Page 38 of Ava Stargazer (Planet Xai #2)
They landed early in the morning at Elyheim. The meeting wouldn’t happen until the afternoon. Ava was again in the cargo hold, waiting, while the landing protocols were finished. She kept her eyes glued to the red light, shifting her feet and watching for it turn green, which meant they were successfully docked. However, instead of trepidation like at Cipra, she felt excitement as the doors finally opened.
The ship was modified enough that Iryl was able to get clearance for Celestial to dock without any red flags raised, since it was officially registered as part of Xai’s fleet. Ava stood, waiting beside Vox, and was just as disguised as her ship. She was covered up in a hood that went over her entire body—the same hood she always wore when going off ship with Nuor.
She scratched at her side, uncomfortable under all the layers. It felt wrong to be covered the way she was, but until things were more official, it was best for her to not draw any more attention. Especially when they now knew the Riolie were monitoring these halls. As it was, her walking hooded next to the Vorbax was suspicious enough. She clutched the veil closer around her face. It will be wonderful to walk free one day though.
Vox walked her to where Iryl’s rooms were without fanfare as Rhutg and Pyra came out to handle the official protocols and credit amounts to pay for Celestial ’s docking. Ava and Vox had walked to the side, slinking away, already knowing the way from Vox’s visit before.
Even with her cloak drawn up and a veil over her face, she could still see and looked around her as she walked. It is just like Hoya, that time I went with Nuor.
She noted the different species that walked the halls. Only much more official. But the banter and the purposeful crowds moving down the halls and talking reminded her strongly of that experience.
Ava pressed against Vox’s side as they walked, particularly when they came across an area with many species. Her gaze searched the crowd endlessly until she found one of the Riolie walking the other way down a path. That’s one. Vox just reached over and put a hand on her robed elbow, squeezing slightly as he led her forward, when she almost stopped to stare at its crystalline face. Her ears rang as they passed one another, buzzing inside. The sensation came and went as they moved on.
He opened the door to Iryl’s rooms a few moments later. “Here we are.”
There, once inside, Ava took off her hood to see better as her eyesight adjusted. She stopped moving once she heard her name from the corner. “Ava?”
Ava looked over and saw Joy standing to the side. Her pale blonde hair hung down to her chin and her footsteps were hesitant. The two Humans took in each other’s appearance hungrily, standing across from one another. Ava didn’t even notice Vox closing the door behind him after Rhutg entered, nor did she notice Iryl standing a step behind Joy. Her heart soared as she surged forward and hugged Joy, arms opened wide, holding her so tightly against her chest it was hard to breathe. “It’s you. It’s really you!”
She could feel Joy’s heart, her single heart, pounding into her own as she grasped her to her as tightly as she could. Joy’s arms squeezed back around her. Ava broke apart afterward to look at her, to see the similarities up close. They were roughly the same size, next to one another. Joy’s frame was larger than Ava’s, but not by much. Ava put her hands on Joy's head and ran her fingers down her hair as Joy did the same to her. Hair like mine. They backed up and looked at each other. Face like mine. Ava moved in close and hugged her again. I’m not alone.
Joy looked much better than in the hologram. Her eyes were brighter, and Iryl was protectively standing nearby. He came closer and pressed his forehead against Ava’s, then said in a rumbling tone, so much clearer now in person than through the hologram, “I can not believe this is the first time we have met face to face and joined minds, Ava. I have held an echo of it from Vox and Lirell, but it is wonderful to finally imprint with you directly.”
Ava felt his mind join hers and did not shy away as she pressed her head back against his, which had slightly longer frills and scales than Vox’s, and a softer texture. Unlike with Vox, Iryl was lit up, constantly in internal communication with Joy.
She looked between Joy and Iryl. “You are coming back with us?”
Joy looked up at Iryl, who answered, “Yes, it’s not safe here for her. Rhutg and Zeed are staying now to learn and wait for the next mediation meeting. I will be teaching them everything I know here. Joy will leave with you.”
Joy shook her head and stepped closer to Iryl. “Yes, I’m excited. Iryl said there are lots of open houses.” She smiled. “I think I’ll like that. To just have my own spot for once. I miss growing things. I looked up the weather on Xai. It’s still a bit before it is fall for things to grow.”
Ava forced a smile, thinking of all the abandoned houses. There are many for her to choose from . “Okay.”
Joy glanced down and gestured to Vox’s hands, frowning as she could see half of the picture in his fist, where he carried it for Ava.
“Oh.” Ava startled and took the auction house picture from Vox, then held it out to Joy. “Oh. I thought you would like to see. Here. This is how we found you.” She handed the picture over to Joy, wrinkled and faded from the many, many years she held it tight and carried it.
In a weird way, Ava wanted to take the photo back and still hold on to it, but tamped down the feeling as she looked at Joy instead, her brows furrowed as she looked at the photo. I have the real one now to get to know.
Joy looked down at the picture, and then held it up to her face. The images matched. A big smile came over her face. Ava was overcome with emotion, seeing it. “Yes, it’s you.” The real one to talk with.
She squared her shoulders and glanced around the room, seeing that the preparation for the meeting they were going to was spread out on the table in front of them. The images the Tuxa had of her on their planet were also there, on the screen next to scans he was running on the data from Cipra.
Ava looked at his scans wistfully. I bet Ebel could go through all this data so much faster. Ebel, who still wouldn’t answer any of her messages, even though she kept sending them. She rubbed her arms to distract herself and looked around the room. Her eyes snagged on a video that was playing from Torga, and she grimaced at the picture of herself with wounds all over her body.
Iryl noticed and moved toward it. “Oh. My apologies.” He moved to turn it off.
Ava gestured to the monitor. “No. It’s okay. With us getting listed as a part of Xai, then the Tuxa can’t take advantage of us as easily either. Or it might deter anyone else who comes across more files of Humans.”
Iryl still snapped off the picture, keeping only the data from Cipra on the screen. “That is true, yes.”
Joy turned to Ava, eyes sparkling. Joy reached for her hand again. “And after this we can go home.”
****
After building it up in her head, the registration was relatively straightforward. The Spry were the co-sponsoring species attesting to both Ava and Joy’s intelligence. That allowed the formalities to be done more discreetly, with just a simple meeting instead of a large hearing. It also allowed the meeting to happen in Iryl’s quarters, where Ava felt comfortable being seen.
Ava held the gaze of the Vali before her, the official requested to conduct the meeting. The Vali was every bit as elegant as Nuor, only taller. Ava’s hands itched to touch the fabric of her ceremonial robe, so similar to the one Ava once borrowed from Nuor, but instead her fingers balled up in her lap as she answered every question as thoroughly as she could.
After the questions Ava played a game, similar to ones she did with Ebel, where she had to think of a strategy against a computer program. But it still put her at ease, to be able to look the Vali in the eyes and pretend as if it were her old friend she was talking with. Just pretend it's Nuor.
Joy also took a turn in the meeting as well, confirming that Ava was not just an anomaly and that their answers varied enough to not be a simulated program either. They were not a Class 2 AI program. Humans were their own conscious beings individually and met the criteria for a Class 1 species. And then it was done. Without fanfare or raising any large issues. Ava sat back, worn out, as it was recorded. Humans finally have a place. Other than Earth.
With the Vorbax and Spry backing it, they became a part of Xai’s planetary records, with Pyra signing off as Xai’s representative. Earth was listed as well, but only as a historical note with no further data.
“But,” the Vali said, her voice melodic as it trilled in sad undertones, “this can still be contested. It only says that Humans are welcome on Xai, and that some have chosen to stay, not that they are only found on Xai. If other Humans choose to settle elsewhere, that is their choice now with sentience established and limited records of the original Earth. You are technically still not native to Xai. You are colonizers.”
Ava frowned at that. “What if they are being held against their will?”
Feathers shook as the Vali looked down. “I’m afraid I don’t have an answer to that. But you’re in here now. Humans have a note now for whoever inquires about where a population of your species can be found.” The Vali hesitated, twisting her feathered head and fixing Ava with her aqua eyes. She then said, “This is beyond my role here, but your story ... I am intrigued. I could not find much about Earth and the Humans, or anything, really, when I was preparing for this meeting. What happened there? Why were you not in the system correctly?”
Ava bit her lip, not knowing how much to say. We don’t want to start any conflicts before we know more. “I was...”
Vox heard her thoughts and stepped up to answer. “We don’t exactly know what happened to the others, but we are trying to find out.”
The Vali nodded and said kindly in her melodic trill, “Well. It is enough that going forward you have something official to start your history again.”