Page 66 of Fated to the Dragon Alien
Meanwhile, there was chaos on the other ship as the Terian females crowded the screen, each trying to see Cerani, and the Zaruxian males argued whether to just go over to Stavian’s ship or invite them all to theirs. It was like a big…unruly family. For a moment, Stavian thought he might cry, too.
“Stars, I can’t breathe,” she whispered without lifting her head.
On his end, the crew of the ESS Mirka observed the chaos with baffled expressions.
After going from fighting through an impossible battle that they expected to lose, to being “rescued” by an unknown and imposing behemoth of a ship, the four ex-miners-turned bridge crew sat frozen in disbelief. Talla stared at the screen with her mouth halfway open. Jorr blinked a few times and muttered something about hallucinations. Rinter’s hands hovered midair over the shield terminal like he was waiting for someone else to say what they were all thinking: What thefekwas going on?
The only thing Stavian knew for sure was that these people were not their enemies. He saw the way Cerani’s face lit up with recognition, disbelief, then pure joy.
This wasn’t just a rescue. It was a reunion.
He looked at the screen and made eye contact with the Zaruxians. “We have frightened passengers in our hold. Permission for Cerani and me to board your ship.”
“Granted,” the purple-scaled male said over the sound of female voices.
He turned to Rinter. “Lower the shields.”
Rinter jerked like he’d just been released from stasis. “Are you sure?”
“Yes.” Stavian’s voice didn’t waver. “Drop them now.”
Rinter hesitated one beat, then tapped his console. “Shields falling…now.” The overhead display blinked from red to yellow, then turned green.
Cerani peeked up and gazed up at him with brilliant gold eyes. “Can we really…?”
“Yes,” he said. “You’re going to see your people again. And so am I.”
She blinked hard, wiped her face with one gloved hand, then turned back to the screen as her friends shouted her name again. Sevas had moved in closer, her eyes still shining. “Is that your male back there? That blue one?” She stared, then grinned. “Nice.”
Cerani turned bright red. Stavian might’ve smiled—if he hadn’t been holding it together with the thinnest thread of composure.
A mountain of a Zaruxian with green scales didn’t seem to care for Sevas’ assessment, as he crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes at the screen. “You’d best come over now, before we change our minds.”
Cerani looked up at him from where she kneeled. He offered her a hand and pulled her upright. Her movements were shaky, but so were his. She pressed her hands to his chest. Not to push him away, but to stay grounded.
“You okay?” he asked.
She nodded. “Are you?”
He wasn’t. He didn’t know how to be. Standing on that ship were Zaruxians who called themselves his brothers. There were Terians who looked like Cerani’s soul carved into different shapes. It was too much. And they were opening the door to a life he hadn’t allowed himself to imagine.
“All systems steady,” Talla said from behind them. Her voice was shaky. “I’ve got a proximity link now. Their ship’s guiding us into a lock zone.”
“Confirm the channel stays open,” Stavian said. “I need to inform our passengers in the cargo hold what’s going on.”
“Can you tell us that?” Talla asked.
He let out a little laugh. “I think we’re going to be okay. When we’re docked, get some rest. Eat. I’ll keep you all updated.”
Rinter’s panel buzzed again. “They’ve initiated zero-pressure air-lock tether. Confirming crosswalk extension from their bay to ours.”
Stavian stared at the screen. His pulse thudded behind his eyes.
He didn’t know if these were the people who would finish the war—or start the next one, but he’d risk it. For her, for them.
That ship didn’t come here to destroy. It came to bring them home.
TWENTY
