Paladins Forever

by LadyWordsmith

After saving all of existence, the Paladins of Voltron moved on with their lives. Growing up, following their paths, while continuing to serve the galaxy. Time passes, relationships form, science advances, but the mission, as it turns out, is never really over. A series of consecutive post-series VLD stories, heavy on the Team Punk, new missions, and a very special rescue.

19. 19: Making Peace

Chapter 19: Making Peace
A diplomatic mission back to Taklis gives Pidge and Coran the opportunity to take part in bringing their new allies into the Galactic Coalition, and a chance for Pidge to show Hunk the best parts of the experiences that changed her.

---

December 7th, 2335

As much as Hunk had tried to make life good for Caitlin when it was just the two of them and Juni, life was so much better—and busier—with Katie and Kale back in their lives as the family they always should have been. Life's routine made the days fly by. It felt good to have balance back in his life. Day by day, with all of them safe at home on Earth, life got a little easier.

He was excited for the coming month. Tomorrow was Kale's third birthday, and the first one Hunk would get to spend with his son. Then there were the winter holidays, followed in January by Caitlin's sixth birthday. And his own, but it was more of an afterthought in his mind compared to celebrating the kids.

Tonight, under the cover of after-bedtime darkness, he and Katie would be assembling in the backyard the playset they had spent the past two months designing and assembling down in one corner of the large basement. Having made the basement off-limits to the kids and the dog without express permission, it was the easiest place to hide a project. Caitlin and Kale, being old enough to understand that the tools and exercise equipment were not toys and could be dangerous, had so far not violated that rule.

But first, he had to suffer through today. He truly hated PT tests and physicals, and the last few years had not changed his opinion in the slightest. It hadn't helped that after Katie's disappearance he had just stopped caring. Then Katie came home. Hunk still didn't care what the Garrison regulations said, but he did care about Katie and the kids.

Improvement was slow agony, but for the past couple of months he had kept at it. Having the equipment available in the basement definitely helped. He had never disliked physical activity, just the ones ill-suited to his frame, like long-distance running. Weights and resistance training, sparring with Katie, these were less torturous. It was far less embarrassing to consistently lose to Katie in the privacy of their home than in front of other officers. Or to bench half his previous max weight. Or see him gasping and dripping sweat on the treadmill—his least favorite piece of equipment. Or listen to his stomach growl as he stopped himself after seconds, and grumped around the house trying—and sometimes failing—to fight the urge to snack.

I'm not doing this for those bastards with their stupid standards.

I'm doing this to keep up with my kids.

I'm doing this so I don't pass out after having sex with my wife.

I want my strength back.

I want my stamina back.

Hunk had no illusions about passing today's tests. Two-and-a-half months of work was not going to undo the last three years. But maybe, just maybe, he would fail by less, and—even less likely—maybe they would consider taking him off report.

You could always resign your commission, the little voice in his head whispered sometimes, seductively. Then they'd stop bothering you about it. You could just stop torturing yourself. No one would care.

But that last was a lie. Katie would care. She would never berate him for it… but that wouldn't keep her from worrying. Or him from feeling guilty for worrying her.

I want my life back.

---

Katie hadn't really spent any time worrying about the upcoming physical evaluations. She had rarely done so at any point in her life. Keeping in top condition was just part of being in the Garrison, like it had been part of being a Paladin. It had been necessary for survival in the Resistance.

So, she arrived at the Garrison feeling confident that morning, and mostly relaxed. She just hoped that Hunk's tests went well. They weren't assigned the same time on the schedule, so she probably wouldn't know how it had gone until the drive home that evening.

If those doctors ruin my evening, I'm going to give them a piece of my mind.

Her own schedule started with running, an obstacle course, and the usual callisthenic tests first thing in the morning, with her physical after. These were done in groups so they didn't take days. Katie was not displeased to find herself running with plenty of people she knew. It brought out her competitive edge. Let's just see how many of you I can take out.

In the end, Katie was tired, but not exhausted, and pleased to have broken every single one of her previous bests. Still, she was grateful there was time to hit the showers before the rest of her day. Her meeting about the rest of her physical went pretty much precisely as she had anticipated. Everything looked fine, she was in great health, though she was still a little underweight. Less though. Katie just nodded to everything they said, and left to get back to work.

Losing herself in the beautiful haven of technology that was the lab, Katie found the day over before she knew it. Determined to get off on time, she wrapped up, saved her latest data, and hurried to the car.

"How was your day?" she asked Hunk curiously as they got in the car. Today, she was driving.

Her good mood sobered a little as she caught a look at his expression. He wasn't fuming like she had generally expected. Instead, he just looked tired.

"I'd rather not talk about it right now," Hunk replied neutrally.

"All right." When he was ready to talk, he'd talk. Though she hated being patient long enough to wait.

As it turned out, patiently waiting meant waiting through the entire drive home, picking up the kids, dinner, and the bedtime routine. It was a nice change of pace not to have to listen to frustrated ranting, but this quiet, not-quite-sullen reaction was weird enough even the kids noticed it.

When Hunk went downstairs to start pulling out the surprise, Katie tucked the kids into bed. Kale first, then Caitlin.

"Mommy… is Daddy okay?" Caitlin asked as Katie kissed her good night.

"Daddy's fine," she promised. "He just had an extra busy day at work, and he's tired. I'm sure he'll be his usual cheerful self tomorrow."

"Okay." Trusting her mother's word, Caitlin rolled over, snuggling up with her plush yalmor. At the end of the bed, Juni yawned and put her head down.

Katie slipped downstairs. She was about to head into the basement when she heard a clicking noise in the kitchen. "Hunk?" She changed direction.

As she had suspected, he was in the kitchen. In front of him was the carton of double-fudge ripple ice cream, and a bowl.

"That bad, huh?"

Hunk's fist tightened the metal scoop. "Sometimes I don't even know why I try. Nothing I do will ever be good enough for them." He dug into the pint, dragged up a scoop of ice cream, and dropped it in the bowl.

Katie considered it a good sign he'd bothered to get a bowl. "Do you want me to ask, or just listen?"

Hunk reached into his pocket, and pulled out a crumpled piece of paper. He dropped it on the counter. "See for yourself." Then he dug out another scoop, before putting the lid back on the container.

Katie unfolded the mangled print-out. Sometimes she wondered why they still bothered handing anyone physical copies anymore when it was all going to be accessible in the system on their files. Maybe for effect, or for the physical reminder.

Hunk's anxious expression told her he was expecting a negative reaction. He didn't know, she recalled, that she had already seen his numbers from the past three years. And he had yet to tell her himself that he was On Report. Or maybe this was his way of doing so. It was still printed in bold under the status line here as well. Not that she had expected them to lift it before he met the stated minimum goals.

But compared to his last results these were definitely better even if they still had a long way to go. Everything was a little better. Not back to his best, but it was a huge turnaround from the constant downhill spiral depression and grief had pulled him into. Fifteen pounds down instead of the fifteen up he'd been averaging was huge. A couple of inches down here and there. His bloodwork was better too, and that was what really mattered.

"This is all improvement though, isn't it?" she asked neutrally as she set it down on the counter. "It looks like all that hard work is really paying off."

Hunk put the ice cream back in the freezer, then picked up his spoon and bowl. "And what do I get for it? Better. Do it again. At this rate it'll be another three years." He stopped and started eating.

"Before what?"

Hunk swallowed. "Before they'll even consider me for promotion again. I've… already been passed over twice over this."

"Does it… bother you that I got promoted and you didn't?" It hadn't occurred to her that it might.

"No!" Hunk insisted. "At least, not your part in it. You deserve it, and you should have gotten it years ago. I just… feel like I'll never get there. I don't even really care about rank. I'm here to spread diplomacy through a common love of food, not fight space battles."

"But you've earned it, and the authority that goes with it," Katie finished. "And you'll get there. Even this, this is progress." She gestured at the bowl of ice cream.

Hunk looked down at the bowl, which was already almost empty. "How so?"

"The last time I saw you mad enough to go for the freezer you ate the entire pint covered in nuts, cherries, chocolate sauce, and half a can of whipped cream. Tonight, it's a perfectly reasonable serving of plain ice cream."

"I wish it was smothered in nuts, cherries, chocolate sauce, and whipped cream."

Katie came around the counter and kissed him. As she dropped her heels back to the floor she licked the bit of chocolate off her mouth. "I'd still consider that a victory. That, and all this definition you're getting back in your arms, and shoulders." She ran one hand lightly up his bicep. "If we didn't have a playset to build, I'd be very tempted to just drag you upstairs." She shrugged. "Unless you find ice cream more appealing than me."

Hunk looked at her for several seconds. "Have you always been this blatantly flirtatious?"

Katie chuckled. "No, but it seems to be a very effective strategy with you. If you don't like it, I can always stop."

"I didn't say that." Hunk put his bowl and spoon in the sink. "Though by the time we're done building this thing, we're probably both going to need to warm up."

Spending a dark December evening outside was definitely not her idea of a good time. She was just grateful it rarely snowed around here. "So, let's get to work then."

December 8th, 2335

Hunk was in a much better mood the next morning. The new playset he and Katie had designed and mostly built downstairs had gone together with minimal fuss the night before. Which was good, since if it had taken too long the neighbors would have complained about the noise.

Warming up afterwards with sex and then a hot shower for two didn't hurt either.

It was also very satisfying to see the looks on both kids faces when they came downstairs and looked out the large picture windows into the backyard and saw—

"Voltron Lions?!" Caitlin gasped in excitement. "That's so cool! Can we go look now?" she begged.

"Can we?" Kale looked up hopefully. He clearly wasn't entirely sure what he was looking at, but if Caitlin was excited, he was too.

"Breakfast can wait a few minutes," Hunk agreed.

Katie opened the back door. "But only a few. We have lots to do today before the party this afternoon. You'll have plenty of time to play on it with all your friends."

"I could move breakfast out here and make it a picnic," Hunk suggested as he followed them all outside. Really, he was just excited to see the kids' reactions.

The tower of the playset was a series of stacked boxes made accessible by crawling in through the bottom front, back, and going up the ladder in the middle to one of the sides, or the main one at the very top. Each one was painted the right colors—given his and Katie's intimate knowledge of Voltron construction—and even had the cat-heads designed around the openings for the kids to look out of. Each box even had a seat to sit on, and a couple of not-functional but moving controls they could push, pull, and buttons to press to make play feel more accurate.

Out one side of the lions was a set of monkey bars that led out to a well-fenced in platform done up like a Ro-beast. The way down from the beast was a swirling plastic slide. Going out the other side of the Lion was an actual short zip-line that went down to an Altean pod. The zipline could be pulled back up using an attached rope, and it was over a safety net that they could use to climb back up instead, or just fall into and slide down.

Out behind the stack of Voltron lions (and not to scale,) was another play tower with ladders and slides, and swings, done up to look like the Castle of Lions. He and Katie had decided this was definitely a 'go big' kind of project. The whole thing only took up about a third of the yard.

Caitlin and Kale were determined to explore all of it.

Katie had already whipped out her communicator and pulled out the camera, taking video she could pull still shots from later.

Hunk showed them how each area worked and explained how to be safe on it. Though everything was designed to be a little more high-tech and safe-smart than it looked. Then, once he was sure they wouldn't get into any trouble, he went inside to finish working on breakfast. Katie stayed outside watching the kids.

On most weekends, Hunk slept in and Katie handled breakfast, but today being special, Hunk had volunteered. He wanted his son's birthday to be special, seeing as it was the first time that he'd ever had a big party.

Fortunately, over the past few months he had met everyone who was coming, so it wouldn't be a bunch of strangers: Shiro, Curtis, and the boys, Lance, Keith, Acxa, and Heith (who had started Kindergarten and next year would be in the same school with Caitlin and the others), Romelle, Hunk's parents, sister, and brother-in-law, Katie's parents, and Matt, Veronica, and Chip, who had all arrived back on Earth following the Athena's successful first mission just the week before. They were also bringing a special guest with them: Coran.

Hunk was fairly confident the new play area would keep all of the kids entertained for the full length of an afternoon, but that didn't mean they didn't have other party games to keep them entertained, and there would be lots to eat, of course. While they weren't having Kale's party anyplace fancy, Katie had suggested it might be fun to cook out, so Hunk was going to fire up the smoker/grill he had bought after they got the house. Right now, he already had a whole small pig roasting inside it, that would be ready to go by time to eat. Along with that, Hunk would be grilling up plenty of vegetables and other food options. When asked what he wanted to eat, Kale had not had any really specific requests, except that he wanted omelets for breakfast, and vegetables.

Hunk had decided months ago that he was just going to be happy that his son loved eating his veggies, instead of finding it weird.

His mother had all but begged to be the one to make Kale's cake. Hunk suspected strongly that meant that it would be her fantastic banana cake. Both of his little fruit bat children loved her cake as much as he did.

By the time omelets—stuffed with spinach, sweet bell peppers, and sausage—were ready, the kids were starting to slow down and Katie herded them back into the house.

Kale and Caitlin ran up and hugged him, one leg each.
"Thank you!" Kale grinned.

"Thank you, Daddy!" Caitlin gushed. "Mom said you built it for both of us. It's amazing! Can I show Kale the show later? He's never seen it."

"After you help us finish setting up for the party, sure," Hunk agreed, when Katie nodded approval over their daughter's head. "We'll need you to help decorate."

"Okay!"

---

Giant play area successfully explored and approved, check.

Hunk handling all of the food for the day, check.

Decorations going up in the not-quite-expert hands of an almost-six-year-old, check.

Katie looked at her list as she watched Caitlin scrambling around draping streamers and tying balloons all over the back yard. The new play area was a perfect thing to drape decorations off of too, it appeared. Given Kale seemed to like the layout, Katie didn't worry about if it was perfect or not. No one coming would criticize the enthusiastic decorations of an older sister. Festooned with streamers in green, blue, and yellow, and balloons in the same shades—Kale had picked the colors—the yard was looking incredibly festive.

As the weather had promised to be pleasantly warm for December, they had opted for outside folding tables and chairs, though if anyone really wanted to sit in the house, they could. Katie put table cloths out in the same colors, and had stacks of compostable colored plates to avoid having to do a million dishes later. There would be enough keeping up with Hunk's cooking.

Katie wondered if it was weird that the most exciting thing about today for her was the fact that it was almost a full week since Kale had worn a diaper. Moving beyond the diaper-changing part of her life was a delightful proposition.

Unsurprising, since they lived just down the street, her parents arrived first.

"Anything we can do to help?" Colleen asked as she set a wrapped gift on the table in the living room, next to the ones Katie had already wrapped and put there.

"If you could make sure Kale and Caitlin don't float off with the balloons they're tying outside, I'd appreciate it," Katie grinned. "That, and make sure the knots are good. Caitlin insisted on tying them all herself."

"On it!" Her mother hurried right outside.

"What about me?" her father asked with a grin.

"I think Hunk could use some help skewering the vegetables for roasting," Katie offered. It was that or set her father to double checking that the downstairs bathroom had enough toilet paper, and other entirely boring jobs. "He's out back prepping them by the grill."

"Then that's where I'm headed."

After that, guests began arriving in a small flood, and soon the house and yard were full.

As expected, all of the kids thought the Voltron playground was the coolest thing ever. Though they all seemed to take turns as paladins of different lions, except Gabriel, now ten, who reasonably declared that he'd rather fly the Castle of Lions. Before long they'd all sorted themselves out with Gabriel controlling the castle, Joshua was blue, Nathaniel was yellow, Heith was red, Kale was green—his choice—and Caitlin was black.

"I wonder how that configuration would work out with real lions?" Shiro chuckled as they watched the kids playing. Matt and Lance had very kindly volunteered to be the Ro-beast.

"Somehow I think it would be about as much chaos as this," Katie replied. While Caitlin was very good at giving orders, not everyone was great at taking them. And they kept disagreeing on whose Lions had what powers. "Think we should straighten them out on a few things?"

"Maybe after lunch."

---

By the time the Ro-beasts had been defeated, Hunk had pulled the roast pig out of the grill, and had skewers of vegetables, and even some fruits that grilled well, going over the coals. His mother and sister had taken over the expert task of carving up the pig.

As he started pulling those off, there was a general herding of children through washing up enough to eat, and getting them settled around the center table.

"Dad, would you do the honors?" Hunk handed his father the platter of irresistible dissected pork.

His father grinned. "It would be my pleasure."

It took several hands to get all the food on the table, though there were plenty of willing helpers. One thing Hunk loved about parties with their families, was that everyone chipped in to assist. It was more of a gathering than a formal hosting situation.

Which also meant he and Katie got to sit and eat with everyone and enjoy the party as much as everyone else. Watching his son enjoy his birthday was all that mattered, from playing, to eating cake with friends, to opening a pile of presents full of things he had never seen before, unless Caitlin had one… what mattered was that Kale had a good time and felt loved.

Which he certainly seemed to be, even though all of his friends were older. But they all treated him like one of the group, and given it was his day, Hunk was proud of Caitlin for not stealing the spotlight. Instead, she very much insisted that Kale was the center of everything today, because it was his birthday.

"Older sisters are the best, aren't they?"

Hunk looked over his shoulder at his own sister, and grinned. "Yeah, they're okay."

She gave him a quick squeeze. "Caitlin always thinks of others first. She's a lot like you."

"And you," Hunk pointed out, given what she had just said. "Always looking out for her younger brother, whether he needs it or not."

"It's a family thing." She shrugged. "We all just get along… most of the time."

"Most of the time." Hunk could remember times he was sure he had driven his sister nuts, but they were far enough apart in age that she had been as much a babysitter at times, and had the maturity to be patient. "I'm sorry I haven't been around much the last few years."

"You've had a lot to deal with," she replied, with that understanding he sometimes didn't feel he deserved from her. "Besides, we saw you and Caitlin plenty. It's good to see you smiling again. Really smiling."

"Thanks. It's good to feel like smiling again."

January 14th, 2336

"Well, that was fun," Katie whispered in the quiet of the hallway.

"Two birthdays within a month, and right around the holidays, what were we thinking?" Hunk chuckled as he closed Caitlin's bedroom door after tucking their now six-year-old into bed after another riotous and enjoyable birthday. This one, of course, had been bigger, because Caitlin had wanted to invite several of her friends from her class at school, too. Due to that, they had simplified the party to a slightly shorter duration, and focused on cake and snacks instead of trying to feed everyone a complete meal. That didn't mean their close family and friends had not stayed later than the end of the official party, of course. They had all helped clean up afterwards before departing.

"I'm pretty sure we weren't thinking." Katie grinned. "Or at least, not about having to plan birthday parties."

"Next time, summer birthday?" Hunk suggested, half-teasing.

Katie punched him in the arm. "Next time you be pregnant. Come on, let's finish up downstairs so we can relax the rest of the evening."

Hunk nodded and followed her downstairs. Not that there really was much left to do after all the help they had gotten. There were still a few folding tables stacked on the patio that needed to go in the basement, so that was where they started.

As they brought the last of them down, Katie spoke up. "So, I didn't get a chance to tell you earlier, but General Ryu talked to me today about an off-planet mission."

Hunk paused on the stairs. "Off-planet?"

"A short one, just a couple of weeks."

"What for?" he asked as he came down behind her and stacked the table up against the one that she had just placed.

"Diplomacy, if you can believe it," she chuckled. "Taklis and the other planets in the system are ironing out a peace treaty within their system, and they would like representatives of the Galactic Coalition there as neutral parties in the proceedings. And…when it's over, the system would like to join the Coalition. They've specifically requested that Coran and I be part of the delegation."

Hunk froze. His stomach turned as a bad feeling began to creep through him. "They being the Coalition… or the System?"

"Both, as I understand it. The Resistance races asked for us by name. Ryu says Navor specifically asked for us because of our intimate knowledge of the cultures involved, and the resources of the area. They want someone who won't accidentally offend anybody due to ignorance."

He didn't like it. Not the off-planet part, because it was silly to worry about Katie being in any more danger out there on the Atlas than she was living on Earth, but the idea of sending her back there didn't sit well. Especially not without him to protect her. "Do they really need you both?" he asked, trying his hardest to keep his voice neutral. "The kids and I would all miss you."

Katie shook her head and gave a casual shrug. "It's too complicated to teach someone else what it took us years to really understand. As for time, we can teludav all the way there now. It'll only take a week, maybe two. Besides, I was thinking maybe we could all go. Kale would love to see Ssisp and Assta's kids again."

"The twenty-seven snakes?"

Katie looked at him as if he'd said something incredibly inappropriate. "They're people, Hunk, and friends."

Hunk winced. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that. I just… I'm not okay with this." She'd been part of a war on that planet. The fact that she even wanted to go back had caught him off guard.

Even irritated, her expression was understanding. "They're orders, Hunk. I couldn't just say no thanks even if I wanted to. Besides, I really want to do this. It's a huge step forward for millions of members of four separate races, and the end of generations of fighting."

"I'm not saying it's not a great cause," Hunk replied, trying not to start a fight. "I just don't want you to go. I… I can't risk losing you, again. Last time…"

"Won't be this time." She sighed. "Hunk, I get that you're worried, but I'll be going with an entire Coalition fleet. They're sending the Atlas, and the Athena, with full compliments of MFEs, just to be safe and to show we're taking them seriously. There won't be anywhere safer we could be."

"Umm… here, on Earth," Hunk pointed out again, feeling a slowly rising panic. "You could be here, safe, with all of us. I don't want you, or Kale, or any of us anywhere near that planet."

She frowned. "You're being paranoid. Nothing is going to happen."

"You can't really want to go back there?"

"Not to live. But I do care what happens to these people. I have friends on Taklis."

This was slipping quickly out of his control. "Can't they just have you video in from Earth?"

"It's not the same thing as personal diplomacy and you know it." Katie shook her head. "They'll need someone to head up the diplomatic meals. If you're that concerned about me, then come along."

"If they'll even let me on board," Hunk retorted.

"Of course, they will, for a mission like this one. I'm surprised they haven't already talked to you about it."

"What about the kids? We can't leave them."

"I already said we could bring them, too. Or we can leave them here with my parents. They'll have a great time."

This cannot be happening. "What if it's a trap? Or they might have a new, more powerful ally of their own. It could all be a pretense."

"I cannot believe you." Katie shook her head, her voice rising. "You know, I don't need your permission to take this assignment. Orders are orders. I have a uniquely suitable position and insight that they need, and I'm the one who upgraded their tech, their strategies. Our presence there has irrevocably changed their society, and I'm partially responsible for it. I need to see this through. This is exactly like the meetings we used to have back when we were Paladins, when Allura was still trying to just form the alliance. How often do we have an opportunity to do that anymore? We're not Paladins of Voltron now. We're just normal people."

Her words stung like a slap to the face, even though he couldn't argue. "How can you say that?"

"Because it's true. Haven't you noticed? The Lions… our connection… it's gone. Or at least, mine is." Katie sighed. "When we first got lost, I tried to get Green to come to me. For days, every time there was a quiet moment, I would focus, and try and find her, try and tell her how desperately I needed her help. How these people needed help. How I needed to get home. But not only did she not come… I couldn't even feel a dormant connection, or a refusal. There was just nothing; me, and my thoughts, and nothing. I don't know how long it's been gone, but I can't imagine if Green could hear me that she wouldn't at least have given me a sign as to why she couldn't help. If she's not responding, then I'm not her Paladin. Haven't you ever tried to contact Yellow?"

"Yeah," he admitted. "When you disappeared. I tried to get him to come, so I could find you. I thought… if we had the Lions, we'd be able to find you because we could always find the Paladins. But he didn't answer me either. I thought it was just me. I didn't think about what it meant… not that way. I was just desperate to find a solution, and to find you."

"Well, we didn't end up needing them, did we?" It was possible that the lions had not come because the request was not relevant to protecting the entire universe, but that spoke heavily of a loss of connection between them either way. Even a no would have been a sign the connection still existed. "I love our life, and our family, but this chance to bring more of the universe together, and a little more peace? How can I possibly refuse?"

She needed this. The desperate longing, the determination that filled her eyes… Hunk couldn't say no to that. Or he could, but he didn't want this fight to turn into a shouting match he would lose in the end. "All right," he caved. "I still think it's a terrible idea, but I can't talk you out of it. I don't want the kids coming. If it turns into something dangerous, I'd much rather they were safe here on Earth."

"What about you?"

"I'm not letting you out of my sight. You get into too much trouble that way. I'll find a way to get on that mission if I have to take the paid time off to do it."

Katie's expression softened. "So, it'll be just us… like the old days."

"More like the young days," Hunk quipped. "When my knees worked."

"I mean you and me, alone, with no curfews and no interruptions… saving the galaxy one fancy dinner at a time."

If they would let him. Hunk's mind was already racing as he tried to figure out who he could talk into letting him take this mission, and what loopholes he would need to find to make it happen. "You had me at alone… but fancy dinner works too."

January 20th, 2336

Katie had not expected to feel a knot in her throat at the sight of the planet that had been both their prison, and their home, for three years. She had done everything she could to leave, but it was still where Kale had been born, and friends had been made. For a moment, she wondered again if she should have brought him. It was all he had known until six months ago. Maybe in a few years, when they got this peace fully worked out.

Maybe when Hunk stopped flipping out about it.

The trip to Taklis had been uneventful and brief, with no stops needed on the way out since Coran had still been on his visit to Earth.

Standing on the bridge of the Athena, looking at the planet below them, and knowing it was no longer in a state of constant war for survival, was definitely an emotional moment.

"It looks quite lovely from here, doesn't it?" Coran commented in a voice that carried many of the emotions Katie was feeling.

Katie nodded. "I was thinking the same thing."

Hunk stood beside her, silent and resigned. He hadn't argued with her about this mission since he agreed to come, and he had done as he promised and pulled whatever strings necessary to get on board without violating the terms of being On Report. It wasn't a transfer after all. It hadn't been all that hard to convince the upper brass that Hunk should be on this mission, and Veronica had been quite happy to have him on the Athena. It had also given Katie the pleasure of spending more than a few hours with Matt and Chip, whose reassignment to the Athena after years of assignments to a variety of different planets—though mostly based on Olkarion—meant he was much closer to home just by being aboard. With them, and Coran, off-duty time on the trip out was festive and enjoyable, and Katie was looking forward to the rest of the trip. She just hoped Hunk cheered up once they got there and he had more to do. His frustration and anxiety were palpable. Maybe once he got down on the planet and really got to know some of its people, he would warm up to it a little more. At least, that was her hope.

The initial meetings and negotiations were going to happen on the Atlas, as neutral ground. It was a great opportunity to demonstrate the good faith, resources, and strength of the Coalition, while everything got worked out. Katie was honestly impressed that they had come to peace treaty negotiations only six months after the battle in which the Atlas had been an unexpected participant.

Given the lack of any technology available that could be a threat to Coalition ships, the Atlas and the Athena would be landing on Taklis, just outside Taklisi City. Katie had no idea who was in charge now, officially. At least, not the specifics. The new provisional government on Taklis was made up nominally of all four races, though Katie had no idea how effectively that was working, or the balance of members. She hoped to see friends, but wasn't counting on it. The last time she had seen any of them, they had been hundreds of miles from Taklisi City. Still, it was the location they had stayed the longest, and the center of government. So, perhaps, some of them had chosen to return. Though she doubted they were living in caves now.

The first order of business was the formal greetings on-planet, with the provisional government hosting Navor and the diplomatic party, which included her and Coran. It was just morning in Taklisi City, so they would have the whole rest of the day for the second order of business: finding ingredients for tomorrow night's formal opening dinner. Hunting through the city with Hunk, and hopefully seeing some of her old friends if they were here. Or at least, finding out if they were here.

Katie watched the planet come nearer, and then as they broke through the clouds and aimed towards the city, more specific details become familiar. It was strange to see how small it all seemed from space. When they had hopped worlds and galaxies at the press of a few buttons, planets had seemed smaller. Of course, Earth had once seemed larger to her as well. Now, Taklis seemed both. She had hiked those mountains, and lived in those trees, and sabotaged parts of that city…

As they settled down just outside the limits, at the one spaceport on the entire planet—

which had once been overrun with Yoan guards—Katie's eyes went to the communication building. Surely it was repaired by now, but she wondered how much work it had taken.

Then they settled to the ground with a smooth landing.

Coran smiled. "Well, it's time to go meet our hosts."

---

While Hunk was not officially a part of the party, he had not been dis-invited along when he pointed out that observing the people here would help him get to know them and plan food for the next several days. While Shay was officially in charge on the Atlas, she still always deferred to him by default when it came to inventing new recipes for unfamiliar cultures if he was around. A habit he ought to try and break in her, but Hunk had barely talked to her since recommending her to the post. Not that she was bad, or he would never have done it. If Navor had any complaints, she would not have still been in the position three-and-a-half years later. Still, the plan was for him to come up with recipes and learn to understand the local cuisine, and then teach it to the other chefs.

Hunk did not stand out among the rest of the delegation, since they were all in uniform. It was a small group of twelve: Navor and his first officer, Veronica and her first officer, Matt, Katie, Coran, Hunk himself, and the two trained diplomatic officers officially assigned to the mission.

The provisional government's delegation meeting them consisted of precisely four beings, all of different races. Hunk could identify their species based on Katie's stories and photos, but he had to admit he didn't know nearly enough about them. Now, it was his job to learn.

For the moment, their entire focus was on Navor, Veronica, and the diplomats as they made the usual greetings Hunk expected at the beginning of all diplomatic talks. There would be nothing of substance standing here, with crowds of the locals watching from a distance. All meaningful discussions would happen in private later.

Still, it was a nice welcome presentation. Heartfelt, moving, but not full of pomp.

When it was over, they were all escorted to a nearby building for an informal reception. There were more locals here who all seemed to be members of the provisional government representing different regions from the various planets.

As soon as everyone split off into groups, Katie approached one of their hosts with a big smile. "Golron!"

The alien turned around and his face lit up. "Katyla!" he opened his arms in welcome, and Katie startled Hunk by hugging Golron. "It's so good to see you."

Golron… that was the name of her resistance commander, right?

"Katyla?" Hunk wondered out loud. He didn't like how this guy was looking at Katie.

"It's Varsen,," Coran explained, coming up next to him. "His species. It means highly intelligent in their language, but with a hint of smart ass or crazy. Or at least, that's how it translates closest. It's close enough to her real name, that's what most of the Varsen in the resistance started calling her because of her plans."

"Well, that definitely describes Pidge," Hunk agreed. As long as it wasn't an affectionate nickname. It certainly sounded like one.

"Where is Kale?" Golron asked curiously, looking around for the boy.

"On Earth, with his sister, and my parents," Katie explained, still smiling. "He's just starting to settle in, so I thought it was better if he stayed. This," she turned and looked over her shoulder, gesturing in his direction without warning, "is Hunk."

Golron's eyes lit up in recognition of the name, and he grinned. "So, you are the mate of whom Katyla always speaks so fondly." He held out his hand, a bit awkwardly, but clearly at some point Katie had taught him how humans greeted each other. That, or it was something his species did too. "It is a great honor to meet you."

"Thanks, you too," Hunk replied, taking his hand and returning the hearty shake, trying not to feel awkward. Golron seemed legitimately pleased to meet him, though Hunk decided it was probably best not to say that he hadn't paid attention to much of anything Katie had said about Golron. Now, he wished he had paid better attention. While he wasn't the best judge of other species, he suspected Golron was probably a fairly prime specimen. The slate-skinned humanoid was a little taller than Hunk, broad shouldered, but lean through the waist. His legs were a little shorter than his torso, but not overly, and he had a small vestigial tail that was only a couple of feet long, and likely for balance. His clothing was not unlike most bipedal humanoids, plus a hole for the tail. His smile showed even white teeth, very similar to humans, and clearly not of carnivorous ancestry.

But his expressions were human enough. Hunk managed not to frown through sheer force of will.

Golron moved on to Coran with a similar shake, and a thumping half-hug on the back. Coran returned the gesture.

After their greeting, Golron looked once again to Katie. "So, what are your plans after the reception?"

"Hunk is in charge of preparing tomorrow night's diplomatic dinner, and most of the food while the negotiations are going on," Katie explained. "He's the best chef in our part of the universe. I've been describing all of the great foods here, but I thought having someone who really knows would be better. We're also looking for some specific ingredients that we just couldn't find a good source of alternatives for. Not everything has a match on another planet, even if it's just a root vegetable."

"How true." Golron nodded, and looked curiously at Hunk again, though with an additional modicum of respect. "And as the fate of good will often rides on such things as everyone being pleased with a meal, I will do everything I can to assist. The open-air market has grown exponentially the past couple of months, and we're just into the harvest season, so your timing is excellent. Now, tell me what dishes are you considering?"

Now food talk he could get behind. Hunk listened intently as Katie and Golron discussed specific ingredients and dishes, many of which Golron knew or who others who would know, even though they had never managed to combine the right ingredients to make them living on the edge of nowhere. Hunk had heard Katie describe some of them, but it was hard to make recipes off of "Missa said it was like this, but more tart and refreshing."

"When we are free of here, I will take you to the market myself," Golron offered, now looking at all of them. "I know where the best stalls are with the freshest produce, and the butchers with the best meats, and we have spice merchants again. I'm sure they can help you with whatever you need, and if we stop by some of the food stalls, you can taste for yourself."

Which was always ideal. "That sounds great," Hunk replied honestly. It would definitely be faster than attempting to fend for themselves.

It was about an hour before they were officially dismissed and could make an escape from the reception. Hunk and Katie met Golron outside the door, and he pushed his suspicions out of his mind as they followed the Varsen into the streets of the city.

Over the course of the morning and early afternoon, Hunk thought they must have stopped at every produce stall, butcher, and bakery in town. Not that he was complaining. Sampling new ingredients and cuisine was absolutely his favorite part of any cultural exchange. He just wished this Golron guy didn't seem so very pleased to see Katie…or how at ease she seemed with him. Of course, they were colleagues. They had planned probably dozens, if not hundreds, of missions together.

Suspicious as he was trying not to be, his taste buds and his stomach were in heaven. Everything that grew fresh on the planet had a bright, slightly crisp, delectable quality that just screamed refreshing. He could see now why Katie hadn't been able to suggest suitable replacements among their existing stock, or any vegetables or fruits he knew of. None of them had this unique quality. That bright note that added a little extra je ne sais quoi, to each taste, no matter if it was sweet, sour, salty… Almost certainly something in the nutrients in the soil. It was a subtle thing, but incredibly noticeable to a refined pallet.

They also stopped by several of the stalls selling quick food snacks, and a real restaurant for lunch. They sampled several local dishes cooked, and spent a good deal of time at a spice merchant. By the time they were done, Hunk's bags were loaded down with a wide selection of ingredients to take back to the Athena to experiment tonight. Tomorrow, once the dishes were finalized, they would make a fresh day-of purchase in the morning, and he would spend all of tomorrow making magic in the kitchen. A lot of the prep work could be done in the Athena's kitchen and then brought over to the Atlas, which would be the least disruptive use of space while feeding the crews of both ships as well.

"Thanks for the help, Golron," Katie said to her friend as they returned to the ships. Her arms were also full of bags. "I'm sorry Ssisp and Assta aren't here, but I'm glad they're doing all right."

Golron nodded. "It is very different now, but we do keep in touch, thanks to the technology you left us with. Our communications between all of the planets in the system is much better. It has also allowed us to restore much order. I will let them know you are here. Perhaps we can arrange a visit before the end of your trip."

"I'd like that."

Golron left them at the docking ramp to the Athena.

Katie turned to him and smiled. "Let's get all of this in the kitchens."

Hunk nodded, glad to finally have his wife to himself again. But they had gotten quite a bit, and it was starting to feel heavy. "That sounds like a good idea. I'm getting a little tired hauling all this around."

"Really?" Katie looked surprised as they boarded the ship. "I didn't think we walked that much."

At that point, Hunk wasn't about to admit he was getting a little winded. He was sure they had done a few miles today. "It didn't seem like much because we were having fun and stopping a lot," he suggested instead.

"That's true," Katie agreed. It didn't take them long to get to the kitchen, and put away everything they had purchased. "Do we want to start experimenting right away, or would you rather take a break for the rest of the afternoon?"

"A break," Hunk replied at once. "I want a little time to mull the flavors over in my head before we start trying the recipes."

"Great. I was thinking of maybe hiking out to the old Rockslide site, where we lived while we were outside the city."

Hiking? His mild panic at the idea must have shown on his face, before her smile vanished. "I was thinking more like… a nap?"

Katie looked concerned. "You do look pretty tired," she acknowledged. "Though why you…. Oh!" Her eyes lit up in comprehension.

"What?" Hunk asked, frowning.

"Gravity," Katie replied, as if that explained anything.

"You want to explain that in a little more than a word?"

"I know why you're so tired," Katie replied. "Talkis' gravity is stronger than Earth, and what we keep the default at on our ships. On top of that, we're at a higher altitude than we would be at home."

That made absolute sense. It also made him feel a little better. He'd thought he wasn't quite in that bad a shape, especially after months of workouts. "Great, so I'm tired because there's less oxygen and I weigh more on this planet."

"Yes, exactly."

I knew I hated this place. "So… nap?"

"That's probably a good idea," Katie agreed. "Though, do you mind if I don't? I'm not really tired and… I'd like to wander around a bit more. When we were here last, I had to sneak into the city under cover. It would be nice to explore without having to pretend I'm not here."

"Oh. Yeah, go for it." It made sense she would want to, though he had half hoped they could curl up together for a bit. But they weren't going to be here more than a few days, so if she wanted to see or do anything, this was the time for it.

"Thank you." She kissed him. "I'll be back in time for dinner."

Hunk watched her go, debating for a moment if he should change his mind, but his body was telling him he had not adjusted to this planet yet. Rest was an unfortunate necessity.

---

Katie felt a little guilty that it hadn't occurred to her sooner how different Taklis was from earth. In truth, already more tired than usual from being pregnant on arrival, she hadn't really noticed it. She had fully acclimated before Kale was born. Now, if she thought about it, she could sense the difference, but for someone larger than her it made sense that it would be much more pronounced. Running the math in her head, Hunk probably felt like he was carrying an extra twenty-two kilos or so, with no warning. They had been all over the city today. Of course, he was tired.

She, on the other hand, felt slightly abuzz with an excitement that had taken hold firmly as they landed, and had only grown as the day had gone on. It was a strange but not unpleasant sense of a coming home, even if it wasn't quite. Their departure from Taklis had been so incredibly sudden, with no time to think about it. Within the space of a couple of hours they had gone from fighting a war to a possible truce, and then she was just… whisked back to her life. While she had been academically able to accept it, and more than ready to go home, it had still been a sudden shift, and the brief goodbyes she had been able to give the friends who had helped her so much, had not felt like enough. Three years of being invested in the protection of these people had left a mark.

Walking through Taklisi City in the open, with only curious glances her way because of her unfamiliar uniform that was easily identifiable as their off-planet guests, was a completely different experience than sneaking in and dodging Yoan guards. There were still Yoan in the city, though she saw very few on the streets. She knew that the Yoan still controlled at least two of the smaller planets in the system, and their moons, technically, but as their entire system of operations was being dismantled, the loss of Taklis itself had been a major blow. They were lucky the native races that had been here first weren't bloodthirsty, or slavers. Though she suspected a lot of Yoan were in prison for war crimes. Official information would be forthcoming once the talks actually began tomorrow.

Ssisp and Assta and their brood were still on Taklis, but they had moved to the Rygil region, which was warmer, swampier, and better suited to their kind. Apparently, many of the freed Thaal had chosen not to go back to the planet of their parents, or grandparents, if they had hatched here.

Though there were others she knew still in the city. Golron had told her where to find Iffina and Missa, for example. At this time of day, they were likely at the city hospital, where Iffina had returned to her original position as a physician.

Having never gotten to see how far medical knowledge had fully extended here, while living out in the woods, Katie was definitely curious. It had been enough to keep her alive, so she had never considered it primitive, but they had definitely been limited while living outside the cities.

The city hospital was a very modern looking building, by Taklis standards. The representatives of the Provisional Government had made it clear that anyone here from the Coalition was welcome to explore the public areas of the city, and it had been made very clear that anyone bothering them would face swift local justice. Not that Katie was afraid of Taklisi City.

Of course, now that Katie had full access to her tech, her bayard, and direct communication to the Atlas and the Athena and all her allies on planet, there was very little that concerned her. Even if she did wander into the parts of town that she knew were best avoided. Not that she had any intention of doing so.

Katie went inside the hospital and walked up to the reception desk.

Apparently, their arrival was widely known, because the receptionists at the desk looked startled to see her there, but not alarmed.

Katie decided to make it easy on them. She smiled as she approached the desk. "Good afternoon," she said in Vasren, since it was the most widely spoken language on the planet, and the race of the receptionist in front of her. "I'm Katie Holt-Garrett, here with the Galactic Coalition. I fought with the Resistance up until a few months ago, and I'm looking for a friend of mine, Physician Iffina. Or her assistant, Missa, if either one of them are available."

The receptionists face lit up. "Your name is familiar to us," she replied. "It would be my pleasure to see if she is available." She picked up a phone and dialed a number that Katie presumed was ringing somewhere deeper in the large hospital complex.

Katie stepped out of the way to the side so she wasn't blocking any actual patients while she waited to hear. After a few minutes, the receptionist waved her back over. "Physician Iffina will be up front shortly."

Well, that was better than she had hoped. Katie only had to wait a couple of minutes before a familiar Chicid with silky white fur came around the corner, her face beaming. "Katie! It's so good to see you."

They exchanged a brief hug. "I've missed you," Katie admitted. "This is much nicer than your last clinic."

"It's difficult to have ambiance and quality medical equipment in a hole in the dirt."

"You still took good care of us. So, are you on a break?"

"Actually, I'm getting off shift now," Iffina smiled, her tail wagging. "Missa is back in school, now that such things are possible. This afternoon she is studying with a friend. So, I am at your disposal."

"I don't have anything specific planned," Katie admitted. "I just had a couple of hours that weren't scheduled for me, and I've been enjoying looking around Taklisi without having to avoid drawing attention to myself. Golron took Hunk and I on a bit of a tour of the market district earlier. He's here to plan all the food for the peace negotiations."

"I look forward to trying his cooking, since you told me so much about it." Iffina chuckled.

"You mean you had to hear me complain about everything I was craving I couldn't get," Katie corrected, in good humor. "I'm sure Hunk would appreciate a taste tester to give us some suggestions. We're supposed to work on recipes later tonight."

"In the name of peaceful negotiations, how could I say no?"

"I had a feeling you'd feel that way." Katie was fairly certain Hunk would find Iffina far more his type of person than Golron. For one thing, this was the woman who had helped deliver Kale. For another, the Chicid were possibly one of the most adorable species Katie had ever met. When they were being friendly. When they were fighting, that was a whole other issue. "Is there anything you needed to do this evening?"

"Other than making sure Missa and her friend eat dinner, I am all yours, and I can do that with a quick call, not that we've fixed communications in the city." At that, she winked.

Katie grinned. "I'm not sure whether to be glad you managed it, or disappointed in myself for not being more thorough."

"Oh no," Iffina shook her head as they headed for the hospital doors. "You should be quite proud of the work you did. The Yoan never did get it back up and running properly. That took us over a month, and that was with techs studying the information you'd left them."

"Well, if this goes well, and you all officially join the Coalition, there will be a lot more coming, if you want it." Katie fell into step beside her. "We could upgrade your communication systems to reach Earth, and then maybe we could talk a little more often."

"I'd like that. I don't suppose you brought your pups with you?"

Katie shook her head. "No, Caitlin had school, and Kale is just getting used to living on Earth. They are with my parents while we're here. Though I hope to be able to bring them on a future trip. Though my brother and his wife are here. She's the Captain of the Athena, the second ship. Coran is here, too, of course."

They kept up a steady stream of conversation as they dropped by Iffina's apartment so she could change out of her scrubs and into more casual attire, though she was dressed far more brightly than any of them had in the woods, in a traditional Chicid outfit in a variety of blues and purples. Iffina called over to Missa's friend's house, and made sure they were taken care of for the evening, and then they were off.

By the time they arrived, it had been almost four hours since Katie had left, so she hoped Hunk had finished his nap and was ready to work on food. With the crews both eating on the Atlas in the main mess, they had the Athena's kitchen all to themselves.

The first people they ran into on the way to her quarters were Matt and Chip, who poked their heads out of engineering to see who Katie was talking to. Then there was a brief stop at Matt and Veronica's quarters to introduce Iffina to Veronica, which seemed only right since it was her ship.

Katie left her there chatting while she went to see if Hunk was awake. If it were her, she would rather not be awoken to a stranger standing in her bedroom. Especially not if she wasn't fully clothed. Not that she ever slept without pajamas, but sometimes Hunk did, if it was warm.

She was grateful she had made the decision when she found him awake, sitting shirtless on the chair in their quarters, reading something on a pad. "You look refreshed," she commented with a smile as the door slid shut behind her.

"I feel better." He smiled. "I was just looking over the recipes we collected and thinking about what we want to make that's traditional, and how we might want to spice things up with new takes on their ingredients, and what food from other planets they might enjoy based on the local flavor profiles. Something familiar, and something different. We'll have lots of time to try things out on them. Do you think they'd like something totally new?"

"I think we can get our answers from a reliable local," Katie replied, grinning. "Do you remember my friend Iffina?"

Hunk looked thoughtful for a moment. "The doctor, right?"

Katie nodded. "The one who delivered Kale. She's working at the hospital here in the city now, and she's agreed to be our taste tester. Since she's not involved in politics, and wants to see this succeed, I figured she'd be a great choice."

Hunk nodded enthusiastically. "That's perfect! You said she's here?"

"I left her talking with Veronica, Matt, and Chip. I wasn't sure you wanted a stranger walking in here unannounced."

"Much appreciated." Hunk stood up. "Let me get dressed and let's get cooking!"

---

Hunk had seen several Chicid out on the streets earlier, so he knew that they were generally shorter than humans, and furry and very dog-like humanoids… if someone had turned fluffy terriers into people. So, he was mentally prepared for Iffina, who he reminded himself as he shook her hand—as she craned her neck a little to make eye contact with him—was old enough to be his mother and deserving of the utmost respect.

Iffina broke the ice by barking a laugh and looking at Katie. "You were right."

"About what?" Hunk asked, puzzled.

Katie grinned. "Everyone kept expressing surprise at how big Kale was when he was born. I kept telling them he was normal for his genetics, but they only had me as a sample human."

Aha. "That makes sense."

"Chicid babies are usually around two pounds, which is good, seeing as we typically have litters," Iffina continued, unfazed. "Katie tells me I'm in for a treat tonight."

"Right. We would love your input on some of the dishes we're thinking of serving the diplomats. Honest opinions."

"Seeing as I don't have dishonest opinions, you'll get my full feelings, I promise."

Hunk decided he liked this friend of Katie's.

The evening turned into a friendly, intimate gathering fairly quickly. Veronica, Matt, Chip, and Coran joined them in the kitchen well before everything was made to be social and, he suspected, because they enjoyed watching his creative process.

It felt good to be feeling inventive in the kitchen again. Hunk could almost taste the flavors blending in his mind, and he was happy to put anyone with free hands to work on ingredient prep. They were testing out half a dozen dishes this evening—two local traditional, one modified, and two original recipes he had come up with while waiting for Katie to get back. None of these were large batches, but it was a good thing to have a large professional kitchen in a situation like this. Three of the dishes could hit the oven at the same time, two of the others were pan-cooked, and one was meant to be served cold out of fresh ingredients as a salad mixed of local and off-planet greens, other vegetables, and a couple of fruits, as well as nuts, and a tangy light vinaigrette.

It all came out in the appropriate timing for small courses, and they sat around a table right by the kitchen entrance, and everyone got to taste everything. Well, everyone but Chip, since he didn't actually eat.

"This is incredible," Veronica commented a couple of bites into the salad. "It's so…refreshing. It just looks like a salad, but it's got so many flavors! You could make a meal out of just this."

"I might have to add it to the lunch menu, if we start getting regular produce shipments from this part of space." Hunk smiled, pleased at the response. Everyone dug in eagerly through the salad, the meat courses, the side vegetables, and of course, dessert. One of the meat courses and one of the vegetables were supposed to be staples of the planet. For dessert Hunk had modified his juniberry panna cotta to include a local fruit with a flavor that was somewhere between a raspberry and a peach—with distinct hints of both—and that refreshing extra zip.

"If I thought you'd accept an assignment off-planet I'd ask for you on the Athena full time," Veronica replied.

Hunk appreciated that. He knew they wouldn't permit it, and that he wouldn't accept it while the kids were young. Maybe… when they were older. And maybe, if he could ever manage to get off report. But that was a concern for another day.

"That might be dangerous, if we got to eat like this all the time," Matt laughed. "I'm not sure I can eat another bite."

"Then it's a good thing this isn't a regular menu," Katie retorted.

"Well, it was all exquisite," Coran proclaimed.

Hunk looked at Iffina. "Your vote is the important one," he told her. "Is there anything you would change? Particularly in the two dishes that are supposed to be traditional?" With her in the kitchen with him, he had asked dozens of questions in the making.

Iffina sat for a moment, giving it serious thought. "There are different opinions on the spicing of the calcoda meat dish depending on region. Some like it spicier. This is somewhere in the middle, so I would leave it as is, or maybe add just a little more of the cubbin pepper. Other than that, I think it's just about perfect."

Perfect. Yes, he definitely liked this friend of Katie's. Her words also eased his concerns. "Thank you. That means a lot."

"If my enjoying this delicious meal helps usher in an era of peace in our system for the first time in generations, I would be happy to be involved more often. Maybe I should consider taking up diplomacy," Iffina grinned, her pointed teeth showing.

"Careful, he takes apprentices." Katie smiled. "The Galactic Coalition had quite a few chefs, all trained by Hunk, for just these sorts of missions. Though he's the best of course."

"A biased but factual opinion," Matt teased. "That said, it's getting late, so I think I'm gonna go walk this off and get some sleep." He looked at Veronica. "Care to join me, my lady?"

Veronica smiled smugly. "I'd love to."

The party broke up fairly quickly at that point, though everyone stayed long enough to wash their own dishes and at least some of the kitchen. When they were done, Iffina went off with Coran, who offered to show her back to the exit, though it sounded like they might get wrapped up in catching up for a bit as well.

Which left Hunk and Katie alone putting up the last little bit of leftovers.

Katie smiled at him. "So, did you enjoy yourself today?"

"Yeah, of course I did," Hunk replied. "I got to spend most of the day with you, and working on new food, what's not to like?"

"Nothing, obviously. You just seemed a little reticent this morning while we were out."

"It's rude to talk with your mouth full." He had talked plenty, though it had been a little hard to get a word in edgewise at times, with Katie and Golron chatting on, and Coran piping in regularly. "Besides, you looked like you were having a good time catching up with your old friend." The last sentence slipped out before he could stop it, or the tone that went with it.

"Are you... jealous… of Golron?" Katie paused, looking up at him in surprise. "He was just being friendly. That's his way."

She didn't see it. "He doesn't look at everyone else that way."

"What way?"

"That way." He wished he had a better description for it. "No one but me should be allowed to look at you that way." Hunk sealed the container in front of him with a particularly firm push till the seal snapped shut. "It's obvious he'd be very happy to have you all to himself."

"Does it matter?" Katie asked, looking amused and a little incredulous. He had no idea why that would amuse her. "I don't like him that way. I love you. When I was here, almost all of our time in the same room was spent planning escape attempts, or supply theft. We were always breaking into something or out of it. He respects my tactical and tech knowledge, but we're colleagues… friends. He lost his mate and children to the slave mines. I lost being with you and Caitlin. It was something we had in common… swapping stories. I talked about you all the time. So, it shouldn't matter if he has any feelings that he's never told me about, which seems unlikely. He knows how I feel. More importantly you know how I feel. Don't start getting weird and jealous on me now. Besides, he's not my type."

Practicality. He shouldn't have expected anything else from Katie. "Well, that's good to know."

"I don't go in for those chiseled, muscly types. They're all hard."

"Heyyyy…."

Katie stretched up to kiss his cheek, pulling him down by the collar of his shirt.. "I prefer someone a little more…warm, and cuddly." She kissed him again, properly.
Okay, that was all right then. Hunk grinned. "I'm good at cuddling."

"Yes, yes you are."

January 22nd, 2336

The first two days of formal meetings and negotiations went as well as could have been expected. Which was to say, they were productive, but not fast. Katie however, found it fascinating, which was not something she would normally have said about diplomatic discussions. However, she had not been as intimately involved in the outcome before. Not quite the same way.

The first night's dinner was a big hit, which put Hunk in a good mood, as well as everyone who would be involved in negotiating. The real talk began the next day. Sitting around the table, she listened as the Provisional Government outlined the steps taken since the Atlas' previous departure. The truce at The Hole had quickly crossed the entire planet. With the possibility of more powerful species coming in from outside—just as the ones that had originally driven the Yoan from their own home system generations before, and those had been fleeing the Galra—the Yoan had realized that negotiation was the only way to remain in any control. The Yoan had agreed to free everyone that had been enslaved, but offer them wages and better conditions if they wanted to stay and work. The whole system was still going to need those resources. The blueprints Katie had left for improvements to their technology had allowed them to automate some of the processes better, and make their factories more efficient.

The Yoan were still in control of two of the smaller, less hospitable planets, and their related moons. However, without control of Taklis, which was where the majority of the most valuable resources were located, the Yoan could no longer bring to bear the military force needed to sustain their control. Nor, the members now sitting on the Provisional Government claimed, did they want to. Well, some of them did not. The Yoan who had refused to join into negotiations had been arrested and imprisoned to await trails. The same had been done to any Resistance leadership who refused to come to the negotiating table, though there had been far fewer of those.

The Vasren, Thaal, and Chicid leaders were willing, as a first point, to let the Yoan remain in the system provided certain conditions were met. It wasn't as if they could go back to their old one now. None of the Yoan currently living had ever seen it. So, while they could have been relocated far more easily with the help of the Coalition, it was not automatically going to be necessary.

There was an outline of a new government representative equally of all four races, with representatives from regions of each planet, though the races with majority on certain planets would retain some nominal governmental control over their planet separate within reason. Species would not be required to re-segregate out to their original home worlds, though any wishing to emigrate to them would be permitted. Given how many of all species had died in the intervening years, through fighting or from being enslaved, there was enough room for everyone.

Businesses stolen from other races were returned to their rightful owners. Wages were being raised as they worked out a new financial system that would permit them a consistent currency across the system as well. There was a lot to fix and expand in their infrastructure. Though at least communications were moving apace. The ability to transport more quickly and ably between planets was one of the things they needed from the Coalition, which was one major reason why they had been invited to the talks.

The Coalition, if they agreed to accept the system, was willing to provide the information and assistance in helping improve the infrastructure through the use of manufactured goods and knowledge: additional communication's system upgrades, knowledge and teaching them how to build better space-faring vessels that—for now—focused on what they would need to get quickly around within their own system. They weren't asking for teludav level tech, and it had not yet been offered. The ability to simply shuttle persons and supplies between the planets in a day or less instead of taking days or weeks, would be a massive improvement.

There would be plenty of projects to pay people for. The roads, communications wiring, and other things had needed repairs and extending for decades. Improving medical technology would help everyone. Helping develop more efficient natural energy production through the use of solar, geothermal, and water sources would minimize the mean for the extensive mining operations, and provide safer employment for millions.

Weapons were not being offered. No one dared to ask.

There was also the possibility of opening up trade with the thousands of worlds in the Galactic Coalition. They could purchase ores and goods, and also export their own cash crops and extraneous materials for additional funds at an appropriate exchange rate.

All of that was, of course, contingent on the four races coming to reasonable terms about the governing of their planets and who got what. Though given how much better their lives would all be as members of the Coalition, they seemed sincerely eager to make this work.

It was what the Resistance had been fighting for almost since its inception.

The Yoan were learning a whole new way of doing things.

A break was called in the mid-afternoon, when minds were full and everyone had about all they could take of pushing through the agenda. Thankfully there had been no actual fights, though plenty of disagreement over specific details regarding resources in particular locations.

Katie found Hunk in the Atlas' kitchens, going over that evening's specific dinner plans with Shay. The kitchen staff were already hard at work, as they always were, since they still had to feed the compliments of two ships as well as prepare the food for the negotiations. Plenty of work was also happening in the Athena's kitchens whenever Hunk wasn't using them to finetune their food plans.

Hunk and Shay turned in opposition directions at the end of a conversation as she entered. Hunk spotted her immediately. "How's it going?" he asked as she reached him.

"Productive, so far. No one's been shot, stabbed, hung, or suffocated yet. They really want all the benefits the Coalition has to offer, which makes them much more agreeable than they used to be." Katie shrugged. "Honestly, it's been fairly straightforward. The base structure for the Provisional Government is sound, and they've already put a lot of work into discussing what will work here. The fact that most of the Yoan are willing to cooperate, and most of the others are willing to acknowledge that civilian Yoan still need somewhere to live as well, goes a long way towards making this happen. That said, my head is really full."

"I bet." Hunk smiled. "Snack?"

"I wouldn't say no," Katie admitted. "Though what I'd really like to do is go walk out to Rockslide now. We have time. That is, if you're up for it."

"Sure. They've got everything under control here without me for a couple of hours. We can pick up something from a street cart on the way out."

Katie chuckled. "I'm sure there's something out there we haven't sampled yet. Though you know you can't try everything on this planet in one visit."

"Is that a challenge?" Hunk asked as they left the kitchen.

"More of a directive."

---

Hunk learned quickly that Katie hadn't been kidding that it was a bit of a hike out to her old hideout. They stopped at a cart, as promised, for a tasty local treat that was popular, made of ice-cold chopped pieces of fruit on a stick, drizzled in this planet's honey. It did make it easy to eat while walking, even holding hands.

Still, the vibrant fruity flavors were just a memory on his tongue, by the time they got out of the city, up into the hills, and hiked up to what looked like a pile of rock and tree rubble. For a moment, Katie looked stricken.

"Is this it?" Hunk asked quietly.

Katie nodded. "We fled during an attack. I knew it wouldn't be whole, but this entrance is completely gone." She pulled a scanner out of her pocket, staring at it intently as she examined the area. "It looks like this whole half of the complex caved in, but the back entrance is still here." She slid it back in her pack. "Come on."

Hunk wanted to object, but he panted after her instead, determined to keep up. Katie went right up and over part of the mound, and he just had to trust that her scans had showed her a safe way to go. The last thing he needed was a tunnel or something collapsing out from under him.

They climbed for several minutes, reaching pine-like trees that still stood tall even throughout the rocks and bushes. Katie led him not all the way to the top—thankfully—but up and then around to the left, and then down a narrow, steep walkway that had him sure he was going to topple off at any moment. Hunk leaned back against the rocks as they edged down, soon reaching a deep trench in the rocks, with a pond at the bottom, fed by a small waterfall, that in turn ran out through a cleft in the rocks as a stream. That cleft was less than a foot wide. A grassy area and a few trees made it an idyllic little setting. "This is nice."

"This is where all the children used to play," Katie told him, looking around them slowly, as if taking it all in. "It was the only safe place for them to make noise and run around." She turned and pointed up the sloping ground to a hole. "That's the entrance I was looking for."

It was just a cave opening. "Do you really want to go in?"

Katie nodded. "Just a little way. It's safe." Still, she pulled out her scanning equipment again and held it up. Hunk could see the readings of the cave as she projected them for a minute.

Hunk followed her in with heavy misgivings about walking into an unfamiliar cave without safety equipment, but Katie strode in as if she owned the place. She definitely knew it. With a light projected in front of them, she led the way down the first tunnel and into a large, open area. Their steps echoed as they walked. "This was the public eating room. Our quarters were this way." She turned down one of several tunnels, and led Hunk down more, until she finally stopped outside a slightly smaller cave opening. Then she ducked inside.

Hunk followed her into the small space, where there was barely room for them both to stand. Inside, left behind in the hustle—like many rooms he had poked his head into—was very basic wooden furniture, one thin cloth he would not have called a blanket, and what looked like a couple of toy people made out of string and sticks.

"That's where those went." Katie bent down and picked them up. Then she stood. "Kale asked about them when we got to the Hole, but he only did once. I'm not sure he even remembers them now."

Given all the toys and games and educational puzzles at home on Earth, Hunk couldn't imagine his son remembering two figures made of twigs. But it was funny what children got attached to. "We can take them with us."

Katie nodded, and carefully wrapped them in a scrap of fabric from the floor, and tucked them in a pocket of the small bag of supplies she carried with her. "We should head back out. Can you make it back up that cliff, or do I need to look for a different exit?"

"I can if I have to, though I don't think that cliff likes me. I broke it in a few places."

Katie looked at the scanner for a couple of minutes. "It looks like the other emergency back exit is still clear, if barely. That's this way." She led him back out into the oppressive darkness. Hunk was relieved the caves were tall enough he didn't have to bend over, but he still felt like they were too close.

Slowly, the tunnel rose and the darkness around them brightened. Around another curve, and there was the exit, half blocked by fallen debris, but open. Hunk took a deep breath of relief as they stepped back out into the open air. "Whew. I don't know how you lived down there."

"We had more lights, then," Katie replied. "And you get used to it. Leaftown was definitely more pleasant though." She stopped, looking back at the cave opening for a moment. Then, out of nowhere, tears erupted in silent streams down her cheeks.

"Pidge?" Hunk reached out tentatively, resting one hand on her shoulder.

A moment later she folded into his arms, sobbing quietly into his shirt. Hunk held her close. He lost track of time as they stood there, Katie working through whatever complex emotions remained in connection to this place, to this life. Finally, her shoulders stopped shaking. Then she stopped sniffling. Finally, she stepped back, wiping her eyes on her sleeve.

"Better?" Hunk asked simply.

Katie nodded. "Yeah. Thanks, I needed that. This place… this whole thing. We left so suddenly before; I never really got any closure on everything that happened. I tried not to get emotionally involved in someone else's fight. At first, helping the Resistance was an alliance with an end goal of sending you a message and getting home. By the end… it still wasn't my fight, but it was my friends' fight…and then when the Atlas showed up it all ended very suddenly. I was so happy to be going home, but I left a lot here unfinished."

"So, I've seen," Hunk acknowledged. "I was just so happy to have you back, I never even considered that this hadn't been one constant nightmare for you. Your friends… they're good people who honestly care about others, and about you and Kale. I should be grateful."

"Should be?"

"I'm getting there." He smiled. "Except for the gravity I'm starting to see why you like it here."

"Still not as much as home," Katie assured him. "But while we're here there are a couple of other places I'd like to visit. Just sometime before we go home."

"Anywhere you want to go, I'm game," Hunk promised her. "Though if it's farther than the city borders, next time, can we take a pod?"

Katie nodded. "I'm sure that can be arranged."

January 25th, 2336

Visiting Leaftown took a little more planning, but a few days later, during a day when Katie and Hunk were not needed because there were no meetings that day, they took a pod and in barely two hours covered the territory it had once taken her months to walk, carrying her newborn son.

"It's hard to imagine hiking all this," Hunk admitted as they flew easily over the majestic landscape.

"My muscles will never forget it," Katie responded, taking images as they flew over. She had the systems recording as much visual data as she could get. As they went, she would point out spots they had stayed for any length of time as she spotted them. "Kale wouldn't remember any of this. When we left Leaftown he was only a month old. So, it was…right about this season actually."

Coran had declined to come along. Katie supposed that, to someone over six-hundred years old, their three years here probably felt much shorter than it had to her. Also, given his own experiences, he would probably rather forget the area entirely.

"Well, I'm impressed."

"Thank you."

Far sooner than she had anticipated, Katie could see the coordinates coming up ahead. From the air, she could see across the trees all the way to the mountain edge where the mines had once been. "Land on the ground at these coordinates," she said, pulling them up on the pod's system. "We'll have to use the jet packs to get up onto the platforms." She didn't trust any of the platforms to hold the pod when it landed. Not after multiple years without maintenance.

Hunk followed directions, and landed right in the center of Leaftown, in the same empty glade where Katie had first confronted Golron. Together, they got out and stepped into the clearing.

Hunk looked up, squinting into the trees in the soft gloom that contrasted starkly with the bright day above. "This is it?"

"It's much more impressive when you get up there." Katie slipped on her jetpack, waiting while Hunk did the same. "We're going to go straight up and land right at that spot," she pointed to the ledge that stuck out just enough to be clearly visible, which was the landing for the old lifts.

"Lead the way."

Katie turned on her jet pack and could only shake her head at how ridiculously easy it made getting up into the trees. She came to rest easily on the platform, easing down with her weight in case anything had rotted in the interim. Convinced that it would hold them, she set down.

A few seconds later Hunk landed beside her. "Okay, you're right. This is much cooler," Hunk admitted as he looked around, wide eyed. "How many trees were used in this place?"

"Over fifty," Katie informed him. "Everyone lived up here under the canopy. The Yoan didn't have the tracking technology to find this place for years. It wasn't until we blew up the mines that they got desperate enough to put the resources into just searching the entire forest one tree at a time." The maze of wooden platforms and stairs still went all over, but she was sure she could have found her way in the dark. "There are solar panels hidden up at the top, as well as water collectors. We had drop toilets and basic plumbing, as well as kitchens, primitive showers. You should really take a look at this place. It's a remarkable piece of engineering for something so low-tech. Come on. Let me show you around."

They spent the next hour wandering up and down from top to bottom. The briefing room had been more impressive with things in it, but since they had left behind all the furniture, and quite a bit of unnecessary possessions, it looked much more like an abandoned dwelling than the caves at Rockslide had. Those had been practically devoid of anything.

Katie showed him the hatching box she had made for Assta's eggs, and finally they made it all the way to her old room.

It looked almost as if they had never left, though the curtains had seen much better days. Like most of the rest, they were rotting and starting to fall down and develop holes. But the furniture, still kept out of the weather, was in surprisingly good condition. "This is where Coran and I stayed."

Hunk blinked. "I forgot you shared a room," he admitted. "This is…cozy."

"Cramped, you mean?" Katie smiled. "It worked. We were fortunate they never made us bunk in two more with the top beds. It was more private than most of the other rooms." She felt a twist of emotion as she stood there, remembering everything that had happened here, too. This place had not been home, but it had been a safe haven in a strange and dangerous new world. Slowly she sat down on the edge of the bed. "Kale was born right here. It was pouring icy rain outside, and Iffina brought a portable heater in, so we would be warm enough. I made Coran sit here with me, because I couldn't bear to do it without a familiar face. I missed you so terribly it hurt almost as bad as labor." Almost, but not quite.

Hunk put a hand on her shoulder, and squeezed it, smiling. With his looming presence the room felt even smaller, but the least lonely it had ever been at the same time. "You still had friends with you, that's what matters. That and both of you made it home. It's a shame you had to abandon this place. They should consider rebuilding it."

"Golron told me there have actually been talks about it," Katie admitted. "But making it a real outpost, running modern conveniences now that they don't have to hide themselves. There's a lot of great resources in this area that haven't been tapped, and could be, if it was done right. Iffina was always going on about the incredible number of raw medicinal ingredients growing in this forest. It bears studying, and there are a lot of folks who would probably be interested." She looked around, then stood up again. "All right. I'm good. Let's go."

They walked back to the clearing via the pathways, because Katie wasn't entirely sure she could find it from the ground itself. Once they were back down in the pod, Hunk flew them over the old mining site. Katie had never seen it in daylight, and only through her drone.

No one had made any attempts to dig it up. Katie grinned, and flashed an overlay of the old layout on the HUD so Hunk could visualize it. "That's the path we snuck in down," she pointed to one of the few recognizable spots remaining. "I do not recommend rock climbing while pregnant, by the way."

"Noted."

As they hovered, she had an idea. Quickly she tapped commands into the computer.

"What are you doing?" Hunk asked curiously.

"I just want to get some scans and see if we can tell what collapsed in the mines. I want to know if the gate was really destroyed."

"The Vidorans contacted us a couple of years ago to tell us the gate on their end was definitely not working."
"That's probably when we blew it up," Katie agreed, "But I wanted to see for myself." It didn't take long. Most of what remained of the mines was nothing but layers upon layers of disturbed rock and debris. "Yep. It's gone."

"Feel better?"

"At least I know that no one can be sucked in from somewhere else to a horrible doom in a rock cave." That had been her one recurring nightmare.

Hunk shuddered. "It's definitely better this way," he agreed. "Ready to go back?"

Katie nodded. "Yeah. I'm ready."

January 27th, 2336

Seven days on-planet had seen a lot of changes, mostly for the better, Coran thought, as he listened to the negotiations. While his opinions were rarely directly requested, he had not expected them to be in the meetings directly. His position, much like Katie's, was to listen, to take in everything that was said, and provide the diplomats of the Coalition with needed context, clarification, and correction. The truth as they knew it, certainly. Which meant observing, and listening, and putting aside his own bias. That last was the hardest, given his experiences at the hands of the Yoan, but it was precisely his duty to do so.

The one missing link to all of this was that no one except the Yoan really understood the Yoan. The fact that they had been displaced by another race that had been displaced fleeing the Galra, meant they had at least that one thing in common, even if none of their people lived long enough to remember it.

So, from the first day of negotiations, Coran made that his personal mission. Several hours in the Taklisi City library with old recordings and texts had provided him with some useful background information. Much of it was logs from the twenty years the Yoan had spent floating adrift in space between their system and the next. They'd had no expectations that the system they entered would be inhabited. Their understanding of space was not that advanced. The fact that they had managed to make space faring vessels that survived that long was almost a miracle more than good science.

Their own records spoke of their presumption that other species would be as ruthless as the ones that had simply driven them out. They couldn't drive multiple species out of a system, but they could subjugate them. In self-defense, their military strategists had been allowed to choose the plan of attack, and that had been it.

From what Coran could tell, the military had taken control from that point forward, and none of the civilians—who had already fled once—were willing to fight them. The culture had evolved from that.

Armed with that knowledge, Coran had moved forward with trying to understand current Yoan who were not slavers, or soldiers. No species could be entirely evil. Fighting, and eventually making peace with the Galra, had taught them all that. Just as no species was likely to be entirely good. The universe just wasn't that simple.

Coran spoke with the Yoan delegates at gatherings, in their spare moments, and on the days they were off, he took to the streets, not just exploring the city, but chatting with the Yoan locals: the shopkeepers, the physicians, the plumbers… the regular people. His friendly interest and curiosity as a supposed newcomer to their planet, with no obvious ulterior motives, made them happy to just chat about everyday things and their lives.

Not that it was all altruistic on his part. After centuries of life, Coran knew that the only way to fully heal from his experiences, was to embrace them, and accept them. Seeing the Yoan for who they truly were as a people, beyond those who had chosen to hurt him, was part of that process.

It certainly made it easier to sit through the negotiations, and to provide the occasional suggestion, even if small, that might nudge a dispute into a more productive direction.

One week in, and they seemed well on their way to finalizing the new government system with the continued four-being lead council, and representative body, as well as the lasting peace treaty between all of their peoples. It was a much more formalized thing than a Resistance, and necessary, since they would no longer have a common enemy.

Of course, the lure of everything being part of the Galactic Coalition offered was no down a large reason for their willingness to agree to things now. How well that would hold up over time was still to be seen, but if any world were judged on what it might become later, than very few would ever have been permitted into the Coalition in the first place. Having a peaceful and protected existence would hopefully keep the system cooperative for a long time to come.

Not that Coran worked the entire time. He immensely enjoyed a late-night conversation with Iffina, the night she came to the Athena. While there were centuries between them, they were of a maturity, and he appreciated her insights and enjoyable conversation. It was much easier to get to know the lively, humorous side of her when they weren't facing down death every other day. He was quite fond of the Chicid woman and, he thought, she of him. Though it would likely never be more than a friendship. It was still a good one, and with the improvements to communication, hopefully lasting.

Having once lost nearly everything, Coran never took for granted the relationships he had; friends though they all might be. Being so much older than many of them made it difficult not to see them as babies sometimes, given how young Alteans were at the same ages. Yet, with their shorted lifespans, they moved through existence faster than he did, in their ways. The Paladins included him as part of their growing families, even as they had moved apart and lived their own lives. That one thing would always bind and connect them, but they considered him a part of it.

It had been a very moving and stabilizing part of his time on Taklis to be there to support Katie, though not as a father-figure, just as a friend. Helping raise Kale his first two years was the closest to parenthood Coran suspected he would ever get at his age, and those were the minutes he cherished most from their time here. This time, as awful as some of it had been, was worth remembering, even though it had been so short compared to his life before the cryogenic sleep. It was hard, feeling that not much time had passed, only to turn around and find all of those bright-faced children who had taken on the Lions were grown men and women, some with offspring of their own.

Not that he could see them as children anymore. That, at least, had passed.

He hoped the children of this system would learn these lessons, and remember them. That was what he was doing here, helping bring them into the greater galactic consciousness, and hopefully into a better universe, where they would know better than to repeat the mistakes of their ancestors.

January 28th, 2336

It took all day to fly out to visit Assta, Ssisp, and their brood, but it was a much more joyous experience than exploring abandoned resistance sights. The primarily Thaal settlement in the swamp was more like a decent neighborhood in Florida on Earth. The houses were still simple and very new looking, but they were all large, rambling structures designed to hold the large families Thaal generally had. It was also far enough south that the weather was far warmer than it was up in Taklisi City.

Katie and Hunk were met in the yard by a swarm of children, who all wanted to be the first to hug Katie. She had to get through all of them before she got to Assta herself, and Ssisp, who was not a hugger, but was happy to shake hands with her, and then with Hunk.

"This is lovely," Katie complimented the house and area as a whole as she looked around.

"It's still in progress, but we like it," Assta smiled. "There are over three-hundred houses already, and more being built every day. Ssisp is on the planning committee," she added proudly.

"Someone had to help control the chaos," Ssisp shrugged.

"It's less chaotic than being home sometimes." Assta chuckled. "Please come in, you've had a long flight to get here, and a much longer trip before that. Have something to refresh yourselves, and then we'll give you the grand tour."

---

The village was impressive, especially for something only a few months in the building. The roads were flat and even, and the neighborhoods organized. The main street held a postal building, local law enforcement, local government building, a grocery store…the usual things you would need for a functioning small town. Everywhere people were working too, building, laying electrical. There was a small power plant set up already, and plumbing. It was all simple, but modern. Hunk was impressed with the quality of work, and found the choices in architecture fascinating. Houses were clearly that, but the sizes and necessities varied by family. A house in process for a Thaal family, for example, actually had a built-in incubation room for egg hatching. Furniture was designed to accommodate different sizes and species. Some had tails, some did not. Some preferred to sleep on pallets on the floor versus beds. Others slept in the low but otherwise familiar seeming beds Hunk had seen at Leaftown.

Ssisp and Assta were not the only Thaal family on their block with a large brood of children, though theirs was the biggest. Hunk saw little lizard-like children everywhere they went. There were large play areas for them, and designated swimming. He would have worried about predators, but it seemed there was nothing more dangerous in this area than the Thaal themselves. The large fish that might eat them couldn't come into water as shallow as that around them.

The refreshments Assta offered more than made up for trudging around for over an hour in the heat and humidity looking at the town. Drinks were cold and had a sort of minty flavor, and being more carnivorous than not, the fresh seared fish and fruit made a lovely snack.

Eventually, and he was sure too soon for Katie, they needed to head back.

"That was fun," Hunk commented as they flew back towards Taklisi City. "Though I think I'm even more glad we only have two kids."

Katie laughed. "Yeah. There's a big difference between two and twenty-seven, but they manage surprisingly well."

"I don't even know how I'd keep them all straight."

"Well, they do all look different, when you get familiar with the differences in Thaal appearances. Especially as they get bigger. When they first hatched even their parents didn't know for a few days. Though their naming conventions aren't highly gendered, so that doesn't matter so much."

"I tried to catch their names, but I don't think I remembered any of them besides Ssisp and Assta," Hunk admitted.

"Sisspa, Asita, Skitt, Cass, Passi, Astio, Assin, Cato, Rissa, Pipp, Piska, Atti, Assika, Rikssi, Tapp, Tissp, Psito, Apse, Epssi, Essta, Spass, Aroow, Rosspa, Crissp, Assti, Tissk, and Sipps."

"How the heck do you remember all those?" Hunk asked, his head whipping around to stare at her.

"Practice. Eyes on the sky."

Hunk turned back. "Can you actually tell which name goes with which… child?"

"When they hold still or if I'm talking to just one or two of them at a time," Katie nodded. "But then I helped watch them for years. I'm sure I'll forget by the time they're grown, since I won't see them much."

"Though you'll be able to reach out more once the upgrades to their communication systems are done," Hunk reminded her, though that thought gave him pause. "They aren't going to expect you to personally stay and help with upgrades, are they?"

"No, and I wouldn't stay if they asked," Katie replied, allaying one of his worst fears. "As fascinating as that would be, all they need from me might be plans and suggestions. Anyone in the Coalition can help with the improvements we're talking about. It won't even put them that much beyond where they are advanced now really. But it's a start. If there's real peace here, we'll be able to come back, but I'm more useful in my lab than staying here for any length of time. Besides, the kids aren't here. I couldn't be here with them so far away."

"I miss them." Hunk nodded. It was still hard to place calls out to Earth with any speed from here. Soon, that would not be the case, but for now, they had only managed to send messages to the kids that they would get on a delay, and had received a couple of them back. It was more like sending video letters than actual conversation.

"What time will we be back?" Katie asked.

"We should make it back just before dinner."

"The shops are open, and there's no formal banquet or anything tonight, just tomorrow's final signings. We could do some souvenir shopping for the kids… and our parents."

"They might like a thank you," Hunk agreed. While the Holts had the kids and Juni at their house mostly while they were gone, his parents were also coming out to help out for a couple of days, and were staying at their house so the kids didn't have to be away the whole time. He was grateful his parents and Katie's got along well. They were probably having a fantastic time with the kids.

So, when they got back to the city, that was what they did, along with finding another place to have dinner and sample the local cuisine. Then it was off for shopping, though Katie did a lot of the finding.

They found glowing crystal light-catchers, with naturally colored crystals that collected sun by day and glowed at night, and a couple of shimmery scarves in a rainbow of colors, even though it looked like a light gray on first inspection until you moved it and looked at it from different directions. The merchant refused to divulge how they got the effect to work, but it was lovely. The light-catchers they got one for each family, and the scarves for both mothers. They got a couple of other things in that fabric as well: like hair ties for Caitlin's thick dark locks, and some of the fabric itself, to make things out of back home. For both children they also got plush animals that looked sort of like extra-furry blue cats: a local predator, Katie explained to him. One was slightly more purple than blue. They picked up some seeds for Colleen as well, for her botanical research, and more spices for their own kitchen. Hunk hoped Colleen could get some of the produce from here to grow with that same refreshing taste. He considered taking home soil samples as well.

"I've already collected dozens," Katie admitted when he mentioned it. "There's so much information I couldn't record last time. I want to take as much as I can back with me."

"Then it's a good thing we brought two ships worth of data storage." Hunk chuckled, slipping an arm around her shoulders as they walked back towards the Athena.

Katie grinned. "It might be enough."

January 29th, 2336

Katie felt a lot of emotions as she watched the history being made before her as she, and the rest of the delegation from the Galactic Coalition, stood with the Provisional Government leaders in the meeting hall of the large government building in the middle of Taklisi City, which had become the initial seat of power for the entire system.

The documents making the Provisional government no longer provisional, but the legitimate and elected—for the moment appointed, but elections would follow—systemwide over-arching governing body. While they stood on, every single representative in the chamber also came forward to sign.

Katie surreptitiously took a quick photo she thought looked much like that ancient painting of the Second Continental Congress signing the Declaration of Independence. Though the clothes were more utilitarian and there were no humans in that particular image at all.

After that, it was time for the heads of the government to official sign the documents making them part of the Galactic Coalition. Given how low-tech the planet was, they had opted for a physical copy signing for that as well, by choice.

For the Coalition side, the honor of signing as witnesses was left to the Captains of the two ships present: Navor and Veronica.

Then it was done. For a moment everything was still and solemn, then the room erupted in cheers and clapping.

Katie followed her superiors and the government leaders out of the room. There was a huge celebration planned; many all across the system she was sure, certainly she had seen preparations going on all around the city. For the large group consisting of the government representatives and the crews of the Coalition ships, a large party ground had been set up in the largest city park. For this, the Coalition were the guests instead of the hosts, and it looked like it was going to be an amazing party.

As they strode out of the building into the streets, and began to turn left and walk towards the park, crowds cheered. The streets were lined with vendors and games, until it looked like a carnival. Today would be remembered here, for the rest of time, as a momentous day, and probably an annual holiday.

Hunk caught up to her just outside the door. "Well, that was moving."

Katie nodded. "I'm not usually a fan of speeches, but everything the leaders had to say was sincere and relevant…and short."

"I did appreciate the brevity," Hunk agreed. "Now that this is all done, all we have to do is enjoy the party, and go home."

"It looks like this party will be as big, if not bigger, than the one after we drove the Galra from Earth," Katie commented. "Which is good, since we were all in the hospital for that one and missed most of it."

"Yeah. I definitely like the celebration without the injuries much better."

"You were just upset they made us eat the hospital food."

"Well… yeah."

Katie chuckled, and took Hunk's arm. Tonight, would be a good night celebrating with old and new friends, knowing that they had all been a part of something big; something that would change the future for millions.