Isolda Raake was carrying some reports down a corridor of the Vera Lynn when the conference door opened and seven of the eight captains of the Cima fleet emerged. She stopped and saluted, noting with a combination of remorse and amusement how they tried to keep some kind of uniformity. Most had gone to civilian clothes, although whether or not they wore their rank insignia varied. The captain of the Morocco wore a home-made version of his old Earth Attack khakis. It was a well-meant effort that ended up looking more like a costume than an official uniform.

Cima emerged last, trailed by Mr. Kosell who was carrying her briefcase. She noticed Isolda and told her to stand at ease. "I'm just here for the weekly captains' meeting," she said chattily. "Where's Gato? I thought you two were attached at the," her mouth twisted in a little smirk, "hip."

"He's in our quarters, I think,"

"Do I detect some trouble in paradise?"

"Nothing to be concerned about, ma'am."

Cima turned and gestured for Kosell to go on without her. "He's my best pilot. If there's some problem that might affect his job performance, I need to know about it."

"He's rather depressed, ma'am. I've been trying to pull him out of it, but not having much luck."

Cima rested her fan against her shoulder. "I might have some work in the near future that will cheer him up. Silly boy. Sometimes I think he has a crush on Old Baldy."

"You mean Admiral Delaz, ma'am?"

"I do. While I admit he does have a sort of paternal appeal if you're into that, I didn't think Gato swung that way. Still, it's the Universal Century, you never know."

Isolda said nothing.

"That was naughty of me," Cima went on. "I shouldn't cast aspersions on the sexual preferences of your husband. Captain Rosco will let you know when I need you two. Ta." She strolled off in the direction her executive officer had taken.

It wasn't until Isolda arrived at the office that she realized she'd been gripping the reports tightly enough to leave the imprints of her nails in the paper.

For his part, Gato had just returned from the shower and was changing into a fresh pair of jeans, a t-shirt, and the sweater he'd been living in since he came to the fleet. He went into the bathroom and started brushing his hair. When he put the brush down he stopped to examine some of the hair over his right ear. Even more grey. He'd been going grey since he was in high school, and at the time he hadn't minded. Now it made him feel old. Time was slipping away like sand through his fingers and there wasn't anything he could do about it.

He jumped slightly when Isolda came in. "Everything all right?" he asked conversationally, trying to keep irritation out of his voice.

"Just wanting to strangle Cima is all. I want to tell her, 'Lady, you're not funny'."

"I know." He finished tying his hair back and made his way to the bed. Since he'd moved in, the small room had become even smaller as they added storage lockers and cabinets to hold their combined possessions. He glanced around at them and said as a complete non-sequitur, "I have accumulated so much stuff since I got here."

Isolda joined him on the bed. "Cima mentioned needing the two of us soon. Maybe we'll be able to ask her for a bigger cabin." She rested her head against his shoulder. "I wonder how long it'll be before we can just take off on our own and settle down somewhere. I'm starting to think it's time for me to drop the Flying Dutchman act."

Gato looked down at her. "That's going to take preparation. We need money, new identities, not to mention a place to go."

"I was thinking about Side 6. It's neutral. I'd say Von Braun, but I know how you feel about that."

"Side 6." Gato had never been there and never paid it very much attention. "I don't know much about it."

"It's neutral, there's no language barrier, and there's work. It has everything we need."

Gato considered. For his future, all he could see ahead was more time with the Cima fleet. "I'm starting to wonder if Delaz will ever send for me. He left me for a whole year on Von Braun before."

"I remember."

Gato nodded. "Perhaps we should start to research it, to make sure it's a viable plan."

"If we lived on Side 6, our families could come to see us, since it's neutral. I'd eventually like kids, and they should know their grandparents."

"Let's not rush ahead that far." Gato squeezed her hand. "The first step is to do research on Side 6."

"All right." Isolda grinned at him. "Just a sec. I have to use the toilet."

She went into the little room and shut the door. It was only a minute, and when she emerged again, Gato was unable to explain why he was crying. To her credit, Isolda didn't ask, but held him until the tears stopped.

"I have a special treat for all of you today. This is a good mission. You'll like this one."

Cima grinned broadly as she addressed the assembled mobile suit pilots and two ship's captains. Gato hadn't had any contact with the Dorothee Marsch before. Their Musai was retrofitted for speed and specialized in drug running. That this ship had been taken off that detail to work with the Lili Marlene and Vera Lynn indicated that this was going to be a strange task ahead.

Cima continued, "We've intercepted some intelligence about a cargo shipment going to Kyonpei Island. From the manifests, we've found out that it's carrying mobile suit munitions compatible with our own. The Federation has been using Jion intellectual property so the standards on their new mecha and our old stuff are coming together. Getting this cargo would be a real help to us, getting money in order to make more money, as it were.

"Now, what makes this mission unusual is that they're disguising the ships as civilian cargo vessels. This means the three cargo ships themselves are camouflaged, as are any escorts. We're showing a Magellan and its accompanying mobile suits. That's a pretty heavy escort, which is why I'm having three ships share the joy in this particular mission rather than the usual one or two. If they have six mobile suits, we're going to need nine, at least. Now, this is what's going to make this mission particularly interesting: they're routing this convoy out of Side 3."

Gato felt his mouth dry up. "Jion!" he couldn't help exclaiming.

His was not the only reaction. Cima let the noise die down before saying, "Yes. Part of this is going to be a big political message to the people of Earthsphere, something I never thought I'd find myself doing. The Republic is supposed to be independent, but it's being used as a Federation supply base. A military escort for some civilian cargo isn't too out of the ordinary; there has after all been some pirate activity in the colonies over the past few months, but this is the military escorting the military's own ships and it's going too far. We're going to show them up."

Cima proceeded to set out how the attack would work. Gato listened, mentally preparing the protest and warning he was going to give to Captain Rosco at the earliest possible opportunity.

As the briefing broke up, he excused himself from Isolda quickly, not stopping to apologize when he tripped over her feet getting out of their row of seats. He went straight to Rosco's executive officer and said what he needed to say. The executive officer immediately took him over to the captain.

"It's a trap," Gato told her.

Rosco nodded. "Yes, it is. Cima knows it, that's why we're using three ships to intercept this cargo."

"No. If my gut instinct is right, and I didn't survive this long without it being right most of the time, there is no cargo. The entire thing is a trap. We need to avoid this at all costs."

The sound of Gato's voice attracted Cima. "What's going on?"

"Lieutenant Gato has some concerns," Captain Rosco told Cima. "I'll let him tell them to you."

Gato nodded. "Ma'am. When I was at Solomon, we encountered a convoy similar to this one. We weren't interested in taking the supplies for ourselves, as they were incompatible with anything we used; the important thing was to keep them from getting to the Feddies. Well, it turned out that there weren't any supplies in there at all. The Columbi, if that's a word, were all just hollow shells with the Federation's new GMs hiding inside. We still won, but it was a near thing. If the Feddies are carrying out such a plan again, we aren't going to be in a position of strength against them."

Cima looked down at the floor, swinging her fan in an arc. "Our intelligence on this is solid. There have been cargoes going out of Side 3 lately, and they've been attacked by what appear to be Jion holdouts, bless their little souls. I am expecting this to be a trap, but given the details on the ships' manifests, I don't think that's all it is."

"It doesn't feel right to me, ma'am. I mean, think about it. It's as if this was deliberately calculated to catch our attention. Side 3 as a supplier for the Federation military, and a load of arms that we can use?"

"Side 3 is close to Kyonpei, and there is no saying it's that ammo's final destination."

"They have to know that Side 3 is on all of our minds, and I'm sure they're well aware of the emotional weight Solomon carries with many of us. It's a trap, I tell you."

"I admit that your instincts are good, Lieutenant, or you'd be frozen dead meat in space rather than the 'Nightmare of Solomon'. Still, if it's a choice between the data we've received and your instincts, I'd rather rely on data. I want that shipment of ammo. Unless I see something concrete to change my mind, the operation will go on as planned. I'll give you the option of sitting this one out, if you want."

Gato considered her offer for a moment. "No thank you. If this turns out badly, you'll need my services."

Days later, as he sat in his Gelgoog, Gato was further worried by all the otherwise comforting debris left over from the remains of Side 4. "Too easy," he muttered to himself as he waited for the command to attack.

"What's too easy?" he heard Isolda ask.

He extended a hand to her to initiate skin talk. "I've got a bad feeling about this. As I've said to Cima and Captain Rosco, this is all too perfectly set up for us to attack. When the fight comes, stay close to me, all right?"

"I trust you," she said.

Within the hour, the convoy made its presence known. From behind the piece of colony he and Isolda were using as cover, Gato could spot the Magellan class, three Columbus class ships, and two GMs bringing up the rear. Several minutes later, the Lili Marlene, Vera Lynn, and Dorothee Marsch hove into view from three different directions.

"Attention, Federation convoy. This is Lt. Colonel Cima Garahau. You are in violation of the Granada Treaty of 0080, using the Republic of Jion as a base for your own fleet. We represent the Jion government in exile and intend to retaliate. We will take your cargo; it is up to you how difficult this will be. You have five minutes to leave the Columbus class ships."

Gato knew Cima didn't seriously expect the Magellan and its GMs to just pull away obediently. However he also knew she didn't expect the joints of the Columbus class ships to suddenly separate and the walls to float off into the vacuum, revealing a Salamis Kai and six more mobile suits.

Isolda swore in Dutch. Gato slammed his fist down on the console.

"Cima! You stupid bitch!" He knew the fleet commander couldn't hear him, but wouldn't have cared if she did. He radioed Isolda to say, "We engage the suits and get close to that Salamis. I'll see if I can take it out."

" Roger."

A full-scale mobile suit battle had begun between the closest Gelgoogs scattered around the area and the GMs which had emerged from the dummy Columbus. As ever, Gato was able to get off one perfect shot as he came out from under cover, blowing the head off one GM while a second shot from Isolda struck the cockpit. He dodged fire from the Magellan, whose turrets were striking in all directions. Pieces of colony debris exploded into pieces all around him and Isolda, giving them an extra hazard to avoid.

Despite skill and experience, Gato still had a nasty moment when a chunk of colony tore off and smacked directly into him. He saw the world outside whiz past him as his Gelgoog tumbled, as well as Isolda's covering fire when the Feddies tried to make him into a target. He pulled out of his spin just in time to see one of the Musais' hull crack open, spill light through the cracks, and explode in a flash.

"Tell me that wasn't the Vera," he panted into his mike. A moment later he heard Cima's voice say, "Goddamit, we just lost the Dorothee!"

"Time to get our own back," he said, and hit his thrusters towards the Salamis Kai, which was cruising unerringly behind the Magellan. No dancing around main guns this time; he was headed straight for the bridge. He counted on speed to avoid fire from the GMs, plus his other screens were showing that the 'Corona Razor' was blasting away unerringly at the enemies who would stand in his way.

He threw himself right at the Salamis, holding his breath as he avoided its cannons until he was too close for them to hit him. He pulled out his beam sabre and thrust downward through the bridge, into the engines. He waited until the telltale sparks began to jump through the wound he'd struck, then launched himself away as fast as he could. Isolda hadn't followed him in, but rejoined him on the other side of the ship.

He was headed into a dogfight between Cima Fleet and Federation suits as the Salamis Kai went down. Sheathing his beam sabre, he pulled his machine cannon and added his own fire.

" Gato, look out! " Isolda called as two GMs came at them from the right. Isolda had a two-second advantage on Gato, and immediately opened fire on them. Gato spun around from his previous target and did the same, but felt a lucky shot strike his Gelgoog's right leg. He compensated as quickly as he could for the damage and added his fire to Isolda's, although it was her intact suit that was able to go in close with a beam sabre in her hand to take on the nearest GM. Gato fell back to cover her, watching in admiration as she dueled the GM, finally slicing off one arm and driving her sabre into the mobile suit's chest.

" Attention all hands," Cima's voice came through his helmet. " We're retreating. There's nothing useful to us here. I repeat, we're retreating."

The only fight Gato'd ever left unfinished was A Bao A Qu. He'd hoped that it would be the only such retreat in his career, but decided quickly that he didn't care. Lesser of two evils. They shouldn't have been out there to begin with, and now they had a dead ship to show for it.

They fled, with the Jion suits in formation behind the retreating Lili Marlene and Vera Lynn. The Magellan and remaining GMs didn't pursue for long. They had their own losses to cope with and Gato figured they felt they'd spanked the pirates enough.

"Go ahead to the Vera," Gato told Isolda. "I'm going to the Lili."

" Anavel, don't do this. "

"Someone has to, Isolda."

" Let someone else be the one. "

"Like that big lapdog of hers? I don't think so." He continued onward towards the Lili.

" Chin -fucking-gao ," Pablo Gonzalez Garcia swore as the pilots brought in their mobile suits. Gato watched as the diminutive mechanic used a lift to examine the Gelgoog's leg. "Hey Gato, ain't you suppose to be on the Vera ?"

"Yes. I'm here on business."

"Well don' worry man, cause you brought your 'Goog to the right place. I'm gonna fix her up for you good."

Gato marched to the bridge in his flight suit. The doors opened to reveal that the command chair was empty.

"Where's Cima?" he demanded.

Gordy took one hand away from the wheel to point behind him. "Conference room. But I wouldn't—"

"Thanks."

Gato did a low-gee bounce down the hall and into the conference room. He figured that Cima would be backed into a corner, but what he did not expect was that it would be the normally mellow Captain Rosco doing it.

"…Cost me two of my mobile suits! This isn't your own personal queendom, Cima, and you're not omniscient."

"This is insubordination!"

"Why so it is!" Rosco noticed Gato in the doorway. "What are you doing here?" she snapped.

"I told you so, Cima," Gato snarled, ignoring his captain. "I told you it was a trap. You wouldn't listen, you're so blinded by greed."

"Not greed, need !" she shouted right back. "I was wrong, I admit it, but our intel was solid. All there was going against it was your say-so, you Academy richie. You just didn't want to take on that Magellan is my bet."

"Oh, that's good," Gato retorted, glancing over at Rosco. His captain was glaring, her jaw tight. He was going to get it good when he returned to the Vera and he didn't care. "What the hell do you know about real combat, Cima? Have you ever gone into a battle without setting it up with dirty tricks and running away? Have you—"

"Gato, NO!" came a familiar voice from behind him. Isolda leapt from the doorway onto his back and clamped a hand over his mouth. Gato threw her off and next thing he knew, he was being slammed back into the bulkhead by Kosell. Gato waited for Kosell to start banging his head against it, but instead Kosell leaned forward and said, "No domestic violence on my watch, Gato. I saw enough of that shit as a Mahal City cop."

Gato said nothing.

"If I let you go, you gonna hit the wife?"

"She's not my wife. And no."

"Good man." Kosell let go. "Raake, you okay?"

"Yes, sir, I'm fine." Isolda was on her feet again. Her expression was black but she seemed otherwise unharmed.

Cima spoke up. "Lt. Gato, you are being—"

Kosell raised a finger into her face. "You be quiet. You got us into this mess." He looked back at Gato. "You got a lot here to be mad about. Take the next three days off. Isolda, you too. We can't bring the Dorothee back, but we can all turn ourselves back into human beings." When Gato and Isolda stood there gaping, he said, "You heard me. Scram!"

Gato returned to the Vera Lynn in Isolda's mobile suit, leaving his in the capable hands of Pablo Gonzalez, who already had the leg off and on the floor for repairs. Once they were back in their quarters, Isolda said, "You're forgiven for throwing me. I shouldn't have jumped on you from behind like that."

"Sorry," he muttered, and lay down on the bunk in his normal suit. "Bad enough I'm stuck with pirates, I'm stuck with incompetent pirates now."

To her own shock, Isolda almost wanted to defend her fleet. She realized immediately how bizarre that was, and reached for her bathrobe. Gato's pride was wounded and the frustration had to be at an all time high. Let him stew, she thought as she left for the shower.

Three days later, Teg and Gordy were playing dominoes in the galley when Isolda walked in.

"Hey girl, what's going down? Where's Gato?" Gordy asked.

Isolda ran her fingers through her hair and sighed. "Remember when you were over two nights ago and he was being difficult?"

"He was being fucking PMS Boy," Teg opined. "No offense intended, he just was."

"Yeah, I know. Well it hasn't let up and I have to live with him. It hasn't been fun; I've volunteered for double shifts because of it."

"That's bad." Gordy pushed his chair back and patted his upper thigh. Isolda sat down on it gratefully. "He still wailing, hooting, and yodeling about the One Year War?"

"Yes."

Teg spit brown tobacco juice into a bottle. "Yeah, I mean, come on, Gato, I'm glad you had your glory days back at Solomon before we got our asses handed to us at A Bao A Qu, but we all gotta move on."

"He blames Kishiria for killing Giren."

"Well that's gonna do us a lotta good." Teg shook his head, rolling his eyes. "Maybe if he gets her to admit it, Giren'll come back to life?"

"He's gotta bring her back to life first, and he's got a hell of a way with women, obviously." Gordy chimed in. "He's really been ranting for three days?"

Isolda sighed. "When he's not lying there with the covers over his head he's pacing and bitching about being kept away from the grand mission of restoring the glory of Jion and getting Mineba Zabi back on the throne."

"Oh yeah, that's gonna happen," Teg said.

"Feel free to tell him," Isolda responded.

Meanwhile, Gato was lying on the bunk in their cabin, just as Isolda had described. He hadn't felt the inclination to move since the ambush. He felt heavy and tired. There was no reason to get up, so he didn't.

Isolda was avoiding him, which was her right. He'd apologized for throwing her and she didn't seem angry, but he couldn't blame her for not wanting to be around him.

He was about to close his eyes and go back to sleep when the phone rang. He answered it, much though he didn't want to.

" Gato? Kosell. We need you on the Lili Marlene. You gotten up or bathed lately? "

This was much too small a community, he reflected again. Gato sniffed inside the collar of his t-shirt. "No."

" Isolda is a lucky girl, ain't she? Well you better get yourself out of bed and cleaned up. Cima wants to see you in her office on the Lili."

"What does she want?"

" I didn't ask, but she's waiting for you. "

"All right. I'll be there shortly." Gato grunted, sat up, and stumbled over to the locker for fresh clothes.

Just the sight of the hall leading down to Cima's quarters was enough to make Gato nervous. The first time he'd visited her there, he'd received a beating from Mr. Kosell and the second time a joint scolding with Isolda. As he knocked, he wondered what humiliation awaited him this time.

"Come in!"

Gato obeyed. Cima was grinning at her computer, as it played her a music file of a male voice singing in a language he didn't understand. At the end, Cima turned her grin to him.

"One of my fans sent it to me. Remember I told you they write songs about this fleet? Case in point."

Gato sat down in front of her desk. "You have fans. I can't get over that."

"So do you, incidentally. There's a little page you should look at out of Granada. But yes, I think my whole Black Irish bad girl image appeals to people in their dull little lives. Here's the transcription." She turned the screen to him and played the file again.

Óro sé do bheatha bhaile,

Óro sé do bheatha bhaile

Óro sé do bheatha bhaile

Anois ar theacht an tsamraidh

Cima ag teacht thar sáile,

Óglaigh armtha léi mar gharda

Jion iad féin ni Fed ni Axis,

'S cuirfidh said ruaig ar Ghalaibh .

"What's it mean?" Gato said after the song, which was four verses long, ended. "I can tell it's Irish Gaelic, but that's it."

She leaned back, still grinning. "Cima is coming across the ocean with armed soldiers for protection. They're not Fed or Axis but Jion and will chase off the invader." She shook her head a little. "There's people out there thinking of us as the last bastion of Jion. It strikes me as deeply weird." She looked up at him. "You're bristling. You're so cute when you do that, Commander."

"There are others who fit the description more appropriately, in my mind."

"Which is why I called you here. I received this note from our countrymen today." She handed him the printout of an e-mail.

To: .jion

From: .jion

Re: no subject

Date: 13 November 0081

PRODUCE THE NIGHTMARE. YOU HAVE 30 DAYS.

Coordinates of the drop-off point are below.

Sieg Jion

Gato handed it to her. "Thirty days? Is that enough time to get me across occupied space? Or will you be requiring another six months?"

"That depends on you. I'm willing to make this employment permanent."

Gato glared at her. "You have got to be kidding."

Cima looked mildly surprised. "I admit that you were right and I was wrong about that convoy. It cost us dearly and I have to live with that. You proved your worth to us yet again."

Gato's gaze was steady. "You have nothing to offer me."

"I also admit that life in the fleet can be uncomfortable when supplies run low. Do you think it's going to be any better at the Thorn Garden?"

"My material comforts are of little concern to me."

"You get to continue your war against the Feddies with if you stay with us. I played you the song; we're the continuation of the spirit of Jion. I also know you've made friends here. What about your wife?"

"I don't remember exchanging wedding vows with Lt. Raake. Neither does she. I resent having my personal life manipulated for the convenience of others."

"That's strange. From all I've heard about you, you've let that happen all your life."

Gato gaped.

"Well, it's true, isn't it?" Cima pressed on.. "Anavel Gato's never controlled his own destiny. He's the passive recipient of the Crown's pleasure. Tell me, if the government in exile on Axis hadn't sent Tetley to connect you with Delaz, would you still be living under a bridge? I think you would be."

Gato snapped to his feet. "I was raised too well to ever strike a woman, Garahau. If I weren't…"

"I have three brothers and grew up in Mahal, Gato, and I've taken Marine hand-to-hand combat training. I'd hand you your little Academy ass." She crossed her arms. "As for not hitting a woman, fine. You'll go out of your way to break their hearts though, won't you? You don't care, as long as it's for the greater glory of Jion. I don't think I'd call that gentlemanly." She waved a hand at him dismissively. "Take a day to think about your decision. Until then, get out of my sight."

Gato returned to the Vera Lynn in a red cloud of rage. How dare that genocidal whore judge him? How dare she? What kind of madwoman was she to think that even for a moment he'd consider abandoning the cause of a free Jion for a few meals and a warm bed? He wanted to be returned to Delaz, and he wanted to be returned immediately.

When he opened the door to their cabin, Isolda was changing into her workout clothes. He watched in silence as she slid her tight athletic singlet over her bare torso, taking in her freckled pale skin, the flow of her muscles, the soft auburn hair under her arms and the firm perfection of her breasts.

"What did Cima want?" she asked.

"Sit." He took her hand and they sat on the bunk together. "Isolda, I came to this fleet so that I could be returned to the Delaz forces. Cima hijacked me, and I suppose she's been making excuses as to my whereabouts. Delaz appears to have gotten tired of not having received me, because he sent her a note saying to produce me within 30 days."

"Does Delaz know that Cima has you?"

"I don't think so. He probably suspects, but I don't think he knows for certain."

"If that's the case, you can stay, right?"

"I wasn't planning on it."

Isolda pulled her hand out of his.

"Isolda, I thought you'd be happy for me," Gato said.

She stood and faced him, hands on her hips. "I thought we had some kind of life together. Now you tell me you want to end it and go off on a wild goose chase?"

"Isolda, getting to Delaz was the only reason I came to Cima. You know that. I work for her because it was a choice between that or being spaced, you said it yourself."

"So you had to come on board, and you had to work for Cima. Did you have to sleep with me too? What made that necessary?"

"We did say that this would bring drama into our lives, didn't we? Here it is!"

"Oh, that makes everything all right. You told me you loved me in Von Braun!"

"I did, and I meant it, but this is something I must do."

Her green eyes bored into his for a moment before she looked away and said, "You're right. I should have seen this coming a long time ago."

Gato took her hand again. "It'll be all right, Isolda, you'll see. Admiral Delaz is a great man. Between what's left of our forces and Axis, we will regain our country."

"When that happens, will there be a place for me? Will there be amnesty for the people of this fleet after what we did in the war?"

"I don't see why not."

"I do."

Gato raised her hand to his lips and kissed it. "It'll all work out. I know it."

Isolda put her other hand on his shoulder. "I envy your certainty."

Gato smiled. "I'll tell Cima to get ready to send me off."

Isolda looked down at her lap, tears in her eyes. "I guess it'd be stupid to spend our last days together torturing each other."

"Agreed. Let's keep this as happy as we can."

Gato went to stand, but Isolda put her arms around his neck and wouldn't let go. Gato held her tightly, feeling her warm breath in his hair and the curves of her body against him.

Isolda finally whispered, "Go tell Cima," and released him. He paused to squeeze her fingers before he turned away.

"I'm disappointed, but can't say I'm surprised," Cima told Gato when he informed her of his decision.

"How long before we can rendezvous with the Delaz Fleet?"

Cima called a chart of Earthsphere onto her computer. A moving dot marked theLili Marlene's position. "Four days. They'll send a ship for you; we won't be flying you all the way to the Thorn Garden."

"What shall I do in the mean time?"

"If you could keep flying patrols, I'd appreciate it. We don't have any missions between now and then. We also need to find a new wingman for Isolda, but Rosco will take care of that."

"Yes, ma'am."

She looked at him pointedly. "So, any regrets?"

Gato opened his mouth to blurt out, "These months you've stolen from me!" but closed it again. Except for the lost time, he didn't have a lot to complain about. He resented being turned into a pirate, but it had gotten him behind the controls of a Gelgoog again. Getting behind the controls of a Gelgoog had in turn brought him Isolda.

Isolda. Now there was a regret, but not one to be voiced to Cima.

"I regret the delay in getting back to my mission," Gato said.

Cima sniffed. "After the way I was treated, you can have your precious mission."

Gato leaned forward. "Yes, I've heard a lot about how the Cima fleet was used for crimes against humanity and then discarded. Tell me one thing, though, Cima, if that's the case, why do you still wear the uniform?"

Cima's brow furrowed. He'd hit a nerve.

"I don't have anything else to wear," she answered him coldly. "Why don't you go spend the rest of your time here with Isolda?"

Gato didn't see Cima again for the duration of his stay. Isolda had a few meetings with Captain Rosco and two flights with her new wingman, of which she said little. Otherwise they were together, trying to tie up the loose ends of their affair.

The time of Gato's departure arrived both too soon and too early. Isolda slumped on their bed like a melting wax figure as she watched him put on his uniform.

Gato ran a thumb inside his waistband. "My pants fit me again."

"Good."

He sat down on the bed beside her. "I'm sorry, Isolda. You know this must be done."

Isolda glared. "I've noticed that when you give me that sort of line you start talking like a robot."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"There you go, doing it again," she snapped. "You know damn well what I mean, and if you switched off the Good Jion Officer program for a moment and turned back into Anavel Gato maybe you'd even be able to acknowledge it for a second."

Gato inhaled sharply as if he'd been struck in the diaphragm. He turned away from her for a moment, then looked back into her eyes.

"We've had this conversation and I really don't feel like having it again right now," he told her. "I know, I'm taking a big risk and giving up a lot to do this, but we Jions have a chance, a real chance, Isolda, to get our country back. I can't tell you how I know that, but I do, and it has something to do with what I was doing on Luna. I can't say any more than that, but I'm basing all this on something concrete, something I saw with my own eyes." He reached up to touch her face and she didn't pull away. "I know I talk about the glory of Jion a lot, and I mean it, with all my heart, but Isolda…Isolda, I want to see my mom and dad again ."

She gazed down into her lap. "I wonder if my favourite bars are still open. Van Houte's on Kennedy and 4th in Hoeksche Waard, for instance."

"If it is, you'll take me there," Gato said. "Look." He went to his duffle and pulled out a notebook and an envelope. He copied an address from the envelope and brought her the sheet of paper. "This is my parents' current address. After all this, you'll be able to contact me through them, if you can't find me again on your own."

She took the address and smiled wanly. "Considering I'm not a New Type, I'm sure I'll have to use it."

Gato snorted. "Like those things exist. Use the address. I've got some favourite watering holes I'd like to take you to as well."

The silence became heavy in the cabin. Finally Isolda said, "You'd best be leaving. Let me get my shoes on."

Teg and Gordy were waiting outside. "Thought we'd walk you to the shuttle," Gordy said.

There wasn't much to say. A small craft was in the hangar, ready to go. Gato shook hands with Teg and Gordy and was about to put his arms around Isolda when a very large object floated down to them.

"Mr. Kosell!" Gato exclaimed, half surprised, half wary.

"Wanted to say 'bye," he said. "You've been the best pilot we've had, and you ain't deserved a lot of what happened to you here."

"How's Cima taking this?" Gato asked.

"Ah, she's pissed, but she'll get over it. We lasted this long without you, we'll last again once you're gone. She'll just have to take up more of the risky parts again. Anyway, thanks and good luck." He extended a hand the size of a porterhouse steak to Gato, who shook it.

Finally, he turned to Isolda, and the three men had the good taste to leave them alone for a few minutes. They exchanged a few words and held each other for a long time before they kissed goodbye and Gato turned to enter the shuttle.

"Okay, Lieutenant," said the pilot, "grab a seat and as soon as you're strapped in, we'll be going."

"Where should I put my bag?"

"Take one of the empty lockers at the back of the cockpit."

Gato located one and slid his duffle inside. He hopped over to one of the seats at the rear of the shuttle cockpit and fastened his seatbelt. The pilots began the pre-flight routine and Gato thought to himself, why couldn't we just have done it this way the last time? As the hangar doors opened and the shuttle began accelerating towards empty space, he realized that he might have come to the Cima fleet as a package to be deliver, but like it or not, he'd become one of them.

Frankly, he didn't like it. He leaned back in his seat, arms crossed, feeling the texture of the green gabardine of his uniform. His left hand felt bare without its Academy ring, but he knew the woman who had it would take good care of it until the day she could slide it back onto his finger.

They were two hours out from the Thorn Garden, but Gato was too excited to read or nap. He leaned back in his seat, watching the space ahead as the pilots maneuvered carefully through the natural and human-made debris that was the base's protective cover.

Finally, they broke through and the Thorn Garden lay before him. Gato raised an eyebrow. Even though he'd heard that the latest Jion base was jerry-rigged from parts of disused colony, he hadn't been prepared for how ugly the result would be. An open colony cylinder showed signs of life in the front half of the tube, the other half gaping like a spiral binding yanked from a photocopied text. The livable part of the cylinder had its front tip jammed into an asteroid. Gato couldn't tell by looking at it if it was part of the colony or just to hold the cylinder in place. The whole assembly didn't appear very stable.

The dock still worked at least, opening up when the pilots of the shuttle commed the tower. Gato gripped the arm of his seat as they followed the lights inside.

The shuttle stopped and Gato knew the doors behind them were closing. He waited impatiently as the atmosphere was regularized, tapping one booted foot against the deck. As soon as they got the signal, he undid his belt and launched himself backwards towards the locker where his duffle was stored. He grabbed it and bounced to the door.

There was an ensign standing expectantly a short distance from the shuttle. Gato looked at her, then over his shoulder. "Thanks for the ride," he said finally, and floated towards the ensign.

She snapped to attention and saluted. "Lt. Gato, sir! I'm Ensign Morris; I've been ordered to see you to your quarters, and to Admiral Delaz."

Gato returned the salute. "Thank you. But would it be possible to take me to the admiral first, and take my bag to my quarters while I'm with him?"

She considered. "Well…I do have the key."

"I'll owe you a favour."

She smiled and nodded; the idea of being owed a favour by the 'Nightmare of Solomon' himself had to be a heady one. "Yes, sir. Follow me."

The asteroid turned out to be part of the base after all. Several elevator rides later, Gato found himself following Morris down a long corridor to another elevator. He didn't mind the walk. He was surrounded by his people. Green and khaki uniforms in good repair were the norm, although he did spot one Lieutenant Commander in a strange purple, black, and gold uniform. Gato rolled his eyes. He'd never approved of the rule that allowed aces to pick their personal colours. What could be better than to be immediately recognizable as a Jion soldier?

Morris led him down the hall to tall double doors on which were engraved the crest of the kingdom. Gato stood for a moment, looking up at it, feeling his eyes sting a little. Finally. Finally.

"I'll meet you back here later, sir," the ensign said. "Admiral Delaz is waiting for you."

The guards, properly attired in dark-green uniforms with polished helmets and rifles over their shoulders, pushed the doors open for him. At once, Gato felt uneasy. He'd expected to be admitted to a large and well-apportioned office, but this was a throne room. The chamber was about forty yards long, with a high ceiling, draperies concealing side doors. A red carpet stretched down the centre to a dais on which Aguille Delaz sat, a bust of Giren Zabi on a pillar behind him.

Gato approached, squelching his rising discomfort, burying it under ritual. He stopped, snapped to attention, and said, "Lieutenant Anavel Gato reporting for duty, sir!"

Delaz didn't return the salute. He smiled and said, "At ease, Lieutenant. It's been a long time."

"It has indeed, sir."

"One and a half years. It seems like centuries. Living in exile does draw out the time."

You have no idea, Gato thought. You weren't the one freezing under a bridge in Von Braun. You weren't the one staring endlessly into that paper shredder, waiting for a lone line drawing of a Gundam. You weren't the one spending the past few months among pirates .

Then it struck him that he was alive because of this man and felt ashamed.

"It'll all be worth it if we can bring back the glory of Jion, sir," Gato said.

"Your efforts towards the goal fill me with every confidence," Delaz went on. "The plans you sent us of the new Gundams the Federation are building have become the keystone of our strategy. I hope you won't think that piloting one of them will in any way besmirch you."

Gato was puzzled for a moment, then asked, "You want me to pilot one of them?"

"It will be necessary to liberate one for the cause. You are the obvious choice for this mission."

Well, that and four months on a pirate ship, Gato thought, not liking this sarcastic new voice in his head. "You know I will succeed, sir."

Delaz stood and went down the steps of the dais to Gato. He put his hand on the younger man's shoulder and said, "I know that you've had to endure a great deal since A Bao A Qu fell. The separation from family and homeland is hard on all of us, but at least here in the Thorn Garden we're all Jions among Jions. You're here now, Gato. Being among the Feddies and Lunarians is over."

Delaz reached into his pocket and drew out a small box. "This is overdue. Would you remove your present rank insignia, Lt. Commander Gato?"

Gato blinked again, then reached up to undo the lieutenant's pips from his collar. He stood still as Delaz pinned the new ones on. They saluted and shook hands. "Welcome home," Delaz said, and embraced him.