This *party* is about to get more interesting… #SciFi #PietasFans #MFRWhooks #EnterTheEmpire

This scene from Forged in Fire is from the viewpoint of Joss, a master telepath and weapons designer, creating everything from smart bullets to cannon on starships.  Joss has positioned herself well above the fray, able to see everyone. What a telepath can see, they can control—up to a point. Pietas is facing off with his father, attempting to reason with the madman. There is no love lost between the narcissistic Mahikos and any living creature. Including the tribe of sentient panthers who had shown up and taken sides with Pietas. After Mahikos killed their alpha and the panther revived, the immortal animals made the man their sworn enemy.

The fight going on now between Pietas and Mahikos has escalated; Mahikos is threatening to set fire to the lifepods cradling their people. Near Joss, the mortal Six, Pietas's new friend, with bow and arrow ready, is tracking every move Mahikos makes.

Not exactly a party...

Joss stayed at Six's side as he tracked Mahikos.

The man swore with eloquent profanity. "Is it always like this?"

"No. They don't usually get along this well."

At that, Six swung his gaze toward her, his astonishment plain. After a moment, he blinked. "Are you serious? Wow, if this is the ap Lorectics getting along, I don't want to see them fighting." He recovered himself and returned to his quarry.

"If you stick around, you'll have no choice. Before the peace talks, they'd avoided each other for almost a century, but a new Council got voted in and they elected Pietas as Chancellor. That made Mahikos Chancellor Emeritus. By common vote, Dessy had been runner up, so she's Second-in-Command. That meant they had to work together every day. There's non-stop arguing. Gets old, believe me."

"I come from a feisty family myself. Someone's always on the outs. If we so much as had a birthday party where the police didn't show up, it was a miracle." He gave a soft chuckle. "Well, this fight's about to get even more interesting."

"How?"

"Above left. By the trees."

She shielded her eyes. "What do you..." She gasped. "Oh, no!"

Against the bright dawn, a ridge of black revealed the silhouettes of over a dozen huge black cats.