Moonbread

"Next?"

 

"I'll have a moonbread please, and some Kannie's Tcha, neat.

 

"And I'll have a moonbread and Winterspice Kannie's Tcha."

 

"How will you be paying?"

 

"Loyalty bank. Here's my card."

 

"Here you go, Zims. Have a beautiful day!"

 

"Thank you, you too."

 

"Now tell me, before I self combust! All that you said was that you had news..."

 

"My dad's alive!"

 

"What? No way. How is it possible?"

 

"He was kidnapped and taken aboard Retribution, when we made peace overtures, he was released in exchange for 'mineral resources'. He's talking to Auntie now."

 

"How is your Auntie taking it?"

 

"She's thrilled, but worried."

 

"What, why?"

 

"She had a thing with Dad, before I was born, that she gave up because of Mom and him getting serious. Now... Mom's not around to dampen those flames..."

 

"Good thing the Kagomei don't go for marrying the widow..."

 

"She's married, but It wouldn't help, Judges are Kannaveral."

 

"What, she can marry multiple Men?"

 

"And Hamburg could too, now that he's a judge as well. Rumours around him and Zanna keep popping up."

 

"You said you had news too?"

 

"You remember, I said I started getting intimate with Feyd Amarat Jr Veneer?"

 

"Bameimeito Veneer, heir to Meihomei now... Wiat, you're the Nameita-consort?"

 

"Well... Na-Bameimeita at this rate..."

 

"Congradulations... His, I presume?"

 

"He's been the only one to get that close, I'd have noticed." Came the dry response.

 

"Well, I keep hearing you blacked out during that party in Eurani city..."

 

"Well, I took a page from your book, and asked mom to check."

 

"From my book?"

 

"Isn't that the thing that started you and mom as friends, when you told her I was Andei's, not Juraian's?"

 

"Well, it was the first time I knocked sense into Jima, certainly..."

 

"Well she confirmed the child's Amarat's. How's the tcha?"

 

"Same as ever, bitter, wakes me up. How's the moonbread?"

 

"Same as ever, cuts the bitterness a bit, but also the sweetness and the sharpness of the spices."

 

"How long have we done this now?"

 

"Oh, gosh, I don't know, ten years now, maybe."

 

"In ten years, you went through the Academy, to make Fleet Flag Rank?"

 

"Hmm, no, more like fourteen, I had my tenth year of service before I joined the Eyrie. I've really known you that long?"

 

"Yes, we've been doing this for fifteen years next month. Is the new building in Lavali as beautiful as they say?"

 

"Prettier, I've not seen anything like it. They should give back Maëlle Comma aerospace academy back to the Navy."

 

"Hey, my name is on that!"

 

"And you're a Slate Otter, not a Amber Raptor.

 

"Did it escape your notice your flyers fly off a navy ship?"

 

"Well, the smell of the sea was hard to miss... Oh, so the academy is kinda mixed-service?"

 

"Supposed to help foster cooperation, since you can't fly without a good deck, and that deck is useless without the right kinds of flyers. The new place in Lavali is probably going to go the same route, train droppers who are a mix of Drab Bruins, Amber Raptors and even Rabid Tavars."

 

"Droppers?"

 

"My Academy is still the go-to place for spatial awareness, thank heavens, I got into Sooo much trouble when they let a few wunderken through that raised hell and took no prisoners on the way to flag rank and nco-above-quota."

 

"You got in trouble?"

 

"Figuratively, my adversaries claimed favoritism."

 

"Amarat could get a claim of favoritism for a bomb hitting him and not someone else, it's hardly a surprise."

 

"Well, those got egg on their faces now. Bameimeito, twice? Once before he was old enough to know what he was doing, and now, when he does know, and acts like a pillar of industry, philantropist."

 

"The Valour-keeper of Kagomei can't be that far down his list of achievements, either."

 

"No, but that one is problematic, he has to give it up to become Nameihomei, and he has to become Nameihomei from time to time as Bameimeito."

 

"But you cannot just drop honour."

 

"Exactly, he needs to find someone to give it to."

 

"Tadros?"

 

"Tried, he refused, says he's too old already. And he does have a point, Marhamat was in his early fourties when he got the nod, Tadros is pushing seventy."

 

"What are the qualifications, exactly?"

 

"Meritorious service, preferrably multiple merits, career armed service, being known by name to Meihomei wouldn't hurt."

 

"Oh, that excludes Ominari."

 

"Why him?"

 

"Oh, come on, I got eyes, he got cashiered from the Navy... for having a picture-perfect performance record. It was a sham, he's got some secret gig going, and he had himself a Merit, from what you told me..."

  "Is Amarat joining us?"   "Yes, you going to keep teasing he can't call you Tcha-chai?"   "Yes, is that him? I'm used to him in regular uniform I guess."   "Regular uniform?" She turned, and grabbed her chair not to keel over. Amarat was indeed a sight, in dress whites, the actual ribbon and medal of his Order of Emerald, Star-Emerald grade, his three be-ribboned Merits of honour in a triangle underneath that, his helmet! Wait, why is he wearing his regular uniform helmet with his dress uniform, he should have a cap! "Your cap?"   "Someone shot at me. I borrowed a helmet for safety." He kissed her, then added: "Nessuna-Honour." He saluted Maelle.   "You look like you've just come from a meeting with Meihomei that included red leather and purple silks!"  

"Aye, just not mine. Nessuna-Honour, it is my distinct privilege to invite you to the court of valour, by order of Meihomei, two days hence, as the bells strike mid-day."  He added mischieviously: "It will rain green."

"Rain green?"

"Well, this is a special ceremony, Meihomei hasn't performed it yet, so it is very rare."

"What, but Meihomei has been on the throne for more than 30 arnds already!"

"Yes, but the last time this ceremony was peformed, Meihomei wasn't even born yet."

"Oooh." Flora chimed in.

"You two live to make my life difficult, don't you? Won't even tell me what I'm heading into."

"You can't guess? Court of Valour, Meihomei chapel, at mid-day?"

"What, no, on all channels, I presume?"

"Not that they'd be caught dead missing that broadcast, but they're required to cover it, by Edict."

"What? They're not required to cover a Nameihomei appointment..."

"There's one political appointment they're required to broadcast, and two security-related ones..."

"What's the other?"

"Netamei."

"I'm drawing a blank..."

"Not me, Tcha-chai, but I'm having too much fun to tell you."

"Hrmph, like I said, you two live to make my life difficult!"

"Now, now, @Nesss."

"You!..." She paused,, mischief in her eyes. "May call me tcha-chai. You've been Hérévallin and Hannabrid to my fiend long enough."

---

"We are here, at Megamisama chapel to witness a rare event today, Mangum!"

"You can say that again, Finalline!"

"Security is airtight, I don't think they would have let me in if I wore an undershirt."

"I'm sure some of our audience will like that Mangum, showing off some sixpack!"

"Ah-ah, well, I wish, need to go on the treadmill again."

"What's our audience going to focus on today?"

"Certainly, they'll be interested in the key players, Finalline, starting with Meihomei, and the order."

"The Emerald Order of Great Kagomé, yes, those are having appointed a new leader today."

 

"My Hero!" Meihomei's voice rang, sharp, like a whip's crack over the stone floor.

"Meihomei, those in the order have come to serve the summons of valour!" Who writes these things, it sounds so overblown... Amarat thought to himself.

I, Amalthéa Analecta Alessirina Shalami Melissama Fukurina Kagomé, Meihomei of Kagomei, Arch-Domei of Innu, Domei of Ingred, Master of the Order of Kagomei, Master of the Order of Smertuit, Defender of the Rising Sun, Founder and First Signer of the Treaty of Lai Dang, Medal of the order of Hunarch Zwei and too many other titles to count, bear witness to these events, I have made an edict for what happens here today to have force of law in my empire! I greet you all, and salute you, no, do get up, all of your deeds earned you eyes raised on your ruler, look at me. I am a woman, not a spirit! I am one of you, one of your people, and I am proud that my people have you in it! Star-Emerald-Knights and Emerald-Knights, I salute you. Meritants, I salute you! Together you form the order of valour, an ancient rite, whose chief is known as the Valour-Keeper of Kagomei, a singular position of utmost trust, of encompassing achievement. Today we are to appoint someone to the position, and to some related positions."

---

"There you have it, people at home, Meihomei's introduction leaves us no doubt we're here for a while, those 'related' positions are themselves highly coveted and not all administrative."

"Yes Mangum, one position that is known to need filling is that of Secretary of the Order of Valour. The Valour-Keeper's understudy, who was made vacant when Bameimeito Amarat became Valour-Keeper in truth. Speaking of which, aren't they precious?"

"What's that, Finalline? Oh, yes, good shot there. So Bameimeito Amarat just kissed his wife's fingers. And is it me, or there's something in her posture."

"Oh, from the angle, and the way he keeps looking at her, I imagine she's carrying a passenger."

"A passenger?"

"Service-slang for being pregnant Mangum, yes, she's definitely watching her step, like she doesn't want to run into anything at all... Congradulations if that's the case!"

"That would make the baby second or third in the line of succession?"

"As Na-Bameimeita, she'd be second, and her children, third and so forth, as not everyone in the audience might know. Kagomei's quite progressive compared to some other nations, about the inheritance process..."

"We have work to do elsewhere, but not there, you're right. And the Bameimeito would be in a good place to change things, seeming he's the guardian of the constitution at this point."

"For ninety more timeparts, yes..."

"Oh, right."

"Servicepeople of the Kagomine Armed Services, you have waited long enough for honour, take your places." Blared over the announcement speakers.

"This is quite the ceremony, no one was even allowed between Meihomei and the two orders, not even her lifeguards!"

"Well, considering how many of both orders saved Meihomei's life, I doubt any of the lifeguards begrudge her, even Mikhala, Meihomei's own adopted sister, saved her older sibling's life once."

"And capped it with a life of diplomatic service, her deeds are as numerous as the day is long!"

"Which is why she is the Star-Emerald Aumhavar of the Order of Emerald, second to none in this assemblage but Meihomei herself."

"Some would say she is second to her son."

"They'd have some points, for sure, but going by absolute rank, Bameimeito Amarat is still her junior. He probably prefers it that way too, he's what? Only 35 arnds of age?"

"Certainly, some of his accomplishments make hers pale, don't you think?"

"I doubt they fight over who has the biggest trophy case, at this point. Nor should they, whatever Mikhala-who-is-Nameihomei does, she's closer to retirement than her son, with him having ample time to get more accomplishments, while she'll be resting from her labours."

"Nessuna-Honour Maelle Comma, come forward, for honour!"

"I come, and obey the summons, I will serve honour."

"Telbun Mariwolfe Tannenbaum, come foward, for honour!"

"Our sharp-earned listeners will notice this is the one time one cannot earn a title 118 for not mentioning one's merit of honour. When there is no valour-keeper, honour is on pause. And so, none of the participants in the ceremony will mention them."

"It also cuts down on how awkward it would be, everyone in the ceremony with a speaking part but Meihomei has a Merit or Emerald-Knight badge, and needs not bow to anyone with the same."

"Will Meihomei..."

"Yes, Meihomei seems to be following tradition, she's bowed to every single person in the chapel bearing a merit's ribbon, and to her sister. Now she faces the new inductees."

"I am Amalthéa Analecta Alessirina Shalami Melissama Fukurina Kagomé, Meihomei of Kagomei, Arch-Domei of Innu, Domei of Ingred, Master of the Order of Kagomei, Master of the Order of Smertuit, Defender of the Rising Sun, Founder and First Signer of the Treaty of Lai Dang, Medal of the order of Hunarch Zwei, I call to this stage Nessuna-Honour Maelle Comma, for honour!" She bowed.

Maelle clumsily climbed, the train of her formal uniform was even more complicated to walk in than her regular train. "I am here, I answer the requirement of honour, of duty."

"Maelle Comma, I dub thee Valour-Keeper of Kagomei, may you keep honour bright, may you defend valour, may you never forget."

"Telbun Mariwolfe Tannenbaum, I call you to this stage, for honour!" As Mariwolfe stepped on the stage, Meihomei bowed again.

"I am here, I have heard my name, I am ready for honour, for valour."

"Telbun Mariwolfe Tannenbaum, you are now the Secretary of the Order of Kagomei, may you keep the records of honour impeccable."

"I humbly accept the requirements of duty, of valour, for honour."

"My people, those are true heroes, like those that founded our beautiful country, our legendary nurtureland¹. Honour them as you would me, for their deeds are mighty, and their integrity even their enemies cannot ignore! Go forth, and celebrate honour, go forth and drink to valour, for Kagomé."