Introduction
Athena was staring out the window in one of the many bedrooms of the Zutruvenian Royal Palace. Outside the palace walls, is Zutruven's capital city Zadhot. The majority of the tundra world's population are the Kavarots, as this is their home planet. A species of psionic nine-to-ten-foot feline mammalian aliens. Alongside the Kavarots are humans and other species living together. In Zutruven's night sky is the moon Arascus, which was terraformed and converted into a Fortress-Arcology, the whole moon is a military-industrial complex.
I still remember when Arascus was not covered in all of that metal, we've come a long way haven't we? Athena thought to herself.
Out of all the species in the galaxy, humans are the species the Kavarots grew to be the fondest of. For the Kavarots, humans are the first alien civilization they ever encountered and for the humans, at least the ones from the United Republic of Rigel, the Kavarots are the first alien civilization they encountered.
In the past, many sci-fi movies have depicted ways for humans and aliens to encounter each other. A lot of them depicted negative encounters. Never did they imagine that humanity's first encounter with alien life would involve a good Samaritan saving them from a bad situation. This was exactly the case with the Kavarots and humans. It involved the ZSV Gladius, under the command of the Kingdom of Zutruven's Head of Research Cosmodius Makarios and his crew rescuing the stranded crew of the doomed science vessel, the RIS Einstein.
At the time Athena was working on the Einstein as part of the ship's security detail. For her not only did she live a historical moment, but it was also a moment that would dramatically alter the course of her life. It was also the same time she met her husband.
Athena smiled at the memory and walked towards the dresser and picked up the framed picture from the dresser. It was a picture that was taken on her wedding day. In the photo Athena was depicted wearing a wedding dress like she had seen her mother wear in a photo. The wedding itself is a mix of human and Kavarot cultures.
In the photo is a ten-foot white-furred Kavarot with green eyes holding her hands. It was Cosmodius Makarios himself. Due to their height difference, Cosmodius had to lower himself or lift Athena into his arms so that they could have an easier time to give each other affection. Also in the photo is Cosmodius's brother and High King of the Kingdom of Zutruven, Tarchon Makarios. Tarchon is a ten-foot-seven black-furred Kavarot with blue eyes and multiple scars on his face. Standing right beside Tarchon is his wife, High Queen-Consort, and the sister-in-law of Athena and Cosmodius, Casina Elvorix-Makarios. Casina is a nine foot six Kavarot with gray fur and yellow eyes. As per the tradition of the Makarios Royal Family, Casina, Tarchon, and Cosmodius all wore ceremonial armor. Being the one who was getting married, Cosmodius wore gold and dark blue ceremonial armor, while Tarchon and Casina wore silver and dark blue ceremonial armor.
Also in the photo was the rest of the Kingdom of Zutruven's council. The Minister of Defense Casrius Habaka, a ten-foot-two red-furred Kavarot with yellow eyes wearing a military dress uniform. Naomi Stone, who is the first human admiral of the Kingdom of Zutruven and was recently appointed as Lady Chancellor at the time of the wedding. She has dark brown hair that she tied in a bun top knot, and gray eyes, she too is wearing a military dress uniform.
Athena's family is also in the photo. Athena's uncle Noah and her aunt Allison who have both retired after working as scientists. Her three cousins Harry, Josephine, and Sherman. Sherman followed in his parents' footsteps and became a scientist. Two years after the wedding, Sherman commanded the exploration cruiser the RIS Valhalla. Josephine is the United Republic of Rigel's Minister of Defense and admiral of the First Fleet. Harry is a general in the United Republic of Rigel's army. Her brother Orion, the former Majority Leader, also attended the wedding. There were a few people, from her and Orion's family that sadly were unable to attend. Their grandparents, parents, and younger brother have been long dead by then.
The last person in the photo was the Skravirdian Skrand Sharpbeak, the admiral of the Last Talon and the admiral in charge of the Zutruvenian Capital Fleet. From what Tarchon and Skrand told her, while humans are the first civilization the Kavarots encountered, Skrand and his crew were the first aliens the Kavarots encountered. Somehow, the Kavarots managed to get a hold of the technology to construct and activate gateways earlier than many species. Four years after the Kavarots entered space, they activated a gateway in the Jonanlel system where their first colony planet Coriallum, which is also a tundra world, is located. Tarchon woke up one morning to a frantic call from Coriallum's governor telling him that a strange ship came out of that gateway. The strange part about that was the ship was disabled. Tarchon gathered some troops and they went to investigate and they found Skrand Sharpbeak and his crew. When they boarded the ship he and the troops were shocked to see aliens for the first time and likewise Skrand and his crew were surprised to see a race of ten foot mammalians on the ship. For a few moments things were tense and some even drew weapons, Skrand and Tarchon managed to calm their troops and get them to stand down before a firefight ensued. Skrand tells Tarchon that his ship was damaged and in need of repairs. Tarchon called in a nearby construction ship to have its engineering crew work on repairing the ship and he promised to help Skrand and his crew in any he and the Kingdom of Zutruven could.
Eventually they came to learn that Skrand and his crew were in that gateway for several thousand years, when the data banks from Skrand's ship were analyzed and Cosmodius found what was left Skravird which is now a toxic world devoid of any life. When Tarchon and Casina broke the news of what had become of their homeworld and how long they were in the gateway, Skrand and his crew were shocked and saddened at the news. Everyone they knew and loved was gone. After some pondering, Skrand saw potential in the Kingdom of Zutruven, which was a fledgling empire at the time and the young High King who saved him and his crew. Skrand asked that he and his ship join the Kingdom of Zutruven, to which Tarchon gladly agreed. The Last Talon ended up becoming the flagship of the Zutrvenian Capital Fleet which at the time consisted of nine corvettes and six frigates, their crews eager to serve their first alien admiral. In time Skrand and the Makarios Royal Family grew close. After a few years it got to the point where Skrand views the Makarios Royal Family as family figures. During Athena and Cosmodius's wedding Skrand, Tarchon, Orion, Sherman, and Harry were all Cosmodius's groomsmen.
Funny, how the Kavarots found aliens first, but a whole civilization a few years later. Athena thought to herself.
A knock at the door interrupted her thoughts.
"Hello? Mom? Can I see you?" a child's voice asked.
"Why of course sweetheart." Athena walked to open the door to reveal a small humanoid child.
It was Exekeides, the child Cosmodius found as a baby in the Dugar system six years ago. Though his friends and adoptive family call him Keides for short. Cosmodius and the crew aboard the Gladius were investigating the distress signal coming from one of the planets in the Dugar system. Upon landing on Dugar IV, Cosmodius and the crew tracked the signal to a building. Inside the building is a cryostasis pod, Cosmodius's psionics sensed that something was alive in the pod. As soon as they opened it they were surprised to find a baby humanoid in there. There were several items inside the pod, which included a data crystal that contained the baby's name, gender, and species, as well as a strange relic. Cosmodius took the infant Keides to the Gladius's med-bay where he was resuscitated and treated by the ship's medics.
Cosmodius contacted his brother to tell him of what transpired. It was decided the strange relic was to be researched on. Then came the question of what to do with the child once he recovered. Cosmodius suggested that he and Athena adopt Keides and raise him as their son. Before the xeno-compatability technology, which allowed an interspecies couple to conceive hybrid offspring came out, humans and Kavarots can't have biological children. Cosmodius and Athena, like any other couple, wanted a child. Tarchon and the council agreed. Athena could never forget that joyful holocall Cosmodius informing her of the wonderful news. Athena remembered how when Cosmodius introduced Keides to her, the baby made happy and curious sounds upon seeing her and of how he held his little hands out to reach and wave at her. Keides is happily accepted into the Makarios Royal Family.
Keides walked into the room and sat on the bed, with his mother following suit.
"How was your day with Uncle Tarchon and your cousins?" Athena asked.
Crown Prince Raxanian Makarios is Tarchon and Casina's son and heir to the throne. He was born a few days after Keides was brought to Zutruven. Raxanian and Keides are pretty close, they study and play together. Kavarot cubs have protective instincts when it comes to their younger siblings and cousins. Even at a very young age, Raxanian is aware of the size difference between him and Keides and would try to be as gentle with him as possible not wanting to hurt his cousin when they play. Raxanian did not like it when some of the kids bully Keides at school for being the last of his species. Raxanian would intimidate the bullies by flaring his psionics and that usually gets them to back off. Things went to a head last year when one particular bully, a Tzynn child decided to make it his pastime to pick on Keides. Even after Raxanian flared his psionics at him, the bully still went for Keides. One day Raxanian heard Keides crying and came across the Tzynn bully and his two brothers destroying a science project that Keides made. The bully and one brother were stomping the project to the ground, while the other brother held Keides down. First, the enraged Crown Prince pulled the bully's brother off of Keides, then he threw the brother at the bully, then he used his psionics to throw the bully and both of his brothers over the fence and into the pond. When their parents and the school principal were informed of what transpired, Raxanian did not get into trouble. The bully's brothers were suspended for four months, and the bully got expelled. Two years after Keides was brought to Zutruven, Tarchon and Casina ended up adopting two human children that were war orphans, Benedicto and Sylvia. The boys also formed a bond with the newest additions to their family.
"It was fun Mom! Uncle Tarchon took us to a virtual reality arcade where we played a human video game called 'Pac-Man' and we had pizza after that." Keides happily explains his day "I actually beat uncle Tarchon's high score and even he is impressed."
"That is wonderful kiddo. Your Dad is going to be proud of that." Athena affectionately ruffled her son's head.
Ever since the Melorunt Ring Incorporated, a megacorporation run by the Rotogos, (a species that look like geckos) became a vassal under the Kingdom of Zutruven they opened up many branch offices across the empire. The virtual reality arcade that Tarchon took his children and nephew to is part of a virtual reality studio run by the Rotogos. Tarchon would sometimes go there with Cosmodius whenever they had the time and play "Pac-Man '', Tarchon would somehow score higher than his brother and Cosmodius would try to beat that score.
"What is that?" Keides notices the framed picture in Athena's hand.
"Oh this?" Athena showed him the photo "This was when your father and I got married."
"Hey Mom?"
"Yes sweetheart?" Athena responded.
"I was wondering, how did you and Dad meet?" Keides asked.
Athena smiled at her adoptive son, as the memories started coming to mind. "It was incredible. Your father saved my life, and it was around the time the Kavarots and humans first met."
"Really?" A look of curiosity appeared on the boy's face.
"It was quite the story."
Author's Note: I've ran into a bit of a theme whenever I played as the Kingdom of Zutruven on Stellaris. My first contact usually ends up being with humans. Whether it was the United Nations of Earth or the Commonwealth of Man or even one of my custom human empires. The custom human empire in this story is the United Republic of Rigel. The United Republic of Rigel is a federal republic, one of many government types that appeared in the Government Variety pack mod.
Second Author's Note: Since Galactic Paragons came out, I figured I had to at least feature one or two of the leaders from that DLC in this story. I did. The characters from Galactic Paragons featured in this story are Skrand Sharpbeak and Exekeides the Scion of Vagros. In the teaser and in-game Keides was found as a baby and I kind of made it my personal headcanon that the scientist who found Keides would end up raising him which is exactly the case in this story with Cosmodius after he found him.