Wish upon the Stars chapter 516

The next day's wishes were focused on Vitality. It was one of my  lower stats now, and an important one, so I scoured the ship for some  people willing to give it up. Six wishes, each now giving me seven  points (it had gone up after the big bump in stats) left me with forty  two new Vitality for the day

I was planning to meet up  with Jessie and Benny, but they were both otherwise occupied. I sent an  invite to dinner, but they couldn't make it, so here I was in late  afternoon with Callie, getting ready to have my first meal in memory  with my mother and sister. I tugged on my jacket again, annoyed that it  didn't seem to be sitting right, feeling like my lapels were off center  somehow.

"Stop that." Snickered Callie as she smacked my  hands away. She reached up to adjust my tie, then smiled and leaned up  to peck me lightly on the lips. "Perfect."

I grimaced. "I  look like a thug. I can't believe there was even a tailor on this ship.  This was a dumb idea, why do I need to dress up for a family dinner. I  should have just gone in my armor, it would have been totally  functional, and it wouldn't have cost us anything."

My  girlfriend rolled her eyes. "Don't be ridiculous. This is a formal event  with a high ranking member of a faction. We need to present ourselves  properly. Remember that nobody else knows the truth. We have the excuse  of saving her daughter to explain the meeting, but we need to keep up  appearances. If we're taking casual meetings in our armor with an  A-ranker people are going to figure something is wrong."

"Easy  for you to say." I said with an adoring smile. "That dress makes you  look like an angel." Callie blushed lightly, her cheeks setting off her  lipstick when they went red and the pale skin providing a contrast  against her black hair and long black dress when the blush faded. She  looked stunning, but despite knowing I meant it, she still seemed shy  about the whole thing.

She smiled sweetly up at me. "Right  back at you big man. You look fantastic. And since you know I mean  that, can you calm down a bit. Things will be fine. Besides I'm the one  who should be nervous."

"About what?" I said in confusion. "You already met my mom and sister. You even saved Chelsea's life. Or at least helped."

"That  was just business!" She said frantically, starting to pace. We were  just outside the house my mom was using on the Necromedes, and we'd been  plucking up our courage to go in. "This is like...meeting the parents.  It's a DINNER. You think you're nervous about your outfit? I spent four  hours with the tailor waffling about cut. I'm still not sold on this."

Catching  her hand as she went by, I pulled her against my, chuckling as I held  her tight. "Callie. I worry about a lot of things when it comes to my  mom. The choices I've made, the things I've done. She and I might not be  close but she's my mother and I wonder if she's going to approve of the  way I live my life. I shouldn't care, but I do." She was looking at me  nervously.

"But." I continued. "Not a single one of those  worries is about you. You're the best choice I've ever made. Bar none.  And my mom will either see that, or I don't give a shit what she thinks.  No nerves, no hesitation. You aren't negotiable. Not that I think it'll  come up. Anyone would have to be an idiot not to adore you. But I just  wanted you to know."

Callie's smile was the brightest,  most heartfelt thing I'd ever seen, and my heart jumped a bit staring at  her face. "If I wasn't worried about smearing my lipstick I'd kiss the  hell out of you right now." She said in an awed tone. But since anything  more than a peck would make us look like cannibals I'm just going to  have to take a rain check. Expect it later though, mister."

I  laughed and squeezed her once before letting go, though I kept my hand  around hers as we stepped up to the door. We knocked forcefully and the  door slid open, revealing my sister, beaming ear to ear. "That." She  said with a smirk. "Was pretty much the cutest thing I've ever heard."

I blinked, and then Callie's face twisted in horror. "Oh gods. I wasn't stealthing that. You heard every word we were saying."

"It  wouldn't have mattered." She laughed. "Mom is inside and her Perception  is insane. She'd have heard it anyway. But don't sweat it. I think if  anything it won you some points. You two are sickeningly adorable. I  wish I had a boyfriend I loved that much."

My face must have been disturbed because she giggled at my expression. "Don't know how to react to that huh?"

"You're  my twin sister, so I feel like I should say something, but I barely  know you so I feel like I can't." I agreed. "Plus you're already an  adult so I can't really weigh in. "Let's just ignore your lovelife  completely, shall we? I'm not equipped to walk on that emotional  minefield right now."

She laughed harder. "Fine. I'll take  pity on you. Come on in, mom's been wringing her hands and minutely  shifting dishes a few microns for the last fifteen minutes. It stopped  being funny a minute or two ago, and I'm worried she's going to wear a  hole in the table."

Swallowing hard, I squeezed Callie's  hand and we stepped into the house. "So, nice place." I said cheerfully.  "Mom and Killian go back huh? Makes sense he gave her the good digs.  Not that ours weren't, but this is like some high level diplomat shit."

"That  happens when you're a high level diplomat." She said with a chuckle.  "Mom's chef, Jenny, is pretty great though. You guys will love the food.  I usually have to make do with Callen's cooking, which isn't terrible,  but it's pretty middling." She paused, looking around quickly. "Oh,  good, he's not here. He seems to pop up every time I say that. Here,  dining room is this way."

She  led us down the hall, into a huge white paneled room with gold trim  along the edges. It was an odd design style, lots of intricate  scrollwork. In the center was a huge dark wooden table, a white and gold  tablecloth tossed over the surface. The table was set with crystal  candlesticks and white and gold dishes covered with delicious smelling  food.

"Shane!"  My mom said happily as she pulled me in for a hug. I was honestly a  pretty huggy person when possible so I didn't mind. We were getting to  know each other, but it still felt nice to get a hug from a family  member. She pulled back, and, without hesitation pulled Callie into a  hug. "And Callie! It's lovely to see you dear. Welcome."

Chelsea  was grinning at me from off to the side, giving me a look that clearly  conveyed her amusement at the fact that mom had obviously heard my  speech and was pretending she hadn't so she could score points. She'd  even heard Chelsea tell me I was sure, but apparently we were pretending  that hadn't happened. I felt Callie's triumph and relief through the  bond though, and I was happy to play along if it made her feel like  that.

We sat  down at the table, and a man appeared, wearing a white suit, he strode  to the platters on the table, the same white bone china, and lifted the  covers off. "For your dining pleasure tonight." He said in a crisply  accented voice. "Beef Wellington as the first course. Served on a bed of  grilled asparagus with a full bodied bourbon peppercorn sauce." On the  platter lay a series of what looked like tiny loaves of bread on long  spears of green.

Plating  each one out, he lifted a gravy boat, bringing it to each of us and  gesturing to the food to see if we wanted sauce. I decided to try it.  Callie was practically drooling like a cartoon dog by the time he got to  her, and once everyone had their food we started eating.

It  was amazing. The meat was F-ranked, as were the other ingredients,  though I didn't know the specifics. Even at out own ranking though, I  couldn't have come close to making a meal of this quality. This was the  work of a Master chef. Possibly higher. As we ate, my mom shot uncertain  looks at both of us, finally stopping and dabbing her mouth with a  napkin that matched her white dress.

"So,  Shane. What are your plans now?" She asked politely. "I'm sure you've  got something in mind,. I'd love to invite you home but..."

I  nodded, swallowing my bite. "I get it. Luckily I kept the whole 'she's  my mom' thing pretty quiet. Just Gabe and a few of his people from the  church know about it I think. I'm sure you can arrange for them to be  told to keep quiet." My eyes widened as I hurried to add. "Nicely,  please. They're friends. Don't like...kill them and dump their bodies in  space."

My  mother huffed out a laugh. "You've been spending far too much time  around your father's side of the family. The church doesn't execute  devoted initiates, darling. Not without a very compelling reason.  They'll be rewarded for being of assistance, perhaps given their own  branch in some backwater system for a time, should they wish it. There  ARE ways to get people out of the way without harming them."

"Speaking  of spending time with family, I was hoping to talk to you both about  that." I said, figuring this was as good a segue as any. "We still need  to talk it over with the others, but I plan to head for The Empire.  Their factional approach to cultivation, nobility and such, means lots  of small wars and skirmishes. We're going to try to join up with a  smaller force's army and learn what war is really like. To prepare for  what's coming. I was hoping Chelsea might be able to come along."

She  flinched. "Shane...that's- Chelsea isn't supposed to leave the  Dominion. Most people outside the Church barely know she exists. That  isn't safe at all."

"It  is." I said firmly. "Zeke can watch out for her, and for anyone close  to her level she has Callen. Plus, like you said, most people don't even  know she exists. We just need to keep quiet about our parentage and she  should be perfectly fine. I know it's not a foolproof plan but-"

"Make  a foolproof plan and the universe just makes bigger fools." Cut in my  sister. "I want to go." At my mom's shocked look, Chelsea shrugged  guiltily. "Mom. I love you. You know that. But Shane is my TWIN. Now  that I have a chance to know him, I have to take it. And I hate being  cooped up. I know you just want to help, but I'm an adult. You can't  keep me prisoner if I want to leave."

My  mom's face was a mask of pain and helplessness as she sighed, letting  her head slump forward. "Fine." She said after a moment of silence.  "I'll speak to Ezekial. If he agress to look after you, I'll trust him.  Anyone below middle A-rank shouldn't give you trouble, and I can pay  Killian to change routes to drop you off wherever you decide to go.  He'll be around to keep an eye out."

I  was surprised it had been that easy, but I was pretty sure some of that  was guilt. Whatever it was, I would take it. We had a ride, a  destination, and a new traveling companion. I couldn't wait to set sail.  I wasn't sure if the training we were going to get was going to be  enough to prepare us, but it couldn't hurt. We needed to prepare for  war.