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Gehenna waved awkwardly and cried, “I’m a protector!”
Jace realized he should have insisted on Gehenna switching over to the cleaning bot body or another one, because having the Terminator wave at Dr. Isa probably wasn’t making this any easier for her to believe.
“This is Commander Khoth Voor, my second on the Osiris, and this is Flight-Commander Thammah Pyrrhus, the leader of our fighter craft,” Jace introduced the two Thaf’ell. “As you can see, they are not human. They are just one species of an intergalactic alliance fighting against a dangerous race of aliens called the Khul.”
Dr. Isa blinked at him. He supposed that this was a better reaction than he should have expected. She could have slammed her computer shut and run away.
“That sounds like a television series,” she told him, cracking one of those faint smiles.
Jace grinned. “I know, right?” He sobered then. “But it’s real. Very, very real. And I want you to be a part of it. Your skills, your intellect, your grace under fire will all be things that are invaluable to me and your fellow crew members.”
“This is madness,” she repeated again.
“I know, but the question you really have to ask yourself is: what if it isn’t?” Jace leaned forward and her screen showed his face in the center, larger than the others, as he continued, “What would you give for this to be true?”
There were a few long beats, but then with that Mona Lisa smile, she told him, “Anything.”
“That’s exactly what I wanted to hear,” Jace said. “Now let me tell you what happens next.”
New Recruits
Khoth surveyed the first round of military applicants for the crew. General Intoshkin hadn’t sent resumes, but instead had physically brought them to the Osiris. These weren’t just soldiers, but pilots, scientists, physicians and engineers. They had all worked on the Osiris when it was on the ground, or literally, in the ground.
“They lived and breathed that ship, Commander Khoth. They deserve a chance to serve on her now that she’s flying, General Intoshkin had told him, slapping Khoth's arm as he walked past the Thaf’ell Commander in the hanger bay.
They were lined up, at attention, in ten lines of ten. One hundred humans were at attention in front of him. They stared straight ahead. Their faces were serene.
“Do you expect the Pilot to choose all of them? Or any of them?” Khoth asked the general.
“The pilots were all under Jack’s command. He vetted them, which you can confirm yourself. That’s already a quarter of them. Unless you think Jace doesn’t trust his father’s judgment on pilots.” General Intoshkin was practically winking at him.
“Jack’s judgment is good. But Jace may be looking for different qualities than the people you forced Jack to command,” Khoth stated.
“Forced?!” The general’s eyebrows rose. “Why someone is feeling quite salty about the chain of command!”
“You are not in my chain of command,” Khoth replied coolly. “You are trying to force Jace’s hand. It will not work.”
“After that stunt Jace pulled with the fake call from my superiors that boy owes me,” General Intoshkin stated, the smile leaving his eyes and voice. But it was back again just as quickly as he added, “But you need not worry I tried to pull a fast one, Commander. My goal and Jace’s are the same. That the best and brightest humans are sent on this mission. We need the Alliance and every other species to see that we are worthy. These people are.”
He swept a hand back towards the silent humans.
“You should have sent their details before you sent them,” Khoth stated.
“Paperwork is so very dry! Jace seems the type to really decide he wants someone after meeting them.” General Intoshkin shrugged. “Besides, I’m sure the Osiris and Gehenna will have told him everything he needs to know before he comes down here.” He glanced at the chunky watch on his wrist. “Oh, it appears that Dr. Isa and the first group of civilians are arriving soon. You could just approve these people now and then focus on them. Otherwise it will be very crowded here.”
That was a complete overstatement as the hanger bay could hold hundreds of people plus ships.
“I’m sure I can manage it,” Khoth replied coolly.
“I’m sure you can. I’m sure you can. I was just trying to help.” The general chuckled and patted Khoth’s back again as he went over to Thammah who was preparing a ship for Jack to fly that morning.
Jack, Diane, and Jace were having a family breakfast that morning. Jace had wanted Khoth to join them. He had blushingly said, “It’s a family breakfast, Khoth, and you’re family, too.”
Khoth had gone very still at that statement. Jace couldn’t have fully known what he was saying when he used “family” in that way with a lover. He tried not to let his heart race in his chest though he knew that Jace was aware of it, because the Osiris insisted on giving him up to the moment readouts on Khoth’s vitals.
“I am… honored you would ask me to be a part of it,” Khoth finally had answered. “But you have not had enough time alone with your parents in your new state. They need to see and interact with you without another there to distract them.”
Jace chewed his inner cheek. “You’re probably right. We’re all still sort of reeling with the changes. I mean… I should be reeling. But, for the most part, things feel really normal to me. Gehenna tells me that’s because I was like this during the training.” Jace gestured to his perfect form. “So that’s why it feels so normal. But for my folks… they’re still getting used to it. It’s weird for them to be freaked out now when I’m so healthy when I was so sick for so long.”
