Page 7 of Galactic Sentinels: Vol 2
We follow the buzzing creature into a clearing lit with the most brilliant cyan blue. The ground is carpeted with dazzling flowers, each one topped with a round puffball larger than my hand. The puffs are made of turquoise seeds with silky, feathery threads. They shimmer in the sunlight like tiny lanterns.
I’ve seen something like this before—smaller and white. In my memory, the wind would catch the seeds, sending them flying like tiny parachutes. It was so magical...
On a whim, I blow gently on one of the blue puffballs.
Instantly, hundreds of little seed-parachutes lift into the air, swirling around us. Goulou and Flea laugh and join in, sending clouds of blue drifting everywhere.
Soon, we’re completely surrounded by them. They burst against our skin with tiny pops, leaving turquoise stains all over our arms and faces. A sweet, tangy smell fills the air. We’re laughing so hard we can’t stop. Every last puffball gets destroyed in our game.
Suddenly, Mom appears at the edge of the clearing, with Lina and Mila right behind her. She stops, takes in the scene, and her lips twitch—part amusement, part “you’re in so much trouble.”
But Mila and Lina’s skin flares dark red—a clear sign we’ve seriously messed up.
“Oh no, da cuh-lah won’ come off. Goulou an’ Flea won’ be abuh do spee fo sevah days!” Mila scolds, waving her hands and arms in every direction.
I don’t catch all of it, but Mom translates immediately.
“Mila says the blue color won’t come off. Goulou and Flea won’t be able to speak for several days. For you, it won’t be a big deal. But for your friends, it’s different. That color is going tomess with their ability to communicate. Their skin won’t be able to ‘speak’ properly until it fades. Hopefully, this will teach them a lesson.”
“It’s my fault! I started it,” I say.
“No need to cover for them—they’re not going to be punished. You know the Gekkaris don’t do that. Let’s just try to clean up a little. Looks like you three have earned yourselves a second bath!”
A few minutes later, we’re all back in the river, scrubbing our skin with everything we’ve got. But no matter how hard we try, Mila was right: the turquoise dye won’t come off.
I glance nervously at Goulou and Flea. Will they be mad at me for messing things up?
Then Goulou’s round face lights up with a big, toothless smile, and he lets out a deep, rumbling laugh. Flea and I exchange a look—then burst out laughing too. Just like that, the worry vanishes, and we’re back to being the goofy little trio we’ve always been.
These Gekkaris—they’re not even human, but I feel closer to them than to most kids I’ve met back in the colony. Especially the human teenagers who show up at my dad’s shop. Ugh. I really can’t stand them.
Well… unless you count Ayden, my brother’s partner. But he’s different.
Ayden isn’t some colony brat—he’s a Galactic Sentinel-in-training, just like Logan. They’re almost done with their training now, and soon, they’ll be flying all over the galaxy, hunting down smugglers and infiltrating shady outposts.
Logan calls it “being a space sheriff.” It’s something from the old movies from Earth. He loves that kind of stuff.
Since he joined the Confederation, Logan’s visited us exactly five times. Each time, he and Ayden only stayed for a couple of days in their two-seater patrol ship before heading off again.
Every visit, my fascination with Ayden has grown. He’s smart. Funny. But also… intense. His eyes—black like obsidian—stare straight through me, like he’s trying to read my thoughts. But when he speaks to me, it’s always like I’m just a kid. Nothing more.
I know I’m younger than him—but come on, I’m fifteen polar years now. I’m not a baby anymore!
He’s way more relaxed around Logan. But when he looks at me, I freeze. My brain just… stops working. I never know what to say. I always feel too small, too silly.
But someday? He’ll really see me.
I promise myself that.
3-Noviosk, le Truand
I watch Danayat sleeping in my bed, her fur still damp from our time together. I’ve been dreaming of this moment for cycles. She’s softness wrapped in steel. She seduced me without eventrying—and I chased her with relentless focus. Tonight, I finally succeeded.
I feel strong. Invincible. Maybe it’s the surge of pleasure still coursing through my body. Maybe it’s just knowing she chose me.
We’re young. Too young to live on our own. But I’ll be patient. Her family lives in another sector of Srebat, but that’s not a problem. After tonight, her parents will expect our bond to grow.
Sleep won’t come. My mind spins with what-ifs and plans. I step outside to breathe in the quiet before dawn.
