“Hey honey, when we get to our next stop, do you mind playing with Tessa for a while.”

“I like Tessa. Does mommy like Tessa?”

I nod at her while I que in a 300k km warp toward the GEO orbit that Alaris is currently in. “I like her very much. Tessa is my best friend.”

I haven’t been the best friend to her lately, but she’s seemed laser focused on her chassis project lately, and she was super mad about my making intelligence matrixes and not mentioning it to her.

I call up Alaris and tell her that I intend to come aboard and she tells me that her bays are full and that I would need to dock via hatch today. Haven’t done that in a while. Then again, I could always stop trying to hide the fact I can teleport, probably not still secret anyway.

A young brunette with a long face and sharp jawline greets us at the hatch in the aft section of the hangar bay with a wide smile and a sharp salute. “Welcome aboard Admiral!” The voice is the first indication that the flawless androgynous face is female and all of a sudden my brain just starts collecting details about her.

A dusting of freckles across her aquiline nose and cheekbones, the longer, slightly pointed ears, and the absurdly long eyelashes lead to an overall Elvin appearance indicating that this woman won a mutation lottery or two. I see her expressive mouth moving and realize I’ve probably been staring.

“Sorry, I tend to ramble.” She apologizes.

Before I can wave it off, Zia shouts. “IM A PRINCESS!” and squeals with delight.

My jaw drops as the attractive Lieutenant just caused me no end of headache.

“Please don’t throw me out of an airlock!” I snort at her plea: that was exactly what I was thinking.

“Fine, fine. Take all the fun out of ruling an Empire. Escort me to Tessa and we’ll call it even.”

Delight springs from her arctic eyes as she walks and beckons me to follow. I make an effort to move my feet before I walk my eyes down her figure, but I figure it happens at the same time. Penny, you are far too thirsty for your own good.

“Here she is, she said she needed to power down for something?”

“What?” Shocking me out of objectifying her, the lieutenant whose name I still haven’t checked points me at a slumped Tessbot anchored to the bulkhead. “No no no, shit.”

>/Tessa, are you okay?!/<

>/Perfectly fine, why do you ask?/<

>/I’m standing here looking at a vacant robot attached to a wall, Tessa. You never have to power down!/<

>/I do if I’m transferring the chassis back to Alaris./<

What the fuck is this girl giggling about? I look over at her, and she’s grinning wide and fidgeting like she has a fucking secret.

“Why do you look so angry? Shouldn’t you be happy for me?”

What?

“Oh Andromeda, this is better than I imagined. Your face right now!” She bursts out in giggles and dances around to stand next to Tessa. “No resemblance?”

Holyshit. Holy. Shit. Mutation lotter nothing, literally designed this way. “Okay, wow. This, you . . . you look amazing.” I look down to Zia while blushing my face off. “Do you like Tessa’s new chassis honey?”

“Tessa?” She stumbles over to her and pokes her.

“Yes Zia, it’s me. And now that I’ve finished my upgrade, you should see me around more.” Tessa ends the statement looking at me.

“We’d like that. Speaking of, can you watch Zia while I talk to the Captain?”

She frowns at me like I farted on her.

“Wait, no. Sorry Tessa, this is amazing and you somehow hid this perfectly crated elf body, but it’s a little distracting you know? And I should escape to process this before I forget why I came to Alaris in the first place.

Tessa’s face morphs to a soft smile before saying. “Yeah, I can watch her. Give me a ride back to Astoria when you leave?”

Clean thoughts Penny. Collect yourself. “Sure thing.”

Also, you need to stop skimming my thoughts.

I’ve put the swarm that’s left in you in a background process, but when the symbiotes notice a dramatic change in chemistry or signals, it sends me a notice. I could hear you looking at my ass, and no chance, it’s free entertainment.

I shake my head as I use teleport system in Alaris to get to the bridge. I knock on the Captain’s quarters and the door opens before I hear anything. The invitation is plain to see and I take it. Her office never changes much: Neat desk, neat meeting table, no lounge, and an expanded coffee mess.

“Admiral, Alaris informed me that you were on your way to see me.” Polite dig, on not having scheduled a meeting. Off to a good start.

“And if we’re lucky, this will be the last visit before we detect the Herrat on one of the EEZ sensor installations. That said, Rich just handed me his resignation and told me that you have a plan for their arrival, and that his role as Consul would be largely unimportant for the war.”

“I expected this at some point, but this timing is as good as any.” Captain Casey hides her disdain for me with a stiffened jaw and metered language. “One of the few things that we did not discuss in depth, was how you planned to be involved in this conflict.” She places her pen in line with a paginated report on her desk, folds her hands in front of her and looks directly at me, waiting for me to anger her.

Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

“I’ll be onboard when the Herrat Message us, and I will be tracking other systems for separate approaches as well as directing our auxiliary weapons, such as the minefield and the Astorian Satellite network. If I have to, I’ll get my magic involved, but we can talk about that more in depth later.

“That said, you will be the Theatre Commander in the Astorian System To make that blatantly obvious, I’m promoting you to Commodore.” Shock seeps into her severe gaze and I summon the rank insignia Tessa helped me figure out so long ago. “If we survive this and I don’t want to kill you by the end, you can keep the rank and have your choice of station.”

I hold the insignia out and neither of us move, I shrug and toss them at her desk, not caring how they land.

“Not all offerings need to be suspicious Commodore Casey. I trust you will act more professionally when we talk in front of your crew.”

“Of course, my dislike of your demeanor and inexperience is not to be shared. I understand the Chain of Command, Admiral,” she chews on that word on the way out, “I am continuously surprised that you have not fired me yet.”

“The problem with leniency in behavior, it seems, is that people feel like they should test how far they can misbehave, like children. As I do need your help, I am tolerant of how you respond to me in private. Also, if we have irreconcilable differences, I expect you to resign. If I have to fire you, it will be from a cannon.”

Casey does not like the idea of veiled threats apparently, as she stands up and glares at me. I’m impressed that she hasn’t said anything.

“As much as it sounds to the contrary, I did not come here to start a fight. Just talk about fighting our new ships and what your posture plan was.”

“Admiral, I believe Commodore Casey would like you to leave.” Alaris says through the PA system in the office.

“Yes, Alaris, I get the same feeling. But, as we are at work, I expect her to do her job. Which is to provide the information I asked for.” I can almost hear Casey’s teeth crack from the pressure before she straightens up, motions a few times with her fingers and a data packet hits my Navy inbox. “Ah, thank you Commodore. I’ll see you in two months and I’ll expect my suite to be clean and available for my use.”

Seeing as she’s not going to say anything, I turn and walk away, delivering an “As you were” parting shot as I pass the doorway.

>/ Is that necessary Admiral?/<

>/I was hoping it wouldn’t be, Alaris, but that woman does not respect me at all. If I don’t do something now, in private. Her emotions might make her slip in front of her crew, and then I would have to punish her. This avoids official punishment. /<

>/Commodore Casey would never/<

Muffled shouting and a crash seeps through the sound proofing of the ship into the Bridge.

>/I am still trying to understand Emotions./<

I laugh at that admission. >/As far as I know, Tessa has figured it out as much as any human has./<

>/If you are taking recommendations for my next Captain, can it be her?/<

That’s pretty cute, Alaris. Tessa might actually agree, save that she put on Lieutenant tabs instead of the Commander that she has permission for? >/I’ll ask after her plans, Alaris. Otherwise, I hope you like your cannon./<

>/ I like it very much. It achieves a greater impulse than I was expecting, with half the hull strain. By my estimates, you were a talented Human. Data on Pixies is insufficient./<

I laugh at the very artificial response. “Andromeda would say the same thing, as they basically created the race for me.”

>/ You speak with the Matrix? /<

>/ Alaris, you are not to share this, but yes, they have spoken to me, and their administrators are funny entities as well. I think they are looking for more, and it feels like they want me to join them in like a thousand years or something./<

Alaris doesn’t respond, so I have to assume she’s done talking, or trying to process the whole “the Matrix is fond of Penny” thing.

When I teleport back to the machine shop area of the bay, I see Tessa showing Zia how to hold engraving tools. My little darling is concentrating so hard and Tessa has nothing but patience and joy in her eyes.

My chest warms and my heart-like vortex thumps hard at the visual. Shit, I wonder what Tessa’s plans are now that her major project is finished. I should tell her that Alaris wants her as Captain.

Tessa looks up at me at the thought of her taking command on the bridge. I could see it. “Trying to put my daughter to work already? We’re not that kind of Empire, Tessa.” I chuckle and she does too.

I chat with Zia as we help Tessa move a few items to my shuttle. It seems that my traitorous symbiote is helping my daughter with her workbook so that she can have snacks. Apparently, with a bit of a jog, Zia can remember algebra but struggles with it. How much information is her brain crunching if she’s already processing those maths as well as language and motor skills.

Zia’s an Andromeda blessed miracle.

On the second trip for her gear, I ask Tessa her plan. She looks a little embarrassed to have not brought it up before? Huh, must have spent some time thinking about this if she’s assuming.

“Well, you have the workshop space, and I was hoping we could try working together?”

“Should I slap a U-haul sticker on my shuttle? Are you in lesbians with me?” I chuckle, realizing we’ve dipped our toe in this conversation already.

Elf Tessa blushes hard and my parallel minds split in the observation of it. It’s unbelievably charming that she’s blushing, but the other mind is concentrating at the marvel of creating a body that is capable of responsive blushing. The sensory data and processing iterations are staggeringly large. The fact Tessa solved the data overload problem is a marvel in itself.

“Sorry, I tend to joke when I don’t know what to say. You are more than welcome to live with us Tessa.” I almost shout as a twinge of fear niggles at my brain about what she might say.

“Are you sure?” she asks with a slight tremble of hope and trepidation. How is she getting this much expression? Tessa, you’ve created a wonder.

“Yes, of course. Zia, would you like it if Tessa came to live with us?”

She looks up at me, “New Papa?”

I cough, turn away and blush out of my mind. “Lets not read too deep into this Zia.” Andromeda, I hope she doesn’t keep this up.

I enjoy the short flight back to my Castle and start teleporting her gear to my Suite. Once that’s done, I stow the shuttle and blip us up also, I really should take the long way to lower the exposure of my ability.

Tessa rushes away to handle moving in and I set Zia at my kitchen table for a late lunch of juice and some berries from my aether garden upstairs. I order some Ramen from a recluse Aelean.

>/Tessa, does your new body need to eat?/<

That is still strange you know. And no, I don’t My new skin needs nutrients, but I couldn’t figure out how to make the process into an internal one with all of the other devices I contain.

Well it feels weird to see you as a whole person and realize you’re also my symbiote. I wonder if Zia will make friends with her symbiote.

While a user can chose to only use the symbiote and not have the swarm assist in communication, it is not common and it is more of an instinctual communication than the semi-verbal we use.

Semi-verbal? Huh. I guess that’s true. I think words when you speak back to me it’s like hearing my internal voice but in a different tone. So would that make the symbiote more of a feeling or meaning telepath?

Not really, it’s slightly more involved and I don’t think you would care for it. With magic-based beings that have had a symbiote since birth, it should be natural, but for you, it would feel like a manipulation.

You’re freaking me out, Tessa.

Can we talk about this another time? It won’t harm her.

I want to demand that she tell me now, my minds are anxious and paranoid about what the little aliens will do to my baby, but then I realize: I completely trust Tessa. She wouldn’t do intentional harm to me or Zia, and I do have a lot of other things I need to be doing, like engraving those damned rings.

Speaking of, I can work in tandem with you to make them. I don’t love your plans for them, but I’m willing to help.

That is the second best news I’ve heard all day. With her cow to help, I feel a monumental weight lighten from my shoulders. Now I just have to figure out how to bend Andromeda’s rules on using gates a little bit.