"Ambassador," Urle said. "I have news for you."

Though they spoke through a screen, N'Keeea's body language perked up immediately. "You work quickly, Acting-Captain."

It wasn't how Urle felt, and he let the compliment pass. "I've spoken to the Ambassadorial Service, and since he's still near, William Prince will be here later today."

The significance of that seemed somewhat lost on N'Keeea, and Urle elaborated. "He's a very important diplomat within the Sapient Union, and a very compassionate man."

In getting Prince to get involved, Urle did feel he'd done well. The Ambassadorial Service had been somewhat reluctant; the man was one of their most prestigious members.

But the situation with N'Keeea's people was important - and delicate. The departments of the Ambassadorial service that operated in Dessei and Sepht space - as well as the Beetle-Slugs, who'd had numerous minor conflicts with the Hev - needed to be contacted, to learn just why they'd rejected N'Keeea.

None of this could be done in the name of the SU as a whole; only on the part of Earth and humanity. It made it . . . trickier.

"Oh, I see," N'Keeea said. Something seemed off with him, though.

"I think it's a good turn of events," Urle told him. "I hope it can work out well."

"I simply hope it works out quickly," N'Keeea replied bluntly. "I have received a communique from Mopu; the P'G'Maig have broken through our main line of defense and have begun to move deeper into the system."

The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

Urle was silent a moment. "How long can they hold out?" he finally managed to ask.

"They could not give me good numbers, the losses are not yet fully understood," N'Keeea replied, as calmly as if he was speaking minutiae on a distant nebula. "But their current guess is that the secondary lines can hold out for less than a month."

"After that?"

"That is the last of our defenses," N'Keeea said calmly. "After that, Acting-Captain, my people will be exterminated."

*******

Apollonia was glad she got to see the ocean again.

Standing on the platform at the base of Lundgren Tower, she had dawdled at the door, reluctant to leave Earth.

Brooks was already inside, doing Official Stuff that she didn't know. Their elevator would be leaving shortly, but she just wanted one more minute of the fresh air, the cool sea breeze, the . . . the whole thing.

Dr. Y hadn't stepped in, standing out with her. He had never been very enthusiastic about nature, but he'd still come.

She felt like it was significant to him, all the same. He'd said he'd never been on a planet before, just like her. It made her happy that they'd gotten to see Earth together, more or less.

It sucked that she had to be called off to this stupid tribunal thing. If she'd had the choice, she might have just stayed. Become Guilli's apprentice or something.

But she had to go to this. And inside, she knew that it meant she wouldn't be coming back.

At least, not yet.

"Nor, I believe we should go in now. The elevator boarding has begun," Y said. "And this humidity is not kind to my poor metal body."

"All right," Apollonia replied, turning her back on the ocean, even though it felt like she left behind a part of her soul in the process.

"I guess we've got stuff to do."