Page 32 of Redeeming Captivity (Human Pets of Talin #7)

Bonus Chapter II

Message to: Lena - via Holian Compound, Kalor Colony

Message from: Isla - via Sorana Colony

Hello Lena!

We’ve never met, but I’m friends with Jinna. She shared the last story you wrote about that forest full of ponds and each pond was a portal to an alternate universe but some of the ponds dumped you out in space! It was so good! I think I’ve re-read it a hundred times.

Okay, that might be a little bit of an exaggeration, but not by much. The descriptions are just so good! Especially when Mella decides exploring the ponds is the only way to help her sister. She’s so smart about it. I would’ve never thought to be that systematic.

I hope that you’re not upset that Jinna shared. I’d watched and read everything on the Sorana unibase three million times and was feeling a little bored.

The only problem is that I want to read the next installment to that story. If you haven’t written it, then I need you to write it. You can’t simply leave Mella on that planet with no way home! I mean, sure, she met the handsome guy and ended up soul-joined, but what about her sister back home? And there’s no way she’s going to let the wars between the lowlands and the mountain kingdom continue. I can tell she sees how wasteful it is. Will she work with Yorim to end the wars?

I need to know more! I’ve heard you like pretty, shiny things and Zia suggested I send a tiara in exchange for more stories. You could wear it while you write to remind you that we love your stories.

Oh, um, that reminds me. I shared your stories with a few other people here on Sorana. Kasi wants to know if Yorim’s brother really betrayed them or if he was forced to do it because he’s in love with Suforik. I hadn’t thought of that, but it makes sense.

I might have also put your story on the colony unibase so we could all read it. It’s a hit! Everyone wants to read more, not just me. I’m sure we can come up with more shiny things to send you if you don’t want a tiara.

Your new friend and biggest fan,

Isla

Message to: Isla - via Sorana Colony

Message From: Lena - via Holian Compound, Kalor Colony

Hi Isla,

I’m not upset that Jinna shared with you or that you shared with the rest of the colony. I never thought anyone would like my stories, so I’m thrilled that all of you are enjoying them enough to want more.

I’ve already written a few more in that world, and they should be attached to this message. I also sent a data crystal with a shipment going to Sorana so if the message is corrupted, there’s a backup on its way.

I’ll keep writing in Mella’s world. Don’t worry, I have a lot of stories to tell, but I also have stories in other worlds too. Would you want to read them?

I’m afraid I don’t know what a tiara is and the Kalor unibase didn’t have any description, but you don’t have to send me one. I do like shiny things, but I’m happy to give you all my stories for free. I have everything I could ever want or need here, so I don’t need any credits. All I hope is that someday I’ll get to meet all of you.

Your friend in the forest,

Lena

**

Message to: Lena - via Holian Compound, Kalor Colony

Message from: Isla - via Sorana Colony

Hello my most creative friend!

Your stories attached to the message weren't corrupted at all, and I was able to upload them onto the unibase for everyone to enjoy. Almost the entire colony has gotten together to send you a package full of thank you gifts. They should arrive with Derani and Nalia in about twenty rotations.

I have another confession to make. You might not know, but a lot of us humans here on Sorana came from a free human community on Wimol. A few humans didn’t come with us to resettle on Sorana. I still converse with them and I sent them your stories. They shared them with other human communities. You might end up famous. Well, as famous as one of us humans can get.

As far as other stories go, send us EVERYTHING! We want it all. I think I’d read a recipe as long as you wrote it.

I was told you don’t like to travel, and I don’t blame you. Ships can be scary! Everything is too tense right now, but hopefully in the future I can talk Tisuran into letting us visit. I think you’re living in his old house. I think that’s great! He hoped it would be used by someone who would appreciate it, and I’m sure you do.

Please send some image captures of the cabin and area so I can see what it looks like. I’ve included image captures of our little village here on Sorana. I also sent a bunch of detailed vid captures on a data crystal. It’s in your box of gifts. It’s not as good as meeting in person, but better than nothing.

Hoping to meet you in person someday,

Isla

“This message must have gotten bounced around a lot,” Tarquin noted, reading over her shoulder. “It was sent over ten rotations ago.”

Lena pointed to the middle of the number sequence at the top. “Wrong.”

Tarquin stared at it for several micromarks before speaking. “I believe you, but that string of numbers means nothing to me. It always amazes me how good you are at spotting where things go wrong.”

Lena wrinkled her nose and set the information square down. ‘I almost wish I hadn't helped Ula that one time. Now I’m the first person he contacts when something goes wrong with the compound programming. I don’t even know that much!’

A rumble of amusement came out of Tarquin. ‘That’s what you get for being so clever.’ He pointed to the information square in her lap. ‘And now you’re becoming famous!’

She tried to hide her pleased smile. ‘Having my stories read by a hundred humans or so is hardly famous.”

‘Isla sent your stories to Wimol,’ he reminded her. ‘They might not be a large community of humans, but they are right near the center of a large Ugarian agricultural planet. Ugarian’s like fiction as much as humans. Your stories could end up gaining in popularity much farther than you expect.’

Lena couldn’t imagine anything like that happening, but the idea that so many eyes beyond the Sorana and Wimol humans might read and enjoy what she created made her feel downright giddy.

‘The package Isla sent you will be here within a few rotations,’ Tarquin noted. ‘We’ll get to see what a tiara is.’

That distracted her! ‘I’m so curious; I can’t wait!’

“Lena? Tarquin?”

Kormin’s familiar voice made both of them look to the open door of the cottage. There was no worry about intrusion. Kormin always waited at the edge of the garden, and if they didn’t respond to his calls, he’d leave. He never crossed into the clear edge of the garden without express permission from one of them.

Setting her information square on a nearby table, she stood up. ‘Visitor!’

Together they walked outside to find Kormin waiting exactly where they expected to see him. “Greetings!” Lena shouted, startling several birds. She’d worked hard to get that word out loud and bold, so she used it as often as possible.

“Greetings,” Kormin said. He couldn’t tap because he was holding a crate with both hands. “A personal transport landed this morning, dropping off several new residents, and this came for Lena.”

‘Come set it down!’ Lena said, waving Kormin to the benches around the fire pit. He stepped into the garden and set down the crate. Lena knew she should offer him tea and make pleasant conversation, but she itched to see what was in the box!

‘This was supposed to come with Derani and Nalia later. When they met up with Myrum, he offered to bring it since he was traveling straight here,’ Kormin tapped now that his hands were free. ‘Can I stay to see what’s inside? I’m very curious!’

‘Of course,’ Lena agreed and tapped on the crate’s display. It popped open with a hiss to reveal boxes. With a laugh, she pulled out the first one. It was marked with a note from someone named Mari. She opened it to find it full of colorful stones all polished until they gleamed!

The next box was from Kasi and was packed full of some kind of dried fruit. She sniffed, then tasted one. A sweet flavor exploded across her tongue. She carefully closed that box and tucked it away. Those treats would be saved for late-night snacking!

Then she opened one from Zia. It sparkled in the sun and was an odd shape. For a moment she thought it was to hang up so it would cast rainbows everywhere, but then she remembered Isla’s comments about wearing tiaras.

Carefully she placed it on her head. Now she understood—a tiara was a crown!

‘That’s nice,’ Kormin said, staring at the headpiece. It wasn’t as heavy as she thought it would be, but it wasn’t comfortable either. Tugging it off, she held it up to admire the glitter of the stones and nodded in agreement with Kormin.

‘Is Myrum a new arrival here?’ Tarquin asked as Lena set the tiara back in its box.

‘Yes, he and several others came in on a troop transport heading to Wulnum,’ Kormin answered.

Suddenly he had her full attention.

“Wulnum?” Lena asked, her voice cracking in the middle of the word.

‘The politics are complicated,’ Kormin said. ‘I don’t entirely understand, but the War Committee is finally ready to take a stand against Jafinium disappearing into Ossiso space with almost all the forces under his command. The Ossiso civil war is growing to include all their colony planets, so the Apogee Assembly is desperate to keep the war on the Ossiso side of the border.’

Tarquin sounded an affirmative rumble. ‘If their civil war bleeds into our space, it’ll only help the Traditionalists that survived the purge.’

Lena shook her head and made a striking motion with her hand. Both men stopped talking and sounded soothing rumbles. Unless it was news of Jafinium’s death, she didn’t want to know.

She’d healed a lot since coming to Kalor, but there were still nightmares and bad days.

‘Sorry, Lena,’ Kormin apologized. ‘Please remember you’re safe, and we’re all here to protect you.’

She nodded her head at Kormin even as she pressed her back against Tarquin. Then she saw the last box she hadn’t opened. Leaning over, she lifted it out. It had three data crystals. They had to be the ones full of vid captures Isla wrote about.

She handed the box to Tarquin so she could tap.

‘Let’s meet the people of Sorana!’ she declared then looked to Tarquin. ‘Can you find the holo-display? I’ll make tea and we can watch all the vids!’

‘Excellent idea!’ Tarquin said with a happy rumble.

‘I’ll organize all this back in the crate,’ Kormin said and made himself busy. Lena made her way into the cabin. She tried to push away thoughts of the empire and war. She’d done her part to help, now it was up to others to do their part. She’d be here to help them recover when the empire took too much from its people, because wasn’t that what empires did?

When it was all over, it was up to people like her to help pick up the pieces, one cup of tea at a time.