“No.” Jace grinned again when he saw the flare of alarm in Khoth’s eyes. “I am totally flying by the seat of my pants.”
Frowning then, Khoth asked, “How can one fly--”
“Don’t ask. I don’t even know what it originally meant. And I’m not even going to take up the bandwidth to know.”
“I see.” Khoth was still frowning, evidently attempting to parse what the phrase meant.
Jace almost thought to put him out of his misery and ask the AIs to explain to him so he could relay it to his Commander, but then thought the frown on Khoth’s face was cute. If it kept Khoth from remembering the missing selchilite then all the better.
“We should get in. Gehenna and Thammah are on their way with your mother,” Jace said, his heart beating a little harder at yet another tense confrontation on his hands.
“Yes, if I see your pants coming undone in the meeting, I will assist you,” Khoth said with solemnity.
Jace bit down fiercely on his inner cheek to stop from bursting out laughing. Finally, he answered, “I do appreciate that, Khoth.”
The door to the meeting room opened. Jace let out a whistle. The space was beautiful. The room was long and rectangular in shape with a curving ceiling overhead. Golden light painted that ceiling from behind molding all along where the walls met the ceiling giving the room an almost cathedral appearance. There were three tables set up in a triangle pattern. His table was the point of the triangle and was at the backmost wall.
On that wall it showed Earth, blue and white and beautiful, slowly spinning through space. The view shifted and he saw war-like Mars, the red planet. The view shifted again and they were in the rings of Saturn. Jace knew that all of the planets in the solar system would be shown one at a time and then the gate appeared before him. Jace felt his heart twist in his chest and he took an involuntary step towards that image.
The gate called to him.
The gate was freedom.
The gate was the stepping stone to all he was meant to do.
Khoth lightly touched his lower back, drawing Jace back to himself. He blinked and looked up at his Commander. How could he explain why that gate made his heart soar like it did? Adventure. Fate. Promise. A huge leap forward for all of humankind. It was like finding out that Star Trek could be real. Not in some distant future, but it could be right now. He thought of all of those people out there that, like him, had dreamed of going to distant planets, hearing alien tongues, walking in cities in solar systems that humanity had no idea about. Khoth had always had these abilities. Jace wouldn’t blame him for not understanding the almost painful desire of it all. And it was too hard to explain right now, especially with the general walking up to Jace briskly with one hand extended.
“Jace! Son! You look well,” the general said as he took Jace’s right hand and shook it.
“General, as do you,” Jace answered with a smaller smile.
“We saw what happened with High Councillor Voor,” the general’s own smile became a little thinner. “While it was well done, you should have talked to me beforehand.”
“General--”
“And you’ve got to talk some sense into your father there! Your mother, too, though she, at least, isn’t pretending to leave the U.S. military!” General Intoshkin chuckled.
Jace realized that his mother was at one of the tables at the “legs” of the triangle. She gave him a small smile and tip of her head. His father stood at attention by the table at the front. And his father wasn’t wearing a flight uniform or any of his military uniforms, but was instead dressed like Jace.
Osiris? Jace asked, half laughing.
He has joined the crew, the Osiris answered. He needed appropriate attire.
So we’re going black Empire look? I admit I like it, Jace said.
“So my parents told you about their plans. My mother will remain as a liaison or ambassador for Earth to all alien species while my father’s agreed to join the Osiris’ crew.”
“Well, yes, but they’re behaving as if your father has retired his commission and--”
“He has. The Osiris is not a U.S. vessel,” Jace said firmly. The general was not one to take a hint. “I meant what I said earlier. I don’t represent humanity or the United States. I am a neutral-ish third-party.”
“But--”
“It’s better this way,” Jace told him.
“I can’t see how!” General Intoshkin erupted. “Without you, we have no leverage with the Alliance! We won’t even have the crashed Osiris!”
“Because I’m going to get you protection for Earth and humanity will have access to the stars,” Jace stated. “I believe humanity joining with other races against the Khul is important. I believe that humanity can prove itself a good partner to other species. I believe you and my mother can make that happen.”
