It was the long kind of war – waged by weary travelers and alien invaders, both convinced that once all the shots had been fired that there would be something left that they could call theirs.

They weren't wrong.

That's what Jun Yang thought to himself as he peered out of the large viewport on his ship, the Democracy. Beyond the viewport was a stunning view of the Zheng He system, bluish-white light from its young star shining brilliantly through dust clouds and remnants of asteroidal debris. The Nexus glistened in the foreground.

The Nexus had completed construction in 2828, ten years after its arrival in Heleus, and just nine years after the Arks had arrived. By 2831, the Nexus had achieved its goal of becoming the hub of a multi-system expansion into the Andromeda galaxy.

But it was not an easy first decade for the Initiative. Their first two years in the Heleus cluster were mired with missteps, mutiny, death, and an alien aggressor that nearly wiped out the Andromeda Initiative. The human Pathfinder, Scott Ryder, and the crew of the scout ship, Tempest, defeated the Archon, but that was hardly the end of the Initiative's conflict with the kett.

The war raged for more than a decade. But it was a peculiar sort of war. The conflict with the kett kept a strange ebb and flow. At times their numbers seemed hopelessly depleted, and the fighting seemed at an end. Then, just before the last of their forces could be defeated, there would be a surge in kett activity in another part of the cluster.

This kept on for twelve years. And only now, did it finally seem like it was coming to an end for good. Or so Yang hoped.

"Director Yang," said a cool, professional sounding female voice over the ship's intercom. "Ms. T'Vessa has just come aboard, and she'll be ready for you momentarily."

Yang was pulled out of his thoughts, and instinctively glanced over his shoulder.

"Thank you," said Yang. "Send her in whenever she's ready."

Yang was in his forties, bald, and had a stern jaw. He was predominantly Chinese, mixed with hints of European and Native American heritage. He was wearing a formal, but modern looking black and gray suit.

He stood stoic in front of the viewport, hands clasped behind his back.

Yang took over the position of Director for the Initiative in 2829, after Jarun Tann died of natural causes. His meteoric rise to power in Heleus took nearly everyone by surprise. Prior to his selection as Director, he had led the nation of Advent, spurring them to unprecedented growth on Eos, even surpassing the Initiative's official colonization efforts in Prodromos.

He rose to prominence behind enormous public support, and was selected to the position of Director with few detractors among the Initiative population, but not without making a few political enemies in the Nexus leadership.

Now the weight of the Initiative's future rested on him. The war with the kett was winding down, the colonies were beginning to thrive, and for the first time people were calling into question how much longer the Initiative – a private organization – should stay in power.

There were many who felt the Initiative had already stayed in control too long. Support was quickly growing among a movement calling for the Initiative to disband, or at least to relinquish executive type power to a cluster-wide, if not galaxy-wide, government.

It was a move Yang supported, in theory. Part of his popularity among the Initiative population in Heleus was garnered because he was vocal about the need for a central government. But his fervor for democracy as a political outsider met with the difficult pressures of being in a position of executive authority during a time of war. If he attempted to transition the Initiative out of power now, during war time, it could prove disastrous.

It had been three years since his appointment as Director. He faced criticism from both sides – those that felt he was attempting to sweep aside the Initiative in haste, and those that felt he was moving too slowly. He had a scant few political moves left.

Today he would be facing the latest round of questions from HNS reporter Keri T'Vessa, who had come aboard his private ship to discuss the future of the Initiative.

These sorts of long form, one-on-one interviews were rare, and therefore crucial to his efforts to maintain positive public opinion of the Initiative. A mistake could be costly, but a strong showing was invaluable. In something of a bold move, Yang insisted that the interview be aired live.

The doors to his cabin slid open behind him. Keri T'Vessa entered wordlessly.

At first, Yang didn't greet her. He didn't even turn around. His hands stayed clasped behind his back, and his gaze stayed fixed on Zheng He and the Nexus.

"Did you know that blue stars have a much shorter life span than red ones?" asked Yang.

He could hear her footsteps behind him as she approached the viewport. She walked across the mahogany wood floor in the center of the room, then stopped just short of the carpeted area on the viewing deck.

"Astronomy was never my strong suit in school," said Keri. "But I think I might have heard that before, yes."

Yang still didn't face her.

"Blue stars are much brighter also," he said. "They die faster, but they burn brighter."

"One might say it's fitting," said Keri.

"One might," said Yang.

There was a comfortable pause, and then Yang finally turned to face her. He gave a warm, easy smile and nodded courteously.

"Welcome, Ms. T'Vessa," said Yang. "And thank you for coming."

Keri was wearing a blue and white dress, long and fitted, formal and not unflattering to her figure. She smiled back at him, and returned the nod.

"Thank you for having me," she said. "This is an incredible vessel."

"Did they give you the tour?"

"Not yet, but I'd be happy to have a better look around."

"We'll see to it after our chat."

Yang extended his arm out to his side, gesturing towards the sitting area in the center of the cabin.

The cabin was immaculate. Fine hardwood floors, plush carpets, marble-top credenzas, and finely upholstered furniture. In the center of the cabin, a finely woven rug was laid out over the hardwood, and two chairs were set facing each other at an angle.

They both walked towards the chairs.

"And the Democracy… that's under, Colonial Affairs budget, is that right?" asked Keri.

"Are we on the record already, Ms. T'Vessa?" asked Yang.

"I'd like it to be."

"Then I'll happily say this vessel has been instrumental in the Nexus's outreach efforts with the colonies, spending 287 days in the last calendar year on missions to foster a greater cooperative culture in Heleus, and advocating for a purposeful move to democracy throughout the cluster."

"That might be a good topic to start with."

They both took a seat. Keri tapped a data pad and a camera drone that she had set by the door sprung to life. It zipped across the room spryly, and then bobbed up and down before settling in one spot to hover in front of them.

A light on the front of the drone switched on.

"Are you ready to begin?" asked Keri.

Yang leaned back into his chair and nodded. "Please."

Keri held up three fingers, then two, then one, in perfect cadence. A red light on the drone turned on.

"Hello and welcome to Reflections and Conversations," said Keri in a warm, natural tone. "I'm Keri T'Vessa and I'm honored today to be joined by the Director of the Andromeda Initiative, Jun Yang, to discuss the current state of the kett conflict, and the future of the Initiative."

"I'm glad we could do this," said Yang. "It's a pleasure to be with you."

"The pleasure is all mine," replied Keri. "Let's jump right into things… we're just a couple of months beyond the twelve year mark in the kett conflict, and reports are that kett troop density is at an all time low, in all systems – given that, how confident are you that we are finally seeing an end to this war?"

"We're close," said Yang. "I know… that, this has been a hard twelve years. Many sacrifices have been, and our enemy has shown a resiliency that no one could have anticipated. We were never meant to be an army, not trained for war, but despite that, against all odds, we have prevailed."

"But have we prevailed?" Keri interjected. "Truly? How close are we?"

"We're in the process now of rooting out the last remaining kett bases in key systems," said Yang. "Of course I can't discuss the details, but as we speak there are Pathfinder teams in the course of some key operations."

"And what of the Pathfinder teams? You've expanded their reach beyond the original four teams. Are they adjusting well to playing the role of paramilitary squad, as well as explorers?"

Yang shook his head amicably. "They are not paramilitary."

"But aren't they?" Keri countered. "The sorts of operations–"

"The sorts of operations they are doing are not appropriately handled by anyone else in the Initiative. They are uniquely equipped to survey and respond to new territories, potentially compromised by hostile threats."

"That sounds like boilerplate rhetoric."

"That is is an accurate description of a nuanced mission, that is, in fact, unprecedented, not only in the history of the Initiative in Andromeda, but perhaps in the history of mankind. We have faced unique threats in Andromeda, and adapted unique solutions driven by multi-disciplinary personnel."

"With most of the Heleus systems charted, and – as you describe it, the Kett War winding down – do you believe the Pathfinders will always have a place in the Initiative?"

"I believe they are heroes, in the truest sense of the word. They have become our paragons, the ones we needed most, at the time we needed them most. Andromeda, not just the Initiative, will rely on the talents of Pathfinders for a long time into the future."

"It sounds like you're cognizant of a time when the Initiative may no longer be shaping the future of Andromeda. That brings me to our next topic, a very important one in the minds of many of our viewers. When will it be time for the Initiative to step aside, and allow the formation of a galactic government?"

"That is the inevitable future for Andromeda, as I have always said. The Initiative has been, and currently still is, the best steward of our future in Heleus, and throughout the galaxy. But a long term solution will be build around the democratic process, and representative government."

"We're all well aware of your position, Director Yang, you stated it quite clearly as President of Advent and as you campaigned for the Initiative Director position. But it's been three years since you've taken your post, and yet, here we are, still under the auspices of the Initiative."

"And still at war, might I–"

"But you just said the war was over."

"I said the war was ending."

There was a brief pause, not tense, but certainly telling. Yang pressed his gaze, almost daring Keri to break the silence.

"And what will the process look like?" asked Keri. "Once the war is over."

Yang interlocked his fingers in front of him, and looked down to pause pensively.

"I believe, the process must involve the colonies," he said. "Any process of establishing a government in Heleus will need the leaders who have already succeeded in the efforts of local government here."

"You've said that before, Director, but you've never given any specifics. Please, elaborate on what you mean. How precisely will the colonial leaders be involved?"

"These things do require time to evolve naturally, and they require careful discussion with those involved. Laying out details here would be imprudent–"

"I'm not asking for you to commit yourself, but in a general sense, what sort of proceedings do you foresee?"

"Well, in a general sense, I think that a convention to draft a constitution would be a proper foundation. And a great start to that process would be inviting the colonial leaders, or their duly appointed representatives, to participate on a rules committee for the convention, so they have say-so in the formal process that will be used to determine our constitutional framework."

"I'm sure many people in the colonies will be very glad to hear that."

Yang nodded slightly, and barely gave the hint of a smile. The exchange hadn't been unfavorable for him so far, but Keri T'Vessa was talented.

It was obvious the opening topic would center around the war, but she was wise to immediately follow it with questions about the formation of a government and the Initiative relinquishing authority. One of the primary pro-Initiative arguments was the need for stability during the war, even Yang had used it frequently. But following answers he'd just given about how well the war was going, this argument would either come off less convincing or two-faced.

He technically gave the correct answers, stressing the fact that the war was ending, but not yet over. And he left no room for doubt that Andromeda would have a democratically elected government. But she had still constructed the contrast she wanted.

The brief diversion onto the topic of the Pathfinders was unexpected. She seized on it only because he mentioned it; in some sense, it was smart of her, since the increasing militarization of the Pathfinder teams had become mildly controversial. But she cast herself into the role of antagonist when it came to the galaxy's most prominent heroes, not an easy position to argue from. It was tricky to maintain the necessary divisions between ambassador-explorers and special forces troops, but in reality that distance could be entirely rhetorical. He insisted on their heroism, and gave the technically accurate sterile descriptions of their contradictory roles – enough to stifle most dissension about their increasingly military focus.

On the matter of how he would make good on his promise to 'include the colonies' in the formation of a central government, Keri was most skillful. Yang hadn't meant to reveal any particular plans, and while he only spoke in vague terms to what was already assumed anyway, it would give the colonies added leverage in negotiating details, since his public commitment to having them on the convention rules committee would mean he couldn't back off from that offer. It would, however, gain him even more public popularity, as it showed him as being open to local government involvement. This would place pressure on the colonial leaders to work with him, or he could cast them as the ones being difficult, and potentially threaten their re-election chances.

Yang admired Keri's tenacity, and her sharp line of questioning. She was no push over. And that's precisely what he needed. No matter how hard she pushed him, he would never do worse than batting .500, and that would also add to his credibility. He would have taken on a live, long form interview, without receiving any topics or questions in advance, opposite a seasoned and respected investigative journalist. It would only further serve his reputation of being honest and transparent. No matter what, Keri would serve his purposes just by doing the interview.

–

It was an hour and fifteen minutes later before they reached their final topic for the evening. Yang still had an easy, subtle smile on his lips, hands clasped together comfortably in front of him.

Keri showed only the slightest signs of fatigue, but the extended bout of rhetorical tactics hadn't been easy.

"So, Director Yang, let me close on a very important topic," she said. "The majority of Heleus systems have been charted. Although there is still much exploring to do on many planets, some have begun to ask, 'what's next?' In the Milky Way, society expanded throughout the galaxy. And yet, in more than a decade in Andromeda, we're confined to only one cluster."

Yang knew this topic would come up. It was a savvy move on her part to save it for last.

He nodded his appreciation for her question. "Exploration is why we came here."

He purposefully kept his reply brief, letting silence build to punctuate his next remarks. Keri eyed him carefully, being sure to keep quiet so he would keep talking. But Yang always intended to keep talking, this was a point he had had well rehearsed in his mind.

"There is something, within the human spirit, that yearns for exploration," he said, carefully, deliberately. "There's something deep within us that needs to make meaning from chaos, shine light into darkness, venture past what is known, and reveal truth behind mysteries. It is our destiny. I assure you, I assure all the people of Andromeda, that the Pathfinders will lead us beyond the Heleus cluster. Today, we have many challenges, here, in Heleus. We can say with pride, that this is our home. It has not been easy to earn the right to call this place home, and much work is still ahead of us. But the expansion of the Pathfinder team, our construction of new state-of-art scout ships and retrofitting of original Initiative scout ships, shows our strong commitment to exploration. We came here to explore Andromeda, all of it – and that's exactly what we're going to do."