Page 9 of My Alien Pirate

Her gaze softened. "Come on, Zhar. This isn't like you. You've been distracted, distant. Everyone's noticed. Even Jorixx and he barely notices anything outside the engine room."

I scoffed at that, but Grixxa pressed on. "You've been standing here for nearly a betale. You think I don't know what that means?"

My muscles tensed, and I knew there was no use in denying it. "It's just a... fascination. A scientific curiosity. We've never encountered anything like her before. She's a rare specimen. It's natural to be intrigued."

Grixxa raised an eyebrow. "Scientific curiosity? That's what you're going with? You think I don't know what bothers you? What might be happening to you?"

I knew Grixxa wasn't fooled, but I wasn't ready to admit to the growing attraction I felt for Nova. "It doesn't matter, Grixxa. We have a buyer lined up on Novum. By this time next cycle, Nova will be out of our lives, and we'll be rich enough to retire to any planet we choose."

Grixxa's voice took on a concerned tone. "Is that really what you want, Zhar?"

I flashed my teeth in warning and brushed past her, trying to conceal the turmoil I felt. "Good night, Grixxa."

Feeling her gaze on my back, I didn't dare turn around to look at her again. I stomped toward my quarters instead. A cup of radgick and a good night's sleep would clear my head. Maybe Iwould call the Calingot who I had contacted about buying the alien. The reminder of all the credits she was worth would help flush any other designs out of my system.

But as I sat sipping my warm radgick, I couldn't seem to make myself pick up the interstellar comms. We had quite a way to go before we reached Novum. No sense in making the creature overly anxious for his prize. Better to make him wait, I argued with myself knowing all the while I was lying to myself.

Grixxa had been right. There was a distinct pull toward the little alien even as I avoided putting myself directly in her path. An overwhelming desire to be near her that I couldn't control. It was like nothing I'd ever experienced before. And even as I fought against it, I was afraid of what it might mean. For both of us.

8

Decisions

The atmosphere on the bridge the next day was fraught with tension. Grixxa and Jorixx were still arguing over how dangerous Nova might be, while my thoughts were consumed more with the little alien's appearance—those fascinating blue eyes, the cascade of silky black filaments that covered her head, her intoxicating scent that had nothing to do with the body cleansing solutions we provided her. My tongue flicked from my mouth and I thought I could scent her even here, three levels up from her cabin.

I suppressed a groan, clearing my throat and interrupting my crew."Speaking of communication," I said, though I truly had no idea if that was the topic at hand, "any progress on deciphering the alien's language?"

Grixxa started and stared at my non sequitur before shaking her head, her crest drooping slightly. "It's unlike anything in our database. The phonetic structure, the syntax—it's completelyalien. I've been running it through every translation algorithm we have, but so far, no luck."

I suppressed a sigh of frustration. How was I supposed to learn more about Nova if we couldn't even talk to her?

"Keep working on it," I ordered. "In the meantime, Jor, I want a full analysis of that debris field. If there's anything left of her ship's computer core, I want it retrieved and decoded. And feed it into the universal translator to see if it can figure it out."

Jorixx frowned but nodded, his thick hide rippling with acknowledgment. "Yes, Captain. I'll get the team working on it immediately."

As Jorixx lumbered off to carry out my orders, I turned back to the viewscreen. The stars streaked by in long lines of light as we cruised at speed toward Novum. Toward the auction house that could provide the buyer who would take Nova off our hands and make us rich beyond our wildest dreams.

So why did the thought fill me with such a deep dread?

As the days dragged on, the weight of my decision grew heavier. I tried to keep my mind busy with the ship's business, but invariably my thoughts drifted back to Nova. My daily routine became a series of conflicting emotions—duty to my mission battling overwhelming curiosity about a creature so utterly different from me yet so captivating.

More than once, I almost gave in to the urge to visit her. But each time, I forced myself away, knowing that giving in to that attraction would only complicate things further. In a moment of weakness, as I stood by Nova's door once more, I allowed myself a small reprieve.

I activated the translucent panel beside the door, permitting me to observe her without entering her quarters or allowing her to know she was being observed. She sat quietly, her hands wrapped around a mug of some steaming liquid Daz had decided would be suitable for her human physiology. There were smalllines in between the dark lines of filaments that framed her eyes as she gazed into the distance, lost in her own world of thoughts.

The sight both comforted and unsettled me. Comforted, because she appeared unharmed and almost at peace despite her situation. Unsettled, because I was beginning to question if allowing her to leave my protection for a reward was truly the best outcome. I decided I needed more information on the little alien. Sooner rather than later.

There was no denying that Nova was becoming more than just an asset to me, more than just a novelty or a fat payday. And I hadn't even spoken to her since that first day. As another click came to a close, I found myself ordering the crew to slow down the ship, a part of me resisting the tide that would inevitably sweep Nova away from me.

"I've been thinking, Jor." I rested my chin on one tentacle as I sat in my chair staring out a the viewfinder. "What if you find something important in the debris you're hunting through? What if there are parts we missed that would be crucial to you understanding some important aspect of the equipment that would allow us to communicate?"

Jor's three eyes all relayed suspicion and he crossed all four of his arms over his burly chest. "What are you suggesting, Captain?"

I leaned back in my chair, thinking hard. What exactly was I suggesting? I cleared my throat and put on my most authoritative voice. "We need to turn around and head back to where we found the alien debris field. I have a feeling we missed something."

Jorixx's forehead wrinkles deepened with obvious displeasure, and I pretended not to see Grixxa's ridges light up a happy pink. "Setting a course, Captain," Grixxa announced, pleasure evident in her voice.

Jorixx simply stared for another long breath before turning away and heading back to his work area. I stared straight ahead, warring with the need to break out in a smile of relief. This could be the biggest mistake I'd ever made but deep in my gut it felt completely right.