Page 57 of Scars & Starlight
She nods a few times, her head bobbing. “Yeah. I wanted to know what kind of movies you like to watch. And what kind of music you like to listen to.”
“I haven’t had much time for watching things these last few cycles. But we can look up some of my old favorites while we make our approach.” I pull up the entertainment dashboard. “As for music,” I murmur, scrolling through the lists. “I prefer instrumental to vocal. How about you?”
“I listened to very loud things that you’d probably loathe.”
My eyes shift to her when she giggles, and I smirk. “We’ll have to see if we can retrieve any when this war is over.”
“Oh no,” she says teasingly.
Finally, I find an illustrated show that was very popular a few cycles ago. The posters in her room reminded me of it, and I think she’ll appreciate it.
“This is called Velu'Shara, after the smaller sister moons orbiting Avaris: Shaela and Aelura. It follows the myth of their creation.”
The projection takes over the viewing pane and – unlike the images my nanites showed me of the human TV – offers depth, scents, and certain tactile experiences too.
“Mind if I use the synth module to make some popcorn?” my match asks hopefully.
I throw her a sideways glance. “Will this napalm substance be involved?”
She chokes. “What? Why would… You know what, never mind, I don’t want to know.”
A few moments later, she comes back with the expanded seeds. My nanites tell me they are high in salt and saturated fats, but when my Princess attempts to feed me a few pieces with her fingers, I dutifully open my mouth. I chew and give her a strained smile.Disgusting.
Over the next mark, my match eats more popcorn than should be able to fit inside her diminutive form, her eyes wide open as she takes in the Avaren show. The first time a fresh-smelling wind blows through the cockpit, she nearly jumps out of her seat, making me laugh uncontrollably. When we reach the QEA particle, I decide not to ruin her relaxation. Just as I predicted, she’s too busy munching and laughing at the projection to notice the barely-there sensation of the Talon and everything in it being transcribed to my home galaxy, Sha’rekai. It’s not until we’re near enough to see the planet Tavrix that I interrupt her viewing.
“Princess? We’re in my galaxy, and there’s a planet you can look at.”
Tara blinks at me a couple of times, her mouth half open. “You sneaky little… Did you give me something to watch to distract me from the poofing?”
I give her a droll look. “You’re the one who brought up entertainment media, my love. I just took advantage of it to make you more comfortable.”
She rolls her eyes and waves her hand. “I’m not really mad about it. I’m just complaining because I feel I should.”
“Who am I to disallow your rights to complain?” I tease with a smirk, then pull down the projection to free the viewing pane.
“Oooh, it’s gnarly,” Tara gasps when she spots Tavrix. The red planet is full of craters, a few of them not from celestial objects.
“We test new weapons here since the planet is incompatible with life,” I comment.
She gives me a wide-eyed look. “Do you have any weapons that could destroy a planet?”
I bob my hand in a so-so motion. “Theoretically, we could build one, but we would never use it,” I begin. “Destroying a planet would have ramifications that echo across the universe, and I don’t see any scenario where it would be warranted.”
Tara purses her lips. “So, not even if there was a planet full of Ghorvek, all conveniently in one place?”
I shake my head at the scenario. “A planet full of Ghorvek would still have animal and plant life that’s endemic to it. The species we would send into extinction would be countless.”
“I guess I didn’t think about that,” she murmurs.
“You never had reason to.” I tug on a strand of golden-brown hair. I wonder what color our children’s hair will be.
We watch Tavrix getting smaller in silence for long moments, when I hear Tara’s breathing pick up speed, becoming choppier. “Princess? What’s wrong?”
She attempts to wave me off nonchalantly, but she misses themark. “I just realized how far away from home I am right now. How do you do it? Don’t you miss your home when you’re on the other side of the universe?”
I don’t answer right away. Instead, I approach her and pick her up into my arms, before sitting down again.
“In the past, home was always only a few rotations away,” I begin. “A constant I could rely on being there when my work is done… at least for a moment.” I put my hand on the center of her chest and count the slowing beats of her singular heart.
