The next time Hera saw Octavia, she was cleaned up. Unfortunately. Her eyes were slightly puffy, however, and that made Hera smile. Octavia blushed as she saw her co-pilot's smile, which confused Hera.
Wait.
Did she think she was smiling at her, and not because of the evidence of the face fucking?
Oh no. Nononono. She'd think she was starting to like her. Absolutely not.
"Bitch" she whispered. Right. That would do it, make sure Octavia didn't think she liked her. Knew her place. Octavia seemed... Well, she seemed sad. Hurt, almost by the whispered insult.
Hera felt... Not bad. She was a bitch, so that was fine. But she didn't like seeing the woman upset - she didn't know what to do, so she just looked down awkwardly. Great work Hera, now both of them were sad.
"We will be leaving Warpspace within one hour and arriving in the Vehir home system. Our forward probe has achieved contact, and my fragment will provide a briefing on the Vehir's willingness to set up a cultural exchange, we have no reason to believe they will be opposed."
"Will... Are we both able to join this cultural exchange?" Octavia asked, which was a fair question. With the anatomical changes done by DSDE to allow for piloting - and also with the nature of certain species greetings, both pilots might not have the required equipment to manage an initial greeting. Of course, continued relations required both pilots to be involved.
And with how the Vehir greeted each other, it made sense Octavia was worried. Hera - while not a prehensile, long, and flexible tentacle - had something to accommodate their culture. She did not.
"Second Pilot Forgrave, you will be on the pod, and part of the diplomatic interactions - the S-Xplorer will be perceived as too much of a threat if we land it planetside - but the very first meeting will be handled by First Pilot Cooper, based on expect adaption of their cultural greetings"
Octavia nodded somberly - she would get to meet the aliens... But Hera would first.
The incoming head diplomat grinned, excited and happy to get to meet the Vehir on her own. On her own. Her mind froze for a second.
She, Hera, a woman with enough self-awareness to understand she wasn't the most diplomatic person, that she didn't have a subtle touch of statesmanship. Would be the first-ever interaction of humanity with this alien species.
Would set the entire impression for them for all foreseeable future interactions. The Vehir wasn't an incredibly important strategic ally - not that was currently known, but they would be the first ally within this sector.
Hera was an excellent pilot, better than anyone if you asked her. Probably.
DSDE training didn't consider diplomatic skills particularly important - The SLT-VC unit in each vessel would cover all interaction, the Pilot simply needed to participate as representatives of humanity. And to not significantly offend.
If diplomacy had been a counting grade, Hera would not have been in the top ten of her class. Amelie was. She was the best. She was meant to do this part.
But Amelie hated her. Clearly.
"So... It's just me?" She said a bit nervously. Octavia was terrible, but she had been at least passable at diplomacy. "On my own?" She knew they'd have to interact, but she was hoping she could just be hot and a great pilot. Octavia and SLT-VC would do the talking.
"Yes. Of course, one of my mobile units will be doing all of the direct communication. Your translation will also go through me, so I will ensure nothing offensive is said to the Vehir."
"Right." She nodded. She'd be okay, SLT-VC would filter out anything stupid she said, and translate to her. Tell her what to do. She would be fine, it would be okay.
She wouldn't cause humanity to be permanently barred from a planet for all eternity.
"The requirements for you during this is to ensure correct responses to their greetings, and to maintain correct posture and act engaged." SLT-VC continued. "The forward probe will have initiated contact and set up an initial meeting on Vehir ground with their dignitaries. We will recover the probe, leave the S-Xplorer in orbit, and descend in the SP-RM Landing Vessel. Both Pilots will be aboard - Hera will join my mobile unit in the initial greeting, with Octavia observing."
Hera was barely listening, hands shaking.
Maybe this whole thing was a mistake.
Fuck.
"It's okay." Octavia said, looking over at her again. "SLT-VC, can we ensure I am connected to her earpiece?"
"Yes, that should be fine as long as it does not provide a distraction."
"It won't" Octavia continued, before looking back at Hera, stepping towards her. Holding her hand gently. "I know this wasn't your strength."
"Shut up" Hera snapped, immediately regretting it. She let Octavia keep holding her hand.
"I know. I know I'm not your favourite person... But I can help guide you? SLT-VC will be great at talking, but I can give you tips from a human perspective? And I am sure SLT-VC will have a guideline for behaviour."
Hera snorted. Did Octavia even qualify as a human. Still, that seemed like a good support - how a good co-pilot would behave. She nodded, timidly.
"Yeah that... Yes. Thanks."
"I do indeed - There is a set response to each movement of their appendage, I have adapted it to acceptable equivalent for a DSDE First Pilot. Would you like to go through this now?"
Anything to stop having to hold Octavia's hand, to feel like she was dependent on that terrible woman so she nodded.
"Excellent - now, the expectation is that there will be two - at most three- representatives. They will have separate ranks. Their initial greeting which will be oral penetration with their appendage is very important and is done by the highest ranking dignitary."
The hologram shifted, and it was now three Vehir's and one featureless human first pilot, erect member sticking in front.
"However - they will all enter at the same time, it is important to fit them all in simultaneously if not some may take offense."
Octavia was taking notes on a tablet, while Hera was staring at the simulated triple-penetration face fucking going on in front of her. That she would be participating in shortly. Something stirred below.
"Now, in their culture, the expectation is simultaneous greeting - however it should not be needed. You will need to offer yourself to the lowest ranking member first, then in reverse order. Any emission has to happen while the highest ranking member has your organ orally inserted, or not at all."
Hera nodded absently, trying to remember all of the information as the hologram Vehir knelt down and gave the simulated pilot a thorough blowjob. Tap tap she heard Octavia take notes.
It was expected the initial greeting ceremony to be thirty minutes or less, Hera would withdrew to the pod after this, with SLT-VC communicating with them to set up further conversation, and potentially exchange cultural material.
There were a lot of cultural rules that Hera could fuck up and offend in thirty minutes. Who's ass to lick first, what to insert where - she was panicking, only consolidated by another light squeeze of Octavia's hand, and the tip-tapping of her notes.
"I've got it." The co-pilot said, sensing her anxiety. "Listen to me and this will be fine. And if not, we'll just run away." She looked up and smiled. "No one will know for a long time."
Right. That was an option, not a good one, but it was one. Hopefully it wouldn't come to that.
The rest of the hour was spent going over notes and looking at alternate scenarios.
And then they blinked back into normal space, and the Vehir homeworld - an enormous, grassy green sphere - appeared before them.
Take care of yourself and take all the time you need to get back to where you are comfortable and happy writing.
I hope whatever is troubling you will resolve and you feel better soon :)