Kon Above Quota

"Who's this?" Clara-Gisele Xanda asked, dwarfed by her imposing visitor, in full dress armor, complete with flag.

"I am Kon [Saurfang Migbooma, from Space Force. I am told you have something for me?"

"I don't know what, I'll need to authenticate you."

"Here's my pass."

"Nuh-huh, give me your ID ring."

"I lost it, coming down from space."

"You could be a replacement. Hold still."

"What?"

"I ordered you to hold still!"

"Zim-Zim-Zim."

Good thing he obeys orders from officers, a Kon with a banner on his back has to be above quota, Clara Thought.

"Are you bothering my people, Kon Migbooma?"

"No, Kon-Pardahmei-Meritant!" Obviously, he knew, wait, Mariwolfe had explained that to her herself, it couldn't be some big secret, Clara mused.

"You've come a long way, from missile tech, Migbooma."

"I serve Meihomei."

Clara noticed, Mariwolfe was also in dress uniform, complete with her own wooden flagpole up her back, the platinium diamond sparkling. "Present ID, Migbooma, this is a restricted knowledge installation, and I don't have you on my list."

"Err, as I was just saying, I have this day pass, but my ID ring deorbited without me above Lavali."

Mariwolfe activated her Jade Comm. "Treaty Authority Airspace."

"This is Treaty Authority Airspace, 0051st Imperial Kagomine Skycutter Squadron "Arnd Surfers", Screaming Meihomei on-station, Skua Rigmaroil, commanding and speaking, by whose authority?"

"This is Telbun Mariwolfe Tannenbaum, I need you to authenticate a Kon above Quota for me, priority traffic, title 135."

"Accessing relevant regulations, this is a rare request. Why are you making it to me?"

"This first request does not require you, the second will. Please humour me."

"Kon-Meritant-Zim!"

"Kon Migbooma, speak loud and clear, and identify yourself."

"I am Saurfang Migbooma, SFOR-09 Ten-horned, XO of Kagomine First Space Salient, assigned to KSFS Starstrider."

"Voice-print 99.85% match, authority recognized."

"Treaty Authority, I invoke title 136, Kon Migbooma's id has been mislaid over Lavali, I direct you to lead recovery efforts, as per regulations, all reasonable efforts must be made to secure ID of all Kons above quota."

"I'm to help locate a personal ring, lost in orbit over a CITY?"

"You have decimetric Midar, it shows up nicely, I bet you have a record, not that many debris fall off during re-entry of a Pilder."

"I take it, the Pilder in question is Kon Saurfang, and he was flying alone?"

"That is correct."

"Carry on, Screaming Meihomei."

"Zim-Zim-Zim." They signed off.

"Now, Kon Migbooma, you sorry son of a tutu-perpetrating Shivak off a misbegotten Tavar, you need to explain to me how you lost a ring from orbit!"

"Err, no need to break out the utility language, I'm usually spaceborne, can't take off the gloves all the time, so I had my ring widened, and wore it outside the armor."

"And no one thought it might be a good idea for you space-crazed ruffians to carry two rings, one inside, one outside, so at least, if you are someplace you can take off your gloves, you can still be ided?"

"Err, no, I don't think it occured to anyone but the Telbun!"

"Should I make it an official recommendation?"

"Your point is made, Kon, I'll cut the necessary orders. Sorry, I'm still new at being above quota, seems everything chafes the wrong way."

"How do you think I feel?"

"Well you've been above quota for a while now... Surely it gets easier?"

"Not in the least, if anything, there's less of us now, since Marhamat."

"I thought he was a Maverick, first a Kon, then a Kon above quota, then became an officer."

"You're a Kon for life, even if you retire, get promoted, especially above quota."

"I can imagine, and those ribbons... You're in his line of succession now?"

"What line of succession?"

"The green ribbons, you're high in the order, not that even one Merit isn't impressive, but I count several, and that's the secretary's badge."

"I am Secretary of the Fount of Honour, organization, yes." She grit hehr teeth, she really didn't want to be reminded how close she was to Valour-Keeper, and being an example to everyone, she had never tried much to be an example, being a troublemaker wwas more fun.

"Glory to Honour, Valour shines!"

"Oh, put a sock in it, you're buying tonight, Migbooma, I want to know what you've been up to that raised you above quota."

"Why do you two keep saying above quota though?"

"In the armed services, every unit is assigned, either temporarily, or permanently, an XO from the non-commissioned ranks. The higher you go, the higher the rank to be that XO. That means there's a minimal number of non-commissioned officers in the service. Anyone 'above quota' has been judged, by Meihomei, to be of such impeccable character and record, that they are pulled up above this hierarchy, and set aide, with special titles, which vary by service. And one, which your Miptun has, above all the services, Telbun."

"I knew about the regular Kons, why did no one explain this at the academy?"

"They're supposed to, but the academy's been rushing students through lately, and there's seldom more than ten to twenty Kons above quota in the whole of the services."

"Which is what made me and Amarat being in the same flag bridge such a collossal pain at Sxith Fleet."

"Wasn't he third fleet?"

"Yeah, but seconded to sixth fleet, when Maelle flew off for her promotion, for the first time since the founding of Kagomei, Northie, as Flag Ship, Sixth Fleet, flew TWO Kon Flags, The Platinium Diamond and the Green Drop, because we were both aboard."

"He was just green drop?"

"Green Drop always wins against Golden Thistle."

"Oh, so he's a personnel officer?"

"Personnel and Morale, Psych Warfare, licensed psychotherapist last I checked."

"Ouch, and he's a green drop, so he's certified for Trauma?"

"Yeah, like any top-100 sorcerer."

"How did you get to be Telbun?"

"I'm a licensed ship builder, missile tech, ship engineering specialist, covert combat engineer and orbital maintenace tech." Migbooma had fallen to his knees.

"You've got a specialty in each of the armed forces?"

"It's tradition to make Telbun if you get close, really. I was just lucky enough to get the half-stripes."

"Yeah, lucky, lucky enough to get about a thousand more than the next guy, this Amarat, I presume?"

"No, Amarat was fourth. There's two higher. "