Epilogue

"Begin commander's log. I have arrived at Eve Languis' assigned campsite," Commander Davis said, taking a long, deep breath and letting it out slowly. He snapped his voice recorder closed.

"I don't think this is a good idea," Commander Davis stated.

His gaze settled on his young charge, Eve. She sat on a fallen log not far from him. "But James attacked me!" Eve cried. Her hands curled into fists, squeezing so hard that her knuckles turned white.

The giant green man behind her shifted on his feet, his body just barely moving closer to Eve, hovering over her in a protective stance.

Balroth. That was his name. Commander Davis' head still spun. Aliens! Here, on planet Atraxis. It shouldn't be possible. Yet it was hard to refute evidence that he saw with his own eyes. And Balroth wasn't easy to miss. The male was massive. Not only was he tall, but he had muscle on muscle. Davis had earned the title of Commander the hard way, through service to his planet, but he doubted that he would be able to take on the alien before him alone.

"He should face justice for his behavior." Eve looked back over her shoulder at the alien. She didn't seem to mind at all that he lurked behind her. It took everything in Davis' years of training and willpower to not snatch her away from the male. "He's always been a dick, but this time he's gone too far."

Davis sighed and rubbed his brow. He had been worried about James Lewis for quite some time. The further the spaceship got away from Earth, the more the man's true nature had become apparent. Eve wasn't the first woman to complain that Mr. Lewis had become aggressive. But she was the first with physical signs that could be used as evidence.

"This is your first time traveling from Earth, isn't it, Eve?" Commander Davis asked.

"Yes, but what's that got to do with James attacking me?"

"While we are legally under Earth's jurisdiction here on planet Atraxis, small matters of abuse won't be reported intergalactically." Davis flinched at his own words, at the implications that he had to explain to Eve. "The cost and reliability for a transmission doesn't justify it."

Eve gasped. "Are you saying that I should just let him go? That I shouldn't report it?"

"No!" Davis cursed. Was that what he was saying? "Yes. No. Maybe? Right now, I'm just trying to protect you."

Eve stared at him for a long moment. Tension filled the air, like a physical weight just waiting to be cut with a knife. Or a spear, given how Balroth stood menacingly behind Eve.

Finally, Eve sighed. She raised her hands and rubbed her temples. "He needs to be punished. If he gets away with this, he's just going to escalate. You and I both know that's how men like him work. They take-take-take until there's nothing left for the victim to give."

"And he will be. I will make sure of it," Commander Davis spoke quickly to reassure her.

Eve looked at him, biting her lip. It wasn't often that she appeared so unsure and vulnerable. It broke his old heart that he was the one who put that look on her face. He wanted to see her happy. After all, Eve was the closest thing to a daughter he had.

Behind her, Balroth stood tall and proud, puffing out his chest. He had also been motionless. If it hadn't been for the occasional breeze shifting his hair, Commander Davis would have considered him a statue. That, and the fact that his eyes tracked everything. They never rested, constantly shifting to the landscape around them, to himself, and finally to Eve. The only reason Commander Davis hadn't tried to rescue Eve from the alien was the way Balroth's face, for just the briefest of moments, had relaxed as he gazed upon the girl. The alien hadn't extended the same courtesy his way. It was clear by Balroth's steely gaze that he wasn't trusted.

"I don't think I would be comfortable returning to the colony with Balroth. Not with James around. Maybe my friends can come and meet with me. Balroth and I can start a trade with the colony," Eve's words were like a bullet to his heart. For a moment, he wondered if he was having a heart attack. He could have sworn it skipped a beat.

Yet, he had known this part of the conversation was coming. When Eve had contacted him via radio, she had explicitly told him she wasn't planning to return to the colony anytime soon. It wasn't until he had arrived at her campsite that Commander Davis fully understood why.

"It might be best if you don't return at all." His words sounded hollow even to his own ears. "There is something else you need to consider, Eve. The very fact that we are only now discovering aliens on the planet."

He hesitated, not sure how to explain this to Eve. She was always book smart, but he didn't get the impression she followed politics as much as he did. The fact that she thought she could seek justice against James Lewis, the man with friends in high places, spoke to how little she knew of the intricacies of the higher-tier classes.

"None of us knew there were aliens," Eve stated simply. Yet she frowned, considering the fact. "There was absolutely no indication whatsoever of civilization. That in itself is odd, to be honest, as plenty of planets have evidence of collapsed and extinct societies. Atraxis was completely barren of sentient life."

"There is something you need to know, Eve. It was made quite clear to me before we even left Earth that no aliens lived on this planet. The Deputy Chief was very, very explicit about this fact."

Commander Davis sighed. He had been cynical, praying that his suspicions had been wrong. But proof was proof. Any scans that had reported such things would have been destroyed long before they reached the hands of his team.

"Were you aware that a somewhat recent intergalactic law was passed? It's rather controversial. It states that if sentients are living on the planet, they cannot be overthrown. Instead, interested species must offer treaties to the residents in order to operate on the surface, including colonization."

"I..." Eve's face paled as the implications became apparent. "Are you saying that Earth's government knew about Balroth's people? That they tried to cover it up?"

"There is no guarantee about this, but I suspect that is the case," Davis confirmed. "And if I am right, exposing Balroth to the colony could pose a significant threat to you both."

At this, the alien behind Eve rumbled something and shifted on his feet. His tail swung forward, the tip wrapping around a spear. Yeah, there was no way that Davis would have been able to take this alien on in a one-on-one fight, even when he was younger and in his prime.

"Earth's government had invested far too much money in this project to back out on colonizing the planet now. Besides, if I am to be honest, our government hasn't got the best reputation when it comes to honoring treaties." Davis shook his head, trying to dispel old memories. He had seen firsthand how the government often cut corners, especially with alien races they didn't deem to be worthy.

"Let me make this as clear as possible, Eve." Davis closed his eyes. His sorrow manifested as physical pain in his chest. "I don't think it's James you should be concerned about. I suspect that there were people here, and on the spaceship, that had the government's interests at heart, not the people's."

"I had planned to leave... but not disappear forever." Eve spoke softly. Tears filled her eyes.

"You will be fine. Your mate here clearly is capable of surviving these wilds. He will protect you." Commander Davis eyed Balroth, who merely returned the smallest nod in acknowledgment. It wasn't much, but it was clear by the way the male hovered over Eve that he wasn't going to let her get hurt. Not by anything, nor anyone.

"But..." Eve gasped, opening and closing her mouth several times. She looked panicked.

"You can't return to the colony with him, Eve. And if you return alone, you'd still be expected to take a husband. You wouldn't be allowed to come and go at will." Davis spoke calmly, trying to hide his own turmoil.

Eve looked at him with a pale face. It broke his heart to see her so weakened and vulnerable.

"You are happy with Balroth. I've never seen you smile so often, or so genuinely. And he loves you. You should treasure that, ‘cause heaven knows how many people marry without love nowadays."

"I have friends..." Eve whispered.

"They will miss you, just as much as you will miss them. But in the long run, it's better that you both are alive and unharmed."

Eve's shoulders slumped with defeat.

"What will you tell them?" She asked.

"I'll figure that out. That's my job. Don't worry about it. Focus on your mate and find a life you can be happy with here…" Davis trailed off. His throat felt clogged and raw. If he kept talking about Eve living a life away from the colony... He had always imagined playing some role in her life, like one day standing in as a grandfather for her children. Now, he would never have that chance.

"What about James? He'll get worse," Eve asked tentatively. They both knew the chances of James facing justice were low without Eve being present to provide a statement.

"I'll handle it," Davis replied. "Just go."

Eve nodded. Her eyes filled with tears. Suddenly, she launched herself at Davis, hugging him. Davis instinctively wrapped his arms around her, and before he knew it, tears were flowing down his cheeks.

"Thank you for everything," her choked voice said into his chest. "I'm so grateful to have met you and…"

"It's okay, Eve," he had to clear his throat several times to force the words out. "Now go, before we all change our minds and do something stupid."

Eve rubbed at her eyes. She laughed, though the sound was more of a sob than anything.

Balroth came up to stand beside them. He wrapped one arm around Eve, gently pulling her into his side. His other hand came heavily down on Davis' shoulder.

With that, the green barbarian led Eve away. She looked back only once.

"Thank you, dad."

Her parting words brought Davis to his knees. He had watched over Eve for a long time, considering her as a daughter. To know that she considered him like a father was all too humbling.

Much later, when he had finally composed himself, Davis pulled out his voice recorder once again. He took a long deep breath, letting it out slowly. He cast his gaze around the field, taking in the sight of Eve's abandoned and collapsed tent and belongings. "Miss Eve Languis is missing. Mr. James Lewis has reported that he was attacked by a beast when searching for Eve at the present location. Miss Languis' campsite is in disarray. The severe weather we have experienced at this location made it impossible to find any tracks or evidence to support Mr. Lewis' claims."

Despite his effort to maintain his composure, tears gathered once again in his eyes. "As such… until evidence is presented, Eve Languis is to be assumed dead."