Thick vines full of brilliant flowers grew in tangles around the tall buildings, filling the stands with sweet perfume. Immaculately dressed pleasure mates surrounded the Designate’s observation chair, and he looked at them adoringly, though Thor’h could not tear his eyes from the aerial display.

Two big warliners hovered above the primary city. “Have them do the last part again!” Thor’h said, his eyes bright with boyish wonder.

The Hyrillka Designate tore a pastry in half and fed the two morsels to the closest women. “Indeed, Adar. Those flips are breathtaking. Can we have an encore?”

“As you wish, Lord Designate.” The Adar spoke into a communications link at his wrist.

The fast interorbital craft turned about in a long sweep and streaked back toward the primary Hyrillka city. Behind them, the vessels trailed kilometers-long streamers made of reflectorized metal that sparkled like electrified whips in the sky. The ships flew so low and fast that they rippled the colorful and gentle fields of enormous blooming nialias, making their dusty blue petals flap. The mobile male forms of the plantmoths broke from some stems and took panicked flight.

The Hyrillka Designate and young Thor’h both cheered with delight.

Rusa’h, the Hyrillka Designate, was the Mage-Imperator’s third son. He bore patrician features similar to Jora’h’s, but the younger Designate was more corpulent than his eldest brother, his round face more closely resembling that of the godlike leader. Before the arrival of the cohort of ships, the Designate had already announced a day of celebration, feasting, and dancing for all kiths across the primary city, from the Grand Citadel all the way down to the farm fields. He wanted to welcome the soldiers of the Solar Navy, to offer them music and treats and trained pleasure mates.

“Your crews have such incredible skill, Adar Kori’nh,” said young Thor’h. “Your pilots, your weapons specialists. They are aerial acrobats!”

“They have nothing else to do but practice,” Kori’nh said, feeling oddly disappointed. “One of my best pilots is your brother Qul Zan’nh.”

The fast vessels roared overhead again, long streamers crackling behind them. The crowd yelled; some climbed the thick vines to get a higher vantage. The ships turned about and made one last run past the reviewing stands.

Enduring the long Hyrillka celebration proved more difficult than Kori’nh imagined a real battle could ever be. He was bored within an hour, but did his best to look entertained and appreciative. Both young Thor’h and his uncle seemed to find everything amusing.