Normally, Shar Jalon would not tolerate a clone being out of uniform, but in this instance, he could clearly see that it made the females see him as more individualistic. It was clear they needed to adjust their practices in such matters. Being individualized was clearly a valuable tool in their never-ending quest to gain acceptance by other species.
Shar Jalon immediately took off his jacket and unbuttoned his shirt halfway. He grabbed a piece of string and attempted it tie his hair back at the nape of his neck.
The Lady Selene saw him struggling and stepped over. “That is not a good look for you. Let me help.” She quickly stepped behind him. Grabbing his hair, she flipped it over and over, tying the string at the bottom. Glancing into the shiny metal surface of the wall support, he saw she made a long replicating knot halfway down his back before tying it off.
“That’s called a braid and you really have the hair for it, nice and thick.”
“You have my thanks, Lady Selene.”
A brief nod from Jacob and Lar Jalon told him it was acceptable.
Shaking out his shoulders slightly, he had to admit to feeling more individualized already. Taking out his handheld, he typed out instructions to his clothing production team. He sent instructions for them to research current Earth fashions and come up with a subdued selection of clothing to assist the clones in appearing more individualized. Having the females around was proving beneficial on several levels.
The captain announced the freighter was connecting to the docking port. Shortly thereafter the huge bay doors swung open to reveal a small party of visitors. The women running towards each other alarmed him slightly, but the commander held up one hand, indicating that this must be normal behavior. The females’ behavior proceeded to get odder by the moment. When they were face to face, they threw their arms around each other and water leaked from their eyes. This happened occasionally for the Shardon. It was apparently a malfunction shared by the humans. Then they put their lips briefly on each other’s face repeatedly. It seemed to be a gesture of affection or something of that nature.
When the women turned and walked back towards him, Koal and the others followed slightly behind them.
“Captain Koal, it’s nice to see you again. You look no worse for having a human female in your bed.”
“It is by far the best decision of my lifetime. They are amazingly affectionate creatures. Perhaps you should procure one for yourself.”
“A clone would hardly know what to do with a female, Captain.”
Jacob spoke up flippantly. “Speak for yourself, my leader.” Casting a strange look at Lady Selene, he mumbled. “Some of us have a good imagination.”
Selene giggled and shoved him gently. “Good. You can be the test subject for the Shardon. We’ll see if you’re really that brave.”
“I’d be honored, if she were half as beautiful and smart as you.”
“It’ll take someone a whole lot smarter than me to keep you entertained, big boy.”
Instead of someone becoming highly agitated, they laughed. The situation perplexed him greatly.
Elaine smiled politely. “Are you ready to come aboard the Candorian freighter? We’ve made you a room.”
“I don’t know. Am I getting sold to highest bidder again, Captain Koal? Between you and Korban, I never really had a chance, did I?”
Elaine spoke instead of Koal. “What are you talking about, Selene?”
Koal’s cool voice interjected. “Do you think this is the time and place to discuss such matters?”
“I’m not stepping foot on your vessel, Captain Koal. Not after what happened to me the last time.”
“You’re speaking flawless English again.”
Waving her hand in the air, Selene responded curtly. “The Shardon fixed the multi-language bacteria. We can zap you if you want. Koal was supposed to tell you all about it.”
“He did. I just didn’t think it would work so quickly or so flawlessly. Their ship looks primitive. I didn’t think they would have the technology to…”
“Well, they do.” Selene snapped at her mother. “All their time and energy is tied up in medical research and development to extend the lives of their clones. Why didn’t you bring the girls? I wanted to see them.”
“Since when did we begin to cut each other off when we’re speaking? Was it at the same time we became disrespectful to each other’s friends?”
“Don’t you mean mates?”
“Yes. It was one of the things I wanted to talk about to you in person. Call me old fashioned, but I don’t like having my personal life choices discussed via holo-vid. If you will remember, I was respectful to the male you chose to spend time with. I expect the same courtesy in return.”
Watching the back and forth between the two women was unnerving for Shar Jalon.
Jacob interrupted them. “If you would like, we can take you to a private meeting room. You can enjoy refreshments while you argue.”
Selene shot him a dirty look. “We aren’t arguing, we’re discussing.”
Shar Jalon held up both hands. “Your discussions are much more animated than we are used to. Surely, you would prefer privacy for such conversations.”
“Were you the one who attacked the prince’s ship and stole her away?”
Before he could answer, Selene spoke angrily. “Well, who in the hell here hasn’t stolen me away at some point?”
The older woman took a step back, bumping into her new betrothed. Captain Koal’s arms came up protectively around her. Glancing over her shoulder, the woman spoke. “By all I know of Captain Koal, he is a good man. If he took you, it must have been for a reason.”
Selene spoke in an angry voice. “I’d have never taken you to be so gullible?”
“Gullible as in clinging to a man who attacked your intended’s warship and took you away, or gullible as in wishing to drag two innocent children to a ship fresh from battle?”
Shar Jalon saw Selene’s expression deflate. “I will come with you to see the little ones, but I’m not staying over there.”
“I think it might be better to wait on your intended to arrive. Perhaps he can assist you in getting your own head out of your ass. You’re angry and your words towards me border on belligerent. I understand that you’ve been though a lot, getting moved from one nice ship to another, until landing in your prince’s lap. However, the little ones and I have not been so fortunate. We survived an extinction-level event on our world. Every day for almost two years has been a struggle for survival. Captain Koal has been nothing but nice to us. The girls and I care deeply for him. I would not have you interfere with the little happiness the little ones have found with your spiteful words.”
Selene’s eyes closed for a moment. “I get it. I didn’t before, but I do now. If you let me see them, I’ll watch what I say.”
“They are really looking forward to seeing you and would be disappointed if you didn’t come to them.”
“If you go, Tref and I come as well. We will not leave you undefended.”
Elaine’s voice rose slightly. “You don’t need defenders on our ship.”
Koal waved his hand. “You are all welcome among our people. We have nothing to hide.”
“I’ve been hearing that a lot lately.” Selene’s dry sense of humor went unnoticed.
Shar Jalon turned to Koal. “I would like to speak to you about a matter of urgent concern.”
“I will give you my full attention tomorrow, old friend. This night, I reserve for my family.”
“Understood.”
CHAPTER 11
Selene sat on Koal’s shuttle, watching him interact with her mother. God, how she hated that man. It was because of him that she was on the run on Lortex Station all those weeks, scrounging and scraping for food. If he’d just left her alone… she’d have never left Earth. Of course, she’d have never met Korban either. The thought of never having met him made her chest ache.
Koal sa
t with one arm protectively around her mother. He was a hottie, she’d have to give him that one. In fact, they looked like the perfect couple. How could someone so young and hot look fatherly? Maybe it was simply that he was with her mother. Clearly, that was all it took for Mr. Hottie to become Mr. Dad in her screwed-up, convoluted world.
Selene knew that her behavior had been reprehensible towards her mother. It further embarrassed her that she’d lost it after being the one to invite her all the way out into the middle of nowhere.
It was obvious to Selene that Korban couldn’t keep her safe. He couldn’t even keep himself safe. She’d had to sacrifice herself to keep them from destroying his vessel. Shit, everything was a complete mess. Resting her face in her hands, she wished the floor would open and gobble her right up.
Before she could think of filling the stilted silence growing by the minute between them, the shuttle docked with Koal’s freighter. It felt like coming full circle for Selene. She was right back where she started two years ago. Truthfully, she wouldn’t have recognized Koal by sight. He was so rarely in her presence and paid absolutely no attention to her personally. She vaguely remembered her first few months in space. A female attended to her. A nice woman who couldn’t understand a word she said. All the frustration of being unable to communicate with them came flooding back.
The first thing that caught her notice when they boarded the freighter was that everyone spoke English in their presence, no matter if they were speaking to each other or to them. For that to happen, Koal had to have had each one of them take the neural download. It boggled her mind that they all simply fell into line that way.
Heading straight to the captain’s quarters, they barely stopped a moment to catch their breath. Koal’s quarters were easily as lavish as the royal palace. Before Selene had time to take it all in, her sisters came running up.
Amie threw herself at Koal, who quickly picked her up and let her bury her face in his neck like a tiny scared animal. The little girl had some type of small fury pet clutched in the crook of her arm. Amie was not even born when Selene had been taken from Elaine, who had been widowed for around five or six months and pregnant barely longer than that. Selene decided to let her be and focus on the more curious of the two.
Emily had been around six and a half the last time Selene saw her. Now she was the curious nine-year-old who always spoke to her on holo-vid. They both looked like they were thriving.
“Koal says you married that smarty pants with the silver crown.”
“We’re not married quite yet. Even if he is a little on the pompous side, I like him anyway.”
“Koal says he is really nice too.”
As she spoke, he gestured them towards a seating area.
“I’m sure Koal’s right about a lot of things. How do you like living on a ship?”
“It’s a lot better than living in a dome or a cave, that’s for sure.”
“I heard things were really rough on Earth. That’s why I wanted you to come and live with me, but now it seems like you already found a nice place.”
The little girl lay on her stomach, swinging her feet a little. “I guess. We’re getting more bugs for the lab, so that’s good. Oh, and you didn’t meet Charlie.” Turning upside down, she looked under the settee, coming out with a huge bug. She proudly held him up. “This is Charlie. I’m supposed to keep him in his habitat but he don’t like that very much. You can pet him, but watch out for the pinchers; they’ll get you.”
“You have a bug for a pet?” Selene could hardly keep the shock off her face.
“Yep, Mom says I’m obsessed with bugs. I’m not though. I only like the ones with exoskeletons.”
Understanding lit her face. “I see. Bugs are kind of your thing.”
“What’s not to like about bugs? They’re great.” Cutting her eyes sideways at Koal, she murmured. “Koal doesn’t even try to have any loose on the ship. He thinks they’ll eat through wiring and crap.”
Selene smiled indulgently. “Let me guess. You think every ship could do with a few more bugs, but only if they have exoskeletons?”
“You got that right, sister.”
Elaine smiled and Koal did this strange little flipping thing with his head. Maybe it was their version of laughing, joy, or happiness. He was busy playing with the little one and looked up to find her eyes on him.
“Do not concern yourself, Lady Selene. It took Amie but a short time to warm to me as well. She is more comfortable in the secret garden. Perhaps the girls could show you the way there.”
Emily jumped up and tucked her huge beetle under her arm. Selene watched its pinchers grabbing for something to clamp down. The little one was careful enough to avoid its claws. What a strange pet.
“Do not put the animals in the refreshing pool.”
“Aww, Koal.”
Elaine joined in the conversation. “You know the rules. No animals of any kind in the refreshing pools. You two are on the honor system.”
Emily kicked the toe of her boot into the flooring. “We won’t put them in there. Scout’s honor.”
Soon the girls headed the way down a long corridor.
“What’s the secret garden?”
“You’ll see. Koal made it for us. It’s just for family.”
Selene watched Amie smash her pet’s face up against the scanning pad and the door popped open. Glancing at Emily, she must have looked confused.
“Koal said it was okay, cause her hand is too small to scan. She really wanted to scan Buster’s face. It looks strange but it doesn’t hurt him.”
“Accommodating guy, that Koal.”
They slipped into the most beautiful garden that Selene had ever seen. There were rows after rows of flowers, hedges, and vines climbing several large trees. “Where did all this come from?”
They wandered all around, smelling flower after flower. “Every ship has a seed bank. It’s supposed to preserve all the plants from their home world. Koal took out some to make this garden. These are all from his world that got destroyed when their sun went supernova.”
“You’re quite knowledgeable.” The little one finally came up, plopped down on Selene’s lap, and played with her pet. It felt nice to finally get some attention.
“They teach us all about stuff like that in class. I like the classes on space and different cultures. Since you ended up with prince smarty pants, I’ve been learning about the Krylon home world. They have some messed up ideas. They don’t trust anybody.”
“I noticed that. I guess that’s why two of them are standing outside this door right now. I’m not supposed to go anywhere by myself.”
“I’m glad that I have freedom.”
“I’m free. You’re just a kid.”
“A kid who can go anywhere on this ship I want by myself. As long as I got this and this, I’m safe.” She touched a tiny bottle around her neck and held up her hand. “I can scan any door on the ship open with this hand right here. If I get hurt, I just take a swig of this and I’m right as rain.”
Selene noticed a similar tiny bottle around Amie’s neck. “Aren’t you ever afraid?”
“Of what? Everyone here’s been nice to us, even the other kids. This is Koal’s ship and we’re his family. If you think anyone would mess with us, you are crazy. Some people think he’s scary, but he’s really a pushover.”
“Doesn’t he ever get irritable or disappear on you?”
“Sometimes. When he gets irritable, we just play a game and he forgets whatever’s bothering him. When he’s gone a long time, I ask the computer where he is and go looking for him. I found him asleep at his desk on the bridge one day. Another day he was knee deep in some negotiations with an ugly squid-like person over units of algae or something.”
“They’re Tardazian, not squid people. I used to call Candorians fin heads.”
The little girl shot her a look of disapproval. “They don’t like that.”
“There are
several species with tentacles. The Tardazian are the only ones that don’t leave mucus behind when you shake hands with them.”
“Interesting. You know the Shardon are a little wonky too. They can’t tell a lie.”
“I know. It’s why I trust them.”
“I don’t think that’s true of all of them. Even the ones who can’t lie can still be deceitful. Koal concludes every negotiation with them by asking what they haven’t told him. Funny thing is, they just come right out with whatever they tried to hide from him.”
“I’ll have to remember that.”
“So, where’s this bug lab of yours.”
“It’s called an entomology lab. It’s not mine. It belongs to the ship. We’re getting more bugs though.”
“I remember you saying that earlier. That must be exciting.”
The young girl grinned. “Only for those of us who like them. Everybody else thinks we’re outta our minds.”
“Well I can see you’re absolutely bug crazy.”
“Koal ordered me a new form suit with bug designs. Can’t wait to reach Krylon Five. There is a lady there that makes them in every color.”
“Koal takes good care of you, doesn’t he?”
“He’s nice. I like it here better than any other place I’ve ever been. I feel bad for them because they don’t have a home world anymore. Koal really misses not being able to live under the sea. It’s why the symbol of his house is an underwater scene. See, it’s here on my bottle.”
“I can tell, you feel bad for him.”
Shrugging, the little girl scanned her hand again. As soon as they stepped into the entomology lab, several scientists looked up.
“Some of your new specimens got delivered today by Terillian shuttle. They’re super quick.”
Selene replied. “They can’t turn their heads though. Makes it easy to give them the slip.”
Maruvian Bride (Alien SciFi Romance) (Celestial Mates Book 5) Page 20