Page 61 of Galactic Sentinels: Vol 2
“SAM! SAM!” I bellow, fury and panic twisting my voice.
I wait forever before she reappears, that annoying smile still plastered on her face. Her cheerfulness in the face of my utter catastrophe makes me want to bite her.
“Back again,” she says. “I went to grab my pouch of disinfecting balms. Judging by that leg, it’s just in time. Maybe we should try Gekkar Creek after all? They’ve got a small medical post. I’m no doctor—I just make ointments for the ones who are…”
“I’ll manage!” I snap. “Just clean it properly. It smells like death.”
She gets to work without a word of complaint, unfazed by the stench or the sight. The paste she applies smells oddly pleasant. Let’s hope she knows what she’s doing.
By nightfall, I stew bitterly in my thoughts.
I’m isolated, weakened, stuck with a mute species and a bubbly young woman who’s taken pity on me—without knowing I’m the one who killed her brother.
The Stars have truly turned their backs on me.
15-Samantha
When the Confederation stormed Vagantu, they freed the prisoners—myself included. They treated my injuries, which were minor, and returned my brother’s ship to me. But before heading back to Gekkaria, I spent countless hours searching for Logan on that watery planet. No luck. I had to assume he’d been taken somewhere else.
I was just about to head back to Gekkaria, figuring it was the most logical place for him to come find me, when I spotted something bobbing in the middle of the endless ocean. Sadly, it wasn’t Logan… but someone in seriously bad shape, half-slumped over a jagged rock. There was no way I was leaving him behind.
Using some harness straps, I managed to haul him aboard. He was covered in gruesome injuries and this revolting slime of sea slugs that took ages to scrape off. Ideally, I would’ve taken him to the Confederation’s medics, but they’d already cleared out after their dramatic crackdown on that vile slave market.
So I made a call: back to Gekkaria it was. Logan would look for me there, for sure. And besides, I’d be reunited with my little Gooz, who I’d had to leave behind. It all felt right.
Now I’m back at my sanctuary. And I’m worried about Nov—the poor soul I dragged from the deadly waters of Vagantu. I don’t know what horrors he went through there, but it must’ve been awful, judging by how he shuts down every time I mention it.
Used to the Gekkaris, I didn’t bat an eye at his unusual appearance. Logan had told me all about the wide range of lifeforms out in the galaxy. So this giant lizard-man wasn’t exactly terrifying to me. What was terrifying was trying to haul his massive frame aboard Logan’s ship. He’s easily a head taller than Logan and his friends, and that’s saying something.
And now he’s mine. Well, under my care at least.
I brought him to Gekkaria, and even further—to Logan’s own hut, tucked into the upper branches of a Gekkari tree, where my friends and I could keep an eye on him.
Still, I’m genuinely concerned. It’s been two days, and his leg is still a disaster. He hides the pain, but I can see the sweatdripping down his temples and his fists clenched tight whenever I clean the wound and reapply my ointments.
I try to stay upbeat—the stench of rotting flesh is finally giving way to the herbal smell of my poultices, which I take as a sign of progress. But I’m scared he won’t regain full use of his leg. The muscles were badly torn, and who knows what else—nerves? tendons? I’m no doctor.
For now, we just have to be patient.Extrapatient. Especially since my guest is… let’s say, not the most cheerful guy around. Actually, he’s a total grouch. Our relationship has fast-tracked to the “he-yells-at-me-daily” phase. Although, come to think of it, hedidyell at me right from the start.
Like, on his first day here:
“You seriously expect me to use this?” he asked, horrified, eyeing the hollow bamboo tube I offered with a proud smile.
“Between that and climbing down the rope ladder to the toilet hut at the far end of the path… yeah, I think the choice is pretty obvious, don’t you? I call it rustic innovation. You’ll thank me later!”
He groaned—a deep, guttural noise that sounded like it came from the depths of a Nalgou swamp. I just kept smiling. That’s my shield in all situations.
“You know, Nov, there’s something wildly masculine about surviving in minimal conditions,” I told him brightly. “It’s almost like a master class in patience.”
“Patience? You’re the one draining mine. And the day I run out, you’ll regret it,” he growled between clenched teeth.
“Oh don’t worry, Nov—you’re doing great!” I replied, all sunshine and sparkles, setting the bamboo urinal down beside him like it was fine china.
Ah, the Gekkari village… paradise. Colorful trees, birdsong, sweet citrusy air… and Nov, grumbling like a wounded wolf 24/7.
Honestly, caring for Nov in this no-frills environment is an adventure in itself. His hut—Logan’s, really—is painfully basic. A mattress made of leaves. That’s it. I know he’s used to more. Logan always spoke of the Confederation’s sleek cities. I don’t know if Nov ever lived in one. He’s cagey about his past. But judging by the way he flat-out refused to go to Gekkar Creek for better treatment, this was the only option left.
He’s stuck. With me. And I sleep in my own hut, so he has toyellwhen he needs anything.
