Page 55 of Ava Greasemonkey

He turned away, ready to go find Ava in the med bay now that he had his say with this Phor when Ebel answered, “I did what I thought was right to keep her safe.” He met Vox’s eyes. “In an ideal world, she should have been someplace like your planet. But there was no place I could think of like that for her where she would be protected. Here, she was safe. I took care of her the best I could. When she met Nuor, I took down barriers to let them be together. I did that at least. She was not harmed here, she always was fed. I did what I could.”

Vox’s lip curled slightly as he considered his words. The Phor believed what he was saying, he could feel the truth in that. It mollified Vox slightly that he had not just selfishly kept her contained for his own enjoyment and help.

Images came to Vox’s mind, Ebel’s memories as he reflected on a time in the past. Through his mind, Vox saw a much younger Ava. Hair shorn close to her head, ribs exposed on her sides, eyes dull and listless. It was all layered in the compassion Ebel felt when he first met her so many cycles ago. The image changed to the Ava he knew today, the one who smiled, laughed, and was well nourished, with hair that came down below her shoulders. Ebel did try.

Ebel continued in a flat, monotone voice, “The facility on Cipra was closed very soon after she came here. Humans were not a profitable venture. They are willful and unpredictable. Some would work out well, while others were unmanageable and would turn on their owners. There was no way to predict the outcome. The slavers moved on to different species to breed that were more consistent.”

“Why did the Phor purchase a Human then, if that was their reputation?”

“I had another, before. She got hurt in the engine. But from her, I knew Humans were . . . different. The Phor left it up to my discretion when I was in need of another helper. They had moved on to only hiring contractors at that point. Ava would have gone to auction with the rest of the Humans in a few cycles had I not come in with a purchase request right then.”

Ebel continued, meeting Vox’s eyes and nodding curtly, “If you are able to protect her. I would . . . I would be grateful. I know you don’t believe me, but it would be one good thing to come out of all of this.”

Vox and Ebel regarded each other and came to a silent understanding. “She will be mine to protect, if she chooses me, but regardless will live in a way that allows her to truly live life,” Vox said finally, crossing his arms firmly. “As any sentient creature should.”

Ebel nodded, letting out a shuddering breath. “If you do that, then I would thank you.”

Vox left him there with his thoughts, leaving Lirell to stand guard outside. He couldn’t change the past for Ava, but her future would be different.

Chapter 20

After they made an initial truce, Rhutg said he needed to think and plan. He handed Ava a tablet to input details regarding her Humans while he thought.

He told her that after she documented what she remembered, he would send it off to the main contact they had at the Galactic Board so there was a record of it, just in case, as well as off to the Vorbax Quorum on Xai. He didn’t need to specify what “just in case” meant.

Ava sat down and started cataloging her family. Her mother, with her soft brown hair. Her sister, Maebel, who was closest in age to her. Little details she could remember about the other sisters as they were born. One had a birthmark on her foot in the shape of a leaf. As Ava wrote, remembering all the littlest details about each of them, the neat box she kept them in inside her mind came apart. She started to tear up thinking about them for the first time in years. She never forgot them. Their faces werefuzzy in her mind, but she still loved them just as strongly as when she’d first left them.

At the end of writing down everything relevant about them, she made a paragraph break and started inputting word for word every piece of information on Joy from the auction house flyer. She also took a photo of it to attach at the bottom. Some of the identifying numbers printed under the name “Joy” from the auction house were worn out, but she remembered them and filled in where they were rubbed off. Ava hoped they could be useful in finding her someday. This picture had been her only Human to look at for years. Ebel had found the flyer and printed it for her ages ago. This Joy was family now too.

Tears were falling in earnest, and Ava let them as she stared at the words on the screen, all the parts of her loved ones on display. In the end it was only a small amount of Humans she had documented. She wished she had more information about the others, about the ones she remembered at the breeding facility, but couldn’t recall much. Every Human deserved more than the hand they were dealt by the stars.

Ava let out a shuddering breath, looking over what she had typed. She hadn’t spoken their names in forever. Not even Ebel knew who they were. He asked a few times, but Ava always brushed him aside. Now, looking at the names, she wondered why she never shared before. Her heart felt raw, like a wound existed in it that was incapable of healing. Her hands shook as they held the tablet.

The tablet was tugged out of her hands, and she saw Rhutg looking down at her, a speculative look on his face. His eyes no longer held the cold indifference that they did previously. Instead, they shone with compassion.

“You feel emotions just as strongly as we do,” he commented, out loud instead of in her mind.

Ava rubbed the tears on her cheeks, attempting to wipe some away. She felt so relieved that their names were down, out of her brain, somewhere real for the first time. Not only that, but the information would be sent off to a place that would hopefully take an interest in them.

Ava held out her hand to take the tablet from Rhutg. Once she had it in her hands, Ava also took a picture of herself, forcing a smile, and included it in the file, along with her height and weight. She wanted them to be able to see her now. She wanted everyone to see who she was. That she existed, out here almost forgotten in the stars. Just in case.

Rhutg put his hand heavily on her shoulder, and she felt calming waves from him, similar to Vox’s. There was no rush of heat with him, just shared affection. Two sentient beings who had loved and lost. Ava put her hand over his and looked at him with still watery eyes. An understanding flowed between them, connected by his hand on her shoulder. Ava looked at him and hoped with all her heart that his love would return too. She squeezed his hand gently.

“Violie,” Rhutg said softly, his tone strained with emotion. “That is my mate I am rescuing.”

“We will find her,” Ava promised, nodding. He lifted his hand to take the screen from her, nodding himself.

Ava handed him the screen, and he added more information to the report for his contact, including some words in a language she could not decipher.

“What are you saying?”

“Our agreement, as well as a current status report. I am also asking if there’s any additional information from the Tuxa in regards to where the females are, or other battle information. Our contact, Iryl, is on the Galactic Board on Elyhim, the council planet, and can source knowledge that we cannot sometimes.” He paused. “I am also including the medical records we obtainedfrom you earlier and the file the Phor have of Humans. I figured the more information I can provide the better. It would show our people why it would be in their interest to take an interest in your Humans.”

Ava nodded and watched him type it out, his hands overlarge on the keyboard made for delicate Phor fingers. It was quiet until he finished, Ava just watching until the transmission was confirmed and received. It was peaceful here, sitting next to him. She gave a halfhearted grin. To think she was terrified of this man only a brief time ago.

“Iryl, our contact, might attempt a hologram conference with us in a bit upon receiving this information. I will let you know.”

“Okay.” Ava felt worn out now after writing about her family, but forced herself to ask, “Have you any plans yet on what you want me to do?”

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