The ship shifted silently down the tarmac right into the center of the Portalia City Space Port, surrounded by other ships that had either just landed or were refueling and preparing for their next flights. The simple Skyan charter ship was nothing special, many of them passed through this particular space port every day, importing and exporting various supplies, as well as carrying small numbers of Skyavok travelers, most of whom worked in Portalia City or were traveling to other districts as tourists.
This ship though was a business shuttle, normally used by governmental members of Skyan society. It had been waylaid for several days, having made several stops and refuels on other planets before it could get to Portalia, and it needed one more refuel before it could head back to the Voidlands where most Skyavok lived. Before it could do that though, it needed to drop off some of the ship’s travelers.
“I am so sorry this took so long!” Ksiel did his best to smile, standing at the bottom of the stairs into the exit gate to the rest of the space port. “I really did not think we would have so much trouble with getting you all here!” Ksiel was a Skyan ambassador, but he had originally been serving in the city of Thre-Sypria, on planet Retha, a territory currently undergoing… a lot of turmoil. He watched carefully and calmly as six Rethavok slowly made their way down the stairs, followed by two Skyavok bodyguards who were accompanying them.
“It is fine…” Lysar, the leader of the group, sighed, her eyes heavy from the sheer stress of everything that had happened. “There is a party waiting for us, yes?”
Ksiel nodded. “The guards here will use my ID to get you all through off-bound security, and there is a bus waiting for you at the end. Hopefully you will all be able to settle down, away from this… tyranny.”
“What about you, Ksiel?” Lysar asked.
“Me? Oh, well, I don’t know. I’ll probably just get an ambassador job elsewhere. After I’ve reported on what happened here, of course! Now you lot head off now, you need to get back to your own.”
“Thank you, Ksiel. We owe our lives to you.”
“You really don’t. You needed help, I helped you. That’s what good vok do!” Ksiel laughed as he waved his arms. “Now scram!”
Lysar bowed her head and joined up with the two Skyan guards, who led the other Rethans down the tacky, carpeted path, past the luggage pickup areas and to a rather secluded pickup area. Waiting for them, as Ksiel had promised, was a large hoverbus with blacked out curtains. Standing by the door was a rather short, green and silver-armoured being, none of the group completely sure that it was a Rethavok or not.
“Good day, please step inside…”
The Skyan guards waved and stepped away while Lysar and the Rethans did as they were told. Lysar made sure everyone else was on board first, before heading inside herself. The small Rethan followed Lysar inside, but before Lysar could sit down, they put a kindly hand on Lysar’s shoulder.
“I am very glad that you are alive, Lysar.”
“I… I appreciate that…” Lysar smiled weakly, then paused. This Rethan, something about them was vaguely familiar. Their eyes, perhaps? “Do I know you?”
The Rethan sighed, then nodded. “We have met a few times, yes. Please, could you sit at the back of the bus, past the little curtain? The vok in charge of this operation wishes to speak to you.”
“Why?”
“You will see.”
The Rethan closed the door, tugging on the handle to make sure it was shut, then climbed into the driver’s seat, turning on the engine and very slowly pulling away from the curb. Lysar hesitated, then headed down the aisle between the rows of seats, pausing to make sure that everyone else was strapped in. Sitting behind the driver were two more Rethavok, both armed, who were clearly working with the green Rethan at the front. Behind them were Lysar’s five new friends, all tired and slowly trying to relax. Past that were several rows of empty seats, followed by a small, black curtain, which separated the back of the bus from the front.
Not sure what to expect, Lysar pulled the curtain to one side and…
“LYSAR?”
A beautiful red and gold Rethan sat up from his seat and pulled Lysar close, holding her tightly.
“Rethais! I thought… I thought you were…”
“It is a miracle that we are together again…” Lysar’s dear husband whispered as they embraced one another. “Thank you, Lysar, thank you for coming back to me…”
Lysar closed her eyes as she clung on to Rethais, sitting down beside him. “Thank you for being alive, my love…”