Editing Story:ROAD TRIP! (Warhammer High)/Part Five (section)

==To Outer Space, Every One of Us==

===To Terra===


The shuttle lifted and slid out into the inky blackness of space.  The ambient sound of the engines died down considerably as they left the atmospheric shields of the bay.  Freya sank down into a seat on the little ship and stretched out, staring out into the open chamber.  Alex sat down beside her, but she didn’t stir.  Remilia pulled her slate out to check messages one last time before they were out of range, while Jake and Venus simply buckled in for naps.

Freya pulled her knees up to her chest and lay down sideways on the bench, eyes unfocussed.  Alex looked down at her.  “Are you all right, Freya?” he asked.

“I will be.”  She didn’t move as she answered.  “I just never feel good leaving the pack like this.  Just give it a few hours and I’ll be all right.”  Alex made to raise her head to rest in his lap, but she waved his hand away.  “You’re a sweetheart, but I just need to handle this,” she said.  She reached over her head and squeezed his hand again, though.  “Thanks.”

Remilia groaned under her breath, drawing their attention.  “Fucking great,” she said aloud.

“What’s up?” Jake asked, stirring in his seat.

Remilia held up her slate.  “The Tide was lightly damaged in the fight for Seadelant.  It’s spaceworthy, but Captain Roemer wants us to bear in mind that we may not be all that warmly welcomed while the ship’s hangar is undergoing repairs.”

“The fuck?  What happened?” Venus asked.

“Dinged up by Orks during the landing sequence of the Army shuttles, but check this out,” she said.  “They took on a damaged Stormbird during the landing and part of the hangar got trashed.  And aboard the shuttle was Nathaniel Garro of all people.”

“Are you serious?” Venus asked.

“Apparently Uncle Mortarion wanted the big guns at the front rank for this one,” Remilia said.  “Can’t blame him.  Long story short: the hangar’s damaged, so we’ll be docking in the cargo shuttle bay instead,” she reported.

“Hmm.”  Venus thought that over.  “Well, we’ll have to see how that goes.  I’ll talk to Roemer when we get aboard.”

No sooner had she said that than the ship’s engine noise died down even more.  The ship had emerged from the gravity well of Fenris and its deep-space drives kicked on, propelling them towards the outer system and the Iron Tide.

As the ship docked in the cargo bay some ten hours later, Venus rose and nudged the others awake.  “All right, you guys, grab your stuff,” she said.

As the others roused themselves, Venus poked her head into the cabin, just to confirm their arrival.  The dank and worn metal bulkheads and decking of a ship’s cargo bay greeted her through the viewport.  “All right, thanks for the lift,” she said to the Space Wolf skjald crew.

“Our honor, Lady Venus,” the copilot said, already beginning the post-flight checklist.

The rear ramp swung open, revealing a small group of uniformed technicians and Officer Haarlan, already waiting at the base.  “Lady Venus, Ladies Russ and Dorn, Lords Carlin and Seager, welcome back to the Iron Tide one last time,” he said.  “We’ve brought a few cargo pallet movers to expedite your offloading; I hope you got our message about the damage your previous bay has taken?” he asked.

“We did, thank you for the heads-up,” Venus said, bowing slightly to acknowledge him.  “Need I be informed of any casualties from the attack?” she asked.

Haarlan’s face darkened.  “Not precisely, but the ship did take on some passengers: Lord Nathaniel Garro and some of his Death Guards.”

Venus’ red eyes blinked.  “So I have been informed.  What happened?”

“Their ship was damaged by an Ork gunship, and they had to make an emergency dock,” Haarlan explained, leading them into the ship.

Venus let out a sigh.  “Very well.  Then let’s get underway as soon as we’re offloaded,” she said.

“Naturally.  Captain Roemer awaits you all at your leisure in the Captain’s Hall,” Haarlan said.

As they left the dock, allowing the servitors to move their things, Venus let her eyes wander over the corridors, looking for any sign of damage.  Sure enough, the ship seemed undamaged, and the crew seemed jubilant on the few occasions they encountered another person.  Then, they had boarded at the very beginning of the day shift.

The lift ferried them to the Captain’s quarters, where a small honor guard awaited them as usual.  The Captain rose to his feet, looking rather weary, but nevertheless happy to see them.  “My Lords and Ladies, welcome back,” he said, bowing as they entered.  “I trust your stay on Fenris was enjoyable?”

“It was.  My Father even stopped by,” Freya said.

“Lord Primarch Russ is in the Fang right now?” Roemer asked, surprised.

“He is,” Freya confirmed.

“I see.  Had I known, I would have extended an invitation to join us,” Roemer said.

Freya shook her head.  “He would have declined.  He’s quite busy right now.  First time he’s been home in a while.”

Roemer sat as soon as Venus had done so herself.  “I understand.  I am assured you have been informed of the combat which has taken place involving my ship since last you saw it?” he asked.

“We have indeed,” Venus said, smiling to acknowledge Isaac’s grin.  “I’m glad the Ork incursion could be expelled before anything catastrophic occurred.”

Roemer smiled ruefully.  “As were we all.  And it was an honor to meet Captain Garro, as well,” he said.

“I’ve met him at a formal ceremony or two,” Remilia piped up.  To Freya’s senses, she looked somewhat nervous about something, though she seemed relaxed at a glance.  “He’s a pretty straight-laced officer.  Did you have a chance to join the battle for the planet in person?”

“We did, in fact, we engaged a small Ork ship directly,” Roemer said.  “I’m proud to report we made a fine accounting of ourselves; the Orks had their lightest-armed flank to us, so we were able to bring them within full broadside under only minimal fire.”

“Good on you, Captain,” Venus said approvingly.  “Congratulations.  Is that the ship’s first blooding?”

“It is against greenskins, though we have fought pirates before,” Roemer said.  “You’ll be pleased to know the tank acquitted itself well against the greenskins.”

“Excellent.  Dad would approve,” Venus said.  “Did you bring it back?”

“No, a few ships were going to stay behind to transport the Hulk chunks to a Forge World for salvage,” Isaac explained.  “We simply left the tank behind; no sense in transporting it with a damaged hangar.  Safer that way too, if there’s Orks left behind.”

“I see.”  Venus waved off the proffered wine.  “Captain, it occurs to me that carrying us to Terra on the heels of such a battle is an inconvenience for you.  On behalf of myself and my friends, thank you for transporting us,” she said.

“Think nothing-” Roemer started to say.

Venus held up a hand to gently interrupt.  “Roemer, please.  You took your vessel into battle in behalf of the Imperium and saved not only one of the Adeptus Astartes’ founding heroes, but also a personal friend of ours.  I mean it.  Thank you, very much,” she said, smiling broadly.

Roemer returned it, relaxing into his chair a little.  Clearly, he was proud of his vessel and crew’s accomplishments.  “You are most welcome, your Highness,” he said.

Isaac rose from his seat.  “With your leave, Captain, I would ensure the Space Wolf ship got off safely and that we are cleared to depart,” he said.

“Certainly, Isaac,” Roemer said.  He rose as well.  “As much as I would enjoy giving you all a proper welcome, I imagine you wish to unpack and rest.  If I may, however,” he said as his guests moved to stand, “I would ask that you be careful outside of designated safe areas.  We were boarded during the battle, and took some internal damage.  We’ll be putting in at Mars for repairs as soon as you depart, in fact,” he added.

“I see, thank you for your warning,” Venus said.  “How will we know the safe areas?”

“Military police postings at the corresponding intersections,” Roemer said.  “And, incidentally, given your flight time, I would be honored if you joined me for a dinner tomorrow night.  Just to commemorate the journey’s end.”

“Very well.”  Venus bowed slightly as she led the others out.  “Thanks, Captain.”


===Hi, Chuck===


Below in the lounge, Lieutenant Kines looked unhappily at the remaining stockpile of alcohol in his O-Club bar.  It looked like it had been used for target practice.

“I suppose the Royal Daughters at least are too young to drink,” he said.

One of the fighter pilots at the bar glanced over his shoulder as two familiar red points of light appeared over at the hatch.  “Say, speaking of,” he said.

Kines looked up and smiled as the five teens made their way through the room.  “Sirs, Ladies Primarch, welcome back,” he said.

“Hello, Chuck,” Remilia said.  She glanced around the room.  “Looks a bit different,” she said.  Indeed, several small pieces of carpeting had been cut out from the floor in places.

“There was a bit of damage in here from the ship rocking about in the atmosphere,” Kines said.  “I wasn’t here, I was manning one of the firefighting teams, but one of the Death Guard Terminators was, thankfully.  Or my stock would be even more depleted,” he sighed.

“What?” Jake asked.

“After the battle, we put in over the capital for quick repairs.  Mine was probably the only working bar outside the capital’s inner city,” he said with a rueful grin.  “Sold about ninety percent of the alcohol on the ship that day.”

Jake laughed, sliding into a seat.  “So I imagine.  You still have some non-alcoholic drinks left, I hope?”

“Sure, if you like cola and water,” Kines said.  Jake shrugged.

“Water works.”

“By the way,” Kines said, pouring drinks for them all, “you’ll never guess who I met.”

“Who?” Remilia asked as the others took their drinks.

“Julius Pius,” Kines said.  “He sat right there where you’re sitting, Remilia,” he said, pointing at her seat.

“Really?  Wow.  Small galaxy,” Remilia said.  “Is he all right?”

Kines hesitated.  “Not…really, no,” he said.  “He took the battle hard.”

Remilia nodded glumly. “I see.  Well…we’ll see him on Terra.  I’m sure he can talk to us then.”

The fighter pilot nodded his thanks to the bartender and stood, heading out to the hatch.  As soon as he was out of earshot, Remilia sighed into her glass with a longing air, and he struggled to keep a smile off his face.  “I’ll be around all evening, if you wish to return after dinner,” he said.  “I just opened.  It’s pretty early in the duty rotation right now.”

“I think we will,” Venus said for them all.  “But for now, you mind if we just stick around and talk?”

“Of course not, Venus,” Kines said with a professional smile.  “It’s your ship.”

The hours passed, as Kines retold his own, meager part of the battle – that is, waiting for fires to start – and the teens recounted Fenris’ many dangers.  Kines seemed particularly interested in the descriptions of King Russ’ side trips with the group, like when they had gone mammoth-watching from the back of a gunship, or when they had visited a field training camp of Great Company Tra.

When lunch rolled around, the group simply ate in, enjoying the company of the few officers who wandered in every so often, trading stories with those brave enough to speak.  By late afternoon, though, the mortal two fifths of the party were starting to feel the day’s length, and the ten hour flight to the ship was catching up to them.  They retired to their own rooms, where they could compose messages to be sent home before they left the Fenris system.
As they reached their own cabin, Jake’s slate beeped.  He opened it and smirked.  “Excellent.  Move-in dates, the RA’s name, local contact data, a map of the town, confirmation of shared residence, some coupons for nearby restaurants, a parking pass for you…just in time.”

Venus peered over his shoulder.  “Perfect.  Any messages from home?”

“One for you,” Jake said, glancing over her slate as well.  “Looks like a message from Farah.”

Venus brought it up.  “Hmm.  Looks like Johor got a job at the Embassy.  That’s cool…aaaand Farah says she’s already hyped up for her trip, and will be leaving…right after we get home.  Guess she wanted to go see her mom early.”  She paged down.  “Aww, that’s sweet.”

“What is?” Jake asked.

She showed him the slate.  “They’re having a going-away party for those of us that are headed off to school, the day after we get back.  Mom and Dad are going to ‘surprise’ me with the car.”

“Awesome,” Jake said.  He grinned at the brief message.  “Your parents are great, you know that?  Just up and giving you a car like that.”

“Well, I’m paying for part of it, but yeah.”  Venus took the slate back and switched it off.  “Listen, Roemer said we had the night, so I think I’ll just eat in.  Order something up from the kitchen and chow down here.  Sound okay?”

“Sure,” Jake said, switching his slate off.  “I suspect Remilia’s gonna want to go to the bar, though.  Alex and Freya might, too.”

“I’m not up for it, really,” Venus said evasively.  “You can.”

“Nah, I’ll just hang here,” he said idly, searching for a menu.  “Hope the kitchen survived the battle.”

Freya and Alex sat across from Remilia in the officer’s mess, watching the crew as they ate.  A few of the Naval personnel seemed downcast, even given that the battle had been a week previous.  Others, however, seemed pleased, with the kind of bare patches on their uniforms that suggested recent promotions, while others yet seemed on the verge of falling over from exhaustion.  Technicians and mechanics from the repair crews, no doubt.

“Never seen the aftermath of a battle like this before,” Remilia said quietly.

A few members of the ship’s security detail patrolled the outer parts of the room.  The lengthy tables were packed with officers, though in what was becoming a trend, not one actually stopped to talk to them.

“Wonder if anyone has a copy of that video of us sparring,” Remilia said drily.

Freya laughed.  “Probably not.  And if they did, who gives a shit?”

Alex downed his water, looking at the officers around them.  “If they’re here, I’d wager the club is pretty empty,” he said.  “You two want to whip me raw at darts after dinner?”

“Sure,” Freya said happily.  “You may even pick something up this time.  Like a dart.”

“I know, right?” Alex sighed.  “I’m so bad at that game.  How can I kick a rugby ball into a target the size of a fruitbasket, but not hit a dartboard?”

Above, Kines wiped down the bar, trying not to sweat under the appraising glare of Haarlan, who had been sitting at the counter chatting with one of the other officers for several minutes at this point.  True to Venus’ word, no sign of punishment for his affair with Remilia seemed forthcoming, and given the combat the ship had seen, it seemed a minor complaint.  Still, a traditionalist Political Officer like Haarlan could carry a grudge like it had handles and a shoulderstrap.

Relief arrived in the form of three of the teens, who made their way over to the dartboard and started playing.  Haarlan, loyal and obsequious political officer that he was, was distracted enough by their presence that Remilia was able to walk right up to the bar and sit down before he even noticed.

“Hi, Lieutenant,” she said, taking the proffered cola.

“Evening, ma’am…Remilia,” he said, adding the ‘mistake’ of referring to her formally for Haarlan’s sake.  Then, she had used his own title for the same reason.  “Will Lord Seager and Lady Venus not be joining us?”

“I suspect that they’re just tired.  Long flight from Fenris,” Remilia said.

“Sure.  We would have sent a lander of our own, of course, but, well…the hangar,” Kines explained.

“Naturally.  The Wolves were happy to accommodate.”  She sipped her drink and set it on a coaster.  “Ever worked with the Wolves before?”

“Nope, neither Space nor Luna,” Kines said.  “In fact before the dinner in Skarokk, I don’t think I’d ever even seen Astartes up close.”

“It’s memorable, isn’t it?” Haarlan put in.  “I wonder if there will be any Imperial Fist Techmarines in the team they send to repair the ship.”  He looked over to Remilia.  “Ordinarily a Salamander Legionary ship will put in at Corprus or Kar Duniash for repairs, but since our destination is Terra anyway, we’ll just put in at Mars.”

“So Captain Roemer tells me,” Remilia said.  She ran her finger along the rim of the glass, looking at the melting ice.  “I admit I was surprised the ship was called spaceworthy enough to transport us so soon after a battle.  What was the casualty count aboard the Tide?” she asked.

Haarlan shook his head.  “Minimal.  Around six crewers and one of the Space Marines we took aboard injured injured.”

“That’s too bad,” she said softly.  “Will there be a formal ceremony?”

“We already had one, ma’am,” Kines said solemnly.  “It was the first full day after we entered the Warp.”

“Oh.”  Remilia looked down into her glass.  “Sorry to turn the tone maudlin.”

Haarlan graciously dismissed her apology.  “It was kind of you to ask.”


===Now No-one Can Smell Us===


As the evening approached, and Haarlan finally found his presence needed elsewhere, Remilia passed the look she had been harboring the entire night to Kines over the rim on her glass, which he returned with a wink.  With that, their entire exchange concluded, and the group broke up an hour later, Kines staying behind to work, and Alex and Freya heading up to their room.  Remilia made straight for her room, as well, checking discreetly as she did that the box of condoms Venus had left her wasn’t spent.

Next door, as Venus and Jake cleaned up the detritus of their meal, they and every other person aboard felt the characteristic lurch as the ship accelerated.  Jake brushed his hands free of breadcrumbs and rose from the table.  “That’s it.  Homeward bound.”

“Yep.”  Venus dropped onto the bed and cushioned her head in her hands.  “It’ll feel good to be back, even if it’s only for a day or so.”

“Sure will.”  Jake stretched.  “Would you mind if I invite someone to this going-away party?” he asked.

“Who?”

“Some friends of mine from middle school, and other guys from the hive,” Jake said.  “I want the chance to say goodbye, you know?”

Venus stared up at the ceiling.  “Sure, if you want.  The party’s information is on the slate.”  She rolled to her feet and rose.  “I have a slightly more urgent need, though.”

Jake looked over at her.  “Yeah?”

“Oh, yes,” she said.  She slowly stood and walked up to him, unclasping the buttons on her shirt as she approached.  “Dunno about you, but I have the funniest feeling…like I haven’t had an orgasm in a month, despite sharing a bed with my boyfriend the whole time.”

Jake grinned from ear to ear and slid his hands under the fabric of her bra to cup her breasts.  “Oddest thing, that.  Contagious, I suspect,” he said.  He started to lead her to the bed, when she paused him.

“Jake.  Baby.  Sit down,” she said flatly.  Somewhat confused, he did so.

“Something wrong?” he asked.

Venus’ eyes flickered brighter as she gently pushed him back on the bed, until he was lying flat on his back.  “Not at all,” she said.  “But, see, I’ve been dry as long as you have.  Trust me,” she said softly, running one warm hand over his cheek.  “I’m driving tonight.”

Remilia leaned sideways against Kines’ shoulder as he reclined against the headboard, feeling her racing heart slow.  She smiled as he ran a playful hand over her leg and squeezed, tickling her.  She slapped his arm away.  “Quit it,” she giggled.

He kissed the crown of her head.  “Do I have to?” he asked.

She grabbed his hand and rested it in her lap.  “There.”

He gently ran his fingers over her soft skin, smiling fondly.  “Don’t mind saying it, Remilia…I was wondering where you were when we were fighting the Orks,” he said softly.

She chuckled.  “I was thinking of you, too, when we were getting attacked by krakenspawn on Fenris.  Funny, huh?”

“Is it?” he asked.  She eased down onto her back as he spoke, pulling away from his hand.  “I was wondering if I’d ever get to see you again.”

“That’s sweet,” she said, smiling at the thought.  She grabbed the hand that rested beside her head and idly played with it.  “I was just thinking of what I wanted to see when it was over.”  She bought his fingers to her lips and kissed one.  “Life-threatening danger makes you amorous.  Who knew?”

He laughed aloud at that and slid down next to her.  “I think it’s more about finding something distracting.”

She smiled against his fingers, running her thumbs across his palm.  “Yeah.”

He rolled onto his side and pulled the covers up to her stomach, then wrapped his arms around her shoulders briefly.  “Good night,” he said softly.

“Wait,” she said as he gestured at the lights.  “Can we just talk for a bit?”

He let his hand fall back down.  “Sure.  Can’t promise I won’t fall asleep, though,” he added, stifling a yawn.  “You wore me out.”

“A month stuck in a building with several tens of thousands of Space Marines with superhuman noses,” Remilia said.

“Don’t even want to think about it,” Kines said.  “What did you want to talk about?”

She thought for a moment.  “I’m headed off to college, you know.  What was it like?”

“College?  Well…I dunno, I went to a shitty little tech school in the middle of West Ballsack, Nowhere.  You’re going to the most prestigious liberal arts school in the Segmentum,” Kines pointed out.  “Hardly comparable.”

“I guess so,” Remilia admitted.  “But was it fun?”

He hesitated.  “Not really.  But they rush you through.  Get your class list, get your books, go go go.”  He smiled at her again.  “Like I said.  You get to take your time.”

“Yeah.”  Remilia nodded, pondering that.

“Listen, gorgeous, I’d love to chat, but I really do need to turn in,” he said, yawning again.  “Talk to you tomorrow, for sure, all right?” he asked.

“Right.”  She pecked him on the cheek, slid her lips down to his, and lingered.  He stroked her cheek as she held the kiss for a moment.  “Good night,” she whispered, pulling the blankets up to her chin.


===Supply and Transportation===


A few days later, the group reassembled in the O-club one afternoon to plan logistics.  Remilia would have to take off nearly as soon as the party ended, but Venus and Jake would have nearly a week to prepare, and Freya and Alex about half that.  The Captain had already told them that they would be docking on a small repair platform on Mars’ orbital ring, then taking a lander to Startseite.

Remilia glanced over their manifest, which Roemer had included with their timetable.  “How in the world did I manage to pack this much stuff by myself?” she asked rhetorically.

“Three months looks much longer at the start,” Alex said sagely.

“True that,” she sighed.  She set her slate down and glanced over to where Venus and Jake were hunched over their own slates, trying to coordinate transportation of their junk to the college.  “How are you two looking?”

“Pretty good,” Venus said under her breath.  “I think I would probably be better off using Dad’s truck for moving the holo…and you’re just going to leave your computer home, right?”

“Yeah, use it as a home computer and build a better one with the money Remilia gave me,” Jake said distractedly.  He finally tapped the screen of his own slate.  “All right!  Rides are arranged.  Thanks, sweetheart,” he said to Venus.

“Not a problem,” Venus acknowledged him.  “The Treasury guys will need to clear you, but I imagine security’s lowered this long after the shooting.”

“I think so, too,” Remilia said.  “I’ll be taking one of Dad’s aircars on a cruise over the hives, it looks like.  It’s a seven hour flight, but whatever.  I’ll just nap.”

“Hell of a flight, but do me a favor while you’re out there?” Jake asked.

“What?”

“Take a holo of the hive skin as you fly over it,” Jake said.  “There’s hive spires that break the skin out there to give the upper crust some sunlight in places, and I always wanted to know what they looked like.”

“Sure.”  Remilia closed down her own slate and reached for her water.  “You guys know what you’re gonna do for those few days you get before orientation?” she asked.

Freya’s lips quirked downward for an instant before she brought herself under control.  “I think we’re going to stay in Startseite for a while, at first, but then I want to go see my Grandmother in the hospital.”

“And I want to go visit my mother, too,” Alex said.  “Before she sells the house.”

Jake looked up at him.  “Where in the hive is she going?”

“Top cube.  One of the spires.  The place is supposed to be nice, but…I haven’t heard from her in weeks.  Even after I sent the message that detailed everything that happened,” Alex admitted.  “I’m a bit worried.”

Venus nodded in sympathy.  “In the Warp, message delivery is never fluid.  I’m sure she’s fine.”

“Yeah.”  Alex sighed heavily.  “I’m just afraid the reason I haven’t heard from her is that the money she managed to wrangle from Dad is all run out, and she can’t afford Astropathy.”

“Then she’ll be fine,” Freya said firmly, cutting off the discussion before Alex could depress himself.  “Believe me.  We’ll see her when we see her.”

“Isn’t this the first time you’ll have met her?” Alex asked.

“Sure is,” Freya said.  “I’m looking forward to it.”

Jake spoke up.  “A few of my old friends from the hives will be attending the going-away party, but only if it’s all right with you guys,” he said.  “I wouldn’t blame you if you didn’t want to have strangers at the party.”

“Doesn’t bother me any, and it’s a big place,” Remilia said, referring to the hotel ballroom Roberta had rented.  “Shame Farah has to bolt right after.”

“Yeah, I wanted to catch up,” Venus said remorsefully.  “Show her my new outfit.”

“Hey, show up to the party in the outfit,” Jake said, half-joking.  “Blow people’s minds.”

Venus chuckled.  “I think I may just bring the holo of me in it that you took.  How about you, Freya?  Wearing the furs?”

“You bet your ass,” Freya said happily.  “I’ve been dying to show them off.”

Remilia shook her head.  “I have no costume,” she said with a dramatic sigh.

“Bah, you look good all the time anyway,” Jake teased.  “Besides, one less thing to pack.  Don’t you have to leave that very night?”

“Ugh, yes.  Packing like a mad woman.  Unless Mom had one of the butlers do it for me, I should have asked,” Remilia said.

“I have so little stuff to bring, I would be happy to help you out,” Jake offered.

“That’s sweet of you, but I should do this,” Remilia said.  “I need to talk to Mom alone anyway,” she reflected.

The pretty blond soccer player finished her water and wandered over to the bar.  Kines spotted her coming and refilled the glass.  “All ready to head out when the time comes, ma’a…Remilia?” he asked for the public’s benefit.  He certainly had no problem remembering not to call her by a formal title when it mattered by this point.

“Nope, few last-minute hiccups here and there,” Remilia said.  She sipped at her water and discreetly glanced around to see if anyone was watching.  Determining that there wasn’t, she offered him the sly little wink that had become their password, and he eagerly returned it as he would have be insane not to do.  She set the glass down and sat on the stool, allowing normal conversation to replace innuendo.  “So, Lieutenant, if you don’t mind me asking.  What do you see yourself doing after your tour ends?”

“Well, Remilia, I’m thinking I may get out as soon as I legally can, like I must have told you,” Kines said.  His light brown hair bobbed over the counter as he reached down to turn on the ice maker.  “But after that?  Open a bar.  Maybe in the spaceport back home on Totnis.  Start a family, if I can.”

Remilia smiled.  “I suspect you’ll find that an easy prospect, Chuck.”

Kines blushed faintly.  “Thanks.”  He fiddled with a glass, wiping it down.  “I think the fighting over Seadelant got to me a bit.  I just want to get out.  I never asked to join up, anyway.  Don’t get me wrong, I don’t intend to jump ship, and I do like this job, but it’s certainly not my life.”

“I’m glad you get to make that choice, even when conscripted,” Remilia said.

“Me too,” Kines said emphatically.  “But, it is considered something of a breach of protocol to discuss that while on duty, so I’ll just ask: what can I get you?”

Remilia smiled behind her glass.  “I’m fine.  Thanks.”


===Questions and Answers===


That evening, as Kines secreted himself into her cabin, Remilia asked him a question she had wanted to ask before.  “Chuck, are you going to be on Mars long?”

He sat on the edge of her bed.  “At least two months.”

“Do you think I could come and see you while you’re up there?” Remilia asked.

Kines wistfully shook his head.  “I don’t think so.  What if you got caught?  You’d be crucified in the press.  Plus, Haarlan would lose his patience after that long.”

“Yeah, but I’m gonna miss you,” Remilia admitted.

Kines smiled.  “I’ll miss you too, but I think it would be better if we kept this a summer fling.  You know.”

She sighed.  “I guess I understand.”  She curled up on the bed behind him.  “It’s been worth it, though, hasn’t it?  So far?”

“Absolutely,” Kines said.  He leaned back on his elbows so he could make eye contact with her.  “It’s been great.  Seriously, this is the best thing that’s happened to me since I got conscripted,” he said cheerfully.

Remilia giggled.  “That’s kind of you.”  She uncurled and scooted over to him, as he rested his head in her lap to stare at the cabin overhead.  “Can I ask you something that just occurred to me?” she inquired.

“Sure.”

“How come you’ve started to treat the others like just normal passengers?  I mean, more than just not using titles,” she said.

Kines shrugged.  “Shouldn’t I?  You specifically asked me to call you by your given name.  Venus doesn’t even have a last name, that I know of.”

“No, she doesn’t, and it gave her a headache every time she had to fill out a multiple-choice test with those answer bubble sheets,” Remilia said with a laugh.  “I remember she just started putting ‘Venus Na.’”

“‘Na?’”

“Yeah, N A, for Not Applicable,” Remilia said, remembering.  “We called her Na for like a month after that.”

Kines chuckled.  “To answer your question, though, I just call you that because that’s what you wanted.”

“Right, but I mean in conversation,” Remilia said.  “Just you and me.”

Kines blinked.  “I guess I don’t understand.  Should I stop?”

“Oh, no, I like it,” she said.  “Even at school, most of us were referred to with such…formal language by so many faculty.  Like they were afraid of us, or our parents, or something.  Which was dumb since so many of the other students were crazy rich and powerful too,” she said.  “I like it.”

“Yeah, now you’re slumming it,” Kines said drily.

“Slumming it, in a VIP cabin on an interplanetary road trip, ayuk yuk, listen to you,” Remilia said.  She flicked his ear for his temerity.

“What?  It’s true!  Living in a suite with only two rooms, deigning to grant the occasional dirty fuck to an O-2 Lieutenant, having a servitor do your laundry instead of an OW!” he said as she flicked his ear again, harder.

“You, shut the fuck up,” she said sternly.

He sighed.  “You never let me have any fun.”

Remilia sniffed.  “I let you have my virginity instead, that has to count for something,” she said haughtily.  She reached down to run her hands through his hair.  “Really, though, Chuck, I only ask because I appreciate it.  It’s really nice to have someone to talk to outside of the family and school people.  It makes a difference.”

He smiled as she stroked his hair in her lap.  “I enjoy it.  Around here, the guys feel like they all have something to prove.  I mean, there are guys on the crew I feel I can talk to as friends, but it’s nice to have someone from outside the military, too.”

“Which is hilarious, given my parentage,” Remilia observed.

“True, I should really be saluting every time you open your mouth,” Kines quipped.  He looked up at her from her lap.  “Can I ask you about that stuff?  How people treat you, what it feels like to be transhuman…that kind of stuff?”

“I guess,” Remilia said.  “What, specifically?”

Kines thought for a moment.  “Well…did your super-senses manifest at birth, or what?”

“Yeah, always been there.  It’s got its benefits,” she said.  “Nobody thinks to block things they think other people can’t sense.  So if someone’s whispering in the same room as me, they’re only going to be as quiet as they think they need to be so a room full of normal people can’t hear them, but I could probably hear them just fine.”

“That’s really interesting,” Kines said.  “I bet living in a world built for people with lower sensory thresholds must get annoying after a while, though.”
“Annoying?”  Remilia wondered about that.  “No, it’s not annoying.  It’s just more noticeable at some times than others.”

“Does it hurt to have people talk to you at conversational levels when you can hear things so quiet?” Kines asked.

“Not at all.  It’s more like…like I can pick up a wider range of sounds than just increased sensitivity,” she said.

He digested that.  “Are your other senses super-powerful?”

“Kind of.  Touch and taste, not really, but smell and vision, yeah,” she said.  “But really, it’s not like I have anything else to compare it to.”

“Yeah.”  He raised his head as she sat up against the headboard and beckoned him over.  He obligingly shifted to rest his head on her crossed legs again, and she slid her hands over to rest on his shoulders.  He couldn’t feel the warmth of her hands through his evening uniform he had worn to the bar, but he was sure she felt as good as she always did.  “You know, some of the guys are starting to wonder what exactly I’m doing when I come over here and don’t wind up back in my bunk,” he said.  “If we were docked over a planet, I’d be worried.”

“But you aren’t here?” she asked.

“Nope.  When we’re in the Warp, the higher-ups sort of let it slide.  They know if they don’t allow fraternization between grades and genders on a mixed-sex ship, there’ll be trouble,” Kines said.

Remilia nodded.  “But in port?”

Kines sighed.  “Well, I could be a cynical twat and say that in port we’re more likely to be entertaining visiting officers, but in reality, we’re just so much busier that the difference in time between how long it takes to get from your woman’s bay to your own really can make a difference, so they actually check to see where we are.”

“But you’re not a cynical twat,” Remilia deadpanned.

“Exactly,” Kines said.  He smiled up at her, upside down.  “I dunno.  It’s just that on a warship, EVERYBODY needs to be able to rely on EVERYBODY,” he said.  “If the fourth-battery fire response squad doesn’t have the total confidence that the corridor is secure during a boarding, or if the flight deck controllers don’t have every single one of their emergency fuel dump crew in place at ALL TIMES, we could lose the entire ship, because of one little distraction.  Nobody really minds the restriction when we’re actually at risk.”

Her light brown eyes met his much darker ones, and she smiled back.  “It’s good that you can be objective about it.”

“Nobody coddles the conscripts.  Shit, the volunteers do have it worse, I admit, because they’re expected to have perfect morale right off the bat, but the conscripts get it on day one: no warship is a ground crew, no warship officer is an island, and every man needs to know where you are without looking.  We need to be able to come out of the Warp with every single cannon and torp-tube and lance and fighter catapult ready to vent and lock, in under four seconds.  We can’t get that done if the fire control team leader is of getting laid,” Kines chuckled.  “The one advantage to being an officer in a position where I have absolutely zero subordinates: I get to be the last one to die in case of an actual fire because the team leader stands at the back of the row of guys in the corridor.”

“Unless the fire is behind you,” Remilia pointed out.

“You ruin all my fun, like a wheat thresher, cutting down a field of my idle fantasies,” Kines accused.  Remilia smirked, recalling his passionately informing her how many of his idle fantasies, exactly, she’d managed to fulfill on the trip so far.

It must have sounded lame, even to him, because he coughed and hastily redirected his line of inquiry.  “So, how about your pretty self?  Looking forward to college now that you’ve had some time to think about it?”

“I really am,” Remilia said.  “It’s scary, but I want the challenge.  Right away they throw us in the dorm, although I got a single room.  Not by request, so either someone saw my name and wanted to do me a favor, or I lucked out.”

“Do you want to live alone?” Kines asked.

“I think I do, really.  Privacy when I want it, more storage space…I like that,” she said.

“I had a double, but my roommate slept at the fraternity house, so it wasn’t crowded,” Kines said.  “Just get to know your RA.  Become her best friend.  It will come in so handy when it’s time to vacuum your room or to assign exit paths during a fire drill or something.”

“Hah!  Friends in high places, I like that,” Remilia laughed.

He reached up to rest his hands over hers on his chest.  “Yeah, it’s something I’m good at,” he said.  “Bartender’s gotta be everyone’s friend.  Gotta remember all the brassholes’ favorite drinks, so when they come in and ask for ‘the usual,’ you don’t give them a vodka martini when they wanted a lager or something.”


===Teen Life===


She smiled.  “Yeah, I imagine that would be…wait, ‘brassholes?’”

“What?  It works.  Not all the brass forget about the little guys, but some of them do.  I think there’s a conditional amnesia illness that kicks in when a person’s pay grade goes above Lieutenant Commander,” Kines groused.  “They forget where they came from.”

“What about those guys, the…what are they called…Warrant Officers?  Do they forget their enlisted roots?” Remilia asked.

“Hell no, a good Warrant Officer is your best friend, your father, your guardian spirit, and your own personal daemon, all at once,” Kines said.  “Being a good friend to a Warrant Officer is the best possible way to make yourself useful on long tours, those guys are indispensable.  A Chief Warrant Officer Fifth can tell a Commander to fuck himself and get away with it, in the context of actually doing something involving the operations of the ship.”

“Wow.”

“Yeah, the lifers, the ones who get juvenats and re-enlist, those guys are better than techpriests when it comes to making the ship keep flying.”  Kines smiled at some un-elaborated memory.  “Which makes it super-awkward, let me tell you.  Technically, I outrank guys a hundred and ten years older than me and with a full, uninterrupted century more experience.  I feel absolutely awful when I have to order them to do something.”

“When do you even need to do that?” Remilia asked.

“Fire drills, boarding drills…any place where chain of command is more important than experience when we’re being timed.”  Kines shook his head in her lap.  “Well.  Enough about that.”

“Yeah…I’m tired,” Remilia said.  “When do you need to be up?”

“Mid-shift tomorrow…I need to be at the bar by 1000 hours,” Kines said.

“Oh, you’ve got all night,” she said.  “Stay with me, huh?  I love just talking with you,” she said.

Kines smiled up at her.  “Love to.”  He looked aside as what he had just said registered.  “‘Love.’  Hmm.”

She cocked her head.  “What?”

“How many men get to say that to a Lady Primarch in the flesh?” he asked happily, beaming up at her.

Remilia sighed with an air of patently false strained patience.  “You’d be amazed.  When I transferred in to Imperator from the private school I started in, half of the freshman class was proclaiming their undying love for me, in the most passive-aggressive, hormonally-fueled ways you can imagine.”

“The male half,” Kines guessed.

“Not…entirely, actually, I remember a few lustful glances from the girls too,” Remilia admitted.  Kines’ eyebrows rose.

“Say, that’s…fun to think about,” he said upon reflection.

“Sure, except then you’d have to split your attention between me and…well, someone else,” Remilia sniffed, all airs and class.

Kines rolled his eyes.  “My poor heart.”

“Besides, I’m not into girls.”  Remilia looked down at her.  “You know…I’ve had boyfriends before, but we all broke up over the dumbest shit.  Makes me wonder if I’ve ever really been in true love.  I think to myself I’d know it if I saw it…and I have seen it, too.  Jake and Venus are forever, I bet…I know Angela and Michael are, too.  But would I know it if I wasn’t seeing it from a distance?”

“You know something, sweetheart?  I bet if you peel back the skin on those ‘perfect’ relationships, you’d see stress lines,” Kines asserted.  “Nobody’s really perfect.”

Remilia shrugged.  “I guess, though I’d argue it for Angela and Michael.  I just want to know I’ll not, you know…screw it up when I find it for myself, if I ever do.”

Kines sighed.  “Why would you do that?”

“Well, I don’t always take the most…reasonable approach to hard choices,” Remilia muttered.

“No, I mean why would you beat yourself up over it?” Kines asked.  “Come on.  That’s not helping anything.”

“I suppose, it’s just hard to avoid some times,” she sighed.

He sat up and turned to face her.  “Come on.  You’re a brilliant, beautiful girl.  If you forget that you’re maybe not all that confident in social situations, you’ll master them easy.  You think I don’t get a bit nervous when a guy with oak leaves walks into the bar?”

“I guess I just don’t like thinking about it.”

“Who does?” Kines asked.  He half-rose and shucked his uniform for bed.  “But you know, I’m serious.  Just don’t worry about it.  Look forward to it.”

She shook her head again.  “How do you seem so much smarter than me when you’re less than two years older than I am?”

“I’m a gifted liar,” he deadpanned.

Remilia laughed.  “Gee, how reassuring.”

“It can get you out of anything,” Kines remarked.


===Let's Go Home===


As the final day of flight arrived, the group assembled in the Captain’s Hall one last time.  Roemer and a few of the ship’s senior officers and serfs assembled for a dinner, inviting Venus and the others to join them.

As they sat and ate, Roemer took the occasion to ask a question.  “Lady Venus, how do you think your trip has been so far, with regards to the Tide?”

Venus paused, sensing a trap.  “Well…Captain, I don’t know how to phrase this, but I feel a bit guilty, overall.”

“Guilty?”  Roemer blinked in surprise.  Clearly, he hadn’t expected that.  “How do you mean?”

“Well, you were just in combat.  In the face of that, and the loss of several crew, surely carrying five seventeen-year-olds around would be a pain in the ass,” she said.

Roemer backpedaled, trying to come off as modest.  “Not at all, your Highness, this is technically your ship, after all.”

Venus nodded.  “In that case, I think it’s been surprisingly fun.  I haven’t had any problems to speak of with crew or accommodations, and the gym has been perfect for our routines.”

“Excellent,” Roemer said.  “I’m glad to hear it.”  He took another bite of his dinner and looked down the table to where Remilia was animatedly chatting with one of the ship’s fighter group commanders.  “What are your plans after you reach Terra, if I may so bold as to ask?”

“Well, we’re having a quick welcome home/goodbye party,” Venus said.  “Several of my cousins are coming or going from vacations or planetary tours and what have you.  Then it’s straight off to school after some furniture shopping.  Computer table doesn’t fit in my new dorm room,” she sighed.

“You’re moving into a dormitory?” Roemer asked.  “I would think they would provide more comfortable housing if you asked.”

“I won’t ask.  Not until I’m out of freshman year,” Venus said.  “I want Kouthry to be a chance to live independently for a while.  Take nothing for granted.”  She smiled to herself.  “I know having my boyfriend live with me kind of defeats that, but why pay for two dorms when you can pay for one?”

“Indeed,” Roemer said.  “Would you be willing to share a bit of what you’ve seen on your venture with us?” he asked.

Venus gestured down the table.  “Absolutely.  Going home to Nocturne after so long was fantastic, as you’d expect…though things got rough near the end.  The opportunity to visit the city where I was born, and the other six Sanctuaries, was breath-taking.  The Nocturneans are a hard people, but they retain the unbreakable bond of community that the Salamanders admire so much.  It’s a world in the grip of a crime wave, though.” She sat back in her seat.  “Fenris…Fenris is different.  Its people are just as hard, but they turn that hardness on each other.  They’re content with their world not being a part of the greater Imperium, for the most part, and the Wolves are a strong but just group to rule a planet that is so rough.”

Roemer nodded solemnly.  “The Astartes are a far more varied and world-wise people than the average Imperial citizen need ever know, or ever will know.”
“They certainly are,” Remilia piped up from Roemer’s other side.  “Tell you one thing we weren’t expecting, though, was to hear that Julius Pius of all people was aboard.”

“Ah.  A friend of yours?” Roemer asked.

“Yes, he was on Seadelant during the invasion,” Remilia said.  “We were very relieved to hear of his survival.”

“Beyond that, Captain, it was an eventful and largely enjoyable trip, and I thank you for your cooperation,” Venus said.

“It’s been an honor, Princess,” Roemer said.  “May I ask if you ever intend to join the military yourself?”

Venus shook her head.  “I’ve been bred and trained to be a leader and an artist, first and foremost, Captain.  I can fight, sure, but I’m not a soldier.  I don’t have the patience.”

“A shame.  I think you’d take to the life of a career Navy officer well,” Roemer said.

“Perhaps, but it doesn’t appeal to me.  I look forward to living on Nocturne,” Venus said, “where the most martial thing I’ll be doing is firing off a few rounds at the range every so often.”

“May I ask what your father would want?” Roemer inquired.

She shrugged.  “He doesn’t want me to join the military.  My place is at the homestead, as a leader.  I’d do it even if he didn’t want me to.”

The Captain nodded.  “Thanks for indulging my curiosity,” Roemer said.


===Bye, Chuck!===


At last, the day came.  Trailing behind their luggage, Venus directed the carrying servitors down to the cargo bay.  The other four, feeling the need to go full circle, stopped in the O-Club one last time before the ship docked over Mars.  As they drew up stools, Kines put out their now-well-remembered favorite drinks and leaned back against the rear counter.  “Thanks for flying, my friends,” he said.

“It’s been real,” Jake said.  “On the tiny chance you have the opportunity, definitely check up on us.”

“I should,” Kines said.  “You go have fun at school, your Lordships,” he said to Alex and Jake.

“I’ll certainly try,” Alex said, shaking his hand.  “Stay safe, Lieutenant.”

When Freya and Jake were done shaking hands too, Remilia walked up to him and paused.  The others made for the couches to prepare for deceleration, and to give them a moment.

Remilia smiled over the counter at him.  “Thanks, Chuck.  It’s been a lot of fun.  I feel…a lot better than I did when I came aboard.  It was wonderful to have someone to talk to.”

Kines’ face fell.  “THAT was why you kept coming back?” he asked, crestfallen.

Remilia blinked, then buried her face in her hands.  “No offense to your technique or anything,” she said through her hands, holding back a laugh.

Kines beamed.  “Better.”  He reached under the counter.  “Here, I was saving this.”

She peered through her fingers.  “Huh?”

“When your friend Julius was aboard, he bought this and told me to save it for you,” Kines said.  He extracted a bottle of orange soda and handed it to her.  “Last one aboard, actually.”

“Aww, that was nice of him,” Remilia said, accepting it.  She twisted the cap off and sipped.  “Mmm.  Want some?”

“No thanks, Remilia,” Kines said.

She downed a bit more and made to throw out the bottlecap, then hesitated and put it in her pocket instead.  “Think I’ll hang on to it,” she said with a faint smile.

Kines grinned.  “A memento of the trip?”

“Sure.”  She paused as the ship lurched a bit.  They were decelerating into orbit over Mars.  “Well…time to go,” she said.

Kines nodded and started to salute, but she grabbed his hand before he could finish and pulled him into a quick kiss.  “Thanks, Chuck.  I won’t forget you,” she said softly.  “You were exactly what I hoped I would find on this trip.”

He pulled back, blushing a bit.  “Thank you, Princess,” he said.  “That’s very kind.  I’ll remember you too.”

“Eternal youth plus eidetic memory…and they say you never forget your first,” Remilia said, grinning mischievously.  “You keep yourself safe and go open that bar of yours, hear me?”

“Count on it,” Kines said happily.  “Farewell, your Highness.”


===Better Luck Next Time===


The four teens made their way down to the cargo bay, to find Isaac and a few of the other Salamander serfs awaiting them in their green and gold day uniforms.  “Your Ladyship Venus, it was wonderful to see you again,” he was saying as the others arrived.  “If I ever get reassigned to Terra, I will make a point of seeing if you’ve kept up your routine while you were off learning,” he said slyly.

Venus chuckled.  “Sure you will.”  The others walked up as the last cargo box was loaded aboard.  “All right, everybody here?” she asked.

“Yep, we’re ready to go,” Remilia said, finishing her drink.  “How long is the flight?”

“Mars is right next to Terra right now, in its orbit, so basically no time at all.  An hour, max,” Venus said.

“Great!  Where do we put down and what’s the local time?” Alex asked.

“The Palace, actually, Grandpa must have pulled a string,” Venus said.  “And it’ll be about 0800.”

“Bleh, it’s shipboard 1600.  This’ll be a long day,” Remilia said.

“It’ll just help with sleeping tonight,” Venus said.  “Take a few days to get back on planetary time zones.”

Isaac inclined his head as the pilot powered up the rear engines.  “Princess, pass along my well-wishes to Queen Misja, would you?”

“Happily,” Venus said.  “Goodbye, Isaac.  Benevas Vitam Corod,” she said in Nocturnean.

“Benevas,” Isaac said, stepping back.  Venus shook his hand and bowed her head as the other serfs stepped back.