A little post-Christmas update. I've officially graduated my degree (Yaaaay!)
Whether or not I update depends on my new job that I am starting soon. :) But I won't be uploading frequently, sorry guys. I'm hoping for another chapter in the coming months.
Most Lombaxes, at least in Humali's experience, would not have enjoyed a sudden dimensional trip to a planet of dinosaurs, swamps and bugs. Nor would they be carrying prototype virus weapons to a high-profile clan conference then use them to help fight off territorial Kerchu on the same day. All of it next to a guy who carried a mountain of combat tech and laughed whenever the Kerchu came close to their location. His protective gaze never exposed his nerves - though Humali was certain he must have a few. Surely.
But that was a few hours ago... They had bigger issues to deal with.
Much bigger.
"Are you okay?" said Ratchet, leaning against a large rock with a knowing smirk. "You're tough, but even I would be speechless after seeing stars for the first time."
"Yeah..." she squeaked. Her neck hurting from staring up for so long. They covered the sky. Everywhere. Shining diamonds of various sizes and shapes. As far as she could see - beyond it.
"Come here," he said. Moving close next to her so she could align her sight with the direction of his arm. He smelled like a man - of engine oil and metal - and he was so damn close it was painful. Humali could feel blood rushing to her head at the contact.
"See that bright star here - the one near the blue one," He pulled her in a little tighter.
"Yeah..." she squeaked, only half paying attention.
"Combine that with these three," He gestured to some nearby stars, "Then smack in the middle is Veldin. All the way in another galaxy."
Her mind started growing fuzzy as his finger aligned with an even smaller dot at the center of the square. "No way..."
"I warned you that the dimension was small - And you thought I was crazy for thinking I felt trapped."
She shook her head in disbelief. "It's huge! I mean... mind-boggling huge! How do you keep it all in your head?"
"How do you remember all the clan names and what not to say in public..." said Ratchet with a chuckle. "You grow up with it. You get taught about the basics in school, and then, if you wish to leave the planet, you learn what you need to know and go. It's that simple... and that hard."
She finally tore her eyes away from the sky to him. Worry entering her voice."How did you get off planet then?"
He smiled wider. "It's a long story - but it's actually how Clank and I became friends. Orvus... That was awhile ago now. I thought I was sixteen at the time - turns out I was closer to fourteen when I finally moved off Veldin. Weird, huh?"
Humali laughed. "You were an underage pilot! Why am I not surprised."
"Only if I was in the Lombax dimension! Let's be real here, my grandfather would have probably got me behind the wheel before I could walk. So staying over here probably saved my life, as ironic as those sounds!"
His lovely eyes flashed in amusement - like they always did when he spoke about the good moments of the past - causing a flurry of warmth to burst through Humali's chest and encouraging her to shuffle even closer to him.
"Are you sure it's safe here," she muttered glancing back towards their make-shift crevice with a warm crackling fire. "It took us awhile to lose sight of the Kerchu."
Ratchet waved, still smiling. "They don't come out this far, and we are too high up for the really dangerous wildlife. We'll be fine. Why? Nervous?"
"I've never been this far from home."
"Good thing you're with an expert then, huh?"
His tone sent blood to her ears. "Okay then, Mr. Expert. What happens when it's cold but you're not ready to sleep by the fire yet?"
He chuckled, wrapping his arms around her shoulders at the indirect request, causing her to curl into the touch, feeling smug.
There was a beat of silence. Blissful, yet uneasy. A moment of ignoring the reality of the situation.
"What are we going to do? You know, when we get back?" she said, her voice faltering and eyes staring at the fire.
Ratchet answered, his chuckle gone but remaining calm as ever. "We stick to the plan and get home. Then make our relationship official to the press and move you over to Forrestier territory. Our little announcement should - at the very least - give the media something positive to talk about until this shit dies down."
"And what of the Hexaton clan?"
"Can't do much. As if I could interfere with Dad's work and get away with it. Well, maybe I could but it's a matter of whether or not I should. "
She nodded and nestled into his arms. "Why does it have to be so complicated?"
"Because life is complicated. The Lombaxes are no exception to it. Not sure what the way out is currently, but these things usually end with either everyone getting along or a sweeping amount of death."
He swept his arm across him as he spoke, causing Humali to gulp. "Then let's hope for the former."
Ratchet nodded. "Agreed."
Knowing he would be struggling to sleep without his meds and will be up all night regardless of who was keeping watch, Humali rested her head into his chest. Relaxing into the touch as they kept their sights on the sky. Thinking she should just fall asleep and be done with it.
"You know..." he said, leaning into her ear. "I could show you how to use a few of my weapons? I had one of my modifiable blasters in mind. They're easy to adjust, and you could play around with the tech all you like. They also deal a nice punch if you need it. Quite the all-rounder weapon... in my personal opinion."
"In the personal opinion of Mr. Expert, you mean," said Humali with a raised eyebrow.
Ratchet winked. "Exactly."
"And you're okay with just giving it to me?"
"No offence, Humali. But you looked really uncomfortable with your weapons today. The blaster is a heck of a-lot cleaner, and probably better suited to you. Though those weapons you made are absolutely kick-ass."
Humali frowned. Her experience with weaponry were limited to her smaller scale bio-warfare kind. Created solely because she wanted to see if they could work more so than to actually use them. In fact, using them today felt unnatural as she witnessed the bacteria in her weaponry eat away at the Kerchu armor at a rapid pace, forcing her to watch their panic-stricken expressions as Ratchet then went in for the kill - almost making her grateful she hadn't added the flesh-eating variety like she had originally planned as Ratchet's methods were, indeed, 'cleaner'.
She sighed in defeat. "Okay, if it gives you peace of mind. Can I at least change the colour?"
"Of course! Who do you take me for?" Ratchet placed a hand on his chest, feigning insult, and causing Humali to laugh.
Then, acting on impulse, she leaned forward and planted her lips on his. Satisfying her urge since they settled down for the night. Ratchet tasted earthy and real. Like a breath of fresh air on a rare rainy day.
He placed an arm down to her waist and pulled her closer, deepening it the kiss. She liked how he kissed her. Strong and assertive but holding back enough to know he didn't want to rush. They had time.
She sighed into it. This isn't the first time they had kissed.
That happened before the conference, right after discussing the future of their relationship and the possibility of a marriage progression. It had made Humali light-headed even before the conference began, but also gave her the confidence to do what she had to do. Safe in the knowledge that Ratchet was supporting her. That... and it felt right at the time. 'Sealing the deal' so to speak.
"Ratchet... Please, come in! Ratchet!" said a robotic voice - one which Humali wanted to both hug and shoot with her new gun.
"Clank?" said Ratchet, reluctantly pulling away and ears perking up. "That you, buddy?"
"Ratchet! It's wonderful to hear you are alive!"
"Of course, I'm fine. Humali's with me! We're both okay! How's Dad?" he said with an awkward chuckle while giving Humali an apologetic wink.
There was a worried hum on the other side. "Ratchet he's... upset."
"I bet that's putting it mildly. What's he doing now?"
"Planning with the other affected leading clans. The smaller clans attempted to hold your parents at gunpoint after you were taken - not that it lasted long. But the ordeal killed three of your father's guard and Lord Azimuth was wounded. Four leading heirs are recovering in hospital after sustaining injuries. Where are you?"
"Our Sargasso, buddy. Rivet's with an Azimuth guard and three smaller clan heirs. We're all separated, but in contact."
"Malea Hillax, Calaris Sterino and Tarvi Polivier?"
"Sounds about right!"
"Wonderful. That means all heirs are accounted for and well. Hopefully this news will ease the tension."
"Go tell Dad! And for the record, Tal is picking them up. We're gonna meet up at the Apogee space station before using the dimensionator. Don't want to bring back a grunthor by accident."
"A decent plan, Ratchet."
"Humali came up with it. You're giving me too much credit."
At the mention of her input, Clank chuckled. "I appreciate your thinking, Miss Humali. I am aware he is a handful, but please take care of Ratchet. I worry about him."
"That makes two of us," said Humali, her tone matching the robot's laugh.
"However," Clank's tone dropped into something unlike himself. "Your father gave me some, rather odd, instructions. If I may relay them to you."
"Go on," said Ratchet, his eyes narrowing.
"He wants you to get to safety, then remain there until he finds a way to bring you back himself. It is safer for you to be where you are right now, then back here in the dimension. He also... doesn't want the other heirs, besides Miss Humali and Rivet of course, to know about the dimensionator if you can help it."
"Why?"
"Because in the worst-case scenario, and I just want to say I do not approve of this plan, He wants you to leave them behind for leverage if things get worse on our end. "
"Clank..." said Ratchet, his tone turning serious. Not agreeing or disagreeing with the statement "Please take care of yourself. And do whatever you can to keep my Dad's anger at bay until we get back. Things are going to get nasty if we don't find a solution soon, buddy."
"I am well aware. Just make sure you all come back safely, and I hope it doesn't resort to a hostage situation."
"Second that. Thanks, pal. Talk soon."
"Of course."
The device then clicked, signaling the end of the conversation.
Ratchet leaned back with a sound of contemplation, taking Humali's hand into his own. "Sounds like Dad is making a move. Hopefully we can regroup with the others soon and fix this mess," he shook his head, then pulled Humali over to the side. Phasing out the gun he previously mentioned too her. "Let's go over this now, in case you need it when we meet up with the problem crew."
Humali gripped his hand tighter. Nerves rising to her throat at the thought of dealing with Tarvi again. But it will be okay this time. Unlike before, when the threats started, she now had the capacity to fight back. A fact which became clearer the longer Ratchet showed her how to adjust and upgrade the gun.
...
Rivet stretched out her arms. using the opportunity to bask in the morning sun in a rare moment of privacy. The other lombaxes were not far behind her, sleeping under the large ferny leaves of the native plant life. Not that they did much to protect against the cold, besides acting as a shield from the breeze, but pointing out facts caused fights amongst this group and so Rivet held her tongue.
With a deep breath she took in the scent of the swamplands, unable to believe she had missed it. Guess anywhere can be nostalgic if you grew up there.
She looked around, certain there was no danger, before turning back towards the group before Alex noticed she had left. Maybe if she was lucky, they will have another hour or so of peace...
Crunch! 'Ouch!'
Tarvi stumbled up off the ground, staggering after falling off a ledge and massaging a spot on his head. "I thought this was the safest option."
"Not my fault you chose to sleep so high off the ground," shrugged Rivet as she walked over to kneel next to Alex as he started to heat up left over grunthor meat.
A light beep rang from her belt. A quick glance revealed a message from Talwyn. About to enter planetary orbit. Send me your coordinates. See you soon.
"Finally!" said Rivet picking up transponder and sending back their location. "Talwyn's about to arrive."
"Great. We are going to be abducted by an alien," grumbled Tarvi, dusting himself from his recent fall.
"You'll get shot if you call anyone out here 'Alien'," replied Rivet, who returned her attention back to the meat. "I wonder if Tal is hungry? Would be rude not to offer food, you know?"
"What do Markazian's eat?" said Malea, a tone of horror entering her voice. She slid past Rivet, taking a protective stand next to Calaris, who still seemed to stare at Rivet as if she was analyzing her every move.
"They're omnivores. Though they eat more plants than we do," shrugged Rivet. She then put her palm over her eyes, surveying the sky above for the familiar dark green tanker.
She spotted it a moment later. A dark green speck against the sky with a hint of blue in its paint work. Looks like Talwyn bought the Polarian Defense Transport vessel. It was big enough to hold all of them at least. She pointed at it, then waved in its direction, hoping to give Talwyn a good view. "There she is!"
The other Lombaxes, with the exception of Alex, huddled into a group, watching as the ship drew closer from the horizon. Their eyes growing wider as it got closer to them, hovering above the trees as the vessels true size became apparent.
"Seriously..." grumbled Rivet. "It's just a transport ship. Why are you acting like it's about to start firing?"
"It's not the ship that's the problem," said Cal, pointing up at the sky. "Are you certain we can trust this Markazian?"
"Absolutely positive. I trust her more than I trust you guys," said Rivet, causing the other Lombaxes to glare at her, and in turn, for Alex to glare at them.
The ship hovered down, landing with a well-practiced 'thump'.
Rivet glanced over at her fellow Lombaxes, doing her best not to laugh at their puckered expressions as they examined the ship, almost as if they were trying to determine if it was safe to board. Not that Rivet blamed them. She doubted the fleet had been serviced since Ratchet left, though she knew not say that if she wanted to get off planet.
The cockpit opened and Talwyn leapt from the ship, landing on the ground with a light tap and an ear-to-ear grin. "Wow! Look at you all. So many Lombaxes in one spot." She shook her head then turned to Rivet. "I take it you and Ratchet are still up to trouble."
Rivet winked. "Always and forever. You know us."
She laughed. "I would be dead if I didn't!"
Rivet turned to her fellow Lombaxes, who stood behind her with their mouths wide open. "You know it's rude to gap like a fish when you meet someone! Geez... What's wrong with you lot?"
"She doesn't have fur, and what's with her tail?" said Malea, squinting her eyes.
Rivet turned to Talwyn. "I'm so sorry. None of them have left the dimension before. I doubt they've ever interacted with a non-Lombax."'
Tapping her fingers on her thigh in contemplation, Talwyn whistled. "Ratchet wasn't joking when he said you guys had been isolated. He said the only non-Lombax lifeforms were robots. Can't say I blame you; they make great company!"
She then laughed - hard. Causing the other Lombaxes screw up their faces in her direction. "It's the opposite of you and Ratchet! This is so weird!"
A roar sounded in the distance, causing most of the group to flinch. Talwyn gestured to her ship, turning around with her tail gracefully coiling around her. "We should get going. Ratchet and Humali won't be far behind us. Aphelion is just about to enter orbit, so we'll meet up at the Apogee Space Station."
"We're not going to a planet?" asked Calaris. Her ears drooping.
Talwyn shook her head, brows furrowing at the question. "Lombaxes are a rare breed. You'll get targeted if we drop onto a planet. Especially if you are unfamiliar with galactic etiquette and language."
"You don't seem concerned about 'Ratchet'," muttered Tarvi trudging behind her with a scowl. He then glared at Rivet, as if blaming her for the lack of planetary comfort they were about to deal with.
The Markazian shrugged before heading back to her ship, gesturing for them to follow. "Ratchet has one heck of a reputation. He can also handle himself. It would be suicide to go after him knowing what he is capable of doing and the riots that would follow if something were to happen to him."
Tarvi's face contorted at the comment, but he said nothing. Choosing to follow Talwyn onto the ship, the other inexperienced Lombaxes taking his lead. Cal went silent, eyes squinting further since the mention of Ratchet's reputation in the dimension. Malea made a mental note to talk to her later about her suspicions later.
Rivet bounded ahead of them. "I dibs the front passenger seat!"
"Wait!" said Cal, looking over the ship. "I only see the front seats... That's two. Where do we go?"
Talwyn shrugged. "In the cargo. It's comfier than it sounds, I promise!"
...
Any promise of the cargo being 'comfy' turned out to be false, but Malea didn't complain. She was just happy to be sitting somewhere clean and away from the smell of the swamps.
Despite this, after several hours in space squished in the back of the transport vessel, She was ready to punch a hole right through Tarvi's dumb mouth. He wouldn't stop asking the Markazian questions which made Aquila more annoyed each minute - and they were all close enough to feel her silent growls of annoyance from the front seat.
"So... There are absolutely no Lombax colonies? At all?" he said with a pout.
"Absolutely none!" grumbled Talwyn from the driver's seat. "And before you ask again, yes. Rachet is a friend. We learned we were better off as friends due to the nature of jobs. Stop trying to get me to say anything else!"
"I warned you he was stupid," muttered Aquila. Leaning back into her seat. "Oh, and Ratchet may have stolen this guy's not-girlfriend, so he has a thing against him. Be prepared for that when we meet up."
Talwyn laughed at that, returning to her good mood. "He got a girl after one month? Must be a real catch over there."
Aquila shrugged. "Wouldn't know. He seems like a normal dork to me."
Across from Malea, Cal scowled at the comment. She hadn't said anything the entire flight. Just glaring at the back of Aquila's head.
"Here we are! Finally..." said Talwyn. Steering the ship left.
They all squirmed towards the nearest window with a view. The sight causing Malea to gulp.
A massive space station floated before them with a backdrop of asteroids and infinite stars behind it. If she squinted, Malea could make out the defensive lasers and light blue glow of space leviathans Talwyn mentioned. She had to hold back from dropping her jaw.
A hanger door slid open, and they moved in, the walls encircling the craft and providing the promise of freedom from grunthors and cramped spaces.
As they flew to the landing pad, Malea could hear a whistle from Cal's direction and a sigh of boredom from Aquila when the cargo ship door opened. Though Malea didn't understand the reaction until she stepped out.
The inside of the station was nothing like she imagined. Malea had seen space stations in books and documentaries of the home dimension, but they were so much bigger in person. She took a breath, calming her anxiety, and tried to adjust to the smell of metal and whatever else that made the floating space mass so foreign.
A flash of blue in the hangar caught her eye, causing her to feel a small amount of pressure in her chest at the sight.
It was a Lombax ship. A pre-dimension model, one she didn't recognize, though it looked like the old Angel fighters upgraded with modern alien tech - similar to the armor Lear wore at the skating arena.
She gulped, and turned back to Cal who had her brows furrowed over. There was only one person they knew who would have a ship like that.
"Looks like Lear and Humali got here before us," she said. Not masking the disappointment in her voice.
"Doesn't surprise me! Aphelion can run rings around the hunk of junk I carried you guys in," laughed Talwyn, who jumped out the driver's side door. "And Ratchet has clearance with the security system, so it's not like they had to wait for us. I bet he's probably raiding the fridge or the workshop. That's where I normally find him when he visits."
"Let's go find him then," said Aquila, leaping out the passenger side door and sprinting towards somewhere in this massive station. Alex yelled out pushed past them to run after her.
The other Lombaxes were left stunned while Talwyn laughed, gesturing for them to follow her. "Guess we'll have to run to catch up."
They bounded ahead, though Malea found herself walking instead. Wanting to avoid contact with the Forrestier heir for as long as she was able.
The metallic scent got stronger as she entered the halls, letting out a sigh of awe at the terrarium in the center of the structure, the hallways circling around it providing a false sense of nature in this metal space tank. A beautiful green pasture with a rushing river just on the other side of the fortified glass.
It unnerved Malea how this place seemed to be hospitable.
She faced forward, following the track everyone else took. Stopping just in front of the entrance to a larger section of the station.
Malea stood with one foot in room and the other in the hallway. Scanning the alien room. It somewhat resembled her kitchen back home, though the design was less colourful and she didn't understand various symbols or decorative objects placed around the room. Her breath stilled again at when she saw the cause of her nerves sitting at the table.
There he was, back straight and head held high, just as he was at the hoverboot rink. Still wearing the same armor that came out of nowhere at the conference, though now with black tinges on the edges, as if it had been in contact with gunfire. He laid back casually on the work bench, grinning that award winning smile which would be the end of the small clans during the interviews. Clinging to his arm, staring at them warily, was Humali. Wearing some sort of makeshift armor herself and holding a large gun in her free hand.
Malea stared at the gun, letting out a breath of relief when she noticed the compartments hanging out and spare pieces all over work bench. Humali must have been working on it before they arrived. Another one of her projects.
"Good to see you all made it in one piece!" called out Lear, giving them a wave.
"Back at you!" called Aquila, running over to give him a fist bump. "How many Kerchu?"
"Twenty-five," he said, cocking his head back. "Speedles and Grunthors?"
"Thirty..." grumbled Rivet, "But they lacked fire power."
"Still a good work out though."
"That's one way to look at it," she muttered. "I've lost my knack."
Alex moved forward, nodding to Lear and Humali in greeting, the sight of him somehow causing Lear's smile to widen.
"This is Alex! You look like you could match Rivet in combat! And I don't say that lightly,"
The Azimuth guard halted his steps to stare at Lear, almost in awe. "Thank you... Lear."
"You used my name!" said Lear smiling. "Rivet was right. You're not bad!"
Humali didn't say anything, knowing better than to fuel the consequences of her recent choices. Instead choosing to nod in greeting, then maintain her focus on Lear and Aquila.
It was then Malea noticed the protective arm Lear had around Humali's shoulders. Guess he had to keep her close to maintain his recent victory.
Tarvi glared at them, as did Cal, the reaction noticed by Talwyn who shrugged before running over to the Forrestier Heir with arms wide open, practically jumping into a hug, forcing him to let go of Humali to stand up.
"Long time no see! Most of the planetary division has been asking about you!" she yelled out as she let go, Lear gasping for breath.
"You mean asking me to do their jobs?" said Lear sarcastically. He took a step back. "It's good to see you, Tal."
"Aaand... I take it this is the girlfriend Rivet mentioned?" said Talwyn, with a sneaky side eye at Humali who ears turned red at the mention of 'girlfriend'. "Bout time. We all thought you were going to die a bachelor."
"Haha..." deadpanned Ratchet with a wave of his hand. "Speaking of which, have you asked Ponic from forensic's out yet? Poor guy has already broken his back carrying your paperwork during his simping... The least you can do is get him coffee."
Talwyn made a face at him. "We're not discussing that here."
"You brought it up," he said with an innocent expression.
"We can discuss it after settling in..." said Humali, finally talking and gesturing upstairs. She tugged on Lear's hand. "I want to check out the bedrooms and have a nice warm shower. I need to wash my fur!"
"No! We need to discuss things now," said Tarvi. His voice lowering as he glanced between all the Lombaxes, eyes noticeably narrowing when they landed on Lear. "There is a traitor in our midst who handed us over for power, and she is standing right here!"
Humali stood taller, though her grip tightened on Lear's arm as Tarvi stalked his way towards her. Fists clenched and eyes ablaze.
"How could you do that to us?" grumbled Tarvi. Glaring up at Humali. "With restrictions placed on medical access, my clansmen will be suffering from who knows what in the next few years. Maybe even dying! Us smaller clans are screwed because of you!"
"You mean because of you," said Lear, stepping between Tarvi and Humali, and causing the Polivier heir to stop his advancement. "Though I doubt any rational thought regarding Humali's dignity will ever break through a skull as thick as yours. None of this would have happened if you left her alone! She wanted to get married after university. We would have waited until things died down if you hadn't forced her hand."
"She would have been treated fine as Orion's wife..."
"You mean like an invisible chess piece?" muttered the Azimuth guard, still stationed next to Aquila.
Tarvi's ears went pink at the response. It was Cal who retorted for him, gesturing to Humali with a light nod. "You never should have been threatened into a marriage arrangement. That's a fact. However, it doesn't change what your union will do to us. It's scary..."
Humali looked away, not meeting their eyes, an action Lear noticed before glaring back at them. "Look, we'll deal with this once we get back to the home dimension. Arguing here won't get us anywhere unless it is front of the council, and now is not the time to be arguing. Space isn't the friendliest place on a good day, and we need to work together if we want to get home."
"I second that. We need to prioritize getting home over politics," grumbled Rivet. "Order of survival and all that."
"Of course, you would agree with him. You're both major clan members, " said Tarvi.
"Tell me all your experience in space then," spat Rivet, her fur starting to bristle. "We have time! But that time becomes limited if we have to keep saving your arses."
"So, what's stopping us from leaving then, if space is such an issue," said Cal, rising her head and looking directly at Lear. "You two did it before. Why can't we do it now?"
For the first time, Malea saw a twinge in Lear's composure. He frowned. "The last time was a fluke. We're lucky we have contact with Clank and Kit back home. Dad's working on using that connection and some tech from the old dimension days to bring us all back. It might take a while, but it'll be okay. If there is anyone who can figure out a way to get us home, it's him."
Of course. And he is also the one with the most resources to do so.
Aquila raised an eyebrow at the statement, understanding something the rest of them didn't, and nodded. "Sounds like a plan. Mum said your dad comes up with great ideas when he is going on a war path."
"That's what I'm betting on," said Lear with a sigh. "Until then, let's get along. Don't want to cause even more problems before we get home."
Humali leaned into Lear's arm further at the comment, not meeting any of them in the eye. An action which caused Cal to scowl further and leaving Malea to exit the room as quietly as possible, wanting nothing more than to sleep in a real bed.
...
The following morning, Malea found herself with the smaller clan heirs despite her new leading clan status, if only due to the familiarity of being around them. Especially Cal, who had decided her time was best spent looking at the equipment in the facility and searching things up on this dimension's holonet- doing her best to translate whatever websites she could find in Polarian. Not that Malea ever found much to contribute to her friend's research.
She was leaning on a wall in the hallway gazing at the leading heirs plus Humali outside the window. There was nothing else to look at, and honestly their relaxed nature eased her own nerves in comparison to Tarvi and Cal's constant worrying.
Lear and Aquila competed in friendly combat in the planetarium to keep themselves moving, while the Azimuth guard and Humali watched nearby. Occasionally taking part themselves. There was an unspoken arrangement to only interact within each group over dinner in order to maintain the peace, and it had been working for the most part.
Tarvi would flick his gaze towards them. Eyes bulging whenever Lear started teaching Humali some of his combat techniques.
It was a spectacle to be sure. Humali had been trained in basic combat like the rest of them, but a few pointers from Lear and her movements started to become smoother and more controlled. As if she had been training to get into the Azalea clan.
"How do you two stand it!" he groaned. "We have done nothing for two days! It's like we're trapped! Just walking around this giant space tin-can until we get bored enough to sit down. There's gotta be something we can do! I can't keep this up for however many days it takes for Lord Forrestier to get his ass moving!"
"We are probably being held hostage by the Hexaton clan," said Cal, flicking up on the screen Talwyn had given her. "Our parents must have pissed her off. Though I find it more concerning Lear and Aquila haven't made an attempt to get back yet. Something's up on that front." Her eyes narrowed. "There's no way Lord Forrestier would keep Lear here for days if they had a plan to get back."
"I agree," grumbled Malea. "It's not as if we were there during the conversation with his father."
"Would Lord Forrestier talk in our presence?" shrugged Cal. "I doubt it. We'll give it a day or two, then start questioning the hell out of Lear if we don't hear anything. He's got the monopoly on communicating with our dimension, so at the very least we might be able to make a bargain to talk with our families."
Cal and Tarvi continued to talk while Malea took a breath. A notch forming in her chest. Cal was getting bored. A dangerous state for her friend to be in.
She just hoped in didn't make Cal explode at the Forrestier heir, or worse, look where she wasn't supposed too and find out what she shouldn't. They didn't need another video situation when so much was at stake.
...
Cal wanted to scream into her pillow or walk straight into the quarters of the leading heirs and give them hell for their silence.
Another morning, another day of doing nothing but attempting to research and roam about an alien space station. Cal groaned, exhausted despite her recent lack of activity. Quality sleep didn't come easily away from home. No matter how nice the quarters were, with their alien cotten sheets and view of the terranium or how much access to the holonet they had. She missed her bedroom and her parents, wanting nothing more than to go home.
Out of habit, she pulled out a holopad and started typing random things into the search engine. 'Lombax hobbies in Polaris', 'Largest Lombax clan in the galaxy', 'What did Lombaxes use to eat before they left?"
She had been hoping for pre-dimension information. The kind her parents would have searched for back in their academy days, but she had never been interested in their old school interests and was wishing now that she had paid attention.
She started typing in Malea's clan specialties. Sand Fishing on Fastoon. Lombax Water Way Management. Daily Life of Fastoon Fisherman.
Again, nothing. With a groan, she flung her head back, wondering if Tachyon's attempt at Lombax genocide included their holonet information. She was running out of ideas to type into the holonet search bar... but there had to be something out there that could answer a few questions. Something related to them and this dimension that would give them enough information to act.
It was only until she had a thought. A memory from when she spoke with Humali before the conference. What did she call him again? Ratchet? Talwyn used the same name.
I think it suits him more though.
With a huff, she typed in 'Ratchet Lombax' in the search results and, to her surprise, millions of sites popped up in the search. More than quadruple her recent search results for 'Lear Forrestier', 'Aquila Azalea', or 'Lombax clan history' combined - and this time they all seemed relevant.
The article titles were all in different languages as well. Perhaps 'Ratchet' was a common name across multiple ethnicities. Would explain why such a weird name was given to a Lombax.
Trusting her gut, Cal clicked the first link and an article came up on the screen. Her eyes scanned the page, slowly widening with horror as the words registered.
Then, with fingers clutching so hard they almost dug through the holopad, she got up and ran to kitchen. Her desire for an answer more important than any formality or change of clothes. Going so fast she was dodging weird alien structures and nearly slipping when she turned a corner.
Gasping, she reached the kitchen entrance, pulling open the door as she couldn't wait for the sensor.
"You killed Tachyon!" screamed Cal, waving the holopad angrily in Lear's direction. Who sat at the table to eat breakfast with the others. "Think you should have mentioned that at some point? I had to look it up with your weird dimensional name to get the info. Do you know what impact this could have on our clans?"
Indeed, there was the post, blistering bright from the little screen, causing the smaller clan heirs to stare in horror between Cal and Lear. Tarvi dropped his spoon mid-bite, his face freezing in place same with Malea, her fingers clenching into her toast. Next to Aquila, the Azimuth guard was choking on his morning coffee, while the Azalea heir herself seemed bored - as if she already knew.
The most interesting reaction was Humali, who grinned sheepishly at Cal before nudging her boyfriend to speak. Acting as unsurprised as Aquila. Cal narrowed her eyes at the interaction, wondering how much the Ventore really knew about the guy she chose.
Lear relaxed into his seat as he ate through his morning breakfast of weird alien cereal. 'Lombax Defeats the Dictator of Polaris! A Hero Rises From the Chaos!" blinking in his direction, demanding an answer.
"I didn't kill him," said Lear, cool as ever and taking a sip of tea, leaving the rest of them to deal with an intense three seconds of silence while he swallowed and put the cup down. "I broke down his gear during combat, then he fell off the edge of an asteroid. He died due to his own ego. No 'killing' necessary."
"Technicalities!" screeched Tarvi, regaining his composure. "Do you understand what could happen if this leaked to the public? You did it to get some clout before you came into the dimension! And ruin any chance we have gaining power on the council!"
"Look," began Lear. Waving a hand in an annoyed fashion. " You have nothing to worry about. Back then I was a seventeen-year-old backed into a corner. That's all there is too it. Tachyon wasn't some great heroic conquest or a ploy to get recognition in the dimension. Heck, I didn't even think returning to my own kind was possible. The galaxy was grateful, sure, and it was nice not having to fight in gladiator rings for a while. But it's a big enough deal getting home. I don't want to be a hero to my clan as well."
He then turned back to his meal. "And my old man agrees with me. So, if this information leaks out, don't come looking in my direction."
Cal narrowed her eyes at the comment of his father, her grip on the holo pad tightening. "Why would Lord Forrestier not want this information to leak? You would look great to the public and we can all move back to the old dimension. Resources won't be such a stressful topic if there is enough to go around."
"No idea. But if being a hero in the Lombax dimension is anything like it is here, then it comes with a mountain of responsibilities, paperwork and downsides. All of which I have plenty of at the moment. It's also not as simple as reclaiming old territory. Fastoon will take years to be habitable again... and that's if all us clans get along. Not to mention the species who took over the old mines and Lombax planets, they won't take kindly to being removed from their homes." said Lear, not bothering to face them this time.
"You're an asshole!"
"I'm being realistic," he grumbled. "And would it really benefit me and my clan? Or would it give you an opportunity to label me as a monster and make my clan a bigger target? You lot don't seem so happy about this news, despite it being 'good'."
Malea gritted her teeth at his words. He wasn't wrong. "You just have so much leverage already. This is another bargaining chip for your clan. Please understand... We are running out of options."
"Then don't talk about it," he said with shrug. "I'm not interested in using my hero status for gain. You have my word. Tal can tell you how much I hate the press - though she likes to use me as clout from time to time."
Cal took a step back from him. The relaxed attitude scaring her more than the information she just discovered. "You are way too casual about this..."
"Would you rather I be defensive? Lie? Act holier than all of you?" he shrugged. "It's what I had to do to survive. That's it. I recommend you get over it."
That last part sounded like a threat, and very forrestier-like.
Lear stretched out his arms, then smiled with a grin over at Humali and Aquila. "You know... the Leviathans around here need culling. Would you ladies be game for a change of scenery?"
"Absolutely," said Aquila with an eagar grin. "I've been itching for an adrenaline rush."
Her guard nodded as did Humali, the latter reaching for her boyfriend's arm, a habit she did whenever she was nervous around the small clan heirs - and a signal for Lear to step in for her if he needed to. Unsurprising given the look from Tarvi on the otherside of the table.
They got up to leave, with Cal glaring daggers at Lears back. Behind her, Malea stood still. Looking sick.
And Tarvi face twisted into the one he got before doing something stupid. This time, Cal didn't have it in her to find out what it was or talk him out of it. Deciding to let the leading heirs deal with him for once.
Whelp! That's that!
As always, let me know what think. :) Happy Soon-to-be New Year!