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Unlike the previous treaty, which had been written in trade standard, this one had a built-in translation program that allowed everyone to read and sign in their own language. It was yet another concession we’d wrestled from the gray aliens.
As the huge pyramid of a Grug finally signed the new treaty, a feral smile stretched my cheeks. I glanced up at Wrin as cheers broke out all around us. “We really did it.”
“We did.”
Humans were now considered sentient in the seven sectors, but I’d only won part of the battle. My smile fell away as more responsibilities pressed in.
Wrin lifted my chin, his eyes searching my face. “What is it?”
“I still need to find a home for everyone onARK 1.”
Then Cara and the others were there, engulfing me in hugs and joy and cans of galfruit cider. I caught Wrin’s gaze one last time as we were swept up in the celebrations.
“Ge murf,” I muttered, my hand batting at something solid. I’d fallen asleep on the mess hall table with everyone spread all around me, my head woozy from cider.
“Shh,” a deep voice soothed, and lips brushed my forehead. “Go back to sleep.”
Wrin.
I sighed and nuzzled my face into his shoulder. Knowing I was safe in his arms, I let all the responsibilities fade away into the first real sleep I’d had in days.
It must have been hours later when I awoke, because I felt well rested. I reached my arms overhead, my whole body arching into a stretch.
A warm presence stirred at my side. “Good morning.”
I cracked open my eyes to find Wrin watching me. “Morning.”
He picked up a can and pressed it into my hands, and I eased up onto one elbow to gulp at the cool, fresh water. “God, this is good.”
“I figured you needed it after last night.”
Then our surroundings sunk in. The wall behind him was light-blue, yes, but it wasn’t the wall of our cabin on theDaredevil. I sat up. We were in a shuttle. “Where are we?”
“In theSaber.”
“Why?”
“It’s a surprise.”
“Where’s Max?”
“He’s fine. He’s on theDaredevilwith the other pets.” Wrin rolled from the bed. “I’ll make you some jormint tea.”
Caffeine? “Yes, please!”
Wrin made me more than tea. By the time I emerged from the shower, he had breakfast ready with the sweet breeseed porridge prepared exactly as I liked.
We were just finishing up when a chime came from the cockpit.
“That’s the autopilot. We’re there.” He jumped up to shove our dishes into the cleaner and held out a hand. “Shall we?”
“Yes!” I gripped his fingers and bounced to my feet. Inside the cockpit, a swirl of riotous color filled the viewscreen. I sucked in a shocked breath. “Is that?”
“The kreecat world, yes.”
As soon as we were both strapped in, he took over the controls and angled us down toward the planet. We dropped into atmosphere, the faint whistle of wind growing louder with every second. Huge white puffballs of clouds scudded over the rich colors of the surface, and we flashed across an aqua ocean before flying over land.
Pink and orange and green and a whirl of colors resolved into clumps of vegetation as we got closer, and Wrin brought the shuttle down in a copse of trees covered in long purple fronds.
