by Jessie Wolf
That is all it takes and we are all giggling. As we put our robes back on we are surprised by the arrival of our students. Every one of the girls is excited to find out how well we scored. Some are even asking if they can see how the scores are tallied. A few, a very select few, are looking up at our APS’s with a longing that leaves me thinking that they wish they were their pilots. Two of them are Heathers. Lisa Parkwoods and Marion Fitzwalter, the fact that they are even Heathers is a surprise as I would have thought that Elves would not be welcomed into their ranks. Then again the fact that Lisa is a Royal and Marion the daughter of an ambassador might have something to do with it.
“I see you daughters of High Winds.” The fact that I just addressed the two of them in Elven has thrown the two girls for a loop. “How may the House of Nakatoma suit your needs this day?” the fact that I stayed with Elven and the manners of their High Court was not lost now the girls. Marion was the first to regain her composure.
“I see you Daughter of Death. And it is not you that owes the House of Fitzwalter, but the other way around.”
When Lisa heard Marion addresses me as the Daughter of Death her whole attitude changed. “I see you Mistress of our Lord Raygel Ravenswood. How can the humble House of Parkwoods be of service?” This was not something I was expecting. First was the fact that both of these girls knew who I was a little worrying. The second thing is they know that one of the High Winds Prince’s was in the employ of my House. Hell the man was one of my House Troop Captains. This is not good.
“For starters, daughters of the High Winds, how is it you know these things about me and my House?” I shifted to full on Head of House mode. I needed every ounce of regal bearing I could muster for this. I could not be their friend or teacher at this point. I had to deal with them as I would some visiting heads of state or they would be back on their home planet. Hopefully I can bluff my way through this.
“Peace, Lady Nakatoma, neither of our Houses wish you or yours harm. It was Prince Raygel and the Lady Dianna who told our people of your House. All of High Winds is in your debt for what you did for Falling Star Green Wood. She will be greatly missed as she was one of the Moon Goddess’s Children.” Marion really steps up to the challenge of defusing the situation. If not for her quick words and calm manner I have a feeling that we were going to have a really bad cat fight on our hands.
“Excuse me, but may I know who this Falling Star Green Wood is, Marion of the Great Woods?”
Lisa was quicker to offer an explanation this time. “Lady Nakatoma, you would have known her by the name Elisabeth Grant.”
“Thank you, Lady of the Northern Stars, now that I know who we are talking about, I can only say that I wish I had gotten here sooner. I know how much the Moon Goddess children mean to your people.” I give the two of them a small bow to show them the respect of their people’s beliefs.
“We know how much you have done since then, Daughter of Death. We know that you are an honorable person, and would now ask a boon of you and your House.” from the sounds of Lisa’s voice this is going to be one whooper of a favor. I nod my head for her to go on with their request. “We know that you have given sanctuary to our Prince and his Lady. How may we also gain that same sanctuary?”
Of all the things they could have asked for this was not one I wanted to deal with. I make a fast and maybe hasty decision. “Come to the Great Hall this evening and I shall see what we can do. I don’t know how your laws govern you away from your home, but I am sure that Captain Ravenswood can advise me. Can you wait that long for my answer?” I hope like hell they don’t try and pull the ‘we are your guests and demand sanctuary’ bit. I’ll be forced to honor their demand.
“We shall await your decision, Daughter of Death, and not demand what you may not be able to give.” Both girls give me a small bow and head over to wait with the others. I must have been more preoccupied with them than I realized as I had not heard his approach.
“Is everything ok, kitten?” papa whispered in my ear.
I don’t turn around to face him I just keep my eyes on the two Elves as they rejoin their fellow students. “I don’t know papa, but I need you to contact Captain Ravenswood and Lieutenant Silver Leaf for me after this is over.”
“What’s up, kitten? Are the Elves going to cause us problems because of those two?”
“I hope not, daddy. That is why I need you to get a hold of Raygel and Dianna to have them return here today. Before dinner.”
“I’ll use the scrambler net in the Tower. I take it this needs to be done on the quiet?” at my nod he continues. “Do you want me to send one of the House VTOL’s after them?” again I nod my head. “I’ll make sure everything gets done with no paper trail or anything to back track to this House. I take it this is a total dark operation, am I correct?” again all I do is nod my head. “I’ll take care of everything, kitten, right now you need to act like nothing is going on. So head over and stand with your mama, sisters, and wife. And by the way you girls made me proud today. I doubt that anyone will ever again doubt your abilities as either APS pilot’s or a fast light attack force again.” I look at him over my shoulder to see if he’ll tell me our score, but he just smacks me on the butt and give me a push toward the rest of the Storm Dancers. “Go! You’ll find out at the same time as everyone else.”
I just giggle at his actions and head over to stand with my family and lance mates. I have a feeling that we just blew past every one and thing on the team training score board. I reach over and take Alice’s hand in mine. Papa gives out a piercing whistle to get everyone’s attention. All the girls along with the school staff too give him their full attention. The smile on his face is all I need to see to know we crushed the Land Warrior unit, and they aren’t happy about it.
In a load and clear voice trained by years of parade ground drills he addresses all of us. “Ladies, gentlemen, and Storm Dancers, it is with great honor that I announce the new Top Team. With a total score of seven hundred and ninety one points, and an almost perfect run time of thirty minutes and eight seconds, being only eight seconds off of perfect, the command lance for House Nakatoma, The Storm Dancers!”
Holy shit! I knew we had a good run, but an almost perfect score and run time. That is unbelievable; nobody has ever pulled that off. To say that I and my family are speechless is an understatement. Our guests are jumping around and celebrating our victory. Their excitement over takes Alice, me, and my sisters. One of the girls grabs me and gives me a hug screaming in my ear. I think I just might be deaf in that ear now.
Papa lets out another one of those whistles of his to get our attention again. Once he has it he tells us the even better news, or at least it is in my opinion. “I had one more honor to bestow on these wonderful ladies, and that is the honor of Top Shot for their team. Now the last time that honor was captured by Lady Fuyuko. I am sorry, baby, but you’re no long Top Shot. That honor now belongs to one of the finest pilots that it has been my pleasure to know. Ladies I give you the Lady Allison Wellington-Nakatoma.”
Once again a cheer goes up from the girls. I have a real strong gut feeling that my family has achieved the goal I had hoped for. I won’t know until we get back to the school tomorrow, but I can hold out hope that I have. Dee De gives me a quick break down of our individual scores, and I see that both mine and mamas were one point behind hers, and my sisters all tied two points below us. I think I’ll keep that little bit to myself. No need to upset some of the girls who are now looking at my sisters as role models. I notice that there is a new face in the uniform of my House troops standing over at the base of the range control tower. Seeing where I am looking papa just waves the man over.
From the collar piping and uniform trim I can tell he is a member of the House Infantry, but the collar insignia does not look familiar at first. Then Dee De gives me the reference, this is the commanding officer for the new Land Warriors. Time to make this ass eat some Damaris slug. As the man approaches I see that he has a bottle in hi
s hand. It seems that my taste for fine Scotch has become well known among the House troops. It is either that or he is a bigger ass than mama has let on.
The man comes to a stop in front of me and my family. Coming to the position of attention he snaps us a very crisp salute. Coming to attention myself along with my family we return his salute. After lowering his hand the man smiles and offers the bottle. “Storm Dancers, never before have I had the pleasure of having my ass handed to me in so thorough a manor. At first I could not believe that anyone could outperform me and my team. Then I watched as you not only set a course record with your first run, but then turned around and smashed that one setting an all-time high in your APS’s. Top Bailey suggests a bottle of Scotch for washing the taste of feet from my mouth. Would you and your team care to join me in a toast to your win?”
Normally I would be all for it, but there is a small problem and they are standing all around me. However I don’t have to handle this problem as mama steps up holding out her hand. “Captain Forestall, normally my daughters would be more than happy to share a celebration toast with you, however as we are due to visit the Temple this afternoon they cannot. It is their status as novices and Guardians that prohibits it, but as a Reverend Mother I am allowed one drink for celebration proposes before entering the Temple. Will that be fine sir?”
The new captain quickly takes in the age of the girls around us. I will give him for marks for situational awareness. “More than satisfactory, Lady Dai Etsu. I truly wish that I understood the ways of your Family Temple. I must admit that I never have had much use for religion. Maybe I have spent too much time on the battlefield seeing the horror of what men and women do in the heat of battle.” opening the bottle of Scotch as he is talking he pours some into two glasses he had hidden inside his jacket. Handing one to mama he raises the other to her. “To the very effective pounding you and your lance mates delivered, Lady Dai Etsu.”
Mama gives the man a small smile before raising her own glass. “There is an old saying Captain Forestall. It goes something like this, ‘Never judge a book by its cover.’” The big man just laughs at the ever so blunt reminder that he had made that exact mistake. However he is a good sport about it and drinks the toast any way.
“Ladies, it has been an enjoyable lesson. You have set a goal for all of the Troops in the House military to match or with a great deal of luck beat.” Turning and looking at our guests he bows to them before turning to leave. He stops though at the edge of the staging area and addresses our guests. “Young ladies, I don’t know what all they teach at your school, but if there is one thing you should learn here today and tomorrow it is this. I and my team made a mistake by discounting your hosts as being true APS pilots and warriors. We paid the price for our arrogance. When you leave here I would remember what they did here today and make your own choices. Do not blindly follow the ideas of others. If today had been for real and not a training exercise the Storm Dancers would have walked off the battlefield as a whole unit. I would have been burying over half my team.” When he finished the man turned and walk away I didn’t see the Scotch bottle in his hand. Looking over I see papa has it behind his back. Yup he is saving it for us for later when we are alone.
Mama stepped away for us to stand in front of our guests. I watch as once again I see her stand a little straighter, a little taller, I watch as she becomes every inch a Reverend Mother. Just like that one minute she is our mama and team mate the next one of the most respected members of the Temple. I have seen this very same thing with commanding officers in the military, hell I have even done it myself. However the effect is not lost on those around me.
Alice stands a little straighter. Fuyuko and the twins quickly assume the stance of novices. Their heads are bowed, and eyes are down. Their hands folded together at their waists as if in prayer. Me, I just square my shoulders and hold my head high. I may be a Temple Guardian because of my status as the Head of House for House Nakatoma, but that doesn’t mean I follow their teachings.
As far as the students go a silence falls across the group. Where I would have had to clap my hands or yield to get their attention. Papa had to use his trademark whistle for that. Doctor Brim or Professor Recco could merrily call out and get it. But mama just had to stand in front of them as a Reverend Mother and these pamper princesses’ had shut up faster than a Golden Giant Clam from Amphitrite Prime.
“Ladies, this morning you have been shown three possible futures through service to something greater than one’s self. First as the very people who stayed the night with, each of those families work to support the Temple and House Nakatoma in one way or another. The second you watched as I and my daughters used our abilities as second generation Death Dealers” there was a collective gasp from the girls at hearing this. “Yes, ladies, my daughters are the first of the new Death Dealers. This possible future is available to you as well. The Emperor himself has removed the ban on women joining their ranks. The last possibility that you have seen is that of being an APS pilot. If you doubt this just look to my own daughter-in-law for proof of that. She was one of your own, who decided to find her own path in life. Now this afternoon you shall be shown yet more possibilities, after lunch as we tour my family’s Grand Temple. For now let us adjourn to the main house for our meal.”
I just have to smile at mama as she turns and walks toward the main house in that regal way of hers. I let my younger sisters fall in behind her as her novice attendants. Alice and I take up our positions as Temple Guardians behind and to the side of them. Almost as one we fall into the graceful movement that we have been taught. Even though Alice and I may technically out rank them within the House and Military rank, when it comes to the Temple and its ways our young sisters are our superiors. As for mama, while she is mama enough said. I may be the Head of House, but she is still my elder in the eyes of the world.
The girls and school staff quickly move to follow us back to the house. Before when we had left to go to the range the girls were full of questions and had no problem asking them. However now they were subdued and talking quietly amongst themselves in hushed tones. I could tell that mama’s little speech had hit a cord with more than one of them. Maybe this day had a bigger impact than I thought. I can only hope, for some reason, this little field trip has taken on a greater meaning than I had planned for. If I can save just one of these girls from the cold unfeeling planned out future they face, it’ll be worth it.
I fought a war to prevent a bunch of arrogant ass holes from taking away peoples freedom just few months ago. Why would I let the parents of these girls dictate how they should live their lives, just to promote their own agenda’s? If I would wage war over the basic rights for the common people could I do any less for these girls? Girls who would one day become the Heads of House or someone just as powerful.
Sure I can say that it is the way it has always been done, but that would go against my very core being. I hated the way the High Families treated people when I was James Owens and nothing but a simple soldier. Now I have the power to make real change within the system. I have a second chance to fix the system and the power to do so.
As we enter the Great Hall I am surprise to see Bethany, Lisa, Stacy, and Kimberly all dressed in the robes of novices. With them is the current Mistress of Novices Sister Mary Clarence. Now this was not something I was expecting at all. Yes, I know these girls could be helped by the sisters of the Temple, but for them have joined the Temple was way, and I do mean way, outside the norm. Especially for girls of their standing. I just know this is going to come back to bite me in my ass when their parents find out.
I wasn’t the only one to see the problems involved with them joining the Temple so quickly, or that’s what I hope. I watch as mama walks over to Sister Mary Clarence to have a word with her. I lead the rest of us to our table as our guests file in and find their seats. I know I can use my sensor suit to ease drop on mama’s conversation with the sister, but that would be a violation of mama’s trust. They
talk in the quite whispering way of the Temple. I see mama nod toward the girls, then Sister Mary shake her head no. There is more whispering, followed by more head shaking, then more whispering. I don’t know what is going on, but I trust mama to handle it.
Then mama does something I have never seen her or any one at the Temple do. She walks over to each girl takes them by their shoulders, then gives them a series of kisses. First she kisses each eyelid, then the nose, followed by the mouth, then each ear, lastly in the center of the forehead. After doing this with each of them she steps back to stand in front of them. “Go in peace, and may the Goddess shine down her blessings. Be at peace in your new lives as you follow the teachings of our Goddess Inari Ōkami.”
Oh shit! This was not, and I do mean, not! what I wanted. I don’t say anything though as this is a Temple matter. I may be the so called Head of the Temple, because of my position as Head of House Nakatoma, and their voice for the outside world, but I have absolutely no idea of how things work in the Temple. Whenever I have a question concerning it I go to mama or my little sisters. I was not expecting mama to welcome Bethany, Lisa, Stacy, and Kimberly into the Temple. Hell I didn’t even know that they could become members of the Temple that quickly.
Mama must have seen my distress over this development. Placing her hand on my shoulder she leans down and whispers in my ear. “Please, Maiha, this must be done. Do not stand in their way. I will explain all in a few minutes.” I nod my head and let her handle what is looking like a soon to be political nightmare. From the sound of her voice I just have this sinking feeling that there is more going on here than I’ll be comfortable with. I have never been one for the mumbo jumbo mysticism of religion, but if what I think is going on, I know I really won’t like it.
