33. Chapter 33

Chapter 33

One Old Earth year later (equivalent to 1.2 Talin solars)

Standing next to the shuttle, Iris fought back tears. "I'm going to miss you."

Palathum sounded a soothing rumble and opened her arms, inviting Iris to hug her. "I'll miss you also. I would never have guessed the depth of your character and greatness of your intelligence when we first met. I thought you were only a simple creature of affection. I'm pleased to call you friend and family."

Iris moved in close and wrapped her arms gently around Palathum. The Talin was pregnant but not showing yet. Apparently Talin pregnancies took up to two years. During that time, Palathum would slowly shed the front keratin plating to accommodate the growing child. Iris had been a little shocked to find out that, despite the longer gestation period, Talin babies were generally born smaller than humans!

There was no doubt about it, the universe was a strange place!

"We're going to try to come back for the birth," Iris said. "Healer Raltinum has a chart all filled out, and Manikum created a countdown and milestone display in the galley. I think there might be a betting pool on the baby's size, birthday, and time."

Palathum sounded an amused rumble. "I'm touched that the crew is so interested in my reproductive progress."

Iris laughed. "Captain Nomium also mapped out the next year and a half of assignments already so we have check-in markers at all the waypoints. She warned me that I better be on time with everything or she'll leave without me."

"Captain Nomium is the only one I know who would dare say that to you," Palathum said with another amused rumble. Then she sounded a soothing rumble. "Even if you're late, it would please me for all of you to be at the Claiming Ceremony."

The wedding ceremony for Palathum and Utharium had not only inspired a bunch of others to do it too, but also encouraged the Talins to bring back old ceremonies they'd abandoned when they gave up scent bonding and raising their own children. The Claiming Ceremony was where the family and clan got to meet the child and learn their name for the first time.

"I wouldn't miss it!" Iris promised. "Even if I have to leave a station half finished, we'll make it back for everything."

"Don't do that!" Palathum said with a startled rattle, then must've realized Iris was joking. "I know you and Damascus will do very well. Organizing and creating the infrastructure for this colony was the perfect practice for the two of you."

Iris looked past Palathum at the small gathering of buildings that was the beginning of Arise colony. Although she couldn't see them, she knew there were hectares of fields beyond. Unlike where she grew up, these farms were worked by hundreds of bots. The humans and Talins only needed to oversee the machinery. Gone were the days where humans had to labor to exhaustion because there wasn't enough tech to do the job. No, farming here was almost easy.

"The next supply ship has already left Molpa colony and will be here within forty rotations," Damascus said as he walked off the shuttle. "We've got confirmation of their departure and cargo."

"Excellent," Palathum praised.

Damascus stepped up behind Iris and wrapped an arm around her. It was a familiar stance, and she leaned back against him.

"I'm afraid we need to leave now," he said with a surprisingly loud mournful rumble. "I never thought I'd say this, but I almost don't want to go."

It was Palathum who comforted him. "You can always return. This is your home now."

She might have meant to make Damascus feel better, but she helped settle Iris's nerves too. It wasn't until that moment that she realized she'd been feeling unsettled by all the changes. Palathum's simple statement made her feel safe again.

It reminded her of another one of her mother's sayings: family was a net ready to catch someone falling.

"It's good to have a home," she murmured.

They said their last goodbye then boarded the ship. She wished Utharium could've been there, but he was busy with the satellite installation crew setting up a stable orbit for the interstellar coms array. With that, the colony would be able to arrange their own resupplies and even send messages to Progress.

Mia had gone aboard the shuttle long ago and was sitting on Pilot Kalorum's lap "helping" her prepare for launch. At seven years old, Mia decided she was too much of an adult for long goodbyes. According to her, there were more important things to do, like practicing her piloting skills.

"You need to be seated," Mia told them once the shuttle hatch closed. "We can't lift off until you're seated."

She sounded very much like Kalorum. Between her grown up words and earnest demeanor, Mia was adorable.

"Yes, of course, Pilot Mia," Damascus responded with a purr. "Can the crew share a seat?"

Mia looked confused for a moment. Kalorum whispered something in her ear, and Mia nodded at Damascus. "Crew can share a seat as long as you secur…secur…hold her tight. 'Kay?"

"Yes, Pilot Mia," Damascus agreed as he took a nearby seat and pulled Iris down onto his lap. "I'll hold Iris very tight."

After that, Mia communicated with Progress and got to press several buttons. Kalorum switched controls to a secondary display set out of reach of Mia and let the little girl continue to press on the locked main display.

The flight back to Progress went smoothly. It was the first time Iris wished these shuttles came with windows; she wanted to see Arise colony get smaller as they gained altitude.

All too soon they were docked on Progress. It seemed so much emptier now that there weren't extra crew or humans on board. Even Dek-lee was gone, dropped off on a Delorta station on their way back to Arise colony to drop off the last of the supplies.

Once they were docked on Progress, Kalorum let Mia lead her away to "study pilot-ie stuff." It took her a moment to realize the bay was empty except for them.

She was going to miss everyone.

"I'm still here," Damascus reminded her. He'd gotten good at reading her face over the last year and was seldom wrong anymore. "Mia is here. Most of the crew decided to stay with us. You're not alone."

Refusing to cry, Iris nodded her head. "You're right! And we'll be back in two years at the most."

"At that time all the current contracts will be fulfilled, and you can decide if we accept more or take a break. We have many options, soul flower."

"Can one of the options be a snack?" she asked with a grin. "I was too tense to eat breakfast, we missed lunch, and dinner is a long time away."

With a purr, Damascus picked her up and cradled her against his chest. Her bangles chimed as they moved against each other, matching the ones on his ankle. "Of course. Perhaps after a light meal in the galley you'll be sleepy and want to take a nap."

Iris laughed. Nap was the euphemism they used for sex around Mia. "You know what, let's skip the snack and go straight for the nap."

"There's sopa and dimas in our room," he countered. "We could have it all."

She nuzzled his face with hers. "I already do."