Chapter 18
Zephrum
In an effort to distract himself, Zeph had made tea for everyone. Then made another round. He was on the third when the hatch opened and bodies tumbled inside.
“Shut the hatch!” Han shouted from somewhere in the pile.
Despite the urgency in her voice, Zeph moved to her instead of the hatch display. Rensom was next to him, pulling two bloody children out of the pile. That revealed Han. Zeph sounded a soothing rumble and grabbed her.
“You came back!” he said, holding her tight against his chest. His scent glands swelled, and bonding oil dripped down his cheeks.
“I was always going to come back,” she said, cupping his cheeks. Her hair looked mussed and a little tangled, and there were smudges of dirt on her face and clothes. Other than that he didn’t see any damage and only smelled a hint of blood on her.
“I was scared,” he whispered.
Using her hands, she drew his face closer to hers. “So was I. I won’t tell anyone if you don’t.”
Then she pressed her lips to his. He opened his mouth and fell into the kiss. All the anxiety, worry, and frustration drained out of him. His world narrowed down to only Han.
“Zephrum! Han!”
By the level of annoyance, it sounded like Sandar must’ve been trying to get their attention for a while.
Han made a sad sound and ended the kiss. If it was up to him, he would keep ignoring his sister.
“You should put me down,” she murmured with obvious regret. “We need to get out of here. There might be some Talins on the planet that would love to get their hands on me.”
“And press charges against me,” a strange voice said.
Setting Han down, Zeph faced the stranger.
To his surprise, it was a male adultlette.
He looked a little battered and was sitting on the floor with one leg stretched out in front of him.
The plates of his lower leg had separated a little from swelling.
It must’ve been painful to walk with his leg like that.
“I’m sorry, Malsum,” Han said, moving around him to kneel on the floor next to the young male. “We left those guys alive, so you can’t go back. You’ll have to come with us.”
Malsum sounded a soothing rumble. “After watching you in a crisis, I’d follow you anywhere, Human Han.”
“Just Han,” she insisted. “I don’t leave friends behind. I can’t promise you a prestigious career if you come with me, but I can guarantee you’ll never be asked to act against your conscience again.”
“That’s all I ask, Han. Thank you.”
After taking in the state of Malsum, Zeph turned to look at his niece and nephew for the first time. The two were talking rapidly to Sandar and Rensom. Both were bloody, but the amount of red on one of their faces was startling.
“Do we need to dispense medical care?” he asked.
The children turned in unison while the more bloody child answered, “It’s not my blood.”
Standing up, Han took his hand. “Lirsum bit one of the Talin’s on the neck.” There was clear admiration in her voice.
“I have the med kit!” Tumoro said, squeezing past them to get to Malsum. “Hi, I’m Tumoro, and I’m the first son of First Matriarch Han and Elder Zeph. You can be the second son.”
Malsum blinked and sounded a questioning rumble. “You’re an Ugarian.”
Tumoro snort-laughed. “And you’re a Talin and Han is a human. What's your point?”
Malsum sounded a rumble of amusement. “No point. I only meant to clarify. You’re the first Ugarian I’ve ever met.” Malsum slapped a hand to his chest in greeting. “It’s good to meet you, First Son Tumoro. I’m honored to be your sibling.”
Tumoro returned the gesture then pointed to Malsum’s leg. “Can I treat you? I’ve been reading up on Talin physiology.”
Malsum sounded a negative rattle and pointed over Tumoro’s shoulder. “See to the children first.”
Tumoro’s ear did something complicated. The movements were too rapid for Zeph to judge the emotions going through the Ugarian’s head.
“Yes, I will check on the children, but then I want to focus on you.”
Something intense seemed to be happening between Tumoro and Malsum, but Zeph couldn’t fathom what it was. Were they jealous or feeling threatened by each other?
“Zeph, we need to launch,” Han said. She stepped close and pushed him in the direction of the pilot’s chair.
“Yes, right,” he said, picking her up and taking a few careful strides to sit in the chair with her in his lap. It was tight when he swung the chair around to face the display, but they made it work.
He already had permission to leave, so he requested a spot in the queue. Within a few submarks a launch bot rolled under them and moved the ship into place.
Everything moved quickly and efficiently, and soon they were leaving the planet.
“Head for the trade route going to Yormun Station,” Han instructed. “That’ll make it harder to find us if they decide to give chase.”
Blish was such a small colony they didn’t have offensive abilities. All their protection was defensive, so once they were past the sentinel satellites, Zeph was sure they’d be safe. Still, a little extra caution wouldn’t hurt, so he set the ship to head to the trade route as Han said to do.
It only took a mark for them to be on the trade route. Han relaxed in his arms. He rubbed his scent glands into her mane.
“Do I want to know what happened?” he asked.
“Probably not,” she said. “Let's just say it didn’t quite go as planned, but we still made it. A success is a success."
He sounded a rumble of amusement. “And we have another son?”
“I didn’t mean to, but he’s a great kid,” Han said. “I have a feeling he’s going to flourish, especially with Tumoro in his life.”
That reminded him of the strange tension from earlier. “You’re not worried they might be jealous of each other?”
Han chuckled. “Trust me, that’s not going to be a problem. But we need to keep an eye on Rishmun and Lirsum. I’m worried those two might start hunting people for sport.”
He sucked in a breath. “What?”
She rubbed a hand on his chest. “Sorry, it’s a bad joke. I don’t think it translates.”
He let it go, accepting that he might never completely understand human humor. A sound from behind them had him pivoting the chair around so they could see the rest of the ship.
The children were mostly cleaned up and sitting facing their parents, asking questions too fast for Rensom or Sandar to answer.
Tumoro had moved Malsum to the bunk and was wrapping a splint around his lower leg and ankle. They were talking softly to each other, Tumoro’s ears focused on Malsum’s words while he gently applied the splint.
Zeph could tell Malsum was trying hard not to show any discomfort as Tumoro worked. Then he noticed Malsum’s cheeks looked a little shiny, similar to what happened when Zeph’s scent glands overfilled.
Realization hit him.
“Oh.”
Han chuckled. “They’re going to be adorable together.”
“Perhaps,” was all he could think to say.
Of course an Ugarian and Talin could pair off; it was no more impossible than a human and Talin.
Still, it felt strange because he and Han were the first he knew of.
It hadn’t occurred to him that other Talins might break with the empire so completely too. “Tumoro is tender hearted.”
“Don’t worry. I think Malsum might be the perfect person to protect Tumoro’s tender heart.”
He sounded a rumble of agreement. Malsum would be a fierce protector, and Tumoro would be a gentle caregiver. They’d complement each other perfectly.
He shifted his gaze down to her. “I went from being alone to this. How did it happen?”
She chuckled and lifted her face to give him a kiss on the chin. “You got lucky.”
He tightened his arms around her. “You speak the truth.”
Han
After the adrenaline wore off, Han could feel every bruise and sore muscle. She tried to sneak a vial of mild painkiller, but of course, Zeph saw it.
“It’s nothing,” she insisted, tossing the vial into the corner they’d designated for trash. The ship didn’t come with a reclamator, and the tiny trash storage had filled up on their way to Blish. It was just another way the ride to Yormun was going to be uncomfortable.
At least they weren’t going to run out of fuel. Sandar and Rensom had paid the port at Misorm to replace all the fuel rounds, including the spares. They could make it all the way to Inneeko now.
“If you need relief, then it’s not nothing!” he insisted, hovering over her. He was probably afraid to pick her up because she was “hurt.”
“I did a lot of exercise I’m not used to,” she explained. “I’m not injured or anything. Just a little sore and tired.”
Zeph purred and picked her up. There weren’t many places to sit, so he carried her back to the pilot’s chair. It was turned all the way around to face away from the display, giving them room to cuddle.
She wasn’t surprised when he started rubbing his scent glands all over her head and neck. If they had any privacy, he’d probably strip her down to cover her body in bonding oil.
Honestly, she’d like that too.
“Is anyone hungry?” Tumoro asked. “No one ate earlier.”
“We were all a little too nervous to be interested in food,” Sandar pointed out. “But yes, a meal would be nice.”
Everyone agreed they were hungry, and Tumoro jumped into action, obviously excited to be helpful.
Han wiggled a little in Zeph’s arms until she was snuggled comfortably against his chest. She drifted off into a light sleep.
All the talking and sounds of Tumoro working with the old reconsitutor didn’t bother her at all.
She’d grown up in a family and community where everyone was always visiting and having get-togethers, both human and Ugarian.
If anything, the noise was a comforting reminder of home.
It was the scent of hot food that brought her out of her slumber. She opened her eyes to find Tumoro in front of her and Zeph holding a platter of food.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” Tumoro whispered as Zeph accepted the food and balanced it on the chair’s wide arm.
“Fabulous,” she said sitting up. “Only a little worn out.”