Transiting Null Space

Command Chamber of Hive Ship

Three months after rescue, 2176 A.D.

The command drone sat on the raised dais and tried to suppress her anxiety as they neared the empire. This was her first time back since she left her pupa and took the long journey to the forbidden zone.

For over forty cycles, she dreamt of returning to the Hives and knowing the peace and joy of touching claws and antennae with many sisters. Now she was back, and death followed her.

There had been no signs of the pursuit force that had been chasing them for several solar days, but she was still worried about possibly leading the persecutors right back to the empire and the Hives.

She was ordered to go back to the empire by the commander drone that controlled the guardian fleets. Her task was to warn the Hive mother and prepare the Hives for what was to come.

That was three solar months ago, right after the first major battle when she saved her sister command drone, who had been sent to rescue the surviving animals by the false Hive mother.

The small warning force she led back to the empire was pursued by the enemy, and they were forced to fight multiple battles during the long, circuitous route they had taken back to the Hives.

Of the three Hive ships and thirty cruisers that accompanied her, only her Hive ship and six barely functioning cruisers remained. Now, they were less than twenty light cycles from the empire.

She had managed to trick the pursuers and get away from them by entering a solar system and hiding within the massive asteroid belts that ringed the primary as they recharged their null drives.

An unusual idea came to her, and she had her force charge around the massive blue supergiant, using its incredible mass to give them a gravity assist and hurl them outwards behind the primary.

The massive coronal discharges hid them from the enemy scanning sensors, and the gravity-assisted maneuver sent them on a course out of the system at speeds beyond their abilities.

She had the surviving ships cut their engines and dump the heatsinks as soon as they were behind the sun, and they cold-coasted at incredible speeds as the pursuers still searched the inner belts.

They reached the outer system belt in less than a solar day. It would have taken them over one hundred solar hours using their engines, and they managed to flash into null space undetected by the enemy.

Now only the Hive ship remained. The other command drones of the six damaged cruisers increased the emissions of their engines and split into six different pathways to trick the enemy.

The courses they took all led away from the Hives, and they willingly sacrificed themselves to ensure that the enemy would be pursuing the six ships on false scent trails leading away from the empire.

It was time, and she sent a thought command for the Hive ship to set a direct course to the Queen World. Just over two solar hours later, her Hive ship flashed into the outer system and waited.

There were thousands of ships patrolling the system, and her mind was assaulted by numerous demands to identify herself and her reason for coming here as nearby ships reacted to her arrival.

A powerful mind cut through all of it and demanded silence. At once, the hundreds of thought commands vanished, and it was just her and the powerful thoughts of the new Hive mother.

<My daughter, I am pleased that you have finally arrived. You will land the Hive ship on the surface, and I will have it repaired. Come to me, my daughter. Where are the other ships of your group?>

She was confused as to how the new Hive mother knew she was coming and the reception she was receiving from her. She expected recrimination for leaving the guardian fleets and coming here instead of fighting.

<Hive mother, I came with three guardian Hive ships and thirty cruisers. The last six cruisers sacrificed themselves to lead the pursuit force away from the Hives. My ship is all that remains.>

She felt anguish from the new Hive mother—another unexpected action. Her confusion grew, and the Hive mother sent more thoughts to her. There was no anger, just sadness and resignation.

<I feel your confusion, daughter. After you departed, your commander drone was able to inform me of the terrible events through my Hive mother's focuser network before it collapsed. Come to me.>

The Hive mother withdrew from her mind, and she immediately had the Hive ship set a course for the Queen World. She used the time traveling to make what repairs they could and to finally rest.

Three solar days later, she personally landed the heavily damaged Hive ship on the surface a short distance from the Hive and immediately went to her Hive mother.

Soldier drones took her to the brood chamber, and she was granted an audience. She trembled with fear as she went in and bowed in proper submission before the Hive mother.

She had never seen a Hive mother, and she was overwhelmed with awe and fear as she stared at the bare rock floor. She felt thoughts enter her mind, and she opened herself to them completely.

<I can feel your fear, my daughter. I am not like the Hive mothers before, and I will not cull you. You have nothing to fear from me. All I require from you is loyalty, truth, and obedience. Rise.>

Raising her eyes, she looked up slowly at the Hive mother. She saw the birthing canal behind her that was attached to the abdomen, and she could see the eggs moving through it to be fertilized.

She stopped her eyes at the upper thorax as was proper. Unless given permission to do so, it was forbidden to look Hive mothers in the eyes. More thoughts came to her, almost gentle in nature.

<I grieve for your sisters in the forbidden zone. I do not think we shall ever see any of them again; the persecutors' numbers were even greater than when they first attacked us. Did you fight them?>

<I did, Hive mother. I think they were surprised by our ships and our ability to make war, and I know my sisters will fight to the last ship and make them suffer greatly. I feel wrongness for leaving them.>

<You obeyed the commander drone and came to warn us. There is no wrongness in what you have done. I communed with the commander drone, and I know you came across an envoy with a focuser. I sent no such envoy. Tell me of this daughter I do not know. How did she get a focuser?>

Fear coursed through her again, and she answered immediately, opening her mind and spirit entirely so that the Hive mother would see that she was not committing any falsehoods.

<My sister came in a Hive ship bearing the focuser and demanding passage into the forbidden zone. I saw it, and I believed her when she told the falsehood that she was an envoy of the Hive mother.>

She stopped, fearful of incurring the wrath of the Hive mother for daring to call another Hive mother.

<Tell me. I am Hive mother, and I told you I would not cull you. I will if I detect any falsehoods.>

<Yes, Hive mother. I granted her passage, and then my commander drone came and stopped her. The false Hive mother took her body and culled the commander drone. I did not want to be culled next, and I let her pass. Pardon me, Hive mother. I thought I was obeying you. I ask for pardon.>

The Hive mother did not answer right away, and she continued to stare at the two thorax silk glands, afraid to do anything that might get her culled. Her fear increased until more thoughts came to her.

<Why did you help her to escape with the animals if you knew she committed falsehoods and was not an envoy of mine? Why were you disloyal to your true Hive mother?>

<I communed with her, Hive mother. She granted me full access to her mind and spirit, and I saw all the truths and falsehoods within her. I saw the one she called Hive mother and a queen daughter.>

She paused, chiding herself for still calling the other Hive mother.

<I saw her Hive, and I saw the new animal ships fight the enemy and die protecting the Hive ship. I saw their sixteen ships destroy tenfold their number. The new animals fought our enemy with my sister, and I felt the truth of it when she told me that they would stand with her Hive against all others.>

<Yes. I have seen the new animal's fight. I saw our swarms that once ruled the skies and took what we wanted, falling before them. I saw them break the mind and spirit of my Hive mother. Because of them, I had to kill the one who kissed me with her tongue and gave me the gift of life.>

The thoughts stopped, and she waited, feeling the anguish and regret that came from the Hive mother. After some time, the Hive mother sent more thoughts, and they were heavy with grief.

<I can still feel the first time she took my claws and helped me stand after I broke out of my pupa. I felt the love she had for me as she called me her queen daughter and communed with me. That was the only time I ever knew her love. I hope she felt the love I was sending as I culled her.>

The thoughts stopped again, and she continued to stare at the silk glands, wishing she could take the grief and pain of the Hive mother away from her. She would gladly bear it for her if she could.

<I sense your thoughts, and I thank you for your desire to take my burden from me, daughter. It is mine to bear; I chose this fate. Now I can never leave the brood chamber, nor will I ever feel the sun and the rain on my body ever again. This is the way of the Hive, and I do not regret my choice.>

<Please take me, Hive mother. I will open myself to you without reservation so you can see what my sister allowed me to see. The persecutors are coming for us, and we will die if we fight them alone.>

Anger and resentment slammed into her mind from the Hive mother, and she panicked, prostrating herself in submission. Now she will be culled, and she trembled as she waited for her death to come.

The anger and resentment lessened as the Hive mother sent more thoughts to her.

<I will take you. Do not resist, or I will cull you.>

She stayed where she was, staring at the ground as she felt the Hive mother enter her mind. She submitted to the intrusion and was surprised when she wasn't subsumed by the Hive mother.

It was as if she was observing the Hive mother from within her own mind, and she saw the Hive mother accessing her memories from when she communed with her sister.

The Hive mother examined the memories of her sister command drone within the Hive, and her interactions with the false Hive mother and the daughter queen, as well as numerous animals.

The Hive mother stared at the false Hive mother, viewing her from all angles. She could feel the recognition and familiarity the Hive mother felt, as well as strong feelings of hurt and betrayal.

The Hive mother then focused on the daughter queen. She watched her intently as the young queen interacted with a strange animal with yellow eyes, moving black and white objects on a flat board.

Other memories were examined, and now she could see the Hive mother watching the false Hive mother make strange claw movements with many animals, and she could hear the animal noises.

The next memories accessed were of the animals helping to build the Hive. Numerous animal ships landed on the surface and unloaded materials that the worker drones used to build the Hive.

Worker drones and animals worked together, and strange machine animals of incredible strength and speed were also there. In all the memories, the drones and the animals did not fight once.

The animals had taken a Hive ship and cruiser away from the Hive, and they brought it back to the Hive after a length of time. She could see the numerous new animal weapons installed on the hull.

Then she saw the Hive mother watching the memories of the sixteen animal ships flashing out of null space and entering the Hive ship her sister would take to the forbidden zone.

The Hive mother then accessed her own memories. She was disoriented by the process of observing her own memories from within herself as she saw the Hive mother examine them.

Her memories of the battle when her guardian ships arrived were displayed, the Hive mother seeing the animal ships protecting her sister's heavily damaged Hive ship from the persecutor's ships.

The Hive mother felt great pride as she watched the guardian ships fighting and destroying the persecutors, and she felt the Hive mother's anguish as the enemy destroyed many guardian ships.

Just as she saw the sixteen animal ships fighting and sacrificing themselves to save her sister, the Hive mother saw it too. They fought with exceptional skill, destroying over ten times their number.

The Hive mother finally left her mind, and she reeled from the possession, bracing her legs as the brood chamber spun around her. After a few moments, the Hive mother sent new thoughts to her.

<I see now. I understand why you helped your sister escape. I also know what you desire above all else: to return to the Hives and know the joy of touching claws and antennae with many sisters before you die. You will stay here in my Hive for now and know this joy. You may depart.>

She did not expect such consideration from the Hive mother, and she felt an overwhelming gratitude pass through her. This new Hive mother was different; she could feel it deep inside her.

<Thank you, Hive mother. I am grateful.>

The Hive mother did not respond, and she rose up, bowing deeply once more before scurrying out of the brooding chamber. She headed to the main nexus, unsure of what to do with herself now.

She had spent her entire life on guardian ships, and being back in a Hive with no clear function or responsibilities was disconcerting. She continued down the tunnel, anxious to get to the nexus.

All her doubts and worries vanished when she finally entered the nexus and joined the many sisters within. She detected thousands of scent trails and selected one out of the many available to follow.

Her new sisters reached out, clasping her claws with theirs and touching her body with their antennae as they walked by her. Quick thoughts came and went, simple greetings from the others.

There were so many new sisters, and she felt true joy for the first time in her life as they touched her and welcomed her to the Hive. She wondered where the scent trail would take her as she followed it.

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The Hive mother went into a deep-thinking trance after the command drone left the brood chamber, her body continuing the fertilization processes without her input as she considered what to do now.

The Hive mother within sent thoughts, and she accepted them gratefully, desperate for her wisdom.

<Daughter of ours, what do you intend to do about the Hive mother of the command drone that went to the forbidden zone? There can only be one Hive mother; this is the way of the Hives.>

<I do not know, Hive mother. She is my sister. I thought she died when she destroyed the builder world while trying to flee with her Hive ship. I feel betrayed by her. Why can't I detect her thoughts? How was she able to become a Hive mother and make a daughter queen? Tell me this. How?>

<She could only have done this with help from her Hive mothers within her. Why they chose to do this, I do not know. She was chosen by them to become Hive mother for some reason. If they helped her, this is how she was able to make a queen and hide her thoughts from you and the others.>

<I do not understand. How could she have made the change without killing a Hive mother?>

<Daughter, you must understand. The change requires a queen to undergo the severe emotional turmoil that comes with killing their Hive mother. Only during this time is a queen able to access her ancestors within and be judged on her worthiness of becoming a Hive mother.>

<She did not kill the Hive mother; I did. What circumstances could have arisen to allow her to access her Hive mothers within? This is disturbing, Hive mother. What am I to do now?>

<I do not know what could have happened to allow her to undergo the change. I do know that she was accepted by her genetic ancestors and deemed worthy. You need to decide what to do now. Does she live and make more Hives? Or do you find and kill her? The enemy is coming; choose.>

<I do not want to kill her. She is my sister, and she was always more like me than the others. She was never arrogant, and she cared for her drones. She was diligent in her duties and always strived to better the Hives by imagining and creating new things for us. I loved her the most out of all.>

<Then you have your answer. I urge you to try something, daughter. Now that you know your sister is alive and has made the change, you must try to share thoughts with her. We can add our thoughts to yours and help you reach her. With our minds added to yours, she will hear your thoughts now.>

<Yes, I will send thoughts to her now. Thank you, Hive mother.>

She focused all her attention on tapping into the network of genetic ancestors within her, accessing their combined mental powers and adding them to her own as she felt her mind expanding rapidly.

She could feel her mind thrumming with incredible power as dozens, then hundreds of minds were added to hers. Her thoughts became sharper, and her skull seemed too small to contain her mind.

It was time. She harnessed the potential now built up in her brain pan and channeled it all into her thoughts, imagining them reaching across vast distances and entering the mind of her hiding sister.

<Sister.>

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Aurora abruptly emerged from her dormant state, agitated by the unexpectedly powerful thought that invaded her mind while she was resting. Panic coursed through her as more thoughts came.

<Sister, I know you are alive. Answer me. The persecutors have returned. Do not try to hide from me; I know of the command drone you sent to the forbidden zone and the Hive you have built on the animal world. I know you have become a Hive mother. Answer me, sister.>

The thoughts were incredibly powerful, and she recognized the mind that sent them. It was her sister, and her thoughts were too powerful for a queen to send. This could only mean one thing.

Her Hive mother was dead, and her sister was now Hive mother of the empire. She reeled in shock from the revelation as her sister continued to send thoughts demanding that she answer her.

She felt crippled with indecisiveness as she panicked, not knowing what to do. She heard the guardians activating at the entryway of her chambers before her daughter came charging in.

The young queen had detected her mother's emotional turmoil and came to her chambers immediately, sending thoughts to her and trying to soothe the Hive mother's panicked mind.

She could barely discern her daughter's thoughts as her sister continued to assail her mind with her powerful demands for a response. Her Hive mother within emerged and added to the cacophony.

Her ancestor enveloped her, protecting her from the many thoughts and demands being placed on her mind. She felt mental blocks being erected as other ancestors within helped to shield her.

There was sudden silence, and the Hive mother had no thoughts in her mind except for the Hive mother within, feeling her caress her mind and soothe her as the panic finally started to subside.

<Daughter of ours, we are here for you. We have blocked the thoughts coming to you, but they are indeed powerful. Your sister's ancestors within are enhancing her mental power by adding to it.>

<What do I do? This was not supposed to happen yet, and I did not know my Hive mother was dead. This means I will have to kill the sister I loved the most to take over the Hives. I do not want to do that, and now she will come to cull me and my daughter. There cannot be two Hive mothers.>

<Daughter, still your mind. Your thoughts are unbefitting of a Hive mother; act like one and control yourself. If your sister wanted to kill you, she would come with ships and attempt to destroy the Hive instead of trying to share thoughts. Stop panicking, use your mind, and think of this rationally.>

Aurora saw the wisdom of the Hive mother within and realized that she was right as she reasserted herself and suppressed the panic she was feeling. Her ancestor's thoughts were logical and true.

As calmness returned to her, Aurora became embarrassed of her panic and ashamed for acting in such a way in front of her daughter. She sent thoughts to her daughter, telling her that all was well.

Her daughter stared at her, and Aurora felt her thoughts reaching out to touch her mind to verify the truth. Seeing that Aurora had reassumed control of herself, her daughter backed away and waited.

<Should I respond? What would you do, Hive mother? I have need of your wisdom in this matter.>

<I truly do not know, daughter. All of us within you are unsure as to the proper response. Only one Hive mother has ruled the empire, never two. This has always been the way of the Hive. Our ancient enemy has come, and you need to do what you feel is right. We will support and help you in this.>

Aurora's mind raced as she thought of the potential outcomes of responding or ignoring her sister's request to share thoughts. The enemy was coming, and they did not care who was Hive mother.

The survival of their species took precedence over who was leading the empire. If they went to war for the Hives, Insectoid and animal ships would be fighting each other when the persecutors came.

She decided and asked her ancestors to allow her sister's thoughts to enter her mind. She will share thoughts with her and decide on a course of action after determining her true intentions.

I am a Hive mother. Act like one, she reminded herself as she felt the mental blocks being removed. Her sister's thoughts came back, and she opened her mind as she finally responded to them.

<Sister, I am here. I will hide from you no longer, and I am grateful to be able to share thoughts with you again. It has been too long since we have done so, and I see that you have taken over the empire.>

<My sister, I am Hive mother. I culled our Hive mother and took her place according to our ways. Our sisters bore witness to my ascension, and I have claimed the birthing canal as my own. I have sacrificed my freedom to do this for the Hives. You will address me as Hive mother. This is proper.>

Aurora felt trapped by her sister's logic. Her claim to the title of Hive mother was irrefutable, and the sacrifices she made for the Hives demanded that she acknowledge her as the true Hive mother.

The Hive mother within sent thoughts, and Aurora received them, annoyed with the interruption.

<You are a Hive mother too. You have made the change. Give her the respect she is entitled to and demand the same from her. It is only fitting that you both acknowledge each other's truth.>

Aurora felt shame for being annoyed and asked for pardon as the Hive mother within retreated. Her wisdom was correct, and the Hive mother within graciously granted her the pardon she asked for.

After her ancestor withdrew, Aurora thought about how to proceed. She sent thoughts to her waiting sister, careful to send them in a manner that was both neutral and respectful.

<You are correct in asking that I call you Hive mother. I will do so if you do the same for me. I have made the change, and my ancestors within made me a Hive mother. I gave life to a daughter queen, and I have built a Hive. I only ask that you accord me with the same respect that you ask for.>

There was a flash of anger from her sister, and Aurora expected her to refuse and stop sharing thoughts. She was surprised when she felt her sister's anger dissipate before more thoughts came.

<I offer a compromise. I will call you sister, and you will call me sister. I cannot risk having my rightful claim as Hive mother threatened by naming you Hive mother as well. It will cause a schism within the Hives, and I have already had to cull one sister. I do not want to be forced to do so again.>

<I find this compromise to be acceptable, sister. I can feel your pain for having to cull our sister, and I grieve with you. I also grieve for you having to cull our Hive mother, and I regret not being able to help you bear that burden and pain. I regret letting you think I was dead, and I ask for your pardon.>

<I thank you for your thoughts, sister. I too regret that you were not there for my ascension. I feel betrayed by you, but I also feel happiness sharing thoughts with you again. I grieved for your death, and I found myself having a difficult time with the void left in my life by your absence.>

<I regret what was done. Of all the sisters, it was you who I loved the most. If I had known Hive mother was dead, I would have come back and submitted myself to you. I cannot do so now; I have made a daughter queen and a Hive, and I cannot risk them. You would have to cull us; it is the way of the Hive.>

<Yes, sister. I feel the truth in your thoughts, and I know you mean it. I share your love, and I feel great happiness that you know what it is like to give the gift of life to a daughter. I have kissed five eggs, and they are nearly ready to break out of their pupae. What is it like, sister? Tell me.>

<My joy knows no bounds for you, sister of mine. It is both the happiest and most terrible time when you watch your daughter struggle to break out of her pupa. They send thoughts asking for help, and you cannot. You watch them struggle, and you hate yourself for following the way of the Hive.>

<I fear this. I fear that one or all will not be strong enough, and I will be forced to cull them. I can sense their simple thoughts, and I dread bringing them into a world full of pain and death, sister.>

<You will be a good Hive mother to them; I know this as I know you. I have never felt so much love, happiness, and terror as when my daughter finally emerged from the pupa and I took her claws in mine. You come to realize how precious life is when you commune with them for the first time.>

<Thank you, sister. Thank you for believing I would be a good Hive mother to them. I shall strive to make your belief a truth. I need to know something, sister. How did you make peace with the animals? Why did they not kill you? They cannot share thoughts like we do, so how did you do it?>

<There is too much to share with merely thoughts, sister. Do you promise not to violate me if I open my mind to you? I would commune with you so you can see the truth about my animal friends yourself. You will see that the only way for our species to survive is to join Hives with them. Will you do this?>

Her sister did not respond for some time, and she could sense her reluctance to commune. It was not that she didn't want to, but Aurora could sense that she was also afraid of exposing herself.

After some time, more thoughts came from her sister.

<I will commune with you, sister. My Hive mother within tells me that your willingness to let me into your mind proves your good intentions. I promise not to violate you, sister. I am Hive mother, and my promises are true. Will you accept my presence and open your mind to me? I am eager to see.>

<Yes. I know you, sister. I accept you into my mind. My thoughts are yours.>

Aurora could feel her ancestors preparing for her sister's presence. They were all ready to defend her mind at the first sign of trickery, and Aurora felt safe knowing they were protecting her.

She felt her sister's mind touch hers, gently and timidly, almost as if she were afraid to enter. Aurora waited patiently, opening herself completely to the presence and readying herself to commune.

Her sister finally entered her mind fully, and Aurora saw her within her thoughts. They were in a nexus with a single opening, and Aurora used her claws to beckon her sister to come to her.

Her sister approached slowly, and Aurora could see her essence shimmering as her spirit self came closer. Aurora felt the love she always had for her sister emerge, and she spread out her thorax legs.

Embrace me, my sister, and fill the void that formed when you were no longer in my life. I love you.

Anger, happiness, grief, and love poured from her sister's spirit self as Aurora waited to embrace her. Small swirling ribbons of color fought a battle within her sister's essence, each one an emotion.

Two ribbons subsumed the others, and her sister stepped forward and embraced her, her essence merging with Aurora's as her love for her sister emerged victorious.

Aurora wept with joy from the embrace, realizing just how lonely she had truly been ever since she went into hiding. Only her daughter coming into her life prevented her from falling into despondency.

It was not the same to share thoughts with drones and animals, and she missed her sisters terribly, especially the one she was embracing now within her mind and spirit.

Her sister shared her feelings, and she sent soothing thoughts of love and happiness, making the loneliness that plagued Aurora's spirit retreat as she filled the void with her presence.

Come, sister. Let me show you.

The embrace ended, and Aurora held out a claw for her sister to take. She took it, and Aurora led her into the opening and down a long tunnel.

They emerged into a world full of beauty and love, the sun warming their bodies as it shined through a sky of fractals, each one a memory of a special time in Aurora's life.

Aurora took her to when her daughter was struggling to emerge from her pupa. Her sister felt her anguish as her daughter stopped trying to emerge until Bandit-Friend came and helped her emerge.

Her sister watched many memories, most of them being of her daughter and Bandit-Friend, and the others being of her interactions with the Lopez-Friend and many other animals.

Aurora took her wherever she wanted to go and allowed her to see everything she wanted. She hid nothing, and she waited patiently as her sister accessed and experienced many memories.

When her sister was done, she took her claw again and took her back through the tunnel to the nexus. Her sister embraced her one more time before stepping back, her spirit-self dissipating.

Aurora returned to herself within the chamber, seeing her daughter eyeing her anxiously. She sent thoughts, telling her that she was well, and waited for her sister to send thoughts again.

<Sister, thank you for allowing me into your mind. I understand now what happened to make you do what you did. I felt your spirit breaking as you watched your asteroid movers destroy that world. I pardon you for leaving me, and I see now that we were wrong to make war on the animals.>

<Thank you for granting me pardon, sister. I know you saw my plans to take over the Hives with help from my animal friends. I will not do this, not while you are Hive mother. This I promise to you.>

<Thank you, sister. What are we to do now? The persecutors are coming for us. I do not have the ability to defend the Hives, and we are still at war with the animals. Will they make peace with me? Will you help me end this war with the animals? How can I share thoughts with them as you do?>

<I will share thoughts with Lopez-Friend. She is queen of the fighting animals, and I call her Hive mother out of respect. She gave me this world and helped me build this Hive. She knows of the enemy, and she is making an alliance for all the animals to fight them. She will let you join with us.>

<Yes, I like her. Even though I cannot share thoughts with her, I see what she has done for you. I feel the trust and love you have for her, and I trust your judgment, sister. I must share thoughts with her and make peace with the animals. What would you have me do? I defer to your wisdom in this.>

<I will send my envoy to you with a device the animals made to share thoughts with us. They are exceptionally clever, and you will see that we made a serious error in judgment by attacking them when we came here. Bandit-Friend will come with my envoy to represent the animal friends.

<Yes. I promise safe passage to your envoy and the animal envoy. I am intrigued by this animal machine that thinks and feels like we do. I do not need to share thoughts with it to see the love it has for you and your daughter. I am grateful that you have returned to me, my sister.>

<I will do all I can for you, sister. I do not think the animals truly know how terrible the persecutors are, even though they prepare for their coming. The destruction of the guardian fleets will show them the truth of what comes for us all. Do you require me to do anything for you until the envoys arrive?>

<I have been sending small hiding ships to the worlds we took from the animals to try to determine what has happened to the Hives our sisters callously left behind. Many of the hiding ships have not returned, and the ones that come back tell me the abandoned Hives are lifeless. Did the animals kill them all?>

<Some of them, yes. The animals asked me to try to save the others, so they did not have to kill anymore drones. I have taken the surviving drones of three Hives to mine. There are still three Hives that I can rescue. They were to go to my daughter; the time has come for her to rule her own Hive.>

<I am happy you have saved them; our sisters leaving them to their fate was cruel. I have shamed them, and now they will never mistreat my drones while I am Hive mother. Take them for your daughter's Hive. It will be a prize for the daughter of the sister who has returned to me.>

<Thank you, sister. We will not forget your generosity, and we will care for the drones. When the time comes, I will let my daughter share thoughts with you, and she can thank you for your prize. If there is nothing else, I will share thoughts with the animal Hive mother and tell her you want to join Hives.>

<Yes. Tell her I do not want to fight animals, and my Hives will fight with the animal Hives against the persecutors. Tell her that... I wish to share thoughts with her and ask for pardon for all the wrongness we have done to the animals. Tell her about me, sister. Tell her what I promise is true.>

<I will, sister. I will tell her of you, the one I loved the most out of all. I will tell her of how I would have willingly gone back to the empire and submitted to you as Hive mother if I had not made a daughter. I will send thoughts to you after I share thoughts with Lopez-Friend and the others.>

<I eagerly await your thoughts, sister. Do not delay; the guardian fleet is surely destroyed by now, and the enemy will be searching for the Hives. I hope it is not too late for us. I will depart now.>

Her sister left her mind, and Aurora fought off the desire to enter a dormant state to rest and recover from the ordeal she had just experienced. The persecutors are coming, and they need to prepare.

Holding out a claw, Aurora waited until her daughter clasped it with her own claw before heading out the chamber. As they headed to the nexus, she tapped on the animal device on her thorax.

The code taps were for Bandit-Friend, telling him to meet at the nexus. Aurora shared thoughts with her daughter as they walked, showing her what had happened with her sister Hive mother.

Her daughter had many questions about the Hive mother, and Aurora answered as many as she could. Lopez-Friend would have many questions too, and Aurora hoped she had the answers.

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