***

“Still no signs of the krottel, Commander Firoza. It looks like they’ve cleared out of this sector. We’ve contacted the other chanzii ships in the area, and none of them have picked up any of their ships.”

During the trip to the station, they periodically scanned the skies for the krottel. They knew there was a chance they’d run into the bugs while at the space station, but so far everything was clear.

“Thank you, Horax. Ask Juniper to set up a monitoring schedule. I’d like to be informed if any of them pop up while we’re here. She should coordinate with all of our ships.”

“Will do, ma’am.”

The rest of the tip was uneventful, and soon they docked in the port the station lieutenant assigned them. Thorn checked the station's time: G-twenty. By the time everyone found their assigned rooms, it would be time for dinner and rest. Adjusting to the thirty-hour rotation would be jarring for the shortness of their stay. Beyond dropping Tiffany and her parents off, there wasn’t a ton more they had to do. Just a meeting with the other leaders of her planet.

Maybe visit Abritos. Her heart hurt at the thought of going home. It had been so long. She missed the rolling countryside, the recognizable trees and flowers, and the clean smell of the land. Moreover, she feared what the bugs may have done to change the landscape she and her people loved.

“I’m going to go find Scout and get him herded with the ven to our room. The ship should be fine in the hands of a skeleton crew.”

There was a round of agreements as she headed to the lift.

She found Scout in his room, packing. “Good, you’re here. We’re going to disembark now.” The chaos of the ven seemed somehow … less. “Where are …” she squinted. “Westley, the miscreant, and Buttercup, the one-and-only well-behaved?”

Her son’s face blossomed into a large smile. “They’re old enough to not need Beaver and Betsy wanted them. I thought while we’re here, we're all living close enough it would be a great test run.”

One of Thorn’s eyebrows rose. “She … wanted them. Like both of them? A matched set?”

Scout began to bounce. “Yes! She’s been eyeing them since Beaver had them. She loves the ven. Just because you think they’re obnoxious doesn’t mean others don't see the wonderfulness of them.”

Thorn shook her head. “Whatever. How soon until you’re ready to go?”

“Um, maybe ten minutes?”

“Perfect, me too. I’m going to check on Viera and then we can be off.”

She tapped in the code to alert Viera. The door swung open and there Viera stood, eyes bright, with a huge smile. “I was thrown from the bed … again. The docking always seems to throw me, literally. But are we heading on to the station now?”

Her words tumbled out of her, as fast as her apparent fall from her bed. “I need to finish packing. You’re good?”

Viera nodded. “I am. I didn’t unpack. I figured we wouldn’t be long on the ship. I’m ready to explore other alien races with more of an open mind this time.”

“Good. I’ll be back in a few minutes. Take one more look to make sure you have everything, and we’ll be off.”

The halls were crowded once they exited the Ziner. Most of the crew didn’t want to pack and relocate to Torville Station Number Six for only a few days. Tiffany and her parents were the first to exit, barely saying good-bye in their haste to leave the ship behind.

As they had last time, Viera shared a family suite with Scout and Thorn. The apartments had enough rooms for all of them, though Thorn dragged the Earthling into her room. She wasn’t going to waste any more time apart. She wasn’t sure how long she had before her people started moving home. Demanding the return, really. Not that I can blame them.

Once their bags were dropped off, they headed to the main promenade for dinner.

Flower Prancer was there. He approached, sliding amongst all the creatures crowding the open-air market and food stands. Then a new creature sauntered up to them, a dwarf. Thorn blinked; she hadn’t expected to see a dwarf. They were rarely seen off their planet. This one was the only one who seemed to come out from hiding, and Thorn knew him. “Viera, I’d like you to meet Balzeno. Balzeno, Viera.”

The wide man-looking creature with an auburn beard reaching his knees and thick hair pinned back in leather string and braids, bowed low before turning his bright green eyes to her. His deep bass voice reverberated, and Thorn felt like she could feel it to her toes. “Ah! The new Pillar to Earth, the talk of the galaxy. I had hoped you’d return to be met by one as lowly as me.”

Viera’s eyes widened as he spoke. She inclined her head in a small bow. “Sir dwarf, the honor is all mine. It brings me nothing but pleasure to meet you.”

The words tickled Thorn. It was good to give respect to the Elders, especially the dwarves.

Flower Prancer arrived. “Balzeno, you escaped the confines of your planet. I did not know that was possible.”

Balzeno’s face hardened. “Just because my people enjoy my company, unlike some Elders I could mention, does not make my spending time on-planet odd. You should try not being so abrasive, youngling.”

Flower Prancer snuffled, then turned to Thorn. “I’ll find us a table. We should discuss tomorrow’s meeting.” With a swish of his tail, he left.

Once the yonat departed, Balzeno’s face broke into a smile. “I have a duty right now, Pillar Viera of Earth, but I’d love to have time to learn more about you. But until that time, I have some advice. The magic within you is yours. There is a pattern in our proficiencies, but it behaves within the limits of our being. In the end, it’s yours, not your trainer’s.” He winked as he walked off.

Eyes wide, Viera turned to Thorn. “What did he mean?”

Thorn shrugged. “I’m not sure. I guess it’s something about your lessons.”

Chapter 12 - Wait, What Did I Miss?

Viera

Viera stretched, trying not to dislodge the weight resting on her hip. Opening her eyes, she gazed down the length of her body. Tawny like his mother, Fezzik curled on her, asleep, his long black antenna vibrating with his snores.

“Morning, sleepyhead. Where are your brothers and sisters? And how did you get in here? I thought Thorn didn’t allow you into the room.”

Thorn’s voice came from the bathroom. “I let him in once I was dressed. I need to get to my meeting. I’ll see you later.” She came through the ensuite door and smirked. “And you’re calling the pet lazy? You’re still lollygagging about, Ms. Kor.” She came over to give Viera a gentle kiss. “I would love to have the time to just be with you. We’re both way too busy.”

“Hmm.” Viera shifted position and looked up at Thorn. Fezzik rolled to Thorn’s side of the bed and went back to sleep. “I agree. Let’s run away and spend a week together ignoring our responsibilities.”

Thorn laughed. “Sounds perfect.”

Once she left, Viera got up and headed to the shower. She had to wash and then soak in magic. I don’t know what’s in store for me, but if Flower Prancer doesn’t have a lesson planned, I still need to master bouncing a ball and having it move back in time. Gah! Why isn’t any of this easy? Magic is so cool, but the damn unicorn acts like it should all be intuitive, which it’s not.

Dressed, Viera made her way to the main room to find food. She knew that soon, the thirty-hour clock of the space station would start to mess with her, but for now, her watch told her it was seven in the morning, she’d just woken up, and she needed coffee.

Outside the room she shared with Thorn there was a kitchen/dining room combination and a living room. A door led to Scout’s room, and down a hall was a third. Last time she came to the station she’d stayed in that room.

Sitting at the small round table in the kitchen, Scout drank from a dark mug. “Aren’t you a bit young to be drinking coffee?” She knew chronologically the boy was close to her age, but by his species standards, he was the equivalent to an eight-year-old.

His face broke into a huge smile as three baby ven flew at Viera, landing on her shoulders and head. This made Scout laugh, almost tumbling from his chair. Once he caught his breath, his eyes continued to shine. “It’s juice. Do you want coffee here, or should we head to the promenade for breakfast? I’m guessing we can find Tiffany.” His brow scrunched. “Oh, and Betsy and maybe Horax, if he’s not already training.”

Viera debated if she was ready to face a gaggle of aliens before she’d had liquid reinforcement. After a moment of consideration, and a few stabs of ven talons in her skin, she sighed. “Yeah, let’s go. If Tiffany is leaving today, I’d like to say goodbye. I’m going to miss her.”

“Me, too.” Scout’s demeanor changed as his shoulders drooped, and his face fell. “I don’t know why her parents won’t let her continue to live on Earth, just for a bit longer. It’s all she’s known. She’s going to be scared without friends on her home planet.”

Walking over to stand next to Scout, Viera squatted down. “She needs to meet friends of her own species.” She ruffled his hair. “I know you’re going to miss her—we all are—but this really is the best thing for her.”

His face scrunched up. “Okay, fine, but let’s find her now and ask if she wants to have breakfast with us. She said she’d watch Horax’s training with me today.”

“Okay, let’s go. But first,” Viera reached up to scratch her riders, “have these three eaten?”