The one wherein things happen in one place, while I am in a very different place

I hadn't really intended to head Coreward when I did. Certainly not while Lily's having, well, issues, and the town's still reeling from the fire she started. But some times, your other responsibilities force your hand. In this case, maneuvers happening on the political stage that required some face to face time with General Taggart.

On some levels, I'm torn. Part of me feels that by having to leave the Rim now is abandoning my little girls when they need me most. But another, more rational, part, understands that Lily and AuroraBlue need me less than I need them. I don't think either of them really see me as a parent. Which means that leaving them under the watchful eye of the other people who care for them while I'm gone doesn't really alter their risk.

Of course, it doesn't help that Krenshar's acting strangely and a small rock slipped through the net and managed to smack into the store right next to the apartment building Lily burned. I was about to turn around and go back to help when I got a wave from Genni that the Town Elders were dealing with it and I should continue on with whatever it was I was doing.

In my absence, Genni could speak for my office and the Elders had dealt with impactors for quite a span before I'd ever arrived, but it didn't make me feel any better. Hearing that some of the newer residents and transients had taken to looting didn't give me the warm fuzzies. Truth be known, I think Genni wanted me to stay away to keep me from personally getting Medieval on the looters.

I could only hope things were stable by the time I got back. I'd put a lot of effort the last couple years trying to improve the lot of Hale's Moon's colonists. They may not all have liked the higher level of law and order that'd slipped in on my watch, or making nice with the local Alliance command, but none of them complained about the improved standard of living.

Timing, once again

An inopportune absence

Survive without me