His friends seemed to reflect his mood. There was a lot of hugging and gentle teasing and nervous glances as they were marched from the hovs into an ornate room. It was smaller than the space where they had first faced the Commissioners, and the gilt-adorned walls curved in an oval shape. Panels of dark smooth wood hung from the ceiling, each one designed like an undulating wave.

The attention to acoustics was his first clue to where they were, and the enormous, bristling structure of imagers and microphones aimed at a brightly lit dais at the back of the room made it obvious.

"Woah." Duhar squinted at the dais. "I feel like I've seen this before."

"Proclamation room," Lio said. "This is where the Commissioners usually stream their territory-wide announcements."

None of the Commissioners seemed to be present yet, but there were plenty of assistants scurrying around and bots whirring among the tech. The lights and colors on the dais shifted as different shades were tested.

Archcom Huseda emerged from the bustle, barking into a holowatch call and then shutting it off to glare at them. "There you are. Disaster of a morning, absolute headache. But they're going to start the transmission momentarily, thank the Little. You'll have to stand off to the side, over there. And don't make any noise." She was already snapping into an open line on her holowatch again, while it sparkled with new missives.

The assistants herded them to the spot where Huseda had directed. They weren't the only observers for the announcements, and Lio eyed the group of strangers next to them, all with immaculate uniforms and tense expressions. No doubt these were the Enlightenment com candidates, the top tier pool that Ravi said the Commissioners would choose from. Most of them ignored everything and kept their attention on the dais, but a few glanced over at the crew. Duhar gave them a limp wave until Rosareen snatched his hand down.

"Alright everyone," Ravi's voice was soft, and the whole crew shuffled to face him. "Whatever happens next, we're still each other's team, okay? All of us." He cleared his throat. "I've been...so honored and happy to be this crew's com."

Lio had to look away from him then, because his eyes were shining with tears even as he smiled. He linked one arm with Teres and the other with Aziri, and they huddled close.

Everyone swiveled when a door in the opposite wall rolled back. The buzz of harried conversations cut off entirely, and the only sound was the muted tapping of the Commissioners walking to throne-like seats arranged in a semi-circle behind the dais. Only one Commissioner did not sit, the same woman who had led the crew's audience. She adjusted her ceremonial stole, stepped to the center of the dais, and nodded at the waiting imagers.

The rest of the room darkened, leaving the dais in a pool of gold. The Commissioner smiled serenely, and the broadcast was underway.

While the Commissioner went through a traditional greeting and then began to drone about the miraculous discovery of the lightship, Lio glanced at Ravi. The com was looking right at him, a small, secret smile on his lips. He didn't drop Lio's gaze, and his smile grew the longer they stared at each other.

Everyone else might've vanished. All that mattered was Ravi standing there looking so hopeful and sad and in love. Promising things with his sweet, dark-eyed gaze. Lio wanted to take his hand and lead him out of the room and press him against a wall so he could kiss him and whisper all those promises back to him.

The Commissioner was wrapping up a very simplified explanation of the lightship's "test flight" when Lio finally dragged his attention back to her. She made it sound like the whole thing had been planned with Enlightenment unit approval, but at least she gave credit to the Opalina crew for the flight.

"Suzerain Aureli has empowered us to present two new coms to our territory," the Commissioner said. "They will lead this lightship and their crew as we advance into a new age. We have considered many esteemed candidates, but in the end, two stood out as our best hope. The first is an Enforcer com without whom the test flight would not have happened."

Teres gasped, squeezing Lio's hand so tightly it hurt. The crew roiled around Ravi, and Lio smiled wistfully as he took in their stunned, rapturous expressions. Everyone had their mouths open around silent cheers, flapping their hands and poking Ravi in delight while the Commissioner's speech went on.

"For his extraordinary accomplishments and unparalleled command performance, we are pleased to commission Raviro Endessen to the Enforcer command position aboard the lightship Opalina." The Commissioner smiled and turned directly to Ravi, beckoning him onto the platform.

Ravi's bittersweet smile disappeared and he gulped, blinking at the lights. Never the man to lunge for a spotlight. The entire crew dove for him, grabbing his arms and shoulders and propelling him forward onto the dais. The light struck his abashed expression, and Lio started clapping right before he remembered he wasn't supposed to. The loud echo of his palms was only alone for a second. All around him his friends burst with jubilant noise. Cheering and wolf-whistling and stomping to the point where the rest of the confused onlookers took up polite applause. Lio almost laughed at the sight of Huseda with her hand covering her eyes, shaking her head. But when she took her hand away, she grinned. From his place beside the Commissioner, Ravi shot them a look and the crew finally quieted.

"Com Endessen," the Commissioner began, "Congratulations. I believe you have already made your selections for the Enforcer positions on the ship's crew?"

"Yes, Commissioner." Ravi nodded, and glanced at the crew again.

They cheered again when Jossen, back straight and chin high, strode onto the dais next to Ravi. Then Duhar, bounding forward with a whoop, and Orvaska gliding after him with a stony expression. Teres' name was called, and she stood clutching Lio's arm.

"Teres." Lio nudged her. "Go. We love you. Go up there."

"And don't make me cry," hissed Aziri.

She gave them both a terrified smile and tottered to the dais. Lio and Aziri got a lot louder as she finally stepped up on the lip of the stage. Orvaska lifted a steadying hand to her shoulder as they lined up and faced the imagers.

"This is the beginning of a promising crew," the Commissioner said. "And soon, this crew will be complete. The selection process for the Enlightenment positions will be rigorous and thorough, and guided by our new coms."

Lio flicked his gaze over to the tense figures on his right. The Enlightenment com candidates all looked as if they were holding their breath. He prepared himself for the volcanic jealousy he could already feel bubbling in his gut. One of those people would run his lightship. One of those people would get to see Ravi every day.

He tucked an arm around Aziri's shoulders and listened to the Commissioner ramble on about whichever candidate had ultimately won the spot. At least it sounded as though she were drawing near to the damn announcement.

"In the end, there was one prodigious talent whose performance on our most advanced assessments was indisputable," the Commissioner said. "For her mastery of the concepts vital to understanding Mastali technology and the highest materials science scores in Suzerain Aureli's territory, we are pleased to commission Yorune Ashino to the Enlightenment command position aboard the lightship Opalina."

Lio's mouth dropped open.

On the dais, Ravi was wide-eyed and blinking at the imagers, Orvaska looked as though he'd just been slapped, Teres giggled hysterically and Jossen let out a great, gulping sob. Duhar threw both his arms up and cheered, the lone celebratory sound in the stunned silence.

Lio spun around. "Yorune!"

She had both hands over her mouth, her eyes round and wide as an owl's.

"What the actual fuck?" Aziri squeaked.

"I forgot I took that assessment," she whispered.

Onfenka leaned toward her. "I believe the Commissioner is waiting. The silence is now uncomfortable."

"Goddesses, go up there!" Rosareen steered Yorune toward the dais, and Lio watched her climb onto it like he was witnessing a vision. The puff of her hair trembled as she edged up beside the Commissioner.

The Commissioner folded her hands neatly and nodded at the imagers. "Congratulations, Com Ashino. You will make your selections—"

"Yes, I'm ready!" Yorune said.

Another startled silence. In the chairs behind the dais, the other Commissioners jolted.

"Your enthusiasm is admirable," the hosting Commissioner said. Her smile looked a bit strained. "In the coming days, Com Ashino will—"

"I'm ready to announce now, actually."

And like that, the whole world tilted again. Like he was on a lightship trying to find its midair balance. He nearly shrieked as it all collapsed on top of him. Yorune was the Enlightenment com. And if she chose—

Grinning, Yorune looked directly over at him. "The Enlightenment positions go to Onfenka, Rosareen, Aziri, and Lio. Oops. Meant to say Alior. Come on up."

Goddess, he'd barely brushed his hair. And his uniform was an unholy mess of stains.

Onfenka marched forward as though this were a completely reasonable course of events, and somehow, they were all stumbling after her. The Commissioner's smile had iced over, but it was too late for her to do anything. They were all crowded on the dais now, arms looping around each other in an unbreakable chain. The imager light felt like distant Fennec region warmth.

"Well," the Commissioner said. "I...uh...There we have it. I present the crew of the lightship Opalina."