Page 16 of Master (The Outlander Book Club… in Space! #3)
Tarook
"It's a farm! A real farm!"
Clara bounced on the balls of her feet, excitement pinking her cheeks and making her violet eyes sparkle like gems. A faint breeze caught strands of her hair, causing the spicy, floral scent that was hers alone to float around me like a mist.
The green vines before us lay cultivated in neat rows. We skirted the edge of the field, walking east, a two-story gabled house and barn coming into focus on the horizon.
"There are many farms on the planet. The Alliance engineered Tau Ceti to be agricultural, so those living here can be self-sufficient." I told her, not bothering to wipe away the grin I got from her antics. She was just so damn cute!
Still, this farm sat farther from the major settlement than most. We hadn't walked more than a dozen miles, which meant the settlement lay at least twenty miles away.
"Do you think the people living here are friendly?" Clara teetered on tiptoes and craned her neck to get a better look.
"They're humans," I shrugged. There'd been a few unfriendly humans in my experience, mostly males of the species. However, those individuals didn't settle on Tau Ceti.
Clara flickered her gaze at me and chuckled. “You don’t know a lot about humans, do you?”
"Are you telling me your species are unfriendly?" I prompted, the uneven lay of the land making my steps stilted, and my shoulder brushed against hers—quite by accident, or at least that’s what I'd claim.
"Some are." Clara nudged my arm with her elbow playfully. "We've got some nice... some turds, just like any species I'd imagine."
"There are species that are all... turds," I said, using her vernacular. "I've never met a Kerzak that wasn't a turd."
Clara gave a low, amused snort. "Based on my experience, neither have I?"
In the distance, a low, baleful warble sounded that sat my teeth on edge. I'd heard the battle cry of hundreds of species and creatures, but this thing, this sound, was deeply melancholy and too nearby for comfort. I moved, putting Clara at my back and drawing my longest blade.
“What the....” Clara began when the sound ripped through the air again.
“Oh my God,” Clara’s voice was faint with shock, and she began shaking.
The idea she shook with terror ripped open protectiveness deep in my gut. I glanced over my shoulder, intent on comforting her, wanting her to know I'd give my life to keep her safe.
Clara’s violet eyes held tears, not from fear... but from laughter.
The wail sounded again, and I raised my blade into attack posture, glancing about for the creature.
Which only served to make Clara laugh harder.
"What is wrong?" I hissed. Faint noises in the underbrush spoke of an impending attack.
“It’s... a... it’s....” Clara fought laughter for words, losing frequently before she blurted. “It’s a cow.”
“Is that a dangerous beast on Earth?” The moniker didn’t trigger a recollection from my Earth studies.
Clara wheezed with laughter, plopping to the ground, and holding her stomach as she rocked back and forth her amusement hitting the cackling stage.
The thought of her being amused by my warrior prowess stung, but I would deal with that later. Right now, I had a creature to slay. It was so close I could hear sluggish, heavy footsteps, and it broke through the dense underbrush to our right.
Well, fuck!
I understood why Clara lay on the ground, chortling in amusement.
The beast had a massive body that sat atop four legs that appeared too spindly to hold the creature’s massive weight.
The fur it bore was brown, with a nap only slightly longer than my own pelt.
Oval-shaped ears flicked in unison with a long, tufted tail.
The creature's homely face held a long snout, ending with a pink muzzle from which a handful of grass appeared, swaying back and forth as the creature chewed.
“You could have told me.” I glared down at Clara, sheathing my knife.
Clara’s only response was to shake her head back and forth, giggling while wiping tears from her face.
I sat down beside her to wait until she collected herself.
Out of the forest, Tau Ceti was a truly beautiful place. Clear blue skies dotted here and there with pale pink clouds, rolling hills, and lush greenery. Danger still existed, thankfully far away from the settlement most times.
Except for the cow. I kept my guard up, refusing to believe anything that slow and stupid looking wasn't innately dangerous.
"Oh my God," Clara gasped. "I haven't laughed that hard in forever.
She sat up, wiping her eyes on the back of her sleeve, a smile plastered on her face. I liked her smile. I liked her laugh. I liked her.
She leaned over to nudge me with her elbow. "I take it you've never seen a cow before?"
"I've seen similar beasts." I cast a hateful glance at the creature and—capitulating to my wounded warrior’s ego—fibbed. "Most I've encountered like it have razor-sharp hooves and teeth."
The glance Clara shot me said she recognized my deception, but still smiled. "A cow. How exactly did it get here, do you think?”
"There are many Earth animals here." I stood and held out my hand. Clara placed her fingers in my grip without hesitation, and I pulled her to stand beside me. I made no attempt to break the contact between our hands, but she pulled away, moving closer to the cow.
“How did they get there?”
“The Alliance chose Tau Ceti because of its similar atmosphere and geography to Earth.” I reiterated a selection from Alliance brochure on the planet.
“It's a lot like Earth," Clara agreed, smiling as she lifted her face toward the dual suns. A faint breeze caught her hair, and the wavy golden strands moved as if alive.
Holy Valana, she was the most beautiful thing I'd ever come across.
I could stand here and stare at her all day, but the settlement remained many miles away. Trailing my fingertips along the length of her arm, I jerked my head toward the farmhouse. With a last smile at the grazing beast, Clara stepped beside me.
"The Alliance chose the planet, but you have Dixa to thank for its development," I told her as we continued along the edge of the field.
“Who’s Dixa?” Clara blinked at me.
"A human taken many years ago. Like you, Dixa went through the Garoot healer, so returning to Earth wasn't an option.
Her mate, Siemba, is very wealthy and likes to spoil her, so he allows her license to do whatever necessary to make Tau Ceti as close to Earth as possible.
Many of the planet's flora and fauna come from DNA harvested from Earth. "
“Along with people?” She shot a suspicious brown in my direction.
"Never. Dixa and Siemba rescue almost as many humans as the Vaktaire."
We came around the edge of a hill, the farm buildings laying in front of us like colorful dots in a sea of green.
A white two-story house with a green metal roof stood between a gathering of small trees.
Near to its side rose a gable-roofed red building with a sleek gray silo nestled to its side.
Several small outbuildings stood about, one a tall, square box made of timbers and woven wire stole Clara's attention.
"Chickens. They’ve got chickens!" Her expression was a mix of awe and pleasure that I felt at the tips of my toes. "The farmstead is so perfect. It looks like a painting."
"Really?" It was lovely, but I couldn't imagine an artist wishing to render the view.
Clara studied me for a moment. "What is your planet like?"
I hadn’t seen my home world in so long that finding the right description in human words took me a moment. "It's beautiful and wild, with pale green skies and seas as deep and purple as your eyes."
Said purple eyes widened as her cheeks flushed.
"Stop trying to be charming," she chided.
"I have to try?" I teased, liking the lilt of laughter that was her reply.
She laughed a lot in my presence now, more relaxed and natural than on the Hartouk Lenaii.
It gave me hope perhaps she was starting to forgive my earlier indiscretion.
I would never regret those moments holding her in my arms, but I deeply regret the upset I caused her.
The upward tick in her demeanor gave me hope that perhaps, in the future, I might find myself so blessed again.
"You and Emmy mentioned the Alliance. Is that like your government?" she asked, eyes flickering between me and the surroundings.
“In a way. Representatives from each of the known solar systems comprise the Alliance.”
“How many species are we talking about?” Her left eyebrow cocked, a signal of her curiosity.
“Thousands,” I told her and watched shock creep over her face. “Every species and planet has a representative in the Alliance, and they collectively decide, like the democracies I've read about on Earth. Each planet has its own governing body, of course, but all but must answer to the Alliance."
Clara's plump lips puckered, a faint line growing between her brows. "Why wasn't Earth invited to join this Alliance?"
“A planet that joins the Alliance opens itself up to visitation and trade from other planets and species. Like many others, Earth is not technologically advanced enough to stand on its own, even against the weakest of Alliance members.”
“So,” Clara tapped a forefinger on her chin. “You don’t send back altered humans because then everyone on Earth would know aliens really exist.”
“Yes,” I admitted.
“A lot believe in alien life already, you know?”
I turned, watching the impish smile play across her face. “Did you?”
“I didn’t not believe it.” Clara glanced away to watch her feet as she maneuvered across a rocky part of the terrain. “You can’t turn on YouTube without seeing a video of an UFO. Let's just say I was neutral until I saw the white light. Then, I was a believer.”