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The old guard stood and clapped.

As did the technicians, the young ship-born, the matriarchs of the other families.

They all cheered his name.

He turned to his wife, and Gaya hugged him, brimming with pride.

Savvine bestowed him a nod of approval and a wink, and he sighed. ‘Seems I have no choice.Va bene.’

He gave in with a wry smile and a surrender of his hands, rising to a deafening cheer.

Escorted by the general, he strode the steps to the dais, shoulders tense.

He shuffled behind the rail, blinking against the lights. Silence fell, every eye in the room on him.

‘I’m just an engineer,’ he began, half a protest.

Laughter rippled through the crowd.

‘That’s exactly why,’ someone called.

‘We don’t need another showboat!’

‘Just fix our ship!’

Savvine grinned despite herself.

General Arasteh stepped forward and took the dais, his command ironclad.

‘Enrico Bianchi is not a warlord. He is not a demagogue. He doesn’t seek influence for the sake of power.’

He turned to face the assembly, his keen eyes sweeping the room. ‘He is a builder, and in times like these, we require a leader who understands systems. Balance. Restoration. Someone who knows how to keep us alive, not with slogans or synthetic charisma, but with calm logic, humble competence, and a steady hand.’

A rumble of approval moved through the crowd.

‘No more madness. No morekoko-fueled ghost speeches from the back of velvet rooms. No drones and droids arresting our residents at will, and no dry rations,’ he added dryly, to a burst of grim laughter. ‘This family needs order. Vision, the best pasta, vino, aperitifs, and a return to what made us strong in the first place. Our unity.’

He turned back toward Savvine’s father. ‘You, Enrico Bianchi, are the most capable man to become our new Don. You have my blessing. You have your wife and daughters’ approval. And from the sound of it, ' he nodded to the audience, ‘you have everyone else’s, too.’

It was Abby who began the applause, surging to her feet. ‘BravaEnrico!’

Followed by Rocco, clapping with fervor. Newlywed Dorian let out a piercing whistle. Soon, the entire atrium erupted.

Savvine reached for her mother’s hand.

Gaya’s eyes shimmered with tears, her other arm wrapping around her daughter’s shoulders.

They held each other as the man they loved, quiet, humble, forever reluctant, stepped forward to the podium.

Her father raised a hand. The crowd quieted.

‘I suppose,’ he stated, voice steadier now, ‘if you want me to rectify things, well, I’ll need access to every deck schematic. However my first orders as Don will be to assign a tech fix the damn gravity dampeners on Deck 14 and to commission a fest, because hell, we need to celebrate!’

The roar of approval that followed sealed it.

Savvine’s soul was awash with affection as Enrico stood before the clan he now led, awkward yet proud and dignified.

Peace settled in her spirit. She could now leave the Eterna confident it was in safe hands.