by Nancie Neal
"Something is going on in the hangar." Trinka watched as the scanner whirled around Amnika. "I tried to find out about it, but Rodgistan told me not to worry about it. You know what happens when someone tells me not to worry. I worry more."
Amnika could sense concern from the medic, but she didn't say anything.
"Well." The medic pressed the top of the scanner. The scanner folded up, and the medic assistant pushed it away. "It looks like you are developing early. We'll get a new health monitor suit for you. The new one should be in your bin tomorrow. While I'm at it, I put in an order for new formals for you tomorrow. Those don't fit properly, either."
Amnika looked down at herself and noticed that her sleeves no longer reached her wrists. "Look at that. I didn't realize I've grown so much."
"Well, you are in good company," The medic said, and she eyed Trinka.
"Yeah, I had to be refitted for both, too." Trinka giggled.
"If you have any questions about your growth, you come back here after. It's important that you get to the hangar." The medic ushered them out.
"I knew it was going to take a short time, but that seemed rushed." Amnika glanced over her shoulder at the closed door.
"I know." Trinka shrugged. "But you are the Advisor's daughter; everyone expects you there sooner, at least, I hope that is what it is."
The hangar was already full of citizens and non-citizen Natisiens. Amnika noticed that many of them were wearing their traditional clothing. One particular woman wore the clothing, beads, and furs of a hali-seh.
Amnika brought Trinka's attention to her.
"I bet she's here for the ones who died," Amnika cast a thought to Trinka.
"More for the family members," Trinka cast back.
Amnika nodded. A hali-seh is usually a widow or widower who takes on the care for those who were sad, sick, or lonely.
"How do you know she's not a hali-nah?" Amnika heard Petrez cast a thought to her. She turned around and hugged him.
"No red beads," Amnika cast a thought back. "They wear red beads so the others can spot them easily. The red beads give off a certain wavelength of light that Natisiens can see from a distance, but we cannot."
"You know a lot about the Natisiens," Mahnisha said out loud. "Petrez told me, but I didn't realize how much."
"Well, father insists that I learn their culture," Amnika glanced up at Rhada. "It helps me to relate to my protectorate. It may be working."
"I think it is," Rhada chuckled.
Glancing back to the crowd, Amnika heard a loud clap.
Amnika looked back at Rhada who winced. An adult Natisien had slapped Rhada on the back, a typical greeting among adult male Natisiens. Sometimes it was a little painful for the younger ones.
"Hello, Mihka," Rhada grunted.
Mihka was large for a Natisien and towered over everyone. He looked at Amnika and winked.
"Did Natia not feed you at the Inersien's home?" He poked at his half-brother's ribs. "You're too thin!"
"She fed me!" Rhada exclaimed as he tried to block Mihka.
Then Mihka grabbed Rhada by the shoulder and gave him a rough hug.
"You are protecting Amnika well, yes?"
"From what? From you? No, I'm doing a terrible job." Rhada laughed.
Amnika noticed his uniform. "So you are a wall guard. I thought you were only training."
"Hemerian shipment today, soon after transport lands. Leader tried to reschedule, but the troublemakers insisted." Mihka sighed. His hand was still on Rhada's shoulder. Rhada looked serious.
"Hemerians are troublemakers." Mihka let his hand drop. "If it weren't for the niaka crystal and some useful minerals, we wouldn't be trading with them."
Amnika heard Mihka growled with the last statement. Ever since one of them injured Amnika two cycles ago, Natisiens did not trust the Hemerians. Out of respect for their Tribal Leader, who insisted they keep the trade, they tolerate them.
"I can protect her from them," Rhada said.
"You are a bit small," Mihka said and poked Rhada again. Rhada grunted and pushed his brother's hand away.
"That's why I'm here. There are too many for you."
Amnika looked at her brother who hadn't said anything. He had both hands on his hips, with his head straightforward but his eyes were looking up at Mihka. Amnika noticed how much he looked like her father. He finally looked at Amnika.
"Maybe you two should leave as soon as you greet Oshtron," Petrez said.
"Is there something wrong?" Amnika asked. Petrez was always protective of his sister, but he seemed a little on edge this time.
Petrez looked at Amnika for a moment. "They're rumors."
Amnika looked at his wife who didn't say anything.
"I can tell you after it's all over," Petrez said. "Stay near Mihka and Rhada."
Amnika nodded. She looked for her father on a hunch. Sure enough, Ishda stood next to him. Another Natisien stayed close to Zakkon and yet another with Anias.
"All the wall guards." Trinka's voice sounded weak. Amnika looked at her friend. Trinka's eyes widened as she gripped her friend's arm.
Looked over towards the crowd. Amnika recognized the head wall guard to be Ishda, Natia's husband, guarding her father. Two more wall guards were by Zakkon, his wife, and Anias.
"It's okay," Mihka said, "You can stay with me, too. Rhada is going to help."
"I have people to see, now." Petrez hugged his sister. "Stay safe." He left to greet someone else.
Manisha hugged Amnika. "He is proud of you, you know."
"And I of him." Amnika watched Manisha catch up with her new husband.
Soon after, Amnika could hear the sound of the first transport. Everyone cleared the landing pad outside of the hangar. The sleek white ship touched down on the pad, and the door opened.
Her Uncle and his family were the first to disembark. Amnika knew better than to greet him right away. He stayed by the door and pulled out his tablet. He was keeping track of the citizens that came off the ship.
The next person to disembark was Rodgistan's wife. Amnika thought she was a lovely figure, quiet, and graceful. Rodgistan always boasted on how much experience she had, and it was a blessing for him in his later years.
Greeting her, he pulled her close and nuzzled her temple. She laid her head on his shoulder.
"I would like to be like her," Amnika cast a thought to Trinka.
The crowd grew, and Amnika could no longer see. She tried standing on her toes to get a better look. Chuckling, Mihka picked Amnika up and put her on his shoulder. He started to offer his other side to Trinka, but before he could lower himself all the way, Trinka jumped on with a little squeal. Rhada chuckled from behind them.
Amnika looked over at her father, and he caught her eye. He was too far to cast a thought to her, so she saw him turn to another Inersien nearby. Amnika watched as the woman walked over to them.
"Zeth says to stay in the back of the hangar and off to the side if Amnika is going to be that high," The woman told them.
Mihka grunted and took a few steps back and two his left, closer to the decision room. Amnika found it perplexing, but she could still see the ship, so she didn't complain. Soon after, Trinka's parents stepped out.
"Oh, Mihka! Put me down!" Trinka gushed. "They're out!"
Mihka chuckled, and he lowered Trinka down. She slid between the other Inersiens towards the transport.
Finally, the first transport was empty, and it disappeared out of sight. A few moments later, another landed in its spot. All the staging base crew and their families disembarked. The families that stayed behind greeted them and they would all go home. The crowd began to thin.
At that moment, Amnika could hear the Hemerian craft. It was loud, and it rumbled as it's thrusters slowed the beast of the ship down to land in the dome hangar. She got a light whiff of the fumes the shuttle created. Fortunately, the filters in the dome hangar took care of the bulk of it.
"Go ahead and put me down, Mihka."
It finally dawned on Amnika why her father wanted her back and off to the side. She was out of sight of the Dome hangar. If the Hemerians were going to cause trouble with the leadership, she would be a target because of her father.
As her feet touched the ground, she saw a Hemerian youth peak around the opening; his green scales shimmered in the late morning sunlight. He caught her eye and stared at her. In a brief moment, he covered a considerable amount of distance in their direction before Mihka stood in front of Amnika and growled.
Another Natisien shooed him away.
"Mihka," Amnika said, and she touched his hand. "What's going on?" Instinct kicked in, and she took a step behind him.
"No one knows who attacked us. Hemerians are playing as if they know something. Zakkon and Zeth do not trust them."
"You think they attacked us?"
Mihka didn't respond right away. He kept an eye on two more who ventured towards the hangar. Amnika heard him click a few times. Ishda nodded and also clicked. Three more Natisiens seemed to appear out of nowhere. One grabbed the two, told them they weren't allowed here.
"No," Mihka huffed, "They're too stupid."
Amnika gasped. Rhada laughed.
"How are they able to travel in space?" Rhada said in between chuckles.
Mihka wasn't laughing.
"That's what we wondered," he growled.
There was a loud commotion out of the hangar. Two of the Natisien flight crew stormed in, both carrying a screeching Hemerian in each hand. They headed towards the insulated rooms.
The noise startled her, and she put her hood up. She wondered what the Hemerians were doing to warrant their detention in the insulated rooms. She felt a hand on her back.
"You are not really in danger. Especially if you are here with me." Mihka's voice was smooth and even. "It's just the usual troublemakers."
"Even with your hood on, we can sense your fear," Petrez cast a thought to her. She felt him put his arm around her. "It's okay. We are trying to be safe," Petrez comforted. "I didn't mean to cause you a fright. We think the Hemerians know more about the attack. Because of this, we were concerned that they might try something foolish."
Amnika, Mihka, and Rhada looked at him.
"Uh, Well," Petrez fumbled his words a little. "Even more foolish."
Another Natisien wall guard carried a fifth screeching Hemerian towards the insulated rooms.
Ishda followed Amnika's father who walked towards them. When he was close enough, she reached out and hugged him.
"Bah," Ishda growled to Mihka. "The Hemerian youths were trying to get into the transport. Wanted to see if they can fly it. The first two of the four made it. The flight crew caught them. The fifth got too close."
Upon hearing this, Amnika pulled away from her father and chuckled. She was feeling a little better. "They can't fly it without the proper DNA scan or bracelet," She said.
She heard Mihka breathe a sigh of relief.
"I'm okay," Amnika apologized. "I guess I let myself get worked up for nothing." She pulled her hood off.
"No," Father said, "The situation is tense for us now. Hopefully, it may be the last time we have to worry about it."
The transport finally took off to let the last one land. More Inersiens left. The Natisiens stayed to wait for the bodies.
It took a little longer for the last transport to land. The wall guards were making sure that there wasn't going to be any more trouble. Amnika spotted Astran nearby with his mother who had her hood down. Amnika couldn't recall the last time she saw Astran's mother without her hood.
"I'm going to talk to Astran," Amnika said.
Her father looked towards the boy's direction.
"Don't let him get you into trouble again." Father sounded stern, but Amnika understood.
"I know, I'll be careful."
Amnika walked over with Mihka and Rhada following. She hesitated a few steps before she could see the dome. Rhada put his hand on her shoulder, and she knew that the two brothers were behind her. She continued walking and finally caught up to Astran.
Astran gave a genuine smile. "I was close enough to see everyone. It's nice to feel the joy of a reunion. It makes me happy." He laughed. "Trinka looked like she would explode like an unstable rikta generator."
Amnika and the two Natisiens laughed.
"Well, that certainly sounds like Trinka. She does have a lot of energy." Amnika motioned to his mother. "Your mother seems happy, now."
"Yeah, she's almost always sad unless my uncles are around. They make me happy, too." Astran sounded a little distant. He was quiet for a moment.
"Oh, and the Hemerians!" Astran changed the subject. "They honestly thought they could fly the transport! But I don't think the last one that the Natisien grabbed was trying to cause trouble."
"Oh?" Mihka asked.
"He was calling out the other's names." Astran hesitated for a moment and looked into the distance. "You know they all look mostly the same." Astran looked back at Amnika. "But I think I recognize that last one as Kinku."
"Bah!" Mihka exclaimed waving a dismissive hand. "The Hemerians cause too much trouble. Too much trouble!"
"Astran," Amnika spoke slowly to keep her voice from cracking. "Kinku is the Hemerian's leader's son. It could cause trouble with our trade."
"I know," Astran said. "I will be bittersweet to see them go, I'm sure."
Mihka grunted in agreement. Then he tapped Amnika's shoulder. She glanced up at him and saw he was looking at something. She followed his gaze and saw Nahaeda walking towards the crowd.
"I guess he's here for the dead," Amnika said.
Rhada grunted.
Soon silence spread across the gathering area. The last transport, carrying the bodies of the two that died landed. The door opened, and the Natisien crew pushed the two bodies on wheeled cots. Nahaeda reached the outer edge of the assembly, and the crowd parted to let him through.
As he walked by, he put his hand on Amnika's shoulder and smiled at her. Rhada followed him to the cots, and they stood where the heads were.
Nahaeda put his right hand on one head. "May you traverse the abyss." He moved his hand to the other head. "And find a place to rest in the creator's arms." Then he motioned to the families to come near.
The families gathered around the bodies and cried. The hali-seh was among them, comforting them the best she could.
After what seemed to be a long time to Amnika, the male Natisiens began to hum. Their low voices carried through the ground. Then the females joined in. The song was slow and mournful. Amnika could hear Mihka join in. She leaned up against him and put her hood back on.
When they finished singing, they took the bodies to the wall.
"Are you going with them?" Amnika asked Mihka. She dried her eyes with the edge of her hood.
"No," he murmured. "I have to guard you until the Hemerians leave. It is a promise I made as a wall guard; To guard and protect."
Amnika was a little surprised. Inersiens try to make provisions to allow the Natisien to attend tribal events.
"Nahaeda wants you safe, anyway. He understands," Mihka said after a moment.
"Amnika!"
Amnika spun around towards the booming voice. Ishda stood in the doorway of the hangar. He caught her eye and waved her over.
Amnika gave Mihka a questioning look. Mihka shrugged. She headed towards Ishda with Mihka following behind her.
When she stepped into the hangar, she could hear Zakkon ranting. She could also sense his anger.
The hall to the insulated rooms was open to the hangar. Only a citizen could open the door to each room. Inersiens use the rooms, so they sort their emotions without distracting anyone else.
They were also soundproof, so if two Natisiens had a dispute, they could yell at each other if they needed to. Sometimes, they would shout so loud at each other that you can still feel the walls vibrate.
Zakkon was not in any of the rooms. So his voice and emotions carried down the hall.
/> "I cannot believe the incompetence of such a species! They create nothing but problems. This is one of the worse-" Zakkon stopped in mid-rant when he spotted Amnika.
He cleared his throat, straightened his surcoat, and stormed over to where she stood.
Amnika stood there, feeling a little concerned. Memories of the negotiation flooded her mind. She remembered standing by her father two years prior as Zakkon went on one of his rants.
"Is there any reason at all why we would trade with you after what happened?!" Zakkon paused and waited for the Hemerian dignitaries to respond.
"Because we aren't trading with children?" Amnika suggested helpfully. She remembered her father's sternness. She spoke out of turn. The Natisiens wall guards at the time, burst out laughing. Even the calm Nahaeda chuckled. It was when she earned the nickname "cracklier," after the sound the rikta generator made from interference.
In hindsight, she could understand why they were so upset. The Hemerian children injured her twice; both were an accident. If she knew it meant that the youths would come and cause problems, she might not have said anything.
Instead of yelling at her, he put his arm around her.
"One of these Hemerians is Kinku," Zakkon said through gritted teeth. "You remember Kinku?"
Amnika shrank a little and nodded.
"He will only speak to you," Zakkon said.
Amnika realized that he wasn't angry at her. He was furious with the Hemerians. She could sense Zakkon's struggle with his emotions.
"I can talk to him," Amnika said.
"Good. Good." Zakkon put his head to hers. He apologized for frightening her and that none of this was her fault. Amnika could feel his anger subside.
She accepted his apology and reassured him.
At that moment, she felt her father's pride. When Amnika looked at him, he didn't seem worried anymore.
Father walked over and guided her to the first room where Kinku was sitting. Amnika wasn't a citizen yet, so she was unable to open the door, so her father opened it for her.
"I go too," Mihka said. "I don't trust him."
"Go on," Father said, and he stepped aside to let Mihka pass. Amnika walked in with Mihka. Kinku was sitting at the table that was in the middle of the room. He seemed relieved to see her. His demeanor changed when he saw Mihka, and he shifted in his seat.