The journey from the Palace to the Airfield is swift thanks to the transport Neera had requisitioned and the almost total lack of traffic. Once on board the ship, everyone turns in to get as much sleep as they can. Danny, Sally, and Neera all fall asleep quickly, but Lilac lays in bed, unable to relax as something Sally said refuses to leave her mind. 'Some of the old adjustments were way off, almost like they were tampered with.' But there's no way anyone could have tampered with my chargers; they need specialist equipment to service, as I now know. And yet…

Lilac thinks hard about the events of the last few days, playing them over in her head, trying to work out if there was any point where her chargers could be sabotaged without her knowing. Until yesterday, I spent all my time with Carol and Milla, except for the separations in the Arctic Wastes and on the Sigwada, and when I slept with‑

Lilac suddenly sits bolt upright. Kalaw! He sabotaged my chargers! Carol's right: I really need to be pickier about who I sleep with. Severely shaken, Lilac slides out of bed, slips on the blue bathrobe that comes with the room, and pads out into the corridor, intending to head for the galley to get a drink. However, she finds herself knocking on the door of Danny and Sally's room instead.

"If that's you Neera, sod off!" Sally barks.

"Sorry, I'll er… I'll talk to you in the morning," Lilac apologises.

As she starts to walk away, Sally opens the door to reveal she's wrapped only in a bedsheet. "It's me who should be sorry," she apologises. "What's the matter?"

"It can wait until the morning," Lilac assures.

"If it could, you wouldn't be here," Sally replies. "What's up?"

"Well… You know you said earlier how it was like my chargers had been tampered with?"

"Yes?"

"I'm pretty sure they were tampered with."

"I can assure you, whatever tampering was done, it's been fully reversed."

"I know. It's just…"

Sally sighs. "It's clear you want to talk. Let me get decent first, and I'll meet you in the galley."


A few minutes later, Sally (now also clad in a blue bathrobe) joins Lilac at the small table in the galley. "What do you want to talk about?"

"How I believe my chargers were tampered with," Lilac reveals.

"Obviously," Sally replies. "Now spill: I don't want to be up all night."

Lilac takes a deep breath. "When we followed Corazon to the Arctic Wastes, we hitched a ride with a Shang Mu soldier and pilot called Captain Kalaw."

"I've heard of him," Sally comments. "Always struck me as being a bit full of himself."

"I found him quite humble, actually," Lilac admits. "Charming too."

"I see where this is going," Sally smirks. "Given the distance, it was an overnight flight, and dragons will be dragons."

"Yeah," Lilac blushes. "Thing is… he's working for Corazon."

Sally's smirk vanishes instantly. "You slept with the enemy."

"To my credit, I didn't know he was the enemy at the time."

"Lilac, I'm going to be very blunt with you," Sally warns. "Sleeping with Kalaw was one of the worst mistakes you've ever made. Let this be a lesson: never sleep with someone who's true allegiance isn't confirmed."

"Am I a bad person?"

"No, you're an idiot with an out‑of‑control libido."

"That's harsh."

"Just telling it like it is. What would Carol say?"

"…that I'm an idiot with an out‑of‑control libido."

"Exactly."

Lilac sighs despondently. "Any tips on how to control it?"

"Start a relationship."

"Be serious."

"I am serious," Sally asserts. "This may surprise you, but I've done my fair share of sleeping around, and it only got me hurt. But now, I'm in a serious, committed relationship with a man I love with all my heart, and who loves me with all his heart, and I couldn't be happier and more satisfied. Anything else?"

Lilac shakes her head.

"Good. Now, get some sleep, and I promise in the morning I'll apologise for being such a bitch."

Despite herself, Lilac cannot help but chuckle as Sally's self‑insult. "Don't worry about it. To be honest, it's what I needed."

"Then I bid you goodnight." Sally leaves the galley, stopping in the doorway. "Oh, one more bit of advice: be picky. Someone as gorgeous as you, and as famous, you're gonna get a lot of guys coming onto you. Ignore them: they're all shallow shitheads. Instead, look for the quiet ones. It'll take some work, but once you get to know them, you'll see just how beautiful they really are, and you'll wonder why you ever looked anywhere else."

Lilac smiles warmly. "I'll bear that in mind."


Early the following morning, Milla is the first to rise. Finding the rest of the ship quiet as everyone else is still asleep, she makes her way onto the top deck to meditate. Unfortunately for the young hound, it's raining, but it's light enough not to bother her; despite two years of having a guaranteed roof over her head (except for the few weeks of travel to the Western Empire), she's not forgotten the experiences of living feral.

For the next hour, Milla sits in a deep meditative state, her piandao laid on the deck in front of her. Painful memories pop into her head, stirring the Shade Virus in her blood, but she captures and controls each memory, pushing it down, keeping the Virus tame.

Once the hour is up, Milla emerges from her trance feeling calm and refreshed. As she retrieves her piandao, she notices someone's left a note on it, requesting her presence. I wonder what this is about…

Curious, Milla stands, returns her piandao to its sheath, takes down the large umbrella that had been erected over her to keep her dry while she meditated, and carries it below decks. Unsure where to leave it, she places the umbrella beside the stairs, then heads to her room.

"Ah, there you are," Neera greets as Milla enters. "Hope you don't mind me putting that umbrella up. Figured you'd rather not be soaked to the skin."

"I don't mind getting wet; thanks to the years I lived feral, it doesn't bother me at all," Milla replies. "I got your note. Is there something wrong? Is Lilac OK?"

"Ask her yourself," Neera smiles, nodding over Milla's shoulder.

Milla turns to find Lilac standing behind her, dressed in her new outfit. "Morning," the dragoness greets.

Milla throws herself at Lilac, hugging her tightly. "You're all better!"

"You have Neera to thank for that," Lilac smiles, returning the hug.

A few moments later, the hug breaks, and Milla gets her first proper look at Lilac's new outfit. "That's not what you normally wear…"

"Neera redesigned my outfit," Lilac explains. "It's made of a much stronger material that should protect me better, and the new gloves and boots are better fitting and give me extra options in a fight. I'm still not sure it suits me, but I'm getting used to it."

"I think it looks great!" Milla beams. "It makes you look both pretty and tough! Your old clothes only made you look pretty. And even if you think your new clothes aren't you, at least it's better than that awful karategi; that didn't suit you at all. I hope it's gone for good."

"Don't worry, I won't be missing that particular garment," Lilac assures. "In truth, I think it had a negative influence on me."

"You were being even more heropants than usual, and it was really annoying Carol."

"I know. I hope she can forgive me."

"She will if you make your apology really good."

"Was I really that bad?"

"Yes. Sorry if that sounded rude."

"It's fine," Lilac assures. "Sometimes, I need to be told I'm being stupid."

"And you need to listen."

"Agreed."

"Do I get a new outfit too?"

"Of course," Neera answers. "It's waiting for you behind that screen."

Milla turns and sees the screen, yipping with anticipation as she dashes behind it. Lilac and Neera watch with amusement as Milla, hidden behind the screen, discards her crop top and skirt over the top it. Doing well to contain their mirth, they wait patiently for the hound to put on her new outfit and emerge.

A few minutes later, Milla emerges from behind the screen, barely containing her excitement over her new outfit: a black bodyglove made from the same fabric as Lilac's outfit that extends to the elbows and knees, armoured gloves with forearm protection and rubberised high‑grip palms all coloured to match the opposite bracelet, armoured shin pads held on by calf‑hugging cloth and coloured to match the opposite anklet, and lightweight yellow armour plating covering the upper torso and shoulders, its design loosely inspired by the design of samurai armour from the Kegawa Dynasty of the Gotoshi Empire.

Lilac is momentarily speechless. "Milla, you look… There's no other word for it: you look amazing!"

"Thanks!" Milla blushes. "I was worried it might look too… um… hard?"

"It's definitely a more aggressive look, but you wear it well," Lilac compliments. "And before you ask: yes, you're still adorable," she adds, causing Milla to giggle and blush even more.

"And don't worry: the new outfit won't interfere with your abilities," Neera assures.

"Thank you Neera," Milla smiles. "I promise I'll take good care of it."

"I can't take all the credit," Neera admits. "I merely oversaw the design and construction of these outfits, which have been in the works for some time now."

"Then pass our thanks on to those who made these outfits," Lilac requests.

"I will," Neera assures.

"Is there a dojo on board?" Milla asks. "I want to get some practice in, get used to the feel."

"No, but you can use the top deck," Neera answers. "The rain was light enough so it shouldn't be too slippery."

"Race you up there!" Milla chimes, sprinting out the room before Lilac can react.

"Not following?" Neera asks, smiling in amusement.

"Giving her a headstart," Lilac explains. "Seriously though, thanks for everything. We may get the glory for saving the world, but we wouldn't be able to do so without people like yourself. And it's about time I recognised that fact."

"Just doing my duty," Neera nods humbly.