The next morning dawned as bright and clear as only an Earth day could. Calin shivered awake just after sunrise, smiling at the long-forgotten familiarity of it all. She had recovered a part of herself that she had never suspected might exist, she was whole for the first time in her life. And, at the same time, she was all too aware that it would not last. This newfound self must be deserted just a few days from now, and she would return to the cold blackness of space, and the unknown horrors of a war that had become her life.

But for now, at least, she thought. I can relax. It would be several days before the Dragon's Pride could arrive, and in that time, Calin Elizabeth Callyer Greenspan had every intention of relearning as much of her home planet as possible.

She rose and stretched, noting that her father had left out some of her mother's old clothes for her. They were much too big for her, and surely outdated, but they were still better than her Andark, prison-issue jumpsuit. She started to reach for her clothes, and stopped when she noticed the rank smell coming from her own body. How long has it been since I bathed? She frowned. She couldn't remember. Last time was back on the ship, I think, before that dinner with Justus. That had been two planets and some weeks ago; no wonder she was starting to smell ripe!

Well, that could be taken care of now. She made her way to the bathroom, smiling at the contrast between the facilities here and the ones on her ship. Primitive the water-based washing utilities of this planet might be, they were still familiar, and homely and Calin cherished the time away from high technology.

Turning on the water in the shower, she examined herself in the mirror. The reflection was so different than the last time she had stood here. She was some taller, much thinner and her face had aged beyond her years. Until a few months ago, she had felt as old as she looked; now she felt young again, and the smile she flashed at her reflection was much like the one her younger self had worn.

The room fogged up and steam obscured the mirror. The youthful smile vanished along with the not-so-youthful face, and Calin sighed, breathing deep of the warm vapor. She stepped into the shower, leaning into the water. Soap and water may be a less efficient way of getting clean, but for relaxation value, it is far superior! For long moments, she relaxed under the spray, feeling muscles that had been cramped for months finally relax. Moving slowly, she picked up the washcloth and soap, and scrubbed herself clean. The simple ritual took her back to her childhood, as everythign in this place did, and when she emerged from the shower she almost expected that she would see her mother waiting for her at the breakfast table.

She picked up the clothes her father had left out for her, her mood sombering. No. Mother is dead, and long gone from here. And if I am to see her legacy through, I, too must leave my home and my family and take up the Imperial Mirror. She dressed quietly, and brushed her still-damp hair back, noting that it had grown some. She needed to cut it again. Then, her morning toilette taken care of, she headed down to breakfast.

Justus and her father were already at the table, but she almost didn't recognise Justus. His face had been restructured- yet again- to give the appearance of humanity. His hairline had been brought back, his cheekbones made less prominent, his eyes and ears shifted to the human norm. He looked quite striking, but the effect was almost comical, after seeing him with his normal face for so long. Upon seeing him, Calin stopped in her tracks, her eyes went wide and she stifled a laugh.

Justus's human-appearing face twisted into the classic Kyrias expression of indignation, and one of his rounded human ears twitched. "You don't have to laugh. I know how odd it looks," he said, in Kyrias basic, of course. "But last night, after you went to bed, your father thought that we might want to do some looking around, while you're on-planet. He still had some of the masking-serum Myra used, and the equipment to convert it to my specs, so we tried it out."

Calin nodded, still chuckling. "It doesn't suit you at all, but you'll pass for human," she conceded. "And I had decided that I'd like to re-aquaint myself with this old planet. I'm glad you can come along."

"I think it will be very interesting to visit the planet which Myra wanted to make her life's work," Justus said. "She once called Earth 'The most beautiful planet in the Galaxy,' and she thought very highly of its citizens."

Calin's father started. "I didn't know that," he said softly. "While she was here, she was so often homesick, I always figured that she thought Earth was rather inadequate."

Justus smiled. "She may well have, while she was here," he said. "But when she was on Vestius, she was homesick for Earth." He sighed. "Myra was a woman torn between two worlds, truly a part of neither. But that is part of what helped give her perspective, and the strength to face every day, knowing that the fate of the galaxy hung on her every word. She needed that detatchment."

Ben nodded, slowly. "You have no idea how much I envy you," he said. "Once the relations between the Greater Galaxy and the Andark State broke down, almost no messages got through to us. When Myra died, it was like she had already been dead for years. We'd had almost no contact. I wish-" His voice broke, but he shook it off. "I wish I could have been there with her, in the end. It was the most horrible thing, to know that I lost her long before I actually lost her." He stared sadly into his cup of coffee.

Calin, who had watched this entire exchange with no little wonder, moved to him and set a hand on his shoulder. He never really recovered from Mother's death, she realised. The grief that crippled him after she died never went away. How has he lived with it all these years? She rubbed his shoulder, and he covered her hand with his, smiling.

Justus shook his head, "But you never really lost her," he said. "Myra never stopped missing you, never stopped hoping for the day that she could return to you. Across all the vastness of the galaxies, you were with her to the end. That's what love is."

Ben looked up at him, eyes bright with tears. An unspoken understanding passed between them, and it was one Calin knew that she could never truly share. Ben smiled then, and said, hoarsely, "Thanks."

Then he turned to Calin,"So what do you think?" he asked. "How about some breakfast?"

Calin nodded emphatic assent. "Yes, please! I'm still terribly hungry."

"I'm sure," her father said, getting up to fix her a plate. "We've bacon, eggs and toast," he announced, spooning some of each onto the plate. "Coffee too?"

Calin shook her head. "No, I don't think caffine would be good for me right now."

"Probably true." Calin's father set the plate down in front of her. "Eat up. You need to be healthy again before I send you back."

Calin willingly obliged, while her father continued talking. "How long do you think you have before your ship arrives?" he asked.

Calin's mouth was full, so Justus supplied,"At least two days. Maybe four or five."

Calin swallowed, and said, "But that's Kyrias time." She looked at Justus. "Earth days are shorter. Three or four minimum."

"Well, that gives you some good recovery time," Ben said. "What are you thinking you'll want to do, while you're here?"

"I don't know," Calin said, between bites. "Catch up on things, perhaps show Justus some of how the planet works. It might give us ideas about thing sthat need to be done back home."

Justus agreed, "Yes, I would like to see something of your government, bot on the national and global levels."

"Well," Ben said, leaning back in his chair. "I've got a fair bit of money saved up. Am I right in assuming that you will get some notice before your ship arrives?"

"Yes," Justus said, as Calin polished off her breakfast. "At least a day's maybe more."

Calin swallowed the last bite and said, "About a day and a half, our time. And the transmitter's portable, so that won't be a problem."

Ben nodded. "So, as I said, I've got some money. So I propose that we fly on down to Washington DC for a few days- that's the seat of the National Governement," He said to Justus. "And from there, we can go to New York where the United Nations is based if we've still got time. And whenever you two get your call, we can hop the next plane back here."

Calin whistled. "That's terribly expensive, if I remember correctly," she said. "Are you sure you want to?"

He smiled. "To help two foreign heads of state learn about the customs of our quaint little planet? Of course!"

Calin grinned sheepishly. "I suppose you're right about that," she said. "Well, let's pack our bags then."

Her father nodded. "Good thing it's the middle of the week," he said. "This would never have worked if you two had landed on a Friday."

Calin chuckled and headed off to her room to pack.