rillane and ready to fight for the house. The Urumi have the slimy hands in this too, they're still pissed off over what happened in the Third Civil War. Trillane's been kidnapping fit Terrans and shipping them to Uruma, where they've been training them to be soldiers after using talent to make them more, tractable. Humans are vulnerable to talent, hon, and the Trillanes were using that for everything it was worth, by reprogramming your people to turn them into soldiers for their house.

"That's what I had to stop, before they got enough to try to start a fourth Civil War and take the throne."

"My God," Jason breathed. That's what Kiaari meant when she said that what Trillane was doing was far beyond what he knew.

"Yeah. It was serious. But Maeri was very careful, and she did very well to fix it so I don't have any _real_ evidence to present to the Highborns, just intel gathered by the Kimdori, which isn't the kind of evidence I can use in an official matter. So, I had to get her through the back door."

"What, what's going to happen to my people?"

"I really don't know, hon," she answered honestly. "The Urumi have them on their planet. I can try to get the back, but I'll be honest. I don't know if I can."

He nodded soberly.

"I feel sorry for them. The Trillanes didn't care about your people, babes, not a bit. They were going to be nothing but gun fodder, but numbers are numbers, and numbers matter. They were going to use them as disposable troops when they made their gamble for the throne. Trillane has the largest house military of the _Siann_, and lots and lots of military starships, and thanks to them kidnapping Terrans, they would have been able to put a sizable army on a planet's surface. They'd have a good chance of actually winning if they attacked out of the blue, without the usual forms and customs used when houses went to war with each other. But right about now, about a hundred or so Imperial battle cruisers are coming through the stargate to Terra, enough to blast the fleet Trillane has there to Andromeda and back. Oh, and I sent three squadrons to Arctus, complete with a command ship, where the Trillane leadership on Arctus can see that I'm just _waiting_ for them to either declare war or declare independence, in case Maeri gets any funny ideas about refusing to pay that fine. They may want this throne, but today they learned that I _know _they want it, and I'm _ready _for them to try to take it from me. Thanks to you and the Kimdori, I broke up their plan before they could get it into motion. I'm a bit surprised you did it this way, that you're a Karinne and all, but even before this happened, I knew you'd come up with something that would eventually allow me to intervene, or Myleena would capture you and let me put the plan I had into action. And I was waiting for it, I had all this planned out. And when I could intervene without the rest of the Highborn closing ranks around the Trillanes, I could snap the trap shut on Maeri's foot and catch her."

Jason leaned back in his chair, a bit overwhelmed. The Empress had _used_ him, used him as a lever in her own plans. What was it Miaari told him? Plans whirl and revolve around him? Hell, was that more than right. The Kimdori were using him to advance their goals, the Empress was using him, the Trillanes were using him. He felt like a two-bit whore, gangbanged by everyone on the block.

"_You_ sent Myleena!" he gasped in realization.

"You bet your ass I did. _Personally_. She had very strict orders to _look_ like she was trying to stop you, but her real orders were to _capture_ you, to further _my _plan, because I needed you here. I needed you here on Draconis and in Imperial custody, so I could use you as a club against Maeri by interrogating you and publicly learning enough about Trillane's activities to step in without the Highborns interfering. But then, after Myleena finally stopped sitting on her ass and pinned you down, I got a visit from the Kimdori ambassador to the Imperium. It seemed that the Kimdori were up to something, and they asked me to back off and let them borrow you for a while, but what they wanted you for was going to help me with my Trillane problem. I've never heard of the Kimdori doing that before, and it got me curious. They promised to give you back when they were done, so I agreed. I guess they're done with you now," she said, glancing at him. "Anyway, I told Myleena to look the other way and let you escape, help you if she could, but not get involved, because the Kimdori already had a plan for you and it couldn't look like you were getting outside help. And you didn't let me down. As soon as I had Myleena make up that bullshit about shipping you off to Makan, you didn't waste any time at all. They said you were smart, but rigging a gurney so it'd fly? That's fuckin' _awesome_, babes. Anyway, you vanish, then reappear a few days later in a Karinne ship, claiming to be the long-lost descendent of Grand Duchess Karinne. Did the Kimdori do that for you?"

"They pointed me in the right direction, your Maer, Empress Dahnai," he admitted. "They knew I'm a Karinne, somehow. I really _am _a Karinne, that wasn't a lie. I think they knew the Karinnes landed on Terra, and just never told anyone. They smacked me on the butt and got me started. I had to get the rest of the way myself. I found the ship, and I found the ring. I was going on clues the Kimdori gave me, but I had to do the work on my own."

"The Kimdori know too damn much they never tell anyone," Dahnai said sourly. "Anyway, let me be the first to say congratulations, _your grace_," she said pointedly, reaching over her chair towards him with her bare hand. "Welcome to the _Siann_. "

"I'm not happy to be here, your Majesty," he sighed. "But it got Trillane off Earth, and that's all I cared about. I'll live with this duty if it keeps my people safe and well treated." He reached over and took her hand, and she shook it casually. "What would you have done if I couldn't move the ring?" he asked curiously. "If you don't mind my asking. I mean, if you had this planned out, to make me a Karinne so you could trap Maeri Trillane, well, what would you have done if I couldn't move the ring"

She looked around, then gave him a cheeky grin. "Watch." She looked at the crown on the coffee table, and then, to Jason's shock, it rose off the table! It spun lazily in the air, and then drifted over to her desk and then dropped down gently. "You're not the only telekinetic on Draconis, and the _Siann_ doesn't know I can do that," she winked. "It's a state secret, so you're now honor-bound to keep that to yourself. I was gonna make _damn_ sure you managed it, even if I had to do it for you."

Jason gave her a surprised look, then he had to laugh. "That's the _real_ reason you brought us in here!"

"Yeah, so I didn't have to do that in front of everyone," she admitted. "Remind me to give you some lessons later. It's always hardest the first time, and given how fast that ring moved, I think you have some pretty strong telekinetic ability. So, think you can work with me, Jason? I'm not that hard of a boss. Just follow the rules, and we'll both be happy."

"You're not what I expected."

"Good. That means I'm keeping those other bitches off guard."

"I guess so, but truth be told, so far I like what I see, and I'm already in debt to you. I expected this regal, distant woman that didn't really care about me or my problems would kinda lord from on high and proclaim that I was a Karinne, then take Earth away from Trillane. I didn't expect to see you in a verbal arm-wrestling match with the Trillane woman, and I didn't expect you to be so, well..."

"What?"

"Young," he told her. "And pretty."

"Aww, you're sweet," she told him with a smile.

"And I didn't expect you to really _care _about what was going on back home. You've saved my people a lot of hardship. I can't thank you enough."

"Nah, it was nothing. We helped each other, Jason. Thanks to you, I got my claws into Maeri Trillane, and now I get to dig in my nails and make her squeal like a _chabi_, and I've been itching to do that for _years_. I hate that arrogant bitch."

"So do I."

"See? Not only do we help each other, we have the same tastes. I think I could even get to like you."

"Me too."

"Well, that's the best kind of partnership there is." She reached over and patted his arm. "So, can I consider you an ally to the throne?"

"I'm not a fan of the Imperium, Empress. I object to it. I think it's a terrible idea and it doesn't work. But when you need my support, it's yours. I owe you too much to deny that to you."

"Fair enough. Now, let's talk about that contract. I can think of a couple of good houses you might want to approach."

"What about Merrane?"

"You can't go to Merrane," she told him. "Merrane can't take this kind of contract, because it's the ruling house. It's part of the rules of _Siann_. You want to go to one of the smaller Highborn houses. I think your best bet is Surrale. Anya Surrale would kill for the Terran contract, they have the infrastructure to handle it, and they're nice and safely allied to us. If you take your contract to the Shovalles or the Enalles or the Zevannes, they'll just try what Trillane did, and use it as a springboard for their own plans. Yeah, definitely the Surrales. I'll have to introduce you to Anya so the two of you can talk over the terms. We can do that later."

"Why not now?"

"Because right now, you and me are going back into the audience chamber. I'm going to proclaim that you've proved you truly are the son of Karinne, and I'm going to install you as the Grand Duke Karinne. Then you swear fealty to me, I give you back your ring, and I give you a copy of the _Siann_ Charter. Those are the symbolic representations of your nobility, so don't lose them."

"I won't," he told her. "Empress?"

"Yah?"

"Thank you."

She looked at him, then she smiled gloriously at him. _That's all I wanted to hear, babes,_ she sent to him. _A sincere thank you, from the heart. It was my pleasure, believe me. Now, let's get back in there. Oh, and Jason._

_Yes, Empress?_

_You can send to me whenever you want. Just do it privately. I don't send publicly except in certain circumstances in a public setting, it's a matter of custom. That's why we always speak in court, and we were speaking here. I'm kinda used to it. I don't really send much, except to my friends, and I do it privately._

_Oh, alright. Wait a minute._

_That's right,_ she winked. _I'm calling you a _friend_. I do like you, Jason. I like you a lot. You're a breath of fresh air in this fucking cheese factory. You're really cute, you're smart, you have a sense of humor, you're very sincere, and you truly care about the people whose welfare you're about to officially take responsibility for. That's such a rare thing in this place, where the nobles only care about what's in it for them. When you told me in court that you were willing to die if that's what it took to help your people, and I could see that you really meant it, it really touched me. You were ready to embrace the Martyr's Gambit in every sense of the term. You're a special man, and that commoner you married is a damn lucky woman to have you for a husband. I'd like to get to know someone like you, and be his friend. If you don't mind, that is._

_Wow, I don't know what to say._

_Say yes,_ she said with a smile, standing up and holding her hand out to him.

_Yes to what?_

_Just yes._

_Without knowing what I'm agreeing to? I may be nave as Faey rate it, but I'm not an idiot, Empress._

She laughed. _Well said. Congratulations, you passed your first test. Now let's go introduce you to the rest of the snakes in your new pit._

_I hope to God I don't get to know them._

_Damn, you really _are_ smart._

                                        * * *

And so, on Vesta, 34 Demaa, in the year 4395, late in the afternoon of a memorable late summer day, the House of Karinne was again a part of the _Siann_.

The ceremony was picked up by cameras in court and broadcast live on _Courtwatch_, a Faey version of the old C-Span network from Earth. The Imperium watched as the white-gowned Empress Dahnai took the oath of fealty from the rogue human, Jason Augustus Fox Shaddale, who turned out to be the long-lost descendent of the legendary, almost mythical House Karinne, even going so far as to wear the face ornament for which the Karinnes had been famous... or, more to the point, infamous. He was installed as the Grand Duke Karinne, and was offered a ducal ring and a copy of the _Siann _Charter. Empress Dahnai grabbed his shoulders, kissed him on each cheek, then turned him around and announced in a booming voice that the House of Karinne was restored to the _Siann_, and had all the rights, duties, and responsibilities afforded to a Minor House.

The applause was muted. _Courtwatch_ couldn't pick it up on cameras and microphones, but a dark revelation had already passed through the nobles, and that was that the Empress had ferreted out some kind of serious illegal activity perpetrated by the Trillanes, and had stamped it out. They weren't quite sure why the Empress hadn't taken Trillane's charter over it, probably because of interference by the other Highborn houses, but they knew that the Grand Duchess Trillane had been escorted out of the palace by ten Imperial Guards, and had been publicly and loudly warned that she would forfeit her life if she set a single foot on the Imperial palace grounds. So, it was pretty damn serious.

_Courtwatch_ got a good closeup up of Jason Karinne, the new _Terran _Grand Duke of the House of Karinne, and the announcer noticed immediately that he looked both rather nervous, and also a little pensive. He obviously did not want to be there. But if it was because of the newness of being in the public eye, or the serious duties he was about to take up, the announcer wasn't sure. Perhaps, she speculated, it was a little bit of both.

For Jason, it was both the culmination of a hell of a lot of work, and a lament that his life would never be the same. He was an outsider here, he knew that, and really, he wanted it to stay that way. He _wanted_ to be uncomfortable here, surrounded by Faey and being the outsider. He was a common man thrust into the world of the elite, a world he didn't want, and probably didn't want him.

But he knew that he'd better at lest start thinking like something more than a common man. There was a frightening challenge standing in front of him now; he'd plotted to get into this position, to claim the ancestral house of Karinne to force Trillane off Earth, and he did it. He was the Grand Duke Karinne. Trillane had been kicked off Earth, and what was more, it seemed that Empress Dahnai had really nailed Maeli Trillane's ass to the wall, basically blackmailing her into making a _huge_ cash payment to avoid having the Empress go public with what they'd been doing and yank their charter.

So... now what?

That was a _huge_ question, and something Jason hadn't really considered all that much before getting here. Now, here he was, the leader of a noble house... but a noble house with all of 13 members so far, with more to come as soon as he offered the people of Legion a place within it. He had to run an entire planet now, populated by six _billion_ people. God, the logistics off that was going to melt his brain. He was a tinkerer, a putterer, an adept of machines, not a politician, not someone with that kind of education or practical experience.

And it _was_ his responsibility now. He had taken that burden when he decided on doing this, and there was no going back. That was what being a Grand Duke was about in the Faey system. It was his job now to run the house, any way he wanted to run it, and the lives and welfare of _six billion human beings_ was now his responsibility. They would depend upon him to keep them safe, to give them an environment where they could live and prosper, and they were counting on him to do it right, and do it well.

Holy God, what a duty. He had to be nuts to take it upon himself willingly.

But he knew he didn't have to do it alone. The Grand Duchesses and Grand Dukes of the _Siann_ certainly didn't do it alone. But he felt he was in a unique position here, because he was a house unto himself, and he had a chance here to build his house with good people, and not rely on dealing with family members that might not have any brains.

If he went that route, that is. He also had the option to take a minimalist approach, and basically let Earth run itself, by restoring all the old countries and reforming the United Nations. The countries would be countries again, but they could form a new United Nations that would act as the new world governing authority, an authority with _teeth_. He could pattern it after the American system, where he was the President, the assembly was the legislature, and the World Court would be the judiciary. Each country would be like a state, where it made its own rules, but it would still operate with some oversight from the United Nations. As little oversight as possible if Jason had his way, but there had to be some. That way, Earth could return to its original state, and they could all feel like they were back home again. Democracy wouldn't work everywhere on Earth, but at least those countries that had it could go back to it, and other parts of Earth could adopt whatever government they pleased, so long as they didn't fight each other. There would never be another war on Earth where men fought men. Never again. He figured that between the people he could find he could trust and the U.N., he could manage to keep Earth running without too much worry. He guessed.

He didn't have to stumble in the dark, though. Empress Dahnai seemed nice enough, he might be able to ask her for some help on how to do this. And this Anya Suralle woman that Empress Dahnai said would be the best partner to help with the farming, well, if he could trust her enough to come to Earth, maybe he could ask her a few questions, get some advice.

He really wasn't sure about any of this, though. He was way out of his league, way out of his element, tossed into a shark-infested ocean, and he knew he'd better learn how to swim _real_ damn fast, or he'd have the shortest-lived tenure as a Grand Duke in Imperial history.

He looked around, at all the Faey nobles, in their perfect robes and gowns and their glittering jewelry, and he knew he'd never be one of them... and that revelation actually brought him comfort. They kept looking over at him, and just about every look they gave was _predatory_, like he was a lamb led in on a leash for their dining leisure.

Well, they'd better get their looks at him now. After he finished up here and went home, he never wanted to come back here again. He knew he'd have to return from time to time, but they would be _very_ short visits. The rules of _Siann_ didn't require him to be here or to attend court. Court was just a tradition, where nobles could gather and plot against each other, that was all. He might have to come back to Draconis to deal with house issues, but he would never return to court again. He basically wanted to have this unwanted ten minutes of fame, with their looks and the cameras focused on him, and then quickly fade away to quiet obscurity.

He didn't want this job. It wasn't something that he wanted, but in the end, he just couldn't trust anyone else to do this. Besides, he _was_ a Karinne. He had a responsibility to that name and to Karis, and he had a responsibility to Cybi. He had to make things right, he had to restore Karis, and he had to guard the precious knowledge of the Karinnes, keeping it away from those who would abuse it, but be ready to carefully ration out that knowledge out if the need for it arose, such as his plan to release the technology of the Karinne replicators so the Imperium could feed itself. That, he felt, was a responsible use of Karinne technology that would not further the violent tendencies of this volatile race around which his life was now intimately entwined. He was now the gatekeeper for the knowledge of the Karinnes, taking up the age-old post once held by his Faey ancestors, to both be a part of the Imperium and be separate from it, disdaining their childish antics, but willing to assist when the need for him was truly there. He hated the Imperium, he hated it with a passion, but he couldn't deny his love for the _Faey_. They were part of him; they were part of his life. He could hate how they governed themselves, but he could accept them as the people that he knew they were.

Maybe, with some patience, his presence in their system might turn out to be a good thing. After all, he was now in a position to _change_ what he saw was wrong with the Imperium. It wouldn't happen in his lifetime, but then again, the truly good things in life were things one was willing to commit a lifetime to achieve. With patience, careful words, luck, and more than a little hope, the Faey would finally realize the stupidity of their Imperium and abandon it for something much more sensible.

Maybe Terra would be a good example for them. He was the ruler of that planet now, and he could do anything with it he pleased. Well, his first act as Grand Duke Karinne was going to be to put things back at least partially the way they were. The Suralles were going to need workers on the farms, and Jason had to supply those workers... but it wouldn't be the death sentence the Trillanes made it out to be. People would work on farms in rotations, like a few months a year, and then go back to their own lives until their turn came again. But outside of that, he would show them that something other than the Imperium's system could _work_.

Well, that was his idea. He was going to have to sit down with Kumi and think about it, work something out. Kumi was really smart about stuff like that.

After an hour of standing quietly in the corner of the audience chamber, pondering the weighty matters at hand, it was over. And as she promised, Empress Dahnai invited him and Anya Suralle to her study.

At least getting the cooperation of the Suralles had been easy enough. He remembered seeing her from before; she was one of the eleven Highborn noble rulers. She was a short woman with jet black hair and narrow, almost waifish features, but she had a nice figure. She spoke in a shrill voice, but she was a nice enough lady. They sat down and talked about the contract, and just as Dahnai predicted, Anya fell all over herself trying to get it. With Dahnai looking on, privately sending to him on some finer points, basically guiding him through the process, they worked out an agreement that was mutually beneficial. Suralle would keep 80% of the profits, but they would shoulder the burden if a quota wasn't met, and they would also help the planet get on its feet, supply some technical expertise, restart schools, provide training in both farming and other job fields, and help the Karinnes do everything for the Terrans that Trillane was supposed to do. The Suralles would have no military forces anywhere on the planet; that was a stipulation. They were there as an ally, not as a conqueror. And watching everything, making sure that Terra was treated fairly, would be the Imperial Marines, who would replace Trillane as the primary law enforcement entity on the planet. They were Faey whose neutrality was above board, but the Marines would answer to _Jason _before they answered to the _Imperium_. They were still Imperial; they were just being temporarily deployed and put under his command until he could organize and train a military of his own. The presence of Marines on Terra would prevent any houses from thinking that Terra was a plum ready to be picked, for attacking the Marines would be a declaration of war against the Empress herself. No house was that crazy.

By sunset, Jason got the people of Earth the respect they deserved, put a military presence on and around the planet that would discourage any of the other houses from getting any bright ideas, worked out a mutually beneficial agreement with Suralle to take over the farming effort on the planet and help them rebuild and get the planet self-sufficient, and everyone was happy.

Everyone but the Trillanes.

Well, and Jason himself, a little. He was happy that things worked out, but he wasn't happy about the responsibilities that were now settled on his shoulders.

After meeting with Anya, Jason met the Kimdori ambassador, a very small Kimdori female with honey colored fur named Jinaami, and asked her to relay a message to Miaari to tell the others that everything had gone better than he'd expected, and they could return to Draconis. He made sure to warn Myleena that they were going to need some equipment to pick up what was left of his Nova, which was still sitting out on the lawn, being guarded by Marines to keep everyone away from it. Five minutes after giving her that message, a page ran up to him and handed him a note. It was from Jinaami, telling him that Miaari had replied, warning him that they wouldn't be there to get him for a few hours, that the _Scimitar's_ engines were offline while Myleena and _her friends _repaired the battle damage. It also read that Jinaami had already informed both her and Denmother Zaa about his success, and she congratulated him on becoming the Grand Duke Karinne. After reading the note, realizing he really had nowhere else to go and a few hours to kill, he just wandered around the parts of the palace the guards allowed him to visit. He toured quite a few council rooms, the kitchen, where he grabbed a quick meal, a gym in the basement, an indoor _yara_ playfield, and he also found a media center, that looked to be a hub for reporters, all of which looked at him like he was some kind of mouse when he looked in the door, and then he literally ran away before they could find a camera and chase him down.

It wasn't long after that that a servant approached him and told him that the Empress wished to see him, in her private quarters. The pre-teen Faey boy, who wore the Imperial livery, guided him through passages filled with nobles, servants, and workers, and then into a wing of the palace that had been blocked by guards, guards who had politely but firmly turned him away when he approached during his wanderings. He realized he was now in the private domain of Dahnai, her personal space, and was sure of it when he was led through a sitting room, through a study, and into the bedroom of the apartment. It was a surprisingly spartan affair, and to his surprise, it was a little _messy_. Clothes were strewn on the floor and over a chair at the foot of a large bed whose headboard was on the left wall, and there was a desk wedged in a corner behind the bed. A video panel was on the right wall, so Dahnai could watch it while in bed, he reckoned, and past the panel, in the right corner, was a doorway with no door in it, an open archway. And even here, there were guards. There was a servant picking up clothes from the floor, who was being watched by two white-armored Imperial guards.

"I've brought the Grand Duke, your Majesty!" the boy called.

"I'm in here!" she shouted from the archway. "Come on in!"

Jason left the boy, who left the room, and made his way to the open passageway, then stopped dead and quickly turned around.

It was a bathroom, a very large bathroom with pearlescent tile on the wall and a soft blue tile on the floor. Dahnai Merrane was in there, seated quite sedately on the toilet, a handpanel in her hands as she read it. And the sound coming from under her made it apparent she wasn't just sitting there because it was comfortable. She was urinating.

"What's your problem?" she asked.

"You shoulda told me you were, you know, _busy_," he answered.

"Oh. Oh, I'm sorry. I'm so used to having people around me all the time, I guess I didn't think about it," she said with a wry chuckle. "Everywhere I go, there's always a guard or a servant. I can't even take a shit without spectators, and after a while, you just get kinda numb to it, ya know?"

"I guess," he said. "I don't think I could ever get used to it, though. Terrans are very private people."

"You'd be surprised what you can get used to," she grunted, then chuckled. "So, now that you know it doesn't bother me, turn around. I don't like talking to someone when I can't see their eyes. Trust me, Jason, I really don't care if you look. Hell, I _want _you to look. Faey like to be looked at, like to be appreciated, and I _am_ Faey. Besides, if you saw my statue out in the receiving hall, there ain't nothing here you're gonna see that you haven't already seen, at five times scale."

Jason had to laugh at that, turning to look at her. "It was a very flattering statue."

"That's the _real_ me, ya know?" she told him, quite proudly. "I was getting fat, because I sit so much. So I started working out, but then I really got into it, because it makes me look _hot_. I've got the hottest bod in Dracora, and I know it. I _want_ people to look at it." She wadded up a handful of toilet paper and finished her business, then stood up and unbelted the thigh-length, very plain blue houserobe she was wearing, opening it to expose her belly... and the fact that she wore nothing under the robe, showing him not only a knotted belly, but a formidable bosom and a neatly trimmed triangle of bronze pubic hair. "Look at these abs," she said, patting her flat, washboard stomach. "Now _that's_ a stomach. Nothing but muscle." She turned around and raised her robe to bare her backside, a very shapely, muscular backside. "And check out this ass. You won't find a tighter ass in Dracora. And see, my delts give me a much sexier silhouette, they really show off my waist, and I worked on my legs to give me more curve through my hips to make me look even better," she said, sliding a hand along her side, along her deltoid muscle, which did exaggerate the slimness of her waist quite admirably. Then she patted her hip, pointing out that she was curvaceous both above and below her waist. She turned back around and patted herself on the chest, just over her right breast. "My pecs really lift up and pronounce my tits, which, thank Trelle, graced me with a pretty good pair to start with. The muscle under them just makes them even better looking. I get some _awes