Sierra was of two minds. For starters, dread. There was a needle above Aachen. Elaine was… she couldn’t even bear to think. On the other hand, however, Sierra felt a sort of twisted relief. This was where she should be. The Talerian flagship… how much had she actually helped, there? She’d disabled a few interceptors and a couple of frigates. Well, okay. That was something. A supporting role was still a role.

The stellar artillery came into view, but it wasn’t alone. A Federation battlecruiser hung over the space like a dark fog; a sleek and angular design in a dark blue livery. A Coalition cruiser was also there, but in pieces, a grim reminder of what the needles were capable of. In a reversal of what Sierra had previously been dealing with, however, a trio of Coalition destroyers were exchanging fire with the Fed cruiser.

The needle itself was comparatively free of threats; that role was for Sierra to play. SA craft had four angled exhaust ports in a ring, each guarded by a short range turret. Sierra couldn’t afford to ignore the turrets. As she approached, the first one locked on before she could fire, leading her to have to twist away from incoming shots. Fire continued to chase her until she presumably made it out of range.

Sierra pinged the nearby destroyers. “This is Sierra. I’m engaging the stellar artillery.”

“Roger, Sierra. Good luck,” she heard back. Spinning her craft around, Sierra came back in for another strafing run, gunning for the guns of the oblong craft. This time she nailed a turret, the exposed hard point cut through by her lasers, fragments of it drifting away. That was one out of four down.

The needle started to pitch down, and with horror, Sierra realized it was starting to take aim. On the clock, now, Sierra executed a tighter turn, sailing past the second turret and exchanging fire with it. Her assault was successful, but shots rattled her craft; the door to the rest of the ship sealed as her computer warned that her cargo hold had been depressurized. Sierra released the twin control sticks long enough to don the ship’s emergency rebreather, which she slipped on under her visor.

There were two guns left to go. One of them was training on her as she drifted away from the needle; Sierra darted forward and pitched away to evade its fire.

Controlled motions. Don’t be reckless.

She could release the throttle and rotate to hit the third gun, but it was likely to get a shot off straight on if she did that. But if she fired just as she slipped out of the turret’s range, she could separate it from the ship without too much danger to herself…

Her plan would be easier said than done, she knew. Back out of range, she launched herself across the ship’s shifting bow, whirling about to get at the turret. She fired, missed, rotated, fired again. It struck true, and the gun went spinning away.

Only one left… she could do this. But first she would hit the now-undefended exhaust ports. Similar to the Talerian cannon ships, she’d have to hit them at a perfect angle, which in this case was from behind. But she had to hurry. Directing herself behind the needle, which now meant she was above it, Sierra lined up with the first port. She fired away, but couldn’t really be sure if that did anything. With no time to ponder it, however, she moved onto the next one. Without the obstructing guns it was simply a matter of aligning herself properly, but that was taking an excruciating level of patience. The second port she released sustained fire on, making sure she really got it. Soon she had to lay off before overheating her own weapons, so she moved onto her third target.

It was taking too long. The needle was starting to charge, starting to open up, pointed at the planet below. Pointed at her home. Sierra checked off the third port, but would need to target the fourth and last immediately after. It was still covered by its point defense. She’d have to take it out anyway. 

She angled. Flak rattled her craft once more, a shot even grazing the reinforced glass of her cockpit. Her computer was blaring warnings.

The ship’s core was really bright, now. “Light warning!” her computer declared. Sierra fired. The needle fired. The beam cut as soon as it started, as the needle exploded spectacularly. Sierra was… right in the radius of the blast, she dully noted. 

The ballooning explosion engulfed her. Her computer went quiet. Her engines went dead. She was knocked back, spinning out of control, unable to correct it. The glass held, if barely. There were cracks in it. The last autonomous act of her ship was to encase her in metal, a sealing sheet that covered the splintering window. With her visor, Sierra was supposed to be able to project her vision through it, but her display was dark. 

Part of Sierra wondered if this was it. Physically fine at the center of it all, but for how long? She was drifting. She was blind. Her breath was the only sound, the only sight a dull warning that she was running on reserve power.

Sierra saw outlines of herself in the warning’s red glow. Prone in a little bubble, dressed in a servant’s finery. There was a subtle reflection on her black shoes, and there were creases in her apron. 

“This is Sierra.” She wasn’t even sure if her comms worked. “I have completed my task. I regret to inform you that I’m in no state to complete any more. If I don’t see you again… it was an honor to serve… no, rather, it was an honor to work with you all.” And then she drifted. She wasn’t sure how long. Several times she tried the controls, but they gave no response. She was tired. She was quietly thankful that there was no atmosphere to make her motion sick. Space motion sickness was something she’d been forced to adapt to, long ago.

There was much to be grateful about, she knew. She’d met all these amazing people. She’d met some less than amazing people. But the amazing far outweighed anything less. Maybe it was hormones, or maybe it was something more, but she’d finally met the person she wanted to spend the rest of her life with. They’d had some wonderful experiences together, even in such a short time. No, it was definitely more than hormones, Sierra knew.

She…

She wanted to see Elaine again. She missed her so terribly much. She wanted to tell her how much she missed her, she wanted to tell her how scared she was. But saying those things to her face, that meant she was okay. Because they were together again.

But Sierra certainly couldn’t wish for Elaine to be here; drifting endlessly, a sitting duck in a combat zone. What was Elaine doing now? Was she underground, taking shelter? There was lots of space under the Bundeshalle. They’d fit lots of people down there. The metro stations, too. Unfortunately, needle fire would cut through the earth and they’d be defenseless. But that threat was, locally at least, dealt with.

“Hey.” Sierra looked up. She was looking at herself, back in her mind space. She gave a little wave. “It’s been a long day, has it not?”

Sierra nodded. “It has.”

Her doppelgänger shuddered. “This uncertainty is killing me, I fear.”

“There are certainties though, still,” Sierra pointed out. “Our air won’t last forever, for one.”

“Well aren’t you a ray of sunshine.”

“I am… simply trying to come to terms with things,” Sierra admitted.

“Do you think we’ll see her again?”

Sierra blinked back tears. “I d-don’t know.”

“Cry if you need to. I’ll be right here with you. Is that alright?”

“T-that is acceptable.”

Sierra’s double came in and hugged her. “There, there. You can’t say we didn’t do good work today.”

“I p-promised her I’d come back!” The tears were falling faster now. Sierra shuddered into her arms, letting them flow.

“I know. Shhh… rest now, Ms. Sierra.”

“I f-fear that’s impossible…”

”Indeed. We’re much too tense for anything like that. But you need me, so I am here. Do not feel bad, Ms. Sierra. We’re meant to comfort each other when necessary. Just think of what you’ll tell Ms. Elaine when we get back. Can you do that for me?”

They shared silence.

Sierra came to in the same place she had been. Who knew how long she’d been drifting at this point. She was lucky, at least, that no opportunistic enemy had picked her off yet.

Or maybe she was unlucky?

Before she could ponder further, however, her entire ship shuddered. Was… was this it? But nothing else happened. 

What had that been? Sierra could only wonder, deaf, dumb, and blind as she was. Goddess, this waiting in the dark, it was starting to get… boring? 

Sierra chuckled at the absurdity. She was bored! Waiting here for the end to come… and she was bored! What was a girl to do, truly? In the meantime, she wiped the tears from her eyes. Just because, well, she could. Might as well do things while she still could. She hummed a little tune, because that was something of which she was also capable. Here in this little pod. Here in this little pod for the rest of her life! If only she’d ever taken the time to decorate it…

What was the state of the battle outside? She wished she knew. She wished she knew anything. All quiet out there… because space was quiet. 

"Hello, Sierra." The girl herself sharply inhaled. Mueller was... no, she wasn't. Sierra was hearing things.

Her double faced her again. "Don't worry, Ms. Sierra. The same trick will not work on us again. Allow me to ensure that."

Sierra nodded. She was grateful for the others in her head. Perhaps it would seem strange to anyone else, should she speak of it... was she simply insane? Perhaps. But perhaps it wasn't that at all. Sierra's experiences, her traumas, her joys... they made the person she was now. And for once... Sierra realized that she liked who she was.

Attagirl.

She waited. More and more she waited. Until the entire ship shuddered again. And until she fell abruptly into her cushioned platform. Gravity? There was gravity again? And she heard the roar of engines outside. They eventually stopped. And then she heard voices. Actual voices!

All this noise all of a sudden gave Sierra a headache. But if she strained, she could make out what people were saying.

“Alright, lower her down slowly!” She was jerked downward, and then held in place. “I said SLOWLY!” And eventually she came to rest on something.

“Now we gotta get this open. Sierra? Are you in there? Say something, Sierra!”

They wanted her to talk? Goddess, she was so tired… but wait, she recognized that voice.

“Ms. Morgan! I am alive, Ms. Morgan!”

“Sierra! Okay, you can open this now!”

“I fear I don’t know how,” she called back. “My controls are dead.”

“Alright, sit tight!” Footsteps sounded and then faded. And then they came back. “Just gotta get this glass outta the way…”

THUNK. CRRRRRAAAAACK.

“Still good in there?” Morgan asked.

“I am! Do be careful, though!” Sierra figured she’d meet her halfway. Unbelting herself from her platform, she stepped off of it. Rounding to the back, she prodded the sealed door, and then pulled at it, trying to get it open. There was… somewhere… there. An emergency release. She pulled on that, and the door flew ajar. And then fell off its hinges, clattering on the floor below.

The cargo hold was entirely gone, it seemed. Sierra’s ship had been reduced to just a cockpit.

“Sierra!” Morgan ran over and appeared on the other side of the doorway. 

“It is good to see you, ma’am.” She very much meant it.

Morgan made way as Sierra stepped out. She was back in the hangar bay of the Coronam Princeps, surrounded by a gaggle of maids.

Safe. Or at least, safer than she had been.

“She’s okay, girls!” Morgan declared. The maids all cheered.

“I fear I’ve pushed this ship to its limit,” Sierra said. The understatement of the 22nd century.

“Not much of a ship left,” Morgan observed.

“How did you find me, exactly?” Sierra asked.

Another woman walked over. She wasn’t a maid. “Heard your broadcast. Skywatch and Coalition ships managed to pin down your location,” she explained. She was wearing an honest-to-goddess space suit. If her change had a physical aspect to it, Sierra couldn’t see.

Sierra bowed to her. “Are you the one that recovered me, ma’am?”

She shook her head. “Negative. That was Ms. deGaine, here. She *insisted* on going to find you.”

“Ah.” Sierra turned to Morgan. “Do pardon me for this, Ms. Morgan…” She dashed forward, taking her in a hug. “I-I was so scared…”

The taller woman rested a hand on Sierra’s frilly capped head and smiled, not saying anything. The woman in the space suit chuckled.

“Affectionate, isn’t she?”

“Not totally like this,” Morgan admitted. Sierra figured it right to allow the lapse in professionalism.

“All the fighting must’ve got to her. Let’s give her a good rest, yeah?”

Sierra felt quite amenable to the idea of rest. But first she had questions. “What is the state of the war?”

“Inconclusive,” the space suit woman said. “But we’ve drastically reduced their capabilities for orbital bombardment.”

“That’s very good to hear, ma’am!” It was very good to hear. If the Federation’s capacity for destruction was reduced enough, well, wasn’t that what they all were fighting for? “And what of the Talerian fleet?”

“Sent packing!” Morgan declared. “Well, like, a few of them defected when we revealed the seal onboard, but most of ‘em were destroyed, or even boarded.” She wiggled her eyebrows at that last word. More maids for Earth’s fleet, then. “We’ve pulled back into friendly space, so we’re pretty secure! Now let’s get you to a bunk, yeah?”

”Very well, Ms. Morgan.”

The Coronam Princeps’ living quarters were rather cramped at best. Sierra made herself comfortable, but as she stared at the bunk above hers, it was clear that sleep would not come.

Goddess, what a day it had been. It was pretty symbolic, she decided, how her ship had been totaled. She was amazingly lucky that nothing from the explosion had penetrated the cockpit. She had pulled up at the last possible moment. It had been just enough to save her life. Her engines hadn’t been disabled; instead, she had simply lost them. 

She was at peace with it. There was no better reason to have lost her ship, she figured. Her last voyage resulted in the end of one of those horrific needles. A worthy send off, no? It was one less tether to the chaos that was her old life. Yes, her future was still a great unknown. She might never leave the planet again, once she returned. That was…

That was okay. What she wanted was down there. What she had was down there.

Of course, on the other hand, hadn’t Elaine said she wanted to see space? What was in store for them, should the blockade finally end? Sierra was… quite ready to have that be someone else’s problem, truly.

She really was tired. But her mind was racing too much for her to sleep. Nearby, two maids conversed in quiet Talerian. Their conversation meandered, but now they were wondering about home.

As Sierra had finally found her home, others had lost theirs. These girls would never see their home again. And on losing homes…

“Do you live here as well, Ms. Dalia?” Sierra had asked.

“I do! But don’t worry, they do let us see the sun every so often.” The maid had laughed a little at her own statement.

Sierra would probably never know if Dalia had made it out. But then again, there was a lot she didn’t know. How thorough was the evacuation process? And how many people could truly escape at one time? It was under the water, likely far from any city. With how remote it was… she shuddered. This train of thought was… painful. The Federation’s capacity for destruction was diminished…

But how many needles had already fired their payloads?

One less than if you hadn’t been there.

Well, she couldn’t argue with that. But what if she could’ve done more?

Elaine doesn’t need a savior. She just needs Sierra.

And Sierra needed Elaine…

She waited a while longer. This idleness didn’t suit her, Sierra decided. She would go for a walk.

The flagship had no shortage of crisscrossing corridors to wander through. Sierra meandered for about five minutes, got lost, and then felt bad at the possibility that people were wondering where she was.

She’d try to find the bridge. It was above the hangar, she recalled; if she could find her way there, an elevator could take her up. She passed by plenty of crewwomen going about their business, all having their parts to play in the operation of this massive vessel.

Wasn’t there something Sierra could be doing? Yes, yes, she’d done plenty. Good job and bravo. Cheers all around. But sleep hadn’t come, and she was tired of the waiting. But now she had to wonder if the task she’d put herself up to wasn’t something people wanted her doing. 

It was annoying her. What was annoying her? She wasn’t sure. 

“Are you lost, miss?” It was a crewmember, dressed as they all were. Her auburn hair rested on her shoulders in loose curls.

“I fear I am,” Sierra admitted. “Could you direct me to the bridge?”

The maid nodded happily. “Of course, miss! I was just headed there myself.”

Sierra bowed. “I’m very grateful.”

They made an honest attempt at small talk as they went on.

“What is your role on this ship?” Sierra asked.

“Oh! Well, I’m the captain!” her guide for the moment replied. Sierra blinked in surprise. “Or I was, at least. I’m not quite sure what I am now.”

“Were you the captain long?” Sierra asked.

“Almost ten years, now, if I recall!” That was impressive considering she looked about Sierra’s age. Then again, the changes were capable of a lot of things. “I do have a question, though, if you don’t mind. Actually, two questions!”

They rounded a corner. Things were starting to look familiar. “Ask away,” Sierra replied.

”You are… Ms. Sierra Stinson, right?”

Sierra paused for a moment. “Why… yes, I am.” She was Sierra Stinson. The one who brought Taleria here, and now a big part of the reason these girls couldn’t go home. They reached the hangar, and stepped into an elevator.

The maid stopped before pressing a button. “What… if you don’t mind indulging me… what is it… like, down there?”

Sierra blinked. Well, the question made sense. “Everyone’s experience is different. I… well, I love it there, miss. It is not without its challenges. But the people are so very friendly in a way I was never accustomed to. I-I… am so very sorry you’ll not see your home again. But I very much hope you find where you belong on earth’s surface.”

They shared some thoughtful silence. Eventually, the captain asked, “Do they have X-Dim? If so I could keep in touch with people back home.”

”Their cross-dimensional tech has been severely limited by the blockade, I fear.”

“Oh, that’s okay. The ship has X-Dim! I will have much to update them on.”

Sierra privately hoped they would accept the change. Perhaps it was the change that was making her seem so… unbothered by it all. The conditioning was intense stuff…

The elevator silently glided up to the bridge. The room Sierra stepped out into was probably the closest the ship had to the Talerian imperial palace’s gilded extravagance, though it was still somewhat toned down in comparison. Expansive windows revealed a panorama of space, as well as the rest of the ship stretching out in front of them. More banners were hanging above the windows.

It was… intimidating. Perhaps she should’ve just visited Chloe instead. But Morgan was up there, on the command deck, along with some others from earth that she didn’t recognize. Pilots, if she had to guess. Sierra briefly thought of that duo from Japan she and Elaine had seen on TV. Had they been pressed into service? How many ships did earth have in its flotilla, anyway? The Princeps would make a fine flagship for earth, anyhow. 

Goddess, Morgan and Chloe really had just stolen an entire capital ship, hadn’t they.

“Sierra!” Morgan had taken notice of her and waved. Sitting maids stood up when the captain entered with her; apparently some semblance of hierarchy was being maintained. “Couldn’t sleep?”

“I fear I couldn’t, Ms. Morgan. Is all well up here?”

“As well as waiting around can be, I guess.” Morgan shrugged. “I guess we’re not being shot at, so, like, that’s cool.”

“Maintain decorum, Ms. deGaine,” one of her peers said.

“Yeah, alright,” Morgan replied.

The person who’d told her off turned to face Sierra. Another woman in a space suit. “We’re waiting for news of a ceasefire, according to Madame President.”

“That’s wonderful news!” Sierra exclaimed. Well, as long as the ceasefire wasn’t actually the opposing factions of the Federation setting aside their differences to blow them to smithereens. 

“Isn’t it? But it could take days. And if talks fall through, we’re looking at a more drawn out conflict.”

“Oh.” It was all Sierra could muster. A full scale war tearing into the entirety of the Federation was probably her second worst fear, next to earth’s annihilation. As brutal as this day had been, she knew things could get much worse.

“Try not to worry too much, alright? We’ve all done good work here today.”

Sierra hesitantly nodded. “Very well, ma’am. I will await good news.”

“Attagirl.”

And so Sierra waited. She did eventually get sleep, falling out of consciousness to the sound of quiet Talerian voices discussing the future. The following day was uneventful, with a couple of sympathetic maids finding her menial tasks that could keep her busy. From carefully recalibrating turrets (or watching others do so) to checking the integrity of the ventilation system, Sierra wasn’t bored.

But was she ever restless. She privately wished she could do this waiting at Elaine’s side. She figured they’d probably see that as a security risk, or something, while ships still exchanged fire just out of the atmosphere. Some time, just a little, was spent on the bridge, watching flashes in the distance and wondering who had destroyed who.

Cleaning up all the debris was to be a massive job in and of itself, wasn’t it? And a highly necessary one.

The next day finally brought the news Sierra had been waiting for. Sierra had been watching a model of earth, similar to the one that had been in the war room underground. Going by the spread of red and blue across the holographic planet, things had finally turned in one side’s favor. Federation ships were gradually being forced into a space above the Pacific Ocean, while other pockets of red were snuffed out, one by one.

A grinning pilot came down the elevator from the long range communicator room. They all turned to face her.

“Ladies… they have surrendered.” 

There were cheers from the crowd. The maids, hesitant at first, threw up their hands and cheered as well. Morgan, with tears in her eyes, threw her arms around Sierra, who was also crying.

“Furthermore!” the woman who’d given the announcement said. “Our civilian helpers, who stepped up in the hour of need. Sierra and Chloe, you can go home. In a few days’ time, you will all be recognized for your service. For the time being, though…”

A maid came forward holding two bottles of champagne.

Sierra met Chloe in the hangar. “How was the party, Ms. Sierra?” the latter asked. There were bandages on her neck and upper arms, and surely more in places Sierra couldn’t see. “They didn’t want me hearing too loud noises.”

“I fear I still can’t bring myself to truly enjoy alcohol,” Sierra admitted. “But they limited us to a single glass anyway.” A transport ship awaited nearby. “Are you ready to return home, Ms. Chloe?”

Chloe looked back at the doors leading deeper into the ship. “It was certainly strange to be back here,” she said. “So many people visited me over the past few days. I am lucky to have their camaraderie. I’ll be ready soon, miss… I must say my goodbyes.” A number of maids had come to see them off. Sierra let Chloe exchange words and hugs with them. Nobody ever spoke too loudly. What did the future hold for them? Sierra didn’t have time to wonder, as Morgan came down the elevator.

“Yay, I’m not too late!” she exclaimed. She came over, gently patting Sierra on the head. “I’ll be home, like, soon enough. Say hi to Am for me, won’t you?”

“Of course, Ms. Morgan. I’m so grateful for your being here.”

Morgan blushed and then giggled. “Aw, I hardly did anything though!”

“That is simply untrue, Ms. Morgan. But I believe you already know that.”

She grinned. “Fine, fiiiiine! If you, like, insist.” She cocked her head. “What’ll you be doing now, though?”

“I should like to continue working at Customs and Hospitality, with your superiors’ permission. Other than that… Elaine and I have our whole lives ahead of us.”

Morgan hugged her. “Yay! You’ll be working with us again!” 

Sierra smiled. She’d be working with them again. Once Chloe was finished with her farewells, she and Sierra boarded the transport together. The light at the end of the tunnel had finally arrived, and for once, it wasn’t an oncoming train.

A ship landed on the roof of the Bundeshalle. It was not the same ship as the one that had carried them away from the Coronam Princeps, but rather a suborbital craft, like similar ones Sierra had flown in. She emerged from it, and smiled at those who’d come to greet her; Amelie, Natalie Luxe, Sophie Capet, Dr. Ada Hoffman... even Katrin had shown up, alongside a number of others Sierra didn't immediately recognize. For now, though, her gaze centered in on one person, one the crowd was parting to let through. Sierra ran into the outstretched arms of the waiting Elaine.

Elaine hugged her tight, and Sierra matched her enthusiasm, like she might never let go again.