Page 55 of Guardian's Heart

"I don't know. When I look at you two, it reminds me of how Tuck used to act around me. Like Nock is your annoying little brother."

I grunted, finding a shirt and pulling it over my head before adding my weapons. I didn't need two blasters and knives on me all the time while it was just us on the ship, but habits die hard, and I had been trained to always be prepared.Trained… I nearly stumbled over the word. Trained by whom? I was starting to doubt it was the Ohrurs.

Nova sidled up to me. "Anyway, I don't think it would hurt you to be a bit nicer to him. He looks up to you."

Now, that was a joke if I had ever heard one. "Didn't you hear me say that he got me in deep trouble with the Ohrurs? He thinks I'm a killer."

Her smile was sweet and oh so annoying because of her next words. "Just be nice, okay."

I rolled my eyes. "I thought I was. After all, he's here, right?"

"Exactly," she threw right back at me, moving to the door. "Coming?"

I sighed loudly to make my displeasure known, and my eyes roamed the room; it really was a mess. I really needed to getsome cleaning drones in here. Before that happened though… I moved quickly to snatch the shirt I had ripped off her a few days ago. "I'm keeping this as a reminder of my conquest."

"Your conquest?" She took my bait just as I had hoped.

Shouting from outside, however, ruined the mood once again. "I'm sorry. I told Nock to feed the humans. I don't think he'll be able to without my help."

"Let's go then," she said, stepping through the opening doors.

NOVA

Later that day, wedocked at a space station so Zaarek could go and purchase things we needed for the rest of the flight. Like clothes for ourguests, hygiene articles that weren't already aboard, and shoes—it was amazing how much I missed those.

I wanted to go with Zaarek, but he insisted that it was too dangerous for a human. We were still too rare not to cause a commotion.

"But I would be safe with you," I tried to entice him.

"Of course, but we wouldn't get any shopping done," he argued back, and the logic in his words deflated me.

Instead, I was left on the bridge, staring at the space station that was like nothing one could possibly imagine. The station itself looked like a giant wheel against which smaller wheels were attached, connected by rectangular tunnels. As if it had been impaled, in the center sat a large circular tower. The entire contraption was made from a black material, but thousands of lights coming through the windows lit it up. Our ship was but a speck as Zaarek docked it against one of thetunnels.

That wasn't all of it, though; hundreds of other ships were docked at similar tunnels, so close I could observe a red glowing alien on the bridge of his ship next to us. I stepped back deeper into the shadows, heeding Zaarek's warning of not being seen.

Still, I couldn't bring myself to return to our room; my eyes feasted on this alien sight, something I had never imagined to ever see—at least not off-screen.

The space station floated in the middle of nowhere. There was only vast blackness around it, besides the coming and going of lights from other ships.

More of the attached wheels were under construction, and in fascination, I watched drones or robots work on them. From the different kinds of ships coming and going to the monstrous structure, this was so far out from our technology on Earth that it boggled my mind. It also brought up the question of how many species were out there? I already knew of seven, no eight, counting the Pandraxians who were rescuing humans.

"Impressive, isn't it?" Nock startled me as he entered my field of vision reflected in the window.

"Yes.” I watched a ship, the size of a cruise boat on Earth, probably bigger, elegantly slide up to one of the tunnel arms and dock. Who was aboard? What business did they have here? Who were they?

As if reading my mind, Nock explained, “That’s a royal space barge; from its colors, I would say it belongs to the kingdom of Melvar. King Zyranus might be aboard.”

“Shouldn’t you be there reporting on that?” I teased.

“It would make for a lot of views, for sure. King Zyranus is not known to show himself in public often or to leave his kingdom. I wonder what he is…” He broke off. “Are you trying to get rid of me too?”

I shook my head. “Not in the least. Actually, I'm hoping you'd teach me some more about the databases here."

"Ah, that is exactly the reason I came looking for you." He smiled, something he did quite often, and I realized it was part of his charm that must have made him so successful on whatever social media outlet he was a guru on. "You're learning quickly, and I would love to show you something I've been thinking about."

"I'm all in." I nearly rubbed my hands in glee as the familiar tingle in my fingertips spread. Ready to hit the keyboard and do their magic.

He sat in one of the captain's chairs, and the triangular windows that had given me a view of space turned black before several screens turned on. Simultaneously to that, four cubes appeared out of thin air right in front of where Nock sat. Curious to see what he was up to, I looked at the screens.

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