Dulles International was chaos, at least from Luca's point of view. He brought the shuttle down through a traffic pattern so dense it made Genesis Platform look empty, threading between cargo haulers and military transports while ground control vectored them toward the private hangars. The sheer volume of aircraft made his jaw tight. How the hell did people live like this?

  The shuttle touched down and Luca ran through shutdown while the others gathered their gear. Behind him, Luca heard Marcus stand from his seat in the back.

  "Welcome to Washington," Marcus said. "Let's get you to the hotel before anyone realizes you're here."

  Luca watched him lead the way down the ramp. Ryan carried Danny's bag while Danny made his way down with his crutch, Joey carrying their Grav-Compression Stasis Case. After Pennsylvania, they had decided to keep their weapons and armor close by. Chris had Zoe's bag over one shoulder.

  Two IFC security personnel stood near the vehicles when Luca stepped off the ramp, both armed but trying not to look it. A third sat in the driver's seat watching the access road. He guessed they were former military. They had that look.

  Marcus gestured them toward the SUVs. "You're going straight to the hotel."

  "Are we expecting trouble?" Ryan asked.

  "Karen's always expecting trouble," Marcus said. "But right now, she's expecting reporters and people with cameras."

  The crew piled into the SUVs. Luca ended up in the back of the lead vehicle with Emily and Zoe. Two more SUVs appeared out of nowhere, one ahead and one behind.

  "Is this going to be our life now?" Zoe asked, following his gaze. "Constant security?"

  "Probably," Luca said. "At least until people get bored of us."

  The drive into the city took forty minutes through traffic that made Luca appreciate living on a spaceship. He'd take the empty black of space over this gridlock any day.

  The buildings grew taller as they approached downtown. New construction everywhere, gleaming towers next to the neoclassical government buildings. Half the city looked like it had been built yesterday. The other half looked like it belonged in a history textbook.

  The hotel appeared ahead, thirty stories high. Their SUVs pulled into the valet area, tucked away and hidden from street view.

  Erik and Sabine waited by the elevators, Karen's people. Seeing them both together made something click in Luca's head.

  "Sixth floor," Sabine said without preamble. "The entire floor is yours. Two large suites with common areas. Erik will be on your floor."

  The elevator ride was silent. When the doors opened, the hallway stretched in both directions, empty and quiet.

  Sabine handed out key cards. "We'll be back in thirty minutes to brief you on the schedule."

  "Is this really necessary?" Luca asked. It seemed a bit much. They could defend themselves just fine.

  "This is surreal," Danny said, staring at his key card. "We're in a luxury hotel with an entire floor to ourselves."

  "And security teams," Ryan added. "Don't forget the security teams."

  Luca unlocked one of the suites. It had an expansive, expensive living room with plush couches and three doors leading to bedrooms. He pushed open the first door and stopped. King bed. Sitting area. The bathroom bigger than his old bedroom. Floor-to-ceiling windows with a view of the Washington Mall.

  Holy shit.

  Emily walked to the window. Luca watched her stand there, looking out at the city. The morning sun caught her hair and made it shine. She looked small against all that glass.

  "Luca," she said quietly. "Do you think we made the right choice?"

  "I think we made the only choice we could," Luca said, crossing to stand beside her. "The UER has armies. They can handle overflows. The Varnathi don't have anyone but us."

  "I know." She turned, and he saw the doubt in her eyes. "I know that. But it doesn't make it easier."

  He crossed the room and pulled her in close. She pressed her face against his chest, taking a shaky breath. Luca felt her hands grip his shirt.

  "You don't have to be fine," Luca murmured against her hair.

  "I know. But I need to be functional for tomorrow." She pulled back and managed a smile. "Sabine's briefing us in thirty minutes."

  Twenty-five minutes later, they gathered in the common area of the suite. Sabine stood near the windows, backlit by the city skyline. Erik leaned against the wall, arms crossed. The guy looked like he ate nails for breakfast. This was going to be fun.

  Sabine crouched by the suitcase and pulled out tablets. Seven of them.

  "These are your course materials."

  Ryan stared. "I'm sorry, what?"

  Luca blinked, totally derailed. What happened to the briefing? "Course materials?"

  "Your Leadership Development courses. Karen has arranged comprehensive training throughout the Victory Tour. You're leading one hundred strangers to another star system. You need to understand leadership, authority, delegation, conflict resolution, and crisis management."

  "Homework," Ryan said flatly. "You're giving us homework."

  "Yes."

  "During a victory tour."

  "Yes."

  "That's supposed to be celebrating our success."

  "The tour is political theater, you know that," Sabine said. "The courses are for your survival. We would like to delay mutinies as long as possible."

  "Ha. Ha. Ha," mocked Zoe from her perch on the red couch.

  Sabine didn't smile. "I'm not joking. If you don't learn to lead properly, someone will challenge your authority. Someone always does."

  The room went quiet. Shit. She was serious.

  "What kind of courses?" Emily asked.

  "Fundamentals of Leadership, Building High-Performance Teams, Conflict Resolution, Resource Management, Cross-Cultural Communication, and Crisis Decision-Making. Karen will teach Developing a Leadership Mindset. Erik will handle combat communications and tactical strategy."

  Luca looked at Erik. The man nodded once, and Luca got the distinct impression his courses would involve yelling. Lots of yelling.

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  "Erik's a veteran of the Swedish Special Operations Task Group," Sabine continued. "Fifteen years in leadership positions. You'll learn tactical squad management, command protocols, and maintaining authority when everything's going to hell."

  "Is this really necessary?" Luca asked, already knowing the answer.

  Sabine's expression softened slightly. Barely. "Luca, you've never commanded anyone but your friends. In six months, you'll be responsible for one hundred lives where rescue is impossible. Yes. This is a requirement."

  She had a point. Goddamn it, she had a point.

  "Fine," Luca said. "We'll do the courses."

  Sabine handed out the tablets, then pulled passport envelopes from the suitcase. Dark blue with subtle texture. Official-looking. Luca took his and turned it over in his hands.

  "These are your IFC passports. They grant diplomatic status within the UER and identify you as Wards of House Stevens."

  Luca opened his. His photo sat next to official text and a holographic seal. On the cover, embossed in silver, was a New England Saw-whet Owl.

  "The Owl?" Zoe asked, running her finger over the embossing.

  "House Stevens' sigil," Sabine said. "Karen chose it. Wisdom and silent observation."

  "Or because they're small and vicious," Erik added from the wall.

  Luca caught the hint of a smile on his face. So the guy had a sense of humor. Good to know.

  Emily studied her credential, frowning. "This is bigger than you're making it sound."

  "Much bigger," Sabine confirmed. "As Wards, you have legal protections beyond normal citizenship. The UER can't compel testimony, can't seize assets, can't restrict movement without documented cause. You're essentially untouchable, unless a random stranger decides to stab you."

  "Moving on." Sabine cleared her throat as she pulled out even more documents. These were rather thick and untidy folders. "Recruitment rosters. Karen's been compiling candidates based on your requirements." She handed the thickest folder to Emily.

  Emily's eyes widened as she flipped the first few pages. "This is a lot."

  "That's after filtering. You wanted Systems Ecologists, Applied Geologists, Data Scientists, Exoplanetary Ecologists, Bioengineers, Avionics Technicians, all at level sixty, within specific age ranges, with combat experience and psychological profiles suggesting they won't murder each other. Do you have any idea how hard that is?"

  "I'm getting an idea," Emily said, still flipping pages.

  "There are five million people on record to be at level sixty on Earth," Sabine continued. Luca heard the stress creeping into her voice. "But your requirements are incredibly specific. You need complete teams, not individuals. Different nationalities who will work together. Specialists who don't overlap. And you need to interview everyone to make sure they mesh with your leadership."

  She paused. Luca saw genuine stress in her expression.

  "We've identified thirty potential teams, out of thousands," Sabine said. "But we need time, and you need to be patient. Some won't be perfect fits, but they'll be good enough."

  Thirty teams out of thousands. Jesus. Luca hadn't realized how complicated this was going to be.

  "One more thing," Sabine continued without giving them a chance to object. "While Erik will provide combat instruction throughout the tour, I'll be taking over recruitment from Karen. She has other priorities."

  "Like what?" Ryan asked.

  Sabine met his eyes. "You can ask her yourself. Karen wants you at the new IFC offices now."

  Luca blinked. "Now?"

  Sabine gestured toward the door. "Come on, the vehicles are waiting."

  They rolled through Washington traffic to a neighborhood still recovering from the System's arrival. Half the buildings were new construction, fresh and gleaming. The other half looked like a World War II movie, empty shells and broken windows.

  The IFC offices sat in the middle, a hefty four-story building with scaffolding covering one side. First-floor windows were boarded up, and the entrance had a temporary plywood door.

  "These are the IFC's offices?" Ryan asked, staring up at the building.

  "Yes," Sabine confirmed. "Karen purchased it a week ago, when she was named Patrician. Renovations will... take a while."

  A while. That was one way to put it. The place looked like it needed to be torn down and rebuilt from scratch.

  Inside was exposed wiring and construction dust thick enough to taste. Luca coughed and covered his mouth. Sabine led them to a corner office on the second floor with actual windows and a real door.

  Karen stood looking out at the Potomac when they entered. She turned to face them.

  "Welcome to our new offices," she said. "Got a nice bargain for it too."

  Karen gestured to the windows behind her. "Washington is going to be the UER capital. Anderson claims it isn't, that he's rotating meetings, but it's a lie. This is where power consolidates."

  "You told us that," Zoe said.

  "But what I didn't tell you is what Anderson's announcing at the Gala." Karen turned to face them fully. Luca saw the grimness in her expression. "He's establishing a UER Parliament and Senate, with representation by Regional Tower coverage rather than national borders."

  The room went quiet. Luca processed that. Tower representation. Power shifts from countries to regions. From national governments to whoever controls the Towers.

  "Territory Control Towers?" Emily asked, working through it the same way Luca was.

  "Exactly." Karen's expression stayed grim. "It's going to lower national boundaries significantly. More centralization. Anderson thinks it's the only way to unify Earth. A lot of people are going to disagree."

  "And he's announcing it at our Gala?" Emily asked.

  "That's right," Karen nodded. "Tomorrow night, everyone who opposes this will be in the same room as everyone who supports it. Along with you."

  Luca felt the weight settle on his shoulders. Great. Just great. "You think he's going to try and use us as leverage."

  "I think someone's going to try something," Karen corrected. "You're symbols now. Heroes. If someone wants to make a statement about the UER's direction, using you would be very effective."

  She walked back to the windows, her silhouette against the afternoon light.

  "Tomorrow at the Gala," Karen said quietly, "everyone will want to talk to you. They know the survey data is at the UER, and that they've gotten summaries. What they'll try to understand is what you haven't shared. What you're keeping back."

  "Karen—" Luca started.

  "Shh." She held up a hand without turning. "I don't want or need to know, Luca. What you need to understand is that they expect you to be keeping something back. All of them. So they'll probe. They'll ask careful questions. They'll watch your reactions."

  She turned. The afternoon light made her look tired. Older than she had in Pennsylvania.

  "Keep your senses about you," she said. "Watch what you eat and drink. Don't accept anything from anyone. There will be high security everywhere, Senators from the new Parliament and the old governments. President Anderson. Governors from China, India, France, and Colombia. Representatives from top adventuring companies."

  "Everyone who is in power," Luca said.

  "Everyone who wants whatever you have," Karen corrected. Luca heard the warning in her voice. "They will try to buy you, seduce you, corrupt you. They're smarter than we are. This is their world."

  Luca felt Emily move closer, and her hand found his. Her fingers were freezing.

  "I expect you'll find old friends and enemies there," Karen continued, looking directly at Emily. "I hope you remember who your true friends are."

  Emily's hand tightened around Luca's. He squeezed back.

  "At the end of the day," Karen said softly, "you are your own people. The Triumph is yours. Your discoveries. Your team. If, tomorrow, you decide to move the Triumph Initiative under the UER, I won't hold it against you. I just want you all to be safe."

  That was a shock to Luca. It had never occurred to him to choose anyone over the IFC, but it also felt like a test. Karen testing their loyalty.

  "We're not going anywhere," Luca said. He meant it. "The Triumph Initiative will always stay with the IFC."

  Relief flickered in Karen's eyes. Just for a moment, but Luca caught it. "Good. Then let's get you through tomorrow without disasters."

  Luca was about to suggest they head back to the hotel when he heard Sabine's tablet chime behind him.

  He turned. Sabine pulled it out, glanced at the screen, and her expression went flat.

  "What is it?" Karen asked, turning from the window.

  Sabine read for another moment, her face stayed completely neutral. "Security update from the Gala venue. They just activated additional screening. Three more checkpoints. Doubled the security presence inside the Concert Hall."

  "Why?" Emily asked.

  "They don't say." Sabine kept reading. "Official explanation is 'enhanced security measures due to high-profile attendance.'"

  Karen crossed her arms. Luca saw the tension in her shoulders. "And the unofficial explanation?"

  Erik's comm buzzed. Luca heard it from across the room. Erik stepped away to take it, speaking in rapid Swedish. When he returned, his expression was grim. Luca didn't like that look.

  "UER Security flagged another threat," Erik said quietly. "Specific enough to warrant the extra security but vague enough they don't know who or what to look for."

  "Should we cancel?" Joey asked.

  "No," Karen said immediately. "Canceling would cause more problems than it solves. But we adjust." She looked at Sabine and Erik. "I want both of you inside tomorrow night, not just Erik."

  "This is just a precaution," Karen said, but her eyes told a different story. Luca knew that look. He'd seen it on his own face in mirrors. "You'll be fine. But stay sharp tomorrow. All of you."

  Karen was quiet for a moment as she turned from the window with a different expression. Something softer. Almost mischievous?

  "You know what?" Karen said, turning from the window. "We're not spending the rest of the day worrying about this. We need to fix that."

  She pointed her finger directly at Ryan’s feet.

  "My crocs?" Ryan looked down, offended. "These are tactical footwear."

  "They are bright red rubber abominations," Karen corrected. "And you," she gestured at Luca’s faded t-shirt. "You represent a Noble House now. You cannot meet the President looking like you just crawled out of a maintenance shaft."

  "What's wrong with my shirt?" Luca asked.

  "I had wardrobes sent to your suites," she added, completely disregarding Luca's question. "Real clothes. Casual wear that doesn't have holes in it. Go back. Try them on. Relax."

  Her smile faded.

  "Tomorrow night, you step into the arena. And I want you to look like you own it."

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