I made sure that my uniform was properly straightened and I ran most of the way towards the throne room. It's quite a distance away from the Star-deck. It even required the use of an elevator. But I'm finally here.

"My Queen, please enter." One of the guards said. I just decided to nod to him, without making eye contact.

I straighten my hair a bit and wait for the guards to open the doors to my throne room.

I see General Nami and Commander Tawo sitting at the conference room table. They stand up and bow to me. Aine is smiling for some reason and bows as well.

"We...ah crap..whatever.....I'm sorry for the delay..I was...occupied elsewhere." I said, trying to regain some dignity. "Please be seated. Aine, tea please if you will."

"Of course, your Majesty..." She's teasing me again. 

"Queen Akari, we..."

"Akari....just Akari please."

"Eh...Akari...We have arrived at the Earth system."

"Yes, I know, I was..eh....already informed about that."

Aine puts a cup of tea next to my right hand, just where I like it. She's good...like really good. Then she whispered in my right ear  "...you are glowing...." and gave me a smug smile.

And...that's when I blushed the deepest shade of red....again.

I shook my head to clear my mind. "Eh..yes, General. What about the enemy Hive?"

"Akari, we have detected it in orbit of Earth already."

"WHAT?!!"  I was immediately fully focused. It's Earth we're talking about after all.

At this point Nivri enters the room...really stealthily like he always does. But I see Aine following him with her eyes. And that smile on her face......she knows, I tell you....she knows... Shit! FOCUS Akari..Focus! "Tell me exactly about the situation."

"Yes, Akari. Allow me." The Commander said. "We have a single Kakross Hive in orbit, no escorts. They don't seem to be aware of our arrival. 

We weren't able to contact the NavScan unit that first detected the Hive, so we sent out our own NavScan with passive sensors only. So far it hasn't been detected yet. We expect it to return any minute now. It will communicate with light signals the moment it is in range."

"Excellent, Commander. Assume the worst. Prepare 10 interceptors with Mark2s and 20 interceptors with Mark1s. And.....  yes, Commander? What is it?"

"Sorry to interrupt, Akari. But we don't have that many pilots. Please understand that this Hive is new, we only have a minimal crew. It's up to you to decide...how to increase these numbers."

"Are you guys kidding me?" I balled my right hand into a fist and hit the table with all my strength. Eh..did you know that this table isn't actually made out of wood? It has a considerable dent now. "What the? Whatever. I'm sorry to shout at you, and I really respect you people, but the old days are over. You want more people? Form a pair and do your best!" 

I stood up and turned around in anger. "Grrrrrrrrr."  So, I let off some steam. I'm good now...really.

"Alright. I apologize for my outburst. But I want more people in this Hive. You know the Empress has approved this. And so do I. Tell me Commander...how many pilots DO we have?"

"We have 12 pilots. Three of them are now reserved for you as per your decree."

Right, those three are my friends. But a promise is a promise, I won't break it.

"Really? And how many interceptors do we have? I mean the machines, not the pilots."

"150, Queen Akari."

"Really? And nobody cared about the pilots to fly them? God...why? Why didn't the Empress give me the pilots! Alright, Commander. How many missiles do we have, and don't tell me zero."

"We....ah....eh........three Mark2s and 15 Mark1s."

"Whaaaaaat? That's ALL???  The Queen KNEW we were going to fight a bloody Hive. It's not a candy shop, gentlemen. It's a freakin HIVE."

Both the Commander and the General seem worried. Are they sweating? Good for them. There is no excuse for this.

I sit down again and take a few deep breaths. "Calm. Calm. Calm." Is what I said out loud. "I need ideas. NOW."

"We can launch 9 interceptors with missiles. Maybe....that's enough?" The Commander said.

Oooohhhhhhhh.......I think I understand what's going on. I suddenly feel calmer again.

"Commander...may I ask a personal question?"

"Yes, my Queen."

"How old are you?"

"Eh...2, my Queen."

There you have it. 2 months of age. Basically a child. Of course he doesn't have any experience! He just LOOKS like an adult.

"And you, General?"

"3, my Queen."

"I see. It seems I owe you an apology."

"No no, we are responsible for this situation. We apologize." The General bows to me.

How can I be mad at these? There are practically children. They don't have any experience at all!

"I failed to take your age into consideration. A mistake I won't make again. Alright. Let's try this. Commander, I want you to prepare two interceptors, each carrying one Mark2 and two Mark1s. No pilot shall be in them. Do you understand?"

"Yes, my Queen."

"Good. You will find a way to remote-control those two interceptors. One will enter hyperspace from here and exit hyperspace directly in front of the Hive. The other will exit Hyperspace INSIDE the Hive. Whichever method works, I want the Mark2s to blow up the moment they arrived at the coordinates. Do you understand?"

"Yes, my Queen!" the Commander said. He seems to be reassured that I'm not mad at them for being inexperienced.

"Good. We are going to BLOW UP THAT BLOODY HIVE. I want them ready to launch within 15 minutes. I also want those 9 pilots ready to defend us at once. GO!"

The General and Commander ran out of the room, leaving only Aine and me at the table. Nivri is standing a bit further away. 

"Well done, Akari. It didn't take you that long to figure out they are still young."

"Thank you Aine, but you could have told me. I hope they know what they're doing, or Earth is lost."

She shrugs, and says "Now that we are alone....with Nivri..  you two huh?"  

There I go blushing again. Alright, better admit it. "Yes Aine, things....just happened...  You..."

"Awwwww..my little one!" She hugged and squeezed the life out of me.

"Aine....     Nivri! You can join us now. She already knows."

"Nivri....I knew it."  Aine said when he sat down next to me. "You two...wow....I knew it. You are a perfect match."

"Thank you, Aine. We will have our bonding soon." Nivri said.

"Really? That's excellent news! Wow, I'm so proud of you both. I guess you will need a new personal guard, huh?"

"Nah, I'm good."

"Tell that to the Empress."

"Ouch.....yeah....I've some explaining to do."

"Don't worry about it. I think she......has anticipated this outcome already. She's an Empress, don't forget!"

"Ha ha ha....it wouldn't surprise me."

At this point the Commander and General came back, running into the room.

"Queen Akari, our NavScan has returned. There are Kakross ground forces on the planet!"

"SHIT! And we're drinking tea here!"  I was royally pissed and for some reason I wiped my cup from the table. It's surprisingly durable..it didn't break...but I got my point across.

"Commander! Tell me, the Empress promised me that an escort would accompany us. Where the heck is it?"

"Yes, my Queen!  It hasn't exited hyperspace yet.  I assume their engines require a few stops all the way to this planet."  The young Commander is shaking.

"Commander, relax. I will take control of this mission."  Of COURSE the escort is still underway. That fact sadly doesn't help us. It seems we are on our own now.  "Commander, what is the status of our two interceptors?"

"They will be ready within a few minutes, Queen Akari." The General replied for some reason. I thought the Commander was responsible for this? Ahh....they are cooperating...splitting tasks to improve efficiency...THAT's what's going on.

"Excellent work, you two. I have a feeling that we will have a very efficient Hive in no time. I hope to show you my friendly side as well. But for now....we have a crisis to worry about."

"Yes, my Queen." Both the Commander and General smile and salute.

Why guys, why? I'm not asking for acknowledgement. I want results! I guess they really are still kids. I will treat them as such for a while.

"Commander, are our marines ready for deployment?"

"Yes, Queen Akari. We have 50 marines standing by."

"Very good. And how do you think those will land on the planet?"

"Eh...." the Commander is at a loss for words. "...a transport?"

I facepalmed. Details....it's all in the details. "Nope, a transport needs an interceptor to protect it. We don't have enough pilots for that. Alright then, this is what we will do. We will launch those two interceptors and blow up the Hive. You really do understand that I want to use those interceptors as explosives, right? We are sacrificing those two interceptors, not any pilots. Understood?"

"Yes, my Queen, we understand the plan. Send the interceptors to the Hive and BOOM."

"Good. Simply put, but still well said. And PLEASE just call me Akari. We don't have time for pleasantries."

They both nod...afraid to reply. My god, why did the Empress give me these kids? How am I supposed to take out a huge enemy Hive with only kids on board?

"BEEP." The intercom beeped. Finally! They implemented my order immediately! No more messengers!

"Fuku, put it on speaker."

"Eh, she's not installed here yet, Akari." The Commander said with an apologetic expression.

I glared at him while Aine simply pushed the button.

We then received the following message: "Control for Queen Akari. Your two interceptors are ready to launch. Please confirm orders...no pilots..maximum explosives. Explode on impact."

"Control, this is Queen Akari. Copy that. Orders are confirmed. One will detonate before the Hive, the other will detonate INSIDE the Hive. Launch immediately and destroy that Hive!"

"Orders understood. Control out."

Aine is now taking over some tasks from the Commander. She activates a view screen and we now see a graphical overview of the solar system. We are at the center and Earth is to our left. There is also a long range visual scan of Earth.....my beautiful Earth.

Aine zooms in and we can clearly see a big object in orbit around the equator. Then two flashes can be seen...our interceptors have launched.

Aine checks the sensors "alright...if I understand this display properly...impact should be.....NOW!"

Aine hadn't finished speaking before two massive, bright explosions could be seen at the exact location of the enemy Hive.

"Commander, confirm target destroyed." Aine said.

He quickly pushed a few buttons. "NavScan3654, Commander, confirm enemy Hive destroyed."

"Commander, Navscan3654, waiting for radiation to clear. Sensors currently not available."

The Commander now seems to get the hang of his job. If this were a video game, he would now be upgraded to level 2.

"NavScan3654, Commander, go to the planet and perform visual confirmation. Jump to safety if the target remains. Activate active sensors and end radio silence."

"Copy that. Stand by."

We could see the ship jump on our view screen. And....there it is. Near Earth.

We immediately received confirmation. These callsigns are annoying the hell out of me. I don't think they fully understand how it is supposed to work. But that is a headache for another day. "NavScan3654 for Commander. Confirming Enemy hive destroyed."

"YES!"  I made the standard victory pose. I don't care if they didn't understand that.

"Copy that." The Commander said.

I pushed the button of the communication system myself. "NavScan.....36...54.., Queen Akari. Please acknowledge."

"Queen Akari, NavScan3654. Standing by for orders."

"Job well done, pilot. Please clear the area, the Akagi is jumping to that planet now. You can then return to base, we need your ship."

"Eh...copy that Queen Akari. Leaving the area now. 3654 Out."

"Commander..take us to the planet. Send a marine to each available interceptor and..."

"My Queen...excuse me.." The General interrupted me quite loudly.

"Now what?" Sorry, I am a bit agitated now. 

"My Queen, our escort has arrived."

"Well, what do ya know. It's about bloody time. Thank you for interrupting me, General, I will change my orders. Tell them to head for Earth as well. I don't care if they jump or push that thing, just get them there FAST. And tell them to prepare for close combat on the planet. Ah....make sure they are properly armed."  Imagine young marines running around...without their guns. Not a funny thought. I hope the Empress actually gave me those experienced marines I asked for.

"Yes, my Queen."

Not even a minute later I can see that we are indeed entering hyperspace...but only for a few seconds.

We're here. Earth. We made it. I'm back. But I never wanted to invite the Kakross to the party.

"Akari, we are now in orbit of this planet." the Commander said.

"Excellent. What is the radiation level here?"

"One moment.....we're safe here." The Commander said. Yes, he should have thought about that, but he's young, so I'll forgive him.

"Good, good." I took a deep breath. "Alright people...how many marines will our escort send?"

"Checking...."  The Commander pushes a few buttons and gets an update from our escort.

"They have 15 transports with 3 interceptors each, ready for launch. The marines are properly armed and ready to engage the enemy on the ground."

"Wow...that's nice..15 transports, each carrying about 10 marines. Beats our numbers. Good, ask our marines to stand down for now. I might still ask for their support."

"Copy that."

"Akari, our escort has arrived in orbit, they are asking permission to launch their interceptors and transports."

"Tell them to launch, but to hold position near us. We need to contact the planet. I don't want them shot down. Oh, and let them verify the radiation levels. They are more vulnerable than we are."

"Copy that."

"Are there any Kakross Vipers down there?"

"Scanning.....none so far."

Excellent. My people are getting the hang of this military-style communication. I take a deep breath...in and out...now it's time to remove the Kakross from the planet.

"Akari...we are detecting many smaller objects in orbit. They don't appear to be Kakross though."

"Show them to me."

The General activated the view screen and zoomed in.  

"Ha ha ha...don't worry guys. Those are Earth's...satellites.

"And this one? It's bigger." The Commander pointed at....the ISS.

"Commander, that is a research station. The ISS, the international space station. Can you scan if anyone is inside?"

"Yes, Akari.  ....There are five...beings inside, not Kakross.  It doesn't appear to have a breathable atmosphere. Is that normal?"

"NO! That's bad! Are those people alive?"

"Yes, their vital signs appear to be stable. We are now detecting signals from them, directed at the planet below."

"Those are primitive radio communications. Try to replicate those. I want to speak to them." Did I really just say "primitive?" I guess there's not much of humanity left inside of me!

"Stand by.....decrypting....done.  You can speak to them now."

Wow...that was fast! "ISS, this is....Akari. Are you guys still alive there?"

"ISS for mission control, repeat. Did you say...Akari?"

"ISS, this is not mission control. I am Akari. We are in orbit around Earth. Do you need a lift home?"

"Eh...I don't think I understand, but yeah...we have structural damage. Our return vehicle is damaged, we won't be going anywhere."

"Copy that. Do you all have space suits?"

"Confirmed. We are now ready to perform an EVA."

"Copy that, ISS, we will send a transport ship to you now. Don't freak out, we are just friends. Think Halloween, but more fun. Oh, and I will try to contact mission control."

"Eh...copy that. Eh...Akari."

The Commander then launched a transport ship which would get those poor people into my Hive.

 

In the meantime I'm trying to get Mission Control on this frequency.

Aine moves closer to me and shows genuine interest. Nobody here knows what I'm about to do or say. This is uncharted terrain for them. But it used to be.....home for me.

We use the same frequency as when I talked to the ISS and now try to contact Earth. The radiation should be gone now.

"Hello? Is anybody on this frequency? Mission Control, Houston, whatever you call yourselves these days?"

"Hello? Anybody? Please?" It seems that they have other issues down there at the moment. You would think that they noticed the fireballs up here. Not even a thank you. Well, it's to be expected.

"Eh..sorry for the delay. We have difficulties tracking your frequencies. This is NASA, mission control, please identify?" 

"NASA? In Houston?" 

"Yes, that's us. NASA, Johnson Space Center, Houston. Please identify or leave this channel immediately."

"NASA, I am Queen Akari from the Imperial Vahli Hiveship Akagi. We are the ones responsible for wiping out that ship in orbit. In your terms: we are the good guys."

"Eh...you..you're kidding, right?"

"That's a negative, we are the cavalry. I'd love to chat, but we want to send ground forces down to clean up some stragglers. Please inform your civilians and military, worldwide, to get the hell out the streets. We'll take care of this. Then we can chat."

"Eh...copy that. Let me call the..the eh President I guess. Stand by."

"Mmm..that went well."

"Eh...hello..Queen? This is Mission Control." 

"Yes, Mission Control. We're still here."

"We welcome your help and orders have been given to clear the streets. We are unable to..eh..<mumbles: "what did they say..">  ...contain the situation. Please help us immediately. We already have many casualties."

"Copy that. Expect many incoming craft. Kindly hold your fire. In the meanwhile, ask Japan for clearance for us to land at Misawa Airbase."

"Eh...huh? Okay..Miwawa Airbase...copy that. Standby for further contact."

"Understood," I said. It's actually Misawa, but they'll understand.

"Alright, Commander. Scan the regions where the Kakross are located and send our ground forces there now."

"Yes, Akari."

Aine then helped me to see an update. The Commander neglected to see that.

"We have an update, Akari. They are still sending 15 transports, but they are cargo-transports, so each carries 50 marines."

"Ho hoooo! I like those numbers! I guess the Empress assumed that we would only deploy the escort's assets. Well, I'll take them." 

"All craft are heading for the surface, Akari. They are heading towards that southern continent."

"Hmmm....they're going to the African continent? I wonder what those Kakross's orders are."

"Do you want us to take prisoners?" The General asked.

"Prisoners? Are you kidding me? NO PRISONERS!"

"Eh..yes my Queen."

Then Earth replied again. 

"Queen, Mission Control, we see craft approaching. Please confirm they are yours."

"Mission control, we confirm. They are friendly. We will start cleanup procedures at once."

"Copy that! About the Japan landing....it seems we have issues contacting them. It might take us a bit." 

"No problem, we can wait a bit more. Oh..I forgot. We will take the crew from the ISS home. They had some structural damage."

"We...ah..thank you very much! That explains the radio blackout with them. I will inform the responsible people here."

"Thank you very much."

For about half an hour I have been standing in front of the windows in my throne room. The burden to save a planet is a difficult one to carry. But it's Earth we're talking about. And even with those new engines...we arrived too late. And to make matters worse, I allowed myself to be distracted!

My people are too young, too inexperienced. I should have known that from the beginning, but I didn't notice. And that escort, I should have anticipated that they were slower than us. Man...this is so bad. But at least we blew up that damn Hive of theirs. 

I wonder how things are going in those streets now. Panic. Many casualties. An alien invasion out of the blue. And perhaps we could have prevented it. But this is not a dream...this is reality. And reality is slowly unfolding right before my eyes.

All we now can do...is wait. 

I can now see Japan from up here. Up here it's around midnight, at least that's how it feels. I really need to get some sleep soon, but I can't. Not now.

Down there, in Japan, the day has only just begun. Earth is slowly turning, letting the country bathe in fresh sunlight again. Dawn. A new beginning.

I wonder what day it is...I have lost track of time a looong time ago. Will mom be there when we land? And Hitomi? Will they even recognize me? So many questions....but no time for answers yet.

But I've waited for so long...I can wait a bit more. 

"Seriously, how long does it take to kill those Kakross?" I said out loud to myself, not intending to get a reply. Just a rhetorical question. 

"Patience, Akari. These things take time." Aine surprisingly answered me. I turn around, face Aine and simply nod. 

I didn't actually want to say that out loud in the first place. I shot one of those myself. I know that was more luck than anything else, but still....those are marines out there. Not simple guards. My god...I hope the Empress hasn't sent me any rookies.

My focus returns to Earth. It's all so peaceful from up here, isn't it? No wars...no borders....just a beautiful planet. It will be all ours again...soon. But am I still human? I don't even know anymore. I guess only time will tell.

Aine seized the moment of tranquility to feed me. A welcome meal because eating a proper meal will take too much time. And I do need the strength for what is yet to come. I also welcome the calming effect it has on me.

My thoughts were disrupted by the Commander who entered the room. "Queen Akari....we have won. The Kakross are defeated!"

I turn around and hug the Commander, but release him again after a few seconds.

"Sorry, Commander. Thank you...that is very good news. Now tell me about the casualties."

"We have lost 12 marines, but have confirmed 172 Kakross deaths."

"Ai ai ai...that's bad. So...not an invasion force of thousands?" I can't believe it's over. Perhaps there are more Kakross on the other side of the planet?

"No, my Queen, those were all the Kakross on the planet."

I took another deep breath. "Finally, good news. Tell those brave people to return home at once. Coordinate with the escort to see if we need to receive them as well. I'm sure there are many injuries."

"Yes, Akari. At once." And the Commander left me again. I have to work on that. This is also a war room at the moment. He can talk to his people from here. But not now, Akari, not now.

 

"Beep - beep - beep."  The Communications panel is alerting us.

Aine pushes a few buttons, and we hear another radio message.

"Queen, Mission Control."

"Queen Akari here. Any news?"

"Yes of course! On behalf of the president of the United States...we thank you for...eh...cleaning up. We would like to welcome you on Earth at Edwards Air Force Base."

"Thank you very much, but we must respectfully decline. We are currently recalling all our teams from your world. They need medical attention. They however reported that the enemy has been neutralized."

"I see. And yes, we can confirm that too. Our authorities are reporting that your troops are retreating. It is something we also greatly appreciate. No offense."

"None taken. I understand perfectly how you must feel about them. Anyway, perhaps we can still visit the US, but our first destination is Japan. No disrespect intended."

"None taken. And...copy that. We expect international communications to resume any minute now. Please stand by."

"Alright...standing by."

Five minutes passed while I watched our brave marines return from their mission. "Aine, please help to remind me that I thank them for their help."

"Of course, Akari."

"Great. I really...." But I was interrupted.

"Akari..? This is Mission Control."

"Yes, this is Akari."

"We are now patching you into the military at Misawa air base. Ready in 5,4,3,2,1." 

".....Hello? This is Misawa Airbase. Colonel Nagata. May I ask who is requesting permission to land here? We are still recovering from the alien attack." 

"Nagata-san, this is Kagiyama, Akari." God it's so great to hear normal Japanese again!

"Kagiyama-san, you are Japanese?"

"Yes, Colonel. I represent the ones who just exterminated those ground forces. We are currently in orbit and would like your permission to land. We have only peaceful intentions and have a few things to discuss. I would also like to take the opportunity to settle some....personal matters."

"Eh...come again? Personal matters you said? You are joking, right?"

"No joke. Our goal really is only to quickly review with the military what just has happened on Earth and to check if you need any further assistance. Then I want to see my family again. I promise that we will leave you again within one day."

"And forgive me for asking, but how do I know your intentions are truly peaceful, Kagiyama-san?"

"I see your point, Colonel. It basically boils down to trust. But we kicked those aliens from Earth, and then immediately recalled our people. We have lost at least 12 brave marines. That has to be worth something, right?"

"Yes, that's absolutely true. Alright, we already had an alien invasion today, so I guess anything is possible. But why here? Why Misawa?"

"Simple...it's close to my...former....home."

"I see. Well, in that case...we shall await your arrival. But please know that we will be escorting you in, Kagiyama-san."

"Copy that. In about four or five hours, we will be arriving in 3 small craft and one larger transport at slow speeds. We will enter the atmosphere above Japan and shall wait for your JSDF fighters to guide us in." 

"Affirmative. We are expecting you, Kagiyama-san. It will take a while though before we can have anybody from the government here."

"Of course, but there won't be any official talks today anyway. Just...friendly talks and some family business. Oh, I almost forgot. We will also bring along five crew from the International Space Station, who ran into some trouble. So perhaps have a medical team on standby or something."

"Affirmative. I will send Nakamura-san to greet you. The major will coordinate further. Are there any....health issues for our people we should be aware of?"

"That's a negative. We are squeaky clean of space germs. Our people pose no threat to yours."

"Copy that.......Nagata.....OUT."

I look at Aine,  "mmmm....that went well. Good, let's get some much needed sleep. Can you maybe Coordinate the preparations of the landing team with the Commander? Then come and sleep. We only have four hours. Can you wake me?"

"Yes, Akari. Don't worry about that."

I almost left the room, when I remembered another thing I wanted to tell her.

"Aine. Take only the supplies that you really need. My people.....eh...I mean humans are quite hospitable."

"Alright Akari, I trust you."

I turned to the Commander, who for some still unknown reason suddenly showed up again. 
"Commander, please tell Chiri, Kira and Ghan to prepare for departure in four hours. We also need the 5 crew from the ISS in a transport ship together with a few guards. Ah, and of course a pilot for that as well."

Ah, baka Akari. <yawn> I already asked Aine to take care of that!. I guess I really need my sleep. 

"Yes, Akari, at once." 

And again the good man just walks away. I really need to tell him to just stay here.