Rimush sat at the mess table with an untouched flank roast and grilled roots, face in his hands. His lieutenants arrayed around him clearly in higher spirits than him. Behind him, the officer’s table was occupied by Emperor Dren and his Magi, enjoying a meal prepared by imperial chefs before their arrival and heated by the Magi’s magic.

  Inar began prodding at Rimush first. “So, when his eminence yells at you, do you get a smack on the snout?”

  “My father alway wacked me on the snout when I misbehaved,” offered first lieutenant Meki. “Hurt like Guh, too. Didn’t really stop me from talking back, though.”

  Kuwa joined, “His eminence has very high standards, but is fair. I’m sure whatever punishment the captain will suffer will be over quickly.”

  Meki shoved Kuwa, “Wipe the smeg of your nose. I can smell last night's imperial dinner on your snout.”

  Kuwa offered a quick snap of his jaws before returning to his meal.

  The soldier who volunteered his hat from earlier came to the table and saluted. “Captain! I apologize for not being properly prepared earlier. Had I worked faster, we may have been spared some of his eminence’s judgement.”

  Rimush didn’t look up. Inar spoke in his stead. “At ease, corporal. We all did the best we could given the circumstances. Once the captain.” Inar shoved at Rimush’s side, “is done dwelling on his thoughts, you will be rewarded for your efforts.”

  Inar looked at Rimush’s meal tray. “In fact…” Inar picked up Rimush’s untouched tray to hand to the soldier. Rimush brought a fork down into the roast and slammed the tray back onto the table.

  Kuwa saluted the soldier, “You’re dismissed, corporal.” The soldier left the officers to their business.

  Inar gently shook Rimush by the shoulders, “Ready to talk about it yet?”

  “How bad could it be?” Meki asked.

  “After today, I will no longer be in command of the Aranzah.”

  Meki and Kuwa recoiled.

  In joined, “The Magi informed me that I'd be taking command. But it sounded like you were getting a promotion. ‘Bigger and more important work’ or something to that effect. Wouldn’t tell me what. Surely it can’t be this bad.”

  “This conversation doesn’t leave the table.” Rimush finally lifted his head up.

  “Of course, sir!” The others gave Kuwa an annoyed glance.

  “His eminence is about to announce a change in course. We’ll be taking the subspace beacon network. Direct to the Visthan homeworld.”

  Kuwa and Inar looked aghast. Meki slammed his hands on the table, struggling to keep his voice down. “You’re smegging me. Real combat? Over Palid? Are we finally going to drop a beacon on those tree botherers?”

  “No combat… My father is marrying me off to the Visthan Princess.”

  The three lieutenants laughed.

  “I hear those elf girls love taking charge.” Meki started the mockery. “Probably has a nice jeweled collar ready for you.”

  “You think she’ll make you call her mistress in the bedroom?” Inar laughed.

  “From what I hear,” Kuwa offered, matter-of-factly, “elves reproduce by silently sharing a cup of tea under a tree.”

  “Ah yes I can already hear the elven cries of passion.” Meki riffed in falsetto. “‘Almost. Almost. How pleasant. Great show!’”

  “Perhaps the captain needs to start practicing his meditation so he can provide his mistress with proper elf heirs.” Inar closed his eyes and brought his hands together in front of his face. “Think calming thoughts. Her hand is on your shoulder. She lifts up your tail. Feel inner peace.”

  Kuwa broke. Meki had tears streaming down his face. “I bet they paid his eminence a handsome dowry.”

  Rimush slid his arm across the table, his sleeve bunching up just enough to display the jeweled bangle. The three lieutenants stared silently before Meki put his hands on his forehead and started laughing in disbelief.

  Inar lifted Rimush’s arm to examine the piece. “No fracking way…”

  “I don’t understand.” Kuwa whispered. “The captain was joking right?”

  A low bugle horn sounded from the Magi, though the sound came from his cupped hands as opposed to a traditional instrument. “Everyone at attention! His eminence, Emperor Dren, will address the crew of the Aranzah.”

  All the clatter of the mess hall ceased as everyone stood and turned to the officers’ table.

  Dren stood. “I will be taking command of this ship for the time being. In the morning, we will begin a course towards the Palid system.” Surprise took many of the soldiers' faces. Fear in some others.

  “Everyone must be on maximum alert, ready at any moment to defend your emperor, and the honor of the Aranzah. We will proceed with weapons cold and shields down. This will not change unless I, and only myself, issue the order, or if I am killed. Do you understand?”

  “Yes, sir!”

  “At ease. Return to your meals and get some rest. Tomorrow the Aranzah will operate with all hands ready.” Dren sat, followed by the rest of the hall in one harmonious motion.

  Inar turned back to look at Rimush, now eating his loaf. “This is so fracked…”

  The officers ate in silence for a few toqs before Rimush put his fork down and composed himself.

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  “His eminence, my father, brought me some gifts. I won’t have the time or inclination to finish them all.” He reached into the box next to him to pile the packages of dehydrated meats on the table.

  “This is pretty nice, Rimush.” Inar said with concern. “You sure you don’t want to hold on to them?”

  “I need to start developing a taste for Visthan food.”

  Kuwa reached for the liver. “Thank you, captain.”

  Meki’s eyes lit up as he swiped one of the packages. “We have tripe?”

  Rimush snatched it away, “I have tripe.”

  “Finally! That’s our captain.” Inar smiled, grabbing the kidney strips faster than Meki could reach.

  Rimush got up. “I’m heading to my room to pack.”

  Inar got up, “Rimush, let me help.”

  “I can handle packing my own duffel bag.”

  “Still…”

  “I’ll be down in the gym tonight for some sparring.”

  Inar sighed. “Alright, I’ll be waiting.”

  Rimush left the mess hall. Meki seized a package triumphantly. “Ooh! Marrow!”

  -

  Rimush’s stick went flying across the mat. Inar’s stick held firm under Rimush’s chin.

  “Sloppy.”

  Rimush raised his hands and backed away to retrieve his stick. “Yeah. I’m sure I’ll still be better than most of the Visthan court.”

  “Of course. You’ll have a spotless record.” Inar spun his stick over his head in a quick victory flourish before bringing it to rest behind his back. “Who would dare claim victory over the king?”

  “The queen.” Rimush picked up his stick and returned to a ready position.

  Inar entered a ready stance. “Ah yes, how could I forget. Your mistress will be the most powerful elf in the quadrant.”

  Rimush charged to bring his stick down on Inar’s head, but was quickly blocked and deflected. “And as the Visthan King, I will be a legitimate military and raid target for all my brothers.”

  Inar swung down at Rimush’s shins with a quarter turn diagonally down from overhead. “Is that so different than your current position?”

  “I doubt Erra would bother raiding the Aranzah.” RImush drove his stick into the mat to block the incoming swing.

  “Probably because we never hold anything worth STEALING!” Inar exerted the last word of his sentence as he began a quickly flurry of swings at Rimush, forcing a retreat and quick, panicked blocks.

  “I’m sure you’ll fix that!” Rimush thrust forward toward Inar, scoring a hit on his solar plexus.

  Inar jumped back, coughing. “Would you be disappointed if I did *cough* take the men on a few raids.”

  “Not my problem anymore!” Rimush charged for another thrust.

  “All that goodwill with those traders will be burned.” Inar made a wide vertical swing to deflect Rimush’s repeat attack. “They won’t want to carry the good stuff through our sector anymore.”

  “But the men will finally get the blood they crave!” Rimush swung for Inar’s shin.

  “If you thought so, why not just order the raid YOURSELF?” Inar jumped and brought his stick down on Rimush’s shoulder, eliciting a cry of pain.

  “I suppose I’m just not much of a Raieghan.” Rimush leaned back defensively, recovering.

  “Is that what his eminence told you?” Inar charged forward for a thrust.

  Rimush’s hand glowed a dark blue, followed by the front end of Inar’s stick before it planted itself into the mat. “He didn’t have to!” Rimush brought his stick across Inar’s arm in a quick tap.

  “You magiced my staff… dirty trick.” Inar scoffed, raising his arm and dragging his stick back.

  “You were aiming for my face.”

  “Yes, I suppose her majesty would prefer your face unmarked.”

  “I’m sure…”

  Inar dropped his stick to take a drink from his bottle. “I think you judge yourself more harshly than any of us here, his eminence included.”

  “You’re not the one being sent into exile.”

  “Rimush, there’s a lot worse ways to be kicked out of the den than to become royalty.” Inar put his bottle down. “I think his eminence sees the same thing I do.”

  “You presume to speak from my father.”

  “Only if you don’t tell.”

  Rimush dropped his stick, “go on…”

  “Can you imagine the damage an elf could do if they were given a high position in the imperial court?” Inar leaned against the wall. “Some innocuous policy here or there, a few preferential deals with the right traders. Guh, even just the right amount of neglect of duty could be disastrous for hundreds of systems.”

  “So my father thinks I’m incompetent enough to bring down the Visthan Kingdom?”

  “His eminence and I have both seen you make a habit of looking at the long game. Gods know you don’t have Erra’s impulses.” Inar took another swig while staring at the ceiling. “Any of your brothers would have scared off the traders from the sector. But with you simply keeping the peace, all that trade is hitting this part of the empire. Some of the farmers on Halys are dressed like they just arrived from Hattusa. That tax money supports their pups, their farms, defense.”

  “Sure, I’m good for business. It’s not a very Raleighan way of going about things.”

  “The Raleighan way of going about things is to glass a planet, plant a banner, and move on. Most of our worlds have one hundred thousand people at best. And that,” Inar put the bottle down and stepped off the wall, “is what I think I, and his eminence, see in you. I think with the right influence, you can stabilize the quadrant.”

  “The whole quadrant, huh?” Rimush crossed his arms. “Will I even open the Foundation’s borders?” Rimush gave a quick snap of his jaws to punctuate the sarcasm.

  “You could. And it’s disappointing you don’t see that.”

  “Yes, me and my dirty tricks will fit right into galactic politics.”

  “His eminence’s first act as supreme commander of the fleet was to threaten Palid with their own subspace beacon.”

  Rimush rolled his eyes. “Palid is a legitimate military target.”

  “And dropping a beacon on a planet would have wiped out the entire system. The emperor was never going to go through with it. It was a bluff. A dirty trick. And it worked. Had he charged forward in honorable combat, the entire Raleighan fleet would have been wiped out.”

  Rimush silently considered Inar’s words.

  “Even if you doubt yourself, you need to learn to fake some confidence and composure, or those elves will eat you alive before you get the chance.”

  “On that second part, you may have a point.”

  Inar walked over to give Rimush a hug. “Agh! Watch the shoulder.”

  “You’ll do fine, prince.” Inar blinked twice and pondered. “Your...majesty?”

  “Thanks…captain.” Rimush brought his unbruised arm around Inar.

  “I expect an invite to the royal palace on Palid. And not just for the wedding. I want a Visthan vacation home.”

  “Sure, you can help me greet Erra when he comes to glass us both.”

  Inar laughed and released Rimush. “So, tomorrow morning?”

  “Start of second shift on the bridge.” Rimush walked with Inar to the bench holding their things. “I’m sure my father will have to let the crew know what’s happening once we enter Visthan space. The last thing we need when I propose is a battle over their homeworld.”

  “What makes you think you’re the one going to propose?” Inar laughed.

  “Frack off.”

  “They’ve already paid for you.” Inar handed Rimush his bangle. “Let’s get you there in one piece, goods and guts intact.”

  “I’m feeling very objectified right now.”

  “Just be glad I’m not groping your tail.”

  “What would your women think?”

  Inar joked in falsetto, “‘Oh, you know what those boys do when they’re on deployment. Anything could happen.’”

  “You have a sick mind, Inar.” Rimush stepped out into the hall.

  Inar patted Rimush’s hurt shoulder. Rimush yelped. “Son of a bitch!”

  “See you in the morning Rimush. Try to get some rest.”