Sisters fair, of silver and green,

Grant the sky

A familiar dream.

Golden sun shines

On sparkling seas,

Of Silva Prime.

-Author Unknown

--------------------------------

Maggie stared through the shuttles window at the planet that seemed to be made completely of white sandy beaches and sparkling blue seas. Thin strips of jungle curled along many of the beaches, or cut through the deep blue water. The shuttle adjusted trajectory slightly, skimming across the blue water as it came in to land on a small island balanced on a pedestal sticking up out of the sea. The air shimmered as they passed through an almost invisible barrier, landing on the pale grey surface of the island with barely a bump. It was more like an elevator easing gently into place.

“It’s like a whole planet Hawaii.” Maggie said.

“Not quite, but close enough.” Theodrakis chuckled, powering down the shuttle systems. It was just him, Ux’thu, Robin and Maggie on the ship, and Maggie had to argue for even Robin to join them. He was in his chibi form, sitting on her shoulder. It was reassuring having him right there, but she knew there were going to be plenty of times they wouldn’t let her have him near.

They still didn’t trust him.

Maggie hugged the tablet against her chest as the door to the shuttle slid open, letting in a warm breeze that smelled like the lakes back home. She took a deep breath, closing her eyes and imagining that she was on one of those lakes right now, instead of so far from home that they stopped measuring in miles and started measuring in things like lightyears.

Theodrakis gave her other shoulder a gentle squeeze, and offered her a warm smile when she opened her eyes. “It’s going to be alright.”

Easy for him to say. She smiled though, and followed him and Ux’thu off the shuttle into the sunlight, blinking as her eyes adjusted to the brightness.

“Ambassador Ux’thu, it has been too long.” A short, slender Silvarian stepped out from beneath the shade of a nearby awning, followed by a human woman with dark skin and pure white hair. Just like the girl from Maggie’s dreams.

“You can’t keep referring to her as the girl you know. She has a name.”

Maggie bit her tongue to keep from responding out loud. She might have a name, but she had never actually told Maggie it!

She could have been imagining it, but she swore she felt embarrassment coming from Te’chik.

“Si’l Vala Reshka’i, you look as lovely as ever.” Ux’thu waddled forward on his hind legs, holding his forepaws out to her. Gracefully, the Silvarian stood on her own hind legs, resting her paws in his and giving him a nuzzle.

“And you are as much a sweet talker as ever, and you bring the best gifts.” Si’l Vala Reshka’i turned her gaze on Maggie, looking her over in an assessing way. “She looks very healthy for a new Key Holder, especially given the reports you had forwarded to me.”

“She is, Maggie, this is Si’l Vala Reshka’i, head of research into Ancients technology. Reshka’i this is my granddaughter, Maggie.” Ux’thu leaned on his cane, one paw gesturing to Maggie. “And of course you remember my son, Theodrakis.”

Reshka’i wrinkled her nose, baring sharp teeth as if she had just tasted something bad. It didn’t take her long to get herself back under control, her face smoothing into a polite expression, even if she couldn’t quite hide the contempt in her voice. “Of course I remember little Theodrakis. How could I forget? How... nice to see you again. And your... granddaughter you say? Did you finally find Nora then?”

“No, unfortunately not. We believe she is on Earth somewhere, but you know how difficult it is to get permission to visit there lately. The Alliance is worried the proof of life beyond Earth will become too much to cover up. But let’s find someplace more comfortable to talk. Theo, do you want to take Maggie home? I’m sure she’ll want to get settled.” Ux’thu looked up at Theo with a smile.

Maggie watched awkwardly, glancing at the other human, standing silent and polite just behind Reshka’i. Was no one going to introduce her? Great, it really was going to be just like the little girl in her dreams, she’d never learn their name!

“It’s So’lee. Her name is So’lee.” Te’chik provided helpfully, still with that tinge of embarrassment. Maggie didn’t have any sympathy, it had been ages since they had started talking to her, and she was only now getting her name? But she supposed she should have been better about asking too.

The author's content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

“That’s a good idea, what do you think Maggie? Do you want to see our home?” Theodrakis smiled, holding out a hand to her. “I called ahead and had them set up a room for you, it should be ready by now. And I know it’s been a while since you’ve been on a planet. How are you feeling?”

“I feel fine.” Maggie said, not sure why she’d feel anything else. It was nice to get some actual fresh air though, and the water looked so tempting to swim in!

“You do? Interesting. No disorientation? Hallucinations? Balance issues?” Reshka’i moved closer to Maggie, holding out a hand to the silent human that had accompanied her. “Scanner.”

The human pulled out a small crystal wand from a bag at her side, handing it to Reshka’i. Immediately, the Silvarian started to run the wand across Maggie, a soft blue light emanating from it. Maggie watched with a growing sense of unease. “I think I would like to settle in. Are you going to introduce your friend?”

“Friend?” Reshka’i paused, looking at Maggie with a faint hint of annoyance. “What friend? What is that on your shoulder?”

“Your friend, that just gave you the scanner? Standing right there?” Maggie pointed at the other human, whose eyes widened in alarm. “And this is my friend Robin.”

Reshka’i looked at the other human, then back at Maggie, waving a paw dismissively. “She is Ja’li if you must call her anything, and she is not a friend. She is-”

“Her assistant.” Ux’thu cut in, putting a paw lightly on Reshka’i’s shoulder. “Theo, go ahead and take Maggie home. I’ll be there shortly, and Reshka’i can do some scans tomorrow. Just to determine a baseline and see what training will be best for her.”

“I think that would be best.” Theodrakis said, wrapping an arm around Maggie and guiding her towards a small boat looking thing perched at the edge of the island. “Come on Maggie. Ux’thu and Si’l Vala Reshka’i need to get caught up.”

“Did I say something wrong?” Maggie asked softly, noticing the way Reshka’i bristled and bared her teeth.

“No, no you didn’t.” Theodrakis helped Maggie into the boat, little more than a circular padded couch with a deeply carpeted floor. A shimmering dome appeared over them as they sat down, and Theodrakis let out a sigh. “Island 64.5E please.”

A blue light lit up on the small table in the center of the boat, and it detached from the floating island, flying off over the water at a peaceful pace.

“You acknowledged Reshka’i’s slave.” Robin said bitterly, finally speaking up.

“Her what?” Maggie sat bolt upright, eyes widening. “I thought- I thought that was something in the past? Like the Silvarian’s used to have human slaves, but didn’t anymore? Were there slaves on the ship too?”

Theodrakis couldn’t help but wince, holding his hands up in a soothing motion. “There are no slaves on my ship, no. And we are pushing to change things. But progress is slow, especially with as long-lived a race as the Silvarian’s. They’ve been keeping human slaves for generations, and many are resistant to the change.”

“So this place has slaves.” Maggie’s stomach turned at the thought. Slavery hadn’t been abolished in the USA that long ago, if you could really call it abolished. They didn’t call people wage-slaves for nothing. But actual slaves? People that other people considered property? What the hell?

“Yes. This place has slaves.” Theodrakis said. “For now at least. But we are working to change things. Ux’thu has no slaves, all his people are paid fairly, and can leave whenever they wish.”

“If they can get someone to hire them, or give them transport off planet, or a place to stay.” Robin said, leaning forward on Maggie’s shoulder. “And then there’s the dangers of the galaxy, and the people out there that would capture them and sell them right back into slavery to someone else.”

“We’re working on it. Already selling slaves is illegal in most circumstances, and there are more jobs opening up for humans than before.” Theodrakis said.

“Most circumstances? And what about the slaves that aren’t human? What are you doing for them? How are you helping the people that are already slaves? Are you setting them free?” Robin floated off Maggie’s shoulder, growing to his full size so he loomed over Theodrakis, his face etched with anger. “And what about the people they’re still taking off Earth?”

“No one has been taken off Earth by the Alliance in years.” Theodrakis stood up, putting his hands on his hips as he glared up at Robin. “You can’t say the same about the Rebellion! Maggie shouldn’t even be out here, but somehow your people found her, and dragged her into all this!”

“That was an accident! And at least we don’t keep slaves or experiment on people!”

“No? Then why were you looking for a Key? Do you honestly think that your rebel friends wouldn’t use a Key Holder for their own ends? Or better yet, can you explain why my daughter arrived on my ship with a hole blasted straight through her?” Theodrakis’s voice raised nearly to a shout, and Robin’s face turned a darker shade of blue, fists clenching as if he wanted to punch Theodrakis.

“Whoa, hold it you two!” Maggie pushed herself to her feet, holding her hands out to try and separate the two men. This was getting to be too much, she wasn’t sure if they could hurt each other, but she didn’t really want to find out either. “Everybody just- just calm down!”

Maggie took a deep breath as Theodrakis and Robin both took a step back, putting some distance between them. She looked at one, then the other. “Okay. Let’s get one thing straight. Can we all agree that slavery is bad?”

“Of course!” Robin said, glaring a challenge at Theodrakis.

“Yes.” Theodrakis nodded, glaring right back at Robin.

“Okay, so there’s that at least.” Maggie let out a sigh of relief, but didn’t move from between the pair. “Okay. So we all agree slavery is bad. And can we all agree kidnapping people is bad?”

“Even if they’ve done it recently?” Theodrakis said stiffly.

“It was an accident!” Robin snapped. “Would you rather we leave her behind to be experimented on by her own government?”

“Stop!” Maggie held her hands up again, and repeated her question, slower this time. “Can we all agree that kidnapping people is bad?”

“Of course.” Theodrakis said coldly.

“Yes.” Robin growled, his fists clenching and unclenching as he stared at Theodrakis.

“Okay, two things in common!” Maggie clapped her hands together with a triumphant smile, nearly dropping the tablet in the process. She scrambled to grab it, and set it on the couch. “So we agree slavery and kidnapping people is bad. There we go, this is progress!”

“So you agree that you’re a bad person for kidnapping my daughter?” Theodrakis said, his eyes boring into Robin.

“We made a mistake! That doesn’t make us bad people! We’ve been trying to fix things ever since!”

Maggie slumped back onto the couch next to the tablet as the two started fighting all over again, letting out a groan and setting her head in her hands.

“At least they’re talking now?” Te’chik offered helpfully, and Maggie let out another groan.

“Oh, shut up.”