Jahrae walked off the bridge with her team, stopped, instructed all but Saehressa to continue back to the team room, while placing Elsrensia in charge of the team.

Jahrae and Saehressa re-entered the bridge, surprising the Admiral. “Admiral, please reassign First Officer L’hhera and Ensign V’rahshera to a landing team that will include Saehressa and me. We leave as soon as the landing craft and your officers are ready.

“Understood, Jahrae,” the Admiral replied. “First Officer, Ensign, you are relieved of your duties on bridge, please call your replacements to active duty. Be ready to leave for planet surface in 15 minutes.”

“Yes, Admiral,” they replied in unison. “Jahrae, Saehressa… best wishes.” The Admiral added, moving to give a great big bear hug to each.

Jahrae and Saehressa scooted off to their suites, quickly grabbed the pre-packed bags they readied the night before, met at the lift, and descended to the bottom deck, where the hanger housing the landing craft was located. The First Officer and Ensign waited, on time and ready to go.

The four boarded the landing craft, the door sealing shut behind them, while the cabin pressurised. Powerful equipment removed the air around the landing craft, and once near vacuum in pressure, the massive hanger doors slid open, each sliding off to either side.

A green light flashed as the doors stopped, signalling it was safe to leave the hanger. The landing craft lifted daintily, though artificial gravity inside the landing craft eliminated any feeling of movement. They steadily moved past the doors and out into open space, slowly picking up speed.

At a distance of a kilometre, First Officer L’hhera, piloting the craft, engaged the primary engines, and the small craft, one that could hold a dozen passengers and some cargo and was roughly the length of a city bus, though wider, not as tall and sleeker, headed rapidly downward.

In Henna, New Hampshire, Ronnie Salston went about cleaning her home, one not lived in for several months. Dust was everywhere, and it was more than a one-person job. Her mom, Anita Lorrie, assisted, busily dusting everything within reach. The children pitched in, each assigned to clean their rooms, while Ronnie assigned the older Addison the task of cleaning the children’s bath.

Music played through the home, carrying a dual purpose of soothing worried minds and uplifting moods borne of finally being home. Addison was now in the bath cleaning, while Serada, whose room faced toward the back of the house, picked up toys left on the floor from when she last played.

Ronnie was in the kitchen, washing down the countertops, enjoying the bright sunshine shining through the spacious south facing windows toward the back of her home.

Serada lost track of cleaning, her mind enraptured with the half-finished drawing of the view outside her windows. She sat down upon her bed, and grabbing a pencil, began to work on missing elements. Alternately looking down at her paper and back up to refresh the image in her mind, Serry stopped, curious by something in the sky just beyond the thicket of trees behind the home and over the field space beyond.

Initially misunderstanding what she was seeing, Serada excitedly called out to Addison to “come and see the helicopter.” Addison came into the room calling out as she entered, ‘where?” while turning her head toward the direction Serada was looking.

“Oh…my…God!” Addison cried out as she turned and ran for the staircase, Serry right behind.

“Mommy, mommy,” Serry screamed from the bottom of the staircase. “There is a helicopter out back!”

“It’s not a helicopter, Serry,” Addison rebutted. “Mom, I think… it’s not something I’ve ever seen before.” Addison was skittish to say what she suspected, quite fearful she would look stupid if her assumption proved wrong.

Ronnie turned and looked out the tall and spacious windows, just in time to see something sizeable alight in the field beyond the trees. She felt her heart leap inside, and turning to the girls, as well as towards her mom who just entered the kitchen, presciently observed, “girls, I suspect you are about to meet your stepmother.”

All three of the others looked at Ronnie quizzically, not comprehending her meaning. Instead of explaining, Ronnie headed for and out the door, ran down the landing steps, turned left and made her way down the sloping yard toward the trees, headed for the field beyond.

At the same time, the door to the newly arrived landing craft opened, and two people emerged, confidently knowing their direction – up slope, toward the Salston home. Ronnie came face to face with Jahrae and Saehressa where trees met field, with the latter two immediately recognising the former, while Ronnie maintained her educated guess on Jahrae.

They all stopped for a moment, and in that second of time, Serada and Addison reached them. Ronnie spoke first. “Girls, I would like to introduce you to your stepmother, Jahrae Khentavra, and Jahrae, I would like to introduce you to your daughters, Addison and Serada. I am Ronnie Salston.”

The girls stood staring, too stunned to digest and process this turn of events. Jahrae took a step forward, a wide smile coming to her face, certain she heard the words ‘your daughters.’ “So you know who I am, Ronnie,” Jahrae replied, immediately impressed with her newfound family and their reciprocal interest in welcoming her and Saehressa. Jahrae introduced Saehressa and added, “I take it llhaesa has shared stories of her former life.”

“She has. You are married to an incredible human being, Jahrae,” Ronnie replied, meaning every word of it. “And from what llhaesa has shared with me, so too is she.”

“You are most kind, Ronnie.” As Jahrae thanked Ronnie, Anita arrived, and called attention to something the group heretofore ignored – sirens.

Police cars screeched to a halt in front of the Salston residence, and on the busier road well beyond the field, more police cars stopped, the cars emptying of officers who ran toward the field.

“Come!” Jahrae called out, taking charge. “Follow me – that is if you trust me, Ronnie!”

“Trust you? I will with our lives! Lead the way!”

The group scooted off back down the slope, toward the landing craft. As they reached the craft, a voice boomed over a megaphone, “Stop where you are, and do not move!” The group kept on going, and fifteen yards from the landing craft, a shot rang into the air. The group stopped briefly, until Ronnie realised the shot fired into the air, not at anyone. The voice boomed again as they reached the landing craft, insufficient and too late to stop them from departing.

The six scurried into the craft, with Ronnie and then Jahrae being last to enter. The door closed and sealed, while the cabin pressurised. Since the craft had its own gravity, no one need buckle in for the craft to move, and it quickly rose off the ground, under the able piloting of First Officer L’hhera.

When they were about 100 feet off the ground, the passengers heard a ‘ping’ outside, and glancing out one side window, they saw an officer had fired at the craft, and now sheepishly faced the full wrath of what must be his commanding officer. The passengers had no way of knowing that the commander screamed, “What the hell are you doing? There are children on that craft!”

The craft accelerated in an upward and forward direction, and rapidly gained altitude, quickly passing through normal aircraft lanes that plied the skies of this area.

The threat passed, and with everyone breathing easier, the girls directed their attention outward, watching the sky colour play through deepening blues to star studded black. Twelve minutes after leaving their backyard, Jahrae called the girls forward, where they watched the approach to AISV Equality.

“Wow!” Anita blurted out, but speaking for all the new passengers. “That thing is… huge!”

Jahrae laughed at Anita’s comment. “That is exactly what I said when first boarding, Anita. By the way, we did not have a chance for formal introduction thanks to your timely and important warning. I am Jahrae Khentavra.” Jahrae went on to introduce Anita to Saehressa, First Officer L’hhera and Ensign V’rahshera.

“We will chat extensively once on board, as I suspect each of you has as many questions as I,” Jahrae explained. “I wish to make it clear, you are free to return to the surface any time you wish, and you will be accommodated. I have no desire to act like your government.”

Ronnie smiled, and added, “That is exactly how I expect you to view things, Jahrae. I am positively thrilled you are here, and cannot wait until you and llhaesa are face to face. She dreams of you, she yearns for your touch.”

Jahrae smiled, and then figuring Ronnie was candid, so too should she be, replied, “You do not seem upset by this, Ronnie.”

Ronnie turned her attention inward, searching to first touch, and then share her feelings. “Initially, initially I was upset by the loss of Tim. I was angry, but my anger was lost in the hectic events that unfolded. Once I met llhaesa and we began to share our thoughts, our inner selves, so many things changed. I changed. My whole life changed, and in my opinion, it changed for the better.

I would like to add that you are a stunningly beautiful woman, small wonder llhaesa fell head over heels in love with you. And Saehressa… is as if llhaesa’s twin!”

“Head over heels?” Jahrae failed to grasp the meaning of the phrase.

“An expression in our language, meaning llhaesa is totally enamoured with you. As I was about to say, llhaesa recalls you as you were as a young adult. I am certain when she sees you as you are now she will be quite unprepared, and very stunned. I will add if I may your hair looks like fire. This must be new, because llhaesa did not mention this to me. If it is new, then it will be fun to watch your reunion.”

“That is most kind, Ronnie, and I must say that llhaesa as Tim chose well. We can celebrate our incredible beauty together!” Jahrae replied, adding her patented wink.

The banter quieted as the ship readied for the landing craft, the doors once again opening while the landing craft awaited the signal to proceed inward. Once inside, the doors closed, the hangar pressurised, and the passengers disembarked, making their way to Jahrae’s suite.

Once inside, Jahrae called the Admiral. Speaking in Arrhazonan, she informed the Admiral of their new guests, and that she would see to assigning them quarters.

Switching back to English, Jahrae shared what she had just done, and invited everyone to sit down. A tour of the massive ship would come later.

“You speak English fluently, Jahrae,” Ronnie observed, impressed with her language skill. “You must have practiced based on those of the United Kingdom, as your accent is closest to what one would expect from those of that country.”

“We have language methodology that is very effective, Ronnie. I am uncertain how this programme was prepared, but I will take your word for it!”

A sudden thought came to Ronnie. “How advanced is your methodology?”

“Well, I learned your language in less than ten days.”

“Can your methods work with me? I would like to learn your language.”

“They surely will, and we can see to this tomorrow.” Jahrae paused, knowing she and Ronnie had much to discuss, and it was imperative they break the ice. “Ronnie, over the last fourteen weeks – how long it has taken us to reach your world – I have acquired information piece by piece, attempting to figure out where llhaesa was, and how we might find her.

As time moved along, we learned of the extraordinary events on your world involving llhaesa, you, and your family. In that time, I have come to view all of you as family.

What I mean by that is… we, you and I, llhaesa, the children, our parents… are family.”

Ronnie beamed, for Jahrae just articulated the thoughts and feelings Ronnie carried within. “I am heartened to hear this, Jahrae. Heartened and relieved, for I said something very similar to llhaesa when last we were together.”

The two sprang out of their chairs and into a hug replete with love and affection, two united by virtue of their common partner, yet who now forged their own ties, in their own way.

They slowly separated and made their way back to their seats, where Ronnie asked why after all these years Jahrae searched for llhaesa.

Jahrae briefly explained the revolution, the slow uncovering and gathering of information over years, and how Arrhazon viewed llhaesa. “Ronnie, the mission we undertook was to rescue llhaesa, though initially we thought it a recovery mission – I will explain that part later.

The Chief of Government for our world asked me to lead this mission; a mission to find the person our people consider our foremost world’s treasure. When Chief of Government Gl’nsiel asked, she also assigned me overall command of the mission and this vessel, as well as assigned ambassadorial duties to interact with the many governments of your world.”

“You are in command here, and will serve as ambassador?”

“Yes, though I must confess I do so, and proceed, hesitantly.”

Ronnie giggled again, her mind recalling llhaesa’s perception of Jahrae, and how it was now woefully outdated. “Your wife is going to be in for a major shock when she reunites with you, and I love it! Just a hunch, Jahrae, but the love the two of you had and remembered through these years is nothing compared to what you are about to experience.”

Jahrae blushed, and decided to move the discussion in another direction. “Ronnie, I yearn to bond with the girls. How do you feel –“ Jahrae stopped as Ronnie assertively interrupted.

“You bet you will, Jahrae. They love llhaesa, and they have asked many questions about you. I think you wish to know how I feel about you entering the picture with the girls, and well… in my eyes you are their parent just as llhaesa and I are their parents, and it is high time this family forms into its proper shape.

You, llhaesa, and I are their parents; your parents and llhaesa’s parents are their grandparents, along with my mum and llhaesa’s mum when llhaesa was Tim.”

“Ronnie, llhaesa’s dad died many years ago; he was heartbroken at having lost llhaesa. My parents are both alive, and in fact, my mum is on board this ship. You will meet her shortly!”

Ronnie sat back and smiled, relishing how things were beginning to form up. Her first impression of Jahrae was one of immense respect, and with a surprisingly heavy dose of love. Who would have thought her family would stretch right to the star – 51 Pegasi – and world Tim and the girls would occasionally view through the lens of Tim’s telescope?

She turned to look over happily at her daughters – their daughters – who, along with Anita, the grandmother they knew throughout their young lives, were busily engaged in lively and apparently loving conversation with Saehressa – the grandmother they met for the first time.