The hivemind is conquering for me?

Gabrielle was given permission to land at her destination. landing on the asteroid checkpoint, She did some last minute checks before she went to go find the queen. Said queen was in the kitchen, her hands clasped around a warm drink with her head on the table.

Gabrielle smirked at the scene in front of her before silently walking up to the queen. She was about to be nefarious, until. ”If you yell into my ear right now, I will personally file for your execution.” Elaine said roughly.

Gabrielle was taken aback, her stealth capabilities were nothing to scoff at and she knew she had been silent. Still, she shrugged her shoulders and passed it off as a fluke. ”That’s what you get for going on a week long bender. Hangover and Takot overdose is not a fun combination.”

You couldn’t actually die from taking too much Takot, but the side effects were still pretty bad.

”Yeah, Yeah. I know. Just give me five minutes to freshen up and I will meet you outside.” Elaine said, frowning as the light agitated her eyes. Gabrielle shook her head and replied. ”Very well.” Before making her way to the ship’s exit.

Waiting for her outside was a woman she had placed in command of Hailey’s care while she was doing her service with Olympus. ”Adia. Nice to see you again. Is Hailey ready for us?” Adia saluted, placing her fist above her heart.

”Yes commander, she informed us you would be coming and to be on alert at all times, but forgive me, who else is with you? She mentioned only a guest.” Gabrielle waved her hand in front of herself. ”No need for ’commander’ these days, I have been temporarily removed from my post after all. And it’s not a big deal, just me and the queen have some... business with Hailey that needs to happen.”

Adia nodded her head. ”Oh I see, well in that case-” She paused, Gabrielle could not see Adia’s face through her visor, but she had an idea of the emotion that had infected it. ”Did you say the Queen!”

Before Gabrielle could even reply, Adia took control of the entire base’s communications and ordered. ”Everyone and everything that is breathing on this rock get your asses to the hanger dome NOW! We have a royal visitor!”

...

As Elaine left the ship, she was slightly surprised to find a large force awaiting her. ”Gabrielle, I thought you told me they didn’t know of my arrival.” She said as she put on her standard ’in the masses’ smile and wave.

Gabrielle ran her fingers through her hair and replied. ”Yeah, my bad, I didn’t expect my replacement to just scream into her communicator instead of checking with me first!” She spoke up loudly, causing Adia who was standing front and centre of her column to begin sweating profusely.

”Anyway, you clean up nicely. Are you ready to go in?” Elaine frowned at Gabrielle’s comment. ”You still aren’t going to tell me why I am here? Fine, I’m ready.” She rolled her eyes and walked ahead, ignoring the salute the soldiers were giving her as she passed. It was nothing she hadn’t seen thousands of times after all.

Making their way up to Hailey’s office, Gabrielle knocked on the door and a moment later, an Icey. ”Come in.” Was heard from within. Walking inside, Gabrielle non ceremoniously announced. ”Hey, I brought the queen.”

Elaine then entered the room and attempted not to comment on the décor. It was overly purple, not something she had expected at all. ”Hello Hailey, how have you been? I like your office, its very...”

”Purple? I know, It is Archon Apollo’s favourite colour.” Hailey said, causing Elaine to raise an eyebrow, but didn’t comment further as Hailey gestured towards the chair in front of her desk.

As Elaine sat down, she got right down to business, as fun as her last week was, she still felt something amiss with this meeting. ”I did not expect to hear from you again so soon after my birthday Hailey. Has something happened? Do you require my assistance with something?”

Elaine suddenly heard a thud behind her, said thud being Gabrielle having just jumped on the office couch and was now laying down. ”We are going to be here a while, I am just getting comfy.” She said.

Elaine then turned around, just in time for Hailey to bring out a big binder from her desk and plonked it down right in front of Elaine. ”Yes I do need your help. Desperately. Read the whole thing, don’t be discouraged mid reading. It is important you understand the whole context first.”

Elaine looked at the large binder in front of her and sighed. She still had a massive hangover, but picked up the binder anyway. As Elaine began reading, she was initially shocked, angered, shocked again, frustrated, saddened and confused.

A half hour later, she had read through the entire thing and stood up. ”Are you insane! I cannot sign off on this! This Archon-” She then turned around to Gabrielle. ”Your Son!?! Has broken too many laws for me to sign off on this. If he had come to us beforehand, I might have been able to, but not now. If anything, he should be branded a traitor for what he has done.”

The room suddenly became eerily quiet. Like the air itself was holding its breath Elaine suddenly felt incredibly vulnerable as the two Psionic gifted beings glared daggers at her. Gabrielle was ready to commit high treason, but fortunately Hailey spoke first.

”Yes, his ’crimes’ are quite great, but they were in the past. And besides, you have already pardoned him for those crimes...” Elaine’s head flinched back slightly, the weight of confusion hitting her hard.

”I have not? When would I have- Oh shit!” The incident in the palace courtyard came to her mind. ’By right as queen, I hereby give him my pardon for any crimes he has committed.’ Hailey noticed the look on her stepmother’s face and smiled.

”You have pardoned him from his black biology, therefore he has immunity. Now, can you please get this dispensation approved? I only have a couple months before the enrollment begins at the college.”

Elaine stared at her step daughter for a moment. A million thoughts a second rushing through her head. She turned to the woman she spent the last week with, who was now looking at her like she was public enemy number one.

Turning back to Hailey she spoke. ”Hailey, can I speak to you, alone, for just a moment?” Hailey and Gabrielle exchanged a look that spoke a thousand words before Gabrielle got up and stormed off. ”Call my son a traitor? I’ll show you a traitor when-”

The door shut behind her just before anything incriminating could be heard. Elaine then looked at Hailey and her expression softened. ”Hailey, I am worried about you. This. This!” She picked up the binder. ”Isn’t healthy.”

”This is not something you do for someone you have a crush on, someone you barely even know. Someone clearly involved in criminal activities.” Elaine then looked to the door before leaning in with a hushed tone.

”Is your bodyguard coercing you because this Archon is somehow her son? Which I still don’t fully believe. If she is, I can protect you, you just have to let me.” Elaine then reached her hand over the desk to try and grasp Hailey’s hand, but she pulled away upon close proximity.

”Are you done? Good. No Gabrielle is not coercing me, in fact, I already had this plan in motion before I even found out about that connection. And healthy? My life hasn’t been healthy since my mom died Elaine, but what I feel for Apollo.” She pointed to her heart. ”What I feel here. This is real. This is warmth in the cold. Light in the dark. Fate has crossed our paths numerous times and it is up to me to continue allowing our encounters to bloom in this vast galaxy.

I’m not weak. I am not having my future dictated for me like my father wanted. I choose my path and my path is making my man, the man I chose happy! Do you understand?!?” Hailey had stood up at this point, her hands extended down onto the desk, her shoulders heaving after her emotion became heated from her confession.

Elaine looked on silently for a short while, composing the correct response for her step daughter. ”*Sigh* I both hope and don’t, that my little girl grows up to have your determination. I hope for your sake that he is worth your affection.” ’And that he doesn’t find out how crazy you are...’

Elaine picked up the binder once more and skimmed through. ”I can deal with most of this, but your father is going to have to sign it and I know for a fact he does not like Apollo after the whole Carcer incident.”

Hailey smiled hearing this. ”Don’t worry about Dickon, all you have to do to get him to sign this is...”