Vyce
op2024Waking came slow and easy for Kir. It wasn’t sudden or startling, there was no immediate sense of impending doom that had her stomach curdling with anxiety. She took a deep inhale, and exhaled with a yawn as the world came back into focus. The blankets were gone, but she wasn’t cold. In fact, she wasn’t alone either. That realisation brought the previous day flooding back into her sleep-addled mind. Meeting Harrison, the escape, meeting the others and stealing a ship…starting a rebellion with Harrison.
Harrison.
She smiled softly to herself, remembering their talk the night before when she’d joined him. All at once she put the pieces back together: she wasn’t alone in this bed. Kir cracked her eyes open, angling her head just slightly and looking down the bed at their bodies making almost every possible point of contact. They must have gravitated toward each other in the night, but she couldn’t say she felt the least bit uncomfortable. If anything, she’d slept better than she had for the better part of a century. Sleep was finally more than just a respite from the horrors of her wakeful hours; it was relaxing and rejuvenating and safe.
Harrison had a peaceful night's sleep. It was actually the most peaceful sleep he's had, ever. The dream he had brought him so much joy and peace. He was in college, but it wasn't his college. He realized he wasn't himself and the college he was attending wasn't on Earth. He was on X'hondria. He was Kir. He was experiencing her time there. He was walking in her footsteps, experiencing her experiences. She was so happy. He realized that she was studying to be a Historian and wanted to preserve her people's heritage and artifacts. It was amazing. It really did feel like he was re-experiencing his own life, but it was hers. He hadn't imagined they had this much in common. It made sense why they were able to connect instantly, X'honnar aside.
He awoke with a smile, but also a sombering sadness. This was the life Kir lived before she was taken by the Empire. He turned his body to look at her, giving her the warmest smile he had. “Good morning. You look like you slept well.” He was going to give her and this galaxy their lives back.
Kir brought her gaze and her smile back up as he spoke. This would be a memory she kept close to her heart - the peace, the warmth, the sleep-rough sound of his voice. She liked him more than she had been initially willing to admit, but the question that lingered in her mind when she thought of it dragged her back to her time as little more than an imperial concubine, and further still to the man she had once promised to share her life with before they were separated during the invasion. What if he was still alive? She was hardly the same person she had been a century ago. It seemed almost impossible to think about rekindling that relationship even if she did manage to find and free him. And Harrison? It seemed impossible to think of separating from him. She’d never even performed a X’honnar with her intended life partner, but she had with a human she’d just met. To sever a connection like that, if it could even be done, would be nothing short of devastating, but she would feel obligated to if they decided to go their separate ways. Could she even bring herself to let him go with grace? She’d never even thought to ask him if there was someone he loved back on earth. She reached up to scrub her face, trying to clear the swirling thoughts with it. Wakefulness brought nothing but a flurry of doubts.
“Yeah,” she finally answered, nodding a bit against the pillow. “I…don’t think I’ve slept like that since before the invasion. I think I might have invaded your space in the night. Sorry… I guess you make a pretty good teddy bear. How about you? You seemed pretty sound asleep.”
Harrison just realized their comforter was on the floor. There was nothing separating them but their clothes and even that failed as a barrier as their minds touched through the night. He noticed the crinkle in her forehead that she tended to have when she was deep in thought before she tried to wash it away. The sight elicited a small chuckle from him only because he could tell whatever she was thinking of wasn't bad. He listened to her and blushed at her teddy bear compliment. He composed himself before answering. “Yeah, I did. You actually invaded my space in more ways than one last night. I was back at the University, but on X'hondria. I was you. You were so happy and it made me happy seein—experiencing you in that way and realizing how much we have in common. Studying society and history. But also… I want you to have that again. That joy, that peace, and doing what you love.”
Kir’s eyes widened a bit, her expression lighting up again, and she rattled off an explanation almost immediately, “X’hondrian culture has a long, rich history that goes beyond even the split that separated the Serennian and X’hondrian tribes. It takes decades to learn all of it, and the mastery of both modern and archaic dialects from X’hondria, Serenfolia, and our mother world. I wanted to become a Sage - I think the closest thing Earth has is a tenured professor - but they get to dedicate their lives to research and are considered foremost experts in their field of study. While I had finished my initial coursework, I still needed a few decades of study under a Sage before I could even begin to head up my own research and hopefully earn my own title as a Sage. It was like…a very, very long internship assisting with research led by a mentoring Sage. I spent a lot of time doing tedious archival work, honestly, but I didn’t mind. Fieldwork was always exciting, but the archives held quite a few interesting artefacts. You would love the archives. It’s just building after building chock full of boxed up history.”
She got him so well. He loved boxes of history. The way she lit up speaking about her world and field of study warmed his heart. He couldn't help but smile the whole time she was talking. “My father and I were professors as well, though I never made it to tenure. Spent too much time in the field than in the classroom. I always felt like I learned more and could teach them more if I was out there in the field learning new things.”
“Well, perhaps when all this rebelling is over you and I can go back to doing what we love,” Kir suggested. “X’hondria will have to be rebuilt, and I have no idea how much of our culture remains preserved in the archives or in the minds of the surviving X’hondrians. Perhaps, if you don’t have anything immediately demanding your attention back on Earth, I can convince you to stick around out here a bit longer and help me with the resettlement and restoration effort.”
It seemed silly to propose such a thing so soon. He knew next to nothing about her people or their world, but she wanted to give him a reason to stay. It was selfishly motivated; she knew she was appealing to the adventurer in him purely to get what she wanted, and maybe also trying to get a feel for what he might have left behind. If nothing else, it was an invitation meant to express her interest in staying together for as long as he wanted to. While he might be able to return to Earth, she doubted that was a possibility for her and so whatever time they did have together after the rebellion would have to be spent somewhere else. Besides, she couldn’t just disappear to Earth to be with him. She had a responsibility to use the knowledge and expertise she had to help the X’hondrians recover their identity as they forged a new path forward.
Harrison was gifted with a treasure beyond what Kir could imagine with what she asked him. She really trusted him to help her with the resettlement and restoration effort of X'hondria. More than that she wanted him to stay with her. He hoped he wasn't reading too much into that. “I would love that.” Harrison finally said. “I didn't have anything going for me back home besides the hero gig. I honestly wasn't expecting to go back.”
Harrison could imagine it now. He now had something to look forward to after the whole rebellion was over. Spending time with Kir on X'hondria and exploring the galaxy, discovering civilizations and finding treasure. His heart beat faster and louder than it's ever done. Even in one of his fights on Earth. “I don't know if I'm excited or having a heart attack, but thank you. I haven't looked forward to something this much in so long.”
She didn’t know whether she should feel elated or sorry for him that there was nothing back on Earth beckoning him home. If she could just return to X’hondria and resume her life, she would without a second thought. Then again, she recognised the limitations of her understanding of Earth. All she knew of it was from the books they allowed her, and the steady diet of media that included everything from movies to music. She’d never experienced it herself, never had the chance to really study it and know it as she did X’hondria. The selfish part of her was glad he had nothing to return to, though. If he had decided to go back to Earth, she didn’t think she’d be able to stay away from the planet for long; she’d simply miss him too much.
A soft laugh bubbled up as he claimed his heart was racing, though he wasn’t sure whether it was cause for concern or celebration. Reaching up, Kir pressed a hand over his heart, eyes widening in surprise at the fast-paced thumping under the skin. “It’s always amazed me that your bodies function with only one heart… How do you not just drop dead from overworking it? Even right now, just one heart beating this fast seems like it should be a death sentence, and yet there you lie, clearly happy.”
Kir turned her head slightly, a sly grin peeling across her face. She dropped her head back onto the pillow, whispering, “Close your eyes. I think we’re about to be infiltrated by a spy.” Following her own orders, she closed her eyes and relaxed her expression as if still asleep, her hand still resting over his chest as they waited.
Harrison closed his eyes and tried to regain control over the rhythm of his heart, but the fact that Lyris was peeking into their room made it kind of difficult. She thankfully didn't stay long and he released his held laughter, but kept his hand over his mouth. He dropped his hands once the last laugh took its bow. He smiled at Kir before continuing their conversation. “I guess the secret's out. I meant what I said last night. You can sleep here with me every night. As you can see from my actions since we met, we humans lead with our heart rather than our brains. That's why it's our strongest muscle.”
It was lucky Lyris only took a peek. Harrison nearly shook with his stifled laughter, and Kir was almost unable to contain her own. As soon as the curious head ducked back out and the sound of footsteps began to recede, Kir quickly clapped a hand over her own mouth to laugh with him. She curled in a little tighter as the joy spilled out of her openly until she managed to find her own composure again moments after Harrison did his.
“I thought humans led with their stomachs. What’s the saying? The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach?” She teased as she pushed herself to sit up.
“No,” he said, shaking his head. “You got it all wrong. Our stomachs are the ways to our heart. See, it always leads there.”
Noticing the comforter on the floor beside the bed, Kir leaned over Harrison slightly and, with some effort, lifted it with her mind to bring it back up over them. She frowned briefly, realising just how out of practice she was. It wouldn’t be like learning to control her powers from scratch again, but it took more effort to call upon them than it should have at her age.
”How much longer do you think we can drag this out before they come in and make us get up?” Kir asked, stretching back out beside Harrison. She just couldn’t find it in her to get up yet. She was happy right there where the problems of the day seemed so far away they were unreachable. It was like a perfect little bubble of heaven.
“Probably not long,” Harrison admitted. “We should probably start captaining.” As if the galaxy itself heard him, alarms started to blare throughout the ship. “What does that mean?” He asked nervously. He wanted adventure but he didn't want to blow up on the second day, at least not before he got to tell Kir how he felt.
Kir didn’t even get a chance to open her mouth and explain before the speaker chimed with the ship’s automated announcement: “Landing protocols initiated.” She cursed, throwing the comforter off again and springing out of the bed.
“It means we’re landing way earlier than we should be,” she explained. “So either someone on this ship double-crossed us, or something is wrong.”
She didn’t wait for Harrison as she bolted for the cockpit. It was something of a relief to see Zev frantically trying to control the situation. At the very least it meant he likely wasn’t the culprit of any plot against them. Kir stood in the doorway, trying to read the control screen from afar as he worked, “Zev…? Why are we landing?!”
Lyris joined soon after speeding back out of her room. She didn't have time to concern herself with the fact that Kir was finally awake. As if Kir needed an echo she asked, “We're in the middle of nowhere. Where are we landing?”
Zev continued mashing buttons frantically on the console as he tried to change the trajectory of the ship, “I would also like to know this.”
“Aren’t you the one flying the ship?” Kir asked sarcastically, but her voice was dripping with concern.
“Something is overriding the controls and forcing us to land, but to the best of my knowledge there’s not even a planet in this sector,” Zev shot back.
“Well, run a scan. There must be something out there.”
“I’m completely locked out, Kir,” he said in a serious monotone, finally turning to look at her. “We should prepare for the worst.”
Turning slightly, she announced, “Strap in! We’ve got trouble!”
Harrison finally stepped out of the Captain's Quarters and joined the others. “What's going on? The Empire found us already?”
“Dunno yet,” Zev explained. “But someone or something is pulling us in for an unwelcome landing.”
Kir added, “Let’s assume they’re hostile until proven otherwise. We should still be outside the empire, but it’s not like their borders have stopped them before.”
Harrison reached for Kir's hand without thinking. If the Empire found them already he wasn't going to let go of her. He was going to make sure they stayed free. They all prepared for the worst as they were pulled to an uncertain future.
The ship breached something that shimmered as they passed through. A planet materialized into view replacing the dark vastness of space that they were flying through. The planet was lush and full of life. At first glance Lyris confused it for Serenfolia, but it was different. For Harrison it reminded him of one of the National Parks of Earth or the planet itself in the past before it was disturbed by civilization.
The ship was pulled to a patch of land that operated as an open-field hangar and runway. They were forced to land and drop the cargo ramp. Their ship was surrounded and a large shadow appeared at the bottom of the ramp. A projected voice spoke to them in Genspeak from outside. “Your ship is surrounded. We detected an Enforcer and X'hondrian on board your vessel. Release the X'hondrian hostage and then step out with your hands out. If you don't come out we will come in. If you resist we are prepared to wipe out imperial scum. The only reason you weren't blasted out of the sky is because we want to free your X'hondrian. You have ten seconds.”
Harrison didn't need ten seconds. He honestly wasn't thinking. “I'm not leaving her!” He yelled out. “I'm not an enforcer! We're trying to bring down the Empire!” All he got was that they wanted Kir safe like he did and they were against the empire. Whoever these people are, they had common ground and had the resources and technology to hack their ship's systems from the planet. If they believed him they were one step closer to becoming a legitimate rebellion.
“Like we're supposed to believe that. We detect enforcer armor on the ship. Your ten seconds are over.” The voice said before walking up the ramp. She revealed herself to be a gray-skinned woman with red hair and blue patterned tattoos all over her body. She was five feet exactly, but carried herself like a giant. She had a belt around her waist that carried a thousand different things including a dagger, but right now she held in her hand a rather sizable energy cannon and it was aimed directly at Harrison. Then she got a good look at him and her eyes widened with a look of recognition. “Hold on. You're a human?”
Harrison was puzzled by this question. “What gave it away?”
Everything happened so fast it didn’t give Kir even a moment to react. One moment she was marvelling at the lush planet ahead of them, and the next the ship was being forced open and they were given an ultimatum. Even as she opened her mouth, Harrison beat her to it, refusing to leave her as they announced their only interest was freeing her. Had they not noticed Zev and Lyris aboard? Or did they simply not care because Aenids and Serennians weren’t enslaved? Either way, Kir didn’t like that - what if Harrison was an enforcer and had coerced them into assisting him? Would they just ignore their plight? Frowning, she watched the exchange play out between the two, but she wasn’t totally sure if she liked the new direction it could take now that they knew Harrison was human.
Kir squeezed Harrison’s hand gently to give him a small reassurance as she stepped forward and put herself between him and the woman who had boarded, “Stand down. Please. I assure you he’s not an enforcer. His armour is broken and has been since he had the misfortune of finding it. Although his misfortune has been to my benefit. I’m not a slave, and this man is the only reason I’m currently free after I was held against my will on Earth.” She held up her hands and turned her wrists, “I wear no slave bands. Every word he speaks is true; we really are on a mission to overthrow the empire.”
While Harrison and Kir were busy standing off with their would-be captors, Zev turned to lock down the cockpit with a command code he’d installed when he overhauled the computers after they stole the ship. He had a feeling the lockout sequence would come in handy, but he hadn’t expected it to be so soon. As soon as he was done, he turned around to find a woman had boarded their ship with an energy canon pointed straight at Harrison. Zev’s eye widened, and he quickly stepped forward to tug Lyris away from him. The armour would probably protect Harrison, but that didn’t mean the rest of them were safe if it beam reflected within the tight quarters of the ship. Zev was one of many Aenids, and even if he died, his mind and energy would simply return to the mycelium network. Even death for an Aenid wasn’t the end, but Lyris was Serennian. Kir would be devastated if something happened to her, and despite their disagreement on his motives he didn’t want anything to happen to her either. Just as he’d done with Kir when Harrison first stepped aboard, he made sure he was between Lyris and danger.
Lyris was rarely ever surprised by anything, but Zev grabbing her and pulling her away from Harrison genuinely shocked her. Even if they didn't have their conversation earlier she didn't think he'd care about her to grab her before she had the time to fully process everything that was going on and that was saying a lot.
The woman took her time looking everyone over. They didn't seem to be evil or lying. They seemed more confused and worried than anything. Hell, the enforcer and X'hondrian were even holding hands. Though if the rumots of the human male were true she couldn't blame her for falling Stockholm for her slaver. “Broken enforcer armor? Let me see.” She dragged the energy cannon on the floor as she made her way towards Harrison. She analyzed his bracelet and sure enough it was broken. “Hmm. So a human, a X'hondrian, an Aenid, and a Serenian want to overthrow the Empire? With what? This junk of a ship, some broken armor, and a radiation depleted X'hondrian? You'd be dead in a day. But we can discuss that later. For now, welcome to Niðavellir. I'm Astri.”
“I'm Harrison. Wait, Niðavellir? Like from Norse Mythology?” Harrison asked, though it was starting to come to him. It was never another realm. It was another planet.
“Oh, you know the Vikings?” Astri asked, though she already knew the answer.
“Well, of them. They don't exist anymore as a culture at least, but their descendants still do.” Harrison couldn't believe it. Kir wasn't the first alien to land on Earth. He started to wonder how many landed on Earth and started thinking of all the theories about aliens helping with the building of certain civilizations.
Kir had stepped back to give Astri space, but she stayed close beside Harrison. She knew of the Vikings from the history books she’d been provided while on Earth, but there had been no mention of alien intervention. In fact, as far as public knowledge of history was concerned, aliens had never interacted with Earth at all. She knew the likelihood of that being true was probably slim, but she didn’t know when or where it might have happened aside from her own unpleasant introduction to the planet and its people. She wasn’t even familiar with this planet or its people, so she never could have anticipated their influence on Earth’s history and, by extension, its present. Norse mythology was well known and even still respected through religious practices by modern pagans and depicted numerous times in media of all forms.
”You’ll forgive me if I’m hesitant to just accept that your planet is a champion for good, seeking to free X’hondrians. You dragged our ship down by force without so much as a warning, or any attempt at contact for that matter, and demanded they give me up or you’d storm in,” Kir frowned, wrapping one hand around Harrison’s arm to ground herself. “Not to mention Earth has long been touted as a nightmare planet inhabited by a monstrous species - something I have firsthand experience with - and I take it your people had some influence over them in the past, which doesn’t exactly fill me with confidence. My people made the mistake of trusting the empire. I made the mistake of trusting humans. I’m not keen to make another, not when other people now rely on me.”
Zev didn’t relax. If Kir wasn’t sold, then neither was he. He didn’t know exactly how old she was, but he knew she was a lot older than he was and at least as experienced and worldly. She was bound to have good instincts, and he trusted that. Looking down at Lyris, he asked in a low voice, “I don’t suppose you know anything about Niðavellir?”
Lyris looked up at Zev and gave him a slight nod before whispering back to him. “Legends on Serenfolia say they were a highly intelligent and space-faring species. They had a very deep understanding and connection with the stars. They were friends with our mother species but disappeared once the Empire became oppressive. No one's seen or heard from them since.”
Astri sighed before tapping her cannon. “They'd be dead and you'd be with us if we had evil intentions. Though we're not champions for good, we're isolationists now but we do have an ally for good. A pirate that goes around freeing X'hondrians. Considering you're free perhaps you've had a run-in with him. He's another human. Lastly, if I suspected he was truly an enforcer, why would we expose our hidden planet to communicate?”
Zev nodded along as Lyris explained, though his head was turned to watch Astri talk to Kir and Harrison. “Okay, so they were friends back then, but now they keep to themselves and just stay out of what’s going on out there? Can’t decide if I envy them or think they’re selfish.”
Kir’s eyes narrowed a bit at the mention of a pirate. While she hadn’t been directly freed, that chaos of a pirate attack had allowed her to steal a shuttle and escape the ship she was on. If it was true they were allied with pirates, there was a possibility they were one and the same. Still, there were plenty of crews out there and no one had actually sought her out to free her, but then again no one had chased after her either, so she couldn’t really say either way.
“If he was an enforcer, do you really think he’d be flying in this old junker?” Kir pressed. “Better yet, I’d like to know how you can do an isolated scan to pick out an enforcer. They didn’t have that before I escaped, and I doubt the emperor would allow just anyone to get their hands on that kind of technology.”
Zev could see Kir puffing up. She was spooked, and he couldn’t blame her, but Astri was right. She was the one holding an energy canon, so if they wanted any one of them dead, they would be. The stakes were high, and stress was probably starting to uncover the feelings she’d clearly bottled up and ignored for however long.
“Look,” Zev said, stepping forward and placing a hand on Kir’s shoulder so she felt she was protected on both sides, “I appreciate what you’re saying, Astri, but I don’t think you’re making the point you want to make to her. Maybe we can take this conversation somewhere you don’t have us cornered at the end of a deadly weapon? K’s been through enough and you’ve spooked her something fierce. She’s not going to back down until she feels safe, and you’ve already threatened to kill the only person on this ship capable of doing that at the moment. So, either let us be on our way, or let us get ourselves ready and we’ll join you on the ground where we can talk without weapons. That sound reasonable?”
Astri sighed with a nod. She whistled a command to one of her friends. They came in unarmed and grabbed her cannon for her before scurrying back out. “For such an untrusting bunch I'm surprised you all ended up together. But yes, that's reasonable. And to answer the lady's question, my dumbass ancestor made the damn thing. You didn't think the Emperor was actually capable of making it himself, did you?” She left them with that little nugget before turning around and heading down the ramp. She assumed they'd follow. She actually hoped they would.
Lyris wasn't sure how much she could take today. From Zev changing her perception of him in like five minutes and the bomb being dropped that the Dvergar were responsible for the Empire's Enforcer Armors. Now it all made sense. From their technology to them disappearing. They didn't want to risk anymore of their technology or weapons getting in the Empire's hands.
Kir deflated immediately once Astri was out of sight, “I want to go back to bed.”
”Not really an option, KK,” Zev sighed. “Let’s get dressed and get down there before they get any more suspicious of us.”
“Wait-“ Kir paused as she was about to turn back to the room she shared with Lyris. Finally processing what Astri said, she looked back at Harrison, “She said the armour was of Dvergr origin. Maybe that means they know how to remove it… Harr, that would change everything if we knew how to disable and remove it. We could start with taking out the enforcers. Without his army of puppets, the emperor would be a sitting duck. Everyone, get dressed. We’re about to go get some answers.”
Fuelled by a new determination, Kir disappeared into her shared room and pulled out a fresh set of clothes before shoving the rest of her things in the trunk she’d cleared out at the end of her bunk. She hadn’t totally decided what to do about her things if she did start sleeping in Harrison’s room regularly. It made more sense to keep her stuff in there, but then again that wasn’t settled and she’d have to talk to him about it later. At the moment, she was much more interested in establishing why their ship had been pulled out of the sky. Surely they weren’t the only ship to have ever passed through carrying an X’hondrian. So, were there others on Niðavellir? Not only that, she wanted to know everything they knew about the enforcer armour. If they couldn’t remove it, at least knowing something about the weaknesses would be worthwhile.
Lyris disappeared into the shared room with Kir. A lot was happening at once, but she couldn't get her mind off of what happened that morning. “After we get all of this sorted out you and I are gonna discuss you and Harrison's sleepover.” She said as she walked over to some of Kir's newly bought outfits. “Do you mind if I borrow something? I didn't really bring anything with me.”
Kir tried to ignore the comment about being discovered in Harrison’s bed. She thought about shooting back with a retort about it being rude to spy, but she didn’t want to sound snippy about it. She turned a little further away from Lyris to hide whatever flush might have crept up, and offered, “Take whatever you think might fit. The crew’s stuff is still here, too, so you could try rifling through to see if you can find anything serviceable.”
Harrison entered the Captain's Quarters to change into his clothes. Everything was really starting to feel so real now. What were the odds this would be their first unintentional stop on their grand tour of the galaxy? A race of brilliant people connected both to Earth and the enforcer armor. Just what exactly was this little trinket attached to his wrist? He didn't know how he was going to tell Kir that he didn't want to remove it. He did initially when it first bonded to him, but now it just feels like a natural part of him. He understood her fears and honestly was a bit worried about the empire controlling him, himself. But maybe the Dvergr could prevent that. But there was more to it than that. The trauma that the armor and the enforcers inside them brought her and the people of the galaxy. Yeah, a rebel enforcer sounded good in theory, but what if it was actually a nightmare in practice?
Zev was the first to appear in the crew lounge to wait for the others. He hadn’t needed to change much to be ready to go. Once he checked that the ship was locked down still, he’d returned to the kitchen while he waited to eat what was left of the wilted greens he’d been munching the night before. Kir followed shortly after in a new getup that was so blatantly X’hondrian he almost laughed. It might not have been traditional, but the colours were certainly pretty close and so was the silhouette. She’d stick out like a sore thumb if she kept dressing like that. Then again, maybe that wasn’t such a bad thing. Such direct defiance of the emperor was bound to instill some hope and rebellious sentiments. A free X’hondrian was going to stir the pot, and if she dressed like one that would only strengthen the appearance of her resistance.
”You okay?” He asked her gently.
”Honestly? No, but I don’t have the luxury of a breakdown right now,” she admitted.
“Well, you’re gonna have to unbottle all of that eventually. You can’t keep it in forever. It rots from the inside,” Zev pointed out.
”I’ll cry when the rebellion is over,” Kir stated, ending the conversation there as she turned her back to him to start corralling her hair into a braid.
Zev shook his head slightly, muttering under his breath, “I don’t think it will wait that long.”
Lyris stepped out in an outfit similar to Kir's. On first glance people would probably mistake them for sisters. “So we're all freaking out, right?”
”Yeah,” Zev nodded in agreement. “Can’t say I’m thrilled to have been dragged down without any communication whatsoever.”
”I’m trying not to think about it too hard. I’m just focusing on the answers they might have for us. If the Dvergr invented the armour, surely they can help us stop the enforcers,” Kir said confidently.
Harrison came out of his room with an outfit that looked like he walked off the set of Star Wars. He was wearing an outfit similar to Han Solo's with a gray shirt instead of white. He had his knife in between his belt and his pants. “I am. This is my first time stepping on a planet other than Earth and its people have already been on my planet. Who knows what they think of me.”
“Careful opening that can of worms,” Zev mused, crossing his arms over his chest.
”While I can’t speak for the Dvergr, most of the galaxy thinks Earth is, well, akin to hell and humans may as well be demons,” Kir stated sheepishly. “I’m starting to believe that was the emperor’s doing, and although my time on Earth was no resort vacation, I don’t think it’s deserving of the horror stories we were all told. Given Astri’s reaction to Harrison, I think there might be a reason. There’s something deeper to it, but I couldn’t say what. It might behoove us to sneak onto X’hondria and scour whatever remains of the archives. They span at last as far back as The Cataclysm that separated the tribes, but it’s the sections that were off limits to all but the Sages that I think might have the information we need.”
“Let’s table that discussion for when we actually get off this planet. We already have enough to deal with being grounded on a planet none of us knew existed before today. I’d like to go on record as saying maybe the Dvergr went into hiding because they can’t do anything about the enforcers,” Zev pointed out.
”Do you always have to play devil’s advocate?” Kir sighed.
”No,” he confirmed unapologetically. “But shame would be a good reason to retreat from everything the empire has wrought on the galaxy, and I don’t want us putting too much stock in their help.”
”They don’t strike me as cowards,” Kir frowned. “Not after the way they greeted us. I don’t trust them by any stretch of the imagination, but I also don’t think we should underestimate the knowledge they might possess that could help us get a leg up on the empire. The odds aren’t stacked in our favour, so we’re going to need all the help we can get.”
“Well, we're not going to find anything out standing around and discussing it.” Harrison finally said. “Let’s get going, but keep your eyes peeled for anything suspicious. We're going in blind here. They haven't attacked us yet, but they're still in control here.” He walked over to Kir and reached his hand out for her to grab. No matter what awaited them on this planet he wasn't leaving her side. He meant that.
Kir didn’t hesitate as Harrison reached for her, gravitating back to his side and slipping her hand into his. It was a curious sensation. The average human body temperature was nearly ten degrees lower than hers, and the skin of his hand felt cool to the touch. Nodding quickly to Harrison, she glanced over at Lyris to make sure she was ready to go, too.
Lyris nodded and started down the ramp first. If an ambush awaited them on the other side she'd at least be able to let the others know and set up some kind of defense.
“The sooner we get down there, the sooner we get off this planet and I’ll feel a lot better once we’re outside the atmosphere,” Zev agreed, abandoning his snack to join Harrison on the way out.
Turning back to look at Harrison as they walked down toward the cargo ramp to exit the ship, she frowned for a moment before speaking in his mind, ”You’re right to be cautious. We aren’t in control here, and they clearly seem to subscribe to the ‘shoot first, ask questions later’ philosophy. We need to be careful about you speaking for me. They’re clearly not going to trust you as easily as I did, and they might see that as an exertion of control over me rather than understanding how our minds are linked now. In fact, it might be best if I create a link between the four of us - not as deep as you and I, but enough to give us a way to communicate without the Dvergr hearing, especially if this goes badly and we somehow end up separated.”
Harrison wasn't even aware Kir could create multiple mind links with multiple people. She impressed him more and more by the minute. “You're right, to both. Though, I think you should warn the others first.”
It had been a long time since Kir last flexed her powers, but she could already feel the subtle extrasensory feeling of her mental abilities getting stronger. As shielded as most ships were from the radiation in space, there was still enough that leaked through for her to absorb and begin her recovery. She was certain she could link up easily with Lyris, but Zev would be a challenge. Aenids had a unique mind because they were so interconnected with a network of every other Aenid mind. She didn’t know much about it, but she was aware they were one of very few species who could resist X’hondrian telepathy naturally without any specialised training.
”Zev,” she called out before hitting the bottom of the ramp. When he turned to look at her curiously, she tapped her temple and nodded toward him. Understanding what she meant, he nodded back in affirmation. With Lyris already gone speeding off to scout ahead, Kir didn’t have a chance to ask her properly, but she trusted the Serenian would let her in without considering it much of an intrusion.
Pressing her mind out, she reached out for Lyris first and entered her mind before linking it to hers and Harrison’s. Zev had already opened up his mind to her by the time she tried to connect with him, making the final link much easier.
”Everyone should be mentally linked now,” Kir announced to them all.
“I hear you loud and clear!” Lyris projected into the link chat as she stepped onto the ground. She ran forward to see the Dvergr lined up in two columns, one on each side of the ramp. Astri was all the way at the end of the presented pathway. No one seemed to be presenting any malice. It was almost as if they were honoring them.
”That was smart. I didn’t know you could do that, Zev commented as he stepped onto the ground finally.
”There’s a lot of things X’hondrians don’t broadcast about their powers, and for good reason,” Kir responded, stepping down with Harrison just behind Zev.
Harrison walked out to see the two groups lined up. He felt like he was being led into a palace or Hollywood premiere. All that was missing was the red carpet. This was completely different from the vibe they were getting from Astri earlier.
Even Zev hesitated at the change in their welcome. He cast a glance back at Kir and Harrison as they caught up with him, ”It’s not just me, right?”
Kir glanced over at Harrison and then Zev with a look of confusion, ”No, we can both see it, too. They’ve completely changed their tune. Not sure how I feel about that, but it looks like the only way is through so let’s not give them any more reason to get suspicious again. They seem just this side of trigger-happy.”
As they continued down toward Astri at the end of the walkway, Zev stayed close to Kir and Harrison. If nothing else, they’d be harder to separate if they stuck together. Between the three of them, they could probably hold their own well enough to get back to their own ship or steal another. At the very least, they’d be a thorn in the Dvergr’s side, but he was hoping it wouldn’t come to that.
Astri saw the last of them exit the ship. She took particular notice of Harrison and Kir still holding hands. Those two really were attached at the hip. She propped a stick of candy in her mouth that was a mix between a cigar and a tiny branch of wood. She nibbled on it before yelling out to the group with the candy strangely never leaving her mouth, “Took you long enough! Well, you coming or what!?”
Harrison.
She smiled softly to herself, remembering their talk the night before when she’d joined him. All at once she put the pieces back together: she wasn’t alone in this bed. Kir cracked her eyes open, angling her head just slightly and looking down the bed at their bodies making almost every possible point of contact. They must have gravitated toward each other in the night, but she couldn’t say she felt the least bit uncomfortable. If anything, she’d slept better than she had for the better part of a century. Sleep was finally more than just a respite from the horrors of her wakeful hours; it was relaxing and rejuvenating and safe.
Harrison had a peaceful night's sleep. It was actually the most peaceful sleep he's had, ever. The dream he had brought him so much joy and peace. He was in college, but it wasn't his college. He realized he wasn't himself and the college he was attending wasn't on Earth. He was on X'hondria. He was Kir. He was experiencing her time there. He was walking in her footsteps, experiencing her experiences. She was so happy. He realized that she was studying to be a Historian and wanted to preserve her people's heritage and artifacts. It was amazing. It really did feel like he was re-experiencing his own life, but it was hers. He hadn't imagined they had this much in common. It made sense why they were able to connect instantly, X'honnar aside.
He awoke with a smile, but also a sombering sadness. This was the life Kir lived before she was taken by the Empire. He turned his body to look at her, giving her the warmest smile he had. “Good morning. You look like you slept well.” He was going to give her and this galaxy their lives back.
Kir brought her gaze and her smile back up as he spoke. This would be a memory she kept close to her heart - the peace, the warmth, the sleep-rough sound of his voice. She liked him more than she had been initially willing to admit, but the question that lingered in her mind when she thought of it dragged her back to her time as little more than an imperial concubine, and further still to the man she had once promised to share her life with before they were separated during the invasion. What if he was still alive? She was hardly the same person she had been a century ago. It seemed almost impossible to think about rekindling that relationship even if she did manage to find and free him. And Harrison? It seemed impossible to think of separating from him. She’d never even performed a X’honnar with her intended life partner, but she had with a human she’d just met. To sever a connection like that, if it could even be done, would be nothing short of devastating, but she would feel obligated to if they decided to go their separate ways. Could she even bring herself to let him go with grace? She’d never even thought to ask him if there was someone he loved back on earth. She reached up to scrub her face, trying to clear the swirling thoughts with it. Wakefulness brought nothing but a flurry of doubts.
“Yeah,” she finally answered, nodding a bit against the pillow. “I…don’t think I’ve slept like that since before the invasion. I think I might have invaded your space in the night. Sorry… I guess you make a pretty good teddy bear. How about you? You seemed pretty sound asleep.”
Harrison just realized their comforter was on the floor. There was nothing separating them but their clothes and even that failed as a barrier as their minds touched through the night. He noticed the crinkle in her forehead that she tended to have when she was deep in thought before she tried to wash it away. The sight elicited a small chuckle from him only because he could tell whatever she was thinking of wasn't bad. He listened to her and blushed at her teddy bear compliment. He composed himself before answering. “Yeah, I did. You actually invaded my space in more ways than one last night. I was back at the University, but on X'hondria. I was you. You were so happy and it made me happy seein—experiencing you in that way and realizing how much we have in common. Studying society and history. But also… I want you to have that again. That joy, that peace, and doing what you love.”
Kir’s eyes widened a bit, her expression lighting up again, and she rattled off an explanation almost immediately, “X’hondrian culture has a long, rich history that goes beyond even the split that separated the Serennian and X’hondrian tribes. It takes decades to learn all of it, and the mastery of both modern and archaic dialects from X’hondria, Serenfolia, and our mother world. I wanted to become a Sage - I think the closest thing Earth has is a tenured professor - but they get to dedicate their lives to research and are considered foremost experts in their field of study. While I had finished my initial coursework, I still needed a few decades of study under a Sage before I could even begin to head up my own research and hopefully earn my own title as a Sage. It was like…a very, very long internship assisting with research led by a mentoring Sage. I spent a lot of time doing tedious archival work, honestly, but I didn’t mind. Fieldwork was always exciting, but the archives held quite a few interesting artefacts. You would love the archives. It’s just building after building chock full of boxed up history.”
She got him so well. He loved boxes of history. The way she lit up speaking about her world and field of study warmed his heart. He couldn't help but smile the whole time she was talking. “My father and I were professors as well, though I never made it to tenure. Spent too much time in the field than in the classroom. I always felt like I learned more and could teach them more if I was out there in the field learning new things.”
“Well, perhaps when all this rebelling is over you and I can go back to doing what we love,” Kir suggested. “X’hondria will have to be rebuilt, and I have no idea how much of our culture remains preserved in the archives or in the minds of the surviving X’hondrians. Perhaps, if you don’t have anything immediately demanding your attention back on Earth, I can convince you to stick around out here a bit longer and help me with the resettlement and restoration effort.”
It seemed silly to propose such a thing so soon. He knew next to nothing about her people or their world, but she wanted to give him a reason to stay. It was selfishly motivated; she knew she was appealing to the adventurer in him purely to get what she wanted, and maybe also trying to get a feel for what he might have left behind. If nothing else, it was an invitation meant to express her interest in staying together for as long as he wanted to. While he might be able to return to Earth, she doubted that was a possibility for her and so whatever time they did have together after the rebellion would have to be spent somewhere else. Besides, she couldn’t just disappear to Earth to be with him. She had a responsibility to use the knowledge and expertise she had to help the X’hondrians recover their identity as they forged a new path forward.
Harrison was gifted with a treasure beyond what Kir could imagine with what she asked him. She really trusted him to help her with the resettlement and restoration effort of X'hondria. More than that she wanted him to stay with her. He hoped he wasn't reading too much into that. “I would love that.” Harrison finally said. “I didn't have anything going for me back home besides the hero gig. I honestly wasn't expecting to go back.”
Harrison could imagine it now. He now had something to look forward to after the whole rebellion was over. Spending time with Kir on X'hondria and exploring the galaxy, discovering civilizations and finding treasure. His heart beat faster and louder than it's ever done. Even in one of his fights on Earth. “I don't know if I'm excited or having a heart attack, but thank you. I haven't looked forward to something this much in so long.”
She didn’t know whether she should feel elated or sorry for him that there was nothing back on Earth beckoning him home. If she could just return to X’hondria and resume her life, she would without a second thought. Then again, she recognised the limitations of her understanding of Earth. All she knew of it was from the books they allowed her, and the steady diet of media that included everything from movies to music. She’d never experienced it herself, never had the chance to really study it and know it as she did X’hondria. The selfish part of her was glad he had nothing to return to, though. If he had decided to go back to Earth, she didn’t think she’d be able to stay away from the planet for long; she’d simply miss him too much.
A soft laugh bubbled up as he claimed his heart was racing, though he wasn’t sure whether it was cause for concern or celebration. Reaching up, Kir pressed a hand over his heart, eyes widening in surprise at the fast-paced thumping under the skin. “It’s always amazed me that your bodies function with only one heart… How do you not just drop dead from overworking it? Even right now, just one heart beating this fast seems like it should be a death sentence, and yet there you lie, clearly happy.”
Kir turned her head slightly, a sly grin peeling across her face. She dropped her head back onto the pillow, whispering, “Close your eyes. I think we’re about to be infiltrated by a spy.” Following her own orders, she closed her eyes and relaxed her expression as if still asleep, her hand still resting over his chest as they waited.
Harrison closed his eyes and tried to regain control over the rhythm of his heart, but the fact that Lyris was peeking into their room made it kind of difficult. She thankfully didn't stay long and he released his held laughter, but kept his hand over his mouth. He dropped his hands once the last laugh took its bow. He smiled at Kir before continuing their conversation. “I guess the secret's out. I meant what I said last night. You can sleep here with me every night. As you can see from my actions since we met, we humans lead with our heart rather than our brains. That's why it's our strongest muscle.”
It was lucky Lyris only took a peek. Harrison nearly shook with his stifled laughter, and Kir was almost unable to contain her own. As soon as the curious head ducked back out and the sound of footsteps began to recede, Kir quickly clapped a hand over her own mouth to laugh with him. She curled in a little tighter as the joy spilled out of her openly until she managed to find her own composure again moments after Harrison did his.
“I thought humans led with their stomachs. What’s the saying? The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach?” She teased as she pushed herself to sit up.
“No,” he said, shaking his head. “You got it all wrong. Our stomachs are the ways to our heart. See, it always leads there.”
Noticing the comforter on the floor beside the bed, Kir leaned over Harrison slightly and, with some effort, lifted it with her mind to bring it back up over them. She frowned briefly, realising just how out of practice she was. It wouldn’t be like learning to control her powers from scratch again, but it took more effort to call upon them than it should have at her age.
”How much longer do you think we can drag this out before they come in and make us get up?” Kir asked, stretching back out beside Harrison. She just couldn’t find it in her to get up yet. She was happy right there where the problems of the day seemed so far away they were unreachable. It was like a perfect little bubble of heaven.
“Probably not long,” Harrison admitted. “We should probably start captaining.” As if the galaxy itself heard him, alarms started to blare throughout the ship. “What does that mean?” He asked nervously. He wanted adventure but he didn't want to blow up on the second day, at least not before he got to tell Kir how he felt.
Kir didn’t even get a chance to open her mouth and explain before the speaker chimed with the ship’s automated announcement: “Landing protocols initiated.” She cursed, throwing the comforter off again and springing out of the bed.
“It means we’re landing way earlier than we should be,” she explained. “So either someone on this ship double-crossed us, or something is wrong.”
She didn’t wait for Harrison as she bolted for the cockpit. It was something of a relief to see Zev frantically trying to control the situation. At the very least it meant he likely wasn’t the culprit of any plot against them. Kir stood in the doorway, trying to read the control screen from afar as he worked, “Zev…? Why are we landing?!”
Lyris joined soon after speeding back out of her room. She didn't have time to concern herself with the fact that Kir was finally awake. As if Kir needed an echo she asked, “We're in the middle of nowhere. Where are we landing?”
Zev continued mashing buttons frantically on the console as he tried to change the trajectory of the ship, “I would also like to know this.”
“Aren’t you the one flying the ship?” Kir asked sarcastically, but her voice was dripping with concern.
“Something is overriding the controls and forcing us to land, but to the best of my knowledge there’s not even a planet in this sector,” Zev shot back.
“Well, run a scan. There must be something out there.”
“I’m completely locked out, Kir,” he said in a serious monotone, finally turning to look at her. “We should prepare for the worst.”
Turning slightly, she announced, “Strap in! We’ve got trouble!”
Harrison finally stepped out of the Captain's Quarters and joined the others. “What's going on? The Empire found us already?”
“Dunno yet,” Zev explained. “But someone or something is pulling us in for an unwelcome landing.”
Kir added, “Let’s assume they’re hostile until proven otherwise. We should still be outside the empire, but it’s not like their borders have stopped them before.”
Harrison reached for Kir's hand without thinking. If the Empire found them already he wasn't going to let go of her. He was going to make sure they stayed free. They all prepared for the worst as they were pulled to an uncertain future.
The ship breached something that shimmered as they passed through. A planet materialized into view replacing the dark vastness of space that they were flying through. The planet was lush and full of life. At first glance Lyris confused it for Serenfolia, but it was different. For Harrison it reminded him of one of the National Parks of Earth or the planet itself in the past before it was disturbed by civilization.
The ship was pulled to a patch of land that operated as an open-field hangar and runway. They were forced to land and drop the cargo ramp. Their ship was surrounded and a large shadow appeared at the bottom of the ramp. A projected voice spoke to them in Genspeak from outside. “Your ship is surrounded. We detected an Enforcer and X'hondrian on board your vessel. Release the X'hondrian hostage and then step out with your hands out. If you don't come out we will come in. If you resist we are prepared to wipe out imperial scum. The only reason you weren't blasted out of the sky is because we want to free your X'hondrian. You have ten seconds.”
Harrison didn't need ten seconds. He honestly wasn't thinking. “I'm not leaving her!” He yelled out. “I'm not an enforcer! We're trying to bring down the Empire!” All he got was that they wanted Kir safe like he did and they were against the empire. Whoever these people are, they had common ground and had the resources and technology to hack their ship's systems from the planet. If they believed him they were one step closer to becoming a legitimate rebellion.
“Like we're supposed to believe that. We detect enforcer armor on the ship. Your ten seconds are over.” The voice said before walking up the ramp. She revealed herself to be a gray-skinned woman with red hair and blue patterned tattoos all over her body. She was five feet exactly, but carried herself like a giant. She had a belt around her waist that carried a thousand different things including a dagger, but right now she held in her hand a rather sizable energy cannon and it was aimed directly at Harrison. Then she got a good look at him and her eyes widened with a look of recognition. “Hold on. You're a human?”
Harrison was puzzled by this question. “What gave it away?”
Everything happened so fast it didn’t give Kir even a moment to react. One moment she was marvelling at the lush planet ahead of them, and the next the ship was being forced open and they were given an ultimatum. Even as she opened her mouth, Harrison beat her to it, refusing to leave her as they announced their only interest was freeing her. Had they not noticed Zev and Lyris aboard? Or did they simply not care because Aenids and Serennians weren’t enslaved? Either way, Kir didn’t like that - what if Harrison was an enforcer and had coerced them into assisting him? Would they just ignore their plight? Frowning, she watched the exchange play out between the two, but she wasn’t totally sure if she liked the new direction it could take now that they knew Harrison was human.
Kir squeezed Harrison’s hand gently to give him a small reassurance as she stepped forward and put herself between him and the woman who had boarded, “Stand down. Please. I assure you he’s not an enforcer. His armour is broken and has been since he had the misfortune of finding it. Although his misfortune has been to my benefit. I’m not a slave, and this man is the only reason I’m currently free after I was held against my will on Earth.” She held up her hands and turned her wrists, “I wear no slave bands. Every word he speaks is true; we really are on a mission to overthrow the empire.”
While Harrison and Kir were busy standing off with their would-be captors, Zev turned to lock down the cockpit with a command code he’d installed when he overhauled the computers after they stole the ship. He had a feeling the lockout sequence would come in handy, but he hadn’t expected it to be so soon. As soon as he was done, he turned around to find a woman had boarded their ship with an energy canon pointed straight at Harrison. Zev’s eye widened, and he quickly stepped forward to tug Lyris away from him. The armour would probably protect Harrison, but that didn’t mean the rest of them were safe if it beam reflected within the tight quarters of the ship. Zev was one of many Aenids, and even if he died, his mind and energy would simply return to the mycelium network. Even death for an Aenid wasn’t the end, but Lyris was Serennian. Kir would be devastated if something happened to her, and despite their disagreement on his motives he didn’t want anything to happen to her either. Just as he’d done with Kir when Harrison first stepped aboard, he made sure he was between Lyris and danger.
Lyris was rarely ever surprised by anything, but Zev grabbing her and pulling her away from Harrison genuinely shocked her. Even if they didn't have their conversation earlier she didn't think he'd care about her to grab her before she had the time to fully process everything that was going on and that was saying a lot.
The woman took her time looking everyone over. They didn't seem to be evil or lying. They seemed more confused and worried than anything. Hell, the enforcer and X'hondrian were even holding hands. Though if the rumots of the human male were true she couldn't blame her for falling Stockholm for her slaver. “Broken enforcer armor? Let me see.” She dragged the energy cannon on the floor as she made her way towards Harrison. She analyzed his bracelet and sure enough it was broken. “Hmm. So a human, a X'hondrian, an Aenid, and a Serenian want to overthrow the Empire? With what? This junk of a ship, some broken armor, and a radiation depleted X'hondrian? You'd be dead in a day. But we can discuss that later. For now, welcome to Niðavellir. I'm Astri.”
“I'm Harrison. Wait, Niðavellir? Like from Norse Mythology?” Harrison asked, though it was starting to come to him. It was never another realm. It was another planet.
“Oh, you know the Vikings?” Astri asked, though she already knew the answer.
“Well, of them. They don't exist anymore as a culture at least, but their descendants still do.” Harrison couldn't believe it. Kir wasn't the first alien to land on Earth. He started to wonder how many landed on Earth and started thinking of all the theories about aliens helping with the building of certain civilizations.
Kir had stepped back to give Astri space, but she stayed close beside Harrison. She knew of the Vikings from the history books she’d been provided while on Earth, but there had been no mention of alien intervention. In fact, as far as public knowledge of history was concerned, aliens had never interacted with Earth at all. She knew the likelihood of that being true was probably slim, but she didn’t know when or where it might have happened aside from her own unpleasant introduction to the planet and its people. She wasn’t even familiar with this planet or its people, so she never could have anticipated their influence on Earth’s history and, by extension, its present. Norse mythology was well known and even still respected through religious practices by modern pagans and depicted numerous times in media of all forms.
”You’ll forgive me if I’m hesitant to just accept that your planet is a champion for good, seeking to free X’hondrians. You dragged our ship down by force without so much as a warning, or any attempt at contact for that matter, and demanded they give me up or you’d storm in,” Kir frowned, wrapping one hand around Harrison’s arm to ground herself. “Not to mention Earth has long been touted as a nightmare planet inhabited by a monstrous species - something I have firsthand experience with - and I take it your people had some influence over them in the past, which doesn’t exactly fill me with confidence. My people made the mistake of trusting the empire. I made the mistake of trusting humans. I’m not keen to make another, not when other people now rely on me.”
Zev didn’t relax. If Kir wasn’t sold, then neither was he. He didn’t know exactly how old she was, but he knew she was a lot older than he was and at least as experienced and worldly. She was bound to have good instincts, and he trusted that. Looking down at Lyris, he asked in a low voice, “I don’t suppose you know anything about Niðavellir?”
Lyris looked up at Zev and gave him a slight nod before whispering back to him. “Legends on Serenfolia say they were a highly intelligent and space-faring species. They had a very deep understanding and connection with the stars. They were friends with our mother species but disappeared once the Empire became oppressive. No one's seen or heard from them since.”
Astri sighed before tapping her cannon. “They'd be dead and you'd be with us if we had evil intentions. Though we're not champions for good, we're isolationists now but we do have an ally for good. A pirate that goes around freeing X'hondrians. Considering you're free perhaps you've had a run-in with him. He's another human. Lastly, if I suspected he was truly an enforcer, why would we expose our hidden planet to communicate?”
Zev nodded along as Lyris explained, though his head was turned to watch Astri talk to Kir and Harrison. “Okay, so they were friends back then, but now they keep to themselves and just stay out of what’s going on out there? Can’t decide if I envy them or think they’re selfish.”
Kir’s eyes narrowed a bit at the mention of a pirate. While she hadn’t been directly freed, that chaos of a pirate attack had allowed her to steal a shuttle and escape the ship she was on. If it was true they were allied with pirates, there was a possibility they were one and the same. Still, there were plenty of crews out there and no one had actually sought her out to free her, but then again no one had chased after her either, so she couldn’t really say either way.
“If he was an enforcer, do you really think he’d be flying in this old junker?” Kir pressed. “Better yet, I’d like to know how you can do an isolated scan to pick out an enforcer. They didn’t have that before I escaped, and I doubt the emperor would allow just anyone to get their hands on that kind of technology.”
Zev could see Kir puffing up. She was spooked, and he couldn’t blame her, but Astri was right. She was the one holding an energy canon, so if they wanted any one of them dead, they would be. The stakes were high, and stress was probably starting to uncover the feelings she’d clearly bottled up and ignored for however long.
“Look,” Zev said, stepping forward and placing a hand on Kir’s shoulder so she felt she was protected on both sides, “I appreciate what you’re saying, Astri, but I don’t think you’re making the point you want to make to her. Maybe we can take this conversation somewhere you don’t have us cornered at the end of a deadly weapon? K’s been through enough and you’ve spooked her something fierce. She’s not going to back down until she feels safe, and you’ve already threatened to kill the only person on this ship capable of doing that at the moment. So, either let us be on our way, or let us get ourselves ready and we’ll join you on the ground where we can talk without weapons. That sound reasonable?”
Astri sighed with a nod. She whistled a command to one of her friends. They came in unarmed and grabbed her cannon for her before scurrying back out. “For such an untrusting bunch I'm surprised you all ended up together. But yes, that's reasonable. And to answer the lady's question, my dumbass ancestor made the damn thing. You didn't think the Emperor was actually capable of making it himself, did you?” She left them with that little nugget before turning around and heading down the ramp. She assumed they'd follow. She actually hoped they would.
Lyris wasn't sure how much she could take today. From Zev changing her perception of him in like five minutes and the bomb being dropped that the Dvergar were responsible for the Empire's Enforcer Armors. Now it all made sense. From their technology to them disappearing. They didn't want to risk anymore of their technology or weapons getting in the Empire's hands.
Kir deflated immediately once Astri was out of sight, “I want to go back to bed.”
”Not really an option, KK,” Zev sighed. “Let’s get dressed and get down there before they get any more suspicious of us.”
“Wait-“ Kir paused as she was about to turn back to the room she shared with Lyris. Finally processing what Astri said, she looked back at Harrison, “She said the armour was of Dvergr origin. Maybe that means they know how to remove it… Harr, that would change everything if we knew how to disable and remove it. We could start with taking out the enforcers. Without his army of puppets, the emperor would be a sitting duck. Everyone, get dressed. We’re about to go get some answers.”
Fuelled by a new determination, Kir disappeared into her shared room and pulled out a fresh set of clothes before shoving the rest of her things in the trunk she’d cleared out at the end of her bunk. She hadn’t totally decided what to do about her things if she did start sleeping in Harrison’s room regularly. It made more sense to keep her stuff in there, but then again that wasn’t settled and she’d have to talk to him about it later. At the moment, she was much more interested in establishing why their ship had been pulled out of the sky. Surely they weren’t the only ship to have ever passed through carrying an X’hondrian. So, were there others on Niðavellir? Not only that, she wanted to know everything they knew about the enforcer armour. If they couldn’t remove it, at least knowing something about the weaknesses would be worthwhile.
Lyris disappeared into the shared room with Kir. A lot was happening at once, but she couldn't get her mind off of what happened that morning. “After we get all of this sorted out you and I are gonna discuss you and Harrison's sleepover.” She said as she walked over to some of Kir's newly bought outfits. “Do you mind if I borrow something? I didn't really bring anything with me.”
Kir tried to ignore the comment about being discovered in Harrison’s bed. She thought about shooting back with a retort about it being rude to spy, but she didn’t want to sound snippy about it. She turned a little further away from Lyris to hide whatever flush might have crept up, and offered, “Take whatever you think might fit. The crew’s stuff is still here, too, so you could try rifling through to see if you can find anything serviceable.”
Harrison entered the Captain's Quarters to change into his clothes. Everything was really starting to feel so real now. What were the odds this would be their first unintentional stop on their grand tour of the galaxy? A race of brilliant people connected both to Earth and the enforcer armor. Just what exactly was this little trinket attached to his wrist? He didn't know how he was going to tell Kir that he didn't want to remove it. He did initially when it first bonded to him, but now it just feels like a natural part of him. He understood her fears and honestly was a bit worried about the empire controlling him, himself. But maybe the Dvergr could prevent that. But there was more to it than that. The trauma that the armor and the enforcers inside them brought her and the people of the galaxy. Yeah, a rebel enforcer sounded good in theory, but what if it was actually a nightmare in practice?
Zev was the first to appear in the crew lounge to wait for the others. He hadn’t needed to change much to be ready to go. Once he checked that the ship was locked down still, he’d returned to the kitchen while he waited to eat what was left of the wilted greens he’d been munching the night before. Kir followed shortly after in a new getup that was so blatantly X’hondrian he almost laughed. It might not have been traditional, but the colours were certainly pretty close and so was the silhouette. She’d stick out like a sore thumb if she kept dressing like that. Then again, maybe that wasn’t such a bad thing. Such direct defiance of the emperor was bound to instill some hope and rebellious sentiments. A free X’hondrian was going to stir the pot, and if she dressed like one that would only strengthen the appearance of her resistance.
”You okay?” He asked her gently.
”Honestly? No, but I don’t have the luxury of a breakdown right now,” she admitted.
“Well, you’re gonna have to unbottle all of that eventually. You can’t keep it in forever. It rots from the inside,” Zev pointed out.
”I’ll cry when the rebellion is over,” Kir stated, ending the conversation there as she turned her back to him to start corralling her hair into a braid.
Zev shook his head slightly, muttering under his breath, “I don’t think it will wait that long.”
Lyris stepped out in an outfit similar to Kir's. On first glance people would probably mistake them for sisters. “So we're all freaking out, right?”
”Yeah,” Zev nodded in agreement. “Can’t say I’m thrilled to have been dragged down without any communication whatsoever.”
”I’m trying not to think about it too hard. I’m just focusing on the answers they might have for us. If the Dvergr invented the armour, surely they can help us stop the enforcers,” Kir said confidently.
Harrison came out of his room with an outfit that looked like he walked off the set of Star Wars. He was wearing an outfit similar to Han Solo's with a gray shirt instead of white. He had his knife in between his belt and his pants. “I am. This is my first time stepping on a planet other than Earth and its people have already been on my planet. Who knows what they think of me.”
“Careful opening that can of worms,” Zev mused, crossing his arms over his chest.
”While I can’t speak for the Dvergr, most of the galaxy thinks Earth is, well, akin to hell and humans may as well be demons,” Kir stated sheepishly. “I’m starting to believe that was the emperor’s doing, and although my time on Earth was no resort vacation, I don’t think it’s deserving of the horror stories we were all told. Given Astri’s reaction to Harrison, I think there might be a reason. There’s something deeper to it, but I couldn’t say what. It might behoove us to sneak onto X’hondria and scour whatever remains of the archives. They span at last as far back as The Cataclysm that separated the tribes, but it’s the sections that were off limits to all but the Sages that I think might have the information we need.”
“Let’s table that discussion for when we actually get off this planet. We already have enough to deal with being grounded on a planet none of us knew existed before today. I’d like to go on record as saying maybe the Dvergr went into hiding because they can’t do anything about the enforcers,” Zev pointed out.
”Do you always have to play devil’s advocate?” Kir sighed.
”No,” he confirmed unapologetically. “But shame would be a good reason to retreat from everything the empire has wrought on the galaxy, and I don’t want us putting too much stock in their help.”
”They don’t strike me as cowards,” Kir frowned. “Not after the way they greeted us. I don’t trust them by any stretch of the imagination, but I also don’t think we should underestimate the knowledge they might possess that could help us get a leg up on the empire. The odds aren’t stacked in our favour, so we’re going to need all the help we can get.”
“Well, we're not going to find anything out standing around and discussing it.” Harrison finally said. “Let’s get going, but keep your eyes peeled for anything suspicious. We're going in blind here. They haven't attacked us yet, but they're still in control here.” He walked over to Kir and reached his hand out for her to grab. No matter what awaited them on this planet he wasn't leaving her side. He meant that.
Kir didn’t hesitate as Harrison reached for her, gravitating back to his side and slipping her hand into his. It was a curious sensation. The average human body temperature was nearly ten degrees lower than hers, and the skin of his hand felt cool to the touch. Nodding quickly to Harrison, she glanced over at Lyris to make sure she was ready to go, too.
Lyris nodded and started down the ramp first. If an ambush awaited them on the other side she'd at least be able to let the others know and set up some kind of defense.
“The sooner we get down there, the sooner we get off this planet and I’ll feel a lot better once we’re outside the atmosphere,” Zev agreed, abandoning his snack to join Harrison on the way out.
Turning back to look at Harrison as they walked down toward the cargo ramp to exit the ship, she frowned for a moment before speaking in his mind, ”You’re right to be cautious. We aren’t in control here, and they clearly seem to subscribe to the ‘shoot first, ask questions later’ philosophy. We need to be careful about you speaking for me. They’re clearly not going to trust you as easily as I did, and they might see that as an exertion of control over me rather than understanding how our minds are linked now. In fact, it might be best if I create a link between the four of us - not as deep as you and I, but enough to give us a way to communicate without the Dvergr hearing, especially if this goes badly and we somehow end up separated.”
Harrison wasn't even aware Kir could create multiple mind links with multiple people. She impressed him more and more by the minute. “You're right, to both. Though, I think you should warn the others first.”
It had been a long time since Kir last flexed her powers, but she could already feel the subtle extrasensory feeling of her mental abilities getting stronger. As shielded as most ships were from the radiation in space, there was still enough that leaked through for her to absorb and begin her recovery. She was certain she could link up easily with Lyris, but Zev would be a challenge. Aenids had a unique mind because they were so interconnected with a network of every other Aenid mind. She didn’t know much about it, but she was aware they were one of very few species who could resist X’hondrian telepathy naturally without any specialised training.
”Zev,” she called out before hitting the bottom of the ramp. When he turned to look at her curiously, she tapped her temple and nodded toward him. Understanding what she meant, he nodded back in affirmation. With Lyris already gone speeding off to scout ahead, Kir didn’t have a chance to ask her properly, but she trusted the Serenian would let her in without considering it much of an intrusion.
Pressing her mind out, she reached out for Lyris first and entered her mind before linking it to hers and Harrison’s. Zev had already opened up his mind to her by the time she tried to connect with him, making the final link much easier.
”Everyone should be mentally linked now,” Kir announced to them all.
“I hear you loud and clear!” Lyris projected into the link chat as she stepped onto the ground. She ran forward to see the Dvergr lined up in two columns, one on each side of the ramp. Astri was all the way at the end of the presented pathway. No one seemed to be presenting any malice. It was almost as if they were honoring them.
”That was smart. I didn’t know you could do that, Zev commented as he stepped onto the ground finally.
”There’s a lot of things X’hondrians don’t broadcast about their powers, and for good reason,” Kir responded, stepping down with Harrison just behind Zev.
Harrison walked out to see the two groups lined up. He felt like he was being led into a palace or Hollywood premiere. All that was missing was the red carpet. This was completely different from the vibe they were getting from Astri earlier.
Even Zev hesitated at the change in their welcome. He cast a glance back at Kir and Harrison as they caught up with him, ”It’s not just me, right?”
Kir glanced over at Harrison and then Zev with a look of confusion, ”No, we can both see it, too. They’ve completely changed their tune. Not sure how I feel about that, but it looks like the only way is through so let’s not give them any more reason to get suspicious again. They seem just this side of trigger-happy.”
As they continued down toward Astri at the end of the walkway, Zev stayed close to Kir and Harrison. If nothing else, they’d be harder to separate if they stuck together. Between the three of them, they could probably hold their own well enough to get back to their own ship or steal another. At the very least, they’d be a thorn in the Dvergr’s side, but he was hoping it wouldn’t come to that.
Astri saw the last of them exit the ship. She took particular notice of Harrison and Kir still holding hands. Those two really were attached at the hip. She propped a stick of candy in her mouth that was a mix between a cigar and a tiny branch of wood. She nibbled on it before yelling out to the group with the candy strangely never leaving her mouth, “Took you long enough! Well, you coming or what!?”