Chapter 19

Reseila didn’t leave for Raug right away. Instead, she requested a meeting aboard the Anamafrid with Reethis, Grolpre, Vroft, and Andrew. With Kipexo’s assurance there was nothing to worry about, everyone agreed to meet, and thirty minutes later, they all stood together in the cockpit with Reseila, Kipexo, and Ethan. The repairs in this room were already finished, so they were alone once the doors closed behind Andrew, who was the last to arrive without Sara or the baby with him. Sam stood next to Grolpre, and Natalie had accompanied Reethis to the meeting, but Reseila didn’t seem to mind the extra attendees.

Once everyone was gathered, Reseila announced the successful peace negotiations between the Raugon and the Lifreet and went on to explain the details of said treaty that affected each of them. She started with Reethis, who was for once stunned speechless when she told him of the Veil’s decision to turn the Anamafrid over to him officially. He didn’t even put up a fight when she requested he immediately wipe the ship’s systems of Galacorp data, and she watched as he did so. When it was done, Reseila shook Reethis’ hand.

“She’s all yours, captain,” Reseila said. “Fly her proudly.”

Natalie punched Reethis playfully in the arm and smiled. “Congrats, old man!”

Kipexo was floored when Reethis put a hand on Natalie’s shoulder with a smile of his own, but at a glance around the room at the others watching their exchange, the captain only nodded in reply.

Satisfied with that, Reseila moved on to Grolpre and explained how she’d been reinstated to her previous title at the hospital. Since Grolpre never even knew she’d been dismissed, this news didn’t exactly impress her, and when Reseila mentioned she was free to return to Raug without fear of prosecution, Grolpre snorted.

“Not likely,” Grolpre said bitterly, and she hugged Sam closer to her side.

Reseila nodded. “I understand, but the offer stands if you ever change your mind.” She turned to Andrew next and told him the status of the runaway humans and how all charges had been dropped against them.

Andrew was far less pleasant than Grolpre when he replied, “Not a single one of us cares about your charges or what you think of us. We’ll die before ever returning to Raug.”

“We’re not asking you to,” said Reseila. “We just hope that, when you return to Earth, you show our kind some grace. So much has been done and said that can never be taken back, but we hope to one day have peaceful relations with your kind. The way you tell your stories upon your return to your homeworld will no doubt help or hinder that process.”

Andrew gritted his teeth and said nothing.

Reseila left the subject at that and turned to the last person she needed to speak with. “You are Dr. Vroft, yes?”

“I am,” Vroft replied. “I suppose you’re about to tell me I’ve been cleared of any wrongdoing as well.”

“I am, but I also have a proposition for you.”

Vroft raised both brows. “I’m listening.”

“I don’t know if you share your comrades’ sentiments about returning to Raug, but if you’re open to the idea, there is a position that desperately needs filled at the GMF. Vesvon has been dismissed as Chief of Medical, and we need someone to manage the hospital temporarily until his permanent replacement is elected.”

Vroft blinked several times. “You… you want me to act as Chief Regent of Medical?”

“We do. I’ve sent your credentials to the rest of the Veil. Even in the solar cycles before the humans arrived on Raug, your skills and dedication as a doctor stood out from your peers. Kipexo speaks highly of you as well. In fact, if you excel in this temporary position, and I expect you will, your chances of taking over the role permanently are very good.”

Vroft’s mouth opened and closed several times before he finally responded. “I… I’d be honored.”

“Great!” Reseila said happily. “Then you should accompany me back to Raug immediately. The GMF is in disarray without proper management, so time is of the essence.”

“I see,” Vroft replied, and he peered sideways at Andrew. “I’ll gather my things, but I’ll need a few hours to… prepare.”

Reseila’s eyes flicked between Vroft and Andrew, and Kipexo knew she was piecing things together. She masked it well behind a smile, though, and said, “Of course. The Veil expects us by days’ end on Raug. It’s not yet dawn there now, so you have plenty of time. My shuttle will be waiting for you when you’re ready.”

“Thank you,” Vroft said. “Please excuse me.” He quickly left the cockpit, no doubt eager to see to the baby’s health and safety in his absence.

“Does anyone have any questions?” Reseila asked the rest of them.

“Why were all of us included in these negotiations?” Andrew asked. “I thought this whole deal was just between the Veil and the Lifreet.”

Reseila looked at Kipexo with a raised brow. “They don’t know?”

“We didn’t want to mention it before it was official,” Kipexo said.

Ethan glanced briefly at Sam and Grolpre before he said, “Kipexo and I… we’re not going to Earth.”

“I’ve been dismissed from the Galacorp in order to take up a new role,” Kipexo explained. “I’ll be working to keep the peace as the treaty takes effect.”

“You crazy fool,” Reethis hissed. “You let ‘em rope you neck deep into this, didn’t you?”

“Wasn’t it you who said I’d go mad just sitting around?” Kipexo asked with a smirk.

“Don’t go blamin’ my sorry carcass for this. This mess is yer own doin’.”

Kipexo leaned closer to Reethis and said, “I believe the words you’re looking for are ‘thank you’.”

The captain harrumphed, shook his head, then laughed humorlessly to himself. “Crazy fool,” he muttered again under his breath.

“Will you be going back to Raug?” Andrew asked.

“No,” Ethan replied. “We’re staying here, on Dradaheirn.”

Andrew glanced curiously up at Kipexo then quickly away again to stare at the wall in deep thought.

“If there are no other questions,” Reseila said, “then I believe that’s everything. I’m happy to have met you all, and I wish you safe travels.”

Reethis and Natalie stayed in the cockpit while the others filed out into the hall. Andrew quickly headed off toward medical, but Grolpre and Sam hung back when Kipexo and Ethan didn’t head for the common area.

“You guys aren’t leaving the ship yet, are you?” Sam asked.

“Not yet,” Kipexo replied. “The Lifreet are setting up temporary quarters for us until our own space can be built, but they won’t be ready until tomorrow.”

Ethan touched Sam’s arm. “We’re going to see Reseila off then we’ll be back. Don’t worry. We won’t leave without saying goodbye.”

Sam nodded sadly, and Grolpre put an arm around them as they walked away.

Kipexo realized, with a painful knot in his stomach, that Grolpre hadn’t spoken to or even looked at him since he told her he and Ethan were staying on Dradaheirn.

Kipexo and Ethan walked with Reseila back to her ship like they usually did, but the conversation was sparse and mostly one-sided on Reseila’s part along the way. She stopped at the end of her walkway for the last time and studied them both.

“I sensed some tension back there,” she said. “The doctor and her Earthling, they disapprove of your decision?”

“It’s not that,” Ethan said. “They’re our friends. We were supposed to go with them back to Earth.”

“I see. That’s unfortunate. True friends are hard to find.”

Ethan nodded.

“Still, perhaps you’ll see them again. If we can find peace between the Raugon and the Lifreet, two species who’ve carried nothing but hate in their hearts for each other for centuries, then there’s nothing stopping us from also finding peace between the Raugon and the humans.”

“I’ll talk to the others,” Ethan said. “Maybe they can help persuade my people to work with yours, like you said.”

“If the returning humans explain that this entire, unfortunate situation was the cause of a few will ill intentions and not the Raugon as a whole, my hope is that, one day, we might trade with your kind, communicate regularly, and establish travel between our homeworlds. With this war ended, there will be many new opportunities, and I hope to include Earth and its people in them.”

“I’ll see what I can do. Maybe Andrew can act as our liaison once he returns to Earth. And with Kipexo and I here on Dradaheirn and you on Raug, we can work as a team to try and get all three species to work together.”

Reseila smiled and offered Ethan her hand to shake. “To our team then.”

Ethan looked a bit taken aback, but he shook her hand anyway.

She turned to Kipexo and shook his hand as well. “I’ll be in touch. The hard part may be over, but the real work is just beginning.”

“Good thing I’m not one to back down from a challenge,” Kipexo said with a grin.

Reseila clapped Kipexo fondly on the shoulder, bid them both farewell, and headed down the walkway to her waiting shuttle.

On the way back to their own ship, Ethan sighed and asked, “What are we going to do about Sam and Grolpre? We can’t let them leave like this. Sam was crying in bed last night. They tried to hide it, but I knew. I feel so terrible.”

“We can’t control others’ feelings,” said Kipexo. “Our friends must grieve our departure. We both know the consequences of bottling that kind of pain.”

Ethan nodded sadly. “I know we’re making the right choice, but I won’t lie: this part of it hurts.”

Kipexo couldn’t agree more.

“Have you tried talking to Grolpre?” Ethan asked.

“About what?”

“How she feels. How you feel. That you’ll miss her.”

Kipexo gritted his teeth. “I won’t force her to speak to me if she’d rather remain silent.”

“What if she’s saying the same about you?”

Kipexo didn’t have an answer for that, so he remained silent.

Ethan let the question linger between them for the rest of their walk back.

*****

Vroft stopped in the common area to say goodbye to the others before he left the Anamafrid. He promised to keep in touch with Kipexo and Ethan, and Kipexo was glad they would soon have yet another ally on the Veil. He had no doubts Vroft would move smoothly into the role of Chief, and Reseila would no doubt pull any strings necessary to see it done. According to Andrew, Vroft also set up several private comm channels so that the two of them could continue to monitor Teagan’s development. Kipexo noticed, however, that discussing Teagan’s future brought a worried line to Andrew’s brow, even more so than before, and the Earthling fell unusually quiet once Vroft made his departure. No one else seemed to notice, though, as Sara blew up when she heard the news that Ethan wouldn’t be returning to Earth.

“What do you mean you’re staying here?” she demanded to know. “You’re joking, right? Tell me you’re joking.”

“We’re not,” Ethan told her calmly. “Please don’t make this harder than it already is.”

Across the table, Sam winced.

“Why the hell would you want to stay here?” Natalie asked. She was taking a rare break from the cockpit and was sitting on Sara’s other side. “The Lifreet are even more freaky than the Raugon.” She glanced at Kipexo. “No offense.”

“None taken,” Kipexo replied with a snort.

“What about us?” Sara asked. “What about all your friends? And your mom, Ethan. Why would you stay here when everyone you know and love will be back on Earth?”

“Not everyone,” Ethan said, and he leaned into Kipexo, who put an arm around his boy.

Sara glared up at Kipexo. “So this was your idea?” she barked.

Kipexo opened his mouth to reply, but Ethan beat him to it.

“It was the Veil’s idea,” Ethan snapped back. “Kipexo had to agree to stay and manage things between the Raugon and the Lifreet or they were going to forget the entire peace treaty.”

“Is that true?” Sara asked Kipexo.

“Does Ethan lie?” he asked her back.

Sara swore then sighed. “This is fucked up.”

“It’ll be fine,” Ethan said. “But I actually have a favor to ask you and Andrew. When you get back, we were hoping you’d help us set up communications between Earth and Raug and possibly even Dradaheirn. It’s going to take a lot of convincing after everything that’s happened, but now that humans know aliens exist, there’s really no going back. We might as well all start working together.”

“Did that Chief put you up to this?” Natalie asked.

“Reseila is right,” Kipexo interjected. “And she’s good people. She put her life and her career on the line to advocate for the Lifreet, and she’ll do the same for humans.”

“There’s a good chance Vroft will soon join the Veil as well,” Ethan said. “Now is the best time to make connections while we have friends in high places.”

Sara looked at Andrew.

Andrew rolled his eyes. “We can’t promise anything. But it might help if we try to establish comms and trade with the Lifreet first. Since they’ve been at war with the Raugon for centuries, our people would probably be more willing to work with them before jumping right to making friends with the ones who attacked and kidnapped us.”

“Enemy of the enemy,” Kipexo commented.

“Exactly.”

“We can help with that,” Ethan said. “I don’t see Sovereign Luxtetana refusing to work with humans.”

“On the contrary,” said Kipexo. “I think he’d welcome the idea.”

Andrew nodded and fell silent again.

Ethan touched Sara’s arm. “I’m going to write my mom a letter,” he said. “Will you please give it to her for me?”

Sara finally softened. “Of course I will. But are you sure you’re going to be ok? Once we leave, you may never have another chance to come home.”

“That’s not my home anymore. I’ve known that for a while.”

“I know the feeling,” Natalie said. She touched her throat where the scars from her old collar stood out in bright pink streaks. “After all of this, I don’t feel like the same person anymore, so the thought of returning home, of just… going back to our old lives like nothing happened…” She shook her head.

“Kipexo and I didn’t know where we would end up when all of this was over, but then all of this just sort of happened and… It feels right, like maybe it was meant to be. Here on Dradaheirn, I won’t be an Earthling servant or the weird dude who brought his alien lover back to Earth. I can make my own life here, free of judgment. I couldn’t ask for more.”

Kipexo put an arm around Ethan’s shoulders and gave him a squeeze. “Well said.” When he looked across the table, Grolpre and Sam were looking at them. Though their faces were both still tinged with sadness, there was something else there now too, like maybe Ethan’s words had given them both some perspective they were missing. This decision to leave them wasn’t just about the peace treaty, it was about Kipexo and Ethan’s future and finding where they belonged.

He hoped that, at the very least, their friends wouldn’t harbor hard feelings toward them for that.