Chapter 3
Draevan guided his Vaxxlian cruiser through the Eshunna Passage, a newly discovered wormhole that vastly shortened the travel time between New Vaxx and Earth.
The journey from New Vaxx to Earth and back took only about two days now, a vast improvement over the lengthy voyage that had once been required.
He appreciated that he would be able to reach the humans’ homeworld quickly and collect his mate, a human female named Cora Kalloway, then return to New Vaxx just as quickly.
He glanced at Meela. Soon, his baby niece would have a mother. He hoped Cora would treat Meela with kindness, patience, and give her the extra attention she deserved. He prayed he wasn’t making a terrible mistake.
It was a bit daunting that he was putting his faith in the VAMOB program to select a mate for him. He had included some additional requirements on his application, however, requesting a female who adored babies and children and had experience taking care of them.
In theory, as long as Cora hadn’t lied on her application, she ought to make a good mother for Meela. Draevan once again resolved that he would do whatever he could to provide extra comforts and even extravagances for Cora in exchange for her caregiving duties.
He tried not to think about his other obligations to the human female—like the fact that he would have to mate with her immediately.
Preferably before they returned to New Vaxx.
He could not risk a young, unmated warrior catching her scent, realizing she hadn’t been claimed yet, and trying to steal away with her.
Unexpectedly, warmth filled him at the prospect of such intimacy, though he tried to banish the thought from his mind. As far as he was concerned, his arrangement with Cora would be more of a business agreement than anything else.
She needed to escape Earth, and he needed a mother to care for Meela. He would do whatever he must to ensure it was a fair exchange.
He’d already prepared a room for Cora beside Meela’s nursery, and he’d filled it with some essentials and ready-made clothes in a variety of sizes.
He’d even purchased shoes, jewelry, and cosmetics, following the recommendations of several friendly shop owners who catered to the human females who lived in Starzzia.
He’d heard that many human females arrived on New Vaxx with few belongings, and he’d wanted to make sure Cora had everything she needed to get by until he could take her shopping and let her choose whatever she liked.
Meela suddenly giggled and pointed at the viewport. She seemed mesmerized by the bright, swirling colors inside the Eshunna Passage, mostly blues and greens, but sometimes another color made a random appearance in a burst of light.
“It is beautiful, is it not?” he commented to the baby, still uncertain if she could understand most of what he said.
She laughed again, then she looked at him with the most joyous expression he’d ever seen her display. It caused his heart to constrict yet buoy up all at once.
He smiled back at her, feeling lighter than he had in ages.
Ah, how wonderful it was to see Meela happy.
Her happiness meant everything to him. Not only was she a sweet baby, but she was his brother’s child.
Though he mourned the loss of Harvat and Calla, he felt privileged to be able to take care of and provide for Meela.
And not a day passed that he didn’t thank the Star God that she’d survived the war.
He set the Vaxxlian cruiser on autopilot, then turned to check the harness that secured Meela to the seat. He’d placed a booster seat beneath it which was firmly attached to the copilot’s chair. He breathed a sigh of relief to find it was still secure despite the baby’s constant wiggling.
Initially, he’d planned to leave Meela behind on New Vaxx, in the care of one of his warrior’s mates, but at the last moment, he’d changed his mind and decided to bring her along.
Firstly, he wanted to see how Cora would react to Meela when they first met, for if she didn’t seem like the motherly type, he would have one last chance to back out of the arrangement and request a new female from VAMOB.
And secondly, he simply couldn’t imagine being away from Meela for two full days, or possibly longer if the return to New Vaxx was somehow delayed.
“We are on our way to Earth,” he told her again, hoping she really could understand most of what he said.
“We are going to meet a young human woman named Cora Kalloway. She lives in a city called Manhattan, located in the northeastern part of the United States of America. We are going to meet her and talk with her for a while, get to know her a little, and as long as she… likes both of us, we will bring her back to Starzzia to live with us. How does that sound?”
Meela stared at him with wide eyes but said nothing.
Of course, the only words he’d ever heard her utter were Mama and Daddy.
He was really starting to worry her speech was a bit delayed for a Vaxxlian child and feared it was his own fault.
Perhaps he didn’t talk to her enough, engage with her enough.
Fluxx. A wave of guilt descended, and he turned to the navigation console and increased their speed through the wormhole, suddenly desperate to reach Earth, eager to reach the human female who would hopefully make it all better.
But would Cora really solve all his problems?
It seemed so risky to put his trust in a complete stranger… even if that stranger was a young woman willing to become his mate and take care of a Vaxxlian baby.
Just as they exited the Eshunna Passage and entered open space, he found himself wondering about Cora’s circumstances on Earth.
From his research, he knew the United States was a war zone, and Manhattan had recently suffered multiple rebel attacks, some so devastating that entire blocks had been reduced to rubble.
After watching a few news reels from Earth, he’d been shocked at the violence spreading across the country Cora called home.
It was no wonder she’d signed up for the VAMOB program. Her home planet clearly wasn’t a safe place for her anymore.
But what personal losses, if any, had she suffered?
Was she all alone in Manhattan? Did she have any family or friends that she would be leaving behind? Though he hated the thought of her being all alone, he also didn’t like the prospect of her being forced to part with loved ones and leave them behind in a war-ravaged country.
Meela peered at the planets they passed. She seemed particularly fascinated by Mars, a reddish world that wasn’t a very hospitable environment for humans or Vaxxlians, according to his scans, though he saw evidence of a dome-city on the planet’s surface.
Finally, Earth came into sight on the front viewport, a blue-green planet that appeared quite similar to New Vaxx.
As they flew closer, however, his scanners detected numerous environmental disasters, war zones, restricted areas, and even areas that were in quarantine due to the outbreak of a deadly disease.
He carefully navigated toward North America, then entered Cora’s address and put his vessel back on autopilot so he would be better able to scan for any approaching danger.
Thankfully, no ships they passed tried to stop him, though he wasn’t surprised that he was being entirely ignored even by government vessels—Vaxxlian cruisers were always well-armed and were much more technologically advanced than any vessels the humans possessed.
As soon as Manhattan came into sight, Draevan frowned at the plumes of smoke rising from the war-torn city. Fluxx. It looked worse than the news reels had shown. Worry settled in his chest, but a quick scan revealed Cora’s building was still standing. Thank the Star God.
He landed his cruiser on the roof of Cora’s apartment building, noting that it was one of the tallest structures in the city. He also noted that it was well-protected. His scanners showed it was monitored by armed drones, and even now, he spotted a contingent of armed guards approaching his vessel.
At first, he worried he might have to strike the guards down and fight his way to Cora—an idea that didn’t sit well because he hated the thought of Meela witnessing any violence through the viewport.
But the guards didn’t draw their weapons.
They simply approached his ship as though they were part of a welcoming committee.
Suddenly, the air above his ship shimmered, and his scanners revealed a protective shield had just been put in place.
A shield that spanned the perimeter of the roof and the top floors of the buildings, though it didn’t quite reach all the way to the ground.
As he looked at his monitors, he quickly realized it was because the technology was being operated by the wrong kind of power source.
It was Shirrizian technology, likely bought on the black market, and all Shirrizian technology needed to be powered by corrliana crystals for optimum efficiency.
As it so happened, Draevan had a box of corrliana crystals in his cargo hold. Perhaps if the guards didn’t interfere with his plans to collect Cora, he would give them the box of much-needed fuel so they might better protect the apartment building.
He unbuckled himself from his seat and stood up.
Then he peered down at Meela. Sweet, innocent Meela who might not understand why he must leave her unattended for a few moments.
He despaired over the thought of leaving her here, but he reminded himself that she was safely secured in the copilot’s seat.
His ship was also outfitted with a protective shield.
Even if the shield covering the roof of the apartment building were to fail, the shield around his vessel would hold.
There was no human weaponry that could destroy his ship or harm his precious niece.
He leaned down and pressed a quick kiss to Meela’s forehead. As he straightened, she gazed up at him with large green eyes that he once again mused looked just like Harvat’s.
“I will be right back,” he said. “I promise. I just need a few moments to go find Cora and bring her back to my cruiser. You’ll be safe here. I promise.” Why did he feel so guilty about leaving her?
He pressed one more kiss to her forehead, brushed his hand through her hair, and gave her what he hoped was an affectionate look. Then he started to depart the bridge, issuing a verbal command for the ramp of his ship to descend as he made his way toward the exit door.
But Meela’s sudden cry stopped him in his tracks.
Fluxx. He couldn’t leave her behind if she was upset.
But before he could consider taking her off his ship, he would need to make sure it was completely safe. He needed to greet the guards and have a quick conversation with the males to ensure there really was no danger. He would die before he put Meela in any peril.
“I will be right back, Meela, my little star,” he called. “I promise!” Then he hurried down the ramp of his ship and approached the guards.
“My name is Draevan, and I am here to collect a human female who lives in this building,” he immediately announced in Galactic Common.
“Her name is Cora Kalloway and she is expecting me. We were matched by the Intergalactic Dating Agency.” He paused and made a point to meet each of the guards’ eyes.
“Do any of you intend to stand in my way?”
The tallest of the guards stepped forward and inclined his head in the Vaxxlian fashion rather than offering his hand for a human handshake.
Draevan appreciated that the male seemed to understand his culture.
He also appreciated that he hadn’t yet drawn a weapon.
If he did, Draevan would have no choice but to quickly kill all the guards.
“Hello, Draevan,” the tallest human guard said, also speaking in Galactic Common.
“I am Captain Ambers, and these men are my comrades. We would like to welcome you to Manhattan, and I will personally show you where Cora lives. I promise that none of us will stand in your way. Your future mate informed us of your impending arrival and asked us to make you feel welcome. She also asked us to disable the protective shield that covers the roof as soon as we detected a Vaxxlian cruiser approaching. Rest assured, you are quite welcome here.”
Draevan took a moment to consider Captain Ambers’ words and assess the other guards. None of them appeared combative. All wore calm expressions and seemed as welcoming as the captain claimed they were.
“My baby niece is still aboard my cruiser,” Draevan said carefully, “and she doesn’t like being alone.
Would it be safe for me to bring her with me as I collect Cora?
Please know that if you lie to me in any way, if there is any chance my niece might fall into danger, I will take great joy in plunging a knife into each of your hearts. ”
“There is no danger to your niece,” the captain said, his voice resonating with honesty. “I promise she’ll be safe if you want to bring her with you. The shield will hold, and we are continuously monitoring for any rebel attacks. This is the safest building in Manhattan, and it will not fall.”
Draevan peered at each guard again, trying to determine whether any of them were duplicitous.
He had a good sense for treachery, but he quickly determined all the males were loyal to their captain.
They wouldn’t try to harm Draevan or his niece, nor would they prevent him from fetching Cora and taking her away from Earth.
“Thank you,” Draevan eventually said. “I will get my niece, then I will be grateful if you could show me where Cora lives. I am eager to collect my mate and leave this planet.”