Stinger is making his report, and as he always does, he starts with paper lists of his thoughts, organized time-lines drawn out in careful detail. Official documents were always done by sheeve when it came to the Aegis. But they do not leave much room for organizing your thoughts. Kiza's solution had been a pad of paper and a ballpoint pen from Earth, gleeful to share the inventions of the planet that had become their home for nearly forty years at this point. It was primitive but somehow cathartic. Staring at the pads sprawled across the coffee table, a few of his little sisters buzzing about in lazy easy, Stinger Apini tried to understand the events of the afternoon, and what it meant for him and his young daughter.

An Entitled was trespassing on Earth the holding of the Primary of House Abrasax, an Entitled Queen no less.

Why? Stinger had no idea. And he didn't particularly care. It just meant he had a decision to make. Make his official report marking the trespass, and make an enemy in whoever that seeming child was, or risk the wrath of House Abrasax itself. Honestly, it was a no brainer. The Abrasax House was one of, if not the most dangerous House in the Verse. He had already gotten tangled with the family once near two hundred years ago- and he was not eager for a repeat experience. He had survived last time by the skin of his teeth. Gotten court marshaled for his efforts. Lost his wings. He did not think a second time would leave him alive…

A faint whirl, soft, and easy came to him.

Stinger was an Aegis Splice. He knew the charge of a weapon when he heard it.

He lifted his hands, calm, and not surprised as his little sisters started to move about. Gathering towards someone.

"Excuse me, I'm sorry to drop by like this," a soft voice, too soft and high to be that of an adult. Stupidly sweet.

Stinger swallowed thickly and turned to see the Entitled Queen, what had thought to be her nanny next to her, holding a simple ring blaster in her hand, her dark eyes narrowed.

"But I think we need to talk."

Stinger stared at them, hands still hands out in a pretense of surrender.

"Aye, I believe we do, your Majesty."

"The adolescent," said the woman with the blaster, voice hard but very high, "Where is she?"

Something quivered in Stinger's stomach.

"My daughter is asleep."

A tilted head from the Entitled Queen, and a growl from the young woman.

"Call for her. We mean neither of you any harm as long as you do not threaten us," said the young woman, still aiming the blaster on him, he noticed.

Stinger wondered why the Entitled was allowing her guard to speak for her. He also didn't know who else was with the Entitled. It was best for him to have Kiza within his line of sight.

"KIZA!"

"Coming Da!" a casual call, she was probably up this late reading or watching something.

A thunder of footsteps down the stairs. Kiza, his sweet child froze at the foot, eyes flickering from the Entitled and her guard to him.

"Hi Kiza," said the Entitled Queen.

"Hi Jupiter," said Kiza in return weakly.

"We need to talk. All of us," continued the Queen, and she flashed a still, closed-lip smile, "And we can start by putting away the weapons. Right, Grey? Mr. Apini?"

Stinger blinked. He hadn't thought the Entitled had noticed he had been slowly nudging out a blaster from under the couch. She smiled wider. And he was surprised when the young women, Grey, gave a flustered trill and lowered her own blaster, before clipping it onto her belt. He took out his own blaster and put it across his coffee table.

"Grey, cloak too, please."

Another frustrated trill. And the young woman dropped the cloak. Stinger had noticed it, of course, but he had expected the cloak to be hiding a military-grade Splice. From the way the woman had walked, he expected some sort of gecko or thin bird. A Keeper was the furthest thing from his mind. He blinked, shocked. A Keeper was a herder, a tiller of the soil. They did not belong alongside an Entitled. What the hell is going on? Something is off.

"Thank you, Grey."

"Now," started the Entitled Queen, "I think we should start with the obvious. Kiza, Mr. Apini, I'm sure you have plenty of questions. But let's start with the obvious one."

The Entitled lifted her wrists, which he noticed were bare.

Completely bare.

Without a sign of her House or any state of her Holdings.

What in the bloody Verse?

"I'm Jupiter Jones, five-years-old Terrestrial, and Recurrence of Queen Seraphi Abrasax, last Primary of House Abrasax."

Stinger felt his jaw drop.

"I am Grey, a Keeper from the first Brood of Earth."

Kiza surprised him by being the first one to recover, through a cough, she spoke, "I'm Kiza Apini, Splice of the Aegis."

Jupiter Jones smiled.

"I was hoping we would all be friends."

Somehow, Stinger knew this was just the start of his trouble.