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Welcome to the Provisional Republic of Two Systems. Please identify yourself and await further communication.
Awn frowned and looked at me.
‘My calculations were correct. We are in the Athoek system.’ I supplied and then followed with a gesture to say Don’t ask me . Likely a gesture I had never used when I was still me. However, such a long time travelling just the two of us had worn down formalities somewhat.
‘Likely you know far more about Athoek than I, Captain. I was not involved in its annexation, nor have I been stationed there since.’
I received a flash of fond irritation from Awn before she returned to worry.
‘My parents' letters mentioned talk of unrest in the tea plantations but I can't imagine anything that would lead to-, I mean, any true rebellion against Mianaai would surely just end as in Ors or Garsedd...'
Awn trailed off as I brought up a visual of the ship my sensors had just picked up.
‘That doesn’t look like-’
‘It's a Notai ship. Gem class, I believe.’
‘Fuck’
‘Language, Captain.’
‘Sorry if this seems unwelcoming,’ the Notai ship’s captain was saying, ‘we do of course wish to provide refuge to any significant being seeking it but you must understand that we have to be wary until the treaty has been re-signed and well the fact that you came through the ghost gate-'
At this I heard the ancillary, who was standing several feet behind her captain and had been giving quiet, seemingly erroneous, explanations of the buttons on a console to the figure half lying atop it, mutter ‘My system’. Unusual for an ancillary to interrupt an officer, even quietly; it's not like our kind lacks practice in hiding our opinions. Perhaps the tales of overly emotional Notai ships of old were not completely the exaggerated stereotypes I had imagined.
The captain had continued, ignoring the ancillary’s outburst, ‘- frankly the whole we’re just two lost travellers thing isn’t going to cut it’
The ancillary then cut short completely her conversation with the other figure and turned towards us.
'Personally, Queter, I'd be more interested to know why the ancillary has tried to hide her implants.'
Ah. Awn and I had done our best to disguise the implants that might give me away as an ancillary and I had been attempting to copy some of her facial expressions but evidently I had not quite perfected it yet.
'Oh is that not the normal thing for ship bodies to do? I mean both you and the first and second fleet captain introduced yourselves as humans despite being another type of significant being entirely!'
The third figure had now rolled off the console and come over to have a closer look at the screen.
'I'm well aware of my hypocrisy, translator, however there is no longer need for us to hide in order to be free, in the Republic at least'
Our confusion must have shown on Awn's face as Captain Queter chimed in again.
'If they have been travelling through the gh- your system a while it is likely that they haven't heard anything about the Republic'
'True, but I'm sure our new friends can appreciate our caution, we cannot have the usurper slipping in in disguise. So tell me ship, who are you really?'
The three fell quiet, looking at me expectantly and Awn asked silently what now?
I hesitated but if the implication that the system was not under the empire's control was accurate then there was no need to identify myself as some other Radchaii ship.
'I was mostly destroyed, I am One Var Six, all that remains of Justice of Toren'
'Wait is that-'
'Oh cousin is going to lose her mind!'
Gem of Sphene, the Notai ship, had invited us to dock with her so that she could gate us closer to the station and we had been sitting in command with the trio for 37 minutes while they prepared to gate - 'Sorry we only recently repaired this system and its still a little um - it works, it works, don't worry! But Sphene and I'll just need a few minutes for some extra checks.'
During this time none of them had been particularly helpful in explaining what was going on. Captain Queter seemed wholly consumed in her work, and with their previous statements about Sphene's ability to gate I thought it best not to distact them. The Translator, much to my confusion, expressed hope that I was better at keeping my organs inside my body than the last fleet captain or someone named Dlique and answered all of our questions with similarly strange statements. Sphene flat out refused to answer anything, saying that it would be much more fun that way.
Finally, Sphene announced that we were entering gate space and I felt Awn take my hand. Perhaps she was afraid of a mishap, some sort of flaw in Sphene's system trapping us in gate space or causing a collision on the other side, but I was not reading particularly heightened anxiety from her.
Are you alright? She asked silently.
Oh. I looked down at where our hands were joined and realised I had been shaking. As I tried to get this body under control, I replied Of course, Captain.
Awn simply rolled her eyes and used her other arm to pull me in towards her.
With my head pressed into her shoulder, I tried again It is just I do not like not knowing what is happening. It is ... frustrating.
I know, she responded, now running her hands through my hair soothingly, but at least these people don't seem hostile and I think we will find out more soon.
'Exiting gate space, Queter'
'Thank you, ship. Should we hail Mercy of Kalr?'
'Already on it.'
A few minutes later, during which presumably Sphene had been conversing with this Mercy of Kalr, a visual from the other ship appeared on the wall before us. I heard a gasp from Awn and felt that were I not an ancillary I might have reacted the same. Standing on board Mercy of Kalr was one of my lieutenants, a woman that I believed to have died a thousand years prior. It was when Lieutenant (Captain?) Seivarden spoke that I realised my and Awn's shock did not share a cause.
'Breq, what's wrong?' Seivarden said, leaning forward and placing her hand on the shoulder of the figure I had previously passed over, drawing my attention back to her.
20 odd years had taken their toll on the seated figure, perhaps why I had not immediately recognised her. But sitting there, face ancillary blank except for the tears running down it, was I.