Epilogue

- Maeve -

"This is his office"? I ask, just to be sure.

Peroena nods. "It's a little cluttered right now, from the previous Supreme Leaders. But I'm sure he will tidy it up. He says he has acquired a taste for the more elegant things in life."

It's a room like you would expect an Eoan to like. It's full of mirrors and shiny things, heavy drapes and all kinds of objects that I can't even identify. But there is a big desk and some couches that are too high for me to sit in without jumping up.

One wall is all windows and glass doors leading out to a narrow balcony. There's a constant hum from the huge crowd outside, all waiting for Arelion to show himself to his people. And to show his wife.

He's on his way here, having had to deal with all kinds of decisions about the planet before this event.

I've only been away from him for a couple of hours, but I can't wait to see him.

My new outfit is designed to flatter my figure. It's a dress in dark, shimmery green, not too formal, with a hint of uniform features because I'm an officer of the Earth Resistance. My shoes have nothing military about them – they're black, strappy heels.

I look around. I'm sure some of the items in here are clocks, but they are very different from any clock I've ever seen and I can't read them. "How much longer?"

"A little while yet," Peroena says, "At exactly midday. It will be broadcast all over Eo, so we want him to be exactly on time. Or perhaps a little late."

Arelion and I only arrived on Eo yesterday, spending the night in an old military barracks because nothing else had been made ready in the time available. And neither of us wanted to sleep in Buroteo's old palace, a slab-shaped monstrosity in the exact middle of the capital city. This old palace is much smaller, but also much nicer.

The past few days have been a whirlwind of activity, and my head is spinning.

"This is cool," Tara says, wearing her brand new Resistance uniform and displaying her rank as a captain. "We have a new ally, a really strong one." We've both been promoted after blowing up Xap Station, but that was Tara's second major victory and she's climbing the ranks much faster than me. Still, being a second lieutenant is more than enough for me. It's not like I went into space for the glory of it all.

"Eo is an ally of Earth and an enemy of the Bululg," Peroena says flatly. "There will be no peace with them until they give up completely." Her most formal uniform is a figure-hugging dress with discreetly placed medals and distinctions. She's wearing a golden sash that shows that she has been awarded Eo's highest decoration after defeating the remainder of Buroteo's army without the loss of a single life.

"An unconditional surrender is a surrender in which one party of a conflict completely gives up the fight without any terms or conditions," Virlu says grimly. "They are entirely at the mercy of the victor." He's in his battle suit, which is so wide he had to walk sideways through the Eoan-sized door to the office.

"Indeed," Peroena says. "There can be no negotiations with slavers and criminals like that."

I turn to the third Earth girl in the room. "That suits us fine, doesn't it, Averie?"

Averie nods. "We need the Bululg to get off Earth. But we also want to make sure they can never invade any other planet ever again."

After we blew up Xap Station, Tara went to the space headquarters of the Resistance and reported on our success. She just came back in the company of Averie, who's a major and one of the first Earth girls to fight for Earth in space.

She came with her husband, the bone-chillingly scary Zaroc. He's bright red and just as big as any Eoan. There was no way he'd let Averie out of his sight, even when she's going on official business as an officer of the Earth Freedom Army, which is the formal name for the Resistance which nobody ever uses. Those two have the kind of marriage that I seriously hope I'll have with Arelion, all love and obsession. And so far, that's the way it has been.

"Maeve," Averie says, "if you have the time before the Supreme Leader arrives, I wonder if we could talk… Tara, too."

"Sure."

All three of us step away from the group. Cerak discreetly rolls in between me and Zaroc. He's been tasked by Arelion to keep me safe, and he takes that very seriously.

"Sorry," Averie says, "I just don't know what will happen right now. So I want to discuss a couple of things before this all starts." She motions to the window. The hiss from the crowd outside is steadily getting louder.

"Probably a good idea," I agree. "I also don't know exactly. I'm not sure anyone does. This is all new for everyone."

"Great work with Xap Station," Averie says warmly. "It was one of the most important Bululg slave auctions. And now it's gone forever. I know you probably worry about having blown up everyone inside, but this is war and we are soldiers. No innocent lives were lost. There were only criminals and enemies." The Resistance in space is less formal than down on Earth, and military protocol is only observed sometimes. And I think Averie would find it awkward to have me address her with her formal rank in this place and at this time.

"There were no slaves there," Tara says. "The Bululg had rented it to Buroteo. If there was a war for the freedom of Eo, he intended to put any prisoners of war there and sell them."

"That doesn't surprise me," I state. "He was that kind of creep. I'm just happy the good guys survived."

"Not everyone did," Tara reminds us grimly. "Buroteo and his cronies killed many more innocent Eoans during his dictatorship. I'm not bothered by using our suicide bombs to destroy them. And a handful of Bululg. I would do it again."

Tara has been much more successful than the Resistance told me on Earth. Her silence was due to her being undercover while infiltrating another Bululg space station before blowing a big hole in its side. The station was abandoned, but Tara was discovered and caught.

"There may not be a need for that," Averie says. "The Resistance has recently gained access to a stockpile of Elder weapons. Once we can safely use them, the Bululg occupation of Earth is practically over."

My Mark starts tingling for the twentieth time in two hours, and I hide a smile. He's thinking of me a lot.

"Hopefully those weapons will not be used on Earth itself," Tara says. "I heard they're incredibly powerful."

Averie absentmindedly adjusts an exotic-looking bracelet on her wrist. "They can be. Maeve, may I see that stick they gave you on Earth?"

I loosen the fighting stick from my belt and hand it to her. "You're kidding . It's an Elder weapon?"

She gingerly accepts it. "One of the first we learned to use safely." She telescopes the stick to about half length and twirls it. "It does exactly what you want. If not for this thing, that Single Filament Construct robot that betrayed you would have been invincible. But this stick cut right through the filament. Not even a gigawatt laser would have been able to do that. Don't lose it!" She hands it back.

I weigh the stick in my hand with a new appreciation. "It is incredibly strong, but I thought it was just alien, not Elder. I'm astonished they trusted me with it."

"Oh, that was not a hard decision," Averie says with a smile. "They were very impressed with you during training. If not, they would never have sent you to space to find Tara. And as it turned out, they were right in their assessment. Say, that Yomeran guy, the archmagus… did he give you a way to contact him, by any chance?"

I frown. "Not me, anyway. And I'm fine with never seeing him again. Why, you want to talk to him?"

"We think it would be useful. If the Fire Mages are just regular aliens who can perform miracles like the ones you described, they must be among the most powerful beings since the Elders themselves. It means they are able to use Elder tech on a level that we can't. We have the weapons, but we don't really know how to use them all without destroying something important. That's why."

"Uh-huh. I'll tell Arelion. Maybe he got his number or something- oh, hi."

The door to the office opens, and a group of Eoans come walking in. Arelion is at the head of the pack, as usual. He's looking incredible in a simple, dark suit that doesn't cover his wings at all. It's his official attire, and he kept whining when I was helping him put it on. But now he's wearing it, all I can think of is ripping it all off again.

He spots me across the room and sends me a happy smile, but then has to greet some officials and well-wishers.

Averie grabs my arm and puts her mouth close to my ear. "Before he gets over here, Maeve…"

"Yes?"

"Zaroc has certain alien talents," she whispers. "He can see a wide spectrum, and he has been looking at you. He says your heat signature is unmistakable."

I frown, getting worried. "What does that mean?"

She just has time to tell me before Arelion is in front of me and she tactfully pulls away.

"My love," he rumbles. "You've been waiting." He comes in to kiss me with the usual passion. Being a Supreme Leader and having a great audience of officials and aliens doesn't influence him at all. He's just being himself.

"All my life," I tell him, deciding that I'm going to ignore the others, too.

"That's a long time," he says. "I know, because I was waiting, too. Are you curious?"

"Always," I admit. "You know that. Umm... about what, specifically?"

"All this," he says and gestures to the office and the windows. The hiss of the crowd is getting so loud we have to raise our voices, even in here. "I know I am."

"Curiosity can get you into trouble," I warn him. "I could tell you all about that."

He grins. "I'd love to hear about it."

I put one hand on his arm. "Maybe later. We have some things to do first."

Outside, everything is red, with the occasional splotch of blue and brown and green. The Eoans are arranging themselves for the best possible view. The thousands closest to the palace balcony are standing on the ground, while those farther away are flying to get a better view. They create a natural amphitheater, and the spectators that are the furthest away are hovering way above the roofs and spires of the city. There must be millions of them.

Arelion looks out the windows. "Then let's get it over with."

Two officials open the glass doors. The roar of the crowd becomes deafening, even in here. It increases even more when the Eoans see the doors open.

Arelion takes my hand. "Ready?"

I pull at his hand. "Come here."

He bends down. "Yes?"

"I have some news for you!" I say loudly into his ear because there's a lot of noise now.

"Good news?"

"The best!"

He blinks, then looks down at my abdomen. "The… best? Really?"

"Zaroc can see it." I put one hand on my stomach.

"You're… pregnant?" For the first time I see my husband overwhelmed.

"That's what he says. And I think it's true."

Arelion bends down and kisses me again, longer this time. "I love you!"

"And I love you. Let's get out there, My Supremacy."

The roar from outside increases even more. The windows are shaking in their frames.

"I'm very happy that you're here," my husband says, his eyes shiny. "This would have been meaningless without you."

I reach up with a tissue to wipe some moisture off his cheek. "That's love, I think."

He grins and squeezes my hand.

Then we step out on the balcony.