She wanted to savor this first breath of a new world.
Warm.
Fresh.
She could smell botanicals and rain.
As she looked out onto the platform they'd landed on, she could see the Kantenans standing on the perimeter. They all had ridges on their backs. Four stood near the vehicle, all in long black coats and pointed horn-like headgear.
Or was that their heads?
Each one was slightly different, but they all had horns.
If it was a headpiece, she couldn't tell. But they were pretty intense looking, no matter the shapes. Bright colored, a contrast to their red skin.
Organic.
Like this place.
Hard and natural.
She had to say, she was very intrigued.
Hopefully, she'd be able to get a close look at them before this was over.
"Come, ladies. It's time," Graecey said and glanced at Janae. "Time to see one lucky lady’s new home.”
"Someone's going to be lucky," one of the others said.
Janae nodded.
For a brief second, she wondered if she was lucky enough to be able to stay.
3
"The ship is big," Stron said as the ship started to land on the platform.
Khalzin nodded. "From what I understand, the females live there until they're united with a mate." He'd been given information from the Galactic Alliance Science Senate when he joined about how the process worked, though it seemed very basic now, what he knew about these females.
Only that they chose to be a part of this, and most were eager for new experiences and meeting new humanoids.
"They could be ship-starved," Fiviel said, referring to the slang term for being stuck on a ship so long that one takes whatever they could get. Those who were desperate or out to con a ship-starved passenger spent time near landing ports. Ready to take advantage. Most, though usually, resided on space stations.
It simply meant the women would settle for anything and likely be desperate.
"Do you think you can handle it?" Dhomhes said, his voice low.
Khalzin gritted his teeth. "I can. Can you?"
"There is nothing to handle because this mess will only fail," Dhomhes replied. "They all will be atrocious looking, I promise. Ship-starved and desperate.”
"Then why did you volunteer?" Fiviel asked.
"Because it is also controversial, and I like to be in the middle of the controversy.”
"Naturally," Khalzin said.
"End your ego," Stron said. "We need to get on with this. The females will likely be nervous."
