Page 1 of Solar Bound
Chapter
One
Not on the Planet of Zorveya
Solarestabinian wanted to go home. He needed sunlight, not the artificial light of the ship. Being trapped in the metal box lowered his energy levels, which in turn made him edgy.
He hadn't been this angry since the Tyoe invasion of the southern mines. At least then the enemy had been worthy of his rage, not this incompetent crew of intergalactic matchmakers who couldn't navigate their way out of a nebula.
Literally. The Galaxy Alien Mail Order Brides' crew had gotten lost in space more than once. If you could call Bob, Gary, and their trainee, Harris, a crew.
"I am a warrior of the Solarus Elite Guard," he growled, pacing the length of the spacecraft's cramped cabin. Golden sparks of light trailed his movements, causing the ship's electrical systems to flicker in response. "I am not a mate-seeker. This mission is beneath me."
Eclipsyionic, or Eclipse as their handlers insisted on calling him, sat calmly in the pilot's chair, watching as Harris fumbled with the controls of the landing pod. Bob and Gary had stayed behind on the main ship and gave them directives through the comms.
"The Peacemaker Council believes this diplomatic initiative is our best chance for preventing war," Eclipse said. He lived in the twilight area of their tidal locked planet, the space between the permanent daylight where Solar and his people resided, and the eternal night of the others.
"The council can take their initiative and shove it into a black hole," Solar grumbled, his skin pulsing brighter with his mounting frustration. A panel to his right began to smoke. "If they wanted peace, they should have sent actual diplomats, not a soldier and a shadow-crawler."
From the darkest corner of the ship, Luniaren, now called Lunar, spoke without emerging from the gloom. "For once, I agree with the light-bearer. This mission is a waste of resources."
"See?" Solar gestured toward the shadows. "Even the night-creeper agrees with me. This is a pointless exercise."
"Your cooperation is not optional," Eclipse reminded them both. "The contract has been signed. The council was quite clear about the consequences of failure. Now dim your light before you fry the system."
Solar's light dimmed slightly at the reminder. His council delegate had made their intent clear. Succeed in this absurd mission, or don't bother returning to Zorveya. He had family in the light zone, younger siblings who depended on his status as an Elite Guard. Exile was not an option.
"I refuse to mate with a primitive Earth female," he declared, though with less conviction than before.
"You don't have to mate," Eclipse clarified, not for the first time. "You simply need to demonstrate that you can peacefully coexist with humans and form a meaningful connection."
"Connection," Solar scoffed. "What sort of connection could I possibly form with a species that can't even harness their own star's energy properly?"
The ship lurched suddenly, throwing Solar against a wall. His instinctive flare of defensive light caused three more control panels to short-circuit.
"Control your emissions!" Lunar hissed from his corner.
"Control your shadows!" Solar shot back, aware it wasn't his wittiest retort but too disoriented to care.
Eclipse sighed the sigh of someone who had been mediating the same argument for far too long. "We're entering Earth's atmosphere. Please secure yourselves."
"Chairs do not burn!" Harris announced cheerfully, as he pressed buttons seemingly at random. His malfunctioning translator had been a constant problem on the trip.
The ship began to shake violently. Solar grabbed a restraint strap as warning lights flashed across the cabin. Harris began hitting the ship's control panel, causing renewed tension in the cockpit. Through the viewscreen, he could see the surface of Earth rushing toward them at an alarming speed.
"Is this supposed to happen?" he asked, his golden skin pulsing with alarm. They pretended like they didn’t hear him.
"Not to worry," Bob's chopped voice yelled over the comms. "This," the screen went black, "normal… worried," static, "first-time landings."
"Did he say crash landings?" Solar demanded, trying to keep his anger in check. He was so close to setting this ship on fire.
"First-time landings," Eclipse corrected.
Solar didn't believe him for a second.
"If we survive this," Solar vowed under his breath, "I'm going to melt Gary and Bob into puddles."
"Not if I freeze them first," Lunar muttered.
