Mayor for Life, Diana sat back as she fiddled with her console. The soft teal color soothed her eyes and soul as she bounced her voted title between her hands. All she had to do was wait.

Diana took a deep breath to calm her nerves. The assembled people likewise fidgeted. It was past the appointed time and they were the first ones here.

Elected Councillor, President Diana Emir squeezed her fun title between her hands. The ‘Mayor for Life’ title was a commemorative vote for her fifth year in office. It won by a landside as her head of PR had plucked it from an elementary school on the central island.

Diana had laughed so hard that she was pig-snorting when she first found out. She was even giggly when she had accepted the digital award from the student, Isabella Smit.

Ever since then, she had been playing with the title. It had some fun features. You could compress it into a comic sans shape. You could twist it into different colors. It bounced very well, and if you tried to crush it, it turned a wonderful volcanic red.

“Mayoress, we are now at twelve hours. Your orders?” the Vice President and her right-hand woman, Contessa Verde, asked as she placed her hand on her friend’s shoulder.

Diana grimaced as she grabbed her title and began to squeeze. Her wet-works gave her the sensation of crushing a gelatine stress ball as her fingers sank into the title.

They had been waiting here for half a day. The Republic of Laputa was neither the fastest nor the slowest to arrive. On average they were… average.

Diana looked over to her Secretary of Defense. The man nodded back with a scowl. To be honest she didn’t think he ever smiled outside of military parades and or maneuvers.

His screens flickered the most. Streams of data about nothing filled his view as his one good eye met hers. His artificial eye was no doubt full of super-secret data and protocols.

The man was born and bred for military service. He was the eighth generation High General and Secretary of Defense. The title was almost hereditary considering that his family has almost always risen to claim it at some point or another.

Eight generations, eight different Secretary of Defenses. At this point, he probably had more experience leading people then she did, but he rarely intervened in non-military affairs. He kept himself to the military side and only stepped in when protocol demanded it.

Which was often. They lived in dangerous times after all.

Diana sighed as she leaned back into her chair. The title went from a soft colored teal to an angry purple. Its color sloshed about as the stress swirled through her mind and body.

This was a disaster.

For almost a century the various fragments of humanity had met and exchanged. Intercourse for communication, civilization, and communion. It was stupid, but the name had stuck and it was tradition.

Hell, she remembered giggling at the word when she was in middle school.

Diana stood up, the soft chair lifted, and then tilted to help ease her out. She made her way to the wall, where the real-time projection of space was displayed. It was vibrant, the local nebula was a sketch of purple, gold, and red. The many stars dotted the background.

They were alone, however. Her Majesty, the capital ship, and her many escorts floated alone. There was nothing here. No drop pods, no satellites. It was dark and Diana never felt so alone then right now.

There were nearly two dozen. 23 Ragtag groups of survivors that their ancestors had painfully searched out. Space was deep and those desperate days of the Sundering were still felt today.

Humanity’s golden age was over. Hoisted by their own petard, as they had allied and then fallen prey to foreign plots and policies. Even to this day, the Alliance of Allies, the two hundred species-wide entity was still looking for them.

Diana closed her eyes.

No news was also news.

Half a day was long enough. There was no need to pursue unnecessary risks. She was in charge of her people. A high percentage of their military was also present. The losses today would be catastrophic.

Diana returned to her seat. She slowly made eye contact with each person within her cabinet. They met hers and they all gave her a slow nod as they understood her decision.

“We leave. As per Intercourse Protocols, we will leave nothing. Next Intercourse we will send in an automated scout,” Diana said as she felt her convictions settle around her. They all agreed. How rare.

“Let’s go home,” the mayor for life, Elected Councillor, and President of the Republic of Laputa commanded. She didn’t wait for a reply as she swiveled her chair to stare at the wall display.

The next step was to move the Home Fleet. Everyone had to get out in case this meeting, and sector was a trap. The resource costs alone were damning, but there were no alternatives.

The nebula was glowing amidst the darkness. The image was frozen as the quantic warp drives warmed up. Diana sighed as she stared at that still image.

Laputa was like that nebula. A fragile gem in a suddenly darker universe.