Aitim calls his mother.

"Hi sweetheart, how are you."

"Anxious alien who can give us planets wants Dad back, please can he at least pick up the phone?"

Sigh. "I'll tell him you called."

"Thanks."

...he calls Kefin.

" - Aitim? I'm in class."

"Ditch it and get on the train to Lakla? I'll arrange for orders to be waved in the right peoples' faces."

"Why."

"To meet the alien."

" - seriously? Yeah, okay, I'm on my way."

Afen calls Aitim fifteen minutes later. 

"Alien wants you back, name your terms."

"I will consent to translate for the alien in a private capacity for as long as I see fit and I'll stop whenever I please, including declining to translate any conversation I don't want translated, and I will face no criminal or civil penalties for so doing. And I want that pompous idiot fired."

"I can do reassigned."

"Fired."

"Kefin's already on the train, I invited him."

"I am coming only because I would be sad not to get proficient with the language."

"You're reassigned," says Aitim blandly, hanging up.

Vashal heads back across the hall to tell Maurabel and Penumbra that Afen is on his way.

"Oh good!"

"They got rid of the people he didn't get along with."

"I appreciate your help in the meantime."

"My pleasure." Sigh. "It will take a while, he lives in Lina. He is on the train."

"That's fine. Why is this spelled like that -"

"- I'm not sure, I can look it up."

"It's not that important." She resumes attempting to read an Anitami children's book.