From Queen Jen'ai's private journals: The war didn't end so much as finally stagger to a halt. Our enemies in the Star Empire were quite dismayed by our adoption of new tactics, and as innovations spread through our officer's ranks their own inflexibility began to become more and more of a weakness. By the end of the second year the Star Empire had pulled back to their original borders, and we were satisfied with that. The Liberty's Sword emerged from slip-transit at the edge of Sol system, the gleaming battle cruiser immediately activating passive weapons and other defensive measures. The bridge was busy as men and women hurried about, the usual military style being tempered with a unusual excitement. Captain Allison Tennison leaned forward in her chair, her sandy brown hair falling into her eyes as she watched the main screen. Leaving Earth's solar system nearly a year and a half ago had been a strange and exciting experience, and coming back was much the same feeling. Her second in command watched with a more wary eye, the older engineer standing nearby her chair beside Allison's. Commander Laurel D'ken pushed her short blue hair back as she ordered, "Bring up the cloak, and activate sensors." "Aye aye," Lt. Alex Kieron responded, the young man sounding much more confident since Allison had first met him. "Cloak on," Sharin reported as the blonde warrior continued, "should we begin moving into the system?" "Nothing on sensors," Alex reported after a moment. "Let's go," Allison said, trying to look relaxed. From the third command chair Jenna reached out to squeeze her lover's hand as the black haired princess said, "This is your first home leave. What do you want to do?" Allison smiled back, "Check up on my shop, I suppose." She smiled wryly, "And..." "Yes?" Jenna looked curious. "I need to explain what's going on with my family," Allison said quietly, "and I'd like to introduce you as my wife." Jenna beamed, "I'd love to." The ship silently soared through the Solar System, stealthily avoiding letting the relatively innocent humans know they were coming. The people of the Empire were always careful dealing with less advanced cultures, having had bad experiences with providing more help than a civilization was ready for. Amara frowned as they boyish officer sat back at the weapons console. "I wish you'd let me go to active weapons," she grumbled. "Sorry," Sharin addressed her friend and sometimes sparring partner, "active weapons make maintaining a cloak difficult." They slid into a high orbit, the skin of the massive ship acting to blend in to the star field behind them, just in case a telescope was aimed at their part of the sky. As arranged earlier the crew was given shore leave in shifts, maintaining a watch on the bridge just in case. In a shimmer of light the group slip-transited down, materializing not far from where Jenna had been maintaining a apartment. "It's summer," Allison looked around in surprise, "it was still winter when we left." "It has been more than a year," Kat agreed, the brown haired woman looking around with a odd look on her face, her lover Roma by her side. Disguised by a humanoid hologram the now blonde haired Roma noted, "It feels like it should be longer, doesn't it?" "With everything that's happened to us," Jenna agreed, "it feels like the world should have changed a little more." Allison looked over at Kat and asked, "Have you decided what kind of story to tell your friends?" "An opportunity opened up aboard," Kat winked, "which is true, of course." "We'll probably use the same," Jenna mused. She looked up at Allison, "Did you have a preference where?" "Canada," Allison said firmly. "Why Canada?" Roma looked curious. Allison blushed faintly, "They allow gay marriage there, and..." "Darling!' Jenna exclaimed happily, hugging the other woman vigorously. "Jenna never changes," Kat murmured as she and Roma headed off, the two women walking together hand in hand. "Would you want her to?" Roma looked amused. "No, not really," Kat agreed. The first place Allison and Jenna stopped in was Allison's book shop. In the time she was away Allison had sent back a few messages to friends and family, one of them to a buddy she knew she could rely on to run the store. They passed by the brightly lit window to see people shopping, browsing through books and generally enjoying themselves. Allison hesitated by the door then shook herself as they continued on. "You miss it," Jenna noted quietly, taking her hand. "A little," Allison conceded, "but it's the past for me now." She looked sheepish all of a sudden, "What I was thinking about going in for was one of my favorite novel series..." "Allison," Jenna laughed. She hugged her impulsively, "We'll get it on the way back." "Thanks," Allison smiled back as they walked on. Jenna and Allison walked through the city streets, moving through the crowds as people talked and planned and lived their lives unaware of how near the war had come to them. It was a odd feeling, knowing that in some ways they had saved this world from the ravages of a deadly conflict, and few would ever know it. The house was,'t that far from where Allison had once had her home, but in a way it was miles away from where she was now. Looking at the little house Allison felt so many emotions, from a young woman's insecurity about leaving home to a child's sense of safety around family. "Do they know that you...?" Jenna asked as they took the wooden stairs up to the front door of the old fashioned home. "Yeah," Allison nodded as she reached for the buzzer, "they weren't happy at first, but they eventually adapted." The bell rang, and a few moments later the door swung open as a older man with a kind face and steel grey looked at them, "Yes...?" His eyes widened as he straightened up, "Allison?" "Hi, Dad," Allison smiled at him warmly. Without a word he clasped Allison close, hugging her fiercely for several moments. "Where have you been?" he managed to get out, "We got a message that you had business out of the country but..." "It's a long story," Allison smiled as Jenna looked on with warm amusement, "I want you to meet..." "Honey, Ally's back!" her father yelled, turning towards the living room. A older but still attractive woman bustled out of the kitchen, her long silvery-blonde haired tied back in a ponytail. "Allison!" she exclaimed, nearly yanking her daughter off her feet with the force of her hug. "Mom," Allison blushed. The older man finally noticed Jenna and offered his hand. "You're a friend of our Allison's?" he asked politely. "Yes Mr Tennison," Jenna said as she shook his hand, "we met while she was working in Canada." "Just call me Matt," he chuckled, "Mr. Tennison is my father, god rest his soul." "Nice to meet you, Matt," Jenna answered warmly. "An' that's Marie," Matt nodded to his wife, "we'll get some proper introductions once she's done fussing over my daughter." Allison drew back from her mother as they all headed into the house. "You haven't introduced your friend," Marie said as they sat down and she set cups of coffee down in front of them. "Ah, I've missed this," Allison sighed as she drank. "No good coffee where you where?" her mother sounded confused. Allison winked at Jenna, "Not the same as home, mom." "Thank you," Marie smiled. She looked over at Jenna, "Sorry for our bad manners..." "Totally understandable," Jenna reassured her. "It's my bad manners," Allison conceded. She reached out to put her hand on Jenna's shoulder, "This is my wife, Jenna." "WHAT?!" both her parents yelped. Allison grinned as she and Jenna began to explain their mostly fictitious romance in far off Canada. She would break it to her parents that Jenna was a alien on a later visit, they had decided, once her parents had adapted to the marriage. Besides, in a few months she and Jenna might be thinking of providing them grandkids... and what a adventure that was going to be! 'Yeah,' Allison thought as she looked at Jenna charming her mother, 'I couldn't be happier.' End. Notes: My original plan was to end with the marriage, then have a summary chapter with the Queen, but I decided to have Allison go home as my conclusion. I also may add on later, including a space adventure or two...
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