They Answered The Call

RSS Indomitable, Independence-Class Carrier, Task Force Delta

CWS Ancestor's Glory-Flagship of the Provisional Commonwealth Navy, Task Force 12

In orbit around Jaleenia for the eighteenth solar month anniversary of the Battle of the Jaleeni System

Admiral Thompson waited nervously as the Provisional Commonwealth shuttle carrying the memorial delegation entered through the atmospheric shield and began landing procedures inside the cavernous landing bay.

He looked around quickly to ensure that the honor guard was ready to perform their function, admiring how sharp they looked in their dress uniforms with their shiny ceremonial sabers.

Captain Ruggeri leaned closer to him and spoke in a low voice. “Karl, everything is fine. I made sure of it myself. I even made the honor guard press their uniforms again before finally letting them enter the bay.”

Thompson looked at Dominic and smiled, thinking of just how insulted and pissed off the pathfinders must have been when Captain Ruggeri ordered them to press their uniforms again.

Those were fighting words, and he was surprised the captain was still breathing after saying such a thing to fifty marine pathfinders. Dominic smiled and winked at him before looking back towards the shuttle.

Thompson followed his gaze, watching as the shuttle finally landed softly on the alloy deck and expelled gases from the landing thrusters.

Dominic leaned his head down and spoke softly, issuing commands with his throat mic. Almost immediately, the two lines of twenty-five resplendent pathfinders marched in perfect sync as they headed towards the shuttle.

They formed two lines on either side of the shuttle hatch, and waiting midshipmen appeared out of nowhere and scurried over.

They quickly unfurled the red carpet in between the two lines of the honor guard that went from the hatch and terminated at the last two pathfinders.

The midshipmen disappeared like puffs of smoke, and Thompson looked at Dominic again, who nodded slightly at him. They marched forward and stopped right at the edge of the red carpet.

As soon as they were in position, the shuttle hatch slid open with a loud hiss, and the delegation inside the shuttle could be seen milling around the hatchway.

The lieutenant commander leading the honor guard barked an order, and there were sudden blinding flashes of light as all fifty of them drew their sabers and held them aloft over the red carpet for the delegation to walk under.

The first delegation member to step out was Jaleeni Chief Minister Ollo, who was accompanied by his mate. They stared at the honor guard in awe for a few moments before they started walking down the path.

The next two delegation members were V’rni, and Thompson’s heart ached for them as they looked around with haunted eyes, a radical departure from their usual jovial temperament.

Over 95% of their species died in the horrific asteroid attack the Insectoids launched against their home system, and it would take them many generations to even begin to recover from their losses and reclaim their former glory.

They were followed by a delegation of Zikali, the reclusive, bat-like species that rarely left their home world. Thompson had always been fascinated by their species, and he fervently hoped he would have a chance to meet and speak with them when he found out they were coming.

Several other important member species of the Neo-Commonwealth came out of the shuttle as their delegations exited and joined the others who had proceeded before them.

The Xenxin came out next, and Thompson smiled slightly as the delegates swaggered down the path, looking like they were spoiling for a brawl as they stared menacingly all around them.

Dominic snickered quietly at the sight of them, and it took all of Thompson’s willpower not to be triggered by him and laugh out loud himself.

He turned his head and glared at Dominic, whose lips were making all kinds of efforts to stay closed and keep the laughter that wanted to escape within them.

They looked like they were on the verge of failing as Dominic continued to stare ahead and avoid eye contact, looking into the distance with unfocused eyes.

He made a fist and quickly jabbed Dominic with it on the side above the waist to get him to cut it out, hoping that the crew assembled behind them didn’t notice the unprofessional interaction.

Dominic grunted and continued to stare straight ahead, his lips trembling as he tried to maintain his composure. Thompson rolled his eyes and turned back to look at the still-strutting Xenxin as they continued to walk between the honor guards.

Despite their belligerent nature, Thompson, along with many others in Fleet Command and the Republic government, considered them to be among the best of allies and friends to the Republic.

The ties between the two peoples grew stronger every day, and Thompson considered humanity to be lucky to be able to count people such as the Xenxin among their true friends in the galaxy.

The Eleani delegation came out after the Xenxin, and Thompson smiled broadly as he saw Ambassador Nimto and his wife start walking down the path.

His wife looked extremely nervous, and she was death gripping the ambassador’s arm with clenching fingers.

Nimto patted her hand affectionately with his to cover them from view as they continued walking between the two ranks of the honor guard.

The Republic and the Eleani Sovereignty had become practically joined at the hip with the amount of integration the two governments had been undergoing ever since the Republic came to their defense.

There were persistent rumors that they had been insisting on joining the Republic as an equal partner, merging the two governments and militaries into one.

The Xenxin had indicated that if that happened, they would seek the same and submit an official request to join as the third member.

The Republic government had been having a hell of a time convincing them to remain within the new Commonwealth to help stabilize the new government as it rebuilt from the terrible civil war.

If I were president, I would let them join immediately, he thought to himself, knowing full well that he was thinking with his heart and not his mind.

He loved the Eleani with all his being, and he knew the government and the Republic citizens felt the same way as he did.

Humanity had never forgotten their kindness and friendship when they first went into space, and they never would.

It had become standard practice for Republic citizens to address or refer to individual Eleani with the prefix cousin before their names.

The Eleani themselves quickly picked up on the habit and started using it themselves, delighting in the kinship meaning associated with the term.

There were now millions of Eleani living in Republic worlds and vice versa, and it was becoming more commonplace to hear of Eleani and humans falling in love with each other and becoming interspecies couples.

Finally, the last three delegates came out of the shuttle, and Thompson felt conflicted as they started walking down the path to join the others.

Sarix, the new president of the Commonwealth, was the first one out, followed by his clutch daughter Verixa.

She had been promoted to vice grand admiral by fleet command for her stubborn refusal to abandon the Jaleeni during the evacuation and expertly fighting the Insectoids with her woefully outnumbered fleet.

The last one to emerge from the shuttle was the recently promoted Grand Admiral Therax, son of President Sarix and clutch sibling of Vice Grand Admiral Verixa.

The Republic government had initially been concerned about possible accusations of nepotism derailing the new fragile government, but the reconstituted Commonwealth Senate put those concerns to rest very quickly when the issue was brought up.

They publicly endorsed the appointments and made it clear that they were the ones who made the decision to elevate the family to those positions.

The new government freely shared the results of the overwhelming votes in favor of the appointments by the Senate and the Commonwealth citizens with their interstellar neighbors who voiced similar concerns.

Thompson found President Sarix to be a breath of fresh air who quickly cleaned house and initiated a campaign to root out the endemic corruption that had plagued the old Commonwealth government.

President Sarix also introduced a slew of measures to strengthen the bond between the Republic and the Provisional Commonwealth, such as fully opening their borders to Republic trading ships and military vessels.

He also ordered the transfer and sharing of all advanced and top-secret technology that had been jealously guarded by the old Commonwealth government to the Republic, a gesture and boon that was greatly appreciated.

Vice Grand Admiral Verixa was a hero of her people who shied away from the accolades heaped upon her by the citizenry and would shut down such notions whenever the appellation was brought up.

She issued the same statement every time, plainly stating:

“I am not a hero. I am still living. The real heroes are the ones under my command who never left the Jaleeni system. Save your praises for them and for my clan leader, Mei Zhou, and the Republic warriors under her command who came to save a people they had no obligation to fight for.

They chose to stay and fight, and they bravely traded their lives for the Jaleeni. They reminded the Nekuli what true honor was, and I know they are awaiting us in Paradise with the ancestors.”

As he watched Grand Admiral Therax make his way down the path, Thompson was forced to finally admit to himself that the only source of conflict he had was with Therax.

He still unfairly resented him for surviving while Mei died, and he was secretly ashamed of all the times he lied to Therax and many others when he said that he harbored no ill will.

Therax finally reached the assembled delegates, and they walked over to the large Republic courier vessel that would take them all down to the surface for the memorial service.

The honor guard broke ranks and headed towards the pathfinder shuttle that would take them to the surface to do it all over again during the ceremony.

Thompson started heading to the courier vessel with Dominic in tow, and they waited as the dignitaries got inside and settled before boarding the ship themselves.

The flight down was short, and soon the courier vessel was gently touching down on a pad in the abandoned government space port on the outskirts of the empty capital.

Thompson waited for all the dignitaries to exit the ship before he and Dominic walked down the stairs and took their places with the other Republic military and government officials that had been waiting on the surface.

President Lopez was there, and she nodded to him when she saw him, pointing at her wristcom first and then at him through the crowd. He looked at his wristcom and saw that she had sent him a short text message. -Be strong; I am praying for you.-

He glanced back up and caught her eye before giving her an appreciative nod. She returned it, smiling sadly at him before resuming her rounds as she continued to greet all the assembled dignitaries and delegates.

After almost an hour of greetings and dozens of small conversations, President Sarix and Chief Minister Ollo went up on the stage and activated the voice projector system, asking for all the attendees to start taking their seats.

It took almost another quarter of an hour before everyone was finally seated, and Chief Minister Ollo was the first speaker. He looked at the crowd with his deep brown eyes filled with sadness before beginning.

“I had written a speech, but I find that there are no words in any of the galactic languages that were sufficient to convey what I want to express, so I will speak from my hearts.

In our history, there was a warrior class during our times of darkness that held back the evil that threatened to consume the Jaleeni and take away all that was good and pure in our world. They were known as Dilnanii.”

Thompson’s ear translator converted the word to its nearest Republic standard counterpart, and he heard the word knight in place of the Jaleeni word as the prime minister continued speaking.

“There came a time when the Dilnanii were no more, and they disappeared along with the evil that used to plague us, no longer needed by the Jaleeni they once defended. We remembered them always and honored them for being our champions in times of need.

When the Insectoids came to destroy our species, we looked around and found no Dilnanii among us to stand against them. We prayed for the creator to help us, and we waited for the darkness to come and end us.”

Chief Minister Ollo paused as he was overcome by the memories of that day, and his mate stepped forward and nuzzled her head against him. He gathered courage from her support and affection and looked back out at the crowd.

“And then it happened. We watched on our scopes as hundreds of warships we had never seen before flashed out of null space and put themselves between us and the evil that had come to take us.

We watched the small fleet bravely stand against the Insectoids, knowing that they were not enough to save us. We expected them to fight for a time and then flee, and we would have understood if they did so.

The strangers did not wait for the Insectoids to come to them. Instead, they charged at them. As we watched them fight, we knew the creator had heard our pleas and sent us the saviors we so desperately needed.

They fought with a skill and tenacity we could scarcely believe, and before our eyes, we watched the much larger Insectoid fleet get destroyed. Our prayers had been answered, and I contacted our saviors to thank them for saving us.”

He paused again as he looked down at the top of the lectern. After a few moments, he looked back up, and his eyes were now filled with anguish.

“I hailed our saviors, and I spoke to the human woman that led the fleet, Mei Zhou. I saw on her face the exhaustion, the horror, and the suffering her fleet had undergone.

I also saw something else. I saw an unyielding in her eyes, a silent promise to never give up, no matter the cost.

For the first time in my life, I saw a Dilnanii.”

His mate started quietly whimpering behind him as she put her face in her paws, her grieving clearly heard by the attendees who were utterly silent as they listened to Chief Minister Ollo tell them of that fateful day.

“We thought we were saved, until another, smaller Insectoid fleet flashed in, far further in the inner system than they have ever done before.

We are dead, we thought to ourselves. There is nothing the Dilnanii of the Republic could do to save us now.

The scattered remnants of the Republic fleet flashed back into null space, and we understood why they had fled. They had done all they could, and they could not fight another battle and survive.

We accepted our fate and thanked them in our hearts for trying as the agents of our destruction bore down on us.

We were wrong. The fleet did not enter null space to flee. They entered null space to keep fighting, and we saw the remnants of what remained of their depleted fleet flash out among the second Insectoid wave and continue fighting.

We wept as we saw Mei Zhou’s ship break in half, and we watched in horror as the surviving ships under her command were seized with madness by the loss of their leader and started ramming the Insectoids.

Against all odds, they had done it; the Dilnanii of the Republic had saved us, giving their lives for ours like the ancient protectors of the past used to do for us.”

He then looked up into the sky and howled, his mate and almost a dozen other Jaleeni officials adding their own to his as they harmonized.

Thompson couldn’t take it anymore, and he bent his head down, clenching his eyes shut as he heard the mournful howling echoing off the surrounding structures of the empty spaceport.

He felt a hand grab his and squeeze tightly, knowing it was from Dominic sitting next to him as he kept his dry eyes closed. There were no tears; he did not have any more to shed for his departed love, Mei Zhou.

The howling slowly died out, and he could hear the diverse types of grieving all around him as the different species added their own unique ways to the mix.

Chief Minister Ollo left the lectern, holding his whimpering mate in his arm as they walked off the platform and took their empty seats in the front row.

President Sarix spoke next, his deep voice bouncing off the nearby structures as he recalled receiving the secret messages that were beamed into his offices from spy drones sent by his clutch daughter and son, who he thought were dead.

He then spoke of watching the sensor recordings of the battle, realizing that he was witnessing the last stand of an honorable warrior species.

As he watched the last of the Republic fleet ram into the new Insectoid battlehives, he knew his people had finally found the kindred spirits they had been searching for ever since they first went into space.

His voice became filled with shame and regret as he asked the humans to forgive him for hating them and wanting to destroy them for murdering his son, whom he thought had died by their hands.

He asked the other attendees to forgive him and the Nekuli people for being so blinded by loyalty that they could not see the truth or realize the Commonwealth government they served was unworthy of their allegiance until it was too late.

He then spoke of the need for all the species to join in friendship and alliance to ensure such things would never happen again to any of them.

He ended his speech with an ancient human fable that he had come across in his studies of human history and told it to them. It was Aesop’s fable of the lion and the four oxen, and it was short and to the point.

“United we stand, divided we fall,” he loudly declared as his eyes looked all around the assembly before him. “I cannot think of a more apt saying for the circumstances we now find ourselves in, and the Provisional Commonwealth will live by this as we forge a new path forward.”

There was widespread approval of his speech, and he left the platform to take his seat, his back rigidly straight as he walked with dignity and purpose.

The two V’rnian delegates went on next, and what they had to say was heartbreaking.

“We thank you all for accepting our refugees and opening your nests to us in our time of need.

We regret not pushing harder and using our considerable influence as a founding species to force the Commonwealth government to accept the Republic’s membership proposal.

Maybe what happened to our solar system could have been averted with the might of the Republic Navy added to our own. We wish… the Republic was there for us when the Insectoids came.

We know this is not fair. We cannot help but think that things might have been different if humanity was at our side, like they were there for the Eleani and the Jaleeni.

Maybe... we would still have a home, and hundreds of billions of V’rnians would still fill our nest cities.”

The V’rnian delegates then left the platform, the pattering of their bare feet easily heard in the utter silence that gripped the crowd as they returned to their seats.

Well known for their bluntness, the V’rni had no time for nonsense in their short lives and preferred to tell the truth of what they felt and thought, regardless of how it made others feel.

Thompson and the other humans were deeply affected by what they had said, and the other members of the former Commonwealth hung their heads in shame, knowing which ones among them refused the Republic membership proposal.

This mistake and the arrogant rejection of the Republic’s already signed offer of alliance during the initial Insectoid invasion most likely led to the near extermination of the V’rni, and the V’rnian delegates just shoved it in their faces.

President Lopez got out of her seat and walked up the stairs to the platform, reaching the lectern and looking over the assembled delegates and dignitaries for a few moments before speaking.

“One of the hardest aspects of being the president of the Republic of Humanity is also being the commander-in-chief of our armed forces. Every day, there are deaths in the military branches both inside and outside of Republic space.

There are accidents, injuries, and illnesses that claim the lives of brave men and women in the performance of their duties. They are unfortunate and upsetting, and I grieve for them and their families every time I see another name.

She paused, clasping her hands together before resuming in a voice filled with deep sadness.

“And then there are the ones who die in war. There are the ones who are wounded, both in body and spirit. We can tell ourselves all we want that they knew the risks and willingly signed up despite the inherent dangers of the choice they made.

It does not make it any less painful to know this, whether they are killed or wounded or make it back home. They are changed forever after seeing their brothers and sisters being injured and killed, or after having to take the life of an enemy in combat.

How does one grieve when the number is in the tens of thousands? How does one remember all the faces and names as they scroll past the screen one after another, knowing that their parents now have to bury their child, the worst calamity that could ever befall a mother and a father?”

She looked directly at Thompson as she continued to speak, locking her red-rimmed eyes on his before moving them back over the others again.

“How does one grieve when the person they love does not come back home, leaving them with only memories and a shattered heart? It never becomes easier, and the pain never goes away. We are gathered here today to pay our respects to our honored dead and to remember them.

We are also gathered here today to ensure that the sacrifices paid by those who are no longer with us were not for nothing and have meaning for a future they cannot share with us.

I have hope for such a future, and there is someone else here that has the same hope.”

Her expression changed, and she bore her eyes into the assembly with a stare that promised severe consequences as she spoke in a stern voice.

“I brought a guest with me who is under my personal protection, and I demand that you accord her the same respect that you have shown towards me and your fellow delegates.”

President Lopez then looked at the V’rnian delegates, her expression changing again to apprehension as she addressed them directly in a much softer voice.

“I ask that you please give my guest a chance and listen to what she has to say. If it becomes too much for you to bear, then please leave quietly; I will understand.”

The V’rnian delegates looked confused by what the president was asking of them, and the lead V’rni nodded her head slowly, uncertainty evident in her pale green eyes.

Thompson knew what was about to happen, but he still felt his anxiety increase as his mind started playing out all the worst possible scenarios that could happen when the president’s guest was revealed.

President Lopez looked at Thompson one more time, and he gave her a slight nod, letting her know that all was ready.

President Lopez then pressed a small button on the side of the voice projector on the lectern and leaned closer to speak into it; her voice now greatly magnified as it came out of several speakers located around the spaceport.

“Aurora, please come out and join me.”

Thompson saw the delegates and dignitaries look among themselves, then all around them as they began talking in confused whispers to each other as they wondered who this Aurora was.

60 meters to the right of the platform was a small hangar bay, and the doors clanked loudly as they started to slide open, their rusty mechanisms grinding as they opened for the first time since the Jaleeni evacuation.

Twelve Republic combots came walking out, causing the crowd to gasp in shock at the sudden sight of them as their mechanisms whirred and their foot pads clomped on the ground.

The combots arranged themselves in a semi-circular formation, their weapons suites in standby mode as their sensor dome heads swiveled. They remained where they were, scanning the immediate vicinity and the crowd for any signs of danger towards their primary.

Behind them emerged a solitary figure that slowly passed the threshold from the dark interior into the ruddy, orange-tinged light of the red giant star of the Jaleeni system.

Thompson quickly looked at the Eleani and Nekuli contingents, making eye contact with Ambassador Nimto and President Sarix, both of whom acknowledged that they were ready with preplanned signals.

They had been informed beforehand by the Republic, and they were tasked with helping to calm the assembled dignitaries of the other species if needed.

As Aurora fully emerged into the sunlight, there were loud gasps, followed by the sounds of several chairs being overturned as the ones sitting in them shot up to see the newcomer more clearly.

Thompson looked at the V’rnians, who had to stand in their chairs to get a view over the heads of the taller species around them.

They were violently trembling, and one of them looked directly at the admiral with accusing eyes full of hate.

He got up from his chair and bulled his way through the crowd, desperate to reach them before they did something rash.

Aurora continued her slow pace towards the platform, and her guardian combots had her enclosed in a defensive circle as they continued to scan for any signs of threats.

Thompson finally reached the V'rni, and they both turned to look at him with eyes filled with anguish and betrayal.

His heart broke as he saw the haunting sorrow and pain within them, and he spoke quickly with a pleading voice to try to get them to remain where they were.

“Please try to remain calm. I’m begging you, please do not do anything rash.”

The lead V’rni looked at him square in the eyes, her face scowling with anger as she responded to him with a stream of high-pitched chittering that turned into squealing before she stopped.

His translator struggled to keep up, and he covered his ears so that he could hear better over the increasing tumult around them.

“How could you do this to us? How dare you bring that murderer here? They almost exterminated my entire species! HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO ME?”

Thompson stared down into her eyes as he heard the translation, and his mind raced as he thought of something to say to mollify her.

He thought of his pain from losing Mei and all the friends and crew he had lost over the last two years. He responded loudly to be heard by her over the others, letting some of his own pain and loss bleed through his words.

“I know something of your pain and anguish. Mei Zhou was the woman I wanted to marry, and now I can never ask for her hand or make a family with her because she died here.

I have lost hundreds of friends and know the pain of losing thousands of people under my command.

I know that what I say does not make it easier, but you are not alone in what you have suffered. I have met Aurora, and I have forgiven her.

Please, just give her a chance and listen, or leave. You cannot remain here and endanger yourselves and others by doing something stupid.”

He internally winced as he said the word stupid, a grievous diplomatic blunder that could backfire on him badly. He continued to look down and stare into her eyes as she listened to his words being translated by the device on her blouse.

He saw a faint change in her angry stare, and she looked away from him, keeping her gaze averted as she replied. Her chittering was much more subdued this time, and he listened as his translator started back up.

“I did not know the warrior heroine of Jaleenia was your mate... I am ashamed for thinking that my pain and loss are all that matter while we are here to honor the sacrifice of your people.

I thought not of the pups and littermates of the ones who died here and know the same pain as we do. I am filled with sorrow for your loss, and I am remorseful of my selfishness. I will not do anything that is… stupid, as you say.”

Relief flooded through him as he heard her words, and he got down on a knee and took one of her small hands in his, feeling the coldness of her pale, delicate fingers.

He was now eye level with her, though she was still averting her gaze. She did not withdraw her hand from his, and he seized on that as a good sign before replying to her.

“Thank you, and I share in your sorrow for your pups and littermates. Do you want to leave? I will take you wherever you wish to go, right now.”

After listening to her translator, she finally looked him in the eyes again before responding. “No. I will listen to what the Insectoid has to say, and I must admit I am curious as to how you have managed to communicate with them.”

The other V’rnian chittered at her loudly, and Thompson could feel the emotion behind his vocalizations as he pointed first at her and then at Thompson before jumping off the chair.

He glared at Thompson one last time before turning away and pushing his way through the crowd back towards the Courier vessel.

Thompson made to get up and intercept him when the other V’rnian took her hand out of his and placed it on his shoulder, stopping him. She chittered again, pleading with her eyes as his translator activated.

“Let him go. He is my youngest pup and was on a ship orbiting the gas giant when they attacked. He saw the asteroids smashing our world and heard the billions of cries for help before they were silenced. His soul has never recovered, and forcing him to stay will hurt him more.”

Thompson nodded and sent a quick text message with his wristcom to the pathfinders guarding the courier ship to let the V’rni enter and keep an eye on him.

By this time, Aurora had reached the platform and was carefully ascending the small stairs, something the Insectoids were not really used to doing with their long, triple-jointed legs.

President Lopez was still in front of the lectern and tapped on the voice projector, the loud thumping getting the attention of the disorganized attendees.

The first couple of rows had started fearfully retreating from the ominous combots that were positioning themselves between the crowd and the platform, and both Ambassador Nimto and President Sarix were yelling loudly for the delegates to calm down.

President Lopez’s voice came over the projector. “Order, please remain calm and retake your seats.”

Most of the delegates ignored her and were still milling around, and she addressed them again, talking in her old command voice this time with a stern expression on her face.

“Order! Sit Down!”

This time they paid attention to her, and Thompson watched in amusement as all their heads snapped towards her, unable to help themselves as her command voice grabbed their undivided attention like recruits listening to a drill instructor.

Thompson could almost swear some of them went into their versions of attention before they started sitting down, and he helped the V’rni delegate sit back down in her chair before heading to the front to help Nimto and Sarix restore order among the two front rows.

Aurora had reached President Lopez, and she waited slightly behind her, almost as if she were hiding behind the president. This must be terrifying to her, Thompson thought to himself as order finally returned and the assembled delegates and dignitaries quieted down.

He quickly scanned their faces, seeing many filled with barely concealed hostility. Some were outright hateful, and the others were nervously eyeing the combots, fearful of them.

Thompson waved over the honor guard that was waiting along the sides and had them assume position between the first row and the combots to create a buffer zone and soothe the people afraid of the combots before walking back over to his seat.

He was surprised to see the V’rnian sitting in Dominic’s seat next to his, and he looked to where her seat was, seeing Dominic sitting there.

Dominic smirked at him, and Thompson sat down in his seat, wondering what Dominic thought was funny about all of this.

The V’rnian leaned over and chittered at him softly. “Your subordinate was kind enough to offer his seat to me. My name is Liria, Daughter of the Tenth Nest and Keeper of the Sacred Scepter.”

Thompson looked at her in open-mouthed shock. She just told him she was a member of the ancient royal bloodline of V’rnia and that he had touched a princess, a societal taboo among the V’rni.

He did not know that any of them were coming, probably for security reasons, and he grimaced as he remembered alluding to her doing something stupid before.

She stuck her tongue out at him, their version of smiling and laughter, and spoke again quickly.

“Do not fret; I will not let your government know that you insulted the honor of V’rnia by calling a daughter of the royal house less than...intelligent.”

Thompson’s face turned red with embarrassment, and she tapped her small hand on his leg, sticking her tongue in and out rapidly as she squealed with delight at his discomfiture.

She turned serious again as she looked at Aurora and then back at him. “Thank you for helping me to see past my anger. This is an important moment, and I will listen to the Insectoid.”

Thompson silently nodded to her, afraid to open his mouth and say anything else to Princess Liria. She tapped his leg one last time and withdrew her hand, turning away from him and looking at Aurora with a neutral expression.

He glared at the back of Dominic’s head, wondering if he had the authority to make the commander of a battlecarrier clean the crew lavatories with a toothbrush when President Lopez’s voice came over the projector again.

The president had put on the Insectoid translating device on her blouse, and now there was a hologram being projected that was displaying Eleani sign language as she spoke.

Aurora had moved from behind the president to her side to watch the holographic signing closely.

“I will remind you that Aurora is my guest and under the protection of the Republic. She is also my friend and someone I have come to care about deeply. Please give her the respect she deserves and is entitled to as both a queen and a Hive mother.

President Lopez stepped to the side, gesturing to Aurora and then to the lectern.

Aurora briefly flared out her wings, and they shimmered brilliantly in the orange sunlight, causing gasps and quiet murmuring from among those who had never seen the majestic wings in real life before.

She reached up a claw and tapped on a device attached to the flexible armor covering her thorax as she took her place in front of the lectern.

She started signing with her claws, and there was more surprised murmuring that stopped when President Lopez glared at them. A female-sounding voice came from the device, devoid of any emotion.

“I am Aurora. I was given this name by my Hive mother, Lopez-Friend. I am honored that she gave me the name of her favorite ancestor. I am happy to be here and not happy to be here.”

There was complete silence from the assembled delegates and dignitaries, and Aurora seemed unsure of how to proceed. She looked at President Lopez, who gestured to the seated audience and mimed signing.

Aurora turned her large, oval-shaped eyes back and continued to sign with her claws.

“I am afraid of coming here; I did not want to leave my Hive and try to make friends with those who hate me. I did not want to come here where wrongness was done.”

Aurora paused, and her claw movements faltered for a few moments before she resumed.

“The Hive mother told me I must do so and that I cannot receive pardon if I do not ask. She told me that if I do not tell you of the shame and regret I have within me, then you will never give me pardon.

I do not want to make war; I do not want to kill. I want peace. I want my daughters to live in peace with the animals. Please pardon me. Please pardon me. I ask for your pardon.”

Her claws were moving frantically as she repeatedly asked for them to forgive her, and Thompson looked at Princess Liria sitting next to him.

Her face was a stone mask, and her small hands were balled up into little fists that trembled.

Aurora had stopped signing, and she was looking down at the top of the lectern. President Lopez gently touched one of her thorax legs, and Aurora turned around to face her.

The president leaned over and spoke into the projector. “Please give us a moment.” She then tapped on her wristcom, and a privacy field spang up around them, occluding the president and Aurora.

There was an instant hum of quiet conversation as everybody started murmuring and talking to each other in subdued whispers. Thompson leaned over and quietly spoke to Princess Liria.

“Are you okay, Princess? Can I do anything for you?” She turned to look at him slowly, and she responded with a subdued chittering.

“I was not expecting her to ask for us to forgive her. Do they even know the concept, or is President Lopez telling her what to say?”

Thompson could pick up on the thinly veiled accusation of the president coaching Aurora on what to say, and he felt anger rising inside of him, surprised by his sudden strong desire to defend Aurora.

“Princess Liria, I worked with Aurora for many solar months while she was establishing her Hive on a Republic world.

The first time I met her in person, she did not want to speak on anything until she apologized to me and asked for forgiveness for the deaths of Mei Zhou and all the others.

She told me she grieved with me, and despite the hate I had for her, I believed her. I now consider Aurora to be a friend.”

Princess Liria listened to him speak, and he could see the disbelief in her eyes as she politely waited for him to finish. She didn’t respond right away, and when she did, her chittering was short and abrupt.

“I do not believe her, but I have given you my oath as a princess to listen to her, so I will do as I said I would, nothing more.”

Princess Liria looked away from him and back at the platform, and Thompson knew better than to press the issue or respond. He had just been dismissed by a princess, and he had no choice but to accept it.

He looked around, seeing varying degrees of anger and disbelief at what Aurora had been saying, and he did not blame them one bit. It was going to take a long time for Aurora to receive the forgiveness she was asking for, if ever.

The fourteen decades of conflict and the hundreds of billions of deaths caused by the Insectoid Empire would take the former Commonwealth members a long time to move past and heal from, and he understood that fully.

What Thompson was greatly concerned about was the prospect of Aurora successfully taking over the Hives and forging a new path forward for the Insectoid Empire and its neighbors.

She was going to need military assistance from both the Republic and the half-destroyed Commonwealth to do so, and he was extremely worried about the remaining members rejecting an alliance between them and Aurora.

The entire quadrant needed to be unified and prepared for the potential coming of the ancient enemy that wiped out the old Insectoid Empire and kill over 98% of the queens. They chased them for cycles across thousands of lightyears, and they know the direction they fled in.

A brutal enemy like that was unlikely to leave their task of exterminating the Insectoids unfinished, and it was only a matter of time before their territory expanded and reached the quadrant.

Thompson could not imagine facing an enemy with over 100,000 warships, and the available combat power of the quadrant had been squandered during the Insectoid invasion and the subsequent rebellion.

The Provisional Commonwealth Navy had less than 30% of its predecessors combat power, and the Republic shipyards have been working around the clock to replace the losses the Republic Navy had suffered in the Eleani and Jaleeni systems.

It wasn’t the building of ships that was the problem; it was crewing them with the highly trained personnel required for Republic ships to proficiently engage in combat against adversaries and maintain their current lopsided kill ratio.

The Insectoids were even worse off, despite the staggering numbers of ships deployed in the forbidden regions.

Thompson could scarcely believe what he was being told when President Lopez informed him of the massive guardian fleets that were deployed thousands of light years away as they scrambled to figure out a way to save the crew of the John Cabot.

If they had withdrawn even a tenth of that combat power, the Insectoids would have laid waste to the entire quadrant without noticing the occasional speed bumps of the other species militaries as they steamrolled over them.

The fact that they were so terrified of their ancient adversaries that they refused to recall even 1/10th of their available combat power to ensure their total victory filled Thompson and the rest of Fleet Command with dread of the coming enemy.

He snapped his attention back to the platform when the president had dropped the privacy field, and he waited nervously to hear what Aurora had to say. She resumed her place and started signing again.

“Hive mother tells me that I must tell the truth and share my thoughts with you about what has happened before and what led to me betraying my sisters and the old Hive mother.

I was there when the asteroids hit the nest world. I created the asteroid movers when the Hive mother told me and my sister queens to find a way to strike at the enemy.”

Aurora stopped signing and looked directly at Liria, her large, black eyes staring at her with a powerful alien intelligence within them.

Liria wilted under the stare, averting her gaze. She reached out and grabbed Thompson’s right leg, clenching his dress pant and balling the fabric in her tiny fist as her left arm trembled.

Aurora resumed signing, continuing to look directly at the V’rni as her translator spoke.

“I had to do as the old Hive mother commanded; it is the way of the Hives. Only when I was forced to watch the asteroids smash that world and kill all the life within it was I able to break free from her control and make the decision to turn against the Hive mother and my sisters.

I made plans with secret thoughts and went to my sister’s Hive to rescue the animal hostages there. I killed her, and when I fled the Builder world with a Hive ship, I destroyed it and killed billions of drones. My thoughts are filled with the deaths I have caused.

When Bandit-Friend came to kill me, I did not want to die, and I did not want to live. I did too much wrongness to be able to choose. Bandit-Friend spared my life and made the choice for me.

The Hive mother and my sisters would have culled me for my weakness, but a thinking machine-animal showed me a new way. A way of mercy and friendship that it showed me as it taught me to share thoughts with the claw signs.

I am not the same queen who destroyed worlds. I am now Aurora, Hive mother and friend to the animals. I have given the gift of life to a daughter, and I want her to live in the peace and friendship that Bandit-Friend and Hive mother showed us was possible.

I want to take over the Hives and make a new way for them. I will make more daughters who learn the animal way of love and friendship. I want them to share thoughts and make Hives together.

I will change the thoughts that led to us killing animals and make new thoughts. Never again will the Hives make war on the animals. Never again will we kill animals for their worlds and resources.

I do not want my daughters and drones to die trying to kill animal daughters and drone sons. I want them to be friends; I want them to be at peace. I want them to fight together when others come to kill them.”

Aurora abruptly stopped moving her claws and stepped back from the lectern before turning to face President Lopez.

The president smiled at her and stepped forward, looking around and searching the faces of the silent attendees before addressing them.

“I made the decision to allow Aurora to establish a new Hive on a Republic world. We helped her to build it, and she allowed our researchers and engineers to take apart her Hive ship and Insectoid cruiser.

Aurora showed us their weaknesses and provided us with a deep insight into the Hive mind and how they think. She helped us to refine our tactics and allowed us to scan herself and her drones with medical devices.

She also suggested for us to explore a way to disrupt the telepathic command and control network between queens and drones and volunteered herself in several painful experiments.

Aurora even helped us to refine and implement a unique weapon system that we had been working on that would cause targeted Insectoid ship hulls to fail and implode from the lack of structural integrity.

She has honored every agreement we made with her, and she went to the V’rni system herself and removed the drone presence there, saving the Republic from tens of thousands of casualties.

She has offered to do the same for the remaining drones on the other worlds, and she has asked permission to build another Hive, which I have granted.

We recently received a distress call from one of our long-range exploration vessels, and she reconfigured her only Hive ship and sent it there with a Republic task force to rescue our people. I didn't even think to ask for her help, but I didn't need to. She offered to assist and now we have a real chance to save our people."

President Lopez paused, allowing the full import of all she was saying to be absorbed before continuing, her voice taking on a harder tone.

“I mean no offense, but quite frankly, I trust her more than I trust some of the member species being represented here. Many of you denied our entry into the Galactic Commonwealth. And even though we do not hold grudges, we remember. The Republic remembers.

I do not have to worry about Aurora looking out for her own interests or be concerned about the political machinations of her government. Aurora is the government of her Hive, and I trust her without reservation.

The Eleani, The Xenxin, and President Sarix, along with his cabinet, all agree with the Republic’s desire to support Aurora in her efforts to take over the Insectoid Empire and create a new way forward for us all.

The sacrifices made here and in the Eleani system with the lives of the fallen demand from us only one thing: that we make it worth it.

Memorials mean nothing. Flowery words mean nothing. They fought and died so that others wouldn’t have to."

President Lopez turned and pointed to the large, 30-meter-tall granite obelisk behind the platform. It was etched with the names of 31,738 Republic Naval personnel who died in the battle, and she looked at it solemnly before turning back to face them again.

"They were willing to risk life and limb not for the glory of battle but for the desire to spare those they loved from the horrors of war. This is what the spirits of our honored dead demand from those of us who still live.

We are indebted to them, and we owe it to them to make certain their loved ones live the long and happy lives of peace they willingly gave their lives to ensure.

The Republic pays its debts, and we will do everything we can to secure the future peace already purchased with the blood of these noble warriors we have come to honor.

I invite you to pay your share of the debt and to join us in forging a new path forward. The Republic is going into a future with an Insectoid Empire besides us as friends and allies; will you walk with us as well?”

President Lopez turned off the voice projector before walking away from the lectern and over to Aurora. The president held out her left hand, and Aurora took it with her right claw without hesitation.

They shared a look, and President Lopez gestured towards the stairs. They walked together side by side to the stairs and then down them, the president helping Aurora navigate the animal-sized steps with her long Insectoid legs.

Thompson looked around, reveling in the shocked stares of the delegates and the dignitaries as they watched President Lopez and Aurora walking hand in hand towards the hanger while the twelve vigilant combots surrounded them.

He looked to his side, and Princess Liria was sitting there with what he would consider a thoughtful expression as she watched the president and Aurora walking away.

People started getting up out of their seats, and Princess Liria declined his offer to escort her wherever she needed to go.

“I need time to think, and I wish to discuss this matter with others. My thanks, Admiral.” She said to him before disappearing among the crowd as the attendees broke up into multiple small groups and whispered to each other as they looked around furtively.

Dominic walked over and leaned his head in close before speaking in hushed tones. “Karl, I think you should head over to the memorial while everyone is still here talking about what just happened.”

Thompson looked at him, confused. “I saw it already; I have no desire to see Mei’s name engraved in lifeless granite ever again; once was enough for me.”

Dominic put his hand on Thompson’s arm to stop him from walking off. “Karl, Therax has been there since we landed. You should go talk to him; the guy is still torn up over her death, and he cannot move on until you forgive him.”

Thompson stopped looking at Dominic’s hand and up into his eyes, barely suppressing the anger that flared up inside of him.

Before he could respond, Dominic whispered again. “Mei would want you to forgive him, Karl. She liked Therax, and they fought in battle together. Do the right thing; that is all I have to say.”

Dominic took his hand off Thompson's arm and walked away before he could reply. Thompson watched him walk off before looking towards the memorial. He stood there for a few moments, and he felt something inside of him push him to start walking towards the white monolith.

He didn’t even remember heading towards it, and when he broke out of his daze, he was already standing there, five meters behind a kneeling figure.

It was Therax, and he was looking down at something he was holding. Thompson felt the sudden urge to flee, and he almost gave into it when Therax turned his head around and looked at him.

He looked like a broken spirit, and all of Thompson’s hate and resentment towards Therax vanished as he looked into those grieving eyes.

He started walking towards Therax, who had looked away when he saw it was Thompson. He reached where Therax was still kneeling and stopped at his side, less than a meter away from him.

Thompson looked at what Therax was holding, and his heart froze when he saw that it was Mei’s favorite picture.

She had taken her dog to the beach one day, and she had asked a nearby tourist to take a picture of her and Samson, a black lab/chow mix with a long, beautiful coat and a wild spirit.

Thompson had the same picture by his bed, and he kissed it before closing his eyes to sleep every night. He felt his knees getting weak, and he slowly sat down on the purple grass, looking at the white cladding stone of the memorial obelisk.

They sat there quietly, not looking at each other for some time. Thompson drifted away in his thoughts and was brought back to where they were when he became aware of Therax speaking to him quietly.

“I’m sorry, what did you say?” Thompson asked, embarrassed that he wasn’t paying attention as he finally looked at Therax’s face.

“I said, I am sorry I could not trade places with her. Every day I wake up and ask the ancestors to take me and bring her back.” He said, still looking down at the photo. “The worst part is, I still grieve for her, but I do not have any more water to shed from my eyes.”

Thompson stared at the side of Therax’s snout, looking at the skin folds moving slightly as Therax breathed heavily. He heard Dominic’s voice in his head. Mei would want you to forgive him, Karl. Do the right thing.

“Me too.” He replied quietly. Therax turned his head and glanced at him before quickly looking back down at the photo.

Thompson looked away and back at the base of the memorial, seeing the names of the dead that were chiseled by hand into the large granite blocks.

He couldn’t make out the individual names, but he knew where Mei’s name was located, and he stared in that area for a while, just listening to the sound of the wind as it rustled the leaves of the surrounding trees.

He couldn’t stay there anymore, and he stood up, feeling much older than his forty-eight years of existence. He walked over and stood in front of Therax, blocking out the light of the red giant.

Therax looked up slowly, and Thompson could see the wariness within them. He slowly put his right hand out and offered it to Therax.

After a few moments, Therax unzipped his chest pocket and carefully placed the photo inside before zipping the pocket back up and looking back in his eyes. Therax put out his right hand and took the offered hand, clasping it firmly.

Thompson could feel the strength of the four powerful fingers through the slightly scaly skin and was grateful that Therax knew the appropriate amount of pressure to use without easily crushing his hand like an empty beer can.

He grunted from the exertion of helping the densely muscled grand admiral onto his feet and stepped back slightly as Therax drew himself to his full height.

He looked up at Therax, who easily had an additional thirty centimeters over Thompson’s 190 centimeters. He suddenly felt very small compared to the powerful Nekuli male. Therax flicked his head in thanks, and Thompson nodded in return, smiling slightly at him.

By some unspoken agreement, they both turned at the same time and headed back towards the others, their fractured relationship patched back together again by their shared grief for the same woman they both loved in their own ways.