Page 29 of Soros
Snapping her fingers, Star answered, “I’m very lonely and sad.”
“To snap your fingers is the traditional way of greeting others in Markatoria where Star is from,” I said because I knew that Clara wouldn’t know that, and she might think that it was a strange thing to do.
“Oh, I see.” Clara bit her lip. “I’m sorry to hear that you’re lonely and sad. Hopefully, Tania can help with that.”
“Yes, she’s very kind to me.” Star took my hand and leaned in to see Clara on the screen. “How are you?”
It was typical that aliens didn’t understand that Americans used the phrase “how are you” as a greeting and not truly a question. Even foreigners from Earth found that confusing.
“I’m very good, thank you,” Clara said before Malliko asked, “Tania, are you sure that she’s human? Couldn’t she be half Noxin or Eidron?”
“They tested Star when we arrived on Earth and her DNA shows that she’s half human, just like she told us. From what we understand, it sounds like her mother was trafficked many years ago.”
Clara’s jaw dropped and then she looked at Malliko. “You said that something like that couldn’t happen because we humans are a protected species.”
“You are!” He scratched his neck as if ants were crawling on his skin. “That’s why it’s unbelievable that the Malbreeans found a way to abduct humans without anyone noticing.”
“Captain Lios and his crew came here chasing a particularly dangerous Malbreean named Ko’roz. Soros believes he might be hiding on Earth. Now, they’re warning the officials to look for him.”
“Why Earth? That makes no sense,” Malliko said.
“For a Malbreean, Ko’roz isn’t that tall. With his six-feet-three he’s shorter than the average on Markatoria and wouldn’t stand out physically on Earth. We know he was involved with a group of criminals who managed to land on Earth several times undetected. That’s how they abducted Jade twice. Soros and Lios believe someone at the Federation was paid off to cover the tracks of the landings. On any planet connected to the Federation, Ko’roz would risk getting recognized by bounty hunters, but on Earth humans aren’t even aware of the existence of Malbreeans. He can control humans with mind clouding and make a new life here.”
“Hmm…” Malliko sat for a second. “That actually makes senseifhe really found a way to get here without being detected, which I still think is unlikely.”
“Yes, and that’s the problem. We don’t know for sure. And even if Soros has guessed the right planet, he still has no way to know which part of Earth that Ko’roz would pick. We’re in New York, because Soros thinks Ko’roz will prefer an urban environment where he can blend in among a diverse group of humans.”
“He’s probably right about that,” Malliko agreed.
“Zobran and the rest of the crew went to London, but to be honest, we don’t know if Ko’roz might have altered his appearance on Tandaquon. If he chose Earth, he might not have changed his looks since he wouldn’t have to worry about bounty hunters or Federation officials.”
“What’s Tandaquon?” Clara asked Malliko.
“It’s the home planet of the Thaddoinians,” he explained and then it suddenly hit me that he might not know about the tragic loss.
“Wait, do you know everything that happened when the team went after Jade and Sival’s children on Markatoria?”
“No.”
I could feel Star watching me and knew this part was painful to her, so I squeezed her hand. She moved closer and leaned her head against my shoulder while I updated Clara and Malliko on what had happened since we last spoke. “After Sival was freed from the pirate ship, the team did an incredible job at finding evidence and tracing the criminals who were paying the pirates to hold the victims imprisoned. The biggest concern was not only to stop those criminals from hurting other people, but also to track down the two children that Jade and Sival had together while being held captive. Not surprisingly the trail led us to Markatoria.”
“Yes, Sival told me as much when I spoke to him. How did it go? He said you were taking the pirates to Fedaros for prosecution. Did you find the children?”
“We did. Luckily, they hadn’t been sold into slavery or killed. They were being loved and pampered by Star, who had adopted them asherchildren.”
“Ohh,” Clara sighed and seemed to get the situation right away. “Does that mean…?”
I finished the sentence. “Yes, it means that the children are now with Jade and Sival, their biological parents. Star is trying to get used to living without them.” I placed an arm around Star and our heads leaned against each other. “She’s been isolated on Markatoria and I’ve promised to help her start a new life here on Earth.”
Clara was full of sympathy and told Star, “I’m a mother and I’ve felt the pain of losing my children in a custody battle. My heart hurts for you, dear.”
“Thank you.” It surprised me when Star elaborated. “But you see, my family members were among the criminals who paid the pirates to kidnap and imprison Jade and Sival, and many more innocent victims. Now, I’ve lost my children, my sister, two brothers, and my father. It's a sad situation.”
Malliko dipped his chin. “We won’t pretend to understand something so horrific. You must be incredible strong to carry such loss.”
“Strong.” Star gave an unamused chuckle. “I’m the opposite of strong. My family kept me away from the public eye because I was weak and easily manipulated. They’ve always been my protectors.”
Brushing Star’s arm up and down, I supported what Malliko had just said. “You’re much stronger than you and your family gave you credit for. And soon you’ll be living a more independent life here on Earth.”
