Maddy wasn't one to get nervous but this time she could feel the sweat beads building even before they condensed on her skin. As she nervously wiped her brow and began thinking of what she would say when called upon, Maddy was unceremoniously brought back to reality. A reality that included being the mother of a one-year-old child. A reality that also included a nearly instantaneous redeposit of her son's (mostly) liquid lunch directly onto her torso.

Gus, standing safely off to Maddy's side, caught all of that without catching any of that. Gus tried his best to hide his laughter. It wasn't working. As Maddy looked at him with utter contempt, Gus responded by covering his mouth, laughing harder and pointing at the regurgitated baby goo dripping off of her. "You are not helping! she said with a hushed growl and a soul-searing look."Sometimes I think I have two infants I'm raising! She said in a hushed angry tone, nervously looking to her left and right wondering who else might have witnessed the Infant-o-Disaster. Her custom-designed, expensive black dress now had a broad swath of white exquisitely featured across her chest. Gus, who was now in a better position to fully appreciate the magnitude of Sage's expulsion, was literally turning red holding back his laughter in a room filled with beings that communicated silently. Tired of his antics and using her free arm, Maddy elbowed him in the gut with considerable force. Predictably, her action produced an equal and opposite reaction that resulted in an intense release of internal comedic pressure.

"Bwaaahhhaaaa!" Gus bellowed involuntarily.

Naturally, all eyes in the room suddenly fixated on both of them. After a few seconds, Gus faded into the background as Maddy's spectacular wardrobe malfunction took center stage. Despite the searing pain in his ribs and stomach, Gus still managed to maintain a smile. After a few seconds of severe embarrassment, Maddy's demeanor quickly softened as she looked down at Sage and was taken over by his big blue eyes and oversized cheeks smiling up at her.

If he doesn't care, why should I?

Maddy decided to own the moment, regurgitated mess and all. With all eyes still upon her, she held Sage tightly to her side, looked up, closed her eyes, and raised her free arm upward with a clenched fist. Almost immediately, the previously muted congregation erupted in cheers and applause and in obvious unanimous "agreement" with her unspoken sentiment. It truly was a magnificent day.

Through it all, Chairman Quintavius was grinning as widely as his small mouth would allow. He decided to use that moment of universal joy and relief to kick off the festivities for this very special gathering of the Sektor V Council.

"Welcome everyone!" Quintavius stated verbally, for effect.

Which, predictably, had the desired result of immediately getting everyone's attention. Once he had it, he returned to the telepathic communication protocols the Councilmembers were accustomed to.

"Today is a historic day for all of Sektor V. All too often in recent years we have held emergency sessions of this Council to deal with issues of loss, pain, and suffering..."

"Not today, my friends!" he communicated enthusiastically with a smile. "Today, we turn the chapter on hatred, intolerance, violence, and oppression. We open a new book that focuses on healing, compassion, and cooperation. Today, we welcome our new brothers and sisters from Terra, The Outerworlds as well as new Leadership from Zeta Reticulon. I ask now that you join me in giving them a warm Sektor V welcome!"

The Chairman then stepped back from the main speaking podium and motioned Madeleine Wilhelm, Dietra Bitrall, and Quesla Tantoon from the Outerworld Rial to take center stage as the newest members of the Sektor V Council. As they individually began to take their places, the applause and cheering went to another, much higher, level. Tiru Flireen and Trace Bitrall could be seen off to the side hugging each other in an embrace so fierce that it would have taken down a Terran Grizzly bear. Given the overt outpouring of emotion throughout the hall, it was apparent that the overwhelming majority of existing members were genuinely happy to welcome these new, diverse, and progressive candidates to their Council.

As the enthusiastic welcome began to subside, the Chairman re-took center stage...

"I cannot tell you how long I have waited for this moment...

A moment that has given us newfound hope...

A moment that simultaneously adds to our diversity and unites us against fear, intolerance, and hatred..."

After briefly looking down to gather his thoughts the Chairman continued.

"I also wish to take this opportunity to do something I had hoped to be able to do long ago...

I am an old soul...

I have witnessed many, many, MANY solar cycles.

Some may even say far too many solar cycles!" he added with a smile.

Quintavius paused and looked down. After a few seconds, he turned his attention towards the newly seated Sektor V Councilmembers.

"After an extended period as serving as your Leader, I have decided to stand down. And, as is my right as Sektor V Chairman, I offer my choice for a successor...I present you with Chancellor Madeleine Wilheim, of Terra.

The room went still. It was as if the Chairman had (literally) sucked the air out of the entire room.

Within seconds, the mental chatter in the room ramped up. It was a jumbled mixture of surprise, concern, and disapproval.

"How could a new Councilmember serve as Chair?"

"She barely knows of our existence, and now she is to run the entire Sektor?"

"The Chairman has lost his mind!"

The Chairman "heard" other similar mental tributes echoing throughout the session hall. There were so many individual thoughts bouncing about it was quickly becoming a mental cacophony. This is to be expected, he thought to himself. After waiting a moment to give everyone the opportunity to (proverbially) speak their minds, the Chairman abruptly put an end to the cranial chaos.

"ENOUGH!" he stated verbally. The volume and force of his voice surprised everyone in the room, including himself. The room quickly came to a standstill.

Before resuming, Quintavius briefly paused and let out an audible, deep exhale.

"I fully understand your apprehension. I truly do," he communicated telepathically. "However, none of you, perhaps save for Gus Lebanchek, know Madeleine as I do. She is a remarkable Human Being. She has the strength of character I could only wish to possess. What she lacks in Sektor V experience, she makes up a hundredfold in courage, empathy, and a willingness to fight to the very end for what is right and just."

The room remained motionless.

"Of course, she will need a guiding hand and I will not leave her side until she is ready, however long that may take. She will need all of us ...to teach her our customs, our politics, and the many ways of our many worlds. But what she may lack in hands-on experience with Sektor V customs and traditions, she makes up with her selflessness and a remarkable capacity to truly listen. Moreover, and perhaps most importantly, Madeleine Wilheim has experienced tremendous personal and societal loss that most of us cannot even begin to fathom. And through it all, she, along with her brave colleagues, have not only managed to survive but have somehow come out stronger in the end. This Council needs her strength. This Council needs a Leader who has the will to never give up and the capacity to never forget. Sektor V needs solutions to problems that are not encumbered by our past limitations and failures. Sektor V needs Madeleine Wilheim!"

Throughout his moving speech, the Chairman did not dare to look in the direction of Maddy or Gus. He did this purposefully since he knew that he would have only one chance to make his case with the Council. He knew that if he looked and took in her reaction, whatever it might have been, it very well could have had the undesirable effect of derailing the focus he simply had to maintain. Nevertheless, Quintavius was fully aware that he had just taken an enormous risk. He hoped, no, he prayed that Madeleine would accept what he was offering. As he finally looked in her direction, Quintavius literally felt his heart skip a beat.

Meeting his gaze, Maddy stood up. With pursed lips and two individual tears running down each cheek, she tried to hold back her full range of emotions. Looking across the hall at her galactic peers she wondered:

Will they accept me? Will they give me a chance?

Before they could mentally respond, Maddy gave them the one thing all sentient beings could universally understand...a genuine display of heartfelt emotion. Repeating her actions from before, Maddy closed her eyes and raised her fist skyward. As she held her pose, applause and cheers steadily grew until the noise in the hall was deafening.

As Maddy stood tall, she opened her eyes and looked at the Chairman. Her expression said it all, but knowing her audience she would make it abundantly clear to everyone who was listening... "I am in," she thought. "I am all in!"