Day 75-76 Post-Impact
The government convoy arrived at noon.
Three armored vehicles rolled through Harmony's main gate, flanked by a security escort that looked impressive until you compared it to the awakened soldiers watching from the walls. The Malaysian Emergency Council had sent their best, but their best was still operating on pre-impact assumptions about power.
Sarnav stood at the entrance plaza with his wives arranged behind him. Jiyeon had insisted on the formation, something about projecting unified strength. Nisha stood at his right, Ishani at his left, with the others spread in a deliberate pattern that looked casual but covered every angle.
"Remember," Jiyeon murmured through the network, "they're here to evaluate us. Every word, every gesture, every interaction will be analyzed. We show them strength, not desperation."
"I know how politics works, jagiya."
"You know how to fight. Politics is different. Let me handle the diplomats. You handle the captain."
The vehicles stopped, and the doors opened. A cluster of suited officials emerged first, their formal attire almost comically out of place in the post-apocalyptic compound. Bureaucrats, Sarnav assessed. Paper-pushers who had survived by being useful to people with actual power.
Then the final vehicle's door opened, and Captain Zara Hassan stepped out.
She was tall for a Malaysian woman, five-eight at least, with an athletic build that spoke of years of military conditioning. Her uniform was crisp and professional, insignia marking her special forces background, and her hijab was arranged with the same precision she probably applied to everything in her life. Her face was stern, angular, with dark eyes that immediately began cataloging everything around her. Threats, exits, defensive positions, personnel.
A pistol sat at her hip, standard military issue. But Sarnav's system-enhanced senses detected something else. A reservoir of power within her, controlled and disciplined, ready to be called upon. She was awakened. B-rank, if he had to guess. Dangerous in her own right.
Those eyes found Sarnav's and held them.
There was no warmth in her gaze. No deference. Just professional assessment from someone who had spent her career being the most dangerous person in most rooms and wasn't sure that was still true.
"Encik Sarnav Kish." Her voice was clipped, efficient. "I'm Captain Zara Hassan. I'll be serving as military liaison between the Emergency Council and your... faction."
The slight pause before "faction" was deliberate. She didn't know what to call them.
"Captain." He extended his hand. "Welcome to Harmony."
Her grip was firm, testing. He met it without flinching, letting just a hint of his A-rank power bleed through the contact. Her eyes widened fractionally before discipline reasserted control. She'd felt it. Understood, on some level, what he was capable of.
"The Council appreciates your willingness to meet," one of the diplomats said, stepping forward with practiced smoothness. "I'm Deputy Minister Tan, representing the Emergency Council's diplomatic corps. We have much to discuss."
"We do." Sarnav released Zara's hand and gestured toward the main building. "Let's get out of the sun."
As they walked, Zara fell into step beside him rather than behind. A subtle assertion of equality. She wasn't here as a subordinate, and she wanted that clear.
"Your defenses are visible from a kilometer out," she observed quietly. "The guard towers are well-positioned, but the patrol patterns are predictable."
"Are they?"
"Seven-minute intervals. Consistent routes. An experienced infiltrator could time it."
"Perhaps we want them to think that."
She glanced at him, reassessing. "Mind games?"
"Layers. What you see isn't always what's there."
Something that might have been approval flickered across her stern features before the professional mask returned.
The tour was Jiyeon's idea.
"Show them what we've built," she'd advised. "Make them understand we're not some ragtag group of survivors. We're a power."
So they walked through Harmony, the diplomats making polite observations while Zara took mental notes with military precision. She noted the training grounds where awakened soldiers drilled in formation. She noted the medical wing where healers tended the wounded from the Herald battle. She noted the supply depots, the communication center, the defensive positions along the walls.
And she noted the wives.
They moved through the compound freely, each one clearly respected by the population. Nisha was stopped twice by civilians seeking advice on agricultural projects. Jade barely looked up from her tablet, monitoring communications even during the tour. Ishani walked with her hand near her weapon, watching Zara watching them.
"Unconventional command structure," Zara observed, her voice carefully neutral.
"Effective command structure," Ishani replied, her tone less neutral. "We killed an S-rank three days ago. What has the Council accomplished lately?"
"Ishani." Sarnav's voice carried a gentle warning, and she subsided, though her eyes remained hard.
Zara filed the exchange away. The hierarchy was clear. Sarnav spoke, and even the most aggressive of his wives listened. But it wasn't fear or submission. It was respect. Trust.
Interesting.
"The Council has been focused on consolidation," Deputy Minister Tan said smoothly, filling the awkward silence. "Establishing order, securing supply lines, rebuilding infrastructure. Different priorities than military expansion."
"We haven't expanded," Sarnav said. "We've defended. The Ascendancy came to us. We responded."
"By killing their leader and breaking their army." Tan's smile didn't reach his eyes. "Quite a response."
They reached the war room, where Jade had prepared a presentation on the Herald engagement. Maps, tactical overlays, casualty reports. The diplomats looked overwhelmed. Zara looked hungry.
"You coordinated seven separate elements across a twelve-kilometer front," she said, studying the tactical display. "With real-time communication and shared situational awareness. How?"
"Trade secret."
Her jaw tightened. "The Council requires transparency in military matters if we're to establish cooperation."
"The Council requires many things." Sarnav met her gaze steadily. "We'll share what benefits both parties. Strategic advantages stay internal."
"That's not how military alliances work."
"We're not proposing a military alliance. We're discussing mutual non-aggression and potential coordination against common threats. Different things."
Zara opened her mouth to argue, but Jiyeon stepped in smoothly.
"Captain, perhaps we should discuss the practical details of your liaison role. The philosophical debates can wait for the formal negotiations."
For a moment, Zara looked like she wanted to push. Then military discipline reasserted itself, and she nodded curtly. "Fine. Show me your defensive positions. I want to understand what I'm working with."
The inspection took three hours.
Zara was thorough. She examined every guard post, questioned every patrol schedule, tested every communication protocol. She found flaws, some of which were intentional plants to see how she'd react, and reported them with the same flat professionalism she applied to everything.
"Your eastern perimeter has a blind spot between towers three and four. A skilled infiltrator could exploit it."
"We know. It's a trap. Anyone who tries that approach triggers three different alarm systems and walks into a kill zone."
A pause. "Clever."
"We've had practice."
At the training grounds, she paused to watch a squad running combat drills. Harmony soldiers moved through obstacle courses while awakened trainers threw abilities at them. Fire, ice, binding constructs. The soldiers dodged, countered, worked as a team.
"They're good," Zara admitted grudgingly. "Better than most Council units."
"They have to be. We don't have numbers. We have quality."
"Show me."
It wasn't a request. Sarnav raised an eyebrow. "Show you what?"
"Your quality. I've read the reports about the Herald battle. I've seen the tactical data. But reports don't tell me what a person can really do." Her dark eyes met his directly. "Spar with me."
Through the network, he felt his wives' reactions. Amusement from Minji. Wariness from Nisha. Anticipation from Ishani, who always appreciated a good fight.
"You sure about that, Captain? I'm A-rank."
"And I'm B-rank with fifteen years of combat experience." Her hand moved, and suddenly she was holding a blade that hadn't been there a moment before. It materialized from nothing, gleaming steel appearing in her grip like a magic trick. "My ability is Weapon Summoning. I can call any weapon I've ever used. I've used a lot of weapons."
Sarnav studied the sword. Military-issue, designed for close combat, perfectly balanced. She held it like an extension of her arm.
"I thought this was a diplomatic visit."
"It is. But diplomacy works better when both sides understand each other." She shifted into a ready stance. "Unless you're afraid?"
Ishani laughed out loud. "Oh, I like her."
"Ishani."
"What? She's got guts. Let her see what you can do, sayang. It'll make the negotiations easier."
He considered refusing. It would be the diplomatic choice. But Zara was right. Understanding came from demonstration, not words.
"One round," he said. "First touch wins. No lethal force."
"Agreed."
They squared off in the training yard, soldiers gathering to watch. Zara summoned a second blade to her off-hand, dual-wielding with practiced ease. Light gathered around Sarnav's fists, borrowed from Ishani through the network.
Zara moved first.
She was fast. Faster than her B-rank should have allowed, years of training compressing the gap between their power levels. Her blades wove patterns in the air, probing his defense, testing his reactions.
He let her come, reading her style. Military precision. Efficient movements. No wasted energy. She fought like someone who had killed many times and expected to kill many more.
Then he counterattacked.
He moved with A-rank speed, blurring across the distance in a fraction of a second before materializing inside her guard. A-rank reflexes meant he could see her strikes coming before she finished deciding to make them. His light-wrapped fist stopped an inch from her throat.
"First touch."
She didn't move. Her blades were still raised, her stance still perfect, but her eyes were wide. She hadn't even seen him move.
"You're faster than the reports suggested," she said quietly.
"Reports don't capture everything."
"No." She dismissed her weapons, the blades dissolving into nothing. "They don't."
They stood close, closer than professional distance warranted. He could smell the clean scent of her soap, see the pulse beating in her throat. For a moment, her stern mask slipped, and he saw something underneath. Not fear. Something more complicated.
Then she stepped back, discipline reasserting itself.
"Impressive," she said, her voice carefully controlled. "The Council will need to revise their assessment of your capabilities."
"Happy to help with the paperwork."
She almost smiled. Almost.
By the end of the inspection, her stern expression had shifted slightly. Not warmth, but grudging respect. These people knew what they were doing. They'd built something real in the chaos of the post-impact world.
"Your medical facilities are impressive," she admitted as they passed the healing wing again. "The Council's best hospitals don't have this level of awakened healer support."
"Sana takes her work seriously."
"Sana." Zara's eyes found the Japanese woman across the compound, her Holy Light glowing faintly as she tended to a wounded soldier. "One of your wives."
"Yes."
"And she's your primary healer."
"She's the best healer I've ever seen. She's also my wife. The two aren't related."
Zara made a noncommittal sound. "The Council has concerns about your... domestic arrangements. Multiple wives isn't standard in Malaysian society. Or legal, technically."
"The law ended when the asteroid hit. What we have works. It makes us stronger." He stopped, turning to face her directly. "I'm not asking for approval, Captain. I'm not asking for permission. My wives are not negotiable."
For a long moment, they stood in silence. Then Zara nodded once.
"Understood." Her tone suggested she didn't approve but recognized she couldn't change it. "I'll note that in my report."
"Note whatever you like. Just make sure you note the results. We defended our home, killed an S-rank, and broke an enemy army. That's what matters."
The formal negotiations lasted into the evening.
Deputy Minister Tan proposed a "framework for integration" that would effectively make Harmony a subsidiary of the Emergency Council. Jiyeon countered with a "partnership agreement" that maintained complete autonomy while allowing for coordinated operations. The back-and-forth was tedious, but necessary.
Zara sat silently through most of it, watching. She watched how Sarnav deferred to Jiyeon on diplomatic matters but stepped in firmly when military concerns arose. She watched how the other wives contributed. The hacker, Jade, providing data to support their positions. The Korean gamer, Minji, surprisingly sharp when discussing logistics. Even the dancer, Ananya, offered insights about morale and community building.
It wasn't a harem. It was a council. A family that functioned as a governing body.
She didn't understand it. But she couldn't deny it worked.
When the session finally ended, with agreements to continue tomorrow, Zara found herself lingering as the diplomats filed out.
"Captain?" Sarnav had noticed. "Something else?"
"Your network." She kept her voice low, aware of the other ears in the room. "The way your forces coordinated during the Herald battle. The way your wives communicate without speaking. That's not normal tactical coordination."
"No. It's not."
"Will you tell me what it is?"
"Eventually. Maybe." He smiled slightly. "Trust goes both ways, Captain. You want our secrets? Earn them."
She should have been offended. Instead, she felt something she hadn't felt in years.
Challenge.
"I'll hold you to that," she said, and turned to leave.
That night, Zara composed her initial report from the quarters she'd been assigned.
Harmony Safe Zone Assessment - Day 1
Military Capability: Higher than anticipated. Coordinated defeat of S-rank threat demonstrates tactical sophistication and raw power beyond typical survivor factions. Recommend cautious engagement.
Leadership Structure: Unorthodox. Primary leader Sarnav Kish maintains authority through respect rather than force. "Wives" function as specialized advisors and combat assets. Efficiency suggests system works despite unconventional nature.
Recommendation: Proceed with partnership negotiations. Attempting subordination would likely result in conflict we cannot win. Better to have them as allies than enemies.
She paused, stylus hovering over the tablet.
Personal Assessment: Sarnav Kish is not what I expected. He leads without arrogance. Commands without cruelty. His people follow him because they believe in him, not because they fear him.
He is dangerous. But perhaps not to us.
She deleted the personal section before sending. Some observations weren't for official reports.
But she couldn't delete them from her mind.
Later, after the delegation had settled into their assigned quarters, Sarnav found his wives gathered in their private common room.
"She's dangerous," Ishani said immediately. "Not just her abilities. The way she thinks. The way she watches. She's been trained to assess and neutralize threats."
"She's also attracted to you," Jiyeon observed, her tone clinical. "She hides it well, but I know the signs. The way she kept finding reasons to stand close. The way her eyes tracked you even when she was pretending to look elsewhere."
"Already?" Minji sounded impressed. "The chapter hasn't even started yet. Oppa's aura is OP."
"This isn't a game, Minji."
"Everything's a game, jagiya. Some games just have higher stakes."
Sarnav settled onto a couch, suddenly exhausted. The political maneuvering, the constant assessment, the careful dance of showing strength without provoking fear. It was draining in ways combat never was.
Nisha appeared at his side, pressing a cup of tea into his hands. "You did well today. The negotiations are moving in our favor."
"Thanks to Jiyeon."
"Thanks to all of us." Jiyeon's voice softened slightly. "This is what we do. What we are. A team."
Via the network, he felt their support. Seven women who had chosen him, who had bound their lives to his, who faced every challenge at his side. Whatever the government wanted, whatever Captain Zara Hassan was here to assess, they would face it together.
"The Captain asked to observe our training tomorrow," Jade said, not looking up from her tablet. "I told her she could. Figured it would be good to show her more of what we can do."
"And to see more of what she can do," Ishani added.
"That too."
Sarnav sipped his tea, considering. Zara was a complication. The government was a complication. But complications could become opportunities if handled correctly.
"Fine. Let her observe. Let her see everything we want her to see." He smiled slightly. "And maybe a few things we don't."
Tomorrow would bring new challenges. New political games. New opportunities to prove that Harmony was not a faction to be absorbed or controlled.
But tonight, he had his family. That was enough.
[DAY 76]
[WIFE COUNT: 7/32]
[ESSENCE: 759,100 / 1,000,000]
[HP: 12,847]
[HARMONY SAFE ZONE STATUS][POPULATION: 948][MYTHILI: DIPLOMATIC PREPARATIONS]
[GOVERNMENT STATUS: NEGOTIATIONS ONGOING]
[ZARA HASSAN: LIAISON ASSIGNED, ASSESSMENT BEGUN]
[NEXT: OBSERVATION]