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“Ah, Ian!” Siilon said.  In-person, her voice was quite loud, louder than seemed appropriate for an inside occasion.

But she was a large being, he noted, turning towards her, his eyes having to raise quite a bit.

“Excuse me,” she said to Jaya.  “May I perhaps borrow your Captain for a time?”

“Of course,” Jaya said, nodding politely and stepping away.  “And my congratulations on a well-fought battle, Commodore.”

“Ah, yes,” Siilon said, as if just remembering.  “It was one that will be remembered, won’t it?  I’ll have to get some new markings to commemorate the . . .”  She paused a moment before finishing.  “Battle of Mopu.”

More like a slaughter, honestly.  She felt no great pride in it, but to some extent such behavior was to be expected of one in her position.

Brooks knew how she felt about it, of course.  He knew that she hated bloodshed, had seen through her all those years ago – even before they had trained together in the Voidfleet Academy.

As Jaya walked away, Brooks smiled to her.  “How may I help you, Siilon?”

“I am the one helping you,” she replied with a gurgling laugh.  “Though I admit, I was waiting for you to come bail me out of a conversation with far too many bureaucrats.”

“I’m afraid I got caught in a delaying action,” he told her.

“Ah, yes, your firebrand, Jaya.  That woman will be an admiral one day.”

“I would say I agree, but she might hear and come over to give me an earful again,” he said, this time glancing to make sure she was not, in fact, nearby.

Siilon gargled again.

“And at a funeral, too.  She has no propriety,” Siilon said without rancor.

“Everyone greaves in their own way.  Jaya gets prickly.”

“At least you don’t cut any parts off anymore.  I’ve heard humans used to do that.”

“That was a very long time ago,” he added dryly.  “But enough about me – how are your children?” he asked.

“Oh, they are all quite alive and doing their own things,” she said.  “Guona Daa is one of mine, you know.  I hope she acquitted herself well?”

“Quite,” Brooks agreed.  “Though I didn’t know she was related to you.”

“I think,” Siilon said, her face going contemplative.  “I could be wrong.  After my twenty-fifth pair of children I began to find it hard to remember.”

Brooks laughed, even though he knew she definitely was aware of all her progeny.  She was not old, but Sepht lived longer than humans, and had pairs of young all through their lives – literally, as some were even born pregnant.

“I am still grateful we found each other again in the Academy,” she said.

“I was just surprised that you joined the human academy,” Brooks replied.  “When I heard there was a giant one-eyed blue Sepht there, I knew it had to be you.”

“Well, I find I quite agree with humanity’s more aggressive doctrines.  Only the Dessei match you in that, and well . . . that would have been much more of a pain than it was worth.”

He leaned closer.  “You know, people thought we were dating then.”

She laughed, this time uproariously.  “I recall many humans failed to understand my kind’s ways for a long time . . .”

“I told them about it, but no one wanted to believe me . . .”

To some, it had come as a shock that the Sepht had no concept of physical intimacy, and just laid batches of eggs fertilized outside the body . . .  Romance, and more, were not a concept they even considered.

And the corrosive skin oils didn’t help either, he thought, as Siilon slapped him on the arm and he made a mental note not to touch that area with his bare hand.

“The Craton’s repairs should be complete soon, yes?” she asked.

“Yes, repaired enough for travel.  As soon as we’re operational we’ll be heading to Gohhi to bring some of our injured to the medical platform we’ve got set up there, and complete the rest of the repairs.”

“Ah, Gohhi!  Then it will be a diplomatic call as well.”

Brooks grimaced.  “Unavoidable, but true.”

“How unfortunate, I’m going to be here for at least a month.  So you will be back out among the stars before I.”

“But you will be back out there.  We’ll meet again, old friend,” he told her.

“Aye,” she replied.  “Aye, we will.”

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