Untitled Runaways Project chapter 2
I felt so happy. It was as if all of my worries and anxieties left me. Looking down, I could only see a haze of colors. In the back of my mind I could hear voices urging me to move forward. The voices sounded vaguely familiar…it was a man's and a woman's…my parents? Strange, I almost forgot how they sounded like. Suddenly I remembered several other things. Nico…I had feelings for her, but I don't see her anywhere. Chase, Molly, Gert, Old Lace, and Victor. Why am I suddenly thinking of them? I then remember that I may never be able to go back to earth. Whatever feelings of euphoria I felt were no longer with me. I am alone in this vast sea of colors.
" Karolina, you have to wake up. We are almost at my outpost," I hear from a distance. I opened my eyes too see Xavin staring out the window. I looked out as well and saw something that made George Lucas' galaxy far away look like a set of floating tin cans.
" Wow, its huge. It's amazing…" I couldn't find words to describe how massive and majestic it was in front of us.
The center was spherical in shape. For the moment, it looked spherical. Each moment I looked at it, it seemed to change shape and color ever so slightly. From what I could figure out, the "Space Station," or whatever it was, looked different at different angles. It remained spherical in shape but the shifting colors made it look like that its shape was changing as well.
" I know. I took quite some time to actually get it to this location, but thankfully my people were able to situate it in this area. Not far away is Majesdane…." Xavin flinched at the end of the sentence. She suddenly looked uneasy and paced to the front of the ship. The lighted cube I saw before I fell asleep was placed on her seat. She picked it up and moved towards me.
" This cube…it is something like a travel log. It records all of the important areas I have visited from the day I was born. If you looked at it, Majesdane only appears once. My battleship only orbited the planet after my parents died. The thought of going there…going to the planet my parents decided to take over is… unnerving." She then sat down and steered the ship closer to the outpost.
" I'm a little nervous too. I don't know anything about my race…but how will our marriage work? What if they don't accept? After all, my parents were the ones that started this war, right? What if…they blamed me for this mess…?" I began to realize one thing. What if this was all just a lie to just give me up as a sort of "gift" to lead to peace between their worlds?
" From what I can tell, your parents' punishment was banishment to Earth, correct? You were not a part of whatever schemes led to their expulsion, so I cannot see a reason why they would want to do you harm. Your parents are dead, so they shouldn't have to fear anything from you." Xavin finally landed the ship into the outpost and stood up. "Do not worry about anything. I will make sure that nothing will happen to you. She moved towards the exit and I followed her out.
" We will also have to do something about your earth clothes, but that will have to wait. Just stay close to me and try not to look anyone in the eye…seriously. Many of my people are very leery of outsiders. Even with the truce there are many that are reproachful of anyone who may be from Majesdane." She then changed her appearance. Her dark skin turned green and scales grew around her neck. Her hair became a deep shade of green. Seeing her as a skrull made her look more menacing.
She then grabbed my hand and started we started walking through the wide corridors of the station. The halls weren't crowded, but I couldn't help but feel that the gazes of the people that were present. The walls were a dull gray with what I assumed were maps of the station posted on them. From the quick glances I took at the maps, I was able to see that there were different sections to the space station and each one was color-coded.
" What are we going to do here anyway?" I asked. I was growing even more nervous as we entered another part of the station. The section we entered was much more crowded and more active. With each step we took the bustling crowds that were around us grew quiet and parted where we walked. If I wasn't so nervous I would have started cracking up at the sight. Xavin didn't seem to hear my question. Her face simply stared straight ahead as if she were in deep thought.
" Uh, Moses? How long until we get to wherever it is where we're going…?" I asked again.
" Hmm? Moses? I do not understand. A little farther is where some of my extended family live. I was planning on introducing you …but who is Moses?"
" Uh, don't worry about it, just a sad attempt at a joke" I replied.
At the end of the hall there were several heavily armed guards. They all looked identical with purple and black uniforms. Each of them stared at me with the intention of firing their weapons. One of them fired a shot at the floor near me. It happened so quickly; Xavin stepped in front of me and said something in another language. Her right hand held the barrel of the gun of one of the guards while left hand stayed behind her back. I could see her fingertips turning red. Flames quickly grew around her hands and through to her upper arms. The barrel of the gun melted in the guards' hands, who began to scream in agony. The rest of the guards began to talk with each other and lowered their weapons. She muttered something under her breath and the guards simply nodded.
" I-I-I thought there was a truce between everyone," I said. My knees felt weak and my heart was racing.
" There is, but there a lot of people here that are against my proposal and anything having to do with ending the war. Luckily they seem to be a minority, so there should be no problems. Those guards do not know anything other than shooting anything that moves. Those fools were nothing I could not handle. Lets just go in. They can take care of themselves." She took my hand again and led me into the room.
This room was nothing like the halls I was in previously. Across from where I was standing, there were several windows that showed a beautiful view of the space outside. The walls were decorated with a strange pattern that I have never seen before. To me, it looked like flames and scales were overlapping.
" This is the common room, Karolina. Straight ahead leads to the dining room. To the left is where the extended family lives. The rooms on the right are reserved for you. I was able to install the communication system that will allow you to contact your friends on earth. That alone required an entire the space of half the size of the patrol ship that brought us here. We can't share rooms yet, not until we are all sure that Majesdane will accept our offer, but judging from their losses–"
She suddenly stopped talking when a group of skrulls entered the common room. They were a group of five; all of them carried an aura of elegance and grace…. for a group of evil alien invaders who have tried to take over Earth many times before. In the center of the five was a tall male skrull. His pointed ears and piercing eyes felt like they would actually cut me in half if I looked at him the wrong way. On his right was a female skrull who looked just as intimidating. She had a pistol resting loosely at her side. She was just as tall as the man, which made her look even more threatening. To his left was a shorter woman. She was looked around my height, but unlike the rest of the group she looked less menacing. Her right hand in her jacket pocket while her left hand held on to a large suitcase. Behind the older three were two younger children. They all wore purple and black suits, but there were crests on their sleeves and chest that proved that they were royalty of some sort.
" As usual I see you are always accommodating, my liege," The tall male skrull said. He voice was extremely deep. I could feel it in my chest as he spoke.
" Uncle, there is no need for titles here. It is fine with me if you simply address me by my name," Xavin sighed. The male skull strolled over to her patted her on the back a few times.
" Ah, but what would your father think. Look at you, you're a girl now, not that there is anything wrong with that," he quickly added while glancing at the tall female skrull. " I care for the future of our empire. How would it look if their leader turned to 'the fair' gender while in the midst of peace negations with Majesdane? That decision reeks of an identity crisis, do you not agree?"
For the first time, I saw Xavin stutter and falter in her actions. "Well, you see, it is because, I was simply…not thinking correctly…" With that she turned back to her male form and looked at me and then turned to her uncle. " My reflexes are quicker as a female, so it would have helped me as a pilot."
" If you insist, just try not to make our family look bad," he said.
" Uncle, here is my bride, Karolina Dean. I think the Majesdanian government would find her to be no threat." The male skrull walked over to me and patted me on the back. I had to stop myself from falling with how strong he was.
" Dean, you say?" He asked turning to me. "Your parents were amazing people. To have the moral fiber to go against their people and tell the Skrulls the location of their home world is noteworthy. I hope that you inherited their spirit, yes?" With his hand still on my back, he led me closer to the group that he arrived with.
"Uh, maybe," was all I could answer.
" I take it Xavin was supposed to introduce you to my family, correct? Well, I'm sure he wouldn't mind if I play the role of host for the time being. I am Ewe Fareek and I am the General of the Skrull Army." He said the last sentence with such force that the children standing near us were slightly quivering.
He then introduced my to the other tall woman, who happened to be his wife. She simply nodded in my direction. The two children were his and the smaller woman with the suitcase was their tutor. All four of them ignored me.
" Is this all the family Xavin has left?" I asked.
"Well with you included, no." He then moved his head closer to mine and whispered, " Xavin has not had many friends in his life. I will kill you myself if I sense something bothering him within the next few weeks. Now pretend I have just told you one of my war stories."
I nearly collapsed after his threat but I somehow remained standing and said, "Wow, that was amazing! No wonder the Skrulls have such a fine army, they have someone like you to lead it!" I hope I was convincing to those around us.
" Pleased to hear that you think highly of my work. How about we all have supper before departing to Majesdane?"
Ewe led everyone into to the dining hall. Everyone had trouble believing that I didn't eat meat.
" But eating the meat of lesser animals is what makes us strong, isn't that right father? Its what separates us from them." One of the children said.
" You cannot change what she believes. I don't think you even know who them are, Menos." Xavin interjected.
" You have no right to say anything to me, 'my liege.'" Menos replied mockingly. I could see that it took every bit of patience Xavin had to stop 'himself' from attacking the boy.
" Menos, do you know what will happen to you if you refuse to show any respect to your elders?" Ewe asked. The boy didn't answer, but nodded his head.
Xavin asked the cook to make something without meat. Within a few minutes the cook reemerged with something blue. "I apologize Karolina, I should have anticipated something like this." Xavin seemed totally different when his family was near him. With them around, he seemed weaker. It was strange to think that the same person would have no trouble melting guns in the hands of security guards.
" Its all right. Don't worry about it too much," I answered and began to eat whatever was on the plate. It didn't have a definite taste, but I finished it anyway.
" I have arranged clothes for you in your room. You will blend in more in Majesdane with them on. I'll be waiting for you in the common room when you finish," Xavin said.
" Oh, sure," I replied. I excused myself from the table and went to the room Xavin said was reserved for me. Placed on the bed was a black space suit that looked like the one my parents used to own. My hands shook as I held it. I missed my parents almost as much as I missed my friends. Right there in the dimly lit room I began to cry. I couldn't hold back the sobs that escaped me. Pull yourself together, dammit. Now isn't the time to get emotional…
I wiped the tears away and put on the space suit. I couldn't muster the courage to look at myself in the mirror. I folded my jeans and t-shirt and left it on the bed. Here's to a new beginning, Karolina. I walked out of the room and saw Xavin in her female form.
" You stun, Karolina. I am truly a lucky one. The ship is waiting for us. Majesdane awaits."