03-07-YC121

The Heretics made a major incursion into our beloved Motherland yesterday.  They brought their blood-stained monstrosities, including Dreadnought-class vessels to wreak death and pain upon countless innocents.  They found only the blessed guns of our brave and loyal Faithful to greet them, including PIE and my very own hero Kostya.

There was a most deserved victory celebration afterwards, and dear Captain Shutaq invited me along. I politely declined, which I think surprised him somewhat, but I did not feel I had earned the right to be there.  I took no part in the defence, my more mundane duties keeping me from it.  I think I should have been nothing more than a liability even if I had been there.

I do wish I had seen My Love, but he should have his happy moments with me.  I am sure I shall just embarrass him.  Best he has the limelight he deserves without me to cast any sort of shadow over it.  I wonder which of his many admirers were there.  No doubt he had a dance.

I fear that my superiors in PIE shall tire of me soon enough, of my lack of skills and impact.  At least Lady Llyr seems to believe I do good work, though I must admit the lack of any real leads from this little cult on Nafrivik has been disappointing and frustrating.  A somewhat unexpected link with some of the off-world exports, but nothing more.  Perhaps it was simply a source of funding, but there is something suspicious about it, though I cannot at this moment quite say what that is.  The group themselves were not forthcoming with any useful information, no matter how unpleasant things were made for them, and they are certainly beyond talking now.  I shall have to have the records pulled from the various databases.  They shall perhaps reveal something.

I am trying to encourage Liliana to spend more time with Sasha, but I think it may be rather futile.  My brother is still infatuated with Ishta, though I still hope that shall wear off soon.  I know it is wicked of me, and I shall confess my thoughts to Father Mikhail, but I cannot help but feel that had her shuttle accident been just a little more deadly, it would have solved the issue in a quite decisive manner.  Then again, I suspect that Sasha may not be quite Liliana's type, though she did describe him as charming.  There is yet still a chance.

I cannot decide whether or not to return home for my birthday tomorrow.  I really should, or else Mama will be terribly disappointed.  Kostya will no doubt be far too occupied with his duties, and I would rather not spend my birthday alone.  I think perhaps I will go home.  Papa and Kolya are likely still deployed, but I may be able to persuade Sasha to leave his little Matari girl alone for a day, and of course Mama, Felix, and Dzerzhinsky will all be there.  Yes, that sounds much more enjoyable than a day spent with only my thoughts.  The less time I have with those, the better.