Not Quite Terran Part 5 (Scifi Alien Romance Serial) (4 page)

“Dammit, Karru. Quit making sense.”

His chest vibrated with his chuckle. “I owe you a debt of gratitude, Varr. Rebecca?”

Grumbling like a toddler, she huffed and looked at the uneasy alien. Without Varr, they never would have found each other. Yes, Karru had spied her, craved her, but it was Varr who eased the path between them and made the initial connection possible without overwhelming difficulty.

“Thank you, Varr. I…”
Am truly happy for the first time in my life.
“Thank you very much. Please comm us if you need anything.”

“Yes, Jhoari C’Hali. I wish you many moons of happiness.” With that, Varr retreated, his light steps on the metal plating announcing his departure.

Rebecca pulled away and tilted her head back to meet Karru’s gaze. “Am I a horrible person for being angrier with him than you?”

“Never.”

“Liar.” His grin was infectious and she couldn’t stop from matching the expression. “Are we almost ready to leave?”

Their males had been loading cargo for several zentics. Securing trade goods while others made arrangements for delivery of Palia materials. From ores to works of art, many things were being exchanged.

“Almost. We are merely waiting for a few last items and you wished to speak with Kia,” he reminded her.

Kia… A connection to the outside world she wished to preserve.

As if Rebecca’s thoughts conjured the female, she came floating onto the platform, her steps so careful and graceful. Rebecca smiled widely when she spied her friend, and she immediately stepped out of Karru’s embrace to approach her.

“You made it.”

“Of course, Rebecca C’Hali.”

“Rebecca.” She automatically corrected as always. “You know this.”

“Yes, but now you are—”

She shook her head. “I am nothing this wentic that I wasn’t before I met Karru.”

Kia simply hummed.

“Have you thought about my invitation?” Rebecca couldn’t hide the hope in her voice.

Her friend frowned. “I’m afraid my answer this wentic is the same as it was yesterday. Rilli is my home.”

“But—”

Kia stepped closer and dropped her voice. “It is by agreement with my father, Rebecca. If I depart, I must return to Tsumazoar. I will not do this. Not for you, not for anyone.”

She reached out and grasped Kia’s hand. “We could protect you. He wouldn’t be able to touch you.”

Her friend shook her head sadly. “While I believe Palia is very strong, war is never beneficial to either side. It is my hatred of war that drove me from my home. I will not begin one by stepping off the station.”

“But why would Tsu react so strongly to you?”

The woman remained silent for a moment and retained Rebecca’s hold. “How would your empire react should you be taken?” With that question, Kia released her and pulled Rebecca into her arms, not giving her a chance to respond. “I have read this is called a Terran hug. An embrace shared when saying hello or goodbye. I choose for it to say I shall see you again.”

Shock held her stiff, and it took her a moment to return the hug. But then she wrapped her arms around the woman’s lithe body and poured her emotions into the caring embrace. “You shall see me again.” She released Kia and stepped back. “In the meantime, if you need help, promise you will contact me. Promise.”

“I promise, Rebecca C’Ha-Rebecca.” Kia turned and retreated, leaving Rebecca alone.

But only alone for a moment because Karru appeared and tugged her into his own hug of comfort and caring. “She will not to join us?”

Rebecca shook her head. “No. She bargained with her father and for her part, she has to remain on Rilli. But I told her to contact me if…”

“Of course. If she needs assistance, Palia will be there for her. Just as we are assisting young Atan.”

She grinned at that. The technician who had assisted her was now the apprentice to the ship’s healer. When they returned to Palia, he would begin his studies at their medical school.

But even that small happiness didn’t banish the heartache at losing Kia. Everything was new, everything was different, and she’d merely wanted one small connection to her old life. Which was selfish of her, and she knew it. That realization couldn’t destroy the desire, though.

On the other side of the platform, the door whooshed open, and Kiarana P’tor of Tsumazoar departed. Not forever—it merely seemed so. On the heels of her friend’s retreat, one of her brothers departed as well.

“But, it seems, Dechan will solve any problems that may arise.”

“Dechan is remaining?” she murmured in surprise, but she probably shouldn’t have been surprised. He had kept his attention on Kia every time her friend walked into a room.

“He has requested the assignment, yes, and I have endorsed it. Do you not agree?”

She rolled her eyes. “You know I do. Both to watch over Kia and because there may be something between them.”

Just as often as she saw Dechan staring at Kia, she found Kia staring at Dechan.

“Excellent. Then if you are prepared, the captain tells me we are ready to depart.”

Depart. It was the moment of truth for her. She would step on the ship that would take her somewhere she’d never been. “Yes, I’m ready.”

I’m ready to go home.

The End

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Not Quite Terran #1 –
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Not Quite Terran #2 –
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Not Quite Terran #3 –
http://scifibit.ly/nqt3

Not Quite Terran #4 –
http://scifibit.ly/nqt4

Not Quite Terran #5 –
http://scifibit.ly/nqt5

Not Quite Terran Complete Series –
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Published by Erin Tate. Not Quite Terran. Copyright © 2015 Erin Tate. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. This book contains material protected under International and Federal Copyright Laws and Treaties. Any unauthorized reprint or use of this material is prohibited. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without express written permission from the author.

This is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents and dialogues in this book are of the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is completely coincidental.