RSS Paul Ray Smith (CA-17) - Courageous Class Heavy Cruiser

In Geosynchronous Orbit of Earth

June 19th, 2176 A.D.

Lopez waited until Aurora had hesitantly stepped up to where she was pointing at the deck before addressing AS-514, whom she had nicknamed Bob after getting tired of using its wordy designation.

"Bob, please ask Aurora if she is ready."

The android bowed slightly before stepping next to Aurora and signing to her, and Lopez smiled as she saw Aurora responding quickly with her claws before turning her large black eyes towards the bulkhead.

"She is ready, Madame President."

"Thanks, Bob. Here we go."

Lopez entered the access code on the pad next to the covered observation window and stepped back next to Aurora as the dull gray bulkhead panel began to slowly slide to the side.

Lopez kept her eyes on Aurora, curious to see her reaction as the now exposed large observation window had an electrical current passed through it, turning the solidly gray aluminum transparent and revealing the verdant Earth below them.

For several seconds, Aurora stared at Earth, not moving in the slightest as her jet black, oval eyes reflected the blue and green planet like mirrors.

Slowly reaching out her dominant claw, Aurora carefully touched the transparent aluminum, as if testing to see if it was real and solid before moving closer and pressing her mandibles against the glass as she peered intently at the birthplace of humanity.

After gazing at the rotating planet below them for almost a full minute, Aurora pulled herself back and turned to face Lopez before signing.

Bob waited until Aurora was finished before translating, which Lopez greatly appreciated since she found it very distracting when the android translated while Aurora was still signing, almost like trying to listen to two people talking at once.

"Madame President, Aurora has expressed a concept that I find difficult to translate into Republic Standard. The closest equivalent to what she said is 'The ache of splendor too great to consume.' Please forgive the vagueness of my attempt to translate, but I believe she is trying to convey how beautiful she finds Earth."

Lopez smiled softly at Aurora before placing her hand over her heart and bowing slightly in heartfelt thanks. Aurora seemed to understand the gesture and bowed slightly in return before activating the translation device on her thorax and signing again.

Lopez activated the receiver on her chest and waited impatiently as translation devices wirelessly connected to each other before two small holo screens appeared in front of them both.

The soft, feminine voice Aurora had selected for herself emerged from the device on her thorax as text in Republic Standard also appeared on Aurora's holo screen.

Lopez had initially found it distracting but came to appreciate the option when she realized that some concepts were more properly conveyed via text, which helped to clarify confusing misunderstandings when they did happen.

"I did not know your Hive world was filled with such an abundance of water; most Hive worlds have mostly water or dry lands. Your Hive world is the first I've seen that has much of both. How many daughters dwell on the surface, Hive Mother?"

Lopez smiled at her before answering. "8.1 billion, Aurora. We have another 2.2 billion daughters spread out on fourteen colony worlds within a twenty-two light-year radius."

Aurora peered intently at the holo claws on Lopez's screen and seemed to consider what she said for several seconds before asking another question.

"Why so few daughters, Hive Mother? Surely your Hive World has the capacity for many more billions. If we had found such a Hive world like this during the Great Persecution, we would have claimed it for our Queen World, and we would have five hundred billion daughters on it by now."

Lopez maintained her expression as she absorbed Aurora's words, hiding the flash of fear that surged through her as she imagined Aurora's ancestors arriving with their refugee fleet 400 years ago.

The world was embroiled in conflict on every continent; the population was barely 800 million, most of them still primitive, and the Industrial Revolution had yet to start in Great Britain.

Obviously, the Insectoids wouldn't have glassed Earth if they wanted it, but she couldn't imagine the terror humanity would have experienced as millions of 1.5-meter-tall wasps armed with laser weapons suddenly descended on them in indestructible Hive ships and cruisers.

It might have taken a while, but humanity would have been exterminated and erased from the collective memory of the galaxy, and not even the Ma'lit would have stepped in to stop it since they were still adhering to their non-interference doctrine despite claiming to love them as kin-children.

Almost as if she could sense her thoughts, Aurora reached out with her claws and grabbed Lopez's hands, giving them a gentle squeeze as she stared into her eyes for a long moment before letting go.

Aurora skittered to the observation window and pressed her mandibles against it again for several seconds before turning back to face Lopez and signing slowly, as if what she was saying was difficult for her.

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"I am grateful we did not come across your Hives when we were searching for a new Queen World, Lopez-Friend. Our ancestors would have culled you and taken your Hive World from you, thinking you were nothing more than bad animals and taking what was not ours in revenge for what the Persecutors had done to us.

We would have used all the resources and animals for our own purposes, and the surface would be barren and filled with Hives. It would not look like this now, and I would have never come to know Lopez-Friend, my sister and Hive Mother who I love deeply. I would never come to know Bandit-Friend, who I love more than any other except my daughter."

Lopez was deeply touched by what Aurora was saying, and she resisted the impulse to hug and comfort her, not sure if Aurora would appreciate or understand such a personal gesture.

As they stood there in the uncomfortable silence that followed Aurora's thoughts, Lopez could feel the shame and regret emanating from her, and Lopez felt the overwhelming urge to hug her again.

Screw it; my girl needs a hug, and she needs to know how much I love her too, she decided before holding out both her hands with the palms facing up.

Aurora looked at them for a moment before tentatively taking them in her own claws, and Lopez gently pulled Aurora towards her before letting go of her claws and opening her arms.

Aurora did the same with her two upper legs, and they gingerly embraced each other in an awkward hug, as if afraid of hurting the other. Lopez allowed herself to relax, and she hugged a little tighter, the warm exoskeleton feeling surprisingly smooth and supple as she felt Aurora responding in kind.

They remained in the embrace for a few seconds before she could feel Aurora's antennae tentatively caressing the top of her head, as if tasting her.

She turned her head and rested it on the shoulder joint, closing her eyes and enjoying the sensation of the antennae cilia massaging her scalp as they gently absorbed her scent and hair oils.

Lopez felt herself drifting away as she stopped being the Commander in Chief and let all her worries and fears evaporate, concentrating on the rare experience of just being herself for a while.

Time was no longer a consideration, and Lopez felt truly at peace for the first time in years as she leaned on Aurora's thorax and closed her eyes while the antennae continued to gently inspect her.

She was startled out of her reverie by Bob, and her eyes flew open as it warned her of the approaching delegation in the outside corridor. Lopez reluctantly let go, and she could feel the same disinclination from Aurora as she pulled her antennae away and skittered back.

They both stared at each other for a moment before Aurora signed again, and the device spoke in the soft, soothing voice that seemed to be a perfect choice for her.

"Thank you for embracing me, sister. I will cherish the memory of this for the rest of my time in the world of the living."

"I will too, Aurora. I am grateful we are friends and sisters now, and no matter what happens, I want you to know that I love you and will always be by your side, from now until the end."

Aurora held up both her claws in salutation, and Lopez returned it, waiting for Aurora to drop her claws first before pointing to the closed hatch leading to the corridor.

"The welcoming committee is here to meet you. Are you ready, Aurora? If you do not wish it, just say so and I will make them go away."

"I wish for it, Lopez-Friend. I want them to see me as I am and know my Hive is forever joined with theirs in peace and in war against all others. I have told my daughter to send our ships to your swarm that will go to help my sister, but I feel that it is not sufficient to make them see my true intent.

They will see me now, and they will truly know me, and soon they will know my daughter. They will see there are no falsehoods within me, and they will remember me and know my true intentions when I return to the Empire to help my sister rule and fight the Persecutors."

"That's my girl, Aurora!" Lopez exclaimed proudly before holding out a hand. Aurora took the hand with her dominant claw, and they walked together towards the hatch as Bob fell in behind them, his yellow eyes recording everything for official transcription into the Republic Archives.

NGC 7293 – Helix Nebula

Republic Alliance Relief Force Rendezvous Point

652.7 Light Years from Earth

RSS Thomas Hudner (DCB-23)—Dauntless-Class II Battleship

June 19th, 2176 A.D.

Holding up the bottle of Eleani Fire Whiskey, Meister silently prayed to any god who was listening to make the two men sitting across from him decline the offer for more as the shot he just drank slowly burned holes into his gut.

Rear Admiral Mason Evers grunted and pushed his empty glass closer before giving him a toothy grin as his eyes challenged Meister to man up and match him.

What is wrong with you, you goddamn psychopath!? Meister screamed at the American admiral in his mind as he leaned over and carefully poured out two fingers of hellish liquor before looking at the pale Albioni next to him.

Rear Admiral Lysander Fenwick eyed the bottle with barely concealed disgust before waving it away, proving himself to be the smartest one of them all and giving Meister the out he desperately wanted.

Evers snorted in disbelief and leaned over, loudly tapping the rim of Fenwick's empty glass with a massive finger before looking at his fellow officer.

"Don't be such a sissy, Lysander! Are you really going to allow our new friend to soil the honor of the Tau Ceti Fleet by outdrinking us?!"

Fenwick gave Meister an apologetic look as he reluctantly pushed his glass forward. Evers pumped his fist and then gleefully slapped Fenwick on the back, who rolled his eyes in annoyance before looking back at Meister and speaking in a polished British accent.

"This shite is like drinking anise-flavored battery acid; if Mason had told me we were going to be sharing a drink, I would have brought the bottle of 30-year-old Macallan I have with me. Now, that's a proper drink for true gentlemen: the finest single malt scotch outside of Mother Earth."

Meister shot Evers a baleful glance for several seconds before leaning forward and carefully pouring out two fingerfuls in Fenwick's glass. He reluctantly poured a shot in his glass and then placed the spicy-scented bottle as far away as his hand could reach.

Evers picked up his glass and sniffed it deeply before making a toast, his brash eyes turning serious for the first time as he spoke. "To new friends and the mending of old wounds; may what we do now seal the breach between our peoples and renew our kinship forevermore."

"Hear, hear!" Fenwick responded, buying time for Meister to get over his shock at the unexpectedly heartfelt toast of the American admiral. Both men were now looking at him, and he tapped his glass against theirs.

"To new friends and kindred blood reuniting as one."

The two men tapped his glass in return, and they all drained their glasses together before each man fought to keep the burning liquor down while it turned their insides into a fiery hellscape.

"I hope it doesn't come out the same way it goes in!" Evers gasped as his left eyelid began to twitch uncontrollably.

Meister tried to laugh, but the best he was able to manage was dry heaving as Fenwick's face turned a sickly gray before he leaned over and vomited on the metal deck plating.

The sound and smell of Fenwick vomiting was too much for Meister, and he started gagging as well, vomiting next to his chair a moment later. Evers bolted out of his seat and keeled right over onto the desk, too drunk to stand upright as he began to drool on the mahogany desktop.

The door to Meister's office opened suddenly, and he fought to keep from falling out of his chair as the room started spinning way too fast and Andrzej's shocked voice rang out.

"Co do cholery, kurwa?!"

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