“You had an excellent reason,” Zeph said.
“I know,” Han said. “But she already disapproved of my job. When she finds out I went into the Talin Empire when all the humans in the Ilgorian Federation are being warned to stay away, she’s going to explode.”
“The mass warning didn’t start until after we retrieved Rishmun and Lirsum,” Tumoro reminded her. “You couldn’t have known before that.”
“That’s true,” Han lied. She was never going to tell her parents that the broker on Thisher Station warned her before she took the assignment to hunt down Zeph. “But logic isn’t going to make my mom less upset.”
“Would your family disown you?” Tumoro’s voice was so quiet she almost didn’t hear him. His ears went flat and he hugged his arms around his chest.
“No, never,” she assured him, wrapping an arm around his waist to give him a quick hug. Before she could even let go, Malsum was there, pulling the Ugarian into a tight embrace and whispering reassuring words in his ears.
Zeph pulled her close. “You’re sure they won’t be so angry they strike your name from the family and clan records?”
She chuckled. “There is no striking someone’s name out. I’m nervous because I feel guilty, not because my family is going to be livid.”
Turning in his arms, she looked up into his eyes. “I know everyone’s a little worried because without me, none of you will be able to register with the federation and stay on Inneeko permanently. I promise that’s not a concern.”
Zeph let out a long breath. “You’ve said that many times, but the Talin Empire is a strict and unforgiving realm. It’s all most of us have ever known. It’s hard to imagine your family or the Ilgorian Federation welcoming us so easily.”
Han snorted. “It wasn’t that easy! Do you remember the massive number of forms I had to fill out to register the two of us as married and then adopt everyone? It took almost an entire day. I’ve never been so happy as when I got the message back from the Inneeko Family and Citizen Registry that I’d done everything correctly and I’d never have to do that ever again.” She shook her head, glancing over to where Rishmun and Lirsum were staring at a shared information square. “And now I have grandkids at the ripe old age of thirty-one.”
“I’m surprised they didn’t question the ages of your adopted children,” he commented.
“They wouldn’t care about that,” she said. “But they were worried that I only had one husband. They really pushed me to find a second and third husband quickly. Ugarians really like big marriages.”
“No more husbands for you,” Zeph said, making Han laugh. “I’m glad we’re spending one night in the city and then traveling to meet your family. It’ll give us a little time to acclimate."
“Ha!” Han barked out. “There’s no way they’re going to stay home for this. Especially after I told them Sandar is so pregnant she’s ready to burst. We’re really into babies. They’ll be waiting for us at the port.”
The ship shook slightly as it moved into a thicker atmosphere. It wouldn’t be long before they landed.
“I almost wish we’d taken longer to get here,” Han murmured. “But that would’ve been too dangerous for Sandar. I wouldn’t want her to give birth on this ship, even if it’s sleek and pretty.”
“I’m sure my sister appreciates that,” he murmured, rubbing his cheek on the top of her head. The air around them filled withthe scent of hibiscus. It helped her relax before she had to face the family she loved but sometimes avoided.
Wasn’t that how all families were?
Zeph
With Han being the first and only human he’d ever met, he had no idea what to expect from the rest of her family. He wasn’t that much more familiar with Ugarian culture, but he was about to settle on a mostly Ugarian planet. His future had a lot of unknowns, but he didn’t care. All that mattered was having Han in his life.
What he didn’t expect was a mob of loud, cheerful humans to surround all of them the moment they stepped onto the large area outside the main port office.
They all spoke loudly, as if each human was trying to get their voice heard over the others. They were all different, with white, blond, brown, and black manes of all lengths and styles. They were dressed in colorful but practical Ugarian outfits, and most were carrying baskets, bags, or boxes. Some had handfuls of bright flowers or containers of sweet foods.
One human stood out among the mass of cheerful faces. She had Han’s sharp eyes and sweet smile. This had to be Han’s dam. Next to her was a man with the same-colored mane as Han, probably her sire.
Overwhelmed by the humans, all the Talins had gathered close and didn’t respond to the many loud, insistent questions.
“Enough!” Han shouted, holding up her hands. “You guys are crowding them. Everyone take a big step back, stay quiet, and I’ll introduce you all.”
The humans laughed and moved back a little. Han started by pointing out and naming all the humans. There were twenty-two of them, including her father, mother, and three siblings.
When she finished with that, she pointed and named off him, Tumoro, Malsum, Sandar, Rensom, Rishmun, and Lirsum. Despite Han’s warning that her family was really “big into babies” he was startled at the way many of the humans focused on Sandar and inquired about her health and comfort.
He could tell she was flustered at the attention.
Han’s dam, Ophelia, stepped forward, then everyone quieted and let her through to Sandar.
