Rose's emerald eyes fixed upon the Hive Queen with intensity that made local space-time pulse.
"What is your name?"
The Hive Queen studied Rose for several heartbeats before responding with voice that carried accumulated dignity spanning ages.
"I am Queen Kythara Vex'ahlia," she said, each syllable resonating through dimensional barriers.
"Sovereign of the Eternal Swarm, Coordinator of the Memorite Collective, Heir to evolutionary processes that have shaped insect consciousness across timescales."
…!
As she spoke, she stepped forward with movements that carried their own gravitational signature.
Her full form became visible for the first time…humanoid features that approached artistic perfection combined with insectoid modifications that spoke to evolution beyond planetary constraints.
Her beauty transcended species boundaries while remaining fundamentally alien to human aesthetic preferences.
