"For the Betterment of Planet Earth" (closed)

[MarieDavisRPs]

Liz Wilson, Anya Muur, and Robert Peterson
Washington DC

"I don't know," Robert answered when Liz asked him what he was going to do when Anya's true identity was learned, one way or the other. "The decision as to what happens to her is probably way, way above my paygrade."

Liz had wondered about that a few times already, not just about Robert but about herself, too. Jane Doe 32 had only become her patient after the Troyna had arrived, and that was only because the woman's previous psychiatrist had moved on; Jane's claim of being an Alien-Human hybrid would have been ignored, even dismissed, if it hadn't been for the simple and undeniable fact that she'd mentioned the name Troyna multiple times long the arrival of Valla's ship.

"As to what we, ourselves will do?" Robert continued. "Well, we could always fuck a Queen."

Liz laughed, sharp and obvious, causing herself to look around to see if she'd drawn anyone's attention, particularly Anya; the young woman was still playing frisbee in the grass, now barefoot. "You're a bad, bad boy, Robert Peterson."

He went on about what the world might want from Anya. "Personally, I don't see why or how we would have any say in the matter."

That was very true: Liz was just a psychiatrist, and -- while Robert was with the FBI -- he was still just an Agent ... Special as he was in many ways.

"They might let us stick together," Robert continued, "just because we already have some kind of rapport with her, even if it's rather odd at times."

Liz laughed again. They're first meeting with Anya had included her standing and dropping all of her clothes and flashing her incredible Human body at them. Peeking over at Robert as they continued walking, she considered his earlier suggestion that perhaps the three of them shouldn't spend some time together between the sheets. Liz had wished so badly so many times in so short a time that Anya wasn't her patient; if it had been so, Liz would have be all over that thang.

Robert talked about their own relationship, saying maybe they should turn their weekend trysts into domestic bliss. Liz looked at him with an expression of surprise; they'd never spoken about taking things to that level, not because neither of them wanted it but because their careers had kept them apart with so many relocations between them.

"We'll even hang a sock on the door in case Anya comes by," Robert said with a mischievous grin.

"Or not," Liz said softly, looking to Robert for his reaction before laughing loudly and pushing him away. When they came back together, she explained, "Listen, she's a ... oh wow, a beautiful, sexy woman ... and I'll confess that I got all tingly when she dropped her gown, too. You know I like women, and you know I'd like to be with another one with you."

Her tone and mood soured a bit before she continued, "But she's my patient. And ... until she ceases being my patient ... until we figure all this out and know what's coming next..."

She didn't have to tell him that it just wasn't going to happen; Robert knew. Looking to ensure that Anya's attention was not on them, Liz moved close to her lover, kissed him full on the mouth while one hand cupped his groin, then whispered, "You can fuck me ... and suck me ... and call me your Queen, if that works for you."

 

[desperado1089]

Aboard the Shuttle
Alex, Paula, et al

The news reports of the suicide bomber flashed through Alex's mind, and if Dyah wasn't working the controls, he would have reached out and grasped her hand. "I am glad that there was only one casualty besides the bomber. How exactly did that single Troyna do what he did? I understand he generated some kind of shield to protect others from the blast, but details haven't been easy to come by. Of course, if that's technology you'd rather keep a secret for now, I'll understand. Just...pass it along that they should be prepared for this not to be the last time something like this is attempted."

Her use of slang made him laugh, and he did indeed confirm that she had used it right. "Before you know it, we won't even need the translator," he said, genuinely complimenting her. "If the Troyna will allow it, I would be honored to be part of your AV crew. If I may ask, what roles are fulfilled on an AV crew? There are large bombers among our Air Force called B-52s whose crews number five as well, but those are much larger than an AV."

 

[desperado1089]

Robert/Anya/Liz

While Liz's kiss and the way she groped him was severely tempting, and would have driven him to seek a secluded spot under most other circumstances, Robert felt it was time to make his confession before things got too far along. "Liz," he said, his hand gently clutching the wrist to which the hand cupping his crotch was attached, "before we continue, or talk about anything else, I have a confession to make. I...already succumbed to Anya's advances. On the plane. I'm sorry." Fully expecting devastation to follow, he slipped as smoothly out of her personal space as possible and turned to give her some time and space.

 

[MarieDavisRPs]

Aboard the Shuttle

Alex asked about the technology the heroic Troyna had used to limit the suicide bomber's damage. She didn't think there was any harm in telling him about it; if Queen Valla was going to trust him with learning and understanding the tech behind one of the Troyna's most effective weapons, the Attack Vessel, Dyah didn't see any reason why he couldn't also understand one of their most effective personal defensive techs, too.

"It is a deflection technology built into the suits of many of the members of ground operations," Dyah told him. "Its primary purpose is to deflect projectiles and blasts. "

She took a moment to alter the Shuttle's course and speed, then continued, "In this case, the heroic ground worker must have suspected that the Human was carrying an explosive device ... and ... he knew that if it detonated inside the range of the deflector ... the blast would be contained, saving the lives of others."

A flashing light and soft tone led Dyah to pull the shuttle's nose slowly up to 50 degrees. As the craft pushed through the last layers of atmosphere with barely a shiver, Dyah rolled the shuttle slowly over; as the blue of Earth's atmosphere gave way to the void, Dyah pulled the nose up again -- or, relative to Earth, down -- and decreased the power of the propulsion units.

Now, Earth filled the upper portions of the windows above Dyah and Alex's heads. She looked to him with a wide smile, asking, "Beautiful, isn't it? Your planet is a wondrous place." She looked back to the planet, continuing, "I've seen three worlds in my lifetime with my own eyes. I have to say ... Earth is the most wondrous of them all."

Dyah unlocked her seat and turned it to look back to Paula; the Special Agent was clasping the arm rests of her seat with obvious fear. The Troyna promised, "You are perfectly safe. Nothing can happen to you."

That wasn't precisely true, of course; during the Troyna attack on Earth's nuclear weapons, two of the Attack Vessels, as well as one Search & Rescue Shuttle, had had technical issues and had either crashed, broken up, or been abandoned. Still, there had been more than 5,000 flights from the void to the atmosphere and back during two attacks and the Ukraine mission. That was a less than 1/100th of a failure rate so far.

"We're in space!" Paula said, trying to hide her anxiety but failing. She'd known they were coming up here, of course, but it was still causing her heart to pound and her mind to imagine the worst. Then, something new struck her: "There's no gravity. Are we ... are we in Zero G?"

Pran chuckled softly, repeating Dyah's promises that they were safe. He unbuckled and pushed off to cross the cabin to the seat next to the Agent. He told Paula what he was doing before he did it, then pressed a device to Paula's forearm; she couldn't help but note its similarity to the hyposprays from Star Trek.

A moment later, the anxiety simply vanished, and Paula was able to breath evenly. She looked to Pran, then Dyah, and said with disbelief, "This is just too ... out there."

Hoping she understood the other female's meaning, Dyah smiled and said, "It's about to get even more out there."

She indicated a control to Alex, and when he fingered it, the entire upper half of the shuttle's overhead and upper walls seemed to vanish; it was replaced with space and, beyond it, Earth. Dyah laughed as Paula's reaction -- eyes widening, mouth falling open -- before explaining, "The hull is still there. I didn't make it ... go away. It is a holographic projection, of what is beyond the hull."

It was a magnificent sight, even to Dyah and Pran, who had seen it again and again over the near-month since the Mothership arrived in Earth orbit. She looked to Alex to watch him admire his own planet for a long moment. When he looked to her, she returned to a topic he'd brought up when she was busy with the Shuttle's controls.

"Queen Valla would be just as honored to have you as part of an Attack Vessel's crew and you would be to fill the role," Dyah said. She didn't go into what crew roles there were on an AV; he'd learn that soon enough.

A Flight Controller on the Mothership made contact with Dyah, leading her to manipulated controls one last time. She explained when she finished, "They will guide us in from here. Now, we just sit back and enjoy the ride."

Looking to Paula, she found the Agent studying the planet above her. The view might have been a holographic recreation, but it was so perfect that one would have sworn they were in an open roofed vessel.

 

[MarieDavisRPs]

Liz and Robert, with Anya, in Washington DC

"Liz, before we continue, or talk about anything else," Robert said, "I have a confession to make. I ... already succumbed to Anya's advances."

Liz's happy expression began fading; her hand left her lover's groin as she pulled away just enough to put space between them. She didn't like what she was hearing.

"On the plane," he continued. "I'm sorry."

Liz's mind was spinning as Robert backed out of arms reach. She herself backed up a step, too, before turning to look away from him as she tossed the unexpected news around in her head. Oh, it wasn't that Robert had slept with another woman that was bothering her; she knew he saw other women in between their trysts, just as Liz saw other men, too.

No, what was leaving her in dismay was that Robert had fucked Jane Doe 32, her own patient, a woman who was yanking their chain about being an alien Princess or some other such shit. Suddenly, the possibility that Anya was, in fact, a Human-Troyna hybrid royal went right out of Liz's mind; she didn't believe it for a moment.

Of course, that made no sense: why would Robert fucking Anya alter Liz's belief of her patient's story? No, it was just Liz's response to knowing that just hours before Robert was emptying his balls into her pussy, he'd been doing the same inside Anya's. It was, of course, jealousy. Pure jealousy. And absolutely illogical.

Liz flinched suddenly before reaching into her jacket's pocket to retrieve her cell phone; it was her work phone -- her personal one was in her purse in the SUV, and she explained to Robert, "I told them I wasn't available. Let me see what this is about."

She turned her back to Robert, walking slowly away to deal with whatever this was.

Totally coincidentally, Anya came hurrying up to Robert, breathing heavily and giggling from her play with the Ultimate Frisbee guys. She looked at Liz walking away, then at Robert, asking, "What's up?"

 

[desperado1089]

Aboard the Shuttle

Alex sighed wistfully. "I hope that they tightened security around that site. Especially since I've heard that President Zelensky has personally joined the relief efforts. I'm sure he'd be grateful if your security and his could work together." He turned to grin cheekily at Paula. "Maybe if they teach me how to use one of those shields, you won't need to babysit me anymore!" Of course, he realized that was far from the case, but he was just trying to inject some humor into the situation.

When they escaped Earth's gravity, Alex didn't need prompting to unbuckle and start floating around; he had done so in similar circumstances before. As he walked his hands along the ceiling to move himself aft, the holographic image was activated and he was once again rendered speechless. He could only hum in agreement when Dyah told him how beautiful Earth is. "I will always be grateful to the Troyna for helping keep that beautiful blue ball so beautiful." He made his way towards where his bags were stowed and opened an outside pocket before returning to the copilot's seat. "I believe I promised that I would return this to you when we next met," he said, and held out her medal to her with a wide smile.

 

[desperado1089]

Washington DC

Even though he'd seen Anya walking up, he still startled when she asked 'What’s up?' Shaking his head, he fought to keep his voice even as he said, "Nothing. Nothing at all." As he glanced towards the FBI stuffed shirts, he was pleased to see that they seemed to have taken turns heading off somewhere one by one to change into something more casual, and it was even more impressive that not a single outfit was formulaic for "government agent". One was dressed in an absurdly bright Hawaiian shirt; one wore an "I DC" Letterman jacket; and so on. Furthermore, none of them bunched up, they were all spread out, looking like tourists as they snapped photos with their phones, even though they snuck in several photos of the crowd, particularly the Ultimate Frisbee team, and uploaded them to Quantico for facial recognition.

 

[MarieDavisRPs]

Aboard the Shuttle

Alex spoke to Dyah about the suicide bombing in Ukraine and that country's President Zelensky being at the scene of the Relief Aid Camp. She explained to her Human friend, "Queen Valla has instructed that the camp is not to be called a refugee camp, even though most of the Human Press calls it such. Her reason is that the camp is there for the benefit of anyone who needs help."

She described how the Troyna shuttles had begun picking up donated supplies from all over Eastern Europe -- even from Belarus and Russia -- and delivering them all about the region. "Not just to victims and survivors of the atomic attack, but to people on both sides of the Russian-Ukrainian border who suffered so much during the height of the war."

From the cheap seats of the Shuttle, Pran chimed in: "The aid distribution and medical assistance is set to expand beyond Ukraine and Russia. My Medical Division has been told that they will be deploying to the States of Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan in the next ten days. Each of those States has requested assistance, partially due to the radiation cloud that swept over them and partly due to simple long-term need."

Alex said to Paula, "Maybe if they teach me how to use one of those shields, you won't need to babysit me anymore!"

Paula only smiled at Alex's wishful thinking. Even though her official duty was to keep him safe, her unofficial but equally important mission was to watch, listen, and report on the Troyna and, particularly, on Queen Valla. Paula was pretty sure that Alex understood this, even if the Prez had said the opposite. Once a spook, always a spook, Paula told herself.

When Alex unbuckled and began floating about the Shuttle's cabin, Paula thought she was going to have another panic attack; the visual absence of the Shuttle's roof made Alex look like he was floating in space and, quite possibly, about to float away into it. Thankfully, the drugs Pran had given her kept her steady, and after watching Alex floating in the Zero G for a couple of minutes, she got up the courage to unbuckle and try it herself. She wasn't nearly as adventurous, though, taking a full couple of minutes of gripping a bulkhead rail before she finally released it and floated freely.

"I will always be grateful to the Troyna," Alex said about Queen Valla's plans for Earth, "for helping keep that beautiful blue ball so beautiful."

Paula wanted to believe that Valla was going to be true to her word, too. She had long believed that by the time she reached old age, there would be no saving the planet from global warming, resource depletion, pollution, poverty, disease, and all of its other ails. Paula had said to herself often since the Troyna arrival that at least the aliens couldn't hurt Earth worse than the Humans already had.

Moving back up to the front of the Shuttle, Alex handed Dyah the medal she'd received for the incident out in the Pacific days earlier. He told her with a smile, "I believe I promised that I would return this to you when we next met."

Dyah smiled as she reached for it, delighted not so much to have it back but to once again be with the man to whom she'd given it. She held the medal a moment, then thrusted it back out to Alex, pressing it into his hand. In English, she said, "No. Is you ... yours. I give you."

Returning to her translator, Dyah said, "I want you to have that ... so that when we are apart ... when we are not training together or working together on a mission ... that you will always remember me."

An untranslated Troyna voice came over the radio, to which Dyah said, "Everyone back in their seats, please. We are entering the Shuttle Bay. As we enter, artificial gravity will begin to affect us. I don't want anyone getting injured."

It would take several minutes for the Shuttle to enter through the opened bay doors -- which then closed behind them -- and be pulled into its docking position. Once there, it was pulled back into what was essentially a garage, which -- rather than the entire Docking Bay -- would then be pressurized with air breathable by both Humans and Troyna.

After that, all six occupants of the craft entered the decontamination lock, then the reception area; it was basically a small room off which doorways went in various directions. A Troyna who might be familiar to Alex -- or not, depending upon how good he was getting at telling the aliens apart -- was waiting there for them.

"Welcome, Friend Alex Stewart," Ryla said in well-practiced English, before looking to the other Human and continuing, still in English, "Welcome Friend Paula Reed. I am Ryla, Our Queen's Personal Aide."

Activating her translator, she continued as she turned for one of the open doors, "Queen Valla is eager to make your acquaintance, Friend Paula, and to once again see you, Friend Alex."

Behind them, Dyah caught Alex's eye and quickly informed him, "I have to shut down my Shuttle properly. I will see you again very soon."

Pran was already heading toward a door in an entirely different direction, but he to called back to Alex, "It's good to see you again, and we will see you soon, too. Nice to meet you, Paula."

Paula nodded confirmation of the farewells, turning toward the door for which Ryla was heading. But the Aide stopped short next to a pair of Guards armed with sidearms, telling both Alex and Paula, "You will need to leave your weapons here. No one, Human or Troyna, is permitted to have a weapon in the presence of Our Queen."

If neither of the Humans hesitated to give up their weapons, Ryla would lead them to Valla's quarters. They would take the same route Alex had earlier, seeing the vast open Communal Area that had all of the shops and services and seating he'd seen. Once again, they'd received dozens, possibly even hundreds of double-fisted salutes.

 

[MarieDavisRPs]

Washington DC

"Nothing," Robert said when Anya approached and asked him what was up. "Nothing at all."

She looked between him and Liz and knew that that nothing of which he spoke was certainly something. Anya looked down to Robert's groin and swore that he was showing more there than he had been when they'd begun their walk. She smirked devilishly, asking, "How was your fuck this morning...? Better than with me on the plane?"

Before he could answer, Anya turned and ran off, laughing; she timed her escape perfectly, being in just the right place at the right time to intercept a frisbee. She didn't stop as per the rules that she'd just learned, though, instead continuing to run a playful zigzag through the group of young people as they tried to get their disc back.

Eventually, she tossed it in a random direction and continued running ... away from Robert, Liz, and the four now-casually dressed MIBs who hadn't reacted because they thought she was just playing the game. Thirty seconds later, she'd pushed through a crowd of spectators, a group of Asian tourists, and disappeared into an arboretum.

They wouldn't find her until she was ready to be found ... and that wasn't going to be today.

 

[MarieDavisRPs]

World News Now Evening Broadcast
Washington DC
16 September 2030, 6pm Eastern

Cassandra Cannon listened to the Assistant Director counting down from five, and as the red light atop the camera before her illuminated, she began with her commanding voice, "Tonight, here on World News Now, we will hear President Victoria Stevens address the nation once again with the latest news on the Troyna, on what our alien visitors are doing around the world, on how their actions are affecting the United States and the American people, and how the US is going to react to the Troyna."

She continued reading from the teleprompter, bringing up Ukraine, Gaza, the attacks on Russian and Chinese infrastructure after those countries attempted to destroy the alien Mothership and more.

At different points, the live images of other reporters with their names and locations listed beneath them filled part of the screen. After that came images of the former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, the former Director of the CIA, the former Chief of Staff to POTUS, and the current Secretary of Homeland Security; Cassie pointed out that only the latter one was here to support the Administration in its position with the Troyna.

"And while President Steven is yet to confirm whether or not the United States has named an Ambassador to the Troyna--"

(OOC: Imagine professional dress.) The right side of the screen filled with the image of a beautiful Chinese woman.

Cassie continued, "--the People's Republic of China has. I'll be talking to China's Ambassador to the Troyna, Zhen Wu, asking about her country's launch of ICBMs at our alien visitors and how her nation is dealing with the aftermath of the Troyna's devastating attack on their military infrastructure."

"And after her message to the nation," Cassie trudged on, "we'll have an exclusive interview with President Stevens."

She listed a series of topics she intended to ask POTUS about, including, "...the rumors that a United States Air Force pilot shot down by the Troyna is being held hostage aboard the Troyna Mothership ... and what Queen Valla is asking of the US for his safe return."

Cassie had to suppress a smile as she was saying that last bit; World News Now's sources had learned the name of the pilot in question, that he'd returned to Earth, had visited the White House, and -- incorrectly -- was here on Earth, safe and sound. But to say that in the program's introduction wouldn't keep as many viewers here after the first commercial break.

After that first set of ads, Cassie returned to the studio to give each of the reporters 2 minutes each to introduce what was happening in their part of the world. Then, as the Director signaled her, Cassie said, "And now, the President of the United States."

Victoria Stevens greeted the American audience, then launched into her speech, covering all the high points related to the Troyna. Then, smiling wide as a video of him in custody and shackled played, Victoria announced that Vladimir Putin was no longer President of Russia.

"I know that there are many questions to be answered about the Troyna," Victoria continued after Putin's image faded, "and specifically about how the nations of Earth -- including the United States, of course -- are to deal with the Troyna. I want to remind the American people of two very important things to remember.

She first stressed that the Troyna attack on the US's nuclear forces had resulted in no loss of American life. "The Troyna didn't bomb us, as Putin attempted to do when he launched without cause or reason an ICBM at Washington DC, as well as the cities of London, Paris, Berlin, Madrid, Brussels, and Warsaw.

She talked of how many Americans had protested against nuclear weapons all the way back to their beginning. "Well, now, courtesy of Queen Valla of the Troyna, our children no longer have to fear that some madman will choose to push a button and destroy our planet.
"And second," she went on after a slight pause, "Queen Valla has not denied the United States or any of Earth's nations their sovereignty." She rambled on for a couple minutes about how we were still a nation of freedom, independence, free speech, and more.

Then, knowing that in her exclusive with Cassandra Cannon, she was going to get grilled about Alex, Victoria said, "Before I conclude, I want to set straight some stories that have been springing up in the Press over the last couple of days."

She took a second to collect her words; she'd promised Alex not to speak of the battle over the Pacific as having been an aggressive act perpetrated by the Troyna against the Americans.

"In the opening hours of the Troyna's retirement of the world's nuclear weapons," she explained, "a United States Air Force aircraft flying a regularly scheduled patrol over the Pacific Ocean east of Washington State collided with an aircraft from the Troyna Air Force.
"This was not an act of aggression on the part of either pilot," Victoria stressed, "but was instead an unfortuate accidental collision. Both aircraft ditched in the cold waters of the Pacific, where -- even with no other injuries suffered -- the temperatures could have killed either or both of them in less than an hour.

"Luckily for both pilots, the Troyna had rescue aircraft in the area, and -- after the American pilot heroically swam to the Troyna ship to aid that aircraft's injured pilot -- both were rescued by the Troyna and taken to the Mothership to receive medical attention."

Victoria knew that this was far from accurate. But at the same time, any Humans who knew different -- Alex's wingman or the crew of the American submarine -- had been ordered to remain silent on the incident.

"The American in question was United States Air Force pilot, Alex Stewart," Victoria continued, now smiling with national pride, adding, "who is now Lieutenant Colonel Alex Stewart, promoted and awarded for his bravery and quick action in the face of danger and potential death."

Victoria could have continued with an explanation of Alex's new position as Emissary to Earth, but she wasn't ready to have that take the spotlight in the news; it would wait. She concluded her address, after which Cassie returned to the location reporters and invited politicians and officers.

Cassie would find out that POTUS had cancelled the post-address interview and would give each of the reporters more time to speak about their part of the world.

 

[desperado1089]

Shuttle/Mothership

Alex's hands on the roof of the craft looked like they weren't touching anything at all, so perfect was the holographic image. "To quote the immortal words of Will Smith, I have got to get me one of these!", he said as he floated around the cabin. When Dyah told them they should get back into their seats, he would first make sure Paula didn't need any help before making his way back to the copilot's seat and strapping back in. He accepted her gifting of the medal on a permanent basis, and smiled at her continuing mastery of English. "Just so long as you will not get in trouble with your superiors," was his final word on the matter as he pocketed the medal in his chest pocket.

When they approached the guards, Alex simply unbuckled his web belt and held it out to one of the guards. When he took it, Alex gave him a single-fisted salute, mirroring the Troyna gesture but modifying it for his single-hearted nature. As he made his way through the Mothership, he returned as many of them as he could, but there were a lot of people celebrating his return.

When they arrived at Valla's chambers, Alex bowed properly this time. "It is good to see you again, Queen Valla. I am now prepared to fully step into my role as Emissary between our peoples. I would like to make a request to that end: that I am allowed the honor of joining Dyah's AV crew when she provides aerial security to Operation Gaza. I am familiar with most of the Israeli aerial assets, seeing as most of them were manufactured for the US Air Force." He paused, allowing himself a shameful sort of grimace. "It was out of my control, the shipping of arms from the US to Israel. Honestly, I think that Netanyahu deserves to share a cell with Vladimir Putin, but that is not up to me. Regardless, I will be able to provide technical data and other intelligence regarding the capabilities of their F-16s and other aircraft. After Gaza is once again peaceful, I would like to work with Dyah on a more permanent basis, if that's possible."

 

[desperado1089]

Washington DC

By the time Robert realized that Anya was not playing around, it was too late. But that didn't mean he was just gonna sit around with his thumb up his ass. Pulling out a radio that was about the size of a large Hershey bar, he slipped an earwig into his ear and said, "All agents, primary has slipped the net! Get backup down here ASAP! Teams one and two, converge on the arboretum now!" As he gave chase, Robert shouted, "FBI!", and "Federal agent!" intermittently, the others doing the same as they tried to join the search for the elusive woman.

 

[MarieDavisRPs]

Aboard the Mothership

Paula wasn't surprised when she and Alex were requested to hand over their weapons. They hadn't been allowed to be armed in the presence of POTUS, so why would they be in the presence of the Troyna Queen?

The walk through the Mothership was mind blowing for her. Everything was so spacious: passageways, work rooms; when a balcony-like walkway looked outward on one side she found a communal space that was ten times larger than any mall food court she'd ever visited before.

Paula saw how the Troyna reacted to them, slightly bowing their heads as they crossed their fisted hands over their chests. While she initially thought the aliens' attention and salutes were to the both of them, Paula realized very quickly that Alex was the main act and she was just the backup singer. She didn't mind, though; she wasn't here to be a representative of Planet Earth but instead was to protect the man who was.

The roomy ship became spectacularly roomy when they were escorted into the Queen's chambers. She'd once been in the palace of a Saudi Prince during an operation and remembered thinking to herself that she'd never seen anything so incredible. But this surpassed that by leaps and bounds.

"It is good to see you again, Queen Valla," Alex said when the Aide, Ryla, escorted them to her.

In English, Valla greeted, "Welcome, Friend ... and Colonel Alex Stewart." She switched back to the translator, spoke about hearing of his promotion and award, and only then looked to the other Human. Through the translator, she said, "Welcome, Paula Reed."

Even though the Troyna smiled politely and performed the fisted gesture, Paula noted that Valla didn't use the word Friend in her greeting. The Special Agent -- trying to fit in and make a good impression -- press a fist to her chest, nodded, and greeted, "Thank you, Queen Valla. It is an honor to meet you." She glanced around, adding, "You have a beautiful home. It is your home ... not just a ship, yes?"

Valla didn't answer the question, only smiling again before looking back to Alex. "Last time we were together, we discussed something."

She was being vague, but Alex understood. He responded, "I am now prepared to fully step into my role as Emissary between our peoples."

"This makes me very happy," Valla responded. "I have spoken with many of your World's leaders, and while each conversation led to frank discussions and..." She smiled a bit wider before continuing, "...satisfactory results ... for me and the Troyna ... but more importantly, for Earth and the Human Race.

"However, these talks tend to be very ... time consuming," she continued, "Your status as Emissary between our species will make communications easier."

Valla looked off to the side, catching Ryla gesturing to her. Looking back to Alex, she said, "Dinner will be served shortly, during which we can discuss the details of your duties."

"I would like to make a request to that end," Alex said. "That I am allowed the honor of joining Dyah's AV crew when she provides aerial security to Operation Gaza."

Alex's request didn't surprise Valla; Dyah had planned on asking Valla to allow it, but even before she had, Valla had gone to her to request it of the Pilot. "I would be honored to have you train to fly our vessels, Colonel."

The American spoke of his familiarity with Israeli assets and their source: the US. He brought up Israel's leader, saying, "Honestly, I think that Netanyahu deserves to share a cell with Vladimir Putin, but that is not up to me."

"No, that's up to me," Valla said. She saw the reaction on the faces of both Humans, smiled slightly, and added, "I'll explain ... during dinner."

"This way, please," Ryla said from off to one side. "Dinner is ready."

She led the three away from the big windows currently looking down upon Australia and the Pacific, up to the next level of Valla's chambers and to the left to an intimate dining room with a table that sat twelve. For tonight, only three places were set: Valla's at the distant head and those to each side.

As soon as they were seated, one servant after another entered, carrying drinks, hor d'oeuvres, salads, and eventually the main course. Valla explained, "The Troyna do not eat the flesh of animal life. I believe you call this vegetarianism, yes? She pointed to each of the items, explaining what each was and how it was prepared.

"I wouldn't have expected you to be a foodie," Paula said, smiling and explaining, "Foodie ... someone who has an extra-ordinary interest in food ... a gourmet."

Valla laughed, the first time Paula had heard it and only the second that Alex had. She responded in English, "I ... enjoy food?"

"Enjoy food, yes," Paula acknowledged.

Dinner continued, with Valla explaining the food and Paula -- who was no foodie but enjoyed everything served -- showing her appreciation. Eventually, Valla returned to the topic of Alex serving as Emissary, explaining how the two of them would need to have the ability to be in contact at all times. Again using her English, Valla asked, "24/7 ... how said, yes?"

Again, her question was confirmed in the affirmative. Alex told Valla, "After Gaza is once again peaceful, I would like to work with Dyah on a more permanent basis, if that's possible."

Valla's expression showed her hesitation. She didn't know Alex well, but -- if she was a better woman -- she would put money on the career pilot foregoing being Emissary to learn to fly Troyna warships. She told him, "I think that can be arranged ... though ... I will need you to be available for meeting and speaking with World Leaders as necessary. I promise, though ... you will learn to fly our marvels of engineering. Pilot Dyah will be an excellent instructor ... and she has expressed great interest in working with you."

Valla thought she saw a spark of delight in Alex's eyes when she spoke of Dyah and her great interest. The Queen would be lying if she hadn't considered the possibility of intimate interactions between Troyna and Humans, and she'd look naive to say she didn't think Alex and Dyah had thought of such things, too.

Intelligence Services had been listening in on communications between Humans -- from ordinary people to World Leaders -- for years; their surveillance had increased 1,000-fold since they arrived in Earth orbit as well. All of that eavesdropping had uncovered one thing that Valla had found very interesting: while most Human Beings had concerns about the invading aliens, most also thought that the Troyna were attractive, even sexy.

It turned out that the Troyna's similarity to so many Elven characters throughout the history of written, illustrated, and filmed fiction; as well as the sometimes-lusty feelings those Humans had for those fantasy creatures had led many Humans to imagine spending some naked time with the Troyna visitors.

Valla hoped to take advantage of this belief.

 

[MarieDavisRPs]

Washington DC

Liz turned at the sound of excited voices behind her, quickly realizing what the issue was: Anya was nowhere to be seen. She ended her call and ran back to Robert as he was calling into his radio, "All agents, primary has slipped the net!"

She stepped away toward the Ultimate Frisbee field, searching for her patient, only to find nothing but confused faces. Robert's people were coming out of the woodwork, revealing that they'd been guarded by far more MIBs than she'd thought; Liz didn't know whether to be offended or impressed, not that that was what mattered right now.

It wasn't long before unmarked and marked cars from the Metropolitan Police District of Columbia were at each corner and edge of the park, joining the search; Liz didn't know whether Robert had called for them or they were responding to a civilian's calls, but -- again -- that didn't really matter right now.

An hour passed before it was concluded without doubt that they weren't going to find Anya in the park or anywhere near it. Liz, who was on a bench finishing her third coffee from a nearby stand, went to Robert, asking, "Maybe we should go to the safe house."

No sooner had she said it then two things occurred to her: first, she didn't think that Anya had ever been told the address of the safe house; and second, even if she had been told, Robert had probably already thought of it.

Either way, they'd go to the house and, of course, find Anya absent. The search across DC and surrounding areas had netted them nothing, leaving Liz concerned for her safety. She would have worried about any patient of hers, of course, but knowing Anya's story made her concern even more deep.

 

[desperado1089]

Aboard the Mothership

"I was thinking that my duties as Emissary would see me traveling between the Earth's surface and the Mothership on a protracted basis," Alex elaborated, "and thus a pilot whose sole duty is to essentially help me in that manner would probably be a big help. In fact, said pilot would probably need to reside on Earth, and travel the planet with me, so their sleep schedule and mine would not conflict. That is, of course, if Dyah's duties or your own protocols do not prohibit her from such a position." The ulterior motive that he did not realize Valla was aware of, but he suspected the Troyna in general were aware of the internet's proclivity towards lust when it came to aliens, was only part of why he wanted Dyah to be assigned to him personally; he admired her talent, bravery and intelligence. And the possibility of training her to fly Earth aircraft (before they became obsolete, anyway) was too tempting to put into words.

"So," Alex prompted, after wiping his face on a napkin, "what was this you said about explaining to us why the Israeli PM's fate is in your hands? Not that I, personally, mind, but the International Criminal Court might have something to say about it."

 

[MarieDavisRPs]

Aboard the Mothership

Alex explained his thoughts about he and Dyah being more closely associated, finishing, "That is, of course, if Dyah's duties or your own protocols do not prohibit her from such a position."

"No, I don't see any issue with that," Valla responded. In English, she said, "Good idea."

Alex asked about the Israeli Head of State and her plans for him. She contemplated her response for a moment; Operation Gaza was a tighter mission than had been the relief effort in Ukraine after the suicide bomber, so details were being held close to the vest. Of course, Valla didn't know that Dyah had already told Alex the basics of the operation, not that Valla would have had an issue with it.

"Our Intelligence Services have been monitoring Israeli movements in and about Gaza," Valla told the pair, "as well as monitoring their communications."

She sipped at her drink -- it was similar to the taste of wine but a light blue in color -- and continued, "We've discovered that a majority of their Parliamentary Members, as well as approximately half of their upper-level Military leaders, have expressed an interest in pulling out of Gaza, as I requested."

Valla went quiet at the arrival of Ryla; the Aide leaned in close to whisper to her before rising to see her Queen nod her head. Valla continued, "Three hours agao, Prime Minister Netanyahu ordered his forces to begin withdrawing from Gaza." She studied Alex a moment, asking, "Does this surprise you?"

Valla listened to Alex's response, then provided him with an additional bit of information: "While the Prime Minister would seem to be complying to my request, my Intelligence Services heard a communication that caused me great pause." She sipped her wine again, then said, "Mister Netanyahu has possession of an atomic device that somehow escaped our earlier survey for nuclear cores ... and he has left it in Gaza."

"My God," Paula murmured in deep shock. "They're going to wait for your forces to arrive--"

"Then detonate it," Valla completed. "Yes, we believe so."

 

[desperado1089]

Aboard the Mothership

Alex just stared at the Queen in barely-contained outrage, the hand that was lifting a glass of water to his lips shaking so bad the ice in it rattled audibly. "That bastard!", he finally snapped, slamming the glass down onto the table so hard it sent water flying everywhere. "It's not enough that that sadistic fucker did his level best to commit genocide," he ranted, jumping up from his seat so suddenly it toppled to the deck, "but now he wants to commit mass murder against a peaceful, benevolent alien species?" He wheeled around and Valla could see the determined fire in his eyes. "We humans have a saying that applies to this situation: not on my watch. You have my skills, you have my knowledge, you have my complete confidence that if you bring this to President Stevens' attention, she will be as outraged as I am. And, even though this is just a reference to a beloved piece of literature and later of film among my people, you have me and my axe!" He brought himself to full attention and gave the Queen a single-fisted salute. "When do we begin 'Operation Castrate Netanyahu'?"

 

[MarieDavisRPs]

Aboard the Mothership

Alex's show of outrage caused the sudden rush into the dining room of four Troyna Guards, coming from behind beautiful tapestries hung along the wall -- or, actually, where there were hidden openings in the wall.

Paula, startled, hopped to her feet as well, instinctively reaching for her sidearm. It wasn't there, obviously, which made her feel doubly foolish when the Queen gestured to her protectors to calm down and withdraw.

"Now he wants to commit mass murder against a peaceful, benevolent alien species?" Alex continued his outrage as across from him Paula returned to her seat. He told Valla that this wasn't going to happen on his watch, then offered himself, his knowledge, and his services to ensure it didn't. "When do we begin 'Operation Castrate Netanyahu'?"

Valla's expression revealed her obvious confusion for a moment; the translation hadn't converted Alex's English to her Troyna in a way that had made sense. Even though her education regarding Humans had included hours and hours on their physiology, gender differences, sexual interactions, and more, those lessons hadn't included anything about castration.

Also, there was no such thing as castration in the Troyna species, and even though other species with which they'd dealt in the past did have this practice for one purpose or another, it wasn't something that had readily popped into Valla's mind because the testicles of male Troyna did not dangle in their crotch at the meeting of their thighs; a Troyna's testicles were fully and eternally contained within the male's crotch.

(OOC: If you want to hear more about Troyna sexuality/gender/relationships, etc., you can see this post, although, it might be more appropriate to simply learn it bit by bit as the IC unfolds...?)

Ryla, who had also responded to Alex's uproar and -- unlike the guards who had slowly done as their Queen had commanded -- was still standing in the distant corner of the dining room. Deactivating her translator, she guessed at what castration might entail, based upon her own education on the Human species.

Valla's eyes opened in horror; she looked from Ryla to Alex, then Paula. The female Human typically picked up on things fairly quickly and looked to Valla, saying, "I didn't have to hear your Aide's explanation to know that what she said to you was probably accurate."

Valla looked to Alex again; this time her gaze dropped for just a moment to his groin before she looked up again. Then, suddenly, she laughed. In English, she did her best to repeat what Alex had said: "Op'ration ... Castration Netanyahu ... I understand."

If Troyna had the capability of blushing, Valla would have been doing so now. She gestured Alex to return to his chair, and -- after one of the servers had entered to clean up the mess and pour the man another glass of water -- she told him through the translator with a touch of humor, "Although I believe a more appropriate name should be assigned, I do agree that something should be done about the Prime Minister--"

Valla went silent as Ryla gave her a little wave and gestured toward the private chambers' entrance. Valla nodded approval, and a moment later Dyah appeared; she walked with purpose down Paula's side of the table to the end, then bowed and saluted her ruler. "My Queen, please excuse my tardiness. My duties in the--"

"No, no, Dyah," Valla cut in. She repeated the fists-salute and gestured the pilot toward the chair next to Paula; one of the servants was already arranging a place setting for Dyah. "Your duties come first, even before coming to dinner with me." She looked between the three of them, asking, "You have all met, yes?"

As the question was confirmed, Paula noted that Dyah had changed from her flight suit and boots to an elegant dress and modest heels; it wasn't nearly as elegant as was Valla's wardrobe, but -- in a mix of blue and soft white -- it could have been considered the Troyna version of the Human little black dress.

After the pleasantries, Valla went directly to business: "Dyah, I have informed your superiors that you will return to the cockpit of an Attack Vessel immediately." Glancing to Alex, then back to the Troyna, she continued, "Friend Alex Stewart will accompany you. He is not yet qualified on the AV's controls, obviously, but he can fill the Tertiary Officer's seat."

Alex would learn soon enough that as opposed to the Shuttle's two-seat cockpit, the Attack Vessel's had a three-seat cockpit: pilot, co-pilot/navigator, and Tertiary/Weapons Officer. Valla continued, "We are hoping that you will not need to take any offensive actions on the Gaza Overwatch Duty, but if this becomes necessary, your Secondary can operate Weapons control from their seat, yes?"

Dyah didn't immediately respond; she was staring at Alex with a wide, delighted smile that was overwhelming her ability to stick with the conversation. When she realized that a lull had occurred, her brain caught up with her and she quickly said, "Yes, My Queen. We can fully operate with just the Primary and Secondary ... but it will be nice to have Colonel Alex with us in the Tertiary."

"Good, then ... it's settled," Valla said. She looked to Alex for his reaction to learning that he was going to be in an Attack Vessel as early as tomorrow.

Before he could respond, though, Paula asked, "What about me, Valla ... Queen Valla. I've been assigned to Alex's -- the Colonel's protection."

Valla looked to Dyah for her opinion on the matter. There was little doubt in the Pilot's reaction that she would have preferred not to have the female Human aboard, yet Dyah smiled, performed a casual fist-salute, and said, "I would be honored to have Friend Paula aboard. She can take one of the Auxiliary Seats normally filled by the Marines."

 

[MarieDavisRPs]

Washington DC
Almost midnight, 16 September 2030

It had been almost 6 hours since Anya had run away, and there had been no sign of her; half a dozen law enforcement agencies -- local, state, and federal -- had joined the search, with most of them having no idea of who or what the missing woman claimed to be.

Liz had been so concerned for her patient that she'd had a panic attack at one point that had required treatment by local EMTs. They'd suggested that she go to the emergency room, but Liz had refused.

Just before midnight when it seemed as if their day was finally over, Liz showered, then changed into a comfortable pair of sweats for bed.

A knock at the door came, though; a man flashing a Homeland Security badge asked to speak to them. He wasted no time, opening a medical file folder and handing it to Liz.

She studied the pages one after another in silence. Then, she looked to Robert and said simply, "Anya was telling the truth. I mean ... about being something other than pure Human. DNA doesn't life."

 

[desperado1089]

Aboard the Mothership

While it seemed from the Queen's demeanor that an apology was not necessary, Alex nevertheless was apologizing profusely right up until Dyah walked in, at which point he suddenly forgot how to speak and merely stared at her. When she sat down, he whispered, "You are so beautiful," so only she could hear. However, when it came to "business," it was not excitement he met then news with, but a mixture of confusion and concern. "If I may, Your Highness," he began, "what do you plan to do about the live nuke waiting for us down there? Have you located it? If so, perhaps one of your AVs should infiltrate Palestinian airspace covertly and use the same device you knocked out all the other warheads with, then the rest of the relief personnel can move in safely. Of course, someone as wise as yourself has probably already figured this out," he added with a sheepish chuckle.

 

[desperado1089]

Washington DC

"No, it doesn't," Robert agreed. "Well, now we know for sure. Her claims of being Queen may still be a delusion, or perhaps there's more going on here. Tell me, Liz, do you think the Troyna would so readily accept such a ruler? A cloned hybrid that looks like a human? What if, before she was sent here, there were people whispering in her ear that her claim would need to be legitimized by 'true' Troyna? Maybe I've been watching too many Game of Thrones reruns, but it's not outside the realm of possibility. Just because Valla at least appears kind and benevolent, doesn't mean all the Troyna agree with her. I mean, you heard Anya. She doesn't want to walk hand-in-hand with Humanity, she wants us to kneel at her feet and crawl beneath her. But all that could have been spoon-fed to her as soon as she was out of the tube."

 

[MarieDavisRPs]

Washington DC

"No, it doesn't," Robert agreed when Liz reviewed Anya's DNA report and learned that she'd been telling the truth: the woman was, in fact, more than just human. "Her claims of being Queen may still be a delusion, or perhaps there's more going on here."

"I dunno," Liz said without really thinking. Seeing Robert's reaction, she explained, "I mean, c'mon ... her DNA is not Human. It's ... beyond Human. She has additional genes, and some of what we'd call normal genes either aren't normal or aren't there. I think..."

She paused, surprised that she was saying this. "I think we have so genuinely begin considering that she is just what she said she is: an Alien-Human hybrid ... and possibly the legitimate Queen of the Troyna people."

Liz couldn't believe that she was saying this. How many patients had she had over the years who'd claimed to be something far more than they were, people who were always wrong. And now this? Now Anya?

"Tell me, Liz," Robert asked, "do you think the Troyna would so readily accept such a ruler?"

Robert wondered if her reign would be found to be legitimate if she looked like a Human Being. He again questioned Valla's apparent kindness and benevolence. About Valla, he said, "I mean, you heard Anya. She doesn't want to walk hand-in-hand with Humanity, she wants us to kneel at her feet and crawl beneath her."

Liz suddenly realized that she was trembling down deep into her core. She turned her back to Robert, grasping her shivering hands together; she wasn't cold, so she knew that it was fear. What if they were being conned by Valla. What if Anya had been telling the truth all along?

Then, about Anya, he presented the other side of the coin. "But all that could have been spoon-fed to her as soon as she was out of the tube."

"Who knows what she could have been told?" Liz mused, more to herself than to Robert. To him, though, she said, "Who knows about any of it?"

She turned back to Robert, studying him a moment before asking, "What if Anya is telling the truth? What if ... what if she is the rightful Queen of the Troyna? What if she isn't crazy?"

Liz moved across the room to Robert, taking his hands in hers own. She was concerned about Anya, of course; and she was concerned about the ... what would you call them, political issues? But beyond that, Liz was also concerned about her and Robert's futures.

He'd spoken of them taking their relationship to the next level, of turning their occasional trysts into something more permanent. Liz had assumed and still believed that that would rely on them staying close to one another while staying close to Anya, Robert as the woman's protector and Liz as her doctor.

Anya was now missing, and now there was evidence that she might very well be what she claimed to be. She said with a deeply sincere tone, "We have to find her, Robert. We have to protect her."

She could have added To protect us but didn't. She didn't want to seem ... selfish.

 

[MarieDavisRPs]

Aboard the Mothership

Alex asked about Valla's intentions regarding the hidden nuke in Gaza. "Have you located it?"

He spoke about the options Valla had available to her, finishing, "Of course, someone as wise as yourself has probably already figured this out."

Valla smiled wide at the Human's flattery; she was finding him more impressive with each meeting, something she hadn't expected. Secretly, Valla had even considered Major-now-Lieutenant-Colonel Alex Stewart as her first Human lover.

The Queen of the Troyna had known even before the Mothership reached Earth that she would, at some point, engage in sexual activities with a Human Being. The Troyna were physiologically, socially, and culturally closer to Human Beings than any species the Troyna had saved in a long, long time; not during Valla's lifetime had the Troyna interacted with such a similar species.

Add to that the fact that sexual interaction was an accepted Troyna social tradition. They used sex for multiple reasons, only one of which was the pure joy of it. Valla could see herself possibly linking the two species together through sexual joy with this man. The only thing stopping her was that it was still early in their association. Valla would need time to determine whether Alex Stewart was the right human or not.

Looking to her left, Valla knew that there was another thing preventing her from taking this Human into her bed: Dyah. The Troyna pilot was obviously infatuated with Alex; even though he couldn't, Valla could see the subtle indicators of attraction and even lust for the man. She wasn't going to get in the way of Dyah's desires, despite being the young woman's Queen. In fact, Valla might even help it along at an even more advanced pace that was already present.

"I hate to admit this," Valla confessed, "but we had some difficulty detecting the atomic device at hand. It was well conceiled." Her smile widened before she continued, "But yes, we did find it. It is hidden in a relatively open area very near Gaza City. My Intelligence Services believe it was placed there because it is the most likely area for my Relief Services to erect a camp to aid the people of Gaza."

Valla gestured to her Aide, who hurried forward to set a tablet near Dyah. Valla continued as the pilot reviewed the information, "We have a problem. We can't be certain that our weapon will render the atomic device inert. A strike unit will land at the site of the device to disable it. You will provide air cover, deploying the bio-suspension weapon."

Dyah acknowledged her Queen, then -- seeing a curious expression on Paula's face -- explained, "The bio-suspension weapon causes all higher beings -- in this case Humans -- to fall unconscious for between six and 12 Earth hours. We will deploy it, hopefully preventing any troops from being able to either detonate the device themselves or signaling others who could detonate it from another location from doing so."

Paula considered the weapon, shrugged, looked to Alex, and said, "That'll work."

Valla looked to Alex, too, and suggested, "Pilot Dyah will show you how to use the weapon from the Tertiary Chair."

 

[desperado1089]

Aboard the Mothership

Shuffling closer to Dyah's side as she pored over the tablet, Alex spoke up and said, "We should also deploy electronic countermeasures, to jam any remote detonation signals that may come from wherever Netanyahu is holed up. Also, this is an issue that will affect many people. The US has specialized Special Forces called NEST whose job is to penetrate hostile territory and disarm rogue nuclear devices. I do think that President Stevens will agree that the situation is unacceptable and offer the resources and aid of the US military and other agencies. However, since you already seem to have a plan in place, I will refrain from telling her about it unless you feel her help is necessary." He would ask Dyah if the tablet could translate to English as he "brought his work to the dinner table" after his conversation with Queen Valla.

 

[MarieDavisRPs]

Gaza

The streets of Gaza City were devoid of citizens, with the only signs of life coming from the Israeli Defense Forces who themselves were preparing to leave as well.

The IDF had taken control of the city and nearly the whole of the Strip by early 2026, pushing more than 90% of the Palestinian out to Egypt, Jordan, Syria, and points beyond.

Since then, the vast majority of Gaza City's population were Israeli and foreign, non-Palestinian workers tasked with rebuilding the City.

The question for three past 4 years, of course, had been who for whom were the Israelis rebuilding Gaza? The previous American President had had grand visions of turning Gaza into a French-style Riviera that would serve just about anyone except its former Palestinian population.

That concept had been abandoned, of course, yet the current President -- 2 years into her first term -- still hadn't made a firm stance on what she thought should be done with the Territory.

That didn't much matter now, of course. The workers and IDF troops guarding them had been ordered out, taking all of their equipment with them. It seemed obvious to the IDF leaders that Islam was abandoning any goal they had here.

Of course, they didn't know about the bomb. Only a small squad of Massad practices knew what was happening. Israeli scientists had discovered a way to hide a neckwear weapon's tell tale radioactive signature more than a decade ago; they had hope it would allow them to sneak a nuke into Tehran or some Arab city should such an attack be necessary. They'd never imagined they'd be using it against an alien race.

The bomb was hidden inside the screening device, which in turn was inside a cargo container, which in turn had been left amidst massive piles of debris left over by the war. The IDF hoped the container -- dirty, dusty, and covered in graffiti -- would be ignored by the Troyna.