Beyond the Stars (40 page)

“He’s right. It is just a formality,” Colin agreed. “We will not give you up without a fight,” he said adamantly. He looked Gaelan in the eye as if he were conveying a hidden message to his son.

“From what I heard, I think they are more concerned with your inconvenient run-in with the Dreons than with you two being together,” Liam hedged.

“Why does it matter if the Dreons know about me? How does that put you at risk?”

“They are just being cautious,” Colin explained. “Some people believe that the Dreons only stopped their exploitation of our people because we explained our strong beliefs against inter-species breeding when we made our agreement with them. If a Katarian has a relationship with someone from another planet, it would make them assume we believe otherwise.”

“Oh, please,” Zaric scoffed. “The Dreons are
anything
but noble. They are only concerned with their own agenda. Our feelings mean nothing to them. In their view, we are only prey for the taking.”

“I think the real reason they agreed to the truce was our unexpected success in resisting them,” Liam exclaimed. “Our weapons hurt them more than they cared to disclose. We should have demanded that they leave our planet, never to return.” He seemed to share his older brother’s view.

“Easier said than done, Liam,” Miria interjected. “I can only imagine how hard it must have been for our council to keep their thoughts in order. I am certain that they distorted their thinking with their mind control.”

“Sami, don’t worry. Everything will be all right,” Azil comforted me. “Try to get some sleep. I’ll help you get ready in the morning.” She anxiously went off to her residence with Zaric and their children, in the left wing of the home. I could tell they were desperate to spend time alone.

“Thanks,” I muttered.

***

Gaelan and I wished the rest of his family good night. He led me to his side of the family home. He explained that each of them lived separately within the massive estate. I could have gotten lost. Gaelan’s suite was decorated much more simply than the elaborate living room we had just been sitting in. It was also considerably more modern. He didn’t have a lot of furniture. There was one wide black sofa, an overstuffed chair, and two square, lighted acrylic end tables in the living room. Taking up the far left side of the room was a sleek slategreen kitchenette. The place was neat but unfussy. He had things set carelessly across the kitchen countertop. Three doorways led to other rooms. I could see a low bed through one of the doors. I saw him trying to size up my reaction as he showed me around.

“I don’t spend much time here. I live more on the ship than anywhere else,” he said, sounding embarrassed by the somewhat vacant space.

“
No,
don’t explain. You have a great place,” I assured him, despite the sound of my loud, echoing footsteps resonating throughout the almost empty room. I looked around. It made me realize how materialistic I had become. His minimalist lifestyle carried a freedom of its own. I suddenly valued my voyage to Kataria even more. It had forced me to adapt to living with less and place value on what truly mattered. I smiled while I happily took in the simplicity around me. “I’m just surprised by how old-fashioned Kataria is compared to the ship.”

“That’s because our society has become two-sided. Those who want tradition live and work on Kataria, while those seeking modernization reside primarily on Spaceport or the ships.”

“It’s like two different worlds.” I thought about his words.

“Yes, and that’s something we find interesting about Earth. You don’t seem to be experiencing such a split as you become more technologically advanced. It’s impressive how gracefully you’ve been able to accept change.” He looked at me curiously for a moment before his eyes brightened. “Come, I want to show you something. It is my favorite room,” he said enthusiastically. He took my hand and led me into a large, barren room. The ceiling was twenty feet high with a wall of cathedral-like windows at one end. It was furnished with two stools and a long, dark wooden table covered with colorful jars. There was a large painter’s easel with a crumbled gray canvas tarp underneath it stationed below the room’s tall windows. The bright moons were shining brilliantly through the uncovered glass, vividly illuminating the vast array of paint jars strewn across the table below. The remaining walls were covered floor to ceiling with the most amazing paintings, each illuminated by tiny spotlights shining down on them from above. I gazed up at the colorful masterpieces of stars and breathtaking landscapes.

“I like to spend my time in here, painting, when I’m at home,” Gaelan explained.

“Wait! You painted
all
of these?” I asked in disbelief.

“Yes,” he said humbly.

My jaw dropped in awe. “Gaelan, they are
fantastic!
You are so talented! They’re beautiful.” I wandered around the room, peering up at all of the canvases covering the walls before I looked over at him. He had a wide smile across his face from my positive response.

“Thank you. I enjoy it. It relaxes me. Being in here is the thing I miss most when I’m away.”

“Do you ever paint on board?”

“No, and I don’t know why. I guess it is something that is sacred to me. I like to do it in private. Also, the lighting isn’t ideal. I prefer to paint in natural daylight, leaving only the commonly shared areas of the ship as acceptable locations, so again privacy becomes an issue.”

“Hmmm … I never pegged you as the eccentric artist type.”

“I am happy to share this with you.” He half-smiled.

“Thank you; it’s an honor.”

“Everything I have is yours. Please, make yourself at home,” Gaelan said smoothly as he walked over to me and pulled me into his arms to embrace me. I looked up into his loving eyes. He wasted no time and kissed me with one of those succulent kisses. I felt a warm rush. He could stop time and make me feel like we were the only ones in the world. The transcending sensation pulsed through my lips and awakened my inner desires. I came back to reality when he released his lips and held me snuggly against his body.

“Hmmm,” he moaned, “you feel great.”

“So do you,” I replied while I felt his muscles across his back. “
Enticing
.”

“
Ahh
, Sami, you are really hard to be around sometimes,” he murmured through my hair before he kissed the top of my head.

“Tell me about it,” I agreed, understanding exactly what he meant. I loved feeling his body next to mine.

“Hmmm,” he sighed again while he caressed my back with his hand.

“Gaelan, I’m worried about tomorrow,” I admitted.

“I know. I am sorry you have to deal with this on your first visit to Kataria,” he muttered casually.

“
First
visit?
“

“You caught that, did you?” he chuckled quietly.

“You plan on dragging me across the universe again, do you?”

“If you so desire, yes.”

“What should I expect tomorrow? How does it work? Do you have an attorney, you know, someone to help us?”

“No, but we can call upon witnesses. The council’s document stated that they already summoned Tyden and Urit to testify. They would be my first choice, anyway.” His smile faded as his voice took on a serious tone.

“Noah could help,” I offered.

“No. He is considered biased. He’s been too close to you all these years. You’ve made every one of his reports.”

“Really, I did? I would like to see those. Wait a minute.” I gasped in horror. “I thought that the reports were strictly professional. You mean they cover
more
than just our technological progress?”

“Well—we also mention our success in building relations with your people.”

I started pacing around the room. “Has the council read those reports? What do they know about me? Did
you
know about me before we met?” I vented.

“Yes, I knew some things about you. Noah has commented on you throughout the years,” he admitted hesitantly.

I clenched my fingers through my hair. “
Oh
,” I groaned. “This is just too strange. I feel invaded. This is a violation of privacy. I can’t even imagine what things Noah may have said about me over the years. I confided in him completely. I told him things I
never
would have told anyone else. We’ve been so close. What
exactly
has he written?” I ranted, demanding an answer. Gaelan shifted his body nervously.

“Please, Sami, don’t get the wrong impression. Noah’s reports mostly cover your technical advancements. He had always been very professional when he mentioned you and Jack.”

“
Arrgh
, you know about Jack?” I stood motionless with widened eyes.

“Yes,” he said flatly.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” I raised my voice in anger. “I can’t believe it. You never said a word,” I responded abruptly. Although I knew it was something I should have told him about myself, it felt easier to put the blame on him. I’m not entirely sure why I didn’t just say, “Oh yeah, and by the way, I was married to another man for almost eighteen years.” I guess it seemed only fair that I kept some secrets of my own. He already appeared to know more about me than I did him.

“I’m sorry, I know this is awkward. I should have told you, but I did not want to remind you of your pain. I thought maybe you would tell me about him when you were ready. Besides, it makes me uncomfortable. I am not sure how I would compare.”

“I would never compare you. How could I? I didn’t mention him because …” I took a deep breath and shook my head as I searched for an acceptable answer. I thought about how I loved both men. But they were from two different eras in my life. Jack was gone, and Gaelan held the key to my soul now. He was my present and my future. I pulled myself together and finally answered, “It makes me feel helpless when I think about it. It was a hard time in my life. I need to distance myself from the pain. Block it from my mind. I wasn’t prepared to lose him, and I did.” Truthfully, there were few people I could talk to about Jack, usually only those who shared in my suffering. It was private. I didn’t like to expose my out-of-control emotions. It made me feel weak. I wanted to tell him that I couldn’t handle it if anything happened to him. That no one could ever compare to him. He was everything and more. He was so easy to love. I hated being so vulnerable.

“He sounded like a good man.”

“Yes, he was,” I said solemnly. “What did you hear about him?”

“I knew he worked for SIG and was a test pilot. By the way Noah described him, he sounded like someone I would have liked to have on board.”

“What do you know about the test flights? I just found out that Jack wasn’t only flying our experimental aircraft but alien vessels as well.”

“Yes, we’ve been following those for a while now. Your people are in the possession of several Garmite and Farni ships.”

“Who are they? They aren’t dangerous,
are they?
”

“No. They aren’t going to ask for their ships back if that’s what you worried about.” He paused and studied my face for a moment. It was as though he was deciding if I could handle the truth. “The Farni are beings that reside in oceanic regions. They are nice for the most part. Harmless. They make their homes wherever there is a lot of water. They not only live on Earth but all over the galaxy. They’ve got more colonies than we can keep track of. Besides being a little careless, always getting spotted entering or exiting the water, they try not to interact with other species and usually never leave a vessel behind. It’s extremely lucky that you managed to get a hold of one.”

“And the Garmites. What about them?”

“Oh,
not so nice
. They are beastly creatures … vagrants with no morals, surprisingly vain. They have terrible tempers. We try to avoid them whenever possible. They would steal the clothes right off your back. They are known for scavenging resources and stealing energy. They leave a trail wherever they go but never stick around for too long. They’re always on the run and travel in packs. In the past, they used to introduce themselves when they entered another’s airspace, but lately they’ve become paranoid about meeting new people. I think it’s because they are afraid of being handed over to their enemies. They’ve created quite a list. They’re notorious for consuming copious amounts of coti, getting buzzed up, and crashing their ships. Zaric and I have a bet going that they aren’t going to get their drunken butts off one of their vessels one of these days and really blow their cover. “

“Lovely,” I said sarcastically. I couldn’t help notice the underlying pride he seemed to possess in having the ability to keep their ships undetected. He seemed to believe being seen was a weakness.

“Welcome to the galaxy,” he said.

“Thanks. I think I’ve heard enough for one day.” Just thinking about those reports and other alien visitors made me feel like a stalking victim. Talk about being watched. Then, there was Jack and his lies. Him not telling me the truth made me mad on so many levels. “Did you know about Leah and Jackson, too?” I muttered, trying to determine the extent to which my personal life had been violated. I thought about my family being the poster family for Earth. My temples started to throb from my rising blood pressure. I took in a slow, deep breath, trying to curb my rising anxiety.