Joining the diplomatic mission crew

In his extravagant office, E'Duwag Honrinar Ssykes sat coolly before a bevy of windows, filled with high ranking officials and senators.

"Look, I don't care how busy you are. You have the resources and the duty. Find out who torched my facility or you'll be collecting your severance packages after the next election!"

As the windows closed amid a stream of simpering apologies, E'Duwag leaned back and activated the stasis field. "How was my performance? Convincing?"

Jonarl nodded and held up three of his arms. "It was very good. I give it three thumbs up."

"Only three?"

His desk chimed and he brought the field back down. A window appeared with Cha'Rolette in it. She looked like she had not slept in days.

"What do you want? You know you can't call this line without an appointment!"

"Father, I am taking a leave of absence in order to accompany my classmates on the goodwill tour. My handlers will not be coming with me," replied Cha'Rolette.

His cigar nearly fell out of his mouth. "I didn't give you permission to..."

"I am not asking for your permission, I am simply affording you the courtesy of informing you of my decision. I have forwarded my schedule to your secretaries."

Without another word she ended the transmission and the window closed.

* * *

Inside her clean and orderly dorm room, Cha'Rolette nearly collapsed. She had to place her hands on the table before her to keep from falling over. She gasped for breath, her chest heaving in panic as her ta'atu trembled.

"I... I did it. I actually did it."

* * *

Back in his office, E'Duwag looked over at Jonarl, his face a mix of shock and admiration. "Did you hear that, Jonarl?"

The enormous bodyguard nodded. "Takes real tralls of steel to speak to E'Duwag Honrinar Ssykes that way."

"Yes it does," E'Duwag said as he leaned back in his chair and took a long draw on his cigar. "Yes it does... and it's about time, too."

"She's nearly ready."

* * *

Ilrica flopped down in her chair in the cafeteria, picking absentmindedly at the pile of food on her tray. For some reason she didn't feel like hunting today, so she had loaded up her tray with kamanchhi, turnips, and lemons. She set down the silver vial next to her tray and tipped it back and forth with her claw.

"Whatcha' got there, Faolan?" Ungliss asked, settling down next to her, his cloud-like form flashing orange and green.

"Oh, you know, just some braxxian soup," she said, lazily unscrewing the top of the vial. "You want some?"

"No thanks."

Ilrica shrugged and screwed the cap back on. "Your loss."

Ungliss set down a bowl full of glowing mist before him. "You know, nearly the entire academy is in celebration at seeing Dyson go," he observed as he took a sip.

"Good riddance, I say."

"You seem to be the only one who isn't celebrating."

Ilrica looked up at the window displaying the embarkation ceremony. A crowd of students was cheering; banners waved as Gerald and Trahzi were escorted up the ramp of the waiting ship by campus security.

"Do you know Mahon Damal from class 3A?" Ungliss asked.

"Which one is Mahon?"

"You know, purple, long tail, red mane."

"Can you be a little more specific?"

"Reproduces by self-fertilizing."

"Oh, HER." Ilrica stuck her tongue out. "You know, it wouldn't have bothered me so much if she weren't so up in everyone's face about it. Like it makes her better than everyone else or something."

"Yeah, well, my first quadmester, I had the biggest crush on her."

Ilrica's tail swished curiously. "Seriously?"

"Oh, yeah."

Ilrica smacked her lips distastefully. "But why?"

"I dunno, maybe I've got a thing for purple. My parents wanted me to court her, naturally. Her people have the most fertile terellian mines in the sector. My family was only interested in a political marriage, but one look at her and I knew I wanted more than that."

Ilrica picked up a kamanchhi and took a bite. "So, what did you do?"

Ungliss sighed. "Nothing."

"Nothing?"

"I didn't do anything. I was a coward. I just sat on the sidelines, pretending I didn't care, telling everyone I wasn't interested in her. I was too afraid to get in the arena and fight for her."

Ilrica's tall ears twitched. "So what happened?"

Ungliss took another sip. "She's engaged to Harec Prod now from class 4B."

Ilrica looked up at the window again as Gerald was shoved inside the starship, his flapping chicken thrown in after him.

"It's easy to sit in the stands," Ungliss explained. "It's safe. Sooner or later, you have to get up on stage, and cast your lot."

Ilrica's ears fell down as she looked at the screen. "What if you fail?"

Ungliss nodded. "You very well might, but I've learned this much. If you stay on the sidelines, someone else will claim him, and you'll spend the rest of your life wishing you had tried."

Ilrica looked at him sidelong. "Him? I thought we were talking about Mahon?

"Oh, we are."

"Uh, huh."

Ilrica resolved something within herself. She stood up and stretched, letting off a long howling yawn. "Well, I best be off."

"Where are you going?"

She snatched up the silver vial. "I just realized I'm sick of this place. It's too academic for me. Too many treg-heads. I'm going to go on a vacation."

She tore off her student badge from her sleeve and tossed it on the table. "Turn that in for me, will you?"

"Will do."

And with that, she vanished.

Ungliss took another sip of his soup knowingly. "Good luck, Faolan. Go get him. Fight for him. We cowards will be cheering you from the sidelines."