Perking up, the Reverend Mother opened her mouth and smiled, and at least her not-quite-blindingly-white teeth provided some contrast to her bleached face. "The Stars are simply too single-mindedly focused upon the martial arts; it really is a scandalous shame how few of them volunteered for service when the Great Mother made her request. Her Majesty selected one of the finest of those who presented themselves, of course, but the offerings were slim."