Page 29 of Captured By the Alien

“Sorry, sticking what up?”

“It’s a human phrase. It means thanks for defending me.”

“Us Potentials have to stick together. Until we meet in the field, obviously. Then it’s every Vraxian for herself.” Vysh paused. “I guess I’ll have to say every ‘being’ for herself now.”

Kara laughed.

“So there are rumors already about why I’m here?”

“Everyone’s talking about it. How the Zhaal was marooned on some awful planet with a human. Is it true he wants peace?”

“We both do. I hadn’t reckoned on taking part inshaa’baarathough. It seemed like a good idea at the time.” Kara looked towards Layahn and the others. “Now I’m not so sure.”

“I hope you make it.”

Vysh sounded sincere, which surprised her. Wouldn’t every female Vraxian give their eye-teeth to become the next Zhaalini? Before she could ask, Vysh took her hand.

“Let’s get some food before it’s all gone. I’m starving.”

She led the way to the table and they piled their plates. Nothing resembled anything Kara had ever eaten before but it seemed to be largely plant-based. She tentatively took a bite, then a larger one.

“This is delicious.”

“All from the agricultural sector on Vraxos. My sister is a crop engineer over there, she said they had a good harvest this year.”

Kara remembered Vahn telling her the planet had an urban hemisphere where the bulk of the population lived, and a rural hemisphere where the climate was better suited to growing.

He’d also told here that was where the war with the humans had started, after a delegation from Earth had landed on the agricultural side and mistakenly believed Vraxos was a backward farming planet.

She hadn’t believed it at the time. But if Vysh had a sister who worked there, perhaps she would know more? She resolved to ask when she had the chance. For now she contented herself with studying the Potentials as they ate.

Female Vraxians didn’t have serpetri like the males. They didn’t possessarakpoison and their cranial crests were more delicate, making them appear less ferocious. But they were still substantially stronger than humans.

They would be hard to beat if the contest was based on sheer physicality.

She noticed a few of them were staring and tried to look friendly.

“Have they never seen a human before?” she muttered to Vysh.

“No. None of us have. Not in the flesh.”

“I’ve seen pictures of them,” volunteered another Potential. “You all look the same. How do you tell each other apart?”

“Er…”

“Why is your face so smooth?”

“How do you see anything with those weird eyes?”

“Is it true humans don’t have scales anywhere?”

There was a sudden deluge of questions and Kara tried to answer them all. She was very aware of Layahn glaring angrily.

“I have a question,” the Vraxian finally asked in a loud voice. “What happened with you and Zhaal Talvahnax on that planet?”

There was a sudden hush. They all looked at Kara and she chose her words carefully.

“We became friends.”

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