Empire Reborn (Taran Empire Saga Book 1): A Cadicle Space Opera by A.K. DuBoff (jenna bush book club TXT) 📕

Figures it would be one of the most stereotypical places for first contact, Wil thought with an inward chuckle. But we chose it because it was home. At least they weren’t landing a ship on the White House lawn.

The instructions had urged the local humans to make the event an international affair. No matter where they landed, one country or another would try to take the lead, since the middle of an ocean or Antarctica certainly weren’t viable options. So, they may as well go with a place they knew well.

As the shuttle approached the field, Wil caught his first sight of the crowd through the viewport. A mass of well-dressed professionals, armed security, and civilians circled the quartered off landing area. Per the instructions, no official government representatives were supposed to attend in an official capacity, though he suspected at least a handful were intermingled in the crowd. At cursory glance, the security presence was within the established guidelines—enough to keep attendees in check but not so much to make it a military affair. Again, he imagined many of the ‘civilians’ in the crowd weren’t quite what they seemed.

“So far, it looks like they’re actually following instructions. I must admit, I’m pleasantly surprised,” Wil commented.

“I’m shocked anyone showed up,” Raena said with a chuckle. “I mean, I read that message you sent out. It sounded like a joke.”

“It probably would have been taken as such if we didn’t have a little official presence established. Not to mention testimony from astronauts and everyone else who’s been sworn to secrecy over the years. All it took was a handful of leaders saying, ‘This is it!’ to make the world listen.” Truly, it’s amazing our deception didn’t come crashing down decades ago.

Raena smiled. “If they weren’t listening yet, they certainly are now.”

The shuttle landed on the grass in what was certainly a wonderous display to the locals. While nothing special by Taran standards, the craft’s propulsion no doubt seemed otherworldly as the vessel touched down quietly and with minimal turbulence. Many jaws in the crowd were slack with wonder, eyes wide as they waited to see what would happen next.

“Have any visuals of the Empire been released publicly?” Jason asked.

Wil smiled. “None. I must admit, I toyed with the idea of manufacturing some robots to look like aliens from popular culture and sending them out first.”

“Dad…” Raena rolled her eyes.

“It would be hilarious and you know it.”

Jason smirked. “Now I’m disappointed you didn’t.”

“Stars, you two! Go on, get out there.” She shooed Wil toward the shuttle hatch.

“All right, I’ll see you soon.”

He straightened his TSS formal uniform and took a deep breath. Here goes nothing.

The hatch hinged upward, and a ramp extended to the ground with a soft mechanical whir. He took a few seconds to let his eyes adjust to the brighter natural light—which also served for dramatic effect—and then began descending the ramp. Not knowing how people might react, he kept a shield raised around himself; though invisible to anyone but trained Agents, he would be impervious to any attack.

A hush fell over the crowd as he walked toward the greeting party. Their unguarded thoughts were so loud that Wil couldn’t help catching snippets of internal monologues expressing their confusion about how this ‘alien’ looked remarkably like them.

Wil stopped ten meters from the end of the ramp and the security detail of Agents flowed out from the shuttle to take up defensive positions between him and the audience. He waited for someone to emerge from the throng to meet him. The instructions had specified that Earth should agree on a single interviewer to represent the planet; though a tall order, it seemed like the best way to keep the governments out of it.

Eventually, an older man stepped forward and stopped a conversational distance away from Wil. Based on the press credentials badge the man wore around his neck, he was from one of the leading European news outlets regarded worldwide as a neutral, fact-based reporting authority.

Wil extended his right arm, palm up, in traditional Taran greeting for new acquaintances; the gesture was meant to show there was no weapon in hand and good intentions were meant, but the person was not yet a friend trusted enough for touch.

The reporter looked awkwardly at the outstretched hand, seeming to weigh whether it was intended as a handshake. He ultimately settled on mimicking the gesture. “Welcome to Earth.” The words were amplified and played back over speakers positioned in towers throughout the crowd.

“Thank you,” Wil replied in English. “It’s a pleasure to be here.”

The audience murmured in excited and surprised tones. No doubt, this wasn’t the kind of alien contact anyone anticipated.

“Where have you come from?” the reporter asked with the clear intonation of a seasoned interviewer. The question, however, left a lot to be desired as an opener.

Oh, stars, this isn’t a great start. Wil forced a friendly smile. “Well, that’s a multi-layered question. In short, space.”

The older man’s gray brows drew together. “Do you have a home planet?”

“Me personally, or our race in general?”

“Um, both?”

Well, this quickly went off a cliff. There wasn’t a straightforward answer to the question, but Wil did the best he could. “I actually grew up in a secret military base inside Earth’s moon, so that’s as close to a homeworld as I have. The seat of our civilization, however, is the planet Tararia. It’s on the other side of the galaxy.”

The reporter blinked rapidly. “Your English is very good,” he managed to say at last.

“If you mean I speak English well, then yes. I did live on the planet for sixteen years while my children were young.”

“Oh. So, your kind have walked among us?”

Really, they chose this guy? A quick gleaning