II.

Juliette paced anxiously. She crossed back and forth wearing one of Warner's huge t-shirts and a larger frown. Finally, she snapped, her patience thrown out the window.

"This is a terrible idea. It isn't going to work and it's a waste of time!"

"Juliette—" Warner tried to interrupt her self-destructive tirade, but she steamrollered over him.

"No! It's a waste of precious time and precious money! I need to be helping the people! They don't have food, they have no money! What am I doing organizing a stupid party for fat politicians who abuse their power! I should be focused on something else! Something important! Like maybe the economy!" She flung up her hands in distress and nearly ran to her desk. She started to flip through files as was becoming her habit.

Her fear and anxiety was taking a toll on her and she now suffered from insomnia worse than he did. He often found her frantically working late into the night, panicked and exhausted.

"No, you listen. Juliette, we need help. We need support. We need to know none of the other sectors are going to turn and march an army at us. We need to know what resources the other sectors have, and what they're planning. We need to know who our allies are, and who our enemies are. Focus. I know it seems unfair that people are starving while we feast. I know it hurts in every part of you. But please, love, it's necessary. You know I wouldn't be saying this if I didn't believe it. We can't change the world in a day, it's going to take time and effort and doing things we don't always want to."

Juliette stopped moving her hands through her papers, and sat down wretchedly.

"This is so much more difficult than I thought. The world is such a mess." Her eyes stared off into the distance, tired. Warner watched her, worried, but to his relief she shook herself out and gave him a wan smile. Her outburst and confession had seemed to free her. She pulled herself together again, with all the determination she could muster.

"I know you feel like you need to help the people directly. But first, we need to keep them all safe."

She nodded.

"We need to send invitations to all the sectors. We need a date. We need a planner and a venue. I want citizens hired. Our citizens. I'm still going to give back to them in any way possible. And most of all, we need to be ready when they all arrive."

Warner smiled. "Will do, ma'am," he saluted.

Juliette rolled her eyes at him. "Come on, let's go to sleep. We have a busy day tomorrow."

"Damn." Kenji looked at the two schemers sitting before him. "Are you guys nuts? You're practically inviting all the bad guys over for tea and then hoping to make friends? No way."

"Please Kenji!" Juliette looked at Kenji with her big, pleading eyes. "It's either this, or we wait for them to muster the courage to attack! Haven't you heard, keep your friends close but your enemies closer?"

Kenji sat back and surveyed Warner who was sitting calmly. "You think this is a good idea?"

Warner nodded. "It's the best way to see what we're up against. And it's also a show of power. If we have Juliette showing she isn't going to back down and displaying her support, we can force their hand."

"Can't argue that logic," Kenji grumbled.

"What!" Juliette exclaimed. "So you'll listen to him, huh? But not me?" She mock glared at him fiercely.

"It's just that your plans tend to be a little crazy Princess." Kenji grinned. "So let's say I agree to your ridiculous plan, where large numbers of things could go badly. Now what?"

"Well…we kind of need invitations and you know…party stuff." Juliette mumbled, wincing as Kenji glared at her.

"This really is the worst plan ever," he sighed. "Wait, where are we having it?"

"Here?" Juliette offered.

"Are you kidding me?" He shook his head. "We can't have it here."

Warner nodded, "I agree with Kishimoto on this one. This is our base of operations; we can't afford to have any potential spies here. How about this, my father has – I mean had – a waterfront mansion on the lake a few kilometers inside the sector borders where he would go vacation. It'd be perfect. It's out of the way, we could house everyone, and we can organize everything there."

Kenji and Juliette looked at him carefully, noting his accidental use of present tense for his father. He looked back at them with gritted teeth, daring them to mention it.

"All right," Kenji said finally. "We have a place. I need a date."

"Saturday, two weeks from now. That should give us enough time right?" Juliette proposed.

"Whatever you say, Princess. Let's move."