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“Mom, Dad,” Jace said then, “I was supposed to call you by your titles. Ah… forget it. I’m not calling you anything else right now.”

Jace embraced them both warmly. Jack thumped his back after squeezing his son. Diane hugged Jace, too, but pulled back after smoothing her hands over his shoulders. He could see how she was trying to give her son the respect he deserved as the Pilot, but this was the last night really that she would be with him above Earth for some time. She would not be flying to Haseon on the Osiris with them, but going in another ship that was arriving within the hour. These ships were to be humanity’s and she and General Intoshkin would be flying in them separately to represent humanity.

“You know how to throw a party, son,” Jack said. His cheeks were flushed, but not from the alcohol being served. He, too, was drinking water.

“Well, we have to give Earth an appropriate sendoff,” Jace told them.

Diane shivered though she kept smiling. “We’re really going to leave. You know, I thought about flying on the Osiris everyday when it was on the ground. I thought about what it would be like to be in the stars. Tomorrow… we’ll be on another world. An alien world.”

“I know, right?” Jace’s eyes were bright.

He gestured up to the ceiling that was currently just showing spinning galaxies. It changed to show Haseon. The crew gasped and looked up at the ceiling. Before them appeared holograms that would let them learn everything about his home planet, the Thaf’ell and whatever else the Osiris found useful.

The gold-green planet that had Khoth’s Xi twisting in his chest. He had not considered--or perhaps he had not wished to consider--what it would be like to return there as he was now.

But can my return be any worse than my mother’s? The Voor name is truly on the edge of complete discredit and dishonor in Thaf’ell eyes.

Jace looked up at him in the corner of his eye and seemed to notice his discomfort. He spun the scene so that it showed the Milky Way side of the Gate. There was another “whoa” and other oohs and ahhs of delight as they saw the Gate spinning in space, waiting for them. Jace brushed his fingers over the back of Khoth’s nearest hand. The touch stayed with him, burning a trail. But it also relieved the strain within him and his Xi settled as if it were an eager Chili waiting for a kiss.

“The morning will bring much excitement and change,” Diane said as she gazed lovingly on her husband. “I think I would like tonight to be about what I know and love.”

Jack linked his fingers with her. “May we have permission to leave the party, Pilot?”

“Very funny, Dad.” Jace rolled his eyes. “Go! Get along with you both!”

Diane kissed his cheek while his father gave him another hug before the two of them headed out of the ballroom.

“They’re making me a little jealous, but I suppose we have to stay for a while longer before we take off.” Jace turned a hopeful face up to Khoth.

“Sometimes the crew likes not to be under the Pilot and Commander’s watchful eyes,” Khoth told him.

One set of those eyes widened. “Oh… oh! Well, then maybe we should head out so that while the cats are away, the mice will play!”

“I think that… metaphor works,” Khoth said. “Though with the Osiris on hand, there is never truly a time when you do not know what is going on.”

“Unfortunately, that’s true. But I sort of ignore it,” Jace said with a shrug. “Before we go though, I want to speak to Sami.”

“Do you think she will change her mind about coming aboard?” Khoth asked.

But Jace surprised him by shaking his head. “No, and I think I would be doing her a disservice by trying to change her mind. It’s clear she wants to, but it’s just as clear she feels she needs to stay.”

“She is a dutiful child and sister.”

“And a member of her tribe. Yeah, she doesn’t ever just act for herself,” Jace said with admiration and sadness.

“It appears that Dr. Isa has taken her under her formidable wing,” Khoth said.

Dr. Isa, Matias, Chili and Sami were all standing together. Dr. Isa was speaking as she had up the holographic comm and she was showing Sami something.

“She’s sending her information on grants for colleges and medical schools,” Jace said with a smile. “Encouraging her to apply. Promising her she’ll follow up. And we actually can with the quantum entanglement system.”

“So tonight will not be the last time you speak to her until we return to Earth?” Khoth said.

A smile bloomed on Jace’s face. “Yeah, you’re right. So it’s not really goodbye I’m going to be saying.”

“No, it is not.” And Khoth brushed the back of Jace’s hand. He wondered--he hoped--that it gave Jace some of the comfort that it had given him.

That smile grew.