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"We have reached extended orbit, captain."
Captain Tar'Ub tapped idly at their console. "Understood." They brought up a closer view of the planet ahead of them. "You are certain we won't get detected?"
"As certain as I can be, captain," science officer Nas'In said. "Our reconnaissance drones have reported no ability for the inhabitants to detect anything this far out. Their satellites are not advanced enough, nor are their ground arrays. Assuming that has not changed since the last report, we should be in the clear."
That had to be good enough. There were always a lot of uncertainties when approaching a new inhabited planet. "What do they call this planet?" they asked.
"According to transmissions we have managed to access, they have called it Earth."
The captain paused. "Like dirt? Soil?"
"Affirmative, captain."
"Yet another one..." The various alien species they had encountered often seemed to lack imagination, and had just named their planet some variation of 'the ground'. "So what do the natives call themselves? Earthlings?"
"Negative, captain. Unless we've gotten the translation wrong, they're called humans."
At least that was something. "Any word from the fleet?"
"No change in orders, captain," communications officer Sul'Ek said.
"Understood. Recap the report," they ordered.
"Yes, captain." Intelligence officer Ler'Am tapped a few keys on their console. "The population is about seven billion. They are currently at the level of starting to figure out computers, AI, and space technology. Nothing terribly advanced yet. Their weaponry seems fairly low-tech in general. They have population centres all around the planet, indicating that they are quite adaptable. There are signs that they might be somewhat aggressive, but it is too early to make a definite conclusion."
The captain followed along. They had skimmed the report on the way here, but it was better to have it told by someone who knew what they were talking about.
"How far away from interstellar flight are they?"
"It is hard to say for sure. They have some basic spacecraft, but have yet to take a crewed flight further than their own moon. We estimate it's likely to take at least another century. That is assuming they don't suffer any major setbacks. Their current level of pollution could be catastrophic."
So they had arrived with time to spare. When an intelligent species was starting to make their way into space, it was important to monitor them. And decide whether any action should be taken. It didn't seem like they had to worry about this one just yet. With the amount of noise this planet produced, it was inevitable that someone would pick up on it eventually. Luckily an array had discovered them before the locals could go out and find someone on their own. Tar'Ub's ship was the first crewed scout vessel sent to the planet.
"Any value in the planet itself?"
"There are valuable resources present, about the levels expected. Nothing particularly extraordinary. We should be able to walk around without any additional life-support, but I would not recommend it. The difference in atmosphere might have adverse effects with long-term exposure. Not to mention possible airborne pathogens to contend with, even if in theory they shouldn't be able to interact with our biology. It is hard to be certain when it comes to alien life. Not to mention that the level of geological activity, and climate differences between seasons can make it hostile to stay for an extended time. The natives have to be pretty hardy to not only put up with it, but thrive in spite of it."
So it was probably not worth the effort to mine or settle. Maybe conquering it was an option before they became too advanced. But that wasn't their call. Their mission was to monitor, and report what they found back to those who actually made decisions. Hopefully they would be able to discover something useful.
"Captain! Something small is approaching. Very, very quickly."
"A ship?"
"Based on size of the natives, it is too small for that."
The captain brought it up on their own console. It was moving very fast indeed. "A projectile?"
"They're not supposed to have any planetary defences. What do we do, captain?"
"Shields up. Ready the engines." It wasn't so fast that they wouldn't be able to outrun it if they had to, but they'd basically have to go at full speed. "Get a proper reading on it." It was getting very close, so they didn't have long to decide whether to fly away or not. They had orders to not engage in combat, but if there was no other choice...
"It's slowing down."
"What? You're sure it's not a ship?"
"I... I'm not-"
"Hello? Is this working?"
A foreign voice suddenly spoke to them, and everyone froze.
"Can they hear me? Can you hear me?"
"Who is that?" The captain demanded. "Where is it coming from?"
"I'm not sure." The communications officer seemed a little nervous. "I'm not getting any incoming signal." Yet they all still heard it.
"It is just a hunch, but I think it's coming from that." The science officer brought up a big screen for them all to see. It zoomed in until they could see a pink dot hanging in space between them and the planet. Zooming in further let them see the shape. "I could not hazard a guess as to how it's there, but it looks like a human."
"Ahem." The voice started speaking again. "I hope you can hear this. I'm Maru- I mean, I'm magi- uh, let me start over. I'm Guardian Aya. I would... uh... like to speak to your leader. Could I come on board, please?"
There were a lot of questions that presented themselves. How had they been discovered? How was the human able to move through space without a ship? What did they mean by 'guardian'? And how were they able to speak their language?
"Can we respond?"
"I'm not sure, but I can try."
* * *
~What do you mean aliens?~
~BEINGS FROM ANOTHER PLANET. WE HAVE DETECTED A SHIP APPROACHING.~
~Like a UFO? A flying saucer?~
~NO, WE HAVE IDENTIFIED IT. IT IS NOT SAUCER SHAPED.~
The Guardians projected an image into Aya's mind. It looked a bit like an arrowhead with a blunt tip.
~And you want me to go out there and meet them?~
~CORRECT.~
~No way! Not me, definitely not me. I can't be humanity's first contact with an alien race!~
~YOUR DUTY IS TO PROTECT THIS WORLD AGAINST ANY EXTERNAL THREATS. THE ALIENS ARE A POTENTIAL THREAT. YOU NEED TO FIND OUT.~
~But why me? Shouldn't some official diplomat do it? I just can't.~
~YOU ARE THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN.~
* * *
Aya hadn't been in space since the final battle. Nor had she been before then. It had been an unprecedented event. The series finale, if you thought about it in anime terms. Yet she was back, both as a magical girl, and in space. Part of her had always wished it wasn't over. That was probably what they meant by 'be careful what you wish for'.
It hadn't mattered back then, but since she was now older she wondered, and worried about how she was able to breathe. How she didn't feel too cold, or too warm. To her it felt just like being within Earth's atmosphere. But there was a voice in the back of her head panicking about being out there, so far from everything, with the whole universe wanting to crush her. The only thing close by was the alien spaceship in front of her. With the lack of any meaningful up or down in space, she had oriented herself by the position of the ship. Hopefully she hadn't misjudged which part was the top, and which was the bottom. Maybe they were looking at her upside down.
There was a certain elegance to it. A cold beauty. The ship had travelled across the stars to come to Earth. And Aya had to find out why. She hoped they had heard her, and understood her. The Guardians said the magic would be able to translate between them. Not really by translating the words as such, but by delivering the meaning of what she said directly to their minds. And it should work in reverse as well. All she could do was wait for a response.
But if they hadn't heard her, then surely they wouldn't respond. How long had she been waiting? Should she try again? What if they decided to attack? Could she even fight aliens? Even if they weren't human, they were still people. If she destroyed their ship, they would die. Or maybe they had weapons capable of killing her. She had never thought of destroying the invaders as killing. Magical girls didn't kill. That was what she had always believed. Even when she had fought other threats it had never led to that. If it had been possible to defeat someone without vanquishing them, then she had found a way. But what could she do in the vacuum of space?
I shouldn't have come here. She felt terribly exposed. The Guardians had advised her to change her outfit to look more like a space suit, even if it didn't actually matter what it looked like in terms of protection. They had said it was to seem less suspicious. As if someone flying through space on their own wasn't already suspicious in and of itself. Though it made her feel a little better to actually have a helmet on. Astronaut girl Aya. Magical astronaut Aya.
Even so... Uuuuuu~, I want to go home.
"Mysterious guardian entity, state your mission."
Aya would have jumped if it was possible. "M-my mission?" The voice had sounded gravely serious, but not inhuman. She remembered she had practised what to say beforehand. "I am here as a representative of humanity. My mission is to... uh..." She hadn't exactly had a lot of time to prepare, but she did her best to recall her notes. "To ascertain the reason for your arrival." There. That sounded professional. Hopefully.
So they had heard her. And understood her. And she had heard, and understood their response. Maybe that should have been a relief, but she felt even more nervous than before. She had just spoken to an alien.
"Could I... um... requesting permission to come on board. Please." She tried asking again. It felt increasingly uncomfortable to just hang in open space while staring at an alien spaceship.
Waiting for a response felt awkward. Time seemed to pass so slowly.
"Very well. Proceed to the airlock on the port side."
"Right." Aya hesitated.
~Which side is port?~
~THE LEFT.~
~Okay.~
~NO, THE SHIP'S LEFT. CURRENTLY ON YOUR RIGHT.~
Aya adjusted her course. Hopefully the aliens hadn't noticed that she had started going the wrong way. At least no one could tell whether she was blushing with embarrassment. Maybe she should borrow a book about ships from the library later, just in case it ever came in handy again.
When she approached the side of the ship, she spotted what she thought most looked like a door, and headed for it. Hoping she wasn't about to make a fool of herself again. She wondered for a moment how to open it, when suddenly it started moving, and opened itself. It made sense that they had a way to open it from the inside. The weird part was how it made no sound. When she thought about it, it had been the same in the final battle. It had been entirely silent aside from her own thoughts. She had simply been too busy to really make note of it.
Entering the airlock felt a bit like entering a trap. It was quite cramped. The airlock door shut behind her, and sound returned as the room pressurised. A very noisy hiss.
They made her wait for decontamination, while instructing her to not remove her suit while on the ship. Once all that was complete, the inner door opened, and she actually got to see the aliens. Hopefully the little gasp that escaped her didn't come across as inappropriate.
Above the waist the aliens were fairly humanoid. The head had two eyes, two ears, and a mouth, though it was hard to tell whether they had a nose. They were hairless, but had some ridges on top of their head that looked to be uniquely shaped for each of them. Their skin looked a little rough, and they all were some hue of reddish-brown. They had two arms, hands with four fingers, and looked bulkier than most humans. However below the waist they had four legs that resembled an X in how they spread out from the torso, and then bent straight down at the knees. It was hard to make out much detail since the uniform covered them up, and the feet had black boots on. She wondered whether they were tricky to put on.
Also of note was that the aliens were quite short. Even the tallest of them fell a bit short of Aya's mere 156 centimetres. They looked to be 150 at most. She was not used to being the tallest person in the room.
The uniforms were either grey and green, or grey and blue, with some difference in patterns maybe indicating rank or position. There was one, and only one, that was grey and red.
"I am Tar'Ub, captain of this vessel," they said.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Mar-" Aya stopped herself. She almost did it again. "Aya. I'm Aya."
"Well, Mar'Aya. I must ask that you relinquish any weapons before we proceed."
Mar'Aya? Had she already messed up? "N-no, just Aya."
"Hm? Very well, Just'Aya. Please relinquish any weapons in your possession before we proceed," they repeated.
Things weren't off to a great start. Any weapons? I sort of am the weapon. She considered saying that she didn't have any, but then remembered her rod. While she was loathe to give it up in such a foreign place, it would probably count as a gesture of goodwill. She took it out of her magic pocket, and placed it where they indicated.
She wished she had paid more attention when her little sister wanted them to watch science fiction shows together. Maybe then she wouldn't feel quite so lost.
* * *
Tar'Ub eyed the strange weapon that Just'Aya gave up. It was the same colour as their curious suit, but there was no obvious firing mechanism, and it seemed too small to be a melee weapon. Perhaps it extended in some way.
As for the mysterious guardian, they were tall, but thin. One could even say spindly, but it would be a mistake to judge someone on their appearance. Even if they didn't seem imposing, they had travelled through space without a ship. The suit they were wearing covered them up entirely, so it was hard to make out much detail. They had only two legs, but it wasn't the first time Tar'Ub had seen an alien species like that. And the facial structure seen through the helmet's visor looked similar enough to their own that it was recognisable as a face. That wasn't always a given with alien life.
Their vessel was just a scout ship. It was not really designed for combat, nor for diplomatic missions. So they had to make due with sitting at the table in the rec room. While all of the crew were understandably curious, only the science officer, the intelligence officer, and a couple of guards were allowed to be in the room with them. A report of the encounter had already been sent back to the fleet, though at relay speed it would take a little while to get there, and for a response to get back to them. Until they got further orders, all they could do was speak with this being themselves. Might as well start with the obvious question.
"So, you are a human?"
"Yes."
While that was the obvious answer, it felt like it only raised more questions. Onto the next obvious one.
"How have you learned to speak our language?" Was it possible some other faction had secretly made contact with the humans? Maybe even a covert agency of their own government.
"Oh, uh, I don't. The magic translates for me." Just'Aya visibly tensed up for a moment. The suit wasn't able to disguise it, though it was unclear what it meant.
"The... magic?" Tar'Ub wasn't sure how to react to that. The old mysticism stuff of legends? Though if Just'Aya had some sort of translator, then maybe it was faulty. It would make sense that such a device would not be able to translate concepts perfectly.
Apparently they weren't inclined to explain further. "Who are you?" they asked in return.
It was a fair question. "We are with the Litauri. We come from the Danbe system."
"Danbe system? Where is that?" Just'Aya made no indication of recognition.
"It's..." Tar'Ub hesitated. They didn't know how advanced star maps the humans had, and regardless they probably didn't have the same names for systems. Actually showing them on a galactic map seemed like a tactical mistake. "It's about three thousand light years away."
"And why have you come here?"
"That is..." A really obvious question. Yet the captain was not sure how much, if anything they were authorised to say. No one on their small crew had any particular diplomatic training, they only knew the basics. Anything they said could be potentially volatile. "Classified."
"Hm... you see, I kinda need to know..."
Tar'Ub had a feeling that Just'Aya wasn't trained for diplomacy either. Nor did they seem to have the demeanour of a warrior, or a soldier. So what exactly were they?
"What do you mean when you say you're a 'guardian'?" the captain asked. They understood what the word meant, but Just'Aya seemed to use it like a title, so it could be another thing lost in translation.
"Oh. I..." Just'Aya paused for a moment. "I protect this world against external threats. Hence why I need to know whether you're a threat."
Tar'Ub's ridges rumbled. That was a very blunt way of putting it. And one that easily opened up to simply being lied to. It wouldn't be hard to just say they were definitely not a threat. Though whether they would be believed was a different matter.
Not to mention that it raised even more questions. In what manner did they protect the world? Did they have a ship? What others had arrived before the Litauri that had posed a threat? And they spoke as if they were alone. Surely not. Just'Aya had to be one of many.
"All I can reveal is that we are here on a scouting mission. We merely intend to observe." None of that was false, it simply didn't tell the whole story.
"I see..."
That probably wasn't a very satisfying answer, but it was all Tar'Ub felt comfortable saying.
"Captain." The communications officer made contact through the communicator. "The flagship has sent a response. Quantum link."
Finally. Tar'Ub got up. "Excuse me, I need to check with my superiors."
"Oh. Sure." Just'Aya shifted in their seat a little, but otherwise didn't move.
The decision to respond via quantum link was a little curious. It allowed near-instant communication, but it also gave away their position to anyone able to monitor those things. Hence why the slower, but more covert hyper relay was used for scouting missions. However a first contact scenario probably warranted some urgency.
They got to the bridge, and accessed the quantum link console.
"Captain."
"Vice-admiral." Not who Tar'Ub expected to see, as the vice-admiral typically didn't have much say in diplomatic matters.
"To confirm your report, you have encountered a human?"
"Yes, vice-admiral. They are currently on board the ship. May I request a diplomatic attachment to conduct talks?" That seemed like a better solution than Tar'Ub and crew trying to handle things themselves.
"Negative. You are to apprehend the human for interrogation."
"Vice-admiral? The human is here as an emissary. Galactic regulations-"
"Their people are not recognised as part of galactic society. Diplomatic guarantee does not extend to them. I repeat: You are to apprehend the human for interrogation, captain."
The captain was fairly certain that was not how the regulations were intended to be interpreted. First contact scenarios would have played out very differently in a lot of situations if that was the case. Or maybe it happened all the time, and most people just never heard about it.
Regardless, Tar'Ub could not refuse a direct order from someone of that rank. "Understood, vice-admiral."
They made their way back to the rec room. It didn't feel right, since Just'Aya had arrived to initiate talks in good faith. But orders were orders. The captain figured the least they could do was carry it out in person.
"Just'Aya."
The human looked up, and gazed at Tar'Ub with those strange, pink eyes. "Yes?"
"You are hereby taken into custody."
"W-wait, what?" Even via a translator, the surprise and shock in Just'Aya's voice was evident.
The guards drew their weapons, and aimed at the human.
"My superiors have ordered you be apprehended, and transported to the main fleet."
"W-w-what? Why?"
Tar'Ub didn't have a good answer to that. "I'm sorry about this," was all they could think to say.
Just'Aya stared at them for a while, then their shoulders slumped in defeat. "So am I."
One of the guards reached for a restraining band, but before anyone in the room could really act, Just'Aya was out of their chair. Their weapon was suddenly in their hand, even though it had been kept in a different room. Did they have another? Tar'Ub didn't really have much time to think about it, since an instant later Just'Aya had taken out the guards with some sort of energy. Both the science and intelligence officers went down just as quickly, and the captain found themselves pinned against the wall by some invisible force.
They were still able to activate the communicator. "Emergency! The human is attacking!"
The main door opened immediately, and the guards outside rushed in, but they were also taken down in seconds. Tar'Ub had never seen anyone move as fast as Just'Aya. They were zipping across the room faster than the eye could follow.
More of the crew arrived, but wisely did not enter the room. Instead they took position outside, and started firing at Just'Aya from cover.
"H-hey, isn't it a bad idea to fire weapons inside a spaceship?" Just'Aya called out.
Tar'Ub wasn't certain where they had gotten that idea, but it did seem distressingly pointless. Even the shots that hit the human didn't seem to have much effect.
Suddenly their weapon started to glow. The captain thought they were about to return fire, but instead they held it up to the ceiling. A wave rippled out from it in every direction. The sound of people dropping to the floor could be heard from outside.
"You..." Tar'Ub stared at Just'Aya. Their whole demeanour had changed to something far less timid, and it made the captain feel genuine fear. It was like an aura of danger emanated from them.
The human let out a deep breath. "I don't want to hurt anyone."
"B-but you just killed my crew!"
"No, they're just knocked out. I had hoped it wouldn't come to this."
Tar'Ub looked at the others in the room. It looked like they were still breathing, which was a relief.
"Come on."
Just'Aya grabbed the captain off the wall, and dragged them outside. Somehow they were floating through the air. A better experience than being dragged along the floor, but very strange when they weren't in zero-gravity.
"Which way to the bridge?" Just'Aya asked.
Tar'Ub didn't want to answer that. "What are you going to do?"
"Send you back to your superiors. Which way?"
Something about the way Just'Aya said it made the captain even more nervous. What manner of being was this guardian? They held their tongue.
"Mm... checking every room is going to take a while..." Just'Aya mused out loud. Even if they did, they wouldn't be able to access all the doors. The engine room and the bridge were safe. "Fine." They picked up one of the minor officers from the floor, and tapped them on the head with that strange weapon. The officer's eyes opened. "Which way to the bridge?"
The crew-member looked terrified. They probably sensed the same aura from Just'Aya that the captain was experiencing. Very slowly they pointed down the correct corridor.
"Thank you." The human dropped the officer back down, where they stayed. Either unwilling, or unable to move.
Tar'Ub was dragged along towards the bridge.
"Is this it?" Just'Aya asked as they stopped in front of the door. "It's not opening."
The captain again held their tongue. Scared or not, they couldn't just let an enemy onto the bridge.
"Uu~, this would be so much easier if you just cooperated. Hm..." Just'Aya tapped their weapon against the door, and after making some strange noises, it opened up.
"H-how did you...?" Tar'Ub's shock overcame their decision to stay silent.
"Magic," was Just'Aya's simple response.
As Tar'Ub had feared, the wave had spread throughout the whole ship, and everyone on the bridge was unconscious too. Just'Aya sat the captain down.
"You are to take your ship back to where you came from, and tell your superiors to send someone willing to talk next time. If you come in force, I will have to stop you, and I would rather avoid that." Just'Aya sounded extremely serious.
"O-on your own?" Tar'Ub felt compelled to ask.
"If need be." The confidence in the guardian's voice was as frightening as anything else about them. Somehow Tar'Ub believed them.
"I will do as you say." They didn't really have much choice.
"Good. Can you do it on your own, or do I need to wake someone up?"
"My navigation officer."
"Which one?"
Tar'Ub pointed towards the person sitting at the navigation console. The engines were on standby, so they would be able to handle things between the two of them.
"Got it." Just'Aya walked over, and tapped the officer on the head.
They stirred. "W-what... happened?" They looked around, saw everyone knocked out, and Just'Aya standing right by them. "Wha-!"
"At ease, Sin'Al," Tar'Ub said.
"Captain?"
"Plot a course back to the fleet. We are leaving."
"C-captain?"
"Do it."
"Y-yes, captain."
Just'Aya stepped back. "Be sure to tell them, okay?"
"W-wait, what about the rest of the crew?"
"Oh. They'll wake up within a day. I'm not sure exactly how long, but no more than a day." Just'Aya was looking around. "Now how do I... hm..." They raised their weapon again, there was a sudden flash, and they were gone. The invisible force that had restrained the captain went away.
Captain Tar'Ub was not sure how to explain this to their superiors. But they had to try their best to convince them to employ peaceful measures. If Just'Aya could knock out a whole ship that easy, even though it was just a scout vessel, and if there was the possibility of there being more of these guardians, then taking aggressive action would be very risky. Maybe next time Just'Aya wouldn't be so concerned with letting them live.
* * *
"Aya-chan?"
"Hm? Is something wrong, Chisato-chan?"
"I was about to ask you that. I tried calling yesterday, but it went immediately to voicemail."
"Oh. Uh, right. I ran out of battery on my phone. Forgot to charge it the night before, ehehe..."
"I see... where were you, anyway?"
"Um... I just ran into some tourists. Had to show them around for a bit."
"Tourists? You?"
"Hey! I've gotten better at speaking to people. Even... foreigners."
"Huh..."
"You don't have to sound so disbelieving, Chisato-chan! That's rude!"