“Will we arrive soon?”

Captain Weston looked up as soft words penetrated his thinking. “Yes, Ithan Chans. We’ll be entering Earth’s orbit shortly.”

“Earth,” Milla said in return. “And you say that this is really what you named your world? It is not…a distraction so that we may not recognize the real name?”

“I’m afraid not,” Milla. “It’s been Earth for a long time, now.”

Milla shrugged. “Better than simply ‘the World,’ I suppose, though not by much.”

Weston laughed. “We like it.”

Milla noted that the captain had grown a lot more relaxed since they had reentered his home system. He was smiling a little freer now, and laughing some as well. It was interesting to see the changes wrought, but she thought that there was still something tense underneath it all.

She couldn’t be certain, though, and perhaps it was just her imagination.

“Captain.” An ensign approached them.

Weston looked up. “Yes, Ensign?”

“We’re about to start braking maneuvers, sir, and we’ve just established a real-time link to Admiral Gracen.”

“Thank you, Ensign. I’ll take it on the bridge in a minute.”

“Aye, sir.”

“Captain Weston.”

“Admiral.”

The admiral’s stern face had grown no softer in his absence, and Weston couldn’t help but note that there was a hard edge of steel in the aristocratic tilt of her eyes.

“Am I to believe that this report you filed is true, Captain?” she asked.

“Yes, ma’am,” he told her. “All accounts in the report are verifiable and will be attested to by my crew.”

“And these…aliens you have on board?”

“Diplomatic envoy and his staff, ma’am,” Weston said clearly. “I’ve accepted their credentials and promised them a diplomatic reception.”

“I see.” Her voice was chilly, to say the least. “And you don’t believe that somewhere in all of this you might have perhaps overstepped your authority?”

“That’s for you to decide, ma’am.”

“It is, indeed,” Gracen replied, a hint of distaste on her lips. “Very well. I will prepare the reception for your guests. Please, transmit anything we should know about them that might be useful in arranging their stay.”

“Will do, Admiral,” Weston said. “Though, I’d say that the most important thing would be to avoid taking them to any boxing matches.”

“Pardon me?”

He permitted himself a slight smile. “They have a cultural thing about violence, Admiral. They don’t much appreciate it.”

Gracen’s eyebrow went up. “An odd thing for a people under the gun.”

Weston shrugged. “I didn’t say it was a reasonable thing, ma’am.”

Gracen nodded. “Very well. I’ll be certain that our people know that.”

“Very good, ma’am.”

“In the meantime, Captain…” Her voice grew a little darker. “You had best prepare for your debriefing…I don’t believe that it will be a simple matter.”

“No, ma’am, I didn’t believe that it would be.”

“I suppose we should make the most of the opportunity you bring us…certainly, since it may have an incredible cost in the long run.”