The Lanthonean ship sat there, h in the air beside Rideau Falls in only slightly less defiance of the ws of physics than a Kobaroian ship would have. After all, the Lanthonean design was a sleek crystalliructure that at least looked like it was meant to be defying gravity and nature.

  Whatever the case, it was utterly massive. Stretg a few hundred metres from tip to tip it was at least as rge as any cruise ship or super tanker humanity had built. Which meant it was rather dominating the area it was sitting, looming over both Gatineau and the eastern inner parts of Ottawa.

  Though Svetna barely got any time to appreciate the view in the rush and hubbub of preparing to leave the phere was a slightly absurd amount of pag involved (royalty gave her a rge clothing budget and, well... she liked clothing), rge numbers of people running around to move other supplies, and a bunch of alien dignitaries who had decided she o sit in a nearby park with her back to the ship while listening to some sort of genre of alien music that even they didn’t seem to like. It must have been some sort of a pre-voyage tradition? That or Lanthonean music was just... bad. She’d find out iime.

  With some slight prompting from Plynx and O’tmyil Svetna tapped her forehead a number of times in the sign of respect that repced bowing in the gaxy as she talked to the various dignitaries. Then it was time to board the vessel, a number of Agent Lee’s security personnel fnking her as she did. It seemed the adian gover didn’t quite trust extraterrestrials with the safety of their head of state.

  The small security detat followed as she and her various partners were led towards the Imperial Suite aboard the vessel. As they went, taking crystalline elevators along the sides of varie atriums, Svetna realised it was much more of a cruise ship than an airpne.

  “How long will this trip be?” she asked as they passed a restaurant.

  “We’re travelling to Throne World,” the pale blue Lanthonean man leading them said in a somewhat shy voice. “So, with the U’ri being as fast as he is... it takes about seven standard days? Which... I think it would be a Terran week, if my version is correct? Perhaps eleven days instead of ten.”

  “Uh... a week is seven days,” Augusta said.

  “It is? I had thought your species used a base ten for all measurements,” the man said, looking rather fused. “Apologies. Apologies... well, your suite is just ahead.”

  A few metres ter they arrived at some rather ornate doors made of what looked somewhat like amethyst. Their attendant waved a small key crystal before it and the doors folded open in a plex ami-like manner. Within, the rooms still looked uionably alien in design, obviously more det than Kobaroian tastes or the militant stylings Issiod’rian royalty seemed to favour.

  “Lanthoneans-respected know luxury,” Plynx mumbled, walking in and looking around with rge pupils.

  “Ah, so we don’t look like primitive hicks by being impressed?” Vivian said, strolling over to what Svetna guessed to be a hard crystalline lounge chair.

  Whe on it, however, it danced about in a way to softly cradle her body, the handsome womaing out a sigh of joy at the fort. As well as the ce to get off of her feet.

  “Oh, not at all. The sed dynasty were Lanthonean and their-respected culture has been associated with what humahlings would call ‘css’ ever since,” Plynx said, flopping on a bed herself.

  “I would prefer something a bit more... anic,” Augusta said, trag the top of what robably a dresser with her finger. “Is wood and art nouveau really too much to ask for?”

  “You may prefer Zafzini decorating, then... though the smells they tend to apply may offend you,” O’tmyil replied.

  The to Svetna fairly certain anument was immi. Sure, the tension of the e period was over, but all the women in the polycule had such rge personalities it was hard to avoid the occasional scuffles. Especially where Augusta was involved.

  And there lynx ughing at the ent right on cue, which was riling Augusta up further. Svetna decided the best move was to go join Thisbe in snuggling up beside Vivian. Thank goodness she had two sides for cuddling.

  The strange crystalline lounge chair-couch-thing was surprisingly fortable as the various tiny fragments floated to perfectly provide gentle support to those sitting in it. It was also well aligo watch as Augusta and Plynx’s verbal sparring transformed into physical sparring, and then desded into simply grappling on the floor. While Augusta had some height on Plynx, the other woman had feline flexibility, which left the pair more or less evenly matched as per usual.

  “I wonder if this ts as flirting to them,” Svetna half mumbled, thinking of the works of a certain mangaka for reference.

  Before anyone could ent, there was a buzz of what Svetna guessed was a doorbell.

  “e in,” she said, despite the fact that two of her wives were still rolling around on the floor in a battle for stubborn dominance.

  A momehe door opehis time the attendant being an Issiod’rian woman who thly two seds to spot the member of her people’s royal family currently being held in rather sloppy shoulder lo the floor. A look of horror and embarrassment swept across the poor woman’s face.

  “Don’t worry, I think they’re both enjoying themselves,” Svetna said, the pair on the ground only now notig the pany.

  Plynx’s irises tracted to slits and a shiver of embarrassment ran through her as she scrambled to her feet. Beside her Augusta had the good graces to also look slightly ashamed.

  “I... um... the captain was hoping that her imperial highness, the empresses sort, and imperial demimondaines might join him upon the bridge for our departure?” the Issiod’rian woman asked.

  “That sounds fun... what do you all say?” Svetna asked.

  “How good is the shielding on the windows? We’re on the day side,” Thisbe replied.

  “Excellent. We could be toug this star’s a and one could look at the star fortably due to the smart adjustments,” the woman said.

  “That sounds safe enough for me, then,” Thisbe replied.

  “I’ve had enough of a rest, I’m good to go,” Vivian said.

  “Let's go, then. I’ve liked the view of Earth from orbit the few times I’ve gotten to see it,” Svetna replied, hopping to her feet.

  After helping Vivian up (despite the taller woman’s insistence she didn’t he help she accepted it all the same) Svetna thehe small party into the corridor. As they arrived they found Agent Lee with a small number of security personnel who set off with them. The ents were mostly just slightly less nondescript than Lee was (since he felt almost supernaturally fettable) but one drew Svetna’s eye. As well as the rest of the group’s attention, since she was almost as tall as Vivian. And the slight matter that she had horns. Other than that the main thing remarkable about her was, despite being slightly on the darker end for someone of South Asiaage she had nearly scarlet red hair, but... well, as striking as that was, it was almost fettable o the horns.

  “Who is that?” Svetna asked Lee, gesturing to the woman.

  “That is sultant Usha,” Lee replied. “She is quite qualified despite not being a formal agent of the RCG.”

  What the ‘RCG’ was Svetna wasn’t certain, sihe agencies Lee was running seemed to ge with surprising frequency. It robably best to not ask, though, and instead she focused oher obvious question.

  “I’m guessing the horns are reted to those qualifications?” Svetna asked.

  “The... sultant Usha!” Lee said sharply, his voice growing signifitly louder to gaitention.

  Wheurned he poio his forehead and the tall woman looked mortified for a moment. That was followed by her closing her eyes, her face sg in tration, and then the horns vanished into her forehead.

  “Sorry,” she said.

  “Better,” Lee replied before then going silent as the group tinued walking.

  He’d do with such efficy that Svetna almost fot she’d asked him a question that still hadn’t been answered. Was the woman’s true identity cssified, or was Lee just being a bit... unusual as he sometimes was?

  Well, Svetna would have been ready to let it go, deg it robably rude to pry too much, when she remembered how space travel could be dangerous for supernaturals. Was Lee aware of that? Maybe Aliens hadn’t shared that information much...

  “Is it safe for a demon woman to travel away from Earth?” she whispered.

  “Oh, do not fear your majesty. sultant Usha is half human,” Lee replied with a small nod. “She is aniough for this journey, at least acc to the alien sultants we hired to calcute matters.”

  “Ah. Ok,” Svetna said, any further s leaving her mind as they arrived at the bridge.

  It seemed to her as if only a small portion of the room before her was actually dedicated to managing and steering the vessel. There were rge sweeping windows, multiple tiers that seemed desigo offer views at least as much as they provided effit work areas, and there were a number of other passengers already there on lower levels of the bridge. Most of the folks present were human, but that made sehe ship had dropped off extra-terrestrials looking to i ih and was takihlings out to the stars. Svetna even reised that some of the musis who’d been at her ation celebratiohere, no doubt set to do tours. There were probably plenty of other creatives in their midst: artists, other musis, actors and actresses... heck, there were probably some streamers and Gigtubers in there. Then some adventurous wealthy people, maybe a few iors. Though not many of the st group as Earth’s ey was rather an insignifit drop in the gactic bucket. It was much more lucrative to stay oh and charm alien iors. Unless you were sellih culture.

  The gaxy was currently being swept up in some sort of Earth-mania iement for Svetna’s position as Empress and how that had mao help end the Issiod’rian-Kobaroian wars. Plus they apparently only got new cultures on the gactic stage every few thousand years, so they always became the hot hing to some degree.

  “Ah, your majesty,” the captain said.

  Or, well, she assumed that was the captain, based on how ornate his uniform was. Uhe half or quarter capes most of the rest of the creearing, this was a full length ohe white cape and uniform inid with golden threads to create a plex web of geometric shapes that somehow mao not be overwhelmie the ornateness.

  “Couldn’t miss our departure,” Svetna offered with a grin.

  “It’s an honour to have you and your wives here with us,” the captain replied. “Please, take a seat at the front of the lookout.”

  With that he gestured towards a portion of the upper level of the bridge that jutted out to the middle of the rge chamber, a since seat he tip of it. It was obviously the captain’s chair, but she figured that meant the captain was allowed to invite whoever he wao sit in it. Heading out, she saw they’d already disembarked from their ms beside the small waterfall, though they were only perhaps a hundred metres in the air. Some of the newer alien built towers iy were still visible out the window.

  Sitting down she found the captain beside her, along with the rest of the polycule having followed her out.

  “Would you do the honour of calling out the unch?” he asked.

  “Umm... sure, but... what do I say?” she replied, having no idea as to the protocol.

  “Well, ‘ship away’ is traditional,” the Lanthonean man said.

  With a nod she then cleared her throat. “Ship: away!”

  She’d said it loudly, so that the crew could hear despite the distance, but it seemed there was some sort of smart microphone system that picked up on her voice when she gave a and and so it came across somewhat louder than she’d intended. Still, that seemed to excite the passengers, several cheers breaking out.

  A momehey were rising through the clouds.Then they were above them, only a few thin wisps in the upper atmosphere interrupting the blue skies. That blue did not st long however, soon plunging to a deep purple and then the bck of space itself.

  The ship turned ohey were in space, dipping its o provide a better view of the Earth as they receded. It was a genuinely breathtaking view, Svetna joining in on the gasps as they rose further than she had ever gone from terra firma.

  Then the ship turned, setting off towards the stars. There was no major physical sense of acceleration, but something told Svetna they were pig up speed rapidly. A few moments ter she saw they were approag something. It was only a tiny speck, but it was too big to be a star, surely. They hadn’t jumped yet, so what was... then she saw the rings around it, ahe vessel slow a little.

  “The crew of the U’ri thought our passengers might enjoy the view of one of the system’s gas giants on our way out,” the captain announced as the ship slowed further and turo provide sweeping views of Saturn.

  There were masps, Vivian and Thisbe joining in. There weren’t many humahat had seen Saturn directly... possibly hough Svetna didn’t know enough about what had happened i deals between humans and aliens before her stumbling into that world. Maybe some folks had been out this way?

  Whatever the case, she was not about to pin about the view. It was beautiful, especially as an icy moon slid between them and the gas giant, providing a somewhat shog sense of scale.

  And theurned away, setting off towards the stars at ever increasing speeds.

  “As I’m certain some of you have read, jump windows create quite the wake of chaotic space time, so we must travel away from the orbit of the po minimize the disturbances we may cause,” the captain announced. “Still, we won’t have to set off too far, as the traffic around your star is still quite minimal. Our arrival at Throne World will require us dropping back to normal space quite a lot further out.”

  In perfect timing the jump window popped ience just as the man finished speaking. It looked quite distant, but they were travelling fast enough to reach it moments ter, though the turbulence of the space-time between them and the window reached through even the vessel’s impressive iial dampening.

  But then they were within it, rag through the strangely colourful existence of jump space.

  “Huh. The colours remind me of the one fnnel I own,” Vivian said, leaning on the chair slightly to get a different view of what assing around them.

  “You know, it does... who knew, jump space is butch,” Svetna replied with a ugh.

  -

  After the jump the passengers generally filtered out of the bridge. There was only so much time one could spend staring at the oddly splotchy colours of jump space befrowing at least a little bored. Svetna found herself given a tour of the ship by the captain, O’tmyil, Plynx, and Augusta following along. It all meant a bit much walking and standing for Vivian’s i at the moment, and Thisbe announced she’d go to help her. After a while Svetna found herself wishing she’d been able to make an excuse not to be oour, though the Captaiually noticed her loss of i somewhere around showing them the tral water pump system.

  To be ho, it probably would have been super amazing if she had some vague idea about how any of it worked, but she barely uood the Earth version of these things. Switg over to alien teology meant she wasn’t eveain which parts were pipes.

  With the tour ended Plynx tried t Svetna off to check out the on ship shopping options, but it didn’t really i her all that much. They had over a week to explore the ship and she wao go che Vivian. In the end Augusta and Plynx headed off together, the tter excited to finally be baewhere that actually knew gactic fashions.

  Hoping against all reason that the two wouldn’t end up fighting while left unsupervised, Svetna headed back towards the suite, O’tmyil following along quietly with a soft smile on her face. Thanks to their neural bond Svetna uood that O’tmyil found being able to eore familiar gactic wireless works was f to her. She’d been silently browsing the extra-terrestrial equivalents of Digipedia to catch up on nostalgic locations, having only been able to get so much out of Issiod’rian and Kobaroian military vessels.

  Reag the suite, the pair found Thisbe sitting alone, drinking the tents of a blood bag.

  “How’s Vivian?” Svetna asked.

  “Tired. She’s sleeping over in the main bedroom. Still w through the jet g on top of the pregnancy... it ’t be fun,” Thisbe replied, before finishing off her drink. She then opened her mouth a moment, only to close it and bite her lip.

  “What’s wrong?” Svetna asked.

  “I... the captai like me,” Thisbe said, eyes studying the floor for a moment. “A lot of the crew don’t seem to like me.”

  “Why wouldn’t they like you?” Svetna asked.

  “That I don’t know,” Thisbe replied with a sigh. “But I know that they don’t... the way the captain said specifically it was an honour to have ‘you and your wives’ on board. The looks many of them give me. There’s judgement there.”

  “I’m sure he said ‘wives’ because it gets a bit long wio--” Sveltana began to say, only to freeze up at the tired and pained look Thisbe gave her, as well as the wave of reted emotions the vampirian released.

  “Sveltana, dear, I love you and I know you’re an optimist, but I was born in the early 1800s. I’m a Bck vampirian. I know when people are being discriminatory. The only question I have in this case is the why, sihere doesn’t seem to be much sexism out here, the idea of them having issues about some members of an alien species being darker than others is hopefully absurd, and I doubt they really know what vampires are yet.”

  “I believe I know the cause,” O’tmyil said. “I had hoped that the gaxy had grown out of the old prejudice by now, but it seems to still be lingering... it’s regarding supernaturals in general.”

  “Why would they have an issue with supernaturals?” Thisbe asked.

  “The First Dynasty were supernaturals,” O’tmyil replied. “Their cruelty when in power, mixed with the fact the vast majority of the gaxy’s popution are biologicals, led to fear and hatred from many... but it was turies ago when I fell to Earth and the biases had seemed on dee then. It had seemed pusible that the turies that had passed since could have elimihat prejudice. Or, at least I had hoped it was what happened.”

  “Mhm... perhaps my proximity to the throne has not helped?” Thisbe offered, leading Svetna to feel a wave of guilt.

  With both Thisbe’s empathic abilities and O’tmyil’s neural link the two wome her guilt and turo her.

  “It is not your fault that others are inded, Svetna,” Thisbe said.

  “Your retionship may yet help to overuch of the discrimination,” O’tmyil added.

  “Ah,” Thisbe said, sounding tired enough that her true age seemed real for once. “I am once again the representative of aire popution in the eyes of a prejudiced popution.”

  Svetna walked over, croug beside the chair where the petite woman was seated to take her hands. “I’m sure you’ll be great at it, though. I mean, you’re wonderful, funny, and so very cute. Everyone who gets to know you likes you.”

  With that, she then leaned in and kissed Thisbe briefly, before pulling away to smile. Thisbe began to return the expression, though her smile was weaker.

  “Well, everyoher than the Belgians,” O’tmyil said.

  That got a ugh from Thisbe. “Mhmm... everyone except the Belgians... let’s hope there’s not too many of them out here in the gaxy.”

  AnnouGoing to be writing two chapters of this story then one chapter of something patrons only for the bit. Should be able to ma least one chapter a week. Probably two chapters more weeks. Not actually certain how long it's going to end up in the, well, end. We shall see.