Chapter 11
Chapter Eleven
Eight days later
Lydia
From the safety of Killan’s mudroom, I watch the transport Freighter arrive. Killan, Harlee, Briar, Roan, and Sorin are all outside, braving the dust. At least they’re partially protected from the wind by what little of Killan’s house is above ground.
The Freighter is somehow both larger than I’d imagined and smaller, considering the distances it must travel through outer space, jumping from galaxy to galaxy.
A hatch at the back opens and a ramp is lowered to the ground.
I expect the crew to disembark, but instead Killan strides inside, his tablet in hand.
He has to bend as he crosses the threshold to keep from scraping his horns against the doorframe.
Neither Roan nor Sorin appear worried, although Harlee and Briar exchange a confused look.
I press closer to the window as the minutes tick by. I barely hear Chloe walk up behind me until she’s nudging me out of the way, trying to get a look for herself.
“Mr. Smith’s ship was a piece of junk in comparison,” she says, as if either of us knows what we’re looking at. The Freighter could be the best spaceship ever built or the worst, and we wouldn’t have a clue.
“Bitter, much?” I nudge her back, reclaiming my place. The dust and my asthma might have me trapped inside, but there’s no way I’m going to miss this opportunity.
When Chloe doesn’t respond, I glance at her over my shoulder.
There are dark circles under her eyes, as though she’s not been sleeping well, and the smudges on her Chanel glasses are even grimier than the last time we spoke.
That must have been the first day of the harvest; I’ve been avoiding her ever since.
“You’re not still thinking of hitchhiking, are you?” I ask.
She meets my gaze, pursing her lips as if she can’t decide how much of her plan she’s willing to share with me. Considering I don’t have a spare pair of clean panties in my pocket to swap for information, I doubt I’ve got much bargaining power.
I look back out the window. Killan still hasn’t reemerged.
Harlee and Roan are waiting patiently, while Sorin has his lower arms looped around Briar’s waist and is using his upper hands to tuck strands of her bright red hair behind her ears.
Protected as they are from the worst of the wind, he’s still fighting a battle he isn’t going to win.
I can see the tangles forming in her hair from this distance.
My gaze returns to studying the Freighter.
It rocks a little, battered by the wind.
It’s about the size of two double-decker buses nose to end, with half-circle wings and huge exhaust pipes.
It doesn’t look particularly aerodynamic, but maybe that doesn’t matter when it’s got engines powerful enough to propel it beyond a sun’s gravity.
It’s only the second spaceship I’ve ever seen, Smith’s being the first. But it won’t be the last. Can’t be the last. Homesickness swells up inside of me, as if I’m a balloon and my emotions are helium gas.
Actually, that’s a terrible comparison. If I were filled with helium, I’d be floating, but I feel the exact opposite.
It’s more accurate to say I’ve got weights tied around my legs, arms and neck, trapping me to Ril II.
The weights are so heavy that I’m suddenly having trouble breathing, but it isn’t asthma. It’s panic.
What if this is my only chance to leave?
What if this is the last ship?
I spin around, intending to grill Chloe on her plan regardless of my lack of bribes. But she’s gone back downstairs, and I’m standing alone in the mudroom, surrounded by pairs of Killan’s old work boots and rusted machinery parts I haven’t a hope of recognizing.
Killan
Only half of my attention is on the console screen before me as I double-check the inventory for unloading against the master list on my datapad. There is a niggling feeling of “wrongness” hovering over my shoulder, but I finish my last check and turn to the only other person in the cargo bay.
“Everything is there.”
“Of course.” Atakis smirks, his exoskeleton glinting in the low lighting. “Call the others onboard, and we’ll get to unpacking.”
I nod, skirting around the boxes and crates, heading for the gangplank exit. Over the years, I have not had much to do with Atakis. Despite the fact this Freighter comes to Ril II several times a Common year, I know virtually nothing about him.
“Where did you say Enzo was?” I keep my tone light, as if his answer is of no importance to me.
“I didn’t say,” is his response, and when I glance back at him, he gives a self-deprecating shrug I cannot find fault with but which amplifies my feeling of “wrongness” all the same. “Retired,” he adds.
“Akh.” Retirement is not wholly unexpected, considering Enzo had been captaining this Freighter since my childhood, when my parents were in charge of the farm.
Enzo must be the same age as my father, or older even, and my parents retired several years ago, returning to Ril I to see out the remainder of their days close to where my sister had lived. “You have taken over,” I guess.
“Guilty as charged.”
“And our current contract remains the same?” That would be the usual way.
When a new captain takes command, they would also take on the old captain’s pre-existing agreements.
Still…it is not unheard of for new captains to jettison cargo and to keep the transportation fee as an unofficial resignation.
“Sure. Sure. Same as ever.” The Locranian snaps his sharp teeth, his elongated jaw protruding toward me—not a threat. But also not not a threat.
“Well, congratulations on the promotion.” I pick my words with care. “I will transfer a bonus payment to celebrate your success.”
His eyes glint.
“On the successful delivery of my Nufaral to Ril I, of course.”
“Of course.”
We head down the exit ramp, but before I can depart, Atakis rests a hand on my arm.
“You have females?”
“My brother’s Mates.” I hold his gaze, although he does not appear to notice, his attention on Briar and Harlee.
“Where did they come from?”
My stomach tightens. “Their homeworld,” I answer, as vaguely as I can. If he has not yet heard of the failure of LOVE GALAXY, I am not going to be the one to broadcast it.
“Humans.” He snaps his teeth. “They are…rare.”
“You recognize their species?” I glance towards my family and then back at Atakis.
Rare? Or did he really mean restricted? They’re a planet-bound species, after all. They should never have been stolen from their home. John Smith broke a lot of important laws by bringing them here.
He gives me an appraising look. “I would not have thought it of you,” he says, mayhaps under the impression it was my brothers and I who stole the Humans.
I make a noncommittal shrug.
“Do you have more? Now that Enzo has retried, perhaps you and I could come to another agreement. I would be happy to freight livestock, for a cut of the profits, of course.”
“You are mistaken.”
“Come on.” He digs his fingers into my arm, but my scales are too strong for him to hurt me this way. “Sharing could be profitable. How many do you have?”
“Briar and Harlee are mated to my brothers. They are not livestock.” I spit the last word, disgusted.
He gives me a long look, as if hoping I will change my mind.
“Where did you hear of Humans, anyway?” I ask.
“I’ve seen them around.”
“In person?”
“On a broadcast.”
I frown. Considering he seems unaware of LOVE GALAXY, which broadcast is he talking about? Who else, aside from John Smith, would be fool enough to steal from a protected planet and broadcast the fact for all to see?
When Atakis does not offer any more information, I mutter something about collecting my cargo and dismount, returning to my brothers and their Mates.
“Something is not right.” I do not have to keep my voice down for fear of Atakis overhearing, not when the wind is screaming loud enough that it is nearly impossible to hear anything at more than an arm’s length of distance.
“The shipment is incomplete?” Roan asks in a yell, and I have to shake my head, because that is not what is bothering me.
“Enzo retired. Atakis—” I do not want to stand around talking about my concerns when action is required. “The females should return to the house.”
“What does that mean?” Briar demands, hands on hips, always so fast to defend herself and her fellow females.
Sorin must see something in my expression that hints at the seriousness of my thoughts, because he loops two arms around his Mate. “Briar, please.”
“You mean it?” Her eyes are wide as she studies Sorin. “I’m not scared of that crocodile-looking guy.”
“Yes.” I answer in Sorin’s stead, deliberately making my voice harsh and unyielding. I am well used to being disliked for making difficult choices, and I will not let the potential anger of my family dissuade me from doing what I believe will keep them safe.
“Come on.” Harlee tugs on Briar’s arm, pulling her back a step toward the mudroom. “I’m sure Killan will explain later. For now, let’s do as he asks.”
Briar gives me one last look, and right when I think she is going to continue arguing, she nods and lets Harlee lead her away.
I release a long breath. I am selfishly pleased that Lydia remained inside, and I am selfishly pleased that Atakis does not know about her as well.
“We have a lot of work to get done,” I say, indicating the waiting Freighter. Not only do we have to unpack the supplies on board, we must repack the cargo bay with eight lakes’ worth of dried and powdered algae. “Let us get this done as quickly as possible. I want them gone from our home.”