Jack of Harts

We were on Sunnydale the first time I met Rin, back when we were preparing to attack the Hyades Cluster. She came in on one of the big carriers. America? No. Constitution. She was one of the new Enterprise-class Fleet Carriers that came out before The War. Tough old girl. She and America showed up with new orders and several transports full of soldiers looking to bring The War to the enemy. Most of the cybers on that cruise were young and still getting to know their pilots. But Rin was old. She didn’t tell me until years later, but she came from the same branch of the cybernetic family tree as Emiri, Sara, and more than a few others. Sometimes I think all of the Japanese cybers must be related. Point is, the Japanese cybers tend to do better with large numbers of people than most American-style cybers. Call it cultural. Not always true, but true often enough. So while the American cybers spent time working their new pilots up to snuff, Rin spent her time jumping around the fleet and entertaining everybody. I was there when several thousand American G.I.s from every State in the Union, not to mention several colony worlds, marched off the transports, in cadence, shouting their praises to Lovely Rin at the top of their lungs. Four syllables. Lov-e-ly Rin. Have I mentioned that I had some strange days on Sunnydale? If I haven’t, this would be one of them.

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