Page 102 of Malliko
My chin dipped. “I’m aware. I was your captain for eleven years.”
“And a brilliant captain at that,” Lios complimented me.
Nerix laughed and looked to the side.
“Don’t mind him,” Lios told me. “Nerix thinks he should be the captain and that none of us are as good as he would be.”
Clara studied Nerix for a moment and I wish I could read her mind. Nerix was the only other Eidron in this group and about the same size as me. She had told me she loved how large and broad shouldered I was, and it made me wonder if she would have preferred Nerix over me if she had met him first. Did she find him as attractive as me or did she pick up on his poor attitude? Even now, his laugh was mocking instead of jovial.
“I’m well aware that Nerix resented my leadership,” I said, “But I came to the conclusion that it wasn’t about me. I just don’t think Nerix enjoysanyonetelling him what to do.”
Nerix rocked back on his heels. “If you two could stop analyzing me, we could focus on what matters. We have a potential case of kidnapping and forced breeding to solve.”
“Good point.” Lios raised his hand to his forehead and looked at me. “Good seeing you again.”
I reciprocated the movement and placed the lowest part of my palm between my eyebrows. “Always good to see you as well. As I said, we’re happy to help should you need assistance.”
When Lios left, Clara asked about the hand to the forehead.
“It’s equivalent to you humans shaking hands or bowing your head. We cover our third eye to signal respect.”
After ending the conversation with Nerix and Zobran, I took Clara’s hand and led her to one of the exploration capsules. “Do you want to try?”
She hesitated and without saying a word, I understood that she was already filled to the brim with impressions to digest. She didn’t need a simulated reality of fun when she still had to save energy for the flight back to Earth.
Putting a protective arm around her shoulder, I kissed her on the top of her head. “Maybe another time. I can tell that you’re overloaded. I would offer to show you the ship or spend more time with my old team, but maybe it’s better if we go back to Earth.”
She nodded and gave me a grateful smile. “Thank you. It’s a lot to take in and I’ve felt a little nauseated since we got here.”
“That’s normal. Adjusting to the atmosphere on Earth took me a while as well.”
We briefly greeted everyone in the room and said our goodbyes before walking back to the shuttle.
“What did you think of Nerix?” I asked her.
“He’s handsome like you, but he doesn’t have your charm or charisma. At least I don’t think so. Zobran was a bit freaky at first with that bright yellow ring around his irises. I don’t know… it was hard not to stare at him.”
“You did great, Clara,” I assured her.
Walking through the spaceship, she made small comments about the sparkling lights and the intricate design of everything. Every time we passed someone, I could see them stare at her with curiosity. As if needing my closeness to feel safe in this strange environment, Clara took my hand. It awoke my protective side and right away, I pulled her under my arm. The way she held on around my waist and leaned a little against me,made my heart swell with admiration for her bravery at being here. My feelings for her kept growing with every day and I knew that if the committee denied us the permission to be together, and I had to leave her, it would feel like a brutal loss.
Cacala quickly picked up that Clara was overwhelmed and didn’t say much. Handing her another bag, she gave us both a small smile and got ready to take us back to Earth.
The last time Cacala had dropped me off on Earth, Lios and Nerix had been with us, and she had piloted the shuttle like a madwoman. This time, Cacala handled the spacecraft as if she had fragile babies onboard.
“Don’t worry, Clara, you’ll get used to it, and until then, I have plenty of bags for you.”
Clara gave us both a tired smile and turned her head to look at the view. “It’s breathtaking,” she breathed.
I tried to see the panorama of Earth through her eyes. Watching it from the space shuttle was a vantage point that few humans would get to experience. It was a clear day with the atmosphere appearing blue and the land masses and clouds below looking like an abstract painting. The bright, twinkling stars of the night sky were visible in all directions, and the moon appeared as a huge, glowing orb. “Notice the majestic beauty of the curvature of the Earth,” I said. “And do you see the thin atmosphere and the gentle movements of the orbiting satellites?”
“I see it,” Clara said. “And I’m so grateful for this experience. I always dreamed of traveling, I just never imagined getting an opportunity like this.”
CHAPTER 32
The Stars Above
Clara
