CHAPTER 4
Emily Jordan presented as arranged on the landing deck in front of the Candorian freighter tasked with bringing her to her oldest daughter, Selene. Emily stood at her side, her eyes crawling over every square inch of the freighter. Luckily, Amie was still asleep in her arms. Ambassador Kredor met her, along with some other dignitaries, mostly females. The women openly admired her little ones the way most human women did.
Ambassador Kredor stepped forward with a woman on his arm. He looked just like she remembered from the holo-vid. His skin was a tawny brown with some grey and dark purple molting. His neck was longer than a human’s and somewhat thinner. He had a fin standing straight up on the top of his head and dark eyes. The female was similar but her coloring was a bright teal with some blue and grey molting. She wore a long loose-fitting gown, much like the ambassador, except she wore a thick leather-like cuff around her neck. It had an elaborate design, leading her to think it was high-class jewelry. The woman’s expression was open. She almost appeared to be smiling. As they walked forward, she tossed her head in a gesture that bespoke happiness.
“Elaine Jordan, it is a pleasure to meet you in person. May I introduce my mate, Jalona?”
Nodding, she responded politely to his greeting.
“It’s nice to finally meet face to face. My daughter has said such nice things about you.” Turning to the woman, she smiled. “It’s nice to meet another woman, no matter the circumstance. I’ve never seen a Candorian female before. You’re all so beautiful and colorful compared to your males.”
The woman looked taken aback, but her mate interjected smoothly. “My Jalona is with child. Though our females do have more color, I daresay they are nothing short of magnificent during their bearing phase.”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to be rude.”
The woman reached out to touch Amie on the back of her still sleeping head. “I am not offended. Our color changes are not spoken of in our society. I honestly have no idea why that is. It seems so arcane now that I think about it. Would you like me to carry her for a while? I can see you grow weary.”
Elaine would normally have been too frightened to allow a stranger to carry her child, but Jalona seemed so open and sweet, it was difficult to refuse her.
“Thank you. The walk here was tiring.” Carefully transferring the child to the other woman’s arms, she instinctively grabbed Emily by the hand. The nine-year-old looked up at her with wide eyes. Elaine almost smiled that it took meeting aliens to make her inquisitive nine-year-old speechless.
Ambassador Kredor murmured soothingly. “You have no cause to fear us, little one. We are quite harmless.”
“Oh, I’m not scared. I’m happy to finally meet the people who fly around in the air. You must have some darn good ships if they can keep the radiation off you. Mom says we’re gonna fly in one and I can’t wait.”
The older gentleman beamed. “Then we should get right to it, should we not?”
“Yea, let’s get crackin’. This is the small ship that takes us to big ship, right?”
“You are very smart. The Candorians do not have a home world so each freighter harbors around a hundred thousand people.”
“Wow, that’s a lot. You must be packed in there like sardines.”
“Emily Jordan, there’s no need to be rude.”
Jerking to attention at her gentle rebuke, the child self-corrected immediately. “Sorry, I didn’t mean nothin’ by that. It just seems like a lot of people.”
The ambassador led them onto the shuttle as they spoke. “It is quite a large number of people. Our freighters are probably much larger than anything you’ve seen before. Since we rely upon trade for most all our supplies, the ships must have massive cargo holds in addition to enough room for all our people to live comfortably.”
“Do kids gotta go to school?”
“They certainly do. Younglings in your age group can even elect to live in the education wing with other young ones. They shift back and forth every five cycles between the education wing and home.”
“Sounds pretty boring, going to school all the time.”
“Our young love the education wing. They go to classes with instructors, practice real life skills in our laboratories, and even learn to climb rock walls. There are classes on shooting mock weapons, self-defense, and alien cultures. We have a botany lab with plants from around the galaxy.”
“Well, that education place is sounding better by the minute. You got any insects there? I love insects, cause they got exoskeletons.”
“We have a tiny entomology collection. A spaceship is no place for keeping biological specimens.”
“I guess that makes sense.”
They ended up being ushered to seating in the back of the shuttle. “Wow, this is just like seats on an airplane. I’ve only seen pictures; they ran out of jet fuel a long time ago.”
“It’s a very similar concept, except this shuttle can escape Earth’s gravitational pull and fly into space. Be sure to get a seat with a portal. If you chose the left side of shuttle, it will give you an outstanding view of the freighter upon our approach.”
“Thanks for the tip!” Emily raced to the back, slipping harmlessly past several members of the delegation.
Elaine apologized. “I’m really sorry about Emily. She’s just so excited about meeting you and flying on a spaceship. I know you all live in space full time, so it’s probably no big deal for you, but for us humans, it’s a real thrill.”
Jalona gently rocked Amie as she spoke. “You would think we might take it for granted after a while, but we never do. I’m just as amazed every single time we break orbit of a planet and I see the stars again. Every time feels like the first for me.”
As they all buckled in their three-point harnesses, Elaine had to admit to feeling excited as well. Amie woke and was gently strapped into a small device on the seat beside her that was then strapped to the seat. “You thought of everything. I can’t thank you enough for agreeing to accompany me on the voyage. I’ll feel so much more comfortable having someone familiar with us.”
Jalona shot a glance at her mate. “You will like my brother’s freighter. It’s huge and he keeps up with the repairs. It’s one of the safest vessels flying.”
“I didn’t realize your brother was the captain.”
“He has asked to have a word with him upon your arrival. I would be happy to care for the small ones while you meet with him.”
Wrinkling her nose, she nodded. “I’d want to meet hitchhikers and make sure they understood the rules if I was a captain. I’ll be nice to him.”
Beaming, Jalona replied instantly. “I have every reason to suspect you will. You aren’t a hitchhiker though. The imperial prince paid a handsome sum to ensure you and your small ones were comfortably and safely transported. My brother was happy to get the work.”
“Then, I’m glad all the way around. The prince has been very nice to Selene and to us.”
Emily glanced up from looking out a portal. “Still say he looks like smarty pants know it all in the stupid crown.”
Elaine cringed at her daughter’s blatant lack of respect for the imperial know it all. Crap, now she was thinking of him like that in her own head.
The ambassador made a small noise that seemed like laughter, but quickly cleared his throat. “The imperial prince is a thousand times more approachable than any of the other imperial princes.”
“I don’t doubt it. He’s always hovering over Selene when we speak, tending to her every need. I don’t know if I could stand that in a man. It has to get tedious after a while.”
Jalona smiled knowingly. “I think his behavior is born of desperation, for few males on their home world have mates. Our males are much more restrained. Candorian women are quite plentiful.
“Look, Mom, we can see the stars!”
Glancing out the portal, she saw not only the stars but a tiny freighter in the distance. Her brow furrowed.
The ambassador’s voice broke in. “I know it looks small but that is only because it is so far away. When we put on a burst of speed, it will grow in the portal so quickly that you will worry we might run right into it.”
It happened just like he said, much to Emily’s amazement and glee. They boarded with very little fanfare. There were many people working in the docking bay and they stopped in favor of watching her little family depart the shuttle and make their way to the door at the far back. Elaine felt conspicuous but not threatened in any way.
They took her directly to a spacious suite of rooms and the ambassador left her in the care of his mate and a few other women.
Jalona explained, “I have stocked the proper compartments with clothing correctly sized for you and the little ones. Before you thank me, know that your daughter’s intended spent a staggering sum to see that you and the small ones were kept in the style he considers befitting the mother of an imperial queen.”
Shaking her head, she stated dryly. “He’s already had his assistant coach me all about how if my daughter accepts his offer, she will be his queen because he has his own little world.”
“Sylon is a gigantic world. You do not sound as though you approve.”
“It all just seems so fantastical.” She deftly unwrapped little Amie from her outer garments and headed for the shallow pool of water. “Is it okay to put her in?” Emily raced over and pulled off her clothing as well.
“Of course. It is for refreshing.”
“Do we shower first?”
“No need. The water is purified almost continuously. It is not very deep. We sit and converse with each other as a way of relaxing. May we join you?”
Nodding, she stripped the girls down to their unmentionables and let them slip into the water. The water came up to Amie’s chin and Emily’s waist. Both took off swimming before she could caution them to be careful.
The women disrobed, revealing thin little suits. They were shaped like old-fashioned human swimsuits, but made of an extremely thin material. Whatever the cloth, it managed to provide for modesty. The women entered the water, draping themselves along the edges of the pool.
“It seems strange to have a large pool of water on a spaceship.”
Jalona smiled. “We are an aquatic species. We must have regular access to water to survive. The girls will wear themselves out. When they sleep, you can visit my brother.”
“How do I know if he can take time away from work right now to see me?”
“You are his work, remember?”
Biting her lip, Elaine worried about what the captain was going to tell her. “I suppose you’re right.”
The woman flipped her head fin back and forth merrily. “I really like you Elaine Jordan. You are a smart, capable mother. Any male would be fortunate to have you for mate.”
“Where in the world did that come from?”
The woman just moved deeper into the water, her dark eyes sparkling.