Page 35 of Guardian's Heart

"Shower," I said, "find me a shower."

"I can help with that; let’s get the others, and I'll show you to your rooms," Zaarek offered.

ZAAREK

One moment, Nova mademe angry enough to want to wring her neck; the next, she made me laugh, reminding me that I hadn't done much of that in my life.

She amazed me at every turn. The way she had fought the Mmuhr'Rhongs left me impressed. She had to have been scared, but that hadn't stopped her from fighting. I didn't like the way she never listened to anything I told her to do, but her obstinacy was part of her allure. I never could predict what she would do next.

For a moment longer, I stared at the celestial port. It had been a while since I had given it much more than a passing glimpse. Seeing it through her eyes, it truly was a magnificent spectacle. It was large too. It would take us several parsecs—one parsec being a quarter of a lightyear—to pass it, even at our current speed. I wouldn't have been surprised if we could still catch a glimpse beforenighttime. Nighttime wasn't anything we measured orcouldbe measured in space. Every planet had its own rotations, its own variant of night and day, and months and years. Somespecies didn't need sleep at all, some needed two days, it all depended on their star system.

Each ship had a differenttimeframethey adhered to. The computer calculated thetimebased on where the ship's departure originated and where it went. Based on this information, it analyzed how many Galactic Standard Days it would take to get from the departing place to its destination. Lights dimmed automatically to simulate morning, evening, and nighttime based on the computer’s assessment. The universe was vast; nobody had ever gone from one end to the other because there was none. Most of space still remained unknown. More so because it was ever-changing. Black Abysses swallowed entire galaxies, whereas celestial portals gave birth to new ones. Quite amazing actually, when one took a moment to think about it, which I hadn't done until Nova had peppered me with questions.

Curiosity had never been a trait of mine, but now, I found myself wondering if my ship would be able to fly through one of the twin hubs being birthed right now, what that would feel like, what we would see.

"Zaarek," Nova called me impatiently.

Shower, yes.

We went to get the other humans, leaving Nock, who was more or less passed out on one of the benches. Kreds were one example of a species that needed more sleep than others. Uninterrupted sleep. I doubted even a missile attack on our ship would wake him right now.

"Let me show you the rooms you will be staying in for the next." I reached for my comm, but then I remembered that I had given it to Nova. Eight days, I suddenly remembered. "Eight Standard Galactic Days."

"Where are we going?" one of the four males, the tallest, stood up.

"Didn't Nock fill you in?" I asked, feeling a headache forming. They had two days together while I had been trudging through a jungle. Two days! What had Nock been doing all that time?

"He said you were something like space police and that you would take us somewhere safe. He didn't specify."

I would kill that no-good Kred. "Did he sleep the entire time?"

"Most of it," the woman next to the male who had spoken confirmed. "When he was awake, he ordered someone to come and bring us clothes and food…" she trailed off, and I realized that whatever Nock had purchased for them was now lost. We would have to stop at a spaceport and resupply. My headache was growing just like the list of things I needed to do.

I was a Space Guardian, not a babysitter. I wished I could just hire a transporter at the next space station and have the lot of them taken to Astrionis. That wasn't in my orders though. I had to personally deliver them.

I hoped that wherever Possedion was, it was storming there; maybe he would be washed out. Or a sun flare would incinerate him for settling me with this mission.

"We are going to a planet called Astrionis," Nova said next to me, reminding me why the next eight days might not be a complete loss. Eight days! I wasn’t sure I would be able to let her go after eight days—or now… or ever.

"The man in charge there is married to a human woman, and they have decided to make new homes for any of us they manage to save," Nova continued explaining.

One of the other females broke down and cried, "I don't have anything. My family… my friends…" The rest of her words ended in sobs.

My headache grew even more, yet I felt compelled to say, "Lady Silla of Astrionis is putting together a database to reunite families and friends."

The female looked up with hope in her eyes. "Really?"

"I can't promise that you will find anybody, but yes, Lady Silla and Lord Protector Garth will do anything to help you build a new life." I wasn't the reassuring type, but I liked the way the female's face lit up.

Fingers brushed against my arm, and when I looked down, Nova's hand rubbed my forearm. A small smile moved over her lush lips. How long had it been since I kissed them? Too long, I decided.

"There will be time to talk more. Let me show you your quarters and where the nutrition dispensers are located." I turned abruptly, not wanting to see the humans' faces any longer. Many species had been exterminated by others; many had been displaced from their homes and put into slavery. I didn't support slavery, but I had never given any of these species another thought. Now, looking at these humans, I felt a certain kind of… kinship. Not just because of Nova—I felt more for her than the others—no, there was more to it, something nagging buried deeply in my mind. The more I tried to analyze it, the more my head hurt.

I turned abruptly. I needed time to figure this out. Alone time. I thought better when I was alone. Also, as much as it irked me, I still had to contact Possedion and inform him that I was on my way to Astrionis with nine humans on board.

"This side of the ship holds all five cabins." I pointed at the five doors to my left. "The other side holds my quarters, and here," I commanded the entrance to open by waving my hand in front of the scanner. "Are the nutrition dispensers where you can eat and drink." My eyes moved over the several tables and chairs. There was plenty of room for all of them. I groaned inwardly; this had been one of my favorite spots, a large empty room to remind me that I was by myself. Now, the room would feel a lot smaller with them assembled.

"Come over here. I'll program your rooms for you. Some of you will have to bunk together." I moved to the first door for the guest quarters and pulled a male forward. "Wave your hand here," I instructed.

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