Why was this crew of warriors so cold toward me?
There was no guard outside my room this time. With no one watching, I could freely explore undetected.
Since there wasn’t much else to do and no one who wanted to help me learn about the ship, I explored on my own.
For the past few rotations, I inspected every area I could on the ship.
The first place I visited was the observation lounge with its big couches and tables. It was a peaceful place to sit and think. Which was fine for five minutes or so.
I preferred to stay occupied and despised having nothing to do.
With no access to the bridge, and no one to ask, I went everywhere that I could gain access to.
Thankfully, I’d taken the translator upgrade back on Alara. It allowed me to read Alaran books and manuals. Which I learned a lot from, both on the tablet in my room, and those I managed to ‘borrow’ from various departments on the ship.
I’d already spent tons of time reading. Not to mention hacking into the ships computer system to gain a deeper understanding of the vessel’s operations.
When I wasn’t reading, I’d wandered around trying to sneak into places just to know I could.
I was itching to do something fun. It wasn’t like there were alien fiction books to keep me entertained. The Alarans didn’t seem to have time for reading fiction novels.
I giggled at the thought of the massive warriors reading romance novels.
All their literature was based on their history, or the history of other planets around them. Then there were the dry as hell ships manuals I’d read.
So far, I’d spent a ton of hours learning all I could about the ship, hoping to put my knowledge to use one day. Okay, it didn’t exactly look like that was going to happen, but a girl can try, right?
If only Krin had given me the opportunity to show what I was capable of. Besides the warrior Captain ignoring me, I was fed up with being left out by everyone else.
Though, at this point given my circumstances, I had no idea what would be the best thing for me to do.
My frustration escalated as I continued to pace in my quarters.
Not for the first time since boarding the ship, I considered heading to the bridge and requesting to talk to Krin. I responded to that thought by shaking my head. Not a good idea. It gave off a vibe of desperation.
What I wanted was to chat with the guy about what the heck was going to happen to me, without coming off as weak or needy.
Sighing loudly, I threw my arms out to the sides. “How do I make the crew take notice of me when no one will even speak to me?” I muttered. As I continued to pace, my inner voice softly prodded me to take action. Come on, Riley. You can do this.
Nodding, I shoved my shoulders back. “I’m gonna make them talk to me.”
5
Riley
UPON ENTERING THE MESShall, I spotted a familiar group of warriors and approached their table. They glanced at me out of the corners of their eyes until I spoke.
“Hey, not sure if you remember me. I’m Riley.” I grinned, waiting for them to acknowledge me.
No one said anything, so I carried on. “Is there a gym or somewhere to train on the ship?”
If they didn’t feel like talking to me, I would entertain myself in other ways. A good start would be to get some exercise.
One of the warriors smirked, while another appeared worried judging from the crease between his brows. The third warrior totally ignored me and kept eating.
A corner of my mouth raised. I was pretty sure Smirky was the pilot who flew us from the slave planet to the Chetok when we were rescued.
He didn’t look like an Alaran. He had a smooth, velvety coat of fur. It was a light tan color, with subtle peach stripes. His cat-like eyes were a deep amber color. Wearing a cheeky grin, he was the first to talk. “My name is Aza.”
