“Then we will return to our vessels.” High Councillor Nova Voor’s gaze swung over the destroyed Area 67 base.
Jace knew that no one had been harmed. The Osiris had cleared everyone out of the area before it had launched into orbit. But there was quite a bit of damage to the base. He saw that his mother was regarding it with a little bit of exhaustion as well.
“Jace, I think that you should just take your father up to the Osiris for now,” she said. “I need to get the cleanup managed.”
He saw General Intoshkin open his mouth to, undoubtedly, say that he wished to accompany Jace and his father. But then, he appeared to have a change of heart, and said, “Would you have Thammah pick me up, Jace. You and your father should have a good time flying together.”
“Of course, General.” Jace gave the man probably the first genuine smile he had since he met him. He touched his suit’s forearm comm. “Thammah, you will have a passenger. General Intoshkin would like a ride to the Osiris.”
“Will do! I’ll be right there, General!” Thammah then proceeded to do another loop.
The General watched her flight maneuvers with a little bit of trepidation. “I do hope she’ll fly me directly there.”
“No chance, General,” his father said with a grin.
The General touched his stomach and looked a little green. Jace just shook his head.
“We should return to the Ashaton, my son, to discuss things,” High Councillor Nova Voor said to Khoth.
Khoth straightened and crossed one arm over his chest and bowed his head. “Of course, High Councillor.”
Jace felt more than a trace of sympathy for Khoth then. He couldn’t imagine calling his mother by her rank. He wondered if he’d have to at some point. Somehow calling out “Mom!” in the middle of proceedings with the Illumen Alliance didn’t exactly scream professionalism.
But Jace’s feelings were even more mixed as with a bob of her head at him, High Councillor Nova Voor started towards her ship and Khoth followed after her. That yawning sense of instability opened in Jace’s chest. He nearly reached for the Thaf’ell Commander.
With quiet strength, Khoth said to him, “I will return.”
“Right. You better. You’re the Commander of the Osiris,” Jace’s voice sounded surprisingly weak.
Khoth hesitated a moment. For a second, Jace thought he might hug him again. That would have felt amazing, but, of course, Khoth did not. He just nodded once more and turned on his heel. Jace watched him go and tried to tell himself it was not for the last time. Khoth would return. He would insist on it.
“Ready to go, champ?” his father’s voice was studiously neutral.
Are you all right, Jace? Gehenna asked, her pincers coming up to touch in front of her.
I’m fine. It’s just…
He’s been there for all of it, Gehenna stated. Since the very beginning really. Now you feel alone in this. But you aren’t!
No, I’m not. And he’s coming back, Jace said as he watched Khoth enter his mother’s Paladin-class ship.
“You did incredibly well, Jace,” his mother said as the gangway closed and Khoth was lost from view.
“Did I? I don’t really know,” Jace answered her, his chest feeling tight as the Paladin-class ship’s engines ignited the same blue color as Khoth’s eyes.
“You controlled the rules of engagement,” General Intoshkin told him with a bright smile. “Set her back on her heels! First time I’ve ever seen her concede anything at all.”
“I highly doubt she thinks she’s conceded anything,” his mother replied dryly. “She’s biding her time. But you have given her pause. You behaved admirably.”
The ships from the Ashaton were all rising above the ground. There was the hot, dry smell of their exhaust that reminded him of heat lightning. Then they were all shooting towards the sky.
“We do need to discuss our strategy regarding what we want from the Alliance,” General Intoshkin stated.
“Protection for Earth,” Jace guessed.
“Of course, but that’s just for starters.” The General rubbed his hands together. “We want a seat at the table. We want to be a part of the Alliance. Not just a part, but a deciding part.”
“But humanity doesn’t even know aliens exist yet,” Jace protested with a furrowed brow. “Don’t we have to sort that out first?”
