"Closing Ceremonies"
Manor House, Outskirts of Ceres City
Capella
November 29, 3053
A formal dinner was planned for the evening of the 29th in his grandfather’s honor. With the estates now officially Kato’s it was time for his grandfather to return to his own. Kato’s staff was already in place and his grandfather would ensure it was taken care of properly. He and his family would move into the master suite after his grandfather’s departure. It was strange to think that he finally had a home that didn’t regularly break atmosphere and travel between the stars. Pleasant though.
He reviewed Erin Mae’s selection of tutor and was impressed with how insightful she’d been in cataloguing the different candidates’ strengths and weaknesses. He couldn’t fault her judgement or final selection and was happy with it. She and the kids would have to deal with the woman far more often than he. He expected there was a good chance the woman was a Maskirova agent, but if so, there was little he could do about it. Besides, he expected he already had one or more of them in the unit, so one more wouldn’t matter much.
The dinner went well. It was clear how fond the staff was of him and how much they would miss him. Thankfully he could stop by periodically which would make it easier on all involved.
The following morning Kato, Erin Mae, the kids, and Grandfather shared an intimate breakfast as an opportunity to say goodbye in private.
“You have done well, granddaughter. Had the Maskirova not been satisfied with your answers either they would not have left yet, or you would have gone with them. I am proud of you and the poise you showed in the face of adversity. Well done.” Erin Mae was touched by the sentiment as Grandfather wasn’t very free with his complements.
“And you Kato. I still believe you have much to prove to be generally accepted within the broader ranks, but you are off to a good start. I will continue to oversee things here so that when you return, all will be in order.”
“Thank you, Grandfather. I have no doubt that all will be as it should. I look forward to when we will next be able to meet in person.”
Kasei nods in response. The rest of breakfast passes and the family says their goodbyes and sees him off. They travel back through the outer gate, wandering through the outer courtyard and then transitioning to the inner courtyard finding it empty but filled with a serenity that has been a rare commodity in their lives. Picking up Kenji and carrying Dai Eiko they head into the master residence and though they will likely depart in a mere week or two, begin to settle into the next phase of life.
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Topic: Operation INVESTITURE - "12. Closing Ceremonies" (Read 397 times)