"For the Betterment of Planet Earth" (closed)

[desperado1089]

Alex and President Stevens

"Of course, Madam President," he said when the leader of the free world asked if he minded posing for a photo op. "Just tell me what to do and when to say 'Cheese' and let's get it done!" He had heard of how she had cleaned house earlier, and was wondering if the people before him were just biding their time because they felt the same as their predecessors, or if they truly had nothing against the Troyna. Only time, he supposed, would tell.

 

[MarieDavisRPs]

Liz and Robert

"Your wish is my command." Robert said when Liz directed him to get ready to be blown.

Less than ten seconds later, she had his cock in her mouth, while one hand gripped tightly about its base and the other juggled his balls the way she'd learned he liked.

She'd always wished that she could deep throat Robert's full length, but he was just a bit too long and thick, both. She did her best, though, which had never failed to bring him to orgasm.

It had taken Liz a good long time to find cum palatable. Thankfully, by the time Robert had cum along, she'd cum to enjoy it.

She was taking him in deep and slow, taking her time to build his pleasure. She shouldn't have been, though; they didn't have long before their ride to Walter Reed would arrive, and if they were going to have time for Liz to partake of the morning's climaxes, she should have been hurrying Robert to his first orgasm.

"Liz..." Robert practically hummed through his soft moans, "I know that we've toyed with the idea of threesomes before."

She peeked up at Robert's face without slowing her casual head bobbing. It was true: they had considered bringing a third partner into their bed, several times actually. They'd very nearly done it twice, once this past New Year's Eve and the night of her 24th birthday, when a mutual friend offered herself up as Liz's present.

Each time, though, they'd passed. Neither had been because any one of them hadn't wanted to proceed; other things had simply prevented it from happening.

Before Robert even brought up Anya, Liz knew where he was going. That wasn't going to happen, of course: Anya or Jane Doe or whatever they wanted to call the woman was Liz's psychiatric patient and -- per the still standing diagnosis -- nuts.

She lifted her head from his groin, sitting her ass onto her haunches as she continued to juggle his nuts while she stroked his full length in her saliva-coated second hand.

"What would...mmm, fuck, you know I like the way you do that," he purred. "Anyway, what would you do if Anya wasn't your patient, and if she was interested in such things?"

Liz smiled wider as she studied Robert's face and rose tall on her knees to be closer to him. She spit into her palm to decrease the friction and increase the pleasure, then pulled his head to her for a deep, passionate kiss.

"She is my patient," she reminded Robert in barely more than a whisper. "And ... despite her fondness for flashing herself to strangers, I doubt that a Queen is going to fuck a mere Federal Agent..."

Liz didn't know, of course, that Robert had already unloaded his balls into Anya and driven her to three wondrous orgasms in the lavatory of the jet.

She giggled and kissed Robert again before standing, pushing down her gym shorts, and crawling into his lap, telling him, "We don't have the time to do the usuals."

She reached a hand down between their bodies, looking for his cock as she whispered, "Fuck me, Robert." Giggling again, she finished, "You can close your eyes and imagine Anya if you want."

Such imaginings were not uncommon for them any more that considering third partners; Liz sometimes pictured other men inside her, but only after telling Robert what was in her mind.

Usually, the man's identity had come with a fantasy location, situation, and more, to get the most out of the fantasy. In the end though, it was always Robert she was happy to be with.

 

[MarieDavisRPs]

White House
Alex and President Stevens

"Of course, Madam President," Alex said when asked to pose for photos.

Victoria put the man through a series of shots: the two of them simply looking to the camera: the two of them shaking hands; the two of them joined by each of the others one at a time; and finally the entire group together.

The reason for the different shots was, of course, political. Victoria couldn't know which of the men and women in the room now would remain political allies in either the short or long term, so it was helpful to have the options available when publicity shots were needed.

Once the White House Photographer was sent out, Victoria invited Alex to one of two chairs sitting before the room's fireplace. The public was accustomed to seeing this and the previous President sitting here with world leaders.

Victoria chatted casually with Alex a moment about his adventure, skipping over the air battle and going directly to the Mothership and Valla.

"I'm very interested in hearing about the Queen," she said, "from the only Human ever to have met her."

 

[MarieDavisRPs]

(OOC: A follower of our RP PM'd me with a question about Earth measurements being used by the Troyna. I told him what I'm going to tell you now: the Troyna could measure time in blookas and reeps and distances in eeeeemps and quillips, but that wouldn't really tell you jack shit, would it? Minutes and hours, feet and miles; we'll use these so that you will understand the story.)


The Mothership
1600 GMT
Valla headed out of her quarters toward one of the Mothership's Medical Bays. Arriving there, she found Doctors, Security Officers, various Technicians, and key members of the Nobility either working hard or hardly working.

Four pieces of equipment had been relocated to the medical bay from a compartment elsewhere in the Mothership. When the Chief Medical Officer caught sight of Valla, he hurried over to her, bowed, and said, "We are ready to begin, My Queen."

"Go ahead, Doctor," she told him. "How long will this take?"

"Three hours," he told her with a confident tone, adding, "plus or minus an hour."

"I will be back in five hours to check on your progress," Valla said, her tone tending more toward warning that simply information.

"Yes, My Queen," he told her, bowing his head again.

Valla watched the teams for a few minutes more, then turned to depart; she gestured to her Intelligence Chief to walk with her. She asked, "What are you hearing regarding Gaza?"
"The governments of the States of Israel and the United States of America have been talking almost non-stop from the moment you told the American President about Operation Gaza," he informed her. "So far, we've seen no movement of troops out of Gaza, but that doesn't surprise me as it has only been a few hours."

As they walked, he caught her up on a series of conversations between the USA's President Victoria Stevens and Israel's Prime Minister Aaron Cohen; the former had repeatedly suggested to the latter that he do as the Troyna Queen had demanded.

"What concerns me, My Queen," the Chief continued, "is that while there hasn't been sufficient time for Israeli forces to begin withdrawing, if that order is given ... it's that lack of an order that is an issue.

"What I'm saying," he said as he held out a tablet that included all of their intelligence, in case Valla wanted to see or hear any of it personally, "is that our eavesdropping has caught no indications whatsoever that Israeli forces are even contemplating withdrawal at this point. In fact, we're hearing orders for troops and equipment in Gaza to dig in ... to hide from our Attack Vessels.

He donned a very concerned expression, finishing, "I very much hate to tell you this, My Queen ... but I think they're going to force you to deploy the Welder and, possibly, detain their armed forces."
"So be it," Valla said without hesitation or, seemingly, regret. "They still have time."

She politely gestured an end to the conversation, leading the Chief to stop cold, bow, and wait for Valla to continue away from him. He turned to one of his Aides, asking, "Where is she?"

A few minutes later, Dyah Muur entered the Chief's office, bowing and saying with a firm tone, "You requested me, Chief."
"You know of Operation Gaza, yes?" he asked. She confirmed, and he added, "You will be leading one of the Attack Squadrons."

Dyah was surprised; not only had her Unit not been assigned to the efforts in the Middle East, but she'd also been told to prepare a training regimen for teaching Human pilots to fly Troyna Shuttles -- the first pilot, of course, to be Emissary Stewart, should his government permit him to do so.

Still, she bowed to the Chief our of respect, and before turning to leave said, "It will be my honor."

...................................
​

Five hours later:

Valla returned to the Medical Bay precisely when she'd said she would, entering to have the Medical Chief hurry over to her with a dour expression on his face. He bowed and -- while still bent over -- reported, "Forgive me, My Queen, but ... we have had only three successes."

Valla wasn't honestly surprised; the operation they were undertaking was dangerous, particularly after long periods of time. She told the Doctor to rise, then said with a friendly tone, "Introduce me."

The Doctor looked relieved, turning to lead her to the first of the Recovery Rooms; they were temporary spaces not unlike a portable Earth decontamination or isolation tent, with transparent silicon walls and ceilings, a vast of array of equipment, and Medical Personnel in full body biohazard suits.

 

[MarieDavisRPs]

"This is Ruum," the Doctor said, gesturing to the being sitting on an examination table inside the Recovery Room. The Doctor continued, "He is from the Weenok species ... a native of Weenok III in the Translitt Sector."

Valla moved up close to the transparent sheet and studied Ruum for a long moment. He was an impressive creature, standing almost 8 feet tall with a muscular body that -- from Valla's education about his species -- told her that they had performed very well as heavy laborers. She asked the Doctor with a tone of expectation, "It is able to converse with me ... through the translator?"

"Yes, My Queen," the Doctor answered. "Each of the samples were selected for their ability to converse with both the Troyna and the Humans via the translator."

"I think perhaps the word sample is inappropriate, don't you think, Doctor?" she asked.

The man bowed to Valla and apologized. Beyond the barrier, Ruum caught sight of Valla and -- correctly presuming that she was the Queen they'd already told him was coming to see him -- bowed slowly forward, held, then rose again. Valla gestured to one of the Doctors inside the tent, leading the man to move nearer to the Weenok and offer it a translator.

"Welcome back, Ruum," Valla said, smiling politely. "I hope you are feeling healthy and strong after your time in the tank."

Listening to the translation of Troyna to his own language, Ruum once again bowed, rose, and said only, "Yes."

The tank, as Valla had referred to it was a marvel of technology in which its occupant was inoculated against every known pathogen and microscopic danger it might face on the planetary body it was visiting, in this case Earth.

Ruum -- as well as the other two aliens Valla was about to meet -- had spent 10 days in their tanks to allow them to fulfill their upcoming roles.

Valla, Dyah, Pran, and every other Troyna who had been active since the Mothership had arrived in Earth had spent time in the tank, too; without it, Dyah would have died down there in the Pacific, as Pran would have, too, at Fairchild AFB when he returned Alex to his people.

The Troyna who had watched over the Mothership in those first 3 weeks after FTLS had not yet gone through tank treatment. But they would, in phases, to ensure that they could both descend to the planet and interact with Humans who came up to the Mothership.

To Ruum, Valla asked, "Have you been told why you are being reanimated, Ruum...? First, though, is it proper for me to call you Ruum...? Or do you have a title or honorary by which I should address you?"

Again, Ruum listened to the translation, bowed, rose, and answered, "No ... Ruum."

Another of the Troyna escorting Valla -- an Officer from Intelligence Services -- leaned in to quietly say, "They are a soft-spoken species who don't ... waste their words, My Queen."

Valla considered the statements from both the Officer and Ruum, then told the Weenok, "Our ship has arrived at a planet called Earth. It is populated by an advanced, intelligent species called Humans. We, the Troyna, have come to Earth to assist the Humans in ending the degradation of their planet from their own use, misuse, and -- at times -- abuse."

She paused for a response from Ruuk, didn't get one, and asked with hope, "Do you understand?"
"Yes," the alien responded after yet again bowing and rising.

"I wish to show the Humans that the Troyna are friends with many species from across the Galaxy," Valla continued. "I would like you to represent your species ... to be an Ambassador to the Humans on behalf of the Weenok and the Troyna."

Again, Valla paused, got no response, then added, "I have been told that you were informed of this before you entered cryogenic stasis ... yes?"

Again, Ruuk responded with a bow and, "Yes."
"And you will do this for us, Ruuk?" she asked, adding with a smile, "For me?"

Another pause, another bow, and another, "Yes."

"Thank you, Ruuk," Valla said. She told him that the Doctors would get him anything he needed, promised to come back to check on him, and also promised him proper quarters once the proper medical checks had been made.

With that, Valla moved on and repeated the introductions with the other two surviving aliens:

Namoona was of the K'neen'ka species, from the planet of the slightly shorter name of K'neen; the planet was located in the Translitt Sector, too. Namoona was close to 6 feet tall with such a sleek form that she barely weighed over 100 Earth pounds.

Ironically, the bio-suit she wore to allow her to survive in the same environmental conditions as the Troyna -- and in turn the Weenok and Human -- weighed as much as her body. She was entirely capable of handling the weight, though; the Troyna would never have brought a representative of an alien species incapable of surviving on Earth either with or without bio-suit protection if they hadn't been willing to do so.

Valla was told that Namoona wasn't just a random Kneenk, though. Her planet's social hierarchy and, thus, governmental control were based upon an individual's intelligence. Namoona came from the top percentile of her people, making her royalty in the same sense that Valla was amongst the Troyna based upon her bloodline.

After spending time speaking to Namoona, Valla moved on to Pok. He was of the Zimmick species, and while the Weenok had come from Weenok and the K'neen'ka had come from K'neen, the Zimmick who were in the care of the Troyna had no idea from where they'd originally come. They'd had been involuntarily transported from their home world to various worlds as forced laborers by a now-extinct race that had enslaved them. The Troyna had discovered them on at least six different planets or moons.

The Zimmick were the smallest of the three alien species -- four if you counted the Troyna -- at an average of 4.5 feet in height. Ironically, they had a very dense frames, strong spines that occupied the majority of their long necks, and thick skulls, all of which led to their average weight being 120 pounds. They weren't deep thinkers, with an intelligence that by Human standards would register at about 80 points; Human average IQ ran between 90 and 109, with genius IQ being 140+.

With introductions completed, Valla ordered that each Ambassador be given the royal treatment in preparation for their imminent introduction to Earth. She headed for Command Central to check up on Ukraine, Gaza, and a third international issue of concern to Valla: despite being reassured that the Troyna detection systems had located all of Earth's deep diving submarines that were capable of transporting nuclear warheads, further investigation had uncovered that four of them to be known had escaped the initial attack. One belonged to Russia, another to India ... and the fourth belonged to the United States of America.

 

[desperado1089]

Liz and Robert

When Liz positioned herself over his throbbing member, Alex had a brief moment where he wanted to tell her everything, that the Queen had indeed fucked a "mere" FBI agent. Or perhaps she had let him fuck her. Regardless, he felt that it would spoil the mood right now to spill the proverbial beans, but he did plan to tell her. Eventually. When she said something about imagining it was Anya with them, he smirked and said, "Let's see what her DNA analysis says. Who knows? Maybe we won't have to imagine before long."

With that he pulled her insistently down onto his cock, filling her in one glorious, exquisite stroke. He groaned lowly in pleasure, the sound not easily audible outside of the room; he had no issue with Anya hearing them, but he also didn't want to be too shameless, lest Liz get suspicious. Either way, he picked her up and turned around to lay her down on her back, all while they clung to one another, before he started to vigorously thrust in and out of her, dragging himself all over her most sensitive internal spots.

 

[desperado1089]

White House
Alex and President Stevens

Alex was happy to tell the President all about the Queen and the rest of the Troyna, how they understood better than he expected that he was doing his duty when he caused the deaths of five of their military members, and many other things besides. On the subject of Queen Valla herself, he spoke of her strength, her quiet compassion, and her empathy. "I am not surprised whatsoever that she sent her people down to Ukraine," he remarked at one point. "And I am equally unsurprised that she's sending people down to Gaza. That said, with all due respect, I would like to get this over with. I am probably needed in Europe or the Middle East more than I am here, regardless of my prospective role as Emissary. By the way, what medal am I receiving? I was not given that information, nor was I told what my medal citation would say. Speaking of the latter, I categorically refuse to accept any medal whose citation refers to the Troyna as the enemy. I apologize if such talk offends you, Madam President, but I firmly believe that they are here to help us and that the incident over the Pacific was a tragic accident, and I am willing to sacrifice my military career for those convictions. But," he said, gesturing towards the new military and national security officials that were in the room with them, "something tells me I won't need to."

 

[MarieDavisRPs]

Liz and Robert ... and Anya

"Let's see what her DNA analysis says," Robert said to Liz offering him the fantasy of fucking the wannabe Troyna Queen if he wished. "Who knows? Maybe we won't have to imagine before long."

As he impaled her with a deep thrust, Liz cried out at the sharp pain; she sunk her nails into Robert's back without thinking, something that they'd later learn left him with several short scratches. On her back, she lowered her hands to his ass cheeks, digging into them as he began pounding her hard, deep, and -- by her whispered demand -- fast.



Meanwhile, Anya had returned to the suite's shared space in time to hear Liz's exclamation of pain and surprise. It surprised her as well, but -- with the obvious absence of both Liz and Robert -- it didn't take a genius to know what she'd heard. Smiling evilly, Anya hurried on her tiptoes to the other bedroom's door, pressing an ear against it. Beyond, she could clearly hear male grunting and female moaning consistent with a hard, fast fuck.

Anya should have backed away, but listening to the pair reminded her of the jet lavatory sex she'd had with Robert just half a day ago. She reached to her crotch, feeling her lips; they were tender to the touch after the first intercourse since her tryst with a St. Sebastian's orderly half a year back.

She continued listening until she heard Liz's muffled orgasm into what she imagined was a pillow, then headed for the kitchen for another cup of coffee.



Meanwhile, in the bedroom, Liz was fearful that the other woman in the suite might hear her and Robert; she pressed her mouth into the crook of her lover's neck, slowly turning a kiss into a bite that -- upon the euphoria of climax erupting through her -- would lead to Robert developing a significant hickey that, with luck, would be hidden beneath the color of his shirt.

She gripped her arms and legs around Robert tightly as the waves of delight swept through her, then slowly melted back into the mattress.

 

[desperado1089]

Liz and Robert

Unlike when he was with Anya, Robert made no effort to hold back, mindful of their limited time, and plus he had never been able to resist a simultaneous orgasm when Liz came on his cock like that. So when she bit into his neck, he had to grit his teeth in order to keep from roaring her name as he filled her with his seed.

During their lovemaking, he thought he heard the shuffle of bare feet near the bedroom door. Hope you enjoyed the show, Your Highness, he thought to himself as he withdrew from Liz and offered to help her make her way to the bathroom where she could clean up.

 

[MarieDavisRPs]

White House
Washington DC

President Victoria and USAF Major Alex Stewart

Victoria listened intently to Alex's description of Queen Valla and the Troyna. She had, of course, been provided a great deal of intelligence on the aliens from the CIA, the NSA, and the various branches of the Military, but what Alex had to say included things that her intelligence services could never collect.

As he continued, Victoria contemplated the differences between Queen Valla and herself. The President couldn't deny that she'd imagined being a queen; most little girls little girls did at some point, and -- likely surprising to many people -- adult female politicians did, too. What could I get done if I didn't have to deal with Congress and the Supreme Court, let alone kowtow to the People? she wondered.

"I am not surprised whatsoever that she sent her people down to Ukraine," Alex remarked. "And I am equally unsurprised that she's sending people down to Gaza."

"It's a wonderful thing they are doing," Victoria agreed with him a little more joy that she truly felt. POTUS was jealous of what Valla and the Troyna were already accomplishing and surely would accomplish in the days, months, and presumably years to come. "I've been speaking with Queen Valla about what the US and other nations could do to help in Ukraine, Gaza, and other areas."

That wasn't true, of course; the closest Victoria had gotten to that statement was telling Valla that she wished the US could do what the Troyna were.

"That said, with all due respect, I would like to get this over with," Alex said regarding the imminent award ceremony. "I am probably needed in Europe or the Middle East more than I am here, regardless of my prospective role as Emissary."

"Yes, we should talk about that more," Victoria responded. She was torn on the idea of a mere Air Force Major being the liaison between the Human and Troyna species. Ambassadorial positions were normally presented to high level politicians, the family members of those same politicians, celebrities, or other such high-profile people. "But we can speak about that later."

"By the way, what medal am I receiving?" he asked. They spoke on it, with Alex recounting his feelings about the Troyna not being the enemy. He threatened resigning if forced to speak ill of the Troyna, then looked about at all the mostly-new members of Victoria's administration, saying, "But something tells me I won't need to."

Victoria looked about, too; the faces weren't new to her, of course, even though the titles under which they were serving her were in most cases. Returning to the topic of the medal, Victoria called to the outer office to have the Under Secretary of the Air Force and one of the branch's more senior Generals step in, along with the White House photographer.

Victoria presented Alex with the Distinguished Flying Cross, presented for -- as the description went -- single acts of heroism or extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight. There was no mention of the Troyna being the enemy or of Alex shooting down the Attack Vessel and killing most of its occupants.

After the medal awarding by Victoria, Alex was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel by the more senior General in the room. Once they'd finished, Victoria excused everyone but Alex, then asked Paula Reed to join them...



Paula had been sitting in the hallway waiting for Alex's return, reviewing emails and news on her smart phone. She put in her ear buds but had the volume off; it was a trick she'd learned long ago -- in her early teens, actually -- as a way of listening in on others without appearing as if she were eavesdropping.

During the hour she'd sat there, she'd heard enough from passing, most-whispering White House Staffers and guests to know that the Administration was a powder keg. The day before, POTUS had fired a dozen or more men and women close to her, some from her Security Council; additionally, those people she hadn't fired had, in turn, fired another hundred or so people from all over the Administration who'd also felt Victoria was heading the wrong direction.

"Ms. Reed, will you follow me?" a Presidental Aide asked; she, like most people, had no idea who or what Paula actually was.

A moment later, POTUS was shaking the spook's hand before gesturing both her and Alex to sit side by side in one of the couches while she sat across from them. Victoria leaned forward, smiled, and said, "Okay, so ... what I have to say to you is classified, enough so that -- as you saw -- I dismissed some of the top civilian and military officers in my Administration.
"The reason for this classification," she continued after a moment, "Is that ... well ... to be honest ... we don't know how the American people will feel about this."

She stood and walked quickly toward the windows that looked to the south as she continued, "I mean, look out there."

Beyond the South Lawn, President's Park, and E. Street NW, the Ellipse was packed with two groups of people; the groups were separated by a wall of more than 500 Law Enforcement officers.

"Half of those people are screaming for me to join forces with the Troyna to save them and the Earth from disaster and destruction," Victoria explained, "while the other half are screaming that I'm a fucking traitor for not telling Queen Valla and her alien invaders to fly back to whatever God forsaken planet they came from."

Victoria returned toward her seat as she continued, "I need a victory ... a big victory ... and I think, Major -- no, sorry, Lieutenant Colonel ... I think that big victory might be you."

She sat again, continuing, "I finished a conversation with Queen Valla just before your arrival, Alex. We spoke about your position as Emissary, and I agreed to support it."

She chuckled, confessing, "Honestly, I don't really know whether I have a say in the matter. I may be Commander in Chief but there are a few levels of command between the two of us. Anyway ... Queen Valla has made a request. In addition to filling the role of Emissary..."

Victoria paused, smiling and shaking her head playfully. She told him, "You're going to love this. She wants you to be the first Human Being ... to learn to fly a Troyna Space Shuttle."

 

[MarieDavisRPs]

Liz and Robert

Liz rode out the waves of pleasure overwhelming her entire being, then opened her eyes to look to her lover. Robert's expression, body language, and sounds told her that he'd cum with her, something she'd missed while she was lost to the world in euphoria.

Honestly, Liz would have preferred that the two of them came separately. She loved watching Robert orgasm; it was one of the reasons she liked sucking his cock up front, to allow her to peek up at him while he emptied his balls into her mouth or -- with it opened -- onto her awaiting tongue.

But today, simultaneous orgasms were the play for the day; despite the desire to fuck and suck and fuck again for hours on end, Liz knew that they needed to get this over and done with this time around. As they both came down from their highs, Liz playfully pushed Robert off her, telling him, "Get off me! We have places to be."

She crawled atop him, kissing and caressing him before sliding down his length. Liz took his cock into her mouth, sucking both her natural lube and his cum from it before kissing his balls. Then, just as quickly, she hopped up, turned, and said, "I need to shower ... and no, you can't join me. Get out ... and don't let Anya see you coming out."

Liz stopped inside the bathroom, looked back, smiled devilishly, and threw the door closed.

 

[desperado1089]

Liz/Robert/Anya

Robert had, of course, gotten off of Liz when she told him to. The temptation to defy her and join her in the shower was almost too great to resist, but he shook his head with an amused expression on his face as he got dressed in what limited clothes he had when he came over here and emerged to find Anya giving him a knowing smirk. He shook his head, a 'not now' sort of look on his face, and crossed the hall back to his own room and took a shower before getting properly dressed.

 

[desperado1089]

Alex/Paula/POTUS

At some point before the medal ceremony, Alex had casually looked at the CIA director and said, "Oh, by the way Director, I was escorted here by one of yours. I don't know what Langley wants with me, but I thought protecting Air Force personnel who were in danger was the job of the OSI. So I would appreciate that Officer Paula Reed do what you guys are legally mandated to do, and nothing else. Thank you." He turned back to the President and continued the conversation as if nothing happened, but his goal to let the President know that the CIA was potentially overstepping had been accomplished.

Alex had, of course, been able to read between the lines, and offered a sympathetic smile to the President. "I know how you feel, Madam President. I too wish we could have done what the Troyna have done. What they still plan to do. But the important thing is that it is being done. I hope that power and politics don't blind you to the value of that, and of how extraordinary this whole situation truly is." He wondered if his words would take root, and hoped that they would help his CinC be a better leader.

After he was given a medal and promoted, Alex sat down once again, this time with Paula. When POTUS explained the situation, Alex looked like a kid on Christmas morning. That said, he stood up and stepped to the window. "It looks like we have an easy way to determine who participates in Project HOME and who doesn't. Personally, if I was on the other side of the curtain, as it were, I would be with them," he said, gesturing towards the pro-Troyna crowd, which he was pleased to see outnumbered the anti-Troyna by a considerable margin. As he turned back to the President, his silver oak leaves caught the light and shone brilliantly for a moment. "But I don't get why being the Ambassador or flying Troyna shuttles is a victory for you or the pro-Troyna in the government. Wouldn't it be more impactful if, at least for now, I keep flying F-44's and working, even fighting alongside the Troyna as an Air Force officer?"

 

[MarieDavisRPs]

Liz/Robert/Anya

Anya was smirking wide and devilishly at Robert when he emerged from Liz's room. Despite the not now expression on his face, she giggled and -- as he was heading out -- began softly singing, "Secret ... A-gent Man ... Secret ... A-gent Man..."



An hour later, the SUV carrying the three of them and the ones both preceding and following it pulled into Walter Reed Hospital; someone somewhere in the chain of command had decided that even the possibility of a Troyna hiding within the Human population of Earth -- regardless of whether she was a spy, a saboteur, or a Queen -- was worthy of the Federal Government's protection.

They pulled up to the entrance normally only used by POTUS for her annual checkups or unscheduled appointments; the area had been cleared of civilians and unnecessary hospital personnel in an effort to avoid any photos that might end up on social media. The hallways had been cleared as well, allowing the procession to pass down them to the elevator and up to the 4th floor.

There, Anya was taken to an examination room for vitals, blood draws, and the obligatory paperwork, which mysteriously did not include the question of what the patient's name was. Then came the MRI, X-rays, CT scans, and more, all performed in an area of the hospital where no outsiders would see what was happening or who the patient was.

When the Doctor in charge of it all was done with her six hours later, they came out to the hallway to tell Robert, "You can take her home now, Mister Peterson. We'll have the majority of the results tomorrow, with those that have to be sent out back in two days."

He looked at the chart before him with a curious expression, adding, "I notice that the patient's entire medical checkup is classified." He looked up to Robert, finishing, "I don't know why, and I don't care. Actually, I do ... but in my position, I've learned to abide by the whole curious cat thing."

He offered his hand to Robert just as Anya and Liz -- who had escorted her though the entire procedure -- rejoined them. Liz only shrugged her shoulders, asking Robert, "What's next?"

"Secret Agent Man," Anya murmured as she walked past him toward the exit, smirking devilishly.

 

[MarieDavisRPs]

The White House Oval Office
President Victoria Stevens, Special Agent Paula Reed,
and newly promoted Lieutenant Colonel Alex Stewart

After she'd told him about what she considered to be a victory for her politically, Alex queried as to why it wouldn't be better for him to remain a USAF pilot, possibly even flying alongside the Troyna and their Attack Vessels.

"I can see how you might think that, Alex," Victoria said, not using his rank in such a casual, personal conversation. She considered how to answer, paused, and looked to Paula, this time using a professional title. "Special Agent Reed, I had you invited inside because I want you to stay at the Lieutenant Colonel's side at all times."

Paula didn't know whether to be surprised by that or not. She'd been assigned with getting him safely to DC, but she hadn't been told anything about sticking close to him after that. She wondered whether or not she should ask why, then said, "I'm at your service, Madam President, of course ... though ... I wasn't informed of the assignment and ... if you don't mind me asking--"

"You want to know why the Colonel needs your continued protection, yes?" Victoria interrupted. When Paula nodded her answer, Victoria looked between the two as she explained, "You've seen what's outside the White House ... and you have probably seen what's happening across the US and the world. While it could be far worse than it is, there are troubles that have some people worried.

"More specifically, though," she continued, pausing to draw and then slowly release a deep breath, "Our intelligence services -- CIA, FBI, NSA ... Homeland Security in general -- are investigating a ... situation that makes us believe that there may be an organized effort to prevent Queen Valla and her loyal forces from accomplishing what she ... what they have come to do.

"I'm not speaking of people of Earth ... Humans," Victoria clarified. She hesitated again; the information she was about to share was highly classified, and she wasn't supposed to share it with Alex or Paula. Yet she felt that they would better serve her if they knew. "There is a possibility ... slight and entirely unverified ... that the arrival of the Troyna on August 25th of this year ... well ... it might not have been the first time they'd come to Earth."

She again hesitated, clearing her throat of nervous buildup of fluids, and told them the way it was: "There is a possibility that members of the Troyna race have been on Earth for quite some time ... studying us ... learning about us ... our strengths and weaknesses ... for purposes that ... well ... might not be the benevolent purposes that Queen Valla claims is her reason for being here."

Victoria had, of course, been informed of the Human-Troyna hybrid-clone that was currently in FBI custody, which was what she was telling Alex and Paula in the vaguest terms possible. Of course, her explanation made it sound as if it were Valla's spies that had been sent early to Earth; Anya's story -- which she was still to tell in its entirety -- was that she was of a group opposing Queen Valla, a story that Victoria didn't know in its entirety and, thus, couldn't possibly pass on to the pair with her now.

"What I need from you, Major ... Colonel, sorry," Victoria said with a tone that left no doubt she was asking for a favor, "Is for you to fill the position of Emissary to get and keep close to Queen Valla."

She held a hand up in a stop gesture even before he could react, saying, "I'm not asking you to be some sort of a spy ... a Double Agent. I am only asking you to keep your eyes open ... to play the part of liaison between our two species ... and ... to pay attention ... to look for things that ... don't look quite right.

"I desperately want to believe in Valla," she said with a sincere tone. "I want to believe that she is here to save our planet from ourselves ... to save ourselves from ourselves. I need you to help me keep that faith."

She looked to the woman and -- pointing to Alex -- informed her, "As for you, Paula ... I need you to make sure that he stays alive and healthy." Victoria looked to Alex and smiled. "I heard what you were saying to the Director, Colonel ... and I feel like I should clarify something. Special Agent Reed doesn't work for the Central Intelligence Agency. She works for me ... works for a special department that answers directly to me ... and only to me."

Looking to Paula again, Victoria said, "Your job is to protect him and report to me ... not spy!" She smirked and shrugged, adding, "I mean, if you see something I should know ... feel free. But your one and only assignment ... is to protect ... this ... man! Understand?"

"Yes, Madam President," Paula answered.

 

[MarieDavisRPs]

World News Now broadcast

With the death of the repeated 30-minute-long news broadcast that had made CNN Headline News a staple of the busy man during the '80s and '90s, World News Now had stepped in to fill the void for which many still yearned for. For the last 22 days, the only news had, of course, been about the Troyna; whether it was current headlines, the economy, national politics, or -- somehow -- even the weather, the word Troyna came up in every segment.

Until just before 2pm Eastern Time, the biggest stories of this day had been the current Troyna relief effort in Ukraine and the anticipated one in Gaza, expected to begin at sunrise -- local Kyiv time -- on the 19th of September, just a day and a half away.

Then, came the explosion. Details had been sketchy at first, with the initial reports claiming that an accident at the Troyna relief camp in Ukraine -- possibly a Shuttle crash -- leading to an explosion that took the deaths of hundreds, possibly thousands of Humans and an unknown number of Troyna.

For the next several hours, conflicting reports would make the truth of the matter hard to understand. What's more, unlike most tragedies and emergencies in this era of the cell phone camera, there were no really clear images of what had happened there. Two of the effects of the nuclear blast that had destroyed Kyiv had worked independently and yet together to prevent social media video from being ubiquitous here: first, the cell service throughout the region had been severely limited; and second, most electronic items -- cell phones amongst them -- had been destroyed by the electromagnetic pulse of the bomb.

World News Now, though, had been lucky enough to have a Stringer with a camera covering the activities at the camp. He'd been recording a story about the most critical patients heading up to the Mothership and had had his camera pointing directly at one of the Troyna Shuttles.

Suddenly a man broke out of the crowd and through a barrier, pushing through Human Security Officers and heading for the ramp. He was crying out loudly and maniacally, but the sound of the Shuttle's engines was too loud for his words to be understood or even his language identified.

In normal situations with Human-led relief efforts, such an operation in an area that had suffered war for so many years would have included armed Guards who'd been ordered to watch for suicide bombers and deal with them appropriately. Typically, of course, that meant shoot them dead before they could get close to their target and detonate their bomb.

But the Troyna had forbidden the Human Guards from carrying firearms, restricting armed security to only a small handful of non-lethal Tasers, Billy clubs, and the like. Even the Troyna Security didn't have lethal weapons. Between the two races, none of these Guards were in a position to stop the man as he got closer and closer to the ramp.

The man was nearly to the ramp when he detonated his bomb. There was a blinding flash, followed by a shock wave that blew the reporter and camera over; the latter hit the ground, still pointed in the direction of the blast.

At regular speed, the explosion looked devastating, the kind of blast that would take dozens, if not hundreds of lives. But when the video was slowed down for the audience, something that hadn't been seen at regular speed came to light.

As the bomber neared the Shuttle's ramp and lifted his hands into the air and his face to the heavens, calling to whatever God he favored, a Troyna could be seen running toward the man; because he was almost exactly opposite of the man from the camera, he hadn't been easily seen at full video speed.

Just as the bomber prepared to detonate, the Troyna could be seen leaping toward the man ... with his fisted hands across his chest. Oh, not many Humans understood the significance of the gesture, but in the days to come, they certainly would.

But it wasn't just the gesture that would catch the eye of Human Beings all over the globe. A close analysis of the explosion, frame by frame, would show that the blast expanded out as would be expected. But when the flames had reached about 60 feet from the detonation point -- up, down, and all around -- those flames simply ceased, as if they'd reached a dome over and around the Troya and bomber and been stopped.

Speculation -- which would be found accurate in the next 24 hours or so -- was that the Troyna who'd ran at the bomber had had some sort of shield which had enveloped him, the attacker, and the explosion; the shock wave that had knocked the camera over had actually been caused by the expansion of the dome, not the bomb itself.

When the Security Teams responded to the site of the detonation, they would find that both men -- Troyna and Human -- had been vaporized. But other than that, the only new injuries would be to others who'd been knocked off their feet by the shield dome's shock wave.

 

[desperado1089]

Liz/Robert/Anya

"Now we wait, although I assume that once the DNA analysis comes back, things will move rather quickly. Let's play tourist in DC, I don't fancy remaining cooped up in the hotel the whole time. Anyone have a better idea?" Robert leveled a glare at Anya, a clear sign she should stop her antics before he got really upset about it.

Alex/Paula/POTUS

Alex patiently listened to everything that was said, to him, about him, and otherwise. Only when Paula had said, "Yes, Madam President" did he speak. "I think that you took the words right out of my mouth, Victoria," he answered finally. "I also want to believe, to have faith in the Troyna. I will help you keep that faith, because in doing so, it would allow my own peace of mind as well. Should I be worried about the infiltrator or infiltrators?" He paused, and changed topics. "I will ask the Queen about this, and see what she says. I want to believe that if these infiltrators have hostile intentions, then they are not under the Queen's command. Regardless, I accept this assignment, Madam President," he said in his 'all business' voice, standing to attention and saluting. When it was returned, he said, "I require a few things. One, I'd like to be fitted for a shoulder holster, preferably to carry a Walther PPK/S nine-millimeter short. Two, I'd like my things to meet us at wherever we go to make that happen. Three, I'd like the Queen's number, frequency, whatever. It is time I step into my role as Emissary. Fourth, and finally, I need transport to the nearest LZ large enough to accommodate a Troyna shuttle. Is any of that unacceptable?" He was including both POTUS and Paula in his query. "Oh, and I suppose I should ask, is Paula gonna accompany me up to the mothership, or are you confident that the threat up there is minimal?"

 

[MarieDavisRPs]

Liz/Robert/Anya

"...I assume that once the DNA analysis comes back," Robert said as the three of them were leaving Walter Reed, "things will move rather quickly."

Liz hated the delay, obviously; she'd wanted to disprove Jane Doe's story today and get back to her life ... and Robert's cock. These days -- after relocating from the Big Apple to Upstate New York -- she only got to see her lover a few times a year, half a dozen at best, and she didn't want to waste this one by having to mute her cries of ecstasy while the wannabe alien was sitting in the next room.

"Let's play tourist in DC," Robert suggested, looking to Liz; they'd both lived here in Washington in overlapping time frames -- she'd been at university while he'd been doing whatever the FBI had had him doing -- and, as a history buff, she'd forced Robert to visit national sites in between suck-n-fucks.

"Sure, why not? I love DC," Liz said. She looked to Anya feigning a delighted smile. "You good with it?"

"Absolutely," the woman answered. Looking around herself, she asked, "Can we start with a monument that sells kraut dogs and pretzels?"

Liz liked the idea, though, not the choice of food items; she should have eaten at Walter Reed while Anya was being examined but hadn't wanted to leave her side. She looked to the MIB-types who were waiting at the hospital's exit, then to Robert. "Can we lose these guys ... or at the least, get them to shed their jackets and ties or whatever to look less ... obvious."

 

[MarieDavisRPs]

The White House
Agent Paula Reed, President Victoria Steves, and Lt. Col. Alex Stewart

"I also want to believe," Alex said regarding Victoria's desire to have faith in Valla and the Troyna. They spoke more on the issue before he asked, "Should I be worried about the infiltrator or infiltrators?"

"No," Victoria said with confidence, looking to Paula, then back to Alex. "Because she's going to protect you."

"I'm good at what I do," Paula said, "but I'm only one person."

"No, you're not," Victoria said, standing and moving to the door that led to her Chief of Staff's office. Opening it, she gestured a woman inside, then explained as she looked to the named people, "Agent Paula Reed, Lieutenant Colonel Alex Stewart ... this is Marcus."

The man whose surname POTUS didn't offer didn't nod, didn't smile, and didn't come close enough to the pair to offer a hand; he was a serious man who rarely showed emotion. He was dressed in an above average suit and shoes that spoke of being more than an MIB-type; the bulge under his right shoulder labeled him as a left-handed shooter.

Victoria continued, "Marcus will provide you with anything either of you need. Anything."

"I will ask the Queen about this," Alex said regarding the potential for hostiles.

"I'd rather you didn't, Alex," Victoria said quickly. She explained, "Until we know more about this issue--"

She meant Anya, of course, not that she told the pair the name or even knew it yet herself. She continued, "--I'd rather you didn't bring it up with her ... unless absolutely necessary ... or if you thought it would gain you some information that we can't get another way."

"Regardless, I accept this assignment, Madam President," Alex said. Robert made his request for a specific pistol, the retrieval and delivery of his possessions, the method in which POTUS was communicating with Queen Valla, and transportation to where a Troyna shuttle could easily land. He asked Marcus, "Is any of that unacceptable?"

"Regarding how I speak to Queen Valla," Victoria responded, "she's sending a Shuttle down with come advanced communications devices. After it's been checked for any potential dangers, a unit will be brought here."

She smiled knowingly, continuing, "I think that perhaps Valla was expecting you to ask for this because I'm informed that you will be provided with a Comm' or whatever they call it, too ... for your duties as Emissary.

"As far as where a Shuttle can land," she continued, "that's already been arranged. Valla's Shuttles will be using Andrews. Secret Service didn't like the idea of the Troyna using the same airport used by Air Force One ... but its really the safest place for our alien friends to land until we deal with this potential hostile element."

Marcus spoke for the first time, saying, "I'll get you the Walther. And I'll arrange for your things to be delivered to the safe house."

"Oh, yeah, the safe house," Victoria said, looking to Paula.

Paula filled in, "A safe house has been arranged in Arlington ... in the suburbs. We've never used it before, and it's not on any government registry, so ... it should be safe."

Victoria looked between the three, asking, "Anything else?"

If there was nothing, Paula would escort Alex to an entirely different vehicle awaiting them; the switch was being made to elude any paparazzi, investigative reporters, or potential hostiles who might have been monitoring vehicles entering the White House grounds.

 

[desperado1089]

Alex/Paula/POTUS

"Only that I request that I be present when those devices are delivered, as that appears to be the next time the Troyna are scheduled to land on US soil. I can hitch a ride back up to the mothership after the devices are dropped off." Alex would keep his own counsel on whether or not to ask Queen Valla about the potential infiltrators. Salutes and handshakes were exchanged all around, and Alex ducked into the second vehicle and watched the protest crowds from afar and drew a heavy sigh. "I hope I'm right about them," he murmured, half to himself. Alex would change to his OCP uniform when he reached the safe house, and would keep his new Walther in reserve; instead, when he met the Troyna shuttle, he would wear a web belt and a pistol in a synthetic combat-grade holster.

Robert/Liz/Anya

Robert nodded and headed over to the others. "Guys, go put on something more subtle. Consider that an order, since you guys are here for me." After they had complied, he acquiesced to the request for junk food and headed into DC in search of the first hot dog stand they could find.

 

[MarieDavisRPs]

Paula Reed and Alex Stewart at the White House

"I hope I'm right about them," Alex murmured regarding his belief in Valla and the Troyna.

Paula didn't know whether he was speaking more to himself or to her; either way, she responded, "Me, too."

Her feelings about the Troyna and about Valla in particular were filled with uncertainty. She'd seen enough aliens-conquering-Earth science fiction in her life to wonder whether or not it was possible for an extraterrestrial species to be entirely peaceful and benevolent. For a moment, she thought back to Will Smith in Independence Day telling his stripper girlfriend that he didn't think the aliens had flown halfway across the galaxy just to end up fighting. Then, Paula remembered: they had.

At the Arlington Safe House

With Alex, Paula, and their two MIB-types -- now all in more casual clothes -- headed south from the safe house to Alexandria, then east, back over the Potomac, to arrive at Andrews Air Force Base. Paula was amazed to see construction crews already working on new security fences, guard shacks, and a hangar specifically for the housing, fueling, and maintenance of Troyna shuttles.

"And it took them three years to fill the pothole out front of my apartment," she growled as she counted off at least 100 laborers working on the project, 30 National Guard members protecting it, and 12 FBI agents monitoring the entire operation. They followed the waves of a series of people leading them to their parking place, before getting out.

Paula looked up at a sound she recalled from Fairchild AFB back in Washington State: a Troyna shuttle. The vessel measured about 60 feet in length, 12 feet in width, and 18 feet in height; each measurement was about 50% more than the size of a Greyhound bus.

She looked for the rockets or propellers or whatever it was that caused the Shuttle to fly through the air or through space or, in this case, slow its descent as it neared the Earth for a landing. She saw nothing, though; she couldn't know that the vessel's propulsion was a matter of manipulation of Earth's gravity and magnetic fields, technologies of which Earth scientists and aircraft designers hadn't even conceived of as possible.

The only sign that anything was happening at all was the disruption of dust, dirt, and debris on the surface of the tarmac as the Shuttle's descent brought it to less than 100 feet. Even though the Humans were more than 200 feet away, Paula found herself shading her face and eyes in particular from the stuff flying about them.

Once the vessel had settled on the ground and the disturbance had abated, the rear ramp descended and a trio of Troyna emerged; they headed toward Alex and Paula with obvious purpose, in step and in a "V" pattern as if a small flock of geese flying south for the winter. At ten feet from the pair, they stopped smartly, and the leading Troyna fisted his hands and clapped them against his torso in a fashion that Alex would certain remember.

"Major Stewart," the Troyna said through the translator. He lowered his hands, then flashed a more Human salute with his right hand, smiling as if proud that he'd learned it on his own. "I don't know if you've figured out how to tell us Troyna apart yet..."

He tapped a fingertip to the decoration on his collar that indicated he was a Medical Officer, as if Alex was supposed to have known the difference between them and the decorations worn by the Air Ship Officers behind him.

He looked to the other Human, flashed the same two-fisted sign of respect to her, followed by a salute that was unnecessary as she wasn't military, and said, "You must be Agent Reed. I am Pran Torka, Senior Medical Officer with the Search & Rescue Squads."

He glanced to Alex again, then back to Paula, informing her, "I was one of the Troyna who rescued the Major--"

"He's a Lieutenant Colonel now," Paula interrupted politely. "Promotion."

The Troyna looked to Alex again, smiled, and bowed forward before rising again to say, "Congratulations ... Lieutenant Colonel Alex Stewart." He looked to Paula again, finishing his earlier thought, "I was one of the Troyna who rescued ... Lieutenant Colonel Stewart from the cold waters of your vast Pacific Ocean.

the other two men and the bags sitting on the tarmac, asking, "Are these your things, to go with you up to the Mothership?"

Told that he was correct, Pran ordered the two other Troyna to load the bags, then -- falling in behind them -- gestured Alex and Paula to follow. He attempted to chat with them, but the Shuttle's tech disrupting gravity and the magnetic waves -- even at idle power -- created too much noise, even without moving external equipment like propellors, jet engines, or rockets.

However, once they were inside and the ramp came fully closed, the sound vanished, though; the only sound inside the shuttle was that of the crew talking and of a few bits of equipment dinging or pinging or other such sounds.

Pran gestured Paula and Alex to the seats normally used by passengers or non-flight crew Troyna, then -- catching Alex's eye -- pointed forward toward the flight deck of the vessel; unlike the typical Earth aircraft, there was no bulkhead or door between the flight deck and the rest of the cabin area on a Shuttle.

The pilot of the Shuttle reached down to unlock her seat, then spun it to look toward the rear. She smiled to Alex as Pran said, "I think you might remember our Pilot...?"

It was, obviously, Dyah.

 

[MarieDavisRPs]

Robert/Liz/Anya at Walter Reed Hospital, Bethesda, Maryland

Robert told the MIB-types escorting them, "Guys, go put on something more subtle."

The two men who'd stayed close to the trio inside the hospital looked at each other in confusion. Robert continued, "Consider that an order, since you guys are here for me."

"We don't..." one man began. The other man finished the thought, "We don't have changes of clothes with us, Agent Peterson."

Anya -- who was beginning to feel a bit freer now that they'd finished her sometimes invasive examinations -- went to the first man, grabbed his tie, and began loosening it. "You guys need to learn to lighten up."

Once the knot was loose, she jerked the tie out from around his neck, then looked to the other man and asked, "I gotta do you, too?"

"No, ma'am," he said, reaching up to loosen and shed his own tie. Over the next few moments, the men shed their jackets, too, slinging them over an arm or shoulder to look more relaxed. Each of them had been wearing their sidearm on their hip as upon to under their shoulder with a sling; they pulled their dress shirt tails out to hide the weapons.

They still looked fairly obvious, but it was better than it had been. Liz said as the four of them headed for the exit, "I know where to go."

Outside, the boarded up again in one of the SUVs but told the driver of the other two to stay back a quarter mile to eliminate the caravan appearance. Five minutes later, they'd stopped and dismounted, then walked half a block into a park where several stands stood around the perimeter. Liz went for a hotdog with mustard, while Anya -- with cash from Liz -- went for a pretzel, also with mustard.

The trio, with the two casual men way out front of them and two still stuffed shirts was behind, walked about one of the parks with multiple smaller, less known statues and other monuments. At one point, a frisbee came sliding across the pavement to stop at Anya's feet, and a moment later she was filling a previously empty place on an Ultimate Frisbee team.

As Liz walked next to Robert, she asked him, "What're you going to do if Anya turns out to be the real thing? I mean, if they do find out that she is this Troyna-Human hybrid, that's gonna change everything."

 

[desperado1089]

Alex and Paula
Joint Base Andrews

Alex chuckled. "Your tax dollars at work, Paula. Gods, what an operation." He looked impressed at how quickly everything was going up, and only looked away when the shuttle approached. When the Troyna disembarked, he smiled in recognition. He had, of course, recognized Medic Torka, and returned his salute smartly. "It's good to see you again, Medic." He would have carried his own bags, of course, but he figured that if he was gonna get the VIP treatment, he wouldn't complain. It didn't take long for the cargo to be emptied, and one of the Troyna that was assisting handed Alex his communicator, a small, handheld device not unlike what he had seen Captains Kirk, Pike and Archer use on Star Trek. "Thank you," he said, and thumped his fists against his chest like Torka had done when he arrived. Before they boarded, he asked, "Does it carry the same significance coming from a species with only one heart?"

Regardless of the answer, when the pilot turned to face them, his face lit up with a smile. "Isn't this a pleasant surprise? It is very good to see you again, Dyah. I hope this little trip didn't take you from any important duties. How are the preparations for Operation Gaza coming along?" If the Troyna didn't mind, he would take a seat in the cockpit, wisely not touching anything, but perhaps he might learn something just in the relatively brief time it would take to reach the Mothership.

 

[desperado1089]

Robert, Liz and Anya
Bethesda/DC

Robert had made a mental note to hunker down at the Conrad long enough to give their minders some time to grab some more subtle clothes. When Liz asked him what they were gonna do if Anya turned out to be the real thing, he clasped her hands. "I don't know. The decision as to what happens to her is probably way, way above my paygrade. As to what we, ourselves will do? Well, we could always fuck a Queen. But on a more serious note, we'll have to see what the rest of the world wants with her. Personally, I don't see why or how we would have any say in the matter. They might let us stick together, just because we already have some kind of rapport with her, even if it's rather odd at times. But maybe, just maybe, we should be a little selfish. Turn those brief weekend trysts into domestic bliss. We'll even hang a sock on the door in case Anya comes by." Robert said that last bit with a mischievous grin.

 

[MarieDavisRPs]

Dyah and Pran Torka; Agent Paula Reed and Lt. Col. Alex Stewart
Troyna Shuttle Transfer Station (under construction)
Joint Base Andrews, outside Washington DC

"Does it carry the same significance coming from a species with only one heart?" Robert asked about Pran's fists-over-his-hearts gesture of greeting.

"I am honored by your greeting," Pran said with a sincere voice and another slight bow forward. He raised his right fist to his chest, slightly to the left of center, saying, "From a Human, this would be more proper ... and just as honored to receive, thank you."

Inside the shuttle, as he saw the Shuttle's pilot, Alex greeted, "Isn't this a pleasant surprise? It is very good to see you again, Dyah."

Despite already being strapped into her seat, Dyah unbuckled, rose, and repeated the two-fisted greeting. "It is pleasant, Major ... but not a surprise." Her smiled widened even farther as she explained, "I requested this assignment."

That wasn't exactly accurate but close enough. Her Queen had actually assigned her to work with Alex, but only because Dyah -- who'd been wanting to ask but afraid to be that bold -- had taken too much time getting up the nerve to approach Valla.

"I hope this little trip didn't take you from any important duties," Alex continued.

"Not at all, Major," Dyah responded.

"Colonel," Pran corrected, clarifying, "Major Alex was promoted."

Again, Dyah's smiled widened. "Congratulations, Alex. You deserve advancement and recognition."

"Got an award, too," Paula chimed in; she wasn't necessarily tooting Alex's horn but was instead simply making her presence known. Looking to Dyah, she continued, "Special Agent Paula Reed. I'm the Colonel's ... bodyguard, I guess you could say."

"Does he need one?" Dyah asked pointedly. She looked Paula over for the location of her sidearm; the Shuttle's security measures -- a form of passive full body scanner -- had detected the pistol hidden on the woman's hip beneath her blouse and informed Dyah.

Paula feigned a polite smile, saying, "By the description of his ... adventures with you ... no, I don't think he does. Regardless, much like yourself, I have my orders."

Dyah fist-saluted Paula with a polite bow of the head, saying, "Welcome, Agent Paula."

As she gestured the two Humans to seats -- Pran sat and buckled in, too -- and then returned to her own pilot's seat, Dyah explained the details of the upcoming flight. It was pretty standard: take off, achieve Mach 5, separate enough hydrogen and oxygen to fuel the main engines for atmospheric escape, and return to the Mothership.

Then, smiling again, Dyah gestured toward the Co-pilot's chair, asking Alex, "Would you like to assist me, Maj-- Colonel?"

Dyah was happy with Alex's joy for being asked to right-seat for her; the Co-pilot wasn't actually needed for flying the shuttle but was actually there more as a backup in the case that the Pilot was incapacitated, so he didn't mind standing and moving to a passenger seat.

The shuttle lifted straight up for 1,000 feet before its course began arcing toward horizontal flight. Dyah pointed toward some controls that were duplicated on the Co-Pilot's side, letting Alex do some of the steps. As they continued, she explained the basics of the Shuttle's operation.

After a couple of minutes, during a lull, Alex asked, "How are the preparations for Operation Gaza coming along?"

Dyah hesitated before answering, unsure of how much she was allowed to tell the Human; after the suicide bomber in Ukraine, the Intelligence Service and Security Forces both had tightened up their operations for the safety of both their people and Earth's.

"I've been assigned to provide aerial security," Dyah said. She chuckled softly, continuing, "It will be good to be back in an Attack Vessel. I don't mind Shuttles, but--" She laughed aging, and would have blushed if Troyna did so, saying, "--it's not where the real action is."

She contemplated what she could safely tell Alex. "Gaza will be an even larger and more complex operation that our relief effort in Ukraine. We first have to ensure that the occupying forces -- the Israeli Army -- have withdrawn from the ... Territory, correct?"

Alex responded, and Dyah continued, "If they have not withdrawn, we must neutralize them ... as we did in Russia and China. Then, out Security Forces do their job ... securing the Territory, duh."

She looked to Alex with widened eyes, laughing loud. In English without the need for the translator, Dyah explained, "I ... learn some ... help talk ... communicate. Duh ... is right?"

Dyah laughed again, feeling self-conscious about having tried to use slang or whatever it was called. She continued, again on the translator, "After the Territory is secure, our Relief Aid Forces will land ... with Doctors, Aid workers, Builders, and more."