The Marquis

“In the course of performing her duties, the ship and crew will uphold the standards of professionalism set forth by the Guild. At no time shall this ship be in violation of local or universal laws regarding her operation or the decency of her crew.”

-from the Iron Dreams charter, signed 1/3rd/397 (EC)

When the sun finally came up above the peak of the mountains, Yan was still tired but readier to face the day than she had been several hours before. Iri had spent a little more time with her, making sure she was ok, and then Yan had tried to stay busy until it was properly time for breakfast. She had tried out the jacuzzi, drank more coffee, read new dossiers on what to expect from today's meetings, and composed a letter to Sylva. It had been a productive morning, despite its rough start in the middle of the night.

Yan put the finishing touches on her letter to Sylva and uploaded it to the ansible queue.

Dear Sylva,

It's awesome that you're going to start translating things for real. How much authority over the project do you have? Is somebody else going to look over it or is it all on your own? How long of a book is it? What's it about?

Have your coworkers gotten over their shock that I'm real? I feel a little mean about participating in your prank still.

Thank you for the happy birthday message. Yes we can celebrate it when I get back. I got this message when we stopped at Zhani Station but I am only getting the chance to write back now. Things have been... pretty rough. I'm ok, don't worry.

I haven't even started the actual mission, haha. We got to Olar yesterday. But when we were on the trip between Byforest (you remember Byforest) and Zhani on the Sky Boat, we were attacked by pirates. I don't think it had anything to do with ME I think it was just a nasty coincidence. I don't really want to go into detail, but I had to do some things that I regret. I've just been feeling pretty wrecked about it for the past couple of days. Sid, too. He's been helping.

Anyway, please don't worry about me. I'm sure I'll be fine as soon as I get to work here on Olar. There's a lot to do, so it should keep my mind off things. Apparently my uncle Maxes has gotten himself attached to the Guild diplomacy party that's coming. I don't really know how or why, but he always was one of the most connected people on the Dreams.

Now that I'm actually on Olar, I should be more contact-able. I know it's weird to write letters instead of just calling and texting, but that's the way the ansible service is. I'm sure we'll get used to it. It just feels so formal and empty. But it tis what it tis.

I don't really know how long this all is going to take. It could be days or it could be weeks. Either way, I am already looking forward to coming home. And by home I really mean I wish I could see you, but just being on the same planet would be good enough, I think.

Love you / miss you / God keep you,

Yan

P.S. I don't know how public knowledge my involvement in the pirate attack is? So please don't talk about it unless you see it on the news. Thanks.

It wasn't the best letter she had ever written, but it touched on all the major points, and that was all she needed it to do. That, and let Sylva know she was still alive. It would suffice.

Yan had put her pajamas back on after taking her bath in the jacuzzi, so after sending the letter she closed her computer and went to get dressed. Her winter-ready outfit was quite nice, in her estimation. She had long, thermal undergarments that she wore underneath her standard pants and button down. Her cassock was a heavier version of her normal uniform, but her short red cape was the thing that was most changed. It was replaced with a massive, heavy, hooded cloak that buttoned in the front. It was black on the outside and red on the inside, with an embroidered pattern of leaves around the bottom. Yan had to say that whoever the wardrobe master was did a really nice job. They managed to make everything coordinate between her and Sandreas, and also look nice. It was comfortable and not too heavy to be worn indoors if she didn't feel like taking it off, though she probably would if she was going to be sitting in one building for a while. Her outfit also came with black boots that went a fair distance up her calves. They were sleek but warmer than they looked.

As Yan was putting on her long underwear, she examined her hurt leg. The bruise was dark and tender, and her skin was rubbed raw. She had really done a number on herself. It was maybe lucky that no one else was there, because she could have accidentally hurt them while flailing around with the power. But maybe that was the point. Halen would have been proud of her for instinctually defending herself with it.

Of course, she really had been defending herself from her own bedsheets after she had had a nightmare. He might have thought that was more pathetic than anything.

Yan sighed. She didn't know why she was hung up on what Halen would think. Her feelings about him were as complicated as ever. Maybe it was true that distance was making the heart grow fonder, because she probably wouldn't have minded some of his gruff advice about now. After working closely with Sandreas, Halen, and Kino on a daily basis for a good while, she had come to miss all of them. Sandreas's no-nonsense instruction, Halen's solid presence, and Kino's strange friendship were all missing. Were they all having a good time at the front and Jenjin? Where were they now?

Yan's phone buzzed on the table, and she quickly finished getting dressed. She checked her message. It was from Sid, asking if she wanted to get breakfast in the hotel's restaurant. She sent a quick affirmative reply, and headed out into the hallway. On her way out the door, she grabbed her pair of gloves, hat, and scarf and shoved them into the deep pockets of the cloak. It swirled around her in a pleasing way as she walked.

Sid was already waiting for her, dressed in an outfit identical to hers.

"Sleep well?" Sid signed, raising his eyebrows.

"Who told you?" Yan asked, frowning.

"Hernan," Sid signed, using the man's sign name, which was a finger gun made with his right hand brought down from eye level to tap against the wrist of his left.

"Please don't say I told you so," Yan signed. "You wouldn't have wanted to be there anyway, since I used the power to fend off an imaginary attacker."

"I don't think you'd be able to hurt me, even if you tried. Let's just get breakfast, I'm hungry." Sid smiled as he signed, making it clear that he wasn't trying to be mean.

They headed down together into the hotel's very fancy restaurant on the ground floor. The hostess ushered them in and gave them a table near a set of windows that looked over the city. The sun was peeking up over the mountains, leaving half the city in shadow and half in the direct glare of the sun. Snow had fallen during the night; the rocks outside the window were dusted in it. Yan admired the view for a few seconds before turning her attention to the menu. Due to the fact that Olar was a terraformed planet rather than one that had been already fit for human habitation, it didn't have much in the way of native foods to offer. As such, the breakfast menu was something that one could find on basically any planet in the Empire, except for the prices, which were absurd. She sighed, but it wasn't like she spent her (generous) salary on much, so she could get whatever she wanted without feeling too bad about it.

They ordered their meal and then ate it without much conversation. Yan had her fourth cup of coffee for the morning. The food was filling and hot, which was good because the windows were not very well insulated, and Yan could feel the chill on her face from sitting near them. Though she and Sid were eating alone, Yan spotted members of the Fleet team lurking in the corners of the restaurant, keeping an eye on them. She ignored them as best she could. The security was just a feature of her life.

"What's our schedule for today?" Sid asked as he finished his breakfast of cornbread, eggs, and sweet sausages.

Yan, who had spent part of the morning reading the information docket, had the answer to that question. "We're meeting with Governor Marquis in an hour, we're scheduled to take a tour of City-One-North during the afternoon, and then tonight we're having a dinner with the Guild representatives. Their ship came in sometime in the middle of the night, so they're probably sleeping off the elevator ride right now."

"The actual diplomacy starts tomorrow?"

Yan wiggled her hand. "Everything is diplomacy. Tomorrow we have a public forum with Olar citizens, then we have a sit down meeting with both Marquis and whoever the Guild representative is. Ideally after that we will count the problem as solved, but you never know."

"This all is looking tedious," Sid signed.

"You get what you sign up for," Yan said. "And remember, no real policy changes allowed."

Sid rolled his eyes. "Who could stop me?"

"Don't get any ideas."

They finished their breakfast, then were ushered into a meeting room in the hotel. The Olar expert they had brought along, Chaten Howe, gave them a rundown on Governor Marquis's personality and what they should expect from a meeting with him. Howe was an unusual man. He had been born on Olar, but spent most of his time on Emerri. He had originally been part of an Imperial Council delegation, but he found his own niche in an advisory position to the Imperial Government.

Howe had the tattoos that most Olar natives had. In the several hundred years since the founding of Olar, it had become tradition on the planet for people to tattoo parts of their bodies with concentric circles, in a representation of age or experience. Almost everyone had at least one of these tattoo ring sequences, and most people had several on different parts of their bodies. People who were more dedicated to the art often filled in some of the rings with images or patterns. When Yan had first met the man, he had explained that the most common places for the center of the circles were the forehead, navel, hands, knees, and shoulders. Howe had the circles on his forehead; the first three rings were small enough to fit on his forehead, but they became progressively larger and further apart, crossing his eyebrows, eyelids, and nose, and going back into his grey hair. The largest circle on his face just brushed the top of his upper lip, passed in front of his ears, and continued through his hair.

Sid was openly jealous of the tattoos. Not really of the circles, just of the fact that everyone had a tattoo.

Yan even saw one of the other hotel guests, an Olar woman, had a baby with a tiny dot tattooed into the center of their forehead. The whole thing was fascinating to Yan, but she had no desire to go visit one of the many tattoo parlors around.

After they had been thoroughly briefed by Howe, Yan and Sid were put in a car and escorted to the Governor's residence, another lavish building built into the sides of the mountains. The way City-One-North was laid out was contradictory to every city Yan had ever visited: the important buildings and nice areas ringed the outskirts of the city, while some of the seedier areas were directly in the middle. They had driven through some of those less well kept zones on their way out of the airport the night before. This trip, around the edge of the city, took them along the mountainside, on terraced streets that were well maintained and clear of any snow.

When they arrived at the Governor's residence, local press photographed them getting out of the car. Yan put on a brave face and gave them smiles and waves, Sid had his chronic smirk. Yan almost kicked him, but thought the better of it at the last second. She didn't want any of that type of bad publicity to get attached to her. Governor Marquis was waiting for them at the top of the steps. It was a power move for him to be waiting up there, looking down on them as Yan and Sid climbed the stairs together, but that was to be expected. Despite being there as agents of the Imperial Government, they were still strangers on the planet, and apprentices at that. Yan and Sid had power here in name only, while Governor Marquis ran the planet.

The pair reached the top of the stairs.

"Welcome, Apprentice BarCarran, Apprentice Welslak," Marquis said with a gregarious smile. He was a short man, stout and brown. His voice was booming and his handshake crushed Yan's hand. He was wearing a thick winter coat, buttoned down the front, a slick pair of glasses, and heavy gold earrings. The circular tattoo on his face was large enough to reach his neck, and both his hands had matching tattoos on the back.

"Thank you for inviting us here, Governor," Yan said politely. The three of them lined up nicely on the top of the stairs to allow the media to get some good photographs of them. They didn't want to stay out long. This would be a closed meeting to which the media were not invited. A cloud passed over the sun as they stood there, casting them into shadow. Yan and Sid stood on either side of the governor, and he threw his arms around their backs. Yan, being a spacer, was a good half a head taller than Governor Marquis, and his hand ended up awkwardly at her waist rather than at her shoulder as it was on Sid's. Yan sincerely hoped he was not trying to feel her up, but she would be generous and assume it was simply an accidental thing.

After a few smiling photographs were taken, Governor Marquis let the pair inside his residence. The building was tasteful but rich. Decorative rugs lined the stone walls. The lighting was tinted red, and the whole place smelled clean and warm. Where their hotel was clinical in its richness, with polished metal and plate glass, the Governor's residence had the richness that spoke of the history of the planet.

In the entrance hall, one of Governor Marquis's staff took their winter outerwear. Yan was a little sad to part with her cloak, since she liked it so much, but it really wouldn't have been polite to keep it on indoors, so she relinquished it. They followed Governor Marquis through a hallway and into what must have been some sort of reception room. It wasn't an office, as there was no desk, but there was a couch and an armchair. Bookshelves lined the walls, and a skylight let in some cloudy daylight. There was an unlit fireplace on one wall.

"Please, take a seat," Marquis said, gesturing to the couch. He closed the door of the room, possibly as a signal to his staff not to interrupt him, but it also served to cut Yan and Sid off from their entourage of Fleet guards, including Iri and Hernan, who had entered the Governor's residence after all the photos had been taken.

Yan was nervous. This was the first real political thing she had done, and it was just her and Sid. And, if Yan was being honest with herself, she didn't trust Sid not to screw it up. Maybe that was ungenerous of her. Sid hadn't ever done anything too outrageous, he just tended to get angry.

"May I just say, Apprentices, I am very glad that you have come to visit us here on Olar," Marquis said, sitting down.

"The Empire is always striving to meet the needs of her citizens, Governor Marquis," Yan said. "We're happy to come."

"Please, we're among equals, call me Jaiwan," Marquis said. "But specifically, I'm glad that you came rather than First Sandreas. Sometimes things call for a lighter touch that the Voice, however talented he is as a politician, cannot provide."

"By a softer touch, do you mean a touch made without experience or without power?" Sid asked, speaking for the first time. Marquis turned to him, looking startled.

"I'm sorry, Apprentice Welslak-"

"Just Sid," Sid smiled. Yan thought this was already going badly.

"Sid, I didn't mean to imply that at all. I simply meant that the Voice of the Empire taking an interest in an issue carries with it certain expectations and visibility that I don't believe would benefit anyone, least of all the citizens of Olar." Marquis said. "May I ask a personal question, Sid?"

Oh no.

"Of course, Jaiwan." Sid's smile was crystalline.

"Where are you from? You have such an... interesting accent."

"I'm from Galena," Sid said.

"Really? I've met plenty of people from Galena in my time and none have sounded quite like you."

Yan glanced at Sid, giving a look that asked him if she should step in to this mess of a conversation. Sid gave an almost imperceptible sign with his hands on his lap, signaling no.

"Yes, I was born and raised on Galena, but I didn't learn to speak until I went to the Academy. I'm deaf, you know."

"That is fascinating. I was under the impression that that was cureable?"

"That what was cureable, learning to speak?"

Yan had to clamp down on her conflicting desires to roll her eyes, sigh, and sink down into the floorboards. Did Sid really have to die on this hill now?

Marquis laughed.

"No, really," Sid said, leaning forward. "I am in no need of being cured."

"You don't want to hear?" Marquis asked.

"Jaiwan, I am happy to be the way that I am. I know what hearing is like, and I can assure you, I'm not missing out on much."

Yan had to step in. "All of us have upbringings and experiences that shape who we are. Sid had his own, I had mine. I'm sure you had your own, Governor. It's those experiences we bring with us to help you here on Olar."

Sid gave her a look that communicated his amused disappointment at not being able to continue harassing the governor.

"Yes, and you, Apprentice BarCarran, you're a spacer, are you not?" Marquis asked. Yan was glad that she was still Apprentice BarCarran to him. She wasn't going to get involved in the messy first name power play that Sid had gotten himself into.

"I am. My family's ship is the Iron Dreams."

"I hope that means you'll be able to use your unique background to help in this matter."

"I can use my knowledge and experience with how the Trade Guild operates, yes," Yan said. "But that is the same as any competent politician would do. I have no particular clout within the Guild. Although my family has always been very supportive of me, that is family, and this is politics."

"Of course, of course. And may the two never meet," Marquis said. "Best to keep family and politics far apart, or you risk getting burned."

"You say that as though you have personal experience with that, Jaiwan," Sid said. Yan could have screamed. Why was he being so antagonistic?

"Ha, well, I met my ex-wife when she was serving on the Planetary Council. Unfortunately, our marriage was not strong enough to survive the political differences that grew between us."

"Political differences?" Sid asked.

"The personal is the political," Marquis said. Sid grinned.

"Governor Marquis," Yan said. "Before we get too sidetracked, I would love to hear what your expectations for our diplomatic trip here are. This is, after all, our first independent trip, and I don't want to spend it stepping on your toes."

"That's an excellent thought, Apprentice BarCarran. I'm sure you will hear all about what the people of Olar want most during your open forum tomorrow, but as for the Olar government, the number one priority is to allow the free travel of sublight ships around the system. We have mining operations and research outposts on several of the other planets in the system, as well as in the asteroid belt beyond Mona, the sixth planet. It is vital that we be able to get shipments in from those outposts, as well as resupply them with necessities. Not all of them are self sustaining. With the Skyfish and Imei shooting at any sublight ships that approach the planet, there's been no way for us to conduct our usual business. It's not only a danger to our economy, it's also absurd that the Trade Guild can create their own blockade of any planet they choose to harass. It's unconscionable for them to shoot at unarmed, civilian ships."

"Are you requesting that the Skyfish and Imei leave orbit, or are you only asking for them to allow passage of other ships?" Yan asked.

"I would love for them to leave and never return, but my first priority is to open the sky for travel again."

"I doubt that such a thing will be possible without concessions from you," Yan said, as delicately as possible. "The Guild is likely to demand something in return. It would be helpful for me as a mediator to know what type of agreements you're willing to make."

"Well they've got us by the throat, haven't they? What type of deal do you think we're talking about?" Marquis asked.

"They may want to leave one or both of the ships in orbit, to inspect cargo coming on and off the planet, to ensure that it isn't contraband. They may request that the Imperial Government sends down a task force onto Olar to ensure that all black markets have been closed down. The Guild could even request financial compensation for the harm that running a black market off Olar has caused."

"Well hold on a second," Marquis started, and Yan held up her hand.

"I'm not here to argue with you about whether or not such a market ever existed, or still exists. That's not a conversation that would be productive for either of us. I'm simply saying that the Guild may ask something like that."

"It feels like you're saying that I have no leverage, and that I will just have to accept whatever deal they're prepared to offer," Marquis said. "Tell me I'm wrong in thinking that."

"You're the one who said they have you by the throat," Sid said. "What leverage do you think you have? If you're going to bring something to the table, you should let us know about it."

"I've been holding back on sending out the OPM to escort our sublight ships. I didn't want to raise tensions, but that is one bargaining chip that I have," Marquis said.

"And you can keep that bargaining chip in your pocket," Sid said. "We're not going to threaten the Trade Guild with force. I think that's more likely to explode in your face than help."

Yan nodded. "I'll be honest with you. Even if you did send out a few of the OPM's sublight ships as escorts, the Skyfish and Imei have far more combat experience between them than a planetary defense force that mainly focuses on in-system scouting. They would almost certainly be able to shoot down any OPM ships you send out. And you're right, it would raise tensions unnecessarily."

"I was advised against it," Marquis said. "The only other things I have are the reforms that we've been enacting on planet. Over the past Imperial month, we've arrested thousands of suspected smugglers and drug runners. We're processing them all through the courts right now."

Sid shifted nervously. He was technically a drug criminal, based on the Vena that was tucked away somewhere in his hotel room.

"Well, that's at least a show that you're doing something. I don't know how much leeway it will get you with the Guild, but it's better than nothing," Yan said. "Again, we're here primarily as mediators. We are not going to enforce a ruling, or dictate what is going to happen, so anything you can give to the Guild, the better."

"I see that on your first mission out First Sandreas told you to not use any real power," Marquis said.

"What else was he going to say?" Sid asked. "Yeah, go absolutely wild, whatever you say goes." Sid smiled broadly.

"That I'd like to see," Marquis said.

"It would be funny, if nothing else. But I do think that Sid and I are responsible enough to exercise power carefully. And in this case, I do think the best path to take is one of mediation," Yan said.

Marquis leaned forward on his armchair. "You've got the tongue of a diplomat, Apprentice BarCarran. But I appreciate your frankness here. I believe it will serve us well."

"So," Sid began. "Could you tell us a little more, exactly, how life on Olar has been impacted by the behavior of the Trade Guild? Not just the stranded ships in the system, but life on the surface."

"You understand that manufacturing is a significant part of our economy?" Marquis asked.

"You have a large export of computer equipment, right?" Sid asked.

"That is our largest export, and we have several different companies that compete for it. I'd bet good money that at least some part of the phones in your pockets were made on Olar. But we have other manufacturing exports as well. It makes up for the deficit we have in other areas. Because we are a planet that is still under active terraforming, even though it's been inhabited for several hundred years, our farming is restricted to little more than sustenance."

"The planet is still being terraformed?" Sid asked. "Why?"

"Back during the founding of our colony, it was decided that the planet would be terraformed in two stages. The first stage would be quick and dirty, just enough for people to survive on the surface. The second stage would be a slow and gentle refinement of the planet to make it more suitable. The goal was to inhabit the planet as quickly as possible, and then once a planet is inhabited, it is difficult to make sudden, massive changes. We're all lucky to be living here in a time when the terraforming project, while it will probably never be complete, has progressed quite far."

"No offense," Sid said. "But what was it like it before that this is the result of hundreds of years of work?"

Marquis laughed. "I know this place seems inhospitable now, but you've come to our city in the dead of winter. It used to be like this year round, and much, much windier. Now, for the most part, the violent storms are confined to the equator, and we rarely have much to worry about this far north. And, of course, before this place was terraformed at all, there was hardly an atmosphere at all; much of the gasses that we're breathing now were trapped as solids on the cold side of the planet."

"Wow," Sid said. "Why was Olar settled at all, if it was going to be that difficult of a proposition?"

"Not that I am an expert on terraforming by any means, but I believe it was somewhat of an experiment at the time, to see if it was possible to 'unlock' a tidally locked planet."

"That sounds absolutely insane," Sid said.

"I'm sure it was a sight to behold, when they went about it. That's where we got our moon- this planet didn't originally have one."

Yan was tempted to ask more questions, but she stopped herself. This conversation was getting off track.

"So your manufacturing is your main export and the backbone of your economy, and you also rely on importing a lot of luxury goods," Yan said. "Is that right?"

"I wouldn't describe them as luxuries," Marquis said. "Going without imports of things such as clothing, cars, medicine- all of those we can technically survive on what we produce ourselves, but it is not an easy life. You need to keep in mind that we need more than just the bare necessities. I am responsible for providing comfort and joy to the population. It’s especially necessary on planets such as ours, where the natural world is an uneasy neighbor rather than a friend as it is elsewhere."

"I understand," Yan said. "Though it is important to the Empire that every planet be self sustaining."

"And we are, but sustenance is not the same as happiness, is all I'm trying to say. And even if the general population is happy, the largest businesses are not. With no way to import or export products, it's brought our economy to its knees. People can't go to work, because they can't make products to just sit in warehouses. You understand."

"I do," Yan said. "And that is the reason we are here. The Empire is... sympathetic to your situation."

"In that respect, anyway," Sid said. "We do still have some concerns about the original problem of black markets operating off Olar."

Sid was really, truly pushing it.

"As I said, we have made significant arrests of all those connected to smuggling, and they are awaiting trial in secure locations. We have also raided several locations where contraband was being stored and destroyed it all," Marquis said.

Now it was Yan's turn to ask a probing question. "You say these people are awaiting trial and being held, how long is it expected to be before that is finished?"

"It may be some time, as the number of arrests have rather gummed up the normal flow of the judicial system here. Unfortunately, normal civil proceedings must take precedence over this new wave of trials, so they are all coming through the system at a trickle."

Yan hadn't been asking to know how quickly heads would be rolling, Yan had really wanted to know if they were planning on detaining people without trial for an indefinite period, which seemed immoral to her, even if they were part of the black market.

"It is unfortunate that the wheels of justice turn slowly, Governor Marquis. I would hate to see people's trials being delayed indefinitely. Since operating a black market does technically fall under the purview of Imperial law, we would be happy to direct some of these cases to the Tribunals. We have let you handle this as an internal matter thus far, as it related most closely to the security of Olar, but if this is not resolved quickly, the Imperial government will be forced to intervene."

Yan didn't feel too bad about making this threat. The process of extraditing criminals to be tried in an Imperial Tribunal was a smooth and easy one. The process of taking hundreds of people to be tried might complicate things some, but it was true that smuggling was an Imperial crime, rather than simply a planetary one.

"That won't be necessary, Apprentice BarCarran," Marquis said. "If we must, we can expedite the process. Of course, all those who were arrested have been given the option to be tried by Tribunal, but I don't believe any have taken up that offer."

"That's good. The faster this is taken care of, the better it will be for all involved, I'm sure," Yan said.

"Jaiwan, I'm wondering one other thing about this," Sid said. "How were you able to arrest these people so quickly, once this trouble started?" The subtext of that question was, of course, why wasn't this taken care of before?

"Sometimes it takes shining a light on a spiderweb to see all the threads," Marquis said. "Once deliveries stopped being made, people operating in these illegal rings started to sweat, and some turned in their comrades in exchange for a deal. It's a tower of blocks- once you take out one block from the bottom, the whole thing becomes unsteady."

Yan did not buy this explanation for one second.

"But how can you be sure that you've gotten all of them?" Sid asked.

"Even if we didn't, we're well and truly starving out their whole business," Marquis said. "No deliveries of illegal goods are coming on or off this planet."

Yan had to give it to Marquis, he was cool under pressure. He was even managing to take credit for the functional aspect of the Trade Guild’s blockade. He wasn’t worried at all about Sid's questions. Maybe he was just feeling extra confident since Yan and Sid were apprentices, and First Sandreas wasn’t coming to bring justice down upon the black markets of Olar.

"Still," Sid said, looking intently at Marquis. "This begs the question, how and why were these markets operating in the first place?"

"You'd have to ask the Trade Guild that one. It was their ships that were bringing down the drug shipments in the first place," Marquis said. "I will take responsibility for not better monitoring the elevator and the cargo passing up and down there. But it is the Trade Guild that is the root of the problem, and now they have the nerve to act like we are the ones who deserve to have their economy crippled."

"Certainly, the Trade Guild is the one originally at fault," Sid said. "But we had reports that pirate ships were jumping into your system and using your sublight ships to bring in merchandise. Is that true?"

"That is what the Guild alleges, to give themselves an excuse to make Olar into a target," Marquis said.

"Several Guild ships were attacked by pirates less than one jump out from here," Yan said. "A pirate attack is solid proof, and very serious."

"We cannot be held responsible for the actions of pirates," Marquis said. "The Guild is just scrambling to improve their public image. They don't want to be associated with drug trafficking any more than we do, but they have the power to throw a fit and cripple a planet with their ships."

"This is an honest question," Yan started. "Why do you think the Guild picked Olar to make an example of? There were plenty of other planets who have had similar scandals."

"We're an easy target," Marquis said. "Our economy depends heavily on the involvement of the Trade Guild, so they can make us suffer. We're a backwater planet that isn't even particularly vital to the circle run. We ship out technology, but there's always another planet that would be grateful to take up the slack." Marquis looked somewhat defeated as he said this. "That's why we need the Empire's help to end this nonsensical blockade. It's not fair for the law abiding citizens to be suffering because the Trade Guild has problems with their image."

"Image is everything," Sid said. Yan glanced at him with a raised eyebrow.

"That's true, but they have their image. They've publicly punished us. Let us live," Marquis said.

"We will do our best to help end the blockade, Governor," Yan said. "I do hope that once this is all past, real justice will be served and the peaceful, legal way of life can resume on Olar."

"That's all I wish as well. I am not trying to cover any great conspiracy of sheltering drug dealers and gangs. Certainly, there are people on my planet who profit from breaking the law. Some of them probably have even donated charges to my reelection campaigns, but I want nothing more than to see my planet and people thrive legally."

"I'm glad to hear it," Yan said. She didn't trust Marquis. The way he talked made him feel slippery, but there wasn't much she could fault with what he was actually saying.

"Now, may I ask you an honest question?" Marquis asked.

"Of course," Yan said.

"What do you think your chances are of getting normal life to resume around here?"

"We haven't met with the Guild yet," Sid said. "We can't be sure what they're looking for out of this."

"I think there's a very good chance that the blockade will be lifted," Yan said. "If nothing else, I'm sure the crews of the Skyfish and Imei are getting bored of sitting in orbit, taking potshots at your sublight ships. There's nothing a spacer likes better than to be moving."

"And the chances of normal life resuming?" Marquis asked.

"That wholly depends on what you mean by normal life," Sid said. Yan shushed him gently with her hand, and he glared at her.

"I think that the Trade Guild has more incentive to trade with you than they have to keep you isolated. But I also think that because they have the upper hand, they're going to milk this situation for all it's worth. As we said earlier, be prepared to make concessions."

Marquis nodded. "I can accept that."

"You'll have to. The Trade Guild, as much as they are a force generally for good in the Empire, enjoy testing the waters of what they can get away with. They're flexing their muscles here, and it is also in the Empire's interests to get them to back down, before they decide to threaten anyone else," Yan said.

"I'm glad that Olar could be of use as a test bed for all of these warring parties," Marquis said calmly.

"Oh, Jaiwan, we're not so uncivilized as to fight a war over it," Sid said lightly.

"Well, a war is what you'll have at that open forum you're holding if you're not prepared to tell people that the whole business is over. No one is happy with the lack of, as you called it, luxury goods."

"I can imagine that they're not," Yan said. "We'll do our best to manage it tactfully."

"Just so long as no one starts throwing tomatoes or eggs," Sid said. "I have no fear of people yelling at me."

Yan did roll her eyes at that one, and Marquis laughed, breaking the tension.

"No one will be throwing food, I'm sure. There's little enough of that to go around, since we aren't getting any extra in."

"Maybe you should look into improving your crop yields," Sid said seriously. "I grew up on a farm, so I know what's involved in some of it, but it seems as though running your planet on only the bare minimum to sustain the population isn't doing anyone any good."

"You're taking a tour of One-North, right?" Marquis asked.

Sid glanced at the clock on the wall. "Right after we leave here."

"Then you'll get a good look at our farming system. It's quite impressive, but I'm sure it will give you an idea of why we have such low yields," Marquis said.

"I look forward to it," Sid said honestly. "Put me on a farm anyday. I'll fix your tractor."

Marquis laughed again, and Sid smiled. Maybe they had gotten off on a weird foot, but this was a genuine lighthearted moment.

"Do you wish you were still living on a farm?" Marquis asked.

"Are you kidding? No way," Sid said. "I live for excitement, and I've lucked into the most exciting job there is."

"That is undoubtedly true. What about you, Apprentice BarCarran, do you want to be back on your family's ship?"

Yan shook her head, though she was much less emphatic about it than Sid was. "I've known that I need to find my own way in the world away from my family's ship for a long time. I enjoyed that life, but I'm not sure that I could go back to it, if all of this ended tomorrow."

"I certainly understand," Marquis said. "Before I got into politics, I worked at my father's law office. It was enjoyable and worthwhile work, but I've found my calling as governor."

"Your election record certainly corroborates that," Yan said. Marquis was serving his fifth term as governor.

"Well, I've worked quite hard, so I haven't ever had to move out of this beautiful house." He gestured around to the residence. "But people have been happy with the work I've done here."

"It's always good to hear about a planet with good governance," Sid said.

"May I tell you a secret?" Marquis asked.

"Of course," Sid said, leaning forward eagerly.

"I don't think I'll be seeking reelection when my term ends," Marquis said. "I'm getting a little too old for these sorts of games."

This was an interesting revelation, but Yan suspected that the economic crash resulting from the current Trade Guild problems had more to do with it than Marquis's age.

"Wow. The end to an illustrious career," Sid said. "What will you do in retirement?"

"Maybe I'll take up art," Marquis said. "I've never been very good at it, but there's always time to learn."

"I wish you luck with all your artistic pursuits, then," Sid said.

Marquis glanced at the clock; their meeting had run over time. "Do you have anything else you wanted to discuss? We'll be seeing eachother again tomorrow."

"I think we're prepared enough to meet with the Guild's representatives. You gave us a good indication of what you're looking for," Yan said.

"Excellent. Then I won't keep you any longer. Couldn't have you miss the tour of our wonderful city."

"I did have one other question," Sid said. Yan barely restrained herself. Please don't let it be something complicated or undiplomatic.

"Go for it," Marquis said.

"Why is this place called City-One-North and not an actual name?"

Marquis laughed. "Back during the founding of the colony, various names were proposed and put to a vote, but no one could come to an agreement. Since no one could decide, they just kept it as what it was originally called, and then all the subsequent settlements on the planet followed suit. Apparently the fighting over names was quite nasty, with people throwing punches in the Council chambers. Of course, that was hundreds of years ago, so it's possible the story has been exaggerated since then."

"Well, it certainly gives the planet a unique character," Yan said.

"You'd think it wouldn't, but in a universe where everything has a flowery name, sometimes it's a relief just to have a simple and easy naming scheme, don't you think?" Marquis said.

"Think anyone's ever going to change the name?" Sid asked. "Reawaken that old fight?"

"I sincerely hope not. At this point, it's as much of the culture of Olar as anything else is," Marquis said.

"I can understand that," Yan said. "Thank you for the little history lesson."

"You're very welcome. You probably would have heard it on your tour as well, but you can say you heard it here first," Marquis said, standing up. Yan and Sid also stood.

Marquis held out his hand to shake each of theirs.

"It's been a real pleasure talking with you two, I'm sure you'll both make fearsome politicians as soon as you finish your apprenticeship."

"Yeah, which one of us do you think is going to take over as Voice?" Sid asked.

"I wouldn't dare to answer that question," Marquis said, opening the doors and leading them out down the hallway and to the door. Their escorts were waiting in an antechamber, and as Marquis and the two apprentices walked past, they fell into line behind them.

Marquis gave them a final goodbye as they stood at the door to the street, clapping Sid on the back. "Good luck at your meeting with the Guild, the whole of Olar is counting on you to help us smooth this over."

Yan nodded, unsure of how to respond to that. Sid gave a wide grin. They said goodbye, retrieved their coats, and headed out and down the stairs towards the waiting car.