Epilogue
It turned out that the blame for the attack on Aster was actually a group of millionaires whose businesses were taking a hit with all the changes being made.
They hired a hitman to take out me and Aster both, since we were the face of all the changes.
It was only me shielding him that kept us both from being killed.
That and Tiphrad and Meiret setting off some kind of shield that protected us both while they dealt with the attackers.
The shock of the event led to a huge shift in public opinion on the Krezikians.
After my speech that had started the conversation, people had kept tabs on me and the changes being made.
When the guy that attacked us was identified and the people who hired him were exposed, the public outcry for justice was nearly as loud as the demand for the rich elite to be brought down.
People were tired of their lives being dictated by whoever had the most money.
And since the Krezikians were the path to making the most change, the support went their way.
It wasn’t always easy, there were factions that didn’t like the alien involvement, but when more of Rilphaer’s people arrived to act as security and a few images taken by yours truly of the Krezikian mothership found their way onto the internet, it silenced all but the really brave or really stupid.
My position as human delegate was made permanent, which meant I was no longer expected to return to the flight line, but I found I didn’t mind.
When I wasn’t working with Aster, I had made a few friends on the mothership that were in charge of maintenance.
The alien machinery was fascinating, and they were happy to show me around and teach me how to handle it.
I also got some lessons on the croxud and how they maintained little things on the ships, while leaving the more complicated tasks to the Krezikians.
A year later, things had changed for the better.
Thanks to new technology and alien intervention, world hunger was a thing of the past, medicine had changed drastically for the better, and the world was slowly healing itself from the years of global warming.
The world leaders were even opening up to the idea of letting other alien species come to visit.
The Intergalactic Delegation of Interspecies Communication agreed it was still too early for their normal exchange programs, but there were species a lot like humans that they felt would help ease the way into introducing the idea of intermixing.
“Are you ready?” Aster asked, practically bouncing beside me.
His ship had been selected for a respite trip home, and as his mate, I was of course going with him.
Since I was no longer part of the military proper, instead considered a civilian contractor now that my contract was up, I had the ability to take some time off.
I’d need it, since the trip alone would take a month one way.
“Should be,” I agreed. “Did my parents board yet?”
Aster nodded. “They’re getting comfortable in their rooms.”
Several of my siblings asked for me to find them jobs working with the Krezikians.
They supported their cause and wanted to make a difference.
With so many of their children now on ships, when I offered for my parents to join us on our trip to Krezik, they didn’t have much reason to say no.
Mom was a little nervous, but Dad was excited to go.
After coming to see me while I was recovering, he got his own dose of serum and was much healthier now, even working with some of the Krezikians to maintain the solarium.
They’d decided to spend their last night at home with their grandkids and the siblings who’d be staying behind before meeting us here.
“I can’t believe I’m going to travel through space,” I commented, following Aster out of our rooms and toward the observation deck. He wasn’t the pilot, just the guy in charge, so he wasn’t required to be in the Command Center when we began our journey.
“You’ve done that many times already,” Aster snorted.
I snatched him around the waist, nipping at his neck when he squealed and laughed. “You know what I meant, you little brat.”
“I am a very good brat,” he agreed with a nod.
I regretted teaching him that word sometimes.
He decided the personality suited him and liked to cause trouble just so I’d punish him.
Usually with my dick down his throat. He had no gag reflex, and I honestly couldn’t tell if it was actually a punishment or if he just enjoyed making me lose control. Probably a little bit of both.
He continued to tease and poke at me the whole way to the Observation Deck, and it took serious work not to laugh. That would be encouraging him, and he was enough of a brat as it was.
“Yo, Rossi! What took you so long?” Knightley called.
I wasn’t the only one who left the military and immediately joined an alien crew.
Knightley’s job as human liaison was now a permanent thing, helping to handle all human needs across the ships while they were working with the Krezikians.
He wasn’t incredibly busy, maybe a few requests a day, but I was pretty sure they made the job permanent because Trevuk demanded it.
Like me, Knightley found his alien mate after getting abducted, and he and Trevuk were attached at the hip most days.
Not that I was any better.
Aster beamed and waved at Knightley and Trevuk as we came to join them. “Travis! You decided to join us!”
Knightley snorted. “Like I’d say no to visiting another planet. Besides, I’m pretty sure this one would pout until the next flight back if I didn’t go.” He jerked his thumb over his shoulder at Trevuk, who only rolled his eyes.
“I do not pout.”
“Sure. Keep telling yourself that,” Knightley grinned at him. Their relationship was more playful than I’d expected from the surly Krezikian, but it seemed for his mate, Trevuk was a different person. I actually saw him smile once.
“Heard from Strauss? Did he decide to join us?” I asked.
The marine had become a good friend, and he’d returned to the ship a few weeks back to join Trevuk’s security team after it was decided that a few human military would join the crew since they knew human behavior better than the aliens did.
Since they were all new, they weren’t required to join this R&R vacation, and last I checked, Strauss was still on the fence.
A slow smirk crossed Knightley’s face, and he tipped his head toward the middle of the room.
We stood on a balcony above the rest, facing the wall of windows that currently looked out over the country.
Most of the humans were here, including Strauss, who was out of uniform and currently making eyes at–
“Is that Landu?”
“Yep. Apparently our favorite little alien showed Strauss to his rooms when he got here, and Strauss hasn’t been able to take his eyes off them since. I’m seeing another budding romance heading our way.”
“Well, shit,” I laughed. “How many does that make now?”
Like I’d expected, once aliens started intermingling with humans, the whole tentacle thing basically skyrocketed their popularity.
A Krezikian looking to hook up only needed to look around to find someone willing.
It led to a lot of mates finding each other, and lawmakers were already working on the legalities of interspecies marriages.
Since I had no intention of waiting for them to get their acts together, I had already made plans for the ship captain to marry me and Aster as soon as I worked up the nerve to pop the question.
It didn’t matter that we were mates, and I knew he’d say yes, I was still nervous.
“Attention crew. We will be leaving the atmosphere in a moment. Anyone wishing to watch the proceedings should move to the Observation Deck now.”
I saw my parents hurry into the room and waved at them to join us on the deck. Aster wrapped one tentacle around my leg, beaming up at me brightly. “It is time, Enzo. We will be leaving now.”
“Yeah,” I murmured, too busy watching his expression to pay any attention to what was happening outside.
He still blushed, even after a year of being together, snickering as he used his hand on my chin to force me to look out the window. I would’ve protested, but I really didn't want to miss this, and having him cuddle into my side did a lot to settle me.
The ship started to rise, and I felt my stomach flip as we got farther and farther from the earth’s surface.
A year ago, I was being abducted by aliens on this very ship.
Now, I was joining them willingly on a journey to their home planet, mated to one of them, and happier than I’d ever been in my entire life.
Maybe being abducted wasn’t that bad.