Love is a funny thing for Samurai. I know of a few dozen who have married normal folk that are then no longer normal for obvious reasons, and I know of hundreds of Samurai who have married other Samurai. And while some of those relations fall apart due to stress or… cracks showing themselves, every other couple or polycule all share the same things. Trust, acceptance, and a willingness to murder anything that so much as looks at their partner funny.

  Lasso and I are the same. Her family are saints for welcoming me in with open arms and not an iota of judgment. My family no longer exists because they were hateful stains of humanity that Lasso took great exception towards.

  No, I don't think less of her for it. Who do you think introduced her to them knowing full well how things would end?

  -Interview of Samurai Red Menace on “Love is a Battlefield” podcast, 2054

  An hour later, Cari has met the rest of my commanders, with Morrigan having a new pin on her coat saying “Chief Science Officer”. She didn't drop her smugness the entire time.

  And so, here we were, sitting in an expanded living room, eating rice balls Baba Yaga and Buddy made, discussing defense options.

  “So, like I said, unless they also have a Class III Samurai with them, maybe two, it is impossible for them to make it here. Which leaves us with an interesting question. Do you guys want to fight some of them?” Morrigan asked.

  Cari looked conflicted, though I didn't know why. Cody shook his head, “I have no intention of fighting if I can help it. I can hole up in the Screen and control the defenses, cause that sounds fun, but that's as far as I will go.”

  Buddy nodded in understanding, “Is it possible to check their strength as they ascend and see if we could fight them? While Jill might be a force to be reckoned with, Roger and I still need a bit more training with our new gear to be able to keep up with her. And Victor, no offense, but you have never beaten me in a spar.”

  Cari hummed at that, “We can work on that,” she mutters. Then, louder, “We should watch them, then decide. I trust Jill to watch my back, and Leman and Vulkan seem reliable in a fight. Worse comes to pass, Rogal pulls Jill and I out.”

  As we nod and discuss strategy, Morrigan jumps up. “Oh! I gotta go! Gunny's shuttle is landing on the roof in a moment, and I have portals to make! Have fun, don't die, don't break my shit!” She runs out of the room to the garage.

  “What does she mean she's making portals with Gunny?” Cari asked.

  Roger slapped his knee, “Knew I was forgetting something. Morrigan is getting shot at the moon to make a few resource portals for both The Family and us. She should be back tomorrow.”

  “Tonight, actually. So long as nothing goes wrong on the moon.” I say. “She got an upgrade and her estimates went down.”

  Cari seems lost in thought, so I shifted to look at Outsider. “Have you been able to locate the Mikosano troops?”

  She nods, “I know where they are gathering. However, due to my lack of minions, I have not been able to infiltrate their base of operations to count how many there are, or how well equipped they are.”

  “Yeah, that's going to be a problem.” I say, rubbing the back of my head, “Once this crisis is over, I will go and reorganize the production queue to make sure the non combatants get minion units.”

  I go to ask something, but then Cari leans on me and all I feel is her and her scent and-

  She grabs my left arm and drapes it across her waist, placing my hand on her thigh. I feel her muscles through her pants that Morrigan made for her, and I feel how soft, yet firm she is.

  I know a conversation is happening around me, but all I can think about in this moment is Cari and how comfortable she feels against me, the feeling of her heartbeat running through me, and the scent of her hair. I take a deep breath, hold it, and let it go as I refocus on the wider world.

  “-aking a Cruiser in the other room? And none of you know what it looks like?” Cari asks.

  “Morrigan requested to surprise us, and I trust her.” I say. She looks back at me, eyebrow raised, but a smile crests her red lips. She squeezes my hand on her thigh.

  “Very well, then. I won't press that matter. But with Morrigan gone to the moon, I don't have any equipment to fight with, nor can she make me some. So we may just have to deal with the intruders normally.”

  I hesitate a bit, then I move my arm up to her stomach and pulled her in closer. “Cari, Lo- de- dear. I may be a mess of a human right now, but I am still a Samurai. “I say softly, “And I have a lot of points. You can either tell me what you would like or you can ask Synaptic privately.”

  I feel her heart beat faster through my touch, and she warms slightly. I don't look at her face because I know if I do, something bad will happen.

  “You would do that for me?” she asked quietly.

  I nod, “I have already bought Class II gear for the others, and their bodies are all Class I, so if you need anything, especially since you are… going to be my…” I take a deep breath, “Wife.” I said it. I said it, so it means I accepted it. And if I accepted it, then that makes it real.

  A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

  Cari nods, and I feel her heart rate spike again. Then she stands quickly, taking a few steps towards the bedrooms. “I'll- I'm going to go,” she clears her throat, trying to regain her composure, “I will talk to Synaptic. Please, continue.” Then she power walks to her room.

  I deflate as Roger snickers, “Buddy, can we have lobster for dinner? I just have a sudden craving for shellfish all of a sudden.”

  Buddy nods seriously, failing to suppress the massive smile on his face. “A shellfish boil, then. Lobster, crab, shrimp. I have always wanted to cook those. Synaptic,-”

  I tune out the rest of the conversation. I simply dive into my own head, imagining the future I have now set in stone. I'm getting married to the daughter of the woman I fought along side and watched die. I suppose this is a way to honor her? Making sure her daughter is as happy as I can make her.

  **********************************

  A sleek, grey sedan slides into a parking spot next to a dozen others like it. A young man steps out and makes his way inside, passing a few different secret defenses and scanners, verifying his identity.

  As he passes the final heavy door, he enters a facsimile of home full of activity. Holographic paper and wooden walls, false tatami mats on the floor, the slightly chemical infused scent of wood in the air. He hated it here, in this city of false promises. Of endless heat and sun and browns of the endless horizon. There was no life in the streets, no life outside the walls of this terrible city. The antithesis made sure of that.

  Walking past others doing maintenance work on weapons and armor, seeing boxes of ammunition and explosives, he made his way past the guards and the servants and waited in front of the meeting hall. He received a signal on his augs, and opened the door, sliding it to the side.

  Entering, he kneels on a red cushion in the center of the room, head bowed, waiting for permission.

  “Report, Kasasuchi.” an elderly man's voice rang out.

  Kasasuchi raised his head and saw his great-grandfather sitting at the head of a low U-Table formation, with six others present, all elders of the Mikosano family.

  “After looking through all available records, there are only five others in the building. And due to how the building was constructed and the fact that all other sky bridge bulkheads are still locked, the only viable option to infiltrate is from the lowest floor entrance, taking either the stairs or elevators up.”

  The fourth elder scoffs, “Such a waste, using so much Class II materials on such an ugly building.”

  “Be that as it may, brother,” the second elder started, “We must act quietly in these actions, less we draw the ire of locals. While the most powerful may be gone tomorrow, there are still too many that would make our escape improbable.”

  Great-grandfather slapped the table in front of him softly, quieting the room.

  “Kasasuchi, are there any other surprises that may occur? I heard a report that a cabin descended from the sky to pick someone up.”

  “Yes, Grand Elder. I saw the cabin myself, and it seems as though the female, Jill, has left the premise, as she is the only other woman in the building, and a woman is who left. And this Samurai, War Games, has only been initialised for a little more than a week, with no achievements to his name, save the initial Incursion. Even then, no records show he contributed much to it.”

  Great Grandfather nods, “One less problem to deal with, then. The plan remains unchanged. We move in tonight, every available soldier will storm the building. Kasasuchi, your brother will lead the assault while you offer Tactical support from outside. This young Samurai will be dealt with, and we will bring our young head home.”

  The young man remained emotionless on the outside, years of practice honing his control over himself, for the fear of punishment held strong. Yet inside, he remained frustrated. He knew why his brother would lead the assault, of course. That is not what he was frustrated about. No, it was the sidelining from the fight that bothered him to no end.

  Once more, he would miss the action, the glory, the chance to gain honor through his blade and gun, relegated to support.

  “Of course, Grand Elder. This mission will succeed. All for the family.” He says, bowing deeply.

  ************************************

  Cari closed the door behind her, placing her hands in her chest. She does her best to slow her heart, but she is failing miserably. She knows that she was the one who suggested it, and even the one who pushed him a bit.

  Yet when her head rested on him and he spoke, his hand a bit higher than she would have expected of him at this stage, feeling the rumble of his voice move through her.

  ‘He called me his wife.’ she thought. ‘In front of everyone.’

  She slumped to the ground with her back on the door. “Oh Mother. Forgive me, but I think I have fallen too far.” she whispers.

  After a moment, her heart clams itself and she looks up. “Synaptic?”

  Yes, Cari?

  “Do you have anything that would fit me in both forms?” She asks.

  Honey. Victor's whole gimmick is nanites. He does not own clothes, he has different forms set for his nanite armor. And since I saw you fight last night, I have both of your measurements.

  “Oh. That is both good to know, and… no, that makes sense. His clothes were soft and while they smelled of….” She cleared her throat, “Then, how about weapons? I prefer melee weapons, namely gloves or claws.”

  While Victor doesn't have anything specifically for melee weapons, I'm sure he would be more than willing to purchase Class III Melee weapon catalogs of your choosing, including the racial ones that your biology is from. And if you wish to keep the shift a surprise, I can ask him if he would be alright not seeing the notification, as you wish to surprise him with your fighting style.

  She looked shocked “Would he really spend all those points and tokens on just me? We literally met last night,” her voice raised at the end, exasperated.

  Cari, you seem to be mistaking something here, as well as how effective you have been. You made a massive gamble over the last twenty four hours, placing your chips on black twenty, hoping for it to land on black. Instead, the ball landed on twenty five times in a row, setting you up for life. He said it himself. You will be his wife, and thus a close part of his family. You won, Cari. And you did so by doing the hardest thing a gambler could do. You played the game honestly.

  Cari simply stared at the ceiling with the lights off. She didn't pry into how Synaptic knew her hobby, she simply let it sink it.

  She won. She played a very dangerous game, betting it all on a slim chance of victory with odds she couldn't guess against a house she didn't know. And she came up twenty one.

  A single tear was allowed to roll down her face. Then, her smile returned, brighter than ever. “Please ask him if that is okay. And once I get dressed, could you help me make a few new outfits? Oh, and if it's not too much trouble, do you think we could send someone to my old home to collect everything?”

  Easily, Cari. Serpentis Weapons Technology Class III has been unlocked, and I have queued the purchase of your new armor and weapons. Finally, Victor is sending Outsider to collect everything.

  A moment of silence passes as two boxes appear in front of Cari.

  Welcome to the family, Cari.