by S. E. Smith
Tessa did a double take. She thought the child was ascribing her own feelings to the mogha. This was something different—
“She speaks to you?” Tessa watched as the mogha’s long antennae caressed the child’s face.
“Yup,” the little girl said. “She’s talking to me now.”
Tessa paused to listen. “I don’t hear her.”
“That’s because she’s my companion, not yours.” The child’s tone suggested Tessa should already know that.
Could A’rch speak with L’Den? They were always together. Perhaps they were ‘companions’ as well.
“Is it true that humans burn entire worlds?” the child said next.
Burn worlds? Tessa wondered if the child was referring to the terraforming process. “We change the environments of uninhabitable worlds so we can live there.”
“But the mogha world was inhabited,” one of the other children, the oldest, said. Did all Korthan children know Standard?
And what was she talking about, the mogha world? The child was mistaken.
“C’yna says you ate the moghas before you burned their world,” the first little girl said.
Tessa didn’t like where this conversation was going. “Humans don’t eat moghas,” she assured.
A squeak sounded from her bag, followed by movement.
The mogha pup wriggled around until the Korthan child let her go. Sniffing the air, the puppy cautiously approached her bag.
“What do you have in your bag?” the child asked.
Thank you, Squeak, she thought to herself with a smile, happy for the subject change.
“That’s just Squeak,” she said. “Would you like to meet him?”
All three children gathered closer, faces eager.
“Yes, I want to meet him,” the talkative child said.
“Me too,” another said.
Reaching into her bag, Tessa pulled the little creature out. All his scales were now gone, soft tan fur in their place. He was adorable in his cold climate adaptive form.
The eldest child screeched “Molk” while the other two ran away, the little girl yelling, “Run!”
The little mogha pup stood her ground, growling as menacingly as possible. Squeak let out a series of squeals and chirps and the puppy’s antennae flew back against her body as she ran away, yelping.
Tessa looked the harmless little creature over. What was it about molks and Korthans?
“You should probably put that away before someone else sees it.” Tessa recognized the doctor’s voice and stood up.
“I thought the kids would like him.”
“Nobody likes a molk,” A’yla said. “And where is your escort? You’re lucky the parents of those children didn’t see you talking to them.”
“L’Den gave me a gold gemkey.”
A’yla blinked, then slowly nodded her head. “He has an affinity for humans. He was educated by them.” The doctor looked her straight in the eyes. “Before the war. But giving you a gemkey? He’s staking his reputation on you.”
It was Tessa’s turn to blink. She didn’t hear anything past ‘L’Den was educated by humans.’
Chapter Eight
There was a knock and Tessa looked up, L’Den standing in the doorway.
“Starlight,” he greeted.
Quickly locating Squeak, Tessa relaxed when she saw the molk was safely hidden.
“You knock on the door before you open it,” Tessa said, turning a stern eye on L’Den.
The Korthan turned, looking at the door, then at his feet. Did his cheeks just turn red?
Have to remember that, her inner voice said and Tessa’s brow furrowed. What was the voice going on about now? No matter. This wasn’t the first time it didn’t make any sense.
“Accompany me to the promenade for a meal.” Straight to the point. Tessa wasn’t sure what to expect by this visit, but that was not it.
The children spoke of humans eating moghas. She was hungry enough to start eating her bed covering.
“I’m not allowed to have a full meal yet. Still on the prescribed nutrition cubes.”
“Accompany me to the promenade for a cube, then,” he said.
“Are you asking me out on a date?”
“Not a date, Starlight. To observe you eating.”
Tessa worked her jaw. Did he realize how creepy that sounded? The way he held himself. She knew this was a formidable warrior. Yet, she wasn’t afraid of him. She was no longer afraid of any of the Korthans.
“Doctor’s orders,” he added after a moment.
Perhaps accompanying him wasn’t such a bad idea. She was bored anyway. Maybe he’d even answer a few burning questions.
Every movement Tessa made was tantalizing. And now he was going to watch her eat? The doctor wanted someone to observe her actually eating because she didn’t want to have to restrain the human, but this was a bad idea—
Of course, it’s a bad idea. A’rch said. Why are you performing these menial tasks anyway? That’s what T’ym is for.
Thank the stars the mogha hadn’t picked up on just how much the female intrigued him. The answer to taking this task was simple, he wanted to be around her.
When the door opened as they were leaving, the mogha was standing on the other side, head shooting up. Tessa let out a startled gasp and L’Den narrowed his eyes.
I thought you were training the pups, he said to A’rch. What are you doing snooping around Tessa’s door?
I could ask the same of you, A’rch countered.
L’Den’s brow furrowed. You idiot, you already know what I’m doing.
Yes, but do you know?
Not having anything to say to that, L’Den said. Leave this area immediately. There is nothing to investigate.
Looking at Tessa, L’Den said, “I apologize for my mogha. He seems to be obsessed with your door.”
A’rch curled his lip. Obsessed?
“Moghas do seem to be a curious species,” Tessa said.
L’Den felt a personal victory. She said ‘mogha,’ not ‘hellhound.’
Who is the one that’s obsessed? A’rch chided.
Don’t you have some pups to train?
A’rch leveled a measuring gaze and L’Den was under the impression he had something else to say. I’m going, he said instead.
The Korthan watched as she put the food in her mouth, then his eyes darted away.
“So, you can tell the doctor I’m eating,” she said.
“Yup,” he said too quickly.
Tessa counted this as one of the more awkward moments of her life and got the impression L’Den felt the same way.
Sitting at a back wall in one of the restaurants on the promenade, Tessa was surprised to find the place dull, even boring, not exactly fitting with what she’d seen of the ship so far.
Without a word, L’Den removed the green gemkey from his black uniform and placed it against the wall.
As the wall became transparent, it was hard to believe what she was looking at: a garden resplendent with life. Birds flew under a clear sky. Colorful flowers bloomed. Was this even real?
“It’s real,” L’Den said.
“What kind of ship is this?” Tessa felt breathless.
“This is a galaxy-ship. It’s a settlement.”
“So, it’s a colony.”
L’Den pursed his lips. “In a way, yes. But we are not searching for a planet to settle. We live here.”
“You mean you will stay on the ship permanently?” It was hard to fathom anyone staying on a starship permanently.
L’Den looked out over the garden-scape. “Yes, as long as there is war. Ever since the humans terraformed the mogha world. Everything we need is on this ship.”
Tessa deflated. So, the war hadn’t ended. And, what did he mean, ever since the humans terraformed the mogha world? That’s what the children said too.
“We don’t terraform worlds with life,” she said, indignant.
L’Den leveled a hard gaze on her. “Yo
u did that one.”
Was it true? Was that why A’rch seemed to hate her so much?
“What? When?” she managed to say after a moment.
“Almost two planetary rotations ago.”
Ranger VI crashed before that, but she felt the weight of the truth. Bile rose to her throat and she swallowed it down.
“We evacuated the civilians from Korth, in case the same is done there,” L’Den said. Suddenly, he stood. “Excuse me. I have work to attend to.”
Tessa watched him go, shame and sadness warring within her. How could her people do such a thing?
L’Den sat through the command staff meeting, lost in thought. The human didn’t know about the mogha homeworld. Did that make her innocent?
No. There were plenty of human atrocities before that incident. The things he and the KCC had done throughout the war, before he was assigned to be a protector of this settlement—
He definitely wasn’t innocent.
“There have been thirty-seven reports of missing gemkeys in the last forty-eight hours,” J’ake said.
L’Den sat up straighter. That got his attention. Stealing gemkeys was a serious crime. Every now and then, there’d be a report of one missing or stolen, but thirty-seven? That was obscene.
Glancing at the gemkeys lining his uniform pocket, L’Den noticed several other staff members doing the same.
“Have there been any unauthorized entries?” Captain K’ursick asked.
“No,” J’ake said. “Three people have asked a protector to help gain access to their stations. All were authorized to be there.”
“T’ren, did you know about this?” he commed his second through their inner communications system.
“Yes,” T’ren said.
“Why wasn’t I informed?”
“You have been busy with the crash data. I didn’t want to bother you. We took care of it.”
“You granted access. The gemkeys are still missing, aren’t they?” L’Den rubbed his face.
“Yes, but—”
“Conduct an investigation,” L’Den interrupted. “Inform me of any updates as soon as you have them.”
A knock at the door and Tessa opened it. L’Den stood on the other side, in full black uniform as always, the row of gemkeys catching the light. Raising an eyebrow, she looked down the hallway, first right and then left.
“Am I ever going to see T’ym again?” she said.
“Would you prefer to eat with T’ym?” The slight smile on his lips sent a warm balm through her heart.
“It would probably be less awkward,” she said, completely relaxed.
L’Den barked a laugh that made heat flash through her cheeks.
Turning away, she said, “I need my carry-all,” and disappeared into her quarters to fan the heat away.
When she returned, his mogha was sniffing all around the doorway. Was that strange beast always hanging out in the hallway, waiting for the door to open?
As she walked into the hallway, she made double sure the door was locked and secure, throwing a sidelong glare at the animal before turning a polite smile to L’Den.
The Korthan was also glaring at the mogha and she blinked. He must have realized she was watching him because the glare disappeared and he returned the polite smile.
“Ignore him,” he said.
“I do.” The mogha at her door was becoming as routine as observe-the-human-eating-the-nutrition-cute with L’Den was. Nothing strange about either of them—
Sitting at the same table, L’Den placed the green gemkey on the wall and it morphed into a window, the beautiful garden beyond.
Unable to take her eye off the gemkey, she said, “Is it an emerald?”
He looked down on the transparent wall where the gemkey appeared to be floating.
“I do not know what an ‘emerald’ is, but it is a precious stone.”
It probably was an emerald. The clear gemkey was likely a diamond. T’ym did not have a clear gemkey.
L’Den pointed at the row of colorful stones over his pocket. “The ship provided them. Each one grants us access to certain areas.”
“What do you mean, ‘the ship provided them?’” Tessa was mesmerized.
Shifting in his seat, Tessa didn’t think he was going to answer.
“They are specific to this ship,” he said. “If they are lost or stolen, access to the ship’s functions become diminished.”
Tessa’s eyes darted around the room before settling on the garden. He didn’t exactly answer her question and she was under the distinct impression the ship was more than just a ‘settlement.’
Some secrets must remain secrets, that inner voice said. Strange as it was, Tessa agreed with herself, if the voice was indeed her. Humans had their own secrets to keep from the Korthans. But something about this was different. It seemed that even some Korthans didn’t know—
“Do you want to return?” L’Den said.
“We just got here. I’m not quite ready.” Tessa didn’t expect him to give away any secrets, but damn. She hadn’t even finished her cube.
The Korthan’s eyebrows furrowed. “No. I mean, do you want to return to the Human Colony Alliance?”
Tessa paused. What kind of a question was that? Of course, she wanted to return. Rod’s face flashed through her mind and she longed to return to him. “Do you mean to keep me here until the war is over?”
“No,” he said. “I mean to return you under Civilian Order Treaty 217, but only if it’s what you want. It is the hope of some that you would become acclimated and want to stay.”
Tessa rocked back in her seat. Who would want her to stay? Why?
“Isn’t it also the hope of some that I be dead?” she said next.
He laughed, a soft chuckle that made her smile through the haze of shock.
“Starlight, it is the hope of some that I be dead.”
Tessa supposed every society had enemies amongst them, but there was no doubt that she wanted to return to hers.
“I must go back,” she said quietly. “There is someone.”
L’Den sat at his desk, staring at one of Tessa’s personal files labeled, “Your Happiness.” He had been avoiding this file. Important Intel could be gained from watching personal files, especially since people sometimes revealed insights into their work. But, something about this file felt more private and he was content to leave it be.
Still, though, whose happiness was she concerned about? Having dismissed it as a note to a family member, he opened it now, guilt that doing so was purely out of curiosity rather than security surprising him.
Tessa’s face floated over his desk, damage starting to become evident, arm in a sling. This recording was made eight months after the crash.
“Rod, my love,” she said. “I do not know if you will ever see this message. I want to apologize. It was beyond my control, but I’m so sorry this happened. A part of me knows I will die and wants you to move on. You deserve happiness. Another part of me is screaming for you to hold on, to please wait. I am not quite dead yet. We can still get married.”
She looked down, the pain on her face so unbearable, L’Den almost turned the recording off.
“We have launched three distress beacons,” she continued. “The last one was six months ago. I’m beginning to think we are stuck here forever. Morale is low. Hope is gone. If you ever do find this, please know I want you to be happy.”
End playback.
L’Den just stared. His bonded was betrothed. She could never return his feelings. As painful as it was, he felt a resolve to return this woman to the man she loved. After all she’d been through, she deserved happiness.
She deserves death. A’rch said.
L’Den wasn’t sure about the whereabouts of his mogha, but the timing with which he dropped in through the bond was oftentimes annoying.
You will not speak of her that way, L’Den said.
She’s a human. She’s the enemy.
As you have pointed out incessantl
y.
Yes, but you seem to keep forgetting. How many Korthans has she killed? How many moghas? Make no mistake. She would kill you, given the chance.
She’s a scientist. She hasn’t killed anyone.
She is a human. All humans are guilty.
L’Den already knew that wasn’t true, but A’rch was bent on that belief.
You realize she didn’t know about the mogha homeworld. Her ship crashed before that happened.
A’rch said nothing.
Chapter Nine
“Are you okay? You haven’t said a word.” L’Den stared at her from across the table.
Was she okay? Tessa wasn’t really sure. The day went by in a haze, her mind stuck on L’Den’s question from the night before. Did she want to go home? She didn’t have any family. Friends, sure, but none like Britt, and Britt was gone. What of her career? Could she reintegrate after losing two years? Did she want to? And would she really get to see Rod again? She did not dare hope before—
Now that she didn’t feel her life could end at any moment, now that she had a full belly and health, it was as if her mind was unlocked. And what she saw surprised and scared her—
“I was engaged to be married,” she blurted. “Am engaged.” Looking up at L’Den’s trusting face, she took a deep breath. “My biggest fear is to find out he moved on. I don’t know what to do if he did.”
As the words left her mouth, Tessa wasn’t sure she believed them. She couldn’t look L’Den in the eyes. But Rod was all she thought about for two years—
Warmth on her hand made her look up. When she realized L’Den’s hand was resting over hers, the warmth spread to her face.
“Continue your life from there,” L’Den said. “There is a lot to live for. You’ve already proven that with your survival.”
Tessa pulled her hand from under his and rubbed her palms together. “My survival was just luck.”
“You never gave up,” he rested his elbows on the table. “That counts for something, even if Rod has moved on.”
