A week later, I'm pretty sure I've exhausted all my options. I've been out every night, and even some days, and I've seen a lot of ships. But none of them seem right. None of them seem like they'd get me home.
I've even tried to get some information about the ships, but it's not easy. Most people don't want to talk to a stranger, especially a human. And the ones that do, don't know much. They just tell me what the ships look like, and where they're from. Not where they're going.
I've been avoiding Xilukulkas and Llywelyn, mostly. I don't want them to get suspicious, or to try to stop me. I just need a little more time. A little more luck.
Today I've decided to be a little more dramatic. It's not my first time being out in the daylight, and I hate it still, but it feels like the more people there are, the harder it is for anyone to notice what I'm doing.
That means I can be a little bit bolder about testing which ships have poor security and whether or not their doors open.
I just need to find one.
Just one ship that'll take me home. That's all.
It's getting late, but I'm not done looking. I need to check one more. I walk down the row of ships, looking for something that catches my eye. Something small, something fast. Something that I can handle.
Then I see it.
It's a little thing, all silver and sleek. It's got a strange shape, almost like a bullet, but with wings. It looks like it could fly through space like a bird. It's beautiful.
And it's perfect.
I glance around, making sure no one's watching me, and then I walk up to it. The hatch is closed, but there's a keypad next to it. I don't know the code, but maybe I can guess it.
I press a few buttons, and nothing happens. I try a few more, and still nothing. I growl, and press the pad harder.
There's no chance I'll figure it out but-
I guess I hope that a good whack could just magically unlock it for me.
"What are you doing?"
I freeze, and turn to see Llywelyn standing behind me. He's wearing a dark coat, and his hood is up. His collar is glowing a faint blue, and his eyes are narrowed.
"Llywelyn." I hiss. "What are you doing out here? It's too loud for you in the day." I try to deflect, but he's not buying it.
"Don't tell me what I can or can't do, you hetchki." He snaps, and steps closer. "I followed you. I knew you were up to something."
"I'm not-"
"Please." He scoffs. "Don't insult my intelligence. You've never been subtle. Why would you start now?" He crosses his arms, and glares at me. "What s'nilian foolishness are you doing? Breaking into some stranger's ship?" He shakes his head. "You could get yourself killed. Or worse. Did you forget that you're a sub-sapient slave here? You don't have any rights. They could just... kill you, and probably just pay a fine to Master." He looks me over. "If even that."
"If they wanna try to kill me, I'll kill them first." I snap back. "I'm not going to just sit around and wait for it to happen."
He stares at me, and his expression softens a little. He sighs, and runs a hand through his hair. "Sarah... what are you doing?"
I hesitate.
His expression is soft. His voice warm and familiar and I...
I want to tell him.
But I can't.
"It doesn't concern you. Go back to the hotel." I say, turning and pushing past him. "I'm not going to stop, so don't waste your time."
He grabs my arm, and I turn to glare at him.
"What I should do is tell Master." He says, and his voice is quiet. "That you're trying to steal a ship and go back to your planet." His hand tightens painfully on my arm. "That you're trying to get killed."
I stare at him, my heart pounding.
He... he knows.
He knows what I'm doing.
I can see it in his eyes.
He knows.
And he's going to tell Xilukulkas.
He's going to ruin everything.
I can't let him.
I pull my arm out of his grip, and take a step back. "Llywelyn... please." I say, and my voice breaks a little. "Don't."
I don't know if I'm asking him not to hurt me or asking him not to make me hurt him. Maybe both.
He looks at me, and his eyes are sad. "Sarah..."
"Please." I whisper.
He closes his eyes, and takes a deep breath. When he opens them again, his expression is resigned. "Fine. Then I'm coming with you." He says.
I blink at him. "What?"
He nods, and then walks past me, away from the ship. "You're fis'ia hopeless. If I just leave you to it, you'll only die. Then I'll feel guilty and Master will scold me. So come on." He waves a hand. "I'll help you find a ship. Unlike you, I actually know what I'm doing." He arches a brow. "Unless you want to keep uselessly beating on a call panel?" He says, sarcasm thick in his voice.
I stare at him, stunned.
Is he...
Is he serious?
Is he really going to help me?
Why?
"Why?"
I don't move from my spot. I can't. I'm too shocked.
He growls, and turns around to face me. "Because you're a stupid, reckless, troublemaking hetchki, and I don't want to have to explain to Master how you got yourself killed trying to steal a ship." He says, and his collar flashes. "Now, are you coming or not? I don't want to die today. Do you?"
I bite my lip, and then swallow.
I don't understand him. I don't know why he's doing this. But... I can't pass up this chance. If he's really going to help me, then... I have to take it.
Even if I don't know what he's planning. Even if I don't trust him.
I have to try.
I nod, and walk toward him.
He smirks, and then turns and starts walking. I follow, and try to ignore the way my stomach is churning.
This is a mistake. I know it is. But...
It's also an opportunity.
And I'm not going to waste it.
We walk in silence for a while, weaving through the crowd. I can barely keep up with him, but he doesn't seem to mind slowing down for me. He keeps his hood up, and his collar is dim. He's trying to be inconspicuous, I guess. It's a little funny, considering how tall and bright he usually is.
I wonder what he's going to do. How he's going to help me. Is he just going to tell me which ships are good, or is he going to actually help me break into one?
I hope it's the latter. I could use the help.
He leads me away from the main port, and into a less crowded area. There are still ships here, but they're not as fancy. They look more like cargo ships, or transport vessels.
"First, that thing wasn't even long-range capable. It wouldn't have gotten you half a quad before it died." He says, as he walks. "Second, you're ridiculous. Those expensive ships have too much security. Even if you got in, they'd turn it around on you long before you got where you wanted to go." He shakes his head. "You need something basic, but functional. Something that nobody really cares about. Something that can slip under the radar."
I blink at him. "How do you know all this?"
He glances at me, and then rolls his eyes. "Sentient. I'm a member of a spacefaring society, remember? I know my way around a ship. I know what they can and can't do."
"Oh."
"Wait." He grabs me and yanks me close to him, pulling us into an alleyway, just as a group of people walk by. They're wearing uniforms, and they look serious. Guards, maybe?
I hold my breath, and press myself against Llywelyn. His hand is on my back, his arm around my waist. He smells like salt and sea, and his chest is warm. I can feel his heartbeat, and it's fast.
The guards pass by, and he lets out a breath. He looks down at me, and his collar is glowing bright blue. "Imperial guards. Quentisoh' kah to deal with even if we had a good reason to be skulking around here."
"Imperial...?"
"They guard the Galactic King." He squints around the corner. "Maybe the Prince. No idea what s'nilian reason they're here for." He shakes his head.
"The Galactic King?" I blink. "There's a king?"
"Yeah-nishi'an! Mira was supposed to tell you this! I'm sure!"
"Yeah. Well. She didn't." I say, and then peek around him. The guards are gone, but I can still see them in the distance. "So this 'empire' hasn't figured out democracy..."
The man in front of me gives me a flat look. "We are aware of it. His Majesty chose to reject it. Militarily. Or rather- his ancestor did." He shrugs. "Either way, we have a king."
"Not me."
His lips quirk up into a faint smile. "No. Not you."
We stare at each other for a moment, there in the alley, with the sound of the guards fading into silence.
He's very close. His arm is around me, holding me flush against him, and he's...
Beautiful.
He really is.
He's not human looking at all. He shouldn't be attractive to me. He's an alien. A different species. His skin is blue, his eyes gold and black, his ears are fins. His teeth are sharper than a human's. He's not like me at all.
But he's still beautiful.
I don't understand it.
He's staring down at me. His eyes are deep, and soft, and his lips are slightly parted.
I wonder what they taste like.
Technically he-
Under the water, I've felt them before. I know they're soft. But I wasn't in a state to really process it then, and it was underwater so...
I wonder.
His hand appears on my cheek. His thumb brushes my skin, and I lean into it. It's so warm, and gentle.
"Sarah..." He says, and his voice is low, and rough.
"Llywelyn!" A bright, cheerful voice sings, almost directly in my ear. "Sarah! There you are!"