" Commodore General, I was looking to speak with you," Ygard called to him in the base hallway.

" I was going to fetch Lyena so we could begin our discussion with the Chancellor-"

" Yes, but, frankly, the General will be present for that," xe replied.

" Oh?" William paused. " Is there an issue with that?"

" They sent him to shadow you, didn't they? I'm not sure of the details, but there is a certain tension."

William sighed, and attempted to handwave it.

" Well, I took a lengthy amount of time off, and we shared a destination anyway," he explained.

" Commodore General, are you aware of Ferni's current political situation?" Ygard asked, a bit gingerly.

A moment.

" Well, you've been playing host to Chancellor Mordau for a while, so I'm certain that operations are under even heavier scrutiny than usual," he said.

" It's not just Mordau's presence," Ygard said. " I'm sure he's made no mention of it, but the reason the General has come to Ferni is to represent DASS in a vote on the repopulation efforts."

" Hm. You're right. He certainly never mentioned anything like that."

" The upper councils in Sectors 03 and 04 seem to be of the opinion that human civilians should be placed in a provisional settlement in order to fill in gaps in the non-military administration."

" Mm... So I gather that General Masterson is in support of this measure, as well? It's a bit odd, considering that both this planet and its sister have rather low carrying capacities to begin with."

" I believe they may try to drag you into the vote, Commodore General," Ygard warned. " I've trusted your judgment since your time as a special provisionary commander in the defense effort, but if I may be so blunt, this is definitely an affair you should avoid getting involved in."

" I'll take that advice," William said with a smile.