from the Triker that this was an acceptable practice in the Union, at least for them, since they do not participate in your Union and therefore have no access to or use for official Union Units."

"Of course barter is acceptable," Queen Mewa interjected smoothly. "But I'm sure all our peoples are quite interested in understanding more about any cultural differences we may have as opposed to our similarities, Dinus."

The prince smiled and nodded amiably at Keestu and turned his attention to more questions as they ate the main course, baked Shatopa shellfish in a buttery Kielra mushroom sauce, fresh soft bread rolls made from a nutty Sandarian grain, and baked spicy root vegetables from Chtawlikt.

The dessert course arrived, and Keestu almost groaned out loud. It was sereska pudding, made from a grain that grew on Uriel. The pudding was made with sugar and heavy cream and even a small serving had a lot of calories. She took a tiny bite from Rue's dish and quickly passed it over.

Finally, the formal dinner was over. Keestu stood up and pulled out Rue's chair for her and then went and stood with the rest of the staff as King Ismer, Queen Mewa, Rue, and her siblings took their leave of Prince Dinus for the night. He was given an honor guard escort to his suite on the palace's second floor and finally vanished from sight. Sighing, Keestu relaxed her tense shoulders. Most of the nobles from out of town had left, since there wasn't enough room to put them all up in the palace, but many were still clustered around her father. He took off his heavy formal crown and mumbled a soft curse as he looked into a nearby mirror. "Ku," she heard him complain as he turned in her direction, "I have crown hair!"

After several more minutes of conversation, the rest of the nobles left, and Ismer indicated that he wanted Rue and Keestu to accompany him and Queen Mewa back to their suite.

Once ensconced in the nearly impregnable royal bedroom on the third floor of the palace, Keestu turned to her mother and father. "Okay, we did as you said, father, mother. Why continue letting him think Rue is me?"

"Several reasons," Ismer said as he let his body servant remove his formal cloak. He looked in the mirror again and gave up trying to adjust his hair. He motioned for them both to sit down before continuing. He started pacing the room.

"The Autocracy is based on a feudal monarchy system," he began.

"Like ours," Keestu agreed.

"Not at all like ours," Ismer said, wagging an admonishing finger at her for interrupting him as he allowed his body servant to remove his jacket. "They choose new leaders from their noble class every fifty years."

Rue was confused. "They choose their leaders? I thought Prince Dinus said they didn't understand or like the democratic process?"

"Well, I spoke with him earlier today, and he explained how it's done. Their leaders choose themselves. Every fifty years, they have a tournament to determine the new Autocrat and Autocress, which they simply call the Tourney. Only those of the noble class may enter, and only the top fighters from any of their nine member planets are allowed to participate: They must first be the undisputed winners of their home planet before they can try for the position of Autocrat or Autocress. The winning Autocrat and Autocress jointly make all the decisions for the Autocracy for the next fifty years while keeping their spouses as 'consorts'. They cannot be challenged once they've proven themselves to be the best fighters in their generation. I understand challenges happen quite often at the Prató and Praté level, which are the titles of male and female planetary rulers respectively. All planetary rulers report to the Autocrat and Autocress and are responsible for upholding any and all Autocracy wide policy changes the duo decree. It is a matter of courtesy to call the spouse of a ruling Prató or Praté by the appropriate complimentary title though they have not won their title in battle themselves, similar to a Sandarian Lady of title and marrying, and her husband being addressed as Lord as a result, though on Sandar the title is actually granted to the non-noble spouse upon marriage, and their children are considered to be of noble birth despite one parent being of commoner birth."

"So what's all that got to do with him mistaking Rue for me?"

"He's invited us to send a representative to witness the tourney. You're old enough to be sent on diplomatic trips by yourself, and when he mistook Rue for you, I figured it would be all the better if you went undercover to see how sentiment is on the commoners' level before we make any concrete plans regarding a trade sponsorship. Rue can wear a recorder so we can all hear exactly what went on at any negotiations she may be forced to attend without you. I will have Vahin and the other advisers give her a list of concessions we will be willing to make and recommendations of our own to improve the treaty for our side."

Ismer sat down next to Mewa, who had taken off her headdress and shaken out her hair before bending to remove her shoes while her body servant put her headdress and cloak away. Keestu thought it strange that she remained silent. She may have been only a Lady before she had married the King, but she had made the position of Queen hers outright with her participation in the government of Sandar.

"How big an entourage will we be sending?"

"Hopefully one that's big enough to impress, but not so large as to appear either paranoid or overly aggressive."

"That's kind of vague, dad," Keestu grumbled softly.

"We have a week to figure it out. The tourney is seventy-six days from now. You'll tour of all their planets, allowing you to see what each is like. You will also witness at least one local fight on the Autocracy's capital planet Phaet, and then you are to see the tourney itself, which will be held on on Phaet after your tour. You'll be gone for approximately three Union months, including travel time. That should be plenty of time to get a good look around and see if their commoner population favors this trade treaty. That way, if Prince Dinus's father loses, we can either approach the winner to negotiate the agreement or know to leave them isolated for another fifty years before trying again. I'm certain they are bound to have a great store of barterable raw materials all the Union can use, and it sounds like they are particularly interested in benefiting from Uriel's electronics expertise."

"So why are we waiting a week to send a return delegation?"

"Several reasons. I want the rest of the Union Senators to attend formal dinners on Sandar to see what they think of Prince Dinus, we have to chose some trade items to send with you, and Rue needs a suitable wardrobe."

Keestu looked sharply at Rue, who nodded. "Dinus probably didn't notice how your gown was short on me and looser, but anyone on Sandar could have recognized that. I saw some of the nobles staring as they left."

She stood up, and Keestu took a closer look at her, seeing how her stockinged ankles were bared, and the dress, indeed, was visibly ill fitted.

"If questions come up while the wardrobe is being made, we will explain it as an unexpected growth spurt," Mewa finally contributed, turning to Keestu. "From what we know of the Autocracy thus far, her wardrobe should be all bold colors."

"Your Grace," Rue looked at Mewa, "You certainly don't mean I'm to keep this wardrobe when we return?"

"Why ever not?" Mewa asked. "You're a Crown Princess's chosen handmaiden, and as such, you should have a suitable wardrobe."

"Oh," Rue said, surprised. "Thank you, Your Grace."

"Besides," Ismer said with finality, "I also had to send to Uriel for parts to make up a suitable recorder, one Rue can keep with her at all times and no one can question her having it."

"That," Keestu said, "I have to see!"

"Tomorrow," Ismer smiled. "Now it's time for bed."

"It's late enough that I already messaged your father that you'd be staying the night in your room here," Mewa told Rue, who nodded.

"I told him that I would probably be staying here after I was told I was masquerading as Princess Keestu," Rue said. "I didn't think it be appropriate to be seen leaving the palace after a formal dinner."

Keestu and Rue left the royal suite and walked to the next, which was Keestu's. It had a smaller adjoining suite with an interior door connecting them, which was where Rue was allowed to sleep when she stayed in the palace. The palace had been built in a time of war, and that room had housed a squad of guards whose only purpose was to protect the life of the heir, but now it had been assigned to Rue, so that she could be instantly available when she stayed in the palace. The King's steward and the Queen's handmaiden never stayed in the palace, since they were nobles and had homes in the block of housing that faced the palace.

Keestu pulled Rue into her rooms and closed the door.

"I can't believe it! We're going on a trip by ourselves," she said to her friend as she helped Rue remove the headdress she'd worn to dinner.

"There's a lot to think about. I guess it's a good thing I study with your tutors, or my absence from school would be noted by the infocom," Rue said as she helped Keestu take down her hair and brush it out.

"Skomer is going to be so jealous," Keestu smirked. "I get to see a fighting match on another planet! He's got to be trying to think of a way to be included in this trip," she concluded, yawning. It had been a long day.

"Well, we'll learn more about it tomorrow," Rue said, yawning. "Right now, I just want to get some sleep."

"Me, too," Keestu said. "'Night, Rue."

"'Night, Kee," Rue said as she entered her suite and softly closed the door.

Keestu changed into her pajamas and crawled into bed. As excited as she was about the trip, it still didn't take her long to fall asleep.

**Chapter three**

Keestu woke the next morning to the insistent chiming of her infocom. She turned the volume up and hit the repeat button, jumping up when she heard that Sandar's Star would be landing within the hour. Uncle Korin was home! She dashed into the shower, threw on an informal pantsuit, running a brush through her damp hair before quickly plaiting it, and was out of her suite in a little over a half hour. She ran to the family's private lift and took it down, pelting to the private dining hall, where her parents would be waiting. Hemda was already there, kicking her feet and complaining as a servant dragged a brush through her hair.

Mewa hushed her and smiled hugely at Keestu. "I think that's a record for you," she commented wryly.

Keestu grinned back and sat down to wait. She wanted to kick her own feet, but she was Crown Princess and had to set a good example. Her brothers arrived together, their hair showing half-hearted attempts at combing, and Keestu noticed with private glee that Kang's usually prim appearance was marred by the fact that he'd buttoned his shirt up wrong.

The palace began to shake lightly as the Star made its final approach, and Keestu imagined she could hear the roar of the engines and firing of the VTOL controls through the thick stone walls, but strain as she might, she couldn't.

The shaking ceased, and she fidgeted in her chair. The worst thing about being Crown Princess was that she shouldn't be seen running out to meet anyone.

A solemn knock finally sounded on the heavy dining hall doors. "Enter," called Ismer.

The doors swung open, and Hemda threw herself off her chair and raced at the man who walked in unannounced. "Un' Korin, Un' Korin," she cried as she barreled into his legs, nearly throwing him off balance.

"Whoa there, young lady," Korin laughed as he scooped her up, "You're getting too big to do that without knocking me down!" He scooped her up and swung her around, making her squeal with delight.

Ismer began laughing at the sight as he got up to hug his brother hello. Korin then hugged Queen Mewa.

Finally, it was Keestu's turn. She was being decorous, but tried to give him a bear hug to express her delight that he'd come to visit. He gently squeezed her back, eyes sparkling as he barely bent to kiss her forehead. "How much you've grown this past year, Kee," he said.

Skomer offered a handshake, which Korin solemnly accepted. Kang, though, was still young enough to accept a hug and a hair tousle.

"Where's Aunt Nahtua," Skomer asked, looking around after realizing Korin's wife was absent. "She's not here?"

"No. Ring travel is not allowed in the final weeks of pregnancy, and she's having a tough time dealing with the restriction. Despite carrying a child, she's hardly slowed down. I dare say you'll have a cousin running around here soon enough when Senate is in recess in the years to come."

"When is she due?" Mewa looked concerned as they all sat back down at the breakfast table.

"About two weeks, we think. The date of conception wasn't nailed down exactly, and you know what they say." Korin smiled as he sat down in the guest chair to Ismer's right.

Ismer grinned, "The first one can come any time! I am glad you finally found a wife."

"I'm glad I waited," Korin said, "But not for the reasons you may think, Mewa," he waggled several fingers in her direction. "I need a wife who understands the necessity of all the pomp here at home, who is willing to put up with late Senate meetings, not to mention coordinating impromptu meals with strangers and aliens at all hours of the day or evening."

Servants immediately started bringing in their food, but Keestu ate with little attention to her meal. Uncle Korin lived and worked on Uriel, since he was serving as Sandar's Senator after the death of the former office holder, and while he visited Sandar often, she often missed his cheerful company at the frequent formal dinners her father held.

"The entire Senate is buzzing over this Autocracy visit," Korin was saying as he sipped hot javene. "President Dota sends his regards along with his regrets. He feels it's important to show Sandar as being truly autonomous and thinks his presence could be seen as negating our independent bargaining power."

Ismer nodded. "I'm glad to hear that. It means he won't be surprised when he gets the message capsule I sent out just before the Prince's arrival here asking him to sit this one out. When are the other Senators arriving?"

"Senators Shatopa and Chtawlikt should be in transit now and will arrive in plenty of time for dinner tonight. I was given priority clearance passage through the Hub's ring system since Sandar is my homeworld, while they will be delayed by the usual midmorning military traffic and so will arrive sometime this afternoon. Kielra will arrive tonight after dinner, as she had business to attend to prior to coming to meet Prince Dinus. Weegai and Uriel are coming tomorrow morning; both have a large amount of paperwork to finish today. President Dota, as I said, is not coming, so tomorrow night we can have a formal dinner with all senators present. I'm glad that we only have Shatopa and Chtawlikt coming for tonight, as I figured having Weegai, Kielra, and Uriel coming tomorrow would give us time to see if the Autocracy are exophobes, since we are having aliens from both Shatopa and Chtawlikt to dinner tonight in a much more intimate setting than will be required when the full Senate contingent is here. I was hoping tonight could be a much smaller affair?"

"We had a big to-do last night, with all the counts, countess, and assorted other nobles, so those who have already met Prince Dinus will understand about not being invited tonight. We'll have some tables moved around the formal dining hall to create that intimate setting you had in mind. I think that's an excellent idea to see how he reacts to being so close to the Shatopa and Chtawlikt."

"The prince told us last night that the Autocracy didn't approach Weegai because they aren't familiar with democracy and feared a faux pas could ruin any chance at trade. You will want to pass that on before Weegai's senator meets Prince Dinus. They are bound to be questioning why they weren't approached, being located two and a half light years closer to the Autocracy's star cluster than we are," Mewa added.

"I'll tell him as soon as I have a chance," Korin said, buttering steaming Sandarian bread and sighing as he bit into the soft roll. "I may try and steal your chef, brother," he said after finishing the roll and reaching for another. "They don't make bread like this on Uriel."

Keestu finished breakfast in silence, fascinated by the conversation. She had been very young on her trip to tour the Union. She remembered the hustle of vehicles through busy streets laid out between tall buildings on Uriel, and she never grew tired of hearing her uncle talk about living there or visiting Kielra and the other member planets of the Union.

A knock sounded, and when Ismer gave permission to enter, one of Korin's assistants, a native of Uriel, was announced. He bowed his way to the table, presenting Korin with a locked briefcase that was bound to his arm by a chain. "Your satchel, Senator," he said blandly as he offered his hand. Korin took a key from a pocket and unlocked the chain, releasing his assistant from guard duty. "Thanks Morquan. Please supervise the unloading of my other office supplies into my suite on the third floor, and take your usual suite on the second floor, as we'll be here for the week."

"As you wish, Senator," Morquan bowed his way out.

Korin laid the briefcase on its side and pressed his thumb to the electronic lock to open it, and Keestu and Hemda, who were on the other side of the table from Korin, couldn't see what the it contained.

Hemda started bouncing in her seat after the door closed behind Morquan. "Gift satchel Un' Korin? What'd you bring me this time?"

Korin looked around the room to make certain there was only family present before pulling anything out of his briefcase. Seeing his concern, Ismer picked up the control box that he kept near him in the dining hall. He pressed a button, and the heavy locks that secured all three sets of doors that led into the room clicked into place, and Keestu knew the red "do not disturb" lights would be shining above the doors as well.

"Secure," Ismer said, as Korin smiled at him.

"I have the components you requested, Ismer," Korin said, taking out a small sealed metal tube, handing it over to Ismer without further comment.

"Thanks," Ismer said, "I'm glad you got these on such short notice." He didn't open the tube before slipping it into his robe's pocket.

"Now," Korin continued with his gifts. "For the ladies, I have the latest in fashion from Uriel, color change pearls!" He pulled out two sizeable boxes and two smaller ones, handing the first large one to Mewa with a smile and a flourish, the second large one to Keestu, and the smaller two boxes to Hemda. "You get two boxes, Hemda, because the strands are too big for you to wear them all at once yet. So use one set of strands box now and keep the others until you get older; the jeweler can join the strands when you're big enough so your strands will be the same length as Kee's and Mewa's."

"Color pearls!" Hemda eagerly fumbled her boxes open, pulling out a short double strand of pearls. They sparkled white with bluish tones in the light at first, but as they warmed to the room's temperature, the sheen reflecting off them took on pink tones, which darkened or lightened as the air temperature changed. "Pwetty," she lisped. "Tank eww Un' Korin."

Korin positively beamed as he watched Keestu open her box. Her necklace consisted of three full sized strands of the pearls. Hers also had a bluish tone until exposed to the warmer air of the dining hall. "Oh, it's lovely, Uncle Korin. Thank you so much!" She closed the box and set it aside with a proprietary pat. "I know just the gown to wear it with to dinner tonight!"

Mewa revealed her necklace to be a twin to Kee's, which she immediately put on. Ismer helped her with the clasp, and then leaned back to enjoy the results. Reacting with her body heat and the temperature of the room, the pearls alternated shimmering tones of delicate blues and pinks over their natural pearly color. "Oh, Korin," Mewa said, "I'm sure it's way too much."

"Nonsense," Korin said, grinning at all the females in the room. "I knew the moment I saw them that they'd be welcome wardrobe accessories."

"Now, for our patient young bucks," Korin said. He reached into the briefcase again and pulled out two even larger boxes. "For our older prince, a comprehensive vid chip set of Union battle tactics, complete with visual aids, star maps, and Sandarian battle cruiser schematics. I already programmed your box's lock with your thumb print, since it's on file."

"All right!" Skomer thumbed his box open and dug into it with gusto. "They let you copy it for me? Thanks for keeping after them to release it, Uncle Korin."

Korin tousled his still wild hair, "They sure did, Skomer, but you are not to let the contents of this box leave the palace; some of the information is confidential, and the only reason Dota released it is because you are well on your way to becoming a lead military man here."

Skomer nodded solemnly. "I'll keep it in my room's safe when I'm not studying it."

"And finally for Kang, also as requested, the complete vid chip set of Union protocol procedures, including relevant military chips regarding local customs of all member planets, plus supplemental chips containing what we know of the cultures outside the Union, including the Mining Consortium and the sentient life on the nearby independent planets of Triker, Rillul, and Teméash. Again, this is eyes only information, so keep that box in your bedroom's safe when you aren't studying the material."

"Thanks, Uncle Korin!" Kang took his box with as much dignity as he could, but Keestu noted his hands shaking slightly with excitement as he placed his thumb to the reader and began pulling out vid chips one by one and reading their titles.

His briefcase was now empty of gifts, and Korin placed the security chain and its key inside before closing it.

Keestu saw Ismer raise his eyebrows questioningly at Korin, who nodded assent. Ismer unlocked the dining room, and a kitchen servant immediately entered with a fresh pot of javene, refilling all the adults' cups, while other staff members began clearing the remnants of breakfast.

Ismer's steward appeared in the doorway and bowed. "Our guest has awakened and dined privately, Your Majesty," he said.

"Thanks Loarn. Show him into my first floor office and let him know I'll be there shortly." Ismer pulled out the tube holding the components he'd had Korin bring him from Uriel. "Get these to the jeweler right away. She's waiting in Crown Princess Keestu's office."

Loarn took the tube without comment, bowed again, and vanished.

"Unless I read the calendar wrong before flying home, today's a rest day," Korin said, looking confused.

"Well, not with company," Mewa said, smiling slyly. "Prince Dinus has already asked to trade for a thousand half liter bottles of hirot and one hundred kilograms of hirot stalks. We have yet to see what he has to offer in trade."

Korin rolled his eyes. "I almost pity him," he said, "If you're in on it Mewa!"

Mewa laughed, and then sobered, "I assure you, Korin, it will be to everyone's benefit." But, her eyes were shining in anticipation of the trade.

"I'm sending Kee per their invite to view their Tourney," Ismer offered suddenly. "You did read the information I sent you regarding how their rulers are chosen?"

"What?" Korin was taken aback. "But she's only," he did some figuring in his head. "Great Rentham, she's sixteen? When did that happen?"

"My birthday was last month," Keestu said, "You sent me a gift!"

Everyone laughed, then Ismer sobered. "Our prince mistook Rue for Kee, and vice versa, so we are letting the impression stand."

Korin looked impressed. "Her first solo diplomat mission, and she's undercover as well?"

"The Autocracy has been isolated so long, I feel it's prudent to see how the general populace feels about the idea of the trade treaty. The prince mentioned they trade with the Triker and Rillul, so I'm certain it's a legitimate offer, but as you said, we don't know how exophobic they may be, despite their interactions with the Triker and Rillul. The prince may act differently in front of Kee if he thinks she's only a servant and they ever end up alone."

"I've been gone too long this time," Korin grumbled. "Kee's gone and grown up. Next thing you know, Skomer will be the space fleet's Admiral!"

Ismer grinned at his brother in good humor, then continued. "While the entire staff is aware of the situation, as are the nobles who attended dinner last night, there has been no public announcement about sending someone to see their tournament, and therefore the infocom doesn't know who our ambassador will be. I trust your discretion in keeping it that way until after Kee's left," Ismer concluded.

Korin nodded. "Of course. I'll inform the other Senators and President Dota only. I won't even mention it in my message to Nahtua. She knows I'll fill her in when I get back, anyway. What else is on the agenda for the week?"

The infocom chimed for attention. Ismer turned it on. "The royal tailor is here, Your Majesty," was the brief message.

"Thank you," Ismer said before turning the infocom off. "Kee, go hunt up Rue and get her going on her wardrobe for her mission."

"But, I usually answer mail in the morning on my free days," Keestu said, frowning. She hated to let that get backed up. Some people got quite testy if it took you a long time to respond.

"You can work on it while she's fitted, and maybe even give her some practice on handling some of it. My steward does most of mine with my complete confidence."

Keestu nodded as she got up, taking her pearl box, hugged Uncle Korin once again, and murmured in his ear, "We'll talk later."

He nodded and absently kissed her cheek before she left the room. Her father's voice echoed and faded behind her as she went for the lift. "Let me tell you about the seating arrangements for tonight, Korin..." The door hissed shut behind Keestu, cutting off the rest of her father's sentence, but she was certain he was telling Korin about having a food taster.

**Chapter four**

Keestu found Rue waiting for her in the third floor multi-use room, which also served as the tailoring suite. She plopped down beside her on the couch to await the tailor and his helpers.

"My Uncle Korin's here for the first official senatorial dinner with the Autocracy prince tonight," Keestu said, "Since you are impersonating me, expect the possibility of shows of familial affection from him."

Rue flushed at this news, making Keestu suspect that perhaps Rue had a childhood crush on her handsome and affable uncle. If so, she wouldn't be the only member of the palace staff who had pined for the handsome Prince and senator until he had suddenly announced his betrothal to Nahtua the previous year.

"Look what he brought for me," Keestu continued, showing the box to Rue. "They're really neat, turn shades of blue in cooler air and then back to pinks when warmed. I can't wait to wear them tonight. He got the same necklace for my mother and younger sister," Keestu sat back, realization dawning. "Oh paj!"

Rue started, taken aback by her curse. "What is it, Kee?"

"I can't wear this tonight, or it will give away who I am. You have to wear it. I'm not mad at you, or the fact that you get to wear it, but I can't wear either it or the dress I'd planned on, or we'll get found out."

"Well, I'm glad you thought of it now," Rue said. "It might be awkward to try and explain something like that to Prince Dinus. Are you sure you want me to wear it?"

"It's family tradition. Get a wearable gift and wear it to the next formal meal to honor the giver," Keestu explained. "Though honor's not an issue, with it being such a beautiful piece. Korin says they're all the rage on Uriel right now."

"Where do the pearls come from?"

"You know, I forgot to ask," Keestu said, frowning. "The tailor got here, and I was sent to tell you that you need to get started on wardrobe if we're to get out of here on time."

The vidcom chimed. Keestu jumped up and dropped gracelessly in front of the screen and thumbed the on button. "Yes?"

Her father's face appeared. "Is Princess Keestu available, Rue?"

Keestu straightened up and answered formally, "Yes, Your Majesty. She's waiting for the tailor to clear security. I'll go get her." She bobbed her head at the screen and got up, motioning for Rue to tiptoe across the room.

Rue carefully sat down in front of the screen. "Yes, father?"

"The jeweler has finished your new headdress. I wanted to make sure you were decent before sending it up."

"Yes, of course. Thank you, father," Rue took as formal an approach as she could, trying to convey both dignity and respect.

The vidcom went blank, and Keestu thumbed the control off for Rue. Rue looked up, her eyes large.

"It's not easy playing princess with your whole family in on it," she admitted, voice a little shaky. "I'm afraid I'll really mess it up somehow."

Keestu patted her shoulder, saying, "Keeping it dignified and slightly formal in front of the visitor is exactly the way I'd be expected to act. Just keep doing things this way, and you'll get through fine. Now, let's see what fabrics the tailor has."

Rue relaxed visibly, and smiled widely, "Thanks, Kee, I mean it. I'm glad you're okay with this. I never knew being princess could be so hard, and I'm here every day. But, how do you deal with all the staring that goes on?"

"After a while, you just get used to it. Fork fumbles at the table can happen to anyone, and learning to listen more than talk can be hard, but after a lot of practice, you tend to get the hang of it."

"Fork fumbles?"

"Yeah, I also wanted to warn you, we've got the senators from Shatopa and Chtawlikt at the dinner table tonight, so try not to look surprised when they are announced and you see them. The only other senator who is going to be there tonight is Uncle Korin; the human senators from Kielra, Weegai, and Uriel will be here tomorrow, so expect another heavy formal dinner tomorrow night."

Rue groaned at the news. She had a taller and thinner frame than Keestu, but she, too, found it difficult to maintain her weight with all the formal dinners she attended as Keestu's handmaiden.

"Well," Keestu continued, "The good news is that we'll probably be moved further down the table tonight, as more places of honor will be needed close to mother and father, and while I am Crown Princess, excuse me, Your Highness, you are Crown Princess Pro Tem," she grinned to show her glee at their continued 'game', "You get to sit at the high table all the time, and therefore to be gracious must accept a lesser status than that of multiple honored guests. You could end up sitting next to the senator from Shatopa or Chtawlikt, or even Uncle Korin. I'll check the seating arrangements, so all you have to do is follow my lead to your seat."

The door chimed, and the tailor entered the suite. "Your Highness," he said formally while bowing with slow dignity. "How lovely to see you again," he continued, looking her over with a critical eye.

"It's not me but Rue who needs clothing, Vakon," Keestu explained. "I'm going on a diplomatic trip soon, and she needs an appropriate wardrobe to accompany me," Keestu explained.

"How formal?"

"Very," Keestu said, "We'll be touring outside the Union soon, and King Ismer has decided we need your expertise in properly dressing my handmaiden for the trip. I've been instructed to tell you she should be dressed as you would dress me, i.e. in bold colors, and she needs two full weeks of outfits."

"I see," he said briskly, motioning to his herd of assistants.

One was directed to measure Rue, who found herself ushered into the sizing circle. It was activated, the upper half detaching itself and humming up her body, stopping just above the top of her head.

"Measurements recorded," the assistant sang out. Meanwhile, others were busy bringing in bolts of cloth, including satins, fine linens, light and heavy wools, and machine and handmade laces in a variety of colors. Others brought in boxes of accessories: Ribbons, trims, beaded bands, buttons, zippers, and shaping stays. Another box held cobbler's tools. The crew began setting up the palace's sewing machines and cobbling equipment, which occupied one third of the large room.

"Yes," Vakon said, looking over Rue's measurements and then at her actual shape. "Very good. I think perhaps designs 1-481, 1-262, 2-7523, all those with a variety of shirts and matching shoes will be a good start," Vakon directed, giving a variety of fabric color and trim choices to his assistants, who quickly printed out the patterns and began to cut the bolts of cloth.

"Design 2-7523?" Keestu asked. "A new one from Uriel?"

"Yes, Your Highness," Vakon replied, showing her his datapad's screen which showed an image of Rue's scanned body with the dress overlaid. It was a lovely dress, simple and slim in line, with a froth of contrasting colored lace on the front of the bodice with closely fitted lace cuffs at the ends of the long sleeves.

"Cold climate or hot?" Vakon asked.

"We have been informed that the conditions will vary on the several planets we'll be visiting, Vakon," Keestu said.

"I see. Well, we'll do two pair of shoes for each outfit, short pumps and ankle boots so Rue can choose the appropriate ones for the conditions, then. Plus, a matching parasol and cloak for each." He chose cloth and metal frames for each parasol, and a team of laborers immediately began working on those. Another was set to cutting out cloth for voluminous cloaks to go over each of the new dresses.

"An excellent idea," Keestu agreed, smiling at the officious tailor. He was so formal it hurt, but the man did know how to combine fashion with comfort.

"Now, what about informal clothing?" Vakon was poised over his electronic catalog. "Skirts or pants?"

"They do wear pants where we're going, so those are more than acceptable."

"Okay," Vakon muttered to himself, punching in instructions on his screen and watching the results. "Oh, dear, no. Pleats are out and have been for a while. I thought that program was updated!" He continued muttering to himself as he scrolled through recommended choices.

"There!" He was triumphant, making his choice. "Plain wool cloth for all those, pattern 1-21, as you can't go wrong with a classic suit. I think she should have one each in black, purple, and green, with matching shirts, skirts, pants and pocket accents for the jackets in black, white, purple and green as well. She should have both hot and cold shoe styles, one each in black, purple, and green."

Keestu leaned over his shoulder and looked at the classic suits. They had been popular for both sexes on Sandar over the past 200 years. Keestu knew from experience this style was comfortable to wear for long periods of time and should serve Rue well.

The door chimed as Vahin entered the suite. "I have your headdress, Your Highness," he said.

"In there," Keestu motioned for him to go to the adjoining private room, beckoning Rue to join them, away from the cacophony of sounds coming from the sewing and cobbling equipment while the tailor and his crew did their work.

Vahin opened the case he was carrying, pulling out a container that held a metal headdress. It was made of gold, had a Crown Princess's three prongs, but was hung with four gold beads on gold chains that depended from both the thinly wrought outer uprights and the center gold crossbeams instead of the traditional tassels. Keestu was surprised to see it was made of gold instead of wood or the lightweight resin materials that were currently popular for noble and royal headdresses. On top of each of the upright rods was an opaque blackstone gem, with a larger one on the center rod and two smaller ones flanking it on the outer prongs, and while the additional embellishment of blackstone gems was unusual, Keestu couldn't argue that they detracted from the headdress's appearance. In fact, she thought it looked more like a tiara with the addition of the gems.

Vahin's voice interrupted her inspection of the piece. "We need to be secure, Your Highness."

Keestu went to the desk's control panel, thumbing the button to seal the room. The bolts rattled into place.

"This headdress holds the video and audio recorder that Rue will be wearing for the mission," Vahin explained. "It's got a remote control worked into a matching ring in the shape of your family's crest," he continued, pulling out the ring, which fit Rue's left forefinger.

Keestu looked the ring over; the cursive R stood out in bas-relief above the horizontal midline, which divided the top from the bottom, and the bottom was divided in half with a vertical line, and there were five bas-relief diagonal lines on the bottom left and three bas-relief waves on the bottom right. It was the royal family seal, and not the older and simpler Ranell family seal used by Count Osnor of the eastern continent and the rest of the Ranell family.

"All you have to do to record, Rue, is to press on the two outer edges of the ring. It will look like you are playing with the ring, as activation is completely silent to human hearing and easily overlooked by surveillance equipment when others are in the room. You must insert the matching electronic pin in here," he indicated the bottom of the ring, where the recessed button would remain hidden against Rue's finger, "To deactivate it. This will avoid any accidental cycling of the recording mechanism. The case has an automatic download and storage feature built into it, so all you have to do to transfer recordings is place the headdress in the box in the proper position and close it in order to activate data transference and storage. There are additional hard storage backup microchips embedded in the bottom support of the headdress as well. If you wish to identify a speaker with his or her face, turn so that the blackstone gem on the top center is facing them. It's a camera lens specially cut and faceted to look like a blackstone."

"That should be easy enough to keep track of. Whose idea was it to put it into a metal headdress? We don't wear metal headdresses," Keestu asked of her protocol adviser.

"Yes, but the Autocracy doesn't know that Sandarian headdresses aren't made of metal, do they?" Vahin explained with rare levity, "King Ismer has had the royal jeweler make matching metal headdresses for Mewa and Hemda to wear while the Autocracy contingent is here, and we are going to test this equipment at dinner tonight. Prince Dinus should assume it's a different type of headdress for a different formal occasion, and think nothing of its presence on a formal diplomatic mission. Rue will wear one of your normal headdresses for everything but the formal private negotiations, of course," Vahin concluded.

"Okay," Rue said, "That makes sense. How long is the recorder good for?"

"Since most negotiation meetings don't last more than four hours at a time without a break, it's set up to go eight at a time. If any longer meetings are scheduled, you can request a break and go back to your room. Once there, you will download the footage while you are 'freshening up'."

"Those components must be quite sophisticated," Keestu commented. "To be so tiny and do so much!"

Vahin explained, "Compliments of Uriel's electronics division. They sent the specs on the components so the headdress would be ready to receive them."

Keestu closed the box and handed it to Rue, who reopened it and placed the ring inside before closing it again. Vahin keyed the case to both Rue and Keestu, having them press their thumbs to the lock so that either of them could open the case to access the headdress and matching ring.

"I'll have a list of concessions written out for you by the King well before you leave, as the Crown Princess, being inexperienced, would be expected to have something and someone to remind her of things she can and can't agree to," Vahin concluded.

"So you're going with us," Keestu said. "Has anyone else been decided upon?"

"So far, both Tenget and Gontu, with Gontu being assigned to Rue for the duration of the visit, while Tenget will watch out for you."

"Right," Keestu said. "So you'll you sit in on all the negotiation meetings?"

"I should be allowed to attend most of them, since I am known as your adviser. The Trade Administer will remain here on Sandar examining the information we've been given on their barter system and he will forward information on to your Aunt Shina at the Hub after the trade agreement is signed, so you needn't worry about the finer points of the treaty."

"Are they going to set up a barter kiosk at the Hub in addition to shipping products directly between our planets?"

"Yes, King Ismer thinks that's what they have in mind."

The door chimed, and Keestu looked her question at Vahin. "Yes, we're done here for now. Don't tell anyone about the true nature of the headdress, on King Ismer's orders. Only King Ismer, Prince Korin, Queen Mewa, myself, Tenget, Gontu, the royal jeweler, and you two know about the recording equipment. Everyone who is accompanying you must know about the recorder in the event they need to retrieve it for King Ismer, but your siblings have only been told it's a new style of headdress Ismer commissioned in order to impress on our visitors what a prosperous planet Sandar is."

They nodded understanding, and Keestu pressed her thumb to the door lock to release the seal. The bolts slid back, and after a perfunctory knock Vakon entered.

"We're ready for Rue's first fitting," he said without preamble. "Plus, I'm supposed to tell you your mail is here, Your Highness."

Vahin gave both girls a stiff half bow and left without further comment, taking the box with the headdress and ring with him.

"Have my mail brought in here, and I'll work on it at this console while you fit Rue. I'm supposed to stay and observe and advise if I think the clothing looks formal enough after the fitting for our trip."

"Well, I'm off to it, then," Rue said as she followed the tailor.

As she left, a servant brought in a small box. It contained the usual, a hand-held recorder, a variety of recorded data chips that were audio only while others were video messages, several hand-printed missives, and one larger reinforced box, the kind that was used to protect fragile items.

Keestu chose to open the box first. She smiled at what it contained. It was an unfinished clay wish ball, a traditional item of young girls on Sandar, who would take a solid or hollow clay ball, which was slightly flattened on one side so it would stand on a shelf without a special holder, and then baked until hard. After that, girls would decorate them with bright paints, using pictures or words, though some used both. They would keep their wish balls in their rooms to remind themselves of what their wishes were. Rarely, a girl would later paint over her wish ball as her wishes changed. Some wish balls became family heirlooms, passed from mother to daughter, having become symbols of what was important in those families. Keestu noted that this ball had been baked, but had never been painted. She searched the box and found an accompanying video chip. She placed it in the reader, smiling as a young girl's face greeted her. Keestu thought she looked to be about Hemda's age.

"Hello Princess Keestu," the girl said. "I'm Dierta, and I live in the second barony of Westique--in the sticks--and I hear you answer all your mail. My friends all say that you royals don't care about us out here in the sticks, but my parents insist you do, and so my wish is to prove to my friends that my parents are right. I was hoping you would have time to write something on my wish ball and then send it back to me. It doesn't have to be much."

Keestu carefully set the ball and chip back in their padded box and set it aside, starting the special attention pile. She was certain her mother and father would want to see this video themselves. She spoke into her personal recorder. "Wish ball for Dierta in the second barony of Westique. She wants it decorated by the Crown Princess and sent back as proof that the royal family actually cares for everyone on our planet. I think the entire royal family should write something on it for her."

She went through the rest of her mail, using her recorder to save personal greetings, birthday and other special day wishes, and answering questions, which ran from the benign "What do you eat regularly" to truly puzzling ones regarding personal habits of other members of the royal family.

Rue came in several times to model her new wardrobe. Keestu looked her outfits over with a practiced eye and questioned Rue closely about fit and comfort. Realizing Rue would have to sit for great lengths of time during negotiation meetings, Keestu advised her to take her new outfits and sit in them a few minutes to see if there were any binding seams, then stand and walk around for another few minutes to see if the shoes began to pinch after inactivity. Since they were custom fitted and expertly made, they shouldn't, but occasional glitches in the hand-run equipment did happen, making a seam slightly uneven here, or a shoe just a little too snug there.

Several hours later, Rue had her new wardrobe. Keestu called for servants to take all of Rue's new clothes to her in-palace suite. Keestu knew Rue had generous closet space in her suite, but until now didn't have a lot of outfits stored in it.

Seeing Rue admiring her clothing, Keestu realized what a bonus it was for her to be given these as part of her compensation for being the Crown Princess's handmaiden. She motioned for the tailoring crew to stop what they were doing, and called Vakon over. "Vakon, I would like for you to make some everyday clothes and shoes for Rue, as well. She spends so many nights overnight here; it makes sense to provide her with some everyday clothes as well so she doesn't disgrace the palace by leaving looking disheveled in day-old clothing. Your payment for these clothes is to be taken from my account, with the charges listed as part of my living expenses. I think two weeks' worth of everyday clothing should be sufficient for a start."

Vakon's face lit up. "Of course, Your Highness. I think a selection of matching jackets, slacks, skirts, and shoes in both warm and cold weather clothing would be best, so she can choose what she'd be most comfortable wearing."

"That sounds good to me, Vakon," Keestu told the man. "I know I can trust your judgement in selecting appropriate casual styles for a royal handmaiden."

Rue looked at Keestu, her mouth momentarily agape. "Thanks, Kee," she said, now beaming, as she turned back into the tailoring suite.

Vakon, flushing with pleasure, bowed to her and turned to his staff, issuing orders without hesitation. The tailoring crew, to their credit, cheerfully prepared to make the additional clothing.

Keestu left her box of mail in a bin to be sent out later by one of the staff, asked Palace Control where her mother was, and being informed she was in the first level drawing room, Keestu made her way there with the special attention box.

She was startled to find Dinus in the room. Remembering to curtsey to her mother, she regained her composure and spoke only after being recognized. "Your Grace, Princess Keestu received a wish ball from a young girl in the second barony of Westique whose wish it is to have her decorate it. The princess thought it would nice if all the royal family helped decorated it for her. She asked me to bring it to your attention."

"Where is the princess now?" Queen Mewa asked as she motioned for Keestu to hand her the box. The Queen took out the slightly misshapen clay ball and eyed it fondly.

"She's still with the tailor, Your Grace," Keestu replied.

"Well, it's too bad that she's not available now. Prince Dinus and I were just about to go out to his ship and look over the trade goods he brought. However, since the princess is not available, we would like you to accompany us. As her handmaiden, you can describe the goods to her in person later."

Keestu felt herself grinning at her mother's manipulation. "I'm honored by your trust, Your Grace."

Queen Mewa carefully set the wish ball back in its box. "We'll pass this ball on to the King later. We're sure His Majesty will be pleased with the princess's considerate idea." She sealed the box and left it on the table.

The Queen stood, Prince Dinus quickly at her side. "Shall we go to your ship, Prince?"

They left through the northeast door of the palace and strolled to the Autocracy ship. As she approached it, Keestu could see that it was well armed for such a small vessel. She thought it looked quite maneuverable and was probably better suited to short trips and atmospheric maneuvering than interstellar travel.

The ship's hold lay adjacent to the ship's lounge, and as they passed through it, Keestu saw the off-duty crew lounging about. Two were playing a game of Engine Room on a portable board, which nearly filled their tiny table. Several others were crowded around watching the progress of the game, making bets amongst themselves on who would win the game. Keestu saw some items piled precariously on the next table, no doubt the wager put on the game. She thought it odd that they'd bet on the outcome of a simple race game, but if they weren't allowed off ship, they had to pass the time some way. The crowd shifted a little to allow them to pass, and Keestu saw others at a larger table playing a dice game, which had its own crowd of spectators. She'd had no idea that Dinus's entourage was this large.

"Your Highness?" Keestu asked Dinus as they left the crowded room and entered the much quieter hold. "I couldn't help but see your crew is playing games. I know Engine Room, but I didn't recognize the dice game."

"Engine Room?" The prince looked blank for a moment. "Oh, you mean Starship Engineer; that's what we call it. The dice game is called Throw Six. My crew likes portable board games, card games, and dice when stuck on board a ship that lacks the power to support electronic games since they don't take up much space."

"I'm not familiar with Throw Six," Keestu admitted wistfully. She loved to try new games, even if she didn't like them and never played them again.

"The dice sets you saw are used for two games on my planet. Throw Three is a children's counting game that's used to help them develop math skills. The adult game is called Throw Six and uses six dice per player and a single special die that's handled by a player called the controller. All players throw their dice and place their wagers after seeing their initial hands. Then the controller, who doesn't participate in the hand other than to control the special die, throws that die to determine which of the players' dice get re-rolled before the hands of the players are scored at the end of the round. You want to get as close to a 'Perfect Thirty' as possible, since the only hand that beats it is 'The Mystic's Hand'."

Dinus didn't elaborate further as he had led them into the cargo hold and opened a bin. Several bolts of brightly colored fabrics were inside. They were made of the same satin as his clothing, though this cloth had repeating geometric patterns all over.

Keestu tried not to crowd her mother, who was eagerly examining the bolts.

"Oh, this is lovely," Mewa said, pulling out one particularly interesting bolt. It was done in a three-dimensional square pattern in multiple colors, with each square being made of a set of three shades of the same color. Keestu thought the color didn't look painted on or dyed in, but she couldn't figure out how it had been manufactured.

Seeing her daughter's interest, Mewa passed the fabric to her. Keestu eyed it closely as she felt the softness and drape.

"That entire bolt of fabric should suffice for the one hundred kilograms of fresh hirot vegetables, I think," Mewa commented as she took it back from Keestu, "Considering the hours it took to grow, tend, and harvest the fields and process the stalks compared with the hours it must have taken to produce this cloth."

"Yes, Your Grace," Keestu remembered to respond, as she was still trying to puzzle out how the fabric was made.

Prince Dinus nodded agreement. "It sounds like a fair trade to me," he said, as they continued to browse the offerings.

Keestu saw crates of brightly colored handmade hooked and needled hats, gloves, and socks, all done in the same bold geometric patterns of dyed animal fiber. As cold as Sandarian winters could get, she was certain there'd be a market for those, if the items proved to be as warm as they looked. She looked at Mewa from behind Dinus's back and tilted her head and lifted an eyebrow speculatively to indicate her interest in the winter clothing. Mewa nodded back almost imperceptibly.

They were shown several large rugs, which were made from a thick and sturdy fiber. The rugs displayed the same bright colors and geometric patterns as the fabric. Keestu glanced back at everything else they had looked at so far. Nowhere in the textiles did she see floral, animal, or humanoid picture patterns, and nowhere were the colors muted; there were items in white and bright silver, but none in ecru or eggshell. She wondered if there was a cultural significance of such coloring and patterning in their work, as she glanced up again at the prince's clothing with its large geometric applique. This was a question that she, posing as handmaiden, couldn't ask.

After mulling over the choices, Mewa chose two of the brightly colored rugs to display as art in the palace, trading several cases of hirot liqueur for the items and leaving the rest of the bartering for King Ismer to conclude later. Dinus surprised Keestu with a box of individually packaged dice games, complete with instructions on how to play both Throw Three and Throw Six.

Startled, Keestu stammered awkward thanks, clutching the box tightly to her as she and her mother edged their way back through the crowded lounge and left the ship. Mewa would send servants for the heavy rugs later, but made certain she carried the bolt of fabric from the ship herself.

Prizes in hand, they took their leave of the prince, who was scheduled to fly over the vast hirot fields in another barony with King Ismer after the midday meal.

Mewa gestured for Keestu to follow her back into the drawing room and closed the door. Engaging the privacy seal, Mewa turned to her daughter.

"I could practically see your mind churning with questions, Kee," she said as she carefully set the fabric on the table.

"Well, mother," Keestu said, "Did you notice that everything is very brightly colored? I saw absolutely no muted shades anywhere, just like their clothing."

"Yes, I did. Very sharp observation, Kee. What else?"

"Every pattern was geometric! I saw no solid colors, no floral patterns, no animal patterns, and no humanoid patterns at all. Doesn't that strike you as odd?"

Mewa looked surprised, but nodded agreement. "I wonder what the significance is of the geometric designs? It's frustrating knowing so little about the Autocracy, and we certainly won't find it in the archives. Perhaps you can keep an open ear for why only geometric patterns are used."

"And how in the world did they create this fabric? I can't see where it's painted on, dyed, woven in, or if the fabric was made using some other technique."

Mewa stroked the fabric. "Their fabric manufacturing techniques are something I also would very much like to learn more about. If you can tour manufacturing facilities, try and find out how it's made."

Keestu nodded, and her mother grinned at her.

"We have a lot to do before dinner," she said. "The color scheme for palace servants tonight is bold red again but formal, so wear a skirt and heels. Rue is to choose what will go with the pearls Korin gave you. I'm sorry, but she must wear them tonight instead of you."

"I already figured that out. I think the pearls will go well with the new gold headdresses. Okay, I'll go and let you get to your planning."

Mewa reached out and squeezed her hand affectionately as Keestu picked up her box of dice games and left the drawing room.

**Chapter five**

After dressing for dinner, Keestu was reading the instructions of the new dice games in the third floor drawing room when the infocom chimed. Hemda bounced up and hit the repeat button, turning up the volume so everyone in the room could hear. The announcement of the arrival of the Senators from Shatopa and Chtawlikt with dinner to follow directly after introductions galvanized everyone into action. Princes Kang and Skomer jumped up and ran to their rooms to get their coats, while Hemda grabbed Rue's hand and pulled her urgently towards the royal lift. "C'mon," she urged. "Doan wanna be late ta meet 'n greet."

Keestu suppressed her smile, but offered, "I'm sure Rue's been here long enough to realize we don't want to be late. But, running to meet and greet is also frowned upon, too, you know."

Hemda grinned widely and shrewdly, showing the gap in her teeth, " I can still get 'way wiff it on 'count of bein thmall." However, she did reach out and finger her new gold headdress to make sure the two gold beads were still in place.

The girls laughed out loud as they held the lift for Keestu's brothers, who reappeared still running. Kang was flawlessly buttoned this time, and Skomer as neat as he ever appeared in a militaristic looking suit. Both her brothers had brought along hats, which were decorated with bands showing their Prince's stripes; four stripes alternating light and dark blue.

The lift let them out, and out of habit they formed an organized rank and entered the dining room en masse, joining King Ismer and Queen Mewa to await the night's dinner guests. As her mother turned to greet them, the light caught on her headdress, the five large gold beads hanging from it sparkling brightly, complimenting the blackstones sitting on top of the prongs.

Dinus arrived and was announced, followed shortly by the senators, who were entered the formal dining room from the private dining room accompanied by Korin.

Keestu's eyes were drawn to the alien senators and fixed there. It had been years since she'd seen either species in the flesh.

The large female insectoid senator of Chtawlikt was just as Keestu remembered her, her round and shiny hard-shelled black body supported on four sturdy legs, her straight thin thorax rising above it with two arms, each bearing a hand with an opposable thumb projecting from both sides of her fingers, the smooth line of her long neck broken only by two holes of unknown function near the top of its length, and above that her head with its vestigial antennae bouncing and quivering over two multi-lensed eyes that presided over her tiny nostril holes located above her most notable feature, large pincer-jaws located on either side of her supple thin-lipped mouth opening. The pincer-jaws showed the only hint of color in the otherwise black senator, bearing bright red diagonal stripes. She rushed across the dining hall towards Dinus, the hard claws on the ends of her toes clacking a staccato rhythm on the stones. She was quickly followed by her entourage of supporters, each of which was half her size or smaller and showed no colored markings on their much smaller and almost non-existent pincer-jaws. Her followers clustered nervously behind her, apparently awaiting an order. For the first time Keestu realized the Chtawlikt didn't wear any clothing.

Chtawlikt's senator was followed by the slapping splayfooted gait of the jovial senator from Shatopa, a water-going mammalian covered with thick gold spotted yellow fur. His wide bare feet showed webbed toes well suited to his watery homeworld under the long and loose formal dark blue tunic that was his only clothing. The appearance of his body shape was otherwise almost humanoid, though his torso was stout and barrel shaped, as his species had a thick fat layer that kept them warm in Shatopa's frigid oceans. His humanoid hands were betrayed as alien by the presence of fur and webbing between his fingers, and his head had large completely black eyes surrounded by extremely long top and bottom lashes. He had no external ears, though when he turned his head, his ear holes became visible. He had two nose holes centered under his eyes that he could close while swimming, and below that sported long flexible whiskers. His cheeks had thick hairless ridges that started just below his ear holes on the side of his head and proceeded down to just short of the sides of his otherwise soft-looking mouth. His gentle-looking eyes peered benignly around the room as he waited for Korin to join them. Unlike the senator from Chtawlikt, only a single assistant accompanied him.

Keestu tore her eyes away from the senators and looked at Prince Dinus. He was dressed in the same satin outfit and remained politely poised, though he appeared to be studying the newcomers intently, particularly the senator of Chtawlikt, who had rushed forward to greet him with her pincer-jaws agape. She had noted that he had moved his feet so they were further apart, and his hands, which had been reaching in greeting, were now held loosely at his sides, his fingers flexing into what looked like nervous fists now and then. His attendants had spread out, and several moved forward, forming a protective semi-circle around him. Chtawlikt's senator had stopped short and was staring back at him, all four of her thumbs twitching her hands into fists as well.

When Korin and his assistant made his way across the dining hall, the personal introductions began, and Dinus relaxed visibly as he bowed in a stately manner to the senators and they to him.

Introductions done, they moved to the table. Keestu moved down the table, leaving five chairs open, two each for Korin and Shatopa and their assistants, and one for Rue, as she had checked the seating chart before dinner. Keestu watched as the Chtawlikt senator was seated opposite her, her chair occupying a much larger space due to the need to accommodate her anatomy and that of whichever assistant she chose to sit with her. Keestu noted with interest that only the senator sat at that time, her four legs propelling her so that she could position her body over the backless chair and lower herself gracefully onto its cushioned surface.

Once everyone was seated, dinner was served. She played the part of taster for Rue again. Seeing that the others had tasters, the senator from Chtawlikt snapped her jaws at her assistants, curtly uttering, "Ukchi kotkah", at which one of her companions struggled up into the seat beside her and hurriedly tasted the first course for her.

"Chuhcha tuhkwi," the servant announced very softly, passing the dish over. Keestu didn't see where the senator noticed the presence of her servant or heard what he (she? it?) had said in reply to the order, but she began to eat gracefully, her antennae coming to attention as she tasted the dish.

Keestu heard music and realized Shatopa's taster was talking to him in the language of Shatopa, which was known to resound quite well under water. However, she hadn't known it sounded so musical out of the water, consisting of two, three, or four note varying length syllables sung in a single octave with obvious pauses between words.

Korin leaned around his taster and looked past Rue at her; he remembered her fondness for hearing about other Union members. Giving the barest of winks, he smiled hugely at her and turned his attention back to the conversation at hand.

More questions followed for Dinus, which he took with good grace, though he did look on occasion rather nervously down the table at Chtawlikt's senator, seated next to his food taster.

"Have you a name other than your species?" Dinus finally asked her during a lull in the conversation.

"Too hard to say in Unity, so address please by 'Senator', 'Senator of Chtawlikt', or just 'Chtawlikt'," she said, punctuating her sentence several times with a gnashing together of her outer pincer-jaws, which produced the distinct clicking noise that accented her speech.

"Where on your planet are you from? Has it a name?"

"Shstaw Kwikwo," she replied easily. "Mean in Unity Neutral Ground, where senator of Chtawlikt wins position and lives when home."

"Staw Kwikwo?" Keestu thought he did a very good approximation of the language, though he lacked the click syllable produced by Chtawlikt pincer-jaws.

"Shstaw, not staw," the Senator corrected him, but she did not do it in an officious manner, and Dinus didn't react to her correction other than to nod politely. "Chtawlikt hard for human and Shatopa because of your anatomy," she continued. "It's why we vote for and learn Unity."

Keestu looked at her mother and father, who were paying close attention to the interaction of the two. She wondered if they knew about Chtawlikt's Neutral Ground, or if this was news to them. She looked around and saw her brother Kang was completely absorbed in the conversations while eating with absent neatness. Keestu suppressed a laugh. She doubted Kang even knew what he was eating.

The rest of the meal was uneventful and ran to discussions of trade goods each planet specialized in, but Keestu tried hard to pay attention, since trading by barter wasn't something she was familiar with.

She was therefore somewhat surprised when Korin suddenly asked King Ismer to summon the cooking staff to the dining hall.

Ismer raised his eyebrows at his brother, but summoned them, where they were greeted with effusive applause for the variety of dinner foods prepared with precision for a variety of guests with differing tastes and nutritional requirements.

Smiling happily, the head chef, Ithan, addressed the tables, but specifically the alien senators. "I'm gratified by your appreciation for our efforts. It's certainly a great pleasure serving in the palace and having access to so many different cultures' foods, and your enjoyment of the food we prepared for you means more than you know."

Korin spoke next. "Ithan, please tell me your secret to making such wonderful soft breads! You can't find the like on Uriel without them being soggy, as they tend to prefer quick breads that have to be refrigerated after baking to keep them fresh."

Ithan flushed before responding. "There really isn't a big secret to making these soft dinner rolls Sandarian style. First, you need some sourdough starter. With that, you combine several other flours, light and dark, and mix it into a sticky dough, and let it rise. You must bake them in a rather hot oven for a short period of time in a glass dish since metal dishes encourage the formation of a harder crust. You can also leave out the sourdough starter and use a regular yeast dough with some dark cane sap to make soft rolls."

Queen Mewa spoke up. "I recall a while back you mentioned wanting to further your culinary education on Uriel for a while, Ithan. Have you made any consolidated plans?"

"No, Your Grace," Ithan said, "It's difficult to find a position on another planet from a distance. Then, there's the problem of lodging, tuition, scheduling, and the like."

Korin's face brightened. "Ithan, would you come to Uriel if I gave you a job? Same rate of pay as you have now, plus the usual stipend given to every Sandarian employee who must remain off planet away from their homes for any length of time. My wife Nahtua supervises our very capable cook staff, but with our first baby coming soon, she's going to be busy for quite some time to come. I'm quite willing to work around your schedule; you can prepare menus and some dishes for the deep freeze for the more informal dinners, and if you bring an apprentice, he or she can handle everything else but the meal planning, which will need your experience in handling as I never know how many guests to expect, so short notice will often be given for entertaining. I'll be happy to have you on my staff while you attend school, unless, of course, King Ismer or Queen Mewa object."

Ismer's eyes crinkled with amusement. Keestu tried not to laugh out loud, but a chuckle went around the table, and so she allowed herself a slight guffaw at Korin's obvious manipulation of the situation.

"Of course not," King Ismer said, "As long as there's a junior chef here Ithan is certain can manage the kitchen staff for the duration of his absence. How long is the educational program were you hoping to enroll in?"

"Three years, Your Majesty," Ithan said, his eyes now shining. "I want to attend the experimental one-year culinary school program in addition to the two-year Union culinary program taught on Uriel to get better acquainted with their methods of cooking with non-Sandarian Union foodstuffs. The next course starts in two months."

"We can spare you that long," Ismer said. "Please never forget if you want to come home early, your position will always be open here, even though I have every confidence in any apprentice you choose to take over while you're away."

Ithan bowed deeply. "Thank you, Your Majesty, Your Grace, Senator. When shall I be ready to go?"

"My consular ship will be returning to Uriel before our guest, Prince Dinus that is, takes his leave of us. Not more than another several days, I think. Is that enough time for you? I can always arrange later transport if you'd like."

"Oh, no," Ithan said, "My children want to try managing a house before striking out on their own, and my wife is amenable to staying on Uriel while I'm in school. We can be packed and ready by then."

"Two months should be sufficient for you to settle in and for us to work out your schedule, then," Korin said with a smile. "As long as there's fresh soft bread in the house, I know I'll be happy with your work. You can even experiment on our taste buds if you're particularly keen to try a new dish."

Ithan's face was now quite radiant. "I look forward to it, Your Highness, um, Senator."

Korin smiled kindly at Ithan who looked distressed at his mistake. "Senator is fine when we're on Uriel, Ithan, because that's what I am when we are there. You can call me Senator, Prince Korin, or Your Highness when we're home on Sandar, and no one can say anything about your manners as I hold both titles here at home."

Keestu saw that Dinus' eyebrows were raised at this revelation. King Ismer leaned forward. "Had I forgotten to mention? Korin is not only Sandar's representative in the Union Senate, but he's also my younger brother as well. Having family in the Senate means he'll be certain to know our wishes, and yet he also answers to his people as their representative as well."

Ismer dismissed the cooking staff. Keestu smiled as they were murmuring happily amongst themselves as they left, many looking hopeful that they would be chosen to manage the kitchen during the head chef's absence.

After dinner, both the alien senators gave gifts to Prince Dinus. Shatopa gave him a case of dried shellfish, a delicacy from the oceans of his homeworld, while Chtawlikt presented him with a variety of her world's gitish shell bowls, explaining that while almost thin enough to see through, they were extremely durable and could only be cut with a diamond blade. The bowls were passed around and admired, and Keestu noted that the highly polished interiors shimmered like mother of pearl, white overlaid with delicate shades of blue, which closely matched the color change pearls Korin had brought her from Uriel.

Dinus chose to return foodstuffs as his gift to Shatopa, presenting the senator with a sample case of cans of a common Autocracy root crop that could be opened, heated, and served as a vegetable right out of the can or mashed and mixed with flour and made into a flatbread popular throughout the Autocracy.

He gave the senator of Chtawlikt a tall table in a lovely green wood that he assured her was the wood's natural cured color. She stood next to the table and saw that it was the perfect height for her to use without having to either stoop down or look up at it. Her antennae quivered and bobbled in pleasure, and her pincer-jaws remained politely immobile as she thanked Dinus for the table.

The gift exchange over, Keestu and the others were dismissed and went up to the royal family's rooms on the third floor, while the king, queen, senators, and Prince Dinus retired to the first floor drawing room for a private meeting.

**Chapter six**

Several days later, the details of Keestu's visit to the Autocracy were decided. Keestu would take two suitcases of clothing, while Rue would take four large suitcases. Another suitcase carried grooming equipment for both the young women, and Mewa additionally insisted they take a suitcase of prepackaged food.

They would take Sandar's Jewel, one of the royal family's space liners, and accompany Prince Dinus's ship first to the Union's space station the Hub before going on to Autocracy Station via a pass-through of the Rillul system. After they arrived at Autocracy Station, they were assured an Autocracy vessel appropriate to the Crown Princess's station would be put at her disposal. As Vahin had told Keestu, Tenget was to guard Keestu, Gontu to guard Rue, and Vahin would go as Rue's adviser, but no others were to go, a show of the confidence King Ismer had in both his daughter and her companions, and his trust in their soon to be trading partners.

Sandar's Jewel had landed in the clear zone outside the palace walls since the palace's landing pad was filled by Prince Dinus's ship and Sandar's Star. The small crew stood at rigid attention while Prince Dinus escorted Rue to the Jewel. He explained he wanted to give the Autocracy's communication frequency information to the Jewel's captain himself before being escorted to his own ship.

Keestu noted as she left the palace grounds that many of the nobles who lived nearby had come out to see what was going on after hearing or seeing the Jewel land in the clear zone. They were talking amongst themselves and some waved vigorously and cheered on seeing King Ismer and Queen Mewa, who smiled and waved back. Since no formal announcement had been given to the infocom, Keestu noted the lack of any recording devices, which was a good thing, since questions regarding why her handmaiden was being given such deference could be awkward at this point. There was also no need for a large guard contingent, so the four squads that always accompanied King Ismer were deemed adequate protection for everyone, though Keestu knew the man in charge of her father's security would not have agreed to such an exposure if not for the heavy gun emplacement that was entrenched in the cliff face that rose behind the palace.

Both Ismer and Mewa embraced Rue, who tried her best to make it look natural, though Keestu noted her eyes looked wider than usual. Her parents turned to her. Her father clasped her hands and regarded her fondly but seriously. "I trust you to make the right choices in accompanying your charge on this trip," he said. "Guard her interests well."

When he released her, Keestu remembered to curtsy. "I will, Your Majesty," she replied.

Turning to her mother, Keestu saw her eyes beginning to fill with tears. Mewa, abandoning decorum, threw her arms around her daughter, releasing her when she saw Prince Dinus staring at her display of affection. "You're like a daughter to us, too," Mewa managed to say, stifling any further show of emotion. "Have a safe trip."

Keestu tried not to let tears well up in her own eyes, but her voice was strained when she answered. "Thank you. I'll try my best, Your Grace."

King Ismer, Queen Mewa and the guard squads turned away, ushering Prince Dinus towards his own vessel, leaving Korin to say his own goodbyes. He gently hugged Rue for appearance's sake and turned to Keestu. His eyes sparkled at her fondly as he wrapped his arms around her. "Look at you, Keestu, all grown up" he whispered into her ear. "I know you'll do fine. Ismer asked me to tell you Shina's expecting you and knows what's up. See you at next break."

"Thanks again for the lovely pearls," she murmured back. "I hope I get to wear them soon. Give my love to Nahtua, and remember to send a video of the baby as soon as he or she is born."

Hugging her uncle, eyes now definitely stinging, she looked at her brothers and sister. They had said goodbye to Rue and now faced her. Since they weren't expected to be affectionate with a handmaiden, they could dispense with such displays.

"Try not to botch it up and start an interstellar war," Skomer advised her, grinning wickedly.

Keestu rolled her eyes. "I'll do my best," she said. "Don't stage a military coup while I'm gone, okay?"

Skomer, dropping his tough guy act for a moment, leaned in and whispered at her, "See about getting any military information you can on them for me, 'kay?"

Keestu nodded, grinning at her brother for his enthusiasm for all things military.

Kang gave her a solemn handshake. "It's acceptable anywhere in the Union to shake hands if you're unsure how to greet or say goodbye to someone not royalty. I hope it's the same in the Autocracy," he advised her.

"I'll let you know if it's not as soon as I get home," Keestu promised.

Hemda bounced up, looking furtively around before giving her a big hug. "Lucky ew, gettin' ta fly off like this. You see any younger princes, you tell em I wanna hear fum em soon's they've got time."

Keestu chucked her sister under the chin. "Don't try and grow up too fast, sis," she said, "Mom says it goes too fast as it is."

"I know, and I have to get mine b'fore someone else does! Sides, I heard in class it's good for 'lliances."

"There's more to marriage than just making good alliances, Hemda," Keestu said, frowning slightly.

"I know that," Hemda protested, "S'why I need to hear fum the princes now, get to know em so I can pick a good un!"

Keestu smiled at her younger sister's unexpected maturity, seeing her brothers' surprise as they considered this angle.

"Actually," Kang said, "She's not wrong. If you hear of any princesses my age who are not promised..."

"Okay, I get it," Keestu laughed. "I'll let you all know everything I can learn about the younger foreign royals!"

On that positive note, she waved cheerfully at the still watching nobles, turned, and boarded the ship.

Rue, Gontu, and Tenget were already settled into seats overlooking the bridge. Keestu found an empty seat and began strapping herself in as Captain Nebo came to report.

"King Ismer informed us already of the covert nature of your trip. We hope not to make any mistakes in deferring to Rue as if she were you until we release you on Autocracy Station," he said, his heavily lined face sincere.

Keestu smiled and replied, "I know it's been a while since you were in Covert Ops, Captain, but surely not long enough that you'd be in danger of breaking my cover."

Captain Nebo grinned back at her. "No, Your Highness, I guess not."

He turned to his First Mate. "Do we have clearance to leave yet, Paxi?"

Paxi was a youthful, short, thin, and pale woman who had been in space nearly all her life. She looked up from the com board. "Not yet, Captain. Sandar's Star just took off, and the Autocracy ship has been told to hold while a flitter clears the area."

Nebo went to his own board, checking the situation. "Well, let's all strap in for pre flight anyway."

"Aye," Paxi replied, patting the com officer on the shoulder before going to her own station.

Nebo keyed up the sequence on his own board. "Hatches?"

"Sealed," was the reply.

"Environmental?"

"One hundred percent."

"Engines?"

"No malfunctions, mains on standby, ready for full VTOL thrust on your mark."

"Guests?"

Keestu looked around, realizing it was up to her to reply. "Accounted for and secure, Captain," she said hastily.

"Crew?"

"First Mate secure."

"Com officer secure."

"Security secure."

Nebo checked his own harness. "And Captain secure."

The com officer checked his board, and then confirmed, "All other shipboard stations have reported in secure, Captain. The ship is ready for takeoff." He recorded this information in the ship's log.

The forward screens suddenly lit up, showing the Autocracy ship smoothly rising into the sky. In a matter of moments, it vanished from view.

"Autocracy ship has cleared the atmospheric zone," the com office reported a minute later. "We have our clearance to go any time in the next five minutes following our submitted flight plan."

Nebo bent over his board, keying in a sequence as he reported in to CeCe Flight Control. "This is Captain Nebo of Sandar's Jewel. Thank you for clearance. We have already completed our pre flight and are proceeding with takeoff on my mark. Now!"

At his "Now!" Paxi's hands moved over her board. The ship's vertical thrusters kicked on full, and the screens showed the great stone cliff the palace nestled into suddenly under them and shrinking to an indistinguishable blur in moments, but the dampers kept Keestu from feeling the full impact of the effects of liftoff. She sat still, though, knowing that any malfunction in the equipment could change that, which was why it was standard Sandarian procedure that no one was out of their seats either during takeoff or landing since any sudden yawing of the ship could injure or kill an unsecured person.

They swiftly rose above the clouds as the sky darkened through shades of blue and finally to black, Sandar's sun shrinking from a warm blazing yellow-orange ball in a blue sky to a bright white star in the blackness of space on the view screen.

The slight pressure of liftoff left them, and Keestu knew they were in space moments before Captain Nebo announced it.

"CeCe Control," the com officer then said into his board. "We have cleared the atmosphere and are approaching the outbound military ring on schedule."

"Copy that," came the electronically distorted reply. "Sandar's Star is on final approach now, and the Autocracy ship is entering the queue now, so they will go next, and then you're cleared for your entry, so we are shunting you over to Ring Control now. Have a good flight."

"Thanks, CeCe, see you for downside return. Jewel out."

The com immediately chimed softly for attention. "Sandar's Jewel, this is Ring Control. CeCe Flight Control has released you to us. We have you on approach. Maintain present course. Sandar's Star has exited the system, and the Autocracy ship is next, with you right behind them in the queue. You will see on your screen the regular Uriel dispatch, but they are in a holding pattern until you are gone, as you've been given a higher priority exit to keep up with the Autocracy ship."

"Copy that, Ring Control," the com officer replied. "Captain?"

"Copy that, Com," Captain Nebo said.

Paxi spoke up. "I see the Uriel dispatch on the screen and confirm they are already in holding pattern twenty thousand off the ring."

Keestu looked at the view screen, but saw nothing from this distance. She wished she had her own board to check in-system activity. She could see now why the space fleet held so much interest for Skomer. It had been years since she'd been offworld, and the excitement was making her stomach knot up a little bit.

She looked over at Rue, to see her leaning forward, also paying rapt attention to activity on the bridge.

"Look," Rue breathed, pointing.

Keestu turned back to the screen, finally seeing the ring, a tiny round circle of red lights easily seen against the starlit blackness of space that quickly expanded as they approached at speed. They overtook and passed the large Uriel dispatch going in the opposite direction. This one was a massive barge. It was circling back around in order to get its own run at the outbound ring, which would boost them into hyperspace towards the Hub.

"Sandar's Jewel, this is Ring Control," a male voice called out as they approached the ring. It quickly expanded to fill the edges of the screen, nearly disappearing from view as they flew towards it. "Autocracy ship has cleared, and the outbound military ring is confirmed still set for the Hub. Enter when ready and have a good trip."

"Copy that, Ring Control," the com officer replied. "See you on downside return, Adar."

"Stop in on station next time if you get a chance, Sturra," was the reply.

Nebo was busy at his board, as was Paxi. "We are at maximum speed now, Your Highness," Nebo announced as the last edges of the ring vanished from the screen. "Entering the ring, mark!"

The image on the screen dissolved into chaos, making Keestu queasy before it went dark.

Keestu knew the rings were used to create wormholes through space, so rather than flying to any nearby star straight, which would take many subjective years, travel to any planet within the Union would take only a subjective day at most from leaving your planet, to reorienting at the Hub, to arriving at your destination.

How the rings had been set up originally, or by whom, she didn't remember. They just were, and were a very important part of the Union. Without them, interstellar trade would be impossible. No, she thought to herself, the Union itself would be impossible. Leaders could retire or die before ships could get from one planet to the other with contracts and treaties if the rings weren't in place. While direct travel between planets was possible using the rings, by treaty, they all passed through the Hub first, which not only maintained order in Union travel, but it also served as a point where every planet could have a place to trade without going all the way to other Union planets to secure popular trade goods.

The Hub was located slightly below the galactic plane, making it centrally located for all Union planets, making for short space trips and negating the need for bisphosphonates, since there was no extended time spent in zero gravity situations to weaken the bones of space travelers.

However, since they would be traveling outside the Union, it would take time for their flight to be coordinated, so they would be spending two Union days at the Hub while synchronization of the Union's rings with those of the Rillul system and Autocracy Station took place.

Rue was looking at Keestu. "Captain Nebo has cleared us to move around the cabin. We have several subjective hours before we emerge at the Hub."

Keestu nodded, releasing her harness. "I was just thinking about the Hub. It's been years since I've been there, and now we get to spend a couple of days there with Aunt Shina to show us around!"

Rue grinned. "I've never been off Sandar myself," she admitted.

Keestu was taken aback at learning something new about her friend.

"Not even once?"

"Never had a reason. Thought I might make it into the exchange student program and go to Kielra, but my dad started that temporary job helping update the palace's hydroponics, and I met you when I was helping him so I could learn about hydroponics since my father was interested in growing certain luxury foods on our farm to boost our income, and of course we became friends, and I became your handmaiden so I stayed on Sandar."

"I didn't know that," Keestu said. "You should have said something!"

"Why? I love being at the palace."

"Yeah, but you've never been away from home!"

"Like I said, there has never been a need before. But you're right; this is going to be fun. I can see new fashions coming from the Union before they are shown on the shopping channel of the infocom or show up at stores in the Market."

"We'll likely to see more Shatopa while at the Hub," Keestu said. "Wasn't that dinner something else?"

"I know, I thought Prince Dinus was going to challenge the senator of Chtawlikt to a duel the way he was facing off with her."

"You, too?" Keestu was amazed at how informed and worldly her friend seemed, and yet she had apparently never even been inside an interstellar spaceship before this morning. She certainly had more poise than Keestu felt she possessed if she could sit through takeoff and going through the ring and still banally talk about sightseeing at the Hub!

Rue laughed. "I don't know whom I'd have bet on if it had come to it, really," she said.

Tenget finally spoke up. "My bet would be on Chtawlikt. She's got superior balance with four legs, and those pincer-jaws of hers could snap his hand off at the wrist before it ever hit her."

Gontu nodded agreement, and then added, "However, with his entourage, I think he'd have a fighting chance against her alone. I didn't think her followers would so much as tilt their antennae in Prince Dinus's direction without her say so."

Vahin rolled his eyes. "I'm glad intership com channels don't work in the wormholes. I'd hate to have the Autocracy hear you taking sides on who would have won a fight at a peaceful dinner!"

"But, Vahin," Keestu said, "I got the impression from the outset that they expect those types of confrontations in the Autocracy. Father said challenges happen on a monthly basis."

Vahin frowned. "Yes, peculiar behavior if you ask me."

"I'm sure the Autocracy would beg to differ," Keestu countered, unable to resist baiting her stuffy protocol adviser. "After all, it's a culture very foreign to our own, so I'm sure some of our customs must appear unthinkable to them, like how our planetary King or Queen inherits their position and rules for life."

"Well," Vahin said. "I really don't know what to make of them at this point. I suppose I'll learn more when we see more of their culture in person."

"I'm sure we'll all do fine," Keestu repeated. "Prince Dinus seems nice enough, despite being on what must have been for him quite a strange trip."

"Right, but don't forget part of our mission is to see if the rest of the Autocracy seems as open to trade as Prince Dinus and his father are."

"He did say his father was favored to win the position of Autocrat," Keestu said. "So we are nearly guaranteed a trade treaty if he does. On the off chance he's not, I can't imagine the rest of the Autocracy being that much against trade, at least with us humanoids, even if they did seem a little exophobic regarding the senator from Chtawlikt. I didn't see him react negatively to the senator from Shatopa, did you?"

"No," Vahin admitted. "But he'd recovered his poise by then."

"At any rate," Keestu said, "Like Rue, I plan on enjoying our time at the Hub! You know it's been so long since I've been there, I don't know if I'm remembering it correctly myself."

**Chapter seven**

Several hours later, Keestu was called back to the bridge. She and Rue left the small cargo hold they were exploring and went to strap in.

"We're about to re-enter normal space," Captain Nebo tersely informed them. "Secure all personnel."

They returned to their seats and tightened safety straps, suffering the inspection of the security officer before he returned to his seat and secured his own straps before Paxi confirmed all personnel were ready for emergence.

"Activating forward screen," Paxi announced. The screen lit up, showing the nauseating whirling maelstrom of hyperspace beyond.

"Approaching event horizon," Nebo said, "on my mark...Mark!"

They broke back out into real space some distance from the Hub's host star, and Keestu had to search the starry black to identify it. Since the Hub lay below the main galactic arm, in her "up" direction, she saw more stars than were visible when looking "down". Several habitable yellow stars were visible above them from their point of view, stars that could, and did, harbor Union life. Keestu couldn't remember which one should be Sandar, as at this distance they all looked the same.

She heard a rapid beeping and looked at the crew in concern, but they were nonplussed.

"What is that?" She received no answer, as the crew was busy.

"Firing braking thrusters on mark, five second burn," Paxi announced. "Sit tight everyone. Mark."

The beeping slowed somewhat.

"What is that?" She asked again.

"Lane speed buoys, Your Highness," Captain Nebo responded, still busy at his board. "The buoys mark where we should be scrubbing off speed, and the length of the audio tones after firing braking thrusters tells us that we are exactly where we should be. The Hub's sun doesn't support any habitable planets, but the outer region is peppered with asteroid fields and dwarf planetoid bodies, while the inner contains several dead planets and the Hub. We've arrived in the system between the outer and inner portions of the system, and now that we are braking, we will soon be turning towards the Hub's star."

"Firing braking thrusters again, ten second burn, then going inertial," Paxi announced. "Mark!"

The beeping subsided to an occasional sound.

"Initiating reorientation onto the Hub," Captain Nebo announced, laying the course in. The stars slowly began drifting on the display as they made a wide sweeping turn. The Hub's bright orange star finally appeared to the right of their screen, larger than the yellow Union stars above them, and getting visibly larger as several minutes passed.

In the distance, Keestu spied a blue orb. Dredging up what she knew of the Hub from her memory with difficulty, she asked, "Is that the fifth planet?"

"Yes," Vahin replied, "It's a gas giant. We don't want to get caught up in its gravitational field, and so we keep our distance."

Another beep began sounding; different in tone to the ones they had left behind. Paxi checked her board. "There's the fifth planet com relay buoy. We are in long-distance com range now," she commented. "Initiate contact with Hub, Com."

"Come in Hub Control," the com officer announced. "This is Sandar's Jewel. We have entered the system and have gone inertial on schedule, just now passing the fifth planet communications relay buoy. Request lane assignment."

"Welcome back, Sandar's Jewel," Hub Control responded after several minutes of time lag. "Hold your present course until your lane assignment arrives."

Another urgent-sounding beep sounded, which Paxi immediately checked. "Outbound ship passing through the edge of our scanning range and holding their assigned course. Keeping to our present course negates any chance of collision." She was calm, giving her report in a bland tone, so Keestu knew there was nothing to worry about.

The rest of the flight was routine, consisting of minor course corrections until they were exactly in their lane, just like any atmospheric flitter on Sandar, but Keestu listened to it all as they made their final approach to the Hub, passing through the orbit of the frozen fourth planet, which was currently out of their line of sight behind the sun, and moving on to intercept the Hub, which was located between three inner gas giant planets and the outer two.

Keestu wished they could take a tour of the inner solar system and see the hot gas giants glowing in the heat of the star, but Sandar's Jewel didn't have the shield rating to get that close to a star. She smiled as the Hub loomed up suddenly out of the darkness. It was as Keestu remembered it on the outside, a large square structure of indeterminate size floating in space that began filling the view screen as they raced towards it. It was canted at an angle to their approach, so that the star illuminated parts of it, while others were lit from within. Captain Nebo made another course adjustment, and they ended up facing the dark outer face of the Hub's large cube straight on. Keestu remembered then that all exiting ships left the Hub sunside.

Keestu leaned over to Rue. "We should land in the middle, at what's called the equator. All the landing bays are there in two levels, with passenger ships landing on the upper level, and trade ships offloading or onloading cargo on the level below."

Vahin chimed in. "Just above the travelers' landing bay is the trade floor, where all the public purchase kiosks are located. The floor above that is where you'll find restaurants and other entertainment. The level above that holds the Hub's hotels. Above that are maintenance and the top level of private residences respectively. You do remember the private residence area includes daycare or full scale schooling for any children of people working on the Hub, and that there are also several resident only recreation areas located there as well? Going down from the trade ship landing bay just below the equator are the offices for the entire Hub and more hotels for travelers and traders, though traders can choose to stay on their ships and not spend additional money on Hub accommodations, and below that are three floors of storage holds for trade goods, and then lower maintenance which also houses the Hub's hydroponics gardens, and the bottom level is private residences just like the top level. It's also not unusual for a ship to redock at a storage level for direct onloading or offloading of merchandise." He pointed out the few storage level docking bays, which burned with constant light just like the main landing levels did, but there weren't as many open bays visible.

"How large are the levels again, Vahin?" Keestu couldn't recall, strain though she might.

"Each level is half a kilometer tall, including maintenance and recycling corridor allowances that are present just under the main floor of every level, so the whole station is five and a half kilometers tall. It's also five and a half kilometers wide and the same deep. That extra volume is necessary on the landing level to provide enough room for ships and cargo to maneuver, and on the other levels, it provides enough atmosphere for recycling and also helps eliminate claustrophobia for the permanent residents, as it gives the illusion of a sky above them.

"Since you may not remember, Princess, there are lifts located every quarter kilometer throughout all levels, except for those that pass through the Equator, in which case they are located every half kilometer. Courtesy motorized walkways are provided in case you tire and need assistance getting back to a particular landing bay."

The Hub now fully filled the view screen, and Keestu saw bright lights shining from many of the external ports on each of its nine levels not dedicated to landing craft. They were tiny compared to the rectangles of light where ships entered and exited the Hub's landing levels through its massive airlocks.

The bridge crew was still hard at work, keeping the Jewel in her lane while keeping an eye on the other traffic around them.

Their speed slowed again as they entered the Hub so that they seemed to only inch forward.

They moved into their assigned airlock and came to a full stop, hovering, while the massive outer door was sealed. Once this happened, the inner door opened, and atmosphere flooded into the bay, causing Sandar's Jewel to bobble noticeably in place. Keestu saw Vahin frown at Captain Nebo, who shrugged. Apparently this was normal and nothing to worry about. Keestu looked around the Hub, seeing several sleek liners drifting into and out of docking spaces.

Rue was tense beside Keestu, and Keestu patted her arm in reassurance. "Almost there," she said, smiling hugely at her best friend, enjoying her excitement.

The Jewel slowly drifted through the landing bay, passing orderly rows of docked ships until turning into its assigned berth, coming to rest next to a bulkhead that provided services: refueling, water replenishment, and waste removal.

Vahin was checking his chrono against information now coming in from the Hub. "You'll have about an hour before midday meal time, and as I'll be busy with Prince Dinus and Princess Shina showing him around the Hub, you'll be on your own," Vahin informed her. "Your father orders that you two are to be allowed free rein on the Hub. Tenget and Gontu, you are off duty while they are off ship. You are to meet back here for escort to a formal dinner with Prince Dinus, though, Princess," Vahin finished.

He reached into a case he had secured under his chair and pulled out a drawstring purse and handed it to Rue. It was gray satin and had a Crown Princess's rank stripes on it, light blue over dark blue over medium green, and it had a large silver tassel at the bottom. He handed a brown drawstring purse to Keestu, which was made of velvet, decorated with the light blue stripe of a Sandarian Lady, and had a matching blue tassel hanging from the bottom.

"You'll find enough Registered Units in there to keep you both amused while here. You both have open credit here on the Hub--just charge it to Sandar's Jewel--but you'd have to show identification to access it, hence the actual Units. Security is heavy enough here that you could carry purses full of Neutral Units and not worry about being accosted. I would not recommend openly carrying a purse full of Units, even if they are Registered, anywhere else off Sandar, but here you should be safe enough."

Tenget spoke up. "Should the unthinkable happen, just shout out 'Security!' as loud as you can. Union guards are never very far away, despite not much in the way of intrigue happening at the Hub. Be sure to yell for help before you try to contact us via your personal coms, which are in your purses."

Gontu spoke up. "You are to avoid visiting the private residences on the top and bottom levels unless accompanied."

Keestu nodded, taking the instructions in. She could hardly wait to go shopping alone with Rue; it was something she'd never done before.

"Oh," Vahin, said as they moved toward the outer hatch, "Remember we are at berth Passenger two hundred ninety-four if you get lost and need escort back, and our closest operating lift shaft is three hundred--shaft two ninety is being serviced. Shina's residence is officially known as 'Top fourteen thirty-eight'. There is also a 'Bottom fourteen thirty-eight', so be certain you ask for escort to 'Top fourteen thirty-eight' if needed. Her staff is aware that you might drop in unannounced. Stick to the marked walking corridors that pass between the berths, which are marked by force and sound dampening fields until you get to the closest lift. Just avoid the red lines marking the fields' borders and remain where you are when you are blocked by a red lights."

The com officer informed Vahin that an urgent message was coming through for him, and he sighed and returned to the bridge to take it as Keestu and Rue left Sandar's Jewel.

Keestu grabbed Rue's hand, tugging urgently, and they set off instead of watching the crew connect the Jewel to the Hub's services. The vast landing bay wasn't nearly as noisy as she'd anticipated, since the maneuvering ships were surrounded by force fields. She saw the bulkheads alternated what side they were on in the berths, the walkway was centered between the berths, and there were lanes at regular intervals that had no bulkheads so that the ships could maneuver into their berths without having to pass over any parked ships or walkways.

She and Rue entered the walkway, found which way they had to go, and began heading towards lift number three hundred.

They had only walked to berth two ninety-five when they were halted by the activation of a force field.

Looking up, Rue excitedly pointing at stacks of shipping crates that were drifting silently past, hanging from a conveyor system. However, she blanched and both the girls watched in horror as there was a power surge, allowing the bottom claws to release a single massive crate, which crashed to the floor of bay. Keestu felt the shuddering of the deck as the crate impacted, but heard nothing due to the force fields that separated them from the accident. She watched in fascination as one of the crate's corners split open, allowing an interior container to tumble out. It impacted the deck and its top popped off, allowing dozens of small things to roll out of it. She and Rue stepped forward, trying to identify the cargo. Keestu took an involuntary step back when one of the things got up and started moving around. They were awkward, ugly little things, having four short legs, fat bodies, and two short arms. More of them had gotten up, and Keestu realized they had been stored in a stasis locker, and because of the accident, these creatures had been freed of the stasis field and were now loose on the Hub.

She started when one of the things saw them, opening its mouth to reveal a set of small but sharp teeth as it rushed at them. It impacted the force field and fell to the deck, stunned.

Meanwhile, more of the animals had recovered from stasis, and they, too, were getting up and milling around.

Several more ran at them, impacting the force field, and Keestu laughed.

However, the actions of the few caught the attention of the many more who were becoming alert, and they, too, turned towards the force field and began attacking it in numbers, while some of the others began investigating the stunned ones and fell on one that had been injured in the accident and began tearing it apart.

Taken aback at the cannibalism, Keestu began backing away from the force field, feeling uneasy.

"Rue, I think we should return to the Jewel until this is cleaned up."

Rue nodded agreement. They turned to find their way back blocked; they were locked inside berth two hundred ninety-five by force fields on three sides and the berth's service bulkhead on the other.

Rue fumbled with her purse. "Vahin said we've got coms in our purses. I'm going to call the Jewel so they can contact Hub Control and see about getting us out of this berth."

"I don't think we have that kind of time," Keestu said, pointing. More of the creatures had thrown themselves at the force field, and it crackled, the red lights on the floor dimming as the field weakened.

"What are we going to do?"

"Jewel here," Rue's com said.

Rue whipped the com up to her mouth. "We've got a problem. We are sealed in berth two hundred ninety-five. A crate has fallen, broken open, and released some things that are trying to get through the force field to us! We can't get back to the Jewel, and the field separating us from whatever they are is weakening, so you have to hurry!"

Keestu shook her head and held out her hand to Rue, who handed the com over.

"This is Keestu," she said tersely, "And they are going to break through that field before you can contact Hub Control! Put Tenget on."

Moments later, Tenget's voice came over the com. "What's attacking you?"

"I've never seen them before," Keestu said. "They are short, ugly looking things. Look like a baby fowl crossed with a lizard."

The field in front of them stuttered and one of the creatures got halfway through it before the malfunctioning field reactivated, cutting the creature in half. Its head gave a single mortal squawk, while its rear flopped around on the other side, attracting the attention of others of its kind, who fell on the remains.

"Not ringing a bell with me," Tenget said. "Now try and remain calm. Do you have anything that can be used as a weapon?"

Keestu looked around the empty berth. "There's nothing in here with us."

"Okay, try to remain calm, remember your training, and treat these things like you would human fighters. Find a position from which to defend yourself from multiple attackers."

Keestu looked around, and then pointed. "Rue, we need to get our backs against that bulkhead now."

As she spoke, the field failed, and a dozen of the creatures began rushing towards them. She and Rue hurriedly put their backs to the bulkhead, but continued standing together, so they each only had one vulnerable side in addition to their fronts. The first creature reached Rue, and she lashed her foot out at it, kicking it. It flew backwards, its skin splitting, causing several of its comrades to fall on it. The second and third dashed at Keestu, and she kicked the first away, but her foot came down on the second as she pulled back to kick again. She ended up crushing it on the deck with her foot. It split apart, splattering thick brown goo onto Rue's shoes.

"Eww," Keestu groaned, disgusted by the mess.

More of the creatures were charging at them, and there was no time for squeamishness as Rue followed her lead and they began stomping the creatures as fast as she could. Their shoes and lower legs were swiftly covered with a thick coating of what Keestu thought was the creature's blood. Seeing one of the creatures trying to reach Rue from the side, she instinctively swung her heavy purse and threw it down, smashing the animal before it could try and bite Rue. Rue copied her move before they continued crushing their assailants with their feet.

They were so intent on their activity that they were startled when Gontu and Tenget joined them, quickly clearing a space in front of them.

"Get behind us," Gontu ordered, "And cover your ears!" He raised a projectile weapon.

Keestu and Rue retreated and did as they were told. Even so, Keestu winced from the report of the projectile weapon, which echoed sharply in the space protected by the force fields. She watched as the gun released a load of pellets that killed ten of the creatures at once. Another shot by Tenget killed another dozen, and the remaining creatures turned away from their attack and began feasting on the fallen.

"Get back to the Jewel," Gontu yelled while he and Tenget continued guarding their retreat.

Rue and Keestu retrieved their purses full of Units and retreated towards the Jewel, their feet slipping on the floor.

Captain Nebo stood just inside the Jewel's berth, another weapon at the ready, Paxi beside him with a com.

"They're clear," Nebo yelled as loudly as he could, and as Gontu and Tenget retreated, Keestu saw that they were wearing earplugs.

When Gontu and Tenget were back in the Jewel's berth, Paxi gave the all clear, and Nebo fired his weapon into berth two ninety-five, releasing a gas canister. Paxi spoke rapidly into her com, and the force field on that side of the Jewel's berth sizzled into place, locking the creatures in with the gas. The remaining creatures were overcome and dropped, sprawling on the deck.

Keestu and Rue went back aboard the Jewel to find Vahin waiting for them. Keestu was turning towards their cabin, intending to change her clothing, when Rue started laughing.

"I'm sorry," she said, "But I never thought if we got into a fight that we would end up stomping some nasty little beasts snapping at our ankles."

Keestu laughed with her. "You're right. I always imagined human opponents myself."

Vahin stopped them from going to their cabin. "You need to be tended by a suited medic before you change out of your clothing. We found out from Hub Control that they are called 'bile nippers', and the Jewel's medic has to make certain you weren't scratched, as their claws contain an acid compound to help their digestion that is caustic to humanoid skin."

"I don't feel any burning anywhere," Keestu immediately said as the safety-suited medic ushered them into the Jewel's small infirmary.

"Neither do I," Rue reported.

The medic nodded, but carefully sprayed them with an acid neutralizing compound before cutting their pants legs off and placing them into a hazardous materials bin. He indicated that their purses were to be emptied and discarded as well. Their Registered Units and coms were sprayed with the neutralizer before being washed by another suited Jewel crewmember, and the medic carefully inspected both girls for scratches before telling them to shower in the infirmary's bathroom.

Paxi had come back onboard and was sent to fetch fresh clothing for both girls. Keestu frowned as she came out of the shower wrapped in a towel and Rue went in. "The Jewel needs a stronger soap. My ankles are stained brown from that stuff that came out of the bile nippers."

Vahin frowned and left the infirmary. He returned a minute later and informed Keestu, "Unfortunately, the brown stains must wear off naturally. It's part of what gives the bile nippers their name. It's an enzyme they produce throughout their alimentary canals that works in conjunction with the acid in their claws. Fortunately that substance isn't harmful to humanoids."

"Where do they come from?"

"They are native to Chtawlikt, and Princess Shina will talk to their Senator, who happens to be on the Hub dealing with other Chtawlikt trade matters after visiting Sandar to meet Prince Dinus. I hope Princess Shina finds out just how the Chtawlikt got away with having containers carrying living animals on this level of the Hub. Live cargoes are supposed to be restricted to the storage levels or trade ship level."

Rue had come out of the shower, and Keestu gave her the news about their skin being stained.

"What about our clothing?"

"I'm afraid that's a complete loss," Vahin informed them, "The bile affects the molecular structure of both plant and animal materials, quickly breaking them down."

Rue frowned as the medic disposed of the last of their clothing. "Oh, eta. Those were brand new shoes, and I've never had a pair of custom-made shoes before."

"Sorry, Rue," Keestu said. "We could get you another pair of shoes while we are on the Hub."

"It won't be the same," Rue sighed.

"I'll get you another custom made pair when we get home, then," Keestu reassured her friend, trying to cheer her up.

"Oh, would you? Thanks, Kee," Rue said, her mood lightening instantly.

They left the Jewel carrying new purses and were escorted by Gontu to the next nearest lift, number two hundred eighty-five, while a Hub crew cleaned up the mess that blocked their way to lift three hundred. Gontu gave them the barest of salutes before heading back to the Jewel.

Keestu and Rue watched as people from other ships joined them, and Keestu noted they were murmuring quietly amongst themselves using their native tongues as they waited. Finally, the lift doors opened, and Rue and Keestu crowded in after allowing those arriving to exit. When the lift was at capacity, a warning sounded, and some additional shuffling took place as a larger party who didn't all fit in the lift moved off so they could remain together, allowing several other single travelers to get on.

The lift hummed up to the next level, where the trade kiosks were located, the doors opening and letting them out to reveal a riot of civilian dress. Keestu quickly recognized the colorfully patterned flowing robes favored by the residents of Weegai, who were also set apart by their jet-black skin. They had, however, opted for more substantial shoes on the cold decks of the Hub instead of their famously comfortable and beautifully woven sandals. She heard the now familiar slapping of bare Shatopa feet, and turned to watch a large group of them go by. A family group she thought must be from Kielra judging by their randomly striped heavy hooded cloaks, dark brown skin and black hair passed them next. Just as she thought she caught sight of other shoppers wearing Sandarian clothing, Rue tugged on her sleeve.

"Look at all the shops! It looks so much larger than the Market at home!"

Keestu grinned and followed her friend. They quickly saw there was no strict layout to the kiosks, so there was no way of knowing what wares they'd see in the next one. However, signs at each entrance gave the planet of origin of the goods to be found inside, so they decided to skip the ones marked Sandarian in favor of seeing what the other Union planets had to offer first.

Despite the number of people she was seeing, Keestu didn't feel crowded. Everyone she saw was polite, smiling, and courteous, and the clerks were polite and helpful to everyone, regardless of species. Anonymous for once, Keestu enjoyed the feeling of liberty it gave her to be seen as a young girl out with a more affluent friend on holiday on the Hub.

The air of the Hub was colder and damper than she remembered, but clear, recycled so well it lacked the chemical tang you often had to suffer through on a spaceship if it had been in space a while. The Hub's daytime was based on Uriel's capital, which roughly coincided with daytime in CeCe, so the lights were at full brightness, simulating midday. As she and Rue strolled along, Keestu glanced up at the ceiling in the distance but couldn't see it through the glare of the lights.

She and Rue went into one shop and found the Shatopa were experts at finding shells and pearls in their rivers and oceans. There were single large pearls of the expected colors of white, black, pink, and beige, in just about every shape and size, most mounted in pendant and earring settings. There were also many similarly sized and colored pearls that had been matched and stranded into necklaces.

"I think Marinat would like one of these," Rue said. "She's getting old enough to appreciate them. What do you think, Kee?"

Keestu thought about Rue's younger sister, who she hadn't seen for some time. "She's a couple years older than Hemda, right?"

"She's ten–only one year older than Hemda–and already being asked out on dates."

"Lucky her," Keestu said. "So what color do you think?"

"She's very into pink right now, medium shades, so I think this strand right here," Rue said, deciding on one.

"Nice choice," Keestu agreed. "They're not too big to overwhelm her, but also large enough to last her a few years."

"When she has a daughter, she can pass them on to her, too," Rue said. "She's very into the idea of having a daughter so she can name her for our mother."

Keestu nodded sympathetically. Rue's mother had died onboard ship from an unexpected postpartum brain hemorrhage shortly after giving birth to Marinat. They had just entered a ring-generated wormhole when labor started, and by the time they'd gotten anywhere near medical facilities, her mother's brain damage was too severe for her to be saved. Several pictures taken of her mother holding her immediately after her birth and family video recordings made before she was born were all Marinat had to remember her mother by. "Arana is a pretty name for a girl," Keestu said softly.

Rue smiled wistfully. "I agree, but I can't take that from her. It's all she's talked about naming a daughter since she was old enough to understand what happened when she was born. I just wish I hadn't been sick and had gone on the trip with them. My father told me my mother asked for me at the end."

Keestu, her eyes stinging, put her hand on Rue's arm, squeezing it sympathetically. Rue gave her a wan smile and patted her hand reassuringly. "I'm okay with it now. I felt horrible for years, of course, but the Union bans children suffering from local childhood illnesses to travel to the Hub, and no one knew that Marinat would come a month early."

Rue picked up the necklace and took it to the counter. The Shatopa shopkeeper smiled brightly at them. "Find all you like?"

"Oh, yes," Rue said enthusiastically, "What a lovely selection you have here."

"Cost even less on Shatopa," the shopkeeper said, winking conspiratorially at her. "You come visit us sometime, no?"

"If I can," Rue promised, smiling back.

"That will be seventeen Units, eighty Parts. Will you be using Registered or Neutral Units?"

"Registered," Rue said as she pulled up her purse and opened it. She pulled out one large platinum colored twenty Unit coin and handed it to the shopkeeper, who slipped it into his Unit reader. He closed the top and pressed the "R" button on it. After a few seconds, the machine beeped, the text on the screen confirming that the twenty Unit coin registered to one Ismer, King of Sandar, and Associates and been transferred to Shatopa's Treasures, the Hub. The shopkeeper's eyes widened in surprise, but she recovered quickly, opened her register, dropped in the coin, then pulled out Rue's change in the form of two silver one Unit coins and two gold ten Part coins and placed them into the machine. Pressing another button, these Registered Units and Parts were transferred to the ownership of Ismer, King of Sandar, and Associates. She gave the coins to Rue, who dropped them into her purse.

"Where should I send this? Delivery free on all Hub Shatopa items, so you don't have to carry around all day."

"Berth Passenger two hundred ninety-four," Rue said. "Sandar's Jewel."

"Sandar's Jewel, Passenger berth two hundred ninety-four. Got it," the shopkeeper said, sealing the box, marking it, and putting it into another sealed and marked tube before handing it to a staff member, who took off with it, the sound of his slapping feet quickly masked by the sounds of the crowds outside the shop.

"Here receipt chit. You keep until have package, then insert into tube and place both in any receipt box located right next to credit terminals all over Hub. Thank you, and come see us again."

"Thank you," Rue said.

Keestu couldn't suppress her giggle as they left the store. "That's the first time I've seen a purchase in person. It was easy," she said.

"Oh sure, if you don't want to haggle over the price," Rue said, realizing that as Crown Princess, Keestu had nothing to do with everyday activities like shopping.

"Who'd want to with it only being seventeen Units eighty Parts for a strand of pink Shatopa pearls, even if tax is a little higher on the Hub than at home?"

"Right, it's the getting here to the Hub that'll cost you," Rue commented as they continued walking through the stores.

After a while, Keestu's stomach audibly growled. "I guess it's time for lunch," she said.

Rue smiled and replied, "I agree. But where to eat?"

They found a lift and went up to the restaurant/entertainment level. It was much quieter, with everyone seeming in much less of a hurry either going to or coming from eating or entertainment. However, as they passed several bars, they could hear the occupants talking loudly and cheerfully if the doors were open as they went by.

"It smells heavenly," Rue said, inhaling deeply as they looked for a restaurant.

"What are you in the mood for?"

"I'm thinking seafood, which should satisfy but not be too heavy before dinner, Kee," Rue said.

"Yeah, I have to agree with you there. But, what planet?"

Rue laughed. "Well, now that's a tossup, isn't it? How about since I bought Shatopa pearls, we eat Weegai seafood instead?"

"Sounds like a good deal to me," Keestu said, allowing Rue to steer her to a Weegai restaurant that smelled especially appealing.

They were quickly seated in a quiet private booth and brought a complimentary appetizer of lightly breaded lodalvo fingers with a spicy dipping sauce while they looked over the menu.

Their server took their order, and promised to bring soft Sandarian style bread with their meal, which would came with a side of steamed Weegai sea vegetables.

When the steaming platter arrived a few minutes later, Keestu wondered at their choice. It smelled very strongly of fish.

"Oh my," she said, "That's quite pungent."

Their server grinned at her, his white teeth flashing brightly in his cheerful blue-black face. "Tastes a lot more mild than it smells if it's the first time you've had our whitefish. You also get a variety of sauces if you want to dress it or the vegetables up," he indicated the sauce bar, "Our basic white and red sauces are the most popular for that particular fish platter."

"Do you have a preference?" Keestu was surprised that Rue asked their server for his opinion, though it made sense when she thought about it. "White sauce definitely. Goes well with both the fish and the steamed sea veggies."

"Thank you," Rue said. "I'll have to try it, then."

"Well, the menu said they've also got several butters, including Sandarian, at the sauce bar," Rue ventured after their server left, "So if we don't like the sauce, we can always use butter."

"I never had to dress my own meal myself, so I'm following your lead, Your Highness," Keestu teased.

Laughing, the girls went to the sauce bar, nodding amiably at the others in line, and looking around while waiting, seeing quite a few of the larger tables were occupied by Shatopa.

Keestu was surprised how light a flavor the fish had. She tried it with Weegai's white sauce, then with Sandarian butter, and decided on the white sauce. It had a slight peppery tang to it that complimented the fish well.

The bread, touted as being Sandarian style, was actually a loaf big enough for two. It wasn't soft, like Sandarian bread, but it was hot and fresh, and Keestu didn't think the crust was too chewy, and the bread had a hearty if slightly sweet flavor to it.

The steamed vegetables were rather bland, so she put white sauce on them, which greatly improved their flavor.

Keestu insisted on paying for lunch from her purse, though she'd been told all the Units were registered to the palace. Keestu wasn't certain if the Units given to Rue were being deducted from her pay. She figured if she paid for most things, she could always ask Vahin for more Units if she ran out, though she thought the several hundred she'd been given should be more than adequate for their visit.

After they were done eating, they purchased many other curios for various family members, since it turned out that every kiosk offered free delivery. Before they knew it, it was time to get back to the ship and prepare for the formal dinner with Shina.

They found their way back to the Jewel without incident a few minutes before they had to leave for Shina's suite.

"Your Highness, Rue," Vahin greeted them as they entered the bridge. "I'm glad you are prompt. Your luggage has already been moved to Shina's suite. It's a formal occasion, but not as formal as the senatorial dinner a few nights ago, so Shina says you may both wear slacks if you'd like," Vahin finished as first Tenget and then Gontu arrived back at the Jewel.

Vahin then wryly told them, "Several of your purchases have arrived," and showed them the packages. Sorting through their receipt chits, Keestu and Rue saw that everything they'd bought had beaten them back to the ship.

When they were ready for dinner, they left for lift three hundred together. Keestu was happy to see that there was no sign of the bile nippers or their shipping crate as they passed through the access corridor uneventfully this time. Seeing the receipt station next to the lift, Keestu and Rue inserted their tubes with their chits into it and were thanked once again for doing business at each business on the Hub.

It seemed eerily quiet to Keestu as they got out on Shina's level, though here and there were a few people walking, and children were playing among the many oxygen-giving plants that dotted the tranquil corridors here. Hearing water in the distance, Keestu was surprised to find fountain cheerfully burbling outside her aunt's suite. Shina's suite was large, taking up a goodly portion of the cul de sac it was located in and Keestu leaned back to see it rose several stories towards the darkness of the roof above, which had darkened to simulate night for the residents. Since the lights helped heat the level during the daytime, the temperature had dropped a few degrees, though not to an uncomfortable level.

They were immediately shown in to Shina's suite and informed that they should change before Prince Dinus and his contingent arrived, and Shina had recently finished work and should arrive home shortly before Dinus was scheduled to arrive.

A servant led Keestu and Rue to their suite on the third level, which had a single shared large common room with two bedrooms off either side of it. Each bedroom came with a full bath and had no water rationing. Shina's rooms were on the uppermost fourth floor of her suite and off limits to anyone but Shina and her staff seniors; the private lift that went to that level was programmed to accept authorized people by thumb and retinal prints only.

Dinner was being held in the second floor dining room, which overlooked the large first floor meeting room from an open balcony on one side, giving the dining room the feeling of greater depth.

Since Shina was not only head of Sandarian trade, but also a royal princess, she had had her choice of residences, so she'd chosen one that had an exterior wall. Her dining room had a large portal showing the blackness of space dotted with stars that dominated one's attention, and the table was situated so that only by deliberately sitting with your back to the portal could you not enjoy the view.

As they were leaving their suite, the infocom chimed them that Shina was home and getting ready in her rooms and would greet all her guests together when Prince Dinus arrived.

Keestu approved of Rue's choice of her new purple ensemble and had chosen a pantsuit in a contrasting shade of gold to wear. She recalled Shina was quite fond of all shades of yellow, and it had been months since Shina had come to Sandar for a visit.

The door chimed, and Keestu could see from the balcony that Prince Dinus had arrived. His clothing never changed, and she wondered if he had several sets of clothing all exactly the same, or if the same suit was washed every day for him since his appearance was always neat.

Dinus was shown up to the dining room, where he smiled warmly at Rue. "I trust your trip was uneventful, Princess."

Rue smiled. "Mostly so, Prince Dinus," she agreed without elaborating on their misadventure. "How was your tour of the Hub?"

"Very educational," Dinus said, still smiling warmly at Rue.

At that moment, a servant announced. "Princess Shina, sister to King Ismer of Sandar, and Chief Trade Liaison in charge of Sandarian trade on the Hub."

Prince Dinus's eyebrows went up. Keestu wondered whether it was surprise at learning Shina was Ismer's sister, or that a royal princess was given the task of overseeing trade for the entire planet.

Shina swept into the room, taking everyone in at a glance. She glided up to Prince Dinus and took his hand warmly. "I'm afraid my brother forgot to mention you were such a handsome young man, Prince Dinus," she said, embarrassing her visitor by glancing knowingly in Rue's direction. Since Shina did everything for a reason, Keestu had to trust that she had orchestrated her greeting in order to see what his reaction was.

He recovered quickly, responding in kind. "And King Ismer failed to mention he had a much younger and very lovely sister."

Shina laughed, and everyone relaxed.

"I know you already know my niece and her entourage," she said casually, "and while this is supposed to be a formal dinner, I hope you'll agree that we can skip re-introducing you to people you already know. It's one reason I like working at the Hub; I find I can get twice the work done if I occasionally skip the formalities."

She ignored Vahin's unhappy look and took Prince Dinus by the arm and led him to the table. "I'm sorry I couldn't show you around in person today, but I had an unexpected meeting with the Chtawlikt senator while she was passing through on her way back to Uriel. I also send the apologies of my brother, Senator Korin, but he had to continue on to Uriel because his wife had gone into labor with their first child and the only priority clearance exit window to Uriel available today opened shortly after he arrived."

"I understand," Dinus said. "I wish them a healthy baby."

Shina smiled warmly at Dinus as she indicated his seat. "I'll be sure to pass that on to them the next time I send a message packet their way."

Keestu nudged Rue and tilted her head emphatically. Rue's eyebrows screwed up in confusion, and then she nodded, discerning the question Keestu probably wanted asked.

"Do we know yet if it's a boy or a girl Aunt Shina?"

"Oh, dear me, no. They've been keeping the sex of the baby a secret, though I expect a birth announcement will come as soon as Korin has time to send one."

After they were seated, she stood. "I am afraid that we've had a little intercom short circuit that I didn't have time to get addressed with my unexpected need to talk to the senator of Chtawlikt, so I'm going to have to physically go and check on dinner myself. Rue, would you assist me?" Without waiting for an answer, she headed for the lift.

Keestu sat still until Rue's elbow dug into her side. "Oh, of course, Princess Shina, I'd be happy to."

She got up as fast as decorum allowed and followed Shina into the lift. After the door closed, Shina turned to her, giving her a rough embrace, finally releasing her, but keeping her hands on her shoulders. "My stars, Keestu, let me get a look at you! I think you've grown several centimeters since I saw you last. Korin mentioned in his message that you'd sprouted, but I didn't believe him." Keestu nodded, noting with surprise that she now stood eye-to-eye with her aunt.

"It's good to see you, too, Aunt Shina. How are things on the Hub?"

"Oh, the usual. I wasn't kidding about my meeting with the Chtawlikt senator. I think it's unfortunate that they only allow a single planetary representative who also oversees all trade agreements, because I'm sure she must be run ragged taking care of everything, poor thing. She never complains, though. In fact, she actually seems to relish it. However, I can't believe that she actually argued that the bile nippers were being shipped in stasis and therefore didn't qualify as a 'live cargo'! I don't think I'll ever understand their culture, not unless I get an extended vacation and can visit their world. However, with the upcoming trade treaty with the Autocracy, I imagine I'll be too busy to take a vacation for some time. Seeing how much you've grown makes me realize I should get a husband and have babies, and maternity leave may be the push I need to take a vacation!"

"Can't you tell father you need a break? I'm sure he'll let anyone you like take over while you do."

The lift had stopped, and Shina released Keestu's shoulders and put a finger to her lips while they walked into the kitchen. The kitchen doors whooshed open at their approach, releasing the appealing odor of food and a cacophony of noise from a number of cooks who were busy chattering excitedly as they rattled the dishes about. As the doors thumped closed behind them, Shina relaxed again. The staff quieted as they realized their princesses had entered the room. Shina smiled and merrily waved them back to their tasks.

"Of course, I can take a break at any time, but it's so exciting the new things that are going on, I hate to let anyone else take over for fear I'll miss something really interesting. Being in charge of trade here at the Hub is almost as good as having the throne, and I do my best not to let Ismer down. But I really should find a husband and have some kids; I'm not kidding about that part. Your mother was two years younger than I am now when she had you, and if I want to have children, I should do it soon or freeze my eggs to insure the continuation of my genetic stock."

As she spoke, Shina moved around the kitchen. Tasting spoons were brought out, and Shina moved among the various dishes, murmuring approval of them all.

"Very good. I think we're ready for the first course. Send it up two minutes after I've left the kitchen. Soon enough for any 'issues' to be settled, but not too long that they'll wonder if there are serious problems here," Shina instructed her head chef. "Remember to serve the companions first, and that Crown Princess Keestu is playing the part of handmaiden Rue, while Rue is to be addressed as Princess Keestu."

A murmur of agreement swept around the room as the staff began rolling the serving carts into position.

Shina ushered Keestu back towards the lift. "I find it hard to believe you'll be going outside the Union, and as a diplomat no less! Wasn't the last time you were off Sandar before I was appointed trade liaison at the Hub?"

Keestu remembered to keep her mouth shut, nodding as they left the privacy of the kitchen to walk the short distance to the lift.

When the doors closed, she told her aunt, "I remember coming through the Hub before, but it's hazy. I didn't remember the walking corridors on the landing level or much of the layout beyond the equator. I also remember huge cities with tall buildings on Uriel, and that's all I remember of that trip."

Shina hit the hold button on the lift.

"Well, the Hub is not going to undergo any major changes any time soon, from what I understand, though Korin said the Senate might consider enlarging it or building a satellite Hub in a few years if trade with the Autocracy goes through and we see a great increase in the volume of trade and/or tourists. Fortunately, Chtawlikt doesn't use much of their allotted area, and I've been given clearance to release their unused offices, quarters, and empty kiosks to The Autocracy, as all trade for Chtawlikt items is done at automated kiosks or by direct shipping from Chtawlikt. You'll let Rue know that, in case they question her about it? She'd be expected to know about available space when negotiating. As for the big cities on Uriel, I think it's time for you to take another tour. CeCe is quaint compared to Uriel's Medan, but Medan really isn't that big, for all its skyscrapers. Perhaps you could petition your father after you come back for a visit with Korin and Nahtua, especially now that he's letting you travel between planets on your own."

Keestu smiled hugely and nodded, liking the idea tremendously, thinking of all the shopping she and Rue could do on Uriel, as Shina released the hold on the lift and led her back to the dining room. In an instant, Shina was again the effusive hostess.

"All right, my dears, dinner is on its way up, and I've been assured by Rue that everything on the menu should agree with our guests' digestion."

Keestu returned to her seat by Rue, still smiling. Rue was blushing, her eyes demurely dropped, and Keestu glanced quickly across the table at Prince Dinus, who was leaning back in his chair looking very pleased. She wondered what had happened while she was gone.

Their food soon arrived. Shina named each item for Prince Dinus. Dinus donned his finger prongs and randomly sampled everything after he had his taster try one item, showing the trust he now placed in his hosts.

Next on the menu was roisin steak, also from Uriel. Keestu found the meat very tender, and tried in vain to remember if it had ever been on the royal table on Sandar.

Shina answered Keestu's question with her narrative. "Prince Dinus, this is a new hybrid cattle that does well on the types of feeds other animals native to Uriel tend to avoid. Their offspring, unlike many other hybrids, are highly fertile for the first two generations, which usually produce twin or triplet births, and then they produce single offspring in subsequent generations. Uriel in particular is wondering if you have need of either their cattle to help with problematic foliage, or if your worlds would like assistance with their own cross breeding programs though mutual information exchange."

"I'm afraid I don't know much about cattle," Dinus admitted. He turned to his taster. "Bital, do you know anything about farm animals?"

His taster shook his head and spoke for the first time that Keestu could remember. "Sorry, Dinus. I grew up in the city, too." Keestu was more certain than ever that Bital must be a relative, probably a cousin of Prince Dinus.

Dinus smiled at the man. "Don't apologize, Bital. You're not expected to know everything about everything. Just remember to remind me to inquire about the possibility of cattle importation and papers regarding hybrid breeding programs."

Bital nodded, removing his eating utensils before pulling out a small datapad and typing notes into it.

Dinus turned back to Shina, and asked, "Tell me, Princess Shina, does the local sun ever shine through your magnificent portal?"

Shina smiled. "No, Prince Dinus. The Hub doesn't rotate, having internal gravity generators. Instead, it's designed to take advantage of solar power, so the star is always located above our heads." She pointed up for emphasis.

"Solar power? Isn't that rather inefficient?"

"Well, we use fusion generators to run life support and recycling, of course. But, in order to free up more space in maintenance, it was decided to let the sun provide light in the form of photovoltaic panels that convert the sun's energy directly into power that is used to run all the lights on the Hub. Since the Hub is five point five kilometers square on each side, there is more than ample room for all the photovoltaic panels needed, plus the needed access paths for repairs and panel replacement when needed on "the roof". We cycle the lights through day and night here according to Uriel mean time, so they are not required to work around the clock, as it were. During night hours, the panels charge a battery bank for emergency use. There is also a small backup fusion generator for emergency lights, which would put all the Hub's lights on at twilight brightness for the duration of any emergency, should we ever need it."

"Fascinating layout, to say the least," Dinus said, nodding cryptically to Bital, who nodded back.

Before Keestu knew it, dinner was over, and Shina took Prince Dinus for a private meeting in one of the other rooms, leaving Keestu and Rue to go back to their own suite.

Once they got back, Rue let out a huge sigh as she removed her headdress and kicked off her shoes.

"Not too tight, are they?" Keestu gestured to Rue's shoes as she removed her Lady's headdress.

"Oh no," Rue said, "It's just all the heavy food we've been eating!"

"I don't think it's all just about the food, Rue," Keestu said, moving to sit close to her friend. "What happened when you were alone with Dinus at the table?"

Rue blushed again. "Well, he asked if we have such a thing as arranged attachments on Sandar. Of course I told him that while matches are sometimes suggested, they are never forced."

Keestu grinned wildly at Rue. "Are you thinking...?"

Rue turned crimson and shook her head. "No! But he is a prince, and it's flattering to think he'd think of me like that."

"Don't be so hard on yourself, Rue," Keestu said. "I'm sure you'll get plenty of offers. You're taller than me, more athletic, and I think you're much prettier than plain old me."

Rue sighed, her blush subsiding. "Thanks, but my position on Sandar is very well known. I can't tell you all the times I've been told to be careful about people trying to get close to you by using me."

This was an aspect of their relationship Keestu had never thought about. Rue had never said anything before about her position at the palace interfering with her private life. "Have they tried?"

Rue nodded, looking miserable. "Twice. The first was a girl who had aspirations of becoming your handmaid herself, and the second was a boy who wanted to say he had a royal connection."

"Oh no," Keestu said. "What happened?"

"I told the girl she'd have to go through the same application and screening process as me, and she called me names before storming off. She hasn't talked to me since. The boy I slapped, then pinned and called security on when he tried to continue despite my saying no."

Keestu was shocked. "You don't mean?"

"Oh yes," Rue said firmly. "I've put Tenget's training to good use already. After he was taken for re-education, I was told not to worry you with such nonsense."

"Rue," Keestu said, "You're not 'just' my handmaiden. You're also my friend, and I hope you know you can tell me anything."

"I do, but with my mother gone, my father is doubly worried about his daughters, trying to be both mother and father to us, and saying things he thinks she'd say to teach us and keep us safe. Actually, I really hated keeping that from you. It happened last year during summer break."

"Is that when you said you had your 'unexpected allergies'? When I asked why your eyes were so red," Keestu prompted gently.

"Yes," Rue said, looking up, her eyes again watering and showing her misery. "After that, I just started to ignore people who suddenly started paying me more attention. I may get a reputation for being stuck up, but it's for the better."

"Oh dear," Keestu said. "You must feel so lonely!"

"A little. Oh whom am I kidding? I've felt really isolated. Don't get me wrong. I love being your handmaiden and your friend, as you're practically a sister to me, Keestu. I have my real sister Marinat, but it's different with her. She's had to be strong all her life, and while I'm sure you will be strong, too, I feel I've got to help your family look out for you until you take the throne. That must sound crazy to you."

Keestu smiled. "No, you don't sound crazy, just entirely too serious about your job. Maybe we should give you official hours when you are definitely at work and then you know when we are definitely just being friends. Would that help?"

Rue laughed, finally brightening. "No. I'll still feel like I've got to help shield you from others."

"Let me make it easier for you, then," Keestu suggested. "You tell me when you think someone is trying to get to the palace through you, and let me handle it. If everyone's been shielding me, then it's high time I learned how to deal with it myself, okay?"

"Okay," Rue said, looking relieved. "Just make sure you tell King Ismer to tell my father what's up."

"Oh, don't worry, I will," Keestu reassured her. "So you found Prince Dinus's attention flattering?"

"Well, he seems genuinely interested in me."

It was Keestu's turn to frown. "I'd be worried about him trying to make an alliance from a marriage. You heard Hemda right before we left, didn't you? She wants to hear about any foreign princes as soon as we get home!"

"Yes, but I can't help but be flattered despite him thinking I'm Crown Princess. He's probably got a lot of prospects at home, and here he is flirting with me, and I live light years away!"

"You know, you're right," Keestu said. "He could be just enjoying himself continually having dinners with a pretty girl while he's on this diplomatic trip. Besides, he can't possibly think a Crown Princess would leave her position and planet for him, even if his father becomes Autocrat."

Rue looked up suddenly. "You don't think he's thinking of leaving the Autocracy, do you?"

"He didn't act like it, no. So I don't think he'll be applying for permanent residence status. But, if any other princes ask you about visiting Sandar while we're in the Autocracy, then you'd need to watch out."

Rue smiled, and then yawned hugely. It had been a busy day. "Well, I'll have Gontu to discourage them if they get too insistent."

"And you've given me a perspective I hadn't thought of before. I'll know to watch out for people asking too much about you or paying special attention to me while we're in the Autocracy."

Rue yawned again, making Keestu yawn in reflex. "It's been a long day, hasn't it? Why don't we get some rest? We can do more shopping tomorrow."

Rue tried to suppress another yawn, gave up and let it out. "Not so much long as exciting. I can't wait to tell Marinat about the Hub. She's going to be so jealous. I wonder if we could tour all the levels so I could show rather than describe them for her when we get back home? "

"I can ask Gontu to come with us, since we shouldn't go to the storage or residential levels alone."

"Good idea," Rue said. "No one will question us if we have an adult along."

"I'll ask him to come with us in the morning or in the afternoon for a quick stop on every level we haven't been to yet so you can get pictures. Which would you prefer?"

Rue yawned again, getting up to go to her room. "I'm so tired right now, I can hardly think. Can we decide in the morning?"

"Oh sure, sorry Rue. It's just so seldom that we have so much time together to talk alone even when you do sleep at the palace."

Keestu went to her own bedroom, changing into her pajamas before following the instructions imprinted beside the door to close, seal, lock, and set the alarm on it. She set the infocom to wake her for messages from her aunt and emergencies only. She flopped down on the extra large bed and found herself going over the day's events in her mind, trying to remember all the things she'd seen in the shops before she fell asleep.

**Chapter eight**

The infocom chimed with a message from her aunt. Keestu rolled over, groaning, trying to ignore it, but the insistent ringing finally got her up. She wondered what time it was. She hit repeat and listened in.

"Keestu, sorry to wake you early," Shina's voice said, "But Prince Dinus has indicated that he's going to want private discussions with me all day long, and he'll be here for breakfast, so you and Rue will be on your own. The kiosk level opens with the first watch, and I wondered if you and Rue didn't want to try breakfasting there since the restaurant level never closes. It's really quite serene early in the morning."

Keestu turned off the infocom after the message. Now that she was fully awakened, she felt more rested. She unsealed her door and went to the bathroom to shower.

After she was done, Rue came out, looking tired as she took her shower.

Gontu and Tenget met them downstairs.

Keestu looked around for Vahin, and Gontu informed her, "Vahin will be sitting in for Rue today in the discussions between Princess Shina and Prince Dinus. Since nothing will be finalized today, it's considered beneath the Crown Princess to be in on such meetings, but not beneath Princess Shina as Sandar's Trade Liaison."

"Well, let's go get breakfast," Keestu said. "We were hoping to tour the rest of the Hub, every level, so we get a better feel for it, and then we'll release you to your own designs while we put in another day of shopping," Keestu said.

"Where would you like to eat?"

"Oh, somewhere with spiced javene. I think I've got some space lag," Keestu said, yawning hugely in spite of her returning energy.

Rue tried to suppress her own yawn, but failed, yawning as she mumbled. "Me, too."

"Any preference other than that? I think most of the Hub's restaurants offer spiced javene," Gontu commented.

"Well, we'll have to see once we get down there," Rue said as they were now in public. She led them towards the nearest lift bank. "I think something light after all the recent heavy formal dinners would be good."

Keestu, walking beside her friend, thought she was getting the hang of being Crown Princess quite readily, and nodded her agreement that light food would be best as they waited for the lift. It was empty except for their party, and it was early enough in the day that there were no stops as they dropped to the restaurant level.

As the doors opened, the scents of breakfast made Keestu's mouth water. The lights were still in twilight mode, but despite this, the foot traffic was steady.

One Kielra restaurant smelled particularly inviting, and the Hub's lights came up fully as they arrived, so they chose to breakfast there.

Once a cup of hot javene was in her hands, Keestu felt more herself. It was lightly spiced, sweet, and creamy--just the way she liked it.

Keestu looked over her datapad menu, and feeling adventurous, ordered Kielra lerj eggs scrambled with various Kielra fungi.

She relaxed as she enjoyed her javene until Tenget nudged her. "You should not let your guard down in public, ever. No one is likely to recognize you here, but even if they think Rue is you, you're still a target since you're with her." He kept his voice down with difficultly, as the restaurant was quiet. "I know it's hard, but you must be alert in public at all times no matter how many guards are with you."

Keestu looked up to see Gontu's eyes constantly flicking around the restaurant. He didn't look restless or paranoid, but he was definitely alert. Keestu glanced herself around several times trying to see if there was anyone she should be watching.

"Now, without looking again," Tenget said, "Can you tell me where the other two exits are that you could take?"

Keeping her eyes on the table with effort, Keestu thought about it, trying to envision the restaurant's layout, and frowned. "Other two? There's only the one we came in and the one out the other side of the concourse."

"Wrong. You could also go into the kitchen and out the service entrance. Try to think outside of what you see as a member of the public."

Keestu looked around again, this time seeing the way to the kitchen, which was close to their table. "Is that why you indicated we should pick this table? Not just because we could see both entrances?"

"Yes," Tenget said. "It's also the one least likely to be guarded by an amateur attack force."

"The drink serving station is right there, too," Rue put in, "Good cover?"

"Yes and no," Gontu chimed in keeping his voice low as other customers were seated nearby. "Yes in that it could block energy blasts, no in that projectile weapons or explosive charges could detonate the canisters of carbonated drinks. You'd have to decide as you moved whether to stop there for cover or sprint for the kitchen all at once based on whether your attackers were using energy weapons, explosive charges, or projectile guns."

"So I'd not only have to see my enemy, but also what he's carrying?"

"It's partly how you'd know he was an enemy," Tenget said dryly. "Armed and charging at you is definitely a hint that they aren't on your side."

Gontu snorted into his javene, coughing a little as he choked back outright laughter as their server brought their food.

Keestu tasted her eggs. One of the fungi was rather salty. It was crumbled up finely and evenly distributed, and contrasted nicely with several other spicy Kielra fungi and mosses.

Rue had chosen her lerj eggs to be scrambled with various root vegetables and topped with a light cheese. Gontu and Tenget also had lerj eggs, a high-protein meal that would stick with them, but they had theirs scrambled with meat, cheese, and a thick white gravy rather than a lighter fungi or vegetable filling.

When the meal was finished, they made their way to the lowest level of the Hub. To Keestu it looked identical to the upper residential and was a disappointment to her. Somehow, she'd expected the lower level to look different from the upper. Having been brought up in a society where elevation meant more status, it was a letdown to find this hierarchy was unknown at the Hub. Rue also looked disappointed, but she dutifully took several pictures to show Marinat when she got home.

The next three levels up were the vast storage holds, but they only toured the lowest one. They were restricted to narrow walkways while the massive conveyor system carried stacks of crates to the ships awaiting them. She was surprised to see people supervising the movement of goods, standing at a heavily shielded monitoring stations located at regular intervals. The workers were wearing protective goggles and sound dampening headphones, probably in the event of a power failure, like the one that had freed the bile nippers the day prior.

"Note that the equipment never carries cargo over the heads of those using the walkways," Tenget pointed out. "We are stopped at this junction until this load goes by, to insure maximum safety. This was implemented during the early years of the Union and Hub after a visiting delegation from Shatopa and their hosts got flattened by an equipment malfunction as a load was moving over their heads. After that, the force fields were installed to protect us should a malfunction occur. However, this assumes that the cargo is not a living one that can break out of a shielded area."

"Do you know what's in any of these containers?" Keestu asked, seeing only planet-of-origin and planet-of-destination designations blinking brightly on every side of each container, even the bottoms.

"All manner of raw and finished goods," Tenget said. "All live animals are supposed to be kept under strict force field quarantine when passing from ship to ship, which is supposed to take place on the top storage level. I imagine Shina will petition the other Hub liaisons to specify that every live cargo is clearly marked, whether they are shipped in stasis lockers or not."

They spent little time on the fifth level, which was filled with the Hub's offices. The morning's work had started, and the corridors were crowded with people clutching printouts of their bills of lading or ships' manifests.

Since they had already seen one docking level, they opted to skip those, as Rue could take pictures on their way back to the Jewel. Likewise, they skipped the trade floor, and the restaurant/entertainment level, which they were already familiar with and which Rue had already photographed, and went directly up to the hotel level.

The tour ended up being somewhat anticlimactic for Keestu. She realized that while all the levels had different purposes, they were no more exotic than anything she saw at home, and the separation of living areas from shopping and eating were nothing out of the ordinary. She couldn't remember which had been built first, the Hub or CeCe since the same logic appeared to be applied to both their layouts. She either needed to pay more attention to her history classes, or she should consult with her brother Kang, who was not only interested in protocol, but also history.

Gontu escorted them to the shopping level and took his leave. Rue was eager to see what Sandarian products were offered on the Hub, so they concentrated on looking inside their home planet's kiosks. One specialized in wish balls, but most of them were made of materials never used on Sandar. "Oh, Marinat would love this," Rue said, fondly caressing a tiny carved wish ball made of a red colored crystalline rock.

The shopkeeper finished attending to an exiting customer, and she turned to Keestu and Rue. She got halfway to them before stopping and staring, her eyes and mouth opening wide in surprise. Recovering, she hustled forward, bobbing a curtsey.

Keestu held up her hand, urgently quelling her, looking wildly around the shop. There were other humans in here looking around, but fortunately, none of them saw the shopkeeper's display. The woman stopped, gulped, quivered a bit until she managed to regain her composure, and said in as mild a manner as possible, "May I help you with anything, um, er, ladies?" Her eyes remained riveted on Keestu who nearly swore aloud. Did no one warn the Sandarian shopkeepers she was coming?

"Yes, I was wondering if you offer custom carving on the crystal wish balls?" Rue indicated the one she thought Marinat would like. The shopkeeper's eyes were still fixed on Keestu until she tilted her head towards Rue and lifted her eyebrows emphatically.

The shopkeeper, finally having been given direction, swallowed before gushing, "Of course. We have lasers on hand that can cut any wish you'd like into the ball using any script found in the Union. That style you hold is very popular on Kielra and Uriel for younger girls."

"Really? They are quite different from the ones I've seen at home, on Sandar that is," Rue said.

The shopkeeper, flushed with pleasure, was recovering her composure. She leaned towards them and whispered, "I know they aren't traditional, but I got a good deal on these natural crystal globes, and it was so easy to cut one end flat and then engrave them rather than paint, since you can easily read the lettering. It can also be carved in bas-relief, but that would, of course, greatly reduce the size of the ball. If any future carving is desired, any skilled laser decorator can add it. The only bad thing is that the decoration is permanent, but I found that offworlders don't care about following our tradition to the letter."

"I like its uniqueness," Rue said. "I'd like this one inscribed 'To Marinat from Rue, may all your wishes come true.'"

The shopkeeper turned hopefully to Keestu. "Yes, I think my sister would also like one. She likes green things, so this medium green globe should do for her. I'd like it inscribed 'To Hemda from Keestu, good wishes from the Hub' and today's Sandarian date, if you would please."

"That's a great idea," Rue agreed. "Please put the Sandarian date on mine as well."

The shopkeeper bobbed another half a curtsey at them, straightening up reluctantly, and Keestu could tell that she clearly wished she could be more effusive in her display. Keestu leaned forward, touching the shopkeeper's hand conspiratorially, and the woman leaned towards her eagerly. "I'm traveling under cover on orders of my father. I can tell they didn't have time to inform you that I'd be coming through the Hub. The King would greatly appreciate your discretion on this matter, as would I. Please pay no more attention to us than you would any other customer."

The shopkeeper beamed at them, happy to be taken into their confidence. "Of course, Your High, er, of course. I'm honored." She made a bit of a scene in confirming the spelling of the names before she took the balls to the back room to be carved, merely nodding to them as she came back out and helped other customers who had arrived in the interim.

Keestu sighed. "I'm glad she didn't hover. Some can't help it."

Rue grinned at her as they waited. "I know. I see it all the time."

"Thing is," Keestu whispered to her handmaiden as they waited, "I don't feel like I deserve special treatment. It's just an accident of birth that made me Crown Princess."

"Your family united our planet and stopped all the bloody regional conflicts. The rest of us can't help but appreciate that and the freedom that comes from being able to travel about our own world without worrying that some opposing faction won't shoot at us just because we're dressed differently!"

"I hope I can live up to the hype when it's my turn. I'll definitely be needing your advice then, Rue."

"Don't put yourself down, Kee," Rue advised her. "With King Ismer training you and the experiences passed down through your family in those journals they kept, I'm sure you'll do fine."

Keestu looked at her friend, so trusting in her untried abilities, and hoped she could live up to Rue's confident expectations.

The shopkeeper had taken more wish balls to the back for carving and returned with two boxes, beckoning them to the counter. "Ladies? The carving is done on your order. Please check it for accuracy."

They looked over their wish balls, and satisfied with the results, took the free delivery option, paying for their purchases using Registered Units and taking their receipt chits.

As they were leaving, the shopkeeper sighed heavily, nodding happily at them as she wished them the best and bade them return to her shop the next time they were visiting the Hub. Since Keestu had heard her exhort other customers to do the same, she smiled and nodded pleasantly to the woman as they left.

"I wonder how long it will be before she spills the news of your visit to a friend," Rue commented as they continued shopping.

"Hopefully not until after we've left the Hub."

No one else recognized Keestu as they explored more shops and had lunch on the restaurant level, this time choosing a Uriel salad buffet. Soon enough, it was time to return to Shina's apartment. A servant told them that dinner would be an informal affair, just Shina, Keestu, and her entourage, as Prince Dinus would be dining with his own people on his ship while he finalized preparations for their trip to Autocracy Station.

Shina returned to her apartment before Vahin, Tenget, and Gontu. She looked over Rue and Keestu and nodded approvingly at the pantsuits they wore to dinner. "I see you got my message. Dinus wanted to extend his regrets to you, Rue, for not coming to dinner again tonight. I think he's quite taken with you."

Rue flushed and nodded. "I was thinking the same thing."

"Well, you'd have to tell him before the ceremony that you're not really Crown Princess if you were to become his wife," Shina winked conspiratorially at Rue, who flushed at Shina's suggestion.

"I don't know if I'd want to live in the Autocracy, and I don't know if he'd want to live on Sandar," she said. "So we'd have a lot of talking to do if he wanted to continue pursuing me."

"Ah, but you no doubt could have your pick of noble men at home, so if he were to try and entice you to the Autocracy, he has to know he'd need to do some hard bargaining."

Keestu laughed. "Ever the matchmaker, aren't you Aunt Shina? With all this talk of having any noble man you'd want, I'm surprised you haven't met someone yet."

"Well, unfortunately, not many men are willing to take on a Princess who has a position of considerably power--though it's not the crown--and who lives most of the time in space. Show me a man who's not claustrophobic about living on the Hub, who isn't afraid of my royal title, and who also understands the responsibilities of being Sandar's Trade Liaison with the Union, and I'll snatch him up in a minute," Shina sighed. "Rentham knows I haven't been able to find him on my own. Maybe I should just admit defeat and look for a noble donor for my lonely eggs. I'd know his name, would have to so my children wouldn't grow up and accidentally marry their cousins, but that seems far too impersonal to me."

The door chimed as she ushered them to the dining hall. "We might as well sit down before the rest of your group come in, or Vahin will have fits about protocol, and we can use a break from all the officiousness."

Keestu greatly enjoyed the informal dinner with her aunt, who chatted with her about trade matters as though she would understand all the intricacies.

"Of course," Shina was saying, "I'm inundated with samples of goods vendors would like to see shipped to Sandar. Most of the samples I send home on the military frigate for charity, as I and my staff can't possibly use up the quantities they heap upon me. Some of the foodstuffs I send on to the palace, so the cooks can experiment with it, but many foods require additional ingredients in order for them to taste right, so I donate those to kitchens for the unfortunate so they can have more foods to cook with. Some venders seem to think I don't realize they are trying to up sell me by giving me only some of the ingredients I need to make a dish they are advertising."

"Other things, like this cheese soufflé," she swept her hand out to indicate the dish, "Require minimal ingredients, and this one is actually low-fat. You will see it on Sandarian tables soon enough, since this particular Uriel vendor packages the cheese with the recipe printed on it, so prospective buyers can see what else they need to incorporate this into a meal, and since they are all very easy to find and inexpensive ingredients, I'm going to approve it for sale on Sandar."

"I just don't see how you can keep your figure eating all these samples, Aunt Shina," Keestu said, having enjoyed only a very small portion of the enticing cheese soufflé, "Even if they claim it's low-fat".

"Great Rentham, Keestu, I have to run five kilometers every other day myself. Compulsory physical training is required of all royals. I thought you knew that! Besides, the opportunity to sit down for a meal like the ones we've had is a treat for me. Most times I usually jam something down while I'm checking manifests that don't match. You'd be surprised how many don't match what the vendor was approved to ship. First, my staff runs the manifests and bills of lading through the computer. Then, when a problem is found, the computer has to track down the ship's captain, and I need to personally get an answer for the discrepancy. Most things are minor, but I can't let any slip though, so others don't start thinking they can get things past my staff and me. I swear most days all I am is a glorified paper pusher. But, if it wasn't so necessary for Sandar, and my dear brother hadn't appointed me, Rentham only knows where I'd be."

Keestu couldn't help but smile. Complain though Shina might, Keestu knew that she loved living on the Hub and handling trade for their planet. Keestu knew it was as complicated a job as Korin's position as Uriel Senator, and more responsibility than the Counts and Countess had running their continents at home, and while it wasn't the crown, it came a close second, as did Korin's job representing their planet on Uriel. She thought that her brother Kang would be greatly suited to becoming Sandar's senator when Korin retired, while Hemda could take over for Shina when she retired. Skomer, as everyone said, would do well as admiral of the space fleet or the general who was in charge of Sandar's ground forces. Finding that line of thought comforting, Keestu turned her attention back to her aunt, who was extolling the virtues of another import she'd recently approved.

**Chapter nine**

Keestu awakened to the infocom's alarm the next day. She started gathering her things for the bathroom as she listened to her aunt's narration. "Keestu, we have received the ring schedule for your fly-through of Rillul space. Your luggage will be transferred back to the Jewel today, and you will leave just after the midday meal. King Ismer and Queen Mewa send their regards via the military capsule and wish you a pleasant journey."

As she exited the bath, she saw Rue carrying one of her new dresses. It was semi-formal, but should be comfortable for her to travel in. She was showered and dressed by the time Keestu had tidied up her room and repacked her bags.

Gontu and Tenget joined them for breakfast again, and Keestu did her best to try and be alert to everything going on around them, though she knew she was probably safer on the Hub than in public on Sandar.

They chose a Uriel restaurant for breakfast, and this time, Keestu correctly guessed where Tenget and Gontu would recommend she sit.

"So what security rules do you observe while in a foreign ship?" Keestu asked Tenget as she sipped her second mug of spiced javene.

"Pretty much the same rules for being in a strange house at home. Make sure you know where your exits are, what would make good cover, and in addition know who and where your allies are. Always be courteous to the Captain and his crew, so you can expect courtesy in return. When in your quarters, learn as much as you can about the equipment, both location and use, so you can quickly activate safety equipment in the event of an emergency."

"And," Gontu added, "Make sure you lock your cabin door at night, as well. Amorous crew on a long flight might find an unlocked door irresistible. If there is no lock, find a way to jam it closed and devise an early warning device."

"How do I do that?"

"A metal box, string, and an assortment of noisy items will do. Suspend the string across the doorway at about mid shin level, attach it to the box, and fill the box with the noisy items. Your makeup kit box has handles on the sides, so it would be easy to tie a string or shoelace to it. Fill it with Units and Parts and you have an alarm device made from items you have with you in your luggage. Someone coming in is unlikely to see the string, trip on it, and send the box and money flying, creating a racket and alerting you to an intruder. You hear that, you scream bloody murder, and we are sure to hear you."

"Wouldn't it just be easier to have you sleep on a cot in my room?"

"Certainly, but the ship's safety protocol may not allow for it. In addition, in most cultures, as it is as home, it would be too unseemly to have a commoner in the room with either a handmaiden or a Crown Princess. So better I tell you how to rig your room with a manual alarm now than for you to have to ask me later should your door either not lock or you worry about someone on the ship circumventing it."

Tenget nodded agreement. "Try and make sure you are quartered together or next to one another. Say the Crown Princess needs her handmaiden close at all hours. This way, if they manage to separate us from you, you still have each other and all the training you've received. Just remember these rules of combat: There is no such thing as a fair fight. Anything is a weapon. Once your assailant is down, kick or otherwise club him or her to make sure they aren't going to get back up to attack you when your back is turned. Remember to strike as hard as you can at all the vulnerable places you were taught during training. And be very careful of this Prince Dinus and his crew. They dress and act like they are used to hand-to-hand combat as a matter of course. Avoid a fistfight if you possibly can, but if it comes down to it, hit fast, hard, and fight as dirty as you can, as they will probably not be expecting it. Find out if there are any lifeboats on board and their location. If you can, insist on a location close to one 'for the sake of your bloodline' since you can always run to that and lock yourself in until the captain can be awakened by the alarm that should be triggered by its activation."

They were done with breakfast and went back to Shina's. They found that Shina's staff had already removed their luggage, and the escort to Dinus's ship was waiting for them.

It was a big affair, for all the men Keestu had seen onboard the ship on Sandar were there to escort Rue to the ship. She saw Vahin and Tenget nod approval. Keestu realized that they were formally assuming responsibility for Rue's safety and were making a strong statement that she should be completely safe while in their charge during her visit.

Taking her leave from Aunt Shina, Rue smiled shyly at the warm hug she was given, then paused, giving Aunt Shina an opportunity to say goodbye to Keestu.

"Oh, Rue, I almost forgot," Shina said to Keestu. "King Ismer gave me last-minute instructions for your visit, so please come with me." Keestu followed her aunt into a bottom floor office. When the door closed, Shina relaxed all at once, turning to her niece with tears in her eyes.

"Oh, you've grown so much. That's the one thing I miss being on Sandar. I get regular updates, but it's not the same as seeing you myself, dear."

Keestu hugged her aunt, also feeling remorse at not seeing her aunt very often, then brightened. "Now that I'm old enough to travel on my own, maybe I can come visit after my trip? Surely, as Crown Princess, I should understand more about how Sandarian trade is handled on the Hub. I know you'll continue to handle it expertly, and should you retire before I take the crown, I'm certain whoever you choose to train will be an excellent choice. But, I think should at least have a working understanding of all the facets of your job. So maybe we can arrange an internship sometime soon?"

Shina hugged her fiercely. "Of course, my dear! That's an excellent idea. I know Ismer and Mewa will agree that an internship showing you how I manage Sandar's interests on the Hub would be wonderful. You'll have to decide if you want to stay in my closet of a guest suite or have temporary housing of your own." Shina frowned. "Probably you'll need your own housing, since everyone at home will no doubt be watching your every move while you're here, though I think it will make an excellent infocom story when they find out you recommended the internship yourself. Shows that you are taking your training seriously and gives the commoner a glimpse into the great responsibility you shoulder being a planetary leader."

"Well, I won't be running Sandar alone, as many assume, and I think it will be good for you to get some recognition for all you do for Sandar. I would have never thought that you would be involved in something so simple as approving foodstuffs for import based on whether they are made of affordable ingredients or not."

"Affordable for most people on Sandar. It makes sense to not have warehouses full of the stuff at home when only a select few can afford to use it, especially when having something that elitist can foment resentment towards the upper class. It doesn't mean the palace doesn't get shipments of exotic stuffs; everyone there is expected to live a cut above. However, my goal is to make sure all the other imports are within the reach of most of Sandar. Some will have to save up a little to buy some of the ingredients I approve, but I've found making sure things that are reasonably priced for nearly everyone with a few more expensive luxuries mixed in keeps off planet trade in good favor with most of the populace."

Shina sniffled, wiped her eyes, and checked to make sure there was no evidence of her emotional outburst showing on her face. "I'm afraid that's all the time we should take. You have fun on your trip, and know that I'll want to hear all about it when you get back."

Keestu wiped her own eyes, checking her reflection to make sure she, too, was presentable. "Hemda, Kang and even Skomer already told me to give them details on any unmarried royals and nobles in their age group."

Shina was laughing as she opened the door. "Oh that's a wonderful idea. Be sure you let me know of any you meet that might interest me," she kept her statement cryptic as they were back in mixed company.

Shina gave Rue another hug and saw them off.

Keestu found herself in crowded into a lift with half the Autocracy's guards and Tenget while Vahin and Gontu accompanied Rue and Dinus with the other half of the guards to the passenger ship level. Their lifts didn't stop on other levels as the sensors detected full loads, so they were quickly let out on the docking level and met up with Rue and Dinus. Rue was blushing while Gontu was frowning in disapproval, and Keestu found herself wondering what Rue and Dinus had discussed on the lift. She noted that Gontu had moved a little closer to Rue than was considered proper, and Tenget edged closer to Keestu so a discrepancy would not be noted by their hosts.

Once they were back at Sandar's Jewel, Dinus took his leave of them. Keestu and Rue hurried aboard the Jewel while Gontu stomped up the Jewel's boarding ramp behind them. Once the hatch closed, he turned his fury to Tenget. "Tell me again I can't break that Prince's arm for being too familiar with our 'Princess'."

"What happened, Gontu?" Keestu was concerned, for she never had seen Gontu lose his composure before.

"That oaf had the audacity to put his arm around Rue's shoulders!"

"Oh dear," Keestu said. "Apparently, the Autocracy doesn't know that touching royals without permission is forbidden."

"But, I'm not a royal," Rue said in a small voice.

"He doesn't know that," Gontu growled.

"Well they do things differently in the Autocracy, Gontu," Tenget said. "So in this case, it's up to Rue to discourage unwanted touching. Perhaps a private word with Prince Dinus will suffice."

Captain Nebo suddenly appeared, "Come on! We have to leave now or we'll miss our exit window!"

They rushed to their seats and were still belting in as Nebo gave the command to lift off. Keestu saw on the screen that the Autocracy ship was already making its way through the force fields to exit the Hub.

"Yes," Keestu said after a minute of silent consideration. "I think you should privately inform Prince Dinus that touching a Sandarian royal without permission is considered illegal. There has never been a law formally passed against it, but our customs have forbidden it for generations. If someone with the infocom were to have gotten an image of a royal with a foreigner's arm around him or her, well think of the scandal it would cause at home."

"Fortunately, we were in the lift, where only the Hub's security cameras saw us."

"Let's hope no one on the Hub is savvy enough to recognize our Crown Princess's handmaiden, or the infocom could spin it into a foreign intrigue/spy scandal before we've exited the system," Tenget said.

"Well, we won't find out until we come back," Keestu fretted as they left the Hub. Captain Nebo, she noted, had considerately split his view screen to show the Hub retreating behind them in addition to what was in front of them as they built up speed while moving to the ring.

When the intermittent beeping began from the buoys, Keestu turned her attention to the operation of the ship. She found the routine to be comforting, if a bit boring, while she listened to the com exchanges. She was thrilled when their forward view screen was magnified to show the Autocracy ship going through the ring. As the ship broke the plane, the wormhole generated by the ring snapped open and shut, sucking the Autocracy ship through and out of sight so quickly that if Keestu had blinked, she'd have missed it. The afterimage she had was of a silver and yellow misty vortex that was spinning counterclockwise. Hearing a gasp from Rue, she realized that her handmaiden had also seen the Autocracy ship's exit.

"So that's what it looks like," Rue breathed.

"Yes," Vahin informed them. "But you only see it if you are behind a ship going through. Your onboard screens always show nothing but chaos, being unable to fix on anything stationary in hyperspace, so you only see this momentary view of a wormhole when watching an exiting ship from directly behind; oblique views show nothing of the vortex."

They put on a last burst of acceleration as the ring was reset for them and followed the Autocracy ship after twenty minutes since the Rillul and Autocracy Station rings were set up to send and receive ships at twenty-minute intervals.

Once they were in hyperspace, they had one subjective day before they would emerge at Autocracy Station. Being unable to communicate with Prince Dinus's ship in transit, Vahin set about educating Keestu and Rue about the Autocracy. They remained on the bridge so that they had access to the main computer and the crew could also be educated on what was known about the Autocracy. Vahin moved to an open crew station and used the view screen to project the information for everyone to see as he lectured.

"As you already know, the Autocracy is a feudal monarchy system similar to our hereditary monarchy. However, instead of a ruler inheriting his or her crown, every fifty years, the Autocracy holds a tournament in which their top-ranked nobles fight for their crowns. Each planet is locally controlled by members the noble class who come from different families native to those planets, though intermarriage often takes place between the nobles of all the planets so their genetic stock is not weakened by inbreeding. Rank within the nobility is entirely based on fighting skill regardless of sex. There is a strict hierarchy maintained from the least effective fighter to the planetary ruler, and fighters must work their way up one challenge at a time, so someone with a much lower rank cannot issue challenge to the ruler without having first challenged and beaten everyone between their rank and the ruler.

"Keestu was partially right in that color is indicative of status as well. The information given to us by Prince Dinus indicates that the ruler, their second in command, and all the members of the rulers' extended families will wear their planet's main color with a contrasting colored stripe in the planet's minor color, while all other nobles on the planet will wear the opposite color scheme with the contrasting color dominant and the main planetary color on their stripes. For some reason, which we did not have time to inquire about, all Autocracy nobility will wear only bold bright colors, so all nobles on all Autocracy planets will be wearing these colors: Black, red, purple, blue, green, gold, and silver in bold tones; you will see dark and bright light greens, but not an earthy shade of green like sage.

"Now, about their languages. Per Prince Dinus, most people you will run across will speak Unity to some degree. There will be, however, local dialects that you will not understand. This is to be expected on any exoplanet you visit, and for this, we have been provided translator cuffs courtesy of Uriel's electronics division and language files provided by Prince Dinus."

Vahin opened a compartment at his station and pulled out the cuffs. They were relatively flat, but wide; Keestu judged hers to be about five and a half centimeters wide. The electronics consisted of a large curved display screen with a small rectangular scanner on one side of the face and a microphone and speaker on the other. She put it on and adjusted the straps until it was a comfortable fit.

"These have been programmed with all the Autocracy language and writing files Prince Dinus provided us. Your scanner is capable of optical character recognition of not only the main Autocracy script, but also that of the Rillul and Triker, while the voice recognition software will translate the three main languages of the Autocracy, which are Phaet, Laringo, and Multana, and in addition will translate Rillul and Triker. Our linguists say all three of the Autocracy languages are very closely related, so much so that they would classify them as dialects of the same language, though the Autocracy insists they are all unique languages in and of themselves. However, as there are many subdialects on their planets, there will be gaps in communication. We have been assured by Prince Dinus that our entourage will always be accompanied by locals fluent in both their local languages and any non-standard scripts as well as Unity so we can avoid any misunderstandings."

Vahin worked the controls at the station and several images appeared. Keestu leaned forward to scrutinize an almost flowery arrangement of rounded figures. She saw that some figures were drawn larger than the others, and as a whole, while there were several lines of apparent text, there were no spaces to indicate word or sentence breaks. The image to the right of it was a series of lines and dots arranged in regular formations, and Keestu noted the lines used were vertical, horizontal or slanted diagonally in one direction only, grouped together in regular formations that had to be letters or words. Finally, on the far right was a much longer image showing a flowing vertical cursive script. Vahin tapped the rounded figures on the left. "This is the main Autocracy script. It is used throughout the major cities on every planet regardless of dialect, so while the locals may not speak Unity, all the major cities have signs posted in Phaet, Laringo, or Multana that your cuff will be able to read. There are no word or sentence breaks in written Autocracy, but a larger character is used for the first letter of every word." He pressed his lips together in consideration. "I'm not a linguist, but I'd swear many of these characters look quite similar to the script used on Uriel before the Sandarian printed script was voted into use to write Unity."

He moved on to the lines and dots script. "This is the script used by the Triker. You will see it featured prominently on Autocracy Station and on displays at the major ports the Triker call on."

He finally turned to the vertical script that had caught Keestu's eye. "This is the script of the Rillul. It's a vertical cursive script that is read from top to bottom, left to right. Again, you will see it in displays on Autocracy Station and on the port displays on the rest of the Autocracy's planets."

Keestu, knowing she would recognize each of the unique scripts now, stepped back to give everyone else a chance to study them. Rue, Gontu, and Tenget all took their turns before the crew of the Jewel took theirs. Keestu realized that the Jewel's crew would be on an extended furlough on Autocracy Station while her delegation was being escorted throughout the Autocracy.

"Captain Nebo," she asked, "Are you planning on visiting any of the other Autocracy planets while I'm away?"

He frowned. "None of the crew will be allowed to leave Autocracy Station on this trip. With many days of negotiations ahead, King Ismer thought it would be best for us to remain there. It's assumed Your Highness should always be able to make your way back to Autocracy Station, and we need to be there in the event you need to quickly leave the Autocracy."

"Sorry," Keestu apologized. "I know you must be as eager to explore the Autocracy as the rest of us!"

Nebo smiled in a paternal manner at her, then admitted, "A little, but I agree with King Ismer that it's the prudent thing to do. If all else fails, the Jewel has a full complement of weapons at her disposal."

Keestu gasped, her eyes going wide. "You mean, the Jewel can hold Autocracy Station hostage?"

"Only as a last resort, Your Highness. King Ismer wants to insure the safety of all his people, and should our regular reports cease, he will know it's time for action."

Tenget turned to Keestu, "All this is merely for the sake of caution."

Keestu eyed her trainer shrewdly. "Is this trip why you suddenly went from training me with a plasma rifles and projectile weapons to focusing more on improvised weapons and hand-to-hand combat the past few months?"

Tenget grinned at her. "Yes. Your father thought it prudent to train you in each of these techniques so should all else fail, you can fight your way free and find a way to evade them long enough for a rescue team to come get you."

"Considering how much emphasis the Autocracy places on combat, I don't think getting away would be easy. Prince Dinus did see me fighting with a staff."

"Yes, but he has no idea just how intense your training with it has been, nor does he know how exacting your exercise routine is. You are more likely to outpace and outlast any pursuers if it comes down to it; many military exercise programs your grandfather studied before he designed the one the royal family uses tend to place too much emphasis on techniques of brute force, not a comprehensive overall physical and weapons training program like the one your grandfather designed for all members of the royal household."

"But the nobles make up their military force," Rue put in. "They are bound to be formidable adversaries."

"Yes, but the element of surprise should be on your side," Tenget said.

"Considering the delicate nature of this mission," Vahin said, "I think it fortuitous that Prince Dinus mistook you for Princess Keestu."

"I know I'm looking forward to it," Keestu said. "It's nice to think that my every move won't be analyzed in the infocom. Vahin, do they even have an infocom here?"

"Yes, their system of news and entertainment dissemination is very similar to ours. We suspect that some time in the past, the Rillul passed on the concept to them since they used to trade extensively at Weegai for fish and other items, including Uriel's electronics."

"Hmm, too bad the Rillul didn't set up a kiosk at the Hub," Keestu said. "I'd like to know more about them, since Princess Shina told me you can learn a lot about a world by examining what goods they offer for sale to others."

The information session was over, and Keestu and Rue went to their quarters. Since the Jewel was only used for short trips, the guest accommodations were scanty; Keestu and Rue shared a tiny compartment filled mostly by the three bunks it held. The bulk of their luggage was stowed in the Jewel's cargo hold, as only a single suitcase for each of them could fit in the narrow closet near the compact shower cubicle.

So tiny was the room that the narrow bunks themselves did not fold into the wall but were fixed in place and doubled as seating with the walls being padded to form the backs, and small tables could be pulled out of the walls on adjustable frames. On the wall between two of the bunks was a single console that was shared by all occupants of the room.

Tenget, Gontu, and Vahin shared the Jewel's other guest quarters, which was an exact duplicate of this one. The crew, of course, all had their own assigned private quarters, and in addition there was a large common room that served as both the mess and recreation hall. Since the Jewel was a royal liner, it also had a small gym.

Keestu sat down at the bunk with the console and pulled up the information Vahin had shown them earlier, enlarging the images of the writing systems used in the Autocracy. Rue sat on the other bunk and watched Keestu as she reexamined the scripts, and then went on to specifics about each of the two races she was unfamiliar with.

"Well," she said after several minutes of reading, "What Vahin didn't say is that the Triker script is called 'Za-Magra' which in literal translation means 'Stab-Slash' and the dots are called 'stabs', the straight lines 'slashes', and the diagonal lines 'strikes'."

Rue nodded. "I read that over your shoulder. I wonder how war-like they are if their script has such a name and description?"

"According to the Autocracy's info, there is no evidence of them being war-like," Keestu said. "There's been no mention of any major conflicts on the Triker world or of them causing problems on Autocracy Station. Our records also have no mention of any aggressive behavior on their visits to the Hub."

"Maybe there is another reason it's called that, an outmoded cultural reference we are missing that would explain it, then," Rue commented.

"Yes, you're probably right," Keestu said.

Keestu reread the data on the Rillul. "The Rillul are mentioned as being rather gregarious in bars and restaurants, but again, no overt violent tendencies have been observed."

"Well, it would not be good for trade agreements if the trading parties got into fights or wrecked space stations and ports they were visiting on their trips," Rue said wryly.

Keestu smiled at that comment. "Yes, I'm sure you're right. I just have to wonder how human the Rillul are? They certainly look human to me, except for their green skin."

"Too bad we don't know what living conditions are like on Rillul. We have no records of anyone from the Union going there to trade, and apparently the Autocracy is content to let the Rillul come to them. I know we are white on Sandar because we have more clouds, rain, and snow on the eastern continent, which we know is the second continent permanently settled on Sandar, and we therefore are lighter skinned to give us better vitamin D absorption, while the lack of substantial year-round weather changes on the main equatorial continent of Weegai means they have black skin to protect against skin cancer since they all get plenty of vitamin D with all that sunshine but must protect against too much UV radiation. Biology taught us that."

"Right," Keestu agreed. "But I'd really like to know what conditions are needed to produce green skin!"

They laughed, and then continued their studies.

"The story of the Autocracy's foundation sounds more apocryphal than factual to me," Keestu commented as they read it. "I mean who's going to believe, 'Rentham remained at her new home, but sent the other twenty-nine of the "Perfect Thirty warriors" out to populate the rest of the known universe after the final defeat and banishment of the white demon Othna, and twenty-five of them found the Autocracy star sector to their liking while the whereabouts of the other four warriors has been lost to time.'"

"Isn't it funny, though," Rue said, "That we have myths that Rentham founded Sandar? I mean there is that really popular story about your line being descended from 'children of the companion of Rentham'."

"Yes, I've heard that one," Keestu said. "I think that dates back to the religious times, when it was important for leaders to be considered of divine origin, though I have no idea whether it's from the superstitions of the people or the vanity of the rulers. I've read that scholars argue it was important for people to believe in a divine right to rule, and that's partly why they set their leaders on a pedestal."

"Well, I've read religious theory, and the books I've read all state that more often than not truth gets twisted into legend, and embellished by subsequent generations until the story grows so fantastic as to be unbelievable to the point of be considered nothing but myth. It's akin to that game of passing a story around the room and seeing how close it is to the original one when it's done being passed. Oral storytelling is especially prone to change, which is why the advent of writing was so important, because one could put down in words the story as one heard it, and subsequent generations would read it as it was known at that particular time, not through the filter of many more generations who may embellish the tale or leave parts out because they forgot them."

"So you think there is truth behind all the Rentham stories, then?"

"Well, not that she is a bona fide Goddess with magic powers, but yes, some scholars have studied the stories that permeate the Union and beyond and concluded that a single woman is responsible for the diaspora of the human race to the known Union worlds, though the location of the so-called Motherworld that she came from is not currently known. Her name is probably not actually Rentham, but that's the oldest one known since the advent of human writing, and therefore Rentham she became and has remained for nearly two thousand years. As to whether I believe that she fought a demon named Othna by using secret languages with her followers the demon couldn't understand and vanished at the end of their war, taking him with her to fight on her new home in another dimension after their last battle, leaving her warrior leaders behind to found our civilization: of course I don't believe the fantastic parts; there is probably a much simpler story about what that woman did that got embellished into mythic proportions before it was finally written down. Plus, there is some confusion regarding the end of the battle. It's said in some stories she vanished, never to be seen again, while the Rillul stories say that she sent the 'Perfect Thirty' to populate the known worlds after she founded Rillul, which she could not have done if she had vanished from our universe."

"I'd like to read those books you've got when we get home," Keestu said. "I like that they put science behind religion and feel truth has somehow turned into legend and from there into myth; from an analytical point it makes a lot of sense. Still, I have to admit it would be something; me descended from 'the companion of Rentham'! Okay, so I suppose that answers my earlier question. It is probably royal vanity behind the claim of a divine origin."

Rue chuckled, and then insisted, "According to one book, there is a very good likelihood you are the descendant of someone who knew the real Rentham, whoever she was. No other stories of Rentham throughout the Union make that particular claim, so it's felt there is truth behind it due to its uniqueness. I even read one theory that states since the translation of "companion" is ambiguous, that it means the royal family are direct descendants of Rentham herself along with her companion, who would of course be her spouse or consort, though why they would say you came from the companion and not from Rentham herself is confusing. One writer insisted that it was considered uncouth to write about Rentham doing ordinary domestic things like giving birth, hence the reference that you came from the companion instead, though of course both a male and female are needed to propagate all known humanoid species, and Rentham is always described as being female and therefore would have to have been the one giving birth to your line."

"Well," Keestu said, "Whether or not it is true is something we will never learn, so I suppose we should concentrate on learning more about the Autocracy."

**Chapter ten**

The subjective hours of travel passed quickly, and Keestu set an alarm to make certain she was on the bridge for their emergence at Rillul. Their route had been arranged so that they would do a fly-through of the Rillul system, making a wide sweeping turn through the outer system, but Keestu wanted to make sure she didn't miss an opportunity to see the homeworld of this interesting species.

She was disappointed when she was unable to see anything because of their entry angle and direction of travel, as Rillul and its star were invisible to her. Buoys pinged at them, and the only oral contact they got was when they approached the Rillul's ring system.

"Myr hyava Rillul. Shala tópan bet min glé én arin rotúäl. Rifalmi!"

"Translate and play that back," Captain Nebo ordered com.

"Aye, Captain," Surra said, her hands busy on her board. "It says, "You're leaving Rillul. Fly straight until you come to our ring. Farewell!' I interpret that as maintain our present course until we encounter their outbound ring."

"Well, despite your confidence in the translator, I'd rather be certain," Captain Nebo was saying, when a live Rillul voice interrupted him, speaking over the open com in accented Unity.

"Attention Union ship Sandar's Jewel. You are cleared for exit through the Rillul outbound ring to Autocracy Station. Maintain your present course and speed and you will enter the ring on target and on schedule. Please feel free to stop at Rillul on your trip home; our atmosphere will not harm your anatomy. Have a pleasant journey and stay at Autocracy Station. Rillul Outpost One out."

"Copy that Rillul Outpost One. We thank you for your courtesy and invitation and look forward to stopping at Rillul at a later time. Sandar's Jewel out," Surra replied.

"Okay," Captain Nebo said, mollified. "I guess they are a little more informal with their own kind, but they aren't taking any chances with us. However, I want a visual on their ring as soon as you can give it to me."

"Aye, Captain," Paxi said, busy at her board.

Keestu stayed riveted in her seat, only to realize that when you've seen one ring, you've seen them all. She sighed in frustration, knowing no more about this species now than she ever had.

Rue leaned over to her. "Angry, Kee?"

"Not really. I just wish we'd gotten more of a visual on Rillul or their station."

"Maybe we can stop here on the way back," Keestu said, looking at Captain Nebo questioningly.

"Unfortunately, Princess, I have my orders to only dock at either the Hub or Autocracy Station for this trip. No side trips are allowed, so we can't stop here despite the kind offer of the Rillul."

"Well, that's just great," Keestu grumbled, "My first trip on my own, and I'm all but grounded on the ship."

Rue grimaced in sympathy. "We will be touring the Autocracy planets. There's bound to be lots of interesting things to see there!"

"Oh I know, but the Rillul are a different kind of humanoid, and I guess I'm like my brother Kang in that I'd like to better know the ones who are less like us."

Captain Nebo spoke up. "We have gotten a long distance visual of Rillul on our cameras. Paxi, shunt that image over to screen two."

He gestured, and Keestu looked where he was pointing. Rillul was shown on the screen, magnified so many times that most of the details were lost, but Keestu saw that it appeared to be a blue-green on blue planet when seen from this distance. She found it an enigmatic image.

"What is that? Large seas, meaning the continents are grouped on the far side of the planet, in a just broken up pangaea-like formation, like they are on Sandar?"

"Your guess is as good as mine," Captain Nebo said. "Our equipment is not powerful enough at this distance to resolve the image any further."

"Well, thanks for trying, Captain," Keestu said. Nebo nodded, turning back to his console.

The Rillul ring came into visual range very quickly, since the Jewel hadn't scrubbed off much speed after entering the system. Keestu kept quiet, watching the crew double, triple, and quadruple check their position to make sure they would not collide with the Rillul ring. Prince Dinus' ship had already been boosted out of the system, and com didn't report any other ships within their sensor range, so Keestu ended up being bored. She supposed if she was a member of the crew with a real job to do she would not be bored, but being a passive observer wasn't something she found very exciting.

Finally, they were back in hyperspace, and the view screen shut down.

Dejected, Keestu retired to her cabin as soon as she was given clearance to move about the ship. Rue didn't join her, and Keestu didn't order her attendance, enjoying the unusual solitude it afforded her. She reread the information they had on the Autocracy, wondering if she should try and learn some basic phrases in any of the languages, but at a loss as to where to begin, she shut the console down and made her way to the gym for a workout before dinner.

After a relatively restless night, Keestu urged Rue to take her time grooming for their first appearance on Autocracy Station. "My mother always says the first impression is a lasting one, and you should to make the best one possible on our tour of Autocracy Station."

"Right," Rue agreed. "I was thinking either the purple or green suit would be better to wear, since black is viewed as the most somber, so I was thinking I should save it and all my lace accents for the first rounds of negotiations to indicate I'm serious about the trade agreement. But should I wear the purple or green today? Prince Dinus's minor planetary color is purple, and if I'm seen with him while wearing it, I think it could be misconstrued that I'm inferior in station to him despite the fact that I'm playing the part of the Crown Princess of Sandar. But this lighter shade of green may be considered an even less strong color, and I don't want potential negotiators to view me as weak, given the manner in which they choose their rulers."

Keestu frowned, considering Rue's insights before responding. "You know, I have no idea how to answer your question. You have valid points regarding each of the color choices, and I agree that an informal pantsuit is the way to dress for entering Autocracy Station, but I'm at a loss as to which color you should choose."

"We should ask Vahin," Keestu suggested. "A male point of view could provide the insight we are missing."

"Your mother would be horrified, asking a man for his opinion on clothing!" Rue giggled. "I'd leave that out of your report."

Keestu couldn't help but smile. "But he is my protocol adviser, so I think this falls into his domain. I'm going to call him in." She went to the console and typed in her request. It took only moments for the door to chime since Vahin was still in his cabin across the hall.

"What can I help you with, Your Highness?"

"We are at an impasse, Vahin, and we need your insight. Rue is trying to choose which of her pantsuits to wear for her first appearance on Autocracy Station. She feels black is too somber and should be saved for wearing to the negotiations. The other choices are purple and green. We feel the darker purple is stronger than the lighter green, but since purple is the lesser color for Prince Dinus' planet, we are wondering if that would be inappropriately identifying the Crown Princess as his inferior."

Vahin's eyebrows first went up in surprise then wrinkled together as he considered the situation. "Interesting points. Exactly what shade is Rue's purple outfit?"

Rue went to the closet at the back of their quarters and brought her suitcase, pulling out her jackets for Vahin's inspection.

"Hmm," was all he said, as he went to the console and typed in a query. An image of Prince Dinus as he appeared with his entourage at the first formal dinner on Sandar appeared on the screen.

Without urging, Rue brought the purple suit forward so that Vahin could examine it next to the image on the screen. Vahin studied it, before handing the jacket to Keestu, who placed it back in the suitcase as Rue handed him the green jacket.

"Very good," he said, repeating his actions. He motioned for Rue put the green jacket back into her suitcase.

"I don't think you would be considered inferior next to Prince Dinus in the purple since your purple is a darker shade than that of his stripe. Since we feel the Autocracy considers darker shades more dominant, Rue should be viewed as Prince Dinus's equal, though his minor planet's color and her suit are the same color."

"Thank you for your input, Vahin," Keestu said as her adviser rose to leave the room.

He nodded formally as he backed out of the room, the door sliding closed on his still bowed head.

"Okay," Rue said brightly. "Purple it is. What color are you going to wear?"

"Well, since I don't have a matching purple suit, my light red suit should harmonize with your purple. Do you think the pants or the skirt would be more appropriate? I was thinking the skirt and flat shoes, since I am supposed to be your inferior, and suit skirts used to be considered proper dress for the weaker members of our society, so even with me walking beside you, no one should mistake me for the dominant party in our group. If I wear hose, I shouldn't have to worry about it being too cold on station."

"I think you should wear pants, since everyone in the Autocracy contingent was wearing pants the entire time they were on Sandar."

"Yes, but they didn't have any women with them," Keestu pointed out. "So we really don't know what their women wear here."

Keestu went to the console and tapped in a request. "Unfortunately, there's nothing so trivial as Autocracy clothing trends in our files. However, if you are in pants, it should be acceptable for me to be in them, so I will wear slacks instead of a skirt. "

Rue dressed in her suit, paring it with the matching purple shirt, while Keestu put a white shirt.

Keestu helped Rue arrange her hair into an appropriate bun so that the royal headdress could be attached to it. Rue arranged Keestu's hair into a style appropriate for a handmaiden before positioning her Lady's headdress.

"I feel strange wearing such a small headdress," Keestu commented, eyeing her reflection critically. "I've worn one since I was five, so I feel almost naked without the weight."

"Well, if it's any consolation, I can feel the tassels swinging around on your headdresses," Rue replied, "And I find myself just hoping it doesn't fall off the whole time I'm wearing it."

"It won't," Keestu reassured her. "If that's one thing I've learned lately from my training sessions, it's how to secure a headdress."

They left their jackets hanging in the closet and went to the bridge to await emergence.

Captain Nebo greeted them courteously while the rest of the crew remained busy at their stations.

"We will be emerging close to mid morning Autocracy Station time according to the information given us by Prince Dinus," He told them. "This places us there after breakfast and before the midday meal, so you should probably eat before going on station. We have nearly an hour before emergence, so you have plenty of time to visit the mess for breakfast."

Rue and Keestu left the bridge for the mess hall. The food dispensers held a variety of breakfast selections, and Keestu watched a Jewel crewman pouring a cup of javene. He nodded courteously to them as he screwed the cover on his beverage container and left, leaving them alone in the common room.

"Do you get the feeling the crew is avoiding us?" Rue asked as she got her breakfast.

"Sometimes," Keestu responded, looking over the selections as she waited her turn. "But only because I think they are uncomfortable being with me in a casual atmosphere. Most of Sandar only sees me at official functions, where I have to be on my best behavior, and not in everyday situations like the palace staff is witness to. With time you get used to it, though before you came to the palace, I felt rather lonely at times. I remember one time I was so frustrated with being treated differently I demanded that my father revoke my Crown Princess status and let me leave the palace for any other noble house, so I could go have a 'normal' life. Now that I'm older, I see that it would be impossible. Being the firstborn, I will always be considered the heir, and it would cause no end of trouble to him if he were to suddenly announce Skomer as heir to the throne."

"I don't know if Skomer would take it," Rue said. "I've heard him say more than once he wants a military position."

"OK, then either Kang or Hemda. From what she said to Prince Dinus at that first dinner, I think Hemda would happily take over my duties if the crown was offered to her."

Rue laughed. "I'm surprised nothing came up about her offer on the infocom after that dinner. Usually some noble leaks tidbits like that to them, and Hemda is a favorite for everyone to watch. I just hope she isn't embarrassed by the stories when she gets older."

Keestu grinned mischievously at Rue. "I'm thinking her children will likely be the ones ribbing her about that in the future, since the public archives are open to all. I've gone through them looking for stories on my parents. Unfortunately, my mother was never in the public eye until she met my father, so I don't have any childhood stories I can blackmail her with."

Rue took her breakfast to one of the tables and sat.

Keestu looked over the spice and sweetening choices for her cereal, dressing her bowl before joining Rue at the table.

"Sometimes I think Hemda is older than her years," Keestu said as she blew on her javene to cool it. "She was the first one to point out that I should get names of eligible princes on our visit here, which tells me she has her eye on her future. Of course, mother says that there is more to marriage than just an advantageous alliance, but I don't think Hemda is too far off base. What better way to do both than to get to know foreign royalty now, when there is no pressure to make a match? That would give me an opportunity to get to really know a prospective spouse before I reach the age when everyone will be telling me I need to find a mate."

"Yes, but you are assuming the exophobes won't be screaming about the dilution of Sandarian blood by an outsider."

"But dilution can be a good thing," Keestu grumbled. "I just can't see myself marrying some very distant degree of cousin just because he's a Sandarian noble. Plus, most of the former royal houses resented the unification of Sandar and have passed their bias on to their children who avoid interacting with us, though they do not shirk any duties they are given for fear of being demoted to commoner status. They don't say it in our hearing, but I've often felt their resentment when we visit their continents, baronies, or cities, which were formerly their kingdoms. And commoner boys my age aren't allowed to hang out around the palace. You know as well as I do that I've never had a male friend, much less prospective boyfriend. I think I'm seen as unapproachable, and I really don't want to be in Shina's position, considering an anonymous donor for my eggs, as she is. I tell you Rue, being royalty is lonely. Never mind that we are never truly alone, but I know that everyone on Sandar would disapprove if I were to be seen in public with anyone other than a noble. I can just hear the infocom now, saying I'm 'dating way below my station', when all I really want is to meet someone nice. I used to wonder why my grandfather took so long to marry and have children, but now I have firsthand experience how hard it is to find someone!"

"Well, I was too young to remember it directly, but I think you should go through the archives and see what negative things were said about King Ismer and Queen Mewa when they began dating, and look at Queen Mewa now. She's well respected for taking her crown duties seriously, plus she's seen as putting a more friendly face on the royal house, especially since King Brei raised Ismer under terrible restrictions due to problems the decade after Unification."

"I can understand King Brei's insistence on our keeping physically fit, if nothing else for the health benefits we get from it, but do we really need to train to fight? I've never been in a fistfight in my life, and I really question why I need to know how to handle firearms because we are peaceful now."

"It wasn't so long ago that we weren't peaceful," Rue said. "I have to tell you my father was thrilled to hear I was to be learning all sorts of fighting techniques. I suppose the idea of a female Queen so soon after Unification was disconcerting to him because women haven't had to go to war for a couple of generations."

"I didn't think of it from that angle," Keestu admitted. "I guess there is a good reason I should know how to fight, even though I'll probably never have do it."

"Well, if you need to do an exhibition fight here in the Autocracy, you shouldn't do too bad in the hand-to-hand techniques."

"I just wish I had better aim, like you do, Rue," Keestu sighed. "But no matter how many times I go to the range, my first few shots are low."

"I heard Skomer say one time when we were watching you that your first few shots would not kill a male opponent, just make them wish they were dead, which would discourage any other males from wanting to go up against you. He thought it was a mental warfare trick you'd been drilled in since your training in shooting was publicized. When Tenget heard that, he failed to correct him–or the aim of your initial shots."

Keestu laughed at that. "So there is an advantage to my lousy aim after all! Still, I wish I was as good as you are," she finished wistfully.

Their breakfast done, they deposited their dishes in the sterilizer and made their way back to the bridge.

They belted in and observed bridge operations in a companionable silence until their emergence back into normal space.

"All crew secure for emergence," Captain Nebo ordered.

"Passengers secure," Keestu said without prompting after checking to see everyone was belted in. She listened to the rest of the orders with only half her attention on it while she wondered how and when she would meet any males close to her age.

The com officer was checking his board, confirming, "All shipboard stations secure, Captain. The ship is ready for emergence."

The view screen lit up, displaying a countdown timer that was rapidly approaching zero. Paxi was intently watching the timer. "Emerging on my mark," she warned. "Mark!"

As countdown timer reached zero, the screen lit up, showing chaos that dissolved to show normal space. Keestu gasped in appreciation at the beauty of the Autocracy's star cluster, noting a few hot white and blue stars scattered like bright gems among numerous yellow-gold suns, many of which harbored the livable planets that comprised the worlds of the Autocracy. Bright green and white gas clouds surrounded several of the white and blue stars on the left of Keestu's view, and she saw a red and blue gaseous nebula on the right side of the cluster.

"Look at that," Rue breathed in awe.

"It's amazing," Keestu murmured back. "I've never seen anything like it in the Union."

Vahin spoke, but his voice, too, was low. "The suns of the Union aren't crowded as close together. Even if any of the planets here don't have moons, their night skies must be spectacular. I spoke to an astronomer at home who said that the white and blue stars at the left of the cluster were part a younger star cluster that was drawn by gravity into an older cluster after its formation, and some of them collided with stars born in the older section of the cluster, forming the gas clouds and the nebula."

"Since there are known negative effects of such intense radiation and bombardment as were caused in the Autocracy cluster during its collision phase, the civilizations we know in the Autocracy had to have migrated there sometime after the two clusters merged. The Autocracy itself acknowledges that humans came to settle the cluster, though the when and why have been lost to them except for the legends about all human planets being colonized by people associated with Rentham."

Instead of the ping of a buoy, they were greeted with a mechanical-sounding voice recording. "You have reached Autocracy space and are headed directly at Autocracy Station. Remain on your current heading until a live operator detects your presence and follow their instructions to insure safe docking. Enjoy your visit."

The recording switched to a guttural language that Keestu didn't recognize. "Eno gai Autocracy arogra sidra ein Autocracy yisan. Dresam azro taraka ola druon eno ein sakalgri. Ezda oni eno cha."

The electronic voice switched to a third language. "Tiperil én Autocracy tormaht. Shala tópan bet manan cána lókena min én nalú. Rinya manan yuvancó."

"We've gone inertial," Paxi announced. "Holding steady on present course until contact with Autocracy Station."

"All stations are free to move about the ship," the com officer announced. "However, keep a hand on the rails in the event we need to make any unexpected maneuvers."

Keestu wondered what the two additional languages were and belatedly thought of her translator cuff. Since they were free to move about the ship, she hurried back to her cabin and fetched both her cuff and Rue's, keeping one hand on the safety rail as she went.

Returning to the bridge, she belted in again and handed Rue her cuff.

"Oh!" Rue said, "I forgot all about my cuff."

"Me, too," Keestu admitted. "But I want to know what those two other languages are. Are they two of the Autocracy's standard languages, or not? They didn't sound anything alike to me."

Vahin frowned. "I am not sure," he admitted. "I assumed they were, but you are right, none of the words seemed similar."

Keestu turned her translator on and waited. Several minutes later, they reached another buoy, and the messages repeated.

Her screen lit up, and she read the information out loud for everyone to hear. "The second language is Triker! Wow, strange translation. It reads: 'You in Autocracy territory going to Autocracy nest/station/building. Continue and human will lead/guide you to dock. Success in your hunt.'"

"Apparently, the translation program is incomplete," Vahin commented. "Because that sounds terribly rude, and several particles of speech appear to be missing."

"The third is Rillul," Keestu said, intrigued. "Their translation is a bit more polite. 'Welcome to Autocracy station. Fly straight until your leader guides you to dock. Enjoy your visit.'"

A thought occurred to Keestu. "Why didn't we hear any of the Autocracy's languages in the announcements?"

Tenget spoke up. "I overheard Prince Dinus saying to King Ismer that all Autocracy ships have a special ID code, so they are greeted on a different com channel, one that I imagine uses their languages."

"So the computer handles all incoming foreigners, then?"

"We were told it's a human on the other end of the com once we reach the third buoy," Tenget said, "The voice only sounds mechanical because of the translator. The Autocracy human speaks in his or her own dialect, and the translation is forwarded to us directly on the com to save time in case urgent instructions need to be given to an incoming or outgoing ship."

After what seemed like an interminable wait, they reached the third buoy.

"Welcome. Reply in the language you prefer."

"Chadagri. Ganon Triker."

"Tiperil. Aral ama Rillul."

"Com to me," Captain Nebo commanded. "This is Captain Nebo of the Union ship Sandar's Jewel requesting docking instructions."

After a few moments, the reply came in Unity. "Welcome, Sandar's Jewel. You are cleared for docking. Maintain your present course. The information provided by Praton Dinus of Purvol indicates you are familiar with our mathematical coordinate system. We will transmit any course changes using this system. As your ship's access port design is incompatible with ours, we will have you land at an outer ring trading platform so that we may secure a generic access tube around your hatch as we do for the Rillul and Triker. Do not release your hatch until we have assured safety. We apologize for any inconvenience caused by forcing you to dock in the trade section."

"Copy that, Autocracy Station," Captain Nebo replied before cutting the connection.

"A cordial but careful welcome," Vahin said, automatically analyzing the exchange. "I prefer keeping things formal so we can avoid any misunderstandings."

Keestu sighed, rolling her eyes at Rue, who suppressed her answering grin with effort after Vahin turned in their direction.

"Impatient to see the station, Your Highness?" Vahin misinterpreted Keestu's exasperation.

"Yes, Vahin. I have not traveled off Sandar in years, and I'm eager to see what the Autocracy has to offer. Maybe I'll even find something the Rillul or Triker have that we can use."

"That will be for the traders to decide," Vahin chided her as though she was still a young child, and Keestu's temper flared.

"That doesn't mean that I can't have an opinion on trade goods," Keestu found she was increasingly irritated with her adviser's too stiff manner. "I have my likes and Rue's to help decide what may appeal to younger Sandarians, something you will do well to remember."

Everyone turned to look at the glowering Crown Princess, and then the Jewel's bridge crew suddenly found themselves absorbed in the ship's operations. Tenget and Gontu remained silent, though Keestu could see Gontu smiling out of the corner of her eye. Vahin suppressed his surprise with effort, and then sputtered. "Of course, Your Highness. I apologize if I've offended you."

"Well, there's nothing going on here for the moment," Keestu announced. "I'm going to the mess for another mug of javene. Rue, would you like one, too?"

"Yes, Kee, I would," Rue was only too happy to go with her.

"Oh a fresh cup," Rue was pleased. "I think it's best freshly brewed. For some reason, my father disagrees with me that some of the flavor dissipates the longer it sits. He'll fill a thermos with as much as he thinks he'll use for a day and then leaves it to sit."

Keestu got her javene and sat down, wondering a little at her fit of temper with her adviser. "You know, Rue, I hate to say it, but I think I have outgrown Vahin as my protocol adviser."

Rue's face showed her surprise at Keestu's comment. "Are you saying you may dismiss him?"

"Well, that would be rude and cruel, as it would cause all kinds of unwanted speculation in the infocom, but I'm thinking perhaps he may be reassigned. Since you the public closely watches Hemda, she could probably use some protocol tutoring, especially given her outburst during our first dinner with Prince Dinus. I find myself increasingly irritated with Vahin's constant corrections, because I feel that I'm staying within the parameters of proper behavior, and he seems to be increasingly overstepping his boundaries. It's almost like he refuses to believe I'm old enough to handle myself in public without him. You and I both know we would not have been sent on this mission if King Ismer thought we were incapable of handling ourselves in delicate protocol situations."

Rue blushed. "I know. I'm so pleased that your parents approve of me. I had been thinking more and more lately that they would want to suggest someone else for your handmaiden, so when Queen Mewa ordered the new wardrobe for me, I knew that I was just imagining things."

"The choice of my handmaiden is not entirely up to them, Rue, and I say no one can replace you, and while I am older, I'm not above throwing a Hemda style fit to get what I want, though I'm certain my relationship with my parents has gone beyond that. Besides, we've got four years of training invested in you and you're my best friend, so don't worry. As far as I'm concerned, your position is safe."

"I'm so glad to hear that. You're my best friend, as well, Kee," Rue smiled over her mug. "My father told me that my position could end at any time, so I should not count on being at the palace when I'm older, but really there's nowhere else I'd rather be."

"I'm still left with my frustration regarding how Vahin is treating me. I have to make a note of it and see what my father thinks of reassigning him to Hemda; a lateral move should not be viewed as punishment, so the infocom will probably just announce the change and leave it at that."

The ship's com chimed for their attention. "Your Highness," Captain Nebo's voice politely hailed her, waiting for her response. "We are within long-range view of Autocracy Station, Your Highness, if you care to view it and the docking from the bridge."

"Well," Keestu smiled, her fit of pique finally passing as she considered options for a permanent resolution to the problem Vahin posed, "It would appear that my outburst has everyone on their toes, at least where this royal is concerned."

They placed their empty mugs into the sterilizer and hurried back to the bridge.

After belting in, Keestu allowed herself to look at the screen.

"Maximum magnification, Captain?" She modulated her voice into as pleasant a tone as she could manage.

"Yes, Your Highness," he replied.

Keestu studied the screen, seeing they were coming at Autocracy Station from above, an unusual approach vector. However, it meant that she could see the entire station and get a sense for its layout. It consisted of three rings that were joined at regular intervals by twelve access corridors, making Autocracy Station look like a giant metallic multi-hubbed multi-spoked wheel floating in space.

This time, it was Tenget who spoke, not Vahin. "The information given us by Prince Dinus identifies the outer ring consisting of the landing pads for trade ships. It also houses hostels, restaurants, and trade kiosks. The middle ring consists of storage and also provides restricted landing pads for elite Autocracy spacecraft. The central ring houses the offices and quarters for the permanent staff. Six corridors provide two-way access for all rings, while every other corridor is restricted to cargo handling and will handle foot traffic during emergencies only."

As they approached, Keestu began to make out irregularities in the smooth appearance of the outer and middle rings. She realized these cutouts were the restricted landing pads. She squinted as she saw movement at the outer ring.

"That looks like Prince Dinus' ship just settling in on a landing pad. Did we overtake him after all?"

"No, Your Highness," Captain Nebo responded. "We have been maintaining a steady speed and course, and are at the extreme limits of visual contact. It will be a few more minutes before we reach the station."

"Oh," Keestu settled in for the wait, chafing at the perceived slow speed of their progress. She pressed her lips together in a fresh wave of irritation. It seemed much of her life was spent waiting for things to come to her, or her to them. If she didn't have a rigorous training schedule in addition to her palace duties, she rather thought she'd find her life quite boring what with all the waiting she had to do.

When they were on final approach, the Jewel reoriented for landing, and Autocracy Station and the star cluster disappeared from view.

There came a small bump as they touched down, felt as a shudder throughout the ship, accompanied by a metallic boom underneath them. Other noises indicated the grappling hooks were finding purchase, as the Jewel secured her own hold on the station's landing pad.

"The ship is registering as securely docked. The access tube is being extended," the com officer announced.

There came another distant clang as the tube bumped into the ship. Several more minutes passed as the Autocracy Station crew tested the connection.

"Sandar's Jewel," came the voice over the intership com, "The access tube is attached and sealed. You are free to enter the station. Prince Dinus will join you on the dock shortly. We hope you enjoy your stay. Autocracy Station out."

"Copy that," Captain Nebo said, "Thank you for your assistance, Autocracy Station. Sandar's Jewel out."

The com officer closed the channel, and the security officer activated the intership com. "Suited security crew to the main airlock. Seal yourselves in and test that connection."

Several tense minutes passed while the security team tested their connection to the station. Finally, the all clear came through, and Keestu was finally allowed to debark. She pursed her lips in irritation, but knew that these measures, while tedious, were to prevent her from stepping into an accidental vacuum if the connection was loose or a leak blew the tube out while she was in it.

She and Rue fetched their jackets from their quarters. Rue donned hers and turned to Keestu. "How do I look?"

"Like a Crown Princess," Keestu grinned back as she put on her own jacket. "Let's go!"

"Oh," Rue exclaimed, "Here!" She thrust her datapad at Keestu, who would need it to play the part of handmaiden.

They hurried to the hatch to find their all-male entourage patiently waiting for them. Keestu looked them over, and underwent inspection in return. However, it was Rue who suffered the most scrutiny. She kept her expression calm, but Keestu saw her hands tremble as she smoothed her jacket one last time.

She noted as she entered the tube that the decking was flexible and bounced a little with every step she took. She looked at the odd joints connecting each segment, which allowed the whole tube to retract or extend accordion style. A flexible light strip lined the top of the tube, illuminating their way.

She heard noise ahead, a low rumble that built in volume with every step. Finally, Rue left the tube. Keestu followed her out, and then looked around, squinting in the bright lights of the station. A slight breeze blew, courtesy of the life support system, bringing to her nose a variety of scents she didn't recognize, but which reminded her of the farming district on Sandar.

She spun towards the berth on her left, seeing movement on the periphery of her vision, and her eyes bulged. Several large shapes shambled on two legs there, two dark brown, another tawny, and the last black, and her breathing sped up, while her heart began to pound in her chest in alarm at the size of whatever they were. She instinctively stepped closer to Tenget, who was viewing the activity in the next berth with consternation.

Keestu continued to stare, as the shapes moved into the light from the shadow of a solid tube. They appeared simian, having a thick layer of fur, but they walked in a half erect bipedal posture rather than going on all fours as the simians of Kielra did. These were much larger than any simian Keestu had ever seen, taller than a human, looking to be around two and a quarter meters tall each. She watched as each of them pulled a single massive wheeled container onto the dock, placing them precisely onto lines she now saw painted on the deck plates. Their loads parked, they turned with ponderous slowness and plodded back into an enormous access tube, each step producing an audible thud on the dock plates.

A second tube placed right next to the one the unknown simians used suddenly disgorged four Triker. Their thick reptilian tails thinned as they jutted towards but didn't quite reach the deck. Over their medium to dark blue scaled bodies were quilted coats and knickers, which were custom cut to cover their back ridges, ridges that ran from their necks to their tails. They all had thick upper thighs, which quickly tapered into comically small lower legs, and they did not wear shoes on their three-clawed feet. Keestu saw that their faces were elongated, their mouths protruding into snouts, which when they spoke in their guttural growling language revealed several rows of sharp teeth. She looked at the sides of their heads and saw only vestigial ears.

The four simians had returned, moving with the same measured slowness, each one towing a large wheeled crate as last time. The sheer repetition in the activity reassured Keestu that there should be no problem from them. She saw that each of the Triker overseers was carrying a large stun staff, and all the creatures were wearing collars. After some discussion, the Triker dispersed, each taking up positions around their ship's cargo.

The simians ignored their supervisors, only occasionally grunting with effort as they carefully positioned their new loads on the lines. Keestu saw as they left again that their heads seemed small and were slightly pointed while their shoulders and arms were massive, and their legs were thick as well. She wondered if they could move fast, or if their constant plodding pace was all the speed they could muster. It seemed to suit the Triker, who growled comments at each other now and then in their native tongue, paying little attention to what was going on around them at the rest of the dock.

Looking further down the dock, Keestu saw more activity. Trading for the day was already well underway, and much of the noise she had heard in the tubes related to the movement of goods in wheeled containers, which thumped along the seams of the deck plates, the sound echoing slightly in the enclosed station. It was a stark contrast to the silent movement of goods she had witnessed at the Hub.

Keestu looked around to see if she could see any Rillul, but at this distance, she wasn't certain if she saw anyone with green skin or not.

Prince Dinus appeared from their right. He looked much more relaxed here than he ever had on Sandar, almost gregarious in his welcome.

"So what do you think of Autocracy Station, Keestu?" His informal address made Vahin frown in distaste, but Rue ignored him and replied, "Surprising. I've never heard of the species aiding the Triker in their unloading."

"What?" Dinus scowled at the next berth. Several moments later, the simians came back into view with fresh loads. "Oh, them," he waved a dismissive hand. "They are called maress. Simple trained animals the Triker domesticated. They can load or unload a Triker freighter much faster than the Triker themselves, and they save the Station from having to provide automated equipment and/or human labor to do the job. The Triker keep them under strict control at all times, and they are extremely docile for such big beasts. There has never been an incident caused by a maress on Autocracy Station."

"We will take a quick tour of the Station, and then I must retire to the central offices for a private communiqué from my father to update me on family matters at home. After your orientation, you are free to explore the station on your own."

He turned without looking to see if they would follow, only part of his company immediately preceding him, and seeing that they were walking four abreast, their group automatically fell into place behind him.

They moved away from the berths and to the closest walkway at a brisk pace. The station's air was cold, and Keestu was glad she had chosen to wear pants. They passed one of the brightly marked emergency access tubes and moved further away from where the Triker ships were berthed. Here, they encountered a mix of beings on the walkway, identically dressed Triker with their toe claws clicking on the deck, a variety of humans from the Autocracy, all dressed in clothes of the same cut and style to Prince Dinus. However, the colors differed, as did the geometric insignias worn upon the right breasts, though Keestu noted that the outer symbols always consisted of a circle, hexagon, or equilateral triangle, with triangles being the one they saw most often.

Keestu finally saw noble Autocracy women here, and to her dismay found that they, too, shunned anything akin to style, preferring the same clothing as the men. She saw that while almost everyone in lighter colors looked unscathed, those who wore the darker shades were more likely to be limping. Many sported facial scars, while others revealed missing teeth when smiling and talking, and one woman had her striking beauty marred by a black eye and a misshapen and still swollen broken nose, while a man who waved at a distant companion was missing two fingers from the waving hand, the bandaged stumps indicating this was also a recent injury.

As they continued to walk through the station, her attention was caught by a group of Rillul. Their hair ran from white blond, to all shades of yellow and ash blond, and some were even strawberry blonds, but nowhere among them were the darker hair shades of true browns and black. Their green skins varied somewhat in hue, but not as much as white Sandarians did from the black residents of Weegai, and their eyes from what she saw also ran to the lighter human shades of blue, green, amber, hazel, and gray. She wondered if this was an accurate overall population representation or merely a regional genetic variant she was seeing.

Keestu lost sight of the Rillul as they turned into one of the connecting corridors. An announcement in Unity admonished them to stay to the left side of the corridor and slower moving groups should stay closest to the outer walls to allow faster moving foot traffic to pass them. Keestu guiltily realized Dinus had been talking the entire time, but she had been too fascinated with examining the peoples in the station to listen to anything he had said thus far. She strained to hear him over the din of conversations from the foot traffic around them now, which echoed in the corridor.

"We've found it advantageous to keep human ships between the Rillul and Triker, as the Triker's hunting instincts are triggered when they are berthed next to the Rillul. We aren't certain if it's the way they look, move, smell, or act that triggers this, and the Triker aren't forthcoming with a reason."

They entered the middle ring and stood to one side watching carts of goods being wheeled around the storage section of the station. Keestu saw larger teams of maress hauling cargo trains to and from the storage areas flanked by groups of Triker carrying stun staves. Dinus pointed in other direction, and she saw both brightly dressed Autocracy humans and Rillul using electric tuggers to haul trains of wheeled containers around their sections, working in teams with Autocracy personnel who unlocked or sealed the assigned storage bays.

After showing them this, Dinus guided them to the central ring. Once there, the atmosphere palpably changed from one of carefully coordinated frenzied activity to a much more sedate pace, and everyone here spoke in hushed tones, even Dinus.

"The outer portion of the central ring comprises the station's offices. The innermost doors are all private staff quarters, which you are asked to not disturb the occupants."

"Now," Dinus said, pausing at an office door, "I must leave you. Please go back to the outer ring and look over the trade kiosks. Also, please enjoy your meals in the restaurants here. You and your entire ship have unlimited credit for the duration of your stay here." He motioned to several guards, who stayed with him, while the rest of the Autocracy contingent showed no inclination to leave them to their own designs, making speaking freely impossible.

Dinus smiled hugely at Rue before vanishing into the office, and after he left, they made their way back to the outer ring, choosing to walk close to the wall so they could take in their surroundings better.

"Well, it is lunch time," Rue said after checking her chrono. "And I am going to take up the Autocracy on the open meal ticket. She turned to the closest guard. "You, I'm sorry but I never heard your name. Please take me to your favorite on-station restaurant."

The guard had stiffened at the direct address, but immediately relaxed upon hearing what was required. "Certainly, Your Highness. Please follow me to The Happy Crewman." Keestu noted that he failed to provide Rue his name.

Having been given an assignment and replied to the demand, the man stepped out to take the lead and strode off without looking to see if he was being followed.

It was quite some distance to The Happy Crewman, and Keestu took to counting the emergency doors that separated the dock sections into areas that could be closed off in the event of an emergency, and when they reached the eleventh one, The Happy Crewman lay just beyond.

Surprisingly, the first beings Keestu saw when they went in were Triker. The hostess was showing them to their table, leading them through the Triker section, when a waiter carrying a platter passed her, and her appetite nearly deserted her at the smell. It was acrid and stung her eyes, and she instinctively covered her nose and saw that Rue did the same. Vahin looked like he wanted to do the same, but then stiffly controlled the urge. If the smell hadn't been one of near putrefaction, the whole situation would have been funny.

The hostess took them to a different area of the restaurant, which Keestu saw with relief served Rillul and humans, keeping the Triker and their unappealing food odors closed off from their section by a clear curtain.

They were seated in a large booth and Keestu looked over the contents nestled in a well in the center. To her surprise, she saw Chtawlikt nectar in a bottle, clearly marked as such using the various alphabets used in the Autocracy, including the original Unity.

"According to the data that your planet provided, you should be able to enjoy anything on the menu marked as suitable for a human, including any Rillul foods marked as being acceptable for Autocracy citizens." After he spoke, he motioned for the rest of the guards to follow him to the next booth over.

A waitress bustled up to them. She placed two large steaming baskets of miniature loaves of bread on the table, which she identified as yena, and distributed datapad menus to everyone before hurrying off.

She returned and repeated her actions at the table the guards were occupying, but gave them several additional baskets of bread, and Keestu saw they didn't hesitate, but each started to tear chunks of bread off. Some ate the steaming bread plain, while others spread or poured various condiments on theirs. The guard Rue had addressed motioned her closer and murmured something Keestu couldn't hear. She glanced down at her translator cuff, but the microphone wasn't sensitive enough to pick up their voices.

Rue had leaned forward, sniffing appreciatively. "It smells good. Spicy and I'd imagine slightly sweet."

She broke off a small piece and nibbled it, her face lighting up. "It's good!"

"Please refrain from eating too much of any foreign foods until we are certain it won't give you indigestion," Vahin pointedly advised her; a comment Keestu realized was directed at her. Again, she found herself angered, but controlled the reaction when she realized this would probably be her only trip with Vahin traveling as her protocol adviser.

Keestu activated her datapad and selected Unity from the main menu. She found the bread section and read the description.

"Yena is listed as completely suitable for human consumption. In fact, it's one of the recommended bread choices for humanoids. The ingredients are benign–grains, leavening, sweetener, spices, and water. No foreign dairy stuffs or eggs to confound our digestion, Vahin."

She put her datapad down and chose a medium sized piece of the bread. She bit into it with a sigh. "Oh, that's nearly as good as bread at home. I wonder if we could get a recipe? I bet this would make a good holiday breakfast bread, say around Coronation Day."

Tenget and Gontu, after hearing her description tried it for themselves, though unfortunately without comment. Keestu wondered why they appeared to have nothing to say, while Vahin remained so supercilious she felt like dismissing him from their company for the rest of the day. She was certain King Ismer would disapprove of her doing so, but she felt herself in no need of a protocol adviser.

Sighing in exasperation, she pointedly picked up another piece of yena. Vahin looked askance at her, started to open his mouth, saw her glaring at him in an open challenge, and shrugged, finally subsiding.

Keestu turned back to her menu, finding to her surprise some familiar foods. "Look, Rue, they have Weegai whitefish and sereska pudding listed in the Rillul food section! I wonder if the Autocracy knows those come from the Union?"

"Well," Rue commented minute, "Since the Autocracy knows the names of the planets of the Union, I think they probably know the fish comes from Weegai. I read that their ships tend to take on large loads of it when they visit the Hub, but I wonder how often they serve it here? There are no prices listed, and it's simply listed as a delicacy, so I'm thinking it's probably pricey, barter wise."

"Yeah, I was just thinking since there's no real money here, it's a good thing Prince Dinus' house is picking up the tab."

Keestu turned to the beverage section. She considered ordering an Autocracy mineral water, but the Rillul listing for "spice fruit fizz" caught her eye. It was a combination of several fruit flavored waters, spices, and sparkling water, listed as being high in natural sugar, though a reduced sugar version was available and recommended for humans.

Their waitress came back carrying a large platter of drinks for their guards' table. She distributed the tall glasses, and then turned back to Keestu's table, setting her tray on the table as she took up a datapad and stylus.

"Your Highness," she bobbed a bow at Rue. "Your guide just informed me you are from the Union and joining us for your first lunch here. He says this is your first time in an Autocracy restaurant. Do you need any assistance with the datapad?"

"No, thank you," Rue responded. "The design is very intuitive, and as you have thoughtfully programmed your menu in Unity, I am having no difficulty reading it."

"Have you made your drink selections, or do you need more time?"

Rue glanced around the table, and then smiled briefly at Keestu. "I am feeling adventurous, and I think I'd like to try the human version of the Rillul spice fruit fizz."

"Red or orange?"

"Oh," Rue was surprised by this revelation. "Um, I'll take the red."

The waitress tapped on her datapad, transmitting the order to the bar to be prepared, then turned to the rest of the table. Keestu was surprised when Vahin, Tenget, and Gontu all ordered plain javene. She hadn't even seen the listing. When the waitress turned to her, she had made up her mind. "I'll have the human version of Rillul spice fruit fizz in orange, please."

"Very good," their waitress said, all business, "I'll be right back with those." She bobbed her head at Rue again as she slid the datapad into a pocket, grabbed the tray, and hurried off.

Their waitress placed a large insulated pot of javene on the table and distributed mugs to the men, strategically placing the pot in front of Gontu, who sat between Tenget and Vahin. Then, she turned to Rue and presented her with a large glass of iced spice fruit fizz. As advertised, it was red and audibly fizzed as the waitress placed it in front of Rue, who picked it up and took an experimental sip. Her face lit up, and she nodded approval. The waitress served Keestu last, who tasted her drink while the waitress waited, and quickly nodded her approval of its taste.

Their server smiled. "Have you made your meal selections, or do you need more time?"

"I don't know about everyone else, but since your menu is so large, and it's my first time here, I think we need more time," Rue said diplomatically.

"I thought as much. If you'd like more complimentary bread while you wait, just let me know."

The waitress glanced at the guards' table, and receiving a hand sign from the leader, hurried off to another table.

"So," Tenget said in a low voice, "Do you have any idea what you want?" He was looking at Rue for the sake of appearances, but his glance slid sideways to Keestu.

"I haven't really looked the menu over that well," Rue admitted.

She looked at Keestu, who nodded in agreement. "Me too," was all she offered, beginning to study her menu.

"So, handmaiden," Rue said several minutes later, "Have you decided on what you are going to have?"

"I was thinking the Autocracy mixed ingredient salad and vegetable soup."

"Hmm," Rue said, looking down at her datapad at Keestu's choices. "I was thinking either soup or salad and a half sandwich."

"I couldn't decide on a sandwich bread, since I know virtually nothing about the Autocracy's breads," Keestu replied. "Which is why I went with soup instead of a half sandwich."

"Well, I'm thinking the Autocracy poultry salad sandwich on flat bread sounds intriguing," Rue said, "Along with human variety Rillul creamy vegetable soup."

Rue turned to the men. "And you?"

"I'm having an Autocracy salad and poultry salad sandwich on sliced Autocracy yeast bread," Vahin said.

"I'm having an Autocracy red meat sandwich on sliced Autocracy yeast bread and a side of breaded fried Autocracy vegetables with dip," Gontu said.

"I'm having Autocracy mixed meat soup and mixed meat sandwich on sliced Autocracy yeast bread," Tenget said.

Keestu put her datapad down on the table, and the rest of her companions quickly followed suit. It seemed logical to her that when their waitress saw they had put the menus down, she would know their choices had been made.

It wasn't long before she saw their waitress look in their direction as she distributed food to other customers. She murmured something to that table before hurrying back to them.

"You've decided?"

"Yes," Rue said, taking the initiative. She placed her order. The waitress proceeded around the table in the same manner as she had before, again ending with Keestu. She repeated their orders back to them to make certain she had them right, pushed the send button on her datapad to transmit their order to the kitchen, then went and got the guards' orders before making another trip to the kitchen.

Keestu sipped her drink while looking around the restaurant and was surprised to see a waiter carrying a tray of elongated face masks with metal canisters attached to them by their table. She turned in her chair to watch the man, but he didn't pause in the human/Rillul section, going instead to a table in the Triker section. He passed out one mask and canister combination to every Triker seated at the table. None of the other humans or Rillul had reacted to seeing this sight, so Keestu realized there was no immediate danger to her person, but she couldn't fathom the purpose of the masks even after each Triker had taken up his or her mask and placed it carefully over their snouts, sealing in their nostrils. They activated their canisters, but Keestu heard no noise from this distance. She thought she saw fogging on one of the masks closest to her, but she couldn't be certain.

She waved to the waiter as he made his way back towards the kitchen. The man paused, then bowed to her, speaking in an Autocracy language. Keestu checked her cuff, but it was a dialect variant so the translation had gaps, so she shook her head. The man tried again, "Ganon Triker?" Keestu nodded, pointing to her translator cuff as the query, "Speak Triker?" came out of her cuff. The waiter looked surprised for a moment, but then nodded understanding.

She thought before speaking into the microphone. "What do the masks do that you gave to the Triker?"

After a moment, the speaker growled out her query. The waiter listened, then thought carefully before responding. He spoke towards her cuff slowly and as clearly as he could.

After a few moments, the translation appeared on the screen as the speaker gave her the audio, "Masks give wetness to air that Triker need."

Keestu nodded understanding, then said, "Thank you."

After hearing the growling translation of her thanks, the man smiled, bowed at her again, and went back to work.

"I guess I should have realized their wait staff would specialize in different exolanguages. If I'd paid more attention, I'd have noticed that all the servers stay in certain sections," she admitted with some chagrin to the table in general.

"But, it constitutes a good test of the translation program given to us by Prince Dinus," Vahin said. "The translation into Triker made sense to the Triker speaker, as did his explanation when translated for you."

Their meals arrived shortly, and Keestu stopped their waitress by raising her hand. "You speak Unity very well. Do you speak Triker or Rillul?"

"I speak Unity, Rillul, and the Laringo dialect of Autocracy, since my native planet Hetindi has Laringo as its lead planet. I think Laringo is close enough to both Phaet and Multana that I can usually make myself understood well enough. If you wish to learn any Autocracy language, just remember that Phaet is the language of the Autocrat and Autocress and the three other planets closest to it, Laringo is used on the middle three planets, while Multana is spoken on the three planets on the furthermost outer edge of the habitable planets in our cluster."

"I thought all the habitable planets were rather centrally located in the cluster?"

"Not quite dead center, but Phaet, Vulo I, Vulo II, and Naelia are the most centrally located. Laringo, Hetindi, and Eknor make up the worlds in between those in the center and those closer to the outer back edge of the cluster, which are Multana, Thetron, and Umanya. Since Phaet, Laringo, and Multana never completely lost contact, their languages remained similar, which is why those three are taught as secondary languages on all our planets so anyone in the Autocracy can visit any planet and more less make themselves understood. I wonder what the effect of learning Unity to trade with the Rillul will have on Phaet as time goes on; perhaps some time in the distant future, Phaet will change enough because of the influence of Unity that those who speak it will no longer be understood by those who speak Laringo and Multana."

"Perhaps the Laringo and Multana languages will also evolve if trade with the Union and Unity speaking Rillul continues in those areas as well," Rue offered.

"Maybe. I can't see in this modern age a true rift happening, but I wonder what influence they will have on each other over time. Already I find Unity words infiltrating Phaet, but if I use them when I'm home on Hetindi, I get odd looks in the outer regions, though the larger cities are also adopting some of the Unity terms that are now used in Phaet."

"Thank you for your insight," Rue said. The waitress smiled as she left.

They finished their meal in a companionable silence and were treated to a platter of fresh Autocracy fruits for desert. Keestu could see how The Happy Crewman would be a popular restaurant by providing complimentary items both before and after the meal. However, thinking back to the Hub's free delivery option, she wondered if every other restaurant on station didn't also do the same.

Their guards had finished their meal, and one presented a data chit to the waitress. A broad hand wave included their table. The waitress inserted the chit into her datapad, pressed a few keys, and handed the chit back to the guard, and just like that, their transaction was done. Since the Autocracy dealt mostly in barter, Keestu wondered just what had paid for their meal.

The waitress stopped at their table, smiled at them with what looked like genuine good humor, and said, "Thank you for choosing The Happy Crewman. Please visit us again."

"Thank you for your excellent service. We really enjoyed our meal," Rue responded on behalf of their group.

As they left, Keestu noted that lunch was now in full swing, and they had barely left their table before it was cleaned and another group was being led to it for their meal. As they reached the door, she noted a board with an active display showing several writing systems. She found and read in Unity, "Three two-being tables in the human section and five two-being tables in the Triker section. Wait time for larger tables approximately one quarter Autocracy hour. Sign in for a larger table." There was a datapad fixed to the wall under the sign. She saw two other active displays, each with interested parties signing up for seating using their own writing systems, and realized they were all connected to a central database that queued parties up in the order they were received. Keestu thought it efficient and fair.

Once back out in the station, their guide pointed out another amenity.

"Rillul need sunlight for health," he said, "So Autocracy station provides complimentary simulated sunlight booths for quarter hour sessions at a time. There are singles booths as well as multiple occupant booths. Throughout the Triker section are lockers with humidifier masks where they can get a complimentary refill at any time. If there is something any Union personnel need if they decide to trade here, the station would be happy to know what it is."

"That's very considerate," Rue commented, "But speaking for Sandar, I can't think of anything that crucial to our comfort at the moment. I will mention it in my report home, however."

Rue led them to a Rillul kiosk. She scanned the description of products with her cuff before entering. Keestu saw immediately that it was a clothing store. She saw intricately woven fiber sandals, and there was a lengthy description in Rillul beside them. She keyed up the optical character recognition program before scanning the writing. The translation told her that these were "made of 100% sacred vine fiber, but for the sake of safety and additional comfort on hard decks has had a synthetic sole added."

Seeing a table of products with a sign that had translations including Unity, she broke off from her group and wandered over, Tenget shadowing her. She saw net shopping bags with handles, which were touted as being lightweight enough to stuff in a pocket, but also expanded and were strong enough to carry half a kilo of Rillul red fruits.

She looked up when Tenget stepped forward, an interested expression on his face. He picked up a string object that was comprised of a single braided cord, which expanded into a split in the middle that had a bit of thinner netting between the thicker braided cords, and then rejoined to a single braided cord on the other end. One end was braided flat had a braided loop on the end; the other half was a rounded braid that had a large knot on the end.

"What is it, Tenget?"

"It's a sling. They are used to throw rocks to stun or kill food or enemies. I had no idea that slings were indigenous to Rillul," he murmured back. "Sandar has what looks to me to be the exact same design in the weapons museum. Its use was most popular in the warmer regions which had large herds of animals running across open plains that were too fast to catch, but it wasn't unheard of in the north, though they favored spears, spear throwers, and bows and arrows in their terrain."

Keestu turned back to the toys in surprise. If the designs were identical, it could be indicative of contact between their cultures in antiquity.

Tenget gave her a smile and subtly indicated that Rue looked ready to leave.

Keestu hurried back to her friend. "Sorry, Your Highness," she said. "The woven toy slings looked quite interesting, and my bodyguard was giving me more information on it."

"Do you think your younger brother might like such a toy?"

"Oh," Keestu said, realizing that Skomer, indeed, would be interested in the weapon, while Kang would be interested in the cultural aspects of sling use.

"I think I will buy two for him. You know how he likes to have one to use and one to keep in his collection."

Rue nodded, and Keestu hastily made her purchase, which consisted of her presenting her items to the merchant, and their escort providing the data chit for scanning without comment.

After visiting several more Autocracy kiosks, they headed back to Sandar's Jewel. "I must record a report for King Ismer," Rue explained to their guards. Their Autocracy guards declined to come aboard, choosing to lounge about the cargo area while Rue and her companions boarded.

"I think that went very well," Vahin said, stiffly formal. "I will go make my report to King Ismer. Princess, if you wish to include a private message, please record it soon for inclusion into the next capsule home."

Keestu nodded and went to her quarters, Rue tagging along. The door whooshed closed behind them, and Rue sighed. "That was not as hard as I was anticipating," she commented as she carefully removed her jacket and hung it up before sitting down on a bunk with another sigh.

"What is it?"

"I actually missed not having Prince Dinus there the entire time," Rue admitted.

Keestu couldn't help but smile. "I think you like him more than you know," she said gently to her friend. "I know when I met the former Kielra Senator, I had an instant crush on him. His soft voice with that amazing accent, and his dark brown eyes, wavy black hair, and that naturally bronze skin, well I was instantly smitten, but I was only eleven at the time, and going through a growth spurt, so I was the clumsiest I've ever been in my life. But he was quite kind to me while I was mooning over him."

"I hadn't joined the staff yet," Rue said, "What happened? I don't remember ever seeing him or hearing of him until now; and now the senator of Kielra is a woman."

"He got married and stepped down as Senator so that he could start a family with his wife," Keestu said. "I was heartbroken when I found he'd taken a position that allowed him to stay on Kielra full time. But then, I'd never told him I had a crush on him, so after a while it wasn't so hard anymore. I'm certain if he remembers me, it's just in passing, so my fumbles at the table are probably not something that stuck in his mind." Keestu frowned, "Then again, they could be the only thing he remembers about me--the klutzy heir to Sandar!"

Rue laughed, as Keestu had intended. Keestu had taken off her own jacket and rooted around for a data chip, finally finding the container in a side pocket on her bag along with a large number of secure cases. She pulled out a hand-held recorder.

"Do you want to make a report to my father?" Keestu asked her friend. "It's not necessary, but I think he'd like to hear your take on the proceedings here."

"Not at this time," Rue said. "I think I'd like to just go get a cup of javene, give you some privacy. Unless you'd like me to bring you back a cup?"

"No, thanks," Keestu said.

"I'll be off then," Rue said.

After the door closed behind her, Keestu inserted the blank chip into the recorder and turned it on.

"Hello, father and mother," Keestu said, "We have arrived at Autocracy Station and have taken our first tour. It's an entirely different layout than the Hub, but there are similarities in that certain areas are reserved for storage of goods and there is also clustering of restaurants near the hotels. One strange thing is that the Triker use simian animal labor for loading and unloading and moving of cargo. They also require portable humidifiers to keep from drying out too much on station, which the station provides free of charge. The Rillul need sunlight, and simulated sunlight stations are provided for them free of charge. Both the humans and Rillul use operator run electric equipment to help them move goods about the station--only the Triker use animal labor. The escort provided by Prince Dinus said that Autocracy Station would provide any necessities for maintaining health similar to those of the Triker and Rillul if required for Union personnel. Rue left it open in case either the Shatopa or Chtawlikt require something we are unaware of. We ate at a restaurant that caters to all species, and while they seat the Triker in a separate section, the human and Rillul tables were mixed together. It appears that most of the food the Rillul eat is higher in fat and sugar than what is recommended for humans, but there are many crossover dishes and others have been modified for either human or Rillul digestion depending on origin. The datapad menus are very intuitive to use and offer Autocracy, Unity, Triker, and Rillul languages and scripts for easy reading. Our waitress was quite fluent in Unity, so the translator cuff was unnecessary. I did use it to speak briefly with a human waiting on the Triker as he didn't speak Unity or a dialect of the Autocracy that my cuff could reliably translate. I asked, and our waitress is actually trilingual, speaking her native form of Autocracy, Unity, and the main dialect of Rillul. I was told that many on the station use Unity to communicate with the Rillul as a neutral trade language; so, I anticipate few problems with the average trader coming here. They use barter for transactions, but all I saw offered for payment was a data chip, so I can't tell you what was bartered for either our meal or a small purchase we made at a Rillul kiosk.

"As a side note, mother, I finally saw some Autocracy females. They dress just like the males. I found it odd to see that many of the higher-ranking nobles on station looked recently beaten--I saw several with black eyes and broken noses, and a few were limping as well. I don't recall seeing any Autocracy commoners, unless those wearing the secondary colors as their main color are commoners and/or servants of the nobles. Oh, and something important to remember is that the Triker and Rillul cannot have their ships berthed next to one another. The Autocracy guide didn't elaborate, just said that the Triker get aggressive if their ships are next to the Rillul, though I saw no signs of aggression between the species anywhere else on station. So they are only segregated by race on the landing platforms. The Triker from the ship next to ours completely ignored us, so it's not the shape of our humanoid bodies that cause this reaction. I think that covers everything for now, except to say please remind me to talk to you about Vahin on my return. Say hi to everyone for me. Love Kee."

She listened to the playback of her recording before pulling the chip out of the hand-held recorder. She put it in a capsule and activated the security seal. "Voice key and keyword required for opening," was displayed on the screen. "This message will automatically erase if tampering is detected." No one other than the king and queen would have access to her message, and even if someone had recordings of both their voices, they would have only one chance to find the right keyword.

She went to the bridge, finding Vahin at an empty console, having just finished his own report. She handed her sealed message capsule to him without comment and went to change. She was too keyed up to sit still, and figured some time on the ship's treadmill would help her burn off the nervous energy she felt, so she headed back to her cabin to change.

**Chapter eleven**

The next two days on Autocracy station passed without incident. Rue had recommended they visit a Triker kiosk, which sold several types of meats recommended for humans and the Rillul, and dozens of vegetables and fruits as well. They didn't leave the Jewel to check out the nightlife on station other than a single short excursion to see what entertainment was offered. They found the usual: Spacer bars, dance halls, live entertainment venues, and gambling dens, all of which were a lot more raucous than was proper for the heir of Sandar to stay and experience, so with regret they had to decline staying in any of the places they'd visited, though other members of the Jewel's crew went out and enjoyed those activities in pairs on their own time.

Their third day, they woke to a message from Prince Dinus stating that the Autocracy vessel assigned to carry them was due to arrive just before midday, and the transfer of Princess Keestu and her personnel to Autocracy care would take place after the midday meal. Keestu, awake early and restless from her confinement, had convinced Tenget since she was traveling as a handmaiden that she would be perfectly safe taking a jog around the station. She didn't inform Vahin of her intention to go on her run outside the vessel, hoping she was nipping his overbearing manner in the bud since it seemed he would be only too happy to try and deny her his "permission".

She and Tenget stretched before leaving the Jewel, finding that the daytime guard contingent hadn't arrived yet. However, the night supervisor came up and afforded her a stiff bow, which she and Tenget solemnly returned.

"What is your pleasure, Sandarian?"

"I and must keep up my physical fitness, and I therefore require an escort while I go on my morning run," Keestu purposely maintained a formal decorum.

"Certainly, Sandarian." The unnamed man motioned to several of the guards who stepped up and listened while he instructed them in one of the Autocracy's languages.

Keestu noted that those who were to accompany them looked marginally younger than the others and looked quite fit, and Keestu thought that they should be easily able to keep up with the pace she was accustomed to running.

Since the outer ring of the station was twenty kilometers around, Keestu planned a longer run, choosing to work her way through the Triker section and turning around when she saw signs of the next set of Autocracy berths separating them from some Rillul berths. She had checked a station map and judged the distance to the Autocracy ships and back to be an adequate workout. She started with her warm up pace, Tenget keeping her silent company. Keestu found she liked the cooler air of the station and the quiet of the night cycle; there was little activity at this time. With the station lights dimmed, it was much like running at dawn or dusk at home, so Keestu quickly settled into a rhythm, occupying herself by counting emergency doors.

They arrived at the Autocracy berths, and Keestu was about to turn around, when she spied a group of Triker clustered just beyond the set of emergency doors that separated where Triker were berthed from some Autocracy ships. Their attitude was one of obvious aggression, so Keestu stopped. Tenget gave her a questioning look, and she pointed, turning his attention to the activity beyond.

Spying a Rillul male, Keestu's breath caught in her throat. Several Triker had surrounded him and were slowly closing in, teeth bared. Looking around wildly, Keestu didn't see any other Autocracy humans or Rillul in the area.

Not stopping to consider consequences, she thumbed on her translator cuff, set it to translate Unity to Triker, and hurried over.

"What's going on here?" She called it into her cuff, which quickly snarled out her question.

As one, the Triker wheeled toward her, and Keestu stopped her forward motion, keeping a larger distance from them than she had originally intended, for while Triker faces didn't show much emotion, their multiple rows of bared teeth made her realize that this was as she had feared, a very tense situation. Behind her, she heard urgent murmuring in one of the Autocracy tongues and sincerely hoped that it was her escort calling for back up, for they were outnumbered two to one by the Triker.

However, upon seeing the clothing of her escort, most of the Triker snapped their mouths closed. Their leader grumbled a reply, which her cuff translated as, "The green egg-sucker invades. We defend our nest."

Keestu glanced in surprise at the Rillul, and then took a second longer look. He was quite handsome to her human tastes despite his green skin. He had an interesting shade of slightly reddish mustard blond hair and green eyes, which were wide with anxiety. She noted instantly his eyes were an intense shade of bright medium green, standing out in his paler green face. She stopped short, surprised at how intently he was regarding her in return. Yes, there was a frantic appeal for help in them, but Keestu thought he seemed as taken by her appearance as she was of him. Everything else around her faded in that moment, and she felt a sudden surge of kinship and affection for him, though she didn't even know his name. After a moment of startled staring, she switched her cuff to Rillul.

"What are you doing here?" She maintained an aggressive posture for the sake of the Triker while her cuff gave the translation. There was a lilt to it, and the softness of many of the words was pleasing to hear.

The Rillul started, then gave her a brilliant smile before replying, "Ta serulyë. Tan nart zhé ón Hancóna Cilóir."

"I'm lost. My ship is the Plains Runner," the translator told her.

Keestu switched back to Triker, and taking advantage of their hesitation and respect for the guards with her, issued orders rather than a request, knowing instinctively that asking to be allowed to take this stranger away would result in refusal on the part of the Triker and would lead to an escalation in the confrontation. "He is lost; this is not an invasion. We will remove him from your nest." The translator grumbled out her reply, and the lead Triker's mouth finally closed on his teeth in a curt snap that put Keestu in mind of the Senator of Chtawlikt, but unlike the Senator, who would never have backed off, the Triker leader moved aside, opening the way between Keestu and the Rillul.

Keestu motioned the Rillul to her side, and he complied with alacrity while she switched the cuff back to Rillul. Placing a hand on his shoulder as a show of strength, she could only note how natural it was for her to touch this young man. His own face relaxed into one of puzzled relief, while at the same time, his eyes rapidly took in every detail of her face as he smiled at her again.

Trying not to melt in response to the warmth in his look, Keestu said, "Let's go." She let go of him and turned, expecting him to walk behind her, but he hurried so that he was walking beside her.

Behind her, she heard what sounded like complaints in Triker, but trusting her Autocracy guards to have her back, she ignored them, though she kept an ear that way for sounds of pursuit.

Coming up beside her on her other side, Tenget muttered softly, "Interfering with the Triker may have been a mistake."

"Preventing an interspecies incident that could cause long-term trouble for the station? I don't think I made a mistake, Tenget."

"But it could make trouble for Sandar if the Triker should find out who you are."

"Since I'm accompanied by Autocracy guards, they only know that I'm a human of some standing in the Autocracy."

Her cuff picked up their conversation and translated it into Rillul for their rescued companion who couldn't hope to understand the veiled reference to who Keestu was. He, however, remained silent next to her, asking no questions of his rescuers.

After they hurried through the next set of emergency doors, Keestu finally stopped. She turned to her Autocracy escort, whose leader was still muttering into a com device and gave him a haughty look, causing him to cease speaking and straighten up, waiting for her next order.

"We will escort this Rillul back to his ship." The translator murmured in Rillul, and the Rillul lifted his face to hers, his luminous eyes glowing with relief and gratitude.

"Hancóna Cilóir," he reminded her.

"The Rillul ship Plains Runner." Keestu, as she had been taught, keeping control of the situation. "Where is it berthed?"

The leader of their escort murmured into his radio, waiting until a reply came back.

"Some distance away."

"Take us there."

"Certainly, Sandarian," the man said, striding forward to lead the group.

Since he was walking closer to Keestu and Tenget, her trainer kept any additional comments to himself. Seeing this, Keestu slowed her pace so that their leader pulled ahead. A glance behind showed that the rear guards had slowed; keeping the same careful distance they had since she started her run. She noted with pleasure that it was a larger distance than they held when Rue was present.

Their walk was fast, but not too urgent, and Keestu looked at the Rillul again. He gave her another brilliant and grateful smile, and she couldn't help but smile in return.

"What is your name?" "Neb zhé manan óroca?"

"Sirin. Manan?"

"Keestu," she told him, without waiting for the cuff's translation or thinking about it.

"Keestu," he breathed in the lilting accent of his kind, and to her the name had never sounded sweeter.

Tenget groaned. "I think you just blew your cover."

"Oh paj," Keestu swore. "Sirin, I hide here. The Autocracy thinks my name is Rue," she quickly explained to him.

Fortunately, the translator cuff's volume wasn't that loud, and none of their escort had heard her, for none of the guards reacted to her admission or the cuff's translation. Tenget muttered under his breath after looking around, "You may be lucky this time, but you have to remember your cover. Please think before you speak next time."

"Yes," Keestu agreed. "Sorry about that."

She was, startled when a few moments later, Sirin took her hand. She let him hold it, meaning to reassure him of his safety, but her heart started racing in her chest. His hand was warm, his grip sure but not too hard, and Keestu, thrilled by his continued intent regard, didn't protest. When she happened to glance at Tenget, his eyebrows were raised in surprise, but to his credit he said nothing. After all, no one else with her knew she was a crown princess, and she hadn't told her title to this wayward Rillul, only her true name.

To Keestu it seemed like an eternity and yet only a few minutes before their guard led them to a Rillul berth. The station was just now starting its day, and Keestu became aware of other beings moving around her. She had been so taken by this Rillul that she hadn't paid any attention to where they were going.

The Hancóna Cilóir had been messaged, and a contingent of Rillul waited them for them on the dock.

"The captain wishes to speak with you," her cuff told her after the Rillul greeted her politely. Sirin, still holding her hand, tugged on it urgently. When Tenget and the Autocracy contingent made to follow her aboard, the Rillul held up his hand. "Only the rescuer, please."

"I suppose I'll be safe enough going aboard by myself, Tenget," Keestu told him. "You and station control already know I'm going in."

"Wait out here," she told the Autocracy guards, who took up positions around the boarding tube.

Allowing Sirin to pull her into the boarding tube, she found herself in her first alien ship. It was nothing like she expected. The chamber she found herself in was filled with a variety of plants.

The Rillul who had greeted her took her on a slightly winding path to a bench bolted to the floor. On the bench sat a much older woman, but judging by the way everyone deferred to her, Keestu realized she must be the captain.

She reluctantly freed her hand from Sirin, who went immediately to the woman, murmuring so low and fast that her cuff failed to give her a translation. She did, however, hear him say "Triker" several times.

The woman looked up with consternation on her features, and finally cut off Sirin's explanation with a wave of her hand.

The woman stood and came over to Keestu. She was slightly stooped with age, but was just as thin as the rest of the Rillul Keestu had seen. Her eyes were a soft gray, and her hair was white.

Keestu started to sketch her a formal bow, when the woman suddenly reached out and seized her hands, squeezing them gratefully.

"Nolë min," she said, her voice fervent.

"Thank you," the cuff said. The woman, meanwhile, went on speaking, and Keestu concentrated on hearing the translation. "If my grandson had gone missing, it would bode ill for my ship; if there is no heir to a ship, it is retired from service. After a horrible accident recently claimed all other possible heirs, Sirin has found himself in a position he never imagined would be his. He did not know the dangers of going out alone, having never encountered the Triker before. The Hancóna Cilóir owes you a huge debt, Keestu. Sirin is sorry he hasn't yet learned Unity so he can say it in your own language, as am I, since we are new to our positions. We understand you are a visitor here and therefore must be from the Union."

Keestu smiled at the captain. "You are most welcome, Captain. The Autocracy told me of the problems that can be associated with Rillul being too close to the Triker ship berths, and I'm happy I could help." She paused so the cuff could translate.

"I hope we will find a way to repay our debt to you someday," the captain said.

"Thank you," Keestu said, touched. "But, that's not necessary. My people believe that taking right action is its own reward."

Sirin came off the bench, sensing that Keestu was ready to leave. He gently cupped her face in his warm hands and leaned in closely to stare intently into her eyes once more. "Nolë min, ungalas dala." He kept his hands on her cheeks, and Keestu breathed in deeply, trying to identify the slightly spicy scent coming from his skin, wondering if it was natural or if it came from soap made on Rillul.

"Thank you, dark beauty," the cuff said. The translation made Keestu blush as her heart rate rose in response to the heartfelt thank you and compliment as well as his touch.

"You're welcome, Sirin," she managed to say after a few moments lost in his intense regard.

Meanwhile, the captain was frowning at him. "Dó jin, Sirin!"

"Stop that, Sirin!"

Sirin reluctantly released her and stepped back, his hands stroking along her cheeks in a manner that sent another flush of excitement through her, before finally stepping back beside his grandmother, who said in dismissal. "Thank you again for bringing him back to our ship. I would offer more hospitality, but we have been assigned our exit window and must leave immediately. We wish you a pleasant stay in the Autocracy." She gestured for Keestu's guide to escort her off the ship.

She bowed formally to them, as one of lower rank would be expected to do before turning to leave, as the captain and Sirin turned away.

She was still reeling slightly from the intensity of Sirin's regard as she left the ship and stammered her thanks to the Rillul who'd guided her. He gave her a bemused smile and formal bow of his own before returning to the Hancóna Cilóir.

Tenget took one look at Keestu's face and was instantly at her side. "You're flushed. What happened?"

"Nothing untoward, Tenget," Keestu said, smiling reassuringly at her trainer. "Just a very gracious personal thank you from the captain and Sirin. Apparently, he's heir to the ship, and if anything had happened to him, the ship would have been retired from service."

"Really? I didn't know that about the Rillul."

"The captain said that an accident recently made Sirin the ship's heir. His grandmother said that's why neither of them speak Unity--she never expected to be captain of the ship, and he was not expected to become the heir."

Their Autocracy guide stepped up.

"The Triker have been dealt with," he informed them without preamble or further explanation. "We can now return you to your ship without any fear of reprisals. We can go the way we came or we can continue with your exercise session."

Her pride piqued at his condescending tone, Keestu opted for the latter. "I had planned on a longer run, and now that we are this far around the station, I might as well complete the circuit."

She nodded for him to show the way, and he pointed and motioned for her to precede him. Keestu tilted her head at Tenget, and they resumed their jog.

More of the station was awake now, and Keestu found that she had to swerve to avoid groups of beings who were loading or unloading ships.

"Tenget, what do you think will happen when Prince Dinus finds out what I've done?"

"The only advice I have regarding what's happened on this run is that you report your encounter with the Triker and Rillul to the Jewel's captain and let him pass the information on to Autocracy Station. You should also tell your father in your next message that command of at least some Rillul ships is passed down through families."

Keestu nodded, falling silent once more. She wasn't anywhere near winded on this run, as she was concentrating on maintaining a steady rhythm that ate the kilometers up.

Nearly two hours after she had started her run, Keestu passed through a set of emergency doors and found herself back in the section that housed her ship.

Keestu dropped to a walk and used the remainder of the distance for her cool down.

She thought she noted a greater respect from the group of Autocracy guards accompanying her, who all nodded at her as they moved aside so she could enter the access tube connected to her ship.

Keestu boarded as quickly as possible, sighing with relief as the lock hissed shut behind her; she still didn't trust the fragile feeling tube to maintain its integrity.

Vahin did not greet her in the airlock as she expected he would. She wondered whether the Autocracy guard had reported the incident to the crew of the Jewel. She raised her eyebrows in surprise, and then informed Tenget, "I think we'd best keep the incident quiet. I don't like the attitude Vahin has been displaying to me lately, and as the situation is already settled, I see no reason to give him an excuse to gripe to me about imagined breaches of protocol."

Tenget considered her instructions for only moments before nodding assent. "As you wish, Your Highness. I will, however, report it to King Ismer," he warned her.

"As will I," Keestu said. "I don't think I've made an enemy of the Triker, but I think we may have a new ally in the Rillul. I imagine they have some goods they'd like to share with us, especially after seeing Weegai's fish recommended for them on the menu of The Happy Crewman."

They were at their quarters, and Keestu nodded to Tenget in dismissal as she hit the chime to give Rue warning that she was about to enter, and then palmed the door open. Rue, however, wasn't inside. Keestu noted that their bags had moved near the door of the cabin.

Leaving her quarters, Keestu went to the bridge. Captain Nebo was standing at the com station, nodding to acknowledge her entrance, then turned his attention back to the boards while speaking quietly with the com officer. Rue was not on the bridge.

Keestu checked the galley next. Rue was not there, either. She buzzed at the quarters Gontu, Tenget, and Vahin were sharing. Tenget opened the door after a short delay, and Keestu noted that he had already showered and redressed, though he was still toweling his hair as he answered. "Yes, Princess?"

"I was wondering if you'd seen Rue or Vahin. I didn't see them on the bridge or in the galley."

"No. For that matter, Gontu is also absent. Did you ask Captain Nebo where they were?"

"No, he was busy. I suppose I should just get my shower in while I have the time since the Autocracy ship may ready for us if they are gone."

Keestu returned to her cabin and took a better look around. She found Rue had laid out an outfit for her, perhaps with Vahin's assistance. She showered as quickly as she could and dressed in it without hesitation. It was a plain black pantsuit paired with a white blouse. Keestu thought it looked very plain without the lace jabot and cuffs she usually wore with this outfit.

She dried and styled her hair, taming the natural curliness she'd inherited from her father with difficulty; the small shipboard hair dryer really didn't have the heat Keestu preferred to apply to the unruly mass to keep it looking presentable for the longest period of time. She quickly pinned it all up into a large bun, and then added her lady's headdress, adjusting it several times until she was certain the single tassel was as centered as she could make it.

She was packing her brushes when the door chimed, and Rue entered a few moments later.

"There you are," Keestu smiled. "Out with Prince Dinus?"

Rue blushed. "Yes. He wanted to inquire about our translator cuffs. We didn't have any extras to give the Autocracy, but Vahin had some schematics that Uriel provided in case the Autocracy was interested in them. Prince Dinus thinks it would make trade easier in the more remote regions of the Autocracy where the dialectal variations are most common, despite the fact that he said that everyone learns one of the three main dialects at least as a second language."

"Hmm, so there may be more factions within the Autocracy itself than we realized," Keestu murmured. "Interesting. I wonder if it would harm trade if our cuffs don't have the dialect programmed for a backwater ruler should he or she win the tourney?"

"I didn't even think of that. Vahin knew enough about the cuffs to know that a single cuff doesn't have enough memory to hold information on all the dialects. However, with a few changes in design, memory chips could be used to load new ones and overwrite certain areas of memory, of course leaving the language translated to and from intact. However, I think it should be possible to overwrite that as well in case the cuff is sold to someone who speaks a different dialect than the original owner."

"So have we given the schematics to Prince Dinus, then?"

"Yes, as a goodwill gesture on the Union's part. Vahin agreed that it would show that we want everyone in the Autocracy to be on equal footing with us whether they speak Unity or not."

"Is the Autocracy ship here?"

"I was told it is on final approach and should be docking soon. The escort is waiting outside with a transport to carry us and our baggage to their ship in one large load."

"Sounds good," Keestu said, standing. "I have some things to tell my father, so I guess I better do it really quickly before we leave."

"I can leave if you need."

"No, you should hear this, Rue. Something interesting happened on station, and as your handmaiden I would be honor bound to tell you about it."

Keestu got into her luggage as she spoke, pulling out a capsule, data chip, and the recorder.

"Hi father and mother, it's Keestu. I'm ready to leave Sandar's Jewel and board the Autocracy vessel for the remainder of my journey to their capital. But, I wanted you to know this as soon as possible: I went on a long run this morning, and I ran into a group of Triker menacing a Rillul. I interfered with the Triker and rescued a young male Rillul, whom I think is close to my age. I had my Autocracy guards help me escort him back to his ship, which is named Hancóna Cilóir, the Plains Runner. It turns out that the Rillul, Sirin, is heir to his ship; apparently, the captaincy of Rillul ships is handed down to a single genetic line. Sirin's ship would have been forced to retire from service had he gone permanently missing, since his grandmother mentioned an accident had recently killed everyone else eligible to take command. She had come out of retirement to take over the ship for a time, possibly until Sirin reaches his majority. I don't believe the Triker know who I am, but I did slip up and tell Sirin my real name. However, I did not mention my rank or planet of origin, and fortunately the Autocracy guards with us were far enough away that they didn't hear me, so I don't believe my cover is blown. However, should you hear from a Rillul ship named the Hancóna Cilóir, I did assist in rescuing a young Rillul named Sirin. I better sign off now, as it's time to go. I'll send more messages to you at the required intervals. Hi to the sibs. Love Kee."

Keestu turned off the recorder and slipped the chip into its security case. She sealed the tube, checked it, and hurried to give it to Captain Nebo before it was time to leave.

Nebo was back at his own station, going over reports. He smiled when he noted the message tube.

"I was just about ready to send out the latest reports. I'm sure the king will be happy to hear from you again, Princess."

Keestu nodded. "Yes, there was some urgent business I had to tell him before I left, so he would not be caught unaware."

At Nebo's concerned look, she quickly reassured him, "It's nothing sinister, just useful information, as there is a slim chance he will need to know it."

"Of course, Princess," Nebo said, not asking for further explanation as he took the message capsule from her.

"Meanwhile," Vahin's voice sounded animated as he entered the bridge with Gontu, "I think we are establishing a good rapport with our hosts. Prince Dinus certainly is gracious, and I find their manners quite compatible with ours. I am anticipating no problems with treaty negotiations, unless, of course, the favored competitor doesn't win the contest for the throne."

"Ah, there you are, Princess," he said, bowing stiffly to her. "I trust your run was uneventful?"

"If it wasn't, I'm sure you'd already know about it," Keestu said, unable to suppress a smile.

Vahin, misreading her expression, beamed back. "Well, then if a princess disguised as a handmaiden can take a jog on Autocracy Station unmolested, it bodes well for any Union ships that may come to trade here. Unless the Triker and Rillul are exophobic in regards to the Chtawlikt or Shatopa," he amended, frowning briefly to himself.

Keestu couldn't help herself, and realized a smile was pasted to her face as she remembered her encounter with Sirin. Gontu, alert to nuances in her behavior, tilted a questioning eyebrow at her, but she shook her head slightly in negation, and he subsided.

"Our hosts are preparing to load our things onto their ship just after the midday meal. We are to go in a group to the restaurant of their choosing, and then we will be transferred to the Autocracy ship afterward. Prince Dinus' invitation was extended to the Jewel's crew, but I have already declined on our behalf."

Captain Nebo nodded. "I would have countermanded your permission if you had accepted the invitation for my crew, Vahin. I have overriding orders from King Ismer to do as you suggest only if it leaves me with enough crew to fly the Jewel at a moment's notice."

Vahin nodded absently at Captain Nebo as he looked Keestu over. "Good, you dressed in the outfit Rue laid out for you. We should go get our meal and then be on our way."

They formed ranks at the airlock, and Keestu grinned at Rue, who smiled back. They were getting the hang of their switched roles.

Vahin grimaced at their mirth, but for once kept his mouth shut. Keestu was grateful for the reprieve, wondering if her comment to Tenget had been passed on to Vahin, who was trying to adjust his behavior accordingly. As they were exiting the ship and were within pickup range of any recording devices, she refrained from asking him as they passed through the tube back into the station.

Keestu found their baggage had been piled onto the back of a long electric cart, which had several rows of seats and a large rear area for hauling cargo.

Prince Dinus stood at attention beside the transport, grinning widely when he caught Rue's eye again. Keestu wished she could see her handmaiden's face to see if she was blushing.

There were no side doors on the transport, but adequate hand holds and safety belts were provided, and they were quickly seated, belted, and ready to go. The transport, however, did not zoom off as she expected. Instead, it crept forward at a sedate pace. Keestu frowned a question at Tenget, and he looked around, smiled and pointed behind them.

Turning, Keestu saw the guards that had been standing outside the Jewel jogging behind them. As she watched, some of them broke into a run, passing the transport and taking up positions in front of it, where they maintained the speed that the transport had set.

"The restaurant I am taking you to is Phaet's Finest, which is owned and operated by my family. It mainly serves foods found on Phaet, though many other Autocracy dishes are available. We have found the Rillul partial to some of our traditional dishes, which have been modified to accommodate their higher metabolisms. We seldom see any Triker in here, as I heard you witnessed on your trip to The Happy Crewman here on Autocracy Station. It's not that we do not accommodate them, it's that they have little taste for our traditional vegetable-rich diet. As you'll soon see, while a large portion of the main continent of Phaet is mainly comprised of high desert, it is rich in palatable edible plants. We have several mountain ranges harboring stands of forests on the main continent, but for the most part, you'll find plenty of wide-open spaces on Phaet's main continent, where my family lives. In addition, Phaet has one large moon, which is in a close orbit, and tourists come from other parts of the Autocracy to see it rise. In fact, our tourism peaks every month when the moon is full, since the only larger body you'll see rise in the Autocracy is Vulo II rising over Vulo I."

Keestu estimated they had traveled approximately one kilometer when the transport veered out of the lane it was traveling in and found a parking spot out of the way of foot and other motorized traffic. It settled to the deck with a soft whoosh, the faint hum of the engine vanishing as the driver shut it down.

Dinus jumped nimbly from the transport, hurrying to assist Rue. Gontu, who had been extending his hand to her, frowned, but stepped aside so as to not offend the eager prince.

She was surprised that the Autocracy guards accompanied them into the restaurant. Once inside, they visibly relaxed, lapsing into a soft chatter in an Autocracy dialect amongst themselves. Keestu glanced down at her cuff and noted that they were using Phaet; her cuff identified it and was translating most of their comments without problems.

They and their escort filled three tables. Keestu remembered to look around, and noted that Dinus had steered their group close to the kitchen and sat himself so that he could see the entrance to the restaurant. Rue, playing the part of princess, took a seat on the same side of the table as their host. Her gaze darted around to identify possible escape routes, and a look at Dinus showed he was both impressed and amused that she was taking the same precautions he did in chossing where to sit.

Feigning ignorance of all the subtle maneuvering that was going on, Keestu took a seat opposite Rue so that she could easily reach her place setting, remembering that she probably would be forced to act as food taster again.

However, to her surprise, when complimentary raw vegetables and dips were brought out to them, an Autocracy guard was assigned to that duty.

Her mind filled with questions about Phaet, but in the role of handmaiden, she gritted her teeth and kept silent, listening instead to Dinus expounding the virtues of this or that vegetable and how well flavors were preserved even after prolonged freezing, a method of food conservation that was widely used throughout the Autocracy, especially in places that couldn't afford the power needed to run a stasis locker.

"So there are areas in the Autocracy that have power shortages?" Rue was asking Dinus.

"No, it's mostly the Dunnes who don't have it. They live a simpler life and therefore demand less power than the nobles, and so rely on solar or hydroelectric rather than nuclear power."

"Are the Dunnes a religious faction, then?"

"Oh, no, most certainly not," Dinus explained. "They are the lower class, the workers, just as you have on Sandar."

Dinus then deliberately steered the conversation back to the foods of his homeworld. Rue frowned, as did Keestu. There apparently was something about the Dunnes that caused Dinus to want to divert the conversation away from them.

However, unlike Keestu who was used to command, Rue did not press the issue and question Dinus further regarding the Autocracy's social hierarchy. They were given datapad menus identical to those used in The Happy Crewman and scrolled through the selections, many of which were vegetarian.

Their meal was served hot and in what seemed like record time to Keestu. She realized it was because Prince Dinus was at the table; of course the visiting owner's son and any guests with him would receive deferential treatment. However, Keestu knew she had nothing to complain about since she was at one of the tables receiving expedited service. If she were at one of the other tables, she wondered if she would grumble about being shuffled to the back of the queue or if, being brought up to expect it, she would ignore it. Would she be like Sirin, suddenly so out of his element that her curiosity would get her in trouble, as it had him?

Keestu sighed, remembering their brief encounter, trying to interpret the nuances of his expressions, and finding that what she most remembered were his eyes. Shaking herself, she tried to concentrate on eating her meal in relative silence, though her mind kept turning back to fantasies of what it would be like to live a life of lower status, to be free to associate with Sirin if she should choose, when suddenly she realized that the meal was over, and it was time to go. She guiltily realized she should have paid more attention to the conversation between Rue and Dinus, but somehow just couldn't find herself able to focus on what he was saying, as he had begun to sound to her like an infocom ad for the privileges of the noble class of the Autocracy.

They were ushered back to the transport, where Dinus received a whispered report, delivered rapidly in Phaet, but spoken softly enough that her cuff's microphone didn't pick it up.

"Phaet's Mérel is serviced and ready to leave, Princess," Dinus smiled at Rue as he helped her board the transport, "so there will be no delays when we arrive."

"Very good, Prince Dinus," Rue replied rather coolly. She rescued her hand from his grasp, and as Keestu wondered what she'd missed during her private musing at lunch, Dinus simply grinned at Rue before taking his seat.

Keestu was not surprised to see more guards waiting for them when they reached Phaet's Mérel. Vahin indicated which bags should be taken to their quarters and which were to be stowed, into the boarding tube before Dinus led them onto the ship.

"Phaet's Mérel is our finest vessel, often used by the Autocrat or Autocress when they travel on Autocracy business. It has a full armament, a triple thick armored hull for protection, and our leader's quarters and those of their entourage are located in the secure central section of the ship. The Autocrat's suite is where you and your party will be staying. We," and here he gestured with rare inclusion at his companions, "will occupy the entourage's suite, so I and my bodyguards will be available at a moment's notice should you need us."

They stepped aboard, and other than the interior corridor seeming unusually wide, Keestu realized she wouldn't think there was anything extraordinary about Phaet's Mérel if she hadn't been told of its hidden assets.

Tenget frowned next to her the entire way to their suite of quarters, where Dinus left them to settle in while he went to the bridge to issue orders before they left.

Rue sighed mightily after the door hissed shut as she carefully stepped around their baggage, which had been deposited in the middle of the floor a short distance from the outside door. She opened her mouth, only to close it after both Tenget and Gontu gave her quelling hand waves.

"It is certainly gracious of the Autocracy to send one of their rulers' vessels for the Crown Princess of Sandar," Rue finally said.

"Yes, Your Highness," Vahin said, "That they are taking no chances with your security speaks of how highly they value the opportunity to secure a trade agreement with the Union."

"Let us settle in," Rue commanded, motioning vaguely about. They stood in a small common room, which held numerous acceleration seats, while side doors led to the cabins. Tenget and Gontu inspected their quarters before indicating that Rue should take the larger of the two rooms located directly opposite the entrance door, since it was the most secure. Keestu was assigned the room that was no doubt for the Autocrat or Autocress's closest assistant, while Tenget would take a room to the left and Gontu the one to the right so they could cover both sides of the common room should there be a need. Vahin was to stay in the same room as Tenget.

Keestu explored her room. It had a small private shower and toilet facility, with a surprisingly large closet next to the entrance to the bath, and in addition to the generous bunk, there was a comfortable looking swiveling chair bolted to the floor in front of a small desk and compact computer console.

Gontu knocked on her door before entering with two suitcases stowing them in the closet without comment.

Keestu went back out into the common room to rejoin her traveling companions.

"How are your quarters?" Rue asked as they buckled themselves into acceleration chairs.

"Small, but complete," she replied, "Though the shower stall looks a little cramped."

The com on the wall beeped before a voice issued from it. "Crown Princess Keestu?"

Rue struggled out of her chair and went up to it. "Yes?"

"Ah, very good, we are preparing to take off from Autocracy Station. You and your entourage are advised to secure yourselves either in the acceleration chairs in your individual rooms or in the chairs in the common room."

"Thank you; we will do so immediately," Rue replied.

Another announcement was made, this time in Phaet. Keestu hadn't turned off her translator, so she glanced at it. It was a secure quarters call for the crew, advising them they had two minutes to reach a chair and belt in.

Vahin came out of his room, Gontu came out of Keestu's, and Tenget came out of Rue's room. All the men sat down with Rue and Keestu and belted in. To Keestu's delight, the screen in the common room lit up, showing images forwarded from the bridge. For the moment, it only showed the poorly lit exterior of Autocracy Station, showing dark metal in every direction they could see. A rumbling vibration began below them, barely audible in their shielded quarters. Keestu felt her heart speed up in anticipation of lift off.

"Thirty seconds," the com advised in Phaet, "Outgoing on time."

"Lifting off." This was accompanied by muted clanging as the landing grapples were retracted by both the station and Phaet's Mérel. For another few moments, there was only the sound of the engines rumbling softly through the cabin, no sign of movement. Then, the ship began to lift, and Keestu shook her head at the vertigo caused by seeing the image move without feeling the motion accompanying it. They quickly cleared Autocracy Station, and as it dropped out of view, she briefly spotted the inner rings and their connecting corridors shining in the light of the host star.

The Autocracy star cluster drew a gasp of appreciation from her. Now that they were free of the station, she could more clearly admire the scope and beauty of it. "It's so beautiful," she murmured.

"Yes, Rue," Tenget said, "Beautiful, but deadly. Without Autocracy star charts, no ships could hope to penetrate the cluster without being in great danger. This crowded section of space is rife with stray planetoids, comets, and the occasional asteroid that escapes the many belts they boast. Passing through one of the gas clouds could be detrimental to any ship's operation, due to the abrasives and radioactive materials they contain."

They heard no more announcements, and their view of the Autocracy cluster didn't noticeably change for a few minutes. Keestu sighed, hating the wait, but then Tenget pointed at the screen. "I think I see their outgoing ring, which I understand is identical to ours. I heard from King Ismer that their rings will automatically send enemy ships their doom if you don't have the right pass codes, and getting clearance for them is a lengthy process. An alien craft's access can be revoked at any time, so all traders who enter the Autocracy are on their best behavior at all times in order not to find themselves directed into an asteroid belt or marooned in orbit around one of the hot giant stars at the left edge of the cluster, where there are said to be no habitable planets."

"Do they have habitable planets that aren't occupied? Looking at the cluster's size, I would think they'd occupy more worlds." Keestu wondered if that wasn't an inefficient use of their sector of space.

"Yes, there are a number of planets that they didn't colonize," Tenget told her. "Two are locked in extended glacial periods, three are young planets experiencing violent upheavals due to volcanic activity, one has a greater mass and gravity than that tolerable by humans, one has such a severe axial tilt that its weather is too hostile to allow a decent growing season or habitation safe from either tornadoes or violent lightning storms, and four are located too close to the younger stars in the leftmost region and receive doses of radiation deadly to humanoids. Naelia was the last planet settled when it was discovered it had been mis-catalogued as uninhabitable when it fact it has a very strong magnetic field and lays well out of the ejection plane of the radiation coming from the young stars near it."

Vahin spoke up, "The Autocracy does maintain an underground hostel on the overactive weather planet with multiple observation domes that allow one to see the extreme weather in person. I understand it's a very popular vacation spot."

Rue shuddered. "See a tornado or lightning storm so violent that it's considered unsafe to live on the planet? No thanks!"

"Yes, and I'm glad Sandar restricts habitation in our extreme weather zones, too, Your Highness" Gontu said. "I can't imagine any government allowing homes to be built if the danger to the inhabitants or chance of loss of property one would experience if living in such a zone was so great."

"Well, those who live in the hurricane prone areas get adequate warning should one be approaching," Vahin commented. "And Sandarian laws require all buildings in harsh weather zones to be able to withstand the worst level of storm and then some for an added safety margin. Our fishing industries thrive on the coasts of the southern baronies of Eastern and the northern baronies of Eastique despite the violence of the summer storms in those regions, since all ships out fishing are given more than adequate opportunity to return to a fortified port before a storm arrives. With the passage of laws that any fishing boat that stays out after a warnings must pay for their rescue and compensate any injured workers due their negligence, it's rare that one of them takes the risk now, since the law requires tamper-proof transponders be built into every ship to record that the warning was received."

"While I am glad we eat the fish of several Union planets, especially that of Weegai," Tenget said, "I must confess a great love of breaded and fried Sandarian kashani, which is caught in the waters between Eastern and Eastique. It's a traditional favorite of my family from when we lived near the coast in the eighth barony of the eastern continent, before we became career military people and moved first to the Ranell family seat, then to CeCe, and finally to the fifth barony of Western because it has a milder winter."

"You know, I don't recall ever having had kashani," Rue said.

"Perhaps we can suggest it to the palace chef when we return? Maybe an all Sandarian meal to celebrate our return," Keestu said, thinking she would do just that. "What other foods are served with that fish, Tenget?"

"Mashed peen root with gravy, boiled hirot stalks, and bread."

Rue turned to Keestu, "Do you think my father would approve such a simple meal?"

Keestu grinned back, "It won't hurt to ask, though the chef could interpret the traditional meal in an non-traditional fashion."

Tenget spoke up. "I think there's really no wrong way to cook and eat kashani, though I know people who swear that their family's traditional way of making it is the only way it should be cooked, and that all other ways are 'wrong'. I've known people who like to soak it in sweet sauce and bake; some bread, fry, and serve it with balsamic vinegar, while others serve it with mustard sauce, and some put Chtawlikt nectar on top. Some pan fry bare filets rather than deep fat frying battered filets. Others serve peen that's sliced and fried along with the fish. If you want it breaded and deep fried like I always had it, with Chtawlikt nectar sweetened mustard sauce, I'm sure I could get copies of the family's recipes from my sister."

Keestu, fascinated with this revelation, suddenly noticed the Autocracy ring on the screen. "You were right, Tenget," she said, pointing. "That is the ring."

They watched in silence until it finally filled the screen, and they passed through. The screen in their room went blank after dissolving into the chaos of hyperspace.

The speaker chimed for attention, then announced in Unity, "It will take several subjective hours to reach Phaet. We will settle you in the capital for the night, as we will arrive after work hours are done, and in the morning, you will have an audience with the Autocrat and Autocress.."

"Understood," Rue called out, "And thanks for the view. The Autocracy cluster is beautiful, and we can't wait to see what your night skies look like."

"I will pass your comments on to Praton Dinus. Bridge out."

**Chapter twelve**

Keestu curiously looked around her room and out the window, leaning on one of the pinkish-tan blocks that made up the Purvol house. When arriving on Phaet the previous night, Keestu had seen the city's lights as they flew over it. The capital was a sprawling metropolis, fading to a few lighted buildings dotting the darkened landscape like gems spilled across a rippling black cloth.

Since it belonged to a prominent noble family, the house sat in a secluded area in a hilly region overlooking the city, where the other prominent nobles of this planet owned large estates. Phaet's Mérel was cleared to land directly on the property, reminding Keestu of home.

She was surprised to see a broad river winding through the center of the city. After being informed the area around Phaet's capital was high desert, she had not expected to see flowing water. The vegetation was not as robust as she would expect in a more temperate climate, the trees shorter and boasting thin leaves or needles rather than the large leaves found on the deciduous trees of CeCe, but it was not at all the sere landscape she was expecting. The stunted-looking plants were a lighter shade of green than she was accustomed to, but the flowing water reminded her of the lowland meadows she had toured on the eastern continent after it had dried out in late summer.

They had been welcomed into the Purvol household by Dinus's pregnant stepmother, Norinna, who informed them that her husband was away on business, but expected back in the city early the following day. She was young, looking not much older than Dinus. She was a tall and athletic-looking woman whose ash blonde hair was nearly the same color as Dinus', though her eyes were dark gray, not hazel, and framed with fine lines that showed she smiled a lot. She had a bump on the left side of her nose, indicating a fracture in the past, but it did little to detract from her appearance. Keestu thought that her eyes looked especially luminous and wondered if that was a side effect of her pregnancy, or if she had naturally glowing eyes.

The sun was rising to her left as Keestu looked out on the city, so she ascribed that the "east" designation, meaning that the house was located at the northern end of town. Both east and west of the city lay vast tracts of agricultural fields, and running centrally through the city, canted slightly at an angle, was the business sector. She had a partially view of the massive palace complex that housed the Autocrat and Autocress from her window. It was made of the same pinkish-tan stone as the Purvol house, and Keestu realized the rock for both had come from the same quarry.

A brief knock on her door announced Tenget's arrival.

"Good," he said, "You're up. Any trouble with the bathing facilities?"

"No, Tenget," she reassured him, holding up her wrist to show him her translation unit. "I used optical character recognition to figure out the hot and cold controls so I could adjust the temperature."

Tenget looked her over, nodding at her choice of the red pantsuit. "Very good. Did you discuss your clothing choice with Princess Keestu?"

"Yes, Tenget," she replied. "The Crown Princess chose dark purple for today, and I am not clashing with her."

"You should see if she needs help dressing," Tenget said. "While I inquire about breakfast."

"This way," Tenget led her to the suite assigned to Rue.

Gontu answered the door at Keestu's knock, letting them in.

"Oh, good, you're here," Rue said. "I was having difficulty getting my headdress settled properly and could use an extra set of hands."

"Perhaps you should have requested a body servant come along after all," Keestu said.

"No, Rue, I think you can do it, though you haven't had much practice."

"Thanks, Your Highness," Keestu said, standing behind Rue and re-positioning a plain headdress slightly; they were uncertain if the recording headdress would make it through the palace's security undetected and so were going with a less formal headdress for this first meeting with the Autocracy's rulers. She noted that Rue's hair was smooth and fine, not curly and coarser as her own hair was, which made it harder to secure the headdress than Keestu had expected.

After rearranging the pins several times, she asked, "How's that?"

Rue gave a slight shake of her head, and encouraged, nodded once or twice. The tassels of the headdress moved with her, but it looked to be finally firmly anchored.

"Do any of the pins dig into you?"

"No, I think you've got it straightened out for me. Thank you."

A cursory knock was followed by Vahin's entrance.

"Ah, Your Highness, you are up."

"I wasn't that tired last night, though we got in late."

"I hope you did at least try and rest, as we are to tour the palace grounds after meeting the Autocrat and Autocress, so today will be a long one."

"I'm certain I'll be up for it, Vahin," Rue replied solemnly.

Another knock sounded, and Keestu thought it was a Purvol servant sent to show them to the dining room. She was wrong, as Prince Dinus opened the door at Rue's verbal permission.

"Princess Keestu, breakfast is ready if you are," he said, looking Rue over with naked admiration, smiling and nodding absently at everyone else.

Norinna and the rest of the Purvol family were waiting for them in a large formal dining room. Keestu wasn't surprised to see Dinus' siblings dressed in the same clothing he wore, though their rank patches consisted of a rhombus inside a hexagon rather than a circle. Norinna was in an informal looking dress, which had to be more comfortable for her pregnant belly than pants. It was made of silk in the colors of Phaet, and her right breast displayed her rank patch. There was a silk jacket in Phaet's colors slung carelessly over the back of her chair, which sat at the head of the massive stone topped table, with an empty chair next to her.

The receiving line was mercifully short. Rue was introduced in rapid succession to Dinus' four younger brothers and four sisters, who clasped hands with her while murmuring good morning before taking their places at the table. Rue returned their polite greetings before Dinus escorted her to the other end of the table. Gontu quickly slid into the chair beside Rue, and Keestu suppressed a grin. There could be no argument from Dinus on this count unless he wanted to create a diplomatic scene in his own house. He frowned at Gontu, who ignored him, and then gestured for the rest of the Sandarian party to sit near Rue. This left a few seats empty between the Sandarian party and their hosts, and Dinus, though he seemed displeased, paced up the table to take the chair next to his absent father's seat.

Norinna looked a silent question at Dinus, who shrugged at his stepmother.

Norinna motioned, and servants dressed in the secondary planetary colors came in, pushing carts laden with heating units filled with food.

One servant busied herself setting up a toaster on a side table, laying out thick slices of yeast bread and a variety of toppings. Another servant began ladling hot boiled Autocracy grains into bowls, while another distributed protein dishes on the other side. Noting the large insulated pot of javene, Keestu sighed with appreciation.

As a show of trust, Rue waved off Keestu's offer of tasting her food, a move they had discussed prior to boarding Phaet's Mérel, a move which even Vahin agreed would smooth the way for trade negotiations.

Rue was bold, accepting small servings of everything, and Keestu happily followed her lead. She initially had some difficulty scooping up food with the finger ware people of the Autocracy used to eat which was placed onto the thumb, index, and middle fingers, noting all foods were served in bite-sized pieces, so she could eat without having to remove her utensils.

"Are you enjoying your trip so far, Princess?" Norinna asked as she stireed her javene with a forefinger.

Norinna's voice was warm, but her words were somewhat formal, so Rue followed her lead. "I really enjoyed my tour of Autocracy Station, Praté. It's different enough in design from the Union's that it was fascinating. I have to admit I would have liked some more time to shop the kiosks, though, to see what wares I think would appeal to our people, though the crew of my ship has been assigned that duty while I'm gone."

"Yes, Dinus has given me a report of your Hub's design and layout. I must admit that perhaps it is a bit more organized than our station, but ours has served our purposes well for many years now. I understand that you have many vacant kiosks on the Hub?"

Rue had been told to expect this question. "One of our allied species, the Chtawlikt, do not have much use for their Hub kiosks, preferring to ship their goods directly from Chtawlikt to the receiving planet, a fact the Union wasn't aware of when the Hub was constructed, so most of their allotted space goes unused."

"Do you know why they ship direct?"

"They prefer not to utilize stasis lockers for many of their perishable goods, stating they can tell the difference in freshness, so the Union did not press them to change their shipping methods. I was told to tell you that my aunt, Princess Shina, who is Sandarian Trade Liaison on the Hub, has recently received renewed assurances from the Chtawlikt Senator that the Chtawlikt have no desire to change their trading methods for the foreseeable future, so those empty kiosks, storage facilities, and dwelling spaces that were created for Chtawlikt merchants are available for immediate use by Autocracy personnel."

"I see," Norinna said, "Very good. I shall pass that information on to my husband when he returns."

They ate in a companionable silence, while Vahin murmured observations about the food into a portable recorder, describing color, texture, and taste as best he could.

"Vahin," Keestu whispered to him, "Might I suggest you mention that Phaet's diet is mostly plant based? They do have plenty of protein offerings, but they are not as heavy, rather similar to what we know of the diet of the Rillul."

Vahin looked surprised, but dutifully tallied up the offerings by type.

Once breakfast was over, Rue retired to her suite to brush her teeth, and Keestu did the same.

Dinus, who had remained unusually quiet throughout the meal, came back from freshening up, bowing formally to his stepmother as she reappeared to see her guests off. "With your leave, I will escort them to the palace now, since they have to clear security."

"I shall expect you back for lunch, Princess Keestu," Norinna said.

Rue curtsied to her, "I look forward to it, Praté," receiving a wide smile from Norinna for her courtesy.

Dinus hurried them to the transport, and in a matter of minutes, they were landing inside Phaet's large palace complex. There were no fortified walls surrounding the palace, but there were many groups of armed guards patrolling the grounds. There were groups of visitors Keestu easily identified as coming from other Autocracy planets by the color of their clothing.

"Why are there no walls around the palace, Dinus? On Sandar, they are our first defense against assault," Rue asked.

Dinus explained, "After winning the tourney, the Autocrat and Autocress cannot be challenged during the length of their rule, which is an average working lifetime of fifty years, and anyone caught trying to do so will be stripped of their noble status and thrown out of the Autocracy if not immediately put to death, and the remaining members of their family cannot participate in the next Tourney, so no noble has anything to gain by attacking the Autocrat or Autocress, and their family has everything to lose should one of them get it into their head to try and storm the palace. In addition, the palace interior has the best security the Autocracy can provide, with members from every planet doing a maximum ten-year rotation of service as palace guards. However, only the Autocrat's and Autocress's families handle the personal security of the Autocrat or Autocress, as their families have everything to lose should anything happen to them during the length of their rule; their houses receive special privileges that I may not speak of at this time."

Their flitter settled to the ground as he spoke, and Dinus instructed them, "You need to spread yourselves out and wait. When a tech wishes to scan you, you need to hold your arms straight out from your body." It wasn't long before the armed guards arrived, surrounding the new arrivals before the scan techs moved forward. Following Dinus's instructions, Keestu raised her arms straight out from her body, allowing the tech to scan her. After they were scanned, the guards became their guides, briskly escorting them into the palace.

Once there, Dinus turned to Rue. "You must change clothing in order to attend your audience with the Autocrat and Autocress. My house has provided the what you need as we took your measurements from the garments that we cleaned at our estate last night. Each of you will singly enter a secured room, remove all your clothing, and walk naked through to the next room where you will be scanned one last time for weapons. There are no human attendants watching the scan rooms--only electronics--so don't worry that you are being peeped at or photographed in the nude; there are many safeguards to protect your right to privacy while we assure the safety of our rulers. Once the scanner clears you, you will find the clothing we provided waiting in the room that opens. You must redress and exit the room before the next member of your party may pass through. I will undergo the same procedure at a different security station since there are so many in my party, so the Autocrat and Autocress aren't kept waiting. Send your personal body guard through first, if you worry about your safety."

Gontu spoke up. "I had already decided that would be the best course of action, Prince Dinus, since I must, of course, continue to observe Sandar's rules for my Princess's safety."

Rue was surprised by this final requirement for her audience with the Autocracy's rulers, looking back at Keestu for reassurance. However, it was Vahin who nodded at her. Reassured, she acquiesced, saying, "Let's get on with it then, and thank you, Dinus for providing the clothing we need."

"Your own clothing will be returned to our house while you are in your audience, for once you are cleared for the palace grounds, you may not change back until after you leave."

"I understand," Rue said, though it was clear that this was a strange requirement to her.

A female palace servant wearing silver with a black stripe motioned for them to follow her, while another gestured to Dinus, saying, "This way Praton," and he and his entourage moved off in the other direction.

"Praton?" Rue questioned her guide. Keestu had heard the term before, but didn't have their translating cuff turned on.

"It's the title of the male heir of a planet. The equivalent female title is Praten. It is only used for the male or female next in line after a Prató or Praté. They may take the title either by challenge or if the Prató or Praté dies."

"Are there many deaths of rulers?"

"No," their guide reassured Rue, "There are not. All fights are declared over once one opponent has definitively beaten the other. Any deaths that result from a challenge these days are usually because the fighter refuses medical treatment afterward, unaware of how badly they are injured, or they may die in an accident, or they may die of an undetected or untreatable disease, such as an advanced cancer."

"Aren't there any laws regarding checking medical well being of the fighters after the fight is over?"

"No. That has nothing to do with the smooth running of the Autocracy, so there is no need for such a decree."

Keestu noted while walking that her group's hard-soled shoes clattered on the stone floor while the soft leather athletic shoes of their guide only squeaked occasionally when her foot twisted.

"So if the Prató or Praté is defeated in a sanctioned fight, the Praton or Praten takes over."

"Yes, such laws are necessary for the running of the Autocracy. Otherwise, wars would break out over succession, and chaos would ensue while the issue is settled."

"And the spouse or their children never take over?"

"Of course not; he or she hasn't earned the right! Only a Praton or Praten has proven they can lead a planet if the Prató or Praté becomes incapacitated or dies. It's not often the ruler's spouse or family member will earn a high position in the ruling hierarchy, but when one does, they are called by the appropriate Praton or Praten title rather than the courtesy Prató or Praté. It's quite a coincidence that the Praton of Phaet and the Praton of Vulo happen to be sons of the Pratós of those worlds, but both families are known for their exceptional fighters."

"Thank you for clarifying that," Rue said as they were shown into a large room filled with chairs and attended by four heavily armed guards.

"You go in there," their guide told them, pointing at a door that opened. "One at a time. When the receptacle opens on the wall, place all your clothing inside and hit the large button located above the niche after you've put all your clothing in it. It will close, and the door on the other side will open. Stand still in the circle in the center of the room while the scan is done. You'll know you're done when the door on the opposite side opens." Bowing deeply, their guide took her leave of them.

Gontu nodded to Rue, though his eyes slid to Keestu as he turned to the room. One of the guards pressed a button located on the wall next to him, and the door they'd entered through sealed with a hiss. After a short delay, the door to the dressing room opened.

Vahin turned to Gontu and Tenget, holding up his hand to delay their processing. "I hope you both agree with me that we can't have all the guards go through first. Since Rue is trained in self-defense, might I suggest she go through after Gontu, and then Princess Keestu may go through, and that way, there are at least two people on each end trained in defense to satisfy our King's requirements?"

Gontu and Tenget considered Vahin's suggestion, putting their heads together and speaking so softly Keestu couldn't hear them. However, she was certain the monitoring equipment in the room was recording their conversation.

"We concur," Gontu said. "I'll go first, Rue next, Princess Keestu, you Vahin, and Tenget should be last."

"Very good," Vahin said, "I'm glad you agree with me on this, Gontu."

Gontu pressed his lips together in irritation, but nodded at Vahin before walking resolutely into the next room. Their guards maintained a stiff attentive silence while they waited. It wasn't long, however, before the room reopened, and Keestu stepped forward.

Once the door closed behind her, compartment niche opened, and she wondered if it was the same one that had opened for Gontu as she quickly stripped, placing her clothing into the receptacle. She was grateful that the room was warm and the tiles heated from underneath so there was little chance of her catching a chill. Once she was nude, she pressed the button and the niche closed. After a few moments, the next door opened, and she entered the scan room. Its walls were plain light gray and embedded with numerous lights and sensors. Keestu looked up, seeing the entire ceiling was devoted to nothing but scanning equipment. She wondered what would happen to someone caught trying to smuggle weapons in.

This room was as warm as the last, and Keestu stood in the circle on the floor and waited. The scan itself didn't take long. There was some whirring and then a low electronic whine while lights flashed across the equipment embedded in the ceiling. Keestu resisted looking up, holding still as she had been instructed.

The whine ceased, and the door opposite her opened up, and she walked through it. The door shut behind her, and after a short delay the slot opened, revealing the clothing the house of Purvol had provided. She fingered the fine blue satin fabric as she hastily redressed. She realized that her color scheme now identified her as a lesser noble of Phaet, and wondered if that was some political scheming on the part of the house of Purvol, then just as quickly dismissed the thought, for they had nothing to gain by trying to garner favor with rulers who would be leaving office in a matter of weeks.

After dressing, Keestu sat to pull on some soft leather athletic shoes. They fit her feet perfectly and were as comfortable as any shoes made by her personal cobbler. Relieved that the Autocracy's size scanning equipment was as accurate as what she enjoyed at home, Keestu stood and hit the button on the wall. The last door opened, and she found herself in a room that was the duplicate of the one she left, including four guards who spoke to each other in Phaet while paying more attention to their personal computer screens than their guests.

Once everyone was through, their guide led them into the audience chamber's anteroom. Dinus and his large entourage were already there, and Keestu wondered if they had special clearance that hastened the process for them.

After the doors to the antechamber clanged shut behind them, the pair of thick hardsteele doors that guarded the audience chamber swung slowly open on powered hinges.

The Autocracy's audience room was a disappointingly plain room, looking nothing like the richly furnished hall that served as the official throne room in Sandar's palace. The walls were unadorned stone, devoid of any tapestries or paintings. There were no decorative arches over the single leaf hardsteele doors that dotted the chamber in an irregular fashion.

The only thing brightening the dreary setting were the many comfortable cushioned benches whose legs were made of various shades of brightly colored stone.

The thrones were plain stone chairs with high backs. They were topped with cushions so they would be comfortable for the occupants, but if there had been any embellishment to the rocky seats, it had long ago worn away. Keestu saw that they were at least placed on a raised dais, as any throne ought to be, but she otherwise found the room a disappointment.

They followed Dinus to the front row the benches and stood waiting for only a few moments before doors on either side of the room opened, and a number of armed guards filed in. Finally, a door behind the thrones opened, and first the Autocress and then Autocrat came into the room.

The Autocress was wearing black satin with a silver stripe, so Keestu knew that their guide was a lesser noble of her planet and not that of the Autocrat, who wore red with a gold stripe.

On closer examination, she saw embroidered on the breast of the Autocress an inverted equilateral triangle with a crescent moon in it. Emblazoned on the Autocrat's breast was an inverted equilateral triangle holding an octagram consisting of two equal size squares overlapping at a 45 degree angle to create an eight-point star inside it.

They were both advanced in age, but she had expected that, knowing that they had ruled uncontested for the past fifty years. Despite their white hair, however, they weren't bowed by age. They moved easily, attesting to a lack of any of the joint ailments that often plagued the aged. The Autocress's hair was completely white and cropped short, and she wore no head adornment, nor was she wearing any jewelry, although she carried a jeweled spear. The Autocrat had a few remaining patches of black in his hair, and Keestu wondered if he were younger than the Autocress. He, too, carried a jeweled spear, a twin to the one the Autocress wielded.

They sat without comment on their thrones, the Autocress to Keestu's right, the Autocrat to her left.

Once they were seated, the guards stationed themselves about the room. Only then did Dinus step carefully two steps forward.

"Autocress, Autocrat," he bowed to each of them in turn while speaking in Unity, "I present Crown Princess Keestu, daughter of King Ismer Ranell of Sandar, member planet of the Union."

Rue stepped forward, carefully not moving any closer than Dinus had before curtsying with silent grace to the rulers.

Keestu nodded to herself. As the visitor, and one of lower rank, she should wait to be addressed before speaking.

The Autocress broke into a broad smile. "You are most welcome, Crown Princess Keestu of Sandar,"

Keestu smiled to herself, as the Autocress had spoken in Unity.

The Autocrat added his own cordial greeting, "Yes, we both welcome you to the Autocracy, Crown Princess Keestu Ranell of Sandar."

Only after being addressed by both did she respond. "I thank you for your welcome, Autocress, Autocrat and for making time in your busy schedule to grant us an audience so soon after our arrival."

"I trust your trip here was a pleasant one?" Keestu relaxed as the Autocress dropped to a more informal mode of address. She wondered if the Autocress had the higher status of the pair, and if so whether it was due to her appearing older than the Autocrat, or if was it just an Autocracy tradition to defer to the female first.

The Autocrat and Autocress ignored Keestu, but not the guards, who remained vigilant in the presence of their rulers. She was regularly examined, even if the looks were cursory. She opted for a slightly wider stance, folding her hands carefully in front of her so they remained in sight of the guards at all times. It was a position she had seen Gontu assume on occasion when waiting for orders, though now he stood by Rue's side with his feet spread and his hands held loosely at his sides.

"We look forward to supervising the trade negotiations as part of the advisery panel of Autocracy rulers," the Autocress said. "In the meantime, we want you to tour our planets to get a better feel for us as a people, just as our representative, the Praton of Phaet, has for us by visiting you. He has given us a favorable report, and we expect no major issues in setting up an agreement to trade."

The Autocrat smoothly took up the narrative. "We had thought to send you to the planets furthest from Phaet first so you could work your way back here for the tourney, but the Prató of Vulo has petitioned vociferously, yes, strongly petitioned that you visit his planet first." Here the Autocrat frowned, and Keestu wondered what lay behind the odd emphasis. He seemed fluent enough in Unity; both Autocracy leaders did.

The Autocress turned her head slightly, frowning at her cohort before taking her next turn. "Yes, we have heard his petition and decided it will be best for you to go from Phaet directly to Vulo I, then on to Naelia, the third planet in Phaet's region. After that, you will be taken to the outermost Autocracy planets of Multana, Thetron, and Umanya, then visit the middle planets of Laringo, Hetindi, and Eknor before returning to Phaet for the tourney. There is plenty of time for you to spend at least four to six days on each planet so you can examine the goods and decide if there are any you feel are of critical importance to your planets once a trade agreement is reached."

"So I will not visit Vulo II then?" Rue was quick to mention the ignored planet.

"Vulo I and II are a binary planet system, with Vulo I being slightly larger and more settled. The fast-growing hardwoods of Vulo II are the major export of the Vulo system. Vulo II is only sparsely populated beyond the mills that work its vast tracts of forests, so there is not much else to see on Vulo II unless you want to see the logging operations in person." The Autocress's voice was dry, indicating that she herself thought it was below the station of a Crown Princess to visit a logging camp.

"I may want to see how the wood is processed. I shall have to speak with an adviser later about this," Rue said, deliberately keeping the option open.

The Autocrat smiled at her. "Of course, Crown Princess," he said, "Any of our planets is open to you; you have only to ask and you are welcome to visit any area of any planet that you think is necessary. We have instructed all the Pratós and Pratés that they are to cooperate fully with your visit."

"Now that we have that settled, we understand you would like to tour our palace complex," the Autocress broke in.

"Praton Dinus is well versed in the layout of the palace and can help answer any questions as he is host for the duration of your stay on Phaet. Please forgive the brevity of our audience, but we have urgent matters to attend to with regards to preparation for succession."

Rue nodded. "Of course, Autocress, Autocrat. Thank you for your time and for allowing me tour all your planets. I look forward to seeing you in negotiations upon my return." She curtsied again, holding the pose for a few moments longer than was done on Sandar to show the depth of her gratitude, and Keestu silently applauded her performance.

Watching while the Autocrat and Autocress exited the room, Keestu was again struck by how fluid their movements were. She wondered what it would have been like to see them fighting their battles if they were still this fit and supple fifty years later.

Their guide, motioned for them to follow her, and they were shown to the center of the complex. Keestu gaped while looking around, seeing a massive divided courtyard ringed by viewing stands. Keestu estimated that several thousand spectators could be accommodated in the seating. There were large columns at regular intervals supporting clear barriers separating the center into four large fighting rings. Embedded in each column were numerous cameras. View screens were suspended above each seating area, so spectators could watch more than one bout at a time. In the center of the arena sat a short podium surrounded by the same clear material, enclosing two chairs and computer consoles.

Looking around, Keestu saw that few of the palace doors led directly into the fighting areas while the majority led into the stands. At the front edge of each combat area were two box seating areas separated by security screening. Each box held thirty seats in two rows of fifteen seats each.

"These eight ringside boxes are reserved planetary seats, one for each of eight Autocracy planet's leaders, their families, and assistants," Dinus explained. "The palace was built before the settlement of Naelia, so now whenever anyone fights, they are given access to a box directly in front of the arena their fighter will compete in. People of the planets not associated with the combatants in the arenas are expected to give up their box seats for that match, so there will be many people switching seats in between matches."

Keestu wondered how one got a box seat at the tourney, and whether it was good for seeing all the fights or just a specific match? She had been hoping Rue would ask any of the questions she had, but her handmaiden was busy listening to Dinus chatting amiably at her as he took her elbow to guide her from the arena, so Keestu decided to speak up.

"Praton Dinus, may I ask a question?"

"Of course, um," he looked at a loss for her name.

"Rue," she reminded him, smiling. "I saw that the Autocress was given deferential treatment in comparison to the Autocrat. She entered first, left first, and spoke first. Is this because she's a woman or because she appears older than the Autocrat?"

Dinus smiled. "Of course not. We do not perpetuate gender or age stereotypes here. The Autocress is considered in most ways to be completely equal to the Autocrat, with the exceptions being the ones you saw. She will enter or leave a room first and will be the first to speak because she faced more challenges after her ascension to Praté than the Autocrat did as Prató before the tourney in which they both competed. I believe the Autocress had four challenges..." he broke off as their guide shook her head. She murmured something quickly to him in Phaet, and Dinus continued smoothly, "Sorry, it was five challenges, while the Prató had only three challenges after his ascension, so she faced two more challenges than the Autocrat did before the battles they fought to decide succession. Therefore, she is honored as the more experienced and successful fighter of the two."

"Did those fights happen to them in the tourney, Prince Dinus?" Keestu was confused.

"No, I'm talking about planetary challenges. The matches of the tourney don't count as challenges because it pits equals from different planets against each other. We have challenge day once a month in the Autocracy, so our planetary leaders may endure many challenges in close succession, especially this close to a tourney. The Autocress ascended to her position some months prior to the Autocrat, and being a woman was seen as an easier target than she was by those who could challenge her, so she faced more challenges and accrued more victories as Praté than the Autocrat when he was a Prató. Since there are always more men vying for Autocrat than women for Autocress--men and women do not fight each other during the tourney--it would be completely unfair to base deferential treatment of our ruler based on the number of Tourney matches it takes for them to prove their supremacy."

"Oh," Keestu said. "Thank you for explaining that."

As Dinus continued showing them around the massive office complex, Keestu realized that only nobles worked in the palace. There were several large communications rooms, where messages to and from the subject planets were sent, received, sorted, and rerouted to their recipients, and there was an massive separate military communications room. Keestu wondered how much filtering was done and what constituted a message that needed the personal attention of either ruler, and thought if things were handled that way on Sandar, she'd probably randomly scan messages herself to insure the impartiality of those handling them.

Keestu enjoyed seeing the landing bay, where the official Autocracy craft and pilots of Phaet were housed. Three large liners with interstellar capabilities were kept under human guard in a special separate enclosure that Keestu was certain was bristling with detection and security equipment, as they were used in transporting the Autocrat and Autocress. She couldn't tell which of the three was Phaet's Mérel, and she didn't want to scan the Autocracy writing on the hulls while being watched.

Dinus was explaining why there were so many ships assigned to take the Autocracy's leaders into space, "Here in the Autocracy, we take the safety of our rulers most seriously. They will visit the same member planet at the same time, but they may not ride in the same vessel. Accidents and espionage are both rare, but this decree was enacted ten generations back after both rulers were killed in a freak space accident. As thorough an investigation as could be performed at that time was done, but our rulers travel in separate ships ever since."

"So what happened after that," Rue asked. "Did you have another Tourney to decide their successors?"

"In that situation, no," Dinus responded. "The accident happened early in their tenure, so their replacements were the fighters defeated by the Autocrat and Autocress in their final battle for supremacy."

"Ah," Rue said, "So the Prató and Praté who are the first runners up take over if needed."

Dinus beamed at her. "Exactly, Keestu. You understand us very well, and so quickly. Those with a democratic mindset tend to disagree with our methods, telling us we need to make drastic changes to what has worked for dozens of generations for us."

Rue frowned briefly, and then smiled up at Dinus winningly. "I can see why you came to Sandar, then, for assistance in forming a trade agreement."

"Right, royalty knows royalty, and in our experience, those who aren't royal or nobility usually have a hard time accepting such a system."

"If I may be indelicate and ask, to whom are you referring to? Who disliked your governing methods?"

"The Rillul," Dinus said, his eyes twinkling. "We had a hard time convincing them that we aren't a constantly warring people after they saw our last Tourney."

"And yet I understand you trade extensively with them now."

"Oh yes, many Rillul ships travel throughout the Autocracy, landing at every major port on every planet. However, you are unlikely to see any of them outside of the major port cities; they don't understand our rural societal system and therefore have agreed to stay closer to the larger cities which are used to dealing with foreigners, not only from other member planets, but from outside our star cluster."

"What about the Triker? I saw many of their ships at Autocracy Station," Rue pressed him for more information, and Keestu approved of her line of questioning. If Dinus remained sweet on her, he would likely give them information more freely than anyone else they would encounter here.

"The Triker have a societal system similar to ours. Any Triker can go anywhere on our planets and understand our caste system. However, they also stay close to the port cities they call on. You may and are encouraged to chose any city at random for a visit should you wish it while you are here."

"That's a very generous offer, Dinus," Rue said, as they completed their tour of the palace were walking out to the Purvol flitter. "I'll discuss it with my advisers to see if a random visit will fit into our plans while we are here."

Dinus assisted Rue into the flitter while concluding, "I hope you liked your audience and tour. Too bad I can't accompany you on your visits to our other planets."

Keestu, who was settling into her own seat, let out a startled, "What?"

Dinus smiled reassuringly at her, saying, "It was decided before I came to Sandar that in order not to unduly bias your influence in the Union towards any single Autocracy planet that each member planet will provide its own transport and guide for your visits."

"Oh," Keestu said, remembering to bob her head at Rue. "I'm sorry for my rude interruption, Your Highness."

"That's perfectly all right," Rue said, "I was about to ask the same thing."

They returned to the Purvol estate, finding Norinna and Dinus' siblings already seated in the dining room, as it was lunchtime. Keestu noted a change in the seating arrangements. The brother who had sat next to Dinus at the breakfast was sitting in a different chair, while one of Dinus' sisters was sitting in the chair that he had occupied at breakfast. She had a bloody bandage on her forehead. Keestu touched Rue's shoulder, motioning to the rearrangements.

Norinna, seeing this, smiled. "Today is challenge day on Phaet. Didn't Dinus tell you?"

"No, Praté, he didn't," Rue said giving Dinus a stern look.

"I had no challenge this month, so I didn't think to mention it," Dinus said.

"No challenge?"

"Only the person directly below me in our hierarchy may challenge me, and my brother didn't challenge me this month. That left him open for challenge by my sister who was ranked just below him, and who has beaten him again."

"They have fought before?"

"Almost every month," Norinna interrupted, waving a hand to dismiss such trivial details. "I wouldn't miss out on any workouts, though, Praton of mine--Hatari has improved since the last time she fought Rozem. I think she fancies herself in the position of Praten if your father wins Autocrat."

Hatari smiled, wincing a little as the bandage shifted slightly, chafing her wound.

Rozem grimaced as he sipped his drink, discreetly spitting two teeth into a napkin before excusing himself from the table to find a dentist.

"So only the one directly below your position may challenge for it?" Rue was interested in this aspect of their culture.

"Of course," Norinna said, looking surprised. "Otherwise, there would be chaos with everyone challenging everyone else all the time. Your succession is based, oddly enough, on birth order, is it not?"

"Yes, the eldest child is first in succession," Rue said, "Though not all eldest children take the throne. Past rulers have outlived several of their offspring due to diseases, accidents, wars, and assassinations, and so the firstborn Crown Prince or Princess is not always the one who takes the crown."

"Here in the Autocracy, we developed a once-a-month challenge day system. The day before, everyone lets his or her intent be known. If the Praton or Praten wishes to challenge for supremacy, they may challenge the Prató or Praté. If they don't register their intent in the first half hour after business hours begin, then the one directly below the Praton or Praten may challenge them, and so on down the line until midday, when fights are held. We don't have battles every month in our household, as some of the larger families do. Each battle at this level is decided in a single bout."

"What happens if the same position is challenged continually before the tourney?"

"They fight," Norinna said, smiling. "It happens that way with the Autocress all the time. Not all Autocress winners actually have to fight come the tourney. There is always at least one female who is the undisputed ruler of her planet, and if she has no equals of the same sex to fight during the tourney, she wins by default. But, if there are at least three female fighters come the tourney, it could turn out that the weakest of the three will win if the two strongest are pitted against one another in the first fight, and the winner of that battle hasn't the strength to immediately beat another opponent."

That explained, Norinna informed Rue. "Vulo I will be receiving you next. Their ship arrived mid morning. I took the initiative and had your luggage transferred to their ship. I'm afraid I didn't think to leave the clothing out that you wore this morning; it was cleaned and packed along with the rest, so you'll have to travel on to Vulo wearing our planet's colors. I'll send Dinus along with you until Fernuin of Vulo formally takes responsibility for you. Dinus can bring our loaned clothing back once you change on Vulo."

Rue was taken aback. "So soon? I thought I had four to six days on each planet before the tourney?"

"Yes, one day on Phaet now, and the rest upon your return before the tourney. We shall be most happy to host you again should you decide not to stay at the palace."

"I imagine they'll need the rooms at the palace for the tourney's participants," Rue said with considerable grace after hearing of their precipitous departure. "I'll be most grateful to the House Of Purvol for your continued hospitality on my return."

"Very good. I understand Fernuin has twisted someone's arm to change the original flight plan so you go to Vulo first. However, you must not let him bully you into staying longer than your allotted time, or you won't have enough time to visit every planet equally; your itinerary takes into account travel time, but it's a very tight schedule nonetheless. If he gives you any trouble, just tell him the Autocrat's decrees cannot be set aside with impunity."

"Only the Autocrat's decrees?"

"Um, yes," Norinna said, nodding at Rue's alertness, and sighing at the necessity of explaining it to her. "Fernuin refuses to recognize the superiority of any woman to himself, though he as Prató is inferior in rank to the Autocress. So if you mention the Autocrat ordered this schedule, he should give you no further troubles." Norinna sighed again. "He's relatively new to his position, having taken over Vulo almost six months ago from the former Praté, making him a sudden surprise contender for the tourney, and he's not learned to interact well with the other noble houses and planets, so invoking anyone less than the Autocrat will have no salient effect on his behavior. But, I say too much."

Rue looked at Dinus, as did Keestu. He was frowning at his stepmother, but nodding in agreement with her advice.

"Very well, Praté," Rue said, "I'll remember that. But, I wonder since I'm a woman why he is so eager to have me visit his planet first?"

Norinna smiled grimly. "He wants to be first in everything, not just Vulo. I'm surprised the Autocress and Autocrat allowed it, but it is not for me to question their methods."

"I understand," Rue said. "Thank you for your frank advice and kind invitation back to your lovely home. Praton Dinus has been so helpful, and you so gracious, we cannot imagine staying anywhere else for the tourney."

Norinna smiled in genuine delight at Rue. "And so you shall also sit in Phaet's box, then, as we have plenty of room since being the rulers of Phaet affords us the best ringside seats for the tourney. Not even Fernuin will dare try to usurp that privilege with you staying in our house upon your return."

Norinna stood up. "I'm so happy to have had this time with you, Princess Keestu. I also hope you fully understand how delicate the matter of dealing with Fernuin is. Keep your bodyguard close, do not give in to unreasonable demands, and remember to invoke the Autocrat if needed. That advice was sent to me from the palace, as the Autocrat and Autocress are too busy to bring you back for another screening and audience before your scheduled departure time. In fact, I'm afraid now that the meal is done, I need to urge Dinus to take you to the Vuloan ship at once."

"They aren't landing here at the estate?"

"No, their orders from Fernuin were to land at the spaceport, so Dinus must take you there in our flitter." She turned to her stepson, adding, "I've had your bags transferred to your ship, which is waiting for you at the spaceport along with Bital and your usual guard contingent. I want you to take our spaceship and act as escort ship to the one carrying Princess Keestu and her entourage, as I doubt Fernuin will allow you to travel aboard his vessel."

Dinus nodded without comment, moving to take his stepmother's hands in his before kissing her cheek. "I'll see you tomorrow night. Tell father I'm sorry I missed reporting to him about my trip to the Union today."

Norinna nodded at her stepson, patting his cheek affectionately.

Rue bowed to the Praté. "I look forward to speaking more with you upon my return, Praté."

Norinna bobbed her head, "Me, too, but you'd best hurry now, my dear," she smiled in dismissal.

Keestu found herself jogging a little to keep up with Dinus as he hustled them out of the house to the flitter.

Their pilot checked to be certain everyone was seated and belted in before the flitter took off. It stayed close to the ground, flying above a cleared track serving as a road. They exited the estate, zooming into the city, where the road turned onto a broad avenue that ran directly past the palace complex and to the southeastern section of the city, where the spaceport was located.

Receiving clearance, their pilot took the flitter directly out onto the tarmac. Keestu recognized the outline of Dinus' ship, and beside it, a much smaller spaceship. She spied two groups of guards, one standing in front of the Vuloan ship facing outward, the other facing inward; the one facing inward was wearing the familiar blue and purple shades of Phaet, while the newcomers were wearing gold with royal blue stripes. Now understanding better the noble rules with regard to rank color, Keestu realized Fernuin and his immediate family would be wearing royal blue with gold stripes. She didn't see any of the men waiting for them wearing those colors.

She cleared her throat, "Princess Keestu?" Rue didn't respond. Keestu reached out and prodded her.

Rue started, turning towards her. "Yes, Rue?"

"I don't see any members of our next host's family among the guards, do you?"

Rue looked over the contingent more carefully, shaking her head. "No I don't, Rue, good observation."

"Praton," she turned to Dinus. "Fernuin didn't send a member of his family to bring us to him? Is this correct Autocracy procedure? I thought the Autocress and Autocrat said that they would be there to escort us from planet to planet?"

Dinus was scowling at this insult to Sandar's Crown Princess. "No, he did not. You may be assured the Autocrat and Autocress will hear of this outrage. Whoever heard of sending lesser nobles to escort a planetary heir?"

As he spoke, they arrived at the Vuloan ship, Keestu noting that the Vuloans had heard Dinus' last remark and were stiffening noticeably.

Their spokesman stepped forward smartly, spreading his hands slightly to the sides to show he was not being belligerent.

"I come on behalf of Fernuin, Prató of Vulo. I apologize for the lack of a direct family member to greet you, Praton, but apparently you have not heard that many members of Fernuin's family succumbed to a local virulent fever not too long after he ascended to the position of Prató."

Dinus stepped back several steps, pulling Rue with him. Keestu and the others retreated as well. "What fever?"

"Halithan's fever. We have vaccine for all of you, which is effective within hours of administration, so you will be in no danger by the time you reach Vulo."

"Halithan's? I thought that was only endemic to the equatorial coasts of Vulo?" Dinus remained skeptical, urging Rue to step behind him so that he shielded her with his body, and for once Keestu was grateful for his overbearing manner.

"The family members in question went to an equatorial resort to, uh, celebrate his ascendance, contracted it there, and fell ill upon their return to the capital. By the time it was identified, it was too late for most of his closer family members to receive the correct treatment. Fernuin now has no brothers, sisters, or first cousins. Many other nobles succumbed to Halithan's as well before it was identified, so his son Pulon is the new Praton, at least until the hierarchy is sorted out, which by all indications will not be until some time after the tourney."

Another member of the Vuloan entourage stepped up, whispering something in the spokesman's ear.

"Right, Fernuin does still have the one sister alive, since she was, er, not with the other family members who went to the resort."

"And Fernuin and his immediate family?"

"He, his spouse, and Praton, are, unfortunately, too busy to attend your transfer, and his daughter is not a suitable guide."

"I didn't think Fernuin had such a small family," Dinus remarked, "I thought he had more than just the one son and daughter?"

"The others perished of Halithan's. Again, I apologize for what you see as a slight in honor. I do not believe it was intended," the man bowed formally at Rue and Dinus to accentuate his sincerity.

"We will all need to be vaccinated. Did you bring enough with you?"

"Enough for Crown Princess Keestu, her entourage, and your contingent as well, Praton, as we were told to expect you to act as escort," the man said. "If you'll come on board, we can administer it before we leave. We have checked your records and know it's safe to give to Union humans, as they are alike enough genetically to us that they would be susceptible to the fever, which means our vaccine will also work on you. Fernuin had the entire local population vaccinated after the outbreak, but he wants to take no chances with the foreign Princess's health."

Thus reassured, they were hurried aboard the small Vuloan vessel and ushered one by one into the tiny cabin that served as the medical quarters. Keestu watched as the medic wiped her arm with a sterile solution before the hypogun was used to administer the vaccine. She felt a pinch at the site, and that was it.

"Do I need to watch out for any reactions?"

"Rarely one gets site reaction, and only one case of getting Halithan's from vaccine in record, so not worry," the medic told her in passable Unity.

Realizing she would encounter more people who knew little to no Unity the further she traveled into the Autocracy, Keestu silently reminded herself to remember to keep her translating cuff turned on. After gratefully nodded understanding to the woman, Keestu left the cabin, watching from the corridor as the others received their shots.

Once that was done, they were shown to their cramped cabins. Rue and Keestu were to share one, while Gontu, Tenget, and Vahin had another.

"I'll keep your luggage aboard my vessel, since Prató Fernuin sent his fastest personal ship for you," Dinus said, taking Rue's hand briefly before being escorted off the Vuloan ship after receiving his injection.

Their nameless host bade them make themselves comfortable in their cabins for the duration of the ride.

"I apologize again, but our bridge is very small, and I therefore cannot offer you seating there," he explained as he gestured for them to sit down and belt in.

Keestu looked around as the man left, disappointed upon seeing there was no view screen in this room.

Rue sighed. "I hate riding like this. You have no concept of how long the trip is, no idea of when you are close to your destination. I feel like cattle in a transport."

Keestu smiled at her handmaiden. "I agree. I'm used to being able to see where I'm going, and I definitely would like to get images from space of the planets we are visiting, if nothing else to get close up images of the Autocracy's star cluster from space. Perhaps you could ask Prince, er, Praton Dinus, to give him his proper title, for any visual recording he made of the trip after we land?"

Rue smiled at Keestu before shrugging. "I don't want to lead him on as to his chances with me. I could never leave Sandar."

"I didn't mean to imply that you would be leading him on," Keestu responded, "I know he wants your tour to be pleasant, especially if his father wins the tourney since they want to set up a trade agreement with the Union, and if you mention that the lack of view was unpleasant, then perhaps it can be remedied once you start visiting other planets?"

"Oh, I didn't think of it that way," Rue said. "I was just thinking that asking him for a favor would put me in his debt, which is a position I think he would greatly like." She flushed, falling silent. "I mean," she hastily added, "If I were to feel in his debt, I would probably make concessions I should not in the trade negotiations."

Keestu, nodding at Rue's cover for her slip up, commented. "I think if we use our translators, we can at least hear what's going on." She turned her cuff on before turning on the intership com. A low chatter filled the room, most of which was spoken too softly or fast for the microphone to pick up, but the occasional coherent sentence informed them that they had lifted off, and they were still suborbital but climbing rapidly towards space.

Keestu found herself nodding off in her chair while the voices droned like white noise over the com, for while she was learning some of Phaet's more common words, the rest was incomprehensible to her without staring constantly at her cuff, and the murmuring sound of the voices was soothing. She started when she felt the chair reclining, opening her eyes to see Rue bending over her.

"Sorry. I thought you were already asleep. It looked like a good idea, so I was going to tilt my chair back as well, so we could nap while we travel and be fresh when we reach Vulo."

"Can you tell Vahin and the others? I'd hate for them to try and kick the door down if they call our com and we don't answer."

"I'll message them now myself. Relax and sleep, my friend," Rue reassured her. Keestu closed her eyes and was almost instantly asleep.

**Chapter thirteen**

A sharp rap on the door awakened Keestu. She fumbled with the safety harness, calling out, "Just a minute," hoping that those waiting could hear her. Rue sat up next to her, yawning hugely.

Keestu looked her handmaiden over, finding her presentable despite having napped in her acceleration chair.

"How do I look?" Keestu asked her as she hurried to the door.

"Fine," Rue assured her.

The captain of the ship was outside, and crowded behind him, she could see the rest of her entourage, waiting to escort Rue off the ship.

"Have we arrived then?"

"Yes, handmaiden, we have. Is the Princess ready to debark the ship?"

"I believe so, Captain," Keestu said, gesturing for everyone to step back as she heard Rue come up behind her.

"It was a nice flight, Captain," Rue said, smiling at the man. "I'm afraid I had a touch of space lag from all my travel and required a nap, but now I'm refreshed and ready to meet the Prató of Vulo. Fernuin is his name, isn't it?"

"Yes, Crown Princess," the man replied. "But he prefers his title to his given name, especially when being addressed by a woman." He wrung his hands and looked uncomfortable, as though he felt he had said too much.

"Don't worry. I was briefed on Phaet, Captain, and I'll be most formal in my address of my Vuloan host."

Some of the tension left the man's body, and he straightened up, smoothing his satin shirt before he motioned for her to follow him out of the ship.

"The Prató isn't here to greet you at the spaceport, Crown Princess. He's busy managing Vulo's affairs from his country estate, which he uses as his main residence."

"Is it far from here?"

"About a quarter Union hour by flitter."

They stepped off the ship, and Keestu gasped in delight. They were in a large meadow, untouched except for the many concrete landing pads embedded in the grass. In the distance she could see mountains, though the spaceport was surrounded with a forest so thick she could only see a little way down the roads that were cut through it. It reminded her of the alpine areas on her own homeworld, though the flora differed from what she was used to. The trees here were very tall, with Keestu estimating their average height at thirty meters,.

Dinus hurried up to them, taking Rue's hand.

"I trust you were comfortable for your trip?"

"Oh, most comfortable, Dinus, and even if I wasn't, look at this view!"

"Yes, it's quite lovely here," Dinus said. "My family has vacationed here many times, starting when I was very young, and I have always loved the forests of Vulo."

As they were shown to flitters hovering over the grassy meadow, Keestu glanced around, pausing to watch a flitter being loaded with their luggage by Vuloan nobles.

These flitters were small enough that Keestu had to content herself with riding with Tenget and Vahin, while Gontu accompanied Rue and Dinus in the other.

The flitters rose smoothly but maintained a low altitude, flying fifteen meters above the treetops, so Keestu found herself looking out of the windscreen at the view. She saw houses tucked into clearings that had been cut into the forest, and most of them had smoke coming out of chimneys. A large meadow a short distance away from the city surrounding the spaceport was taken up by another cluster of houses. Seeing their humble stature, Keestu was certain they belonged to commoners.

An unoccupied smaller meadow zipped past underneath them, this one filled with a riot of blue, purple, and red flowers lining the trails and creek that snaked through it.

A larger city came into view in the distance as the ground dropped away into a valley. A river wound randomly through it, though Keestu noted several straights white with rapids. Watching the water flowing while flying made her queasy, so Keestu turned her attention to other things.

They flew directly over a small town nestled against the foothills between the valley and mountains, and Keestu saw broad compacted dirt avenues separating the blocks of houses, some of which had thatched roofs, while others had tile. The river flowed closely by one side of this town, separating it from a large stand of trees lining the slopes of the hills behind it. There was a large wooden bridge crossing the river leading off into the forest, making Keestu smile, thinking it would make for a scenic trip by groundcar.

As they left the smaller town behind, Keestu continued looking it over, but she didn't see any sign of motorized vehicles in the area, nor had she seen anyone walking around, which struck her as odd; someone could always be seen afoot from the air in CeCe. However, she wasn't sure if their pilot spoke Unity, so she refrained from asking any questions.

Vahin touched her arm, pointing at a strange vehicle undulating across the landscape. A long bus was traveling from the town they had flown over towards a larger city now visible several kilometers distant. Its multiple segments were joined by flexible tubing. Each section independently hugged the contours of the packed dirt road, giving the vehicle a creeping caterpillar-like appearance. She nodded, grinning at Vahin; the vehicle was different than any transport on Sandar.

They overtook the bus while following the road to the city. Its houses were made of stone, though they were not made of solid blocks. She admired the small gray stones that were packed into colored concrete to form the outer walls of these homey looking domiciles. She wasn't certain what the roofs were covered with. They weren't concrete, they weren't thatched, and they weren't tile. Keestu stared as they passed over one house, realizing it looked like it was roofed with rock that had been split to form shingles.

"Vahin, is that roof made of rock?"

"Yes. I believe it's slate shingles," he responded without hesitation. "Some of the older areas of Sandar used slate for roofing, but it's not something you'll see in CeCe. If cared for properly, a slate roof will last several centuries. They are very heavy as well, and if properly applied will not blow off in most windstorms."

"Those are stone roofs on stone houses?"

"Yes, very durable building materials, if you use the right mortar. Also, they are very resistant to fire, and will not wear down or rot with constant rain such as this area must receive."

They passed over the remainder of the city, traveling two more kilometers into the woods before arriving at another meadow and finding themselves circling a vast palace. Save for a large separate parking garage, there were no other buildings in attendance to this massive structure. They began descending towards the garage, and Keestu saw many large empty parking bays as they landed.

Exiting the flitter, she became aware of a large guard contingent clad in gold awaiting them. Dinus and Rue were standing still next to their flitter as a number of the guards advanced on them. She motioned to Vahin and Tenget and assumed the stance as another group of soldiers converged on their location.

The Vuloans who had exited the flitter behind them were also standing very still, apparently used to such inspection.

Finding Tenget standing slightly forward of them, their humorless guard barked something at him in Phaet. Keestu glanced down at her translator. "Name?"

"Tenget of Sandar," he replied. Checking his list against a known picture, the guard grunted, proceeding to Vahin and repeating his challenge.

When she found herself challenged in similar fashion, Keestu gritted her teeth and gave her cover name. "Lady Rue Soga of Sandar."

"You may pass. Join your companions over there," the guard told them while he proceeded to challenge every Vuloan in the same brusk manner.

Looking askance at her protocol adviser, Keestu complied, finding Rue had lost her distaste for Dinus's familiarity in these strange surroundings. She glanced at Gontu, who was frowning at the mass of guards sent to greet them.

"You'd think we were sent to challenge the Prató and take the palace by force," he muttered through clenched teeth as she moved up beside him.

"We were warned we would encounter differing customs outside the Union, especially here on Vulo," she whispered back.

He nodded curtly to her and continued glaring around at the unfriendly faces.

After several tense and silent seconds, an exterior door opened, and a young man came strolling in. He was dressed in royal blue with a gold stripe, and Keestu relaxed upon seeing his rank badge; this young man was the Praton of Vulo, Fernuin's son.

"See," she whispered to Gontu, "The Praton himself has come to greet us."

On seeing the circular rank badge embroidered on the young man's right breast, Rue relaxed somewhat, though Dinus remained tense next to her. Noting that Dinus's companions had arranged themselves around him in a half circle that included Rue leaving Gontu and Tenget free to guard her and Vahin if needed, Keestu's opinion of Dinus went up considerably.

The Praton didn't hesitate. His face lit up, and he moved to greet them with both hands outstretched.

"Welcome to Vulo, Crown Princess Keestu," he said warmly, blithely ignoring Dinus's bristling guards while clasping one of Rue's hands in both of his. "I trust your trip was uneventful? I'm sorry I wasn't in the garage to greet you, for we've been dealing with many issues ever since my father ascended to Prató, not the least of which is the deaths of many family members who could have helped us rule. That leaves much more work for him and me, seeing as I now have no brothers to assist me in the management of an entire planet. But then, I'm certain being royal yourself you understand the exigencies of rule. I'm Pulon, Praton of Vulo. My father, Fernuin, is Prató. My mother's name is Bott, and my sister is Shariel. You'll meet them later. For now, I've been assigned to show you around our home. Please come this way," indicating the Sandarians should follow him, before turning to address Dinus. "I also welcome you and your entourage, Praton of Phaet." Compared to his welcome for them, Pulon's greeting to Dinus was brusk, though not overtly hostile.

"Thank you, Praton of Vulo," Dinus responded just as coldly, holding an his arm to Rue. She took it without hesitation, preferring the company of the prince she knew to the stranger before her. Keestu approved of Rue's choice; Pulon was cordial enough, but there was something about him that made her uneasy.

Now that a royal was present, the guards relaxed, most of them remaining in the garage save for those assigned to carry luggage, and Keestu sighed in relief. She wondered how the Autocracy could function with such high levels of stress between planetary leaders.

Entering the palace, and the first thing that struck Keestu was its size. It was made of quarried stone blocks that were about meter square each. The ground floor exterior wall was a full two blocks thick, and Keestu's eyebrows went up in surprise. She wondered if cannons were still in use on Vulo, for it appeared that this massive wall was built to stop large projectiles.

Passing through tall double doors of hardsteele into a large foyer, Keestu looked up. The first floor was four blocks tall, making the ceiling four meters distant. Far above her head, a massive medium blue crystal chandelier lit the otherwise gloomy entrance, bathing the gray blocks in a cool blue glow. Beneath her feet was a wooden parquet floor consisting of light blue, dark blue, and black stained Vuloan woods. The dominating geometric pattern here was Vulo's planetary symbol--the trapezoid. It was interlocked with rhombuses, which danced visually in the light from the chandelier. Keestu thought that perhaps there was merit to the bold colors and geometric patterns of the Autocracy after seeing this sample of it in practice. She thought the room oversized for a foyer, though she knew planetary rulers were expected to live in ostentatious surroundings.

Exiting the foyer, Keestu observed that the entire first floor was four meters tall, with interior doors to rooms a full two and a half meters in height. She felt like a child, wandering around in these towering surroundings. Looking neither left nor right, Pulon led them directly to a wide staircase at the other end of the entrance hall. Since they were walking swiftly, Keestu only got glimpses of other palace rooms while hurrying to keep up with him.

After climbing the stairs, Pulon turned left, hurrying down a corridor as high as the one below. Glancing down the right-hand corridor, Keestu saw fencing embedded in the wall, blocking off access to that section of the palace. Jogging a little to catch up with Pulon, Keestu turned down a corridor into a different wing of the palace. Striding to the last door on the right, Pulon threw open a set of massive wooden doors, showing them into a large anteroom tastefully furnished with several couches and chairs. In the center of the room sat a built-in bar. The wall beyond the bar had a single massive window revealing the untouched wilderness surrounding the palace, while on either side of the anteroom were more doors.

Moving left, Pulon opened the another set of double doors, showing Rue into her guest quarters, consisting of a large bedroom with two outer walls with large windows looking out towards the city from front and the wilderness from the side. There were two large beds in this room, each covered with satin quilts in royal blue and gold patterned with hexagons surrounding trapezoids. One door leading an adjoining bedroom that did not let out into the outer hall, but had a second door opening into the anteroom. There were also two beds in this room, but their satin quilts were gold and blue and patterned with triangles around trapezoids.

"These beds are reserved for the parents of the Prató or Praté. Since the Prató has no living parents or in-laws, these rooms are at your disposal for the duration of your visit to Vulo. Your handmaiden can be kept close at hand in the adjoining room, or your bodyguard; make sleeping arrangements as you will."

"Thank you," Rue said, looking around the lavishly appointed rooms in appreciation.

They moved aside as their luggage was brought into this large bedroom and deposited on the floor. The guards were dismissed with a flick of Pulon's hand and hurried out without comment.

"Now that your luggage has been delivered, please settle in for a while and refresh yourselves as I see if my father is ready to receive you."

They returned to the anteroom, where Pulon briefly showed them how to operate the bar. It dispensed a variety of liquors, but was also stocked with non-alcoholic fruit drinks, water, ice, and a javene brewer that Keestu eyed with appreciation.

"You," Pulon turned to Dinus and his companions. Dinus frowned for Pulon deliberately failed to address him either by title or name. "You will please wait here with the Crown Princess while I find if my father plans to accommodate you here overnight."

"Actually, Praton," Dinus said with pointed courtesy, "We will be returning to Phaet this evening. My Prató has ordered me to deliver the Crown Princess safely into your keeping and then return directly after. She is here," he said, smiling with no sign of friendliness touching his eyes as he did so, "so we must return to Phaet as soon as possible."

Pulon eyed him back as coolly and responded. "Very well. You may accompany me to the main hall, and I'll have you taken back to the spaceport."

Dinus turned to Rue, taking both her hands in his. "Remember what my mother told you, Crown Princess. I wish the rest of your journey to be a pleasant one. I'll see you in a few weeks upon your return to Phaet." He formally kissed her hand, nodding to the rest of her entourage before motioning for his people to follow him from the room.

Rue dropped into a chair after the door closed behind him. "Well, now that was interesting."

Tenget motioned around the room, indicating they were being monitored, and Rue nodded back gravely.

"I think there is some rivalry between the Pratons because their fathers will soon face each other in the tourney. Each son rooting for his own father, that's good. Speaks of commendable familial loyalty if you ask me."

They moved back to the bedroom where their luggage had been deposited and chose their rooms. Rue took the suite recommended to her, and because there was no door leading to the hallway, Keestu took the adjoining room.

Gontu took the room opposite Rue's, while Tenget and Vahin chose to room together again. This left two rooms on each side of the suite empty.

After choosing her room, Keestu went back to the main room to find Vahin at the bar. He had started a pot of javene brewing, and the scent made Keestu sigh in anticipation. All the travel had taken a toll on her, and she found herself only too happy to sit and accept a cup, which she dressed using sugar and dry creamer from their suitcase of food supplies rather than trying to figure out which condiments of the en suite bar were meant to be used in javene.

Gontu and Tenget joined them, and after a few minutes, Rue came out, smiling as she was offered a cup of javene. She had changed out of Phaet's noble clothing into a black pantsuit and red shirt, and only then did Keestu realize that Dinus had left without retrieving his family's clothing.

Rue sat on one of the sofas, bouncing a little to test its firmness, then sank back and relaxed with her cup as well.

"That's an awful lot of travel in a short time," she said, settling her shoulders into the back of the sofa with a sigh. "I think I'll really sleep well tonight despite my nap on the Vuloan ship!"

"Yes," Vahin responded. "It's a good thing we'll have a few days here before we must move on. I'm afraid all the constant travel may harm your judgment during negotiations, but fortunately, they have allowed more than adequate time once we return to Phaet for you to rest up before negotiations are scheduled to begin."

"King Ismer instructed me very well in what we are looking for, and once we have the trade agreement in place, we can leave the details to those underlings better suited to the task," Rue said.

Keestu raised her eyebrows in surprise at Rue's somewhat haughty response, stifling her response by taking another sip of javene.

Changing the subject, Rue looked around smiling. "I have to say after the medium blue and purple of Phaet, it's strange to be surrounded by royal blue and gold."

"Perhaps we should change into our own clothing, too?" Vahin asked, looking discretely at Keestu.

However, they weren't given time, as a perfunctory knock on the outer door preceded its opening by Pulon, who was once again accompanied by a contingent of guards.

"The Prató will see you, Crown Princess. You and your people are to accompany me now, please. His schedule is quite busy, and you arrived sooner than he expected, but he would like to meet you before the formal dinner tonight."

Keestu sighed in resignation. A formal dinner meant heavy foods, lots of strangers, and many formalities to be observed, making for late hours. There went her plans for settling in and relaxing for the evening.

Vahin had finished his javene. Rue finished her cup, grimacing at the haste before placing her cup in the sink. Keestu, who had less to finish, swallowed the last of it while moving, and Gontu and Tenget poured half their cups down the drain.

They hustled back to the staircase, and Keestu, hurrying along next to Rue, nudged her, nodding towards the fence.

Bobbing her head in understanding, Rue asked, "Excuse me, Praton, what is the fence for?"

At the sound of her voice, growling issued from behind the fence, and four massive canines, their short brown hair bristling, came dashing into view. They raced up to the fence, snarling at the strangers, one trying to shove its muzzle through so it could get at them.

"Oh!" Flinching, Rue hurried down the stairs after Pulon.

He answered, "The fence is to contain my father's personal guard animals. Those shiuns will only allow the Prató and my mother, Bott, to pass into the wing reserved for the Prató. No one else goes in there. Other shiuns roam the palace, but they are harmless unless one of their handlers activates them. However, if confronted by one if you are alone, it's best to freeze in place until one of the palace staff comes along. You must also remember to not look them in the eyes or smile; eye contact and baring your teeth are canine dominance challenges that may provoke them."

"Okay," Rue said, her voice shaky after the encounter. "I'm certain we'll all remember those instructions."

Nodding, Pulon led them down a narrow hall to an unmarked door. He knocked again, this time waiting until the gravelly voice called, "Come!"

The Prató of Vulo was a disappointment to Keestu. He was standing in front of a large wooden desk, waiting to greet them. After the warning she had received about the man's temperament and after seeing the massive palace building, she expected him to be much taller. However, he was of less than average height of a Union person, making him shorter than Keestu. His hair was short, coarse, and black, his skin olive toned, and his clean-shaven face had a long thin nose and slanted black almond-shaped eyes that made his narrow face look more pinched than it already appeared given his sour expression. When he moved towards them, she saw that unlike his narrow head, his body was stocky, his arms visibly corded with muscles. His legs were thick as well, the width of his body and legs making him appear even shorter than he was. He stumped heavily towards them, face grim.

Keestu saw movement out of the corner of her eye. Their escort had spread out along the sides of their guests and turned to face them, tensing. Seeing this, she instinctively moved a step closer to Tenget, who had also tensed. Gontu's fists were already clenched, and even Vahin looked uncomfortable under the unwelcoming glower the Prató had turned on them.

"I am the Prató of Vulo," he said, stopping a full meter away. His fists clenched as he faced them, unsmiling.

Rue, realizing he was awaiting a response, moved forward one step and curtsied to him. "I am Crown Princess Keestu Ranell of Sandar, Prató."

"Ungh," Fernuin grunted, looking her up and down. "You're taller than I expected. It's not natural for a female to be so oversized."

Frowning, Rue explained, "Sandarians as a general rule are taller than the average Union humanoid, Prató; and I myself am considered to be of average height on my homeworld," she informed him, carefully keeping her voice neutral.

"Very well. As per the Autocrat's orders, you're here to see what Vulo has to offer in trade. You will return to your suite while I finish the day's business and our dinner is prepared. Your noble handmaiden may dine with us, but your servants are to sample the local fare on their own. Dinner is in approximately two Union hours. That will give your entourage more than ample time to dress in more appropriate clothing."

Waving a hand at Rue in dismissal, Fernuin turned and stamped heavily back to his desk.

Shocked at his lack of courtesy, Keestu stared at his back until Tenget nudged her into action.

As she left the office, she felt her temper rising. Even if Rue wasn't the actual Crown Princess, Fernuin's lack of courtesy was an insult to Sandar. She clenched her hands and teeth as the now silent Pulon and his guards herded them back to their suite.

He opened the door, waving them in with only slightly more courtesy than Fernuin had shown before leaving.

As the door closed behind them, Rue turned to Keestu. "He had us brought to him for that 'meeting'?" Her eyes were narrowed to slits with anger, and her voice low, which she was controlling with effort. "He must be very busy managing his planet if that is all the time he can spare a visiting Crown Princess, one he insisted visit his planet first."

"I wonder why there aren't other nobles available who can help him with all the tasks he must manage?" Keestu asked, despite knowing none of them had an answer.

"I know it must be horrible for him to have lost so many relatives so soon after taking control of the planet," Rue continued, "but surely things aren't still that much in turmoil? Couldn't the Autocrat send help?"

Vahin spoke up, trying to calm them, " No. If you recall, Praton Dinus said all the Autocracy's planets are autonomous in regards to local matters. The Autocrat and Autocress only issue decrees that affect the interactions of the planets with each other and must stay out of any local governing issues."

Rue finally sat down, her eyes still reflecting her anger. "Yes," she said through clenched teeth, "I remember that now. I just can't imagine a planet being in that much disarray and being unable to ask for outside help."

"Perhaps with all the preparations required for the upcoming tourney, there is no one to spare?" Gontu was speculating, though he, too, looked angry at how Rue had been ordered around and summarily dismissed by the ruler of this planet.

"I suppose we should spend our time looking for likely places from which to get our victuals this evening," Vahin recommended, trying to change the subject, "as the Prató made it plain that the formal dinner has no room for your servants."

Keestu's temper finally subsided. They had been warned by Dinus's stepmother that the Prató thought all women were inferior to men, though she wondered how he would have acted if Rue was presented as a ruling queen and therefore his equal?

Vahin motioned them to the console abutting the bar. There was a comfortable rolling chair in front of it, which he sat in at Rue's gesture. Scanning it with his cuff, he read the instructions aloud before activating the console. Once it was on, it was a simple matter of speaking what was required into the cuff and letting it translate for the console. Its voice-activated programming took control, showing several taverns that weren't too far from the palace that sounded promising.

"I wonder how we are to make arrangements to go there?" Vahin was disappointed that the console didn't offer this option.

"I can't imagine a pilot not being put at your disposal," Keestu said. "I certainly hope you aren't expected to walk ten kilometers or more to dinner and back."

"I would not go if that were the case," Gontu said. "It would keep me too far from the Crown Princess for too long, so we should be certain one will be made available to us, or make arrangements to have food sent up from the palace's kitchen so we may dine in our rooms."

"Yes, it's odd that the Prató didn't mention that as an option for us," Vahin realized. "I wonder what the reason is behind that?'

"We are expected to explore what Vulo has to offer," Tenget put in. "And with our limited time here, I'm sure the Prató is only giving us leave to start doing so immediately."

"It makes perfect sense when you put it that way," Rue said, finally regaining control of her temper, "I guess I'm more tired from traveling than I realized and am overreacting. It's probably just nerves now I know my first foreign formal dinner on Vulo as the sole representative of Sandar is tonight. How silly of me to think anything is amiss in our host's plans for the evening!"

They spent the remainder of their time dressing for the event. Keestu groomed Rue's hair, pulling half her hair into the high bun required to hold her headdress, inserting a carved wooden headdress made of black wood with white tassels to accent her pantsuit, before making two long braids from the rest of Rue's hair that she pinned into loops underneath the bun. When it was her turn to dress, she chose a black shirt and pants so her outfit matched Rue's. Rue arranged her hair into a high bun with a single braid hanging down the middle, inserting a Lady's headdress when she was done.

A female noble, the first Keestu had seen since arriving on Vulo, came to fetch them for dinner with two male guards as escort. She wondered if they had somehow earned Prató Fernuin approval since he didn't surround them with guards this time, or if the guards were occupied inspecting the other guests that were no doubt arriving for this diplomatic dinner. The woman was courteous and fluent in Unity, saying that she hoped they would enjoy seeing her homeworld as she led them to the drawing room that adjoined the dining room.

She knocked, waiting a breath after receiving permission to enter before opening the doors for her guests and motioned for them to enter, saying as she turned to leave, "I'm to escort your servants into town for their dinner."

Keestu was astonished to see not the receiving line she expected, but only Prató Fernuin and a small thin woman beside him. She had dyed black hair that was too flat a shade to be flattering to her olive complexion and dark brown eyes. She wore not the royal blue and gold of an immediate family member, but the gold with royal blue stripe of a lesser Vuloan noble.

Keestu was further shocked when Fernuin introduced the woman. "Crown Princess Keestu of Sandar, my wife, Bott of Vulo."

Rue, at somewhat of a loss, stepped forward two steps towards the shy-looking woman and extended her hand. "I'm very pleased to meet you, Praté Bott."

Fernuin frowned, snapping, "I said she's my wife, not a Praté. Did no one teach you how to tell rank in the Autocracy?"

"I apologize if I've made an offensive comment," Rue apologized with poise. "I was informed that courtesy titles were acceptable and expected in the Autocracy, and as she is your wife, and you are Prató, I assumed it was proper to call her Praté."

"She hasn't earned it," he snapped, "And here on Vulo, we do not allow one to display honors they have not earned as they apparently do on other planets."

Ignoring Keestu, he turned to throw open double doors to reveal a large dining room that held only a single small table, one empty of other guests.

"Prató," Bott said in a small voice. "I have finished cooking dinner, but I must dish it up."

Fernuin waved dismissal at Bott, and she scurried away through a single door to their left.

Fernuin pointed Rue to a seat. Keestu was directed to sit on her left, leaving two empty chairs sat between her and Fernuin. Given Fernuin's behavior since their arrival, Keestu wryly thought that he had put the foreign royal visitor as far from himself as possible and still have her at the same table out of sheer paranoia. Across the table from her sat three empty chairs, and Fernuin took the largest seat at the head of the table.

Keestu and Rue waited politely at the table while the rest of their table companions were called to dinner. To Keestu's consternation, it consisted only of his two children, Fernuin's son and daughter.

Pulon arrived shortly, nodding silently to them as he seated himself in the middle chair on the empty side.

A short time later Fernuin's daughter Shariel waddled in. She was hugely obese, a sharp contrast to the other Autocracy people Keestu had seen thus far who were amazingly fit. Keestu estimated this young woman's weight to be at least one hundred and fifty kilos. Her skintight satin outfit only heightened the negative impression one got of her obese figure. She had cut the legs of her pants off, making them into very tight shorts, and where her thighs bulged out from under the fabric they rolled up and encased the bottoms of the shorts in folds of flesh. Keestu tried averting her eyes, but incredulity at the foreign Princess's appearance riveted her attention to the sad figure.

Finally dropping her eyes, she noted that Shariel's too small sandals had twisted out from under her heels, so that they bumped along on the stone floor. Furthermore, her feet and ankles were swollen and mottled a dusky reddish color where the flow of blood was inhibited. Tearing her eyes back to Shariel's face, Keestu noted her hair was cut just below shoulder length, straight and jet black like her father's, but it was stringy and shiny with oil, hanging loosely halfway across her face, making it difficult to see her dark brown eyes. Keestu thought it was rather a pity, because a nice haircut could frame her still delicate features, which weren't entirely obliterated by the roundness of her face and bobbling triple chin.

Looking her over again, Keestu thought that with the right clothing accenting her more slender upper body and with care to her grooming, Shariel would not appear half as unappealing as she did. Shariel shuffled silently up to the table, wedging herself into the chair opposite Keestu with difficulty, totally ignoring her father's guests.

Fernuin sighed with irritation. "What have I told you about manners, Shariel?"

Keestu was startled by the fire in Shariel's eyes as she shot back at her father, "Who cares? No one cares what I think or do. Not since you killed the only man who ever showed any interest in me."

Fernuin shot to his feet, rushing around the table, delivering a slap to Shariel's face, his hand catching in her greasy hair. Making a sound of disgust and disentangling himself with difficulty, Fernuin went back to his chair, wiping his hands with a napkin, which he threw to the floor.

Keestu noted that the abuse had no effect on Shariel whatsoever; she continued glaring silently around room.

Rue exchanged a look with Keestu. Keestu shrugged, conveying that she had no idea how to react. She nodded towards Fernuin who now ignored his daughter as she ignored the rest of the table. Rue apparently took that as a signal to follow Fernuin's lead and ignored the outburst and the presence of his daughter, trying to act as though nothing happened, which was difficult since Fernuin didn't even attempt to start a conversation.

Glancing across the table, Keestu saw Pulon trying to hide his mirth at how uncomfortable his father looked. She found herself wondering how the family functioned at all if this was how they acted with visitors in their home.

Finally, the awkward tableau was broken by the arrival of Bott, who deposited two large pitchers of water on the table. She was nearly running as she left, returning a few moments later staggering under the weight of a large two-tiered silver platter. Keestu glanced around, amazed that there were no servants to help the Praté carry the load in, but she made no complaint or offer of help. Bott deftly slid the platter onto the table and began passing out plates. She served Fernuin first, but he sat unmoving. So did Pulon, who was served second. Fernuin scowled menacingly as Shariel grabbed food off her plate with her fingers and began stuffing it into her mouth as fast as she could as soon as her plate hit the table. She chewed loudly, gulping the food as quickly as she could before cramming another fistful into her mouth. Bott made her way silently around the table, depositing plates in front of Rue and finally Keestu. She took the last plate for herself and sat down on the opposite side of the table in the chair closest to her husband.

Fernuin curtly gestured to his daughter, and Shariel stopped eating, swallowing before she prayed in a faltering voice, "Great Rentham, we thank you for this day. Great Rentham, we thank you for this food. Great Rentham, continue to bless us. In your name we pray."

Everyone around the table said, "In your name," so Rue repeated it, followed by Keestu.

Fernuin motioned to Bott, who poured glasses of water for him Pulon, Shariel, and finally herself. Realizing the other pitcher was for their guests, Keestu stood up to pour drinks for Rue and herself.

Sitting back down, Keestu inspected the food on her plate. There was a thin slab of unidentifiable meat, which had been fried until it was shriveled, dried, and partially burned on the outside. There was no sign of seasoning or sauce near or on it. Next to it was a large serving of legumes, which had been boiled, drained, and heaped on the plate. Accompanying those two items was a sizeable chunk of thick bread that appeared to be mostly hard dried crust. Keestu picked it up and bit into it, and while it was freshly made, it was flavorless and the crust shattered into sharp bits that stabbed into her mouth. She winced, wondering if the bits of crust had cut the roof of her mouth as she struggled to chew it. Now she could see what Korin was talking about when he said he missed Sandarian bread. She continued chewing, finally managing to choke it down with a sip of water. She looked at Rue, who was trying not to make faces as she sawed a off a piece of meat with difficulty and put it into her mouth. Keestu watched as Rue chewed and chewed and chewed, finally swallowing the lump with difficulty. Keestu was grateful that her mother had thought to include ration cubes in their luggage. If this was the kind of fare the average person on Vulo ate on a regular basis, she thought it a wonder that Shariel managed to eat enough of it to get so heavy.

Keestu sampled the legumes next. The skins were hard and the insides dry, mealy, and tasteless.

Looking around the table, Keestu saw no bowls of sauces or gravies and no shakers of spices with which to flavor or moisten her meal.

Glancing up the table, she saw both Bott and Fernuin were eating with relish. Pulon looked indifferent as he silently ate.

After chewing a few bites of meat, Keestu found her jaw tired and sore from the effort. She finally managed to finish the bread and half of the legumes, but finally gave up on her tough overcooked piece of meat. She noted that Fernuin, Bott, Pulon, and Shariel were already finished eating. Rue was eating another bite of meat, but pushed her plate away after choking it down.

Seeing this, Fernuin gave a loud whistle. Two shiuns came running in through an open door, shocking Keestu. She received a further shock when Fernuin got up, took his fork and came to her, spearing the uneaten meat off her plate and throwing it to one of the waiting canines. Seeing the look on Keestu's face, he snarled at her. "What, servant? I paid for the meat, put it on your plate, and I'll do what I want with it!" He stomped down to Rue, repeating his actions. Rue sat back, stunned, and as she did, Shariel reached over, snatching the half-eaten bread from Rue's plate and frantically stuffing it into her mouth. Trying not to let her face screw up in disgust, Rue shoved her plate towards Shariel, who picked it up, pushing the remaining legumes into her mouth as Fernuin shouted, "No! She's had her dinner ration!"

He rushed at his daughter again, but she dropped the now empty plate back on the table with a bang, opening her mouth and letting out an ungainly burp, sending bits of food flying across the table to land near Keestu's plate.

Bott jumped up. "Time to go to the drawing room!" She smiled brightly at their guests and made shooing motions at everyone else as Fernuin stomped angrily out of the room.

Grateful to leave the table, Rue and Keestu followed their hosts to the drawing room. There was a large vidcom at one end, and a variety of mismatched chairs arrayed some distance from it. Fernuin turned it on and sat down, Bott next to him. Rue and Keestu took chairs as far from their hosts as possible, surmising that Fernuin would not be offended if they kept their distance. Only Pulon joined them in the drawing room.

The vidcom was broadcasting Autocracy news, but included subtitles in Unity. Keestu tried paying attention to it, but she quickly became confused reading about places she was unfamiliar with.

Rue was suppressing her yawn, but looked at Keestu with an expression that said she was ready to take her leave. Keestu nodded, jerking her head at their rooms, giving a mock yawn and stretch behind their hosts' backs.

Gratefully, Rue stood up, yawning hugely. "I'd love to continue watching the news with you, gracious hosts, but I'm afraid space lag has got to me. If you'll excuse me, Prató, I'll retire now. I remember the way to my rooms. Come along, Rue," she said, marching out without further comment.

Fernuin grunted assent, while Bott and Pulon ignored them, eyes fixed to the vidcom.

Making her way to the stairs, Keestu kept her mouth shut, Rue following her lead; they dared not comment on the meal where Fernuin's security measures could record them.

Once in their quarters, Rue went to her luggage, getting out a toothbrush and mouth sanitizer. She proceeded to the bathroom, Keestu not far behind. Leaving the water rushing to cover their talking, Keestu whispered in Rue's ear, using a Sandarian children's language game to further obscure their conversation. "That is the worst official dinner I've ever attended."

Rue whispered back in kind. "The food was awful. The company was awful. And the things Fernuin did!"

Keestu agreed. "I can't believe Fernuin called animals to the table. I'd have been more offended if the food had been edible. Good thing my mother sent ration cubes along. We'd starve otherwise." She turned the water off, and they went back into Rue's large bedroom.

Keestu led the way to their pile of luggage, unlocking the suitcase that held their food. She got out two ration packs and tossed one to Rue, who broke it open and ate one of the interior packages to finish filling her stomach, setting the rest aside. Keestu copied her, and they sighed in relief as they tasted the flavors of home.

They sat in companionable silence until Vahin, Tenget, and Gontu returned from their night on the town. They were staggering slightly, and Keestu realized they must have had alcoholic drinks with their dinner.

Vahin was the most relaxed Keestu had ever seen him, sketching an awkward bow in her general direction. "We have returned, Your Highness," he slurred. "As per your orders, we sampled the local nightlife, and found it good. Good food, good company, good planet."

Rue looked at Keestu, then back at Vahin. "Well, Adviser," Rue replied rather dryly, "Perhaps we'll join you tomorrow evening. We suddenly find ourselves very curious about the locals."

Vahin looked sharply at Keestu, who nodded affirmation that an explanation would be forthcoming.

Motioning for them to gather close to him, Tenget indicated which button they should press and hold on their translator units. After a few moments, crackles and pops sounded around the room, as the electronic surveillance cameras and audio recorders were disabled.

"Tell us what happened," Vahin said, appearing much more sober. "Is there a danger to you two?"

"No, Vahin," Keestu replied. "But the food was horrible, the company rude, and some of their habits disgusting. It was just an awful official dinner."

Keestu described in detail the events that transpired at what was the most disturbing dinner she'd ever had the displeasure to attend.

Vahin looked taken aback. "He took food from your plate and fed it to his animals!"

"I'd be more upset about it if the food was even mildly appealing," Keestu said wryly, "But since it wasn't, I suppose he saved me from trying to be polite by eating more of it."

Gontu asked. "What was their food like?"

"Meat fried until nearly completely burned and served without sauce or spice, accompanied by unspiced legumes, and the bread was so dry its crust will cut your mouth if you're not careful while chewing it."

"Sounds nothing like the delicious stew we had at the tavern," Tenget remarked. "Served in a soft yummy bread bowl that you get to eat as well."

"Any observations about the locals I should know?" Rue perked up, eager to learn more about the Autocracy.

Vahin answered. "They're very competitive. Games came out right after the meals were finished. I saw them playing Arsk, though their deck uses Prató, Praté, and Praton cards rather than Ruler, Consort, and Heir. They also use the Arsk deck to play a gambling game called Seven. There were others playing dice, and I saw an Engine Room board."

Gontu added, "Several people spoke of physical games, though no one went outside to participate in sports. I didn't see any computer-based games; all the games were board, piece, or card oriented."

Keestu nodded. "Did you hear anything about Throw Three or Throw Six? Those are the dice games Prince Dinus gave us. He said both are commonly played games as he gave me a case of dice after negotiating with Queen Mewa for some textiles."

Tenget spoke up. "Throw Six was called out at one table as I was getting a refill at the bar."

"What alcoholic beverages do they have?"

"No names really stand out at this time to me. Nothing I sampled is as refined as hirot," Vahin said.

Tenget flushed as he admitted, "From my time in the service, I'm certain some of their drinks would be welcome at home."

"Don't be embarrassed, Tenget," Vahin said. "Everyone's opinion counts. and mentioning specific items that would be welcome on Sandar will give the Autocracy an idea of what they should offer in their kiosks on the Hub. So don't hesitate to speak up, man."

"I won't," Tenget said, looking relieved. "I found Tinaquo flavorful and strong, something many in the service would like." Vahin recorded the liquor's name before describing his stew in a bread bowl dinner.

"Other than serving the most unpleasant formal meal you've ever had, what can you tell us about Fernuin? Do you think he'd be in favor of the trade agreement if he becomes Autocrat?"

"I can't say whether he would or not. I suspect if he becomes Autocrat, he'll be so busy beating everyone into submission that he'd probably ignore negotiations. Either that or try and ram his terms down our throats."

Rue nodded agreement. "He's extremely violent. Slapped his daughter over manners, not that she seemed to notice or care; she was to follow us to the drawing room after dinner and left without ever having given a formal hello or goodbye."

"Pulon also seemed unusually quiet. Just nods most of the time."

"Maybe beatings from his father have had a negative effect on his social skills as well?"

"He seemed quite different when we encountered him without his father around," Keestu said, shrugging. "Maybe it's custom here that children are seen and definitely not heard, especially at formal dinners. Remember how quiet Dinus was at meals with his stepmother present."

There was a loud knock on the door. Gontu and Tenget were instantly alert, jumping up and putting their hands on their pistols. Tenget nodded to Rue, who called out, "Who is it?"

"Security," a voice barked out as the door was thrown open and guards rushed into the room. Tenget and Gontu positioned themselves in front of their charges, blocking their advance.

"What is the meaning of this intrusion?" Rue's voice was high and scared, but authoritative enough to stop the guards in their tracks.

"Forgive us, Your Highness, but the surveillance equipment in the room cut out a few minutes ago. We were sent to insure your quarters are secure."

"As you can see, we are fine," Rue ventured, stepping around Tenget to face the squad's leader. "My grooming equipment must emit a frequency that disturbs your equipment's signals. Now leave us for the evening. Guard the hall if you like, but always stay out of my rooms until invited in."

Rue waved a hand in dismissal, receiving stiff bows from the guards before they left.

Keestu chuckled. "Taken a few cues from Fernuin, have you?"

"I assumed they'd not dare question my authority. If Fernuin will club his own offspring over a greeting, what would he do to an errant soldier in his employ?"

Vahin smiled at Rue's clever cover story. "Quick thinking on your part to tell them your grooming equipment destroyed the security circuitry."

"Actually," Rue said, looking rather embarrassed, "I got that from a serial story I watch at home."

"It should stop them from re-installing the equipment while we are here, if it gets damaged every day about the same time."

Tenget got back to business at hand. "So what about the Praté, Bott is her name? What's she like?"

Keestu shuddered. "First off, you are not to give her the courtesy title; Fernuin will not allow someone to use a title on Vulo unless they've earned it. Great Rentham, the woman is a carpet. Lets Fernuin walk all over her."

"He treats her like that, and she's the one preparing his food? What're the other servants like?"

"I never saw any. Bott said she had cooked and then served the food all by herself. What happened with the dishes left on the table after the meal, I have no idea. Perhaps the shiuns got up on the table and licked them off. All I can say is, I will not eat another meal prepared by her or served at a table Fernuin is eating at."

"Well," Vahin suggested, "You could say that the meal didn't agree with your digestion."

"How will that get me out of here the next time they want me to attend dinner with them?" Rue looked anxious.

"Perhaps you will have to stay, but not eat their food, while Keestu can be sent out in search of suitable edibles for your Princess' delicate digestive system," Gontu suggested.

Keestu shook her head. "I can't leave Rue alone with these people. Perhaps she can insist on going out herself? Ordering things to be done seems to be what those in charge do, if Fernuin's any indication, and Rue acting as a Crown Princess, with her position assured, could exhibit that cocky of an attitude and expect it to be accepted, can she not?"

Vahin considered carefully. "I'm not certain, but it would probably work at least once. If it's as gross a meal and company as you describe, though, how to avoid them on a regular basis?"

"It's something to think about, but now now. I'm tired, and we should all get some sleep," Keestu said. "If any of you have any recommendations, I'll be happy to discuss them in the morning."

She motioned for Rue to follow her to their connected suite, and Rue wearily followed her.

The next morning, they were spared having to make excuses to their hosts, for Fernuin and Bott were nowhere to be found. Instead, they were greeted by the serving staff, who informed them that Fernuin and Bott had been called away to attend to a matter of importance, and Pulon was already attending to his job as well. It would be their pleasure to prepare a meal for their guests.

"What food do you have in mind?" Rue decided to be direct.

"Fernuin and Bott prefer toasted flat bread with a tiny amount of fruit spread and stimweed to drink," the cook said. Seeing the dismayed look on Rue's face, the cook quickly amended, "But we can make you anything you like."

"Well, I don't suppose you know how to cook flatcakes," Rue considered, "But any kind of grain porridge with cream and flavorings might be acceptable to my digestion. I'm afraid last night's dinner didn't sit well with me at all," Rue said, laying the groundwork now for her escape later.

"The staff usually eats that and toasted yeast bread with Rillul nectar or a local red fruit spread. It's a semi-sweet fruit that is also mixed into the porridge."

Keestu nodded to Rue, who smiled at the cook. "Plain porridge and the toast should be acceptable. We have yeast breads at home, so I should do fine with that. If you could bring both the Rillul nectar and the red fruit spread, I can try both to see if either agrees with me. What drink did you mention?"

"Vuloan stimweed is the drink that Fernuin and Bott prefer, but it's considered an acquired taste. Javene is available since it grows well on Multana. Fernuin serves it to people he doesn't like, because he feels it's an insult to serve them foods different from what he prefers, though his parents preferred javene to stimweed." The cook fell silent, stopping herself from saying more about Fernuin's deceased parents.

"It's a common drink on my planet, and I know it won't upset my stomach, so I would prefer javene. I'm not used to foods as dry as those served last night. Perhaps the addition of a sauce or two might help my digestion in the future."

"Fernuin and Bott do not like sauces, so Bott never prepares them for her family, and we aren't allowed to cook for guests on the rare occasions Fernuin hosts a dinner. However, as you have indicated you like them, please be seated, and we'll bring the yeast bread, nectar, and red fruit spread. You can start on that with the javene while the porridge cooks."

"Thank you," Rue said, and the cook smiled brightly, surprised but very pleased at being thanked.

Once they were all seated at the table, Vahin looked around the room, nodding emphatically at everyone to indicate they should watch what they were saying.

"I hope our hosts don't have too urgent a matter to take care of," Rue commented, realizing she needed to start the conversation.

"I wouldn't worry about it, Princess," Vahin said. "I'm sure it's nothing that you need concern yourself with."

"What should I do while they're gone?" Rue's eyes sparkled in anticipation.

"After our foray last night, I think it would be safe for you to check out the local shops," Tenget said.

"That will take several hours."

"We don't know when our hosts will return, especially since the matter was urgent enough to take them away without word," Vahin responded, "So we should have ample time to explore the local economy."

"Your Highness," Keestu said, "Shouldn't we sample the foods that they described to us? It should be easier on your digestion than last night's meal, since none of those who dined out suffered from indigestion."

Rue's eyes lit up. "Ah, that's an excellent idea. Vahin, Tenget, and Gontu you truly have no ill effects after eating out?"

"None. You should avoid eating anything you had last night again. Rue can inform our hosts of its incompatibility with your system later. We can't risk you being unable to attend to trade matters if what you had was a mild allergic reaction; the next time you might not be so lucky."

Servants delivered sliced bread and a tabletop toaster. Keestu saw that while the crust was thicker than they were used to seeing at home, it didn't comprise three quarters the thickness of the bread, nor was it dry and hard. Bowls of Rillul nectar and red fruit spread were laid alongside. Cups of hot javene were served, along with cream, sweetener, and spices.

Once the first round of toast was served, the cook staff retreated to the kitchen to finish preparing the meal.

"Oh, that's much better," Rue said, after sampling toast with Rillul nectar. "I think this nectar is the same we sampled at Autocracy Station. I know I had no problems with that."

"Princess," Vahin advised Rue, "Since you had no ill effects from the Rillul foods on Autocracy Station, perhaps you should request that you be served this for breakfast for the remainder of your time here?"

Rue nodded agreement. "Unless I find something else that agrees with me. I'd rather eat Vuloan foods if at all possible, as it will cost our gracious Prató a considerable amount to import exotic food stuffs."

It wasn't long before the porridge was brought in. It was made with a variety of Autocracy grains, which were rolled before being boiled.

Taking a small serving to start, Keestu added cream and sweetener, before sampling bites with different spices and deciding that a local yellow fruit and Rillul nectar were most pleasing to her.

"That's much better," Rue said after eating. "Simple fare compared to home, but I'm certain my stomach can handle porridge and toast."

"You should mention that the Rillul quick bread and flatcakes don't upset your digestion, Your Highness," Vahin said. "That would give you some of the variety you're used, as I'm certain our host would be happy to accommodate you, and Rillul foodstuffs should be the least cost prohibitive to import."

"An excellent compromise, Vahin," Rue said. "Thank you for your suggestion."

A different female noble assigned them a pilot to fly them into town. The main street was lined with shops, and the streets were filled with a mix of plain-garbed people giving way to the satin-clad noble class.

"Are all those people in plain clothing commoners?" Keestu asked their driver.

"Who, the Dunnes? Yes. They do all the menial labor, which is all they're suited to, seeing as education never goes far wiff 'em."

He expertly landed the flitter in a parking lot. "I wait here while you shop," he told them.

Rue was looking around, surprised. "After the paranoia exhibited by Fernuin, I expected the place to be teeming with pickpockets and other ruffians. However, this looks like any small town at home if you ignore their clothing."

They passed their first Dunne, a female, and Keestu noted with great interest that the clothing wasn't plain as it looked from a distance. It was made of rough homespun cloth, but it was richly embroidered with vines, flowers, and animal figures, and was very colorful, though all the colors were muted.

Rue stopped at a shop and was looking in the window to allow Keestu time to study the Dunne woman. Curious about the store, Keestu joined her. Keestu held up her wristband, scanned the sign above the shop. "Tailor," she informed everyone.

They stepped inside, seeing on one side of the shop a pair of noble women dressed in gold satin sitting idly at their counter looking bored. On the other side, Keestu saw a Dunne woman, who looked up, smiling brightly at them as she set aside a length of cloth she was busy embroidering. She jumped off her comfortably cushioned chair and bustled up to them. Seeing their alien clothing, she slowed, stopping some distance away, bobbing her head.

"You those foreign visitors they've been talking about?" She said in Unity, nodding her head in the direction of the other women, who were suddenly paying attention to their customers.

"Yes," Rue answered. "We are. We've come to see what wares you have that might be of interest on our worlds."

The woman blushed, indicating the nobles on the other side of the room. "They're be better suited to serving you then, Your Highness."

Rue stopped her, stating, "We've seen those brightly-colored geometric-patterned trade goods already. Prince Dinus and his entourage brought a lovely selection of cloth with him on his visit to our world, but he made no mention of your textiles."

"Nobles can dress down, but we Dunnes can't dress above our station," the woman explained. "I don't know any nobles who do dress down, 'cept those occasionally having some fun with foolin' us."

"Not everyone on our planets is noble, either, just like here," Rue said to the now shy woman. "I should look over all the shop's wares if I'm to make an accurate report to my king, as all our peoples are interested in what goods your culture can offer."

Keestu watched the noble women settling back with disdainful looks, as if the Dunne's fabrics were so beneath them they didn't even want to touch them.

The Dunne woman directed them into her section of the store. "All our fabrics are locally made. Dunnes can't use satin, nor bright colors, nor geometric patterns, not even geometric patterns that are not assigned to rank or planet. But, we can and do use many Autocracy animal and plant fibers, along with natural dyes that are colorfast and lightfast; they won't bleed in the laundry or fade in the sun. As you can see, we are allowed to use images of people, plants, animals to decorate our cloth."

Keestu, seeing a lovely pastel pink stole, picked it up. The material was quite thin, flexible, and soft, embroidered with a simple light blue flower border, and when she slung it over her shoulders as a test, she found it surprisingly warm. "I'm certain many women at home could benefit from these," Keestu said, "Especially during the winter months."

"Yes, those are popular here during the cold season, for while we don't get much snow at this elevation, it does get rather cold given the higher humidity we have compared to other regions. This stole is meant for indoor use, when some extra warmth for your core is needed and you don't want extra bulk. In the snowy regions on Vulo they use much heavier clothing; more waterproof materials are needed for outdoor winter clothing in those areas, so synthetic fibers are what you'll mostly find there."

The woman went to her counter, returning with two metal pieces, one a straight pin, and another twisted into a simple flower shape. "When both hands are needed to do work, these shawls are pinned so they don't slip off." She held her hands inquiringly out to Keestu, who nodded. The woman rearranged the shawl, overlapping its ends before slipping the pin through both layers and the flower. Stepping back to survey the result, she nodded.

Rue had wandered off, but turned to look at Keestu, nodding while examining a table of needled and embroidered socks, gloves, and mittens. "I think these would be very popular at home."

"Do you often wear needled hats here?" Keestu couldn't recall seeing any of the Dunnes wearing hats.

"Not as a general rule. We Vuloans tend to wear hooded outer garments. Hoods can be tied or buttoned tightly closed, or worn looser, and are impossible to lose unless you take off your outer garment, an advantage when you are wearing natural colored clothing in the woods."

"I would like to purchase a pair of needled socks, gloves, mittens, and the stole and pin my handmaiden is wearing. How do I go about paying you?"

"Oh, the Prató said we are to give you whatever you require while here. I can wrap them and you can take them with you, or I can have them delivered to his palace. Your choice."

"I can't just take your goods without giving some payment in return," Rue said, shocked.

"The Prató said he will deduct any goods you wish to take with you from the monthly tithe we shopkeepers pay, so it's not like I'm not being fairly compensated."

Rue looked at Vahin, who moved to her murmuring something Keestu couldn't hear.

"Very well, then, please wrap these up for us," Rue said reluctantly to the woman.

"Fine," the woman smiled, "Let me write up a bill of trade for you to sign, and you can take these items with you."

She pulled out two sheets of paper and a pen and began writing. Rue went to the counter, scanning the first sheet with her cuff, reading the translation. Using her cuff as a guide, she printed her name in the Autocracy script underneath the signature line before signing it and afterward was presented with an identical handwritten receipt the shopkeeper had signed.

The saleswoman deftly rolled the socks, mittens, and gloves up in the stole, working the pin through it so that the bundle was secure while leaving a ring of fabric available to slip an arm through. Rue handed the bundle to Keestu.

They wandered the streets looking in other shops, which held a variety of household goods. They spent an hour in a grocery store examining the various fresh fruits, nuts, and vegetables, many which had been harvested from the wild. There was also a large selection of canned and dried goods available, and a small selection of premade food items as well.

They passed another hour in a furniture store. Keestu was drawn to the natural green wood items, liking the rough hewn logs that had been split, polished, and made into tables or chairs, for while they were rustic looking, the chairs were quite comfortable. However, none of these would fit in with the palace decor at home, so she shook her head when Vahin asked if she thought they should take any with them. They accepted a single chair as a sample, and Tenget took it upon himself to carry it back to the flitter.

Tenget put the chair in the cargo area while Vahin was instructing the pilot to take them to the tavern they had visited the previous night.

Keestu walked into the tavern, inhaling the enticing scents of food and fresh bread, and realized with all their walking and shopping that she was quite hungry since breakfast had been light on protein.

Looking over her menu, Keestu ordered a sweetened fruit drink along with soup in a bread bowl from their noble waitress, curious to try it after hearing Vahin's description.

Keestu was delighted when her meal arrived. A small round bread loaf had been hollowed out and filled with a delicious meaty soup with the cut top placed alongside it with some whipped butter. The bread was chewier than she was used to, but certainly a far cry from that served at the palace the previous night. She alternately dipped chunks of her bread lid into the soup to moisten it or spread it with butter as she ate her meal. Rue ordered the same, while the men ordered plates of roast meat and vegetables in gravy, served with thick slices of dark beer bread. Since Keestu was having a bread bowl with her lunch, she reluctantly skipped sampling the beer bread, though it looked moist and hearty.

Looking around the tavern, Keestu saw a small raised stage against one wall and long narrow shelves along another piled with a variety of games. After finishing her meal, she excused herself to check out the dice, Valjer boards, and Engine Room boards. She flipped through a deck of Arsk cards, and while she couldn't read the Autocracy's script, she found she could identify most of the cards by their pictures.

They walked back to their flitter to find their pilot was still at lunch. They sat on benches under trees at the edge of the lot while waiting for their pilot to return. More people joined them, mostly Dunnes, who chatted amongst themselves while waiting. Hearing the soft wheezing of a motor, Keestu looked up to see a segmented transport pulling up to the benches. Doors whooshed open to allow nobles to debark from the front while Dunnes exited from the rear. Once the exodus was complete, those waiting began to board. The driver, dressed in noble satin, called out to them in Phaet. "You going to Outskirts?"

"No. We're waiting for our pilot to return from lunch," Vahin responded, turning up the volume on his cuff so the driver could hear his reply. The driver nodded to them before sealing the doors. The transport lumbered off, slowly circling the flitter lot before going back the way it had come.

**Chapter fourteen**

On arriving at the palace, they were met by a male servant.

"Fernuin and Bott have returned from their trip, but are too busy to attend to you now. They suggest you return to your suite for the afternoon."

Once in the suite, Keestu was bored with nothing to do. She turned on the vidcom, but all the broadcasts were in Phaet, so she quickly gave up trying to follow what was said since her cuff couldn't keep up with the more rapid exchanges.

Ushering everyone into her bedroom, they used their cuffs to destroy Fernuin's monitoring equipment so she could record a message, repeating their actions in the other bedrooms to insure no monitoring equipment could pick up Keestu's recorded report home.

"Father, as you know, I've been to Phaet and am currently on Vulo, the same system where the wood came for the green table that Praton Dinus gave to the Senator of Chtawlikt. We had our first formal dinner last night, an extremely horrid experience--the food was bad, the hygiene of the tableware questionable, and the company less than desirable. We made up for it today, going into town to shop while our host and his wife were elsewhere. We found some nice clothing I think would be useful in the winter, stoles with ingenious bent metal pins to keep them from falling off, needled gloves, hats, and mittens, some of which were also embroidered. We bought samples to bring back. After that was done, we visited a grocery store but didn't buy anything there, and then stopped in a furniture store and bought a chair. We ate at a tavern, the same one Vahin and the others ate at last night while Rue and I attended the official dinner. I had a delicious meat soup in an edible bread bowl. They seat nobles separate from the Dunnes here, but do allow them into the same establishments, which is a surprise given the Prató's stubbornness with regards to station. I can't honestly tell you much about Phaet, since all I saw was the Prató's house, the palace, and the spaceport, so I'll have to reserve judgment for when we return to Phaet after we finish our tour of the Autocracy. We are telling our Vuloan host that the Crown Princess can't stomach his wife's cooking, so we should be dining out for the remainder of our stay. The Prató's wife, Bott, has got to be the meekest noble I've ever met. I'm not certain what we are to do tomorrow, or if our host will accompany us on trips to show us what his planet has to offer to the Union; he lost many close family members to a fever shortly after taking power, and he along with his son, who is the current Praton, their proper title for a Crown Prince, are the only ones running all the major affairs of Vulo at this time. As far as I can tell, his full grown daughter doesn't do anything, and relations between her and her father are so hostile I doubt she'd carry through with any duties if he trusted her to perform them. Our suite here in the palace is quite large and was used by the Prató's mother and father before their deaths, very suitable accommodations for a visiting Crown Princess. All for now. I love you."

She went out into the common room, handing her capsule to Vahin without comment. He received one from Rue, and to Keestu's surprise, both Gontu and Tenget had message capsules as well. Vahin put them into a single locked container before sending Tenget to find a servant to ship them to the Jewel on Autocracy Station.

Sitting on a couch near Rue, she asked. "Did you notice the quilts on your bed?"

"Yes, they're decorated with the close family rank insignia," Rue replied.

"And every other bed is decorated with quilts using the lesser Vulo noble pattern."

"And yet, the carpet in this room is a different design," Rue said, lightly scuffing her foot on the interlocking hexagonal pattern at their feet.

They looked at the walls, consisting of plain wood planks for the inner walls and stone block for the outer; there was no wallpaper, and the drapes were made of dark blue velvet. There also were no tapestries or paintings to be seen. However, the spare decoration of this suite bespoke elegant taste. The wood used for the furniture had been stained a light warm brown, giving the impression of Vulo's noble gold, but in a muted shade that did not glare at the eyes like the satin quilts in the bedrooms did. Looking more closely at the windows, Keestu noted the wooden window frames were stained the same warm brown.

"Lovely," Keestu said to herself before explaining her observations to Rue.

Looking around the anteroom with fresh eyes, Rue said. "Yes, I think you're right about these being muted tones of the planet's colors! Maybe this room was decorated before the brighter blue and gold tones were adopted? Or maybe they've faded over time--it's entirely possible that this room was decorated years ago, perhaps even a century."

"Perhaps we'll get a chance to ask our host sometime."

A knock sounded on the door. "Come in," Rue said after a moment.

The noble woman they recognized came in, flanked by two men. She was carrying a small gold satin bag in her hand.

"I was sent to inform you that since your digestion does not agree with Bott's cooking there are no plans for a formal dinner tonight. The Prató and Praton are busy with planetary matters, so you are free to go out and do what you wish for the rest of the day and evening. Churnó has been assigned as your pilot for the duration of your stay here." She pulled a small square gadget from the bag, offering it to Rue. "Push this button, and Churnó will be ready to take you where you wish by the time you reach the garage. Again, remember the Prató's instructions with regards to the shiuns, and do not try and enter his wing of the palace, and you have your run of the place. Feel free to explore it at your leisure, but do not disturb the Prató unless you have actual business with him. That wing is where the Praton works as well. If you don't remember the way, there are guards stationed at the head of that hall who will let you know that it's off-limits."

Gontu spoke up. "Is Bott available to speak to us for a few minutes? We need to know the foodstuffs she prepared the previous evening so that the Crown Princess knows what to avoid."

"I believe Bott is in the kitchen, preparing dinner for the family." She moved into the hallway, taking out a pocket com. She spoke softly and quickly into it, then waited for a reply.

"Yes," she confirmed. "Bott is in the kitchen, so you may ask her what she served last night. Please follow me."

They were almost to the stairs when they saw Shariel being escorted into her quarters by several guards, who ordered her into her suite before locking the door behind her.

Shocked, Keestu stopped and stared.

"Shariel failed her weekly weigh in again," their guide explained. "The Prató has rationed her food and forces her to exercise several hours a day, but she doesn't lose any weight. The Prató claims there is no medical reason why she should not be losing weight, so every time Shariel fails to lose weight at a weigh in, she's locked in her room without dinner as punishment. The Prató has had her room searched many times and can never find any cached foods, so it's a mystery how she maintains her weight at one hundred and sixty kilos."

Once downstairs, they went through the dining room and the door that led to the kitchen. However, Bott wasn't there.

"She must have gone to the pantry for something. Please wait here for her. I'm sure it won't be long. Unfortunately, I must leave you, for I have duties that can't wait."

The woman hurried off with her guards, leaving them alone in the kitchen. Curious, Keestu went around it, examining the cooking equipment, not recognizing the function of anything beyond the oven. The others followed her as she peeked through a door at the other end which opened onto a staircase leading down.

"The pantry must be in the basement," she said to the others, who followed her into the dark stairwell and looked down at the lighted landing below, trying to find Bott. She turned around and was about to go back into the kitchen, when she heard a cupboard banging shut in the kitchen.

Shushing the others, Keestu looked through the door, which was slightly ajar. She saw Shariel in the kitchen, her arms full of cooked food in containers. She was hurriedly shoving trash into the disposal chute and was trying to find something with which to carry her bounty.

A door shut below, and Shariel whirled in their direction. Keestu froze, hoping that the princess couldn't see her in the unlit stairwell and was relieved when Shariel didn't. She waddled to the decorative molding on the wall by the side of a set of cabinets, pulling on a protruding decoration. The molding swung out, revealing narrow entry with a hidden staircase going up behind it. Shariel turned sideways, wedging herself through the opening with difficulty, placing her purloined food on the steps. Dashing back into the kitchen with surprising agility, Shariel grabbed a large bottled drink container that had been left on the counter. A swift look around confirmed no cabinets had been left open, and Shariel forced herself through the narrow opening again, closing it behind her. There was an audible click as the hidden door was secured.

Keestu motioned to the others and hurried back out into the kitchen, leaving Gontu to quietly shut the basement door. They barely got to the other side of the kitchen before the door was shoved open by Bott, who was lugging a large metal jug with several gallons of milk in it. Gontu turned his retreat into a gallant offer of assistance for Bott, as she looked in surprise at her unexpected guests.

"I'm very sorry to disturb you, Bott," Rue said, "But I have to ask you what you served last night, so I can avoid eating it again."

Bott, who was directing Gontu to set the jug in the fridge, thought for a moment. "The meat was gouma, the Prató's favorite. The beans were amian. The bread was made from an imported grain called roshil."

"Gouma meat, amian beans, and roshil grain bread?"

"Yes, that's right," Bott confirmed. She went over to the oven, pulling out a dish holding a thick layer of brown slime covering unidentifiable lumps.

Bott said, "Mmm," as she stripped a piece of the slimy film from the side of the dish and slid it into her mouth. "It's too bad you can't eat gouma. This is one of my favorite recipes."

Rue gulped, her stomach turning. "I'm so sorry, but I must remain as healthy as possible for my trip, and I had a very bad night last night, so I feel it's best I don't waste your food until I know more about which Vuloan foods I can tolerate."

"Perhaps I could make you some poultry then?"

"Maybe another time," Rue said diplomatically before leaving the kitchen. "Thank you for letting me know what foods I need to avoid while I'm here."

Churnó didn't speak Unity that well, but the translator cuff overcame the language barrier.

They were flying towards the city, talking quietly amongst themselves with their cuffs off to provide them with some privacy. "Was it me," Keestu asked, "Or did that look like meat boiled in slime that she was planning on serving tonight?"

"Yuck," Rue said, "When you put it that way, yes. That's exactly what it looked like. I thought it looked like algae had grown over a dish left in the fridge too long."

"Too bad we didn't have that last night, or I could have soaked that nasty stale bread in it," Keestu continued. "Might have improved both."

"Okay, now my stomach is getting turned," Gontu complained. "Please talk about something else!"

"Sorry, Gontu," Keestu said. "I was thinking that after last night, maybe I wasn't giving Bott's cooking skills the benefit of the doubt. After seeing her in the kitchen today, I know I was being too kind."

The flitter settled into the parking lot they were familiar with, but Churnó directed them down a different street. "Place you chose eat tonight two block that way then three door down on left," he said through the translator. "I have family in town, so I go that way," he pointed in a third direction. "You almost ready go back palace, you hit caller, and I come fly you back, right?"

"Okay. We ready go back, we call you just before," Rue used similar pidgin phrases hoping it helped Churnó understand.

Churnó smiled widely at them, sealing the flitter's door before he took off at a fast walk in the direction he'd indicated. Keestu noted that the sun was nearly down, and streetlights were coming on around them.

They walked the direction Churnó indicated, nodding to the nobles who recognized them and either nodded politely to them or moved out of their way as they. The Dunnes avoided all but their own kind, and Keestu noted large groups of the commoners clustered here and there chatting in Phaet with what sounded liked good humor.

This restaurant was located close to the west bank of the river that paralleled the city. It wasn't as neat as Keestu was expecting. The lit sign had a burned out letter that made optical scanning of the name difficult, and the interior wasn't as large as the place they had gone to for lunch, but it was nearly full, resonating with a muted roar of genial conversation.

Their entrance was noted, and a good-natured howl of welcome went up from the nobles, which the hostess had trouble quieting. She grinned at them with good humor, her hair neatly tied back, and had a clean gold linen apron tied around her waist over her satin uniform.

"Welcome to Vulo, Union people. We look forward to trade with you," she said in Unity. "Please come this way."

She seated them by a wall in the noble section, glaring around at the tables nearby, ordering them to do something in Phaet. One noble put his hand on his chest in mock distress, his eyes opened wide, as he responded to her command. The woman barked something else at him. Keestu glanced at her cuff for the translation, "Especially you!" She wondered what else had been said, but grinned helplessly at the others in her party as they caught the infectious good mood of the nobles around them who laughed at the scolding the hostess had given them.

Their waiter showed up, also wearing a gold linen apron. He dropped tall mugs on the table, adding pitcher of light ale and a pitcher of ice water. Keestu tried the ale, but knew better than to drink a full mug of alien alcohol without knowing more about it. Rue also chose water to drink. Vahin, Tenget, and Gontu, however, had no reservations about filling their mugs with ale.

There was no menu in this restaurant, as their waiter returned, dropping baskets of fried vegetables and dips at all of his tables. Next, he brought a large platter covered with plates, each of which had a small bread bowl perched on it. When it was their turn to be served, Keestu eagerly tasted the thick stew of ground meat and legumes mixed with a red spice.

"Oh," she said, "That's good!"

She was greeted with a chorus of agreement from the others. When her small bread bowl was nearly empty, she spotted their waiter bearing a kettle and ladle, offering refills of the stew. Keestu struggled with her conscience for only a few moments, before she held up her fingers, pinching them together to show she wanted a smaller portion. Their waiter nodded, slowly ladling more into her bowl. When it was half full, Keestu nodded, putting her hand over it to signal that was enough. The waiter smiled at her before refilling Gontu's bowl to the brim. Keestu noted the men were on their second mugs of ale.

An assistant waiter was moving around with fresh pitchers of ale, but Gontu and Tenget reluctantly had theirs filled with water. However Vahin, to Keestu's surprise, had his mug filled a third time.

As she finished her meal, Keestu realized that much of the clamor had died down. Many diners had left, while others were playing games while chatting in more muted tones than they had used earlier.

They were getting the receipt for their meal when two male nobles entered, laughing loudly. One of them called out to the restaurant, and Keestu looked at her cuff. "The Prató's get," was all that it understood and translated. She wondered if Pulon had been sent to find them.

"He just said something about the Prató's child," Keestu informed her table.

"We better check it out," Gontu said, wobbling momentarily as he stood.

Vahin nodded in jovial agreement, and they approached the nobles, one of them very drunk. He put his finger to his lips with exaggerated care as he grinned at them, hushing them while motioning for them to follow. He staggered into the night and around to the back of the building. Keestu looked around before she followed him, alert for a trap. She saw that Tenget and Gontu, while feeling their drinks, also scanned their surroundings before entering the alley.

Keestu was completely unprepared for what she saw there: Shariel, her back to them, had her hands in the trash barrel, and was pulling out leftovers and eating them with the same single-minded intensity as she had the food on her plate at home.

Disgust warred with pity in Keestu. She understood that Shariel's mother was a horrible cook, but Shariel herself appeared to either lack the discipline needed to keep her eating under control or she suffered from a serious medical disorder. She was eating as fast as she could, and Keestu realized she must do this every time she was locked in her room for the night, for it gave her many hours in which to get to the city and return unnoticed.

The drunk noble sniggered loudly next to them, and Shariel whirled, her cheek and chin smeared with stew. Keestu saw horror, shame, and anger on her face before she shouted something at them in Phaet, which was muffled by the mouthful of food she had just crammed in.

Keestu turned away, finding that their erstwhile guides had vanished, no doubt fleeing the wrath of the Prató's daughter.

She grabbed at Tenget's arm, pulling on it while emphatically nodding her head towards the lighted street. They began heading that way, but stopped when they heard shouting coming from that direction.

"Down the alley," Gontu decided, urging them past Shariel, who was still shouting at them in Phaet. Keestu didn't bother to try and read the translation on her cuff in the darkness.

They were almost to the end of the alley, when their way was blocked by a group of six Vuloan nobles armed with stun staves, spears, and short swords. "So," one of the guards growled at them menacingly in Unity, "You're digging in the trash with the Prató's glutton offspring!"

Before any of them could respond, the guards were rushing at them. "Spread out," Gontu shouted. "Find a weapon if you can!"

Keestu looked frantically around the alley, but saw nothing she could use as a weapon. She looked back to see Gontu planting his feet in front of Rue, who he'd shoved towards Keestu. Tenget sprang forward to face the threat with Gontu, while Vahin searched behind them for anything useful to use to fight. Finding nothing, he moved forward and resolutely formed a second line between Keestu and the onrushing Vuloan nobles. Keestu checked behind her again, grateful she heard no more sounds of pursuit from that direction. She felt her first stab of fear as she realized even Shariel had vanished.

The first of the men were on them, and Gontu sidestepped the first stun staff thrust at him, grabbing it with one hand as he delivered a backhanded punch to the man carrying it with the other. There was an audible crunch as the man's nose broke, and he fell to the ground, yelling what Keestu assumed were curses in his own language. Gontu kicked him soundly in the stomach after he landed, and the man curled quietly into a ball, unable to cry out with the breath knocked out of him.

Meanwhile, Tenget had met his first assailant and was grappling with him over his stun staff. Neither had punched the other, and Keestu watched in horror as the short sword of another man chopped down on Tenget's left arm, severing it just above the elbow. Tenget screamed, reflexively kicking out at the man who'd maimed him as he fell to the ground, blood spurting from the wound.

Seeing Tenget gravely injured and that they were now greatly outnumbered, Gontu turned to Keestu, yelling the one word she never thought she'd hear from him. "Run!"

Rue didn't hesitate and whirled, grabbing Keestu's arm and hauling her away. Two of the men made their way around Gontu, who threw up his hands in surrender at the sight of the bloody sword being brandished in his direction, before he knelt and began frantically wrapping something around Tenget's stump to stop the bleeding. Tenget, meanwhile, was groaning in agony, though he, too, retained enough wits to try and help Gontu stop the bleeding.

Keestu hesitated again, and the men caught up to them, so she planted her feet as she'd been taught, and waited as the first man charged up to her. The guard, haughtily assuming she would surrender as Gontu just had, didn't aim his stun staff at her. Keestu kicked him in the groin as hard as she could, seeing shocked surprise on his face as he dropped to the ground. His companion shouted something in Phaet at the others, who turned in her direction with fresh hatred in their eyes.

Gontu, still trying to bind Tenget's arm, caught Keestu's eye. "I said run, Keestu! Get back to the restaurant and call for help!"

This time, Keestu turned and ran. However, before she reached the restaurant's dubious safety, more armed Vuloan nobles appeared at that end of the alley.

Rue seized Keestu's arm again, slewing her around towards a block fence that separated the alley from someone's yard. There was a trash receptacle propped against the wall, and Rue scrambled up on it, clambering over the fence. Keestu followed her, running blindly through the dark yard, hoping she didn't twist an ankle in the uncertain footing.

A loud crash sounded behind them as their pursuers knocked over the trash bin as they began climbing the fence, still chasing them.

Seeing a stack of firewood, Rue stopped. "Keep going. I'll be right behind you!"

Keestu nodded, saving her breath. Rue was grabbing a long thick branch as Keestu ran past her.

She reached the front of the house and saw just beyond what she'd failed to hear over the fight--the river. If they could find a way to ford it, they could hide in the forest until order was returned.

Hearing running behind her, Keestu loped in a slower but steady pace across the open bank, allowing Rue time to catch up to her. She saw the half-full massive orb of Vulo II rising and spared a moment to gawk at the impressive sight.

Shaking herself out of her reverie, she pointed and called, "Here," seeing in the light of the rising planet the outline of a line of stones that looked like they reached all the way across the river. She jumped out onto the first rock, wobbling a little bit before hopping to the next, and the next. She was nearly half way across, when her foot slipped on an algae-covered rock. She bobbled for balance, but began to regain her footing, when something hit her hard in the low back.

Keestu flailed for balance and twisted around, surprised to find not Rue behind her, but one of their assailants. His handsome face was contorted with anger and effort, and the end of his stun staff came swinging up again, this time towards her head, hitting her so hard on the chin that Keestu's vision grayed out as she lost her footing. She splashed headlong into the water and was swept downstream.

The cold of the water revived her instantly, making her bare hands and face hurt. Her muscles, warmed by her run, quickly became sluggish in the cold water as Keestu thrashed around, trying to keep her head above water. She hit a submerged boulder, barking her right shin painfully, and then another with her left shoulder as she was tossed helplessly by the current.

Something grabbed at her hair, and she reached out, finding a branch and tried and pull herself out of the water. The thin branch broke off, and Keestu submerged again, pushed under by the current, holding her breath until it hurt, and then finally breaking through to air again as the water shoved her in another direction.

She continued to tumble helplessly, and concentrated on holding her breath when she went under, gasping with increasing effort when she came back out. Her hands were numb, stiff, and nearly useless now from the cold, and she had lost much of the feeling in her face.

Her consciousness waned again, and Keestu realized with a sudden jolt of terror that she was going to drown. She rallied a little, trying to push herself towards one shore or the other, but the current was too strong and she began idly wondering if she would be aware of the water rushing into her lungs or if she'd be completely unconscious when she died.

Something hit her upper back with a sound thump. Keestu, nearly overcome by the cold, ignored it. Something hit her again, and this time, Keestu realized it was man-made as it fell around her. A loop of rope tightened around her, and she was being hauled towards the shore.

Coughing violently, Keestu tried to help her rescuer, but couldn't grasp anything with her frozen hands. However, she feebly kicked her legs and moved closer to the shore. She kicked again, adrenaline giving her some additional strength as she realized she might live after all. She kicked several more times, each time feeling the pull of the current receding. She couldn't hear any voices above the roar of the water, but finally, somehow, she was out of the water, laying face down on the bank, coughing violently, while a small group of people gathered around her.

She finally rolled on her back with difficulty and looked up, expecting to see noble clothing, probably part of the group who'd attacked her and her entourage and for a moment didn't care that she would be bludgeoned rather than left to drown in the frigid river. However, the man who leaned down to her with concern on his face was wearing a thick brown homespun jacket. He was a Dunne.

Keestu fainted then.

**Chapter fifteen**

Keestu came to slowly. She was wrapped in two rough blankets and was laying half covered by straw in the back of a wagon, which was jolting along at a good pace. She became aware of the sounds of harnesses jingling, and then the steady footfalls of the draft animals pulling the wagon.

Voices murmured close by, but she couldn't understand what was said. As she strained to understand, memory returned to her. She was on the planet Vulo, light years from home. She, her handmaiden, bodyguard, physical defense trainer, and protocol adviser had been attacked. For what reason, Keestu didn't know. What had the one said? "You're digging in the trash with the Prató's glutton daughter?"

She tried to sit up, found she was weak after her ordeal, and slumped back. The voices ceased their murmuring, and then she heard someone move closer.

The man she'd seen after being pulled from the water was riding with her in the back of the wagon and helped her to sit up.

He spoke to her in Phaet. Keestu shook her head helplessly.

"Ah, you are forced to learn Unity, then?"

"No," Keestu responded. "I am from the Union."

The man gave her a startled look. He turned to his companions and translated her statement. The other three men in the back of the wagon crowded closer to get a better look at her.

"You fell in river? Why weren't you attended by Prató's people?"

"We were chased by nobles, and I was clubbed and pushed into the river by one of them," Keestu told the man.

He gasped. "Noble pushed you? Why?"

"I don't know," Keestu said. She felt warmer in the blankets and straw, but was still shivering. Feeling began returning to her hands, and they hurt. Her right shin stung, and an ache in her left shoulder and low back told her she'd be in worse shape in the morning.

The man whispered with his companions again, then turned back to Keestu. "We take you home for night. We help you."

"Thank you," Keestu said, closing her eyes in relief. When she opened them again, she saw pity and understanding in the man's features. Only then did she realize she was crying.

The man urged her to sleep, and Keestu burrowed into the straw, trying to warm up more so she could rest. She closed her eyes, but they flew open again when the image of Tenget's arm being cut off entered her mind unbidden. She didn't even know if her trainer was still alive; he had lost so much blood. She didn't know if Rue, her best friend, was still alive. Or Gontu. Or Vahin. She had never been in a real fight before tonight, and the suddenness and brutality of it shocked her. As the shock wore off, and she realized how close she had come to dying, Keestu began to shake, her entire body shuddering rhythmically as she tried to come to terms with her situation: She was alone and light years from home in enemy territory. It would be days before the lack of reports made the crew of the Jewel contact the Autocracy to come and look for her. Days in which her enemies could hunt her down and finish the job. She shut her eyes again and lay in the straw, quietly crying and shaking. Finally, as complete exhaustion set in, the paroxysms stilled, fatigue claimed her, and she fell asleep.

Hours later, in the dead of night, she awoke when the wagon stopped moving. She was gently urged to follow the man into a house, where she was shown to a small straw mattress near a fire. Her clothing had dried during the trip, and she eased her leather shoes off her feet, curled up with her rough blankets, and warmed by the heat from the fire, gratefully went back to sleep.

She woke early the next day to the sound of a woman's voice and opened her eyes to electric lighting. She looked up to see a stocky woman with light brown hair and light blue eyes leaning over her.

"Sorry to wake you," the woman said in fluent Unity when she saw Keestu looking at her. "But it's time to make breakfast. Are you hungry, Union woman?"

Keestu found to her surprise that she was. "Yes. And the name is, um, Rue."

"Umrue?"

"Sorry, just Rue," Keestu said. She had considered giving her real name, but on the off chance Rue was still alive, Keestu didn't want to break her cover, and if Rue was dead, then Keestu didn't want to break hers.

"I'm Anthan," the woman informed her. "You're outside of Outskirts, about ten kilometers away from Palace City. My man, Dex, brought you here last night by wagon on the back trails. Said you'd been attacked by the nobles."

"Yes, and I don't know why," Keestu said, wincing as she rose from the straw mattress. Her jaw ached, and she put her hand up to it, suddenly remembering the noble who had struck her in the back with his stun staff had also hit her in the face with it. She realized it had actually been a glancing blow; a direct hit probably would have broken her jaw. Her right shin throbbed, and her left shoulder ached, though she'd slept on her right side, and the small of her back hurt as well. She threw off the blankets with difficulty, looked down and saw that she had bits of straw stuck to her hair, the fabric of her pants was torn, her right leg was scraped and bruised where she'd collided with a boulder in the river, and she surmised that her, face, shoulder, and lower back looked no better.

"The privy is in there. Do you know how to work an earth toilet?"

"I'm sorry, no."

"You use the big bucket with the seat, put used paper in, then use one or two scoops of the material from the smaller bucket to cover."

Anthan ladled hot water into a basin, adding some cold water before checking its temperature. "Here's water to wash when you're done. Pour it into the dispenser above the sink before you use the commode."

Keestu went to the privy room, which while cold was more sophisticated than it sounded. A hollow log with a natural bend in it extended from the back of the bucket used as the stool and went out through the wall, taking with it any smell. There was a sink made of polished wood with one small basin over another and another wood pipe that exited through the wall. Keestu poured the water into the basin at the top of the sink, used the privy, scooped some decaying leaf matter into the bucket, and then pushed on a lever with her elbow so the water dribbled slowly from the top basin into the sink, giving Keestu ample time to wash her hands. She dried herself with a clean hand-woven towel that hung against the wall.

When she came back out, Anthan was at the fire, pulling a kettle to her with a metal hook. She took a metal dipper and scooped out some hot water, which she poured into a ceramic mug. She handed the steaming mug to Keestu, who inhaled the pungent scent that wafted from it.

"Drink it, Rue. It's herbal pain powder dissolved in hot water. The plant grows here on Vulo and is better than that chemical mix the nobles use."

Keestu sniffed the mug again, tasted it and found it a little sour, but she sipped the hot concoction as she watched Anthan work.

Anthan was slicing yeast bread into thick portions. She pulled a metal rack from the hearth, dropped the bread slices into it, placing it next to the fire to toast.

Keestu examined Anthan's home with interest. It was a small but neat earthen house with walls made of packed dirt mixed with straw, which had hardened as it dried to a brick like consistency that was then painted over with whitewash. Above her, Keestu saw a wood-beam ceiling supporting the second floor of this humble abode.

Anthan used another ladle to stir a pot of porridge, and then deftly used a metal hook to pick up and turn the rack of toasting bread. She sang contentedly to herself in Phaet as she went to the wall and got down a jar and scooped a different powdered substance into several more mugs.

When that was done, she went to a ladder and called something up it in Phaet. Noises from the level above indicated that the other occupants of the house were awake, and soon enough, Dex and two young boys climbed one after the other down the ladder. The boys immediately took a basin of hot water and went to the privy room together, while Dex looked Keestu over.

"You look awful," he said, shaking his head.

Anthan gave her mate a sharp look and clucked her tongue at him emphatically.

Keestu realized there were no mirrors in this home. She felt the back of her hair, which had come undone in the river. It was a tangled mass, and she had lost her headdress in the river.

Unphased, Dex continued, "Jaw is purple and swollen, and shoulders are hunched. You look like it was terrible fight."

"Most of the damage was done by rocks in the river." Keestu noted that his Unity wasn't nearly as fluent as that of his wife.

"Still, you got away from them. Not many do."

Anthan had filled his mug, and he went to a low table and pulled up a stool made from a stump of wood with a cushion tied to the top.

The boys came back from the privy, smiling shyly at Keestu.

"Orta," they said in greeting to Keestu before taking their mugs to their places at the table. Keestu smiled back. She knew enough Phaet that it was the equivalent of 'morning' and returned the greeting.

"I've picked up a few words of your language while visiting Phaet," she explained to Anthan who was looking at her in surprise.

Anthan waved Keestu to the table, and she took the stool offered while Anthan filled her mug with the same herbal drink she'd made the others. She returned to the fire and brought the toast, which was smeared with herbed clarified fat, then the pot of porridge that was also herbed but not sweetened.

While the meal was quite simple, it was very hearty, and Keestu was soon full, though there was no food left over.

"Must tell others you here," Dex explained after the boys were sent out to do their morning chores. "Only ones I trust. Others we tell you cousin come to visit while fetching tithe for us this month."

"Tithe?"

"Our monthly tithe has to be taken into town. When you return to town, we thinking you could deliver it for us. Save us two day walking, one there, one back, give you cover go into town same time."

Keestu was at a loss. Now that she felt rested and safe for the time being, she had not thought what she was to do next.

"Can I get off the planet from Palace City?"

"No, you need go Spaceport City, two day walk other direction."

Anthan interrupted. "She can deliver our tithe to Spaceport City instead. Covers both us and her, since there is a tithing station there."

"But how do I pay to get transported off planet? I need to get back to Phaet at the least, or Autocracy Station at the best." Keestu's mind raced, now that she was considering her options, and she realized if she could get to Phaet, she could reveal herself to the guards at the Autocrats' palace or walk to the Purvol estate from the spaceport. She was certain either would be more than happy to summon the Jewel to come get her.

"Is your tithe ready to go? I can start today?"

"No, today is too soon," Anthan said. "We don't spend more time away from home than we have to during harvest time. Tomorrow would be better, since it's a longer trip to Spaceport City, and then you'll meet up with others going that direction, and be less likely to be stopped."

Keestu nodded. This was making sense. So she'd have cover for getting to Spaceport City, then she groaned as the thought occurred to her, "How will I pay for passage, and would they let someone dressed like this board a ship?" She pointed to her torn and dirty clothing, picking at several more pieces of straw she found stuck to her in demonstration.

Anthan frowned, taking Dex aside and murmuring to him a while in Phaet. It was too fast for Keestu to follow, but she didn't reach for her cuff to check if it still worked since she didn't want to upset her only allies.

Dex looked over at Keestu, considering, then nodded at Anthan, who went up the ladder. Keestu heard some rustling, then a flat fabric wrapped package dropped down to Dex, who brought it to Keestu.

"I noble," he admitted quietly, thumping his chest with one hand. "I meet Anthan, love her, attach her. This against Vulo law, but not enforced long time, only ever since..." he broke off, changing what he was saying. "I keep clothes though gone Dunne. This also against Vulo law. However, you stranger. Dress Vulo noble, not be harm if caught. You 'not know' who rescue you, give you clothes. Vulo not trace. These get you to spaceport and off planet."

"How do I pay?"

"We barter. Know patch fungus grow, very rare, very desirable for medical on way Spaceport City. You pick, you give at spaceport, no problem leave Vulo."

"But if it's that rare, why give it to me?"

"Have what need. Every year pick some when need, leave plenty to grow more. I woodsman, more likely find it than others. This year, you need. Fernuin cruel ruler. Hope he thumped good at Tourney, maybe learn respect others."

Dex unwrapped the package, revealing the gold with royal blue stripe satin clothing of a lesser noble. Keestu nodded, suddenly appreciating the generic look of it. She was not likely to be questioned, and if caught, she could say she found the clothing, or stole it from someone's laundry line. She touched her jaw, and then grinned though it was painful.

"Bet I look like I got thumped good in challenge," she explained to Dex and Anthan, who laughed in surprised agreement.

"I go now, tell who needs know you here. Women come, help get you ready go, re-size clothes, get tithe ready early for us."

He went to Anthan, touched her cheek with great affection, then picked up an axe and left through a heavy wood door that creaked as he swung it open and shut.

Anthan handed Keestu a brush for her hair, then washed the breakfast dishes as Keestu carefully pulled out the worst of the tangles. She found most of her hairpins hadn't fallen out, and set those carefully aside as she worked along with bits of straw she came across. When she was done, she realized her hair was standing out in a halo from her head. It was naturally curly, and having had it in a bun and braid only accentuated the curls. She decided that when she got to Spaceport City, she would pull all her hair back into a braid, as the more active noble women with long hair did to keep their visual fields clear.

Now that the plan was set, Keestu found herself restless. She wanted to start for the spaceport today, but knowing it would endanger Dex and Anthan, she resigned herself to waiting.

A few minutes later, there was a soft knock on the door.

"Ako non," Anthan called out, and four women carrying baskets entered, chattering quietly. They stopped when they saw Keestu and bowed their heads shyly.

"This is Rue, Union noble," Anthan said in Unity. "We are helping her escape Prató Fernuin. She needs to go to Spaceport City, and this is why our tithe needs to be ready early. She needs noble clothes to get on a ship, so these need resizing." She handed the clothes to one woman.

Anthan tossed a scarf to one woman. Keestu saw that it was made of numerous woven squares that had been joined together. "You know what to do with this, sister. We send her to Linson tomorrow." The woman nodded and went to the table to work on embroidering the scarf under the bright electric lights hanging there.

Keestu found herself ushered to the privy, where the woman with the Vuloan clothing bade her undress, sucking her breath in at the sight of Keestu's battered body. Keestu looked down, finding several large blue-black bruises she'd gotten when being washed down the river, and her ankles were still stained brown, making them look dirty. Recovering her composure, the woman had Keestu put the Vuloan noble clothing on, and then set to work, pinning first the sides and arms of the shirt, which Keestu carefully unbuttoned and removed after the pinning was done, and then the pants, which had an adjustable hook and loop waist, and therefore only needed some material removed from the inside seam of the pants and bottom cuffs.

Once that was done, the woman left Keestu to get redressed. When she returned to the living area, Keestu saw the first woman already working on the shirt and had given the pants to another. The fourth was standing at the bottom of the ladder, catching two light but bulky packages that Anthan dropped to her.

Anthan came back downstairs, and the woman who'd measured Keestu spoke to Anthan, who turned to Keestu. "Loodev says you need to wash your feet?"

Keestu shook her head, saying, "My ankles have been stained and will remain stained for another couple of months."

"Hmm, you have some strange customs in the Union," Anthan said, then changed the subject. "We felt these," Anthan said as she unwrapped one of the bundles. Keestu saw a fabric like the one Dinus had traded to her mother for hirot liqueur. Unfelted, though, the individual pieces could be seen through, and they were sewn together visibly at the edges. "This shrinks the fabric. We make hooked pieces and sew them together, and felting it tightens it so the seams blend, and you get geometric fabric that looks woven that way, but isn't hard to make," Anthan explained to a fascinated Keestu.

"I know you've never seen lesser odek fleece before, but have you ever carded any fiber?"

"No, sorry. But I can try."

Anthan showed Keestu to a corner chair, where a large barrel of fluffy clean fiber lay. Next to the chair was a table with a drum carder, the first Keestu had ever seen. "You pull out a handful of fiber so," Anthan demonstrated, "Fluff it open, lay in tray with ends this way, slowly turn crank, brush down, repeat three times, more is too much. Then take old needler and pull up here to separate," she showed Keestu the seam in the carding cloth, "then peel fiber from carder, lay aside. You get a total of four made, tear each in quarters, mix one quarter each, run through again, done with those four. Then start another four. Any questions, ask my sister Maurni at that table." Anthan pointed out her sister to Keestu.

Keestu nodded, pulling out her first handful of lesser odek fiber. It was soft, and on closer examination wasn't all a uniform color. The tips were lighter than the cut ends, and there were other variations in the fleece as well. However, as she carded the soft mass, she noted how the colors blended into a more uniform brown, though here and there interesting flecks of color remained. Looking at a homemade jacket hanging on the wall, she realized that Anthan had probably made it from the fleece up. It humbled her to realize how much effort went into making such a basic necessity as clothing, something she had never thought of while living a life of luxury in her father's palace where she saw large bolts of cloth several times a year and thought nothing of how they came to be.

She realized after an hour that her shoulders were tired. Her left still gave her occasional sharp twinges of pain, but not as much as it had, so Anthan's herbal pain remedy was helping.

She made twelve finished batts before Anthan and her assistant came back in, and the women took a break. Anthan made Keestu drink another mug of pain relieving herb.

Maurni displayed her progress on embroidering the scarf. A line of uniform green stems marched all around the edges, and some pink flowers had been seemingly randomly embroidered on many of the stems, and now Maurni was working on randomly stitching yellow flowers. Anthan studied it intently, and then nodded.

Seeing Keestu's puzzled expression, Anthan explained. "We use this for secret writing. Only pink flowers give message. Then we fill in with other colors at random, as this is a traditional design. Danmal a famous male needler invented this for secret writing when he realized we needed to send messages the nobles can't read. If they don't know it's a message, they don't try and read it. We also use pictograms that come from ancient tradition in some longer messages."

Keestu looked at the scarf with fresh eyes and noted, indeed, that some patterns were repeated in the pink flowers. However, she knew that once other colors were added, it would be much more difficult to discern a pattern to the pink flowers.

"So each flower represents what?"

"A single letter. It's time consuming, and the message can't be that long, but then secret messages never are. We write them in Unity, as my family and I learned it to trade with the Rillul before moving away from Palace City after Fernuin became Prató." Anthan pulled out a sheet of paper and charcoal stick. "I don't write Union, but I can sound out letters for you." She made a quick line of stems and made little bulbs on them to represent where the pink flowers went on each letter, then gave the charcoal stick to Keestu and sounded out the letters one by one. Keestu wrote out the letters using cursive Sandarian, randomly breaking between letters in case they were interrupted while she was learning it. She could then say that she was learning how to embroider different colors for flowers and this was her personal note on how to do it. She went to the privy to wash her hands when she was done so she didn't get any of the charcoal on the fiber she was carding.

"Learn that while you continue carding," Anthan said, "And you can read the message on the scarf."

Their break was over, and the women got back to work. Keestu was interrupted several times by the women adjusting the clothing. Temporary seams were put into the clothes, and the fit was carefully checked before the excess fabric was trimmed and the real sewing began. Maurni continued embroidering, using other pastel colors to fill in the rest of the blossoms on the message scarf.

Keestu studied the flower alphabet, sounding it out over and over until she was certain she had it memorized. She took a break and asked Maurni to let her try and read the scarf.

Keestu slowly read the message. Several words were misspelled, but Keestu was pleased to finally make out, "Union esape Prato send by Anthan to Linson for hep."

She nodded and returned the scarf to Maurni, who still had a number of blossoms to embroider.

Keestu completed four more batts before lunch. She sat quietly listening while eating a thick slice of untoasted bread spread with herbed fat and two large cubes of cheddar cheese.

When her noble clothes were ready, Keestu was told to change into them while her own clothing was repaired and washed. She found the satin outfit comfortable, but the color was garish and distracted her as she continued carding fiber.

Anthan checked Keestu's batts, looking them over with a critical eye, asking Keestu to reprocess several of her earlier batts, which weren't brushed as evenly as the others. After she finished those, Keestu carded five more complete batt sets and had made two more batts of the next group of four before Anthan declared the work done for the day.

She and her helper brought in the two lengths of cloth, which showed an intricate interlocking design that fascinated Keestu.

Keestu's clothing had been repaired, washed, and dried. In addition, her pants had been bleached and redyed a medium brown. She changed back into her own clothing with a sigh of relief.

As Keestu folded her finished noble clothing, she examined the fine stitching with a fresh appreciation for the skill of the women who had done the work. If she hadn't seen them working on the clothing, she'd be certain the seams had been sewn on a machine. To her surprise, she was also provided with a gold satin drawstring pouch that had been made from the excess fabric, and it was explained to her that since noble clothing typically had no pockets, they sometimes carried things in a pouch that was tied to the pants at the waist. She noted the pants had had loops on either side of her belly button to hold the pouch, giving her the option of tying it on either side.

Maurni had finished the scarf and handed it to Anthan with a smile. Keestu examined the scarf, and while she knew the message was there, it was hard for her to make it out with the other colors filled in. She thought the design was pretty by itself, looking from a distance like a field of wildflowers.

"Thank you so much," Keestu said to the women as they prepared to leave, "I don't know that I'll ever be able to repay you."

"Oh, no worry. Anthan come help us get our tithe ready next couple days--we have more time since ours is going to Palace City," Maurni reassured Keestu before bobbing her head in farewell.

"Now, you help me make dinner," Anthan said. She had Keestu wash her hands free of lanolin, then showed her how to peel tubers and set her to peeling several pounds of them while Anthan added some kindling and wood to the coals to restart the fire burning. She put a clean kettle over it, adding some water and herbs. Then she turned to dicing some meat that she got from a small fridge unit.

"Why do you cook with fire instead of electricity?" Keestu was curious.

"I grew up cooking on fire, and I like things slow cooked," Anthan explained. "Flavors blend better." She added the diced meat to the kettle, and then helped Keestu wash and chop the peeled tubers before adding those to the pot. When that was done, Anthan brought out several other vegetables and had Keestu help her peel and dice those before they were added to the pot.

After covering the stew, Anthan pulled a large covered bowl from a shelf above the fire. She took off the towel, revealing a mass of risen dough. Anthan punched the dough down, kneading it on a floured surface before dividing the dough into five portions and placing it into greased round metal pans and placing the pans back above the fire and covering them with towels for another rise.

Keestu continued carding, watching with interest while Anthan went to the family's store room for some grain that she put into an electric grinder so she could start the next day's bread, explaining to Keestu as she did so, "I wasn't expecting company today, so our bread bowls will be smaller, but I put extra vegetables in the stew to make up for the lack. Dex won't be pleased since he loves bread, but it was his choice to bring you, not that I'd have turned you away myself."

"Thank you so much for your help Anthan. I'm sorry I don't have much to offer in return."

"Nonsense," Anthan scolded her. "You're saving one of us four days walking to Palace City and back, which means I can get a head start on harvesting and canning for the winter. It may be three months away, but if I can get the plants to give an extra crop by starting harvesting a week early, I can barter that extra food to get some sugar or sweet syrup to make treats for the family for Midwinter Festival. Besides, you also gave me nearly a day's head start on carding, so I'll be making our clothing for next year that much sooner. I think that's a fair trade."

Keestu looked out a window and saw with surprise that it was already late afternoon. Anthan's boys came home and were given hot water to wash. Soon after, Dex returned, placing his axe by the door.

Anthan checked the dough before removing a large brick from above the fireplace, revealing the oven built into the wall. She checked the fire before putting the pans of dough in the oven.

Keestu was sent with a bucket to fetch water to refill the kettle that was kept over the fire and a barrel that was kept inside. She easily found the large clear stream and dipped the bucket in, shuddering a little as she watched the water rushing past. She hefted the bucket and steeled herself to make as many trips as were necessary while her hosts washed up for dinner.

Finally, it was her turn, and she gratefully took a basin of water and scrubbed her hands clean again. She also splashed water on her face, hoping she didn't look too disreputable.

When she went back to the kitchen, she found that Anthan had pulled the bread from the oven, and the scent of it reminded Keestu of home, and she sighed in appreciation as she sat at the table and mimicked her hosts actions of cutting the top off her bread bowl, scooping out the interior to hollow it, grateful that Anthan and Dex used forks rather than the finger utensils preferred on Phaet. She ate the chunks of warm fresh bread she removed, and then when that was done, the bowl was filled with a delicious stew, hearty with tender slow-cooked meat and vegetables. After helping prepare the meal, Keestu realized a new appreciation for the work of the palace chefs at home as she hungrily ate her share.

Night had fallen by the time dinner was done, and Keestu helped Anthan wash the dishes while Dex pulled a stool near the fire and sharpened his tools. After bringing in firewood, the boys quietly played several games of Engine Room at the dinner table, rolling the die and moving colored seeds around a handmade board. Anthan pulled out a large hook and bright red yarn and quickly made several geometric motifs. Keestu watched for a few minutes before resuming carding, finishing up the batts she had started and blending another four batts to completion before she found her eyelids drooping.

Neatly stacking those batts with the others, she turned to find that Dex and the boys had already quietly climbed the ladder to their beds.

Anthan smiled at Keestu and said, "I was waiting until you were ready to sleep." She put her completed motifs into her basket and waited until Keestu had washed, taken her shoes off, and settled on her mattress near the fireplace.

"Thanks again, Anthan," Keestu said, yawning hugely.

"You're welcome, Rue. Good night." Anthan climbed the ladder and hit a switch that turned off the downstairs lights.

It was very dark and quiet. After her eyes adjusted, Keestu watched for a while as the fire crackled comfortingly, extending its warmth throughout the home. She was tired, and her thoughts had no time to disturb her before she fell asleep.

**Chapter sixteen**

Morning came sooner than Keestu would have wanted. Her left shoulder still ached, and her right forearm was sore from turning the crank on the carder the previous day. Her leg, however, was feeling better. The swelling was gone, but she had a large bruise on her shin.

Anthan gave her a dose of herbal pain reliever, and Keestu was glad it wasn't a sedating variety.

At the breakfast table, Dex took out a sheet of paper and used a sharpened stick and homemade ink to draw a detailed map for Keestu, showing her the foot trails she would follow through the forest. He had traveled that route many times himself, so the map was very detailed, showing every major fork she would encounter and clearly marking Linson's tavern's location on it as well.

He told Keestu, "You should walk about fifteen kilometer per day. Make sure you stop Linson's tavern in Dunne settlement first night."

"Only fifteen kilometers? I can do more than that in a day," Keestu said.

"You be walk rough trails and carry two burden baskets," Dex explained. "It hard going, and you don't want spend night on trail. Not unsafe, it just uncomfortable without fire. We don't have spare flint and steel, and I no have time teach you make fire from raw materials."

"Oh, of course," Keestu said, "I understand. I'll be sure to stop at Linson's, then."

"Second day, when you get last fork edge of clearing where Spaceport City at, go left fork about quarter kilometer and look for rock look like greater horned odek animal's rump. It wild relative of lesser odek we keep for wool. Twenty paces behind towards sunset dense group trees. In there fungus buy your way offworld. Take four largest fungi without stalks on top–those about release spoors to grow more. Offer two as payment first, but plan give all four ticket agent."

Dex told her to retrace her steps and take the turn that led into Spaceport City. "About half kilometer before enter Spaceport City, you find abandoned earth house that is sleep in by Dunnes who don't have anything barter for room Spaceport City. It powered by hydroelectric generator so have light and electric cook. Hide noble clothes, food, and mushrooms in roof thatch while go town, take tithe Spaceport City, find tithe office, which mark with banner in Vulo color with Prató's geometric sign on it. You know right?" At Keestu's nod, he continued. "After deliver tithe and get ID chit back, return earth house change noble clothes. Leave burden baskets and tithe ID chit under thatch by front corner eave. I arrange friend bring it back that come our way few day later. When that done, you no trouble find spaceport."

"Linson is my brother," Anthan told her then. "So he will not question my decision to help you, not with the scarf I'm sending along with you."

Anthan gave her a wooden mug and several doses of the herbal pain powder and their morning drink in different colored cloth packets along with a long hooded coat to wear over the message scarf and her own mended clothing, explaining, "This time of year, the wind is very cold, and unexpected late rain showers or early snows can blow up. This will keep you warm and dry. You can leave the mug and coat with the baskets when done with them, and Linson will keep the scarf, to return to us at a later time. Have a good journey, Rue. I wish you luck in escaping Vulo."

Keestu impulsively gave both Anthan and Dex hugs and profuse thanks for their help, smiling at their sons as she strapped on the burden baskets, one front and one back, before being shown to the head of the trail by Dex and Anthan. Keestu noted that Vulo II was setting to what she designated as her west, looking like it was going to collide with Vulo I when it reached the horizon.

"You go slow and steady today," Dex advised her. "Most uphill. Once at Linson's most flat until Spaceport City. Walk with Rentham, Rue."

"Thank you Dex, Anthan. You walk with Rentham, too." Her eyes teared up as she saw the kindness and concern in their eyes, and she gripped their hands again in farewell.

Keestu resolutely turned away from them and started up the trail. It was a narrow single track that wound this way and that, and she had to watch for loose or deeply embedded rocks and tree roots dotting the rough path that made for difficult footing. It was still early, the sun not quite visible, and as she climbed, a heavy fog blew in and blanketed the forest. Keestu felt as though she was in a virtual reality, with the alien plant life looming suddenly out of the fog that surrounded her, the bulky burden baskets draped on her, and an unfamiliar coat that swished past her knees as she walked. Used to long exercise sessions, she paced herself slower than she would normally walk, and then slowed even more as the path climbed a ridge then wound up and down across it.

She entered a clearing at the top of the ridge, stopping for a moment to look at her map. A loud snort sounded on her right, and she whirled towards it. A large shaggy horned animal stood looking at her from a distance of twenty meters. This, then, was one of the greater horned odeks that Dex had told her about. It snorted again, and Keestu instinctively spoke to it, shooing it away. "Go on, now," she called at the beast, waving her arms. It snorted a third time as it wheeled about, tan buttocks vanishing in a swirl of mist and long locks of matted wool. Relieved, Keestu cautiously crossed the clearing. She felt safer back in the woods, thinking that if she encountered another beast like that one it would not have room to charge her.

The sun finally rose high enough to burn off the fog, though the wind, as Anthan had informed her, stayed cold. An hour later, it finally warmed enough that Keestu threw back the hood, removed the scarf, and unbuttoned the top two buttons on the coat.

She checked her map at every fork, hoping she wasn't misreading it and was greatly relieved when she came to a wide creek that had a log footbridge constructed over it. Dex had told her this was a little further than the midway point between their house and Linson's tavern. She rested a while here, eating the small loaf of bread and large chunk of cheese Anthan had packed for her lunch, dipping her mug into the creek for water.

Greatly refreshed, she resumed her journey.

The sun was low in the sky when she arrived in the Outskirts that lay halfway between Palace City and Spaceport City. Keestu thought Vuloan place names must be awfully confusing until you got used to them, as there was a town named Outskirts by Palace City as well. Consulting her map, she found Linson's tavern without any difficulty.

Her feet and legs ached from the constant changes in balance required on the rough trail, and her left shoulder and lower back were quite stiff when she entered the tavern and shuffled up to the bar.

A man with light brown hair and blue eyes was leaning on the bar, watching her progress.

He eyed her sympathetically as he took in her bedraggled appearance and heavily bruised face.

"Ako non," he bade her, motioning towards a seat.

"Speak Unity?" Keestu said hopefully. The man's eyes narrowed in suspicion. Reaching into the basket strapped to her front, Keestu pulled out the scarf, handing it over to Linson, for it had to be him.

Linson took the scarf, looking it over carefully before admitting. "Yes, I speak Unity. Anthan sent you, and with a scarf our mother made, eh? What did you do to make the Prató so angry?"

"I have no idea. I was part of the contingent visiting from Sandar. We went out to dinner because the food at the palace didn't agree with the Crown Princess's digestion, and we were attacked in an alley outside the restaurant by Vuloan nobles."

The memory of Tenget's maiming and possible murder flashed before her eyes, and she choked up slightly. "Have you heard anything about the altercation?"

Linson shook his head, the sympathetic look returning. "No, but the Prató would suppress that information as long as he could. It would look very bad for Vulo, particularly for him, if word of this got out. No, he's the type to try and silence everyone involved and assume an air of innocence when you suddenly 'disappeared'. Good thing Anthan married Dex and learned of such things, or she'd probably have sent you right back to him thinking all was fine."

He came around the bar to help Keestu remove her burden baskets. "Are you taking this to Spaceport City for Anthan and Dex?"

Keestu looked at him in surprise. "I assume you are headed that direction, to try and get off planet, and delivering their tithe gives you reason to enter the city unnoticed. How are you going to get onto a ship, though?"

"Dex found some noble clothing that I can wear that will allow me to enter the spaceport. He told me where to find barter goods to pay for passage. I must get off Vulo and back to either Phaet or Autocracy Station."

"Direct station trips aren't on the schedule often for our local jumpers, so you're better off going to Phaet first. You'd also best say you are going to Phaet to relieve someone of palace duty. That way, there will be no questions about why you only want passage one way. Also, since the palace provides everything you need while serving, there will be no questions about your lack of baggage."

Keestu nodded, happy for Linson's help in expanding her cover story.

He showed her to a room above the tavern, where he lived and paying guests stayed, turning a sign that hung on the door next to his suite so the blank side showed, meaning the room was occupied for the night. Keestu put the burden baskets in the room, and then went back down to the tavern.

"I'm short handed right now, so you will need to work for your room and board." Linson explained the table numbers to Keestu, and said since she couldn't mix Vuloan drinks, she would help serve them until dinner, at which time the experienced waiters and waitresses would take over delivering drinks while Keestu helped serve dinner. He told her to keep her mouth shut, as most of the patrons didn't speak Unity unless it was for work, so her lack of fluency in Phaet would not be noticed if they thought she was the surly type. "Given the bruise on your face," Linson concluded, "They'll assume you're passing through and working as you can on your way to somewhere better than you came, which is true, but not in the way they think."

Several patrons entered the tavern, calling out their drink orders to Linson, who confirmed their orders and put them on a platter for Keestu to deliver. She settled into a routine of taking the drinks off the platter and placing them in the center of the table and letting the patrons grab their own. Three times when she delivered drinks things were placed onto her tray in return, and she looked up to see sympathetic expressions, which she returned with a wan smile and grateful nod as she pocketed the proffered items, realizing they meant for her to use the items for barter on her journey.

She noted that the nobles and Dunnes freely mixed, taking any table that was open, and she served any table that needed it; there was no segregation here.

After two hours of serving drinks, Linson pulled her into the kitchen, calling to the staff for a quick meeting away from the patrons outside. "This is Rue," he told them in Unity and again in Phaet, "She's on the run from Fernuin and only speaks Unity, so don't ask her any questions or give verbal directions in Phaet, just point to the table that she's going to serve next. She's off once all the dinner is served, all paid up for her room and board, okay?"

A chorus of nods was returned. Keestu was handed her first tray and sniffed it appreciatively. It held plates with generous portions of a glazed roasted fowl and steamed vegetables. As there was no other dinner selection offered, it was easy her to decide to hand out meals in a clockwise manner. She received two pendants as she worked, one a pretty spray of freshwater pearls surrounding a polished white and gray stone hooked into a lovely silver wire setting that made her gasp in appreciation. Feeling her eyes water, she could only reach out and briefly squeeze the hand of the noble woman who had given it to her before she retreated to the kitchen.

She served two more tables, and then dinner was done. Keestu was given an overflowing plate and pointed to a table near the kitchen, where the other servers were gathered to eat. A tall wooden mug was given to her, and she smelled ale in it. Shrugging, she sipped it with her meal, finding it to be very light in alcohol content, though it did help relax the spasming muscles in her back and right forearm.

She was surprised when a dessert course was served, and started to get up to help serve that, but was waved back to her seat and gratefully sank back down. Her feet and legs were throbbing now and her back was sore from all the lifting and carrying despite the mug of ale she'd had with dinner.

Dessert was pudding, sweet, with a hint of spice that reminded her of sereska, but without the cooked grain.

She was finishing eating when a hush went through the tavern. Looking up in alarm, she saw a man enter the tavern. He was about thirty-five years old, with shoulder-length black hair and dark brown eyes. In his arms was a sleeping baby. Beside him was a beautiful black-haired woman carrying a small child, and behind them walked two more older children.

"Éfand! Zúfem! Ako non," Linson said with a broad grin on his face as polite applause broke out. The baby woke up and began crying and was quickly comforted by Éfand. At Linson's gesture, Zúfem took the child she carried and the other young children upstairs. A waitress bearing a fresh tray from the kitchen closely followed her.

Éfand rocked the baby, who quieted as the crowd did. Keestu realized they were waiting expectantly. It wasn't long before Zúfem came back down the stairs for the baby and took it upstairs as well.

Éfand leaned on the bar, drinking a mug of ale and eating an appetizer of raw vegetable sticks while chatting with a variety of nobles and Dunnes while an area was cleared of tables. The chairs were lined up in several neat rows in the cleared space. Keestu noted that everyone eagerly assisted in moving the tables and had no qualms about sitting crowded together, waiting impatiently for Éfand to finish eating.

Zúfem came back down the stairs a few minutes later, catching Éfand's eye and nodding. At her signal, Éfand walked to the cleared area, vocalizing to warm up his voice. He looked at the crowd, his eyes sparkling with anticipation as he eyed the hushed and eagerly expectant crowd. He pointed to a noble woman sitting up front, who called something to him, and Éfand grinned back at her before launched into a song that took Keestu's breath away. He had an incredibly pure sweet tenor, the likes of which she had never heard in her life. It didn't warble like many singers' voices did--it held the notes steady. Keestu stared at him, stunned. She understood enough of the words to realize he was singing about loving a Praté, an Autocracy queen.

"Praté, vi ro stayse ee yar taspen..." He held the last note, letting it fade away into a triumphant silence that lasted only for a moment. The tavern crowd was on its feet, cheering him, and Keestu found herself cheering with them.

After bowing, Éfand immediately began singing another song. Keestu fumbled for her cuff, finding to her surprise that it turned on. It was dented in several places, but still functioned despite its prolonged immersion in the river, so she watched the translation as she listened to Éfand's expressive voice as his face took on a mischievous look that got the audience laughing as he started singing, "I steal from the palace." Keestu listened as Éfand sang of a Dunne man who broke into the palace to rescue his love, a deposed Praté who was being held there against her will for the crime of loving a Dunne. They were captured, but managed to escape through a secret passage known only to the Praté, and then Éfand sang of nobles and Dunnes drinking at a tavern seeing the Dunne and his love together, but letting them go, sending the crowd into paroxysms of laughter and applause.

His wife joined him for the next song, and Keestu had a sudden jolt of recognition. The black haired woman had to be Fernuin's sister. Her face, like his, was narrow, but her features were much more delicate, and with a pleasant expression, she looked quite different from Fernuin. This then, was the sister mentioned as being still alive but not in contention for rule of the planet. Now Keestu understood why. Like Dex, she had married a Dunne. She had either abdicated or been overthrown when that fact was found out. And now, she was on the run from Fernuin and his loyal contingent for the crime of loving a commoner, but was freely mixing with nobles and Dunnes in this simple tavern not twenty kilometers from where her brother ruled with an iron fist--Éfand's song was documentary! Keestu found herself laughing with the rest of the audience.

She sat, eagerly listening to his songs for the next two hours, enchanting the crowd again and again, making certain to make eye contact with everyone at least once, and then, his room and board paid for, Éfand finished with a rousing song that had nearly everyone singing along and tossing trade items into a hat Zúfem passed around, then took his leave and went upstairs with Zúfem to a final round of enthusiastic applause. When the hat came to her, Keestu donated an item she thought matched those that were being given in payment for Éfand's performance.

Linson motioned to Keestu to follow, and she nodded, wearily making her way to her room. Éfand and Zúfem looked at her as they reached their door, smiling and nodding, which she returned before going in and settling down for the night. However, it was some time before she could rest. The chorus of the first song Éfand sang kept echoing through her head. Pleased that something beautiful was haunting her thoughts for once, Keestu finally drifted into a dreamless sleep.

**Chapter seventeen**

Linson's knock on her door woke her a little after dawn, and she went downstairs, yawning and stretching. She was still sore from her previous day's trek and evening's work, but she noted that her back and jaw felt much better today. She went to one of the tavern's privvies. It had a mirror, and she surveyed the damage to her face with dismay. The bruise had had a couple of days to heal, but was still a livid black, blue, and purple mark. She wondered if being immersed in the cold water of the river had prevented it from swelling. She ran her fingers through her hair, pinning the front back, and went in to breakfast.

To her delight, Linson liked to drink javene, and he poured her a cup when he saw her face light up. She sipped it black, for Linson didn't have any cream or sugar, but she sighed with contentment as the drink revived her.

One of the cooks was there, already working on the day's meals. He bustled out with two plates heaped with scrambled eggs, cooked sausages, and tubers. Keestu ate with relish, knowing she had a long hard trek ahead of her today. When she was almost finished, the cook brought out a wrapped bundle and set it down next to her with a pat and a smile. Looking inside it, Keestu saw two large pieces of dried sausage and half a dozen large fresh biscuits.

"Food for midday and for tonight as well," Linson explained the large amount of food his cook had packed for her, "Since we have many ships going daily to Vulo II, but only several per week going to Phaet or Laringo, you may have to wait overnight for your ship."

"For your ticket, you should give your name as Simi of Gyan. Simi is a common name, and Gyan is far enough away no one will be expected to know you."

Keestu repeated the name several times until she could say it with the correct accent. She then listened to Linson as he asked her several different ways in Phaet, "Where are you going?" until Keestu answered, "Phaet," with enough confidence at the right interval.

Linson then taught her several variations of, "What happened to your face," smiling when Keestu answered with enough nonchalance, "I won."

"I'm Simi of Gyan, and I'm going to Phaet to serve a term in the palace," Keestu practiced saying it and the other phrases Linson taught her as she got her burden baskets from her room and prepared to leave.

She was still in the dining area when Éfand and Zúfem came down for breakfast with their two older children, smiling and nodding at Keestu again. "Orta," they said, which she replied in kind.

Then they turned to Linson and began speaking in Unity. "We're headed towards Palace City. Éfand is going to help with harvesting and planting winter crops again," Zúfem said, "And several nobles want me to train them or their children in fighting techniques over the winter months, so they will put us up for the cold season. Have you seen or heard of any searchers on the trail going to the Outskirts of Palace City?"

"Ask her," Linson said, pointing to Keestu, "She came from there yesterday."

They turned to her, and Keestu smiled. "No," she said, "I saw no one on the trail yesterday, and I came from the woods outside the Outskirts."

"Oh, you are going to Spaceport City to tithe, then?" Éfand's eyes were quick to take in Keestu's burden.

"Yes, that's one reason," Keestu said, knowing these people were no friends of Fernuin's. "I hope to catch a ship to Phaet after I'm done delivering the tithe."

"Your accent," Zúfem said, "You are Union, aren't you?" Keestu experienced a moment of fright, and then she smiled back at the woman.

"Yes, Praté, I am," Keestu answered, seeing first wary surprise, then respect on Zúfem's face.

"You've come this far without word of anyone chasing you, so I think you have a good chance of making it, Union woman. We will tell no one we have seen you."

"And I will tell no one I've seen you, Praté."

Keestu turned to Éfand. "I hope I'm not being too forward when I tell you I think you have the most beautiful voice I've ever heard. If you ever leave the Autocracy, you should tour the Union, or at least, tour my planet, which is called Sandar. I think you could fill the stadiums every night you cared to sing. Please at least consider selling recordings of your music in the Union."

Éfand smiled a delighted and boyish smile that warmed Keestu's heart, as did his heartfelt, "Thank you. I'm glad you enjoyed my music."

"Linson, thank you for sheltering me last night. I won't forget your name, or that of Anthan and Dex, for helping me. If there is ever a way I can repay you, I'll try and find it."

Her goodbyes said, Keestu reluctantly left the tavern. She retraced her steps to the trail and resumed her journey, greatly heartened to know that no one was openly searching for her, that the hardest part of the journey was over, and she had only thirteen kilometers to walk today.

She was walking through a clearing two hours later when she heard the sharp whine of a flitter engine overhead. Craning her neck, she saw it slow to circle over her, once, twice, and her heart began pounding in her chest, but she resolutely dropped her head, adjusted her burden baskets so there could be no mistake that she was carrying a load of tithe goods, and continued plodding along like she hadn't a care in the world. It worked. The flitter zoomed away.

It was some time before Keestu stopped to drink at a stream. Her heart was still pounding, and her hands were shaking when she dipped her mug into the water. She forced herself to take several deep breaths to steady her nerves before she continued.

She made better time on the now hard packed trail and stopped for lunch at the edge of the clearing that held Spaceport City as there was a stream that provided water to wash down a few bites of a dried sausage and a biscuit. She took the left fork and hiked along through the forest until she saw "rump rock". She smiled to herself. Yes, it did resemble the tan-colored rear of a horned odek. She checked the position of the sun, estimating where it would set, then moved in that direction, seeing immediately the copse of trees Dex had described. Pushing her way into it, she saw a large shaded area in the center that remained perpetually damp, and in that shaded area a dozen large mushrooms with tops bigger around than her palm.

Removing her burden baskets, Keestu knelt next to the mushrooms and looked them over carefully before choosing the four largest that didn't look like they were ready to release spoors. Anthan had told her the mushrooms were harmless until processed, which turned them into a powerful chemotherapy medicine with fewer side effects than conventional chemotherapy. However, the mushroom itself was rare and slow growing, so while they grew wild and one only stumbled upon them by accident, the rarity made up for the lack of labor involved in harvesting them. Dex explained that most people were greedy and would harvest all the mushrooms found in a given area, leaving none to replenish the supply, and Keestu appreciated his understanding that in the long term, harvesting only what he needed once a year would earn him more in the long run, and would provide a desirable barter item in case of emergency.

She snapped the tops off the stalks as neatly as she could, for it was only in the mature tops that the medicine was found. She left the stalks to wither and help fertilize the ground for the next year's crop.

She packed the mushrooms carefully in her front burden basket and was standing back up when she heard voices coming up the trail. She froze in place as she had been taught; if she ducked, the movement could attract attention. It was shady enough and her clothing dark enough, Keestu knew that it was unlikely that anyone on the trail would see her.

The people came into view, and she relaxed a little. It was a group of Dunnes, several men and women, each wearing one or two burden baskets. They were chatting idly while walking swiftly, eager to pay their tithes and get back home. They passed the copse without a glance in her direction.

Keestu waited until their voices faded, then went into the forest and paralleled the trail further away from the junction before stepping back out on the trail, hoping anyone watching would assume she had stepped off the trail to relieve herself. She hiked back to the last fork and stepped out into the clearing that surrounded Spaceport City. It was several kilometers in diameter, larger than she had thought upon her arrival here. She heard the roar of engines, and saw a spaceship take off, vanishing vertically into the sky.

She found the cottage and went inside. Making certain it was empty, she climbed the ladder to the sleeping level and examined the interior roof. The thatching was thick and in good repair, and Keestu chose a point midway across the upper level's roof line where she parted one layer of thatching and carefully shoved the clothing into it after wrapping it around the mushroom tops and pouch holding the items she'd been given as tips. She took her time making certain the clothing wasn't visible from any angle on the upper level, then climbed back down and picked up her burden baskets, checking that the ID chit was still in the front basket. She studied the location of the tithing station on her map, as she couldn't check it once she was in the city. She counted the streets, then stored the map in her coat pocket and left the cottage. As she did so, she saw more Dunnes headed into town. "Ordo," they cheerfully called to her as they passed, good afternoon, which she returned in kind, making a show of having to adjust her burden baskets so she didn't have to follow them too closely.

Looking further along the trail, she saw a steady stream of Dunnes headed into the city, so it was easy for her to follow them to the tithing station.

She was surprised to see that many noble women here were wearing necklaces, and some also wore earrings.

She got to the tithing station, waiting an hour in the long line, watching as a noble examined tithing items, calling to another who entered the information onto a computer while the Dunne watched and listened. When tithing was done, the ID chit was inserted into a port on the computer, the information recorded on both the computer and ID chit, and the chit was returned to the Dunne, who then left. None of the Dunnes spoke to the nobles, and Keestu relaxed, knowing she wasn't expected to initiate casual conversation.

Finally it was her turn. "Oohee," the noble said, waving her forward without further comment. Keestu pulled the items one by one out of her pack and presented them to the noble, who checked them over for flaws before speaking to the noble entering the data. As the Dunnes behind her didn't react during her transaction, Keestu knew that everything went smoothly. When the front basket was empty, she shrugged it off and picked up the rear, which she had removed just prior to coming to the head of the line as she had seen others do. She moved her mug and drink packets into the front basket before pulling out the rest of her tithe items. Finally, all her items were checked in, and she gave her ID chit to be scanned, smiling when it was returned without comment.

The noble then ignored her, calling, "Oohee," while gesturing imperiously to the next Dunne in line. Keestu quietly picked up her baskets and left the station, relieved that what she thought was the hardest task was done.

She put the empty baskets back on and joined the trickle of Dunnes traveling about the city. She had a moment of fright when she saw a group of armed nobles patrolling a street, but they ignored her, and she left the city unchallenged.

She headed back to the cottage at a leisurely pace, watching most of the Dunnes going into taverns and inns, as the sun was close to setting. Once out of the city, Keestu stepped up her pace, though her back and legs ached from the extended activity after her injuries. It was nearly dark when she reached the cottage, and she entered it gratefully and turned on the lights.

She found a water bucket in the kitchen, a little dusty from lack of use, and went outside to the creek, moving upstream of the generator to rinse the bucket before filling it and taking it inside. She found the electric stove and a battered and dusty kettle and skillet. She hurried back out to rinse them in the creek before boiling water in the kettle for a drink.

After putting the water on, she went upstairs to check on her hidden items. She pulled out the cloth wrapped food and took it downstairs with her, hungrily eating a biscuit while the water came to a boil. She pulled out the herbal drink mixes, sniffed them carefully, and put two pinches of the pain-relieving herb into her mug and then ate the last large dry sausage and another biscuit with her drink. She saved the remaining two biscuits for her breakfast the following day, made certain the stove was off, and wearily climbed the ladder so she'd have time to react should someone else come into the cottage as she slept. She propped one basket up to use as a pillow and draped the large coat over it and the floor before turning off the upstairs light. She settled on her makeshift bed and fell into a dreamless sleep as the herb eased her aches.

**Chapter eighteen**

Keestu awoke to the distant rumble of a large spaceship's engines as it landed at the spaceport. She carefully stretched, relieved upon finding herself much less stiff today.

She went to the kitchen and boiled water for herbal tea, which she used to wash down her last two biscuits for breakfast. That done, Keestu went outside to the privy, and found it had a basin set into the floor that was used for bathing. She rinsed the large skillet in the creek and set water to boil in that as well as the kettle, while not completely refilling the bucket with cold water from the creek. When the water in the skillet was boiling, Keestu poured it into the bucket with the cold water, tested the temperature, and then went up the ladder to pull out her noble clothing and to search her coat. Anthan had given her half a bar of soap to wash herself and a wooden comb for her hair for once she reached Spaceport City. Keestu took the soap and the bucket of water to the privy and washed her hair first. When that was done, she removed her shirt and used it as a towel for her hair, tearing a piece off to use as a washcloth and using the rest to get her hair out of the way while she washed her body using the makeshift washcloth, soap, and warm water. When she felt reasonably clean, she dumped the remaining water over herself to rinse, toweled herself off with her pants after turning them inside out, and taking a chance no one would be nearby, she dashed naked into the cottage with her hair tied up in her shirt. She climbed the ladder, finished drying, and changed into her Vuloan noble pants, setting her own pants aside to dry. She slowly combed the tangles from her hair, and when she was satisfied it was under control, she pulled her pins out of the coat and swiftly twisted her hair into a bun, which she secured before tucking the comb into a basket. She then put on her Vuloan noble shirt and buttoned it up.

Keestu folded up her old pants and placed them in one basket. She dried the remains of the bar of soap, placing it in a pocket of the coat, before putting the coat in the other basket. Remembering she had placed some trinkets in her pockets, she pulled her old pants out and retrieved them, placing them into her pouch with the pendants she'd received along with her key to the embroidery code, which she had folded and kept in case she was stuck on Vulo for an extended time and needed to communicate in secret with the Dunnes. Keestu fondled the lovely pendants. The Autocracy did not use money, and these would purchase room and board for her should she have to stay another night on Vulo. The pouch wasn't large enough for the mushrooms, so Keestu retrieved the towel that Linson's cook had wrapped food in for her to wrap the mushrooms up into a bundle that she could tie closed and carry with little effort as it was cleaner and neater than a strip of cloth from her shirt or pants would be. She checked the pockets of her old pants and the coat one more time for things she might have forgotten, double checked the ID chit was in one of the baskets before shoving them up under the eaves, and finally felt ready to leave the cottage.

She eased the door open and looked, and seeing no one on the trail in either direction, she hurriedly left the house behind her.

Once in Spaceport City, Keestu noted a difference in the way people reacted to seeing her. She got several grins and nods from nobles, who assumed she'd been in a rank fight recently, while the Dunnes no longer looked her in the eye or greeted her. She settled for grinning and nodding back at the other nobles and ignoring the Dunnes as one of her station was expected to do.

She wended through the streets, making her way steadily towards the spaceport. Several flitters zipped past her on the streets, while others flew overhead. Most of the flitter traffic was either going to or coming from the spaceport, as was much of the foot traffic, so Keestu's progress went unnoticed. She joined the flow of noble foot traffic through a gate and down the path that led into the spaceport. Once inside, she turned on her cuff, and under the guise of stretching, had it scan the displays above the counters for her. She finally saw the departure she needed: Phaet. She was in luck, as a ship was scheduled to leave today, liftoff to happen prior to midday.

She got in line at the counter, and when it was her turn, she kept her wrist turned casually towards her as the female noble checked her in.

"Name?"

"Simi of Gyan."

"Why are you going to Phaet?"

"I'm going to serve a term in the palace."

"What happened to your face?"

Keestu shrugged. "I won."

The clerk smirked at her and murmured, "Hate to see the other guy," to which Keestu only smiled, as her command of Phaet wasn't good enough for her to compose a convincing reply.

"House credit or barter?"

"Barter." Keestu pulled out two mushrooms, placing them carefully on the counter's barter pad, as she'd seen others do. The clerk's eyes bulged, and she held up a finger to Keestu and scurried off, returning in a few minutes with an older man who eyed the mushrooms appreciatively, then held up five fingers. Keestu pulled out another mushroom and placed it with the others, cocking an eyebrow questioningly at him. The male clerk frowned at her, and sighing with feigned reluctance, Keestu pulled out the last mushroom, spreading out her cloth to show it was now empty. The man whispered something in the woman's ear, scooped up the mushrooms and placed them into a padded case he had brought with him and hurried off.

"Here is your boarding chit. You are assigned to first class as none of the Prató's family is scheduled to go on today's flight. We leave no later than midday prompt, so don't miss your boarding call."

Keestu nodded, taking the chit without further comment and moving off along the concourse.

She saw a stand selling a spiced javene and a breakfast wrap meal, and since she was still hungry, Keestu got in line. She pulled out the plain pendants when she got to the counter and silently offered them, leaving the pearl spray pendant and several others in her pouch for a much larger purchase. The clerk looked them over, chose the smallest one, and gave her not only the javene and a breakfast wrap, but also an additional two meals in sealed cartons to take with her in trade. Keestu smiled, nodding her thanks as she dressed her javene with cream and sweetener before finding a place to sit and eat.

There was an announcement, and the only word Keestu recognized was "Vulo". Keestu watched passengers hurrying out to the landing pads and realized they must be commuting to work on Vulo II. Three more calls went out before the first ship lifted off, closely followed by a second.

Bored and nervous with her sudden inactivity, Keestu looked over the spaceport's store, which had a large rack of spare clothing for nobles, but nothing for Dunnes. It also held a variety of travel necessities like soap, brushes, and combs, but Keestu didn't plan on needing any of those. She just had to get to either the palace or the Purvol estate, and she was certain her luggage would soon catch up with her, provided Fernuin hadn't disposed of it if everyone else in her entourage was dead.

Keestu took a few minutes to ponder that dark thought. She thought that the attack on her group was grounds for an interstellar war, and while she had nothing against the Autocrat, Autocress, or Phaet, she found she had a very intense dislike for the rude sexist Fernuin of Vulo and hatred of his thugs who had maimed Tenget and possibly killed him and everyone else in her party. She hoped she could at least appeal to the Autocrat and Autocress that some intervention needed to be taken against Vulo in the name of Sandar, provided her father didn't take matters into his own hands if everyone who had accompanied her on this trip had been slain by their attackers. Considering she was his eldest daughter and heir, Keestu realized King Ismer would probably declare war on the Autocracy if he thought Keestu was dead, and the Union would back Sandar. She had to get back to Phaet!

She realized she was pacing and resolutely sat down and watched the foot traffic around her.

A tense hour and a half later, a voice came over the intercom, and Keestu checked her cuff when she heard Phaet mentioned.

"First boarding call for Phaet. All first class passengers come to landing pad four." The message was repeated several times as Keestu left the terminal and followed two other Vuloan nobles to a large spaceship. After surrendering their boarding chits, they were escorted to a cabin with six large reclining acceleration couches in two rows facing a large view screen. The two nobles sat one on each end of the front row, so Keestu sat in the middle seat in the second row, placing her meal boxes on the empty couch to her right. She read the translation as their flight attendant instructed them to stay in the cabin for the duration of the flight, then left to seat more passengers, leaving the door to their cabin open. Neither of the nobles in the front row knew each other, so the cabin was mercifully silent.

The intercom was hooked into the spaceport's terminal, so Keestu heard the next call. "Second boarding call for Phaet. All second class passengers come to landing pad four." A few minutes later, Keestu heard footsteps and watched as several groups of nobles were escorted past their cabin towards second class seating elsewhere in the ship.

The view screen in their cabin lit up, showing an external view of the spaceport. Keestu saw three other ships on pads some distance away. The screen scrolled through more images, showing what must be random security camera shots of the spaceport. Keestu watched people in the terminal with interest; some were rushing to buy passage on some ship, possibly hers, and she amused herself by examining their barter items.

The screen switched to a close up of one of the three other ships, and Keestu gasped in shock. The ship was Sandar's Enforcer, a large military vessel bristling with external energy cannons, missile ports, and even old-fashioned projectile weaponry.

The other two nobles turned to look askance at her, and seeing her staring at the view screen, they glanced at the image before ignoring her once more.

With shaking hands, Keestu undid her acceleration harness, fumbling with the buckles as she did so. She knew that Enforcer had been sent to look for her and had to have been traveling on a brutal jump schedule, perhaps even being routed directly from the Hub to Vulo to save time; Sandarian military ships were capable of enduring such long jumps. All this churned through her mind as she realized she had to get to the Enforcer, and safety as fast as possible.

She stood up, automatically grabbing her meals as she pushed her way out of the rows of seats. Glancing up at the screen, she saw one of the other ships was Sandar's Jewel, also come to look for her, or to fetch her entourage, or their bodies.

Keestu saw no one in the hallway and jogged towards the exterior hatch. She was halfway down the exterior ramp when she heard a shout behind her. Checking her cuff, it read, "Stop! You'll miss your flight!"

Keestu kept going. She was at the edge of the pad when several guards appeared in the door of the terminal. Her precipitous exit from the ship had been reported. Keestu abandoned stealth and started to sprint across the field, watching her footing. The Sandarian ships were at least a hundred meters away, but Keestu thought she could outrun the weapons-encumbered guards with her head start.

Hearing shouting close behind her, Keestu whirled to see several guards from the ship she had been on join the chase. She brandished her food bags, yelling in Unity, "Stay back!" They hesitated, and taking advantage of their hesitation, she spun and resumed sprinting towards the Sandarian ships. Her training helped her pick the safest route across the grassy meadow, and unencumbered by burden baskets or weaponry, she thought she should be pulling away from her pursuers. She could see now that the Jewel was the closer of the two ships, so Keestu veered to her left and headed for her.

There was a clamor ahead of her, and Keestu squinted to see Captain Nebo and several other crewmembers burst out of the Jewel, plasma rifles in hand as they swarmed in her direction. When Keestu was almost to their landing pad, she turned to see one of the faster Vuloans guards, a young and lean man, sprinting up towards her despite carrying a heavy stun staff. Keestu took a precious moment to heave one of her meal packets at him, and he hit the dirt, rolling as it harmlessly bounced past him.

Gasping for breath, Keestu tried yelling for help. "Captain Nebo! It's me! Captain Nebo..." she paused, cupping her hands around her mouth, and then her heart leapt to her throat. Rue had stepped out of the Jewel behind her crew. "Rue! Rue! It's me," Keestu yelled, "Captain Ne--" The man chasing her fired his stun staff, and she simultaneously heard its loud report as she felt the charge hit her, and then the ground was rushing towards her as she lost consciousness.

**Chapter nineteen**

There was grass and dirt in her mouth. Keestu groaned, feebly trying to spit, wiping her hand across her face to free her mouth of the noxious stuff. She tried focusing on movement she sensed above her, before realizing she was laying face down on the ground. Her jaw ached abominably, and she felt fresh aches in her legs, torso, and the side of her head from where she had fallen on a patch of rocks.

She groggily sat up and found herself roughly grabbed and jerked to her feet, a voice shouting at her in Phaet. "Get off me!" The stun charge was wearing off, and Keestu remembered where she was, what had just happened. She feebly shoved at the young Vuloan guard who had stunned her. "I'm Sandarian, you moron, Sandarian. You have to let me board the Sandarian ship!"

More voices joined the cacophony, and suddenly Keestu was snatched from the Vuloan's grip and crushed in a hug. "You're alive!" Still wobbly and disoriented, Keestu reeled against the man who was now holding her, finally identifying the voice shouting in her ear as Gontu's.

"Gontu?" She craned her head up, confirming it was he.

"Yes. Thank Rentham! We've been dragging the river for days looking for you. What happened to you?"

Rue rammed into them then, nearly knocking them both to the ground. She was gasping from running and crying at the same time as she seized Keestu from behind. Keestu winced as Rue's hands pinched several of her bruises. "You," Rue gasped, "You...! I....thought....you," she panted, and then unable to continue, she crushed Keestu again, and Keestu groaned in pain.

"Yes, I'm alive, but I don't feel so good," Keestu managed to get out, pushing feebly at Gontu and Rue, her muscles still weak from the stun staff's charge.

Gontu recovered his composure and released Keestu, stepping back before gently prying Rue away from her. Keestu's vision cleared as the last of the stun charge's effects waned, and she saw she was now surrounded by Sandarians, Captain Nebo and his crew, all carrying heavy plasma rifles and glaring at the Vuloans who had chased Keestu across the spaceport, most of whom were just now arriving.

More shouting started, in Phaet on one side and Unity on the other, until the ominous whine of cannons being brought to bear momentarily silenced them all. The Enforcer was training her weapons on the altercation going on outside Sandar's Jewel.

Realizing she was finally safe, Keestu turned to face her handmaiden. Rue had a black eye, but looked fine otherwise. She started weeping anew when she saw the ugly wheal on Keestu's jaw.

"I'm okay. Some nasty bruises, but I don't think anything's broken," Keestu reassured her.

She looked up to examine Gontu, saw stitches patching a split lip and a brace on his right wrist, but he seemed otherwise intact.

"Tenget?" She whispered his name with a knot in her stomach.

"He's alive," Gontu reassured her. "I got a tourniquet on in time. He's already been sent back to Sandar via military shuttle for limb re-growth therapy."

"Vahin?" Keestu looked around for her protocol adviser, who should be there.

"Three broken ribs, a broken finger, and a chipped tooth, but he'll be okay as well. He's resting in the Enforcer's infirmary."

The sound of feet pounding the earth in unison reached them, and Keestu looked up to see a ten-man squad of armed Sandarian guardsmen dressed in gray uniforms and carrying heavy weaponry and large packs charging towards them with an older man leading them. The Enforcer was sending reinforcements to assist the Jewel's crew, who stood, weapons still pointed at the Vuloans, who had their weapons trained on them.

The shouting had died down, but when the squad from Enforcer arrived, the whine of energy weapons charging filled the air.

Keestu saw the heavily decorated man was wearing an Admiral's silver collar. He waved one hand at the squad accompanying him as he shouldered his rifle and moved forward to inspect Keestu. His eyes widened when he saw her face, and he dropped to one knee before her, bowing his graying head. "Princess Keestu! It's been a couple of years, so you probably don't remember me. I'm Admiral Kurzon."

An excited murmur went through the squad, who were suddenly grinning at Keestu, who groaned. There went her cover. She frantically motioned for Admiral Kurzon to stand.

"It's okay," Gontu quickly reassured her. "The Autocracy knows who you are now."

A lander roared overhead, landing by the Vuloan vessels. Keestu watched Pulon exit, closely followed by Fernuin. Keestu saw a moment of surprise on his sour face, which he controlled with effort as he lumbered towards them. She heard Admiral Kurzon murmuring quietly into his pocket com behind her then switched her focus entirely to Fernuin. The haughty look on his face as he raked her figure with his eyes made her temper flare.

He barked something to the Vuloans, who had lowered their weapons at his arrival, and they swung back towards Keestu, bringing their rifles to bear once again.

"Stop this!" Keestu had had enough of these threats. She drew herself up to her full height, and looked down on the much shorter Fernuin.

"So you're alive after all," he snapped at her, "And you have much to answer for. You will come with me now."

"I'll do no such thing," Keestu said. "I'm leaving Vulo with my people and hope I never have the displeasure of setting foot on it again as long as you and your thugs control it."

"My thugs? How little you know, girl."

Her anger piqued, Keestu snapped back at him. "My title is Crown Princess of Sandar, Fernuin," Keestu returned the insult by not using his title. "You will do well to remember that."

"A title you did nothing to earn, as if a woman could rule."

"Is that why you had your guards attack us? Because you can't stand the idea of a woman ruling a planet? If we are so insignificant, then why did you send a dozen men to attack three men and two young women, all of us unarmed?"

"I did not send them," Fernuin admitted. "They acted on their own. But they apparently had the right idea; I would have thought your experience had at least taught you manners, huda."

"Manners? So you think it's acceptable to attack an unarmed woman with a stun staff when her back is turned?"

"Your back isn't turned now," Fernuin said, turning to the guard who had stunned her, motioning him forward. He gestured to another guard holding a stun staff, held his hand out for it, and then tossed it at Keestu, who caught it by reflex.

The Sandarians behind her bristled at this, but the now infuriated Keestu motioned to them, and they subsided, moving back to form a large ring around Keestu and the man who had stunned her.

Keestu deliberately stretched, keeping one hand gingerly on the staff, as if she was unsure how to handle it.

At Fernuin's signal, the man who had stunned her charged, raising his staff overhead in a club-like fashion. Keestu realized he hadn't had much training in staff fighting and stood her ground as if she was at a loss as to how to react to his attack. When it was too late for him to veer off, Keestu whipped her staff up into the proper grip, sidestepped, ducked her attacker's awkward swing, and brought her staff around to crack him smartly in both knees. The man let out a startled scream of pain as he flipped to the ground, losing his weapon as he rolled around, clutching at his legs.

Keestu, knowing that Autocracy fights weren't considered over as long as both combatants could climb to their feet, clumsily activated the staff and stunned the man to unconsciousness.

She turned back to Fernuin, whose face was suffused with surprise and continued anger. Pulon, Keestu noted, now eyed her with surprised respect. He suppressed a grin though he nodded to her behind his father's back.

Keestu hefted the staff and threw it at Fernuin, fast and hard enough that he had to dodge it or be hit.

"You shouldn't underestimate women," she told him as she turned to leave, "Especially Sandarian women."

She walked away without further comment. She moved first to the squad of Sandarian guards and heard the Admiral bark orders for them to cover her exit and that of the Jewel's crew as she made her way towards that ship.

"Your Highness, perhaps you should leave Vulo on the Enforcer?" Gontu had gone suddenly formal, probably for the benefit of Fernuin's people, who were still listening.

"No," she said, "That would leave the Jewel unprotected. They dare not attack her with me on board, or it will mean war, and that misogynist knows it, and as Enforcer can defend herself, I must take the Jewel."

"She's right," Admiral Kurzon said, after getting on his pocket com again and issuing several terse orders. "However, they could try and board to initiate a hostage situation. My best squad will go with you on the Jewel to prevent that from happening."

Another squad exited the Enforcer and hurried towards them. Kurzon turned to Keestu. "As head of the Sandarian military, I must return to the Enforcer so she can guard the Jewel. I will make a full report to you once we return to Phaet. I've already sent a message to Sandar that you have been found alive, Your Highness. Know that I have every confidence in Major Anjo and this squad," he said, pointing to a man with a red edged collar on his gray uniform. He bowed formally to her before jogging away from her to join the squad that had come from the Enforcer, who took up positions to cover those of the squad around Keestu so they could board the Jewel with her. At Kurzon's barked order, the new squad shouldered their weapons and accompanied Keestu as she wearily trudged up the boarding ramp, knowing they would be protected by Enforcer's weapons until the Jewel was sealed.

**Chapter twenty**

Once on the Jewel, Keestu was ushered not to the bridge, but to the small onboard infirmary. Two burly men from the Enforcer's squad with heavy packs came into the room with her, shooing Captain Nebo and first mate Paxi out. Keestu saw the white stylized heart insignias on their collars that identified them as them medics and sighed. They were probably under orders to do a full medical exam on her.

She motioned to her bodyguard. "Gontu, if you don't mind? And please tell Captain Nebo I say it's okay to leave without clearance from ground control and have him relay the same message to Enforcer in case Kurzon needs royal permission to leave against ground control's wishes if needed."

He smiled at her and nodded, leaving Rue alone in the infirmary with Keestu and the medics. Rue shut the door behind Gontu.

Keestu took off her shirt, laying face down on the table to show the small of her back to the medics first. They gently poking her largest bruises before administering a steroid and pain killing shot to help with any remaining inflammation in her wounds, and Keestu sighed with relief as her backache was finally soothed. As she rolled onto her back, she noted several fresh bruises on her torso, caused by her tumble when she was stunned, but they were minor. However, she was reassured when a hand scanner was moved across her and the medic nodded. "You took no evident damage to the internal organs that I can see," he reassured her, "And there are no broken bones."

Keestu removed the pouch from her belt and handed it to Rue. "Tips I received from serving drinks and dinner in an ally's tavern," she explained. "One of the pendants is quite lovely. And don't lose that paper inside, either; keep it safe for me."

She removed her shoes and filthy socks, kicking them out of the way as she removed her pants so the medics could examine her legs. Other than some fresh bruises and a couple of raw spots on her feet that hadn't quite formed blisters, Keestu's lower body was in much better shape than her upper. The medics gave her a loading dose of antibiotics as a precaution after looking at the scrapes her right leg had sustained from the submerged boulder.

Finally satisfied, the medics quietly left the room.

"I'm sorry you were so worried about me, Rue. I worried about all of you, too," Keestu said. "I didn't know if any of you were alive or dead."

Keestu wearily got up from the examining table and moved towards the infirmary's bathroom. "I need a proper shower. Is my luggage on board?"

"No, zom it," Rue realized. "It was transferred to the Enforcer for safe keeping!"

"Well, find me something to wear, will you? At least some clean socks."

Keestu pulled the pins out of her hair, shaking out residual grass and dirt as she turned the shower on and finished undressing. She showered quickly, knowing that she hadn't much time to clean herself up before they had to secure for jump.

She was toweling herself off when Rue knocked on the door.

"One of the guard is not too much larger than you, so I got his spare set of clothing, brand new issue, never worn. It's the best I can do until we get back to Phaet, since Paxi is much shorter than you, and I'm a couple of inches taller than you; the pants would drag and be a safety hazard, and Major Anjo insists that you wear proper fitting clothing until we get you to a more secure planet."

Keestu wrapped the towel around herself and grinned at her handmaiden as she opened the door to receive the clothing. It was standard military gray with a plain collar, the clothing of an enlisted private. She looked askance at the male underpants, until Rue pointed out that hers had a large tear in the buttocks.

Rue had borrowed Paxi's brush and comb, which she handed to Keestu after she had redressed. The space gray military clothing was a bit loose, and she had to cinch the waist as far as it could be done, but it was clean and not nearly as annoying visually as the discarded Vuloan outfit.

However, Keestu stuffed it into the garbage chute reluctantly. She would never wear it again, and while she hated the too bright colors, the hours of careful tailoring and hand stitching done by the Vuloan Dunnes on her behalf made her reluctant to throw it out.

She toweled her hair once again and hurried to the bridge. Once there, she belted herself in and continued to work on her hair, brushing it out carefully and braiding it. She noted that several guards were belted in at strategic locations around the bridge, while the others were deployed throughout the ship to protect all the passages leading to the bridge.

"Now," she said, once she was finished. "Can someone tell me what happened?"

"The guards that jumped us were after Shariel," Gontu informed her. "Apparently, Fernuin is unpopular enough that many nobles actively work against him. The rumor we heard after you were swept away by the river is that his family didn't die of a fever--he poisoned them. There is also suspicion surrounding how he rose to the position of Prató in the first place. He was a minor noble living in the deepest boondocks of Vulo, then suddenly he's the Prató, with no one alive who could dispute his claim of having won a challenge against everyone between himself and his sister, the former Praté."

"Why Shariel?"

"She apparently made too many demands for extra tithes of food from the local taverns, thousands of calories a day of the most valuable food items, which was never credited to their establishments, and that along with her lack of ambition and slovenly appearance did nothing to endear her to the local nobles who already resented Fernuin's mysterious and sudden rise to rule."

"So when they saw us in the alley, they thought we were with her? What did they think, we were eating out of the garbage, too?"

Gontu's face screwed up with remembered disgust. "Apparently not, but they thought to capture us and ransom us for the recording of Fernuin's fight for the position of Prató, which is rumored not to have happened, since there are conveniently no living witnesses to the fight that dethroned the previous Praté. The other nobles in the tavern did call for help, but it arrived a few minutes after that man had pushed you into the river. They rescued us from the revolting nobles who were trying to load us all onto a transport to somewhere. The man who pushed you into the river is dead now, executed by Fernuin for his 'crimes against Vulo'. All the men who attacked us are dead."

Keestu frowned. "And nothing was said about the attempted murder of a visiting foreign royal or the maiming of one of her staff?"

"Of course not," Gontu said. "That's not a matter that concerns Fernuin; only retaining control of Vulo by any means interests him. I think he only assisted in our search for you because the Autocrat and Autocress ordered it, as it would have meant war with the Union if they did not cooperate in our search for you."

"So you told them who I am?"

"Yes. We had no choice once you'd vanished, as we had to get priority clearance for the Enforcer to fly straight here from the Hub."

"So much for my covert mission," Keestu sighed. "That attack ruined it. I just hope it didn't ruin any chances we have of a trade agreement. I assume we are on our way to Phaet so we can go back to Autocracy Station and then home?"

"On the contrary," Gontu told her. "The Autocrat and Autocress said they would like to speak with the real Crown Princess of Sandar should we find you alive. We all knew the longer we went without finding a body, the more likely it was you survived. How did you survive? How did you escape the area?"

"Well," Keestu said, "Give me a console and a vid chip so I can make a report home to prove it's really me, and you can hear my side of the story."

Keestu made her recording with everyone on the bridge listening in. Leaving out specific names, Keestu described being rescued by a former Vuloan noble and taken to his home, how he and the others who lived near him had helped her plan to escape Vulo, her trek to Spaceport City, where she secured passage via barter on a ship scheduled to leave Vulo, but when the video cameras showed her the Sandarian ships on landing pads on the other side of the large complex, she left the Autocracy ship to rejoin her own people, resulting in an unpleasant confrontation with the ruler of Vulo who made a small attempt to prevent her from leaving.

That done, she turned back to Gontu. "Now tell me why Admiral Kurzon was sent to the Autocracy to help you find me."

"Prince Korin wanted to come as Sandar's Union Senator, but since Nahtua just gave birth to twin boys, he couldn't leave her. Princess Shina knows how to negotiate because of her vast experience with trade, but once word of Fernuin's hatred of women was reported, King Ismer barred her from coming, as were Queen Mewa and Prince Skomer. He didn't want to give Fernuin a chance to grab any other royal hostages, as it was our suspicion that he'd had you pulled from the river and whisked away so he could try and force trade concessions from us, though he didn't know your rank at the time this whole incident happened."

"Skomer wanted to come?" Keestu grinned in surprise, wincing as the motion hurt her much abused jaw.

"He wanted King Ismer to send him along with the entire Sandarian fleet," Gontu informed her as he motioned to one of the medics who had taken up station on the bridge, giving him a military hand sign as he spoke to Keestu. The man pulled out an instant ice pack, activated it, wrapped it in an ice pack sleeve, and handed it to Keestu.

"It's swelling because you hit that side of your face when you were stunned," Gontu explained as he motioned to her jaw, and Keestu gingerly placed the pack against her aching face.

"All in all, I think this incident will only help our standing in the eyes of the Autocracy, as I think you've proven yourself in the eyes of the ruling class. After all, you escaped an ambush and would have escaped the planet undetected had you not chosen to leave the outbound ship."

They were at the Vuloan ring system now, and Keestu listened as the Jewel demanded priority passage to Phaet on the order of the Autocrat and Autocress. The answer came back immediately, "You are cleared for immediate passage to Phaet, Sandar's Jewel. Enter the ring when you are ready, and please tell the Crown Princess for most of us, that we are sorry for her unpleasant experiences on Vulo."

"I will pass your message to the Crown Princess myself, Vulo Ring Control," Captain Nebo responded, looking surprised. He gave orders to enter the ring, and the screen dissolved into chaos as they exited the system with Enforcer scheduled to exit twenty minutes behind them.

Once they were safely away from Vulo, Keestu relaxed. She went to the cabin she shared with Rue and laid down for a nap, exhausted by the day's events. She woke up several hours later to the news that they had arrived back at Phaet.

Keestu felt better after her nap, able to rest more fully now that she was back in safer surroundings. She went into her cabin's tiny bathroom, splashed water on her face, and checked her braid to make sure it was still presentable. Other than her military clothing, lack of makeup, and large bruise on her jaw, she thought she looked presentable.

She returned to the bridge for their landing on Phaet.

She wasn't sure what to expect upon her return to Phaet. She stepped off the Jewel to find the Enforcer had gotten clearance to land before them and had sent a second squad to escort Keestu to the Autocracy's palace along with the squad that had shadowed her every move on the Jewel. She wondered what was going to be said about all they weaponry they carried, but figured she would cross that bridge when she got to it.

She spied Dinus standing off to one side, and beside him a man who must be his father Béjan, the Prató of Phaet. They had with them a large escort, but all their weapons were slung to their backs, indicating the peaceful nature of their presence.

Keestu motioned to her guards and walked forward to meet the Prató of Phaet alone.

"Pleased to meet you Prató Béjan," she said, bobbing her head respectfully to the man.

"So it is you who are the Crown Princess of Sandar?"

"Yes, Prató, I am Crown Princess Keestu, daughter of King Ismer Ranell, and heir to his throne."

"Why did you let yourself be considered a handmaiden?"

"When Praton Dinus mistook my handmaiden for me, King Ismer felt it was prudent for me to travel incognito, for we didn't know much about your people at that time."

"So is it true what they are saying?"

"Saying what, Prató?"

"That you were challenged by one of Prató Fernuin's lackeys and bested him hand-to-hand combat, and then threw a stun staff at Fernuin?"

Keestu tried to keep a straight face, but failed to do so on seeing the amused expression on his face, and returned Béjan's wide grin though the motion cause pain to shoot through her jaw. "Yes, Prató, I did. Prató Fernuin didn't believe me capable of fighting as I'm a woman and given the condition I was in when I reached Spaceport City, and he ordered the man to attack me after he perceived I was insulting him."

Béjan looked her over, nodding with sympathy towards her jaw. "Not many take a stun staff to the face and walk away without a broken jaw or missing teeth."

He motioned to Dinus, who stepped up, looking Keestu over with fresh eyes. "Crown Princess Keestu?"

"Yes, Praton Dinus?"

"Welcome back to Phaet. I am greatly relieved to see you alive. After the reports we received," he broke off, shaking his head. Then, he looked behind her at Rue, and his face lit up until he saw her black eye. He motioned towards her. "And is this your handmaiden then?"

"Yes, she's the real Rue Soga."

"Rue Soga," Dinus said slowly, smiling brightly at her in greeting, which she returned a wan smile to him.

Béjan continued, "We still want to be your hosts here on Phaet. We understand your need to feel secure, but our house is still open to you and your entourage, no matter how large," he gestured to include the two squads of guards who stood behind Keestu.

The sound of two flitters landing heralded the arrival of the Autocrat and Autocress. They brought no additional guards, so Kurzon ordered the Sandarians to sling their weapons, and Keestu felt the tension ease considerably.

The Autocress walked up to Keestu, taking her hand in a firm and warm grip. "We are very happy to find you're still alive, Crown Princess Keestu," she said by way of greeting.

"Thank you, Autocress. I'm sorry everyone was so worried, but when we were attacked by armed men wearing Vuloan noble colors, and I found myself alone, and not knowing if any in my entourage were still alive after I saw one man maimed, I felt it best to try and escape the planet rather than seek the assistance of my less than cordial host, as I couldn't be certain he wasn't behind the attack."

The Autocrat was listening with an angry expression on his face. "It's times like these I regret being unable to enact severe sanctions against a member planet. However, I can assure you, Crown Princess, that no one in the Autocracy will dare challenge another visiting dignitary in the manner Fernuin did you. We can't believe the way he treated you and your people."

"Thank you. That's reassuring to hear," Keestu said. "However, I heard the men were acting on their own, and Fernuin had them executed for their actions."

"Yes," The Autocrat frowned. "People die quite often around that Prató. However, if you wish to continue your tour of the Autocracy, we can guarantee that you will not be left to fend for yourself without an adequate guard contingent again. We will provide guards from every member planet to insure that no one can act in what they feel is the interests of their own planet without having to deal with the guards from the other member planets."

"If you don't mind, I'd rather not have anyone from Vulo at my back," Keestu said. "It's not that I suspect all the nobles of Vulo, but I certainly wouldn't trust anyone Fernuin would send."

The Autocrat and Autocress looked at each other, nodding agreement. "Done," the Autocress said.

"You can stay here tonight, and then resume your trip tomorrow. You'll end up a day short on time at your next stop, unless you want to cut short your time on Phaet prior to the tourney."

"No, I find myself more comfortable with the idea of staying my full time at the Purvol estate, as we were invited and planned to return there after our tour of the other Autocracy planets."

"We also extend the hospitality of our palace to you, as well, if you wish to stay here instead."

"Thank you for the offer, but I think I'd rather stay somewhere I've already been for the familiarity. Besides, I know you are busy preparing for the transfer of power to your successors, and I do not wish to take you away from your duties with regards to that."

"Very well. Again, let us extend our deepest apologies to you and your people for what happened on Vulo. We have ordered a yearly stipend given to your maimed man as compensation, and your Admiral Kurzon has accepted on his behalf. We know it doesn't make up for a lost limb, but it should pay all his medical costs and provide for him and his family."

"On behalf of Sandar, our injured citizen, and myself, I thank you," Keestu said formally. "He is a valued member of the palace staff who will be missed during his recuperation."

The Autocress squeezed Keestu's hands in hers again, and the Autocrat briefly took her hand in farewell before they left.

Béjan and Dinus were waiting for her to accompany them back to the Purvol estate. Keestu turned to them and said, "I must first receive the report of my Admiral, and then we will be happy to accept your offer of lodging for the evening. I don't expect this to take long."

She turned to Kurzon and motioned for him to show her the way to the Enforcer.

Once on board, she was taken to the infirmary to visit Vahin, whose injuries were more severe than Gontu had told her. One of his broken ribs had punctured a lung, which had collapsed, and he had nearly died before medical help could be summoned for him. However, he had refused to be transported back to Sandar until Keestu was found.

He had been removed from the respirator by the time she saw him but was still heavily sedated. She touched his shoulder then shook it carefully to rouse him.

"Vahin? Vahin, wake up! It's Princess Keestu."

"Princesh?" His eyes cracked open and focused on her with difficulty. "Ish it really you?"

"It's me, Vahin. I know they told you I'm okay, but I wanted you to see me for yourself and to see you for myself. I'm sorry for what you've been through."

"I knew dangers of the zhob," he slurred, "when I toosh it." He sighed something else she didn't understand and drifted back to sleep.

"Look at that," Gontu murmured. Vahin's heart rate, which had been higher when they entered the room settled to a normal rate as he finally surrendered completely to the sedation.

The medic motioned sternly for them to leave Vahin to his rest, and Keestu was led to Admiral Kurzon's office.

"I must have your official report, Princess Keestu," He said. "We need to conduct a formal inquiry about why you did not seek out any official Vuloan authorities after you were rescued from the river. You nearly started an interstellar war, you know."

"Yes, I understand," Keestu said as she sat in the offered chair. She prefaced her explanation with the details of Rue's rude treatment by Fernuin, recounted the disgusting dinner which they'd attended, and then repeated her story of what had happened to her once she had left the river.

"So," she concluded, "I thought it best to return to my own people as soon as possible in order to prevent further misunderstandings that could lead to war. Otherwise, I would have taken my flight to Phaet without letting anyone know who I was. I didn't expect the treatment you witnessed yourself; my being stunned, then Fernuin ordering the man to attack me with a staff after I complained about being attacked by a thug when my back was turned."

Kurzon was silent a moment, then nodded. "Your story of what happened when you went into the river has been confirmed by Rue, who witnessed the event herself. She was overrun, receiving a black eye in the course of fighting in order to allow you more time in which to make your escape from the attackers. She saw the man attack you from behind, hitting you with his staff in the spots corresponding to your reported and documented wounds, which have been confirmed by our medics."

"You doubted me?"

"Of course not. However, we need all first-hand accounts from everyone involved before our lawyers apply to Vulo for compensation for how you and your group were treated."

"But the Autocrat and Autocress have already given a lifetime of compensation to Tenget, who was the most seriously injured."

"But this insult to our planet by the King of Vulo cannot go unchallenged: Since his planet is an autonomous member of the Autocracy, the ruler of Vulo must make amends for his people's and his own actions at the spaceport, especially for openly ordering an attack on a Sandarian royal who had done nothing more than fear for and run for her life. The assumed theft of noble clothing is not a capital offense in the Autocracy; we already checked that, plus your rank as a royal is superior to most of the class allowed to wear such clothing." Kurzon held up a quelling hand. "I know you were given the clothing by an anonymous Vuloan noble, but we can't produce him as a witness because you said he feared retribution for the 'crime of marrying below his station'. Note that I am not asking you to betray his confidence by telling me his name."

"I see," Keestu said weakly, sitting back in her chair. Politics were much more complicated than she had thought, and her mind churned with possibilities that hadn't occurred to her when she was trying to get back to Phaet.

"So is the official inquiry done, then?"

"I have enough information from all of you to satisfy the initial questions posed by the King's exoplanet advisers," Kurzon informed her. "Though I imagine you will catch hell from your parents when you get home--all of Sandar was in an uproar over your disappearance." Kurzon leaned forward to emphasize his next statement. "If you were dead and it was thought to be a deliberate murder by a member of the Autocracy, Sandar would have gone to war and the entire Union with us. As a peace-loving man, I have to say I am very glad it didn't come to that, seeing as we have an unimpeachable witnesses in Rue who saw the Vuloan noble strike you twice so that you fell into the river and were washed away."

He leaned back and turned off the recording equipment. "The personal message I have for you from your father should I find you alive is that you did exactly right in following your bodyguard's order to run. As the head of the Sandarian military, I personally agree with your not seeking assistance from any Vuloan nobles under Fernuin's control given your shoddy treatment at his palace and the possibility that the men who attacked you were doing so on his orders.

"Now that at least one planet has revealed itself to have hostile residents, Sandar can insist on providing you with the security contingent you deserve," Kurzon said. "You will have two armed Sandarian squads with you at all times for the remainder of your visit, and the Enforcer will serve as a picket ship above every planet you visit. This is not a reflection on you and the decisions you made when escaping Vulo. This was decided before we had found you, as the longer we went without finding a body, the more confident we were that we would find you alive. However, we were expecting to receive ransom demands."

A knock sounded on his door. He hit a button on his desk, and the door opened. A soldier came in, nodding to Keestu as he intently studied her face for a moment before hurrying over to the desk to murmur something in Kurzon's ear. Kurzon listened, and then asked, "Did you record it?" At the man's nod, Kurzon dismissed him, and he left with another nod and smile at Keestu.

"Well, it seems as though your incident on Vulo earlier today will have some repercussions. Whether they are good or bad remain to be seen. Someone at the spaceport on Vulo recorded your altercation with Prató Fernuin as it was broadcast by their security cameras, and it's been brought here, picked up, and rebroadcast by the local infocom along with the story of how you escaped a dozen armed nobles and were preparing to sneak off Vulo right under Fernuin's nose. So be prepared for more questioning regarding this incident. Get your part of the story straight in your mind, and do not deviate from it as you'll likely be asked to retell it time and again." Kurzon's mouth quirked into a reassuring smile. "Given what I've heard from everyone regarding Fernuin's lack of popularity, I think the video will only earn you more accolades from the Autocracy's populace. With what we know about the Autocracy, you have shown your right to rule, as you easily defeated that lower caste noble man, proving in the Autocracy's eyes your right to rule Sandar by sheer force. Be glad it was a very short fight, as it happened right after you were stunned, and no doubt you weren't at your physical best. Oh, and I'm sure a copy of that video will make it's way home to Sandar as well; everyone on the Enforcer and Jewel have seen it as well."

He stood up, and Keestu knew that she was being dismissed. "Thank you, Admiral," she said. "I'm glad you're here to watch over me, though I'm not happy about the necessity."

**Chapter twenty-one**

Keestu left the Enforcer with two squads accompanying her, watching while Major Anjo ordered the troops into the flitters. Keestu would go with Béjan, Dinus, Gontu and a mix of the best riflemen and the best hand-to-hand combat members from both squads. Rue was to ride in the second flitter with the remainder of their guards, while Béjan told his men to ride in a third flitter that was commandeered from the palace to transport Keestu and her expanded group to and from the Purvol estate while a fourth flitter was dispatched by the palace to carry their luggage.

Keestu was put in the same suite she had stayed in last time, and she greatly enjoyed dinner with Béjan, Norinna, Dinus, and the rest of their family. Hatari's forehead cut was healing, and she winked at Keestu while giving a knowing nod to the bruise on her jaw. Keestu found herself oddly pleased to be considered an equal to a junior Autocracy noble who had been polite at their introduction but had otherwise ignored her before.

Dinus, to his credit, insisted on seating Rue at the table himself, inquiring solicitously about her black eye as he placed a hand on her arm.

Gontu frowned, but since Dinus didn't attempt any such familiarity with Keestu, he kept his mouth shut.

The next morning arrived all too quickly, though Keestu did have time for breakfast with the Purvol family before leaving to continue her tour. Béjan greeted her with a wide smile and then tried to suppress a guffaw, and finally gave up, laughing heartily, which caused the rest of the family to start laughing as well.

"What's the joke?" Keestu was certain she knew the answer, but asked anyway so Béjan would know that she wouldn't mind hearing it.

"I just saw the video of you giving Prató Fernuin lessons on how not to underestimate a woman," Béjan said. "I guarantee you there are billions of Autocracy women applauding you today for what you did on Vulo. None of us can speak out directly against his misogynistic actions, seeing as our planets are autonomous, but we have been putting up with complaints about this egotistical upstart at interplanetary vidcom meetings for too many months now not to appreciate your actions. He refuses to deal with any women regarding even the most minor matters and has caused much ill will between himself and those who have to put up with him. I'm glad you were taught how to use a staff, while that imbecile who attacked you obviously didn't pay attention in ancient weapons class."

"I'm hoping Fernuin learns more than continued hatred of women from that incident," Keestu said. "And for that reason, I hope the video stops playing soon. Rentham only knows what kinds of laws he'll try and pass against Vuloan women if he broods too long on it."

"Yes," Béjan said, getting control of his mirth. "But it's good to see that bully taken down a notch. I've never heard of such an unpopular Prató, but then the rest of us are trying to improve conditions on our planets, not take a giant leap back into the Stone Age."

Getting down to business, Béjan informed Keestu. "Now, since Vulo has failed to provide you with transport to your next destination, and you were so poorly treated there, the Autocrat and Autocress discussed the situation and have released their largest liner to fly you around the Autocracy. Of course, your guards and handmaiden will accompany you on the ship. Phaet's Manashin is large enough to provide berths for them all. In addition, we have agreed to allow Sandar's Enforcer to accompany you and stand as a picket ship in orbit around every other Autocracy planet while you visit, while Sandar's Jewel is returning to her position on Autocracy Station. The Autocrat and Autocress issued the decree last night that visiting dignitaries be assigned no less than two guard squads to accompany them anywhere on the member planets they visit, and if they require additional safety measures, they are to be accommodated by all Autocracy planets without question."

Béjan was walking with them to the flitters, and continued. "This means that your request of having no one from Vulo in your escort cannot be contested by Fernuin, so you need not fear attack from that quarter again, Princess Keestu. The rest of your honor guard will meet you at the palace. I hope you enjoy your tour of the rest of the Autocracy's planets. Thasin of Umanya is expecting you this evening."

"Oh, and one last thing. After reviewing the video of your confrontation with Fernuin, the Autocrat and Autocress have issued one last decree. Any representative of the Autocracy who directly and deliberately insults a visiting dignitary will be fined ten thousand man-hour products, to be paid to the visiting dignitary. Since Fernuin also used an obscenity, it put you in your rights to throw the stun staff at him to avenge the insult to your honor, so he has no legal right to apply to your planet for compensation for you throwing the staff at him."

"What does 'huda' mean, anyway?"

"Our translator cuffs didn't have the word as part of their lexicons," Gontu explained. "After an explanation of its meaning by Prató Béjan, we have come to the conclusion that he called you a sudi, so it's a good thing for Fernuin that we didn't know what that word meant at that time, or one of our men might have shot him."

Béjan nodded when Keestu looked at him in surprise. "Our people are appalled at his use of the word. If Fernuin had uttered it anywhere but on Vulo, he could have been pummeled by one of our people for insulting you like that."

He assisted Keestu into the flitter and took his leave. Since he and Dinus weren't accompanying them to the palace, Rue rode with her in the flitter. Keestu watched while Dinus kissed Rue's hand before releasing her. Rue was blushing slightly when she sat down and Keestu smiled to herself; Dinus's affection for Rue was apparently genuine.

"Well, they do seem to be making up for what happened on Vulo," Keestu said to her companions as their pilot maneuvered the flitter out of the Purvol estate. "Do we know how many Units the fine equates to?"

"Approximately one hundred and fifty thousand, Your Highness," Gontu said.

"Really? What am I going to do with all that?"

Gontu's mouth quirked into a wry smile. "Knowing your father, I'd imagine he will request that you donate it to a charity that caters specifically to women and find a way to announce your intentions publicly while you are here so that word of it will not fail to reach Fernuin."

Keestu laughed at the thought. "That's an excellent idea, Gontu. That's exactly what I'm going to do. In fact, I think it will be more delicious revenge if I specify it will be going to a charity that specifically serves commoner women." She got serious after a few moments. "Do you think I should give some of it to Tenget, as part of his compensation?"

"I'm not sure," Gontu admitted. "Fernuin and therefore all of Vulo will be paying a yearly stipend to him for the rest of his life according to the Autocrat and Autocress, and the palace already pays Tenget for his service. I don't doubt that he'll receive a bonus for putting your life ahead of his own and paying the price with part of his physical body. I understand that you want to show your appreciation for what he did, but that's something you should ask your father before making such an announcement."

They arrived at the palace, and during the flitter's descent, Keestu saw what looked like a hundred extra guards patrolling the area. "How many guards they are adding to your Sandarian squads?" Gontu shook his head. "Getting around the planets we're going to visit may be an issue if there are many more people keeping an eye on you."

"After what happened, I'd rather have more people around me than fewer," Keestu said. "More says that they really don't want anything else to go wrong during my visit to their planets, as I'm put in mind of the four squads that are always following my father around at home."

"When you put it that way," Gontu said, "I have to agree that more would appear to be better, but the logistics of food, lodging, and travel arrangements for larger groups means no more impromptu stops at taverns, which would be overwhelmed and unable to serve everyone, and not letting the troops sample the local foods and delaying their meals because of it wouldn't be good for morale."

Keestu looked at the guards Major Anjo had assigned to ride with her in every transport. They were very large, all at least two meters in height, and she supposed they ate a lot. "Well, they'll have to send out for more raw ingredients no matter where we go, as these guys look like they can really put it away."

Major Anjo smirked at her comment and nodded in agreement, but maintained a respectful silence.

Their flitter settled to the ground near the hangar that housed the royal liners. Keestu looked out to see sixteen heavily armed men waiting for her. Keestu realized there were two from every planet but Vulo by looking at their colors.

"Well, they aren't going too overboard," she commented. "Sending just one from each planet doesn't match a single Sandarian squad's numbers, and if I had said Vuloans would be okay to come along, there would be nearly an equal number of Autocracy guards as the number of Sandarians assigned to me by Admiral Kurzon. It's a good compromise, don't you think?"

"Yes, not too many, and not too few," Gontu agreed. "With their numbers plus the local forces on every planet you'll be visiting, you should have no problems with security unless there is a major uprising."

Gontu turned to Major Anjo and instructed him. "If I'm incapacitated, Major, you're the next in line to defend Princess Keestu. You are to allow Rue to stay close to her side at all times, as Rue has been taught hand to hand combat and has already proven she knows how to serve as the final line of distraction between Princess Keestu and an enemy."

Keestu was confused. "I thought Admiral Kurzon put Major Anjo in charge of my security?"

"As your personal body guard, I have been given authority over Major Anjo and his squads by King Ismer, since I have specialized training in regards to defending a single target rather than Major Anjo's training in handling attacks by groups on groups. To be more specific, since it's been so long since I've been in active service myself, I will defer to Major Anjo in regards to handling everything unless it comes down to myself, him, and Rue standing between you and an enemy."

Keestu looked at Major Anjo, who nodded agreement. Keestu looked more closely at him and saw no sign of disappointment on his face.

Turning back to Gontu, Keestu asked, "Will you also be commanding the Autocracy's people, then?"

Gontu shook his head. "If it comes down to a fire fight with a large group, the Autocracy's people will be their given orders by their leaders in their own languages, and Major Anjo will order ours while I look to your personal safety. Otherwise, yes, I can issue orders to every guard accompanying us and expect it to be carried out. I discussed it with Prató Béjan this morning before you got up, as he was acting with the authority of the Autocrat and Autocress in settling the final details about your guards before we left Phaet."

They exited the flitter and waited for the rest of the Sandarian contingent to arrive before they boarded Phaet's Manashin.

Keestu was shown to a luxurious suite in the most protected part of the ship, which she shared with Gontu, Rue, and after some discussion between Gontu and the Autocracy contingent's leader, one of her guards from Phaet, and four of her Sandarian guards. There were enough acceleration couches in the adjoining anteroom for an entire squad, while the others took up stations in cabins throughout the ship.

After they exited Phaet's system and settled in for their long flight to the outer reaches of the Autocracy, Gontu left for further discussions with the Autocracy guard's leader. When he returned, he reported to Keestu. "The Autocracy contingent has been ordered to be the first line of defense for you. This means they will always take up the outermost positions in relation to your location. If anything gets past them, it's up to Second Squad, then First Squad, then me, then Anjo, then Rue to protect you before you must fight for yourself again. However, from what I heard from the Autocracy's group's leader, who is from Phaet and is a distant cousin of Béjan, it'll be more necessary to keep you from being mobbed by admirers. You know that video of you taking out that Vuloan has been transmitted to all the planets in the Autocracy? Apparently, every ship leaving Phaet received that video from the incoming Vuloan ship and virtually all of them messaged that they would pass it on at any ports they went to, so there are many more people displeased with Prató Fernuin's methods than we thought. They had to actively discourage many Vuloan nobles visiting on Phaet from entering the palace grounds that were volunteering to be in your honor guard, even going so far as to offer to be an unarmed escort to prove they were there only to protect you."

Keestu groaned. "Oh, no."

"No, that's good. Being a celebrity visitor has its advantages. The rest of the planets are more likely to push through a trade agreement if Fernuin continues to be as unpopular as he is--the others will vote for it because you did what they couldn't in making Fernuin back down and look bad during a confrontation with a woman.

"I received a report from Enforcer just prior to our exit from the Phaet system. The message that you sent to King Ismer has been received with great relief by all Sandar and is being forwarded throughout the Union. In addition, a proper royal wardrobe is being prepared and sent from Sandar and should meet you on Eknor."

Keestu looked down at her gray Sandarian military uniform, which had been washed and pressed while she slept on Phaet. "Eknor? Where is that in the schedule?" Keestu's head was swimming from the information she'd been given in the past few hours.

"Next up after Umanya," he reassured her.

"So we have reverted to the originally planned schedule? The one the Autocrat and Autocress had in mind before Fernuin insisted I go to Vulo first?"

"Yes, you'll be going to the planet furthest away from the entrance to the Autocracy star cluster and making your way back to Phaet, skipping Vulo on the way back. After this trip, it will reduce your travel time between planets, so it should be less tiring."

They arrived on Umanya as the sun was rising, landing on a large flat plain surrounded with waving fields of grain in various stages of ripening, and Keestu was informed it was the main continent's major trade item. Prató Thasin was at the spaceport to meet her himself, his naturally orange-red hair clashing with his clothing, which was dark purple with a medium red stripe. Keestu noted with some dismay as they exited the spaceport in a flitter that crowds were lining the streets here, cheering her transport as she passed.

Thasin grinned at her, saying, "Fernuin is notorious throughout the Autocracy for his decrees limiting the rights of women. It's barbaric, and the majority of the populace here on Umanya applauds your actions."

He went on to explain that the half circle planetary symbol on his breast was indicative of Umanya's reputation as one of the bread baskets of the Autocracy, representing a round loaf of bread seen from the side. Umanya had a favorable axial tilt that gave it a long growing season that combined with the broad plains surrounded by high mountains that drew in plentiful rains to the main continent's most popular growing areas so that those areas sometimes had three harvests in a single year. Thasin was pale and freckled despite the plentiful sun Umanya received, and he used a strong sunblock to avoid burning.

Keestu enjoyed her stay on Umanya, especially when she sampled its breads, which were much more appealing than the bread served by Fernuin's house. She was reluctant to leave when her time there was over.

She was happy to see her wardrobe when she arrived on Eknor, wearing a black skirt and jacket with a white collared shirt decorated with lace jabot and cuffs to her first formal dinner there, as one of Eknor's colors was black. Praté Herini was a gracious hostess, though she was a giant of a woman, standing two meters tall, though her image was softened by her long black hair, wide dark brown eyes and equally dark brown skin that showed her laugh lines to good effect. Eknor's symbol of an annulus was in reference to the famed large ringed moon that orbited the planet, which made it a popular tourist destination. Keestu was shown the delights of several resorts, some along Eknor's oceans and some in the mountains, and she felt greatly refreshed upon leaving, as though she had been on vacation rather than an official visit.

Thetron was the next planet; a rocky formerly extensively volcanic planet whose main continent abounded in vertically built towns that were sheltering in its many steep cliff faces and known throughout the Autocracy for its bounty of large gems and precious metals. Keestu was amazed when Gépar, the Prató of Thetron, presented her with a palm-sized ruby. Gépar was shorter than the other Autocracy rulers she had met so far, even Fernuin of Vulo. He had dark brown skin, black hair, and was neither truly black like the inhabitants of Weegai nor did he have the look of the brown-skinned humans that lived on Uriel and Kielra. Like Herini of Eknor, he had a ready smile and waved away her stammered thanks with reassurance that this size ruby was a common find on his world.

Keestu learned the colors of Thetron were red and gold, chosen for the rubies and gold that were the most commonly found precious items on Thetron and in its three large asteroid belts, and the symbol of Thetron was octagram consisting of two squares at forty-five degree angles to each other as it most closely resembled a cut gem. His wife, Praté Duréna, wore a choker made of gold and rubies as her noble clothing lacked a high collar. It was the only jewelry that Keestu had seen on a ruling noble at a formal function thus far. She noted how the gems and gold glowed next to Duréna's dark brown skin.

Keestu wasn't certain what to expect when arriving on Multana early morning on Challenge Day. However, Prató Sartik was there to greet her, along with his challenger, Praten Atrilin, a female noble who'd held the position for the past three months. They were both black skinned with dark brown eyes, though Keestu thought their overall skin tone was lighter than that of the residents of Weegai. She was escorted to an arena and seated with others who had been invited to witness the fight. Keestu was expecting a swift brutal fight, as the altercations she'd seen firsthand were over quite quickly. However, the sinuous cat-like movements of the Prató and Praten fascinated her as they circled each other with empty hands, testing for any sign of weakness as Atrilin had chosen weaponless combat. Atrilin lunged forward suddenly, feinting with her fists as her leg came up to kick. Sartik ducked under her fists, and seeing her leg lashing out, managed to block it by grabbing her leg and yanking Atrilin off balance. Atrilin tumbled to the ground, rolling away to avoid Sartik's stomping foot. She quickly regained her feet, and they circled each other again before Sartik initiated an engagement, a series of quick punches punctuated by lunges designed to make Atrilin lose her balance. Atrilin whirled outside his reach instead, coming in from the side to deliver a solid punch to Sartik's face, and Keestu winced as she saw blood fly as his lip was cut on his teeth. Rather than turning his head to spit, he kept his eyes on his opponent, who didn't smile at that little victory; her attention was too focused on winning. Seeing his eyes come unfocused for a moment as he shook his head to clear it, Atrilin charged Sartik, thinking her punch had the salient effect she sought, only to realize too late that it was a ruse. Her entire body weight lunging forward combined with Sartik's superior strength so that the uppercut he delivered to her jaw knocked her unconscious. Sartik considerately caught her falling body, easing her limp form down to the ground. Keestu heard him murmur to her unconscious form, "Not this time, my dear."

When she awoke, Atrilin exhibited signs of a concussion, so Sartik summoned the medics, waiting until they had arrived before leaving her.

After making certain Atrilin had received no lasting harm, Sartik started guiding Keestu on her tour of Multana. One of the three capital planets of the Autocracy, it boasted not only a large distribution operation of goods to and from the other capital planets, it also was a formerly active volcanic planet, though the main continent's slopes were made fertile by volcanic ash rather than the ground with gems, making it easy for Multana to grow valuable trade crops like javene, which had been imported decades earlier by the Rillul and now flourished in the wilds as well as in carefully tended plantations. Multana's colors were therefore black and red for the fertile soil that came from volcanic lava, with an astroid representing a stylized volcanic ash plume rising and spreading into the sky as its symbol.

Laringo was next on her tour, and Keestu enjoyed the company of Prató Zanó and his spouse Prató Éran. She learned Laringo was famous not only for its many sweet fruits and vegetables, but also served as a popular vacation spot, as Laringo's nighttime summer sky was dominated by a view of a bright planetary nebula that boasted green colored gas clouds. During its winter season, it had nighttime views of many of the bright stars on the edge of the cluster, so Laringo's colors were green for the nebula's gas and silver for its view of the bright stars, and its symbol was a star pentagon. Laringo had no moons, but the view of the nebula so thrilled Keestu that she was reluctant to leave.

She was newly dazzled by the night skies of Hetindi, whose colors were black for the night sky and silver for the three moons that circled the planet. Appropriately, the symbol for Hetindi was a crescent, as one of the three moons was always in crescent phase at any given time. Hetindi also was the birthplace of the satin plant used to make noble clothing, and it still produced the majority of the Autocracy's satin fabrics. Keestu enjoyed her tour of the weaving factories, since Prató Laron's family boasted several generations of weavers, who all had the same unusual bright blond colored hair that really stood out against their black clothing.

Keestu's last stop before returning to Phaet was Naelia, which had a bright blue nitrogen rich atmosphere and whose main continent boasted deep green fields of grains, as Naelia was another major grain producer for the Autocracy and was at the beginning of its growing season. Its planetary colors were medium blue and dark green, and its symbol was an oval, representing the top view of a hand-shaped bread loaf. Two of the blue giants on the edge of the Autocracy cluster were visible in the daytime sky, appearing as bright blue jewels in the deeper blue sky. Praté Enfré was a large blonde woman with a square face and light blue eyes. She was shorter than Herini of Eknor, but more muscular. Her bulky arms had several fresh bruises, and she had a livid still-healing scar that ran from just below the jaw to halfway down her neck. Seeing Keestu's gaze fixed on it, the Praté gave her a grin and pointed to Keestu's now healed jaw, a reference to her fight on Vulo. "Got it in a fight four challenges ago, like you did that nasty bruise on your face, only mine was a formal challenge, where I chose the arena, and my challenger chose the weapons. We don't usually use weapons this close to the tourney, trying to avoid debilitating wounds that need a lot of healing time, but my challenger knew I had the best of her in a test of strength, so she chose spears." Enfré frowned then. "Pity about her leg. She was a good Praten. Her place has been taken by Ípon, who is a good enough Praton, but he fancies himself to become Autocrat, so we've been fighting ever since Simi had to drop rank due to her wound. Darn thing went and got infected on her, and she had to drop rank due to being unable to meet challenge."

This surprised Keestu. "So if you can't or won't fight, you automatically lose your position?"

"Of course," Enfré said. "It's only fair that if you have to be able and willing to fight to earn your position that you be willing and able to fight to keep it. Not everyone gets challenged every month. There are practically no monthly challenges after about the tenth rank. However, challenges increase at all levels beginning several years before each Tourney, as those with a real chance at winning must either fight their way to the top, or maintain it against all comers. I imagine all Pratés and Pratós were challenged today and will be next month as well, since it will be the last challenge before the tourney."

**Chapter twenty-two**

Twelve days before the tourney, Keestu returned to Phaet to find that Enfré was wrong. Dinus had not challenged his father, and had been challenged by his sister, Hatari, who had beaten him for the first time. Their bruises were well healed by now, but Hatari had a fresh scar on her lip where it had been torn open during her fight with Dinus almost a month before. Keestu thought it was strange to see Dinus wearing the hexagonal household rank insignia rather than the circular Praton badge he had always worn before. He was eyeing his sister at dinner, alternately smiling and frowning at her as he toyed with his food, and Keestu tried to distract him.

"Tell me, Dinus, about your planet's colors and symbol. I've learned about all the others, but still have no idea what Phaet's colors and symbol stand for."

Dinus sat up, looking surprised at be addressed. "Our colors are blue for the sky and purple for the mountains as they both look in the morning just before sunrise here in the capital. Our symbol is the rhombus, which consists of an equilateral triangle on top of an inverted equilateral triangle with the line forming their bases removed from between them. We chose this symbol because the idea of the Autocracy and then the Autocrat and Autocress positions were born here at different times. The majority of the nobles wear the upright triangle, which represents the masses going up to serve the single top point, the leader of their planet. The inverted triangle of the Autocrat and Autocress represents the all the best fighters in a generation being eliminated in challenges and then in the Tourney until only the superior one stands alone and rules. Since it wasn't explained before, the square the Praté and Prató wear represents the walls of a house, and since they are head their houses as well as their planets, they wear that as their rank. The Praten and Praton wear a circle, as in ancient times they circled around the house and its leader to protect them, as the second in command should. The hexagon of the family represents direct family members who move around to defend the house both within and without the square borders of it. The colors of each planet are based on specific meaning, and came to us from some ancient battle standards, so it was natural when the Autocracy was formed and the rank insignias decided upon that everyone should wear clothing that clearly identified what planet they belonged to, so you can quickly tell where someone is from, and from the front, you can see their rank, though we only clearly mark the first four ranks; the Autocrat, Prató or Praté, and Praton or Praten, and the rest of the nobles. An older and much more tedious ranking system was thrown out in favor of this, as we really only need to know the first three ranks after the Autocrat and Autocress when we are dealing with one another. Numerous supercomputers in the palaces of each planet keep track of the hierarchy of the other levels, and the information is updated after every challenge day."

"I see. Thank you, Dinus," Keestu said. "It's nice to finally understand the symbols of your planetary ranking system. It reminds me of Sandar's family crest system. So when is the last challenge before the tourney?"

"The day after tomorrow," Béjan answered, apparently happy to change the topic to the upcoming event.

"But isn't that only ten days until the tourney? I didn't think your months were that short?"

"Yes, it's not a month, but tradition demands it. Rentham fought her most critical and final battle ten days after a near-defeat, and therefore, if we are to prove ourselves worthy of ruling all the Autocracy, we must also be fit enough to do the same. However, not all of us will fight on this last challenge day, as some subordinates are content with the idea of becoming Praté or Prató should our planetary ruler ascend to Autocrat or Autocress."

Hatari awarded her father a wan smile. Keestu realized, with their challenge system, Hatari had a tough choice to make, to challenge and fight her father, who was favored to become the next Autocrat or be challenged by her brother, who she had only managed to defeat once.

"Prató," Keestu thought to ask. "Why is it that you are favored to win the position of Autocrat? Dinus mentioned on his visit to Sandar that you were favored to win, but he didn't explain why."

"As he told you, our fights are tracked electronically. Every month, the information in the supercomputers on the other planets is downloaded and transported here to the palace so that comparison programs can analyze each fight. I'm favored not only because I've been undefeated for eight challenges, but also because my fights tend to be over much faster than those of others."

"You've fought Dinus eight times?"

"Oh, no, I've fought four people during my time as Prató. My first Praton was a man I'm not related to. He held the position for three years and challenged me four times during that period of time before he was defeated by another man I'm not related to, who held the position for seven months and challenged me only once before he was defeated. The former Praten then challenged me twice during her tenure. During that time, Dinus and the other children matured enough to move up the ranks, having the benefit of training with the same people I did. I have fought Dinus only once since he became Praton last year. Our situation on Phaet is an unusual one, with a single family holding the top three ranks, though many people not related to us show great promise to take the top positions in the coming years."

"So who is the next favored Prató in the tourney?"

"The last time I checked the listings, Laron of Hetindi has been undefeated in five challenges, having won another challenge last challenge day."

He smiled then, "I'm certainly glad we have two positions, one male and one female, though, as Enfré of Naelia has endured seven challenges as of last challenge day. She is favored to take Autocress, though Herini has faced more challengers in her five challenges. I have to say I'd hate to have to go up against either one of them, as I think either could take me in a fight."

The next morning at breakfast, Keestu was invited to watch the Purvol family's training session before going on a more extensive tour of Phaet. Keestu realized she would have time to travel to the Enforcer to record a report to send home and would also have time to use the Enforcer's onboard exercise equipment to keep up her own fitness and agreed.

When she arrived at the Enforcer, she was surprised to see Admiral Kurzon waiting for her.

"Is there news from home?"

"Nothing critical," he said. "I heard from Gontu that you learned more about their ranking system at dinner last night and wanted to hear from you about it for my report. King Ismer is very interested to learn how the nobles can change their ranks on a monthly basis."

Keestu explained the Autocracy's rank system to Kurzon as best she could while he recorded her explanation, shaking his head several times as she did so. "It's a strange system."

"Well, we know that at least one Autocracy Prató was certain I had no ability to lead a planet based on the accident of my birth, not just because of my gender, and he probably wasn't the only one thinking that until I bested that Vuloan in a fight. You saw how enthusiastically the crowds reacted to my official visits once that video got sent to every other Autocracy planet."

After Kurzon left, she recorded a message for home before changing into a set of exercise clothing bag being kept for her on the Enforcer. She put in her workout on one of the Enforcer's treadmills, using a programmed representation of CeCe's streets so that she had some inclines to climb during her workout. She showered before returning to the Purvol estate.

Dinus was waiting for her when she returned. "As a junior member of the house, I normally would not be assigned to attend a visiting royal, but since you addressed your question to me last night and not my father, mother, or sister, my father realized you are more comfortable with me as your guide, so things have been rearranged. Hatari will attend to her Praten duties, while I continue as your host."

"Oh dear," Keestu said. "I hope I didn't upset anyone? I know how sensitive you are to rank, and I certainly didn't mean to insult Hatari. It's just that she hardly ever puts two sentences together around me."

"I figured that might be the case. Hatari really isn't that comfortable holding higher rank, as she's relatively new to it, and while she fights really well, she is used to being in the junior ranks and therefore expected to keep her mouth shut. I'll have a private word with her later about it, so she knows you aren't deliberately slighting her."

Dinus led her to the family's arena, a large courtyard located in the back of the estate, which gave them a view of the mountains in the distance to the north. However, none of the Purvol family spared a glance to the view. They were busy sparring in pairs. They had all donned protective padding and large padded mats on which to train. Keestu watched with Rue, Gontu, and her guards, noting that Gontu and her guards were especially interested in their hand-to-hand fighting techniques. Keestu noted that her honor guard had split up into three groups, and were clustered around the arena, watching and talking with each other in low murmurs, and she surmised they had clustered together so they could easily converse in the main dialects of the regions they had come from.

Keestu watched while Dinus put on his padding and began sparring with a younger brother. She thought they were rather evenly matched, but then Dinus, flipping a smile at Rue, went into full attack mode, quickly pinning his younger brother to the padded floor in a hold that was designed to choke him to unconsciousness. With his dominant hand pinned under Dinus's body, his brother quickly slapped his off hand on the padding to signal his surrender.

Dinus gave him a hand up, and while he changed to heavier padding, Keestu watched Hatari fight a younger sister. They were wearing heavier padding and helmets and were using light staves to fight. After watching, Keestu realized that if she had faced a higher ranked noble who was used to fighting with a staff, she would not have stood a chance in her fight on Vulo. Hatari easily defeated her sister in a quick bout, but Keestu felt that Zouri was no slouch with the staff herself.

Rue leaned in close to Keestu and Gontu. "Did you see that move? Where she feinted with one end, then really quickly brought the other up for that side hit to the head?"

"Yes," Keestu whispered back. "Most would have gone for an overhead strike, which you can easily see coming. She's a clever fighter."

Keestu saw that Béjan had changed to heavy padding and a helmet and was waiting for Dinus. They picked up two padded batons apiece, and Keestu was aghast at how fast they were swinging them and found herself unable to follow their complex movements.

Gontu was tense beside her, his face rigid with concentration as he watched the fight. He expelled his breath in a satisfied sigh as Béjan landed the first blow on his son. The fight went on for some time, their batons flashing in the sun, with regular muffled thumps sounding as the padded batons collided or blows landed, and Keestu learned a new respect for the fighting abilities of the Autocracy's leaders.

Finally, though, Dinus's concentration waned, and Béjan quickly delivered a series of blows to his head and chest and was declared the winner, as the blows to the head would have knocked an unprotected combatant senseless.

After their bout was done, the training session was declared over, and Keestu, Rue, and her guards helped roll up the padding and put away the weapons while Gontu took Dinus to the side and spoke to him quietly for a few minutes.

They were taken on a tour of the continent via lander, stopping at several large towns where goods were manufactured. Keestu wasn't surprised to see that machine assisted labor was favored here, and she was careful to keep out of the marked lanes used by robots manning the electric tuggers and pallet jacks as they moved goods around.

"Most of the goods in this warehouse are scheduled to go to Autocracy Station, to be picked up by Rillul and Triker ships that prefer not to take the time to get their goods from our planets directly. It really depends on how popular the goods are whether they will pay the extra expense of having them shipped to the Station for pick up there or whether they will go to each planet to get it themselves; there is a slightly higher profit margin for them if they do direct pick up on our planets, but it's often offset by how much faster their competition is when picking up goods at Autocracy Station and getting them back to their planets. These goods will be shipped directly from her, not from the larger spaceport in the capital."

Keestu was impressed by the sound dampening in the warehouses, for while the constant whine of electric equipment and robots and moving carts of goods sounded within it, she didn't hear any of the spaceships taking off or landing at the nearby spaceport.

Their day ended with a formal dinner, including the promising nobles Béjan had mentioned were working their way up the ranks, including Dinus's cousin Bital, who now worked for Hatari, a rather prestigious position. Keestu found that her much publicized fight made the nobles of Phaet more comfortable around her, and she had a pleasant time chatting with them about which weapons were used on Sandar in hand-to-hand combat training. Even Hatari made an effort to engage Keestu in conversation by discussing training to fight with a staff. Keestu was happy to see the young woman ask Rue if she fought with a staff, and relaxed even further upon discussing other hand-to-hand combat techniques with them both. Keestu listened closely as Hatari told Rue that Autocracy females tended to learn martial arts kicking techniques in addition to concentrating on combat with weapons to counteract the greater upper body strength men possessed.

The next day was the last challenge day, and Hatari declined to challenge Béjan, so Dinus challenged her. Hatari chose their family's arena, and Dinus chose barehanded combat. Knowing that Dinus had the advantages of strength, reach, and past victories on his side, Keestu wasn't surprised that he beat her. Their fight was much different than the sparring she had seen the previous day. Firstly, there was the lack of protective padding, which was not allowed in official fights. Secondly, no punches or kicks were pulled. Thirdly, both combatants were bruised and bloodied by the end. Hatari's lip tore open again, and while it bled profusely and her eyes teared up from the pain, she stoically ignored it until the fight was over. Rather than have Dinus choke her to unconsciousness after pinning her in much the same way he had his brother during training, she feebly flailed her hand to signal she resigned the fight after he pinned to the ground, and she realized she couldn't get free with her dominant hand pinned under Dinus's knee. Dinus released her, urging the medics to attend to Hatari's torn lip first, limping to a bench and putting an ice pack on his nose and another on a large bruise on his leg where Hatari had delivered an especially hard kick.

They were patched up and changed by lunch, Hatari back in her lower ranking insignia, her lip sutured and a thick layer of analgesic and antibiotic ointment on it, while Dinus had his nose packed. Bital, to his credit, neither congratulated Dinus on his win nor commiserated with Hatari on her loss. He smoothly began to fill Dinus in on what he had missed out on the previous month directly after lunch, and with Dinus busy attending to management of Phaet, it left Keestu a few hours free to visit the Enforcer to deliver her latest report, knowing her parents would be interested to know that Béjan would, indeed, be fighting on behalf of Phaet in the tourney.

**Chapter twenty-three**

The remaining days before the Tourney were spent getting reacquainted with the other Pratés and Pratós of the Autocracy as they arrived for the event accompanied by their families and Pratons or Pratens. All of the planetary leaders Keestu had met on her tour had either survived their final challenges or had not been challenged by their subordinates, and they and their entourages were put up at the palace, which had been preparing for the influx of people for some time. Keestu ate most of her evening meals there, wearing her most formal outfits, including the recording headdress and its accompanying ring so its presence as a part of her formal outfits would be not questioned. Vahin had finally recovered enough from his injuries to rejoin her, though he walked slowly and was frequently out of breath with exertion.

Keestu included Rue and Gontu in as many meetings as she could, knowing they would notice anything she missed. After her first encounter with Fernuin, in which he stomped up to her and began haranguing her about banning his people from her honor guard, she ignored him after haughtily telling him that as Crown Princess of Sandar she could recommend that the Union boycott all goods from Vulo if he did not show any restraint in his rude mannerisms. His face had turned dark red with rage, and he stepped menacingly towards her, stopping when he heard the loud whine of plasma rifles charging, and Gontu stepped between them, fists raised. He proceeded to ignore her at the bargaining table, then began interrupting her and other speakers loudly with rude remarks. His childish behavior continued until the Autocrat had him bodily removed from the chamber. He desisted after that, though when it came time for the leaders of the Autocracy to vote on passage of the trade agreement, Keestu wasn't surprised that Fernuin cast the only dissenting vote, though she noted that Pulon, who was standing behind his father, shook his head in disagreement.

The trade agreement was finalized and signed the day before the tourney. Keestu wearily went back to the Purvol estate after dinner, where she noted the Autocracy's leaders had all eaten heartily. The Tourney would commence at close to midday, though the arena would open several hours prior.

Keestu dressed carefully for the Tourney. She didn't want to wear any of the Autocracy planets' main colors, which meant that black, medium and dark blue, medium green, dark red, and dark purple were out. She also wanted to avoid the secondary colors, which were gold, silver, medium purple, and bright red. She felt that she needed to dress neutrally so she did not seem to be rooting for any particular planet's leader, though she secretly hoped that Prató Béjan would win. She finally settled on a dark gray suit jacket with a long skirt, which was different enough from the shiny black and silver of the Autocracy that she couldn't see it being mistaken for any planet's color. She paired it with a white blouse, lacy jabot, and lace cuffs. In her hair, she fixed the gold recording headdress, checking it several times before leaving her suite, as she was certain everyone at home would be anxious to see the battle first hand via video. In addition, one of her guards would film the Tourney from a box seat near Keestu, as Vahin decided not attend the match.

After breakfast with the Purvol family, which was understandably quiet as they were nervous about how the day would go, she remembered that the Purvol family box at the edge of the arena was nowhere near large enough to fit all her guard squads. With this in mind, she went to Béjan, who had her ushered immediately into his office, though he was about to face the most important fight of his life.

"Béjan, I'm certain all my guards will not fit into your family box at the palace's arena. I think security at the palace is adequate, so I think it's time to dismiss my Autocracy honor guard. I hope they aren't too disappointed."

"I'm sure some of them will be, but others will be relieved they can watch the Tourney without fear of missing a threat or guilt afterward because they paid more attention to the fights than security," he replied.

He called the palace and explained the situation, and the Autocracy honor guard was dismissed. Béjan took his leave, stating that he wanted to get to the palace early. Abandoning decorum, Keestu impulsively gripped his arm and wished him well. He put his hand over hers for a few moments, squeezing her fingers affectionately and thanking her before leaving.

Keestu was nervous until Kurzon arrived. Due to the limited landing space at the palace, he had ordered the Enforcer back into orbit, taking a lander down so he could attend the Tourney.

"Admiral, you and your men have done a fine job watching me the past several months," she told him. "But, unfortunately, there is no way two full squads can be accommodated in the Purvol's box, so we need to pare this number down. I can't in good conscience leave Rue or Gontu out of it, and since security will be tight at the palace, I wonder if you will agree that I need only two other guards in addition to Gontu while I'm inside?"

Kurzon thought for a few moments, then said, "Since Vahin has returned to the infirmary on the Enforcer, if I'm included in your party, I agree. Since Norinna and Béjan have nine children between them, that makes sixteen, leaving them fourteen box seats to offer to others."

Keestu thanked him, allowing him to decide which guards would accompany them while she went and found Norinna. Norinna was talking with a large group of nobles Keestu didn't recognize, and she politely knocked on the wall by the open door to announce her presence.

"Ah, Crown Princess, I was about to send for you," Norinna waved her into the room. "We have too many people to be able to accommodate all your guards. Béjan told me before he left that your Autocracy guard has been dismissed, but twenty guards in addition to your personal bodyguard and handmaiden would leave us with too few seats for the immediate family."

"Yes, Praté, I thought of that and consulted Admiral Kurzon. He has agreed to reduce the number of additional guards to two as long as he can take Vahin's place in my entourage, making our number six. Will that work for you?"

"Oh, yes, it should! Your six, me, and the other eight children brings our number to fifteen, since Dinus is Béjan's second..."

"Dinus is Béjan's second? What does that mean?"

"He will stand in the arena outside the security screen to help insure a fair fight, observing so that no illegal weapons are smuggled in. This leaves his seat in our box open. Now, I'll have the others who want to sit with us to draw lots for the remaining seats as the odds are that Béjan will fight in at least two rounds, meaning everyone we know who wants to will have a chance to watch at least one of his bouts from our box."

Keestu bowed to Norinna, who bobbed her head in return. She gently rubbed her gravid stomach as she issued some last minute orders to her children and the other family members around her before they all loaded into the flitters to travel to the palace.

Keestu found that Kurzon had decided on Major Anjo and one of the medics to accompany them to the Tourney, with the medic being assigned to man a camera. At the final negotiation session, it had been decided that when Keestu attended the tourney that her guards would be allowed to bring their weapons in, as they were now officially allies. In addition, strip screening would be skipped for her and her party. They were only to be scanned for explosives before being passed into the palace just like any other Autocracy noble.

Due to increased foot traffic throughout the city, their flitters flew to the palace rather than hugging the ground and were ordered into a holding pattern, as the sky over the palace was filled with flitters and landers bringing people in to see the tourney. Traffic control was efficient, however, and they landed after a few minutes of waiting.

As they entered the palace, Kurzon motioned to the guards who would not be accompanying them inside, and Keestu watched them jog off to guard the other entrances in case Keestu needed a quick exit, each man wearing a translator cuff so they could communicate with the Autocracy's people. Keestu didn't see where it would do much good to have a few of her men scattered here and there around the exterior, but the number of view screens set up outside the palace was impressive, and she knew that her guards would at least be able to watch the fight while they waited.

They were led to the screening line, and then Norinna and Béjan's children left to go through the strip search process since they were related to a tourney combatant. Norinna was the first one through, and she led them to Phaet's box. Armed guards abounded, and Keestu relaxed upon seeing that none of the ones guarding the Purvol box were wearing Vulo's colors. She looked around the arena, finding Vulo's box was located nearly opposite them.

"How are the arenas assigned? I know that one combatant picks the arena, and the other the weapons, but since all the fighters today are of equal rank, how is that determined?"

Norinna stopped chewing her lip to answer. "It's based on how many challenges one has faced, with the one who has endured the most challenges choosing the arena and the one with the least choosing the weapons. If they have endured an equal number of challenges, the Autocrat or Autocress toss a die after randomly telling one of the combatants they are the odd number and the other is the even number, and then whoever the die favors chooses the arena. I often think the system is backwards, that it doesn't matter where you fight, it's what you fight with and that you win."

"Béjan looks formidable to me no matter how he's fighting, and since he's won the most challenges, I think you can be certain that he will choose to fight in front of his official box for the first round."

"Mmm," Norinna agreed, then stiffened, grabbing Keestu's arm in her excitement. "Look! Here come the Autocrat and Autocress. They are entering the podium, where they will officiate."

"What are their duties?"

"They read the computer screen and inform us who has been chosen to fight each round and who survived the most challenges. They will also toss the die that's kept in the podium in the event it's needed."

A cheer went up from the crowd as the old leaders entered, armed with their ceremonial spears. They waved to the crowd as they spoke their names at the security screen and were allowed access to the podium.

Finally, the doors to the arenas opened, and the combatants entered. Keestu was shocked to see Zanó of Laringo limping, as he'd always been seated before Keestu arrived for treaty discussions, so she didn't know he had been injured during his last challenge. She watched as the men and women who would fight each other gathered at the foot the podium and bowed to the Autocrat and Autocress who nodded back at them. They turned to the crowd and bowed again, while the crowd cheered.

The Autocress's voice boomed through the speakers. "Welcome, everyone! This is the day you have been waiting a generation for, the day that your new leaders will be decided. We have an exciting trade agreement with our new allies which was facilitated by the people of Sandar who sent their Crown Princess to us," and here Keestu saw an old image of her face with her badly bruised jaw displayed on the view screens, which engendered a fresh roar of approval from the crowd, "And our new leaders must be prepared to develop this new relationship, which is the will of the majority of the Autocracy's leaders."

The Autocrat took up the narrative. "All of today's combatants are the top fighters of their planets at this time, making them eligible to compete to lead the entire Autocracy. We have two women who will vie for Autocress, and seven men who will vie for Autocrat. We want this to be a clean fight. You've all been scanned for weapons, but your seconds will search your opponents prior to you entering your arenas."

The Autocress informed the crowd. "In round one, we have Enfré of Naelia with seven challenges facing Herini of Eknor with five challenges. Enfré will choose the arena, and Herini will choose the weapons. Herini, your choices are: Hand-to-hand combat, staves, batons, or spears. What say you?"

Enfré stepped forward. "As Naelia has no formal box among the arenas, I choose the arena in front of Eknor's box." She nodded respectfully to Herini, who smiled and nodded back.

Herini turned to the Autocress. "I choose hand-to-hand combat." Keestu thought that with her greater height and longer reach she would have a slight advantage over Enfré, though Enfré was more muscular.

"The combatants vying for the title of Autocress will move to the arena in front of Eknor's assigned box for searching by each other's seconds."

The Autocrat smiled before announcing, "Next, we have Gépar of Thetron with four challenges facing Fernuin of Vulo with zero challenges. Gépar will choose the arena and Fernuin the weapons. What say you?"

Gépar grinned in Keestu's direction before choosing the arena in front of Vulo, though his planet's seats were located next to Phaet's. Fernuin's voice grated out that he chose staves. They moved off to be checked by their seconds while Gépar's people moved from their box to the one next to that of Vulo across the arena complex from where Keestu was sitting, and Keestu realized this was why the wide aisles had been left between the private boxes and the public seating; for quick and orderly rearrangements in seating.

The Autocress called, "Zanó of Laringo with four challenges faces Laron of Hetindi with five challenges. Zanó will pick the weapons and Laron the arena. What say you?"

Zanó chose hand-to-hand combat, and Laron the arena in front of his planet's box.

The Autocrat checked the computer and announced, "And for the last fight of round one we have Béjan of Phaet with eight challenges going against Thasin of Umanya with three challenges. Béjan chooses the arena and Thasin the weapons. What say you?"

Béjan formally chose the arena in front of Phaet's box seats, though it was the only one not already taken, and Thasin chose batons.

"Sartik of Multana, you do not fight in this round," the Autocress informed him. "You and your second will retire to the waiting area inside." Nodding silently, his face carefully devoid of any sign of disappointment, Sartik left the arena closely followed by his Praten Atrilin who looked anxiously around the arenas before following him.

Keestu watched Béjan and Thasin move towards the arena they would fight in. Once they were positioned outside, the Autocrat and Autocress ordered the computer to open the security screens, and the combatants were passed in after having being physically searched by the other's seconds. Once inside, they went to weapons chests. Individual drawers were opened by the Autocrat to reveal the weapons chosen for their fight. Béjan and Thasin each took out a pair of batons, and the chest automatically relocked when that was done.

"All observers are informed that the exterior security screens have been activated. Do not attempt to enter an arena until the security screens are turned off, or your body will receive a lethal charge. The combatants may touch the interior walls in complete safety," the Autocrat told the audience. "This will prevent any outside interference with this competition."

"Each combatant is to stand behind a line on one side of your arena," the Autocress informed them. "Bow to your opponent, and on my mark, you may begin fighting."

The screens above the box seats lit up with fresh images, each split to show the other arenas not directly in front of that seating area so people there could watch the other fights. Keestu noted that each fighter who had chosen the arena also chose the side on which to stand, so Béjan stood close to where Norinna was sitting. He threw her a reassuring smile before focusing all his attention on Thasin.

"Begin!"

Keestu expected Béjan or Thasin to charge at each other. However, they began slowly circling each other. Thasin did several warm-up movements with his batons, which Béjan watched intently.

A roar from the crowd made Keestu look up at the screens. Zanó and Laron traded the first blows of the Tourney, with Zanó punching Laron who was trying to kick Zanó's injured leg out from under him. Enfré and Herini were the next to engage, exchanging punches that made Keestu wince. Thasin's attention wavered as he saw something in the next box over, and in that instant, Béjan sprang forward, quickly closing the distance between them, feinting with his batons. Thasin moved both his arms up for a double high block, and in a lightning move, Béjan lowered one baton and hit Thasin in the stomach. Thasin staggered back, gasping for breath, his red hair bobbing around his face as he tried not to double over from the pain. Meanwhile, the loud crack of staves colliding brought Keestu's attention to the screen, which showed Gépar and Fernuin looking for an opening in each other's guard.

A gasp beside her brought Keestu's attention back the arena in front of her. Thasin had landed a double blow on Béjan's left arm and back, knocking him to the ground. He rolled away from Thasin's subsequent pounce and climbed painfully back to his feet, his left arm now held close to his side. Thasin charged him, aiming for his good right side to do damage there, and Béjan, who was a canny fighter, brought his left baton up under Thasin's guard and expertly jammed it into his chin. Thasin wavered a moment, but before Béjan could hit him again, he crumpled to the ground, his own batons rolling away. Keestu realized that Béjan must have really taken a hard hit, because he didn't make an effort to try and cushion Thasin's fall, which she thought he would have done if he were able.

"Winner: Béjan of Phaet defeats Thasin of Umanya!" The crowd roared, watching the replay of the final blows on the screens.

The distraction of the crowd's cheering gave Laron the opening he needed, and he swept Zanó's bad leg out from under him and pinned him to the ground, hands on his neck. Rather than tapping out, Zanó resisted, trying to pry Laron's hands off his throat until his consciousness faded. As soon as his hands fell limply to the ground, Laron released him and was declared the winner.

Enfré and Herini showed no signs of flagging as they continued to punch and kick at each other, but then Enfré hit Herini's face a quick double blow that made her stagger and turn to one side, but as Enfré stepped up to take advantage of Herini's debility, Herini jerked one of her elbows back in a swift and desperate uppercut, and the blow connected solidly with Enfré's jaw. Enfré's eyes rolled up, and she tumbled to the ground before Herini could spin and catch her. "Herini wins the bout and proves herself worthy of the title Autocress. I welcome my sister ruler," the retiring Autocress announced in an emotional voice. The crowd roared in appreciation of their new Autocress, who looked to Keestu to be more surprised than triumphant.

Gépar and Fernuin were the only contestants in the first round still fighting, and the screen above Keestu's head switched to show that arena alone. The image on the screen suddenly split to show the people watching on that side. Gépar's family seats were all filled. Fernuin's, however, hosted only Bott, Shariel, Pulon, and four other people; Fernuin had chosen someone other than his Praton as his second, which Norinna whispered to Keestu was allowed by the rules. Fernuin was limping slightly, having taken a painful blow to his left shin and his pants were torn there, and Gépar had a very bloody nose, which when the video tightened to a close-up his face, showed that his nose had been badly broken and was already quite swollen, so that Gépar was breathing through his mouth. He staggered a little, planting his feet wide to maintain his balance, and Fernuin darted in, jerking his staff up between Gépar's legs. Gépar's eyes went wide, and he dropped his staff as he clutched himself with both hands. Fernuin coldly moved around Gépar as he dropped to his knees and delivered a hard blow that cracked across the back of Gépar's skull. Duréna screamed in anguish from the stands as Gépar crumpled face down onto the ground and didn't move.

Fernuin's cruelty was booed when his win was announced as the medics rushed to gently place Gépar on a stretcher and remove him from the arena.

"Can he do that?" Keestu asked Norinna, who turned and nodded bleakly at her.

"Yes, all that matters is that you prove yourself the better fighter by making certain your opponent is unable to continue fighting," she replied, "Since in war, nothing matters but winning."

The winners were instructed to put the weapons away as the medics assisted the other losers out of the arena as they regained consciousness. A team of cleaners came out and checked the arenas, carefully scraping the hard-packed ground free of blood, and when that was done, Sartik came out and faced the Autocrat and Autocress along with Béjan, Fernuin, and Laron.

The Autocress spoke first again. "The computer pits Béjan of Phaet with eight challenges against Laron of Hetindi with five. Béjan chooses the arena and Laron the weapons. What say you?"

Béjan again chose his planet's arena, while Laron chose staves.

The Autocrat spoke up. "This leaves Sartik of Multana with three challenges against Fernuin of Vulo with none. Sartik chooses the arena and Fernuin the weapons. What say you?"

Sartik chose the arena in front of his planet's seating, which was to Keestu's right. Fernuin chose batons.

"Before we start, I know we're all concerned about Gépar," the Autocrat announced. "The medics report he's awake, but he has a concussion in addition to his badly broken nose, and his privates are badly bruised. However, he is expected to make a complete recovery from all his injuries." Keestu joined in on the relieved cheer that went up from the crowd at this news.

She looked across the courtyard and saw that the spouses of the defeated fighters had left the stands to check on them. The rest of their family members stayed so that their planets had proper witness to the continuing battle for succession.

After the spectators had moved and the fighters sealed in their arenas, the second round began. Keestu hoped that Sartik, who had sat out the first round and had a full store of energy and no signs of wounds, would beat Fernuin soundly.

She kept her attention focused on Béjan and Laron as they exchanged a few lazy staff thrusts, testing each other. Laron darted in suddenly, his staff twirling around in his hands as he sought an opening. Béjan danced out of his way, swinging his own staff up and hitting a glancing blow along Laron's thigh before he spun away.

Keestu looked up at the screen at the staccato crack of batons hitting each other. Sartik and Fernuin were standing toe to toe, their weapons blurring with speed as they fought. Fernuin gasped and stumbled back as one of Sartik's batons connected with his face and the other with his injured left shin. Blood sprayed with the hit then continued dribbling from his mouth, and Keestu silently rejoiced. It was short-lived, however, as Fernuin pretending to be more dazed by the blow than he was, staggered for effect, and Sartik grinned, his teeth showing whitely in his black face as he charged forward, only to find Fernuin's baton connecting with his dominant right arm with a crack. Sartik dropped that baton and his right arm fell, dangling at an odd angle, as Sartik bit his lip to keep from screaming. Fernuin's face split in a feral grin, and he concentrated on trying to hit the arm again. Sartik ended up retreating from Fernuin's advance, until Fernuin backed him up against the wall. Fernuin coldly and deliberately landed another hit on Sartik's broken arm, and this time, Sartik screamed. He desperately swung his remaining baton at Fernuin's face, leaving himself vulnerable to attack. Fernuin's high arm flashed down, the baton cracking across Sartik's face. Sartik screamed again, kicking out at Fernuin, connecting solidly with his injured shin. Fernuin limped away, allowing Sartik to leave the wall. Sartik charged Fernuin, who easily parried his single baton with one of his while the end of his other baton punched into Sartik's throat. Gagging, Sartik fell to the floor of the arena. The medics responded faster this time, intubating the suffocating Sartik so that he could breathe before they removed him from the arena and Fernuin was declared the winner again.

Béjan and Laron continuing to trade blows with their staves, refusing to be distracted by the renewed jeers Fernuin received when he was announced winner of his second bout. Keestu leaned forward in her chair, as did Admiral Kurzon, studying their fighting technique. Laron tired, and he stepped back to catch his breath. Béjan pressed his advantage until one of his blows landed on Laron's hand, his thumb and several hand bones breaking with a snap that the first three rows of spectators could hear, and his staff slipped from his crippled grip and clattered to the ground. Béjan, his expression compassionate rather than triumphant, backed Laron up to the wall and very slowly put one end of his staff up against Laron's unprotected neck. Unable to continue fighting, Laron raised his good hand and called out. "I concede!" Béjan immediately dropped his staff, gently thumping Laron on his good arm as he left the arena on his own, his injured hand cradled in the other. He looked up and waved feebly with his good hand as the spectators cheered their good sportsmanship.

"Winner, Béjan of Phaet," The Autocrat called out unnecessarily. "This means the final round will be between Béjan of Phaet with eight challenges and Fernuin of Vulo with none. Béjan will choose the arena, and Fernuin will choose the weapons. What say you?"

"I'm going to stay right here," Béjan declared, "and finish the tourney where I started!" The crowd cheered his announcement.

"I choose spears," Fernuin said sourly after the hubbub died down, glaring at Béjan. This set off a murmur in the crowd, and Keestu leaned towards a suddenly very worried Norinna. "What is it?"

"Spears are the worst weapons allowed in the tourney," she explained to Keestu and her companions while the arenas were cleaned and people vied and bargained for the seats behind Béjan's family box, while a more orderly change of personnel occurred in the rows behind Keestu. "Fighters are more likely to end up maimed or killed using those. Since Béjan is the larger and more experienced fighter, Fernuin is choosing the weapon that will most likely strike a crippling or killing blow, because he knows he needs to do that if he's to defeat Béjan."

Keestu shuddered in anticipation as Fernuin's small entourage moved to the box next to her. She pretended not to see Bott smiling at her, quickly looking elsewhere.

Silence settled over the watchers as Béjan and Fernuin were searched and sealed into the arena. Norinna clutched at her stomach several times, and Keestu worried that the stress might be bringing on premature labor, but when she asked, Norinna told her it was just the baby kicking. She took one of Keestu's hands and placed it against her stomach, and after a few moments, Keestu felt a strong buffet against her palm. She smiled as she told Norinna, "He's going to be a great fighter--like his father."

The weapons locker was opened, and each fighter took out a spear that was two meters long. Their blade edges gleamed in the sun, and they whooshed audibly as the fighters were allowed to warm up for a few moments before being told to go behind their lines.

Keestu smiled as the Autocress called to the fighters, "Begin!" She hoped that Fernuin was irritated that a woman was officiating the most important fight of his life.

Keestu saw to her dismay that Fernuin handled his spear with great ease, his stocky and muscular build and lower center of gravity countering the fact that he had to hold the spear off center so that the metal-tipped end could clear the ground when he swung it around. Béjan was intently studying how Fernuin handled his spear, keeping his own movements to a minimum as he warily began to circle closer to him. It seemed to Keestu that no one in the stands so much as moved, for she could hear the soft scrape of the fighters' shoes on the ground as they moved.

Keestu was intently watching Fernuin, and she gasped when she saw him roll up onto the balls of his feet in preparation to charge. Béjan heard Keestu's gasp and his head jerked slightly, but he resolutely kept his eyes on Fernuin as the Vuloan abandoned stealth and darted forward, the point of his spear swinging around towards his opponent. Béjan brought his spear up, easily deflecting Fernuin's blade before jamming the butt into Fernuin's left shoulder. Fernuin grunted and scrambled out of the way before Béjan could bring his own point to bear, flexing his shoulder to test it for disability.

The crowd let out an audible collective breath as Béjan landed the first blow of the final fight. Their relief was short-lived, however, as Fernuin, rather than taking more time to collect himself as most other fighters would, charged again, his spear rotating in a complex movement that Keestu couldn't follow, and this time it connected with Béjan's left leg, the cloth tearing as Béjan spun out of the way. Keestu saw his left thigh was bleeding, though it was a glancing blow.

Fernuin raised his spear to examine the blood on it before rearranging his footing. He was favoring his left leg, and Keestu smiled grimly. It appeared that Gépar and Sartik had done more damage than was first apparent, and the lack of rest between rounds was working in Béjan's favor.

However, Fernuin was determined, and he charged again, this time striking a blow to Béjan's right thigh with the butt end of his spear. Béjan fell, losing his spear as he rolled away from Fernuin's spear tip, which thumped loudly on the ground where Béjan's torso had been a second before. Fernuin absently kicked Béjan's spear with a practiced foot, and it rolled to the edge of the arena behind him with a slight clatter as Fernuin attacked the now unarmed Béjan, who had regained his feet while Fernuin was pushing his weapon away, and now Fernuin's spear was wheeling about in a blur as he eagerly looked for an opening.

Rather than retreating from the deadly spear as Keestu felt he ought, Béjan ran at Fernuin, grappling with him, his hands immobilizing the dangerous spear as he kicked out viciously with his right leg, connecting with Fernuin's left shin precisely over the torn cloth. Fernuin yelped and fell backwards, his spear lashing out as Béjan released it so that Fernuin could fall heavily to the ground. Expecting this move, Béjan leaped up and over it, landing and rolling so he could run to retrieve his spear.

Fernuin regained his feet with impressive speed and ran at Béjan's exposed back. The crowd shrieked, and Béjan, in an economy of movement, swung the butt end of his staff up with his back still turned, ramming it into Fernuin's stomach as he had thrown his arms up in order to bring the spear down on Béjan in what would be a killing or crippling blow to his neck and shoulder. Fernuin's forward charge made the strike an effective one. His spear flew from his grip, hitting the ground at the same time as he did, his head striking with an audible thump. His eyes rolled up in his head, and he went limp.

Not one to be fooled, Béjan placed his spear's butt end on Fernuin's neck and nudged him hard with his foot, then reached down cautiously to deliver a hard slap to his face. Fernuin didn't react; he wasn't bluffing this time.

"And Béjan of Phaet wins the final battle," the Autocrat called out. "I welcome you, my brother ruler!"

The crowd leapt to its feet, loudly cheering Béjan, who raised his spear over his head as he whirled around in triumph, his face first shocked, then radiant as he realized he had won and was now the supreme ruler of the Autocracy.

Norinna was on her feet, yelling, "He did it! It's been five generations since Phaet gave us our last leader, an Autocress!"

Keestu beamed at her. "Congratulations! I'm sure he'll make a magnificent ruler."

"And now," the Autocress began, "We will retire from the arena and prepare for the ceremony of succession."

The crowd quieted to hear her announcement of when and where it would take place.

Keestu saw that Fernuin was finally stirring. He sat up groggily, rubbing the back of his head. He rolled to his hands and knees with difficulty and crawled towards the edge of the arena, but Keestu felt little sympathy for him. She turned her attention back to the Autocress, but as she did, two things happened in quick succession. First, Fernuin fumbled his spear into his grip, woozily regained his feet and charged at Béjan's back, holding his spear straight in front of him for a deadly thrust, and secondly Pulon, who was intently watching his father, jumped out of his seat, cupped his hands to his mouth, and yelled, "Béjan! Behind you!"

Somehow, over the screams of the crowd, Béjan heard him. He spun, then sidestepped, barely dodging Fernuin's spear, which viciously ripped across his lower back rather than impaling him as Fernuin had intended. Béjan instinctively brought his own spear around and down as he finished turning to face Fernuin. The spear point flashed as it plunged into the left side of Fernuin's neck with a wet ripping sound. Béjan instinctively yanked it out, a look of horror on his face as he saw the result. Blood spouted from the wound, and Fernuin's eyes rolled up into his head as he fell face forward, his body twitching in the spasms of death as blood continued pumping from his fatal neck wound.

Many people in the crowd screamed with fright at Fernuin's unexpected attack and Béjan's unintentionally fatal counter. Keestu looked at Fernuin again, saw he had stopped moving, his blood soaking into the ground, staining it a darker hue.

Norinna's face was ashen as Keestu turned to her in shock. "I thought the fight was over?"

"It was, but Fernuin wanted to take the position of Autocrat by force," Norinna said, her voice choked with tears. "Since Fernuin was the runner up, if something were to happen to Béjan, Fernuin would become Autocrat. Murder for this reason has been suspected in the past, but never openly tried, certainly not at the tourney!" She sank back down to her seat, shaking with reaction.

Keestu put a comforting hand on Norinna's shoulder, murmuring to her, "He's okay, Norinna. Breathe deep and try to relax."

Shuddering with reaction, Norinna could only gesture feebly towards the box next to them.

Keestu turned to the box beside them as Bott screamed as the implications of Fernuin's death sank in. She jumped out of the stands with more agility than Keestu expected and charged towards the arena, running to the security screen and throwing herself on it. Her scream cut off abruptly as she was electrocuted by the still active screen, her body stiffening as it received a fatal charge before it was switched off by the Autocrat. She fell to the ground with limp finality. Shocked, Keestu's eyes turned to the box seats beside her, and she saw an expression of pity on Pulon's face, and oddly one of relief on Shariel's as they witnessed the death of their mother shortly after the death of their father.

Still reeling from the violence of this turn of events, Keestu surprised herself as she calmly blocked Norinna's view of the arena and asked her, "Who is the runner up now?"

However, she was relieved when Norinna focused on her question rather than on the dreadful things going on in the area, her voice steadying as she spoke. "It is Sartik, who was beaten by Fernuin in the second round, then Laron who was beaten by Béjan, though Laron endured more challenges prior to the Tourney than Sartik; those positions are based on tradition. After that, however, it's determined by the length of time the rest of battles were, with the winner of the one lasting the longest followed by the man he beat being next in line, then moving to the next longest battle, and so forth."

"Won't Sartik's wound prevent him from meeting challenge next month, and so he'll drop rank? Doesn't that mean his Praten, Atrilin, is now the second in line?"

"While it's true that Sartik will most likely drop rank next month if his arm isn't healed, the tourney is a fight separate from all planetary challenges, and therefore its results aren't affected by any planetary challenges that happen subsequent to it."

The medics arrived to attend to Fernuin and Bott, but their efforts were in vain; both were dead. They turned to tend to Béjan, removing his shirt and revealing a long cut on his lower back just below his rib cage that was bleeding profusely. However, it was a shallow wound, as Pulon's yell had given Béjan adequate warning to dodge the worst of the attack.

Béjan waved the medics away after a compression bandage was tied around his waist to stop the bleeding, and still shirtless, he turned to Pulon and saluted him with an overhead whirl of the spear, planting it firmly on the ground beside him as he bowed his head. Pulon broke out into a surprised smile as the crowd gasped at Béjan's salute of Pulon, then shrieked approval.

"What is it?"

"Since Pulon saved Béjan's life by interceding against the leader of his own planet, a man from his own family, he has proven himself to be a true believer in the Autocracy's order," Norinna said, her shaking eased as she saw Béjan's wounds weren't life threatening. "By saluting him, Béjan has granted him the highest honor in our society, Believer In Autocratic Order. He will be allowed to wear a special rank badge for the rest of his life identifying him as such, no matter what rank he holds. Not many are given."

The shock of the deaths at the tourney wore off after the bodies were removed, and Keestu followed Norinna to the palace's interior where the ceremony of succession was to immediately take place.

A long and wide palace corridor had been cleared of everything but a raised dais that had been built at one end. Keestu, as a visitor and guest of the winner, was given a position at the front. The Autocress and Autocrat entered, standing beside two battered wooden thrones that had seen better days with tattered and faded planetary banners on poles beside them. Keestu looked down the gallery as Herini and Béjan entered, flanked by their seconds who were carrying equally faded and tattered banners in their planet's colors. They didn't hesitate, but walked with firm strides down the open corridor, smiling at the cheering witnesses lining both sides.

Keestu saw as they passed her that they had changed their clothing to display their new rank badges, and a glance at Dinus as he passed her and Norinna showed he also wore his new rank badge as Prató of Phaet.

The new leaders climbed the dais without hesitation and stood in front of their predecessors, who solemnly handed their jeweled spears to them, motioning for them to be seated as they exchanged the old banners for the new.

"And as it has been done since time immemorial," the Autocress said, "We pass rule on to the next generation."

"We charge you, our successors, with leading the Autocracy in good faith for the next fifty years," the Autocrat concluded.

In a practiced motion, the Autocress and Autocrat handed their banners to men waiting to take them before they began applauding their new leaders. Keestu, hopeful for a bright future for her people with these new allies, gladly joined the celebration.

The End

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Cover art: The Cover collection.

About the Author

Juliet Sem began writing as a young teen to alleviate boredom she experienced in school after she wasn't allowed to skip grades. At the time, most of the major female characters in books she read were written as beautiful but useless in conflict. Her sci-fi series, including The Tourney, Crisis On Sandar, Contested Crown, and Rue's Bargain, is the result of Juliet's desire to write stories featuring strong female characters who are more than just eye candy waiting around for men to come rescue them. She lives in Arizona with her husband and cat. She continues to read and watch science fiction stories and is relieved that strong female lead characters are no longer the exception in books, movies, and TV shows.

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Acknowledgements

I would like to thank the following people: Dan Munsell for being my test reader. Wallace Sem and Carolyn Parker for always being there. Ken Ekman, Deb Kathan, Rob Turpin, Deb Cowell, Jessica Leary, Sonny Cody, Jessica Owen, Deb Baker, Brenda Lawrence, Steve Orth, Veronica and Dave Zelman, Terri and Rick Rashid, Cindy Tuttle Rollins, Heidi Schuette, Sara Siegel, and all the other Mountain Milers. Cindy Alward. Lisa Young, Tammy Hellenthal, and Ellen Marie Blair. NATRA and its many wonderful people. August Zadra, Jimmy Leahey, Craig Carter, John Blasucci, Suzanne and Dennis DeYoung.

Rulers of Sandar series:

Her peaceful mission becomes a fight for survival.

The Tourney: Princess Keestu has been invited to witness The Tourney in the Autocracy, where hand-to-hand combat will determine that society's leaders for the next generation. Her trip does not begin well when she and her handmaiden find themselves facing dozens of sharp-toothed attackers when they are unarmed and have nowhere to hide. While visiting a planet ruled by a hostile and reviled king, Keestu and her entourage are attacked. Injured and alone, Keestu makes plans to escape and complete her mission, but can she do it before her disappearance causes an interstellar war?

She doesn't know who to trust when she's on the run.

Crisis On Sandar: Separatists have called for Sandar to secede from the Union. When their demands aren't met, they take action, crippling Sandar's economy. To prevent panic, King Ismer sends Princess Keestu on a secret mission to obtain a rare mineral used to manufacture their money. However, the Separatists will stop at nothing, and they put a bounty on Princess Keestu while planning another devastating attack on Sandar.

Everyone makes mistakes. One could cost this princess her crown.

Contested Crown: Princess Keestu returns home to find the Separatists have seized control of Sandar. She is shocked to see her trusted handmaiden at the Separatist leader's side, and realizes that her future as Sandar's queen isn't as certain as she was brought up to believe. Eluding her enemies with the aid of her loyal bodyguard, Keestu gathers her forces for a battle to decide who will take Sandar's Contested Crown. Can she take control of her planet before the Separatists consolidate their hold or the assassins stalking her strike?

It isn't easy being a princess, especially when you're not born with the title.

Rue's Bargain: Rue Soga wasn't born a princess. She earned her title by helping her best friend defend her right to rule Sandar. With Queen Keestu too busy to leave Sandar and Prince Korin injured, Rue is sent to represent Sandar in a meeting between the Union and the Consortium regarding the disputed ownership of a moon located on the border of both planetary groups. However, she instead must fight for her life and that of the Consortium's representative when pirates attack the meeting.

Urban Fantasy:

Other people's dream is one young girl's nightmare.

Spiritwalkers: A terrifying childhood experience left Maia with many questions regarding her Native American ancestry. After her mother's death and far from everything she knew, Maia learns that as a half-blood member of the Tiwako tribe that she is a spiritwalker, one who can take the shape of animals. When minority women begin disappearing from town and her father is critically injured in an accident, Maia is taken in by the shaman of her tribe. He teachers her to control her newfound ability, but will it be enough to keep her from becoming the next minority victim?
