Maybe it was just her getting used to all this—the whole ‘being mated to an alien’ thing. Her mate. What a concept! The idea that some cosmic algorithm decided he was the one for her was wild. Were they really meant to be, or was it just about ticking boxes for compatibility?
Then again, that kiss. Oh, that kiss! It was like it rewired her brain. After that, if he’d asked for the stars from the sky, she would’ve found a way to pluck them down for him. Ridiculous, right? But that’s what a moment like that could do to you.
Now that she’d taken a second to breathe, she realized she might have been a bit swept away. But then, isn’t that what relationships are all about? Getting lost in those crazy, beautiful moments?
She took another sip of the wine Addy had chosen—it tasted like chardonnay but was this funky light purple color. Thankfully, it wasn’t as strong as the stuff back on Earth. Keeping a clear head was probably wise. No need to launch headfirst into ‘drunk girl’ mode, especially not here, not now.
Erzo, with his usual calm composure, was still filling them in about Charrovik. “It’s fairly standard, except for the heavy orbit ring.”
Polly couldn’t help but inch her chair even closer to his, feeling comfort in his proximity. His hand brushed the edge of her chair subtly.
“Really?” Addy asked, leaning in.
Polly, feeling a bit like a student in an alien geography class, ventured, “What’s an orbital ring?”
As she asked, her hand found Erzo’s, their fingers intertwining almost naturally. The simple touch sent a reassuring warmth through her. Erzo’s gesture, small yet intimate, helped ease the nagging feeling of being watched that Polly couldn’t shake off.
Solkan, Addy’s cyborg husband, was the one who answered. “It’s a ring for orbiting ships, an ideal spot for them to hover around a planet.”
He looked almost entirely human, except for the metal gauntlets on his forearms and the scarring at his neck, like badges from battles unknown. His voice had a slight monotone quality—not enough to scream robot, but just enough to pique Polly’s curiosity about his backstory.
Polly nodded, trying to picture it. “So, does every planet have one of these rings?”
“They do,” Solkan confirmed.
Addy jumped in, “But they’re also hotspots for trade and business, both on the up-and-up and... less so.”
“Some more than others,” Solkan added with a hint of dry humor.
Erzo, with a raised eyebrow, glanced at Polly. “We conduct a lot of our business in orbit rather than on the planet’s surface.”
“Why’s that?” Polly asked, intrigued by this peek into alien economics.
Erzo’s explanation had a hint of mystery to it. “Certain laws are planet-bound. In orbit, things change—the laws, the consequences. So when those laws are inconvenient, clans take their matters to the stars.”
“So it’s like a Wild West in space? A lawless zone?” Polly asked.
“In a way,” Erzo agreed, his expression unreadable.
“Sounds not so different from some shady dealings back on Earth. And you’re in a clan? Like a big, interstellar family?” Polly mused.
“Not everyone is blood-related, but many pledge allegiance to the clan leaders as if they were family,” Erzo said, his response hinting at complex loyalties.
Polly couldn’t help but think it sounded like a cosmic version of the mafia. Meeting Erzo’s family seemed a bit more daunting—were they all space mobsters?
Addy leaned in with a knowing look. “You know, once you get the hang of things here, you’ll see it’s not so different from your home planet. It’s Arth, right?”
“Earth,” Polly corrected, a small smile playing on her lips.
Erzo seemed genuinely puzzled. “Your planet is named after dirt?”
Polly did a double-take. “Excuse me?”
“Earth. As in soil. In Standard, that’s what it means,” Erzo explained. “Is it different where you come from?”
Polly laughed, the absurdity of the question striking her. “No, it’s the same. But it’s also our planet’s name. Kind of funny when you think about it.”
Erzo seemed intrigued. “Does your planet have any other names?”
