Page 5 of Ava Stargazer

The large biologics tank danced as the engine spun, clearly growing restless with their energy output going unspent.Same as me.Ava rubbed the jar of biologics on her chest, watching the tank. “It’s alright, huh? All new for you too.” The container pulsed back against her palm. She smiled down at them and across to the massive tank in the middle. Everything was easier up here, just taking care of her ship.

“Sweet bird, come down.” Vox’s voice came from below, measured in its tone.

Ava startled from the sudden noise and looked down to see him standing there patiently, his blue, frilled head angled upward with his amber eyes fixed on her.Vox.She sighed out, gazing at the moving parts, reluctant to move.I can’t just stay up here forever.Her hands were already moving, then stilled on the metal rungs.Or can I?She shook her head and said, “Coming,”as she continued climbing down, her bare feet clinging to the holds.

Ava jumped down, a bit more heavily than usual due to Xai’s increase in gravity, and stood in front of Vox, rags in her hand and a grumpy look on her face. The suit he wore to the meeting was already removed and he stood in just the pants like he did at the lake earlier. She watched Vox take in her sullen expression, a calm and patient one mirrored back to her.

Ava tapped him on the chest. “You were right to want to put that meeting off.”

He leaned down close to her face and spoke in a low, forceful tone. “Ultimately what the quorum decides doesn’t matter. We have this ship, like I said before.”

How is he so confident in that, though?Ava closed her eyes. “Can we really just go around them? Like Rhutg said?”

“Yes. They will find that things on Xai are going to move very fast around them if they do not soon get on board. You have felt the reception from the other males and females, right?”

Ava paused, her mind going back to that day she’d walked off the ship two weeks prior. There was an initial gathering when she stepped off the ship, full of bright feelings and hope. It felt good. A light feeling lifted her heart remembering, clashing with the feelings from the quorum earlier. “Yes. It’s so strange how all the positivity can be canceled by just a few negatives though.”

“Don’t let it. Everyone knows what you did on Torga, Ava. And even if they didn’t hear our communications as we came back home from the ship, the five women you helped have been very vocal.”

Ava had to smile at that. “Especially Sai.”

Vox leaned against the railing, his lithe body flexing a bit as he reached to touch her face and to move a piece of hair behind her ear. “Yes. Sai wanted to come by today, but I told her to hold off because of the meeting.” Smirking toward her, his arms hookedon the railing. “Although, Sai is a bad influence. She does what she wants too much. No responsibility.”

Ava chuckled, body relaxing. Of all the five women they rescued, she and Sai had struck up the closest friendship. “You’re just mad that she told me that the women have the power in the relationship.” Ava walked close, poking him in the chest again. “I think she’s right, too.”

Vox leveled a look at her, his eyes crinkling with humor. “Like I said, a bad influence. She also cheats when we play cards.”

“No she doesn’t. You just don’t like to lose.”

Vox rolled his eyes upward.

Laughing, Ava broke the silence. “I knew it. I wish playing cards was all we had to worry about.”

She leaned into him and Vox folded her in his arms, holding her tight. His head dipped to the top of hers. “I love hearing you laugh.” The weight and pressure from his arms grounded her.

Ava put her head on his bare chest and felt his twin heartbeats as she said slowly, “It’s better here just with you.” She buried her head further into Vox’s chest while he hummed.I don’t get all of it.Politics was something she didn’t understand, an interplay that was different from anything she knew. Living as she had with the Phor, the roles were always clear-cut and simple. The queen ruled everything and the drones, like Ebel, obeyed. This place, Xai, had ... nuance.

Were Humans like this too, complex and with hidden motives?

Through all her mental worrying, Vox’s breathing remained calm under her cheek.Still . . .She leaned back and side-eyed him, her eyes lingering on his solid frame.“You aren’t worried?”

“I am not. I like what the stars have brought me so far. There is a balance I see that the quorum does not.” He hugged her close.

Ava sighed, trusting his assessment, content to just be held a moment and put the thoughts from the morning out of herhead. Besides, she had more pressing matters to worry about, like making real progress on her goal of finding other Humans. Other Humans, the real reason she needed help. “Did Iryl check in yet?”

“Not yet.”

Ava bit her lip, head still burrowed on Vox’s chest. “It’s so hard waiting. I know Iryl found something about the other Humans. Any information from outside of Xai would be nice.” She glanced at the navigation panel where Nuor worked before. Several of Nuor’s feathers were still in the alcove she used to sleep in here on the ship.

Nuor was the other one she missed, the first true friend that she’d made herself, back when she lived amongst the Phor. “Haven’t even been able to contact Ebel or Nuor. It’s been so many cycles.”No. Not cycles. So many days ago. Days. Days.Ava gave a slight wince and corrected herself again, her brows furrowed.

Vox stroked her back, scratching lightly at the end on her waist. “I’ll contact Iryl in the morning. He keeps different times living at the board than us. But you’re right, he did say he found something.”

“Okay.”

He gestured above, at the window high in the engine room. The sun was starting to drop in the sky. “If we’re fast, maybe we can play a few rounds of jurn outside before it gets dark. The quorum visit is behind us now.”

She nodded and stifled a yawn, her body wanting her to rest even though the sun still shone brightly outside on Xai, where it was only late afternoon.He’s right. It’s time to focus on something else.Days were around one-fourth longer than the time she’d counted as a cycle before. As a result, she found herself still adjusting to sleeping during the nighttime andstaying awake in the day on a set schedule, rather than whenever she felt tired like before.

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