At first, Roy's a little self-conscious about having the Gridcritters snuggled up around him like this. This isn't a Disney cartoon, darnit! But one of them's Ram and the other one... well, let's just say he feels honored by the kitten's show of trust. He curls a comforting hand under Ram's chin and pets the Rinzlerkitty gently as he goes on with the tale.

He'd narrowly avoided making Leia an ISO princess; that would have added a bad sociological undercurrent to the story. Instead she's a courier program, bravely facing down the tall, menacing figure in black. He'd weave the ISOs in later, as fellow rebels fighting alongside the programs, differences unimportant to the solidarity they share.

"'Lord Vector, I should have known.....'"