Page 15 of Ava Stargazer (Planet Xai #2)

“Ah, Ava. I’m so happy to see you. I’ve worried. It is so good to see your smiling face, my friend. You look well.” Nuor’s voice trilled, melodic over the video feed, her large aqua eyes sparkling with life, her feathers vibrant.

Ava was connecting to Nuor in the engine hall, having been woken up—very early—with a response to her message. Ava answered immediately, despite her tiredness, in case she missed her chance. She only saw Nuor’s two-dimensional face, instead of a hologram, since she didn’t want to have a private talk like this that could be overheard in navigation while construction was still ongoing.

A wide smile came across Ava’s face at seeing her friend, unharmed and whole. “Oh Nuor. Nuor! I’m so happy. I missed ... I missed you so much.” Her spirit felt so light at seeing her first, true friend in front of her again.

Nuor’s aqua eyes fixed on her in concern. “Ah, your eyes are leaking. Oh my, oh my. Everything is okay, Ava. I was so relieved to get your message.”

Ava hurriedly wiped her eyes, her voice thick. More tears came. “I didn’t know what I was doing with the messaging. I’m so glad it got to you.”

“Yes, you did well. It helped that your ship has an official status now, so when you messaged our receiver put the communication through as a priority. You are on Xai now? Did you ... did getting the women happen? Is Vox ... ?”

Nuor shook her feathered head and waved her hands, ending on a melodic sigh. “So much has happened.”

Ava smiled at seeing Nuor wave her arms like she always did when she got a bit overwhelmed. “Yes we got them, we’re all here safe on Xai and Vox is ... fine.” How do I explain he isn’t here right now? All that happened? She bit her lip. Later. I’ll tell her more later. “Have you talked with Ebel?”

Nuor melodically sighed again. “Not since we parted in the shuttle at the transfer station.”

“I tried to put a message out. A few actually. I can’t contact him directly like I did for you. Nuor, he gave me ... R526 . I call it Celestial now. And files on my family. And all the Human information logs the Phor had. Everything from Cipra, where I was born.”

Nuor nodded, feathers flying. “Yes, he told me what he did on the ride away from R526 . I can see the biologics tank behind you, actually. I didn’t think I would miss them, but I do. I didn’t know about the files though.” After a pause she spoke again, her beak tightly pressed together, lending a clipped tone to her voice. “Give it time on Ebel. I’ll reach out too; I still have some contacts from being a contractor. More importantly, how is it there now on Xai?”

“It’s so different. It’s nice. It feels like how you said your planet was, with a sun and plants. I...”

Nuor sighed a melodic trill. “I’m glad you are happy there, Ava.”

Ava nodded. “I am.”

“Even with all the telepathy?”

Ava looked away, her eyes leaking again. Eh . . . “Not that part. That is sometimes difficult. Being in the ship seems to stop some of it from outside. Vox says sometimes he thinks my body is building a resistance. Like the immune system.”

“Do you notice a difference though?”

“Not really. Yes, maybe if it isn’t directed at me ... ever since Torga I can kind of tune it out a little now in a crowd, like detach. I think I can sense things more too, like deeper meanings I missed before. But that’s about it.”

Nuor sighed, her eyes searching the feed, studying Ava. “That would drive me batty. Absolutely batty.”

Ava shrugged. “I guess I’ve gotten used to it. They’ve all been very kind here.” Other than the quorum still being unsure. She bit her lip and looked away.

“How is it with Vox?”

Ava looked down and smiled.

Nuor’s eyes lit up. “I guess that says it all.”

Ava met her friend’s eyes again. “It has been good with him. Sometimes he is a bit pushy.”

“I could tell that from the ship. He is good to you?”

Ava pushed a strand of hair behind her ear. “Yes. We are going to go to Cipra soon. Where I was born.”

Nuor narrowed her eyes. “What for?”

“To see what we can find about any other Humans. Iryl, one of the Vorbax here, was able to find another for sale. Remember that flier I had?”

“Oh. Another? Was it Joy? I remember that photo.”

“Yes!”

Nuor’s feathers flashed as she brought her hands together excitedly. “That’s great, Ava. Keep me informed. I’ll keep my ears open here to see if I hear anything as well. I’m glad it worked out, and they are helping you.” Nuor’s eyes gentled further. “Well, you look healthy. Your eyes seem brighter. Being outside that ship in real air is good for you.”

Ava took a deep breath, wishing she could hug Nuor instead of just looking at her through the feed. “It is nice. It’s just a lot to get used to still. It doesn’t feel real sometimes.”

“You deserve it, Ava. It sounds like a good place to call home.”

Home. Ava’s gut clenched on the word. “How are you? Are you going to go back to the Phor?”

Nuor shook her head, feathers flying. “No, unfortunately. The Vali here were appalled after I told them that the Phor assisted the Tuxa by allowing them to transport the Vorbax on the cargo ship as prisoners. I know that ... ah ... didn’t turn out so well for the Phor, but the fact that they were willing to do that for money in the first place showed they didn’t value us as contractors.”

“So, what . . . ?”

“There are other positions. I have put out a notice for work with other species. My sister will be joining me as well to learn. Now that I have experience in navigation, better offers are materializing.”

Nuor’s eyes narrowed on Ava’s midsection. “Do you have some of the biologics in a jar on your chest? Like a necklace?”

Ava's hand splayed around the container as she looked away from the feed and down to lift the biologics up for Nuor to see better. They swirled as if in a greeting. “Yes. I took some when I went on Torga because I was afraid we would get separated from the ship during the mission. I promised Rhutg I would bring some to Xai to study.”

“And they are now just with you?”

“It’s a . . . long story.”

Nuor leaned forward, her aqua eyes intent. “Ava, my friend, I have nowhere else to be. Start at the beginning. Tell me everything since we parted. I’ve been worried so much about you.”

Ava’s heart felt lighter after speaking with Nuor that morning, enough so that she went about the tasks for the house and ship in higher spirits.

Nuor can really talk. Ava was starving by the time the call ended. She had been spending so much time with Sai, who communicated more with jokes and was happier with silence, that she had forgotten how it was with Nuor.

Communication with Vox had been restored as well. It felt good to have the com around her wrist again, functioning. He messaged her after she fell back asleep following the early morning call from Nuor. “The meeting is complete. It went as well as it could. We will be returning in two days. The shuttle is leaving in the next morning.”

As she cleared the sleep from her eyes, she typed back, “ Oh good. I’m so happy it went well. I was able to talk with Nuor when you were gone.”

“That’s good Nuor responded. Iryl has updated that he is in contact with those who have Joy, she is still there. They are working out an agreement but he will leave soon to get her.”

Ava’s heart skipped a beat. “Really?”

“Yes.”

Ava clutched the communicator to her chest and let out a shriek of delight. She pulled her arm away a second later to see another question from Vox. “Did you visit with the women? I hope you have not stayed the entire time alone.”

“I did, with Sai. It was nice.” Ava held the communicator a second before adding, “ I miss you though.”

His response came quickly. “It will be good to be home with you soon. I miss your mind. This place feels soulless. I am going to gather more data now. Stay busy today.”

“Are you sure just my mind?” Ava wrote, feeling flutters in her stomach.

“Bold, Ava? You’re right. It’s been too long since I’ve beaten you at cards, or watched you dance in the rain.”

Ava snorted, looking at the communicator with a smile. That’s not what I meant.

But Vox followed up a second later. “And too long since being inside of you.”

Ava flushed and responded, “Soon.”

She looked at the communicator a bit longer than usual after saying goodbye, happiness in her veins from both Nuor and Vox. And from the news that Joy was still alive, that hope could have a place within her for real. She’s going to be coming soon! Iryl found her!

The ship buzzed with activity, the Spry and other Vorbax males coming to help, but Ava did not leave to escape. Instead, feeling good after talking with both Vox and Nuor, Ava steeled herself and went to navigation, wanting to see the changes. She hesitated on the threshold, seeing Zeed and a few other unfamiliar males in the room working with the Spry, Fijjak, on the weaponry upgrades. “I’m sorry.” She gave a quick sign of deference before exiting. I should have done that later tonight, when I was sure it was empty.

“Ava,” she heard behind her.

Ava turned around to see Zeed following, his tone gentle as he walked toward her. “Did you need anything?”

She shook her head. “I didn’t know you were in there. I just wanted to see what was different.”

Zeed tilted his head, appraising her, before turning back and saying, “Come.” Ava shuffled her feet, wanting to retreat, but he looked over his shoulder at her and said, “I will show you the changes.”

He took her back into navigation, watching her the entire way as Ava looked with a practiced eye at what was different from what she remembered. Despite the unknown males and work being done, Ava found herself ignoring them, fascinated by the changes to her ship.

The Spry, Fijjak, rushed to help explain, his antennas slowly moving to emphasize his thoughts as he stood next to Ava and pointed with his many limbs.

Ava tapped on the control panel. “You worked fast.”

Fijjak’s antennas brushed against her as he pointed to the panel and the new labels. He said in his stilted voice, “Yes. The ship has offensive capabilities now, and cloaking. It should be completely unrecognizable as once belonging to the Phor, especially with the outside being altered to mimic one of our designs. It is not yet done, though. A few more days.”

Zeed and the others fell into the background as they moved around, continuing their work. Fijjak eyed the biologics around Ava’s chest as she stood close, looking at the new mechanics. His antennas followed his interest and leaned toward her.

Ava read the new labels in Common. She squinted at the new programming that overlaid over the familiar controls. “Is that . . . an AI?”

“Yes. It is surprising there was none before.”

She tapped on the screen, at the new and unfamiliar interface. “Well, you don’t know the Phor. They were afraid of being hacked by raiders after easy cargo. That’s why there were so many contractors and crew on the ship before. Especially with the biologics; they felt it was too big a risk to rely on AI.” Ava looked at him. Is it now?

Fijjak shook his head and answered her unspoken question. “This AI is of our making; the coding is not public knowledge. It’s a standard Class 2 AI and, like all of them, is not self-aware but it is . . . well, as loyal as a machine can be.”

Ava glanced down to her container, judging their reaction. Are you okay with this? The container was stiller than usual, but she didn’t sense any panic. “Oh. Well, as long as the biologics accept it, that will make it easier to keep going without having a full crew.”

Fijjak chuckled, clicking on a screen showing the energy output. “There has been no change. Rhutg requested this upgrade as a priority after having to monitor so much himself on the way back.”

Zeed cleared his throat and said in a tone almost as low as Vox’s, “It makes this ship versatile.”

She looked up and was surprised to see Zeed standing so close to her. She took an involuntary step backward. “Yes, there’s so much it can do. Beyond just helping me,” Ava said wistfully as she patted on a familiar, untouched part of the navigation panel. It will always be just Celestial to me though.

Zeed spoke from her side. “Once you are done going to Cipra, we can use the ship for other purposes as well. It would speed up our trades immensely to have this helping.” He looked at the container on her chest closely and then up to her eyes. “The biologics have a high opinion of you. I doubt they would work so hard to power everything for anyone else.”

Ava took another step back, putting a bit more distance between herself and Zeed. She kept her mind blank as he glowed mutely, forcing herself to not think about how uncomfortable she felt, but about the biologics instead and her fondness of them. Her hand touched them, seeking their reassurance and got a pulse back.

Zeed tilted his head, his eyes lighting up. “The others are right. You Humans are fascinating.”

Ava forced a laugh. Zeed tilted his head, listening to it, an intense look on his face. She walked toward Fijjak to put even more distance between them. “I find all of you to be too.” Ava looked at the panel one last time before bowing to exit, feet pointed to the door. “Thank you for letting me see.”

Zeed nodded, and she felt his eyes follow her as she walked away.