Appears in After Amargosa
Lieutenant Mitsuko Yamato and Commander Edward Windsor, both Compact Navy Special Forces, are dispatched to Kaku V—a humid, swampy planet with an unsanctioned human colony. The colony has come into conflict with the native sapient cephalopods (cephs), who initially requested humans remain on dry land but were ignored. When colonists kidnap some of the cephs, the Compact sends Mitsuko’s team to extract the humans and deescalate the situation.
The mission quickly becomes complicated. Mitsuko leads one team to retrieve human hostages while Windsor handles negotiations. Their Marine NCOIC, Washington, helps coordinate efforts, and a Gelt translator named Sored—once part of the Amargosan resistance—attempts to bridge the language gap with the cephs. It is revealed that the human colony is unauthorized and has disrupted the cephs’ egg-laying grounds, escalating tensions.
Windsor attempts to stay behind as a hostage to protect the remaining humans and fulfill his promise to the natives. Mitsuko, unwilling to let the heir to Bonaparte’s throne be taken, stages a bold extraction, resulting in brief violence and the death of a ceph. She uses gas and non-lethal force to recover Windsor, asserting that the Compact and Bonaparte will not allow their leaders to be held hostage.
After the operation, Mitsuko meets with the cephs’ “egg layer” to reinforce that humans are leaving for good and that any who stay do so without Compact protection. She emphasizes the Compact’s wish to avoid further conflict and leave the planet in peace.
Back aboard ship, Mitsuko confronts Windsor about his actions and the responsibilities of royalty. He proposes marriage again, and she agrees—but only if she can retain her agency, finish her tour, and later serve as his chief of security rather than a traditional queen. The story ends with both characters reaffirming their shared military identity and complicated bond.