From end to end, top to bottom, the lowliest stingers to the mightiest cruisers, Azalea’s fleet is in disarray. Her ships are over extended, out of position, disorganized. Turn after turn, she has carelessly swept across Rayne’s fleet, running herself ragged trying to chase down and capture bait squadrons while Rayne’s priority units outmaneuver and overwhelm Azalea’s core defenses. She at once over taxes her power with an over abundance of ships, while lacking any units in the proper position to interfere with her floret’s masterful assault. Rayne, on the other hand, has optimized her fleet. Every ship she has given up has been done through deliberate calculation. A calculation meant only to bolster her most important units, now stronger, faster than ever. Where Azalea’s overtaxed power systems leave her units sputtering through faux space at a crawl, Rayne’s ships dart and weave through the gaping holes in Azalea’s battle formations, hounding her Mistress’ cruisers and closing in on the command ship. No doubt, the end is nigh for the outmatched affini. 

At least, that’s how it would seem to the untrained eye. Rayne, though, she is no fool. And so, despite her apparent overwhelming advantage in positioning, speed, and firepower, Rayne finds herself puzzling more and more over her every move. Something is amiss, this victory is easy, far too easy. And while her Mistress’ vast intellect no doubt outmatches Rayne’s by an unfathomable margin, she is not so foolish as to fall into such an obvious trap. With that in mind, she has been studying the board from every angle for the past several minutes, deep concentration creasing her brow. More than a few times, her hand reaches out to make her move, then darts back. No, not good enough. Too easy. This truly is a puzzle. A sigh escapes her lips.

“Something the matter, my darling?” Azalea asks, her tone not betraying even a hint of smug satisfaction. Sly plant, she never shows her cards, not until it’s too late. 

Despite herself, a silly grin spreads across Rayne’s face. In the face of such enigmatic, incomprehensible strategy, all she can feel is pride. This plant, out of all the others in the universe, chose Rayne, and she chose Rayne out of all the other possible florets in the universe too. Somehow, some way, the most perfect, impressive, amazing being in the entire universe had chosen her to take as a pet. Sometimes she didn’t feel worthy, but her implant was always quick to silence such doubt. For Rayne, there really is no feeling so special as knowing someone so perfect, wonderful and brilliant chose her of all people. And that feeling is amplified all the more in moments like this, where the curtains part, and she gets a true glimpse at the depth and breadth of her owner’s brilliance. She chuckles, then laughs aloud, and shakes her head, before beaming up at that perfect vision of grace, beauty and love. 

“I gotta say, Miss. You’ve got me.” Rayne admits. 

True to character, Azalea doesn’t reveal the slightest hint that any trickery is afoot, instead she just cocks her head in confusion, and asks: “Got you, little one? I’m not sure I understand.”

“Of course, Mistress,” Rayne giggles. She peers down at the board, giving it one last final look. There’s no point. Rayne knows that. By now she isn’t looking to find the answer, she just wants one last long look at her owner’s brilliance. “You know,” she begins. “I’ve been puzzling over this board for the past several moves now, pouring over every contingency, every possible move. The way I see it, Mistress. There are at least seven ways I can come up with at a glance to end this game in the next two turns.” At that, Azalea noticeably tenses. Rayne, though, does not see it; her eyes are still glued to the board, memorizing every last detail of her owner’s latest masterpiece. 

“I’ve been thinking up every possible move I could make, every possible move you could make, every counter, every counter-counter, every contingency I can possibly conceive of. And for the life of me, Mistress, I haven’t the slightest idea what your plan is. I just know you have an ace up your sleeve, some perfect gambit that will absolutely wipe my fleet off the map like it was nothing. And I know I know that because no matter what move I come up with, I can’t even imagine how you could possibly counter me.” Sighing, Rayne finally looks up from the board, to meet her owner’s gaze, her eyes are watering now, but not with sadness, with abject awe. “Your strategy, Mistress, it’s… impeccable. You play on a level that’s so advanced, so complex, so miraculous that I simply cannot fathom it. It’s well and truly so far beyond the scope of my mind that I can’t even so much as begin to conceive of it. And just… whatever trap you have set for me, it’s so entirely outside my comprehension, that there’s no doubt in my  mind it’s already too late. No doubt, as much as it looks like on paper that my victory is assured, that defeat is literally impossible, I’m one hundred percent positive that I've already lost. I’m certain that no matter what move I make, I’ll do nothing but blindly, helplessly wander into your master stroke of victory.” Breathing another long sigh, Rayne smiles wider, and shakes her head in wonder. “It’s over, you win, Mistress. I concede. Good game.”

Across from her, a coiled bundle of vines in the vague shape of a human woman stares wide eyed and shell shocked, before nodding, and untensing. Azalea mimics a terran sigh of relief, then nods. “Uuuuh, y-yeah. Totally. Wow you’re um, you’re such a smart girl Rayne? Yes! Definitely! Of course, you’re a very smart girl! My smart, precious girl! I’m so impressed you uhh… figured out my strategy and uhhh… ohh dirt and roots I was so looking forward to springing my ultimate trap but you, you saw right through me!” She trails off, before snapping back to attention. “Oh but um, I’m not disappointed or anything! Quite the opposite, like I said I’m so impressed you managed to figure it out! You’re such a smart girl for noticing my trap without even being able to conceive of it. I’m really proud of you darling! My precious girl is so brilliant!”

Joy and satisfaction and wonder and euphoria and so many other feelings well up in Rayne as she blushes and beams and nods her head with excessive excitable vigor. “Thank you, Mistress!” She cheers, wiggling in place as she practically bursts with raw happiness. “If you want I can always play the next few moves I was gonna do so you can, you know, catch me in your trap. That way all that planning won’t go to waste and I’m sure it’ll be super impressive to see.”

Visibly tensing, Azalea waves the idea away with a trembling vine. “Uhhmm, no, no, that’s okay. I don’t think that’s necessary. I, well, I wouldn’t want to give away the answer, right? I think if you think on it some more, you’ll certainly be able to find the answer.”

With an enthusiastic nod, Rayne stands from her chair, scurries across the room, and leaps into her owner’s lap. “You’re right, Mistress, I’ll think about it and I promise I’ll do my best to win next time we play.” She smiles, then nuzzles into her owner’s chest, breathing a contented sigh and closing her eyes, her peaceful joy never receding .”For now, though, I think I’ve had enough games for one day. Three wins to my zero wins, I don’t know what else I could have expected, Mistress, but it’s always a joy to watch you play. And, of course, it’s a joy to spend any time with you at all.”

“Likewise, my love,” Azalea responds, running a vine through her pet’s hair. “Now how about we retire to the couch, and watch TV and cuddle ‘til bedtime?” 

“That sounds perfect, Miss!” Rayne mutters, already feeling her energy start to drain. All said and done, Azalea stands, and moves to cross the room, only to get tangled up in her chair and trip, falling face first to the floor and sending Rayne somersaulting through the air, landing safely and gently upon the sofa.