Page 92 of Fighting Gravity
“What’s special about it?”
Without even knowing what the planet was or why it was of interest, my heart started racing. Discovering new worlds was my dream. It was the reason I wanted to pilot. To experience the silence and vastness of space and see places no one else had.
“If it’s habitable like he thought,” Rhone continued. “Building a colony isn’t out of the question. War has wounded many of our territories and many don’t want to keep fighting. They want to live in peace and move on. That is what Thalos represented.”
“But not you.”
He shook his head. “I can’t move on. I need to see this through. You don’t understand our past with the valerians yet. Maybe taking time to find a place for my people to settle and build will help remedy that.”
“You got a short answer I can think about while I wait?”
“Syferion belonged to the gek’tal until valerians saw too much value in it and committed genocide to clear it of inhabitants. They built mines for the precious crystals your people use to power the Nexus. War broke out and billions of lives were destroyed, so gek’tal scientists manufactured a virus that attacked valerian reproductive systems. We sat back and watched their numbers deplete, allowing it time to fight the war for us. Until humans migrated to space.”
“That’s why you came back. The valerians said gek hadn’t been seen in ages. Humans made you return.”
“My brother wanted to stay out of it. He wanted our people to move on. Find another world. But the time and effort and resources that takes would have ruined entire generations.”
“And you wanted to fight. That’s why you fought him to be urok.”
He nodded once and I took a long, deep breath to calm my shuddering heart.
“What about humans? I never lied to you. Most of the people on the Nexus think we’re trading weapons and military assistance to the valerians. I had no idea genetic research was a part of it. There were rumors here and there, but people like to be kept in the dark. You’ll find that out about humans soon enough. We’re happier that way.”
“Are you happier that way?”
“I’m never happy,” I said, rolling my eyes.
“Could you be?”
The question felt heavy and direct. I paused to stare at him, my pulse picking up again at the way his eyes bore into me.
“With you?” I muttered. I took another breath to center myself, thinking hard about my next answer. “Maybe.”
“Then, maybe you can teach me more about your people while we explore this new star system. And I will show you mine.”
I narrowed my eyes. “You mean… learn about each other?” He nodded and I took a small step toward him. “Are your people on Gathea going to be anything like every other alien shithead I’ve met since being with you?”
His mouth quirked confidently. “On Gathea, my name goes a long way. Lok’rath is a very respected clan.”
“I’m holding you to that. I’m getting sick and tired of hands being all over me everywhere I go.”
“I’mgetting tired of hands being all over you,” he said softly. “The only one touching you should be me.”
I took another step toward him, glancing at the ship. “So, you’re going to teach me to fly this thing. And then we get a ship and we head off to some star system no one’s seen.”
“Yes.”
“That’s a lot to spring on a girl.”
I crossed my arms over my chest and rocked on my heels. A new star system sounded like the fantasies I had while I was getting myself through schooling. I was doing everything I could not to turn into a giddy child at the promise of seeing a new world. And the idea of seeing it with Rhone? The guy that was slowly inserting himself deeper past my thick, emotional barriers? It was beyond what I thought life had in store for me. Forget the fact that gek were supposed to be the enemies.
Maybe I didn’t want to be told who the enemy was.
Maybe I didn’t care.
Maybe… I needed to start flying instead of falling because it was time to admit I had never been falling with style. I was just plummeting to the ground waiting to shatter and somehow, Rhone caught me. I don’t think he meant to. I don’t think he wanted to. But now we were together and it didn’t look like either of us desired to change that.
“If you have doubts, perhaps you can do something for me,” Rhone said.
