Jade

JADE

“ S o.” The big purple Honok male looks me up and down. “You’re the female.”

“Last time I looked.” I sigh before adding. “I’m the female. Draco sends his regards.”

A half smile appears on the face of the Honok. “Draco.” He repeats.

This seems to be the usual reaction to the Sarkarnii everywhere we’ve stopped in the galaxy.

Only this is my last stop.

“I’ve been space sick.” I state. “I need to spend time on a planet, or at least that’s what my doctor…my medic…informs me.”

“And you chose Kitchik?”

I want to yell at him. I want to get so mad, to smash things, to do something to alleviate the terror squirming in my stomach.

Which is not the only thing in there.

“You were the closest planetoid to the Sarkarnii flight path.” I say instead. “The Sarkarnii will be back, eventually.”

Ice forms around my heart. I miss my friends with the force of a thousand burning stars. The only humans within light years of this galaxy and I chose to leave them. Only I had no choice. My choice was taken from me.

Something chimes on the Honok’s desk. The mayor of Kitchik is a busy…alien I suppose. He stares at me for a while and then looks down.

“Ah, Draco.” He says with a slight grimace. Again, another usual reaction. “He says you are staying for a while.”

I go to touch my stomach and think better of it, shoving my hands in my coat pockets instead.

“Is that a problem?”

“He has provided a stipend for you,” the mayor smiles, “and all are welcome here on Kitchik. I will assign you a companion…”

“I don’t need a companion.” I say hastily.

I don’t need friends. I don’t deserve them. I abandoned mine because I couldn’t live with what…with what will happen. I couldn’t bear their pity. I couldn’t bear their compassion.

“Non-negotiable.” The mayor says, holding up a pudgy purple hand with only three fingers. “We want you to be comfortable and happy here, and having a companion will assist. Everyone is welcome on Kitchik.”

“You said that, but…” I look at his round face and the smile. This is not a battle I’m going to win. “Fine.”

“Is there any way of getting in touch with Draco? I have an…issue…I’d like to discuss.” The Mayor asks.

“Maybe, I’m not sure. They’re busy, which is why I was dropped here via cargo ship. You can try to get in touch via long range space-comms, whether you’ll be successful is another matter.” I respond.

I won’t miss the Sarkarnii. Big, scaly with a habit of impromptu barbequing. Like big boisterous toddlers half the time. The only way most of the males are kept in check is by Draxx banging their heads together.

This decision was right. I will convince myself some day soon. But all I want is to get through today, and tomorrow. And the next day.

“You are safe here on Kitchik, .” The mayor says, drawing my attention back to him.

Back to his office, a place half way between a Victorian mansion and a space ship.

“I’m not safe anywhere.” My voice breaks.

I realised I was pregnant a few weeks after being rescued from a horrible spider species called the Bogarok. A species who took me to order on behalf of the enemies of the Sarkarnii.

A species who decided I was expendable…and experimentable. Their experiment is growing within me. I try to tell myself at least I don’t remember anything. But it only makes it worse.

Now I’ve left everyone I know in the galaxy behind because I want to face this on my own. The fate I always promised myself wouldn’t happen. The fate I have literally no choice in.

“I hope we can convince you otherwise.” The mayor smiles at me again, but I don’t trust it.

I don’t trust anyone, let alone myself. I hate that the last thing I did was make my friends cry. I hate that the Sarkarnii who escorted me to the cargo ship wouldn’t even look at me.

“If you want to go with my associate, they will take you to your assigned quarters.” The mayor’s cheerful voice breaks into my gloom as a Lepke, feather antennae twisting with interest, enters.

I follow out into the chill air of Kitchik, a hint of metal suggests snow and, despite everything, my heart does a little twist at the thought of the familiar. I always loved the winter time on Earth. In my little part of Yorkshire, high up in the Dales, snow was common. Shame about the alien abductions…

The Lepke takes a number of twists and turns through colorful streets filled with dwellings of all shapes and sizes until we come to a large, egg shaped building.

“This is for you.” They say happily, “second floor. It’s already keyed to your DNA.”

The apartment is small, empty save for a few pieces of furniture, and featureless. The thought of having to make it a home exhausts me before I’ve even started.

I stare around, not knowing what to do next. Behind me, the door snaps open and as I turn, I’m dazzled by an entirely new creature.

“Oh!” it says. “Hello, human.” It grins. “I am Qrow. Qrow Riverside. I am a Bosszanto. The mayor sent me to be your companion.”

He is entirely mauve, to the point I feel sick all over again because his brightness hurts my eyes. A pair of black eyes, dancing with mischief are stark against his colorful skin. He has four arms, like the Jiaka I encountered back on the Kirakos, two of which are waving excitedly.

It doesn’t help he’s dressed in eye-wateringly bright clothing.

I grab at the back of the couch to hold myself up. Qrow inhales.

“And I was not told you were with young!” he says, a smile showing a set of impressively pointed teeth, reminiscent of a great white shark. “How exciting!”

I stare and stare at him until my vision dims and I can’t stare any longer.