#18 - Mina

"Chief Representative".

"Mina".

Lady Rondo Mina Sahaku, the last of House Sahaku, frowned sharply at the familiar greeting from the younger woman before her. She liked to keep her business meetings strictly business; but it seemed Cagalli Yula Attha got to do what she liked these days, including dispensing with formalities. She had earned it after all.

Mina eyed the drinks cart in the corner of the room, itching for a nip of something. They were meeting not in the Chief Representative's official rooms at Orb's Parliament House, but rather in Cagalli's personal office at the Attha Estate. Due to her current condition, the Chief Representative had been working from home.

"Thank you for making the time to visit me while you are in Yalafath," Cagalli started.

"You've not invited me here to issue a reprimand, have you Chief Representative?" Her voice was crisp, precise.

Cagalli was undeterred. "Not at all, I just want to make sure I have your support on this matter,".

The warm amber of scotch caught her eye again. "May I?".

"Go ahead. You'll excuse me if I don't join you,".

As she poured herself a short glass, Mina recalled the one prior time she had been privy to the inner sanctum of Uzumi Nara Attha's family home. It was well over twnety years ago, and she was a teenager herself. They were there to watch Cagalli perform the Wai Liyan.

The Wai Liyan was a traditional coming of age ceremony in Orb – an ancient rite of passage originating from the Priestesses of Haumea, celebrating the turning of the wheel, the connection between this earth and the next. For most children of Orb, it was a time of celebration, and they could choose to take part in the ceremony how they wished with friends and family watching on.

But for the children of the noble Houses of Orb, it was something else entirely – a solemn ritual, a reverent tribute to the history of Orb and its origins, to be performed in front of the judging eyes of the other noble families.

It was a hot muggy day, and Cagalli – eight years old – stood glumly in the gardens of the estate, unable to hide her misery at being the centre of attention. The whole scene a stark reminder that she did not belong. She was awkward in her formal sea-green dress, awkward in her movements, awkward in the way she mumbled the prayer. The whole thing was just terribly awfully awkward.

Gina had derided the little girl afterwards with his father – she was not of pure Orbian blood, he had complained. Scrappy cub, he said with a smug sneer, always so self-assured of his own brilliance. She'll never be a lion.

Mina had ignored him, too caught up in her own irritation at how Cagalli had butchered the graceful movements of the ceremony, For Mina, Cagalli's embarrassing performance was a sign of lazy and indolent disrespect to the Haumea, the Priestesses, the noble families, their shared history, and Orb.

Well, anyway, Cagalli had proved all of them wrong.

"Before we turn to your proposal; have you considered my funding request for the expansion of Ame?No?Mihashira?" Mina sat back down, silkily switching topics. Cagalli straightened her back, her lips firming into a straight line.

"It is critical," Mina pressed. "That Orb has a presence of consequence in space. Heliopolis II is an important start, but we need interstellar military capability too. Ame?no?Mihashira serves this purpose. The future of Orb, of humanity, lies beyond the asteroid belt – the Martians know it, the PLANTs know it, the Atlantic Federation knows it. We cannot be left behind,".

The future, the future. The future occupied all of Mina's thoughts and dreams these days.

"I know". The Chief Representative was better these days at managing her temper, but she could not completely hide the annoyance shimmering in her amber eyes. "And, as I communicated to your aide, I am minded to support it, provided you agree to all stated reporting and audit conditions, including biennial statements to the Parliament on the activities of Ame?No-Mihashira,".

Cagalli folded her hands on the desk, and leaned over it towards Mina, her voice becoming slower and more deliberate. "You must understand Mina, it's not just me you need to convince, you need to bring along the rest of the Parliament and the people of Orb, most of all those on the surface,".

"Ame?no?Mihashira was built by my father to further Orb's ideals and objectives. Not to feed the personal ambitions of House Sahaku,".

Mina riled a little at the candour of those final words, but it was not an unreasonable concern for Cagalli to have. Mina was also savvy enough to understand Cagalli was letting Mina have what she wanted; while getting what she wanted too – loyalty, and assurance of Orb's interests in space.

She exhaled. "You have my word,".

Cagalli relaxed back, becoming lighter again. "And then, returning to my proposal…".

Cagalli's 'proposal'. She said it like it was some small trivial thing, not a referendum on one of the fundamental elements of the Orb Constitution – to remove from it the automatic right of the five noble families to be voting members of the Parliament. While they would retain a symbolic role in recognition of the history of the island nation under Cagalli's proposed model, to actively participate in decisions of Government, individual members of the Houses would need to be elected like the rest of the legislature.

"Mina," Cagalli pressed seriously. "The ambition of the noble Houses must never again get in the way of the will of the people,".

Mina appraised the woman before her. She still looked too small for the grandeur of the desk she was sitting behind – her father's desk. "I don't disagree,".

"The other Houses are, admittedly, resistant…".

"I could not care less what the other Houses think, Cagalli," Mina interrupted. Mina's antipathy for the other noble Houses was no secret – the two wars had left their sour mark. "But their self-interest will prevail. They know their days as they are numbered, the Seirans saw fit to that. You are Orb's Lion, and frankly, you are giving them a lifeline. They will fall in line behind you,".

"But," Mina lifted an eyebrow at her, the hint of a smile gracing her face for the first time since she had arrived. "What does this mean for you? You can't tell me your work for Orb is done,".

Cagalli fell silent and paused, eyes fixed at a photo in a frame facing towards her, her face atypically unreadable. She then looked up, smiling. "I have put Orb first for such a long time. I would like to spend some time with my family. I am sure Haumea would not fault me for that".

Family. Cagalli was also a twin after all. Inverted lives – Cagalli spent a childhood separated from her brother; Mina would have to endure the rest of her adult life without hers.

"So, what do you think, Mina?" Cagalli asked again, this time informally. "Can I count on your support?".

Mina marveled once again at the woman, the leader, Cagalli had become. "Of course," she said, genuine. "But I also think you are being quite ambitious in terms of your timeframes".

"Well, I only have a limited amount before…" Cagalli was cut off by a sharp knock on the door, admitting Admiral Zala. He bowed, embarrassed when he realised Cagalli was not on her own.

"Lady Sahaku," Athrun, always formal and respectful. She preferred that. "Apologies, I...".

"Admiral, not a problem, we were just wrapping up,".

"Will you join us for dinner Mina?" Cagalli gratefully took the Admiral's arm to assist her to stand, exposing her full belly. Admiral Zala gazed at his wife gently, fondly with sparkling emerald eyes.

Mina replied in the affirmative with a short nod of her head.

The successor to House Attha would be the child of a Natural and a Coordinator. And when the day came for her, or him, to celebrate the Wai Liyan, they would get to choose how.

Mina smiled quietly. The future was in hand.

A/N: the news of the Seed movie possibly finally getting made (yay? eep?!) is motivating me to finally wrap this up...as much as part of me would love to drag it out for another 5 years :). Thanks again for reading.