Page 24 of Scars & Starlight
I’m glad she’s not looking at me now and doesn’t see the probably evil-looking grin on my face. I love that the thought of us spending nights together both appeals to her and flusters her. It must mean she feels our connection, at least a little bit.
“It’s settled then,” I say, leaning back in my seat. “As soon as we’re done here, we’ll grab your things and head to the Talon.”
Satisfied, I watch as Cyren and Kael gift Potts and Feldman the first nanites and count down the marks until it’s time to sleep.
13
TARA
My stomach quivers as I brace for liftoff. I wasn’t conscious the only other time the Talon took off from our little Ventura base, but I imagine it's like being on a high-speed elevator on crack. When we took off from the Sovereign, it was more of a straight line, and there was no gravity pressing me down on the seat. I watch Kairen’s elegant fingers flit between buttons and screens, that funky cube hovering beside him.
He looks at me from the corner of his eye. “Why do you look so tense?”
I roll my lips together, my hands clenching around the edges of the seat beneath me. “I never liked roller coasters.”
His eyes flash silver, which I’m starting to connect with him being fed information from whatever database the Avaren have. “Did you feel a gravitational force when we were descending, Princess?”
I frown, thinking back. I come up short. “I don’t know. I was too busy trying not to hurl for most of it,” I admit sheepishly.
Kairen’s lips curl into a smile as he winks at me. “Look outside.”
When I notice the ground is shrinking below us, my back goes straight. “H–how?” I stutter.
“Inertia dampeners,” he explains with a shrug.
“Wow,” I breathe, looking at the Talon’s dashboard with a new fascination now that the nervousness of flying has been allayed. “One of these days, I’d like to learn about Avaris’ history of engineering.” I hover my palm above the unknown buttons. “Like, how you went from ground transport to air transport and then space travel.”
Behind us, Kiko chirps with excitement, maybe sensing a task for him. I swivel the chair and face my little robot companion. “What do you say, buddy? Want to disclose all the secrets of Avaren engineering?”
“Nothing is a secret for you,” Kairen murmurs, his gaze almost pointedly away from me. Something about the words heats me up from the inside. “We have a mark or so to reach this location that you humans call Medina while avoiding Ghorvek patrols. Feel free to spend it however you please.”
I fiddle with the sleeve of my top, feeling shy all of a sudden. “Is a mark like an hour then?” I ask them.
“A mark is approximately seventy-five of your Earth minutes,” Kiko answers cheerfully.
“Well, alright then,” I say, slapping my thighs. “Teach me your ways.”
Over the next hour, Kiko gives me easily digestible information about Avaren’s invention of the wheel. I’m particularly fascinated by the switch from combustion engines to fusion reactors, and later antimatter drives. Every now and then, Kairen makes slight adjustments to our course, citing Ghorvek presence.
“Wouldn’t they detect us on their radars and come after us?” I ask after the fifth such alteration.
Kairen shrugs a shoulder. “They likely do and don’t consider it worthwhile as long as we keep our distance.”
“But could we take them out in a fight?”
“Depends on how many of them we would encounter,” Kairen answers neutrally. His mouth tightens as he tilts his chin. “We likely will have unavoidable altercations on this mission. That’s why Idon’t want to risk flying to your base or the Sovereign between diplomatic encounters. It would double our time in the air.”
I tap a finger against my mouth. “Why not do it with more ships and just take out any Ghorvek we encounter?”
The alien gives me an admiring look. “I can appreciate your bloodthirstiness, Princess, but I don’t wish to engage in full-scale aerial warfare with you onboard. Once we’ve established some alliances, our people can join forces in eradicating them both in the air and on the ground.”
“Where will you be?” I ask, keeping my eyes on my hands in my lap.
Kairen makes a noncommittal hum. “I should probably return to Avaris for a while and attend to some duties there. This battle won’t end overnight.”
“I see,” I say through gritted teeth.
So what if he’s leaving so soon?I think to myself while picking at the skin around my thumbnail. I mean, we’ve barely just met. Did I think he would stay on Earth and hang out with me? I bring my thumb to my mouth to chew on it, when a gloved hand blocks me, taking hold of mine.
