The one wherein Aurora has a tantrum

This has not been an especially pleasant or restful week. Revelations about what's going on out on Caliban with Krenshar have, perhaps unfortunately, made my decision on re-activation for me. An exaggeration, perhaps, but it is certainly the tipping point. While I could probe into Kren's dealings with the Alliance from outside, it will be orders of magnitude easier to dive that particular data from within. There is too much at stake for me to sit aside and simply watch this all unfold. This, ultimately, is personal.

I don't think Sabrina will be too happy about it. When we signed on together, the four of us, to become Lily's adoptive family, I don't think any of us could have anticipated how things would develop.

Lily, unfortunately, is still to ground and hiding. From what few reports I've gotten, she's terrified and going feral. That worries me. A lot. But right now I have to rely on others to try and get her back. There's just too many other things happening at once.

Like Aurora.

Everything I've been hearing out of Caliban leads me to believe Krenshar's completely lost it. All because he wants to "fix" Lily and Aurora. Only neither of them are really broken. And, in spite of what he wants to believe, Krenshar is not Aurora's father. He may have been instrumental in her creation, even without intending to be, since she was entirely Mindo's creation, but he is patently not her father.

Mindo created her from a Chimera father - genes selectively taken from at least eleven male donors - and one mother. None of those donors were Krenshar. Where I can understand his emotional attachment to her in that role, the fact is there. Wishing won't make it so.

But Aurora herself seems to believe he is. She may still believe she has no mother, in spite of learning the truth when I encountered her on MacLaren's Drift the other night. The circumstances were, well, confusing doesn't start to describe it. But Cody'd called and I'd responded.

Aurora was dead set on "seeing her Daddy" in spite of anything I'd said. It's strange though. Before, she was always so . . . self controlled. It's like something has happened to make her behavior match her apparent five year old form. Before, she never would have thrown a tantrum.

Unfortunately, she ignored my direction to stay on Maclaren's or come to Hale's. Worse, she managed to steal a boat and get there in spite of my efforts to hack the boat's nav stack. Which leaves me in the awkward position of not really knowing the best way to handle this. Caliban's become Krenshar's turf. Given that I'd be going there to recover Aurora, who he considers his kid, I doubt I'd receive a friendly welcome. Aurora herself would probably resist, which would make even a covert Op messy.

Not a lot of options.

But not "none" either.

I'd have to send Taggart his answer. And, somewhere out in the Black, I'd have to set a Crowbar to changing its hidden station.

Silent in the Black
A weapon of last resort
An order unsent

You've been told you will be the greatest warrior ever, Tiny Dragon. It may be true. You will certainly surpass your mother. But wars to not make one great, and you, Little One, still have much to learn.