The city was floating in the clouds of a gas giant, the thick atmosphere above them glowing with the diffused light of a bright white giant. During the day it was sht one had to stay ihe UV exposure dangerous even through the thick atmosphere above them. For most of the night it was still remarkably light, barely even seeming like dusk.

  Apart from the iing sky, though, it wasn’t an overly exg world. Mostly it served as a mining unity, extrag rare chemicals from the depths of the gas giant’s core. The mailement was reasonably rge, though, serving as the capital for a whole province of the Kobaroigdom.

  Which struck Svetna as a good pce to put her pn in motion. Especially since she was being given some time off to allow her to meet up with Ouzzhen. Travelliween star systems took rather a while, even with jump space, so there was lots of scheduling involved to meet up over long distances.

  Seizing her first day off in weeks, she dragged O’tmyil over to a private room iel, away from any of the security detail and assorted aids. Luckily they’d booked aire floor for all the staff following her around so there lenty of space.

  “So, you don’t have DNA, right?” she asked, once she’d closed the door behind them.

  “That... that is correct,” O’tmyil replied, knowing that Svetna lotting something, but not what. “There are other ways to tie a holographidroid to a crime se, however.”

  Svetna stared at her, slightly thrown by the train of thought she’d used. “Woah. No. No. I’m not talking crimes... at least I don’t think I’m talking crimes. Maybe a slight crime, if needed, but I’m hoping it won’t be needed.”

  That merely drew a fused head tilt from O’tmyil, which Svetna supposed made se wasn’t a very good opener.

  “Vampires do have DNA, don’t they?” Svetna asked.

  “That--yes?” O’tmyil replied.

  “So, even though Thisbe couldn’t carry a kid... alieility tech means I could carry hers, right?” Svetna asked.

  “... I suppose so, yes?”

  “And... would the kid be a vampire?”

  O’tmyil took a moment to think the matter over, Svetna being able to sehe slight shift that showed she was accessing the local informatiowork. “I... am uain.”

  “Ah. I just don’t want the baby biting me or anything. Though I suppose babies don’t have teeth. And the already feed on your blood through the pta,” Svetna said, growing slightly lost in thought. “Huh... maybe fetuses are all vampires.”

  Looking over, she realised O’tmyil was staring at her and did not seem overly impressed.

  “Sorry. Anyway, I figure the actual royal doctors probably won’t like the idea of me having Thisbe’s kid. Too sdalous, right?”

  “The Empress being pregnant with a supernatural’s child? Almost certainly,” O’tmyil replied.

  “So, I was figuring we could do it out here. Find someone willing to pretend they don’t know who Thisbe and I are, then it be a done deal when the royal doctors find out,” Svetna said. “And, ohe baby’s born, boom, suddenly there’ll be another round of baby-mania, everyone wanting to know more about Thisbe and seeing how great she is.”

  “I suppose that seems... pusible,” O’tmyil replied. “I will attempt to find a suitable fertility ic.”

  “Sweet,” Svetna said. “Now I just have to go see if Thisbe likes the idea.”

  “... you did not discuss this with her first?”

  “Uh, well--I didn’t want to offer it before I knew if it ossible or not first,” Svetna said, feeling a touch self-scious.

  The reply arently acceptable, however, based on O’tmyil’s mood softening.

  Leavio search through the loet to find an appropriate ic, Svetna then slipped of to find Thisbe. Which wasn’t hard. The suite they were staying in was nice, but not overly rge. And, well while everyone else was out and about, Thisbe did not care for a phat effectively cked night (to say nothing of days that burhe living as if they were vampires). Which meant that while everyone else was off stretg their legs to embrace being on a p she would be hiding spending time gaming. She was in the sed room Svetna checked, pying on her Fami-go (an a brick of a portable sole).

  “Heyyyy...” Svetna said, realising that she wasn’t certain how to actually ask what she was about to ask.

  “Hello?” Thisbe said, pausing her game. “What’s up?”

  “Uhhh... do you want to have a kid?” Svetna asked, deg to skip over beating around the bush.

  There was only so much time on the p before they had another scheduled event, after all. Maybe it wasn’t the most tactful option, but it was clear and effit. The result was a furious blush and frazzled stammering from Thisbe. Finally, she mao pull a senteogether.

  “I... I ’t...” she managed.

  “I , though,” Svetna replied.

  That got a blink from Thisbe. “Oh. I--but... right. Alien teology. That... oh my. It would really work?”

  “O’tmyil says it would,” Svetna replied. “I, uh, had to check with her, though I had beey sure, proving my uy degree isn’t totally useless.”

  Even if the only other thing it had been good for was stress about paying OSAP back.

  “That... I think I would love to, though I must ask what has brought this up all of a sudden? This world doesly seem romantic,” Thisbe asked as she shut off her Fami-portable.

  “Um... well, everyone seems to love babies, and is gushing about how good of a mother Vivian is. So I was thinking if we had a baby they’d also start gushing about you, which would help the jerks get their heads out of their--well, get them to stop being such jerks about supernaturals as a whole,” Svetna said.

  “Oh...” Thisbe began, sounding slightly less enthusiastic about it thana had hoped.

  “Especially to make them like you more. Because you deserve it, and I ’t think of any more effit way to do it,” Svetna offered, before leaning forward to offer Thisbe a soft kiss on the lips.

  She thehe shift in Thisbe’s empathic proje and khat had worked.

  “Plus, I think we’d make an adorable kid together,” Svetna offered, pulling Thisbe along.

  The ic was fairly small, but looked and professional. Though ky and dated, as all Kobaroic architecture was. The puters looked surprisingly 90s. Even though she wasn’t as big on that retro tech as Thisbe or Cartridge were, even she felt the allure of it. There was just something cozy about blocky beige puters.

  The teis at the ic did not speak English (or French... or ah nguages, actually), having ly expected to ever i with any humans. Meanwhile, Svetna did not uand more than the most basitences in Kobaroic. So O’tmyil handled most of the versations while Thisbe offered a little feedback, having had more time off to study new nguages.

  Still, as far as Svetna could tell it seemed to be going well. The Kobaroian teis weren’t overly familiar with humans and just thought her and Thisbe were the same general ethnicity as the members of the Imperial Family. Also, O’tmyil and O’myinis were currently projeg as a Kobaroian forms to further throw the st off. It arently clear the pair were AIs, but holographic AIs were more on thana had realised. Especially in a mining oriented unity.

  After somewhat more cash exged hands thana suspected was normal, she was led to a sed room without signing any forms. The nurse pced three small sticky monitors on her (one oemple, one near her heart, and one on her belly). They were simir to the ones Vivian had worn for Houyu’s birth, and the tall Kobaroian woman looked over Svetna’s vitals.

  “Seems good,” the woman said, before then adding something Svetna couldn’t follow.

  Whatever it was surprised the others, though. There was a quick bad forth that Svetna retty sure was them saying something along the lines of ‘really?’ or ‘are you sure?’ before the woma out a brief affirmative snort. (The Kobaroic equivalent of a nod.)

  Thisbe then asked something else, which drew another answer, whivolved a number.

  “W-what’s going on?” Svetna asked.

  “You’re... you’re already pregnant,” Thisbe said.

  “What? But ho--Auguste,” Svetna said, staring at the readouts on the monitor that she couldn’t read. “I didn’t--it didn’t even occur to me that that could happen.”

  That drew a soft smile from Thisbe as she took Svetna’s hand, though she’d failed to keep from projeg soft disappoi. O’tmyil, however, seemed uerred and asked something else. The reply surprised Thisbe, leading to more questions and her mood improving with easwer.

  “I really should study muages as soon as we stop this tour,” Svetna muttered, which seemed to cause Thisbe to realise how lost she was.

  “Oh, um... you’ve only been pregnant for a week. Which means that a sed baby would be close enough in development to be fine based on their data,” Thisbe said.

  “It’s within a reasonable margin for natural fraternal twins,” O’tmyil added.

  “Which means that, uh, if you’re willing... we could still do this,” Thisbe said.

  “We --I guess if there’s no risk of--well, sihe baby wouldn’t have teeth, so... yeah. No risk of biting even if the kid is a vampire... yeah. Let’s do this. I’ll have twins,” Svetna said, grinning.

  That was going to be exg.

  Also: effit. There were a lot of babies to be had in her polycule, getting two do once would surely help with all the politig.

  Which meant it was time for her to sit down while the teis took DNA samples from both her and Thisbe (distinctly not a blood sample for Thisbe, of course... luckily there were other options that worked fiheei tossed the samples in a small mae, which whirred, buzzed, and then dinged. It was a very satisfying sort of ding. The tei then took the vial that popped out, loaded and loaded it into an iion gun.

  With the lo needle Svetna had ever seen.

  “Close your eyes,” O’tmyil told her in a soft voice.

  Despite her instincts insisting otherwise while her adrenaline was rushing, Svetna plied. Then she waited for the obvious pain that would follow. She could feel the nervousness billowing off of Thisbe.

  Only then O’tmyil whispered in her ear: “Good work. All done.”

  Not ready to open her eyes ahe needle again, Svethem firmly shut as she replied. “Don’t tease me.”

  “No, no. She’s telling the truth,” Thisbe said. “It went in and came out and I have no idea how you didn’t feel that... I couldn’t get my fangs in someoh that little disfort.”

  Opening one eye, Svetna wasn’t pletely vinced and so was ready to close the eye immediately. To her surprise she saw the tei was dumping the long needle into a disposal unit while casually typing something into her puter.

  “It’s really done?” she asked, opening both eyes to look at the others.

  “Yes,” O’myinis said quietly.

  She was generally so quiet that Svetna decided it was unlikely she’d be messing with her. So it made the other two affirming it more believable. her thanks, Svetna still felt like it had all been a bit too easy, but she figured she’d get her answers soon.

  Plynx and Auguste had found the dance hall iel suffitly rge for sparring. Whichever form Auguste was in, Plynx was ready to fight, but she was gd Auguste was female today. She put more effort inthts that way, instead of having fused ideas of ‘chivalry’ leaving him nervous about fighting a woman.

  Which was nonsense. If it really came down to going all in, Plynx had the biological advaher way due to her cws ah. Also, strs capable of superior leaps. Even if humans had oddly flexible wrists and a bit more upper body strength.

  Despite Auguste doing her best that day, Plynx had wo another round when aed Svetna hurried into the room, followed by O’tmyil and Thisbe. Those two seemed slightly more apprehehana was, but it was on for anyone who knew what was going on to be more apprehehana. She roo (adorable) enthusiasms.

  “I’m pregnant!” Svetna announced.

  “O--oh,” Plynx said.

  “Um... gratutions?” Auguste offered.

  “Well, gratutions to you too, Auguste. One of them is yours,” Svetna replied.

  “Pardon?” Auguste asked.

  “I must also express surprise if Auguste was not aware,” Plynx added. “That seems uhical of a fertility ic, using a DNA sample without sent.”

  “Oh... no. No. I arently already pregnant from her when I went there,” Svetna said. “But now it’s going to be twins with one from Thisbe.”

  That slightly surprised Plynx, until she remembered Thisbe had inally been human. So would have geic material, unlike many supernaturals.

  “gratutions, Thisbe,” Plynx said.

  “Thank you,” Thisbe replied.

  “Uh, ouai,” Auguste managed, before turning back to Svetna. “Mais ent... how were ynant from me beforehand?”

  The question made Svetna grin, a slightly ominous sparkle in her eyes. “Well, when someoh an outie and someoh an innie love each other very much...”

  She then punctuated her expnation with a haure that made what she was talking about rather clear. It seemed to mortify both Auguste and Thisbe, though Plynx wasn’t certain why. Everyohere was an adult... Gimzan, almost everyone in the room had had sex at some point.

  “It end with a baby being made,” Svetna tinued.

  “J’a--J’ai... it did not even occur to me that I could get ynant that way,” Auguste mumbled, growing someale.

  “Well, I was actually surprised too. I’d fotten too. We’re both pretty o things going that way... though I’m holy a bit surprised it didn’t happen to you before, si did happen to Vivian,” Svetna said with a shrug.

  “Personally, I’m gd to have someoo share the ‘pampering Svetna while she’s pregnant’ duties with,” Thisbe said, smiling away.

  “Mhm. I’ll get to be insufferable in a few months,” Svetna added, grinning.

  Finding out Svetna had decided to have another baby quite so quickly slightly surprised Vivian. Not that she was hurt, she just had figured it would take Svetna slightly loet about the state Vivian had been in for the st month or so befreeing to sign up to that herself.

  “So... you don’t think I was rushing it too much?” Svetna asked, ohe group had spread out a bit.

  “No. There’s a lot of folks in our family now. That’s a lot of babies. It makes sense for us to get going on popping them out,” Vivian replied, keeping the tone as light as possible.

  “I should probably start soon,” Bokarza said, having been sitting quietly in a nearby chair. “It takes us Kobaroians much longer... maybe I could do mixed twins too.”

  “You--who would be the other parent?” Vivian asked.

  “Well, you, of course,” Bokarza replied.

  “Uh... but I don’t offer an sort of royal title for the baby?” Vivian said.

  “I want a kid who’ll be part of the Kobaroic royal family too. We ’t just get absorbed into the imperial family. Plus, I’ve seen how tall you are by human standards. That’s amazing geo give a kid,” Bokarza replied with an ear sort of grin.

  As she did, Plynx bounded over, draping herself over Bokarza’s shoulder. “I would like a baby with you for simir reasons... well, not the height as much, but for Issiod’rian royal family succession.”

  “Uh... well, let’s wait a little while to pace things out better,” Vivian said.

  “Mhm... there’s not that much of a rush,” Svetna added.

  The imperial doctor was rather quiet after he firmed Svetna regnant with twins, once of which being from Thisbe. Despite that, though, Svetna could see how his Lanthonean antennae were swinging about, showing he was deep in thought.

  “You are aware that the bloarriage with Supernaturals isn’t merely a matter of bigotry, yes?” the man said at st. “An unaging t to the throne is a succession crisis waiting to happen. To say nothing of what would happen if they actually took the throne.”

  “Nothing would happen,” Svetna replied firmly. “The offers no political power. We just do ribbon cutting and kiss babies. At best we engage in some particurly toothless lobbying, not having very much money pared to the actually powerful families in the gaxy. I looked up the worth of the st empress of the sed dynasty. Even adjusting for currency fluctuations sihen it wasn’t even a tenth of the richest person in the gaxy right now. We’re goodwill ambassadors. That’s it.”

  “Given time, though...” the doctor said.

  “So put a term limit on the . The Gactic cil has that power,” Svetna muttered. “Besides... is the kid even a vampire?”

  “Well, no... but you know their mother will ge that. She would not accept outliving her child,” the doctor said.

  “Then have being a vampire disqualify someone from the if it really scares everyone so much... but all this nonsense of having tue with people just to let one of the people I love at my side is nonsense and I will be doing everything I to stop it,” Svetna said. “Including having this baby.”

  The doctor bit his tongue, before making a small nod. “Very well. I will pass this information off to the media outreach advisors. They will find a way to spin it... but I will tell you it may cost you some potential friends. You were already on rather thih this meeting with the Zuumult Empere.”

  “I’ll be happy to not actally end up friends with bigots,” Svetna replied with a grin.

  Dropping out of jump space, the captain of the star runner sent a readout of the star system to the s ina’s . There were three Gactioh cruisers (two Kobaroie Issiod’rian) orbiting the phey were heading to. The trast in designs was stark... but not as stark as the fourth ship iar system.

  A private Zuumult star runner. It was unarmed, but it took only a moment to see it was built by the same minds that had created the ominous skeleton of the imperial pace ba Throne World.

  Apparently Zuumult aesthetics screamed evil.

  Was Svetna making a mistakiing with Ouzzhen once again?

  AnnouI wonder if I'm just writing this too fast. Hard to lure people over to patreon if the wait for the wo chapters is only a week...

  Oh well. I'll pace myself more on some future story. Or just point out that there's a couple I'm pnning to write this year that won't be on scribblehub. (War Dog's Leash and Another Sky. Both a more serious, so probably won't fit scribblehub's tastes as well.)