*six months later*

It's been half a year, but I couldn't believe we're already on our third ship! High Line took two months instead of the one that Omar first promised, but that was because he and his crew were getting used to the process and how best to refurbish the ships. Then, after that I made the decision to refurbish the food tugs, but those were (relatively) easy. New thrusters, some strengthening of the cargo containers and a few brand new ones and that was it. Once that was finished the food deliveries increased over 30%!

You would not believe how much cheaper, more abundant food improved one's legitimacy. As soon as that was finished and the food rolled in, almost all of the last grumblings about me coming in and "declaring" myself Empress died down.

I couldn't wait, and we took High Line out for a quick spin around the system after it was completed. Omar asked to be in control for the trip and since he refurbished it, I saw no problem with it. While Omar was looking through the Builder archives, he found plans for a starship's control chair. It was like a small version of my Throne, or the Builder chairs back on the Reach. From the chair, a Builder could interface with the ship and control it, almost like how AIs were ships back home. I asked Starlight, River and Ocean if they wanted to come along and see what we did to their ship. For the whole tour they looked around in wonder and surprise at the work we did. Starlight said it felt like a new ship and River marveled that we were able to add so many features to it. I didn't tell them about the wormhole generator. I don't know why. Maybe I still think we needed some kind of secret surprise. Really though, I couldn't do what I was doing now if it wasn't for my fellow Builders and our staff. Ava was my second in command and handled most of the interactions between us and the institutions here at the Reach. Bank, Security Team, and Maintenance Crew; she worked with them to bring their needs to my attention, and then we worked out a solution together. She still tended to be a little more... aggressive than I preferred, but she knew who was Empress. She made me more assertive and I was able to cool her down. I thought we worked well together.

Um'reli had dug deep into the Builder systems here on the Reach. She was working out how much work the old Builders did day to day to make the Reach run so smoothly. When I told her that the Nanites said that it was a full time crew of 10 she believed me. It's a lot of work. There's still only the 4 of us, so we still couldn't run at full capacity, but she's got the fire suppression systems up and running, the environmental systems were much more efficient and even the gravity worked better. We were operating with a power surplus now! I asked Omar build another reactor for the Reach and soon we will have power to spare.

Omar, has taken over as my shipbuilder and was really growing into the role. When we were on Far Reach, printing was just a hobby and his main role was ship's battery, but here he became a master printer. Between the database we got from Far Reach and the existing Database on the Reach, we had more than enough plans to make anything we needed. He even worked out that Reach of the Might of Vzzx used to have defensive batteries! He found the hardpoints and had been using downtime on the printers to build new laser batteries. We didn't know where the original weapons went, so we were just adding Starjumper class laser batteries to the existing hardpoints. We're so large and will soon have such a power surplus that he says running the huge laser batteries would be no problem. That should help hold off anyone who comes to pay us a visit. Speaking of visiting, I haven't told anyone, but I unlocked the Gate last month. With two ships and the laser batteries almost done, I figured it was safe to unlock the Gate.

I was anxious to go back out and visit the Wilds and see if we can figure out what happened. I didn't think I was ready to admit to the others yet, but I'm also excited to visit other Starbases and planets as Empress, and see just how much of this side of the Galaxy was happy to see me. Waves and smiles for everyone who was happy to see me, Starjumper laser batteries for those who weren't! I'm kidding about the Starjumper laser batteries if people weren't happy to see me. I didn't think I wanted to restart a war of conquest, do I?

These days, I spent a lot of my time on the Throne, just watching things. I found it soothing to sit here and just... feel the world go by. Things were running so smoothly, and the people legitimately seemed pleased that we were here and working, I liked to, I don't know, absorb the vibes? It was just after breakfast and I was settling down for a day of reports and presiding over a few small disagreements when a chirrup interrupts my reverie. I glanced over and... It's a signal from outside the Reach? I extended my senses into the local space and I feel... Activity from the Gate. Someone was coming through.

"Ava, Um'reli, Omar! We've got a ping from the Gate. Someone was coming though!" I was excited to tell everyone.

Omar was less excited. "What? Okay, Reactors to 200%, defensive batteries online, sound general alert.." I could hear hooting in the background. Omar insisted on activating the old alert tones and we had been sending out messages reminding everyone to listen to them.

"Omar, Omar! It's just someone coming through. Do we really need to get ready to shoot them?"

"Uh, yes Melody? We had no idea who it was. I didn't even know the Gate was unlocked. Did you do that?"

"Yes, I did it a month ago. I figured we were ready for visitors then. I'm so excited to see who is coming to visit us!"

Over the mental connection, I could feel Ava, Omar and Um'reli staring at me.

Uh oh.

Um'reli sounded exasperated. "Melody, we are at least a year away from unlocking the Gate. We had some defensive lasers sure, but we didn't even have the new reactor online and we only have two small ships now. Two. If that was a human dreadnought, we would be utterly outmatched. What were you thinking?"

"Um'reli be nice, I'm sure Melody was just so happy about our progress she wanted people to come and see it and see her." Ava jumped to my defense.

"It's still something she should have run by us first. We could have given her more insight to our actual readiness..."

"She is the Empress Um'reli, and besides, what's done is done. Now we had to get ready for our new visitors. Melody, had they come though yet, did we have a visual on them?"

I was looking out, into the system and I could see the ship. It was... huge; way larger than anything we knew about on this side of the Galaxy. It didn't look like a Starjumper though, it was the wrong shape. "It's through. Here, I'll send you what I saw through the long range scopes." I tossed the visual feed over to them. Um'reli was as confused as I was, but Omar had a sharp intake of breath and Ava swore.

"What is it Omar? Did you recognize the ship Ava?"

"I did, but I wish I didn't. That's the Vengeance of Lavinia; the flag carrier for Venus." Omar sounded disgusted.

Ava sounded downright angry. What the hell are they doing out here?"

Um'reli zoomed in on the image and tried to enhance and get more detail. "It Looked like Far Reach didn't succeed in keeping us quiet like she wanted. Clearly someone told them we were out here and they're coming to say hello."

I didn't know much about Imperial Venus; I grew up on Meíhuā. From what I understood and what Omar explained while Ava made a face, they took over governance of the Sol system a bit more than a decade ago. They mostly controlled the inner planets. The High Mars Orbitals were the borderlands, and from there out was the OPA, the Outer Planet Alliance. They were a bunch of small starbase city-states that pooled their resources together to hold off Venus. It had been a back and forth for the entire time that Venus had claimed sovereignty. Venus came out into the colonies to throw their weight around a few years back, but they got massacred at Parvati, and then they caused trouble over at Starbase Picaresque. This was all years before we left. A group of residents and a faction of AIs had kicked them out. I thought a colony ship was involved too? I wasn't living there then, I heard all this information second and third hand. But since then, they stayed in the Sol system and dialed down the anti-AI rhetoric. Nobody was pleased to see them when they came visiting. Still, it was visitors. I suppose we should see what they wanted.

"Maybe they have people who want to come join us?" I tried to sound hopeful. I didn't think it worked.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

"More like spy on us." Omar said darkly. "Melody, I'm going to go against my usual stance on you using your Voice on people. These folks need to be told how we do stuff here."

I could feel Um'reli nodding. "I agree. We don't want them to start anything, but don't lead with Voicing them. If you did that, they'd probably try and run and we'd lose any advantage we had. Play it cool. Be nice, be welcoming. It's not like we couldn't use more Builders. If folks are coming out because they want to come out, we should welcome them."

"But they're from Venus, Um'reli. Don't forget how they treated AIs." Ava was unusually firm. Venus had a strict policy of not recognizing AI sapience. It was stupid really. AIs had been recognized as alive and sapient for nearly two thousand years in Human space; for them to come out of nowhere and say that they're not was ludicrous and treated that way in Colonial space. It was almost a joke.

Almost.

We couldn't turn them away, we simply didn't have the firepower. "Omar, let them know we're not defenseless. Free the defensive lasers but don't target the ship. The are probably scanning the heck out of us, they should see them come online." When Omar released the lasers, I could feel it. 6 different batteries energize and told us their readiness. Wow, I don't know if this was something new Omar added, or something he tied into old systems, but it was so... intuitive to use them. With a thought, I could swing them around, aim and point them, and... yes, if I were to pull there, they'd fire. Neat. After moving them around a little, I swing them off to the side and set them to follow our commands. If Venus wanted to start something, we could bring them to bear relatively quickly, but Um'reli was right, we did need more builders. If they were just shuttling volunteers because Far Reach told all the AIs and none of them would have anything to do with me, then we should be nice. Radio contact. We were being signaled. "Uh, Reach of the Might of... Vzzx? This is Vengeance of Lavinia. We'd like to speak to... Empress... Melody?"

They were reading from notes. Their comms officer sounded so unsure. I decided to answer myself and lay it on thick. "Good morning Vengeance of Lavinia. This is Empress Melody Mullen the First, Empress of the Holy Imperial Systems. I hear your call and am replying. How may I assist?"

"We are requesting docking permission and to be able to come aboard for a goodwill exchange as well as to deliver some volunteers from our side of the Galaxy who wish to sign on with your work over here."

Interesting. They said they have volunteers. It's not like we didn't need more Builder help.

"Be careful, Melody." Ava was right.

"But, don't turn them away just yet." Um'reli was right too.

Ugh did they want to do the talking here? I felt like I was being pulled in so many directions. I checked on the docking ring. High Line and Sun Dancer, the two ships we were able to refit were next to the dock the Far Reach used; I'll put them there.

"Vengeance of Lavinia you are cleared to dock at umbilical X45, I shall note it on this image I am sending your way. Additionally it shall be lit as you pass by. After you dock a welcome party will meet you at the umbilical."

"Umbilical X45 confirmed. See you soon, Reach of the Might of Vzzx. Vengeance of Lavinia out."

Well then. I guess we had better go and meet them.

"Okay everyone, we're on. Let's go gather some folks and go see them."

Ava, Um'reli and Omar disconnected from their chairs and came out. "I swear to you we're not ready for someone like Venus coming, but here they are so I guess we're going to have to be ready." Um'reli said and looked around. "Where is City?"

Sound of the City bounded up the stairs. "Here, Builder, what do you need of me?"

Um'reli smiled. She liked Sound and treaded her a bit like a protégé. I wondered if Um'reli wanted to make her a full Builder. It wasn't a bad idea really, but it should wait until she was older. "Hello, Sound of the City. Please gather Starlight, Ocean, River, Vaaqo, and yourself. Dispatch a runner to Sep and ask them to bring a few security guards too. Make sure you have your Builder uniforms on and they're clean and neat. We have visitors."

City bowd. "Of course Builder. I shall fetch them at once." There was a pause while they tried to figure out what they could get away with. "Who is visiting?"

"It's a group of people from our side of the Galaxy. They're a different... faction than we were and we always haven't been... friendly with them? We're willing to give them the benefit of the doubt for now, but make sure everyone knows to keep watch on them."

Another bow "Builder. I go!" and Sound of the City bounded away. I was so happy we were able to give them a job. They're still young so it was only part time, but they brought me happiness every time I saw them. They really became a vital part of our retinue so easily. They're just so energetic! I hope they stayed with us.

I picked up my rifle from next to the Throne and examined it. I did get a chance to go to Sep's Security office and got some range time in every now and then, but it was never enough. Omar had programmed the Security Office's printers to make rounds for me, so I didn't even have to conserve, it's just that there were only so many hours in a day. But, I felt good that I could still do the things that 'Melody' liked to do. It helped ground me and reminded me that I'm more than an Empress.

I sighed to myself, checked the rifle to make sure it was loaded and safe, and then clicked it to my back. It's weight was reassuring. While we walked down the steps, I got myself ready. The crown and wings came out, but I kept them dim and subtle for now. I made my heels a little taller but kept my working outfit on - no gown today. It's still royal blue and still sharply cut, but I just looked like the head Builder I am instead of all full Empress.

As we reached the docs, Starlight, Ocean and River were there already. They were probably over in the drydock working on the third ship so were close by. At our approach, they all bowed low.

"Empress, Builders. It was always a pleasure to see you."

I inclined my head. "Starlight, Ocean, River. We have guests coming."

They looked at me and blinked. This was unexpected.

"O-of course Empress. We shall welcome them warmly. Who is coming?"

"People from our side of the Galaxy. They represent a different faction than us, so we're wary about their visit. Still, we shall receive them. Just, be on your guard."

They bowed again. "Always Empress. We have learned that about Builders."

Huh. Cheeky. But not wrong. I decided to let it slide.

City bounded up out of breath. "I have alerted Vaaqo and Sep, they shall arrive shortly."

"City, take a moment and catch your breath, they're not here yet." Ava looked concerned. Sound of the City was so eager to help that sometimes they ran themselves ragged. I thought we all fussed over City because they're still a kid, but I remembered being a teen and so eager to prove myself.

After a short time, Vaaqo arrived with Sep and they bowed. Behind Sep was about a dozen security guards, all with clubs and energy weapons. Vaaqo spoke first. "Builders. What is it you need of us? Your runner mentioned visitors?"

I smiled warmly and nodded. "Yes. people from our side of the Galaxy have come through the Gate and wish to visit. They are from a different faction than us originally, so be wary, but let us welcome them. Sep, have your people set up around us, visible, but not part of the welcome party. Clubs can be seen, but let's keep the firearms behind their backs for now."

Another bow, and Sep gestured to the guards and they set up like I asked. We had a semicircle of guards a bit away, and the rest of us were a few meters from the umbilical. As we finished setting up, I heard the whir and hum of the umbilical coming out to meet the ship. After a few tense moments, there was a hiss as the pressures equalize and the umbilical opened. Immediately, silently, 6 troopers walked out. They were wearing glossy maroon armored pressure suits polished to a mirror sheen. They're so glossy the coloring of the pressure suits looks like it had depth. I could see all of us distorted in the reflection of their faceless helmets. They're holding battle rifles, but they were aimed down and I could see they're safe and they had little decorative tips on the end - that was a nice touch. It showed everyone that they couldn't shoot without extra effort. Looking closer at the rifles I was shocked. It was the same model I used. That's not a standard issue. My rifle was a special order. I could feel it's weight on my back, reminding me. The troopers lined up, three to a side of the umbilical, and stood there at attention for a moment, and then a woman walked confidently out.

She was not wearing a pressure suit, but she had a very elaborate uniform on. It didn't look like our Builder uniforms, but it was of a similar ilk. Professional, Military, it has short sleeves and was form fitting, with pockets and folds and places for medals and ribbons. Her uniform had plenty of both. It was colored the same maroon as the troopers, but there was a pure white sash from her left shoulder to her right side of her waist. On the other side of her waist was a sidearm - hmm, that looked like a custom version of a very fiddly - but accurate - pistol, and was very well taken care of. She's wearing maroon pants tucked into highly polished black riding boots with a bit of a heel that clicked on the floor of the deck. On both of her shoulders were a gold fringe. She wore a maroon cap at a rakish angle and peeking underneath I could see that she had very close cropped blond hair. Was that a tattoo I saw peeking around her collar? She was standing there with a smirk, all casually professional and extremely cool. She looked like she was in charge through sheer charisma. She looked as if nobody would dare question whether she was in charge. Swallowing and hoping I didn't look too awkward, I turned up the crown and wings and took one step forward. "Welcome to Reach of the Might of Vzzx. I am Empress Melody Mullen of the Holy Imperial Systems." I gestured to my side. "This is Ava Williams, Omar Adel, and Um'reli Desmen, my Builders." I turned to the other side. "This is Starlight on a Moonless Evening, The Smell Of The Ocean, Rapid River Roaring, Sound of the City, Sep and Vaaco. They were part of my retinue and they assist with day to day operation here. We welcome you."

She inclined her head slightly then stood up straight and saluted sharply. "I am Archduke Helen Raaden of Imperial Venus, second to the crown prince of Venus and third in line for the Venusian throne. I come with a contingent of Venusian soldiers and citizens as well as a small group of volunteers from throughout Human space. We come as friends on a goodwill tour, and wish to extend our most sincere greetings to her Imperial Highness and make a personal offer from the Emperor to give assistance in any way we can." When she finished her pronouncement she winked at me so fast I wasn't sure that it was real.

Oh no, she was so hot. What was I going to do?