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“It’s home for many of us,” Jace continued. “The only home we’ve ever known. The only home we probably thought we’d ever have.”

Dr. Isa smiled softly at him. Those had been her thoughts for sure. Now she was on a new adventure.

“Taking the leap of faith it took to come here already tells me that you are extraordinary people.” He grinned. “Meeting you has confirmed that. And I know as we take this journey together we’ll learn more about each other and just how incredible each and every one of you is.”

The Osiris began to slowly turn so that the ship’s mighty engines were facing towards Earth. Jace caught sight of the Galatea also turning. They were both about to launch.

“In less than twelve hours, we will be on an alien world.” Jace couldn’t help the shiver that went through him as he said that. “Haseon. The Thaf’ell homeworld and the heart of Alliance space.”

Dai’s hands came together in front of him almost as if in prayer. His black eyes were shining. He shared a look with Gehenna that had them both rocking back and forth.

“Because most of us are human, and we have just left our home after being attacked by the Khul, it would be natural to think of every other species as them,” Jace said. He touched his chest. “Not us. Them. And those that are leading the Alliance right now very much want us to feel that way. Because they see us that way. We are them. We are trying to change things. Worse, we’ve taken what they considered theirs.”

He spread his arms to his sides to encompass the Osiris. Khoth’s head lowered slightly, but he kept his chin up. He had fought against that instinct. He had opened himself up to the possibilities.

“But while it is natural to feel this us versus them--especially, when they will be stressing that--I need for all of you to remember that the only them that matters is the Khul,” his voice deepened.

Earth started to retreat into the distance. It was getting smaller and smaller so quickly that Jace felt like he should sense the velocity, but he didn’t. No one did. The Galatea was in hot pursuit, but the Osiris was easily outstripping her.

We’re not trying to lose them, Osiris, Jace reminded the AI.

I am having the Galatea repaired and retrofitted, the Osiris said sniffily. They did not send their best.

Of course, not, but it doesn’t matter, because we have you, Jace told the AI.

Yes.

Though there were no smiley faces that spooled up after that simple word, he felt the Osiris’ pleasure.

“We want the Alliance to see us as worthy partners. We want to appeal to their good natures. To remind them that we are not the threat. The change we pose is not a danger,” Jace said with fervor. “Not all of them will want to believe this. Some of them will fervently disbelieve it, because it is in their best interests to do so. While others will simply be too afraid to do so.”

Dr. Hayter nodded. He likely knew all too well how deeply embedded toxic beliefs could be and how hard it was to change them.

“While we are on Haseon, I will be meeting with representatives of the Alliance species,” Jace said. “I am reaching out to those species who may not have had a role in the Alliance’s current direction. They might have been discounted. They may have been denigrated. And I’m going to ask some of them to join us. Because, like us, they have the same desire which is to defeat the Khul and end the danger that species poses to all life. All life.”

He searched the faces of the crew and landed on Davies’ grim expression. He knew the Lieutenant-Commander had seen video of the attack on Sunrise. But seeing it and experiencing it were not the same at all.

“Those are the stakes of our mission.” Jace curled his hands into fists as he remembered the Hive. “So whatever the Alliance does to try to offend us, to try and push us away, to try and make us them, we must remember this. We must remember what we are standing against and standing for. You are the crew of the Osiris. And we will be victorious.”

“The Osiris!” His father pumped a fist into the air.

The other crew members followed suit, shouting the Osiris’ name so loud that it seemed to reverberate around the ship. Jace met Khoth’s gaze. He nodded. The look of approval filled Jace with warmth. He hadn’t practiced this speech. In some ways he hadn’t been sure what to say, but the things he’d wanted to get across had just come as if they’d been waiting on the tip of his tongue.

Just at the peak of the crew’s excitement the screen behind him changed. Jace knew they had arrived even before the two curved wedges of calcanth appeared. Everyone went silent, staring at the screen, at the Gate that they had never known was here all this time. Just waiting for them.

The screen split so that they could see his mother and General Intoshkin aboard the Galatea.

“Pilot!” General Intoshkin greeted and waved like an eager child.

He looked as if he were in love. The general was clearly a fan of sci fi and was loving his first real spaceship ride. Jace grinned.

“Hello, General Intoshkin. Hi, Colonel Parker,” he said, feeling a little alien to say his mom’s title like this.

“Pilot,” she greeted back, brimming with joy herself.

“The Galatea flies smooth as can be!” General Intoshkin said.

“It’s hard to believe we’ve moved at all,” his mother concurred.