She eased, reaching out to lay her hands over his. He softened his grip as she smiled softly, “Yes, to you. But, to them? I’m not a leader, I do an important job on the ship, but to my people as a whole, I’m not aKannatchor—youget what I mean, right?”
He nodded, motioning with a hand for her to continue. She squeezed his hand as a thanks before she returned her attention to the space beyond him.Why were they so strung up on me going missing?“It’s not like scouts being killed or disappearing isn’t a common thing. I mean, in the last 50 years or so it’s not been a big thing but…”
Xexis shifted. “My mate has thought of something.”
“You said, your father had an audience with them.” Aphrodite returned to her earlier thought: Why would theVroskrowzknow about humans? Why would they care enough to have a dedicated educator on them? And how would they have an audience with her people?
“He does, all beings do. Once a people have reached the stars, they are invited to join the Council of Beings.” Xexis nodded, sinking into his water to wash the soap off his shoulders.There it is.A council of beings.
“What? What Council? You’re saying there is like a galactic Council of people that the humans have joined but didn’t tell any of their citizens so we would be unaware about all the beings in the galaxy. So that way they could weaponize our ignorance against people they’re politically working with?” She pushed away from the ledge, tossing her hands into the bath water.That sounds about right. She was livid. Aphrodite was nearly spitting fire and flames out of the sides of her face mad.How could I not know? Of course, there was some sort of Council or government, a UN of space to keep the peace!She dunked her hair back into the water to rinse the last of the soap from her head. When she stood, Xexis was staring at her patiently. His pincers were stood up straight with pride, his gaze roaming over her once again.
Aphrodite blushed, ringing out her hair. “Uh, how long have we been in the Council? About 50 years or so?”
“Likely,” he purred the words, leaning over the ledge of the tub. “I can check with Xnasis. He would know the proper dates your people agreed to join the Council. We sent out an offer and many dignitaries, but only recently, in theKorzavic’s lifetime did they finally agree.”
“Now I just need to figure out what there is to gain from starting a fight with your people over me. Or maybe it’s what they’re hoping you all don’t gain.” She crossed her arms under her chest.
“My mate, if you weren’t healing, I would rip you from this tub and claim you against the floor.” Her heart jumped in her chest as her mouth fell. He motioned with two long, massive fingers for her to come closer. She swam to the ledge of the tub, hot skin and goosebumps ravaging her back. He cupped her face with two of his hands.
Aphrodite laughed nervously, “Why? Was it something I’ve said?”
“Your breathing is enough but your mind, seeing it work? It is…how do you say?Aggressively attractive?”He stroked a thumb across her lips. “Now, finish washing, or I will anger the technicians with how rough and careless I am with your body.”
Aphrodite sank into the water unable to speak.Thank the stars for breathers or she’d drown.
Chapter Fourteen:
Herdronereturned,waitingabove the bath doors for her as she pulled on fresh clothing. Xexis put away their soaps and was pulling his suit pants on when the doors hissed open. Grooug stood in the doorway, helmet tucked under his arm. He immediately froze and glance up at the metal octopus. Her drone bobbed through the doorway and lazily floated toward Aphrodite. She caught him and turned him off for the moment. “Sorry, little guy, I’ve got to fix my data pad, so all that hard work was for nothing.”
“Kannatch, Mphronatch.” Grooug bowed his head to both before standing up straight. “Boarded.”
“Vels zet” Xexis bowed his head to Grooug. Turning to Aphrodite, he offered a hand., “The ship is ready to launch, will you come with me to the controls?”
She nodded, tying off the top of the shirt above her breathers. There was a lot of work to be done about her wardrobe now that she couldn’t cover her whole stomach.Either she was cutting holes in everything she wore, or it was space edgy crop tops for the rest of her life.Xexis said there was a fabric engineer, aka a seamstress, at their home station who could address the issue. For the meantime it was basically leggings and tank-tops or t-shirts for now. Aphrodite gathered up her offline data pad and followed the two out of thebathroom. She rushed to keep up, doing her best to keep the exhaustion at bay.
“Vels Zet?” she asked, glancing up at Xexis.
“Many thanks,” Xexis answered.
She was going to have to start a dictionary…or actually learn the language.She wanted to know his language just as he knew hers. It wasn’t fair that he was a translator all the time. Even though he was conversational in English, she would like one day to be able to whisper something in his language into his ear. A cute idea, really.
They strode across the bridge over all the labs. Movement caught her eye. She glanced over the railing, inspecting the easily visible stations. Some were completely encased in glass, while others were open for observation. Many were working on armor or weapons. One being in a lab coat aimed a massive cannon at a dummy. It flashed a brilliant light, and the dummy was gone. The four behind the scientist clapped as they adjusted their protective, tinted goggles.
“What is that?” she gasped.
Grooug and Xexis glanced down at it before they both grunted in unison, “Pest control.”
“What pest?” She scoffed, rushing to keep up with them.
“Brexzkit,” Grooug shook his head with a sigh, “dark beasts that exist in dark places.”
“Cavern dwellers,” Xexis added.
“Oh! So, you need the light to destroy them!” Aphrodite was awestruck.
“They have a nasty habit of not dying if there is no light.” Xexis grimaced, putting a hand to her lower back.
“Nasty, bitey habit.” Grooug shuddered before pulling up the lose fitting fabric on his right thigh. The crew having ditched their armor for more relaxed outfits. He nodded at Aphrodite before jabbing a finger at his thigh. They all stopped to observe at the jagged, moon-shaped scar. He huffed, “Brexzkitdid that.”
