Page 68 of Einar

“Nowthat we have that out of the way, do any of you have any follow-up questions?”

Whenno one says anything,IleadRowanover to a seat next to her sister before looking atSlavicexpectantly.Heis the reason we are all gathered here, after all.

“Wehave arrived at the coordinatesKallenprovided for this so-called refuge planet called,Deapra.Iwant to get opinions from all of you before formulating some sort of plan of action; this is not a mission that only requires the captain’s input.Thisour mam, and ifKallenis to be believed, a little sister.”

AsSlavictalks,Imove over to the replicator and enter the fast-breaking meal my mate prefers before joining her at the table, both of us tucking into our meal asRuarcchimes in.

“Thefemales stay on the ship.Period.Wedo not know what sort of mess the bugs left or if anyone else has stumbled upon this settlement.”

Kallenmakes a noise of objection, butRuarccuts her off.

“Kallenyou were abducted by theVelgriddix; think with your mind, not your hearts.Itis dangerous for all of us to go planetside, and if you were with us, our attentions would be divided.”

“Unfortunately,Ruarcis correct,Kallen.Wecannot afford any distractions since we do not know what we will be walking into.Iwant you to get withBikarand give him the exact coordinates for your settlement.Thatinformation is crucial.”

Slavic’sinput is reluctant, but firm.

“Iwill be happy to do so,Ijust need a map of the planet soIcan point out everything you need to know.”

Assoon asKallenfinishes,Bikarinterjects.

“Insteadof landing for a recon trip, what if we perform some in-depth scans first?Ihave a few tricks up my sleeve thatIcan use.”

LeaningaroundRowan,Ilook to see ifSlavicagrees withBikaror not.Myoldest brother is more of a ‘hands on’Rukthan one to rely on tech, but with a mate to protect that very well may change and his grudging words confirm my theory.

“Thatis an excellent idea,Bikar.Wewill wait on theZenithwhile you scan the planet first.Howmany risings do you need to perform what you have in mind?”

“Toget accurate readings without rushing the process,Ineed at least seven to ten rotations.Sevenif everything goes correctly the first time, ten ifIhave to recalibrate anything to redo any scans.Frommy initial data,Deaprais not a small plant, and it is much denser than a lot of other worlds.Itsuggests that there may be something beneath the surface as well.”

“Doesanyone else have any ideas or anything to offer?”

WhenFalonandMurgulremain silent,Slavicgets up withRubyin his arms.

“Bikar, get started on your scans.Weneed that information as fast as you can get it.Weall have questions that need answering, whether we like what we find or not.”Andwith that, he strides out of the room.

“Thatguy is super intense.”

Chuckling,Ireply to the one calledHeather. “Yeshe is, but it comes with the territory of being the oldest out of this bunch.”

Hereyes roam over all of us appreciatively, enough so that it makes me a tad uncomfortable, soIscoopRowanup and plop her in my lap, disregarding her yelp of alarm.

“Einar, what onEarth!”

Ignoringthe other female,IcuddleRowancloser.

“Youwere too far away, my mate.Rubywas inSlavic’slap, soIfelt as though you should be in mine.”

Myinnocent smile only makes her narrow her eyes at me in exasperation.

Afterbreakfast,EinarandIwent back to the med bay.Hetold me there were some more things he wanted to look at regarding his dragon genetics versus hisOrcones and suggested thatItake his personal tablet to start learning about my new world.Apparently, the fancy translator they installed works on the written word as well as verbal conversations.

Thatwas several hours ago, andIcan honestly sayI’moverwhelmed after reading the alien version of current news reports.Thereare so many species, and so many worlds thatI’veno idea howI’llever keep them all straight.Settingdown the tablet, a low chime at the door interrupts the quiet.Hoppingdown from whereI’vebeen curled in the corner of the couch,Iopen the door only to seeRuby’ssmiling face.Steppingback out of the doorway,Iwave her in, and she follows me back to the couch as we settle into the cushions.

“HeySis, whatcha doing?

“Oh, a bit of light reading onEinar’stablet.”

Ather perplexed look,Iexplain.

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