Eirik, David, and Jesper all came running into the bridge and headed straight for Trasti. "What is happening?" They all asked

"A message from your brother!" Trasti said in a half-panicked state. "War has been declared on Libertalia!" Trasti looked from one to the other and the complete lack of emotion on their faces confused and angered him. "WHY ARE YOU ALL SO PASSIVE!!" He demanded.

looking at each other and then back at Trasti, the 3 men started laughing. they laughed so hard they had to lean against each other to not fall over and every time they were about done, they looked at Trasti and began all over again when they saw the mix of annoyance, frustration, and confusion.

Finally, Eirik managed to wheeze out, "Trasti, did you really expect Tai'Tanu to give up on killing me just because I created a new empire? Come on buddy, you are smarter than that!"

Trasti looked offended for a moment before his tail curled up underneath him in embarrassment. David managed to stand by himself and walked over to put a hand on Trasti's shoulder. "If it's any consolation," David said as he wiped the last tears of laughter from his eyes, "You are perhaps the most diligent communications officer we have ever had. Not even 10 seconds after arriving you had us summoned and on the way if the log is to be believed. And it is."

Trasti felt better at the words but still scolded himself inwardly. He should have known, of course, he should. But 8 months on the farm his family had built after Eirik had kept his promise and relocated them, had been good to him. both physically and mentally. he had bulked up even more, soon being on the same physical level as the female Kloxna, much to his mother's dismay, and he had seen his family being well-fed for the first time in his life.

The burden that had left his shoulders that day had been enormous and it dawned on him just how much peace of mind it gave to know that his family had a surplus of shelter and food. His mother had looked unworried and happy for the first time in his life. She had also sat down and relaxed, something else she had never done before. He recalled some of her words that had stuck with him.

"For all their strange ways and weird customs, Terrans understand what is important in life, Trasti. Family, security, and freedom. As long as they allow us to keep all 3, I can let the bloodline settle here with peace in my mind."

He had to agree. Ever since leaving the Kloxna Empire behind, he had only experienced good things. Unlike his previous life, where fear of death was a constant thing whenever someone with slightly more power was nearby. Being male was the only thing that had kept him alive up to this point.

"Never again." He thought to himself. "The Terrans have taught me to make myself strong enough to not be afraid anymore."

And he had his new friends. He looked around at the 3 men who were still chuckling and he realized they were not laughing AT him. They were laughing WITH him. He had seen them do the same with other Terrans when they made mistakes and he took a chance and tried reacting the same way, by grinning awkwardly and making a surrendering gesture.

"What do you know, I think Pages is starting to get it!" Jesper chimed in and Trasti looked at him in confusion. "Pages?"

"Yeah," Eirik answered. "It's a good nickname since you are always flipping pages in a book" Eirik winked at this, hoping that would cement to Trasti what the nickname meant. Trasti sent him a small smile and Eirik felt good. "Relax Trasti. There will always be another war. what matters, is how we react to it when it happens. And desperation never served anyone well.

Relax, in a day's time, you will get another message from my brother, telling you to inform me that he has put the wartime measures in place. You missed out on a lot of preparation while you visited your family. Not that I blame you though. It was the very reason I had them rescued and relocated."

They spent another few minutes talking about this and that before they each returned to their various tasks.

__________________

"Eirik, you have to go easy on my guys, they still need to do their job when you are finished with them!" Jesper protested as Eirik sent another man to the ground with a shield slam.

"No can do, Jesper, I need the training, and holding back will not improve my technique!" Eirik retorted and took a drink of water from the barrel in the corner of the room.

"Why do you insist on that barrel, Eirik?" Las'Tai piped in, having just finished her routine on the training mat.

"Because it forces people to step away from the training and take a breath. It reminds people that taking a drink of water also calls for a few moments to regain your breath. The barrels force this behavior." Eirik said as he took another drink before picking his axe back up. "Alright, who's next!"

___________________

2 days later Eirik was informed there were nearing trading station Gamma near the edge of the Terran territory. The last known location of Dalle, according to Jimmie. The poor boy was still on the ship but locked up in the closet of Eirik's temple room. The room was still locked off, requiring people to find him or Jeanette to enter, and it would stay like that until Dalle had been caught and killed. Jeanette brought Jimmie food and Eirik made time each day to swing by and interrogate him some more. After the initial interrogation, he had not used physical threats to get information out of Jimmie.

There were other, more effective, methods of extracting information.

As they approached, a call came through and Eirik took it on the bridge.

"Please send your ship's registry information over along with a short description of your reason for visiting the trade station, thank you" The woman on the other end of the line sounded as dead as she looked and David sent the relevant information over.

"Hmm... What does *intelligence-gathering* mean in the context of your visit?" She said after reading over the forms.

"Do you want me to write *diplomatic visit* instead? As emperor of the newly formed Libertalia Mercantus, it is well within my power to declare my trip a diplomatic visit." Eirik said with a smirk and watched with glee as the previously uninterested clerk suddenly snapped her head to the screen in front of her.

After a few moments of her staring at him like he was an undiscovered alien, he continued, "Intelligence-gathering it is then. Agreed?" The woman just nodded in silence and Eirik ended the call before pulling into the station dock. He pushed the button for the shipwide intercom.

"Alright everyone, standing orders are civilian clothing when leaving the ship. I do not wish to tempt anyone that might get funny ideas. Move in groups of 5 or more, this is a Terran station. And remember, We are no longer members of the Terran Empire and as such, we do not enjoy the same privileges. The first man or woman to give me trouble with the local leadership will find him or herself demoted to toilet duty for the rest of your life!"

Eirik ended his message to the crew and went to his room to change to civilian clothing. David, Jesper, Jeanette, Las'Tai, and Trasti went to do the same. Eirik would need someone to keep him in check. The man was on a warpath, cleverly hidden beneath a facade of calm control.

As he stood on the ramp down to the dock area with most of his command crew around him, and Trasti, He could not help himself. "Let's hunt" He said as he started walking.