Page 14 of Return to Sender
“When starlight caught in temporal streams
Reflects what hearts dare not confess,
I find in you what silence means—
The weight of unexpressed caress.”
My voice sounds strange in the quiet of the bridge, rougher than usual, charged with an emotion I rarely allow myself to acknowledge.
“Between the void of space and time,
Where duty calls and honor binds,
There grows a truth beyond all rhyme—
The joining of unlikely minds.”
I pause, acutely aware of Dominique’s gaze fixed on my face, of the way her breathing has changed, become deeper, more intentional.
“And though the stars may burn to ash,
And galaxies may drift apart,
Some bonds survive the cosmic crash—
The recognition, heart to heart.”
The final verse hangs in the air between us, and I realize with uncomfortable clarity why this particular poem has always spoken to me, why I’ve returned to it countless times during the long, solitary hours of deep space travel.
“That’s beautiful,” Dominique says softly, and there’s nothing mocking in her tone now, nothing but genuine appreciation. “And surprisingly... applicable to our situation.”
I close the book carefully, my hands not entirely steady. “It is merely an ancient work about... compatible entities finding common ground despite their differences.”
“Compatible entities,” she repeats, and there’s something in her voice that makes my scent glands respond with a complex mixture I can’t quite suppress. “Is that how you see us, Wi’kar? Compatible?”
The question hangs between us, loaded with implications I’m not prepared to examine. Before I can formulate a response, AXIS interrupts.
“Warning: Unidentified vessel approaching. Energy signature matches Human Concord Royal Guard patrol ship. They are initiating long-range scanning protocols.”
The moment shatters. Dominique tenses, her easy manner vanishing as she places the poetry volume carefully back in the storage compartment.
“How did they find us?” she asks, though we both know the answer.
“Your royal transponder,” I say, already moving to the tactical display. “Every member of House Malren has one embedded at birth. It’s supposed to be untraceable except by family security systems, but...”
“But Prince Dante now has access to those systems,” she finishes, her hand instinctively rising to the base of her skull. “It’s supposed to be for our protection, only activated in emergencies.”
“AXIS, full spectrum scan of Princess Dominique. Locate any active transmitting devices.”
“Scanning,” the AI responds. After a moment: “Subdermal transmitter detected. Location: base of skull, left side. Signal encrypted but active.”
“Those bastards,” she breathes. “The emergency transponder. I should have realized...”
“The approaching vessel is hailing us,” AXIS announces. “They are broadcasting Princess Dominique’s familial crest as a transponder override.”
“They’re trying to force a communication channel,” I explain, already activating countermeasures. “AXIS, implement communication shield, protocol epsilon.”
“Implementing. Warning: shield effectiveness estimated at 87.3%. Royal override codes may penetrate in approximately 4.7 minutes.”
