Ikkatfo 4 was a young system still in its early stages of formation. While that made it too unstable for large scale human colonization, it also made it a treasure trove of natural resources. The Ikkatfo systems had been chosen as additions to the network of the Tubernid expansion for a long term economic plan. So long term, in fact, that by the time the first tunnel to Ikkatfo 1 had been established the Tubernid Union had already collapsed, turning the Ikkatfo systems into prizes to be taken by other powers. The lament in the Tubernid remnants was so powerful it spawned its own genre of fiction where a reborn Tubernid Union would wage ever increasingly ridiculous wars of reconquest that betrayed an institutionalized ignorance of a myriad of topics ranging from logistics to the physics of common weapon types among its authors, and by extension the peoples of the Tubernid successor polities. Ran had recommended me some of those books as comedies of civilizational collapse, which in turn was its own meta genre.

Those books had been among the collection she had gifted to me after the battle of the Erlkandr blockade. I had just finished the last one when a real life comedy of civilizational collapse presented itself to us, though this one was in its early stages.

"And these Graedalir seperatists laid claim to all the resources of Ikkatfo 4, including the asteroids and Fae Matter promised to us in the agreement 20 years ago," a perplexed Velteragni asked.

Fleet Captain Obettur answered her with a curt nod. "A bold move, indeed. We have confirmed the Kayaalid vessels normally stationed in Ikkatfo 4 have travelled to Graedalir to subdue them. Reports indicate they have not been successful so far."

"This is a full-scale war then?"

Another curt nod. "Their aims are to secure Graedalir first, then Ikkatfo 4."

Ragni glanced over the reports and opened the holographic map of the systems in question. "I assume the nearest Kayaalid forces will take some time getting here? The separatists would have to have factored that in to their plan if they truly believe they can be successful."

While information from Graedalir flowed as freely as it could in the maelstrom of malicious entities that was the cypher plane, anything regarding the advanced member systems were hearsay and vague guesses. They had undertaken a massive project to build their own alternative to the cypher plane uninhabited by demons. I was still a little confused by these "demons" but they appeared to be a sort of digital form of life drawn to computational devices. With my 21^st century memories I couldn't help but think they were the evolved forms of ancient computer viruses.

"It is likely the central Kayaalid powers were deaf to the ambitions of the Graedalir peoples and believed the benefits of membership of their little club would eclipse whatever grievances the Graedalir had," Velramuran said from on top her taboret. "That is about what I expect from this phase of their life cycle."

Life cycle? The way Ran said it implied the civilization itself was alive.

"Well, this phase of theirs is creating trouble for us," Ragni said. "Construction on the Greatship's sixth cylinder has once again stalled. If the conspiracy knew of this they would've sent their little fleet after us. Still could if they find out." I sensed the wheels of her mind turning. "We have to wait for either the Kayaalids or the Graedalir to secure Ikkatfo 4, if the latter stand any chance that is."

"Their revolt is in its early phases but they believe they have the fire power to hold off the Kayaalid Security Fleet," Obettur said, taking over for his Ship.

This bothered me. I called up the map in front of me, spun it around with my main index fingers while I leaned my face against my lower right hand. The positions of the nearest Security Fleets were merely guesses based on second or third hand reports that came from the Erlkandr system and whatever the officials of Ikkatfo 4's few habitats were willing or capable of divulging. The separatists most likely knew more if they were so confident in their little rebellion. What was I saying? This was a long term plan devised by a coalition of major powers within the Graedalir system with everybody else there along for the ride whether they wanted to, or not. Even with that in mind they were trying to break away from a massive interstellar alliance that was many times their own size.

"You're telling me they believe they can take on the rest of the Prosperity Sphere all on their own?" I lifted my head from my lower right hand. "They're just one system. Even if they win now the Kayaalids will amass a fleet to force them back into obedience."

Ragni gave me a questioning look. "You believe they would do that, Ship?"

"It's what I would do."

"Ohohoho~!" Ran's laugh was so similar to a character trope from Becca's time I almost believed her hair would spontaneously arrange itself into massive ringlets right then and there. "The Kayaalid Peace and Security Council has neglected their navy for generations. Now it has gotten to a point where a disgruntled outer member system has taken their weakness as an opportunity to break away. If the core worlds of the Prosperity Sphere can find the will to divert resources into a chastising force, it will take them so long as to foment a feeling of ownership among the peoples of Graedalir of both Ikkatfo 4 and Graedalir itself. If then the Kayaalids manage to take them back, they will probably remember that having a strong navy is a good thing for a while only to forget again in enough time. That is where I expect them to be in their cycle."

I was so impressed by this deep analysis that I easily forgot it came from a girl even more little than I was. But then, she was 1512 years old. Suddenly I realized why she was so amused by the current state of the Greater Kayaalid Prosperity Sphere.

"Oh, I get it. It's like those novels about those fictional Ikkatfo wars you wanted me to read. But the Kayaalids aren't really at that stage yet, if you were to ask me." To be fair, the humor regarding those books were lost on me. They were quite hammy and silly, yes, but there were plenty of times where the great heroic scenes—despite getting many aspects of deep space combat wrong—had drawn me in.

I saw a little wave of joy and pleasant surprise wash over my three-eyed sister's avatar. "You finished those books?"

"I read all the books you gifted me."

"All of them..?"

"The books in the Gavaren Eshom Cycle, the Histories and all the exegeses kept triggering that stupid knowledge tree but that only helped me learn to control it better."

"You read them even though you knew them..?"

"It only made me understand them more deeply, r-right?"

Ran buried her face in her hands, hiding either sobs or laughter. Maybe both. Her voice came out muffled. "Zhamar, give the command to get a logistics vessel ready to accept a selection from my personal collection."

"At once, Ran." Fleet captain Obettur was a man of imposing stature even when seated on the floor. All the times I had seen him through holo projection he had always communicated in short bursts of brusque words and gestures. To hear him use Velramuran's nickname surprised me. What surprised me even more was the hint of tenderness so subtle I wouldn't have noticed it had I not been a Vugni.

Ran pulled her hands away from her face and hopped off her taboret, landing with a charming gracefulness. "Dear sister mine," she said with equal charm, "I will have to give you so many books to read for this mission."

I jerked upright and the map I had called up earlier disappeared with the flutter of a heartbeat. "'This mission'?"

"I will take that reaction as a result of your youth and not the density of your mind. Yes, you will be sent on a mission to Graedalir to inquire about their claim to this system." With the energy of a loli possessed Ran turned around and disappeared out of the range of the hologram, but her voice could still be heard. "Don't mind me, I'm picking out my choicest reading material for you, dear sister. It fills me with joy knowing you enjoyed my gifts." I could hear her rummage around the fleet captain's quarters where she apparently kept some of her collection. Accompanied by those rumors came her mirthful voice. "Zhamar, o Zhamar, I think I finally have someone to accompany me to Adenzhash during the festival."

When she had said 'you will be sent on a mission', the 'you' had been plural, as in: me, Ragni, and our crew. But not me and my sisters. "H-hold on, we're going there alone? Can't we have Dai or Ela come along with us?"

The fleet captain sat there, his gaze as stern as ever. The sounds of Ran rummaging in his quarters did not faze him in the slightest. "Dai and Ela have been assigned to patrol the Erlkandr exit point with Ran acting as logistics support," he said. "Captain Shubesh's experience negotiating with foreigners makes her the best fit for this mission."

"This is a diplomatic mission then?" I inquired softly.

"Of a sort," Ran said, her voice raised so the humans could hear her from the fleet captain's quarters. "Your capabilities as the most modern Mezhained Warship matter greatly as well." She returned into the hologram with a stack of traditional paper books under her right arm and one in her left hand, opened to what no doubt was a favorite passage of hers. "Let's not forget that you will be going to—" She raised the open book to her face, covering everything below her eyes and whispered. "A warzone."

A warzone? That fire I had come to know so well began to crawl under my skin, agitating my arms and hands into movement. I raised three hands up. Lowering my gaze, two hands caught my face, while the last one raised up in the air to demand attention. In the moment I was unable to care whether the Mezhained would recognize the meaning of that gesture. With a low voice I spoke from behind bangs of shining gold. "I volunteer."

Velteragni laughed beside me. "Volunteering doesn't enter into it, Shishi. The choice has been made already."

"Nevertheless, I volunteer."

"I will need so many more books for you, dear sister," Ran said. "Do you like dragon fiction?"

I contemplated the falling petals and the smell of my second attempt at baking a chocolate cake, subduing the magenta flame crowning Hekkamuk back into pale calm. "Dragon fiction?" I had an idea as to what genre that was. "Like 'Wonderous Travels With a Giant' and 'A Hole in the Field'?" The 'dragons' in these stories were not the kind Becca knew, but rather giant space whales that predated on smaller whales and could accelerate to relativistic speeds in the spaces between star systems. 'Wonderous Travels' had been about people living on and in one of these creatures, while the other book was about an expedition trying to find one.

"Yes. Did you enjoy them?" Ran was already measuring up my reaction with my body language down to the smallest micro gestures.

"I did." It was impossible for me to lie about my fondness for those books. Without a care I let my enthusiasm spill out. "Are they real? I want them to be real! I want to see one!"

A little smile curled up on Ran's obsidian face. The pages of the book in her hand turned as swiftly as only a Vugni reader could allow. "I firmly believe them to be real. Some say the old legends are based on sightings of the domesticated longneck whales before first contact, but they are fools. The consistencies in almost all reliable reports throughout history can't be denied." She closed her book, having finished it all the way through in a fit of passion. "All of my dragon fiction and dragonology books add up to 4093. That won't be enough."

"No, I think that—" I realized the error of my objection before I could fully voice it. I had treated the gifted books as casual reading material for the unguarded moments between my duties. My reading speed was much higher than the human I remembered being, and on top of that I had the advantage of being able to utilize my sixty avatars in parallel book reading. Stupidly I hadn't realized how much of a difference that made in 'casual reading' between a human and a Vugni. In the days it took for us to get to Ikkatfo 4 I had read all the books inside my hull. All 2521 of them.

"Ran," I said, raising my eyes to meet hers. "Lend me all the books you can spare."