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Fabrice breathed a sigh of relief. He’d hated leaving the vacation home on Cova, but it                                                                                                                                                                                was necessary. Even Esmerie agreed with him – something she was doing far more of these days now that he was thinking instead of reacting to situations. Now the family was entrenched in their fortified home on Celaria, purchased after Gaspare and Kuen left for the Colonies.

Fabrice had to admit the two young men had chosen a remarkable world to move to after the war. Emele had stayed in the house the two men bought for themselves. Esmerie was the one who’d found the vast estate for sale a year after the two men disappeared and purchased it with a mind to turning it into a home for her and the girls if it became necessary for her to leave Fabrice. Now it was home for Fabrice and those members of his family that were still at home.

Emele came to see them a few days after they were settled. “I still don’t know why mother hasn’t divorced you yet,” she said waspishly as she greeted her father.

“Possibly because your father has changed quite a bit since he stopped drinking,” Esmerie said chidingly. “Just because you dislike the man he was before does not mean you have a right to judge him so harshly now, Emele.”

“No, she has a point, Esmerie,” Fabrice said. “She only knows the person I was, not the man I’m becoming. You have the benefit of living with me as I make the changes. You see them firsthand. She doesn’t.”

“She can still be more respectful,” Esmerie said.

“What have I done to earn that respect from her?” Fabrice asked, startling both his wife and daughter. “You said it yourself, Esmerie. I was a terrible father. I raised our children the only way I knew how, and it wasn’t the right way. But it was what I knew. Was there a better way? Of course there was, but I wasn’t willing to look for it. Now I have to deal with the consequences of those actions.”

“Are you feeling all right, Father? Too much alcohol today or something?” Emele asked.

“I haven’t touched a drop of alcohol in several months. Your mother can verify that,” Fabrice said. “As can the medical scanner I see clipped to your belt, unless it’s out of power again. You always did forget to charge your personal scanners.”

“This one is fully charged, thank you very much,” Emele said, bristling. She whipped it out and ran a scan on him. “You’re actually telling the truth. There’s not a sign of any intoxicant or drug in your system, your diet has improved drastically, and you’re even looking a little healthier than the last time I scanned you.”

“I should hope so,” Fabrice said. “I’ve started working out again on top of eating better and not drinking.” He looked at his daughter. “I need a straight answer from you, Emele. Are you still talking to Gaspare?”

Emele opened her mouth and then closed it. Fabrice saw Esmerie’s little nod. Emele pursed her lips. “I am,” she said, almost defiantly.

“Would you pass on a message to him for me then?” Fabrice asked.

“What message?” Emele asked suspiciously.

“I am personally coming to Sorus to apologize for every word I said to him, and to offer my congratulations on his marriage to Phelix Rezouac. You may also tell him, if you wish, that I admit to being a massive vapor brain and if he doesn’t forgive me, I’ll accept that,” Fabrice said.

Emele stared open-mouthed at her parents. “Mother, is he – is he serious?” she asked.

“Quite serious. We intend to arrive just after spring planting, so as to avoid getting caught in the chaos and disrupting the process,” Esmerie said. “You can pass that along to your brother as well.”

“All right. I’ll tell him,” Emele said. “He might not be happy to see you, but he’ll at least be expecting your arrival.” She turned and left the room.

Fabrice settled back in his chair. “Now I have one final message to send.” He glanced at the slender females standing in the shadows. “You’re certain you know who I’m talking about?”

“Of course we do,” one of the Arpathi said. “We know the Silver Fox well. He may not agree to your terms, High Admiral.”

“I’m not a High Admiral any longer,” Fabrice said. “I retired a few years ago.”

“To our people you will always be a High Admiral, for we have no such concept as retiring,” the second Arpathi said. “We will carry your message to him, and we will give him your comm code so he may call you in his own time. The Arpathi codes do not look the same as your human planetary comm codes so you will know when he is approaching you.”

“If he does,” the first Arpathi said. The two slipped out of the room and left.

“How do you know you can trust them, Fabrice?” Esmerie asked, watching them leave.

“They tried to kill me once. I didn’t have them executed but instead let them go home,” Fabrice said. “It’s a matter of honor for them to do this for me. It repays our debt.”

“You keep surprising me, even now,” Esmerie said fondly, kissing the top of his head. “I’m going to check on Honore. She was dithering over her dresses again.”

“She’s a skybrained moron sometimes, but I’m proud of her for choosing who she did and standing up for that decision,” Fabrice said. Esmerie laughed and sailed out of the room. Fabrice settled down. He still needed to plan against Michi Nakano going after the twins again, for he knew she’d be watching and would act when he did.