With preparations complete, the fleet under Li Chou begins it’s first of many warp jumps to Lübeck. They leave behind them a token force of authentic pirate ships under Dong—but also a large array of balloon decoy ships, that, to the naked eye, is bona fide enough that even it’s conceiver could believe it if she was a Federation officer twiddling her thumbs across the Rouen corridor.

To let the Federation see what they want to see. Bah.

I’ll strike you down myself—that right is reserved for me. Bah.

A sustained chug from the green-tinted bottle, then a hard chuck across the room. Upon impact, it smashes into thousands of shattered pieces.

Zhui should know better than to believe her lies. But regardless of the truth in Li’s words, Zhui is in no position to risk having her imprisoned.

Li is utterly confident of her plan—and so are the men. If his men were all for it he has no choice to approve it—it’s all for their sake. They can’t afford to lose a small fleet, no matter how small it may be. The men Zhui sent to Che were seasoned veterans, but Che…

Zhui groans.

Che is a bit of a dimwit when it comes to naval warfare. Perhaps he should have sent his good friend Simon to keep watch in Valspon instead…

Hindsight is a wonderful, delightful thing. See, in the then you think you have anything sorted out. Then lo and behold! The future rears it’s ugly head and turns out the choices you made were painfully awful—and boy does it come to fruition.

Getting how close Simon is to Li… that could spell disaster in Side Brunsbüttel. If, by chance, just a minuscule chance Li has second thoughts and decides to initiate acoup’d'etat against Zhui…

The elder Dong grits his teeth at an uneasy rate.

Simon has sworn undying loyalty to him, the Don. The two of them have known each other for decades—since their youthful days as confused lasses finding their footing in an ever-changing galaxy. If Zhui told him to drop off a bridge—Simon would unquestionably— maybe a bit begrudgingly —do it. After all, they foster a friendship that’s so unshakable that even someone like Li… wouldn’t…

Simon and Li are close. Simon would also do anything for Li if she so much as asked. If you were to put two and two together…

The future of the Year 217 Mafia is at stake! Never mind whatever action Li may do while passing through Lübeck—Simon is just as unpredictable as she is.

Zhui doesn’t want to doubt his good friend. He really, truly doesn’t. But desperate times call for desperate measures! And Zhui believes that Simon, in wonderful hindsight, will come to understand what he, the magnificent Don is about to do. Simon’s feathers might be a little ruffled at first, but it’s a price to pay to guarantee the survivability of the Dong-lead pirate regime.

I do not wish to divide the Year 217 Mafia into civil war, not under these circumstances—not when the enemy is at our very gates. Bah! It’s all a bunch of bogus. Zhui should have strangled her when he had the chance. Get rid of the problem. It’s as simple as! Oh, hindsight is a beautiful thing!

“Get me the communications operator! We are to send a message to SideBrunsbüttel ahead of the Li Chou fleet. “

There is visible confusion from an adjutant. “To… Brunsbüttel, Don? Not theMadame?”

Zhui heaves a sigh, “I didn’t stutter, did I?” He looks around the room, “No ? Good little boys and girls do not ask questions, my good boy! They do as they are told. Now then, fetch me that communications operator”

My poor friend Simon. I wish I didn’t have to involve you like this, I really didn’t! But in the end, it seems paranoia will get the best of me.

The communications operator stands before Zhui and gives him a salute. “Don! It is an honor to be summoned by you…”

“Yes, yes, you are welcome,” he hand-waves the eagerness of the man away. “Come closer, this message…

“It’s a bit of a doozy as you kids say these days, haha! It would… certainly cause a ruckus if the contents were overheard. Here, closer—closer. Don’t be afraid! I do not bite too hard, haha!”

It truly is a shame, isn’t it Simon?