Rainy season had arrived to Palangka Raya City, and Tika had forgotten to bring an umbrella.

Grumbling, she eventually decided to wait on the lobby of UESA’s headquarters. She hoped the rain would stop soon — she was incredibly exhausted after another day in the court room, and she wanted to go home already so that she could rest.

A month had passed since Tika and her colleagues’ miraculous escape from Mothership Velrakis. They reported everything that had happened back to the UESA’s higher echelons, including Emperor Velandar’s plan to invade the Earth. The UESA then brought the topic to the UN, and they cancelled all diplomatic relationship with Mothership Velrakis. The UESA even deployed surveillance drones to monitor the edge of their solar system, only to find nothing. It appeared that the Mothership had left the solar system.

Still, that didn’t stop Tika from waking up every morning with a sense of dread and unease that hung over her like persistent clouds. The night terrors that haunted her dreams didn’t help also.

Tika shivered, and put the scary thoughts away from the forefront of her mind. She didn’t want to think about it. It was better if she thought about the trial that had just had happened.

The trial was to decide the fate of Commander Jonathan, who had betrayed his own people and put his colleagues’ life in danger. Whatever his intention was, he did try to harm Tika and her colleagues. He was then stripped of his rank and would be sent to the penal colony on Planet Mars. Even so, Tika couldn’t help but feel sorry for the guy.

“Umbrella?” A familiar voice greeted her. Tika turned, and found Varka walking toward her. They were wearing the UESA uniform, and holding an umbrella in their hand.

“My savior”, Tika teased. The two of them then walked toward the housing complex that stood next to the UESA’s headquarters.

Varka, surprisingly, could adjust to life on Earth better than Tika could imagine. Since living on Earth, Varka became a consultant for the UESA, specifically one that handled interstellar relationship — even more specifically, the one that was related to Mothership Velrakis. They were given various accommodations that every UESA employees had, like a place to stay.

True, many were suspicious of their presence, but Varka always behaved appropriately and politely toward them. They even offered themself to be interrogated, to prove that they would bring no harm to the Earth and the humanity. When it was revealed that they were Indira’s progeny, the suspicion grew before eventually abating into mild curiosity.

Tika glanced toward Varka, and found that they were staring at the grey sky. An odd expression was on their face.

“Theoretically, I know how rain happens. But to feel it… It’s so odd, to see water falling from the sky”, they said, tilting their head.

“You guys don’t have rain in the Mothership?” Tika asked, before realizing her mistake. “Ah— sorry—”

“It’s alright”, Varka reassured her with a small sad smile. “If my memory is correct, there was a Velrakis leader a few generations back, who tried to create artificial rain in the Mothership. The result was… well, let’s say that there is a reason why we don’t have rain.”

Tika didn’t know how to respond. After seeing past all the advanced technologies they had, living inside the Mothership sounded kind of sad. Tika couldn’t even begin to imagine how it felt to live in an enclosed space for literal millennia.

“It’s alright”, Varka repeated. “I understand now, why my father planned to colonize another planet. Living in Velrakis makes us safe from enemies’ attack, but our population cannot grow, limited by its walls. In the end, we are imprisoned by the walls that protect us.”

“Did you…” Tika paused, hesitating. “Does that mean you agree with your father’s plan?”

“Of course not!” Varka returned, horrified. “I don’t—” They rubbed their hair frustratedly. “Ugh, invading and subjugating other being like what my father had imagined is something that is really, really cruel. I will never forgive him if he continues on with his plan.”

“You are very idealist”, Tika said. Sometimes she was impressed by how idealistic Varka was.

Varka sighed. “Sometimes, I wonder if my ideologies are the only thing that I have.”

“There’s nothing wrong with hanging onto your ideologies”, Tika returned.

“And do you know what’s making me sick to my stomach about my father’s plan? Aside from the fact that the Earth is where my mother came from?” Varka asked. “It is you, Kartika. I… honestly can never imagine, a gentle soul like you living under the subjugation of the Anur Arta.”

“You speak as if you’re not an Anur Arta yourself”, Tika said, before, again, realizing her mistake. “Sorry.”

“It’s alright”, Varka said for the third time. “Perhaps I am trying to distance myself from that part of mine. You are right, though — I shouldn’t have done it.”

“Oh.” Tika didn’t know what to say. She decided that a change of topic was necessary. “A gentle soul?”

“Have I told you how amazing you are?” Varka asked. “You changed my life, Kartika.”

“Really?” Tika asked. “It feels like everything I did was taking you away from your home and family.”

Varka smiled gently. “You see? You made me see that I am more than my ideologies, and you still worry about me.”

“Well…” Tika blushed. “If it helps, you changed my life too, Varka.”

Varka blinked, as if surprised. But they smiled once again, and the two of them continued to walk to the housing complex.

It was still raining lightly.

“Wanna come over?” Tika asked once they arrived at the lobby and Varka closed their umbrella.

“Can you make me that tea from last week?” Varka asked in return.

“You like vanilla tea?” Tika blinked, not expecting Varka to enjoy the odd taste of tea that Tika liked very much.

Varka’s face turned a deeper shade of purple. “It smells nice. Like you”, they answered, and Tika could feel her own face turning a deeper shade of red.

As soon as they arrived in Tika’s living quarter, she made tea for the two of them. Varka chose to sit on a tall stool in the kitchenette, while eyeing Tika’s succulent collection that lined on the windowsill. It was not the first time Varka came over, but it still felt somewhat odd, that she didn’t feel odd by Varka’s presence in her living quarter.

“Here”, Tika said while handing over a mug to them. A fluffy kitten was painted on it, and Varka smiled in absolute delight both at the tea and the kitten. Tika took her own mug, which was painted with a smiling sun, and held it in her hand, allowing its warmth to seep into her skin.

“Life on Earth is so odd and quaint”, Varka said, all of a sudden. “I like it very much.”

“Well, we don’t have replicator technology or whatever, so yes, we need to make our own food”, Tika returned with a snort. “Even though I’m somewhat convinced that it won’t take long until we have our own replicator technology.”

“Oh?” Varka perked up in interest. “Did Indah manage to understand its inner workings?”

“Mm-hmm”, Tika nodded. “I think she’s going to try to make it, right this very moment.”

Varka laughed. “If there’s anyone on Earth who can make a replicator unit from scratch, Indah would be it.”

Tika smiled, sipping at her tea. Warmth filled her entire body, and a comfortable silence hung between them. Rain was still falling outside.

And in that moment, Tika realized why she felt completely comfortable when she was around Varka, spending time in silence while the two of them basked in each other’s presence. But she also realized that sometimes, there were words to say to make it real.

And those words were—

“Varka”, Tika called Varka’s name, shattering the silence between them. “I love you.”

Varka smiled and pulled Tika’s hand, linking their fingers together. Varka’s skin was cold and had odd texture, but Tika didn’t mind it at all. This was Varka, and she loved them completely.

“I know”, Varka returned. “I love you too, Kartika.”

Tika smiled wide, and she couldn’t resist the laugh that seemed to burst out of her chest. Happiness pulsed under her skin, like a lukewarm tiny star, and in that moment, it felt that her and Varka were the only beings in their little universe.

“Did you know”, Varka said all of a sudden. “Right now, we are doing something highly inappropriate for Anur Arta.”

“Oh”, Tika blinked, and her mind flashed to the intimate gesture between Emperor Velandar and Avamar — and from there, the star inside her chest seemed to turn into a black hole that sucked away every joy and warmth that she felt. Emperor Velandar’s plan to invade the Earth. Commander Jonathan and Avamar’s attempt to kill her. The fact that the Earth was still not fully safe from the threat of invasion. Her nightmares—

“Tika. Kartika”, Varka’s soft voice pulled Tika out of the darkest corner of her mind. “Hey, it’s okay. Everything’s going to be okay.”

“Is it?” Tika asked, almost too quietly. “It feels like we’re counting days for an invasion.”

“If that day comes”, Varka said, their voice firm. “If Velrakis does invade the Earth, then the two of us will face it together, along with those who will rise to fight.”

“They are your people”, Tika reminded them.

“If they follow my father’s order to invade the Earth, then they are no longer kin to me”, Varka said. “I may be born and raised an Anur Arta, but never forget that I’m a human too.”

Tika sighed and pressed her forehead to Varka’s, her eyes falling shut. Varka’s words calmed her, somewhat, and their presence grounded her. There was no doubt in Tika’s mind that Varka would never betray their ideologies, even if it meant they had to fight against their own people.

And if that day did come, all that she could do was to be by their side.