Those Who Hunt Elves Fan Fiction ❯ Road of Forks ❯ Chapter 2

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

“Captain!”

Itami sighed before turning to face his unit, fresh back from leave. “Welcome back!” he smiled at them. “I hope you enjoyed your leave,” he added.

“What is the deal with us getting all these crummy assignments, Captain?” demanded Kuribayashi.

“Crummy assignments?” Itami echoed. “I would have thought escorting some VIPs around on a tour would be a plum assignment,” he argued.

“Prune would be more like it,” Kurata muttered.

“What is the deal with all the reshuffling going on?” asked Kuwahara. Itami gave him his best idiot officer smile. Trust a sergeant major to notice everything, Itami thought tiredly. Hazama had wanted it to be low-key and subtle, but after being back for less than ten minutes, his sergeant major had noticed.

“Just the usual shuffling. Other teams will be taking leave as well, you know,” Itami said. “Now, since you are all so eager, let's go ahead and brief for the escort mission,” he steam-rolled over the other questions. “As you know, we will be escorting the VIPs on a circular tour of the Special Region. It will be a counter-clockwise tour, starting with Italia, then the capital, then swinging down the western trade road to Elbe, before curving back to Rondel and finally ending up back here in Alnus just over a week later. We are to provide security for the group and navigation. Questions?” he asked, having traced their rough route on a map he held against his chest.

“Are we their tour guides as well, sir?” asked Kurata. Itami shook his head.

“Negative. Noriko-chan has volunteered to be the tour guide. But we are going to be assisting her as necessary, as most of us speak the local language and know far more about the lands around here than other deep recon teams. Good question, Kurata-kun,” he smiled.

“Noriko is going with us?” asked Kurokawa, the tall medic frowning. “Do you think that is wise, sir, given her history with the capital?”

“I wasn't asked, Kurokawa,” Itami said. “But she did volunteer, and it could be an important step in her putting the past behind her,” he said obliquely. “Empress Pina rules there now, and as you know, she is nothing like her late brother,” he reminded her.

“Is she? Gee, I wonder about that,” Kurokawa replied. “Given her fixation on `art' like Miss Risa makes…” she left the rest unsaid.

“And with that resolved, let's talk about formation, protocol, rules of engagement and other fun things!” Itami forcefully ended the Q&A session.

The next day was spent `familiarizing' the VIPs with the protocols they would be using to protect them, dealing with the complaints from the VIPs and then, just before dinner, introducing them to Noriko. First thing the next morning, the convoy set out, with Itami's group riding herd on them. The VIPs were riding around in a pair of Type 96 eight-wheel APCs. The VIPs had - predictably - complained bitterly about not being able to ride around in their private armored SUVs, but had been overridden by Hazama, citing the risk of another Ancient Dragon-class Special Region Dangerous Animal. These APCs, he assured the men, would protect them from the dragons far better than any armored SUV. Besides, the Special Region was still very much wild, and a good, heavy rain would sink an armored SUV up to the floor-pans, four wheel drive or not. The general had allowed them to dress in jeans and tee shirts, instead of the fatigues he had originally told them they would be wearing. The Special Region was no place for suits and ties, after all.

Itami was in the lead vehicle, with his heaviest vehicle between the two APCs, and his lightest bringing up the rear. He had assigned Kurokawa as Noriko's assistant, with Noriko in the front APC and Kurokawa in the second, both in the gunner position so they could play tour guide for the VIPs. With the radios in the two APCs set to broadcast, the other vehicles could listen in while not being obvious. As Kurokawa shut down yet another attempt by a Chinese VIP to get in her fatigues, Itami snickered. Noriko was fending off similar advances, but without the sharp, cutting tongue of his medic. The two women were both getting repeated complaints about the APCs not stopping to talk to every native they passed and to see every site. The two both stuck to the script, insisting that there were better things to see and do, and they were on a tight schedule.

That evening, the convoy arrived at Italica, where they were greeted by Kaine on behalf of the Countess. When the VIPs were informed that the Countess was only thirteen years old, you could practically see the glint in the eyes of the VIPs. Kaine hid her contempt as she showed the group into Myui's reception hall, the young ruler sitting properly on her throne, her dress a work of art and flanked by Mamina in her Warrior Bunny armor on her left and Panache in her formal armor on her right. The VIPs were suddenly less certain of their advantage over the young countess. The room being lined by demi-human maids and guards further drove home the point.

Through Noriko, the VIPs attempted to start negotiations, but Myui refused any invitations for negotiations. It helped that Noriko summarized the remarks of the big-wigs and added editorial comments as well. Likewise, she filtered the answers she gave back to the VIPs to better soothe their egos without giving them an opening. When a few of the VIPs made inappropriate remarks, Noriko didn't even bother translating them, instead warning the delegates that they were under the rules of both their homelands and of the Special Region, where insulting a monarch could mean death. Itami stepped in, smoothly moving the group along to the tour of the town before guiding to the inn that had been selected for them.

The inn was a good inn; for the Special Region. The beds were little more than stuffed pallets on simple raised bases, there was no running water as such, and of course no electricity. Several VIPs were quite put out to discover there was no charging for their electronics. Itami had blandly and politely informed them that dinner was being held in the banquet hall of Countess Myui's mansion, and they should prepare themselves. He and his team snickered behind their hands as they anticipated what was to come.

Myui had elected to put on a full Imperial banquet for the guests, and as Pina had once told Sugawara, having multiple stomachs was a necessity for banquets in the Imperial circles. It was no different here. The VIPs had arrived, carefully groomed and wearing their very best, to find that there was literally enough food for five times their numbers. And what food it was - whole roasted pig stuffed with turkey, stuffed with chicken, stuffed with apples over a spit and brazier in the middle of the banquet hall, tables of meats and vegetables stretching out from the brazier like the spokes of a wheel, and not a single familiar eating instrument in the entire mansion. The foods were also liberally greased, oiled, seasoned and flavored. Itami suspected Ritsuko of being the one to plan the menu with Kaine.

“Lord Itami,” Myui greeted him, flanked as always by loyal maids, this time Aurea and Mohmu. “Please enjoy the feast,” she said, color on her cheeks. Itami bowed to her.

“Of course, Countess Myui,” he replied.

“But you might want to quietly tell your men to avoid that large plate of pork,” murmured Mohmu, subtly indicating a large, intricate plate of what seemed to be pork in a prominent place on the table nearest to Myui. “It is…a Warrior Bunny delicacy,” the human maid said, shuddering a little. Itami blinked.

“You don't mean…that delicacy, do you, Mohmu-chan?” he asked in a whisper. The human maid nodded, swallowing with great difficulty. “Oh, gods above,” Itami breathed before hurrying off as quickly as he could to find his men and warn them. As he did so, he saw a few of the VIPs taking cuts of the pork dish. Swallowing hard, he warned his men not to have any of that, saying it was Warrior Bunny Long Pig. He couldn't help but wonder if it was anyone he had known. It both amused and horrified him to see that the delegates were all big fans of it, complementing the Countess on her excellent pork. When he mentioned what it was to Noriko, she surprised him by giggling behind her hand, eyes wicked.

When the delegates were fighting indigestion - and possibly worse - Itami herded them back to the inn for a night of misery before posting guards and heading back to the mansion with Noriko. Myui was waiting for them, and they reviewed the next phase before Myui invited the two to stay with her for the night. They accepted gratefully, though Itami knew he would pay for it the next morning when his men found out he had gotten special treatment.

The next morning, many of the delegates were not ready to travel, so the group helpfully guided them on a tour of Italica. The tour included a stop at a tavern, where the head waitress enthralled many of them with her large, white wings, scanty clothing and friendly manner. Before the group left, Itami saw a couple of the delegates follow the winged woman upstairs. Shaking his head, he waited. Nearly an hour later, the men reappeared, adjusting their clothing and with looks of stupid satisfaction on their faces. Miseria appeared a few minutes later, a faint smirk on her face. Giving Itami a nod, she returned to her duties.

By evening, the group was feeling better, but Itami knew they would have to camp if they left right then, so they stayed another night. The next morning, the delegates - looking less polished and much less kempt without the aid of modern amenities they were so used to - were greeted by clean, well-groomed JSDF personnel, who had cycled through the private baths of Countess Myui. The men had been happy to let the maids give them a shave, and massages and to bathe in clean, warm water, while the women had enjoyed a leisurely soak, massages with scented oils, careful grooming of their entire bodies and a leisurely, spa-like break with the maids and Myui.

The VIPs were much less mouthy the third day, most of them looking a little uncomfortable for various reasons. The convoy reached the capital, and Itami waited for them to take in the sight from the nearest hill of the sprawling capital. At the bottom of the hill, a full company of Rose Order Knights escorted them into the capital, ending at the Imperial palace, where Pina Co Lada waited in a formal court toga-gown, a glass of wine in her hand as she waited. Itami had spoken with her briefly, surprised she wasn't in her armor, but she said it was better to give a certain impression. Glancing at her minimal clothing, he saw she wasn't wearing a sword. When he expressed his concern obliquely, she had smiled and told him she was well protected.

The VIPs were introduced, and many of them treated her as if the Empire had been defeated, which brought a warning from Itami that the Empire was not defeated and they should be more respectful if they didn't want to face embargos and blow-back from the natives. Not all the delegates heeded this warning; and he made note of which ones. Again, Pina hid behind the language barrier, pretending not to know Japanese as Noriko acted as a translator to give her time to think about what to say and how. Never more than an arms-length from Pina was the silent, fully-armored Beefeater and the breast-plate-over-gown Hamilton. Pina exchanged a few verbal spars with the delegates before leading the group into the palace, where some of the more stable senators were waiting.

When evening came, Pina informed them that they were having a banquet to celebrate their visit, which made more than half of the delegates pale. Sure enough, it was replay of the Italica visit - right down to the Warrior Bunny Long Pig. Now Itami was sure that Ritsuko was behind it. Who else would be so damned cruel and inhuman as to feed the VIPs such a thing. To his sick amusement, he saw the delegates once more favor the long pig over the other, more exotic meats. Itami once more wondered if the dish of honor was anyone he had known.

By the time the banquet was winding down, all the VIPs looked miserable, the combination of unfamiliar, greasy meats and powerful, heavy wine doing a number on them. The alcohol had also loosened most of their tongues and removed many of the filters on their behavior. Five times Itami and his unit had had to intervene to keep a serious issue from arising due to the actions or words of the delegates. Shown to guest rooms in the palace, the delegates had spent a miserable night fighting off nausea, upset stomach and in a case or two, food poisoning. Those that could were treated to a tour of the capital while the others recovered.

The delegates had been surprised by the near total absence of demi-humans, and over his protests, Itami had ended up leading a few of them into the red-light district, where the JSDF clinic was located. It was like taking sheep into a lion pit. Within moments, they had been robbed of everything they owned and didn't even notice. When they were approached by the local prostitutes, Itami had not bothered to protest, as it was obvious the VIPs wanted to have an exotic liaison, so he waited while they amused themselves. After they were done, he paid the whores, as the VIPs only discovered then that they had been robbed blind. Most of the whores knew his uniform, if not him, and he quietly told them to go to the clinic and report to the personnel there everything that had transpired between them and the VIPs. Knowing they would be well-paid for the information, they eagerly did so, already comparing their clients as they sauntered down the street. Apparently, VIPs ranked very poorly with the local talent.

With their need for exotic sex out of the way for the moment, Itami had guided the small party back to the palace, where the rest of the day was taken up with talking to senators. Once more, all the senators were carefully chosen for their calmness, dedication to peace and understanding that Pina ruled the Empire. That evening another banquet was held though nearly all the guests begged off; which didn't help their image any. They were shown to the Imperial baths, which were not the baths that Pina used. The normal bath slaves were missing, though they didn't know that. The next morning, the group set out once more.

Two days later, as they were turning for Elbe, the attack they had expected came. In the middle of the night, the camp had been hit. The defenders were outnumbered twenty to one or more, but they had not been caught flat-footed and were armed, so the slaughter was beyond indescribable. Nevertheless, in the time it took them to cut apart the attackers, one of their soldiers had been injured, another hit with a poisoned arrow, and one of the radios was gone from the truck. When Itami did a head-count, he found that two VIPs were missing - one a Chinese and one a Russian.

“Captain, the poison is spreading,” Kurokawa said, having already bandaged the injured trooper. The two were some of the new members of the group, not part of the original Recon Three. Itami nodded. Keying his mike, he called in.

“Crown zero three to Home Plate, repeat, Crown zero three to Home Plate, emergency traffic, over.” A few moments later, the reply came through.

“Crown zero three, Home Plate copies emergency, send traffic, over,” the comms officer said.

“Home Plate, vase smashed, repeat, vase smashed. Break. Two crowns down, repeat, two crowns down. Break. Medivac for Whisky Indigo Alpha times two, repeat Medivac for Whisky Indigo Alpha times two, over.”

“Roger, Crown zero three. Position, over,” was the reply. Itami glanced at his map.

“Position grid two, kilo eight, repeat, grid two, kilo eight. Break. Initiate communication protocol Delta, repeat, Delta communication protocol, over.”

“Copy that, Crown zero three, Delta protocol initiating, over.”

The channel went dead, but Itami expected that. Keying in the encryption key, he opened the second frequency. “Lord six to Home Plate, over,” he said.

“Five by, Lord Six,” came the response. “Delta confirmed, full channel, over.”

“Roger that, Home Plate. Primary radio set stolen in ambush. Report to Highseat actual, over.”

“Highseat actual looped in, Lord six, over,” confirmed “Dust-off ETA twenty-two minutes, over,” added the base. Itami frowned.

“ETA dust-off twenty two mike, confirm, Home Plate, over,” he repeated back.

“Roger that, ETA dust-off two two mike, confirmed, over,” the comms officer said.

Itami frowned. It was an hour by chopper to Alnus station, so where was the chopper flying from to get out in the boonies so far from base in less than half that time? As if he could read Itami's mind, the communications officer came back on the horn. “Dust-off flying from FOB, repeat, dust-off flying from FOB, over.”

“Roger that, over,” Itami said, grabbing his map. Estimating distances and times, he realized the FOB must be near the capital of Elbe. He and Hazama had discussed this, but had not had time to set up any FOBs in the area before the tour started. He suspected that Ritsuko was once more involved. The red-head had a knack for getting things done, after all, and Duran had been seen talking with her. He suspected the two got along quite well.

“Home Plate, relay to Highseat following: mission scrub yes or no, over,” he asked.

It was more than five minutes before the answer came back. “Lord six, Highseat reports choice in hands of mission leader. Call if you need it, over.” Itami frowned, considering the situation. Before he could make a choice, he was distracted by the VIPs making noise.

“Captain Itami, what are you doing?” demanded a business mogul in the industrial section. “We were attacked, and two of us are now missing!”

“We did say the Special Region is dangerous, didn't we?” Itami asked. “This area has always been a rough spot, given the location from major seats of power. After the attack on Alnus, most of the soldiers and lords from this region were dead, and brigands took over the lands around here. Over the last few months, the locals have begun routing them out, but it looks like they missed a few,” he said.

“Why would you take us to such a place?!” screamed another of the VIPs.

“Because you insisted on seeing where the resources were found,” replied the Captain as if they were idiots. “That range of mountains over there is rich with coal, the rivers have gold in them and platinum has been found further into the hills. This is what you wanted to see, isn't it?” he asked. The VIPs were caught between their greed and their fear.

“Be that as it may, how are you going to protect us?” demanded the first to speak.

“I will call for retrieval choppers immediately,” Itami said, saluting them.

“What about the rest of the tour?” asked another.

“While much of the remaining tour is in well-patrolled lands, there is another stretch like this one,” Itami said, pulling the radio mic to him. “Better off not risking it,” he said sagely.

“Let's not be hasty,” a third VIP said. “What other resources are there in the remaining lands?”

“Um, we found gold deposits, diamond mines, some uranium, a fairly large natural gas field and an oil deposit estimated at about two billion barrels,” shrugged Itami. “Excuse me while I call in the Chinooks,” he said.

“On second thought, you have managed to protect us so far,” the first said, knowing the value of the fields Itami had described. “And the Chinese and Russian knew the risks,” he added, not sounding so upset any more. “I think we should continue on, gentlemen,” he said, giving significant looks to a few of the other Japanese magnates, who nodded back.

“Are you sure? We could be hit again,” Itami warned them.

“I am sure you can protect us,” the speaker said, smiling. “After all, you are very well armed, and the vehicles are armored. Let's continue,” he urged.

“I don't know…” Itami hedged. Somewhere out there is Ritsuko, and also out there are the Haryo, if this wasn't their doing, he thought grimly.

“We have faith in you, Captain,” the man said, his tone firm.

“Very well,” sighed Itami. “We have about two hours before first light, and then we can be on our way. Switch to half-hour watches, all positions,” he ordered his men before yawning. “Wake me a half hour before dawn,” he instructed Kuwahara, who saluted. The group settled down for what was left of the night.

It was still dark out when Itami was shaken awake by Kuribayashi. After the normal interplay between them, he ambled toward the near-by woods to take a morning leak. While outside the defensive perimeter, he was within view of his vehicles. Having found a suitable spot, he freed his dick and sighed softly as he relieved the pressure. “Watch where you point that,” came a quiet voice from what sounded like right in front of him. He almost jerked in surprise, but managed to suppress it to a twitch.

“Do you mind?” he asked. “I'm kind of busy right now,” he added.

“You don't have anything I haven't seen before,” scoffed the voice, still low and soft. Itami saw a hint of movement to his left, about a meter from him. In the near-total blackness, he couldn't identify any prominent features, but since they were talking in Japanese, he was pretty sure who was there.

“Is that so, Ritsuko?” he asked, grinning a little.

He nearly yelped when he felt a hand grab his dick. “Yes, it is, Itami,” came her voice from closer to him. “Now unless you want to keep going, I suggest we talk business,” she murmured, the hand disappearing. Itami gave a silent sigh of relief. His dick in her hand - while exciting in a theoretical sense - was not something he wanted to test in practice; certainly not in the woods, on a mission and while taking his morning leak.

“You were watching?” he murmured softly.

“Yeah. Two trackers on them right now. Either the Haryo are smarter than we thought - which I find hard to believe - or they are stupid enough to look smart. The target of the raid was the radio, it seems. The two suits were either opportunity or collateral damage. Will your troopers make it?” she asked.

“One will for sure, the other, it depends on the poison,” Itami murmured. Behind him, he could hear the faint sounds of breakfast being prepared.

“Radio your base to ask a lamia demi-human about it. That species has a wide knowledge of poisons and venoms,” Ritsuko replied. “Keep an eye on the other Chinese and Russian VIP. They will tell you if it was deliberate or collateral. Also, that American VIP has been acting a little too slimy. Watch his eyes, and make sure that your women stay together. I can protect Noriko from most dangers, but not all.”

“You think the American will be the one to try grabbing her?” Itami asked. He had personally pegged the Chinese for the grab.

“Seems likely. Want to bet he is CIA?” asked Ritsuko.

“Haven't got any dollars on me,” Itami replied.

“That's fine,” came the bored reply from the shadows, “if he isn't, I'm yours for a night. If he is, you are my girls' for a night,” she giggled softly. Itami sweat-dropped.

“While I am sure you are absolutely amazing in bed, I think I will have to decline,” he said carefully. A soft laugh came from the place Ritsuko was likely hiding.

“Aw, they can be taught,” she cooed. “Heads up,” she said, her voice fading a little. Kuwahara joined him, standing to his right.

“Morning, Captain,” his sergeant major said, pulling out his own dick for his morning piss. “Quiet night,” he reported. Itami finished and tucked himself away.

“Yeah, maybe too quiet,” Itami murmured, wondering if Ritsuko was still where she had been before. The sky was brightening now, and he covertly looked around, but didn't see any sign of her. She's as good as a Special Forces trooper at camouflage, he mused.

“Thought I saw something on scope last night, but couldn't reacquire it,” murmured the Sergeant Major.

“Not surprised. Just make sure you ID a target as hostile before firing. Last thing we need is to gun down some innocent native out looking for a lost pet,” he cautioned.

“Yes, sir,” replied the old professional in a tone that said `why don't you tell me something I don't already know, sir?' “Breakfast is about ready,” he noted, sniffing the air, which still held the cool, damp undertones of night while already beginning to transition to the warm, humid smells of day, the scent of cooking food woven between the two.

“Then I better go get some,” Itami said, returning to the vehicle formation. In the middle, a couple of simple field tables held a pair of field stoves, over which breakfast was being prepared. As the best cook in the group, Furuta was working on the meal, with Kuribayashi hanging around like a pet in a kitchen. Looking around, he saw Kurokawa and Noriko just emerging from the Stryker - which was the designated location for the female staff to sleep when camping - and apparently in a low-intensity argument about Noriko's smoking.

“You know smoking is bad for your health, Noriko-chan,” Kurokawa was lecturing her, the medic towering over the much shorter, younger girl who already had a cigarette in her mouth.

“Smoking is the one thing that got me through, Mari-nee,” retorted the younger girl, finding her cigarette lighter. “That and Tyuule,” she muttered, lighting up her cigarette. “Besides, it keeps the insects away,” she smiled. Kurokawa waved her hand in front of her face.

“That is not all it keeps away,” she retorted. “But between insects and the damage smoking does to your body, I think insects are the lesser of two evils.”

“Have you ever seen a person with Jade Fever, Mari-nee?” asked Noriko. Kurokawa frowned.

“Never even heard of that one,” she admitted.

“Jade Fever was a disease that was rampant in the slave camp at the mine - where my friends died and I was taken for Zorzal's amusement. It's kind of like what malaria is said to be like, but with bleeding and sores. Most of the slaves had it. I was one of the few who didn't get it, but I saw several slaves die from it. I will keep my cigarettes, thanks,” she said, her tone introspective as she recalled memories of that time. Kurokawa bit her lip, but didn't say anything more about cigarettes for the time being.

“Have you ever smoked anything other than tobacco?” asked the medic quietly. To her surprise, Noriko giggled.

“Are you a vice cop now?” she asked, sounding amused. Kurokawa gave her a small smile.

“No, I am a medic; the best one around,” she replied. “And have you smoked anything the locals use?” she repeated. Noriko was silent for a bit.

“Some dream sap,” Noriko replied, frowning. “After Zorzal…used me the first time, Tyuule gave some to me. It helped,” she murmured. “And whenever he was really worked up or angry or lent me out to his friends, it helped dull the pain. But I never picked up the habit like a lot of his sex slaves did. When a girl got too hooked, they stopped caring about anything, and that seemed to piss him off. He killed a few addicts, you know. One he strangled to death while raping her, trying to get a reaction from her. The other one he just broke her neck in front of us as a warning. We were expected to react to him the way he wanted,” she finished, her voice rough and thick.

“I'm sorry for bringing up the memories,” murmured Kurokawa. Noriko shook her head.

“I have to get past them sooner or later,” she insisted. “I'm going to visit the bushes,” she said, forcing her tone lighter.

“I'll come with you,” Kurokawa smiled. Seeing Kuribayashi getting shooed away again, she tossed her head toward the woods, and the shortest of the group trotted over as the three women headed for the woods. Finding a good spot, the three prepared to relieve the pressure on their bladders.

“Men are so lucky,” muttered Kuribayashi. “They can just whip it out and go,” she muttered.

“Maybe, but I wouldn't want to be a man,” Noriko replied. “It'd just be too…weird, having that stuff down there,” she added, getting some soft giggles from the other women.

“Yes, and it would mean you are crotch kickable, too,” Kurokawa chimed in. Kuribayashi frowned.

“True,” she allowed. “But sometimes you don't really want to squat, you know?”

“Yeah,” agreed the other two. Noriko giggled softly.

“What is it, Noriko?” asked Kuribayashi.

“Just recalling when Tyuule taught me to pee standing up,” she shared, her smile fading a bit. “I know everyone says terrible things about her, and she did try to destroy the Empire using the JSDF, but she was also my friend, and she looked out for me. She surrendered herself to being Zorzal's slave to save what Warrior Bunnies were left, but then found out that Zorzal had used her equipment to convince the other Warrior Bunnies that she had betrayed them. Those that didn't surrender and become slaves were killed or escaped. She thought they would come rescue her and regroup for vengeance, but they didn't, and then she learned the survivors - like Delilah and Mamina and Sarina and the rest - planned to kill her for betraying them, even though she didn't betray them; well, not at first,” allowed Noriko.

“Do you blame Ritsuko for what happened to her?” Kurokawa asked quietly.

“A little bit; at first,” admitted the girl. “But now, I just wish the other Warrior Bunnies knew the truth about her,” sighed the human. “I don't even really blame Delilah for trying to kill me because of what Tyuule told me.”

The three were silent as they finished up and got their clothes settled again. “How about you teach me how to pee standing up?” Kurokawa said as they turned back toward the camp, each of them using a baby wipe from the small packs of them they kept in their pockets to wipe their hands. “It could be a useful skill,” she smiled.

“Leave it to a Warrior Bunny to know something like that,” Kuribayashi snorted. “Still, it could be helpful. I'm in,” she added. Noriko laughed softly.

“Sure,” she agreed. “It really isn't anything too special,” she demurred, smiling as the three headed for the chow line.

Several miles away, one of the Warrior Bunnies they had just been talking about was creeping through the woods, tracking their prey, while not far from her, another Warrior Bunny was mirroring her actions. Both had modified radios on them, the group keeping in touch with their Queen, who was watching the area around the vehicles as the JSDF fed, her crosshairs on a small group of Haryo watching the camp from the other side.

Nothing happened for the next day, with the column arriving in Elbe and being greeted by King Duran. While the King demonstrated how good he was at states-craft and handling rude, forceful would-be masters, Itami was called over to the command vehicle. Nodachi was calling for an air strike on a position her team had found. Listening to the radio chatter, it seemed the Queen of the Warrior Bunnies was in a bit of a mood for some reason.

“Nodachi six to Highseat actual, request upgrade package to air strike. Official request for replacement of small munition with blockbusters, repeat, blockbusters. Requesting switch from Plan Alpha to Plan Charlie, how copy, over.” Itami reviewed the air strike option plans in his head. So, she wants the nine oh sevens on the lead plane, and the second plane mixed ordnance for mop-up. Wonder what happened? He mused. The first plan - Alpha - was low-level, low-yield ordnance for close work. The second plan - Beta - was for a saturation load if the target was dispersed over a larger area, and had medium bombs and napalm canisters on tap, delivered from higher altitude. The third plan - Charlie - was a departure from both those plans. First plane was loaded heavy and dive-bombed a pinpoint target from altitude, while the second came in and dusted the area with a mixed load of incendiary and high explosive. Usually, Charlie would be enacted with a mid-weight loading and a shallow dive. Since Ritsuko was requesting blockbuster bombs - one ton bombs - and a dive-bomb delivery that mandated a steeper, near-vertical dive, he suspected that the target was deep under the ground or that Ritsuko wanted to make a statement that could not be misinterpreted.

“Highseat confirms plan change,” the radio interrupted his thoughts. “Time to target thirty one minutes, plus minus,” the comms officer called back to Nodachi.

“Expedite as much as possible. Break. Call IP inbound, this freq. Nodachi six over and out,” was all Ritsuko said.

Itami knew that at Alnus Station, the air unit would be buzzing away, ordnance movers rushing to the waiting Phantoms as the pilots began their spin-ups. Hazama was an experienced officer, and he had some of the best airmen in his air wing. Because of this, they had staged the ordnance for any of the profiles ready to rig for anything, the Phantoms kept fueled and ready for spin-up. Now, that preparation was paying off. Within twelve minutes, the two jets were roaring down the runway, the first fighting to get a maximum-payload airborne, the second festooned with as much bang and flame as the crews could strap on it. The flight time - at just short of supersonic - was a short nineteen minutes. When they were sixty seconds out, they called Nodachi on their radios.

“Nodachi six, Furnace two two, how copy, over,” radioed the lead plane.

“Furnace two two, copy clean, over,” she came back a second later.

“Calling IP inbound, angels ten, approach November Echo, magnetic two five eight, repeat: magnetic two five eight, over,” he reported.

“Roger that, approach is Echo, take angle on target to November when delivering. Nodachi will mark target with smoke. Furnace two five, salvo into smoke, repeat: Furnace two five, salvo into smoke, over.”

“Roger that, Nodachi six, clear the area. Furnace two two inbound hot, over and out,” the lead plane banked and climbed while his wingman circled wide and slowed a little to get the timing right. Peaking his climb, the pilot of the lead Phantom rolled the plane over on its back, looking up - down - at the ground as he began his attack dive. A bright plume of yellow caught his eye against the green and brown.

“Nodachi six, confirm yellow smoke, pickle hot, over,” he warned, pushing the throttles forward and pulling the stick back to his stomach as he lined up his attack and gained speed. When the altitude warning - set for eight thousand feet - blared, he dumped the entire load, shoved the throttles to afterburner and broke up and right. “Ordnance away, ordnance away, ordnance away,” he warned as nine one-ton bombs dropped in a tight cluster toward the smoke. Struggling with the controls, the pilot tried to keep the impact marker in his rearview mirrors even as he roared out of the blast zone.

“Boom,” he grunted, seeing a flash in his mirror, followed by a tower of dust, dirt and debris.

“Furnace two two, you pulled the shot a bit, but got the target on saturation,” came Nodachi's voice, yelling over the roar in the background of the radio. “All rounds impacted, high order detonation across the board. Good job, Furnace two two. Break. Furnace two five, salvo, salvo, salvo, target remains. How copy, over.”

“Nodachi six, Furnace two five inbound now,” came the second plane's response. “Attack Whisky to Echo, over,” he warned.

“Clear hot, take it all and glaze it, flyboy, Nodachi six over and out,” Ritsuko cleared the channel. Furnace two five swept in, leveled and pickled off his racks, dropping paired snake and nape all over the target before pulling up and away, reforming on the wing of his lead.

“Home Plate, Furnace two two and two five are Winchester, repeat, Winchester. Returning to base, over and out,” he reported.

“Good job, Furnace, Home Plate over and out,” the comm officer closed the channel. Turning in his seat, he looked at Hazama, who was standing quietly behind the working officers. “Sir?” he asked.

“Just wondering what happened to make the change necessary,” he muttered before turning to exit the room. “If Nodachi calls in again, let me know immediately,” he added as he left the comms room.

Watching the debris and dust settle as the fire from the napalm burned, Ritsuko surveyed the carnage through her binoculars. Beside her, Sarina was panting a little from sprinting nearly a mile through the woods to clear the blast zone. Another two miles behind them, the air Jack that Ritsuko had been using was waiting for them. “Teach you to kill one of my girls,” muttered Ritsuko darkly. Seeing a bit of movement near the edge of the blast zone, she practically dove behind her PSG1, acquiring the movement and then adjusting her crosshairs for estimated range. “Ears, Sarina,” she warned before tipping off the shot, the movement stopping a moment later. After another half hour, Ritsuko packed up her PSG, grabbed her carbine and she and Sarina went in to do assessment; and to try to find any trace of their fallen sister.

“Duran.”

The old king started, spinning to see Ritsuko leaning in the shadows of his bedroom corner, near the windows. He shook his head. “Ritsuko,” he exhaled. “What brings you to my bed chambers at such a time?” he asked. Ritsuko straightened, stepping into the light of the moon. He saw she was wearing her battle gown and was fully armed.

“We hit a Haryo nest this afternoon,” Ritsuko said. “But I worry it wasn't the main one. And I haven't found any trace of the brigand army they or Diabo has been raising. Do you have anything to add to our information?” she asked, her expression grim.

“No, but I sense something is bothering you,” he said, moving to the side board and pouring himself a glass of light wine. Pouring a second glass half-full, he offered it to her. She hesitated, then took it, sipping it while grimacing.

“Lost a good Warrior Bunny sister this afternoon,” she admitted. Duran could relate to that.

“I am sorry for your loss, Ritsuko,” he said. “I am certain, however, that - as a proud Warrior Bunny - she would have preferred death to capture or running, and that she died well.”

“She died pointlessly,” seethed Ritsuko before forcing herself to calmness. “I need my subjects alive, Duran, not dead,” she sighed. Duran nodded.

“All rulers need that,” he agreed. “But I also know just by looking in your eyes that you also know that no war is without casualties. How do you intend to make her death worthwhile?” he asked. “Certainly not by sneaking into an old man's bedroom,” he chuckled lightly, forcing a short burst of laughter from Ritsuko.

“You only wish I came here for that, Duran,” she teased him back. “But to the meat of the matter, I will see to it that those responsible pay for her lost life. To that ends, I need their main forces to commit. I doubt they will do that without sufficient bait; and that, my dear king, is why I snuck into your bedroom,” she said, a mirthless smile on her face.

In the morning, as Itami saddled up the group, Duran drew him aside and informed him that the escort would not be available, but that their mutual friend with the short temper was on the warpath. Fighting the urge to call in the choppers instead of deal with what Ritsuko could do when angry, he nevertheless asked Duran what had happened. Duran had told him that Ritsuko had lost a soldier the day before and was very unhappy about it. Nodding, the captain had gotten the convoy moving.

Nothing happened until the next to last day, as they were half-way between the last city on their stop and Alnus Station. The lead vehicle had hit a concealed tank trap, and before anyone could react, the rear vehicle was hit with a very large tree, which dropped right on top of the IFV, damaging it, but not killing anyone inside. Even as the troops searched for targets, fire arrows rained in, the road igniting into flames. “Ambush! Spray the tree line!” ordered Itami over the radio. “APCs, stand fast! The field is probably booby-trapped with pits!” he warned while frantically climbing out of the disabled truck.

The bushmaster and the machineguns roared to life, spraying the tree line with tracer and explosive rounds. Grabbing a fire extinguisher, Itami put out the fire that had begun to catch on the rear of the truck. “Kurata! You ok?” he yelled.

“Yeah, hit my nose on the wheel,” came the muffled reply.

“Radio it in! I'm going to check the field,” Itami yelled.

“Roger that!” Kurata confirmed. “Mayday, mayday, mayday, Crown zero three under attack, grid…uh…Lima three one, cross Gamma two seven. Scramble air support, repeat scramble air support! Over!” Kurata called before struggling to get his rifle free.

Looking up at the edge of the pit, he saw a cloaked figure appear, sword raised. Before he could react, the figure's head exploded. “Crown zero three, get the fuck out of my way,” came the tight, mean voice of Nodachi over the radio. “APCs, throw it in all wheel drive and use the truck as a bridge to cross the pit. Now!” she yelled.

“Do it,” Itami came over the radio. “Kurata, get small in there,” he warned, the first APC lurching forward and running over the truck, using it to bridge the trap. Right behind it came the Stryker and the second APC. “Once clear of the fire, maintain your covering fire while we get the others out of the IFV,” Itami said. “Nodachi, where are you?” he asked.

“Closer than you think,” came a voice, though not from his radio. Spinning, he saw a camouflaged warrior bunny behind him, more streaming from the woods across the way. Rifle fire was coming from that side of the road as well, single shots but fast. Ritsuko, he thought. She had doubtlessly watched the whole thing.

“Better get small behind the vehicles,” came the voice of the woman who led the Warrior Bunnies. “This is for Tyaala. Fire in the fucking hole.” Itami threw himself to the ground, a moment ahead of a long string of explosions, the entire tree-line disintegrating as it left his ears ringing. “Suck my dick, bitches,” he thought he heard over the radio.

Slowly picking himself up, he surveyed the damage. The partially-crushed IFV looked like someone had used a pick-ax on it all along the side facing the woods. The woods themselves were mostly just shredded tree trunks denuded of all limbs and splintered. As he watched, a tree trunk slowly toppled with a wet crackling sound. “Kami,” breathed Itami.

“Sweep forward, search for survivors. If you find any, bring them here for questioning before execution,” Ritsuko's voice said, a figure marching out of the tree line opposite the one that was now destroyed. “Itami, get your people out of that IFV and get moving. I'm going to blow the IFV and truck after I sterilize this site,” she said, her Warrior Bunnies already running to the woods.

“You used us as bait,” Itami said.

“Yes, that is your role,” replied Ritsuko, giving him a steady stare. “The choppers are on the way, but you want to get away from here as quick as you can,” she warned. A scream from the woods make her smile. “Ah, a survivor,” she nearly purred. Itami grimaced.

“You are worse than them sometimes,” he said to her. She gave him a snort as her answer. “What did you do?” he asked, indicating the woods.

“C4 formed into sheets, covered with rocks and bits of metal, enclosed in wood boxes and linked with detcord, set half-way up the trees and pointed down at a forty-five degree angle. What do you care?” she asked as a Warrior Bunny dragged a bloodied form out of the woods. The figure was human, bleeding heavily and screaming hoarsely.

Itami got his column out of there before things turned too bloody, but it was obvious that Ritsuko was pissed about losing one of her precious Warrior Bunnies, and she wasn't in the mood to play twenty questions with the few remaining survivors. Itami got the VIPs back to base in the choppers, leaving a smaller crew to get the vehicles back to Alnus.

When he rolled into Alnus Station, Ritsuko was waiting for him in Hazama's office. “It's about time,” she greeted him, a small smirk on her lips. “So, we have a small problem,” Ritsuko denied him the chance to reply. “The ones who hit you were part of the brigand army, but not many of them. And worse still, they didn't know anything useful.”

“Really? How about the first attack?” Itami asked.

“About one hundred, give or take, with some Haryo in the background. The second attack was ordered, but the survivors didn't know by who beyond their group leader, and there was no Haryo in that group. Apparently, they were former vassal soldiers who turned to banditry after the crushing defeat at Alnus. Anyway, no Haryo, no idea what is going out outside their group, and not nearly enough of them to account for the missing criminals in the Empire,” Summarized Ritsuko.

“How many were there?” Hazama asked.

“The second attack was about the same size as the first: about one hundred men. More creativity than the first, but not much of a credible threat,” dismissed the Queen of the Warrior Bunnies. “I asked about the radio, and they didn't know much about that, either, except that whoever is really in charge of this group knew about them. Could be Diabo, could be Haryo, could be Santa Claus,” she finished with a scowl.

“What about the Chinese and Russian VIPs?” asked Hazama.

“They weren't with the group that we wiped out with the air strike. Sarina lost them in the woods, but only after they had split up. Since they didn't circle back toward the group, I think it is safe to say that they are agents,” she said.

“Or scared VIPs without proper training,” argued Itami.

“So, you want to bet that on that?” asked Ritsuko with a teasing smile. Itami waved his hand, dismissing the invitation. “In any case, they are loose somewhere out there, and will probably be the target of both our side and the Haryo/Diabo side. If they manage to link up, the stolen radio becomes a problem. If they don't, then it is a long-term security issue.”

“Why would it be long-term?” asked the General's aide.

“Because if they are agents, they will try to establish their own state's agenda on the lands, which will lead to a lot of long-term problems. When the Gate goes down, they will have run out of time, and I will find them and execute them,” she said quietly. The men in the room felt uneasy at her casual tone, but didn't have anything to offer. “To that ends, you might want to start trying to draw them out with that missing radio. Triangulate if they broadcast, send out periodic reminders that they can only get through the Gate here and you offer free retrieval. Something like that should draw them out if they survive.”

“And if they side with the Haryo?” Itami asked. A thin, humorless smile was his answer.

“Moving on, the next topic is what to do about the VIPs,” she moved ahead. “How do you think it worked out?” she asked.

“I think the point is made,” Hazama said. “As for the rest, I do not know.”

“And Noriko?” Ritsuko pressed. Hazama hiked his thumb.

“She is seeing them off,” he reported. Ritsuko frowned, touching her throat mike.

“Usagi seven, do you have eyes on Noriko?” she radioed. A moment later, she frowned. “Where was the last sighting, Usagi seven? Ok, got it. Over,” she said. “Noriko was last seen with the American VIP I told you looked wrong. Where is he quartered?”

“I'll show you,” Itami said, leading her out of the general's office, the general hurrying after her. Passing his aide, he told him to call base security to meet him at the BOQ. Itami broke into a jog, Ritsuko matching him easily.

“Shit, Usagi has eyes on the VIPs loading up their stuff by the Gate checkpoint,” Ritsuko said, touching her ear. “There are three large cases big enough to stuff Noriko into,” she added, breaking off and heading for the Gate, the two men hurrying after her. Hazama spotted the security team and waved them after him.

The three arrived at the Gate just as the last of the cases were being loaded up on the private bus the VIPs had been brought through on. Seeing the General jogging up, as well as the Captain and a woman with red hair who was wearing some sort of armor, the delegates paused. “General Hazama, what brings you here in such a hurry?” asked the senior Japanese delegate.

“We're looking for Noriko, who isn't where she should be,” Hazama said. Ritsuko glanced at the VIPs, her gaze assessing.

“Ah, that charming young girl who was our guide,” the Japanese man smiled. Ritsuko touched her ear.

“Those trunks,” she cut in firmly, pointing to the three large trunks that had just been loaded. “Open them,” she ordered. The VIPs looked at her with varied expressions of dismissal.

“Those are private property, young lady,” began the senior Japanese VIP. “Who is this girl, General?” he asked the JSDF. Ritsuko beat him to the answer.

“Queen Ritsuko of the Warrior Bunnies, now open the fucking trunks before I shoot you all,” she said, her carbine swinging into her hands with fluid, practiced ease. “I will not repeat myself,” she warned, clicking off the safety.

“Easy, Ritsuko,” Itami urged. She sent him a fleeting glare. “Open the trunks, please, for inspection,” Itami said.

“What authority do you think you have to demand inspection?” asked the American VIP.

“This authority,” Ritsuko said, shouldering the rifle and aiming at his head. “Last chance,” she warned.

“Do as you have been asked,” Hazama said, reaching out and pushing Ritsuko's gun out of line with the VIP. “We have reason to think Noriko is in one of them,” he said. His security detail arrived, forming up behind their commander.

“This is unacceptable,” protested the head of the delegation.

“This is going to happen,” Ritsuko stated coldly, “whether or not you live to see it is up to you.”

“Open the trunks,” Hazama commanded his men. “If Noriko isn't in them, then I will apologize,” he said to the VIPs.

“I won't,” growled Ritsuko. Two security men moved forward, ignoring the protests of the VIPs and pulled the chests off the bus, lining them up to be opened. The first two didn't hold Noriko, though they did find dream sap, gold and native items. Hazama ordered the dream sap destroyed and had the gold recorded on the official log. When the third chest was about to be opened, the American VIP stepped forward and put his foot on the lid, forcing it back down.

“I claim diplomatic immunity,” he announced, producing a diplomatic identification. “Get a ranking diplomat from Foreign Affairs here now,” he declared, keeping his weight on the lid of the trunk. The security team reached for their side-arms. “What? You going to shoot a diplomat?” he scoffed. “You do that and it will end badly for Japan,” he nearly sneered.

“So, Noriko is in there,” Ritsuko said, her tone deceptively bland.

“She asked for political asylum, and I accepted on behalf of the United States,” he smirked. Ritsuko giggled.

“You poor, deluded fool,” she said, pushing Hazama's hand off her gun.

“You can't shoot me,” he stated just before Ritsuko shot him in the nuts. He dropped screaming to the ground.

“Actually, I can,” she said over his wails and thrashing. Kicking him in the jaw she silenced him. “See, my kingdom has no diplomatic relationship with the United States, and therefore, I can fucking kill you,” she said the man before putting a round in his head. Turning to the chest, she opened it, revealing Noriko inside, unconscious, a mask over her face that fed from a small bottle. Ritsuko pulled the mask off and lifted Noriko out of the trunk.

“Listen to me, you arrogant fucks,” she snarled to the group. “I am Queen Ritsuko of the Warrior Bunnies. I hate you all and will kill you as soon as look at you. I executed the kidnapper of a friend, in full accordance with the laws of my kingdom. Remember that when I tell you that if you are still on this fucking world when I get back from taking Noriko to be checked out, I will kill you all, too. Now fuck off!” she snarled before turning and marching away with Noriko in her arms.

“You all witnessed what happened here,” Hazama said, his tone grave. “The American was killed by a native of this land for kidnapping a Japanese national under false authority. My report will be most thorough, so I urge you to stick to the truth and not get creative when you make your reports as well. Now, board the bus and thank you for visiting the Special Region. I hope you learned what you needed to know.”

When Ritsuko came back - obviously planning to make good on her threat - she was just in time to see the Gate power back down. Hazama sighed. “How is she?” he asked.

“It was an anesthetic of some sort, meant to keep her unconscious,” reported the red-head.

“I see. What about the body?” he asked, indicating the dead corpse on the ground. Ritsuko began to smile.

“I have a few ideas,” she said, her smile making the men around her uncomfortable. “I'll take care of it, but I will need you to send it through the Gate to be posted to Langley, Virginia,” she added.

“Before that, though,” Hazama said, “you have put us in a bit of a bind,” he began. Ritsuko shrugged.

“I have no diplomatic relationship with any of the nations on your world, Hazama. If you need to suck America's cock to make them happy, tell them that you have declared me and the Warrior Bunny nation a rogue faction. They can't prove otherwise, and they can't blame it on you, since I shot the fucker. To hell with them,” she dismissed the concern.

“If they force through a co-policing measure, then they will be able to reach you, Ritsuko,” he warned her.

“Hazama, you know I have chosen this world. Do you think for even one second I will not wire up the gate with C4 and blow it to the moon before hunting down every last enemy on this world? Do you?” she asked, the intensity in her eyes making him begin to sweat. “I told you at the start that the next few weeks would determine your fate here. I am ready - are you?”

Three weeks later, a package arrived at CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia. It had been posted to them from Japan. When it was finally opened, it was revealed to be a vacuum-sealed tray of roasted, sliced ham. It wasn't until the tray was half-eaten by the staff that someone though to ask why a tray of ham would be delivered to them. There were only a few slices of deli-thin ham left uneaten when a folded piece of foil was noticed under the meat. Unfolding it, it was found to be a note in English saying that any further attacks on the Warrior Bunny nation would be met with the same punishment. Some of the brighter ones figured it out before DNA testing on the meat revealed it was from a missing agent who had been inserted into the Special Region VIP delegation. It was a long time before any of the people who had enjoyed the pork could eat ham again.

“My Lady, we have never been so glad to see you,” Beefeater said as she and Panache bowed deeply to Pina. The red-haired Empress blinked, having been thinking of other things and not noticed that her two childhood friends were back.

“I trust you learned valuable skills,” Pina said, smirking a little. Both nodded.

“Lady Ritsuko is…” Beefeater trailed off, wondering how to say what she was thinking without gravely insulting their ally.

“Intense,” Panache supplied.

“Driven,” Hamilton said.

“Unstoppable,” Beefeater agreed.

“Terrifying,” Pina murmured. “Tell me what you saw when with her,” ordered the empress. The four women moved toward Pina's study. The two newest trainees of Ritsuko gave the best report they could, though many of Ritsuko's choices, actions and intentions were completely mysteries to them. They did mention that Ritsuko had lost a Warrior Bunny during the Haryo fishing trip, and called down such might from the sky that they were left in awe; and a hill became a crater.

“It appears that it is a Warrior Bunny tradition to celebrate the loss of a friend,” Panache said. “Lady Ritsuko spoke to her bunnies before the celebration started. She mourned her lost friend and then swore to them that if they died, it would not be in vain, and anyone who killed one of them would feel her full wrath. Word had gotten around about how potent her anger could be, and the bunnies cheered so loudly we could feel it in the ground. I doubt anyone has ever had such ardent followers as her.”

“How did the celebration turn out?” asked Hamilton, blushing as she peeked at Pina, who was blushing as well. Beefeater and Panache glanced at each other, also blushing.

“There was a lot of dancing,” said Panache slowly.

“And drinking,” Beefeater added.

“And singing,” Panache took her turn.

“And feasting,” agreed Beefeater.

“And some fighting,” Pina murmured, remembering similar celebrations with Ritsuko and the Warrior Bunnies.

“Yes, there was,” agreed Beefeater. “And then…” she trailed off, nearly panting and red as a beet.

“And then fornicating,” whispered Hamilton, nearly collapsing. The four women resembled cooked lobsters. “A lot of fornicating,” gulped Hamilton before licking her lips.

“Ritsuko…did she participate?” Pina wondered. The two exchanged looks.

“She sang and danced and ate,” Panache replied. They all knew Pina hadn't meant that kind of participating.

“A…anyway, what are our orders, Lady Pina?” Beefeater pushed the topic away.

“She taught you the secrets of `guns'?” Pina asked. The two nodded. “And did she provide you some?” pressed the Empress. The two nodded again. Pina nodded. “What was the cost?” she asked firmly. The two knights weren't sure how to answer that. “I know how she works,” Pina said. “Do not fear my wrath,” she assured them.

“We are obligated to her for unspecified `favors' as needed,” Beefeater said.

“And we are sworn to her cause,” Panache added. Pina nodded.

“The same as us, then,” she said, glancing at Hamilton.

“My Lady,” said Beefeater slowly, “we exchanged blood oaths with her,” admitted the knight.

“She would never have accepted less,” Pina replied. Their talk was interrupted by a knock on the door. Pina bade the person enter, and a page bowed to her before handing her a folded note. Unfolding it, she scanned it before sighing.

“My Lady?” Hamilton asked expectantly.

“House Ror has secured enough votes to have you declared unfit for service by reason of familial obligations,” Pina nearly growled. “I have been given three days to release you from the order so you can be married.”

The scroll in Hamilton's arms clattered to the floor. “But, they can't…” she nearly begged.

“It is an old and seldom-used law,” Pina said, turning to Hamilton and hugging her tightly. “I wish there was something I could do, but in the timeframe I have,” she murmured in Hamilton's ear. Tears began to fall from Hamilton's eyes.

“I…I…can't,” she sobbed, hugging Pina tightly. Beefeater and Panache glanced at each other.

“If you cannot do something within three days, Lady Pina,” began Beefeater slowly, “perhaps Lady Ritsuko can,” she suggested slowly. Pina and Hamilton both twitched. Slowly, they turned to look at Beefeater.

“Forgive us, Lady Pina, it was just a silly thought,” Panache interjected.

“No, just an expensive one,” Pina said slowly.

“But with only three days, we couldn't possibly reach her,” Beefeater said.

“We might not need to,” Pina said, thinking of something that Ritsuko had left with her. “Do you know where she might be right now?” Pina asked.

“She dropped us off half-way to Italica and then flew off on her strange beast,” Panache said. “She did not see fit to tell us where she was going or what she planned to do.”

“Does she ever?” smiled Pina. “Come, there is not much time,” she said, hurrying out of her office, the other three following her.

“And so, I need to leave her here for a bit,” finished up Ritsuko, grinning at Airi and Liseria, the two staring at her with stunned expressions. “Feel free to use her as you see fit,” she added, making Hamilton blanche. “Well, with that done, I have to get back to work,” Ritsuko said, turning away from the two. “See you in a few months,” she added, waving over her shoulder.

“Ritsuko, wait!” began Airi, but the red-head was already out the door. With her son in her arms, the actress was not about to go running after the lithe, toned younger woman. Instead, she sighed.

“She didn't just do that, did she?” Liseria asked.

“Afraid so, my dear Queen,” Airi said, settling back down. “I doubt you are really surprised,” she added.

“No, not really,” admitted the Queen. “So, Hamilton, you will be our guest for a while, then?” she asked.

“Y…yes, my Lady,” the young woman nearly babbled. She was standing in the royal apartment of the Queen of Raltaow, still in her wedding dress - which was stained with blood - and without so much as a comb of her own. And for the life of her, she wasn't sure exactly how that came to happen.

“Tell us what happened,” Airi said, shaking her head even as she smiled faintly.

“I'm not sure I know,” admitted the young woman. She told them of the shocking news that her family - now former family - had found a way to force her to retire and be married. In spite of their best efforts, Ritsuko had not been found when she had been forced to surrender her armor and sword and return home, all but under guard. The next day, she had been fitted for her wedding gown, been given a rather inaccurate and unhelpful talk about the duties of a wife, told she best conceive within a year, and then been forced to attend celebratory banquets with her family and the family of her betrothed. The next morning, Pina had arrived as Empress, with Beefeater and Panache in tow as her guards.

Her childhood friend had delayed and impeded the wedding as much as possible, but even then, it was clear she couldn't stop the wedding. Before Hamilton knew it, she was kneeling before the priest, about to lose everything that mattered to her. However, before the ceremony could be completed, the head of her would-be husband exploded, followed seconds later by a lightening-like crack! Hamilton had blinked, recognizing the sound as a gunshot; and likely from Ritsuko's rifle.

“The girl said `no',” a voice said even as a cloaked figure appeared from the side of the group. Though cloaked, it was clear she wasn't human. “In the name of freedom, I hereby claim this young human girl as my prize,” proclaimed the cloaked figure, striding toward Hamilton.

“Guards!” cried the head of the Ror family. Guards - suspiciously positioned at the entrances and exits - rushed forward, but fell one after the other, holes torn through their armor like they were paper, faint reports coming from the hills in the distance.

“You cannot stop us,” the cloaked figure said, crouching beside the stunned Hamilton. “We will have our way, and take what is ours.” With that said, the figure had scooped up Hamilton and dramatically dashed out the nearest door.

“After them! Recover Hamilton!” yelled her father.

“I wouldn't,” warned Pina, suspicious of the dramatics and flair. She was ignored as the wedding party - mostly the groom's family and the immediate family of Hamilton - ran for the door. Just as they reached it, an explosion rocked the door, collapsing most of the courtyard wall onto the few survivors. Distant thunder rumbled.

“Well, it was a lovely almost-wedding,” a smiling Pina said as she rose from her seat of honor and headed for the door, Panache and Beefeater at her elbows.

“You!” proclaimed Hamilton's mother, pointing angrily at the Empress, “this is your doing, isn't it? Ruining my daughter's wedding day, the happiest day of her life just because you couldn't make her be a soldier…!”

“If you knew anything of Hamilton, you would know this was the worst day of her life,” Beefeater said back bluntly. “And Empress Pina had nothing to do with anything that happened here today,” she added.

“She kidnapped my daughter!” insisted the wife - now widow - of the lord of House Ror.

“It was a demi-human who kidnapped her,” Panache said. “Of course, had she been wearing her armor and carrying her sword, she wouldn't have been carried off to become the plaything of whichever species captured her.”

“I demand you rescue her and bring her back for her wedding!” shrieked the woman.

“You demand, do you?” sneered Pina. “You, a woman of a barely-noble clan, demand that I, Empress Pina Co Lada of the Empire, do your bidding like some servant? Perhaps I should sell you all for slaves for that insult,” she warned. “Tell me, how much do you want your daughter? If you all become my slaves, I will consider sending the Order after her. But I don't think you are willing to make any sort of sacrifice for her, are you?”

The woman shrieked again, raising her hand, a small ceremonial dagger in it. Beefeater and Panache both started to draw their swords, but the woman suddenly jerked, blood spraying from her chest. She hit the floor just before the sound of a rifle-report echoed through the destroyed wedding party. Pina watched dispassionately. “Do any of you hold Hamilton to be worth becoming slaves for?” she asked the party at large. No one moved. “As I thought,” Pina nearly spat. “You are all unworthy of one such as her,” she pronounced before sweeping out of the courtyard.

Hamilton had been carried to a waiting air fish, and immediately flown off at low level and very fast by a grinning Warrior Bunny. They did not land until they reached the main Warrior Bunny camp before dawn the next morning. Hamilton was asleep before she had taken more than two steps. She awoke to find Ritsuko smiling down at her and offering her a cup and simple plate as she admonished her to eat quickly. She had done so automatically, and immediately after she finished, she had been bundled onto another air fish and she and Ritsuko had flown off, passing through the gate that took them from summer in the grasslands to late winter in the mountains of Raltaow. Ritsuko had seemed completely inurned to the cold, while Hamilton began to shiver quickly. The red-head had flown straight to the frozen garden of the palace and carried Hamilton into the palace.

Before she had opened the door to the Queen's apartments, she had set Hamilton down, cupped her cheeks and locked gazes with her. “One rescue from a fate worse than death, Hamilton,” she said softly, leaning closer. “That is what you owe me,” she added before kissing the girl briefly but deeply. Leaving her stunned, she had guided her into the room, told Airi and Liseria a very, very compact version of the truth and then retreated before Airi could get her thoughts organized. By the time that Hamilton was telling Airi and Liseria about her almost-wedding, Ritsuko was back through the gate and heading for her bunny girls once more, a smile on her lips.

Three days later, Pina found herself face-to-face with Ritsuko as she got out of her bath. “Pina,” Ritsuko greeted her, taking her hand in hers and pulling the naked Empress after her. “Let's talk about the price for your request,” smiled Ritsuko. The younger red-head gulped even as Ritsuko picked up a towel and began to dry Pina off.

Ritsuko stood looking down at the bloated, rotting corpses from the ledge of the narrow trail. With here were a small party, consisting of Gabriella, Sarina, Leranna, Persia and a young Siren girl. They had met one of her tracking parties - consisting of a young wolf-man, an older fox-girl and a lamia girl, who had been tasked with tracking the Haryo and the two missing human VIPs. The party was deep in the Western Mountains, where few humans lived; and just as few demi-humans.

“My lady?” the wolf-man prompted. Ritsuko didn't bother to look at him.

“Yes, those are the two missing VIPs,” she said, squatting to study the bodies that were several dozen meters on down the steep ravine. “Any idea what happened?” she asked her tracking party.

“Not really,” the wolf-man said, scratching his chest idly. “We were tracking these two and a small group of Haryo, and then we lost them. It took us a day to find their trail again, and when we did, we found this,” he said, indicating the bodies. “They had been dead about a day when we first found them,” he offered.

“Natural death, accident or other?” Ritsuko asked.

“They were killed,” stated the lamia girl, her coils absently shifting as her long, forked tongue slithered out to wet her lips. “It appears that one was poisoned by a Haryo bite, and the other was stabbed before they were thrown off the trail.”

Ritsuko considered that for a moment before nodding. “Any sign of the things I told you to look for?” she asked, pulling out a pair of compact binoculars and scanning the area around the bodies carefully.

“No, nothing,” said the fox-girl. “In fact, their pockets were empty and there was nothing left on them but their clothes,” she added. Ritsuko knew that what the young demi-human meant was that there had been no spoils for the tracking team. Pulling a small pouch of gold coins free of her small pack, she tossed it to the fox-girl.

“I keep my word,” was all she said as the party swiftly split up the gold. “Any sign of where they might have gone?” she asked. The three shook their heads.

“No, but we are pretty sure they didn't go deeper into the hills,” the wolf-man said. “Before, they had been curving back toward the northwestern border of the Empire, and we think they are probably still heading that way,” he reported.

Ritsuko weighed her options, frowning a little. A few minutes later, she stood. “How long have you three been out here?” she asked them.

“More than three months,” the fox-girl reported. Ritsuko nodded.

“You are to return to the Empire to rest and relax. I will need you again before too long, but you have done well and will be rewarded. You can go to the Capital, Italica, Rondel or Elbe, to any of the places I told you of, and receive free room, food and gold for entertainment. I am pleased with your work, and I remember those who perform their work well.”

“Will my Lady be hiring us?” asked the wolf-man.

“I am considering it,” Ritsuko replied. “But as those you have met so far can attest, I am extremely selective of who I accept into my service. Consider your application to become members of my group to be on-going,” she said, the three brightening a little though they were obviously disappointed that she hadn't accepted them to her service. Ritsuko pulled out a small pad of paper and made some marks on it. “Here is your proof to offer to the keepers of the places I have told you of,” she said, handing the paper to the wolf-man.

“So we give the person this, and we get free room, food and gold for spending?” he asked, as if he could barely believe it.

“Yes,” Ritsuko said. “But keep in mind that the amount of gold you can have is based on the services you have provided, so do not assume that you have endless funds available. Now, the sooner you get there, the sooner you can relax,” she smiled.

“Lady Ritsuko!” the three nearly squealed before swiftly moving past the others and nearly running - well, running for the canine demi-humans and slithering for the lamia - toward the nearest town, which was actually the Capital, a week and a half away by foot. Ritsuko's party remained there for a bit longer, Ritsuko studying a map and consulting her compass.

“Were you mistaken about these two?” wondered Gabriella. Ritsuko made a questioning sound, but didn't look up from her map and compass. “You though these men might be elite soldiers, yet they died rather easily,” she elaborated.

“True, but I think you will find it is a case of these men underestimating the dangers of this world. Used to a different world, with different rules and different species, they were ill-equipped mentally to handle this world. There are more dangerous things than enemy swords here,” she shared. “And it is even more so if they considered themselves to be superior to the locals, as they most likely did.” Ritsuko put away her compass and map. “I am more worried about the radio,” she said. “Let's get going,” she ordered, the group moving back down the trail to where their air fish waited, guarded by Milliea and a horned-girl, who was a member of a tribe that lived closest to this area.

Loading up, the group headed for the Capital as well, Ritsuko powering up her radio as they flew, using the altitude to compensate for the shorter range of the radio she had.

“It's a mad house over here,” Yanagida sighed as he adjusted his glasses. In his hand was a phone handset, the other end of which connected to Hazama's line in his office. “China and Russia are really talking up a storm about their missing `businessmen' and if they rattle their sabers any harder, they will break them,” he snorted. “As expected, they are announcing long-planned, last-minute exercises in our waters. The Diet has been quietly asking America to bring the Seventh Fleet in close, but because of the death of their `ambassador' in the Special Region, America is being hesitant to back us, and has been distancing itself from us like they sometimes do with Israel.”

“Is it going to be a problem, Yanagida?” asked Hazama directly.

“It is a bit hard to say right now, sir,” admitted the former Lieutenant. “There is a lot of private meetings in the Diet groups, and the top brass has been spending a lot of time in unscheduled meetings as well. I have worked some of my contacts, but no one really knows what is actually going on. The citizens have been getting a bit nervous, too, with the deaths of `businessmen' in the Special Region. Of course, certain groups have been leveraging this, but I don't think we are in too much trouble; not yet, anyway,” he amended himself.

“I see,” Hazama said. “What is your gut instinct telling you?” he asked.

Yanagida was quiet for a long moment. “It's about to go pear-shaped, sir,” he replied. “One way or another, it is about to come undone. Whether it is an implosion or an explosion is debatable, but it is going to go; and soon.”

“I see. Thank you, Yanagida-kun. You do not disappoint,” he praised his former underling.

“Thank you, sir,” the man replied.

“You are getting good care and your pension is correct, yes?” prodded Hazama.

“Yes, sir,” confirmed Yanagida. “I have also found a hobby giving lectures and seminars on the Special Region, talking with TV show hosts about the politics of the Special Region and am working on my second book even now,” he nearly laughed.

Hazama chuckled. Leave it to Yanagida to land on his feet, as it were. “That is good to hear. I trust you are presenting the correct image of the situation here?” he hinted.

“Absolutely,” Yanagida replied. “On that note, sir, how are things there?” he asked quietly.

“Captain Itami has been very, very busy, but he did ask about you the other day,” Hazama said. He asked why you couldn't do his paperwork, but that is Itami… he thought, amused. “As for the rest, it is business as usual, excepting our special friend. She has been…exceptionally busy over here, though her popularity in most areas has grown.”

“And her…friends?” Yanagida asked.

“She is doing fine, though she has not been working at the bar in quite some time now. Her leader keeps all of them quite busy, it would seem,” Hazama said. The two were always circumspect in their words when talking by phone. Both knew that it was far from impossible to wire-tap the phone connection between Alnus Station and Ginza field headquarters.

“I see,” Yanagida replied softly. “Does she seem…happy?” he asked.

Hazama wondered what was the best answer. Finally, he settled on the truth. “She seems very happy, Yanagida-kun,” he said. He heard a soft sound over the phone.

“Well, that's good,” Yanagida came back a moment later. “Give everyone over there my regards, sir,” he asked. “Yanagida out,” he replied, ending the call. Hazama cradled his own handset. “Sorry for the interruption,” he apologized to the people in his office. “I had to take that call.”

“It is no problem, Lord Hazama,” assured the Rose Order Knight standing at attention in front of his desk. Beside the armored woman was a horned girl in a maid outfit, who was smiling easily. On the other side of the armored knight was a winged woman, who was dressed - if one could call it that - in a sheer, thin toga-like dress. Her large wings nearly brushed the ceiling of the room, and her stance was unconsciously seductive, her body posed to accent her chest and hips. In her hand was a fancy pipe, though it was not currently lit. Hazama suspected it was an unconscious self-assurance habit of hers.

“Where were we?” Hazama asked.

“We were discussing the proposal put forth by Queen Ritsuko,” the knight said. Hazama knew that, but he was checking their focus. The knight was not one he was familiar with, though Bozes had identified her as a senior member of the order, being junior only to the Empress and her original cadre of friends who had founded the order. The woman was well-proportioned, with brown, curly hair tied back with a silver hair clasp and a cheerful pink ribbon bow tied above the clasp, large, wide loops almost looking like an anime figure's accessory.

The maid was shorter, with curled, ram-like horns growing out of her dappled brown and grey hair, which was kinky and curly, sticking close to her head. Her ears were closer to goat ears than human ears, but the effect was actually pretty cute; if one leaned toward that sort of thing. She had presented herself with a letter from Countess Myui, and had been verified as working for the Countess by two other maids who were at Alnus Town, working the PX. She was a new hire, but trusted but the Countess's head maid, Kaine.

The last one - the winged woman with a very sensual manner about her - he wasn't sure what to make of. She had shown up with the horned girl, a sealed letter bearing the kanji for `Nodachi' on it, which was as good as any other identification, given what he knew of the hot-tempered red-headed Queen of the Warrior Bunnies. It appeared that the goat-girl maid and the winged woman also knew each other. But Hazama was not sure what she was doing in the meeting.

“Yes, so we were,” Hazama said, leaning back in his chair. “Tell me, what is Empress Pina's position on the proposal's suggested deployments?” he asked the knight.

“My Lady Pina believes that using the Order instead of the Legions is the only way to insure any sort of success. However, the Order is not large enough to cover the responsibilities as described by Queen Ritsuko. For this reason, my Lady has requested that the plan be reviewed with the limited resources available being the main measure of the scale of the operation.”

Hazama knew that the knight was not wrong. Ritsuko had planned a very audacious sweep-and-clear plan, but it required a lot of manpower to force the enemy to act as desired. It would appear that there was just not enough strength to use her plan as proposed. “I see,” he mused. “Tell me, young maid, what are your mistress's thoughts?” he asked the ram-girl.

“M…Mistress Myui is concerned about the safety of Italica and her people. It is her worry that if the tactics fail, her city would be placed in a dangerous position without means to protect itself,” the girl said, nervously grasping her maid uniform.

“And what would she like to see to address her concerns?” Hazama asked, giving her a kind smile.

“I…I do not know, my Lord,” the girl admitted, her face coloring. Hazama chuckled softly.

“That's fine, my dear,” he reassured her. “Rest assured that Countess Myui is a very close ally and we will not endanger her if there is any way to avoid doing so,” he promised. She seemed relieved. “Forgive me if I seem rude, but what faction do you represent, miss?” he asked the winged woman.

The winged woman gave him an alluring, hungry smile as she twirled her pipe in her fingers. “The name is Miseria, handsome,” she purred. “I am here as an observer for those who are not part of any other faction, you could say,” she explained.

“Your credentials are from Queen Ritsuko,” Hazama said, feeling a little nervous at the way she was eyeing him, her tongue slipping out to lick her full, red lips. “How are you connected to her, exactly?” he wondered.

“Hmm,” mused Miseria playfully, one fingertip touching her chin as she pretended to think. Her wings rustled softly, a single white feather floating to the floor. “You could say I am one of her unseen hands,” she said at last. “I suppose I was chosen for this trip because I am familiar with the Men in Green,” she added, eyeing him in that hungry way again. “Though not as familiar as I would like to be,” she added huskily.

“Miss Miseria, I am married,” he replied crisply, displaying his ring.

“So? Most of my customers were married,” she replied indifferently. “One has nothing to do with the other,” she assured him.

“Miseria!” whispered the horned girl. The winged woman ignored that.

“And what is it you hope to learn by being at this meeting?” Hazama asked. Miseria's seductive, sexy demeanor slipped away for a moment.

“I want to know how best to protect those of us who will inevitably end up caught in the middle of the fighting,” she said. “We may be whores, thieves, spies and murders, but we want to live through this. Queen Ritsuko promised us a chance to do that, and she keeps her word,” said the winged woman.

“So she does,” Hazama said. You really will use anything and anyone to accomplish your goals, won't you, Ritsuko? he thought, half in admiration, half in horror.

“If you are worried about me, you can always thoroughly search me,” purred the woman playfully. Hazama cleared his throat, flashing his ring. “Oh, fine! That tall woman soldier who is a healer can vouch for me,” she pouted. Hazama could only think of one person who fit that description.

“You mean Kurokawa,” he said. Miseria nodded.

“I might just do that, though your having a letter from Nodachi is quite a bit of proof as well,” he replied. The letter had been written in Japanese, with correct grammar and spelling - something no local could pull off yet; and it was signed by Ritsuko with the correct spelling of her name. Again, not something a local could know or pull off. Although, I might start writing her name as `conqueror of worlds', he mused to himself. “So, let's look at the plan and see where we can make adjustments,” he dismissed the previous thought, rummaging in his desk for a moment before pulling out a folded map of the lands and spreading it out over his desk. The others gathered closer, the knight gasping at how detailed the map was. It had been made by using the drones and the Phantoms with recon pods, so it was exactly accurate and covered nearly the entire continent. Finding a grease pencil, he began to make marks on the map in accordance with the plans, but before he could get more than the first few marks made, his phone chirped.

“Excuse me once more,” he said, touching the button. “Hazama,” he barked.

“Sir, comms here. We have unknown radio traffic,” the comms officer reported. Hazama grabbed the handset.

“Source?” he asked.

“Radio triangulation shows it barely twenty miles from here, but the signal pings as the missing radio set,” the man reported.

“Patch me into the frequency,” Hazama ordered, touching another button on his phone while the comms head got him patched in. A moment later, he was listening to Chinese over the radio. He didn't speak the language, but he picked out the word `Diabo' in the transmission. His door opened, revealing an MP. Muting the handset, he told the man to tell Colonel Kengun to scramble a team of gunship for scouting and attack and that comms would have the location for him. The man saluted before dashing off. The Chinese broadcast shut off, but a moment later, he heard Russian over the radio. Once more, he picked up the word `Diabo'. He scowled.

His three guests watched, having picked up that something was happening. Hazama touched buttons on his phone again. “Give the coordinates to Kengun's attack helo pilots, I want that radio recovered or destroyed, am I understood?” he ordered crisply.

“Yes, sir!” the radio chief replied.

“And record that message for Intelligence to translate. Out,” he said, ending the call. He immediately dialed another number. When the person picked up, he immediately gave orders. “I need Itami and Lelei in my office, now,” he ordered. “You will find them and give them the orders immediately, is that clear?” Satisfied with the answer, he ended the call.

“Lord Hazama?” prompted the knight. He gave the three an assessing look.

“Something has come up that requires my immediate attention. Please, take this opportunity to enjoy a meal in our mess hall or in Alnus town,” he invited them, working his phone again. The knight saluted and exited the room, the other two doing the same. As they exited the headquarters, they were just in time to see four of the iron Pegasus rising from the pads not far away. While they were watching the marvelous machines rise and flitter off like dragonflies, a military jeep pulled up, a JSDF man saluting them.

“I have been instructed to guide you, ma'am,” he said in heavily-accented Base. The knight eyed the iron chariot.

“Thank you,” she said, glancing at her two companions. “Please take us to Alnus Town,” she said, climbing into the vehicle. The other two did the same, Miseria glad the carriage had no roof, as her wings rose above the metal frame. The man climbed in, the military truck quickly making its way to Alnus Town. The knight made her way to the building where the Rose Order knights taking language lessons stayed at, the maid hurrying to the PX to see her fellow Formal employees, and Miseria looking around as she lit her pipe, some tobacco and dream sap mix in the bowl.

Exhaling slowly, she looked around the town. “You really should stop smoking dream sap,” came an amused voice from behind her. Turning, she saw the tall form of Kurokawa smiling at her from the corner of a building in the town. The tall medic was wearing her normal tube-top and fatigues, her braided hair hanging over her shoulder.

“Well, if it isn't the prissy little healer,” smirked back the winged woman, moving toward the medic.

“You aren't a whore any more, Miseria, so why are you dressed like that?” Kurokawa asked.

“Maybe I like dressing like this,” replied Miseria. “And you aren't exactly dressed modestly, either,” she sniped back.

“Your opinion of me is still irrelevant,” smiled back Mari. The two slowly began to giggle. “Welcome to Alnus Town,” Mari said, inclining her head in silent invitation toward the PX Tavern. “I was about to have lunch. Join me?” she asked the former whore.

“Sure,” agreed Miseria, the two moving toward the favorite tavern of the entire town.

“How have you been? You were working in a tavern in Italica, weren't you?” Mari asked after they had found a seat and ordered some food and drink.

“I've been fine,” Miseria said casually. “The work is both different and the same as my last job in the Capital,” she shared candidly. Mari gave her a questioning look. “I still serve men, and sucking up to them gets me bigger tips,” replied the winged woman indifferently. “But I don't have to let them fuck me unless I want to, so that is better,” she noted.

“Are you happier in Italica?” asked Mari softly, a faint frown on her lips.

Miseria considered that as she finished her pipe bowl and tapped out the ashes. “Yes, I think I am,” she said at last as she tucked the pipe away. The fox-girl delivered their drinks, and she took a long pull of the beer. “This is a strange, yet refreshing ale,” noted the winged woman.

“It is beer,” Mari said, sipping her own. While she was on duty at the Alnus Town dispensary, she knew that one beer wouldn't affect her - especially with food in her stomach - and it was more important to show Miseria that she was treating her as a friend. “Well, this is Alnus. What is your impression so far?” she asked.

“It seems much like other towns,” Miseria began. “Except for being cleaner. And I didn't see any whores,” she added. “And there is no wall or guards, though with your base being so close, I can understand how a wall might not be necessary.”

“Alnus Town is under JSDF protection, so a wall is not needed. Our own MPs serve as the police and security force here,” Mari explained. “There are rules that apply to everyone in this town, so there is less violence here than elsewhere. As for those of your former profession, I am sure there are some, but they do not ply their trade openly because of the rules and the lack of need for them to do so.”

“How do they pay their sponsor if they do not work openly?” wondered Miseria.

“I take it you mean `pimp',” she said, her tone a bit thin. “One of the rules is that slavery and forced servitude is illegal here. Pimps can't force their girls to work here without breaking that rule. And with Rory the Reaper often amusing herself by facing off with troublemakers…well, I am sure you understand,” smiled Mari.

“Then, who protects the whores?” frowned Miseria.

“The MPs do, same as everyone else,” Mari answered. She saw their food arriving, and after the Siren girl waitress had departed, she picked up the conversation. “Everyone has the same rules here, and enjoys the same protection.”

“Like heaven,” murmured Miseria before taking her first bite. Mari waited several minutes before speaking up.

“I can still give you that recommendation to move here,” she offered. Miseria considered that for a long moment.

“I might take you up on that,” she said at last. “But things might change here soon,” she added. Mari gave her a look. “The Gate will not always link you to home,” she murmured. Mari's eyes widened slightly.

“Where did you hear that?” she asked. Miseria paused, wondering why the medic seemed surprised. Did she not know? I was under the impression that Itami and his team knew. Mistress Ritsuko surely knows, the winged woman thought.

“Around,” dismissed the former whore. “What would you do if the Gate did stop working? It does that, you know - work for a bit, then stop working for decades or centuries,” she noted, keeping her voice low.

Mari was staring - closer to glaring, Miseria noted - at her food, fists clenched. Just before the other woman was about to apologize for bringing it up, she heard Mari muttering under her breath. “I didn't hear you,” Miseria noted. She actually had heard Mari, but the tall healer soldier was speaking her native language and Miseria didn't know a single word of it.

“Sorry, it's nothing,” Mari said, managing a weak smile. “Let's enjoy our meal, shall we?” she said, digging into the food on her tray. After they had finished the food and were almost done with the drink - Miseria was on her third tankard of beer, while Mari had barely reached the bottom of her first one - the topic came up one final time.

“So, what would you do? Would you stay here, or go home?” Miseria asked softly, leaning closer to Mari. The medic considered that for a long moment.

“Honestly? I do not know yet,” Mari said, standing and dropping some coins on the table. “Please excuse me, Miseria, but I have things I must do,” she said, pulling her cap on. “If you end up staying the night here, go to the desk at the PX - that is the store next door - and ask for a room for the night. Give them your name and my name - it is Kurokawa Mari - and they will give you a room for the night. If you are here tomorrow, I will find you, and we can talk some more,” she said, bowing before nearly marching out of the room.

“I hope I didn't just mess up,” sighed Miseria to herself.

“For your sake, I hope so as well,” came the voice of a Warrior Bunny who was working the bar area. Looking at the bunny girl, Miseria noted the cut left ear.

“So you are one of hers, then?” asked Miseria. The bunny girl shrugged. “Your left ear is cut,” sniped Miseria, making the bunny girl freeze for a second. “Whore or slave?” she asked, pulling out her pipe as she smirked at the other demi-human. The bunny girl stalked off without answering. Filling her pipe with more of her mixed smoke, she lit the bowl from the nearest candle before moving toward the door, sure that Mari had paid enough for both meals.

Mari, meanwhile, was looking for her Captain, intent on asking him some questions that he would answer one way or another. Unfortunately for the irked medic, she couldn't find him anywhere. Of course, she hadn't thought to check Hazama's office.

Pina sighed, fidgeting in the carriage. Glancing to her side, she found herself missing Hamilton more than she thought she would. She had picked another acolyte knight-in-training to serve as her page, but it wasn't the same. The young man - third son of the second wife of a senator with a big mouth but little to back it - was good enough at administration and keeping her schedule organized, but he wasn't Hamilton, and he was a boy. With Panache and Beefeater busy with the secret war they were involved in, and Bozes pregnant and at Alnus Town with her man, she felt very much alone at times. Her hand brushed over the waist of her travelling gown, feeling the warm steel of her `trophy' there. Ritsuko had taught her how to conceal it and had beaten home the lesson to never go anywhere without it.

She was currently on her way to a meeting with some Senators about the proposed changes to the taxes and the issue of her initiative to start the end of slavery in the Empire. Naturally, this was quite an unpopular topic in many quarters, but she pushed forward, knowing that once the Haryo were dealt with, Ritsuko would be coming for the slavers and slave owners like an earth-shake. Hamilton had once joked that Ritsuko should be classed as an act of the gods or natural disaster, and she was beginning to agree with that more and more the closer she got to the older red-head.

Since it was a semi-formal gathering and she was going as the Empress, she had forgone her armor and sword at the urging of her new page and to silence the complaints of her master of ceremonies who constantly complained about her lack of appropriate dress and manner at official functions. Pina really couldn't care at the moment, since she had a full plate. But, they did have a point. She was Empress first and foremost, and she needed to convey a certain image when doing work as the head of the Empire; doubly so if it involved senators.

“My Lady, are you feeling ok? We are nearly there,” her new page spoke up, offering her a cup of water. Pina waved the offered cup away.

“I am fine,” she replied. Just hate to waste time like this, she thought sourly. “Why couldn't this meeting have taken place in the capital?” she asked, her tone waspish.

“I do not know, my Lady,” the young man offered. Pina snorted. Didn't he even know a rhetorical question when he heard one? “But I assure you, it is very important,” he continued earnestly. Pina didn't even bother to look at him. “Perhaps they are worried about word of a meeting getting out to other families?” he suggested. “Or maybe…!”

“Be silent,” ordered Pina, not wanting to have to endure his yammering guesses any more. Is this perhaps why Ritsuko values silence so much? She wondered idly. Her thoughts turned to the older red-head who had become more than an ally to her. She found herself learning from Ritsuko, as well as looking at her as a role-model in both ruling and in fighting. The ability of the other red-head inspired her to do better, become better in all her roles.

Color touched her cheeks as she remembered all the time Ritsuko had teased her. Some of them, she was pretty sure, were actual passes at her. As a princess - albeit as a child of a concubine and low in the succession order - and a rather tomboyish one at that, she had been woefully untaught about many things. When Ritsuko had learned of her lack of information, she had ruthlessly taken it upon herself to teach her those skills and grant her understanding. Pina was sure that even her more worldly knights - like Bozes and Beefeater, who had been trained in the duties expected of first-born daughters of powerful Senate families - hadn't known even a fraction of the things Ritsuko had taught her about her body, her gender and the skills related to those areas.

“My Lady, are you well?” the voice of her page intruded on her thoughts. Blinking, she realized her cheeks were flushed at the memories of Ritsuko's blunt instruction and training.

“I told you to be silent,” she replied, her tone clipped and cold.

“I apologize, my Lady,” he said, “but the meeting location is just past the bend,” he said, indicating the bend ahead of them. Pina grunted. If I had ridden here on horseback, I would have been done by now, she thought sourly. Instead, they had left for the meeting just before sunrise, and were just now reaching the meeting place as the sun touched the horizon. They had not stopped for lunch - on her orders - instead eating a simple meal in the carriage as they moved as quickly as they could. When the two horses had needed to rest, she had used the time to use the bathroom and drink some wine and water.

Arriving at the small estate house in the middle of nowhere, east of the capital, she dismounted the carriage, looking around. She saw one other carriage, no bigger than hers, which meant either the other senators had ridden here on horseback - she resented the convention that women shouldn't ride horses like men rode them unless they were in fighting gear - or they were late. If they were late, she would not be amused. Looking into the open-sided stable, she saw four horses, which indicated to her that it was unlikely the others had arrived.

“Late to their own meeting?” she muttered, scowling. Looking toward the entrance to the modest estate, she saw two guards, their equipment covered with leather covers, standing at attention by the door. She frowned a bit more. Before she could say anything, a servant emerged and bowed to her.

“Please, my Empress, your guests await you inside,” the woman said, bowing deeply to her. Pina looked around as she heard her carriage moving.

“What are you doing?” she asked her page, who - along with the driver - was unhitching the horses.

“We are caring for the horses, my Lady,” her page replied. “They have worked hard today, have they not? We must brush them, give them water and grain, then let them rest,” he added.

“I know how to care for horses, page,” Pina growled back before moving toward the door. The two soldiers saluted her as she stepped past them. The servant led her into the small house. As she turned her back to Pina, the empress saw the slave brand on her shoulder, half-covered by her short, utilitarian gown. In the smaller greeting room, the woman turned to Pina.

“If it pleases you, Mistress, may I attend to you?” she asked, indicating a copper bowl of water with a cloth beside it. Pina considered for a moment before nodding. She was going to a meeting with senators, after all, and she had been traveling all day in a carriage in the hot sun and dusty wind. The woman swiftly soaked the cloth in the water in the bowl before wiping Pina's face before working her way down her body. When she reached her calves, she began to untie the sandals Pina wore. Pina started to stay something, but decided not to, as it was not uncommon to remove one's sandals before wiping off the dust and dirt, so as not to soak the leather. It took the woman - slave - only a few moments to untie the sandals and wipe her calves and feet clean.

“Empress, is that you?” came a voice from the larger room beyond the entrance. “We have been waiting for you,” added the man. The slave woman bowed and ushered Pina forward, still holding Pina's sandals in one hand. Shrugging away her irritation, Pina entered the larger room, finding the senator who had organized the meeting waiting for her as lamps were lit in the corners of the room.

“Where are the others?” Pina asked directly.

“They are here,” assured the man. “They wanted to bathe before speaking with you, but should be here any moment as you have now arrived,” he smiled. “Please, do be seated,” he offered, indicating the largest and fanciest lounging couch. Pina did so, keeping her attention on the man and the two guards by the door. “I trust your trip was not overly arduous?” he said casually, pouring a pair of cups full of wine before offering her one.

“It was uneventful,” she replied, taking one cup and sipping carefully. Poison had nearly killed her father, after all, and Ritsuko had reminded her time and again that trust was not something she could afford to be generous with. “What is so urgent that I needed to come out here?” she asked, getting right to the point.

“We couldn't risk certain parties knowing we were in talks,” the man said before nearly chugging down half of his wine. Sighing gustily, he smiled at her. “And here are the others,” he said, Pina turning to see four spears leveled at her, the men holding them prepared to stab her. Behind them, five figures moved into the room. She recognized three of them as the other senators. The fourth she recognized as her page.

“What is the meaning of this, page?” she asked, her tone clipped and hard.

“Forgive me, Lady Pina, but this is what is best for the empire,” the young man said before turning to the fifth person and nearly asking, “isn't it?”

“Yes, young page, this is what is best for the Empire,” the fifth said, making Pina gasp.

“Big brother Diabo?” she asked, shocked. The man pushed back his cloak, revealing it to be none other than her other older brother, Diabo, who had fled the capital when Zorzal seized the throne. “You have been busy, dear little sister,” he said.

“As have you, from what I have seen,” she replied. “Why this uncharacteristic move, brother?” she asked. She keenly felt the absence of her armor and sword. She was - literally - helpless and backed into a corner. Or rather, she would have been, had it not been for her deal with Ritsuko. Her hand ghosted over her concealed `trophy', hidden under her gown's edge. Fifteen of them at least, but this holds fifteen rounds. If I only kill the guards, I will still be in good shape - I was always better with a sword than Diabo, after all, she schemed.

“You ask that as if you do not know the answer,” scoffed Diabo. “Ever since father fell ill, the Empire has been cast into disorder. Zorzal was a fool, but you have not restored order to the Empire, even after taking the throne from Zorzal. You have been corrupted by the Men in Green, sister, and forgotten what it is to be a member of the Imperial Family. Moreover, you are not the rightful ruler of the Empire, as you are after me in the line of succession. You have stolen my rightful throne, sister,” he stated, glowering at her.

“Stolen it?” snorted Pina. “You ran like a coward when Zorzal was about to destroy the empire in a futile fight against the Men in Green! Even after he was killed, you remained hidden, instead of coming back to press your claim. Did you fear that no one would back you because you ran instead of standing and facing Zorzal?” Pina asked.

“Zorzal would have killed me to secure the throne!” Diabo shouted back. “I did what I had to do! As you would have, too,” he gave her a smirk. “I wondered how it was that you survived Zorzal's reign, but when I heard that you had been rescued by the Men in Green, I knew you were their puppet. Returning would not have profited me any, since I need a force equal to their own to face them; and that means one from beyond the Gate.”

“You always did overthink things far too much,” sighed Pina. “Tell me, have you found such an ally?” she asked. Diabo smirked.

“I have found two, sister,” he smiled back. “My allies here managed to put me in contact with two representatives of kingdoms on the other side of the Gate, and they have pledged their support of my goals,” he said.

“Your allies have lied to you,” sighed Pina. “Let me take a wild guess, Diabo,” she sighed, “you spoke - or attempted to, more likely! - with representatives of a place called `China' and one from a place called `Russia', right? Middle-aged men, one darker of skin, the other one a larger man who couldn't talk to you directly? Your ally - the Haryo, are they not? - served as the translator, didn't they?”

Diabo was frowning at her. “Why would you make such wild assumptions, Pina?” he asked, his tone defensive.

“Their bodies were found in a ravine weeks ago,” sighed Pina. “Did they claim that the two were heading back to gather their armies? Perhaps they even gave you some sort of `proof' of that?” she probed. Time with Ritsuko had taught her a lot about human nature, and her role as Empress had taught her far more about political reality than she had ever wanted to know.

“You could have killed them, Pina!” insisted her older brother.

“To what ends?” Pina asked. “Any army from the other side must past through the Gate, is that not true? I have been through the Gate, brother - it opened into the middle of the capital of Japan. To even reach the gate, the other countries would have to first successfully conquer the Japanese, and even then, the Gate is rather small, compared to their machines. It would take weeks for any army large enough to fight the Japanese to pass through and ready themselves. Do you honestly think the Men in Green would idly stand by and let that happen?” she asked him, her tone patient and vaguely exasperated.

Diabo's brow was furrowed as he thought. Pina made a lot of good points, but he couldn't figure out what her angle was in all this. Pina, meanwhile, could see his mind running wild. She wanted to groan. He always over-thinks things to the point of idiocy, she thought, eyes flickering around the room, trying to come up with a plan. Once she pulled her trophy out, it would be time for action, so she wanted a plan in place before then if possible.

“It doesn't matter,” Diabo said after a long moment of thought. “Even if they just distract the Men in Green, it will be enough,” he nodded to himself decisively. Pina wondered what had happened to him while in exile that had made him so decisive; for him, anyway. “Without their power backing you, you will be vulnerable to your enemies, both military and political. That is the answer,” he nodded to himself. “You will become my bride,” he smiled at her.

“Never,” Pina scoffed. “We are siblings, Diabo!” she reminded him.

“Who was it who offered herself to me to bribe me to stay and oppose Zorzal?” he snorted. “Not only are we only half-siblings - and you the daughter of a concubine, no less! - but marriages between members of the Imperial family are common and well-accepted.”

“Not when one of the supposed partners objects, it isn't,” protested Pina.

“Your objection means little,” dismissed Diabo. Pina scowled, her hand edging toward her hidden weapon. “By the time we are married, you will think differently,” he assured her.

“That will never happen,” promised Pina.

“I had heard you have been spending much of your time with the supposed Queen of the Warrior Bunnies, though none of my agents have a good description of her. You will be my wife before she hears of anything, and then she will have to ally herself with me,” he plotted. Pina burst out laughing at that.

“If you think that, brother, you are a bigger fool than I thought!” she laughed, hands to her stomach. “If you knew anything about her, you would have killed yourself by now,” she was giggling to herself. Diabo seemed annoyed at her.

“We will see,” he said. “Fetch the priest,” he directed to her page.

“One question first,” Pina said, calm again. “Was my page always your spy or is this a new thing?” she asked.

“Why would that even matter?” wondered Diabo, the young man looking uncertainly between them.

“Because it will determine his fate,” Pina said, one of her hands hidden under her other hand.

“His fate is not your concern,” Diabo insisted. “As your husband and Emperor, I will see to his fate.”

“Which is it, brother?” Pina asked, her tone making him uneasy. This was not the Pina he remembered, and she seemed disconcertedly calm and composed for being in her position.

“His family approached mine through the Ror family,” he said slowly. “He shares our concern for the future of the empire, and sided with the rightful ruler.” Pina glanced at the young man.

“So be it,” she said, the hand holding her wine glass flinging it straight into the face of the nearest guard as her other hand swung around. The guards, surprised by her sudden attack, froze for a split second. In that split second, Pina got her trophy lined up with the guard first in her arc, pulling the trigger quickly three times, the guard falling as holes appeared in his breastplate. The noise and flashes from the gun were shocking to everyone but Pina, who had much more experience with guns. Nevertheless, the reports deafened her, though she didn't let that stop her as she moved to the next target even as she came to her feet. Two rounds found the next guard, the man crumpling as he clawed at his perforated breastplate. Pina moved on.

When her slide locked open, she had killed all the guards in the room and two of the senators. Jerking the sword of the nearest guard from the scabbard, she attacked the surviving members. It took her only moments to slay the three remaining senators, who were literally shell-shocked at the sudden violence and the noise accompanying it. The two guards from outside had rushed inside, and been dealt with by gun, so she had the easier targets to deal with. Turning to the last two survivors, she saw that her page was on the floor, pants wet with pee, staring at her with wide eyes. “M…M…my Lady!” he begged.

“Traitor,” she hissed, raising the blade. “Be glad I have not the time to waste on a proper death for you,” she added before cleaving his head in half. Wrenching the sword free, she spat on the page. Diabo was scrambling backward, away from her and toward the entrance he had entered from. “As for you, brother,” purred Pina, flicking the sword and splattering her brother with blood, “much as I wish it could be different, the consequences of your actions will cost you your life,” she pronounced, raising the sword again.

“No!” screamed a shrill voice, the female slave throwing herself over Diabo. “Please, Mistress, I beg of you! Spare master Diabo's life! Do as you will with me, but spare him!” she begged.

Pina hesitated for a moment, the memory of Tyuule doing the same for Zorzal flashing through her mind. Nothing good will come from sparing them, she could almost hear Ritsuko's quiet voice in her mind, over the ringing in her ears from the sound of her gunshots earlier. He is at best a pawn of the Haryo, and at worst, a threat to peace and order in this world. “Who owns you, slave?” Pina asked, frowning.

“I belong to master Diabo,” the woman replied. Pina frowned, wondering if Diabo had ever owned a slave before.

“I don't recall him having any slaves,” Pina challenged.

“I was a gift to seal the alliance of my former master to Prince Diabo's cause,” she explained.

“Who owned you before?” Pina asked. The woman hesitated. “Who, or I cut your limbs from your body and leave you for the scavengers!” ordered Pina.

“House Palesti,” whispered the woman. Pina blinked.

“Palesti. As in the house of my childhood friend Bozes? That house Palesti?” she demanded. The woman nodded. “Liar,” declared the red-head.

“I swear it upon the god Emroy, it is the truth!” the woman nearly whimpered. Pina once more hesitate. No one lightly swore on the name of the god of death; certainly not anyone who had ever even heard of Rory the Reaper. She took such things very seriously.

“House Palesti has been an ally of mine from the very start,” Pina said softly, her tone hard. “It makes no sense…!”

“You seem surprised, sister,” Diabo managed. “Politics are far more complicated than you thought, aren't they? The Palesti family blames you for what happened to Bozes. While the current head of the family sides with you, the next head of the family sees you in a different light,” he managed a smile. Pina's scowl and raising of the sword wiped that off his face. “Sister! You can't!” he begged.

The sword came down; and Pina had no more siblings. “I have no choice, brother - you saw to that the instant you pulled this stunt,” muttered Pina. The slave woman stared at the Empress in terror. “What to do with you,” Pina frowned, staring at the woman. She is a loose end, the voice of Ritsuko sounded in her head once more. Leaving her alive is a complication you can't afford. Death is a treat compared to being a slave.

Still, Pina hesitated. But you were a slave, weren't you, Ritsuko? And you held on to life tenaciously, eventually freeing yourself. Couldn't she do the same? Wondered the empress.

“Only if she has the will,” Pina murmured, unaware she had spoken aloud. She had spent enough time around Ritsuko and Milliea to recognize that she herself was closer to Milliea's stance than Ritsuko's when it came to killing. “What is your name, slave?” she asked the woman, her tone commanding and firm.

“I…I have no name,” the woman replied, looking down at her blood-splattered toga. Pina considered that.

“From this day on, you are Norma,” commanded Pina.

“As you command, Mistress,” the slave said.

“I don't own you,” replied Pina. “I should kill you, but I am willing to give you a second chance, if you are willing, Norma,” she lectured. And assuming that Ritsuko is willing, she left unsaid. Her role model could be…moody. “Stand up, Norma,” she commanded, the woman doing so. “Do you know how to handle horses?” she asked. The woman nodded. “Good,” pronounced Pina. “Go saddle up two horses.”

“Yes, mistress,” she said before leaving the room. Pina retrieved her gun, releasing the slide and vowing to carry extra magazines like Ritsuko did. Working her jaw to try and ease the ringing in her ears, she removed the sword-belt from another guard and belted it around her own waist. Feeling better - but still wishing she had a loaded mag for her pistol - she checked the house for supplies, and found that, as she had suspected, it was abandoned. This meant she had been set up from the start. Sighing, she steeled herself for a night ride on an empty stomach.

Emerging from the house into the moonlight, she found the woman waiting with two horses, both saddled. She checked the tack herself before pausing as something occurred to her. She had never ridden a horse while wearing a gown before. An image of a scowling Ritsuko flashed through her mind and she turned to the former slave. “Have you ever ridden a horse?” she asked.

“No, mistress,” the woman said, gulping nervously. Pina sighed before fixing her gaze on the other woman.

“You are about to learn,” she said simply before reaching over and pulling up the toga the other woman wore. As she suspected, the toga was all the woman wore. “Guess we will both be doing something new,” she added, her own gown being all she wore. “I will help you mount,” she said, quickly getting the woman up and settled. Experience teaching women to ride horses helped a lot. After making sure the short toga the woman wore was tucked between her and the saddle, she mounted herself, settling her own gown to protect her delicate parts. Looking at the sky, and the bright, full moon, she looked over at the woman.

“We ride for the capital,” she said. “This will not be pleasant, but if you fall behind, I will not stop. Am I understood?” she asked. The woman nodded, gulping. Pina touched her heels to the horse's flanks, and the horse trotted off, the other horse following instinctively. After trotting for a bit, Pina moved to a canter, eager to get to the Capital as quickly as possible. At first, she checked on the other woman every few minutes, but after two hours, she stopped looking back. When she reached the capital just before dawn, she was mildly surprised to see the woman holding on to the horse, her expression speaking of pain, but also resolve. Pina led her to the Order house and turned her over to the trainees, telling them she would check on the woman later and that her name was Norma. With that done, she headed for the palace.

Hamilton sighed as she closed the door behind Airi and Liseria, the three having retired to the Royal Apartments in the palace after a long day at court. Both Airi and the Queen were eager to see their children, and their personal body servants were waiting there with the two infants. As the mothers settled in and began to breastfeed their children, Hamilton reviewed their schedules.

“You majesty, I think we should re-schedule the meeting with the trade delegation from the Republic,” she said, glancing at her notes. “There is a good chance that a conflict will arise if the delegates from the mining guilds are late, and it looks like that is a common occurrence. We can move that meeting to the day after, which would allow you to take the meeting with the Duke about the land taxes without being rushed.”

“You are a very good assistant, Hamilton,” Liseria praised her, making her blush. “Pina is lucky to have you,” she added.

“Indeed,” agreed Airi, making Hamilton blush.

“Um, when can I return to my Lady Pina's service?” she asked. It was not the first time she had asked that since she had been dropped off on the other continent. The two most powerful women in Raltaow exchanged looks.

“Not for a bit yet, I think,” Liseria said. “I have more projects for you,” she added.

“And your understanding of the economic aspects of governance is a bit shaky, still,” Airi agreed. Hamilton sighed.

“I understand,” she said, her tone unenthusiastic. Airi and Liseria exchanged amused glances.

“Don't worry, you will get to go back to your girlfriend sooner or later,” assured Liseria. Hamilton completely missed the girlfriend remark. “You are gaining skills that will help Pina rule the Empire better; much as you learned skills of a different sort from Ritsuko,” explained the Queen.

“Speaking of those skills, I want you to tell me what your thoughts are on the impact of the proposed trade tariffs on sugar,” Airi interjected, indicating a rather large letter on the side table nearest Liseria. Stifling another sigh, Hamilton picked up the letter and began to read.

Since the first day she had been brought here after her failed wedding, she had been unbelievably busy every last day, serving as an aide to both Airi and Liseria while also being taught intricate skills of governance and new concepts in political theory by Airi as Liseria taught her statecraft and economics. She had also been pressed into being a nursemaid for the two infants as well as helping out the four body servants any time she had an instant free. She usually fell asleep in Liseria's bed and woke with the Queen for the next day. She was so busy, it never registered with her that she was sleeping in the Queen's bed.

A knock on the door preceded Venus answering it, finding it to be her herald with a royal missive from the Republic. Accepting the letter for her mistress, Venus closed the door and carried the letter to her lady, who - busy with her son - asked her to read it. Venus did so, finding it was a request to court her from a former king. Liseria sighed.

“Didn't they learn last time?” she asked.

“To be fair, Ritsuko isn't here to terrorize the candidates,” smiled Airi. “And as a widow, you are back on the market, as it were. An unmarried Queen is quite the catch, after all,” she reminded her charge.

“You aren't trying to marry me off again, are you? I have an heir now, so I don't need a husband anymore,” Liseria said.

“You know better than that, Liseria,” Airi replied firmly. “There is more to it than an heir.”

“We don't need any political alliances, and our import status is good,” argued Liseria. “Besides, if I marry again without warning Ritsuko, she will come back, see or hear about it and drown the kingdom in blood; and you know it,” giggled Liseria.

“I am ever hopeful that she has mellowed some,” Airi said, her tone resigned.

“But she hasn't,” Hamilton spoke up absently. The two turned to look at their `guest'. Realizing she had just spoken up like she did with Pina, Hamilton bowed. “Sorry!” she apologized.

“No, go on,” encouraged Airi. “Why do you say she hasn't mellowed any?”

“It's just the feeling I get,” insisted Hamilton, wishing she had never said anything. “Lady Ritsuko is just so….” She paused, frowning. “It's hard to describe, but maybe…broken? Not like that! Bad choice of word!” she waved her hands.

“You might be right,” Airi mused, considering the situation. “Perhaps she is like them now,” she murmured, absently stroking her son's hair.

“Like who?” wondered Liseria. Airi frowned as she weighed her options. She and Ritsuko had always been extremely careful of what they said and how. Very few knew anything about them that they did not want them to know. Finally, Airi made her choice.

“There was a time, years ago, when we thought we could return to our world,” she said slowly, her voice quiet. “The results were that we ended up in a different Japan than our world,” she said. Hamilton was completely focused on the story at that. “That world was on the brink of annihilation, being attacked by unimaginable enemies after unknown goals. Defending the entire world was a small group of Children - scarcely older than Liseria was when she took the crown. They piloted machines of god-like destructive powers, but at high cost to their minds, souls and sanity. Ritsuko bonded with them, much like she has with the Warrior Bunnies. All of the Children were broken inside, to one degree or another. I have wondered occasionally what it must be like to be like that. Unfortunately, I think Ritsuko now knows,” Airi finished.

“What happened to these Children?” breathed Liseria. Airi had never told her of her past, so this was new information for her.

“We don't know,” admitted Airi. “At the end, right at the crucial moment, we recast the spell and landed back here. We have no idea how it ended for them, though we both have decided to believe that they succeeded and lived; maybe even happily after all they went through.”

“Wow,” was all Liseria could say to that.

“One of the very last things the young male Child said to Ritsuko really hit her hard. You see, she had planned to stay and fight to the end, by their side, come what may,” smiled Airi, the other two knowing that was how Ritsuko worked. “But the one she was closest to - a young man who was her very first lover - told her not to make her parents wait forever for her return. It was that remark that tipped the scales in her decision to stay with me and risk the spell again. Now, after all that, she can't go home, and her parents have likely given her up for dead. She knows this, of course,” Airi said softly, gently hugging her son. “But there is nothing she can do. That knowledge must be a crushing weight on her soul. Even more than the rape and abuse she suffered as a slave, I believe it is that which drives her like a demon in her soul. I pray she can free herself before it consumes her. I tried to help her, but I might have caused more damage than good in doing so.”

“What was she like before?” Hamilton asked. “You knew her before you came here, did you not?”

Airi laughed softly. “We met when we were first pulled to this world. She had been on her way back from school, I had just come home from a post-production party for my latest movie, and we found ourselves here, along with a tank and that muscle-headed idiot Junpei. That was the first time I ever saw her. Over the time since then, I can honestly say I came to know her better than anyone I have ever known in my life.”

“So, you did know her. What was she like?” pressed Liseria, curious as well. The image of Boss and Countess Ritsuko and Queen Ritsuko just seemed so overpowering that to hear she had once been different was alien and hard to imagine for her.

“She was a cheerful, optimistic, friendly girl, with a bit of a temper, but well-disciplined,” Airi related. “She rarely complained, pulled more than her share of the weight in the team, worked well with others and was the best friend and teammate I could ever ask for. Some of that died after the visit to the other Japan. The rest of it seems to have died on that plantation,” she murmured, frowning.

“Maybe not,” Liseria said. “She is still fiercely loyal to her friends, and won't hesitate to defend them, either. Maybe the Ritsuko she was before is still in there.”

“I pray so, but I have grave doubts,” admitted Airi.

“Which is another reason you shouldn't be trying to marry Liseria or me off,” came the voice of the woman from the door to the rooms. The women all startled. Ritsuko was watching them all silently from the door.

“Ritsuko,” breathed Airi.

“Airi, Liseria,” she said. “Hate to ruin your fun, but I am taking Hamilton back immediately,” she said. Hamilton blinked in surprise. “That means right now, Hamilton,” she warned, the brunette hurrying to Ritsuko.

“Is everything ok over there?” asked Airi.

“It is in hand, at least. I don't want to come back and find some jackass married to Liseria, but it's pretty clear that my opinion is not being asked, so do as you see fit,” she said, exiting the room behind Hamilton and closing the door silently. Looking out the window, they saw the shadow of an air fish moving away toward the gate to the other continent.

“When did she get so sneaky?” breathed the Queen.

“She always has been,” Airi admitted, sighing. “And once more, I seem to have missed my cue,” she said to her son. “Is mommy losing her edge?” she wondered.

“Airi, I am not remarrying,” stated Liseria firmly. “At the very least, not until Ritsuko gives the ok.”

“Probably for the best,” Airi admitted. Minutes passed.

“Do you think she is mad?” Liseria asked softly.

“She seemed mildly irritated at worst,” Airi judged. “A least, with us. I fear she would be far harsher to any man seeking your body,” she laughed softly.

“So, that is the situation,” Pina said before sipping her beer. Bozes and Hamilton were silent, both stunned. Ritsuko casually sipped her tea, unconcerned with the reactions of the blonde and the brunette to the news of Pina's ambush. The four were in Alnus Town, Ritsuko having taken Hamilton straight there, ordered her to stay put and then flown to the capital, nearly kidnapping Pina from her bed in the small hours of the morning and bringing her to Alnus.

When asked why Alnus, she had said that it was the best place, as Bozes was reaching the point in her pregnancy where riding a horse would be risky, and Italica was not as secured as Alnus. Plus, she had some of her girls there, and they were pulling security for the meeting, which was taking place in a small room in one of the more discreet inns in the town. The Queen of the Warrior Bunnies had more important things on her mind, but she wanted to make sure that the situation remained under control, so she wasn't letting them leave until there was a workable plan in place.

“Lady Pina!” Hamilton said, “if I hadn't been forced to leave…!”

“You would be dead, or would have been used against her,” cut in Ritsuko, her tone cool and hard. “This isn't about you, Hamilton, and I didn't bring you back here to listen to you play martyr, either. Focus, Hamilton,” commanded the older red-head.

“Speaking of that, I need more magazines and a way to hide them on my person,” Pina said. Ritsuko nodded, but didn't allow the topic to change.

“The way I see it, there is really only one answer - and that is to eliminate the threat. If you don't, it will be an on-going problem for everyone. The Ror need to be dealt with,” she smirked, making the other three gulp nervously, “and the Palesti need to be…pruned. Ideally, Hamilton would take the role as the head of the Ror, and Bozes would be the next head of the Palesti. Hamilton is fine in that role, but Bozes is a problem,” she said.

“What do you mean, Lady Ritsuko,” asked Bozes, sounding insulted.

“You are pregnant, Bozes, and in love with a man from another world,” said Ritsuko flatly. “You have been putting off making a choice for too long. Right here, right now, which side do you choose: this world and Pina, or Japan and Tomita? There is a lot to be said for Japan and Tomita,” she didn't let anyone interrupt her. “Infant mortality is virtually unheard of there, your life would be more comfortable and safer than you could ever imagine, and Tomita is a good guy. If you stay here, I promise you it will get worse before it gets better; and even then, it will never be the same as Japan. I would suggest you ask yourself if Tomita would choose to stay here with you, losing his family in Japan for your sake, or if you would choose Tomita, losing this world and everyone in it in exchange for a healthy kid, a comfortable life and a man who loves you and treats you as more than a pawn or more than a place to stick his dick,” she nearly snarled the last part.

Bozes blinked. Pina and Hamilton watched silently. “I…” she trailed off, hands on her belly. “Can I not have both?” she asked hopefully, eyes on Pina.

“Don't look at her,” chided Ritsuko. “This is your choice. And no, you can't. The Gate will close, and one way or another, you will have to sacrifice something. What is worth more to you, Bozes?” asked Ritsuko.

“Lady Ritsuko, aren't you being cruel?” Hamilton asked.

“I am being a realist, little Hamilton,” came the dark reply from the red-head. “That's the thing about being an adult,” she added, her tone sour. “You have to make choices based on reality and hard truths instead of romance and fairy tales. I have had to make many such choices, and they don't get any easier than this one,” warned the Queen. Pina was inclined to agree, though she didn't want to agree. She was remembering her childhood, when she met her very first friend: a blonde girl from a patrician family named Bozes, and how the two children had found a bond between them that only grew stronger. Beefeater, Panache and Hamilton had joined the two within weeks, but Bozes was her very first friend, and it hurt her to think about losing her.

“We need a plan,” Pina said softly.

“That's easy,” Ritsuko said, giving the group a predatory smile. “I keep killing Ror and Palesti members until only those who support Pina and our cause are left alive.”

“Please don't, Lady Ritsuko!” begged Hamilton. Ritsuko had already killed more than half her immediate family during her failed wedding, after all. She was worried that Ritsuko might just kill them all in the name of expediency.

“They are traitors and trouble-makers. Not to mention that they nearly cost your dear Pina-chan everything,” Ritsuko replied. “Probably easiest to just eliminate the family entirely and have you adopt Hamilton,” she said casually to Pina. To be honest, Pina had considered that more than once.

“We will have to deal with the fall-out of the Gate closing no matter which path we take, and having more Senate seats filled with known members will be easier than having strangers in them. At least with the current ones, I know what to expect and who are my enemies,” Pina said.

“Do you?” countered Ritsuko. “You thought the Palesti were your allies. You thought the Ror were loyal. Both times, you were wrong. What if you are wrong about the others?”

“Demon,” breathed Bozes. A look from Ritsuko froze her tongue.

“What choice do I have?” asked Pina, sounding exasperated.

“Dissolve the senate and replace it with a leaner, cleaner model. It is partially the fault of the Senate system that slavery exists here,” suggested Ritsuko.

“The Senate is a force for stability, good and order,” insisted Pina.

“Is that so? Where were they when your idiot father doomed the empire by attacking the JSDF? Where were they when Zorzal nearly plunged the Empire into hell because he was a stupid, thick-witted savage being played like a pussy-harp from hell? Where were these supposed `good' senators when you were stripped, chained and thrown in a fucking hole, Pina?” she asked, her voice flowing over the three like a dark river of poison. “Do you even know what the vote was when Zorzal's slave-hunt of the Warrior Bunnies was put up for consideration?” she asked.

Pina blinked, realizing she had never once even thought to check. Ritsuko obviously had. Of course she did; she is Ritsuko, Pina thought fleetingly.

“Out of more than one hundred senators, only eight opposed; and of those eight, not one single senator objected for any reason other than factional politics. More than a third of the senators bought Warrior Bunny slaves, and most tried out some of my girls in the time since Zorzal tricked them and when I assumed the crown. That includes, of course, your fathers, brothers and cousins,” she said, fixing the blonde and brunette with dead-eyed stares. “It is well known to the staff at the palace that your fuck-head father often sported with young Warrior Bunny girls, finding it an illicit thrill, though I think he got the same thrill deflowering the young daughters of Senators that he got raping my girls,” she, attention back on Pina.

“Father would never…!” began Pina, but broke off in a squeak as Ritsuko was suddenly in her face.

“You need to stop being so fucking naïve, Pina,” warned Ritsuko. “Did you really notice nothing in all the years you were around him? Did the behavior of Zorzal and Diabo honestly not register with you at all? I suppose it might be for the best that you spent your time forming your order, as it seems to have kept the tainted blood of your line from corrupting you; well, almost,” she smiled coldly.

“Almost?” breathed Pina, feeling her spine tingle at the closeness of Ritsuko and the intensity in her stare.

“Your fixation with `art' is hardly normal,” Ritsuko replied drolly. She glanced at Bozes. “Yet another reason to choose Japan, blondie - Itami's wife and her sick little band of rotten women will keep you swimming in `art', while such things will die off over here once the Gate closes,” she shared, making Pina pale.

“We must convince Lady Risa to come here!” she declared, getting emphatic nods and support from Bozes.

“It will never happen,” predicted Ritsuko with a smug smile. “Airi and I are anomalies in that we chose this world. No one who is living in their Japan would chose to come live here permanently. Not even the sickest otaku or the most desperate dreamer. The level of living is just far too different. Though, there might be one among the JSDF who would chose to stay here, even knowing the price,” she considered aloud.

All three women had the same thought at the same time: Itami!

“But, we are getting ahead of ourselves,” Ritsuko interrupted their thoughts. “Work out a plan to fix this, or I will. Time is getting very, very short for all of us,” she warned the three. By the small hours of the morning, they had a basic plan, and Pina was sleeping cuddled up to Ritsuko, Hamilton cuddled up to her, while Bozes had made her way back to the room she shared with Tomita, knowing she would have to talk with him in the morning about their future, but not knowing what she really wanted herself.

General Hazama was busy shuffling papers when the door to his office opened and Lelei stepped in. Seeing the magic girl, he gave the young woman a warm smile. “Lelei, what brings you here at this time of night?” he asked her.

“I fear the Gate will stop functioning within a month, if not sooner,” Lelei stated. She had never been one to mince words.

“How certain are you?” Hazama asked, all business.

“I am certain enough to ask that you grant Itami permission to take me as his wife,” Lelei said calmly. Hazama blinked. He had, of course, heard about the mysterious `three nights ritual' that - in this land - made them husband and wife, but with the number of girls orbiting Itami, it was hard to take her claim seriously.

“Why would you ask that?” he wondered.

“Because if Itami chooses to return to Japan, being his wife will make it easier for me to accompany him,” she stated with the same dispassionate tone. Hazama could only wonder at how Itami kept finding himself in such situations. Shaking those thoughts aside, he focused back on the main issue.

“A month, Lelei, before the Gate goes down?” he asked again.

“A month at most, though I suspect it is going to be less. If it is timed by activity, then it could be only a dozen or so more transfers,” Lelei said. Hazama felt like he had just been punched in the stomach.

“So little,” he murmured, wondering if he could get his division back home or not. Lelei said nothing. “Thank you Lelei,” he said, forcing himself to calmness. “Please do not say anything to anyone else.”

Nodding, Lelei turned toward the door, only to be interrupted by the klaxon going off even as an explosion blossomed out by the fuel depot. Hazama leapt to his feet. The PA was ordering all forces to combat positions even as the flood lights powered up. Rifle fire and machinegun fire crackled along the perimeter nearest the fuel depot for a short period before going silent.

Two hours later, the base was on combat watch as Hazama got the report from his engineers and the base defense unit commander. “It was a suicide commando raid,” stated the colonel in charge of base defense. “While there isn't much left, we are pretty sure it was a human who set fire to the fuel dump. We intercepted three more of them, trying to get to the ammo depot, the hangers and the mess supply. One of them - the one headed for the mess supply depot - was a Haryo. The others were humans. None of them survived,” he added grimly.

“What about the action at the wire?” Hazama asked.

“Support party, small, all dead. Mostly imps, goblins and trolls,” he added, frowning.

“Human sappers, one Haryo, and the supporting force were sub-humans?” Hazama sounded skeptical. The colonel shrugged, not having an answer. Most of Itami's group was in the conference room, as subject matter experts. “Ladies?” he asked Itami's group.

“The dark tribes have always been apart, and mostly are distrusted by humans,” Lelei stated.

“Elves and the goblin, troll and imp tribes do not get along,” Yao added, Tuka nodding.

“The Legions had sub-humans in its forces when it invaded Ginza and again in the Battle of Alnus Hill,” noted the general.

“A few tribes have become useful to humans, but do not mistake that for being allies or friends. The purpose of the sub-humans in the Legions was to be shock troops and blade fodder,” Bozes said, sitting in a chair with Tomita behind her. “My Lady Pina must be told of this,” she added.

“We are working on that right now,” Hazama said. “I am also trying to get in touch with Countess Myui and Queen Ritsuko, but so far, no one is answering.”

“If this had only happened some few days ago,” Bozes sighed. Pina and Hamilton had left for the Capital five days ago.

“I have dispatched Little Birds to Italica and a Chinook to the Capital,” Hazama said. “As for Queen Ritsuko…” he shook his head.

“I doubt we need to worry about that one,” Rory snickered. The others could understand that line of thought.

“So, what is the plan, General?” asked Itami, uncharacteristically serious.

“We have to prioritize personnel,” Hazama said. “To that ends, I am issuing an emergency recall order to all outposts - including the one in the Capital red-light district. I will be sending choppers out first thing in the morning to pull them back. I will also be starting to send groups through the Gate within the hour.”

“Sir, I would like to ask permission for Bozes to accompany me to Japan,” Tomita said, snapping to attention. “As my wife,” he added, blushing. Bozes blushed as well.

“If that is her wish,” Hazama said, giving the two a small smile. “You understand there will be a lot of paperwork even after she is in Japan; and a lot of adjusting for her, do you not?” he asked.

“Sir!” Tomita saluted, Bozes saluting him in the local fashion.

“As long as you are sure,” began Hazama, only for the phone to ring. “Hazama,” he barked when he pushed the speakerphone button.

“Sir, we have lost the Little Bird just short of Italica. The last transmission was a May-day from the pilot, saying they were going down,” reported the communications chief. Hazama frowned.

“I want a kill team of cobras in the air in five minutes. Get the drones up, loaded with rockets,” he added. “Get on the horn to the Chinook, order them back to base at altitude and warn the outposts to secure and dig in. We will send ground forces for them as soon as possible. Hazama out,” he said, ending the call. Looking to the commander of the armored company, he saw the man smiling. “Colonel, form up two platoons of tanks and IFVs. You are to organize the extraction of the outposts at Italica, the Capital and in the field and bring them back. You can assume you will be operating against insurgents.”

“Sir, yes, sir!” the man exclaimed, glad to get the chance to go beyond the perimeter wire for the first time since they came to the Special Region. Hazama weighed his options swiftly before punching in a number on the phone.

“This is General Hazama, commander of the Special Region Expeditionary Forces. Operation Sakura Summer is a go, repeat, Operation Sakura Summer is a go. Send traffic to Ichigaya and begin the operation.” Ending the call, he unrolled a map on the table, but before he could begin to lay out plans, the phone rang again. “Hazama,” he answered it.

“Sir, the Chinook reports fighting in and around Italica. Your orders, sir?” asked the communications officer.

“Tell the cobras to engage enemy forces on sight, then load up the air mobile troops. We will aide Countess Myui,” stated Hazama.

“If they are making their move, it won't be just Italica,” his air mobile commander said. “We should send the paratroopers back to the Capital,” he recommended.

“It would likely mean they would not make it back,” Hazama said. “Besides, the Legions are in the Capital, and the Rose Order knights. Unlike Italica, the Capital is well-defended,” Hazama said, his tone unhappy, but resolute. “If you find you cannot hold the city, bring Myui back here - safely,” he stressed. The colonel saluted before dashing out of the room, already barking orders.

“Lord Hazama, Lady Pina is not likely to be in the capital,” Bozes said slowly. The room looked at her. “She…is likely at the Ror family lands, with Hamilton,” she said.

“Why would Empress Pina be there instead of in her capital?” Hazama asked. Bozes looked away. “Politics,” sighed the general, getting the picture.

“Please, send an air chariot for my lady,” begged Bozes.

“I don't know…” began Hazama, estimating time, distances and risks.

“My unit, we're leaving,” Itami said, getting eager nods from his women. Hazama gave the Captain a penetrating look. Itami silently saluted him.

“So, that is how it is,” Hazama said. “Equip from the armory, and good luck,” he said simply, the group hurrying from the room. “Let us hope Itami has a few more miracles up his sleeves,” Hazama muttered before beginning to explain the details of Operation Sakura Summer as well as briefing the officers in the room of the emergency they found themselves in with the Gate.

Ritsuko was glaring at the remains of the Ror family, her NERV-issue M4 carbine smoking as it hung from the strap wrapped around her left hand. The bolt was locked back and the muzzle was nearly vertical, forming a heat chimney to help cool the burning-hot gun. Around her were spent cartridges, corpses and empty magazines. Her pistol was in her right hand, her last loaded mag locked in place, and she was seriously considering using the last few bullets on the survivors. Not far from her, Hamilton was hissing in pain as Pina used Ritsuko's medical pack to bind the younger girl's wounds. Pina herself bore a couple of dressings, her sword lying beside her, coated in the blood of the enemies she had cut down.

Outside the walls of the Ror family estate, Milliea was guarding their air fish, surrounded by more than a dozen corpses. Pina finished up, standing up before helping Hamilton up. “I have told you repeatedly, Hamilton, to keep your eyes moving and your sword up,” Pina sighed.

“Sorry, my Lady,” Hamilton said. Pina surprised her by pulling her into a tight embrace.

“You are alive, and that is all that matters,” she murmured into Hamilton's ear.

“If you two are done putting on a show, let's torture these little shits for everything they know and then kill them,” Ritsuko cut in, her tone still betraying her fury. The two gulped. Before, they had not understood the differences between them and the red-head who had taught them to use guns. They could use a gun, but Ritsuko was a gun fighter. She also wasn't half bad with a knife and her fists, either. Pina wondered if this was the `Boss' persona that Airi had told her about a time or to.

“M…mercy,” begged a man. “We have done nothing wrong…!”

“You dare speak of mercy, worm?!” thundered Ritsuko striding over and kicking him in the face with her Warrior Bunny sandals. The sandals had small metal cleats in the bottoms and Ritsuko kicked him in the face harder than necessary, the man being knocked over and back, face smashed by the kick. “The next one of you fucks to even think of begging for mercy gets peeled from the feet up with a very dull knife!” she snarled at the huddled, terrified survivors.

They had thought that Pina was the one they had to fear. She was the Empress, after all, and the one they were betraying. Now, they knew better. The Queen of the Warrior Bunnies was much, much worse than Pina and her entire family put together and tripled. This human queen of a demi-human tribe was likely more savage than any of her subjects, and the way her eyes had nearly glowed as she slaughtered the attacking revolutionaries reminded them far too much of the stories of Rory the Reaper when she was killing people.

“Ritsuko,” Pina said, approaching the other red-head. “Enough,” she said, subtly indicating Hamilton, who had tears in her eyes. Ritsuko's eyes didn't soften any.

“You leave them alone and they will just do this again,” she said, her tone hard and low. “Sentimentality seems to be something that only Hamilton has in this family. Did you forget her wedding? Did you forget their role in your ambush by Diabo? How about a few minutes ago when we were jumped by these assholes? Better to kill them, burn this place to ash and be done with them,” pronounced Ritsuko, her finger touching the trigger of her pistol.

“Lady Ritsuko, please!” Hamilton begged. “These are all the family I have left,” she nearly cried.

“Bullshit,” pronounced Ritsuko. “Pina and the Order are your family, Hamilton. These? They are not worthy of being considered family. Family supports you. They stand by you. They protect you. Like Pina has done. Like Panache, Beefeater and Bozes have done. These little shits have been worse than any enemy you have ever made. You don't need them, Hamilton.”

“We are blood related!” began a woman a few years older than Hamilton. Lunging for the woman, Ritsuko holstered her pistol before back-handing her across the face. She was wearing some leather gloves she had commissioned. The gloves were as close as she could have made in this world to the gloves used by Special Forces. Thin leather palms so she could pick up small things and feel things, the backs carefully perforated goat skin, with metal guards over her knuckles and metal plates guarding the back of her hands and protecting her fist face. Backhanding someone like she did - the right way - proved a bone-breaking experience for the woman.

“I said shut the fuck up,” spat Ritsuko. “One more sound from any of you and I kill you all,” she warned them. Hamilton had flinched when Ritsuko smacked the woman around, Pina twitching a little. Ritsuko turned back to Pina and Hamilton.

“Please, Ritsuko,” Pina said softly. “As a favor to me and Hamilton,” she added.

“You are asking for trouble,” warned Ritsuko.

“I…I will give you anything you want, if it is in my power to give to you,” Hamilton spoke up bravely.

“You have no idea what you are saying, Hamilton,” smiled Ritsuko, her smile terrifying to the two younger women. “What if I say I want their heads on stakes by the gates to the Capital? What would you do then?” she challenged the brunette.

Hamilton had obviously not considered that, her face paling some. But then, she forced herself to look Ritsuko in the eyes. “I would give you something of equal value,” she countered.

“You don't have enough to give me something of equal value to seeing their heads on sticks, girl,” Ritsuko replied dryly.

“Then I will assume the debt,” Pina said, stepping forward. Ritsuko eyed her fellow red-head.

“What do you have to offer, Pina?” she asked. “You already owe me a lot,” she reminded the younger woman. Pina took a deep breath. Pulling out a small knife, she nicked her arm.

“My life, my sword, my body to your service,” she said quietly, offering her arm. Hamilton quickly followed suite, wincing a little as she nicked her arm. Ritsuko studied them for a long moment before sighing.

“You two are reckless and far too naïve to survive long,” she said before grasping their arms. “But you are brave and willing to pay the price for your choices. I accept your oaths,” she said before pulling the startled Pina to her and kissing her deeply. Releasing the Empress, she did the same with Hamilton, who was stammering something unintelligible. After she released the dazed brunette, she gave the two a smirk. “What? Didn't they tell you what the oath involves?” she nearly laughed. “And remember, girls: it is a blood oath,” she cautioned the two.

Turning to the silently-staring survivors of the Ror family, she scowled at them. “I will not ask for their lives,” she said, staring at them dispassionately. “Your oaths bought their lives, after all,” she reminded the two, though her gaze remained fixed on the dozen or so people before her, sitting on the stained grass of their house. “But from this day forward, the Ror are no more. This house will be razed to the ground and this land left vacant forever more. These pitiful wretches will only live in the red-light district or in the wilderness. Hamilton, you are no longer a Ror, as that name is dirtied beyond any recovery. You are instead Hamilton Ri Lada, ward of Pina Co Lada. That is my demand,” she stated.

“Agreed,” the two women said after a very short pause that nearly killed the survivors.

“Tell us what you know, and you might keep some of your limbs,” Ritsuko said the survivors, her tone almost bored.

“But, you promised not to harm us!” one of the men exclaimed.

“No, I said I would not ask for your lives. I never once said what condition you would be in. Besides,” she gave him a shark-smile, “blind, disfigured, maimed beggars make more in the red-light district. Unless you prefer to work as a whore as well?” she asked him evilly. The young man turned chalk white. “All those big, burly men and hairy demi-humans pounding your tender little ass and knocking your teeth out so they can throat-fuck you day after day…doesn't that sound fun?” she asked. “Soon, your yawn and your fart will look the same,” she added. The young man fainted.

“We don't know anything, I swear!” the bravest of the group spoke up. “We only knew that the revolutionaries would launch the liberation here! I swear it!”

“The Palesti in on this as well?” Ritsuko asked.

“Some of them, but they aren't all aware, so they are biding their time,” the talkative former Ror supplied.

“You are going to be short another family,” Ritsuko said to Pina, her tone casual and playful. “And you haven't got anything to trade for their lives…” she began, only to hear Milliea calling for her. “Hold that thought,” she said, caressing Pina's cheek playfully before walking out to where Milliea was waiting with the air fish.

“She is a monster,” sobbed one of the surviving members of the family.

“Yes, she can be, but remember who it was who thought to pick a fight with her,” growled Pina. “You lot better be worth it,” she added before touching Hamilton's cheek. Her long-time friend gave her a weak smile.

“Pina! Hamilton! Get out here!” came Ritsuko's voice. The two hurried to where Ritsuko was standing next to the air fish, the mic of the radio strapped to the air jack in her hand. “Roger that, Otaku two, Rose actual and Rose two secure. Will rendezvous with you outside Point Jade, over and out,” she said. Turning to the two, she got right to the point.

“It is a wide-scale insurgency attack. They hit Alnus, the Capital, Elbe, Italica and a dozen other key spots. JSDF is beginning to withdraw into the Gate, which is apparently about to stop working for another few centuries. What do you want to do?” she asked the two evenly.

“What do you mean, what do we want to do?” blinked Hamilton.

“You have three choices, really,” Ritsuko said. “First, do nothing. Sit right here and wait for this to blow over; and it will - they don't have enough fighters to actually topple the Empire or defeat the JSDF. But, they will fuck up the economy and the stability of the empire. You should know what will happen then,” she hinted.

“Unacceptable,” Pina pronounced decisively. Ritsuko inclined her head.

“Second option,” continued Ritsuko, “you use the chaos to fortify your own positions, leaving the JSDF and your opponents to their fate. Short-term, this is attractive, as it preserves your fighting strength by just protecting your own interests and solidifies your power. Long-term, it can be a problem if any of the ones you abandoned survive with any sort of fighting power.”

“That is dishonorable,” blurted out Hamilton, Pina nodding.

“Option three it is, then,” Ritsuko said. “You come to your allies' aide and hope for the best, knowing it could prove fatal to your own security and power. Are you sure this is how you want it, Pina?” warned Ritsuko.

“What are you going to do?” Pina asked instead. Ritsuko gave her a lazy smile.

“That doesn't concern you, Pina, but you already know, or you wouldn't have asked,” she nearly purred. Pina did know. Ritsuko would fight. That was who Ritsuko was. “With that done, let's saddle up. But first,” she gave the two a smile and turned back to the house, a trio of incendiary grenades in her hands from the gear strapped to the air fish. Five minutes later, the four lifted into the air, the Ror family home in flames and the survivors weeping as they watched it all burn. If the situation hadn't been so dire, Pina would have sent guards for the family, but for now, they would just have to make do. She knew their identities, and could hunt them down at her leisure if necessary.

When Itami reached the Capital after a fourteen hour run from Alnus at maximum speed, he found the situation was more or less under control, with Pina directing her City Guard, Legions and Rose Order knights in combat. Ritsuko was with her, as was Hamilton. The group had stayed off the main road, which had proven to have vehicle traps rigged in them similar to what had been used against the military truck during the VIP tour. While there were pockets of insurgents still fighting in and around the capital, the tide had turned and it was but a matter of time.

The red-light district clinic and op center had been evacuated, the eighteen or so soldiers there had been brought into the palace grounds, not far from the Jade Palace. Itami ordered them to load up double-quick. The order surprised the troopers, who had assumed they would be returning to their post in a matter of hours; a day at the least. Itami had curtly told them to saddle up because the General had issued emergency recall orders and they were leaving immediately.

Once two of the four vehicles were gone - leaving Itami and his original Recon Three group plus the girls - he had told Ritsuko and Hamilton that things were going to be tight with the Gate, and Italica was still in danger, even though the Cobra gunships had cleared out the troops outside the city. Apparently, the insurgents have been fortifying positions inside the city, and were operating from them. Without enough military might to sweep the city clear, Myui had been forced to play defensive, her maids and guards committed to protecting her and guarding key areas. The air mobile troops that Hazama had wanted to send to Italica had been called back to defend Alnus Town before they had barely cleared the perimeter of Alnus Station.

The situation at Alnus was little better. Apparently, the months of silence had allowed the enemy to dig tunnels into the perimeter of the camp and Alnus Town. The town had been evacuated into Alnus Station and the village leveled by artillery fire. Some lives had been lost, but the presence of the knights, Ritsuko's Warrior Bunnies and the Clan Formal maids had proven to be more than the attackers had figured on, with the group fighting off the first wave and allowing the surviving citizens to withdraw into Alnus Station safely. When asked, he had admitted he didn't have a list of who had not made it.

Alnus Station was designed for a limited scope of active threats, based on what they had seen. Tunneling warfare was new to this land, relatively speaking. Trench digging was a known and used tactic, of course, and tunneling under walls to bring them down was also well-known, but never in the way it was being used now. Ritsuko had her suspicions about why they were seeing it now, but didn't bother to share it. The enemy was appearing from tunnels all over the place and in the most unexpected manner. A group of goblins had burst through the floor of the women's shower room in the female barracks, but had been dealt with harshly by the angry, naked women. A couple of the women were a little roughed up from the sudden close-quarter fighting, but nothing serious. Hazama had ordered all female personnel through the Gate immediately, excepting only Kurokawa and Kuribayashi, who were both away from the Gate and who would have ignored the order anyway.

Itami wasn't sure if it was deliberate or a simple coincidence, but the way the enemy was attacking Alnus Station meant that not only were their most effective weapons - artillery and heavy machineguns - virtually useless, but it also kept them from evacuating at any sort of speed through the gate and from helping their allies. The choppers were down to fumes since an attack had hit the fuel depot and the runs by the Cobras to Italica had burned up most of it. Itami said that he had heard of casualties among the troopers, but didn't have a list.

Of Elbe he had heard little, but he suspected that King Duran was faring well, given his experience and cool-headedness. Ritsuko had reminded him that the enemy goal was likely to try to cripple both the power bases before trying to ground-swell the rest into anarchy, so Elbe and the other three vassal kingdoms were mostly just a side-show. Italica and Alnus were the prizes, after the Capital. Studying an aerial map, the three leaders - Itami, Pina and Ritsuko - worked on a plan.

“Countess Myui, you must remain here,” Kaine ordered her mistress. The young ruler was in the safest room in the center of the palace, Mohmu and Aurea with her. The palace grounds had been breached by three tunnels, but the maids and guards had beat off the attack and sealed the tunnels with fire and rock. Fires burned in different parts of the city, where small pockets of insurgents were causing chaos before disappearing. Her guards were working overtime on the problem, but it was slow going.

“But, my people are dying and my maids are…!” began Myui.

“We are doing our duty, mistress,” Mohmu smiled at the younger girl. “We serve you, and no one will harm you while any of us live,” she promised.

“But you must protect your own lives!” insisted Myui.

“We will,” assured Aurea, hugging her mistress, her snake-hair caressing the young ruler, “right after we protect yours,” she added, smiling at her mistress.

“I don't want any of you hurt,” murmured Myui. Mohmu affectionately touched her mistress's cheek.

“You should have more faith in us, mistress,” she chided gently. “We are not so easy to hurt as some might think. And we are not your typical maids, either. Well, most of us,” she corrected. She was a simple human girl, after all, among a mostly-demi-human group. But Mohmu was not just a maid; and being human didn't make her less of a threat than any of the demi-humans. Queen Ritsuko was just a human, after all, and she had brought a continent to its knees.

“I will return with some food, mistress, girls,” Kaine said before closing the stout door to the armory, where her mistress and her two maids waited. Outside the door, a horned girl and a cat-maid waited, wearing armor instead of maid dresses. “Guard this door with your lives,” Kaine admonished the two, who both nodded. Unlike some of the other horned girls, who had goat or cattle horns, this horned girl maid was a member of a dark tribe commonly called `devil-people'. Their horns were closer to a demon's horns, their skin ranging from blood red to steel blue-gray, their eyes black as coal with no visible irises. Their feet were hooves with reverse-jointed knees and their frames were tough and strong. Obsidian-like scales adorned their hands, which had claws and six digits - four fingers and two thumbs, one on each side - and their hair was almost like octopus tentacles without the suckers. Their teeth were double-fanged, though the fangs were relatively short and usually covered by their lips, which tended to be solid black against their skin. Their race was virtually impervious to magic, fire couldn't harm them, and they were usually about as strong as two large men. While they were not invulnerable, it took a lot to make them bleed.

Kaine hurried down the hallways to the kitchen, which was operating, though guards had been added to protect the workers after a pair of ogres had breached the inner garden and almost destroyed the kitchen and workers before being killed by guards and maids. “How is the mistress?” asked the head of the kitchen as she spotted Kaine entering.

“She is safe,” Kaine reported. “How is her food coming along?” she asked.

“Good,” the woman replied. “We lost more stock than I thought, though,” she added.

“Reduce rations for all the rest of us, then,” replied the head maid. “Have we lost anyone else since this morning?” she asked.

“Two more dead, a dozen wounded, head maid,” replied the cook. Kaine grimaced.

“Who died?” she asked.

“A fox-girl working in the laundry and a siren-girl delivering messages and taking reports to the garrison commanders of the Guard,” came the quiet reply. “Both were attacked by ambush. The fox-girl got one of her attackers, and the siren got three of hers before they were cut down and…desecrated,” she said carefully.

“Do not speak of this to the Mistress,” Kaine murmured. “I will tell her that they have fallen, but no one is to tell her of what the enemy did to them after they were killed, am I clear?” she asked. The kitchen staff nodded. Three of them bore bandages. “Any word from Alnus, the Capital or Queen Ritsuko?” she asked.

“Nothing yet,” admitted the kitchen head. After Kaine, she was the oldest retainer of the Formal family, and had started her service to the rulers of Italica when she was ten years old. “Will they come?” she asked softly.

“Oh, they will come,” Kaine said, absolutely sure of that. “We just need to keep Lady Myui alive until they get here,” she said, getting a nod. A commotion came from down the hall, the staff and guards readying themselves. Instead of a new group of attackers - the last one had been a half-dozen goblins and a couple of humans - a guard in dirty, stained armor had run up to the head maid. “Well, what news?” Kaine demanded curtly.

“A fresh wave of attackers has taken control of the western gate. We have lost the quarter closest to it, and are re-forming lines two blocks back,” he said, panting. Kaine scowled.

“Two blocks is too far back. Return and tell the guards that they must hold the line no further back than one block. If they give them two blocks, we will lose half our water supply and will not be able to hold our north flank. Need I remind you that the western gate is the closest gate to Lady Myui's residence?” she added, her tone hard.

“N…no, miss Kaine,” the man said. “We will hold them one block from the gate, I swear it!” he promised.

“Any sign of the Men in Green?” Kaine asked.

“Not for the last two days,” he replied. “But our lookouts in the tower say they saw smoke on the horizon in the direction of Alnus. Perhaps they have their hands full,” he suggested.

“They will come, we just need to hold out,” Kaine replied. “Also, keep an eye out to the west for Imperial reinforcements. Empress Pina will come as well, though I am positive that the Capital has been attacked as well,” she replied, her tone cynical.

“Yes, ma'am,” the guard said before turning and jogging back down the hallway. Kaine sighed softly. The kitchen head offered her a tray of food and drink for Myui. Kaine accepted it, heading back for the armory, wondering how to tell her mistress that two more of her maids had died for her. Reaching the door, she waited as the horned girl opened it, entering with the tray in her hands.

“Your dinner is ready, Mistress,” Kaine said. Myui blinked.

“I'm not hungry,” she said softly.

“Hungry or not, you must eat, my Lady,” Kaine was not having any of it. “You will need to keep your strength up and that means eating regularly.”

“She's right, Mistress,” Mohmu encouraged her as Aurea nodded.

“Eat with me,” Myui said.

“We already ate, Mistress,” replied Mohmu. It was a lie; neither had eaten more than a tiny portion of simple bread and smoked meat since morning. Between the three of them, they bullied their mistress into eating. While Myui finished her tea and mild wine, Kaine wondered how to tell her of the death of two more maids.

Fortune saved her as the door opened, revealing an armor-clad, heavily-armed Mamina and Persia. “Mamina! Persia!” squealed Myui, who threw herself at them. The two caught her easily. “Mistress,” Mamina smiled, stroking the young human's hair.

“We understand you have a vermin problem?” smiled Persia.

“Who have you come with?” Kaine asked.

“Our Queen is here, as is Empress Pina and Itami's group. Right about now, the forces outside the walls are being slaughtered to the last,” replied Mamina, her report punctuated by the boom of Mike's main gun and the chatter of his machineguns.

“Does this mean that the Capital is secure?” asked Kaine.

“Yes,” confirmed Mamina. “Once things here are in control, we are striking out for Alnus. What is the condition here?” asked the Warrior Bunny. Around the throats of the two were radio mics, the units clipped to their armor. “Queen Ritsuko wants to know,” she added, her ears twitching. A small earpiece was fitted into one. “Ah, she found the group she thinks is directing this attack, and is killing them right now,” she smiled.

“Mamina! Persia!” a voice called out from down the hall way, “did you find Myui-chan?”

“She is right here, safe and sound, Lord Itami,” Persia said, the JSDF captain appearing a moment later.

“Lord Itami,” Myui greeted him, blushing. He gave her a smile.

“I am glad you are safe, Countess,” he said to her. “Forgive the delay, but things have gotten very busy all of a sudden,” he added, scratching the back of his head. His own radio came to life. “Please excuse me a moment,” he said, before grabbing the mic and briefing the other part of his group. “We should have some legion troops in here in a little bit,” he said. “Please, remain here, Countess, while we fix this problem.”

“Of course, Lord Itami,” Myui said, her blush growing. Mamina and Persia snickered before nudging him.

“Lord Itami,” Mamina nearly purred, “isn't Countess Myui just gorgeous in that gown?”

“And she is a good girl, too, Lord Itami,” Persia did purr. “A young lord such as yourself could do far, far worse for a wife.”

“Enough teasing the Lady, girls,” Kaine clapped her hands, Myui resembling a cherry right then.

“Agreed,” Mamina said. “Come, Persia, the game is afoot, and our Queen is impatient,” she grinned, getting a predatory smile back from the feline demi-human.

“Yes, let's hunt,” agreed the cat, the two nearly vanishing as the door closed. Myui nearly swooned. Helping their young mistress to sit, her maids valiantly resisted teasing her as well. Within an hour, the door opened again and Ritsuko stood there, smelling of smoke, blood and spent gunpowder.

“Myui-chan, your city is now under your control again,” she said, smiling at the young ruler. The girl rushed to Ritsuko, hugging her tightly. Ritsuko returned the hug, stroking Myui's hair in a calming manner. “Kaine, I have Mamina and Persia running the mop-up ops with some of my girls and half a platoon of Imperial troops, while Pina is sorting out the chain of command and organizing watches and patrols. Please assist them,” Ritsuko asked.

“Of course,” Kaine said, exiting the room after a bow to the Countess.

“How…how bad is it?” whispered Myui.

“Good question,” Ritsuko said. “I would say it could have been worse, but could have been better, too. I will not lie to you, Myui - there were losses,” she said firmly. Myui's eyes grew bright with tears. “But your city and people survive, so you should not count this as a loss,” she admonished. “What you do in the coming days, weeks, months and years will very likely set the tone of your reign, so let's do our best, ok? Pina and I will help you if we can, and remember, trust and loyalty go both ways.”

“Yes, Queen Ritsuko,” Myui managed weakly. Ritsuko hugged her again.

“You will do fine, Myui, I know it,” she assured her. “Now, let's get you somewhere more comfortable. And Aurea, I need a favor of you,” she said to the medusa. The young medusa tilted her head.

“Me?” she asked.

“Yes, Aurea, you,” confirmed Ritsuko. “After all, you are a medusa, aren't you?” she asked, her tone evilly delighted and eager.

In spite of the constant pushing from Ritsuko and Pina, it took the combined units nearly three days before they were ready to march on Alnus. Italica was deemed secure, the garrison was re-enforced with half the legionnaires who had come from the capital, and Ritsuko had made damn sure her insurgent was positioned close to the Countess, though she had pulled him aside and told him if he even imagined Myui naked, she would castrate him with a hammer. He had gulped, knowing full well she meant it like no one else ever could.

Reorganized and prepared, Itami's group, Ritsuko's team and Pina and what was left of her expeditionary force after reinforcing Italica paused to attend a funeral service for the maids who had been killed in the fighting before heading toward Alnus. All told, Myui had lost five maids, four demi-humans and one human maid, with more than a third of her maids bearing injuries that ranged from minor to crippling. Myui had insisted on speaking at the funeral, and Pina and Ritsuko had ended up flanking her on the steps of the palace as she addressed the surviving maids, five ornate coffins between her and the staff, each draped with a Formal flag.

Myui had done a spectacular job during her short speech, and had managed to hold back her tears as she spoke, though Ritsuko saw her burst into tears as Kaine held her after she had finished her speech and let the priests take over. Her speech had been one that Ritsuko had not expected. Myui had declared that each of the fallen maids would be buried with full honors, and that that day would forever more be a holiday in memory of their sacrifice for Clan Formal, Italica and their tribes. She had gone on to say she would miss them, and then vowed to make sure their sacrifice would not be wasted. Her short speech was greeted with the roaring cheer of her maids and staff.

The day before, Itami and Ritsuko had slipped away to do some scouting, finding the Little Bird air frame about six miles from Italica, crashed into a forest that had been riddled with twenty-millimeter autocannon shells and rockets from the Cobras. Around the main rotor were long lengths of heavy rope with knots in them. Ritsuko had tracked the air crew, who had survived the crash landing, fought their way out of the air frame and tried to get away, but had ultimately failed. The mutilated bodies were nearly a mile away from the crash site. Ritsuko had removed the dog tags from the two air crew and silently handed the blood-caked bits of metal to Itami. Before returning to Italica, Ritsuko tossed an incendiary grenade into the wrecked chopper, burning it completely.

Itami had finally gotten to see the secret of the fish when he saw one fly in with Ritsuko's elves on it. He could only shake his head and mutter `magic' under his breath. The elves jumped off the air fish, one of Ritsuko's Warrior Bunnies jumping on and guiding the air fish away immediately. Ritsuko had spoken with the elves briefly before two of them had hurried off and the remaining one - the short-haired sword-using red-head elf - had stuck to Ritsuko's side.

“Are we ready yet?” Ritsuko had asked Itami and Pina. The two nodded.

“I have ordered one third of my order here at fastest speed to secure the city and to use as a reserve force if necessary at Alnus,” Pina said. “They should arrive late tomorrow at the earliest.”

“Good. King Duran has Elbe, Mudwan and Ligu in hand. He is forming up a company to bring to Alnus, but they are at least a week out,” she said. “Reports are that it was mostly harassment action down there, though a small team of humans and Haryo did manage to assassinate nearly half the court of Duran. The two that tried to kill him died by his hand. That is one tough old bastard,” Ritsuko grinned.

“Alnus seems to be their main target. I haven't gotten through to them since the morning we arrived here,” Itami said. “We have just over half our initial munitions load remaining, and the choppers and planes aren't doing resup drops,” he added.

“Life is full of risks, adventures and excitement,” snorted Ritsuko. “You wear the insignia of a Ranger and the tab of a Special Forces soldier. Suck it up,” she replied, unimpressed. Unfolding an aerial map, she traced a secondary route to Alnus. “We can assume the main roads are all booby-trapped or otherwise unsafe, even for Mike,” she said, getting nods from the others. “So, let's not use them,” smiled Ritsuko, tracing a route with her finger. “Work for you two?” she asked.

“Let's move,” Itami said, Pina waving her arm, signaling the soldiers with her to mount up. Ritsuko easily - happily - jumped up onto Mike.

“Mike, let's go kill things,” she commanded, giggling as she spoke. Mike meowed before rumbling forward, the lighter vehicles of Itami's group falling into position behind the tank. Ritsuko roared across the fields and plowed into the tree-line, the others following her lead, using the path Mike made. The group skirted the edges of fields, followed creases in the land and ran on rocky ground whenever possible, maintaining the best speed they could. All members of the party kept their eyes out for signs of trouble.

Not quite half way to Alnus, they spotted the remains of some armored vehicles from Alnus on the main road. Two Type 74 tanks were out of action, both victims of tank traps with log track-breakers. Behind them, three IFVs and a pair of APCs had been disabled by tank traps and fire. All the vehicles were burned, and they didn't see any sign of bodies. The group pushed on, keeping off the roads and paths.

As they were fording a creek, they were attacked by a small group of wyvern riders. As the vehicles hosed the small winged dragons with fifty-cal fire, the riders were throwing flaming clay pots of something similar to napalm at the vehicles. The Stryker was hit twice, but the fire system and a few brave soldiers with extinguishers put out the flames before the vehicle was disabled. Two wyvern and one rider escaped, heading due east. Ritsuko signaled for the group to push on even as she loaded the Browning on Mike with a different belt of ammo. The linked ammo sported a colorful mix of green over white tips, interspersed with blue, black and red tip in addition to the plain copper tips. Ritsuko was giggling as she cycled the bolt on the Ma Deuce.

As the sun began to set, they could see fingers of smoke rising from ahead of them, as well as some glowing fire light. Using the radio, Ritsuko and Itami agreed on a plan, Pina and her forces forming up behind the mechanized units. When they were ready, it was nearly dark. Switching on their night vision, the vehicles rumbled forward, taking on a diamond pattern. When they crossed the former artillery line, the group fired a half-dozen flares into the sky, revealing the ground around Alnus. Every enemy they saw got shot.

While the armored vehicles circled the fort once, Pina and her group made right for the main gate, which was battered but working. They reached it as it ground open, revealing a line of military trucks with their machineguns pointed right at them. Pina signaled to halt just inside the gate. “I am Pina Co Lada, preceptor of the Rose Knights, and I have come to aid the Men in Green,” she called out, sitting tall in the saddle. “With me are Lord Itami and Queen Ritsuko of the Warrior Bunnies,” she added, bursts of machinegun fire from the armored units as they finished their circle and headed for the gate to the fort punctuating her proclamation. The military trucks moved back, and Pina and her group made way for the tank, IFVs, military truck and Stryker in their group, the gate closing behind them.

Within two minutes of arriving, the group was talking to Hazama. The general was looking a bit tired. Silently, Itami handed the man the tags from the Little Bird air ship. Hazama sighed. “We have had a few hiccups,” he said wryly.

“We thought you might, after we saw the destroyed vehicles on the road to Alnus,” Ritsuko said. “Lose anyone?” she asked.

“None killed, anyway,” Hazama grunted. “How did you get here?” he asked. Ritsuko smiled.

“Like a rabbit through brush,” she replied playfully.

“With the fuel gone, our air power is gone. They have tried raiding with wyvern, but we cut them up with triple-A and their Molotov cocktails are pretty much useless against concrete, steel and reinforced glass,” he said.

“Yeah, tried that with us, too,” Ritsuko said.

“The tunneling is a problem, though,” he admitted. “How the hell do they dig so fast and so quiet?” he muttered darkly.

“Probably gnomes or imps,” suggested Pina.

“They keep popping up in the damnedest places,” he sighed. “Our perimeter is secure, such as it is, but we are running low on fuel and munitions. On top of that, the Gate has been…moody,” he admitted. Lelei hurried out of the room, Yao and Tuka running after her; they didn't want her unguarded as she examined the Gate for any clue.

“How many have you evacuated?” Ritsuko asked.

“Just over three quarters,” he said, sounding somewhat satisfied. “I can't risk sending the rest through, though, because it would leave us totally open to the enemy,” he explained his bind. “And those damned idiots at Ichigaya keep trying to reinforce us instead of getting out of the way!” he yelled in frustration, hitting his desk with a fist.

“Calm down and sip this,” Ritsuko said, fishing out a small native-style canteen and handing it to him.

He gave her a suspicious look. “What is this?” he asked, sniffing the canteen cautiously.

“Just something to calm you down and help you focus,” Ritsuko said. “It is a stiff kind of herbal tea,” she said, taking the canteen and taking a swig herself before handing it back to him. Hazama studied her for a moment longer before cautiously taking a sip. He almost coughed. “Sip, don't swig,” Ritsuko replied, smiling amusedly at him. Hazama took another swallow. “That should be plenty,” she said, taking the canteen back. “It is about two hundred proof, more or less,” she added innocently.

“No wonder it reminded me of Jack,” muttered Hazama, though he was feeling a bit calmer and more focused already. Milliea reached for the canteen, taking a careful sip before giving Ritsuko a look and silently handing the canteen back to her friend.

“We will take over the defense so you can get the rest of your men out,” Ritsuko said. “I have another hundred or so fighters coming this way, there is a column of soldiers from Elbe on the way, and Pina has ordered a third of her fighters to Italica. We can call some here if we need to, but I think we can hold with who we have here. Time is not our friend,” she reminded the general.

“I know you can use guns, but…” began Hazama, before stopping, a nasty suspicion dawning on him. “You taught your Warrior Bunnies how to use guns, didn't you?” he asked. Ritsuko smiled wider.

“I and my senior commanders also know the way of fighting with guns,” Pina said. “Between that and our soldiers, we should be able to protect you as you withdraw into the Gate.” Hazama sighed.

“So, it has come to this already,” he said quietly, frowning at his desk. “Very well,” he said decisively, rising and offering his hand to Ritsuko, who shook it, before he offered an arm clasp to Pina, who also took it. “I will get my men ready. Have them report to the Gate as they are relieved at their positions,” he said, picking up his phone and dialing a number before speaking into the phone, the PA system amplifying his voice.

“Attention, please. This is General Hazama. As you are relieved at your positions by native soldiers, report immediately to the Gate. That is all,” he said, putting the phone down. “Pina, Ritsuko, thank you,” he said, saluting the two. Ritsuko gave him a casual wave, Pina saluting him in the local fashion. “Please extend my apologies to Countess Myui and King Duran for the sudden departure,” he said, pulling his field cover out of his drawer and fastening his pistol belt around his waist.

“We will do so,” Pina confirmed as the group began to run off.

“A moment, Hazama,” Ritsuko said quietly. The man waited, and in moments, they were alone. Ritsuko pulled out a small pouch from her shoulder bag, handing it to him. “They will fry you for this, you know that, right?” she said quietly. Hazama shrugged. “This is to help heal the burns when they are done with you,” Ritsuko said, giving him a half-smile he didn't really understand before she marched out of the room, talking on her radio as she did. Curious, he opened the leathery pouch, finding it full of diamonds, gold coins, rubies and even some platinum nuggets. There was also a carefully-folded sheet of paper in the pouch.

Hazama unfolded it, seeing a chibi SD caricature of Ritsuko in her Warrior Bunny armor, grinning and giving him a thumbs-up. “Hard choices define leaders. You are a better man for the choice you made. By the way, this pouch is the scrotum of a Haryo abomination - I give it to you for your own pleasure. Sincerely, Inoue Ritsuko - high-school girl, elf hunter, slave, revolutionary, Countess and Queen,” he read to himself before shaking his head and laughing. “This place is nuts,” he said to no one in particular even as he tucked the pouch into the pocket where he kept the picture of Airi. With that done, he headed out of the now-empty command center to rally his troops for their final retreat from the Special Region.

It was immediately clear to everyone that the enemy was getting smarter. The focus and scale of the attacks had grown, while the number of kills per loss had shifted. Ritsuko, Pina and Itami had each taken a section of the defense perimeter and begun working the problem. Within two hours, they had been forced to abandon the outer ring of defensive works because the base was simply too big. Putting Delilah in charge of her section of the wall, Ritsuko had grabbed her PSG1 and climbed the tallest tower on the base: the air traffic control tower, settling on the roof and beginning to use her skills with a precision rifle.

Itami, meanwhile, had been working on keeping the few crewed mechanized units in the right positions to maximize their firepower. He had detached three teams of Alnus citizen-volunteers to serve as ammo runners, fetching and hauling cases of ammo from the rapidly-emptying armory. He also tried to make sure that each building they slowly surrendered was clear of any friendlies. His section was the one guarding the back of the Gate enclosure, with Ritsuko having the third from the north side of the gate to the south-west side, where Pina was organizing her soldiers and the balance of the Alnus volunteers. Ritsuko was commanding her Warrior Bunnies, their allies and some of the JSDF troops.

It was a question of density, really. Though the attacking forces were comparatively small when stacked against the Legions or the JSDF numbers, they were more densely packed in the small-unit actions going on everywhere and usually enjoyed the element of surprise. Also, because of the size of the base, the defenders were stretched thin. This forced them to withdraw into a tighter perimeter to increase their fighting strength and protect the company or so of JSDF soldiers waiting for the Gate to open. Ritsuko was reminded of the film about the Vietnamese war where a firebase was being over-run and the defenders were withdrawing under cover fire.

Around the mouth of the Gate, the JSDF soldiers were crouched, rifles in hand, shooting at any target of opportunity they could spot, while inside the concrete enclosure, Lelei was working on the Gate as best as she could. Hazama stood not far from her, fighting impatience as the defensive line gradually closed in tighter. Disregarding his direct orders, Kurosawa and the other two medics had left the enclosure to treat the wounded defenders that were coming in. JSDF, Alnus Town residents, Warrior Bunnies and Knights were arriving in small batches, sporting wounds from knives, arrows, swords, spears, clubs, fangs, claws, fire and venom. Kurosawa and the two remaining medics worked quickly and coolly to do what they could, often under direct attack from small bands of attackers. At first, Rory the Reaper and Kuribayashi had been going nuts defending the medic teams, but then a group of Haryo had baited her away from the medics and she had been attacked by Giselle, the Apostle of the Goddess Hardy. The two near-immortals had become embroiled in their own battle, with the net result that the defenders lost their single most powerful fighter.

Not long after the Reaper had been removed from the fighting, magical attacks began to hit the dome and the defensive lines. Gabriella, Tuka and Yao had taken to the top of the dome that enclosed the Gate, Gabriella using her Giant Stone Golem spell while Tuka used her spirit summoning to protect them and the dome and Yao either attacked or defended as she was able. This removed most of the magic users from the equation as they battled a few magic-using Haryo and several of their allies who used magic. The defensive line slowly constricted, though it left behind windrows of dead enemies.

“What is the hold-up, General?” Ritsuko demanded, startling the man. The red-headed Queen of the Warrior Bunnies was swiftly loading magazines for her PSG1. Hazama saw splatters of blood on her armor and arms. Milliea was beside her, swords in hand, a pool of blood under her boots. It would seem that blood didn't stick to her magic armor, and had slid off as she stood waiting beside Ritsuko. “If the Gate is shut, then let's wipe out the enemy and be done with it. If it isn't, get the fuck out of here,” she said. “I will not sacrifice my people for you if you are just being indecisive,” warned the woman.

“You would need to ask Lelei,” began Hazama.

“I think the Gate will work one more time if we can pump enough magical energy into it to open the rift,” Lelei interjected.

“Do it,” ordered Ritsuko before touching her throat-mike. “Gabs, grab any magic users you can find and get in here. We need to jump-start the Gate. Move it,” she said, ending the transmission. “I'd prioritize people, Hazama, but do what you like,” she added, turning for the doors to the outside, where small battles were going on constantly.

Minutes later, the magic users in the group had gathered, Lelei had explained her theory and they were preparing to try to launch the Gate. Hazama asked them to hold on for a few minutes, hurrying to yell orders to his men. Swiftly, the few military trucks left with gas were loaded up with as many of the soldiers as he could fit into them, a pair of APCs acting as ambulances. The rest were told to form lines, hands on shoulders, with the lead person holding on to the vehicles.

“Kurokawa, you and the others get in with the wounded,” Hazama ordered. Kurokawa straightened up, looking around at the fighting still going on as she directed the other two medics to the ambulances.

“I am staying,” Kurokawa said, removing her dog tags and handing them to the general. “I can do more good here than anywhere else,” she said.

“That was an order Sergeant,” Hazama said sternly.

“And I am disobeying it,” smiled Kurokawa. “Give my tags to my family; they will understand,” smiled the medic before grabbing the platoon-rated medical pack and hurrying toward a just-arriving group of wounded, most of them Warrior Bunnies and Alnus residents.

“Where is Mari going?” panted Kuribayashi, jogging up. “The Gate is about to open,” she added, saluting the general.

“Mari-chan isn't coming,” Hazama said quietly. Shino Kuribayashi blinked.

“I'll go get her,” she began, sounding irritated.

“Not even you could make her do something she has decided she won't do,” Hazama said. “Are you staying here?” he asked her. For a moment, the short woman looked torn. But then, her lips thinned.

“My family would never forgive me,” she said, the two turning for the dome. As they reached it, they were just in time to see Bozes eyeing the APCs, looking torn. Beside her, Tomita looked a little worried.

“Bozes!” a voice called, Pina jogging into the inside of the dome. Her armor was scratched and dented, blood stained her clothes and gear.

“Lady Pina!” Bozes exclaimed. Pina stopped in front of her best friend, panting and soaked in sweat and the marks of battle.

“Why are you standing around?” Pina asked. “The Gate will likely not work again after this time, so you best be ready.”

“I can't leave you in this situation, Lady Pina,” Bozes began.

“Yes, you can,” Pina said. “You are my very best friend, Bozes. We have been together since childhood, and you have always supported me. Now, it is time for me to support you. You have a fine husband, you are with child, and their world is much advanced from this one. Go, live a long and happy life, filled with children and family, Bozes.”

“How can I when my oaths are left unfulfilled?” Bozes asked.

“I, Pina Co Lada, august Empress of the Empire, Preceptor of the Order of Rose Knights, release you from all oaths and duties to myself, the order and the Empire,” declared Pina, smiling a little. “Former Yellow Rose of the Rose Order Knights, fare you well,” she said, saluting the blonde.

“But…” began Bozes softly, tears in her eyes.

“Do not make me banish you, Bozes,” Pina warned her sternly. She immediately turned her attention to Tomita. “You, Sir Tomita,” she addressed him formally. “I charge you with caring for my dearest friend in the world, Bozes. Cherish her, for she is a good and true woman and carries your child.”

“I will,” promised Tomita. Pina studied him for a long moment before pulling a pouch out from under her breast plate and handing it to him.

“This is her dowry. You have my blessings, Sir Tomita,” Pina said before turning and jogging back toward the fighting. Tomita looked into the bag, blinking at the jewels and gold within it.

“I will remember you forever, my Lady Pina! I will commission Lady Risa to create art in your honor and memory!” Bozes yelled after her friend before her legs began to fail her. Tomita quickly scooped her up, hurrying her to a military truck and getting her settled in an empty seat.

“Hey! That is for Sergeant Kurokawa!” protested the driver.

“She isn't coming,” Kuribayashi nearly growled as she clambered into the truck. “Now shut up and get ready,” added the short woman. Tomita blinked.

“Kurokawa-san isn't…?” he trailed off, seeing Kuribayashi staring at him. “Right,” he let it go.

“We are about to open the Gate. If it works, we are leaving immediately! All troops are to report to the Gate immediately!” boomed Hazama's voice over the PA for the last time. Getting a nod from Lelei, he stood in the gunner's hatch on the last vehicle as Lelei and the magic users began to channel magic into the Gate. Outside the enclosure, the gunfire picked up, as did the screams and clashing of steel. Hazama turned, seeing the edges of the defensive line had curled around the mouth of the enclosure. In the center, he saw two red-headed women, side by side, attacking anything that came near them. One was using a gun, the other a sword. Even as he watched, the enemy massed one more time, running straight at the two women.

“To the Queen!” roared a female voice, and more than a dozen Warrior Bunnies rushed to their queen's side even as her guns ran dry and she pulled a large knife from a scabbard strapped to the back of her armor. Hazama saw her glance at him fleetingly, their eyes meeting.

“Go,” he saw her lips move before she turned her attention to the nearest attacker and stabbed the Haryo in the throat with her blade. From behind him, he heard and felt the Gate shudder to life.

“All units, advance!” he yelled into the radio, the lead vehicle starting forward even as the magic users got out of the way. “All troops, double-time march!” Hazama yelled, the unit - maintaining contact so they were a single transit - vanished into the Gate, emerging into the cold fall air in Tokyo's Ginza district. As the last unit cleared, the gate shimmered and then vanished, much as it had shimmered into existence almost three years before. The column of soldiers stopped, many of them having been drenched in sweat began to shiver. “Give me a roll call and tally,” Hazama said to his aide, who nodded. “Attention!” he yelled into the PA mic on the truck, the troops snapping to attention. “Face the Gate!” he bellowed, the troops doing so smartly. “Bow!” he ordered, bowing himself. After a long moment, he straightened, the soldiers doing the same. “Squad leaders, take command,” he ordered before tossing the mic to the PA aside and climbing down from the truck. “May the heavens smile on you, Ritsuko,” he murmured.

Spotting a man in a suit and wheelchair coming toward him as quickly as possible, he made his way over to the man. Yanagida gave him a salute. “You made it, sir,” smiled the man. “But the fight isn't over. Already, they have ordered an `investigation' into this. I could offer you a blindfold and a cigarette, but I doubt it would change anything,” the former Lieutenant said.

“I can live with consequences of my choices,” Hazama said, smiling a little as he saw Airi's and Ritsuko's faces flicker through his mind.

“You will live easier if you present this as a great military achievement,” suggested Yanagida. Hazama gave him a look.

“I'm listening,” he said.

It was the following year when the tallies were done. Hazama had lost sixty two men dead, just short of three hundred wounded out of nearly six thousand. He had abandoned two military airlift command cargo jets, two Phantom II jets, assorted armor and artillery pieces and an entire base. The Diet was screaming for blood for the lost resources of the Special Region, and while the military were perfectly happy to serve him up as their blood offering, Hazama spun the story to the press as a great achievement of a tactical withdraw that saved nearly all his soldiers. This made him popular with most of the population. The industries and corporations who had been banking on exploiting the Special Region bitched about massive losses of profit, but other economists tallied up the numbers of what they had gotten in three short years versus the costs of what they had lost. It turned out, the original mandate of the Special Region Expeditionary Force - to make peace and obtain economic redress for the attack on the capital - had not only succeeded, but they had even turned a profit on it; if a relatively slim one.

Hazama was retired at his current rank, his record containing a sealed letter of discipline that cost him a chunk of his pension, but he wasn't hurting; his Haryo scrotum was his nest egg. He had gone to visit Kurokawa's family personally, finding that his best medic hailed from a family of doctors and medical professionals in Kyoto. When he had silently offered the woman's parents her dog tags, he had expected tears, anger or sadness. He had not expected the two to laugh fondly as the mother put the tags on the family altar. “She always knew what she wanted,” the mother had said.

“Tell me, General,” the father said, producing a large bottle of very high-quality sake, “did my daughter find what she was looking for over there?” he asked.

“It is hard to say, but I believe she did,” Hazama said, accepting the cup of sake. “To Mari-chan, the finest medic I have ever had the privilege to serve with,” he toasted, the parents joining him.

His visit to Risa had been different than he expected as well. When he had tracked her down, she had seemed to know that Itami had not come back. He had told her that Itami had made him swear that his military death benefits be given to her, so she wouldn't starve to death. He also informed her that she also had a final gift from her ex-husband. The small wood box he handed her - little bigger than a cigarette pack - contained gems and precious metals.

Risa had collapsed in tears on the floor of her messy apartment. Unsure what the reaction meant, Hazama was silent. “He never understood me at all,” she sobbed after she had settled down some. “And now he probably will always think all I saw him as was a cash machine,” she sniffled. “I would give all of it back for him,” she said.

“I think he does know how you feel about him,” Hazama said slowly. “But it is Itami,” he added ruefully. That got a ragged laugh from Risa.

“Maybe those girls are what he needed,” she mused a few minutes later as she shuffled around her small apartment before finding a half-empty bottle of convenience-store sake. “I know I wasn't what he needed,” she admitted before taking a swig from the bottle. Wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, she handed the bottle to Hazama. “Itami,” she said softly. Hazama took a swig as well.

“Itami,” he said just as quietly.

Life settled down for everyone by the next Christmas. Hazama was working on his book about the Special Region, political balance had returned to the nations with the source of contention gone, and everyone had moved on. Bozes and Tomita had ended up living in a house with Risa, Bozes giving birth to a healthy boy, and nearly immediately getting pregnant again. She was learning to live in Japan from both Tomita and Risa, though many worried that she was taking after Risa more and more. Tomita's family - after the shock wore off - had welcomed Bozes into their fold, and to a degree Risa, as well, though they were never quite comfortable with the yaoi-obsessed mangaka.

Kuribayashi finally got to date some Special Forces soldiers, though for some reason, the relationships didn't last long, with the men being the ones to break things off with the woman. Still, Kuribayashi seemed happy enough, even as she notched her bedpost without finding a husband. Most of her old squad was not surprised by this development. By their ten year reunion, most of the original Recon Three were married and successful by one measure or another, but they never forgot their missing members; though they also rarely spoke of them, either. Being listed as Killed in Action tended to do that. Life kept moving, much as it had before the Gate first appeared in Japan. Occasionally, Hazama would wonder how things had worked out for those who had chosen to stay behind.

“What is the bill?” Ritsuko asked quietly of Delilah.

“We lost eleven sisters,” reported the captain of the Royal Guard. Ritsuko sighed.

“See to preparing for the ceremony,” Ritsuko said softly. “We will hold it tonight. Have Parna find a good spot and take charge of the preparations. Our sisters will be missed,” she said firmly.

“By your word, my Queen,” Delilah said, saluting. “Oh, you did know you were bleeding, right?” added Delilah. Ritsuko glanced at the shallow cut to her thigh.

“Yes, I did know, but thanks for reminding me,” replied the Queen dryly, fumbling for her medical pack.

“Let me do that,” came the voice of Mari Kurokawa, the medic jogging up and squatting by Ritsuko's leg, a foil pack of disinfectant wipes and a field bandage ready. With practiced ease, Mari had her leg wiped clean, checked, assessed and dressed in a matter of moments. As the medic worked, Pina came over, using a bit of rag to wipe off her sword. Ritsuko spotted some dents and scratches on her armor.

“How are things on your end?” Ritsuko asked Pina.

“We lost a half-dozen, with maybe two dozen wounded,” reported Pina, sighing. “I…saw some losses on your side,” she added awkwardly.

“Yes,” was all Ritsuko said. “They will be missed,” she added, frowning. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a group of her Warrior Bunnies already beginning to carry off the dead. “You will be accompanying me this evening when we have the ceremony to mark their passing,” she added. Pina blinked. “Don't forget your oath,” murmured Ritsuko.

“R…right,” Pina nodded, swallowing hard. Ritsuko gave her a friendly smile.

“Don't look so nervous, Pina,” she cooed. “It isn't like you think; mostly,” she lilted.

“You are having a memorial service for your dead? Why not have the funerals with the rest?” Mari asked. Pina gulped.

“You don't know what kind of ceremony the Warrior Bunnies have…!” she began.

“Hush, Pina,” chided Ritsuko, sounding amused. “Besides, this is a tradition of the Warrior Bunnies, and it is just for those who are members of our tribe,” she said to Mari. “I could make you a member, if you are curious,” she offered. Mari considered that. Ritsuko - for all that Mari liked her - was not entirely sane, in her professional opinion; not that she didn't understand how that could happen. “Besides, I suspect you decided to stay at the very last second, so you better think fast about what you plan to do and how you plan to do it,” suggested Ritsuko.

“I have a general of idea of what I want to do and how,” Mari replied. “I will think about your offer, Ritsuko,” she said, standing and scanning for more wounded.

“Don't procrastinate, Mari - the ceremony is tonight,” warned Ritsuko, seeing Itami and most of his group approaching the women. “Itami,” Ritsuko nodded to the man.

“Pina, Ritsuko,” he nodded back. Ritsuko glanced at his group.

“You are missing the psycho goth loli,” noted the red-headed Queen. Rory was not with his group, though the rest of the women were.

“Yeah, we were about to go look for her,” admitted the senior-most ranked JSDF man left on the planet. Ritsuko hummed. “We also need to talk about what happens next, Ritsuko,” he added.

“I'm a bit busy right now, but by this evening, we should have a chance to talk,” she replied, even as her elves, Mamina and Sarina approached. A pair of knights was heading for Pina as well. “In fact, let's have that meeting tonight about an hour before sunset in the command center,” she suggested, glancing at Pina and Itami, who both nodded. The three commanders split up and tended to the matters each of them had. Mari made a mental note to be in that meeting as well.

“Mari! You stayed?” came the surprised voice of Noriko. Blinking, the tall medic turned to see the former slave staring at her in surprise.

“Noriko, why didn't you return to Japan?” Mari asked firmly, hand on hip.

“Because I didn't,” came the almost-surly reply from Noriko. “Why did you stay? You have family in Japan, don't you?” she nearly accused the tall medic as she fumbled for a cigarette.

“That is immaterial,” denied the medic. “And we need to talk about your smoking habit again,” she added, giving the younger girl a firm look. Noriko groaned.

“This again?” she nearly whined.

“Yes. Seeing as we will be spending the rest of our lives here, I think it important that I do my job and try to keep you healthy,” Mari replied placidly, but with steel in her voice. “Besides, the Gate is gone, so the cigarettes will run out pretty quick,” she reminded the younger woman. Noriko snorted, glancing away.

“I have been stock-piling cartons for a while now, and there is always the local stuff,” she added.

“You will not become an addict to the local herbs,” stated Mari, her tone inflexible. “Bad enough Miseria smokes that stuff, but I will not let you turn into an addict.” Noriko gave an unwilling snort.

“There was a time I would have said `you aren't my mother', but after everything that has happened…I just don't see the point. But I am not your ward, daughter or property, either. I might join Ritsuko's group,” she added. Mari considered that.

“Perhaps that would be best,” Mari replied a heart-beat later. “She is much, much stricter than me; and she is far less tolerant of sass, too,” smiled Mari. Noriko frowned, considering that suggestion. “While you re-think your threat, help me check for any wounded,” Mari said, hoisting the medical pack. Noriko nodded absently, following the medic as she began her sweep of the battlefield.

Ritsuko, meanwhile, was busy with other projects besides just organizing the ceremony for her fallen sisters. “Mamina, take a group and get into the armory. You remember where it is?” prompted Ritsuko. The Royal Guard Captain nodded. “Grab the boxes that have the markings I showed you and get them ready to move. Sarina, take a group of those who I taught to use machines and find three working trucks. Scavenge for fuel - it will be in the cans like I showed you - off the other trucks and machines. Be sure to smell it to make sure it is gas and not diesel. Load the trucks up with the fuel and the boxes that Mamina's group gets from the armory and get them on their way to our capital. You and Mamina stay here for the ceremony, but send the trucks directly to the capital. Remind them to be careful when refueling the trucks. I showed you how - do you remember?” she prompted.

“Yes, my Queen,” confirmed the two.

“Mamina, I need you to find Persia. I have a project for her as well. Go, while they are all distracted,” she instructed, the Warrior Bunnies hurrying off.

“Raiding the storehouses? You have gone native,” grinned Gabs.

“Learned from a certain dark elf bandit,” shrugged Ritsuko, giving Gabs a smile. She paused to study the three elves that had been with her for the last few years. “Thank you all for being here with me,” she said quietly. The three glanced at each other.

“It is our pleasure,” Rapier said. Milliea just hugged her friend tightly.

“You are very entertaining to hang out with,” smiled Gabs. Ritsuko managed smile back.

“In that case, I have a couple errands for you all to run as well,” she said, getting eager smiles back from her accomplices.

By that evening, when the three leaders met up again, things were more or less under control. The meeting was much like the ones that Hazama had had in that room, but also somewhat different. “So, what's the status of your forces? I have taken some losses, but nothing crippling. Pina?” she asked.

“Mostly normal wounds. Kurokawa has patched up most of the worst ones, and the rest will recover on their own. I have arranged for the fallen to be taken back to the Capital for burial with honors,” Pina said.

“Itami?” she asked.

“We have a rough count of the losses to Alnus Living Community,” Itami said. “About two dozen killed, another couple dozen injured in the initial fighting. We lost about a dozen volunteers in the fighting here; mostly mercenaries who had been guarding trade caravans. There are a few more injured that Kurokawa is not sure will pull through. We lost two of the kids, three of the Formal Maids and one of your Warrior Bunnies,” he reported.

“I knew about my sister,” Ritsuko replied, scowling. “What of the condition of the base?”

Itami sighed. He had seen Ritsuko moving around all over the place, and her people had been busy as hell and unwilling to talk about what they were doing with anyone, so he suspected she had been checking on the conditions of the base and raiding the store rooms. “Fuel for the vehicles is nearly depleted. The armory is down to bare minimums of small arms ammunition and ordnance, with little left for the heavier stuff, too. Hazama got most of the equipment out, and what remained behind has been mostly spiked. There are some trucks and some other vehicles, but almost no gas. The Cobras and Phantoms are destroyed - looks like incendiary grenades in their cockpits and intakes - and much of the supplies for them are missing, probably sent back through the Gate earlier. The cargo birds are in the revetments, but I don't know how to fly them, and I suspect you don't either, so they are useless. The drones and drone command trailer are still here, but fuel is coming up short, and there is no one who knows how to use the drones.”

“I found the manual,” smiled Ritsuko.

“Of course you did,” sighed Itami. “There are a good number of Type 64s and machineguns left, but little ammo. The mortar tubes are left, but they are completely out of ammo. Defensive lines are nearly all intact, but the tunnels are not sealed. Basically, we are in an abandoned firebase,” he finished.

“Medical supplies and sundries are more or less intact,” Mari chimed in. Ritsuko nodded.

“Yeah, I noticed,” she said. “Did you find the little head-case?” she asked. Itami nodded slowly. “Too bad,” Ritsuko shrugged. “Moving right along, we have a displaced population base and an empty fort. I suggest we have Alnus take up residence here, since the buildings are up and running, and they need shelter now. What are your thoughts?” she asked.

“It makes sense,” Itami sighed. “But we need to do something about the weapons and arms,” he added.

“And the Gate,” Pina interjected.

“Seal the dome and let it be,” Ritsuko suggested. “Close the doors, cut the power and hydraulics, and the Gate is no longer an issue. As for the arms, you will find they are taken care of,” smiled Ritsuko.

“Ritsuko,” began Itami. Ritsuko shook her head.

“Don't,” she warned, her tone firm. “I have been in this world a hell of a lot longer than you, and I have much more invested in it. Don't go there with me, Itami,” she repeated her warning. “Pina will be receiving a few rifles under a previous agreement, and I will be keeping a share. I do not necessarily object to leaving the balance to you, Itami, so that should deal with the weapons problem. We seal the Gate, secure the unusable munitions in the armory depot and the Alnus Town residents are back in business within a day or two. There is room for gardens and fields within the defensive lines, water is on-site and there is even power for as long as the generators and solar power system hold out. Not a bad site for the refugees,” she suggested.

The others agreed with her after a bit of discussion. “We have an unexpected stay-behind and a volunteer,” Ritsuko noted, indicating Mari and Noriko. “We need to make sure they are in a stable position. Noriko, Mari, what are your plans? Bear in mind, I could use you for my upcoming mission,” she invited.

“We were talking as we checked for wounded,” Noriko began, glancing at Mari, who nodded. “I think I will see if I can learn to be a medic from Mari. God knows this place needs more medical personnel,” she said.

“I see,” Ritsuko said. “If that is your decision, I will help you if I can. Where do you plan to set up shop? The Capital? Italica? Here? Elbe?” she asked, shooting Itami a look. “That question applies to you as well, Itami,” she added.

“Honestly, I had not thought about that,” admitted Mari. “Perhaps a school in the Capital, with clinics in the other places.”

“Do you have the funding for that?” asked Ritsuko bluntly.

“I would be honored to sponsor her clinic in the Capital,” Pina spoke up. She knew that Mari was practically a miracle-worker in the medical field, literally head and shoulders above the best healers in her world.

“Countess Myui wishes to be your sponsor, mistress Kurokawa,” Mamina spoke up.

“What of the children here who have come to rely on your care?” Tuka asked of the medic.

Mari considered that, seeing Ritsuko had a half-smirk on her face. “Don't sit there smirking, Ritsuko,” chided the medic.

“If I were smirking, you would know it,” came the cool reply. “I am just remembering a conversation from some time ago. Before you make a final decision, I have something to show you that might just be of help to you,” Ritsuko said. Her elves gave her sharp looks. “Besides, you would appreciate seeing some of the things I have to show you. Wouldn't she, Pina?”

“You mean…there?” Pina asked, sounding startled. Ritsuko nodded.

“There where?” asked Mari, sounding suspicious.

“I thought you hated that place and said you would burn it to the ground next time you had to go there,” Gabs said, her intuition telling her what Ritsuko was considering. Ritsuko shrugged.

“Only if they give me any more of their nonsense,” she replied. “And I want Liseria checked out by a competent medic, too,” she added.

“The other continent,” breathed Mari, sounding intrigued. “The one you conquered.” Ritsuko shrugged again.

“Among other things,” she half-answered. Mari nodded.

“Very well,” she accepted the offer, “I want to see these things.”

“Excellent,” Ritsuko exclaimed. “Noriko will accompany you, I trust?” she asked, getting a nod. “Superb. And what of you, Itami? Where will you call home now that Japan is lost?”

“Me?” blinked the soldier.

“Is there another Itami here?” asked Ritsuko. “You are a lord of Elbe, you have a Countess of Clan Formal very smitten with you, friends in the Capital and, of course, this group here in Alnus. Where is home for you now, Itami?”

“What, no invitation to the Warrior Bunny capital?” asked Gabs. “I have it on good authority that he is on good terms with the Queen of that bunch,” she teased.

“Not that good,” Ritsuko cut her teasing off at the knees. “I might like him just fine, but not that much, Gabs. Besides, he has his hands full already, and I can't have him underfoot. And then, there is the issue of the homicidal little freak he hangs out with. We don't get along, and I would just end up killing that little bitch.”

Itami blinked. He had been sure that Ritsuko would try to get him and his group on her side, but it sounded like she considered him not worth the effort. Of course, Rory is a major problem for her; and all of us, honestly, he thought to himself. “I hadn't given it much thought,” he began.

“You better,” grunted Ritsuko. “And fast. Keep this in mind, as well,” she went on, “with the Gate gone, the trade goods that Alnus is so famous for are gone for good as well, and that will have a major impact on the importance of Alnus and the community here. You and the JSDF made a commitment to them, but now, I am not sure that you can deliver on that commitment. What was it you said, about not getting involved unless you were going to see it through? Well, you are involved now, and there is no one else for you to hand this off to.”

Itami frowned, considering her words. She had a point, he realized. He sighed, practically feeling Mari staring at him along with his girls.

“As a lord of Elbe, you could set up camp there. King Duran would likely appreciate the help and might just make you king after he passes, given the situation with the succession for his throne,” smiled Ritsuko, malicious glee in her eyes. Itami twitched.

“But, if you want to run as you are legendary for doing so, I can help; for a price,” she nearly purred. His women stiffened.

“My husband…” began Lelei.

“You never did get that priest to marry you,” noted Ritsuko, grinning easily at the magic girl.

“You have no claim on papa,” Tuka scowled.

“He isn't your father, long-ears,” Ritsuko replied, sounding bored.

“Master Itami…!” began Yao.

“I had almost forgotten he was a slave owner,” growled Ritsuko, “thank you for reminding me.” Yao turned white as Itami gulped.

“I think we should stay focused on the matters at hand,” Itami said hastily.

“I concur,” Pina seconded, knowing how Ritsuko could get about slavers. Talk turned to the details of getting done what they had agreed needed to happen, and before she knew it, Pina found herself being guided by Ritsuko into the woods a good ways from Alnus Station. In a clearing was a long fire-pit, with some meat roasting over it. Many Warrior Bunnies were already gathered, talking softly. When Ritsuko arrived, then all faced her and saluted her.

“Queen Ritsuko,” they greeted her in unison.

“Sisters,” Ritsuko replied before indicating Pina. “I give you sister Pina, blood sister to me, and oath sister to our clan.” Most of the Warrior Bunnies were stunned silent. “And I give you Kurokawa Mari and Kurata Noriko, who wish to become sisters of ours as well.”

After a moment, Mamina, Sarina and Delilah stepped forward, Delilah pulling a small, thin knife from her battle gown. “Are they worthy, my Queen?” asked the former spy. Ritsuko nodded.

“I believe so,” she answered.

“You have not led us astray yet, my Queen,” Delilah said, focusing on the two. “Are you prepared to take the blood oath?” she asked the two. After a moment, the two nodded. Delilah nicked her arm, and in minutes, Mari and Noriko were blood sisters as well, both somewhat stunned by the ceremony.

“You didn't tell us about that part,” hissed Mari to Pina. Pina blinked.

“Oh, sorry - forgot,” she apologized, sounding less than sorry to the two. Ritsuko didn't give them time to think about that.

“Tonight, we remember our fallen sisters, who fell in battle. In their honor, we will sing, feast, dance and love!”

A cheer went up from the Warrior Bunnies. Almost before they knew it, the other humans were following Ritsuko as she danced around the fire, sang with her subjects and feasted. When offered a thick piece of meat and a cup of drink, Mari hesitated, wondering if what she had heard was true or not. “Is this….?” she began slowly.

“Does it matter?” asked Ritsuko evenly. Mari considered that for a long moment before mentally shrugging and digging into the meat, finding it to be somewhere between pork, rabbit and barbeque. She forced herself not to think of the banquets Ritsuko arranged for the VIPs where she had the guests served roasted human flesh. Well, this isn't cannibalism, since they weren't humans, she told herself of the meat she ate. Beside her, Noriko didn't seem to have as much of a mental issue with it as her. Once more, she wondered how big the adjustment would be to this world.

When Mari found herself being hit on by a couple of Warrior Bunnies, she realized it was well past midnight, and couples and groups were all over the place, very busy with each other. Carefully begging off, she hurriedly looked for a way out. “Mari, Noriko, you weren't thinking of leaving, were you? That would be…problematic,” Ritsuko warned. “Come on, before any of my more horny girls get to you,” she added, tossing her head toward a large sleeping blanket on the ground not far from the fire.

The three were apprehensive - Pina with good reason - about what might happen, but Ritsuko peeled off her battle gown, set her handgun in close reach and got comfortable on the blanket, giving them an expectant look. Pina swiftly stripped off and joined her, Mari and Noriko finally doing the same. Cuddling up to Pina, Ritsuko motioned them over, and once they were all cuddled up together - which they found oddly soothing - a grinning Mamina tossed another blanket over the four before joining Delilah and Sarina on a blanket beside theirs, the three hardly shy about their lust.

Morning found Mari and Noriko the last to wake, Ritsuko already up and by the coals of the fire, speaking softly with her Warrior Bunnies, her three elves by her side as well. “Good morning, sisters,” greeted a Warrior Bunny, smiling at the three. The women swiftly rose and prepared.

“Good timing,” Ritsuko said to Pina. “Looks like we need to get to the Capital. It seems someone else was left behind by accident.”

“Well, this is certainly embarrassing,” Sugawara said, looking at Ritsuko, Pina, Mari and Noriko. The four had arrived by air fish earlier that morning to find the Ministry of Foreign Affairs diplomat and his bride-to-be Sherry waiting in a guest room. Sherry wasn't upset at all, smiling contentedly; almost smugly, in fact.

“It is the will of the gods,” she beamed at the Empress.

“The hell are you doing here?” Ritsuko asked. “The orders for diplomats to pull out had to have gone out days ago, while the Gate was working. Yet, here you are,” she said, hands on her hips.

“It is a funny story,” Sugawara began.

“I doubt it,” snorted Mari.

“I could say the same thing about your presence here, Sergeant Kurokawa,” Koji noted.

“It is just Kurokawa now,” Mari said, tugging her shirt down a little to reveal her dog-tags were missing. “I resigned from the JSDF on short notice,” she smiled easily. “General Hazama accepted my resignation in person,” she added.

“How did you get left behind, Sugawara?” Ritsuko asked firmly.

“As you might know, I arranged for Sherry to visit Japan some months ago,” began the mid-thirties diplomat.

“You introduced her to your family, did you not, in preparation for your wedding?” Pina interjected. The diplomat didn't react, but the women knew they had hit a nerve.

“Among the other sights, yes, I introduced her to my family,” he admitted casually.

“In spite of the language barrier, I got approval from his mother,” beamed Sherry. “And his father and brother were completely taken with me, and gave me their blessings as well,” she bragged.

“I am sure you did, Sherry,” Pina cut in smoothly. “None of which tells us why you are here, in the Capital, when the Gate is gone.”

“After we returned from the visit, I could hardly do less than my husband to be, so I arranged for him to meet my family and tour our holdings, since he will become the next head of the Tyueli family and will need to know our lands and resources. I also arranged for him to meet our friends and allies in the senate, so he will be familiar with the political landscape between our houses. My adopted parents approved of him, of course,” she smugly smiled.

“Of course they did,” came the dry reply from Ritsuko. “Get to the point,” she pressed.

“We were visiting the lands of a long-time ally in the senate when the recall order was given. As we were heading back, we were ambushed - all of us, not just Sherry and I - and had to hole up in the manor of the Tyueli home for more than two days. Once the attack was over, we had to figure out how to get to Alnus, but it took us this long to get here. When we arrived, I asked Beefeater-san to radio Alnus for a pickup, but there was no reply until late last night, and we learned there were no choppers left and the Gate was down anyway. So, here we are,” he finished.

“The will of the gods,” insisted Sherry, beaming at her groom-to-be. Ritsuko and Pina eyed the two coolly.

“Perhaps it is,” Pina murmured after a moment. “Very well,” she said, straightening a little. “By my decree, the two of you shall be wed in one month's time, after which you, Sugawara, will begin service to the Empire as the Speaker of the Senate.”

“What?” blinked Sugawara. “Empress Pina, Sherry is not yet of age…”

“The Empress's command overrides that, Koji,” grinned Ritsuko. “Besides, she is, what, one year short of age of majority? Remember, too, that this is not Japan and the life expectancy here is often much lower, so marrying early insures better chances of children living to adulthood.”

“And what of yourself?” Koji asked before he could think better of it. It wasn't every day that he was told he would be marrying a barely-fourteen year old girl. Even if he had become quite fond of Sherry, it still sat uneasily with him that he was being told he would marry her.

“I am Queen of the Warrior Bunnies, boy,” came the dark reply from Ritsuko. “I rule as I see fit.”

“That did not come out right,” Sugawara replied blandly.

“Damn right it didn't,” snorted Ritsuko. She glanced at Pina. “What would you say, Pina? One year after their wedding for their first child?” she asked, grinning sadistically.

“I can do that!” Sherry nearly chirped.

“Now wait a minute…” began the diplomat.

“Welcome to the world you will spend the rest of your life in, Sugawara-kun,” purred Ritsuko. “You would do much better to go native as quickly as you can; it will lessen the trauma and shock.”

“Empress Pina, I must protest…!” began Sugawara earnestly.

“She is a bit young and small for child-bearing,” Mari spoke up, her eyes glinting maliciously. Sugawara remembered the tall medic speaking with Shirayuri on several occasions during the negotiations with former Emperor Molt; usually after Sherry had flirted with him publically. Women, he thought sourly, they always gang up on men!

“I will deliver healthy children for my beloved husband!” Sherry declared indignantly. “I know women smaller and younger than me who have many healthy children!”

“Younger than fifteen?” Mari blinked before shaking it away.

“I will make it two years,” Pina replied. And just like that, Sugawara's fate was sealed.

While Pina was busy with re-organizing the Senate and getting the Capital and Empire settled down again, Ritsuko slipped away with Mari and Noriko, the group stopping only long enough to pick up Ritsuko's elves before Ritsuko took the two through the gate to Raltaow and introduced them to Airi and Liseria. Mari and Noriko spent two weeks in the Capital with the Queen and Airi before Ritsuko moved their tour along, showing them several spots in the Republic, including the College of Healers. Mari had to nearly be dragged away after three days, the department heads almost holding onto her clothes to keep her from leaving. Ritsuko's presence was the only thing stopping them from physically seizing her.

Ritsuko had introduced the two to Annette and Celsia, who was recovering nicely at the temple and was returning to her normal psychotic self. When she heard that Junpei was gone, she couldn't decide if she was happy or sad, alternating between the two to the point where Mari would have put her on mood regulator drugs and treated her for bi-polar disorder. Ritsuko informed the two that that was how Celsia had always been. She also arranged for Annette to come to the Lost Content and begin building five key transit gates there. Annette had been assured that Gabriella would help her with the spell workload and that masons were already building the arcs to the specifications she had laid out and in areas with the right terrain and space.

Stopping back by Raltaow before transiting back to the other continent, Ritsuko found Liseria and Airi had decided to pay an official visit to the Empire and their vassal states. After a day-long argument and strategy session, the Queen and her Chancellor had boarded an air fish and gone through the transit gate to the gate nearest the Capital. The two had stopped off at Alnus so Airi could view the results of the battle and speak with Itami, who had ended up roped into running Alnus until they were steadied up in the new facilities. Itami reported that four members of Saber Group - the Special Forces group tasked with clandestine operations in the Empire - had shown up at Alnus, having had radio trouble. They had not been overly upset about being stranded in the Empire, though they were also not particularly joyful about it. After a long session of meetings, the four had agreed to the rough plan that Itami, Ritsuko and Pina had worked out before heading off to start their new lives in the Empire. Two of them had been hired by Pina as trainers and Imperial Guard captains, and two of them had accepted positions with Countess Myui in Italica, doing much the same.

When the group visited Italica, Mari had sought out Miseria and found she was involved with one of the Special Forces troopers. The winged woman seemed perfectly happy with things, still working at the tavern during the days, and spending her nights with her new boyfriend, who didn't seem concerned about her past as a whore. Mari wasn't entirely comfortable with the relationship, as she had seen the man flirting with some of the maids in Countess Myui's service, but Ritsuko took her aside and reminded her that this was the world they were stuck in and they would be spending the rest of their lives here. Since Miseria didn't seem to care, she told herself it was not her concern.

Countess Myui was overjoyed to meet Airi and Liseria once more, the three getting along famously. Airi and Liseria seemed to genuinely like spending time with the young Countess, and Myui treated them like big sisters with a touch of mother in there for Airi. When Myui had confessed that she was being sent suitors, it had nearly caused a bloodbath as Ritsuko made it very clear that `suitors' was the same as `walking dead men' in her book. After Milliea had managed to pull Ritsuko away, Airi and Liseria told Myui about their own experiences with suitors and Ritsuko. Myui had seemed relieved to hear that Ritsuko would protect her to that degree, which had lead Airi to review how state marriages worked and the importance of them.

“So, I will have to marry a man I might not like?” Myui asked, sounding scared.

“Sometimes,” admitted Airi.

“Stop trying to play match-maker,” came Ritsuko's voice from the door, the red-head back. She had a large cup in her hands, Milliea giving her a worried look, but saying nothing. “Myui, if you choose to marry at all, you will pick the man; just like Airi did,” she said, sending Airi a hard look. “And if you choose not to marry, that is fine, too. There are other ways to achieve the ends Airi described. Also, I give you my word that even if you have to marry a man, he will never oppose you, mistreat you, boss you around or touch you without your express permission. Training suitors has become a specialty of mine,” she grinned before drinking from the cup. “Ask Liseria how good I am at it,” she giggled.

“She makes an impression on them, to be sure,” Liseria said, her tone bland. Myui seemed relieved. Ritsuko made her way over to the young girl, absently stroking her hair.

“Oh, can I borrow Aurea for a bit, Myui?” she asked.

“Aurea? I guess…but, what for?” Myui asked, Airi and Liseria both getting chills in their spines.

“Small project,” Ritsuko said, waving her free hand. “It shouldn't take more than a week. I promise I will bring her back safe and sound,” she pledged, glancing at the medusa, who was serving with Mohmu, the two standing behind Myui's chair in the garden pergola. “If you agree, Aurea….?” Hinted Ritsuko to the medusa.

The medusa glanced at her Mistress hesitantly. “If my Mistress has no objections…”

“It is fine, Aurea,” Myui said, smiling at her friend.

“Then, I am at your disposal, Lady Ritsuko,” Aurea gave her a basic curtsey. Ritsuko gave her a smile.

“Outstanding,” she nearly purred in delight. “We are going to have so much fun, Aurea,” she said before giggling again.

“Rit-chan,” began Airi uneasily. Ritsuko wagged a finger at Airi as she sipped from the cup, and Airi knew it was impossible to talk to her about whatever she had in mind right then. “Oh, and before I forget, Mamina and Delilah wanted to know if you are looking for more maids. They have found a couple that they think would be very useful to you.”

“Mamina and Delilah?” Myui asked, perking up a bit. “If they are recommending them, then yes!”

“I thought you might say that,” Ritsuko said, smiling at the head of Clan Formal. “They are waiting outside right now,” she said, turning toward the door and whistling. The doors to the garden opened and in stepped a pair of women. Both were of the four-armed tribe, dressed in simple, low-quality cotton smocks that barely covered their hips and left the sides of their breasts exposed. The two approached Myui, who had never met a four-armed tribe member before.

“Girls, this is Countess Myui - the head of the Formal Clan and ruler of these lands,” Ritsuko began, indicating Myui. “She is currently hiring maids. Behind her is Head Maid Kaine, who will be your boss and teach you what you need to know. You have heard Mamina and Delilah talk about Myui and Kaine, have you not? Good,” she said when the two nodded. “Myui, this is Bazini and Kazini, of the four-arm demi-human tribe. They are sisters, Bazini is the older one, Kazini is the younger. They aren't trained to be maids, but I know you will find them very useful maids and good friends. Will you accept their service?”

“Yes,” Myui said, smiling up at the two tall female demi-humans. “I welcome you to my service. Demi-humans in my lands have the same rights as humans, and are treated the same. If you have problems with any of the humans, please come speak to me about it, and if it is a matter with the maids or staff in my house, speak with Kaine.”

“Yes, master,” the two said, bowing.

“Do not call her or anyone else that ever again,” Ritsuko cut in, her tone cold and hard. The group in the room had a sudden suspicion how Ritsuko had found these two. Looking closer at the two, they saw small scars around their wrists, and some other marks. “You are free and taking employment with Myui, not being sold to her,” snarled Ritsuko. “Address her as the other maids do, as `mistress Myui', `Countess Myui' or `Lady Formal'.”

“Forgive us, your majesty,” the two said to Ritsuko in unison.

“And I told you to call me Ritsuko,” replied the red-head. “Only my sister Warrior Bunnies call me Queen; well, them and my friends when they are mouthing off,” she added dryly. “Thank you for accepting their service, Myui,” she added, turning to smile at the young ruler, who was watching the two with a curious look.

“It is my pleasure to welcome them to my service, Ritsuko,” Myui replied. Kaine clapped her hands twice softly.

“Bazini, Kazini, come with me, we have to get your properly clothed, find you a room in the manor and begin your training,” she directed, leading the two off.

“You have been slave raiding again, haven't you?” Airi asked.

“I make no secret of what I will do,” replied Ritsuko calmly.

“What if their owners come looking for them? It would cause mistress Myui problems,” Mohmu said. Ritsuko gave the human maid a look that literally made her cringe.

“Their `owners',” Ritsuko sneered at the word, “are very, very dead. So is the slaver who sold them. And the group of slavers who kidnapped them from their tribe. And the owners of the slave auction house they were processed through. And the patron of the slavers group responsible. In short, Mohmu, no one who thought of them as property is left alive to look for them. Do you think I would ask Myui to take them in service if it would cause her problems?” asked Ritsuko, her tone frosty and stiff.

“Forgive me, Queen Ritsuko, it was an ignorant thing to suggest!” Mohmu nearly sobbed.

“Rit-chan,” chided Airi. “Mohmu doesn't know you as well as we do, so stop bullying her.”

Ritsuko started to say something back, her eyes hard, but Milliea slipped her hand over Ritsuko's mouth, whispering in her ear as the elf girl nearly dragged the pissed-off human away from the group. “Excuse us, please!” Milliea called back cheerfully before she pulled Ritsuko around the corner of the doorway.

Mohmu drooped a little as Ritsuko vanished, a hand touching her chest. “Are you all right, Mohmu?” asked Myui. Mohmu straightened back up immediately, giving her precious mistress a smile.

“I am fine, mistress Myui,” she assured her. “Forgive me for embarrassing you in front of your guests,” she added.

“It's fine, Mohmu-chan,” Airi assured her, “we know how Ritsuko can be.”

“I hope she doesn't hold a grudge,” murmured the young human maid.

“I am afraid she is quite good at holding a grudge, but she won't hold one against you,” Liseria chimed in. “You simply didn't know any better.”

When dinner time came, the group learned that Ritsuko, Milliea and Aurea had left by air fish hours before, without a word of where they might have gone. The next morning, Airi and Liseria headed for the capital on their own air fish, wondering if Ritsuko and Milliea would be there or not.

“I recall that when Bart sold mistress Myui's letterhead and used her seal to frame Delilah, we couldn't use this method,” Mamina said to Persia.

“The JSDF wanted proof of his wrongdoing,” shrugged the cat-girl. “Ritsuko seems far less inclined to put them on trial,” she added, grinning.

“Damn right,” grunted Ritsuko. “They are guilty and the only thing I need is the identities of who else is involved. Either way, they are dead,” she stated. Some sounds came from the floor in front of Persia, making the cat-girl smack the bound, naked figure at her feet.

“Silence,” snarled Persia. “Wait your own turn like a good little boy,” she purred. Mamina gave her friend a lazy smile.

“Told you that you should have been more firm with him,” she lilted. The man at her own feet was sprawled out, unconscious, a small pool of blood under his face where it rested on the dirty floor of what had once been a slave market stock pen.

“Aurea can't feed on their souls if they are dead,” Persia replied, unimpressed.

“He isn't dead,” argued Mamina. “Just sleeping very, very deeply,” she snickered, absently flexing her leg. In front of them, Aurea had a man wrapped up in her snake-hair, the man looking like a mummy, shrunken and shriveled up, a dried husk of what he had once been.

“Well?” asked Ritsuko of the medusa as she released the desiccated husk.

“He knew little of note,” Aurea said, her pale skin flushed with color. Even through the blouse she wore, Ritsuko could see her nipples were hard and the way she shifted her thighs told her that the medusa was aroused. “It appears his own partners didn't trust him with information,” she sighed. Ritsuko nodded.

“You need a break or shall we continue?” she asked the medusa. Aurea licked her lips.

“Let's keep going,” she nearly panted. Ritsuko smiled, gesturing to Persia, who bent over, grabbed her prisoner by his hair and pulled him to his feet.

“Your turn,” she hissed into his ear before shoving him at Aurea, whose snakes coiled around him, the man beginning to struggle, but quickly stopping as his skin began to wrinkle and his hair turn gray. Aurea was panting softly now, one hand absently touching her hard nipples.

“This one knows much,” the medusa nearly moaned, her other hand going to her groin. “So much,” she said, a bit of drool escaping the corner of her mouth before her tongue caught it. “Mm…!” she moaned huskily. The man trapped in her snakes looked to be well over a hundred, whereas moments before he had been in his early twenties. Less than a minute later, Aurea released the dried husk of the man before staggering a little, Ritsuko catching her. The snakes wrapped around Ritsuko, but the red-head wasn't worried. Medusas only fed on men, and snakes did not bother her. The smooth, slick, dry scales actually felt pretty good on her skin.

“A moment,” slurred Aurea as Ritsuko hugged her close. She could feel how hot the medusa was; and smell her arousal, which was musky in scent. At least she loves her work, part of her thought, amused. Almost ten minutes later, Aurea was ready to tell them what she had learned. To one side, Parna waited, pen and pad ready. As the medusa listed off names, locations and roles, Parna jotted them down swiftly on the paper. When she finished, she glanced at the last man, the one in front of Mamina. “That one knows nothing, being only hired muscle and a rapist,” she sneered.

“Good enough,” Ritsuko said, nodding to Mamina, who stomped on the man's neck, breaking it. “This is much faster than waterboarding it out of them,” she noted. “Easier, too. You ok with this much feeding, Aurea?” she asked, stroking the medusa's face. The woman nodded, still savoring the after-glow of a truly powerful orgasm. “Let's get lunch after we finish here,” Ritsuko suggested, the other approving. As she nearly carried the medusa to their air fish, the others quickly set the fires that would gut the stone-frame slave auction. There were bodies everywhere at the site, guards, buyers, owners, `trainers' and even a few slaves who had rushed to defend their masters. The bodies would not all be burnt, serving as a message to whoever found the site after they were done.

An hour later, as they ate at a small tavern, Parna looked over the list of names Aurea had provided. “We have some important people on this list,” she murmured before taking a bit of her pan-seared steak.

“So? That will not save them,” Ritsuko said between bites of her own steak and potatoes.

“I didn't say it would,” Parna agreed. “But we will have to be careful about how we do it or it will cause problems later,” she pointed out. Ritsuko gave her a steady look.

“We do it like always, Parna,” the red-head said. “Why the sudden timidity?”

“I am remembering why Zorzal was so easily able to get approval to invade our lands and take us as slaves,” Parna said.

“Fuck that,” Ritsuko replied. “He got away with it so easily because the Empire is a bunch of assholes. When we are done, no one in their right minds will ever try to invade us again. Don't forget that Pina swore the blood oath,” she reminded the cut-eared Warrior Bunny. Left unsaid was what Ritsuko would do if Pina dared to break that oath.

“As you will, my Queen,” Parna bowed her head.

Further conversation was interrupted by the arrival of a half-dozen guards. The group watched the guards even as they continued to eat. After speaking with the tavern keeper, the guards headed for their table. Under their cloaks, the group rested hands on weapons. “You lot,” commanded the leader of the group, “where did you come from and what is your business in this land?”

“We came from where we were, and our business is our own,” answered Ritsuko coldly, turning to look at the group of guards. The guard flushed with anger or embarrassment.

“Remove your hoods,” he demanded. Ritsuko snorted.

“No, thank you,” she replied indifferently. The man reached for her, but she caught his wrist in her hand, twisting and pulling, the man crashing to the floor with a wail of pain. Ritsuko fluidly rose to her feet, increasing the pressure on the man's wrist steadily until she heard and felt it break. He screamed in agony. “Don't you ever touch me, filth!” thundered Ritsuko even as she lunged down, punching the writhing man in the jaw and knocking him out. The other five men seemed torn between shocked immobility and rushing her.

“Take this piece of shit and get out of my sight,” snarled Ritsuko, kicking the unconscious guard. The five guards shifted. “If you want to do this, I promise you none of you will leave here alive,” warned Ritsuko, brushing back her hood to reveal her Warrior Bunny Royal helmet/crown, her cloak parting enough to reveal a bit of her armored battle gown and loin tabard.

“You going to finish that?” asked Persia casually, gesturing with her fork to the unfinished steak on Ritsuko's plate.

“I call dibs on her vegetables,” chimed in Mamina. Ritsuko snorted softly.

“Stop trying to steal my food,” she said to the two calmly.

“If you want to play with the little boys, that is your business,” came the answer. “We came here to eat, and I'm still hungry,” Mamina replied.

“Then order more food,” came Ritsuko's retort before she turned her attention back to the remaining guards. “Either come at me or get this shit out of here,” she barked, once more kicking the downed guard. After a moment, the five grabbed their leader and departed, giving the group hard looks. Ritsuko snorted before sitting down. Half her steak and most of her vegetables were gone. “Damn it,” she sighed.

“Excuse me, miss, but I must ask you to leave,” the tavern keeper said, approaching the group. Ritsuko's hands curled into fists. “I won't ask you to pay, but please leave and do not return,” he said. A soft growl came from Ritsuko's throat.

“And if I don't?” came the tight, furious reply from Ritsuko.

“They will be back, with many more men, and it will be hard on all of us,” the man replied. He could tell she was furious and he didn't want to fight her, but he couldn't risk this stranger getting him in trouble. “Please, miss, just leave,” he nearly begged.

“I have half a mind to wait for those sorry little shits to return, kill them all, mount their heads on sticks and burn this place to the ground,” Ritsuko declared.

“It isn't worth the effort, my Queen,” Mamina said, eyeing the other patrons. “Besides, we have business elsewhere,” she hinted. Ritsuko fixed the fidgeting tavern owner with a hard stare.

“They do this because you are spineless worms who never resist,” she said, her hand pulling a couple of small gold coins from her purse. “Earn your gold, like the coward you are,” she hissed, throwing the gold into the fireplace before shoving him aside hard enough to make him fall on his ass. Her party followed her out, ignoring the silent stares from the locals. It was very clear that Ritsuko was furious, and her party knew enough to let her cool off before saying anything.

“Try and fucking help idiots, and you get what you deserve,” muttered Ritsuko as they boarded their air fish, which they had concealed in the woods outside town. An hour later, they were at the next town over, looking for an inn. Unfortunately, the inn took one look at Ritsuko's party and said they didn't serve `animals', referring to the demi-humans that made up most of Ritsuko's party. The group just barely stopped Ritsuko from burning the inn to the ground. Ritsuko settled for telling the man that she would rather sleep with her `animals' in a barn loft than be under the same roof as a sub-human piece of scum like him.

True to her word, she led the group to the stable down the street, paid the stable boy a gold coin and then led the others to the hay loft, where she got comfortable. It had surprised Mamina when Ritsuko pulled her to herself, kissing her deeply. But she didn't resist, of course - her Queen was very pretty and she loved her Queen in all ways. The sounds the two made attracted the attention of the stable boy, a teenage human, and when he stealthily crept up the ladder to see what was going on, Parna had caught him. Seeing as he was a handsome young male, Parna had not beaten him up, but instead presented him to Ritsuko and her two guard captains, Mamina and Delilah. Surprising the group, Ritsuko had claimed first right to him.

In the morning, the group left, Ritsuko in a much better mood, the others happier as well. The stable boy was left unconscious, somewhat dehydrated and barely dressed, but a huge grin on his face and several gold coins in his pockets. His boss - the owner of the stable - had found him like that and yelled at him about sleeping on the job as he kicked and slapped at him to get to work. He assumed the young man had talked a local girl into spending the night with him, or hired a prostitute. The owner had told him if he ever had a girl over, he was to have first turn with her, as it was his stable. The younger man just nodded, still smiling stupidly.

“Are you sure she is here?” asked Liseria as she followed Airi along the narrow trail.

“No, but I have a fifty/fifty chance of finding her here,” the actress replied calmly. Clearing the crest of a hill, the two looked down on a narrow, deep lake in the hills, a small cabin off to the side, the trail leading to the cabin through some switchbacks. Raising a hand to her eyes, Airi studied the cabin. “I don't see any sign of anyone being here,” noted the actress.

Liseria looked closer, also shielding her eyes. “You are right,” she agreed. “And the garden area looks over-grown, too,” she noted. Airi sighed.

“Come, we might as well get down to the cabin. We will be spending the night here if the cabin is safe,” she added, looking at the sun. “Next time, we bring the air fish right into the valley,” she murmured to herself.

The sun was touching the peaks as the two reached the cabin. The garden was overgrown, though Liseria did spot a few vegetables, which she pulled up and took with her. Airi and she approached the cabin, finding that it was closed up, the shutters closed and the door barred. It was the work of a couple minutes to unbar the door and open it, the two entering the cabin as Airi clicked on a small flashlight, sweeping the cabin. The cedar chest with the blankets was there, securely shut and the skins stacked on top of it. Sweeping the flashlight around, they had not seen any sign of anyone living there in quite some time.

“It seems we missed her,” Airi said, closing the door and dropping the bar before moving to the nearest lamp and lighting it with a match. Let's get a fire going and get some sleep. In the morning, we are heading back to the air fish and will try the southern camp,” she said. In short order, a small fire was burning in the main fireplace, the two enjoying a simple, basic meal of jerky and steamed vegetables. Liseria was looking around the cabin, remembering her last visit here.

“Bringing back fond memories?” teased Airi.

“Well, yes, some,” admitted Liseria, cheeks coloring. “But I wonder where the others went? There were girls and guys here, but now there is no sign of anyone.”

“Knowing Rit-chan, she probably shifted them around after your visit for just this reason,” admitted Airi. “Trying to find the father of your son?” she asked.

“My late husband is the father of my son,” she replied snippily. “Besides, I don't know if it was here or the other camp that I got pregnant at,” she admitted, glancing away. Airi hummed, reaching over to hug her Queen.

“I am just teasing you, Liseria, you know that,” she assured the girl.

“We could just ask Ritsuko, you know,” she suggested to Airi a moment later. Airi frowned.

“Ritsuko is a bit busy right now on the Lost Continent, and she would immediately want to know why we were interested in one of her people. And make no mistake, Liseria dear, they are her people,” cautioned Airi. “Besides, this is a good vacation,” she added playfully.

“Empress Pina, this is nothing short of an act of war!” screamed a red-faced senator, getting some sounds of approval from other senators. “These horrific attacks on businesses all across the empire must end!”

“It is slavery that must end,” Pina replied, her tone bored. “Our society will not survive if it is based on slavery. Just look at what has happened because of our reliance on slavery for labor,” she said, gesturing to the not-quite complete senate building.

“That was a military miscalculation, nothing more,” insisted the senator. “And we came out just fine in the end,” he argued. “You would discard centuries of tradition…?”

“Traditions that have led us to the brink time and again,” Pina interrupted. “Consider this: had not my fool of a brother tried to enslave the Warrior Bunnies, we would never have taken slaves from Japan, which would mean we never would have faced the situation we faced, and the former Warrior Bunny Queen, Tyuule, would not have been able to come within a hair's breadth of destroying our entire empire. Also, ask yourself this, senators,” she gave them a narrow stare, “how many of you even know how to do the most menial task yourself? Can you cook? Clean? Lay blocks? Plant a garden? Harvest a crop? Build furniture? How many, my dear senators?” she asked again.

No more than a few hands were raised. “As I thought,” smiled Pina. “And if the slaves revolted, what would you do then? You would starve, you would live in dirty clothes and filthy houses and you would be unable to do anything about it,” she drove the point home.

“Slave rebellions never succeed,” scoffed the senator. “They are too stupid and timid to successfully rebel.”

“Is that a fact?” Pina asked. “I have been to another continent, one that was only legend and rumor before now. I have seen with my own eyes a society that does not rely on slaves, and I have met a former slave who broke her chains and ended up overthrowing every last kingdom on that continent. I tell for a fact, if this woman leads a slave rebellion, we are as doomed as if the Men in Green had come at us with full might.”

Murmuring ran around the room. Most would have discounted such a claim less than three years ago, but not many were willing to still discount it, having seen a touch of the powers of the Men in Green. “Foolishness,” huffed the senator who had been yelling about the attacks on slave markets, slavery businesses and caravans. “None of which address these murders of honest businessmen. I received a report this morning of what befell the caravan due in this afternoon,” he said, pulling a folded letter from his robes. Opening it, he cleared his throat. “This is part of the report from the patrol that found the remains a half-day from here,” he prefaced his reading. “The deca-commander reports `we found the source of the smoke to be the remains of five slave wagons, all burned beyond all recovery. The mules were all slain, as were the guards, handlers and drivers. The head of the caravan was found in a clearing some distance away, staked naked over an ant hill and his manhood drizzled with honey, the ants having being feeding on him for quite some time before he expired of blood toxins from the bites. Of the stock, there was no sign, but brass discards of magic staves were found at the scene. We returned to base for fear of the attackers slaying us from unimaginable distance, as happened to the last patrol to try tracking the attackers.' Is that not clear enough for you?” he asked the room at large.

“It sounds like a fitting punishment,” Pina said. “Tell me, senator, have you ever been a slave?” she asked. He blinked at her. “Of course you haven't been,” she went on. “Which means you have literally no clue what it is like to be a slave. I find your speech to be self-aggrandizing, factually incorrect and completely lacking in any experience relevant to the subject. In short, you bore me,” Pina said, her expression cool.

“So you intend to do nothing as these attacks on our economy continue?!” sputtered the man.

“No, I intend to increase our economic might through trade and exchange of technology,” she replied. The senator, in a huff, turned and marched out of the senate. “Do be careful, senator,” Pina called out after him, her tone sweet and dangerous. “Being so closely associated with the slave trade, whoever is behind these raids could well mistake you for a slaver and stake you out over a hill with ants nibbling on your manhood.”

The senator froze for a moment before continuing out of the senate chamber, but not before pausing to look around the hallway and then scurrying off like a mouse. Pina smiled.

“With respect, Empress Pina,” another senator stood and held up his ornate speaker stick, “we have all heard by now of the Men in Green returning to their native world and the Gate once more going inactive. How is it you intend to exchange goods and technology with them gone?”

“Through trade with the other continent and the people there,” Pina said. The senate buzzed with rumors.

“And how do you propose to reach this other continent?” wondered the senator. Pina smiled wider.

“Through the use of transit gates of elven design,” she said casually. “Even now, the framework is being laid in the five major cities of the Empire. When complete, they will allow a caravan of goods to instantaneously move between the five cities and the other continent for a set price based on the amount of goods being moved. I have personally seen this system in use, and it is as amazing as the machines of the Men in Green. Imagine, no more long, dangerous wagon trains moving goods between the cities. No more losing cargo to spoilage and damage from an arduous road trip. Simply load your wares, pay the use fee, and moments later you are at another city, ready to do business. I have seen a bakery five hundred leagues distant deliver piping-hot, fresh-from-the-ovens bread to a palace on the other continent. Meats from farms arrive at the markets still twitching from the slaughter. Consider how that will impact our trade among the cities,” she suggested.

“And the technology?” wondered the senator who had first brought up the question. Pina smiled.

“I have been shown a flour mill that requires no teams of mules, being powered entirely by water and requiring only two people to produce hundreds of sacks of flour. I have seen wells that are pumped by the wind. They have ways of making things we have never seen here. Their medicine is much advanced from ours, though not as advanced as the Men in Green had. Fortunately,” Pina paused to make sure she had the attention of the senate, “not all the Men in Green left. Some of them - such as Lord Itami of Elbe - remained here, and can teach us new technologies and ways of doing things. I have been to their world, it is beyond description; practically beyond belief. They fly through the air like gods, they build towers to the heavens, their lights never flicker or go out, food is everywhere and even the most common of them live better than the most influential persons in our world. Water flows from fountains endlessly, they can speak to each other over long distances, books enough to fill this entire chamber thousands of times over are available for the population to read for free. They have understanding of things much greater than even our most gifted scholars and craftsmen. All of that, Lord Itami is familiar with. While much of it is likely beyond our ability to produce for the immediate future, he can offer us much more than you can even imagine.”

“And what does he demand in return?” asked another senator, standing and raising his small staff.

“He demands little, but does ask some small things,” Pina said. Itami was familiar to most of those in the room either in person or through reputation. “One of the things he asks is that we stop behaving as barbarians and comport ourselves as civilized peoples,” she stressed.

“And the demi-humans?” asked a third senator, standing and holding up his stick.

“Many here feel that demi-humans are as deserving of rights as humans,” Pina said, “others do not. Itami has friends in the demi-human and elven ranks. It would behoove us to at least be civil to the demi-humans and elves, wouldn't you say?” she asked. “There are others who will not stop until demi-humans enjoy the same rights and respect that humans have. Another of the Men in Green who stayed behind is their best healer, and she insists that the persecution and abuse of demi-humans cease. I am inclined to agree.”

“Is she the one behind the slaver killings?” wondered a senator.

“No,” Pina said. “She is a healer, her interest is in saving lives. In the interest of not alienating her good will, I intend to put in place laws regarding the treatment of demi-humans, and will be sponsoring a clinic for her here in the capital.”

Several discussions broke out in the ranks, and Pina let it go for a while before tapping her sheathed sword on the marble dais she sat on. The room fell silent. “Another thing I am doing is returning all lands and persons taken from the Warrior Bunnies to the hand of their queen. We owe much to their new queen, and the lands will do us little good. Likewise, any of you who own Warrior Bunny slaves would do well to free them. Their Queen is not one to take lightly nor to cross. She will come for her people, and no one will stand in her way.”

“We have heard of this new Queen of theirs,” a senator said, standing. “They say she is a monster, soaked in blood and with a thirst for human flesh. It is true?” he asked.

“Are you a child?” Pina asked, her tone derisive. “She is a Warrior Bunny, gifted in battle and with an implacable will. To many of you, that would make her a monster. I have met her in person, and she can be quite monstrous when provoked, but she is not a true monster,” Pina said. “She also does not eat the flesh of humans, as the rumors claim,” Pina added, suppressing a shiver as she recalled the special pork she had arranged to be fed to the VIPs at the parties. More than a few of the senators had tried the Long Pig, and said they found it flavorful and delightful. She swallowed roughly.

“And the flesh of her fellow Warrior Bunnies?” pressed an older senator.

“What they do is their concern, not ours,” Pina deflected the question. Seeing Hamilton wave to her from the door, she nodded slightly. “If you good nobles will excuse me, I have business to attend to. Consider carefully what we have discussed between now and our next meeting,” she urged, standing and sweeping out the door.

“Lord Itami is here, with Countess Myui,” Hamilton told her boss and friend. Pina nodded.

“And Ritsuko?” she asked. Hamilton shook her head.

“Not yet,” she said. Pina sighed.

“I see,” she murmured. Probably out killing slavers again, she thought to herself. Reaching the room where Itami and Myui waited, she found the two chatting casually, each with a retinue behind them. Itami was dressed as a native, though he wore his gun-belt and a knife, his women behind him, including Rory the Reaper. Behind Myui were her maids, this time a large wolf-woman, a four-armed woman, Mohmu and a siren woman.

“Myui, Itami, so good of you to come,” Pina said. She was dressed in her court gown, which was not particularly modest, her sword belted to her waist and her `trophy' handgun hidden away. Behind her came Hamilton. “I had expected Ritsuko to join us, but she seems to be busy elsewhere,” sighed Pina.

“I expect so,” Itami replied. He turned to Rory. “Remember what we discussed, Rory,” he stressed. She gave him a lofty smile but said nothing. A knock came from the door, and a moment later, Suguwara and Sherry entered.

“Itami, I did not expect to find you here,” the former diplomat said. Itami rose and crossed to him the two shaking hands. “I understand that congratulations are in order,” Sugawara said. Behind Itami, Lelei was caressing a gold ring on her finger, the ring identical to rings worn by Tuka, Yao and Arpeggio. Rory didn't wear a ring, but she was married to him as well, though through her own god and not the temple that Lelei had made them go to.

“I could say the same thing,” Itami replied. Sherry beamed a smile, proudly displaying her own gold ring.

“I have always said that Lord Sugawara would be my husband,” she bragged. “Now we just need to start our family,” she said, smiling up at her husband with a glint in her eyes.

“Did I hear that someone got married?” came a voice from the other door, revealing the King of Elbe, dressed in fancy clothes and grinning.

“My Lord Duran, how pleasant to see you,” Pina said. The older man laughed.

“And I found a friend wandering around on my way here,” he said, stepping aside and motioning behind him. A moment later, a very annoyed-looking Ritsuko stepped into view, Milliea at her side and Sarina with the two.

“Well, if it isn't little miss red,” Rory purred. Ritsuko stared at Rory silently, her rifle seeming to slip into her hands by magic.

“We talked about this, Rory,” Itami said firmly.

“Ritsuko, you promised,” Milliea reminded her friend.

“If she starts anything, I am ending her,” stated Ritsuko, eyes locked on Rory. Rory giggled. Itami sighed.

“I hear you have been busy,” Pina said to Ritsuko. The other red-head shrugged.

“It is a work in progress,” she said, moving over to Myui and giving the young girl a hug. “Could I borrow Aurea again for a few days?” she asked, smiling eagerly.

“How about we talk first, Ritsuko,” Itami said. The red-headed Queen of the Warrior Bunnies scowled a little.

“I'm busy,” she said, hands on her hips. “What is the fucking emergency?”

“The emergency is that you are perilously close to destabilizing the entire Empire,” Pina said. Ritsuko gave her a steady look. “The economy is collapsing because of the lost profits in the slave markets, which is causing competition between noble families to secure what they can of their wealth, which is trickling down…”

“So sorry that some asshole patrician families are having such a hard time,” came the deadly-calm voice of Ritsuko. “I'll give all those slaves back so that they can live comfortably on the blood and tears of the people they use. I will start with you and every last one of the senators,” she bit out.

“She didn't mean it like that,” Itami said firmly.

“Stop talking like you have a fucking clue what you are talking about, Itami,” warned Ritsuko. He raised his hands in a placating manner.

“The lost income needs to be offset, that is all I am saying,” Pina said, aware of how volatile Ritsuko could be about slavery. Ritsuko gave the four rulers a flat stare.

“Really? Do I have to do everything myself?” she asked. “Fucking hell,” she huffed. “I'm on it, meeting over,” she said, spinning on her heel and marching off, anger radiating off her like heat from a star. Pina glanced at Duran, Itami and Myui.

“Did I…miss something?” she asked.

“I fear we are about to find out,” sighed Itami. “But I think the whole-sale slaughter of those involved in the slave trade will ease up for a bit; maybe,” he qualified.

No one saw Ritsuko or her group again for a month. The killings of slavers eased, but hardly stopped. The panic in the noble houses was beginning to trickle down to the masses, though much of that was muted by the steady presence of four of the five primary rulers and leaders: Duran, Itami, Pina, and Myui. The next time anyone saw any of her group was when a team of Warrior Bunnies showed up, guarding a caravan of traders from the other continent.

The caravan caused quite the stir, as they were offering wares and services never seen in the Empire before. Building techniques, indoor plumbing of a level only dreamed of by the engineers there, new cloths, metals, spices and trade goods were in abundance. The caravan stopped first at Alnus, then at Italica before moving to the capital. It was only days before the goods were sold out, but the services remained available, and before anyone knew it, construction and renovation were ongoing all over the place. Another loaded caravan arrived about a month later, piled high with trade goods and more skilled masters. This one had come through Alnus, to Elbe, up the road to Italica and then ended in the capital.

Ritsuko had appeared beside Pina's bed a few nights later, nearly scaring the woman to death. She had delivered a detailed lecture on how to nurture the new trade routes and been given some pointed suggestions about utilizing the taxes of such trade. She had also been told to expect state visits before too long. Even as the older red-head was about to leave, Pina had a question.

“Are we friends, Ritsuko?” asked the younger red-head, nervous about the answer. She was sitting up in her bed, the thin sheet over her naked body and backlit by the moonlight coming in her windows.

“If we weren't, Pina, you would have been dead a long time ago,” Ritsuko had answered. “See you again soon,” she had promised, slipping out of the bedroom of the Empress.

The next morning, a prominent Senator who had been very vocal about the loss of slavery profits was found dead, along with his entire family, each of them having been beaten to death by slave shackles tied together. In the archway of the main entrance to the city home of that family, had been hung a shattered slave collar.

On the other continent, Liseria and Airi had been forced to abandon their search for Ritsuko's current bases when rumors had reached them that Boss had been seen recruiting a new army. They had rushed to the Capital of the Republic and calmed the other rulers down before starting their own investigation. Sightings of Boss had been confirmed, as well as a trail of bodies of those suspected of being engaged in illegal slavery. But the `army' she had been recruiting turned out to be merchants, skilled masters of various trades, and similar types.

Worried, the two had headed back to Raltaow, planning to go look for their friend, only to find that Ritsuko had recruited many of their best workers as well. Uncertain what they might find, the two organized a state visit and headed through the gate to the Lost Continent, emerging not into one of the two gates that had been set up before, but into a gate in the center of the Warrior Bunny encampment. For a moment, they had been in danger of being killed, but then Airi had called out to a couple familiar faces, and they had been allowed to pass, though more than a few of the demi-humans had distrustful looks on their faces.

Before they knew it, they were looking at Annette and Gabriella, both looking a bit tired but seemingly comfortable enough as they lounged in one of the houses under construction around the gate. “Airi? Liseria? What are you two doing here?” Annette had wondered.

“We were going to ask you the same thing,” Airi replied, “but I think I already know the answer. “How many gates has she had you two make and how long ago did she have the one here transferred to the main key?” Airi asked.

“A while,” came Gab's disinterested answer. “As for the rest, there are five more scattered around here, all under Warrior Bunny control and currently locked,” the dark elf said.

“And where is Ritsuko?” asked Liseria.

“Can't tell you,” shrugged Gabs. Annette looked a little nervous, but remained silent.

“Can't, not won't,” murmured Airi. Gabs nodded. “How is she doing?” Airi asked simply.

“She has good days and bad days,” Gabs said. Right then, Rapier entered the house, small, thin leather short shorts on and a towel around her neck, but otherwise naked and still damp from bathing.

“Airi,” breathed the kickboxer. “Of course,” she sighed, glancing at the other two elves. “Just heard that she is expected back. Should we risk these two being here incase it's been a bad week for her?” she asked, making the two human women nervous.

“Either way presents a risk,” Annette replied, sounding a little nervous.

“Milliea with her?” Gabs asked her partner. Rapier shrugged as she shrugged into one of her corset-like tops and snugged the lacing up before stepping into her close-fitting pants.

“No idea, but some of the girls say they heard Mike approaching,” Rapier answered. “Milliea better be with her. I will go have the kitchen staff brew her a cup of her tea,” added the kick-boxer, exiting the house. Airi and Liseria found seats and waited. To their surprise, it was not Ritsuko who came through the door, but an older Warrior Bunny woman, a tray in her hands. Spotting the two strangers, she paused.

“Ah, tea,” Airi smiled easily at her. “Thank you,” she added, reaching for the tray.

“Best not,” warned the demi-human woman. “I will make you some regular tea. Unless it is you two who have been giving her mantis flower leaves?” the question carried a dangerous undertone. Airi frowned.

“Mantis flower?” she hinted. The Warrior Bunny woman grunted, but said nothing more, setting the tray on a small table and exiting. She returned a few minutes later with a pot of tea and two cups. Airi and Liseria wondered if it was safe to drink the tea, given the looks they had gotten from the Warrior Bunnies. As if she could read their minds, the demi-human smirked at them.

“Oh, it isn't poisoned,” she replied. “We wouldn't want to deprive ourselves of a legitimate kill,” she added before leaving. Moments later, Ritsuko entered the room, looking tired and distracted, Milliea close to her side and just behind them came a wolf-man.

“It isn't that we are objecting, mistress,” the wolf-man was saying.

“And I told you, you would be compensated,” Ritsuko replied, her tone clipped. “In fact, let's just take care of that right now,” she added, her irritation leaking into her tone. “Sarina!” she called, a black-furred Warrior Bunny appearing a moment later. “Our good retainer here requires a bonus for his performance. See he is paid,” she said, flicking a hand.

“Yes, my Queen,” Sarina said, grabbing the wolf-man and pulling him away, giggling softly as she did so.

Ritsuko noticed Airi and Liseria for the first time, freezing for just a second. “Hi, Airi! Liseria!” chirped Milliea. Ritsuko closed her eyes for a moment.

“When did you two get here?” she asked, moving over to the lone cup of tea and taking a long sip.

“Not long ago,” Airi said casually. “Imagine our surprise to emerge here instead of at Tank One,” she added. Ritsuko said nothing. “Since I can tell you are not feeling very talkative right now, we came here after putting out a small fire that emerged when word got out that Boss was recruiting an army.” Again, Ritsuko had nothing to say. “Is everything here ok, Rit-chan?” asked Airi directly.

“Sure,” came the reply, sounding incredibly false to Airi. “I am surrounded by lazy, ignorant or small-minded would-be rulers who can't do a damn thing for themselves or even handle a little confrontation with their subjects, but it's well in hand.”

“Maybe they are nervous about you killing their subjects and messing up their economies,” Milliea suggested. Ritsuko's lips peeled back from her teeth in a silent snarl before she forced herself to calm down, draining her tea.

“I am not having this conversation again, Milliea. I'm just not,” she said, wiping her face with her hand. “Make yourselves at home,” she said to the group before slipping out the door.

“Ritsuko!” Milliea called after her, but the human was gone. Milliea sighed, her shoulders dropping a little.

“You aren't going after her?” Airi asked. Milliea shook her head.

“I know better,” she said quietly, settling next to Gabriella, who hugged her briefly. “Tomorrow morning, she will be feeling better and it will be ok,” she added.

“Get some sleep, Milliea,” Gabriella said, guiding the younger elf back onto the bed. Almost before she got settled, the red-headed elf was out cold. Airi and Liseria didn't get to say anything before two Warrior Bunnies entered the house, cornering the two, scowls on their faces.

“Mamina, Delilah,” Airi greeted them.

“What are you doing here?” came the curt question from Delilah.

“It would be best if you were gone before she returns,” Mamina said.

“Good for you two and the Warrior Bunnies or good for Ritsuko?” challenged Airi.

“Both,” came the answer in unison.

“Easy, you two,” Gabriella said, rising from where she had been sitting next to Milliea's sleeping form. “If you are going to be loud, take it elsewhere,” she added, indicating the sleeping Milliea. “Where did she go?”

“For a run. I have two of the younger kids keeping her company,” Delilah replied.

“When she gets back, she will probably end up with us,” added Mamina.

“What about that young male who has been warming your beds recently?” grinned Gabriella.

“She can have him first, or we will send him away for the night,” shrugged Delilah. “Our queen is better in bed than him in any event,” she added, giggling hungrily.

“Slut,” sniped Gabriella.

“You are just jealous you haven't gotten her into bed yet,” sniffed Mamina.

“I told you, the slow approach,” Gabs replied airily.

“Any slower and you would be going backward,” was the catty remark from Delilah.

“Ritsuko has…been with you?” blinked Liseria. The two captains of the Royal Guard grinned smugly.

“Oh, and how!” purred Delilah.

“You have no idea what you gave up, little human,” Mamina agreed. Liseria's lips tightened.

“I have not given up anything,” she stated regally.

“Liseria,” cautioned Airi, studying the two. “How many of you has she slept with?” asked the actress.

“Our Queen is very selective,” Mamina replied. “So far, only us, Sarina, some of the younger girls - though I doubt she sleeps with them like she sleeps with us! - and two of her usual special mission girls. Who knows about girls of other species.”

“Or cares,” scoffed Delilah. “Like men, women of other species are just entertainment.”

“Has she seduced Pina or Myui?” Airi wondered. The two Warrior Bunny women shrugged.

“Mistress Myui couldn't do any better than our Queen for her first experiences,” bragged Mamina.

“And Pina already belongs to us, so she is Ritsuko's by right,” Delilah said. Airi suspected the former spy still harbored a bit of animosity toward the Imperial family. “Though she will find our Queen a much more pleasurable bedmate than our girls found her family to be,” growled the former spy.

Further discussion was interrupted by a small commotion outside, and a moment later, Mari more or less forced her way in, Noriko in tow. “Ritsuko, it is about time you got back,” began Mari before realizing Ritsuko wasn't in the home. “Where is she?” asked the medic crisply.

“These two ran her off,” Delilah said, indicating Airi and Liseria.

“Airi, Liseria,” Mari nodded at them. “I am glad to see you. We need to get Ritsuko to stand still for another physical, so I need you two to…”

“Another physical? Is everything ok?” Airi asked, worried.

“Ritsuko has…” began Mari, only to find two Royal Guards Warrior Bunnies in her face.

“Silence your tongue around these two,” warned Mamina.

“Our Queen's business is her own, healer,” agreed Delilah. Mari was not impressed.

“And as for you two, you are over-due for a check-up as well,” she said. Studying the two closer, she frowned. “I told you two to stop eating so many snacks - you are getting pudgy.”

“Ah!” protested two scandalized Warrior Bunnies. “How dare a human like you even suggest such a thing!” exclaimed Delilah even as she covertly patted her ass and hips.

“I have not gained a single Suwanee worth of weight in years,” denied Mamina, her hands also absently poking her waist. “Our battle gowns are exactly the same size as they have been for years!”

“Your battle gowns snug up with lacing like a corset. It is easy to unknowingly gain weight,” smiled Mari. Over their shoulders, Airi saw Mari make eye contact with her briefly, and she silently thanked the medic as she distracted the two completely and led them off. Rapier slipped in an hour or so later, joining Gabs in the bed with Milliea, leaving the two humans to share a simple but surprisingly-comfortable pallet on the floor.

In the morning, they awoke to find Ritsuko sitting at the simple table, tea at her elbow, and an introspective look on her face. “Get up and ready,” she said to the two. “You two have an audience with Pina and Myui to attend this afternoon; officially, as it were,” she added with an urbane smile.

“Very well,” Airi said, “but we came here looking for you,” she added.

“You found me, so you can move on to other important matters,” Ritsuko said. “Here is a list of things to discuss and figure out. Mamina and two volunteers will take you to Italica by air fish after you have eaten, and then on to the Capital to talk to Pina.”

“What are you going to be doing? Resting, I hope,” Airi said, her tone clearly expressing maternal disapproval of Ritsuko's actions.

“There is no rest for the wicked, Airi,” shrugged Ritsuko. “Besides, I can sleep when I am dead,” she added, draining her tea and standing. Her battle gown was resplendent on her and heavily burdened by weapons. Airi saw that the small plate that had been in front of Ritsuko was barely half eaten.

“At the least, finish your breakfast, Rit-chan. For me? Please?” she pleaded.

“I did finish,” Ritsuko said, ignoring the undertones of Airi's request. Just then, a young Warrior Bunny girl hurried around the corner.

“The preparations are complete, my Queen,” she reported eagerly. Ritsuko smiled at her, reaching out to stroke her hair and ears.

“Thank you,” she praised the young girl. “Will you finish up the food? I would hate to have it wasted,” she said, the girl nearly devouring the plate and food in one gulp. Ritsuko laughed softly before kissing the young Warrior Bunny on the forehead as she caressed her cheek with one hand.

“Where are you going, Ritsuko?” Liseria asked as Ritsuko exited the house.

“To work,” said the red-head over her shoulder. Liseria scrambled to the door, her sleeping shift barely covering her, and was just in time to see Ritsuko board a smaller air fish with the wolf-man, a siren and a lamia demi-human. The air fish rose and accelerated away.

“Have fun, you two, but don't dawdle,” warned Gabs, settling her fur bikini before reaching for a cloak. Rapier was fixing two knives to the back of her corset and Milliea was brushing her hair.

“And where are you three off to?” asked Airi.

“Work,” Gabs smiled. “Annette will show you where things are. Catch you two later,” said the oldest of the elves, leading the other three out, two Warrior Bunnies and a four-armed woman joining them as they headed toward another air fish.

“She is busy,” Liseria murmured.

“Yes, and I worry it could kill her,” Airi half-complained.

“Morning,” came Annette's voice as the elf appeared, yawning behind a hand. “Ritsuko make it back?” she asked.

“Yes, and she left already,” Airi said. Annette didn't seem in any way surprised.

“Of course,” she said. “If you want a bath, they are this way,” the elf said, pointing in the direction she had been going.

“Who are you two humans and why is my Queen letting you stay in her house?” came the suspicious voice of the young Warrior Bunny girl.

“We are friends of hers, little one,” Airi smiled at the young demi-human girl.

“Are you?” challenged the young girl. Liseria frowned.

“Look, little one,” she began.

“No, you look, human,” came a voice from the side of the building, a Warrior Bunny in armor appearing a moment later. She had black fur and was heavily armed. “You are guests here, but if we decide you are a threat to our Queen, you will never be seen again. It is clear that while our Queen knows you, she is not happy to see you two here unannounced. Remember this warning, for you will not get another.”

“Captain Sarina,” breathed the younger demi-human.

“You have work to do, little one,” smiled Sarina, ruffling the girl's hair and ears.

“Don't pet me!” she protested cutely. Airi nudged Liseria, the two following Annette to a plain building. Entering it, they found it was a basic, but functional, bath house and spa. Happily bathing, the two settled into a bath with Annette.

“So, Annette, what has been going on over here?” Airi asked casually. Annette sighed.

“Honestly? I am not sure. I don't even really understand why I am here. I am a priestess, not a combat mage, artificer or diplomat! Why does she want me so much?” wondered the priestess.

“Because you - like Celsia - are a Summoner,” Airi said, having figured out a few of the moves Ritsuko was making. “Summoning is a lost art here, or so I have been told, and the gates we are using require a Summoning spell, do they not?”

Annette frowned. “When did you become such an expert on elven magic?” asked the mage.

“I was a professional elf stripper, and when you are in that line of work, you have to know these sorts of things,” smiled Airi. “Has Rit-chan had you working on things other than the gates?” asked Airi.

“Not really, though I seem to end up talking with other elves a lot with Gabs and Rapier. Milliea…well, you understand, right?” she smiled.

“Yes, Milliea is Milliea. Besides, she is the one who is closest to Ritsuko right now,” prodded the former actress. Annette said nothing. “Has Ritsuko's behavior changed recently?” wondered Airi.

“You mean the very little sleep, lack of appetite, homicidal rage toward slavers and short temper?” Annette asked rhetorically. “No, not really, though she has been acting nearly…I don't know?...restless?” Annette shared.

“How about her…sexual hunger?” Liseria wondered. Airi had been a bit curious about that as well. “When I first met her, she didn't seem at all interested in that, and then she was sleeping with a few men, and now, she seems to be…horny?” blushed the queen.

“Yeah, but I don't know if it is her,” Annette frowned.

“Can you explain that in more detail, Annette?” Airi asked.

“I have watched her since she brought me here, and it is pretty obvious that her subjects expect certain things of her, and she is doing her best to meet those expectations, but it is almost like her heart isn't in it most of the time. Have you ever seen her at their festivals? She sings and dances and feasts and yes, fucks with them, but it just feels like she is going through the motions when she does that. Milliea once said Ritsuko `felt sad' when she was singing, dancing and carousing with her subjects, but I couldn't understand what she was trying to say. I do agree that there seems to be some emotional disconnect at play for the most part.”

Airi felt her heart squeeze at that. Ritsuko, she thought, her hands clenching. “Is it like there is an emotional distance between her and her people?” asked Airi softly. Annette considered that for a moment.

“Yeah, that describes it pretty well,” she decided. “Why do you ask?”

“It is nothing,” Airi assured the elf, her prowess as an actress making it seem perfectly truthful to the elf. “What does she have Gabs and Rapier doing?”

“Don't know,” shrugged Annette. “They go off and do stuff, sometimes with her, sometimes alone, sometimes with others, but they never say anything about what they do while they are gone, and I have learned not to ask, too!”

“Why?” Liseria was curious. Annette did not strike her as a particularly timid elf.

“Because what they do is just…inhuman, if you will excuse the pun,” she shivered. “Still, they don't seem to mind all that much. Maybe it is because they are fighters…?”

“And does Milliea say anything about what she does when she is with Ritsuko?” Airi dismissed the previous topic.

“Rarely, but I think she doesn't care what they do because she is worried about Ritsuko,” Annette replied, frowning.

“I think we all are,” Airi noted.

“And on that note, gossip time is over. You have an appointment, I will not let you embarrass my Queen by being late,” came the cool voice of the black-furred Warrior Bunny they had heard called Sarina. “Get out of there and get dressed; quickly. You have fifteen minutes until the air fish leaves, and if you aren't doing dressing by then, you will go naked to the meeting. Do I make myself clear, humans?”

“You seem a bit grumpy this morning, Sarina,” Annette observed.

“And who are you, exactly, to take such a high tone with us?” Liseria asked in her royal tone. In the blink of an eye, the Warrior Bunny was in front of the Queen, her hand around the human's throat and a dagger nearly touching the Queen's right eye. The Warrior Bunny held Liseria bent back a little against the edge of the tub as she stared her in the eyes.

“Captain of the Third Company, Queen's Royal Guards, Sarina. I am my Queen's shield. That, human, is who I am,” stated the black-furred Warrior Bunny, staring into Liseria's eyes for a moment before releasing her and moving for the door as the Queen of Raltaow rubbed her throat.

“I am…!” began Liseria hotly.

“I don't care who you are, human,” Sarina said, giving her a look over her shoulder. “You have thirteen minutes left.”

“Are there other captains?” Airi asked, already drying off as she glanced at Liseria, the younger woman hurrying to do the same.

“Yes,” Sarina answered, giving the two a faint smile. “Captain of the First Company, Queen's Royal Guards, Delilah. She is the Queen's Sword. Captain of the Fourth Company, Queen's Royal Guards, Mamina. She is the Queen's Crown. We are all our Queen's servants, sworn to her service to death.”

“And the second company? I presume there was one, given the numbers,” Airi asked calmly.

“Once, there was. The Second and Sixth were slain to the very last on the fields of battle against Zorzal's forces, and the Fifth - decimated by battle - was slain by deceit when the traitor Queen Tyuule betrayed us all to Zorzal's forces. Never again will there be a Second, Fifth or Sixth Company of Royal Guards.”

“You are a superstitious lot,” Airi prodded. Sarina didn't react.

“You have ten minutes,” she said instead. The two human women barely got their travel dresses on before Sarina nearly pushed them to where an air fish waited. Their travel bags had been loaded and the air fish - piloted by a Warrior Bunny with a Type 64 rifle on her back - lifted off immediately, heading toward the south. Airi and Liseria found it hard to engage the Warrior Bunny in conversation, and so they passed the hours of flight in quiet, infrequent conversation between themselves.

Meeting with Myui formally as Queen and Chancellor in the Countess's court was a refreshing change from the start of the trip, and Myui proved to be far more sociable and outgoing than the Warrior Bunnies had been, as were her maids. Airi and Liseria both enjoyed themselves, even though they were talking shop about trade between their kingdom and the Clan Formal. Even the most tedious talks were better with tea, snacks and a friendly partner.

As they were being shown to their rooms for the night, Airi had a question for Kaine, the stern-faced Head Maid. “Kaine, do you happen to know a good, well-practiced herbalist in Italica? Specifically one with a deep and broad knowledge of exotic herbs?” asked the actress.

Kaine studied her for a long moment. “I might,” she said carefully. “Why would you want to speak with one? If you have an ailment, we can arrange for you to have a consultation with the Lady Kurokawa.”

“Oh, it is nothing so serious,” Airi assured the older woman. “I just had a few questions about a tea blend that one of my Queen's courtiers recommended to me. And while I do consider her trustworthy, she is somewhat young and taken to following fads involving such things. I just wanted a second opinion from someone who could not possibly have an ulterior motive.”

“I see,” Kaine said, studying Airi but getting nothing from the professional actress. “Is there a particular herb you are concerned about?” she asked.

“Not that I am aware of, no, but the combined effects are what I wish to discuss,” came the polished reply from Airi. “Could you recommend such an herbalist?” she repeated herself.

“I will have you shown to the correct shop first thing tomorrow, my lady,” Kaine curtseyed to Airi before moving down the hall. Liseria was waiting for Airi when she entered the room they would share - at the insistence of Liseria.

“What was that about?” she asked. Airi smiled, touching her ear before pointing to the walls. Liseria blinked, understanding her message: there were demi-humans all around them with incredible hearing and unknown abilities and loyalties.

“Just wanted to get a second opinion on that tea, my Queen,” Airi said, the two getting ready for bed. Settling in, Airi cuddled her Queen close to her, her mind busy with plans and contingencies.

First thing in the morning - as promised - Airi was awoken by a four-armed maid who bid her rise and follow her, Airi quickly doing so, leaving a still-half-asleep Liseria to have breakfast with Countess Myui. Following the four-armed maid, Airi arrived just at daybreak at a small shop in a corner of Italica nearest the north gate. Knocking respectfully, the maid waited. After two more knocks, the door opened, revealing a woman about Airi's age. Seeing the maid, the woman straightened a little. “Does the Mistress need me?” she asked crisply.

“No, Mistress Myui is in good health,” the maid assured the woman. “Her guest,” she gestured to Airi, “has some questions for you, and Mistress Myui would appreciate it if you could share what knowledge you might have about her question with her.”

“Gladly. The Countess is a just and generous ruler, whose patronage I wish to keep,” the woman smiled, gesturing for the two to enter the shop. Airi turned to the four-armed maid, smiling.

“Please, I can find my way back. Would you take a message back to my Queen for me that I will be along presently and express my most humble gratitude to Myui for her introduction?” Airi asked. I do not know you well enough to trust you not to be in the employ of Rit-chan as well, she left unsaid. After a long moment, the maid gave her a somewhat rough curtsey and left, Airi stepping into the shop.

“You should know that I love my Countess Myui and will do nothing to endanger her, lady,” the herbalist said, obviously suspicious of Airi.

“Why would I want such a thing?” Airi asked. Am I slipping that badly, that everyone can see through me now? worried the actress.

“I don't know, but you sent the maid away, which means you don't want her hearing whatever you have to say, and Kaine sent her here with you, which means that while you may be Lady Myui's guest, her chief of staff does not trust you fully,” explained the herbalist.

“Ah, I am undone,” smiled Airi drolly. “This has absolutely nothing to do with Myui, the Empire or even this continent,” Airi said, her tone firm and distant. “I want you to tell me everything you know about an herb used in a tea mix that might be known as Mantis Flower leaves.”

“Mantis flower? Where would you have heard that name?” frowned the herbalist.

“From an older Warrior Bunny. Why does it matter?” Airi pressed.

“Ah, there might be some small patches of it left in their lands,” the herbalist said. Airi waited, her patience eroding slowly. “I advise you to have your Warrior Bunny friend burn any patches of that herb to the ground. It is very dangerous in the wrong mix, which is why it was destroyed here in the Empire at least a half century ago; likely longer.”

“Tell me of its characteristics and properties,” Airi said. “And can you describe it?” she added.

The herbalist turned to her shelves. “I can do you one better,” she said, rummaging for a moment before withdrawing a dried bunch of leaves and flowers. “This is mantis flower,” announced the herbalist. “If the flowers are used in a poultice, they can treat certain poisons, relieve certain kinds of pains and have a calming effect on most users. The problem is that it can be highly addictive, much like the strongest of pain relieving drugs. When it is mixed with other herbs and ingredients, the problems begin. If mixed with most of the other cleansing ingredients, it becomes toxic, and can cause lesions, burns or rot in the wounds it is meant to treat. Mixed incorrectly with calming herbs, it can drive users mad. If chewed, it can make the heart become erratic, or cause problems with the liver or stomach.”

“And the leaves? As one would make tea with?” Airi asked, her heart in her throat. She recognized Mantis Flower as a common plant on their continent called Claw Lily, one that grew in profusion in the former Southern Kingdoms and was use as animal feed, ingredients in many slave dishes and medicines.

“The leaves used to be used as a way to keep from conceiving, but that fell out of favor at least a century ago due to the side effects of blending it. Alone, it is very bitter and leaves a heavy after-taste, but is not of any particular danger to the user. However, when mixed with other leaves and herbs to either add other effects or to hide the taste, it can lead to loss of appetite, sleeplessness, emotional conditions such as extreme rage, depression or euphoria. In some men, it makes their manhood unable to function, and in some women, it makes their arousal much more ardent and harder to satisfy. My master, who taught me herbalism, warned me that with the number of bad reactions and collateral effects, using Mantis Flower should be a very last resort. Does that answer your question?”

“It is at least a start,” Airi said. “I know this flower by a different name, and it is common in my land. When mixed in a tea, what other leaves and herbs are commonly used?”

“I couldn't say for sure, as you mix the herbs to achieve the effect you need,” shrugged the herbalist. “What is it you wish to achieve?”

“Prevention of pregnancy, calmness of mood, and relaxation of stress,” Airi answered immediately. The herbalist frowned.

“I know of no such mix that would utilize Mantis Flower. I would suggest that you either use straight Mantis Flower tea - and a mild mix, too! - for the avoidance of unwanted pregnancy and try something like physical exercise and diet to adjust for the calmness and stress relief. Perhaps more time with your husband?” the other woman suggested, smiling knowingly. Airi wondered how she knew, as she wasn't wearing her ring at the moment. She rarely did when going to the other continent, after all; it was safer for everyone concerned. “I know the look of a married woman; more so one who has had a child. Was the pregnancy troubled?” asked the herbalist.

“No,” Airi denied. Not for me, anyway. I am not sure my husband would agree, she thought, amused. “And this is not about me, in any event. I would like to ask you to make a tea mix for a friend. If possible, I want a mix that will remove the effects of Mantis Flower while also calming her and allowing her to sleep normally. Is that possible?” asked Airi.

“Perhaps, but I have a strict rule that I meet with and talk to the potential user about the mix before they use it. Body size and type, age and health all play a very important role in a mix, and getting it wrong can do more damage than good. Bring her by here so we can talk about it.”

Airi knew that was not going to happen; at least, not without a miracle. “I will talk with her and see if we can get her by here. Thank you for your time,” she said, handing the woman a couple of silver coins from her kingdom before departing.

Airi and Liseria made it back to Raltaow and their sons after a full week on the other continent. While their body servants had done an excellent job of caring for their sons, the two mothers were relieved to be back with their children. As the two sat with their sons in Liseria's sitting room, watching dull, grey clouds gather, heavy with snow, Liseria finally brought up something she had wanted to ask for nearly the entire trip. “You seemed distracted, Airi,” she said. “What did you learn that morning in Italica?”

“I learned that Ritsuko's tea is likely killing her,” sighed Airi. “The problem is that Ritsuko won't be inclined to listen to me about it, given the situation. So,” Airi said, her lips thinning a bit, “I will have to find out who is making the mix for her and deal with them personally.”

“Do you have any sort of idea who it might be?” Liseria wondered.

“No, but it will probably be someone in or from the former Southern Kingdoms, with a knowledge of herbal medicine, who likely had significant contact with Ritsuko and is somehow able to get the mix through the gate to the Lost Continent. That narrows the list to almost manageable size.”

“Unless Ritsuko made the tea herself, and taught someone what plants to use and in what ratio, and has them delivering it to her,” Liseria noted. Airi inclined her head in acknowledgement of the Queen's point.

“The key should be when she started drinking that tea mix,” mused the actress.

“She was drinking it when I first met her,” Liseria contributed what she could.

“Yes, she was drinking it when we were reunited, but not before. We should look for slaves who were on her plantation. She mentioned she was originally a house slave before…of course,” breathed Airi.

“What?” Liseria asked.

“We are looking for a folk remedy used by female slaves or known to jealous wives of slave owners,” Airi smiled coldly. “And thanks to Ritsuko's attention to detail, I have several I can start with.”

“Airi?” wondered a lost Liseria.

“Tomorrow, we start looking for a way to help her, and it begins with her former Captains,” smiled Airi. “Once our sons are asleep, we have some letters to write, my Queen,” stated the older woman, smiling at her son as he suckled on her breast. For a split second, she pictured Ritsuko nursing a child of her own, but the image vanished almost before it formed. Perhaps that path is lost to her, along with the parts of herself she had to sacrifice to survive, Airi thought somberly to herself. Well, I won't stand by and let her lose more of herself!

“Please! We beg of you!” implored the leader of the small group, prostrating himself.

“No,” came the annoyed answer. “I have no interest in your problems, mortal,” added the woman, flipping her hair as she snorted.

“No interest in death, terror and war? Is this what the famed Rory the Reaper has come to?” the man asked. The loli goth terror turned to give him a look that made him lose control of his bladder. “I meant only that such persons would be a grand offering to Emroy, would they not?” he weakly offered.

“If you want to sacrifice them to my god so much, do it yourself,” she replied. “You made your bed, now you must sleep in it while it burns,” she added sweetly, giggling psychotically. “And now, if you will excuse me, I am busy with more important matters,” she said, prancing off, absently twirling her sacred halberd as if it were a simple baton, several times nearly maiming people who weren't paying attention. The markets of Rondel quickly swallowed the giggling Apostle in the throngs of people.

“She…was our last hope,” the man said, still laying on the ground, his robes soaked with his piss. “What do we do now?” he asked himself.

“Pray she does not find you,” a voice offered, the group of men turning to see a wizened old woman looking at them. “Personally, I think Rory went easy on you bunch, but myself, I would run before she finds you. Run far, far away and run as fast as you can. You might even survive,” she said, nodding to herself.

“Run from The Reaper?” he wondered, not following the obviously-senile old woman's words.

“Not her,” the woman said, shaking her head. “You can't run from Rory, after all,” she giggled again. “Run from the woman doing this to those like yourselves. But then, I doubt you can run from her, either.”

“You know who is doing this?” the man demanded. If they knew, they could hire assassins, or even pay mercenaries to hunt them down and kill them.

“I know her reputation,” the old woman said. “I know that she is without mercy, without compassion and thirsts for your lives endlessly.”

“Who, old woman?” blinked the man. “What is her name,” he murmured, glancing at his companions, who nodded in confirmation. The old woman hummed before shrugging and moving away.

“That, I do not know. But my advice is still to run while you can,” she said as she vanished into the crowd. After a moment of bewildered stillness, the men jumped up and hurried off, not noticing a siren demi-human and a lamia demi-human trailing after them as a wolf-man ambled along behind them. The old woman eventually caught up with Rory as the demi-goddess reached a café where a group of people were waiting for her.

“I am surprised you turned them down, your Holiness,” the old woman said, “given your feelings for the red-head.”

“My feelings? I have told you before that I like her,” Rory smiled. “Besides, I have no interest in being a lackey for slavers,” she snorted delicately. Her smile spread into a hungry leer. “Just seeing the terror, desperation and despair she had branded into them makes me tingle all over,” she licked her lips hungrily before moaning softly.

“So, you will just let her be?” asked another of the women at the table, this one a blonde elf.

Rory the Reaper, Apostle of the god Emroy, fixed the elf with a steady look. “Yes, I will,” she said simply. “Mortal affairs concern me little,” she added, a cup of wine being placed in front of her by the staff, who bowed deeply to her.

“On the house, of course, your Holiness,” the waiter said before scurrying away. Rory sipped the wine.

“Mm, this is a good vintage,” she said to no one in particular. “Where is Itami?” she asked the group of women.

“He will be here shortly,” assured a blue-haired young woman, who was reading a fairly thick book intently. “Arpeggio wanted to apply for her Master's Test,” the young woman said. She herself was already an acknowledged Master.

“Do you think she has a chance of passing the test?” wondered a dark elf woman.

“Though she is many things, my older sister is not incompetent,” was all the blue-haired mage girl would say. “Have you two decided what you will do?” she asked, turning a page.

“About the offer from that elf priestess? To train on the other continent to become a Summoner?” Tuka asked. Lelie nodded, barely looking up from the book. “I don't know,” sighed the blonde elf. “I mean, yes, I would be the first Summoner on this continent in remembered history, but it would mean years away from Itami…” she trailed off, not saying that though those years would mean very little to her - being all but immortal - they would count heavily against Itami, who was already nearing middle-aged by his native world's standards and was already well into what was considered middle-aged in this one.

“I know,” Yao agreed. “The offer of the one called Gabriella to teach me forgotten arts is…tempting, but years away from Itami…” she, too, trailed off leaving it unsaid.

“Mortal lives are but a brief flicker, after all,” Rory said casually.

“Coming from one who sold her mortality and humanity to become whatever it is you are now, that is blackest humor,” a voice said, making the group turn to see Itami standing with his former subordinate, Mari Kurokawa. Rory was unruffled by the remark, smiling and raising her glass a little in the direction of the medic.

“How did it go?” asked Lelei, smiling at Itami.

“She has been scheduled for her dissertation,” Itami said. “Right now, she is off getting her gown made.”

“I have heard about this exam you mages take,” Mari noted. “It could be worth watching,” she smiled.

“Where is Noriko?” asked Tuka.

“She is looking for a reference book in the library district,” Mari related, waving her hand when the waiter offered her a menu and wine list. “I ran into Itami outside the medical college.”

“How did they react to you?” smiled Rory, giggling softly.

“They are adjusting to the new reality,” Mari said. The tall medic was wearing her usual tube-top black top and her green combat fatigues and boots, but the rifle and load bearing vest were gone. A medical kit was on her belt, as was a holstered pistol.

“How are you adjusting to this world?” Yao asked, looking meaningfully at the pistol.

“I'm adjusting,” Mari replied.

“So, you have been attacked, then?” Rory smiled. Mari glanced at her.

“Nothing I couldn't handle,” she deflected the implied barb. “Things are different than they were before, but at least Ritsuko made sure I understood what I was in for,” she murmured, frowning a little.

“Something wrong?” Itami wondered.

“Nothing that concerns you,” Mari said.

“Where is she, do you think?” asked Lelei. Mari shrugged, making her not-unimpressive breasts jiggle.

“No clue, but the body count suggests she is busy,” the medic said.

“So you heard?” smiled Rory. Mari frowned.

“Heard what?” asked Tuka.

“Someone hit a slave guild headquarters two day ago. The carnage was…impressive,” Mari grimaced.

“You wouldn't feel that way if you had been a slave,” Noriko said, jogging up. “Anyway, I have big news!” she said, panting a bit.

“You should stop smoking, if you are that winded from a mere three blocks,” Mari said, Noriko rolling her eyes. “What news?” she asked.

“I spotted a friend; from before,” she smiled. Mari waited. “A former slave of Zorzal's,” clarified Noriko. “She and I shared a bed for several weeks, and were often paired up for his…games,” she grimaced. “Anyway, she's here - in Rondel!” the human said. “And I found out where she is staying! Come on!” she urged Mari, grabbing her hand and tugging like a child. “You need to meet her,” insisted the younger human. Mari glanced at Itami's party as she allowed herself to be led away by an excited Noriko.

“We're staying at the Bell and Book, fifth floor,” said Mari to Itami. “Let's see about dinner tonight, if you can make it,” she added, waving behind her back as she was nearly dragged off by Noriko.

“We'll be there!” called back Tuka, waving. Mari and she were good friends, after all.

Mari was led through the town to a rather plain building, and Noriko led her though the buildings, muttering to herself as she checked the doors and counted turns. “This should be her,” announced the human, knocking. “Dimia, it's Noriko!” she called out cheerfully, trying the door. To her surprise, it was unlocked. “You here?” Noriko asked, entering the somewhat worn room. Mari pulled her hand free of Noriko's, unfastening the flap over her pistol.

Soft grunts filled the room, along with the sound of wet flesh slapping together. In the middle of the room, Noriko's friend was being used by two men, her eyes vacant and a smile on her lips as smoke slowly escaped her mouth. Two more men, naked and resting, turned to the two women. “Friends of yours?” one asked the unresponsive woman. “The more the merrier,” he grunted, reaching for Noriko.

“Noriko!” hissed Mari, stepping forward and kicking the man in the chin with her steel-toed combat boot even as she pulled her pistol free. “Get out,” she snarled, the three men still conscious staring at her.

“We paid for her!” argued one of the men using Dimia.

“Count your lives as repayment of your fee,” Mari said, gun up and tracking. It took the men very little time to vacate the room, dragging their friend with them. Noriko was shaking her friend gently. Finally, Dimia managed to focus on her.

“Nori,” she giggled, eyes dilated and somewhat unfocused. “You have to try this,” she tittered, vaguely offering the Japanese woman a half-empty pipe. Noriko wrinkled her nose a little.

“That doesn't smell like dream sap,” she noted, carefully removing the pipe from her friend's hand.

“It is a new mix,” laughed Dimia. “I have never felt this good…” she slurred, drooling a little.

“Dimia, what are you doing?” Noriko asked. “You were going to go home if we ever got free of Zorzal,” she reminded the other human girl.

“Home?” blinked Dimia. “I have no home. No one would take back a former sex toy of Zorzal's,” she said before giggling again. “It feels like I am floating,” she shared, eyes losing focus. “It's like a dream,” she mumbled.

“Noriko,” Mari said softly. The younger woman gave her mentor a glance, but kept trying.

“Sure they would,” insisted the girl. “They won't care if you were…taken,” she finished awkwardly.

“Wasn't taken,” Dimia replied, “I was sold. Only good for being a man's toy,” she added, reaching for the pipe. “Zorzal's or any other man, it's all fine, as long as I feel this good.”

“That's not true,” Noriko denied firmly. “Come on, let's get you somewhere where you can sleep this off,” she said, trying to pick up her friend. “You'll feel better tomorrow,” she promised.

“No!” screamed the woman, shoving Noriko back and snatching the pipe. “You just want it for yourself!” she accused, inhaling hard on the last of the drug in the bowl and holding her breath. When she finally released it, she was trembling and giggling. “None for you, you little slut,” she croaked before collapsing face-first onto the dirty floor.

“Don't call me that, bitch,” muttered Noriko, picking herself up. Mari squatted and checked the woman, not surprised to find she was dead, foam in the corners of her mouth, some blood seeping from her nose, and her heart stopped. Her body was burning up, and looking at her groin, Mari knew why.

“She's gone, Noriko,” Mari said, catching the younger girl as she reached for her friend. “If she hadn't over-dosed on whatever that stuff was, she would have died within a day or two from the infection,” she said, not elaborating. Noriko, though, understood what she wasn't saying and looked at her friend's groin, grimacing. Mari silently got her on her feet and guided her out of the room. Passing through the entry lobby, Mari spotted a man at a small table that served as the attendant. Leaving Noriko for a moment, she strode over to him, grabbing his shirt and lifting him off his feet.

“Hey, now! What…?” he began, only to fall silent as Mari glowered at him.

“You have a dead worker up there. See to her proper burial before I forget myself and kill you,” she snarled before throwing him back into his chair, which crashed against the wall, tumbling him to the ground. Collecting Noriko again, she led her to their hotel, where Itami found them that evening.

Looking up at the former Captain of the JSDF and now lord of Elbe, Mari locked gazes with him. “I think I finally understand what Ritsuko does,” she said quietly, stroking Noriko's hair soothingly as the girl slept, head on her lap, having cried herself to sleep in Mari's arms.

“Governess Saharil will see you now,” the functionary said, indicating that the two should follow him down the hall. Airi and Liseria rose from the chairs they had been waiting in and followed the fussy-looking older man. Airi habitually looked at his wrists as the cuffs of his shirt swayed enough to reveal them. She didn't see any scars from manacles, so she suspected he had been a courtier at some point before Ritsuko dismantled the Allied Kingdoms like a block of C4 dismantled a door.

Reaching a door, the man bowed slightly and opened the door. “Queen Liseria of Raltaow, Chancellor Airi of Raltaow, Governess,” he announced them before stepping aside so they could enter. Both women did so, spotting one of Ritsuko's former captains rising from behind a large desk, her arms holding a small bundle to her bare chest, her simple dress loosened to expose her breasts.

“Queen Liseria, Chancellor Airi, your visit was most unexpected,” she said.

“Think nothing of it,” Airi smiled. Her own son - and Liseria's son - were under the watchful eyes of their own body servants in the room they had rented in the best inn in town. “I had not heard you had a child,” noted Airi.

“It was something of a surprise,” admitted the woman. Liseria and Airi moved closer, the Governess automatically easing the soft blanket back so they could see her child. “I wanted to name her Boss, but that would cause problems,” she offered. “So, I named her Palina, after my mother.”

“She seems quite healthy,” Liseria said, gently touching the feeding infant's cheek with a fingertip.

“Her appetite surely is,” the nursing woman said wryly. “What can I do for you two?” she asked. Liseria glanced at Airi.

“We have some questions you might be able to answer,” Airi began smoothly.

“I will help if I can,” the Governess replied, studying the two.

“Are you familiar with Claw Lily tea?” Airi asked without inflection.

“Most women in the former Southern Kingdoms are,” replied Saharil. “It is quite common, you know.”

“I know, but I asked about how familiar you are with the tea,” Airi replied calmly. “More specifically, its side effects.”

“Brewed right, it can keep you from unwanted pregnancies if used regularly,” shrugged Saharil. “There are some old-wives tales about not mixing it with certain other tea blends, but hardly anyone mixes it anyway these days,” she added.

“What if I told you that those were not old wives' tales?”

Saharil frowned. “Boss drinks that tea; she has since before I first met her.” Airi nodded. “How bad are the side-effects?” worried the woman who had once served directly under Ritsuko's command.

“Bad,” Airi replied. “Left alone, it will kill her,” she said softly.

“We have to stop her from drinking it,” stated Saharil.

“Exactly,” Liseria agreed. “But we have no idea which mix she is using, how she is getting it to her, and how to substitute it without making her think we are betraying her.”

“You know where she is?” Saharil nearly demanded.

“More or less,” Airi replied urbanely. “The tea is our current concern. How would she have gotten it to begin with?”

“Like most slave women, she was probably given it by the older slave women or by the wife or mistress of the owner,” Saharil answered bluntly. “While some men enjoyed forcing their female slaves to bear their children, most wanted to have their fun without interruption until they were bored of her. Boss never said much, but some of the others who had been at her plantation had things to say. Among them is that she miscarried twice before being put into the fields.”

“True,” Airi replied.

“If that is the case, the wife is the strongest suspect,” sighed the former Captain. “And that is a problem. She killed herself less than six months after Boss started the Rebellion.”

“Children? Ri…Boss,” Airi corrected herself, “mentioned she had been whipped and raped for trying to teach the children to read and write.”

“Not sure what happened to them,” admitted the woman. “The Rebellion was a bit chaotic because of the sheer speed of it.” She reached back with one hand and rang a bell, the door opening a moment later to reveal the stuffy-looking man. “Send for my lover,” she commanded the man, who nodded before closing the door behind himself.

“How about surviving slaves from her plantation who might have been the ones to make the blend?” Airi asked.

“Scattered to the winds as Boss overthrew kingdom after kingdom. Some of them were literally nameless,” she frowned, gently burping her daughter before rocking her to sleep.

“Someone is supplying her,” stated Liseria. The Governess nodded.

“And I will do everything I can to help you find out who so we can stop them,” she declared.

“We must be careful, though,” warned Airi. “Boss is very short-tempered of late and we do not want to give her reason to think we might be moving against her.” The Governess shivered a little.

“No, we certainly do not want that,” she agreed fervently. The door opened a moment later, a man about the same age as her entering the room, pausing as he spotted Liseria and Airi. Liseria blinked. “Ah, there you are,” Saharil smiled at the young man. “I need you to do something for me,” she said. He moved to her side and carefully accepted the sleeping infant.

“I am always glad to care for her,” he said, smiling at the baby.

“It isn't that,” Saharil replied, tugging her dress more or less back over her breasts. “We need to find out who is giving Boss Claw Lily tea. Do you have any way to find out who from her plantation might be the one doing it?”

“Why does it matter?” the young man asked.

“Because it is killing her,” Airi stated, standing from her chair and facing him squarely. “There are side-effects, and if she keeps drinking it, she will die. Who is poisoning your master, boy?” she asked directly. Saharil frowned, looking back and forth between the man she was considering marrying and the intimidating Chancellor of Raltaow.

“Do you two know each other?” she asked the two at large.

“Not formally,” Airi said. “But you could say he knows us,” she added, her lips curving a little.

“How so?” asked Saharil, suspicious.

“Boss introduced us some time ago,” Liseria said, also rising and staring at the young man.

“So she did. It was a good introduction, was it not?” he asked.

“You said that Boss had released you from her service,” Saharil challenged her boyfriend.

“She did,” he admitted. “But not until after she had introduced me to Liseria,” he said. The Governess blinked.

“It was the Queen….?!” she sputtered. He nodded.

“Though it is only a one in four chance her heir is mine,” he admitted.

“I would say it is more like a one in ten it isn't yours,” Airi said. “He looks more like you than any of the others. Now, who is supplying her with that tea?” she asked, her tone cool and hard.

“I am,” he said.

“What?!” shrieked the Governess, making her daughter fidget and fuss a little.

“Tell me what the blend is,” Airi said. The young man gave her a thoughtful look, obviously weighing his options.

“No,” he said a moment later. Airi's eyes narrowed a little.

“Boy,” she said, her tone cold and dangerous, “I know you are loyal to Ritsuko, and I know you fear her. But before you let that emotional bond blind you to reality, you should know that she is not the only one who can destroy you. Also, you are directly poisoning her by giving her that mix - how is that being loyal to her? And finally, I will tell her Warrior Bunnies exactly who it is that has been poisoning her. You have literally no idea what those demi-humans will do to you. You are not and never will be beyond their reach, boy. Now tell me what blend you have been feeding her,” she demanded again. The young man considered that for a moment longer.

“No, not without her permission,” he said. “I will die before betraying Boss,” he said.

“You betray her with your silence,” Liseria stated, scowling at the young man. “That mix is killing her, stupid!” she spat angrily.

“It is the mix she instructed to be made for her,” he said simply, absently bouncing his daughter in his arms. Saharil was glaring at her boyfriend as well.

“I can't believe you…” she snarled. “Not only have you been cheating on me, but are poisoning Boss!”

“We weren't together when Boss brought the Queen to us,” pointed out the young man. Naturally, this only made his girlfriend fume more. “And I know you were with other men before me,” he added.

“That has nothing to do with this!” declared the Governess hotly. The young man cocked his head a bit.

“It doesn't? How do you figure that? You are angry at me for being with another woman, but you say that your being with other men isn't the same. That doesn't make any sense,” he replied calmly. The governess's face flushed.

“Give me my daughter and get out!” she yelled, making her daughter fuss some more. The young man hesitated for a moment before handing her the infant, who began to cry. Saharil gently rocked the infant against her breasts, the baby calming as it fell back into a light sleep. “To think I was going to marry you,” she muttered angrily.

The young man said nothing, turning for the door, only to find that Airi had moved to block it. “Not so fast,” she said quietly. The man glanced at the three women in the room with him.

“Are you in need of another heir?” he asked the Queen, Liseria blushing a bit.

“If I were, why would you think it need be with you?” she asked icily.

“Then there is nothing else to speak of,” he replied bluntly. His eyes tracked to the still-scowling Saharil. “I do love you, Saharil,” he said quietly.

“If you loved me, you wouldn't have cheated on me,” snorted the woman, hugging her infant a little closer to her breast. He sighed, shaking his head.

“If you are going to keep on being so irrational, perhaps it is best if we part ways,” he said quietly. Airi had been watching him very carefully for any signs of weaknesses she could exploit. And what she saw indicated he did have one.

“If you were to help me, I could help you,” Airi said, smiling at him. The others gave her a sharp look. “I won't ask you for the mix, since you feel that Boss requires your silence on that. Tell me how the tea mix finds its way to her and I will help you with your domestic issues,” she baited. Saharil blinked, not expecting this.

“There is nothing that would make me take that…cheating pig back!” she declared, turning up her nose as she rocked her baby. Airi ignored her.

“How does the tea find its way to her, and you stand to regain your love,” she said, her tone poisonously seductive. “Boss would not begrudge you happiness, you know. She would, in fact, feel much, much better knowing you found happiness. And she could hardly say you betrayed her, either. You do love your dear Saharil and your daughter, don't you? Would you really throw that away for something my dear Rit-chan would not expect of you?”

“Airi,” Liseria said, her tone a little confused. A flick of Airi's finger silenced her, the actress's eyes never leaving the young man's eyes.

“How does it find its way to her?” she asked, holding his gaze. “Where are the others? Do you want your daughter to grow up without any knowledge of you? Raised by the next man to sweep Saharil off her feet? Who makes the tea mix? You do not strike me as an herbalist, so who does make it? Boss is the one always alone, removed from even her closest followers, not her followers. You were never commanded to live like she does, were you? She would never give you such an order. Why do something she does not expect of you at the cost of your new family? If she were here, she would be kicking your ass right now for what you are thinking of doing. Show her your loyalty to her by not poisoning her - even if she asked you to do so. If she keeps drinking that mix, she will die. And if she dies, then what has your sacrifice been for? Her Warrior Bunnies will come for you, and they are not the sort to stop at just your death. Their loyalty to their queen is terrifying in its intensity, and they are a savage, merciless bunch. I know that if they come for those who poisoned their Queen, they will not stop before every last drop of the blood of those who had a hand in it is spilled in revenge. You, Saharil, your daughter, your friends, even your pets; they will spill your blood to the very last drop. How does that serve Boss? How does that serve anyone?”

The young man was silent, Airi's words slithering in his mind.

Ritsuko slipped out of bed, the other occupants barely stirring as she stealthily made her way out of the building, stretching as she looked up at the stars overhead, bright and clear. Looking over at the outdoor kitchen area, she saw that the fire had been very carefully banked and set for the night. Sighing, she quietly put a pot of spring water on top of the heated stone in the middle of the ashes before pulling out her small bag of tea mix. Feeling how little was left, she frowned. “Resupply run,” she murmured softly.

Rising, she headed for the wash station by the small stream, already feeling the slick wetness leaking from her groin and oozing down her thighs toward her knees. Being as quiet as she could, she got a bucket of water from the stream and washed off the thick mess on her thighs before carefully using a bit of soap and her washcloth to clean her groin. Squatting, she cleaned out as much as she could from inside her sheath before once more washing off her groin.

“Isss something wrong, mistresssss?” came a slightly-hissing voice from the darkness. It was one of the guards, a lamia woman who had proven to be highly skilled and who Ritsuko had accepted into her service.

“No, just cleaning up,” murmured Ritsuko.

“I had not thought you would be up ssso early, given your ssselection last night,” noted the unseen lamia woman. A slight change in air pressure against her naked back warned Ritsuko of her location before a towel was handed to her over her shoulder. Taking the towel, Ritsuko dried off her hips, groin and legs before standing.

“They were adequate,” was all she said. She silently wondered if Gabriella and Rapier had been spreading stories, given how the entire core group had been trying to find her a man - or men! - who could earn a perfect ten score from her.

Dry, slick, cool scales caressed her skin as the lamia wrapped around her body snugly, arms encircling her mid-riff as a long, thin tongue licked along her body from her upper breast, over her collar bone, up her neck and across her cheek. “Just adequate,” breathed the snake-woman in her ear. Ritsuko shrugged. Lamia, she had learned, had certain traits and social customs. This was one of them, and she didn't mind, per se.

“The guys were adequate. The women more than adequate,” she amended. And those women should be enjoying the men by morning, so that is taken care of, she left unsaid.

“I noticed the elf woman wasss once more not invited,” the guard noted. Ritsuko's lips tightened a bit. “In fact, you have not lain with any of your elf women, in sssspite of their requestsss,” hissed the lamia, her tongue once more tracing along Ritsuko's body, this time licking across her cheek and lips. “Why issss that? You have lain with elf men and women of the dark tribe, but not thossse elves closest to you.”

“There are reasons,” was Ritsuko said, firmly peeling the snake-woman off her body. “Return to your guard duties,” she said, moving back toward the simple building where her group was staying for the moment, “I will be going for a walk before breakfast. Tell the others when they awaken,” Ritsuko said, the unseen lamia woman bowing slightly before silently slithering off.

Slipping into the small building, Ritsuko grabbed a loincloth, a chest band, her gun belt and her sandals before once more exiting the building. Pausing, she swiftly dressed before heading out of camp at a swift walk. By the time that the rest of the camp was stirring, she was back, shiny with sweat and sipping some of her tea.

After the rest had eaten, she explained their next move. The group was south of the Elbe kingdom, in a place where some Haryo had been sighted and where a group of slavers were suspected to be operating. Ritsuko had a basic plan to flush them out - and then wipe them out - and she had confirmed that her second group had arrived the evening before and were ready to go. She concluded the briefing by saying that once they were done with the sweep, they were heading back home by way of Elbe, Italica and the Capital, though she would be going to the Capital with just Milliea. Persia, Mamina and Delilah would be staying a few days in Italica, as well.

Evening found the group preparing to return home, their wounded bandaged, their casualties buried and a fairly major nest of Haryo and slavers wiped out. It was times like these that Ritsuko missed having the JASDF available, as a few high-yield bombs with delayed fuses would have made things a lot simpler and faster, though lack of air power did not save her enemies. She had lost one Warrior Bunny, a retainer and a scout. Given the body count of the targets, it was a cheap mission, but Ritsuko didn't feel that way.

As the groups headed home, she took an air jack and flew ahead, heading for the Capital. The air fish arrived before dawn the next morning, Ritsuko guiding it down into one of the many hides near the city and secured it before she and Milliea hiked into the city, entering the gates even as the guards opened them. Ritsuko led her friend through neighborhoods near the palace, finally entering an upscale dwelling in one of the most exclusive neighborhoods. Slipping silently into the bedroom, Ritsuko had wrapped up the resident, who had just gotten out of bed and was stretching before beginning the day. The nude young woman had struggled, but Ritsuko was more than a match for her.

“Morning, Zarin,” she murmured in the teenager's ear, the young woman going still. Ritsuko released her, the girl turning to face her.

“Boss,” she smiled before throwing her arms around the red-head's neck and kissing her hungrily. “I have been waiting for you,” she breathed when she released her leader from the kiss, though she maintained a tight hug, her naked body pressing firmly to Ritsuko's armored form.

“I doubt that, given what I have been hearing, Zarin,” came the dry response from Ritsuko.

“You are always first in my heart and mind,” pouted Zarin.

“I am almost out of tea, Zarin,” Ritsuko said firmly but gently pushing Zarin back as she felt the insurgent groping her through her battle gown. Zarin frowned.

“You didn't come to see me?” she nearly pouted, only to get a swat to her bare ass. “Fine,” she sighed. “I haven't gotten another batch in. It is five days over-due,” she reported. Ritsuko frowned.

“Five days?” she asked, getting a nod. Sighing, she glanced at Milliea, who was watching the two with a smile on her face. “I can spare a day or two, just in case,” she said. “Need to talk with Pina anyway,” she muttered.

“I can arrange that,” Zarin said. “I have gotten close to her, as ordered.”

“Thanks, but I can arrange the meeting myself. Stay on target, Zarin,” Ritsuko said, ruffling her hair. Milliea cleared her throat, making Ritsuko roll her eyes. “Yeah, yeah,” she huffed, flipping a hand. “I was going to ask you if you wanted to return to the other continent or retire from operations, Zarin. The need for you as an insurgent is over.”

“I volunteered, Boss,” Zarin said. “And I will remain in your service for the rest of my life,” she added emphatically. “Besides, the only thing back there was a slave collar,” she added with a smirk.

“Report on the capital,” Ritsuko said, moving into the kitchen area of the room even as her insurgent slipped on a small, filmy toga-like gown. Before she could begin her report, a knock came at the door. Milliea and Ritsuko both reacted immediately.

“Yes?” Zarin called, staying behind her Boss.

“Zarin, are you available for breakfast?” a man's voice asked as the door opened. Zarin darted around her Boss as the red-head brought up her pistol.

“Sorry, but I have another commitment this morning,” Zarin said, stopping the door with her arm.

“What?” the man sounded surprised and jealous. “Who is it?” he demanded, pushing harder on the door.

“That is none of your business,” retorted Zarin. The man pushed harder, making Zarin slide across the floor of her house. “Hey!” she protested.

“Who is in there with you?!” demanded the man. Zarin nearly groaned as an arm reached past her and grabbed the edge of the door, smacking it back into the person outside before the other arm swept Zarin aside so Ritsuko could rip the door open. One arm around Zarin's waist, the other holding the door, Ritsuko scowled at the man holding his face as he sat on his ass, his toga revealing a rather shriveled groin.

“Ow!” he protested.

“Why are you bothering my Zarin, little man?” growled Ritsuko. Zarin blinked, realizing that Ritsuko had shed most of her armaments and her battle gown, leaving her naked save for the sheet from Zarin's bed, which barely covered anything. “Keep your filthy hands off my property,” added the red-head, her glare scorching the man like a furnace.

The man was staring at the red-head, mouth open. Smirking, Ritsuko maneuvered Zarin so she could kiss her, making sure the man saw her tongue slide into Zarin's mouth. The younger girl moaned into the kiss, throwing her arms around the red-head. The man was frozen, staring at the two in shock. Breaking the kiss, Ritsuko grunted at him before slamming the door in his face. “Fucking pig,” she growled, her expression dark.

Zarin was breathing fast, her face and chest red as she clung to Ritsuko. “Who was that, Zarin?” asked Ritsuko, releasing the young girl, who nearly collapsed. Ritsuko was already stepping into her battle gown.

“A source I have been cultivating,” panted Zarin. Ritsuko snorted.

“Blackmail him or terrorize him, don't string him along with sweet words,” said Ritsuko.

“Yes, Boss,” the young woman got to her feet, knees trembling. Milliea helped her up, giving her a smile. Ritsuko was making some tea, still muttering under her breath. “She been like that for long?” wondered Zarin of the cheerful elf. Milliea's smile dimmed a little.

“You could say that,” she murmured back. Zarin swallowed roughly.

“I don't mind, but…wow,” the younger woman panted.

“I can hear you two, you know,” came the exasperated voice of the red-head. “When does the tea usually arrive?” she asked Zarin.

“Usually mornings, by courier,” Zarin replied.

“And it is five days overdue?” confirmed Ritsuko, getting a nod. She frowned. Got a problem in the supply chain, she thought unhappily.

“So, you going to take a break and enjoy yourself, Boss?” asked Zarin. Ritsuko sent her a curious look. “Well, after a kiss like that…” Zarin said, her tone hopeful.

“Slut,” sighed Ritsuko. Zarin shrugged, unconcerned.

“If you don't want me, Milliea is available,” Zarin said, smiling at her Boss. “You must know how she feels about you,” she added.

“I do and it has nothing to do with how you obviously feel,” retorted the red-head.

“We could do a two-for-one for you, Boss,” Zarin suggested boldly. “I always wanted to try an elf,” she added, glancing at Milliea.

“I will get you some dark elves, if you want to try them, but don't drag Milliea into your dirty fantasies,” warned Ritsuko.

“But I want to sleep with you!” exclaimed Milliea.

“You sleep with me most nights, Milliea,” Ritsuko replied. Learning disability, learning disability, she told herself, refusing to zing the sweet young elf girl.

“I want to have sex with you, Ritsuko,” Milliea said. “Don't you want to have sex with me?” she asked.

“You are a virgin, Milliea,” sighed Ritsuko.

“And I want you to be my first,” smiled the girl as if her request was of no more importance than asking for a glass of water. “They say you are incredible.”

“I am going to kick their asses,” groaned Ritsuko, knowing exactly who had been bragging about her skill in bed.

“Well, Boss? You can't say no to Milliea, can you,” grinned Zarin.

“Yes, I can, actually,” Ritsuko denied, even if she knew she couldn't make it stick. “Milliea deserves someone better than me. Someone less…used,” she grimaced.

“But you are the one I want,” Milliea argued.

“Milliea, you don't know what you want. You are a virgin, young - by your race's standards, anyway - and deserve to be in love with someone less messed up than me,” argued Ritsuko.

“I love who I love,” was Milliea's calm reply. “Is that why you never do more than kiss and cuddle with us? Because you think we don't love you?” wondered the elf.

“No,” denied Ritsuko. Though it is a lot of that, she admitted only to herself. “It's complicated,” she sighed.

“I don't think so,” argued Milliea. Ritsuko looked at Milliea, seeing her already removing her armor. Zarin had her clothes off again, licking her lips as she stared at Ritsuko. “You two are hornier than my bunny girls,” Ritsuko accused them. Both women shrugged. It didn't escape Ritsuko's notice that they were between her and the door. “Milliea, don't do this. You will regret it later,” warned Ritsuko even as the naked elf approached her with a bright, happy smile.

“I've regretted things before,” Milliea said. “But I won't regret this,” she added before taking Ritsuko's shoulders in her hands and pulling the red-head to her for a kiss. Ritsuko sighed into the kiss. Well, it isn't like I can get pregnant from girls, and I would hate myself if Milliea's first time was bad, she told herself, allowing herself to kiss Milliea back. Better that I do it than some filthy pig of a bastard, she rationalized as she felt Zarin guiding her toward her bed. But there is no reason for Zarin to be involved, she decided. Unfortunately, Milliea was not interested in letting her go or breaking the kiss.

It was the next morning before Ritsuko could escape the two, and she immediately left to corner Pina, the issue with her tea supply forgotten in the aftermath of the previous day.

“Ah! Lord Itami,” Duran greeted the Japanese man as he entered the court of the king of Elbe. “So good of you to come.”

“You majesty,” Itami replied, bowing a bit. “What can I do for you?” he asked, glancing around at the courtiers. He spotted the livery of the Duke of Ligu, and the newly-crowned king of Mudwan among them. He also spotted the heir apparent of Elbe further back. Beside Itami, Yao and Tuka glanced around as well. It was not often that Duran asked Itami to come to court, after all.

“My good Lord, I have asked you here to offer what wisdom you may on a topic that has become something of a contentious one of late,” Duran said, absently adjusting his crown. Itami smothered a sigh. He didn't like getting mixed up in politics; it was too dangerous, took up too much time and was inevitably messy. He felt the weight of his pistol, holstered at his hip. Ritsuko has proven to be right about the dangers of this world, part of him thought. After that day in Rondel, Mari - who usually disliked carrying a gun - would never go anywhere without at least a pistol; and he had seen her pick up a Type 63 from the armory at Alnus not long after the unfortunate incident with Noriko's friend.

“I am not sure I have wisdom to offer, your majesty,” he began his tactical retreat.

“Then your opinion would be sufficient,” laughed Duran, knowing the kind of man Itami was. Once more, Itami bit back a sigh.

“What, pray tell, is the matter before us?” he asked instead.

“As you are no doubt aware, the Empire - under the leadership of Pina Co Lada of the Imperial family - has been moving with great speed toward the end to slavery in the empire. As vassal states, we are encouraged to do likewise, but are not without some latitude in this matter. Certain persons has been adamant that we maintain the practice as it accounts for a large percentage of our labor force, and is the basis for most of our domestic production. Our kingdoms, as I am sure you are aware, my lord Itami, are primary agricultural in nature and therefore do not reap the same benefits to be found from an exchange of technology with the other continent. For this reason, it has been called for a vote among the kings and nobles about the issue. Before that vote, I would like to hear your thoughts on the matter, given your unique perspective.”

Duran is a capable king and experienced leader, all right, Itami thought with a touch of sourness. Still, it was very clear what had to happen here if they were to avoid a blood-bath by Nodachi's hand. “Duran,” Itami shifted his mode of address even as he straightened to attention, “you have met Nodachi. You have looked her in the eyes. There is no discussion to be had - she will end slavery even if it means burning the entire world to ash. Even if the Empire and the vassals and even the Men in Green stood against her, she would not hesitate in the least. Attempting to maintain slavery against someone like her is not mere foolishness - it is idiocy of the greatest sort. So, the only real question is what can be gained from not fighting a doomed conflict against someone worse than anything you can imagine.”

Murmuring went around the court, and Duran allowed it for a moment before tapping his artificial hand on his throne armrest, quieting the room. “And that is?” Duran asked the young soldier he had come to respect.

“There are multiple techniques, technologies and advances that will greatly profit the lands,” Itami began. “One is the science of fertilization and crop management. Imagine if your fields could grow twice the amount of crops as they do now with less labor. What if your public latrines became a source of income rather than a costly expense? Imagine techniques to harvest crops and process them in a fraction of the time it currently takes. What if water could be brought to the crops without having to be hauled by hand? There are ways to bring back fertility to the soils of farms long thought dead that do not involve expensive magic.”

Itami paused, letting that sink in for a long moment. “And then there is the issue of the cost of slavery, as well,” he changed directions. “Slaves have to eat, and drink, and sleep and have at least some form of shelter. Even if you keep the children of slaves as property, that is just another expense for the owner. You pay good gold up front for the slave, but then you keep having to pay silver just to maintain them, or you lose your investment of gold. How long does it take before the costs of maintaining a slave group to work the farms eats up - literally, in some cases! - any profit to made from the farm? And you are still out your original gold, as well. Is it possible to make back the gold spent on buying a slave, even if you can make up the cost of maintaining them? I doubt it,” he put forth.

“Lord Itami, do you not own that dark elf beside you?” challenged one of the nobles, pointing to Yao. “You would have to give her up as well!”

“Oh, I already freed Yao,” Itami said. The noble gaped at him.

“You freed her? A female dark elf slave, and you freed her?!” he nearly screeched.

“Well, yeah,” Itami replied, his tone patient as if he were speaking to an idiot. I don't want to wake up dead by Ritsuko's hand one morning, he left unsaid. The room once more buzzed with conversation for a few moments before Duran once more tapped his armrest.

“And then there is the fact that the medical sciences that my former subordinate is teaching will not be available in any lands that allow slavery. And trust me, as Duran can attest, our medical sciences are far, far more advanced than anything you can even imagine,” Itami went on, inclining his head toward Duran, who raised his artificial hand for emphasis.

“Oh, and let us not forget that we know where new, valuable resources are located in these lands; as well as how to use them to advance this world,” he added almost as an after-thought. “Really, when you look at it with a strictly practical eye and ignore the sentimentality of traditions, there is no choice to be made,” concluded Itami.

“And you can do this with so few of you remaining behind?” challenged another nobleman. “Most of you fled back through the Gate,” he reminded everyone spitefully.

“Our mission was accomplished,” shrugged Itami. “And in answer to your question, yes,” he said, locking gazes with the man. “Even with so few of us remaining behind, we can do what we say we can. I know that most of those in this room have only stories to go on about our world and what we can do, but those who have seen us understand the difference between our world and your world, and they know that it is not numbers that truly matter. Is that not so, King Duran?”

“It is true,” sighed the king, remembering his army being cut down like ripe wheat while still beyond the range of any of their own weapons, of men falling dead with holes punched straight through the heaviest of shields and breastplates like they were but tin, of flying death and machines that shook the earth just passing by. He had heard Pina speak of the things she had seen on the other side of the Gate, and spoken with Itami's women about their visits as well.

“We are not a greedy people,” Itami said, scanning the crowd, “but we do have conditions for sharing our technology and sciences, and chief among them is that slavery is not acceptable. Even so, we are not inclined to kill those who dabble in slavery; that is what Nodachi does. She was once a slave, but broke her chains, and she will never rest until slavery is gone, and every slaver - no matter how small or how large - is dead by her hand. If you would survive, give up slavery. Otherwise, no one can help you; not even the gods,” he warned them.

“Easy for you to say,” muttered a young courtier. “You have the favor of Rory the Reaper and have won gold and glory on the field of battle. What are we to do?”

“Rory has twice been defeated by Nodachi,” shared Itami. “Had she wished it so, she could have killed us all before Rory could recover, but she had other things to do. Rory does not - cannot - protect me from Nodachi any more than you can find protection from her. Remember that. And there are many ways to find glory and wealth that do not involve fighting, death and slavery. In my world, most of the people with the greatest number of followers are musicians, actors and politicians, not warriors. In fact, the most ardent of followers tend to follow musicians and actors - some of them have millions of fanatic fans. This is something that will be coming to this world. One need not be a great warrior to be great, respected and rich.”

“Foolishness,” muttered the young lord. Itami gave him a friendly smile.

“You are not married, are you?” he asked. The man frowned.

“What bearing does that have on this conversation?” he asked, suspicious. Some of the older men chuckled with Itami.

“It has much to do with this discussion of warriors and fighting,” Itami said, still laughing a little. “You will learn much when you marry,” he said, getting some hearty laughing from those men who were married or had been before. “Not all fights are worth fighting, my young friend,” he offered, shaking his head. “And this fight is one such.”

“Well! Finally!”

Ritsuko leapt up from bed, gun in hand at the voice. In the door to her house in her capital stood Mari Kurokawa, arms folded under breasts, a professionally displeased look on her face. “Good way to get shot, Mari,” Ritsuko said, de-cocking her pistol and dropping back down to bed, where her companions were stirring a little. “Come back later,” Ritsuko yawned before snuggling up with the nearest of her bedmates, who happened to be Mamina.

“You have missed your last three check-ups, Ritsuko,” stated Mari crisply. “You are not missing another one.”

“Later,” came Ritsuko's muffled voice, her face pressed to Mamina's breasts. “Tired now,” she added.

“I am not leaving before you have had a thorough physical, Ritsuko,” stated the medic. Wordlessly, Ritsuko flipped her off with one hand. “If that is what it takes to get your physical done,” was Mari's reply to the silent insult.

“Would you shut your loud mouth, human?” complained another of Ritsuko's bedmates. Mari glanced at the black-furred form of Sarina.

“Only if you swear on your honor to bring Ritsuko to me when she awakens,” countered the medic.

“If you don't go away and let me sleep, you won't be alive by that time,” a third voice said as Delilah sat up in the bed. Mari was unmoved by the threats.

“You are getting a physical today even if I have to stand here all day,” stated the medic. The three Warrior Bunny captains mumbled insults under their breath. Mari smirked a little. “By the way, Ritsuko,” she added a moment later, “I heard about Milliea. Are congratulations in order?”

The red-headed woman stilled for a moment before sitting up and fixing Mari with a look just short of a glare. “You gossip too much,” warned the Queen. “And who told you about it?”

“Milliea,” Mari revealed. Ritsuko studied her for a long moment. “During her own physical,” added the medic.

“Since when are you a fucking expert on elven physiology?” muttered Ritsuko.

“Well, I won't claim to be as intimately familiar with it as you, but I do know a few things,” Mari replied sweetly.

“Milliea healthy?” asked Ritsuko.

“Very much so,” Mari answered. “But she was worried about you.”

“An hour,” Ritsuko sighed before laying back down. “Until then, get out or I will shoot you,” she added, snuggling back up to Mamina. Mari slowly left, uncertain that Ritsuko didn't mean exactly what she had said about shooting her.

An hour later, true to her word, Mari was examining Ritsuko carefully. Parna stood by the door, turning anyone away while the medic did a thorough examination of Ritsuko. For the most part, Ritsuko bore up under the poking and prodding with remarkable grace, though that might have been because Milliea had arrived shortly before her Captains abandoned her bed, having duties to attend to. Gabs and Rapier had shown up with her breakfast, along with the young Warrior Bunny girl who was her personal server.

“What is the point to any of this, Mari?” asked Ritsuko as Mari turned a page on her clipboard, having been bombarding her with questions about her health. “You aren't a real doctor, you know,” she muttered darkly. Mari gave her a benign smile.

“Closest you will ever come to one,” she replied. “Now, have you noticed any changes in your cycle?” Ritsuko grunted.

“Doesn't matter,” she replied, surly and uncooperative.

“The sooner we get this done, the sooner I will let you go,” Mari replied serenely, sounding like she was speaking to a child.

“Or I can kill you and be done with it,” replied Ritsuko. Mari gave her a level look.

“Yes, I suppose you could,” she came back calmly. “But what would that gain you? Would it help your girls? Your friends? This world?” She knew that Ritsuko already knew the answers - probably why she was still alive and unhurt - and she knew that Ritsuko knew she knew. “Let's talk about these mood swings and anger management issues,” she switched tracks.

“Mind your own business, Mari,” hissed Ritsuko, Milliea putting her hands on Ritsuko's shoulders. “You have no idea what happened to me, so you better get off your high horse before someone cuts it out from under you.”

“I have it on good authority that the tea you drink is responsible for your mood swings, loss of appetite and other issues. Turns out the herbs used have side-effects,” Mari said. Ritsuko's lips peeled back.

“Now I see,” she muttered. “Airi,” she nearly hissed.

“You knew about the side effects?” challenged Mari.

“There are always side effects,” Ritsuko replied, Milliea hugging her from behind. “But the main effect is what matters,” she said, her tone tight and angry.

“Those side effects are killing you; pretty quickly, too,” Mari said. “If you keep using that tea, you will likely die of organ failure or have a complete mental breakdown within a year. Who would look after your girls then? Who would hunt the remaining slavers with you gone? What would your death have been for?”

“I have already prepared plans for my death, given my goals. I have no family on this world, and my closest friends have all moved on to other things. My death would mean little; especially to me,” she said, her gaze hot and angry.

“I doubt Milliea and your friends would feel that way,” Mari argued. “As for the tea, there are other ways to control that particular risk,” noted the medic. “You did take three cartons of condoms from the supply depot at Alnus, didn't you?”

“Sarina,” Ritsuko said, her voice low.

“My queen,” the Captain said, stepping into the doorway, sword in hand. “Has this one outlived her usefulness?” she asked, glaring at Mari.

“No,” Ritsuko said, firmly - but gently - peeling Milliea off her and standing before reaching for her battle gown. “Call the entire group to assembly,” she said. “There is a matter to be discussed.”

“My Queen,” Sarina saluted before hurrying off. Having seen this kind of thing before, the elves were worried.

“What are you planning, Ritsuko?” Gabs asked.

“It doesn't concern you, Gabs,” came the tight reply.

“Rit-chan,” Milliea expressed her concern. Ritsuko snugged up the battle gown and turned to offer Milliea a small smile, but said nothing to her.

“Mari, make yourself useful and check out Gabs and Rapier,” she said as she exited the house. She had to find someone first.

Twenty minutes later, Ritsuko jumped up onto a low base near the center of the developing town. Before her were all the Warrior Bunnies in camp, as well as several of their allies and friends. “Hear me, my sisters,” Ritsuko said, the murmuring going silent. In front of the low platform were her three Captains. “There are some matters to be discussed. First and foremost, I will be away from here for a while to tend to some personal matters. I leave my captains in charge. Secondly, should I die, Delilah is my heir. Should she have fallen as well, then Sarina. Should Sarina also be slain, then Mamina will be Queen after me. There will be no fighting for the crown, do I make myself clear? We have plenty of enemies who wish to kill us, so killing each other is the act of fools. Finally, I have something you will all listen to. You will not interrupt, you will not leave, and you will remember what you hear. Am I understood?” she asked.

“Yes, my Queen!” came the unified reply of the Warrior Bunnies.

“Excellent. Noriko, tell them,” she said, gesturing to the teenaged human. Noriko got up onto the low stage and faced the warrior bunnies. Nervously licking her lips, she glanced at Ritsuko, who was standing near her, hands resting casually on her slung carbine and staring at the crowd.

“I am Noriko, from the other side of the Gate. I was kidnapped by Zorzal and used as one of his sex slaves,” she began, low sounds of anger coming from the crowd. “I was a virgin when I was kidnapped, and what Zorzal did…well, it was horrible. I was lucky, though, because someone took me under their wing, and helped me. They protected me as best as they could, they bandaged me after he hurt me, they helped me learn to survive and they kept me sane. That person's name was Tyuule.”

A roar of anger came from the crowd, but Ritsuko stepped forward, her expression hard. “Silence!” she yelled at her subjects. “You will not interrupt, you will not leave, and you will listen!” she reminded them, her carbine now in her hands. The Warrior Bunnies went silent again.

“I know you all hate her, and I am not saying she didn't make mistakes, but the Tyuule I knew was not a bad person! She…didn't understand how bad some people could be, or how they could lie to her and trick her. She surrendered herself to him in exchange for his word that the rest of you would not be harmed or made slaves. He used her battle gown and equipment - the same one Ritsuko now wears! - to trick you all into thinking she had betrayed you. When she did learn of the betrayal, she thought the survivors - like Delilah, Mamina and Sarina - would come free her so they could regroup and take vengeance. Instead, because of Zorzal's lies, you all thought she was a coward and a traitor and planned to kill her. That…drove her over the edge, into despair and madness,” Noriko whispered.

“For years, she endured everything that animal did to her because she thought you were saved by her doing so. Yes, she did go crazy and nearly got us all killed, but she didn't betray you like you think she did! She was thinking of you all and doing what she thought would save you. I'm not asking you to forgive her, but I want you to know the truth about her.” Noriko finished, looking down.

“Dismissed,” Ritsuko said, patting Noriko on the shoulder before jumping off the stage. Before the others could follow her, she was on an air fish and flying off.

“You look like hell, Ritsuko,” said Airi. The red-head turned to look at the black-haired actress. There were bags under her eyes and dark circles around her grey-green eyes, the eyes themselves bloodshot.

“Thanks for sharing,” rasped the red-head. “Now that you have demonstrated your incredible wit, get the fuck out,” she ordered, rolling over in the simple pallet.

“No, I don't think so,” Airi said, unimpressed.

“It isn't safe for you to be here,” warned the younger woman. Ritsuko looked around at the plain hut, seeing the signs of damage. The hut was not the only thing that had suffered her wrath. Several trees were heavily damaged by bullet, blade and flame. The small garden patch was not exactly thriving, and if the scattered weeds and under-developed vegetables were any indication, Ritsuko was not as patient as she usually was.

“Doesn't matter,” Airi replied. “I will not abandon my friend. Besides, I know what withdrawal is like, and I can help you. Trust me, Rit-chan, you do need support to get through this.”

“I have support,” came the strained laughter from Ritsuko. “They are just out running errands while they can before the next mood swing,” she cackled a little.

“Oh? Who would be here with you? Milliea has been absolutely beside herself since you vanished, you know. We are all worried. Your Captains nearly started a war looking for you. They accused Pina of having a hand in your vanishing act. Fortunately, Itami, Mari and Myui managed to calm them down. Next, they came through the gate and accused me and Liseria of being involved.”

Ritsuko snickered from the pallet. “For all that, though, I was able to convince them of our innocence, and promised to track you down. Had I know you had vanished, I would have started earlier.”

“You have other things to be doing,” grunted Ritsuko, curling into a ball and beginning to shake. “Oh, joy, they're early,” she muttered. Airi frowned.

“This seems a bit extreme for a tea blend,” noted the actress.

“Depends on the tea,” Ritsuko said, her jaw tight. “Where did I mess up?” she asked, obviously turning the conversation away from why she was trembling.

“I like to think you didn't,” Airi said. “I happen to know more about you than anyone else, and I know more than most would think about your methodology. I missed you by a week in Italica. Points to you for finding the herbalist there, by the way,” she said. Ritsuko said nothing, the trembling getting worse. “Are you sure you are ok?” Airi pressed, moving over to the naked woman and touching her. “You are burning up!” hissed Airi.

“Side effect of the detox,” insisted Ritsuko. “Not that you would know,” she added under her breath. Airi settled on the pallet, her hand gently stroking Ritsuko's unbound hair.

“Actually, I would,” she replied. “You know I am - was - an actress, right? Well, like most successful actresses, I have had my share of problems with addictions. Fortunately, I never become obsessed with them, and managed to keep it quiet, but I have gone to rehab twice in my career. The first time, I was barely twenty, and had become hooked on pain killers after a rather disastrous accident on the stage. I refused to take the time to heal properly, and ended up over-using the painkillers to keep performing. Luckily for me, I realized I had a problem and got some help quietly.”

“You mean unlike me,” Ritsuko nearly spat, sweating heavily even as she shivered.

“I never said that,” Airi replied firmly. “You are in a very different situation than I was, after all. I am merely making a point that I know how it is to deal with something like this. The second time was for drugs, of course. I found I was hooked on them and didn't want to end up like many of my fellow stars, so I got help again. I know what it is you are going through, though hopefully, it is not as bad as what I went through kicking those addictions.”

Ritsuko said nothing, panting as she trembled and sweated heavily. After a half hour or so, the young woman gradually stopped shivering and caught her breath. She managed to sit up. “You better not have brought anyone with you,” warned Ritsuko, picking up her pistol and struggling to her feet.

“I did not, though I suspect that Milliea will find you sooner or later,” noted Airi.

“As long as it isn't for a couple more weeks,” Ritsuko said, making her way toward the door. Outside and down the low hill a ways was a small spring-fed lake, and Airi suspected that Ritsuko was heading that way.

“Why a couple more weeks?” asked Airi, standing and helping her toward the lake.

“Because one way or another, it will be over by then,” Ritsuko said. “You didn't tell me how you found me,” she added.

“Well, like I said, I know you. I tracked the herbalists and your supply chain. I missed you by a week in Italica. I was five days behind you in Icarinin. The herbalist in Wind Lake was nearly physically ill when he heard your name. I lost two days when the herbalist in the Southern Capital had a nervous breakdown when I described you to him. What did you do to him, Ritsuko?” wondered Airi.

“Nothing,” replied Ritsuko, looking away from her friend as they reached the water. Ritsuko didn't hesitate, moving right into the water, gun and all. Airi swiftly stripped and joined her, worried she might drown.

“Anyway, I picked your trail up back in the Western Kingdoms, at that health spa. The woman there was very talkative once I convinced her I was your friend. I was only six days behind you when I went to the settlement in the Blood Hills. It took me four days to get them to talk to me about you, but they did finally give me enough pieces to track you to the Healer's Commune. I swear, Rit-chan, if you are going to kill them, then kill them and if you aren't, then stop terrorizing them,” sighed Airi in exasperation. Ritsuko giggled, but didn't answer.

“Once I peeled the herbal medicine dean off the ceiling of his barricaded office, and got a few cups of whiskey into him, he managed to be coherent enough to give me the gist of your visit, and that led me to the temple. Annette suspected something was wrong, but didn't want to risk triggering you; probably for the best,” Airi noted.

“It was a good decision,” Ritsuko agreed quietly.

“She told me about your little research session, and gave me some guesses about your next move. I found your friend two days ago,” Airi continued. “I had to seduce him to get anything out of him, but he let slip a word about this place. Since then, I have been surveying the area, and this morning, I spotted this place.”

“Remind me to kick him in the nuts for selling me out for a bit of pussy,” muttered Ritsuko darkly. “Where is Milliea?” asked the red-head.

“Going nuts looking for you. I had to have her put under a sleep spell to keep her from hurting herself,” Airi replied. “You better be there when the spell is released, or she might do something she will surely regret the rest of her long, long life,” warned the actress.

“Gabs and Rapier?”

“Watching out for Milliea and your girls,” Airi replied. “I had to offer them a quite a bit of incentive to leave finding you to me,” she added.

“No one asked you to,” came the almost-sharp reply from Ritsuko. Airi brushed the tone off with ease.

“No one had to ask me; my friend needed me,” she said instead. “You said earlier that you had someone here with you?” she hinted. Ritsuko made her way back to the shore, having scrubbed off and cooled off in the cold pond.

“Yeah,” she said succinctly. “I'm hungry; hope they get back soon,” she added. The two women headed back to the crude building, Airi carrying her clothes as she waited for the water to dry. Ritsuko added some fresh bedding to the pallet before laying down again. To Airi's surprise, Ritsuko fell asleep nearly immediately, gun in hand.

It was perhaps an hour later when Airi heard movement and looked up to see a young fox-girl demi-human, a human girl about sixteen years old and a young man about twenty years old, all staring at her. “Hi,” Airi greeted them.

“Since you aren't dead yet, I assume you are a friend of Ritsu's,” the human girl said, her tone untrusting and suspicious.

“She has Queen Ritsuko's scent on her,” the fox-girl said, sniffing the air.

“Would you be one of her lovers?” wondered the young man. Airi hid her reaction to that.

“No, I believe you fill that role, if I am reading this situation correctly?” she countered coolly.

“I do as she asks,” was the evasive reply from the young man. “Who are you?” he asked directly.

“I am Airi, a very dear friend of hers,” replied the Chancellor of Raltaow. “I trust you have food? Ritsuko said she was hungry before resting, and she needs to eat regularly to help her recover.”

Mutely, the human girl held up a large shoulder sack, filled with foods as the fox girl also displayed some fresh meat and plants. Without another word, they began to prepare the food while the young man kept an eye on Airi between starting a small fire in the fire pit and hauling water from the spring to the large basin in the corner of the hut. After that, he began to fill a wooden tub with water, a small fire full of rocks being set not far from the tub.

Ritsuko stirred and sat up, sniffing the air. “Ritsu,” greeted the human girl, smiling at the older red-head. “Was your day any better?”

“Tolerable,” Ritsuko replied, standing and stretching. Airi noticed that she was totally indifferent to being naked. “What's for supper?” asked the red-head as she moved over to the fox-girl and the human, hugging them both before kissing them.

“Seared venison strips with mushroom gravy and mashed potatoes, steamed greens and wild onion dressing over cattail root salad,” replied the human girl after Ritsuko broke the kiss.

“Sounds delicious,” Airi interjected. The two glanced at her.

“She said her name was Airi and claimed to be a friend. Is she?” asked the human girl.

“Yeah, she is,” Ritsuko replied. “Where is Elerik?”

“Preparing your bath,” replied the fox-girl.

“You called, Ritsu?” came the voice of the young man, entering the hut. “Your bath will be ready in a bit. The rocks are heating right now,” he explained. Ritsuko nodded. “How are you feeling?” he asked intently.

Ritsuko sighed. “If you want to have sex with me, just ask. It irritates me to have you dance around the issue like this,” she carped. “And I am feeling ok,” she added. She noticed him glancing at the two younger women. “And if you want to fuck them, that is fine with me, too, as long as they are ok with it. Just say what you mean, damn it,” she snarled.

“Yes, Ritsu,” he said, inclining his head. Ritsuko grumbled darkly under her breath. Airi rose and carefully hugged Ritsuko, murmuring in her ear. Against her will, Ritsuko giggled at the end before rolling her eyes.

“We will be back in a bit,” she said the others, leading Airi out of the hut. When they returned fifteen minutes later, the group had a good meal before relaxing. Gradually, the three opened up to Airi a little. By the time Ritsuko announced they were done eight days later, Airi was good friends with the three, and was very pleased with how Ritsuko looked.

“My Queen! You look…” Sarina blinked, seeing her Queen in the doorway to her house in the Warrior Bunny capital. Ritsuko quirked an eyebrow at the dark-furred demi-human.

“I look what, Sarina? Good? Bad? Older?” she prompted.

“I was going to say sexy,” admitted Sarina, licking her lips and humming softly as she eyed her Queen. Ritsuko couldn't help but smirk a little. As they usually did, her girls were not wearing much; in fact, if not for their sword belts, they would be naked. Sarina was eyeing Ritsuko, who was dressed in her royal battle gown, with a hungry look.

“I guess that is a compliment,” Ritsuko replied, entering her house. Sarina blinked before running to the human queen and kissing her hungrily, pressing her naked body to Ritsuko's. Ritsuko wrapped her arms around Sarina, squeezing her tight, toned ass and playing with the small tail above the crack of her ass, which made Sarina moan into the kiss and squirm.

“Where are Delilah and Mamina?” asked Ritsuko when Sarina broke the kiss.

“Mamina wanted to go check on Myui, and Delilah went with her,” Sarina reported. “Where have you been, my Queen?” she asked, still hugging her monarch to her naked body.

“I told you, I had some personal matters to attend to,” Ritsuko replied. “How fares things?” asked the Queen.

“Things go well,” Sarina said, recognizing that her Queen was not in the mood to talk about whatever she had done for the weeks she was gone. “As previously discussed, we have been consolidating the outposts on both continents, and our numbers are rising steadily. Many of the cut-ears are pregnant with their next child already,” reported the Royal Guards captain.

“I see,” murmured Ritsuko. A pregnancy of only seven months does allow for a quick population re-build, she thought to herself. She had not known of the shorter pregnancy of the race until after the first wave of births. “How is the building coming?”

“We are on schedule, my Queen,” Sarina replied, showing her a map. “We can take a tour if you want,” she added.

“Tomorrow,” Ritsuko said. “I need some rest,” she added, yawning.

“Of course,” Sarina said, bowing.

“I didn't say you had to leave,” smiled Ritsuko. Sarina smiled back.

“I will return in a moment,” she said, heading for the door. “I just need to tell the man I had reserved for tonight that I have a more important bedmate for tonight. Unless you wish me to bring him here for your pleasure?” she added.

“He any good?” Ritsuko asked.

“As a dark tribe devil-man, I would say he is an eight. His member is ridged and has these bumps all over it,” sighed Sarina, drooling a little. “He is also above average size, and his stamina is excellent,” she bragged.

“Fine, I will give him a try,” Ritsuko smiled. Sarina nearly squealed before dashing out the door. My girls are fast on their feet, thought the Queen, feeling glad to be back in her simple home in the Warrior Bunny capital, even if it was crude by Raltaow standards. She unlaced her battle gown and wiggled out of it, setting it aside just as Sarina re-appeared, a rather large red-skinned male with an impressive build in tow.

“My Queen!” a voice said, Ritsuko spotting her young server friend darting into the house to hug her. “You are back,” she sighed happily as Ritsuko hugged her, kissed her and petted her hair and ears. “Don't pet me,” she protested cutely. Ritsuko laughed softly.

“Believe me, little one, you want our Queen to pet you; just not like she is now,” hinted Sarina, giving her Queen a lecherous smile. “Here he is, my Queen. I hope he meets with your approval?”

The large male inclined his head, black eyes studying the naked human. “My Queen. I have heard much about you,” he said, his voice deep and oddly resonate. “For a human to be the queen of the Warrior Bunny race,” he began.

“You are not here for that,” Sarina cut him off, her tone warning. “You are here to pleasure our Queen; if you can. She has very high standards, and you best give it all you have. Understood?”

“I don't know if she can take all I can give,” the male replied, smiling a little and revealing his long eye-teeth. Ritsuko snorted.

“You have a lot of mouth on you,” she replied. “For your sake, you best be able to back your bragging up,” warned the red-head. “I do not recall having an alliance with a dark tribe of demon-type demi-humans,” she added, frowning a little.

“They are the allies of the elves, my Queen,” Sarina interjected. “This one was sent here to be their representative to you.”

Ritsuko eyed the male carefully. “You are suspicious,” the male rumbled.

“Of course I am,” Ritsuko replied.

“Your people were just as suspicious. They checked every aspect of my story against the named sources and even sent a party to my tribe's lands to confirm the pact.”

“I assume he checked out, since you have been playing hide-the-sausage with him?” prompted Ritsuko. Sarina nodded.

“Everything checks out. Oh, and the elder of the dark elves wants to speak with you when you can,” she recalled. “And he has been tried out by Mamina, Delilah and a few others, as well. We all agree he is worthy to pleasure you,” she smiled. Ritsuko rolled her eyes.

“You say that about a lot of men,” she muttered. The male removed his leather loin-cloth, revealing a semi-hard member to her gaze. Ritsuko had to admit, he did have a nicely-sized dick. She also saw the ridges and bumps Sarina had been so enamored with as the dick slowly hardened. Ritsuko also spotted some tentacle-like appendages at the bottom edge of the crown.

“Yes, but this one will surely get a good grade from you, my Queen,” Sarina insisted. “Never have I felt one like his,” she nearly purred, her hand absently caressing his now-fully-erect length.

“Good grade?” wondered the male, sounding a bit confused and a little defensive.

“Speak to the senate? Why should I bother?” Ritsuko asked, making Pina sigh.

“We are close to a vote on the slavery issue, and I think hearing your terms from you personally would assure the passage of the measure,” Pina said. “You are looking good, by the way,” she added.

“Thank you. Want to have sex with me?” Ritsuko replied easily. Pina twitched, unsure what to say. “Getting back to the issue at hand, speaking to the senate will likely not make any difference unless I execute the ones involved in the slave trade. Which I will, you know,” she warned.

“Please don't; at least, not while the Senate is in session. Right now, they are not sure who has been killing the slavers, but if they find out that it is the Warrior Bunny Queen, it will mean trouble,” Hamilton warned, getting a chilly look from Ritsuko. “Sorry!” she nearly squeaked.

“Trouble for them if they dare to try anything,” Ritsuko said pugnaciously.

“Remember what you said, about the vote to attack the Warrior Bunnies?” Pina asked Ritsuko, who nodded. “Then you already know that the senators hold grudges and will work against peace just to slight you if you do something so blatant. Please, just speak to them. I can write out what should be said, if you like,” she offered before sipping her wine.

“No one writes speeches for me, Pina,” snorted Ritsuko. “Fine. Call the callow, stupid little shits together tomorrow morning. I will speak to them,” she smiled a dangerous kind of smile.

“Um, the Senate is not scheduled to meet for three days,” began Hamilton, only to get an even colder stare from Ritsuko. “I…I'll just get them all there tomorrow morning,” she capitulated.

“Should we discuss what you should wear?” Pina asked. Ritsuko smiled at her.

“I am Queen of the Warrior Bunnies, Pina,” she said. “I will be wearing appropriate clothes, you can be sure.”

“That is sort of what I am worried about,” muttered Pina, visions of Ritsuko appearing with the skulls of her enemies strapped to her armor, or with shrunken heads in a necklace, or with a cape made of the cured hides of slavers running through her mind. She recalled that Ritsuko was known as Boss on her native continent, and that Boss had a very colorful legend, some of which was based in fact. Pina was still considering having a copy of the statute to her friend that was in the town center made for her own courtyard.

“How goes it with house Palesti?” Ritsuko asked.

“It goes well,” Pina assured her immediately, remembering what the older red-head had been suggesting before her sudden vacation. “We have contained the problem and those who are trouble causers will never become the heads of the family or gain any positions of power.”

“You hope they won't, you mean,” was the cynical reply from Ritsuko. “Unless you killed them, you cannot be sure of the outcome. But, for now, I will let it play,” she dismissed the question, much to Pina's relief. Ritsuko studied the younger red-headed empress. “I heard that you are being pressured to marry,” she added. Pina made a face.

“It is to be expected,” she said. “I have an obligation to produce an heir, and that means marriage.” Pina did not sound excited at the prospect.

“No, actually it does not. Also, you can make someone your heir even if they are not of your blood or loins. Why not just do that?” suggested Ritsuko. “Or, I can help you find a proper husband and train him in his duties; much like I did for Liseria,” the smile was predatory this time.

Pina had heard about her incident with the late Crown Consort of Raltaow. She had also heard about the issues between Ritsuko and Airi's husband. It made her very curious, to say the least. “Ritsuko, is it perhaps that you prefer women?” Pina asked softly. Ritsuko gave her a look.

“I like men, Pina,” she replied. “But after everything that has happened, I just can't trust them. That is all there is to that.”

“But, you sleep with your captains and elves, you come on to me…” Pina blushed.

“And?” Ritsuko shrugged. “I am very picky about my bedmates, and you should feel honored to make the cut,” she added negligently. Pina blushed harder.

“And Hamilton? And Panache and Beefeater?” she wondered.

“You have good taste in women yourself, Pina,” smiled Ritsuko. “And now, if there is nothing else, I need to get some sleep,” she said, standing and stretching her arms. When Pina stood, Ritsuko struck wrapping the younger Imperial princess up and kissing her deeply while her hands explored Pina's body under the thin, sheer sheet-like gown the younger red-head wore. “Perhaps I should join you in your bed, see if your taste is equal to your taste in women,” she breathed in Pina's ear, making the girl blush to her breasts.

“I…if that is what you wish,” stammered Pina.

“Hmm,” hummed Ritsuko, absently caressing Pina's breasts. “I do own you and Hamilton, after all,” she thought aloud, tweaking the hard nipples of the Empress, forcing a moan from Pina's lips. “But, no, not tonight, I think,” she said, moving away from the weak-kneed, panting empress. “Tomorrow morning I have to speak to the Senate, after all,” smiled Ritsuko as she left the Empress's quarters, leaving Pina all but collapsed on the low sitting couch and Hamilton staring open-mouthed after her.

Ritsuko made her way to Zarin's apartment and cuddled up with her insurgent for the night, Zarin very happy to have her Boss in her bed again. Milliea was waiting for her, relieved to see her. Ritsuko had made a point to be beside the elf girl when the sleep spell was lifted, and had made a concerted effort to soothe the sweet elf. Feeling Milliea's hands, Ritsuko decided an hour less sleep was a cheap price to pay for Milliea's emotional well-being, and responded eagerly to the elf girl's actions, Zarin happily joining in as well.

The next morning, Ritsuko donned her battle gown, geared up and headed for the senate, wearing her usual traveler's cloak. Reaching the Senate, she marched right in, the guards who attempted to stop her being swiftly dealt with. When she entered the senate chamber, it was to a shouted exchange between three senators. The crash of the door being flung open silenced the argument.

“Who dares…!?” began one red-faced senator.

“I am Queen Ritsuko of the Warrior Bunnies, and I have come to give you my demands,” declared Ritsuko, not hesitating at all as she marched toward the floor of the senate. She noticed that Myui was sitting beside Pina, two maids behind her - one was Aurea, but the other was not familiar to Ritsuko, though she seemed to be the same demon-tribe woman who had guarded the door during the last siege of Italica.

“Your demands?! Since when does a mere animal give demands to us, the imperial senate?” scoffed another senator. Pina winced, and Aurea sighed softly.

“Animal? Watch what you say, filthy degenerate,” Ritsuko ripped back. “Countess Myui's loyal guards might find insult in your words, after all,” she added, tossing back the hood of her cloak, revealing the crown of the Warrior Bunnies and her total lack of demi-human ears.

“You're a human!” accused the same senator.

“Bravo, you can successfully identify your own species,” mocked Ritsuko, turning to face the senate. “Your mother must be so impressed; when she isn't sucking demi-human cock in the Crime District!” she added, her tone cutting through the senate like a sword. The senator's jaw hung open.

“As I said, I came here to give you my demands,” Ritsuko said, hands on hips, displaying her battle gown and the weapons strapped to her. “First, slavery ends immediately. This is non-negotiable. Secondly, demi-humans will have the same rights as humans. This is also non-negotiable. Third, our lands are off-limits to all without our permission. Anyone who crosses our borders without permission will be killed. There will be no negotiation on this. Fourth, we are and always will be independent of the Empire. Finally, if you want the skills we have and the knowledge I personally possess, you will pay for them - in trade or in gold, either way. What is it to be?”

This is her idea of convincing someone to agree? wondered Pina.

“Be gone, imposter!” demanded a senator. “No human could be queen of those savages…”

“I assure you, she is the Queen of the Warrior Bunnies,” Pina interjected, praying Ritsuko wouldn't start shooting. “And they are her ardent followers,” she added, Myui nodding gravely.

“Queen of a bunch of useless animal whores,” a senator began. “We conquered them once, we can do it again at will!”

“Try it then, foolish little man,” smiled Ritsuko. “I dare you,” she added, her smile unfolding a bit more. “You will pray for death long before I grant it, filthy bastard. Zorzal was lucky that Tyuule was naïve. I am as far from Tyuule as you can get, and we are ready for you. I will stack mountains of corpses and spill rivers of blood as I sack, loot and burn the entire empire to ash if you dare to attack us. I will nail your testicles to a tree and make you watch as I kill every last member of your family in front of you before peeling your skin off and salt curing your flesh! If even one of you attacks, you all die. I have destroyed kingdoms, crushed armies and burned nations. Pina knows this to be true. So try us, if you dare, and learn what we can do.” The last was a sinister near-whisper in the dead-silent auditorium.

“You have shown us the stick,” a different senator spoke up, “what of the carrot?”

“You would ask for a carrot when most would consider not being beaten to death by the stick to be a reward,” smirked Ritsuko. “But, very well. I know the things that the Men in Green know; and more. After all, I am Japanese as well,” she said the last in Japanese as she parted her cloak more to reveal her carbine and pistol. The senators of the war faction knew damn well what they were looking at, even if it seemed smaller than the staves the Men in Green had used. “There are resources in my land that I am willing to trade with you, as well as technology that the Jay'es De'if that remain behind do not know. There is quite a bit of money, fame and power to be had for those who are smart and earnest. How is that for a carrot?”

“And if we chose not to?” a third senator asked.

“If you do not attack and do not trade, then you are of no concern to us. However,” she warned the senate, “we do not forget nor do we reconsider. Those who do not trade with us will be forever excluded from our aid and resources. And those resources include access to the Gates and the other continent. Choose wisely, boys,” she smiled.

“What of Empress Pina? What did she chose?” a senator that Ritsuko had seen talking with Itami a few times said, raising his little stick.

“Her choices are her own,” Ritsuko said. “But she has made agreements and pacts with me, and I honor my commitments. You could ask her if it has been worth it,” invited Ritsuko, smiling sweetly at the man. It was obvious that it was worth it, as Pina seemed to come up in the best position every time since assuming the throne.

“We have all seen these gates in the major cities, but what do they do?” a senator asked. Ritsuko gave the man an assessing look.

“Do you truly want to know?” she asked him, sounding curious.

“Of course we do!” came the indignant reply. “So far, they are nothing but stone arches!”

“These gates will allow near-instantaneous movement between the gates. So, you can step into the gate here, and in less than an eye-blink, emerge in Elbe. Or Italica, or any other gate we allow. You could even step into a gate here, and emerge on the other continent in the same blink of an eye. Consider the benefits of this, as it works for trade caravans as well. Markets you did not even know existed are but a moment away now. A trip to another city need be no more difficult than stepping through an arch. Banditry would be a thing of the past for those who are allowed to use the gate, as you do not move through the country side. Agree to my terms, and you can have access to the gates.”

“You said `allowed',” noted a senator. Ritsuko gave him a smile.

“Allowed is the correct word. These gates are expensive to make and maintain. Therefore, we who made them will control them. And we will charge a small fee to use them, to off-set the costs of maintaining them. To use a gate will require the correct knowledge and abilities. For the time being, that knowledge is known to certain of my friends and myself. Perhaps, in time, as others prove trustworthy, we may teach them the skills. The wife of Itami, Lelei, has shown interest in them and aptitude, as has Itami's other wife, Tuka. However, they have not learned the skills yet; and may never be taught them.”

“We demand the free use of the gates!” yelled a senator, shooting to his feet and waving his stick.

“Yes! And you will teach our mages to use them!” commanded another senator. Loud sounds of agreement filled the chamber. After a moment, Ritsuko pulled out her pistol, pointed it at the ceiling and let two fly. The yelling was instantly silenced. Tucking her pistol back into the holster, Ritsuko scanned the crowd with a flat look of disdain on her face.

“You demand nothing,” she pronounced dangerously. “You have no right to anything, and you have no authority over me or anyone under me. Remember that, least I decide your demands are a declaration of war; a war I would start by killing every last one of you right here,” she warned them clearly. The senators, most of who had come to accept that the strange things that the Men in Green had possessed made them the most powerful military force on the planet, had little choice in accepting her warning and her ability to carry it out.

“So, you meet my terms - all of them - or you do not and things turn ugly. Vote wisely, my dear senators - it could be your last,” she smiled before laughing as she exited the room. “Later, boys,” she called out over her shoulder.

The vote was passed with no abstentions and no `nay' votes; likely because many senators' ears were still ringing and they couldn't help but feel like someone was breathing down their necks.

“You are sighing a lot lately,” noted Mari, looking at Itami. “Is something the matter?” she asked, smiling at him sweetly.

“This is not how I imagined it,” Itami nearly-complained. “There is so much work to be done,” he did pout this time.

“Well, we did pretty much disintegrate their society,” shrugged the medic.

“We? Ritsuko did the disintegrating! We were being super careful not to unbalance them,” he argued.

“Who was it who punched the crown prince in the face, again?” Mari asked.

“And I am so glad you did, Itami-nii,” Noriko chimed in from where she had been making notes.

“Some things have to be done,” Itami said quietly.

“Ritsuko would agree,” Mari said with absolute certainty.

“Of course, Ritsuko would have shot him in the fucking face; repeatedly,” Noriko once more interjected.

“Language,” chided Mari, making Noriko roll her eyes. “As for the girls, they are all healthy and fit,” she said, glancing at Itami. “Have you been using protection?” she asked him pointedly.

“Why would he use protection?” wondered Lelei, sitting up on the basic examination bed. “Having children is a blessing, is it not?” she asked.

“You are still young to be having kids,” Mari said. Lelei gave the medic a curious look.

“I am of age,” she said. “And I do not want Arpeggio to deliver the first born of my husband,” she added with a very slight frown. Mari bit her lip. This is a different world, with different rules and customs, she reminded herself.

“And we are hardly too young,” came Yao's voice.

“But you are also elves, and there might be issues with conception,” Mari replied blandly. The dark elf and Tuka frowned at that. “And Tuka is young by her race's standards, too,” smiled the medic.

“I am perfectly capable of conceiving,” Tuka added indignantly.

“Humans and elves can cross-breed,” Rory contributed to the conversation. “And it is usually a human male and an elf woman when it occurs, too,” she smiled.

“What about you, then? Do demi-goddesses conceive? Haven't you long since passed menopause?” Mari asked, mostly curious.

“Menopause?” wondered Rory.

“The point in a woman's life when her monthly cycles end and she can no longer get pregnant,” Noriko answered. “I am kind of curious about that as well,” she admitted. “I mean, you look about twelve years old, but you are nearly a millennium old.”

“An apostle's body stops aging when they form their pact,” Lelei answered. “Rory is said to have been fourteen when she sacrificed her mortality to make the pact with Emroy. She is, in practical terms, locked in that phase until she reaches ascension and loses her physical body. However, I know of no cases of demi-goddesses conceiving children after their pact is formed.”

Rory snorted, turning her nose up. “So? Itami will be with me forever,” she said. “Who needs children when I have him for eternity?” She smiled at Itami, who smiled back weakly.

“So what about the children he might have with the other wives?” wondered Mari. Rory shrugged.

“What about them?” she asked indifferently. “They will have their mothers and other mortals. In the case of the elves - especially Tuka - they will live thousands of years if someone doesn't kill them, since they do not die of old age and rarely get sick. Besides, Itami shouldn't die any time soon, so he can raise the children with the others and see them into their own lives before he joins me for eternity.”

“Not many kids can claim their aunt is a goddess,” Noriko chimed in.

“Speaking of mixed children, what about this matter with the Haryo? A child of two species is going to have a hard life,” worried Mari.

“Nonsense,” scoffed Rory. “The Haryo are corrupted crosses between incompatible species, malformed and filled with hatred. The half-breeds of compatible species - such as elves and humans - are usually just fine. Typically, they settle with an identity of one or the other races, and live normal lives. A few have problems, but they are mostly family problems, which won't be a problem in this case. Tuka is probably the last of her race, Yao was sold to Itami for the slaying of the Ancient Fire Dragon and Itami has no family on this planet. It will be fine,” she flipped a hand dismissively.

Mari bit back a sharp retort about reminding the blonde elf of her lost family, the dark elf of her sacrifice and Itami of the price of his choice, knowing that the goth loli nightmare just didn't care. Maybe this is what such a long life does to one's social skills, she thought sourly. Blinking those thoughts away, she realized she had missed an exchange. “Excuse me, what was that?” she asked.

“I asked what you plan to do, now that you are stuck here forever,” grinned Rory. “Find a man and make a family? Become a demi-goddess so you can teach us all you know about medicine and healing? Grow to regret your decision and end up killing yourself? What will be your fate, I wonder?” she asked.

“Ritsuko was right about you,” muttered Noriko.

“Noriko,” breathed Mari. To her surprise, Rory laughed.

“She is certainly amusing for a mortal,” the demi-goddess said. “I might make a pact with her, too,” she mused. “My two favorite mortals together with me for eternity…I like the sound of that,” she thought aloud.

“She would kill you before you could complete the rite,” Lelei said, sounding bored. “I do not think she wants to be immortal, either,” added the magic user.

“Speaking of her, I haven't heard anything about her in quite some time,” Mari frowned. “Last I heard, she had disappeared and her captains were blaming Pina,” she sighed.

“I hope they found her,” Itami agreed. That had not been a fun couple of days for him and the others. Her captains were very clear about their distrust of humans, excluding their Queen of course.

“On that note, how about some lunch?” Noriko suggested, setting aside the pad of paper she had been making medical notes on as Mari conducted the examinations of Itami's wives. “I hear there is a great new restaurant a couple blocks from here,” she smiled.

Twenty minutes later, they were sitting down on the sunny veranda of the new restaurant and ordering food. While they were waiting for the food to be cooked and brought to them - dining was hardly fast-food in that world - they talked idly about the news and what was going on in Rondel, where they were at the moment. Arpeggio was scheduled to take her Master's Exam the next day in the Magician's Guild quarter.

“Did you hear?” a voice came from two tables away.

“Hear what?” asked another, the group half-listening to the conversation.

“You heard that the Empress has outlawed slavery, right?” asked the first. The group blinked. They had not heard that yet.

“Well, she had been talking about it for a while, but I never thought she could get it through the senate,” began the second.

“That isn't the news,” interrupted the first. “Shortly after the vote, a senator who owned demi-human slaves tried to poison them to death. Someone wiped out his entire family and burned his villa to the ground. Whoever it was even killed the pets and ripped the trees from the ground. Nothing was left but a pile of ash and rubble in a forest of strange tracks!”

Sounds like Ritsuko, the group thought in unison.

“What happened to the slaves?” asked the second.

“No one knows,” admitted the first. “The human slaves were the ones who told the local legion unit about the poisoning when they came to see what the smoke was about. There were a few bodies of dead demi-human slaves there, but the rest were missing. Gone, without a trace. I tell you, the gods are unhappy with us,” he insisted.

“Excuse me, but what race were the demi-humans?” Mari asked, giving the two men a charming smile.

“There was a siren, a couple of deer-girls, an ox-girl, a dog-girl and a four-armed girl found dead. The poison was likely chalk root extract,” he added. Mari was a very pretty girl, after all, and her tube-top left plenty of cleavage on display.

“There were no bunny-girls?” pressed Mari.

“Not that anyone heard,” shrugged the man. Mari smiled at the group.

“Thank you, kind sirs,” she replied, turning back to her own group. “All tribes allied with the Warrior Bunny Queen,” she said quietly.

“If it was her, how did she find out so quick?” wondered Itami.

“Probably because she doesn't trust anyone and has agents everywhere,” Mari said. “She also has air fish, and her pet tank,” she reminded them. The group was silent for the time it took the food to arrive. Once the meal was done, the group broke up. Mari and Noriko returned to their modest home in one of the better neighborhoods in Rondel. Entering the house, they lit the candles and lanterns, only for the light to reveal Ritsuko, Milliea and Sarina sitting at their table.

“We need your skills, Mari,” Ritsuko said simply. Sighing, Mari nodded.

“I heard,” she replied. “But in exchange, I want to give you a checkup as well,” she added.

“Sure,” shrugged Ritsuko, making Mari blink in surprise.

“Ritsuko, I want to talk to you about something, too - in private,” Noriko said softly. Ritsuko gave her a curious look. On that note, the group gathered their gear and departed, Mari and Noriko not surprised to find an air fish concealed outside town. Ritsuko guided the air fish to a small town some distance away, setting it down beside another air fish and Mike.

“Mike, were you a good boy for Mamina-chan?” Ritsuko asked the tank, hugging and patting the hulking war machine. A faint meow came from the tank as the lights briefly flashed. “Good boy,” cooed Ritsuko, kissing the side of the turret. “Mommy loves you,” she added, hugging the tank again before hopping off. Mari could only shake her head at the display.

Entering a large barn outside town, Mari found a collection of demi-humans huddled together on some hay, many of them looking sick. Immediately, the medic went to work. “I am not familiar with chalk root,” she said even as she began to triage the sick.

“Neither am I, but I have people on it. There is a plant that acts as an antidote and I have a team out gathering it now,” Ritsuko said. “But I need you to take a look at something else,” she said, indicating the former slaves. Mari frowned, but began to check out the demi-humans methodically. She found many injuries, and treated as she went, Noriko helping as she could.

At first, Mari was not sure why Ritsuko seemed so concerned, but she quickly picked up on the signs. When she finished treating the wounds - some of which made the normally-peaceful medic want to murder whoever inflicted the wounds - she and Ritsuko moved outside the barn. “You saw it, so what are your thoughts?” Ritsuko asked.

“Honestly? I don't know enough to give a professional opinion, but I think it is some sort of magic,” Mari said. Ritsuko frowned.

“I once had a magical rune on me that made me helpless before my former owner, but I have never seen such on this continent,” Ritsuko noted. “Over here, they seem to favor raw brutality and social acceptance of slavery. Could it be drugs of some kind?” she wondered.

“If it is, it is nothing at all like any I have ever heard of. What are you thinking?” asked Mari.

“I am thinking that those with the signs go with you so you can start figuring this out,” Ritsuko said. “The rest are free to come with me, or return to their tribes as always, but we need to know what we are up against.”

“I don't know that I have the resources to devote to research of this type,” Mari admitted. The red-headed Queen gave the woman a look.

“Then find the resources. You have an entire university system less than two blocks from you to do the grunt work,” pointed out Ritsuko. Mari considered that. “If you are hesitating because of the cost of housing and feeding them, I can get you the funds. In fact, I am rather flush with funds right now,” she smiled thinly.

“Sacked a patrician estate, did you?” Mari asked dryly.

“Fuck, yeah,” came the unrepentant answer. “You chose this world, Mari, so you better get the blinders off fast, before it costs you something you can't afford to lose,” warned the red-head. Mari knew intellectually that Ritsuko was right, but was still struggling a little with the full ramifications of her choice.

“I want them all,” she said, reaching a decision. Ritsuko studied Mari in the light of a lantern she had hung by the barn.

“They are broken and conditioned, Mari. Do you understand what you are getting into with this?” pressed Ritsuko.

“Probably not, but I am going to do it anyway. Someone told me the blinders need to come off,” she replied, giving Ritsuko a half-smirk. Ritsuko studied Mari for a long moment.

“Listen to what Noriko has to say, Mari, when it comes to helping them. She is the expert between the two of you on slavery,” the red-head said.

“I won't argue that,” replied Mari. “But speaking of Noriko, you should know that a friend from her time as a slave to Zorzal overdosed on a new drug right in front of her after they got into a fight. Just…keep that in mind. Please?” she asked.

“It isn't my business, Mari,” Ritsuko warned her. Hearing some sounds, she tossed her head. “Your patients need you, and since you want them, you better get used to being there. I will check on the teams gathering the antidote.”

It was the small hours of the morning when Noriko - having gotten up to relieve her bladder - found Ritsuko pulling watch. “Ritsuko?”

“Get some sleep, Noriko,” the older red-head said softly. “You will need it.”

“I wanted to talk to you privately, Ritsuko,” Noriko said, ignoring the suggestion for the moment.

“Uh huh,” grunted Ritsuko, night vision monocular to her eye.

“I want to ask a favor,” Noriko began. “I had a friend, from my slave days,” she began, nervously gripping and releasing her tee-shirt hem. “I finally found her again, but she was whoring herself out and was hooked on drugs. She…well, anyway, she's dead now, and the people responsible are still out there. Could you…do something about them? For me?” she asked softly.

“You mean slaughter them like pigs?” Ritsuko replied indifferently, voice still soft. “Of course I could,” she added, pausing. Just as Noriko was about to thank her, she continued. “But I won't; not unless you can convince me you understand what you are saying.”

“What do you mean, you won't?” frowned Noriko. “You go around killing slavers like there is a bounty on their heads!”

“Keep your voice down,” warned Ritsuko. Noise discipline was critical on perimeter watch, after all. Especially with demi-humans involved. “Tell me exactly what happened,” she said, her tone firm and distant. Noriko did so, a bit miffed that Ritsuko - known for her preference for killing her enemies - was hesitating. When she had finished, Ritsuko hummed.

“I have questions,” she said. “First off, why did you friend not go home?”

“Well, because she thought she couldn't,” Noriko said, as if that were obvious.

“But was it that she couldn't, or that she didn't want to?” Ritsuko wasn't letting go.

“I guess she couldn't,” replied Noriko.

“Guess or know?”

“Fine, she probably could, but didn't want to face the shame,” huffed Noriko.

“So she went to Rondel, where she didn't know anyone and had no family. Ok, why did she do that? Surely she knew you were in Alnus,” pointed out the red-head.

“You had to have a reference to live in Alnus,” Noriko retorted.

“And as a resident - hell, a Japanese national! - you could have given that reference. Why didn't she come to Alnus? Why Rondel?”

“I don't know why!” huffed Noriko.

“Fair enough,” Ritsuko dismissed the question. “I have been to Rondel many times. There is always work to be had. Why didn't she get a job - a real job, not working as a whore,” Ritsuko pushed forward.

“There is a stigma about hiring former slaves,” began Noriko. She didn't know from personal experience, of course, having been rescued right from the palace by Itami, but she heard there was.

“I have placed at least a half-dozen people in Rondel, all of them former slaves, some of them demi-human, and not one has had the slightest problem finding regular work. Granted, it is not always high-paying or easy work, but it is not whoring or dealing in criminal activity. I don't buy the argument that she couldn't find honest work. So why didn't she work a tavern, become a maid - Formal would have welcomed her - or even done scullery work. Why was she whoring herself out?”

“We were sex toys for Zorzal!” hissed Noriko, frustrated that Ritsuko was being stubborn about killing those responsible for her friend's death.

“She could carry a mug of ale, couldn't she? Wash dishes? Tidy up a room? Hell, she could beg, couldn't she?” the Queen was remorseless. “So why didn't she? After all, you didn't become a whore after you were freed from Zorzal.”

Noriko didn't have an answer for that.

“Let's switch gears for a moment,” Ritsuko said after waiting for an answer that never came. “You smoke dream sap sometimes, and I know you started thanks to Tyuule. Did she smoke it, too?” asked Ritsuko.

“Of course,” Noriko replied.

“More than you?”

“I guess,” shrugged Noriko. A sudden suspicion hit her. “But a lot less than most of the others! She wasn't an addict or anything,” insisted the teenager.

“Hmm,” hummed Ritsuko. “But she was obviously using a lot more after being freed from Zorzal, so would you say it safe to say she had an addiction-prone personality?”

“What does that matter?” Noriko was getting defensive.

“We can come back to that,” side-stepped the older girl. “You want me to kill the ones who were using her for your sake, right?”

“Um, yeah,” agreed Noriko.

“So this isn't about your friend, it is about you,” stated the other woman. Put like that, Noriko didn't know what to say.

“You know, we had a talk once about slavery. You sort of pissed me off with your attitude. Do you remember that talk?” asked Ritsuko. Silently, Noriko nodded. “I know Airi told you why I got pissed off. That problem remains, Noriko,” she shared candidly. “You did nothing to free yourself. You didn't even do anything to survive - Tyuule looked after you. Yes, Tyuule, the woman who had my current job before me and nearly got us all killed had to look after you and protect you. And yet you want blood shed for your sake. Why do you think you are worthy of having blood shed for you?”

“Look, if you don't want to do it…!” huffed Noriko, turning away to head back to the barn. Ritsuko's hand grabbed her arm and a split second later, she was pinned by the red-head.

“Story time, girl,” growled Ritsuko softly. “There was once a girl who was a slave. She was beaten, raped, abused and treated like a toy. Eventually, she got free. She found herself in a world of monsters, and decided to kill as many monsters as she could. She killed and killed, and then one day, she found herself facing a monster she couldn't kill. Why couldn't she kill it? Because the monster was her own reflection. She became what she wanted to destroy, and thus, everything she had tried to do was rendered pointless. Do you hear me, Noriko?” asked Ritsuko.

“I don't think you are a monster,” said Noriko slowly.

“Noriko, I wasn't talking about me. That story is about what will happen to you if you keep this up,” murmured Ritsuko in the girl's ear. “Believe me, I know. So, for your sake, I won't go kill these guys. I know you don't understand why, so let me try to put it plainly. I can kill the men easily. But within five minutes, more men will take their place, and nothing will have changed. So I could kill those men, but the cycle continues, and before you know it, you are the monster you wanted to kill in the first place.”

“Aren't you being a hypocrite, Ritsuko?” bit out Noriko. “Who is it who has been slaughtering slavers and knocking over kingdoms, again?”

A soft laugh came from Ritsuko. “Me, of course, the monster known as the Queen of the Warrior Bunnies. The difference being that no one is filling the vacuum left behind when I kill slavers because I make filling that vacuum far too dangerous for anyone. There are layers within layers here, Noriko, and it has a lot to do with the societal stage of this world and the rules in play. You do not yet understand this civilization, so it seems the same to you. But tell you what - I will make you a deal,” she said, keeping the other girl pinned under her. “In two months' time, if you are still so desperate to see these men killed, I will eliminate them for you. In exchange, you will help me kill slavers. Deal?”

Noriko hesitated for only a moment. “Deal,” she said. Ritsuko let her up.

“On your head be it,” she intoned. “Get some sleep. Mari will need you now more than ever,” she said, dismissing Noriko. The younger girl hurried back to the barn, confused, irritated and a bit scared. Settling into the blanket she had spread over the hay, she fell asleep again, though it remained a fitful sleep.

Outside, Ritsuko kept watch. “You are different now, my queen,” a soft voice said.

“Am I?” asked Ritsuko, catching the black-furred Warrior Bunny by the waist and pulling her to herself in a tight, full-body hug. “Do you mind?”

“I am your loyal subject, my Queen. My body, mind and sword are yours,” answered the Warrior Bunny, nuzzling Ritsuko's neck lovingly.

“Horny bunny slut,” giggled Ritsuko, though she didn't try to stop Sarina. A half hour later, when a fox-girl came to relieve her on watch, she found Ritsuko absently stroking the hair of a smiling Warrior Bunny as the demi-human lay against the human's side.