Byryl was the first to limp into the hanger, it had a vast mostly empty area two decks high and half a kilometre long. It reminded him of his own hanger, where his beautiful hovercraft would stay, get cleaned and re-fuelled. Where his lover would wait for him to bring back the vessel so he could run diagnostics on the internal circuits. In the distance, lights could be seen, flickering, but casting a good projection for all to see all the same. Four figures could be seen frantically working on one of the damaged craft, Sykra and Lyra followed behind soon enough and the three made their way cautiously towards the four figures, who came more and more in focus the closer they became. Soon it was obvious that two were human, and two were gryph. One of the humans knelt by the rear ramp of the bulky troop carrier welding something, the blue sparks flying all around the masked face, one Gryph was lowering itself into the pilot seat and flicking switches. The other two were bringing heavy boxes to the base of the vessel. The Gryph in the pilot seat soon clambered out, shaking their head, a male gryph, it was now apparent gesturing back at the craft to the human and helmeted gryph who had just placed down a large metal container, Byryl took a sharp intake of breath and froze. Tears welling in his eyes and his hands, now shaking clasped his mouth. He stammered something in his native tongue and ran towards the troop carrier, flailing his arms and crying out a name that echoed all around with the volume and cries he came out with, it could not be caught by Lyra or Sykra, or the other group for that matter, but the noise, they certainly caught. The three gathered around the rectangular metal container went for their pistols and raised them at the approaching flailing sobbing gryph, the human who had been welding didn't hear a thing. After a moment of realisation, the Gyrph who had been attempting the pilot seat cried out and sprinted past the combat ready human and grpyh. The two sobbing aliens met with a powerful embrace, complete with crying and kissing. The human let out a breath of laughter before turning their attention back to the container, the gryph, however, touched his finger to the trigger and advanced. "Let me look at you!" he yelled as he came closer to the two tear stained gryph. Ripping the helmet off, showing a face of utter disgust and anger. "you two are an abomination! Two males..." he paused and spat at the ground. "Two males have no right to be together like male and female!" the human quickly came between the three. Hands out stretched in a peaceful gesture. "Hey, hey, calm down Xern. Calm it down, now." said the voice that Lyra instantly recognised as she got closer with Sykra. "Decius?" she said shocked.
Decius turned to see Lyra's relieved smile, only to see a gun muzzle gain ground on the two reunited lovers. Instantly putting himself back in the line of fire, he removed his helmet and looked Xern directly in the eyes, only to see undisputed hatred. "Xern..." he began, "what he have is legal!" cried out Byryl, interrupting Decius, causing him to wince, expecting the situation to escalate. Decius despised homophobia, Earth spent centuries of its history slamming people who were not white in skin and attracted to the same God and opposite sex. Decades of conflicts had finally earned them the 'right' to be human. Decius staunchly believed that they should be treated just like everyone else, they're human. He never saw them as anything other than equals. When somebody informed him of their sexuality or gender he always saw it as unimportant. Just as if somebody told him that they liked salad cream on their cheese sandwich instead of mayonnaise. Xern reminded him of his father when he looked into his eyes. The only person he ever truly hated. Decius had to use all his restraint to stop himself putting a bullet through Xern's pale forehead at this disgusting behaviour.
"Listen" commanded Decius, causing an eyebrow to raise itself on Xern's brow, he held the rank equivalent of a Major in the Gryph Army, and Decius was merely a Private. He could tell Xern rarely ever took a telling off from many people and to be spoke to like this from just a Private was almost a shock to his system. "Listen" he said again carefully, "let them be. They're not hurting anybody. The only pain caused here, is from you and that anger that you hold as a front." Decius held out his hands slowly as if awaiting for Xern to relinquish his weapon to him. Then Byryl's lover spoke up. "We have a pass, you idiot."
The aimed pistol lowered a millimetre.
'A pass?' thought Decius, 'A pass to love the same gender?' no matter how he approached the thought, he hated the idea. Yes, it meant that lovers could be together and be happy, as long as they passed a test? Like unable to drive a car without passing a test first, this enraged Decius "I see. Show me!" barked Xern, his weapon raised again. Byryl's lover, Bene, produced a card from below his blue dirty overalls attached to a delicate silver looking chain around his neck. Xern quickly grabbed it and read the contents.
His hatred immediately evaporated. "Oh, I am sorry. Please do, forgive." he said shaking the pairs hands and handing back the card. Decius couldn't help himself. "What?!" he yelled, his frustrations spilling forth. Lyra put her hand on his shoulder to calm him as the human in the welding gear approached and removed the helmet. "Lyra?" came a shocked voice, "Sandra!" cried Lyra and the two embraced each other. "What's going on here? What did I miss? Is everything alright?" she asked catching the shaking, angry form of Decius and the two hugging Gryph. Seeing the two males kiss, she quickly looked to Xern with concern, who simply smiled, "original female assignment." he said
The confusion was clear in Lyra and Decius, so Sandra explained. "It is illegal to be homosexual in Gryph society, but get this, if they have a sex change, even if it's to the same sex, it's not classed as homosexuality and is legal. Yes took me a while to get my head around too."
"So..." began Decius, "If a female is attracted to a male, and the male is attracted to males, the female can get a sex change to be male, and then the two males can legally be together?"
"Yep."
"Huh... I still think that is wrong. They should be allowed to be together regardless of gender and sexuality."
Sandra nodded in agreement as Xern turned his back on the group and proceeded to unpack the metal container and carry the tinned goods into the belly of the midnight blue troop carrier.
"Yep. Aliens" Sandra said finally exhaling.