Allies (Warriors of Karal Book 5) (16 page)

Her heart began to beat rapidly in her chest, and she felt nervous as she asked her next question. “And what was that particular piece of information?”

“I think you can guess.”

“Really?” she asked, hoping that he would not tease her over something so important.

“I asked the computer to run the readings twice again, just to make sure. And the information it gathered from your tag was positive.”

“I’m pregnant?” She barely whispered the words. “And you are sure?”

“Yes.” She didn’t think that she could ever see such happiness in a stern Karalian’s face. But he was happy, and she undid her seatbelt and flung herself at him. Her lips met his, and then she pulled back and beamed a smile as bright as any sun.

“I love you, Petra. And now our family will be complete.”

“I didn’t think I would ever be happy to have a child. Before I left Earth it’s not something I’d really considered, because of the state of the planet. But now I can’t wait, I can’t wait to explore Karal, and make a home with you, Niko, and a future for us and our child.”

It seemed as if everybody’s future that brighter as they hurtled towards the first wormhole that would take them home to Karal.

The sun was bright, reflecting off the ocean as Niko walked along the edge of the surf, with Petra by his side. In his arms he held their first child. A boy, a son, she had insisted they call Silas, and he felt at peace.

They had been living in his house by the ocean for the last four months. When they had first returned after the space mission, Petra had been given some responsibilities, assisting with the movement of humans, particularly females, from Earth to Karal, while Okil prepared for the first stage of the colony on Lilith. It had taken up a lot of the time, but it had also her happy.

The colony on Lilith was almost ready to accept its first human inhabitants. The first people had been transported from Earth to Karal, so that they could be checked over, to ensure that their lungs were healthy, and to be fed good food. They needed to be strong for the journey, and for the coming months of hard work that were before them on the new planet.

For nobody was in any doubt, that this was going to be hard work. Building a colony, homes, schools, and providing enough food for everybody was much more difficult when they were starting from nothing.

It had been decided that rather than the Karal doing all the work, it would be beneficial for humans to have an input into how they wanted things. Because even though the two species were learning to work together, they were also completely different on so many levels.

“What are you thinking?” he asked her, as the waves lapped around their ankles.

“I’m thinking of how lucky our son is, to have this world to grow up on and to have a father like you. My father was so very special to me, and I am proud you are the father of our child.”

“You might not think that when we had come home covered in mud, after we have slid down the slopes of
Mushta
after the spring rains.”

“I don’t think that there is anything you could do that would make me upset. As long as it means that you are having fun and our child is building memories that will live with him for ever.”

“I may hold you to that, Petra.” He turned and grinned at her. “My father would never have done those things with me. The last generation was more reserved.”

“Is that because they did not have humans to corrupt them?” She threaded her arm through his and leaned on his shoulder, looking at their child with such love his heart thought it would burst.

“Yes. And that makes me feel very sorry for our fathers.”

“I don’t know about that, in some ways they had an easier life.”

“I am sure they did. Certainly their Hier Ruler did. Having to cope with thousands of pregnant women running loose on Karal is not easy.”

“You can’t upset me with your jokes.” She had grown used to his humour. When they first returned he had had fun teasing her and watching her reaction. It still enthralled him, how fierce she was, and how determined to make the best of everything.

When he had picked her up from Earth, all those months ago, he would never have imagined that she would settle in so well on his planet. Indeed, the human females, who were growing rapidly in number, were blooming, embracing everything about their new home, and never seemed to complain about leaving the old lives behind. Even though, if they were anything like Petra, they must be homesick at times.

And that brought him to the next thing he had to tell her. “We have been recalled to the tower.”

They stood looking out into the ocean, and she sighed next to him. “It’s so beautiful here I don’t think I want to return, not yet.”

“It is to see the first colonists leave for Lilith.”

“I thought they weren’t going to leave for months?” she asked.

“It seems things have moved forward more quickly than we imagined. And those that have come to Karal are healthier than Darl had anticipated. So it seems prudent to move them to Lilith.”

“When?” she asked.

“In two days’ time.”

“Then we should go back and pack.” And they turned to walk back along the beach, a human and Karalian and their perfect child.

They landed back at the breeding house, where the huge cruisers were all prepared for take-off, their long journey to Lilith only hours away. Petra was surprised to see so many Karalians there too. It seemed as if the whole planet had begun pulling together for the people of Earth.

At around the time she was expecting Silas, Niko had told her Karal had gone into manufacturing overdrive to prepare the prefabricated sheets needed for temporary buildings that would be used while the colonists built their permanent homes.

“Ready?” he asked as they headed to the back of the cruiser, and he let down the ramp.

She held their son in her arms as she carefully left the cruiser. Immediately, they were met by Okil. “You’ve arrived. I am so pleased you came. I know it was short notice.”

“We wouldn’t have missed it, although I thought there were a couple more months until you planned to launch.”

“The Hier Ruler was feeling particularly generous, so we moved the date forward. We were ready anyway, but, you know … I didn’t want him to change his mind,” Okil said, and Petra frowned, trying to follow the meaning of his words.

“You are talking in riddles,” Niko said bluntly.

“I know.” Okil smiled, looking nervous, but then he would, wouldn’t he, he was about to leave his home planet to start a new colony. It was to be made up of a mixture of Karalians, and their human mates, who had the necessary skills to build the colony, and human couples and families, who would be the backup plan if the Karal ever needed females to breed with in the future.

The first Karalian girl may have been born healthy, but Darl could not say if she would be fertile. So the Karal wanted a backup plan. A colony where they could breed human females, is how she had thought of it.

Part of Petra wondered if the uncertainty of the fertility of the Karalian girls was a conspiracy between Darl and Okil, their way of giving the council a reason to save the human race. If that was true, she was immensely thankful. But she would never ask them, and they would never tell, even if she did.

“There is someone I want you to see.” Okil led them away from the crowd, and the warriors who were buzzing around doing last-minute checks, and they headed to a small group of people stood to one side. She recognised the Hier Ruler, and also Torac, who turned and looked at them as they approached.

He spoke quietly, and the Hier Ruler turned to look at them too, making her feel a little uneasy. But then he took a step back, and behind him, she saw the President of Earth. Her mother.

“Mom,” she said, her voice high pitched as she tried to breathe. Her brain was whirling through all the reasons her mom was here. Had something happened? Maybe she was no longer the President of Earth, and she was here to escape to Lilith.

“Petra!” her mom said, and then came towards her, stopping a couple of steps away to say, “I didn’t know you had a baby.”

“His name is Silas,” Petra said, and watched her mom’s face collapse into tears.

“You named him after your dad?” she asked.

“Oh course,” Petra said. She didn’t let on that it had taken some time, and a lot of persuasion, to get Niko to agree. The Karal liked to pass down family names; it was almost like a surname on Earth. However, eventually, after seeing how much it meant to her, he gave in.

“Oh my goodness,” she said. “Can I hold him?”

“Yes, he is your grandson, after all.” Petra passed her son over to his grandmother, who promptly hugged Petra too.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “For everything.”

“I’m not,” Petra said honestly. The two of them looked at each other, their eyes fixed as they made their peace. “Now, what’s it like being President of Earth?

“It is the hardest thing I have ever done. But today makes it all worthwhile.”

Together, they all headed to where the colonists were boarding the cruiser, and as Okil and Tikki walked up the ramp, with their own child holding Okil’s hand, Petra knew that it was all worth the sacrifice, big or small, and that everyone gathered here felt the same way.

“Here’s to a new future,” she said, and Niko squeezed her hand.

“Here’s to our new future.” And she leaned against him, feeling the faint buzz of electricity across his skin.

“I hope they will be as happy as we are,” she said.

“Impossible,” he murmured into her ear. And she had to agree. But still she hoped, because that was all humans had once.

Now they had a future.

Other Books By Harmony Raines

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