Chapter One
"A City in the Underworld"
November 15, 755 I.C.


Volubilis

Space Battle Station
Crew:
400

Location: Shared orbit of Pluto with Hydra

Volubilis station is hundreds of years old and was the largest space station ever built at the time, dwarfed only by massive space colonies.

It was intended to be used as a hub for exploration of the Kuiper Belt. However, those plans were cut short due to a large scale interplanetary civil war.

When the fighting ended, interest in Kuiper Belt objects and resources diminished due to a boom in asteroid mining among the inner system belt.

The station was designed to accommodate over 2500 people, but today is manned by a skeleton crew of only 400.


Kirino Akiyama had the Knights under her command gathered on the flight deck. Over fifty Knights were paraded before her to listen and observe. With a heavy heart, her gaze passed over every person gathered, locking eyes momentarily with each of them in turn. For the most part each was a model of Knightly discipline. But there were a few bold exceptions who made no effort to hide their contempt for her with their eyes. Kirino was at the limit of her patience though. She had always done the best she could to be a good leader and earn the trust and respect of her Knights. But unfortunately, all her efforts amounted to was this moment.

The Knight-Commander stepped up proudly with a hand on the hilt of her sword. Unlike the rest of her Knights who wore the standard issue longsword to signify their status as members of the Order of the Dawn, Kirino wore an ancient Japanese Katana passed down through her family line.

At Kirino's feet was a kneeling man, bound with shackles to the ground. He was a shivering and sobbing mess. Nobody would make eye contact with him. Rather their eyes remained on their Commander who was, regardless of what anyone thought of her actions, an exotically beautiful woman. Her skin was pale, her eyes red as blood, and her hair long and straight in the so called princess style of her homeland. Her bangs perfectly straight and level with her eyes, side locks cut to cheek and shoulder length. Everything about her including the neatness of her uniform spoke to the precision with which she not only maintained her appearance, but also that with which she carried out her duties.

"Take no pity on this man before you. He has broken his oath as a Knight. He was brave enough to try and murder me after being caught stealing from our Emperor. But as you can all see, he is not brave enough to face the consequences…"

Kirino lowered her gaze to the kneeling man. His sobs growing increasingly louder. The mucus dripping from his nose. His head lowered and eyes tightly closed.

"Trent Halsey. I have found you guilty of conspiring to assassinate your commanding officer. Namely myself. Attempting to steal from tribute paid to the Emperor, and attempting to corrupt your fellow Knights. Until this moment you were a Knight of the Imperium. A proud member of the Order of the Dawn. You were tasked with upholding the ideals of our order, and our great Imperium. Your title is revoked. Your assets seized. Your family disgraced. The sentence is death..."

With that, she took a step back and readied herself. The man begged for his life. Pleaded with his comrades to intervene and save him. All of it fell on deaf ears. With one clean and fluid motion, Kirino drew her sword out, sliced through his neck and severed his head, then sheathed her sword once more and turned to face the Knights gathered to witness the execution.

"Let this be the first and last time I ever do this. You will renew your oaths before me!"

"Yes, Your Ladyship!" the Knights yelled in chorus. "I shall act only with valor! My heart shall know only virtue! My blade shall defend the helpless! My might shall uphold the meek! My words shall speak only truth! My wrath undoes the wicked! Forever more, my oath is my bond!"

"Don't forget it! You are all dismissed!"


Kirino stepped into her cabin and quickly shut the door behind her. After sealing it shut she leaned back against the hatch and wrapped her arms around herself tightly. Shoulders shaking violently and her iron composure slowly crumbling bit by bit until she fell on her hands and knees and began sobbing uncontrollably. Before she knew what was happening she felt a pair of arms wrap themselves around her soothingly and pull her into a warm embrace. Her head ended up resting against the bosom of her servant.

"I know it was difficult for you My Lady. But it had to be done. He tried to murder you," she said with a gentle voice to calm the woman in her arms.

"I've… Never taken a life before. But I couldn't hesitate. I wanted to. So badly. I wanted the soldiers to stop me. Or give me a reason not to. But nobody did. He cried, he begged, he pleaded. But I couldn't listen to him. I just silenced him by cutting off his head…"

"You did your duty My Lady. You have nothing to feel badly for."

"It still feels so horrible," she muttered while wrapping her around around her servant and holding her tightly.

"I think that just means you're a good person. I don't think anyone with a heart as good as yours could kill without remorse. No matter the circumstances."

"Thank you… Thank you so much."

"There's nothing to thank me for My Lady. My duty is to see to your well being. Just as your duty is to see to the wellbeing of everyone here. I've made tea for you. Why don't you have a seat and enjoy it comfortably while I prepare a bath for you?"

Kirino pulled back and took a deep breath to recompose herself, she then smiled into her servant's bright blue eyes, she was such a sweet, considerate and lovely young girl, with short pink hair. Always elegantly dressed, and always took her job just as seriously as Kirino took her own. "Thank you, Kiku. I appreciate it. But let's forgo the bath this time."

"Forgive me My Lady. May I ask why? I thought you enjoyed taking baths."

"I do. But, that doesn't mean I should do it every day. Down on Pluto they don't have water to waste so frivolously. So I don't think I should either."

Kiku raised an eyebrow at that statement, "That's a very considerate point of view My Lady. To be blunt though, I think it's wasted. Being sympathetic to the reality of life on my home world is very noble of you. But such a display of solidarity is wasted by virtue of the fact that you do have access to such luxuries, where they do not. So instead of feeling guilty about it, you should instead just be thankful for it. So please have your tea while I go draw the bath. Alright?"

Kirino couldn't help but smile and quickly nod. "You win this round. Thank you for setting me straight."

"I consider it part of my duty here. Nothing to thank me for," she answered with a smile.

While Kirino was having her tea a chime rang at the door way. When she opened it to see who was there she found one of the communications officers standing ready with printed message for her which she took and returned his salute before closing the door and returning to her seat.

Kiku suddenly appeared in a hurry headed for the door, "I already got it," said Kirino as she sat on the couch and started unfolding the letter.

"Apologies My Lady… I'll try not to be so careless in the future," said Kiku with a bow to Kirino.

"There's nothing to apologize for. I'm not a cripple. I'm perfectly capable of getting the door on my own. You don't have to do everything for me."

"Nevertheless. I apologize. Your bath will be ready shortly," she said before turning to return to the bathroom.

"Kiku. If you have a moment, I have a question for you," she said while reading the message she received over again.

Kiku stopped and walked over to Kirino with her hand held neatly in front of her, "Yes my lady?"

"Have you ever heard of anyone on Pluto being extensively implanted with cybernetics?"

Kiku raised a single pink eyebrow at that question, "Cybernetics? You mean such as those that replace lost limbs?"

"Yes. According to a message I just received, Prince Leon intercepted a ship that was going to Venus. There were several Plutons aboard who committed suicide rather than be captured. According to them, these people were extensively implanted with cybernetics for reasons unknown. And that's all they've told me here. I've been asked to find out more about these men."

Kiku nodded her understanding, "I see. To the best of my knowledge such extensive implants would be prohibitively expensive. People on Pluto don't exactly have disposable income in amounts anywhere near that."

"You have a point. But if someone did, could it be done?"

"Not on Pluto. No," said Kiku in a firm voice. "There's no such thing as an elective medical procedure here. Everything medically related has to be authorized by the Ministry of Health. They'd never authorize something like that. Replacing a worker's lost limb so he can continue to work and provide for society isn't the same as what you describe."

Kirino slowly nodded and then looked over the information she'd been given once again, "So if they didn't have this done on Pluto. Where was it done? And more importantly why?"

"I think the best you could hope to do is learn something about who these people were and why they left here. But just as important as the why is the how. You see, on Pluto it is forbidden for people to leave without permission from the government. The thinking is that if you take from the state, you must give back to the state something of equal value. Taking a state funded education for example and using it somewhere which does not benefit the people of Pluto is considered a grave offense."

Kirino widened her eyes at her pink haired servant, "Are you serious? Don't the people have any rights at all?"

"We have many rights. However taking and not giving something in exchange is like stealing is it not?"

"You would think. But this isn't the same thing. I guess I have a lot to learn before I can really comment. I'd like to begin by setting up an appointment to see the Administrator and ask her to give me access to records and whatever resources I'll need for an investigation. But she's been very reclusive recently. So I just hope she'll meet with me."

"You mean you want to actually go down there in person?" Asked Kiku with a brow raised.

"Something wrong with that? The more you tell me about what it's like there, the more I want to go and see it for myself and actually learn something more than what's in the books I have around here. This is the first good opportunity I've had to get away from the station since I've been in command."

Kiku shrugged her shoulders, "She's been in a very deep depression since her husband passed away. But I'm sure she'll agree to meet with you."

"I feel bad about bothering her with this but…"

"But you must do your duty. She will understand."

Kirino sat back in her seat as the thoughts swirled through her mind when she decided to ask a different but important question to help her begin to grasp her situation. "The people of Pluto. How do you feel about your rulers?"

"To which rulers are you referring My Lady? The Technocrats on Pluto who work all day everyday to allocate our resources and ensure our continued existence? Or the Aristocrats in the Earth Sphere who take the things we shed blood sweat and tears to gather as taxes?"

Kirino sighed deeply and leaned back in her couch, "I suppose that's a question I need to be better prepared for… I don't make the rules."

"And indeed you should My Lady. You can expect much harsher questions on Pluto. But I'm confident you'll be fine."

"Dear Kiku, I love how your glass is always half full."

"By now your bathtub is completely full. So I suggest you make use of it."

"Yes. Of course," said Kirino with a bright smile to her servant as she rose up from the couch.


Pluto

Ruled by: Administrator Melanie Asteria and Council of Ministers
Population: 2.3 million
Number of Cities/Settlements: 26

Capital: Hades

The people of Pluto and Charon are collectively known as Plutons. It has one of the smallest populations in the Sol system. Plutons are known for being resourceful. From a young age they are taught to always do more with less. Everything they build is made to last.

Pluto is ruled using a Technocratic system where each individual is assigned to what they are considered most suited to do based on their academic performance and demonstrated aptitude during their formative years. Due to their reputation as hardworking people, it is widely believed that Pluto has nothing to offer travelers for recreation. But as many traders have discovered, that is not entirely true.


In the oldest part of the city of Hades was a small temple where a young girl knelt humbly before a statue. There she presented an offering of garlic into a receptacle before straightening herself up in her kneeling position. After a brief moment to compose herself she clasped her hands to pray.

The temple was carved from stone directly into a wall of the underground city. Torches and candles unevenly lit the small space where she and a few other worshipers gathered to make their offerings and prayers. The temple smelled of herbs, and there was also the particularly overpowering scent of garlic from the many such offerings made throughout the day.

The young girl didn't seemed bothered at all by the environment and took a deep breath before beginning her prayer in a polite, humble, and reverent tone of voice. "My goddess, I beg you accept this humble offering and grant your blessings upon my home, my family, and my friendships."

As the young girl made her prayer, another young girl with long black hair stood directly behind her with her arms folded under her breasts. Her face was etched into a contemptuous glare, her sapphire eyes directed at the kneeling girl before her.

"Are you finished yet Akemi? I hate being here. I will never understand you Plutons and your stupid paganism."

Akemi sighed before looking up into the eyes of the statue before her, "I know I've asked a lot of you. But could you please do me a solid and forgive her? She can't help being a smug and arrogant Martian. Between us, I think it's sexy. But if you feel the urge to smite her, I'd ask you not to. At least not until I've had a chance to... you know," she said with a coy wink to the statue of the goddess.

"You are such a pervert, you know that right? And isn't that some kind of blasphemy?"

"Don't be like that Mercedes. I don't openly admit my attractions to just anyone you know. You should feel proud that you and Hecate are the only two in whom I would confide such things," chastised Akemi while standing up and straightening out her clothing.

"How many times do I have to tell you I don't swing that way?!" Mercedes fumed at her.

Akemi grinned mischievously at the raven haired girl before her, "I suffer from selective hearing. It's a pretty serious disability,"

Mercedes turned around and started walking brusquely out of the increasingly claustrophobic temple until she was finally outside in the street. All around her were buildings carved from rock in the underground capital city. Quarters were tight and the homes were all modest, especially in this part of Hades where Akemi grew up. The temple was not far from her friend's home, but why she allowed the shorter girl to bring her to this place, she still had no idea.

When Akemi caught up to her after finishing whatever it was she had left to do inside the temple, the pair sauntered up the dusty rock carved street towards the monorail station. Mercedes turned her head and looked down at her friend who was a head shorter than her. She had long lavender hair down to her middle back, her face was framed neatly with bangs, and hair running down the sides of her face over her shoulders. Akemi was pale skinned just like every other Pluton. Her skin had probably never been touched by sunlight her whole life but it didn't detract from her looks and even with her lack of womanly assets, she was probably the most beautiful girl in this neighborhood. If Akemi weren't so insufferably sassy, she'd probably be able to get any girl she wanted. Well, except for Mercedes herself, as she had to repeatedly make clear for as long as she'd known her.

"Do you really believe in this stuff? Gods, goddesses, and what not?"

Akemi reached down the front of her jacket and pulled out a necklace which had two simple coins hanging from it and showed it off to her taller raven haired friend with a simple nod.

"You study science, technology, mathematics, history, and philosophy for fun! How can you also be a... pagan?" asked Mercedes with barely concealed contempt in her voice.

"First. I'd thank you not to use that word," said Akemi with a sterner tone than the taller girl was used to hearing from her. The two stopped in their tracks and faced each other where Mercedes offered a quiet apology without saying any words. Akemi seemed to accept the silent apology and then continued on to answer,

"As for your question. I like it. I like Hecate. Making offerings and praying to her gives me this feeling of comfort. She's the goddess of things that matter to me. She's a protective goddess. She grants blessings on the home and family. She's the goddess of friendships as well. I also like having these coins handy. They remind me that I'm a Pluton, and that I've been welcomed and embraced by this society. Be it a religious obligation, or simply a tradition. I like it. Is that enough for you?"

Mercedes shrugged, "I still think it's stupid. But I'll keep my mouth shut about it if it'll make you happy."

"I can think of a lot of better ways in which you could make me, very happy," said Akemi with a sly grin.

"Get your stupid head out of the gutter!"

"You should join me in there sometime. It's a lot of fun!"

"Whatever… I suppose you can't help being a vertically, mentally, and mammary challenged Pluton," said Mercedes in a venomous tone while pointing to Akemi's flat chest.

Akemi grinned at the taller girl, "And you, can't help being an unbelievably fiery hot and equally hot tempered Martian that makes me hot and bothered every time you insult me,"

Mercedes rolled her eyes and started walking down the street towards the monorail station again, "Why do I even bother to hang out with you? All you ever do is troll me!"

"Aww, come on Mercedes! I'm not trolling you! Well. Alright, maybe I troll you a little. But why can't you just accept the fact that I do actually like you?"

Mercedes plugged her ears and started walking briskly while yelling behind her, "Lalalalalala! Can't hear you! I'll see you tomorrow!"

"Damn it. Almost got you to come over and meet my parents this time… Oh well. Next time for sure!" said a grinning Akemi to herself.

As Akemi turned to leave her eyes immediately fell upon a group of people gathering around a man standing on a metal box who began passionately addressing those gathered. She slowly walked closer just in case it was something that could bring trouble from the authorities down upon them, but to her relief it wasn't going to be anything like that when she heard the first words uttered.

"In the beginning there was war! Then they came to power!" The man yelled while pointing upwards. "The Imperium descended upon the good Earth like a plague! Conquered all! And cast out those who refused them! Our ancestors."

The crowd excitedly nodded in agreement while Akemi folded her arms with an amused smirk on her face.

"They were cast off their homeworld and forced out into the great unknown, to either build this place we now stand in, or die trying. With their blood sweat and tears they labored to build themselves a home where they could live in peace and security! But the Imperium wasn't finished with them yet! Our colony was colonized! Our people once again used as forced labor to fuel the Imperium! They were suffering all forms of oppression, exploitation, degradation, humiliation, discrimination, and every other kind of -ation! The imperialist Terran nation have made us slaves in our own homes! They force us to work for them instead of ourselves! To sell them our valuable resources in exchange for currency which we must then give back to the imperialists as taxation for the continuation of our subjugation,

"But there is a way out! Rise up and join with us! If you tremble with indignation at every degradation, humiliation, and discrimination inflicted upon us by the Terran nation then join us in the struggle for the liberation and self-determination of the Pluton nation! Take a look around and see that you have nothing to lose but your chains! Everyone has their own particular part to play in the struggle! No part is too great or too small; no one is too old or too young to do something! Brothers and sisters! The final hour of the Imperium is coming! When it strikes! Billions in the colonies will rise up to meet a new life! And demand their unrestricted right to self-determination! Come! Join us now! Join the Alliance! Don't work in slavery! Fight for liberty! Because those who make peaceful revolution impossible make violent revolution inevitable!"

Akemi clapped her hands along with the people and started walking away with a cheerful smile when she saw two men step out of the cheering crowd and started making a show of escorting him away with his hands gently behind his back. The public disturbance he caused was his only crime. Spreading anti-imperium propaganda was illegal, but not actually enforced. He'd be back again. He always was. The only thing Akemi wished would change were his rhymes.


Akemi pushed open the front door to her home and stepped through the threshold. Once inside she took off her shoes and left them neatly aside before stepping up into the house and into some slippers along the way while loudly announcing herself, "I'm home!"

As if on cue a young boy rushed out to greet her by jumping on her and attaching himself to her torso. "Ooof! You're getting too heavy for me to hold you like this. Keep this up and I'll have to call you my big little brother," she said with amusement.

"Onee-san! My computer is being funny. Could you fix it?"

Akemi laughed for a moment at her younger brother's enthusiasm while contemplating the request, "Sure thing! Let's take a look after dinner, alright?"

"Thank you!" said the young boy as she set him down and then ran off.

Akemi snickered to herself while leaning against the wall to watch her younger brother run up the stairs of their modest home. "Was I that way when I was his age?" she asked while looking around the corner at her father.

"Not really. You weren't much older than him when we adopted you. Back then you were a quiet child. Though you grew up into a loud and energetic young woman," was the man's answer.

"Well behaved women seldom make history, expect great things from me!" Declared Akemi with a grin.

"We do. I just wish it didn't include occasionally getting you out of jail."

"That wasn't my fault!"

Her father stared at her with a stern look, silently telling her to admit the whole story to herself.

"Alright. It wasn't completely my fault. I just forgot how to use my inside voice."


Mercedes gazed thoughtfully out at the city from her seat on the monorail. Her reflection greeted her there, but it was translucent enough that she could see through her own eyes the underground city of Hades. The dim lights emanating from the buildings seemed to sparkle in her deep blue eyes. Her charcoal hair left only the faintest outline, and also the clearest view through to the city. Even her ivory skin seemed to glimmer in her reflection.

The Plutons themselves exuded discipline and perfectionism. Traits she herself aspired to every day of her life on Mars. The language was very difficult though. Every colony had its own language or dialect, but Pluton was quite possibly the hardest. She looked up at some of the signs placed throughout the cabin of the monorail car she was riding in and struggled to sound out the words in her head. Pluton may as well be an alien language as far as the rest of the solar system was concerned.

One thing she couldn't deny about the language though, the calligraphy was beautiful. Akemi was especially good at it and helped her learn the language after she arrived. But getting over their language barrier was no simple task. Mercedes had wanted to rip the short girl's head off many times in their early days.

But Akemi was nothing if not persistent. Obsessive even. Once that girl set her mind to a task, there was no getting in her way. The city of Hades had one thing that few other colonies were fortunate enough to have. A massive library. Akemi had spent days there learning to speak Martian.

Mercedes started cracking up at the memory of that day. Akemi made such a fool of herself. Since there simply wasn't a Pluton to Martian dictionary in existence, she had to learn how to translate Pluton into English, the most common spoken language in the Imperium, and then translate that to Martian. The end result made just enough sense for Mercedes to understand that Akemi was trying to make friends with her, but was so badly spoken and so completely broken that Mercedes couldn't help but laugh.

"Excuse me young lady," said a deep male voice from beside her.

Mercedes turned her head and looked up at the man. She'd been so distracted by her thoughts that she hadn't even noticed there was anyone else around her.

"I need to see some identification," he said to her.

For every good thing about Pluto, there was a bad thing. Mercedes sighed to herself as she reached into the thick coat she wore around herself for warmth and pulled out the identification card that was requested of her and hastily handed it over to the man. The first bad thing she mused, was the cold. Mars was cold, but Pluto was a different kind of cold. This far from the sun, and in a city this large, it was hard enough to maintain enough breathable air. Keeping everything warm enough was simply impossible. It was always just warm enough to keep everything from freezing over. So people here had to always dress warmly.

Then, there were people like this uniformed man who was presently checking her identification. Pluto wasn't the most liberal place in the Solar system. Maintaining a strict society required an even stricter police force.

"You're out past curfew young lady. I'm going to have to issue a fine."

Mercedes shook her head in frustration while the man pulled out a palm sized computer device and inserted her identification card into a slot. After a few moments the fine was issued and the money deducted from her account. "This is your second violation Miss Verdin. Being out this late while under age is a crime. You know what will happen if you should get caught a third time correct?"

"I know what you think will happen. Yes," she answered snidely.

"I don't know how it was on Mars, but you're on Pluto now! Disrespecting your elders is considered very rude. There should be a fine for that too."

"Too bad their isn't then. Guess you'll just have to deal with it."

"I hope you realize you're a hair away from being taken to the Mystasty on suspicion of subversive behavior. Not getting your citizenship will be the least of your worries if you don't start minding your manners."

Every instinct in her was screaming at her to stick it to the man. Every part of her Martian upbringing told her not to take this from him. But this wasn't Mars. On Pluto, these were the people in charge. So she had to swallow her pride and do the only thing she could do.

"I'm sorry…" she said through tightly clenched teeth.

"That's better," he said while handing her back her card. "Do hurry home. And try not to get another fine before you get there."

Mercedes took her card and put it away. Then turned back to the window with an irritated huff and crossed her arms. She had no idea how Akemi sassed her way out of these situations but she decided to start taking notes.


Dennis Riley sat in a dusty old armchair across from an older man in his mid forties. Between them was a small table with a clay jug of freshly distilled alcohol and a pair of dirty looking shot glasses. Surrounding them was a room full of what Dennis would describe as used people. The lowest of the low. Mechanics, janitors, technicians, there was even a priest in the room holding a bag of coins with a nervous expression on his face.

"Tell me something Riley. How does a young man with so much good fortune end up so miserable?"

He contemplated that question while spinning the cylinder. "You're asking a question based on a false premise," he finally said with disinterest. Riley quickly flipped the cylinder into the pistol. Without an iota of hesitation he brought the gun up to his temple. All eyes in the room widened as he squeezed the trigger. The silence was deafening. All that could be heard in that moment was the crackling of the torches illuminating the room and finally the click of the pistol as the hammer struck. This was quickly followed by mix of happy cheers and disappointed grumbles as money changed hands around the room.

"So what is the correct premise for the question then?" asked the man seated opposite to Riley as he took the pistol from him and began spinning the cylinder.

"You incorrectly assumed that I'm fortunate. They say they want Pluto to be free of the Imperium. What about us? If we break away from the Imperium, what does that give us the freedom to do exactly? What would be different? All the important decisions in our lives will still be made for us. So what's the point?"

The older man looked over the younger man across from him with renewed curiosity. His eyes lingered upon him as the cylinder spun with its monotonous metallic sound.

"Take your time. There's no rush," said Dennis while pouring himself a shot and chugging it down without his icy cool face breaking from the after burn.

The older man chuckled to himself and began speaking to him, "He wasn't even out of his twenties but his dark brown eyes carried world weariness beyond his years. From his scalp protruded traces of stubble adding darker tones to his lazily shaved head. His once white vest now smeared in the grime of sweat and liquor. Turning it a hundred different shades. His face betrayed his disinterest in the man speaking to him as he casually waited for the game to continue without a trace of emotion in the many lines which appeared before their time."

Dennis slightly raised his eyebrow at the man, "What are you a writer?"

"I wanted nothing more than to be one. But you're right. It's pointless. This little game represents the only real freedom anyone here really has," said the other man while pointing the gun at the side of his head and quickly pulling the trigger with a big smile on his face. Instantly, with a loud bang, the bullet passed through his temple and out the other side of his head splattering blood all over the people closest to him. The bullet only just missing a spectator as it became embedded in the stone wall.

Dennis watched as the blood and brain matter sprayed out of his head. But what fascinated him the most was the serene expression on the man's face. Even as blood poured out of his nose and mouth the smile remained intact.

After the moment of silence and the exchange of winnings among the crowd, a group of men came over to remove the corpse. One of the men started by closing his eyes, and then took the coins from his necklace and placed them in his bloody mouth before carrying him away.

"So what's your trick Riley? That's the tenth game in a row you've won. How do you do it?"

Dennis sighed at the question before looking up at the much older and graying man. His eyes first sighted the blood splatter upon his janitorial uniform, and then followed it all up to the man's eyes, blood spots all over his wrinkled and weathered face. Then, Dennis grinned at the older man, and addressed him in the coldest and most indignant voice the elderly janitor had ever heard from such a young man, "I'm just unlucky, that's all there is to it."


Efren Valerio stood at the threshold of a large room, all around were computer desks where over fifty people were hard at work. Each screen that he could see had various components of mobile suits on them. At the center of the room was the person he'd come to see. She was standing in front of a holographic display of the latest mobile suit being developed in this design studio. Hands glowing brightly as she manipulated the various components of the machine in real time to simulate their performance.

He casually stepped through the busy room avoiding the designers who were moving about while paying attention to nothing but their work, even while walking around. Efren was always amused by how he'd have to navigate this obstacle course to reach her whenever he wanted to pay a visit. As if the gods were mocking him with a small test of his devotion and determination.

Finally he was standing just a few steps behind her. Just far enough away that he could take in every inch of her beauty from head to toe. Her hair was like fire when combined with the glow of the hologram before her. Her slender frame accented by glowing green lines flowing with light moving up and down her exposed limbs. Her hair tied neatly with black ribbons featuring purple outlines sticking up like neat little leaves on a tree. Her twin tails reaching down to her waist made him almost want to grab and pull them to get her attention. But he did not wish to break her intense concentration. At least not that way.

He stepped over beside her just far enough ahead that he could see her serene expression. Her eyes were closed as she concentrated on her work. Her mind interfacing with the computers to bring her visions to reality. The blueish tint of the holographic light on her alabaster skin was a vision he wanted to burn into his mind. In her mouth was a pen she was presently chewing hard on while her eyelids closed even more tightly as she seemed to come to a difficult or just stubborn component.

Efren knew this was the moment to snap her out of it or else there would be consequences for the rest of the staff. But how to go about it? He always tried to be creative about getting her attention, especially when she was this intensely focused. He leaned in close to her ear and whispered; "Hey Nibbler," to her softly and then put his index finger into his mouth and thoroughly wet it before inserting it into her ear canal.

The young girl's hands suddenly stopped glowing and the holographic display shut off as she covered her ear and fell down to her knees while struggling to clean it out with her sleeve. "Eeew! Efren! Why would you do that to me?!"

"Heh. Apologies my dear Apollonia. Let's just call it, an experiment."

The young girl timidly stood up and faced the man with wary eyes. "May I inquire about your findings?"

"Interesting. But inconclusive. I need more data," he said to her with an amused smirk on his face.

"Dare I ask what you have in mind for a follow up experiment?" she asked nervously.

"My plan was to take you out to dinner. Provided you're not planning to spend the night in here again working on… Whatever it is you're working on. What are you working on anyway?"

Apollonia smiled at his genuine interest and held her hand out to the holographic display. The implants beneath her skin began to glow in a circuit print pattern and then the display came to life once again. Efren studied the mobile suit for a long while before looking at Apollonia for an explanation.

"It's a new mobile suit design that we're sending to our allies on Mars. Right now they're using converted heavy construction suits for their military."

"What are we getting out of this deal?"

"You'll have to ask my mother. I try to avoid the politics as much as possible."

"You should take more of an interest in these things. But we'll talk about that another time. So tell me what you've got here?" he said while gesturing to the mobile suit.

"I call it the Bellerophon, designed for mass production using the resources available on Mars."

"I take back what I said. You do know how to do politics."

"I was worried that might go right over people's heads. I hope they get the message too."

"I'm sure they will."

"Anyway. It has a shoulder mounted railgun and it carries a fully automatic one-twenty millimeter assault rifle. Well, more like a canon with that calibre, but, in mobile suit terms, it's a rifle..."

"It doesn't seem to have a flight pack. So it's a ground pounder?"

"No. It has thrusters for space which double as jump jets in gravity. But you're right, it can't fly on its own. We're not giving them our power source, and we had to design them something that doesn't rely on Helium-3. So it's powered by a hybrid system which uses fossil fuels and a battery pack. They use a lot of fossil fuels for their terraformers so we determined it would be convenient for them. The unit won't generate enough power on its own for flight with these systems, so we also developed a sub flight lifter for it which we call-"

"Pegasus?"

"Is this not subtle enough?" she wondered while chewing her pen.

"No. It's perfect. I assure you," said a proudly smiling Efren. "You're truly blessed by Hephaestus himself my love. I couldn't be more proud of you and the work you do."

"Thank you. I appreciate it," she said while stepping in to hug him.


Back in her home, up in her room, Akemi sat at the dull metallic work desk in her room with her little brother in her lap. On the desk in front of them was a portable computer which the boy used in his education. Akemi held her hand out over the device and concentrated on it. A purple glow emanating from under her skin as she mentally interfaced with the computer and worked to diagnose the problem.

"So what's wrong with it? Is it going to be alright? Was it my fault? I don't want to get in trouble at school!"

"Don't worry. I'll figure it out. Has there ever been a problem I couldn't fix?"

"No way! Onee-san is a super genius!"

"I prefer the term 'super villain' myself."

"But you're not bad!"

"Not to you. But ask my friends sometime, they'll tell you how evil I really am," answered Akemi with a cheerful laugh.

"Onee-san? Which was the first ever library?"

"Trying to pick my brain for your homework questions again? You know that's sort of cheating right?"

"But if the computer's broken, I can't find the answers. And you're better than the computer. You know everything!"

"I don't know everything, I just know stuff that nobody else seems to care about. But I learned everything I know in the library. Which is where you should spend more time. If you want to be like me, study hard. That way you won't end up cleaning the streets or shoveling poop into a recycler."

"Haha! You said poop!"

"Yes. I did. Contrary to what they'll tell you in school it's not a job you want. But I suppose that isn't something an eight year old needs to worry about. To answer your question, it depends. Do you mean the first library on Pluto? Or the first one ever?"

"First one ever!"

"Sumeria. But it wasn't exactly a library as we know it. They used that to keep receipts and stuff."

"Like the box mom keeps with all those little papers from the stores?"

"Exactly. The first real library as we know it was in a place called Alexandria."

"How do you know all this stuff Onee-san?"

"The library. Wasn't that obvious?"

"Alright. Here's a really hard one! If you secretly watch someone walking up our street, does watching them change which way they'll go?"

"Hmm… Did the person give a tribute to Hecate before going in either direction?"

The little boy put a hand on his chin and huffed in confusion. "Uhh… I don't think that was in the question. Is it important?"

"Yes. When you're at a crossroad, what did I teach you to always do?"

"I should always acknowledge Hecate and ask for her blessing?"

"Correct. Now to answer your question. No. Secretly watching someone doesn't change how they behave in any way shape or form. Do you know why?"

"But my teacher told me that if you observe anything you change it."

"That's not always true. It is in Quantum Mechanics. Because what you need to see a particle changes how the particle acts. It's really complicated. But to make it simple, the 'Observer Effect' only applies to things that are really really small. But with things that are big, no, observing them has no effect on them. Unless they know you're watching them. In which case, yes, that will change how they act."

"I don't understand. So is my teacher wrong?"

"No. Your teacher isn't wrong. This will all eventually make sense to you. But for now. I think I figured out what's wrong with your computer. Tell me if I'm right. You, or one of your friends, tried to reprogram the O.S. to let you play games during class. Am I right?"

The boy looked around the room in silence. Akemi's hand stopped glowing and she used it to pat her little brother's head. "I'm not going to get mad at you. I just want you to understand that it isn't right to be trying to change your computer's programming. It was made to help you learn and that's what it wants you to use it for. It got sick because you tried to change the way it works."

"But computers don't get sick! They aren't even alive. They just do what we tell them to do right?"

"Not true. Computers aren't any different from people. Power flows through their circuits the same way blood flows through your veins. Your computer's processor is no different than your brain. You wouldn't want me messing with your head to try and make you do something you wouldn't normally do. Would you?"

"Yeah. I got it. I'm sorry," he answered with disappointment.

"I'm not the one you need to apologize to…" she said while gesturing to the computer.

"Akemi? Hideaki? It's getting late. You should get some sleep," came a voice from the doorway behind them.

Akemi swiveled her chair towards the door and both siblings waved at the older woman standing there. "But I still need to finish my homework. My computer was broke!"

"Don't worry, go get cleaned up and I'll help you get it done," said Akemi while softly patting the boy's head.

"Thank you Onee-san!" the boy yelled ecstatically while running off.

Akemi stood up and regarded her mother with her hands neatly in front of her while her brother left the room, "Mother? Do you have a moment?"

"I always have a moment for you. What is it?" the woman asked while stepping into the room.

"Have you ever been in love with someone you knew you weren't suppose to be in love with?"

The woman raised an eyebrow at her daughter, "A question you don't already know the answer to? This is new."

Akemi shrugged without saying anything.

"The answer is yes. Before I met your father there was another man, but he was already with someone. Meeting your father solved everything. So my advise, just hang in there and you'll be fine."

Akemi nodded and hugged the woman, "Thank you. I hope you're right."


November 19th, 755 I.C.


Volubilis

In her stateroom, Kirino stood in front of a mirror in her formal uniform, with fine precision she pinned and adjusted her decorations. She then adjusted her jacket and went over it all with a critical eye looking for even the slightest hint of a loose thread or other imperfection. Every shadow made her nervous because it looked at first glance as if it were a stain upon the creamy white uniform.

Meanwhile her servant Kiku polished the scabbard of her ancient sword to an immaculate shine and looked up at her employer with an irate expression. "My Lady. I can assure you, the uniform is pristine. The only imperfections you're going to find are on the inside."

"What?! You mean there's a stain inside my jacket? What if it shows through?!"

Kiku stood up and grabbed Kirino by the belt to shake her into holding still while she tucked the sword neatly under it. "No. I mean the imperfection is you yourself. Stop fussing or you'll wrinkle your face as well as your jacket! It took us an hour to get your makeup just right so don't get yourself nervously sweaty and smear it before you've even gone to your meeting."

Kirino nodded and adjusted her sword, making sure she looked just right in the mirror once again, and then again, and then she started squinting at some detail before Kiku gently pushed her away from the mirror. "You're fussing again."

"Sorry. I can't help being nervous. The more I read about her, the more I'm dying to meet her."

"She's a human being My Lady. Just like you. The more you idolize her in your mind the more nervous you'll make yourself and the more of a fool you'll risk making yourself. Just relax and be yourself. I have no doubt in my mind that she'll like you."

The Knight-Commander took a very deep breath and exhaled quickly in a sign to her servant that she was indeed taking her advice. "Alright. I think I'm ready to do this. Are you ready?"

Kiku nodded and looked to the mirror to make sure she was still in a presentable state, "Yes My Lady. But I'm still wondering why you insisted that I accompany you."

"It's perfectly acceptable for a Knight-Commander to bring her attendant with her to such a function."

"I believe you mean 'adjutant' not attendant."

"That's one interpretation. I don't have an adjutant. Even if I did, I still trust you more than any of the Knights under my command here. Were it up to me I'd replace the lot of them, but I can't."

"I'm still a Pluton my Lady. You shouldn't trust me so much," she said to the Knight-Commander with a serious voice.

Kirino returned the serious glare with one of her own, "Is there a specific reason why I shouldn't trust you?"

"No My Lady. That wasn't what I was implying."

"Then what were you implying?"

"Only that you should be careful who you trust with what. I'm a Pluton, so my interests could be their interests and not necessarily yours."

Kirino stepped over to the younger girl and grasped her shoulders to turn her so they stood face to face, "I trust you to be my guide down there. All I know about it is what I've read about, and what you've told me about it. I need you now more than ever. I can't do my job here unless I'm able to learn how to be just like a Pluton. And there's also the fact that you're my only friend," she said to her sternly with a serious look in her eyes. "So please stop talking this way."

Kiku in turn looked down and felt her cheeks heat up at the proximity and the look in Kirino's eyes directed at her. "I appreciate it my Lady. I too respect you very much."

"It's not quite the same thing Kiku. I suppose we'll have to work on that. Shall we get going then?"

Kiku quickly nodded, "Yes, we don't want to be late."


Hades

Hours later, Kirino and Kiku stepped off their transport shuttle in the underground city of Hades. Despite expectations, they were warmly welcomed by a small security force and a young woman named Apollonia Asteria, along with a man she introduced as her fiance, Efren Valerio. Kirino's first impression was that he was a perfect gentlemen. However his manners were perhaps too polite because it made Apollonia visibly jealous. The young lady was polite, but she was very shy and reserved. That much was clear to Kirino.

But when Efren started acting just a little bit friendlier than protocol would normally require, there was a shift in her demeanor that only other women would probably recognize. Especially ones who had been in her place before. The man was trying to make her jealous. Probably for no reason other than to see if she cared enough to feel that way. It wasn't something to mention now though. But Kirino knew to make a mental note of it incase the opportunity for girl talk presented itself later. After all, developing a good relationship with the daughter of Pluto's Administrator would be of immeasurable value to her.

From the spaceport, they were taken by means of an electric car towards the Administrator's residence. Security seemed so lax that Kirino almost regretted not bringing any Knights along with her except for the four who escorted her ship in their mobile suits. 'Almost' was because she knew that if she had, she'd probably still wish for more Pluton guards to protect her from her own Knights. Much to Kirino's surprise, it was Kiku who asked the question of their hosts.

"I realize it's been awhile since you were last here Miss Kiku. But I assure you, no matter what opinion the people have about the Imperium, and their Knights, as long as you're here as our guests, nobody would even consider harming you. We wouldn't stand for it. So please be at ease, you're perfectly safe and under our complete protection," said Efren with his most charming tone of voice which only made Apollonia even more visibly uncomfortable.

Kirino had to admit, had this man not been engaged, she'd probably be flirting back to him by now. He was well dressed in spite of the utilitarian nature of his clothing. His hair seemed unruly but it still suited him. His brown eyes were striking to gaze into and forced both women to avoid eye contact as much as possible. His figure was tight and well toned and he had charisma in spades.

Both Kirino and Kiku had to take a moment to look over Apollonia once again who certainly looked cute with her long red hair in ribbon tied twintails. She had red eyes to match her hair, but overall, she was still only cute. It was simply proof of how unfair life could be. Such as in the case of this otherwise ordinary looking girl being engaged to a man whom, as far as Kirino was concerned, was a very strong contender for the title of the most desirable man in the solar system. His competition could probably only come from one of the younger Terran Princes. But the scions of the Imperial royal family only had their bloodline to give them desirability. This man sitting across from them in the car didn't need royal blood to make even a Knight-Commander like Kirino hot and bothered with nothing but a few words and good manners.

Kirino turned her full attention to city outside the window. Space colonies had systems to simulate a proper day and night cycle. But she was amazed by how dark and gloomy this city looked. There was very little illumination in the streets. The houses had electricity, but the lights were were all dim. Whatever electric lighting there was seemed to be set to the lowest light levels, providing only just enough light to help people focus and see what needed to be seen. Looking up at the top of the large underground cavern, she could see nothing but inky blackness. It compelled her to begin asking questions and hope it wouldn't be considered rude of her.

"People don't use anything unless they have to. Waste nothing. Do more with less. Build things that last. Those are our guiding principles," explained Kiku, drawing nods from Apollonia and Efren.

Kirino looked down at the floor of the car and humbled her demeanor, "I wish people on Earth would think that way. It's disgusting how little regard we have for our environment with our rampant consumerism. Especially after the generations of work it took to clean up the planet from the centuries of industrialization."

"Why are Terrans so materialistic then?" Asked the redhead with a timid voice.

"I wish I had the answer to that," she replied in a resigned tone of voice.

"For what it's worth. Dame Kirino is always mindful of these things for herself. She tries her best not to use more than she needs."

Efren smiled brightly, "I'm sure we didn't mean to imply that she was personally responsible for the behavior of all Terrans."

Apollonia quickly nodded at Efren. "Yes. He's right. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable, and I apologize for that. None of what I said is your fault, and I didn't mean to imply it was. It's just frustrating because, when we make a mistake here, if we don't use our resources wisely it becomes an immediate problem for us. It's never a problem for later generations that we don't have to think about or even live to see. If our crops fail, we will all suffer. If our water becomes contaminated beyond our ability to clean, we would all die. To say nothing of our air, gravity, and environmental systems. We have to think about the consequences of everything we do. A simple typo in a software update can doom us all."

"That's why your people established a Technocratic system right? Because everyone doing the work has to be the best they can be or else."

Apollonia nodded, "Exactly. Others look at our system and cry about how unfair it is on the individual. But when the individual has the power to intentionally or unintentionally kill us all, we have to be very picky about who we trust with what. We can't afford to play politics with our lives in the balance."

Kirino nodded her understanding, "But no other colony uses such a system and they function just fine?"

"This isn't one of those colonies. This is Pluto. I can't form an opinion about the reality of other people's lives because their reality isn't our reality. In the end, people have to have the freedom to decide what's best for their society. What we have works for us. What they have works for them."

"I hope you won't think it rude of me to ask but. Do you have a job that you actually enjoy?"

"Yes I do! Very much! I'm an Engineer!" She answered with surprising enthusiasm, "I run a design studio and work to improve our technology."

Kirino couldn't help but catch onto her infectious enthusiasm, "That's amazing. May I ask what exactly you work on?"

"Of course you may!" Replied a suddenly even more cheerful Apollonia. "My specialization is mechanical engineering. Specifically I design industrial mobile suits for heavy construction and mining. My latest model is currently being used to harvest ice from the Kuiper belt. Thanks to the new suit and the new tools we invented for the job, my babies can harvest twenty five percent more water per trip, safer, and with much less labor," explained Apollonia with a happy smile.

"You're very passionate about your work I see," observed Kirino.

"Endearing isn't it? She's a different person when talking about something she knows everything there is to know about," said Efren while wrapping an arm around his fiance and pulling her in for a cuddle.

Kirino stepped out of the car after the door was opened for her. She looked around with a genuinely surprised look on her face. When one thought of the residence of a head of state, the image of the royal palace on New Atlantis was the first thing to come to mind with its stunning opulence, lush greenery, and timeless architecture. But the building did not fit that image in the slightest. It lacked even a security wall, but there were guards at least. The building itself seemed not much different from the rest of the city. It was just bigger. Not in the sense that it was anything grand. But it was not much larger than a typical villa on Earth.

"Not what you were expecting My Lady?" Kiku asked in a low voice near her ear.

Kirino was at a loss for words for a moment before blurting out her response in a politely low voice, "It's humble. And humbling."

Apollonia stood a respectful distance from the Knight-Commander and her servant while gesturing with her open hand towards the palace with Efren standing beside her.


The Knight-Commander stepped into a large and open room in the residence. Seated across the room was Administrator Melanie Asteria, there were two guards at the door, and two standing just behind the Administrator. The Administrator looked very much like an older version of her daughter. With red hair and matching red eyes. Her face though seemed tired and weathered beyond her years. The stress of her work being the most probable of culprits.

Seated on the floor around the room was about a dozen other people that she didn't know. Kirino was shown to a cushion placed a short distance from the Administrator who sat on a slightly elevated platform. It was like an ancient Japanese feudal lord's court that she'd previously only ever read about. It truly fascinated Kirino how much of her own ancient culture came alive in this place, mixed in with so many other cultures to form something truly unique and special. As she seated herself, she pulled her sword out of her belt and set it down close beside her with the sharp edge facing towards herself as would be proper in her own homeland. Though the gesture went unnoticed. Swords weren't a part of the local culture and so neither was the etiquette for them. Her servant Kiku seated herself to Kirino's right, and just behind her.

"Welcome to Hades, Your Ladyship," said the Administrator in a low and even tone.

Kirino bowed her head briefly before looking back up at her, "I thank you very much for seeing me. It is an honor to finally have the opportunity to meet you. Though I wish the circumstances were better."

The Administrator said nothing but with a polite gesture of her hand motioned for her to speak.

"His Imperial Highness, Prince Leon has commanded me to investigate the origins of several Plutons he found dead aboard a transport vessel he seized near Venus. I come to you today to humbly ask for your assistance in this matter."

The Administrator slowly nodded her head, "With all due respect Commander. With an Imperial mandate, you don't need my co-operation to conduct an investigation. So may I ask why you've come to me with this?"

"To be blunt, the people of Pluto don't exactly like the Imperium. If I had my Knights going around Pluto and Charon asking questions, they wouldn't be warmly received and I fear that might lead to problems I would like to avoid. With your help, we can avoid all that. The second reason is a bit selfish, I simply wanted to meet you."

"I'm just a humble widow You Ladyship, there is nothing special about me. But your first reason has merit, and I must admit I have tremendous respect for your sensitivity and pragmatism. Because you came to me with this when you didn't have to, I will do everything in my power to help you. Please tell me what you know of these people you are looking for."

"I thank you once again. There are seven people I'm looking to find out about. All I have on them at the moment are post-mortem images. According to what I was told, they took their own lives to avoid capture. There's also one other odd detail about them. All seven of them have had extensive cybernetic implants installed throughout their bodies despite being perfectly healthy."

The Administrator cast her a curious glare at the last remark and asked for elaboration.

"We don't have the slightest idea. When the medical team attempted to extract and study the implants, they seemed to crumble. They surmised it was some sort of security feature to prevent the implants from being studied. I'm told it was impossible to ascertain their purpose."

"I can see why the Prince is so curious. I too would like to know more about this. To that end, I will have my staff grant you access to our records, and place our law enforcement officers at your disposal for the investigation. Will that be sufficient?"

"It's more than I dared to hope for. I can't fully express my gratitude."

"No, Your Ladyship. It is I who should be thanking you. I suspect that any other Knights in your position would simply do as they pleased without any regard for the potential consequences. I find your respect for my people to be most refreshing. If there is anything else you should need, or if you encounter any problems, please do not hesitate to contact me."

After the meeting, Kirino and her servant were shown out. Melanie Asteria then called on Efren Valerio to approach her.

"Yes Madam Administrator?"

"Efren. I have mixed feelings. I meant what I said to her. But she obviously can't be allowed to roam free. Please extend to her every courtesy we can offer, and get her as much as we can give her on the people she's looking for. But make sure she has no reason to continue investigating here. Do you understand?"

"I understand perfectly and I'll pass the word to arrange everything. Mother," said Efren with his usual charming smile.

"Mind yourself. It is entirely too soon for you to be so familiar with me!"

"Yes. Of course."

"And one last thing. Make sure the word gets out that I will be very upset if any members of the SSA make an unsanctioned attempt on the Knight-Commander's life while she's on Pluto. As long as she cannot harm our interests, I will not tolerate any harm coming to her. Is that clear Commander Valerio?"

"Crystal clear Madam. I'll see to it myself."


Akemi considered her next move carefully. There was not even a hint of emotion on her features, her brown eyes were blank, her lavender hair surrounding her face cast shadows to further mask her thoughts. She was as cool as ice, her olive skin didn't glisten with even the slightest bead of sweat. If she was feeling the pressure at all, there wasn't a hint of it to be found on her.

"You gonna make your move or what? Seriously. I'm losing the will to live!" She heard him say to her in a stern and deadly serious tone. Sweat dripping from the top of his shaven head, his sleeveless white shirt soaked to transparency and sticking to his sculpted chest. His hazel eyes burning with the anticipation of her decision while his chin rested on his right hand.

"When the stakes are this high my dear Riley-sama, one mistake will cost us everything…" she replied with a flat monotone which again betrayed nothing of her thoughts.

"Stop calling me that… It's annoying. And time isn't exactly a luxury we have," the bald one retorted.

Akemi looked intensely at what she was holding in her right hand. "Wise people say that patience is a virtue," she said while holding up the index finger of her left hand. "Your time isn't up until it's up."

"It's also been said that the wisest are the most annoyed at the loss of time," he answered back.

"Dante Alighieri. So why are you so annoyed at the loss of time? You're rushing as if you got a lucky hand. If your hand doesn't get tired of holding it, maybe you'll get lucky with it in the shower later," replied Akemi in a serious deadpan.

"Or maybe you're just delaying the inevitable in the hopes that my hand will get tired and I fold?"

"Could be. But I might also just be giving your hand a chance to see what a loser you really are."

"You wanna drive her off and get with me instead?" asked Dennis with a sly grin.

"No. I just wanna drive her off," she deadpanned.

"Look Akemi, you might be the smartest person at this table, but you don't know squat about poker, or masturbation."

"From what your calloused hand is telling me, neither do you," she deadpanned.

"Oh snap! I'll go get the burn cream," said a loud male voice who then slapped the man hard on the shoulder.

"Slap me again and I'll slap you back Jerry…" said Dennis with a stern glare at the man beside him.

"Oh yeah? Try it! I'm a Marine, I will kick your ass and I don't care how many hours you put in at the gym!" he yelled back in his face.

"How could you be bored and impatient with such entertaining company?" asked Akemi with a raised brow.

"Because there's over a thousand Drachmas in that pot and they all want to be with me. So can we hurry this up?"

Jerry laughed loudly at him and spoke in a sing-song tune, "You're just gonna spend all your loot in a house of ill repute!"

Dennis narrowed his eyes at the other man, "You don't snark half as good as she does, don't even try…"

"Very well Riley-sama. I see and call. Now show me yours and I'll show you mine," said Akemi with her signature grin and a measure of excitement in her voice.

"I hope your cards are worth showing because there ain't nothing in your chest..." he said while setting down his cards for all to see. "Full house, twos over threes," he stated while standing up to collect his winnings.

"Straight Flush!" squealed a gleeful Akemi while forcefully setting down her cards on top of the pot of money for the man to see, going from the six to ten of hearts.

"Damn it all! One day woman! One day! I will finally defeat you at this stupid game!" yelled the man while sitting back down in his chair.

"Until then, maybe you'll have better luck Ms. Palm and her five daughters," said Akemi while collecting her winnings.

"Sucks to be you Riley," said Jerry while patting him on the shoulder as he stood up to leave them table.

"Fuck you Jerry, you didn't do any better."

"I didn't bet more than I could afford to lose," he answered with a click of his tongue before leaving.

Dennis turned his attention back to the lavender haired girl after the other man left, "So Akemi, what're you gonna do with all that coin?"

"I have a few things in mind. My mother's birthday is coming up. I wanna get her something nice."

"Mommy's girl huh?"

"And proud of it. Daddy's girl too!"

At that moment Mercedes came over with two plates of food for herself and Akemi. Each plate held some blue colored rectangular bars with a paste on the side for dipping. "I see that stupid game is finally over with."

"No food for me? You're so cruel Mercedes!"

"I only have two hands and I like her more than you. Deal with it!"

"Fine. I'll go get my own food. But you do realize you're giving her the wrong idea. Look at her, she's got stars in her eyes!" said Dennis while gesturing to Akemi who was staring up with Mercedes with a bright smile.

"Damn it... I almost forgot about that…" the Martian groaned while setting the plates down on the table and then flicking Akemi's forehead with her middle finger. "Wake up baka!"

"Owww! But my fantasy was so nice!"

"Maybe for you… But it's creepy for the rest of us, now EAT!"

"Yes ma'am!"

"Sorry to bust your bubble Mercedes, but I think you mean creepy for you. The rest of us would give our left nuts to see inside her mind when she's fawning over you."

"Don't encourage her! Shut up and go get your food! Efren wants to see us when he gets back, so hurry it up!"

Dennis sighed while standing up to leave, "Man… What a turn off…"