"It's not perfect, I admit, Sir," Kadi answers. "But it's perfect example of, as far as the average person is concerned even if it's not entirely true, where refusing to follow orders either got you executed on the spot or sent to the Eastern Front which was essentially considered the same thing. More importantly, Germany had people embedded within the infrastructure of the country who wanted to get rid of Hitler from the beginning but who weren't able to act because the Allies refused to help them. It equates this desire to concentrate on ourselves with that idiot Chamberlain's 'Peace in our Time' paper nonsense in the face of what is the last war we've had that pretty much everyone can agree was morally clear-cut.

"And if people have become ignorant of the pure evil the Stasi -- and every single other agency they helped establish -- embodied, then they need reminding. Because if we ever hope to persuade the world at large to accept the idea that we need to work with Imperial dissidents abroad... and at home... then we have to make sure the world remembers that the Imperials aren't so alien; they're our cousins and they're facing the exact same human evils we've struggled with and tried so hard to overcome."

"It's a talk show, Kadi," Davis says, looking over his notes. He taps the vox on his ear and starts writing down some more. "Not a college lecture. There's plenty of time for that later. We just need to look good at the moment, and Luis made us look pretty damn good. I'll take it."

Kadi sighs. "I thought you people invented the concept of edu-tainment? Does the GRHDI at least have a plan of action ready for when the other side hit up the morning news cycle and start throwing enough smoke and muck that some will stick?"

"Well, we need to survive the next week first," Davis says. "The members of Congress we talked to made it clear that the biggest question in their mind isn't whether or not we've grown our hair out, but simply who's best equipped to keep pressing the fight against the Imperium and who can keep our allies intact. The misinformation campaign and the slams will sort themselves out if we prove to those in charge that we're the only ones who can get the job done. I think that it's time we talk to our friends, not only at Mesas Negras and Diego Garcia, but off-world as well. We rally everyone around us and make it clear that everyone that's got the real perspective on what's out there is behind us, I think that'll go a long way towards sorting our problems out."

"With politicians -- hell, let's throw intelligence agency and military power structures in there too -- back stabbing, arse covering, re-election prospects and partisan agendas have a really bad habit of trumping considered decision making, Agent Davis," Kadi counters. "How many good ideas have been lured into the dark alley of the political or bureaucratic process and brutally assaulted because they came from the wrong people?"

She considers for a moment. "Or perhaps a useful analogy would be the Roman circus, where Caeser's decision about who should live and who should die was heavily influenced by fear of the mood of the crowd rather than purely based on his own whim.

"I've said it before: it's no use being the best people for the job if we don't also look like it. Sergeant Stanhill's interview was a decent enough opening salvo, but it's opened the door to the public media sphere, and Simmons' faction will use that to take the initiative and snow the GRHDI if there aren't counter measures in place."

"And what do you propose we do?" Swims grunts. "Our enemies can howl and whine all the want, but if we have the forces that are needed to accomplish the mission on our side, there's nothing that they can do."

Davis nods at Swims' comment. "Besides, we've made excellent progress unmasking the people who are trying to smear us in the media, and I don't know how much of your rhetoric has experience behind it, but being exposed as the ringleaders trying to spread lies and attack the people behind some of Narsai's most recent victories to settle a petty beef tends to shut people up really fast. We've cleared enough breathing room for now, and we can't spend all of our time primping and preening for the camera. At some point, we need to have something to hit back with, and our number one ace in the hole at this point is that we're the only ones that most of the people actually out there fighting the war trust."

"They cut their noses off to spite their faces, kick 815 to the curb, bring the GRHDI into line with the old power structures and go it alone is what they can do," she answers. "Common sense is all too often extremely uncommon in the people who determine our fate. Hell Davis, America can't even get a fucking functional health system in place thanks to all the vested efforts wanting to keep things as they are now.

"Unless we have people out there constantly beating the drum and fighting the spin that these conspirators are actually patriots trying to regain control of a process that by your own admission you're ransoming, there's no guarantee that the tsars and generals and politicians will come to the correct conclusion."

"I don't know what you've been reading over there, Kadi," Davis shoots back, "but our government isn't nearly as corrupt and stupid as you seem to think it is. Did you hear our recordings of the meetings today? The people in Congress we talked to, the real decision makers, they were pissed off that they were being lied to by the Pentagon and scared shitless about the real capabilities of the Imperium. Their hatchet man in the White House had to resort to completely making shit up and lying to the people that they need to convince to shut us down. There's no spin that these people are patriots, because they're hiding, it's a fucking shadow war of lies and supposition, and when we pull the curtain back, the game is up. Take a fucking chill. If we're that fucked, then we should start packing our bags now, because there's not a Goddamn thing anyone can do about it."

"Do you mind?" Hugh throws in the middle. "I was watching that commercial."

"Great. If I'm wrong, then everything's fine and we get to go to war. If I'm not, it's all of you with your sunny optimism they're after and the world's screwed. I know which one I prefer to be prepared for."

"Don't think that we're not prepared," Davis says. "Ngawai, how much do we know about the conspiracy against us?"
Ngawai smiles. "We haven't heard back on what their skinsuit sizes are, but we're working on it."
"Hugh," Davis says, turning to him, "what was your impression of the attitude in Congress today and with the military personnel not sitting in DC offices about the Pentagon trying to muscle us out and isolate and ignore our off-world allies?"

"The race isn't over, but our horse is looking a damn sight healthier than the DoD's," Hugh remarks.

"And besides," Davis finishes, "as head of the Gateway Research and Homeworld Defense Initiative and our boss, it's technically Samantha's job to keep our asses out of the fire while we're busy getting the job done. Barnes is good at her job. Let her do it."

At the JFK private plane terminal after the show, Luis and Arketta excuse themselves from Barnes and Gorlan to make an important phone call. Luis’s implanted vox can do cell calls, but has no speakerphone, and Arketta hasn’t bothered getting a cell phone so far. The private room has a standard power-traveller power-network-USB plug combination and a land line phone on the desk. Luis picks up the receiver on the phone and dials his parents up in New Hampshire.
"Hello?" Luis' mother Martha asks over the phone. "Who is this?"
"Hi Mom," Luis says.
"Luis!" There's a rustle on the phone as she covers the receiver with her hand. "Don, it's Luis!"
He hears his father reply in the background as Martha puts the phone back to her ear. "It's so great to hear from you, Luis, we've missed you since you called the week before last."
"Hello, Mrs. Stanhill, it's Arketta," Arketta adds.
"And Arketta!" Martha adds. Her voice finally doesn't have any noticeable pause when talking about Arketta. "How are you both? What have you been up to?"
"Well, we're at JFK right now, they had me back at the Daily Show," Luis says.
"Oh? And what for?" Luis recognizes that tone of voice. He heard it at the infamous meatloaf dinner, and when he was about to tell them about joining the Army. It's the "I know you have a secret but you're not telling me" tone of voice.
"I had a little work done on the last mission," Luis says. "I think you've seen the Times story, right?"
"Yes, what did you do? Your eyes looked strange, Luis," Martha says. "Are you ill? Were you...were you hurt?"
"No, mom, I'm fine," Luis says, " I had some cybernetic implants installed. An onboard communications setup, and a pair of artificial eyes."
There's silence on the line for a moment, before Luis' father comes on the phone. "Luis? Your mother said you they took your eyes out? What happened out there?"
Luis leans his head on his free hand for a moment before answering, "No, dad, I had them replaced. Imperium medical science is more than a bit ahead of ours. I had the chance to undergo surgery to have my eyes replaced with bionic implants. They do everything my old set did, with some additional features." He grimaces. "That's not why I called, though. If you're interested, Jon just spent fifteen minutes grilling me about it, it'll be on tonight."
"Oh? What are you calling about, then?" Don asks. "And the eyes, well, if it was your decision I suppose it's all right. You seem to be doing pretty well in that department these days."
"Your mother just worries about you, Luis. So, what do you want to talk about?"
"I proposed to Arketta tonight," he says.

There's more silence on the line, in which Luis' heart does a backflip or two, and Arketta tightens her grip on Luis's hand. The lack of holo on the Earth land line is maddening, and then the silence is followed by the to-Luis familiar sound of his father struggling to turn on the speaker phone.
Arketta takes her gaze away from burning holes in the desk phone and looks to Luis. "Is everything all right? There's an awful lot of silence," she says in Imperial.
Luis shrugs, but his nerves are plain on his face.
There's some muttering, and then a click: "- think that's it," Don says. "Luis? Are you there, son?"
"Did you say you proposed to Arketta?" Martha asks.
"Yes, Mom, I did," Luis says.
Martha gasps. "And what did Arketta say?"
"I said yes, of course," Arketta says, a big grin erupting on her face.
"Oh, Luis, that's wonderful!" Martha says.
"Congratulations, son," Don says.
"So, do you two have any ideas about the wedding yet?" Martha asks.
Luis exchanges a look with Arketta that says, _Uhh.._
Arketta gives Luis a playful shove. "We just decided to make the knot," she says to the phone, "when we know details, we will let you know right away."
There's a confused pause as his parents figure out the misspoken saying. "Oh, of course," Martha says, "it's just all so exciting."
"We won't have to get fitted for space suits, will we?" Don jokes.
"I don't think so," Luis says. "Tranquility Base is just so crowded this time of year."

Luis' father laughs. "Well, all right. We're about to sit down to dinner, so unless there's any other surprises?"
"I don't think so, Dad. What's for dinner?"
"Your mother's green bean casserole," Don says.
Arketta gives Luis a confused look. What is that? she mouths.
Luis grins. Tasty, he mouths back, "Save me a slice, will you?"
"Of course, Luis," Martha says. "Congratulations, the both of you."
"Talk to you soon, son, and Arketta," Don says, "or should I say, daughter-in-law?"
Arketta pauses for a moment, and then nods and smiles. "Very soon, Mr. Stanhill," Arketta says. "Thank you to both of you."
"Love you," Luis adds.
"I love you too," they both say.
"Good bye, Luis," Don says, and then phone hangs up.

Arketta exhales heavily and looks at Luis. "Well, I think that went rather well."
"Yeah," Luis says.

----

After Luis' parents were notified of the happy news, Barnes knocked on the door and let Luis and Arketta know that they had to board. After a quick walk across the JFK tarmac, they climbed into the plane and took off in minutes; one of the perks of private air travel. Once in the air, Luis hooks his vox into Arketta's holodisplay, and connects to her parents on Diego Garcia through the plane's vox repeater.

The holo shows the inside of a Diego Garcia base cabin, with blue glow of the moon on the palm trees outside, and the projected image rotates to show Arlana's face. "Hello, Arketta! Luis!" she says, not sounding tired at all, despite the nearly-morning hour. "How is...where ever you are on Narsai? How's the downtime?"
Luis chuckles, "We've been keeping busy. How are you settling in?"
"Excellently," Arlana says. "The base personnel are very nice, the weather, ocean and land are wonderful, and they're importing your father's favorite Vou Anns liquor."
Ody's voice comes in from the left. "Is that Arketta?"
"And Luis," Arlana says. "Already in trouble, no doubt."
"I wouldn't expect anything less," Ody says as he takes a seat next to his wife in the holo and smiles at the two of you. "Hello, Arketta."
"Hello, father, ma'am," Arketta says with a smile. "I'm glad to hear you're both settling in well." She takes Luis' hand. "We have something to tell the both of you."
Arlana gasps. "You're getting married!"
Arketta's jaw drops open. "Mother!"
"Oh, I knew it!" Arlana hugs Ody. "I just could tell."
Luis leans over to Arketta. "This call was easier," he whispers in English.
Arketta smiles and gives Luis' thigh a squeeze.

"So, show us," Arlana says. "I know that soldiers like you two would do this the right way."
Arketta slowly pulls the bandage off of her hand and holds the scabbed over cut up for her mother to see. As she does so, Luis echos the gesture, showing his own palm.
Both Arlana and Ody suck in a breath at the glance of your hands. "I was so surprised when your father presented the knife to me," Arlana says, holding up her own hand to show a scar running diagonally across the palm, practically wrapping around to the back. "He had lifted my holdout blade from my armor the night before, but he didn't know that the Rav-Samal had ordered a unit inspection that morning."
"So we cut our palms and she had to run to the inspection with blood dripping out of her gauntlet," Ody finishes.
Arketta smiles and nods at the right time, having obviously heard this story before. "So...that's the news!" She wraps her arms around Luis. "We'll talk planning when we get back. What do you think?"
"It's wonderful news," Ody says.
"Have you thought about Boranai?" Arlana asks. "They have the most beautiful locations for ceremonies in the mountains, and, well, you can go there without having to worry about being shot."
"We haven't given location much thought yet," Luis says, "We are hoping to keep the number of members of the wedding party with 'Shoot on sight' decrees to less than three."

Arlana and Ody laugh. "Well, that's fair enough. You might want to take a look around if your job takes you there," Arlana says.
"We'll have to celebrate the happy news when you return to Die-ego Garcia," Ody says, slightly mangling the island's name. "I will make my scrofa steaks."
"Oh, father, that would be perfect," Arketta says. "We'll let you two finish waking up."
"Goodbye, Arketta," Ody says.
"Congratulations, the both of you," Arlana says again. "Talk to you both later."
"Goodbye, father, ma'am," Arketta says.
"Have a good morning," Luis says.
"And you two have a good night," Ody says, and Arlana disconnects the call.

----

At that moment, the door swings open. Barnes walks in first, followed by Luis and Arketta, the latter’s smiling face showing over Barnes’ head. "And it's much easier for me to do that job when you're all safely away from DC, not getting in shootouts at the CIA and shouting matches with Pentagon officials in the West Wing," Barnes says as she walks in. Luis and Arketta follow behind her, both with bandaged right hands. "Hello everyone. I heard about Sigman, sounds like there might be something to the Joint Chiefs being involved in the moves to snuff us out."
Davis nods. "My thoughts exactly." He stands up and shakes Luis' hand. "Great job on the interview, Luis."
"Thanks, Garrett," Luis says. "Nice job with the diplomacy."
"Oh, it wasn't just me," Davis says. "Hugh did more than his part, too."
"He barely had to shoot anyone this time," Swims jokes, raising his beer in Luis' direction. "It was excellent work and he earned a much-deserved frozen treat."
Luis nods, "Yeah, no kidding. There another one of those around?"
"Sundaes or beer?" Davis asks.
"I was hoping for a beer first, but sundaes wouldn't be bad later," Luis says.
"Swims-the-Black, beer me," Davis says, and the wherren underhands a beer across the hotel room to Davis, who passes it to Luis.

As Davis hands Luis the beer, he sees the palms of Luis' and Arketta's right hands. His eyes light up and he shifts the beer to his other hand, clasps Luis' hand and pulls him into an embrace. "Congratulations, Luis," he says quietly. "I can't think of anyone else who will make her happier than you."
Luis grins. "Thanks," he says.
Arketta hears Davis and Luis and takes a step forward, her right hand held to her chest. "Everyone, Luis and I have an announcement to make." Davis steps to the side as Luis stands next to Arketta, and she bursts into an enormous grin as Luis and Arketta look into each other’s eyes. Luis nods to Arketta, and they both stick their hands palm out, revealing the long wounds crossing their palms. "Luis and I are committed to be married!" She turns back to Luis and bends over, wrapping her arms around him and planting a kiss on his lips, which Luis reciprocates with gusto.

"Oooo-kay," Hugh says, just a little gobsmacked at Imperial wedding customs. "Well, congratulations to you two! Arketta, you'll need a dress. Stanhill, you'll need a bachelor party. I volunteer myself for planning duties."

Angel smiles genuinely at Arketta, and gives Luis a respectful nod. He leans back, giving Hugh a half-cocked grin.

"Sir, no offense, but I've seen you party, and I've seen you dress yourself. Shouldn't be trusting you with either." He gestures with his beer between Hugh and Davis.

"Because you two will somehow end up with a plan where, thanks to a multi-day, transcontinental campaign, the dress is dropped out the back of an overflying SR-71 tagged with a radio beacon, and this somehow causes the government of Nigeria to collapse, all hinged on whether or not some young woman named after a Disney character spins to the left or right."

Angel shakes his head. "No. We've got a grunt, a professional athlete, and a genuine sailor...of sorts. Leave this to the professionals. Luis? Lasertag? Strippers? Lasertag with strippers?"

"Yeah, congratulations," Kadi says along with everyone else as the engagement is announced. Just to be polite.

After all the two of them and their relationship are more or less strangers to her. Not to mention that neither she nor Arketta would lose any sleep over ganking the other.

"While the idea of airdropping party supplies appeals," Hugh says, "I think you'll agree that my expertise in...female entertainment...is relevant here."

"Best news I've heard all day," Zaef says with a hint of a smile. "Congrats."

"Thanks guys. It sounds like the planning will be well in hand, then," Luis says. "Considering I was worried it might end up in the Heavenly Court, just airdropping supplies out of Mach 3 aircraft would be an improvement." He leans over to Arketta. "Now your planning might be more of an issue," he whispers. "Don't get my mom thinking you need help finding a dress."

Arketta smiles, but doesn't look totally sold on the whole "dress" thing. "Can I wear at least the skinsuit underneath and the chest armor on top of the silly dress?" Arketta whispers to Luis. "I'd be happiest if I could wear my full Narsai armor with my chamakana on my back; my mother was married in her armor, and I've always dreamed of looking the same way on my marriage day. Also, what's a bachelor party? Is it like a Final Night celebration?"

"A bachelor party compares to a Final Night celebration like a Manta compares to a Needleship," Luis whispers back. "Same sort of role, but a whole level of scale in between."

"Hmm!" Arketta thinks for a moment. "Well, I'll find out that night. I look forward to seeing what you're like when you unwind and get a little wild." She adds a pinch on his butt.