Honor felt the chill of the cryo fluid against her face again, as the fluid level slowly dropped. This wasn't her first time coming out of cryo. Is Roger still on the throne? And can I meet up with Mike again? she wondered. While it was hard to develop lasting friendships when you were in a cryo tank most of the time and off fighting battles for Manticore's royals almost all of the rest, she'd first met Michelle when King Roger's niece was a baby, and had seen a spark of promise in the baby. She next met up with the girl when she was 16 and about to head to Saganami Island. The time after that, Mike had graduated high in her class and was a lieutenant, and Honor had 'requested' her, partly as an aide, and partly because she wanted to mentor at least part of Manticore's future.

"Ma'am, it's me," she heard Mike's alto reassure her. It was comforting in more ways than one. First, seeing Mike had been a constant the past couple of times she'd been thawed out. And in a career where you never knew if you were going to see tomorrow, it was nice to know that someone she cared about (although she wouldn't admit it) was still around.

"What does His Majesty want now?" Honor asked, like she'd learned to after the first couple of times various Manticorian monarchs had thawed her out and sent her off somewhere, often without enough in the way of ships.

Mike winced, as she corrected her, "Uncle Roger is dead, ma'am. The Havenites secretly killed him, but Cousin Beth hasn't been able to get a war declaration passed yet. She wants you to help her by supporting a diplomatic mission to this backwater system called Yeltsin's Star. The schedule has us breaking orbit in three days."

"Why does Her Majesty want me for this, if you have any ideas? I fight battles for Manticore. I'm not a diplomat." Honor inquired groggily, still waking up from the cryo.

"I don't know, ma'am. All she told me is that she wanted you, and that I was getting assigned to be your handler again. You're briefed on more of this than I ever have been- You've served us since how-many-greats-grand-auntie Adrienne was Queen!" Mike tried to explain.

—

We'd finally both gotten a moment together in my day cabin, now that we finally got back to Manticore again.

"It's a pity the Protector wouldn't give you all those awards he wanted to, after you saved him and Grayson, ma'am. If anyone deserves them, it's you." Mike said.

"But given that I spend so much time in my cryo tank, I'm not exactly available to do media appearances. It's not like I need any more awards." Honor questions.

"Don't tell Beth that, ma'am. I know it was how-many-greats-grand-auntie Caitrin's idea to stop you from getting foreign awards or honors, and reduce the number of our awards we gave you, but Beth never did agree with that." Mike said.

"Even though she ratted you out for thawing me out when you were 16?" Honor questioned.

"We never agreed on everything. And getting to meet you was worth Uncle Roger and Dad's anger, ma'am. Completely." Mike tried to reassure her Admiral and change the subject.

"Really? You shouldn't have gotten in trouble with your family for me. I'm not worth that much, in the future." Honor questioned, not having realized she was worth that much in her aide's eyes. Mike looks confused, and Honor continues, "You're doing well, though. I'm glad I got to know you. And, if you're still around next time I get thawed out, I'd like you back. But you deserve to have a career of your own if you want."

"You've saved us before, ma'am. They call you the Winter Admiral for a reason. In the coldest winters and darkest nights, you’re there for us." Mike replied, "Beth wants you back in cryo after your award ceremony, as Admiral White Haven thinks he can handle the situation on his own. I'll do my best to be there for you next time."

—

Honor walked slowly back into the basement room below Bassingford, where her aging cryo tank was kept. She missed the outside world, from her homeworld of Sphinx that she hadn’t seen in so long, but understood the need to stay in cryo to be available for longer to defend Manticore. Safe stars, Mike.

As she waited to fall asleep, as the cold fluid trickled, she thought about Mike’s last words to her, “I'll do my best to be there for you next time." She closed her brown eyes peacefully, resting safely in the knowledge that Mike would do her best to be there for her next time.