"Come on, just a bit more. Then we can find somewhere to land and you'll get the treatment you deserve! Just a bit more!" Kree said, and some sounds came from the spaceship she was piloting, as if it was responding back to her. After pressing a few buttons, the ship's engines seemed to get some more energy in them, and into a boost they went, letting them cover a large distance in a short period. And then the engines became quiet once more, with the ship letting out some steam.
"Atta girl, now let me check the scanners to see- whoa." Kree paused upon seeing the view from the window. While much was dark, the sun at the center of the system gave off gentle light, barely reaching the ship at the edge of the system. A couple black dots were present between her and the sun, a large ring of asteroids, and then what looked like a large planet with multiple coloured stripes. After taking in the view of the new system she had just entered, she heard some beeping that reminded her of what she was going to do.
Turning the ship's screens, she saw the radio sensors had picked up information from a satellite closer to the system. After a few moments, it became disconnected, and a further beep occured as the ship's VI seemed to process, decipher and translate as much as it could, before a final beep seemed to indicate it was done. While this was going on, Kree checked the ship's sensors.
"Hmm, eight planets, one dwarf, multiple moons across all the planets. The further out planets seems non-liable for advanced life, though," she looked over the scanner details, before going to the information gathered and beginning to search a few things on it. After a few minutes of searching, a ping was heard from the sensor, and kree turned her gaze to see a marked spot on one of the moons of the planet that was apparently dubbed 'Jupiter'. The moon in question was marked down as 'Europa', which had a surface that was still rather cold, but sensors seemed to indicate life was present there.
"Guess I'll head there then. Just hope we'll find some potential fuel too." Kree set a course to Europa, and the orange spaceship's engines started heating up yet again, though without any struggle sounds this time. Once she set up the auto-pilot, she turned and looked at the intel the VI had translated so far. There was a lot of information about the people of planet Earth, how they wish to have peaceful conversations with any alien lifeforms, and to do a couple of things in order to show they come in peace. Honestly felt a bit like it was from a story her father told her. And they were probably still more on the primitive side if they hadn't confirmed alien life forms existed. Writing down a note to be careful if she headed to the third planet in the Sol system, she took another glance out of the ship's porthole. The vast space greeted her yet again, as she slowly got closer to the gas giant that was Jupiter.
A couple hours passed before she arrived at Europa. Taking over from the auto-pilot, Kree checked the status of the moon. The exterior layer of the moon was freezing temperatures, but a few caverns had more livable spaces. Unless of course, the beings that lived there actually survived in freezing temperatures. Finding a large enough cavern entrance, she carefully landed just past the entrance. Once she had her gear on, and the breathing mask secured, she got off the spaceship, before using her dragon wings to fly next to the ship and give it an inspection. Every time she did a jump between different systems, the ship seemed to just barely make it. And this time, it seemed the ship's right wing suffered a case of ice, and she carefully chipped away until she managed to take off the most of it.
As she was finishing chipping away at the ice, Kree heard some footsteps. Though they were heading in her direction rather rapidly. And then also a different sound, of something jumping? Or perhaps bouncing. Turning to look deeper into the cavern with a flashlight, Kree landed on the ground as she saw what appeared to be a group of grey-skinned people, chasing down a pink blob.
The pink blob was clearly in a panic, while the people seemed to be determined on taking it down, as they were shooting some sort of blue energy at it.
The pink blob, spotting Kree, quickly went and hid behind their legs, as the soldiers came to a halt in front of the winged individual, pointing their arms with a glow in her direction.
"Unknown individual! Identify yourself and step away from the Gelac! That being is a menace that must be exterminated!" The frontmost soldier called out, while all the soldiers still held their arms extended and at the ready.
Glancing at the Gelac, which still appeared to be rather frightened, Kree shrugged "I don't really see how that little thing can be a danger to anyone. Mind explaining?" She asked, before doing a circle with her right hand "And I'm Kree'aria, of Re'eva, Reedus System."
As the majority of the soldiers maintained their stance, the frontmost one offered a nod of acknowledgement "Kree'aria of Re'eva, the creature behind you is considered a danger due to its nature. It is capable of dissolving anything and anyone, and upon tasting any flesh, will turn green and grow in size, until it is bigger then the machine in which you came. So again, stand away from it.
This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.
Turning to look at the Gelac, Kree kneeled down and just glanced at it, before beginning to reach to it with her hand.
"Don't! If you let it taste your flesh, you'll be condemning us and potentially many more! You have no idea how deadly they can be!" The soldier yelled.
And Kree touched it. She gently petted it, and nothing seemed to happen. All the soldiers just stood there, in slight shock, before Kree actually pushed her hand into the Gelac itself, and still nothing happened. The Gelac just looked at it, and all the soldiers were just dumbfounded.
"I don't think it wants to eat me." Kree said, taking out her hand and turning to look at them "So doesn't really look that dangerous to me. Maybe I could let it be in my ship, where it won't get out and you guys won't need to worry about it?"
The frontmost soldier, confused by everything he had witnessed just as much as everyone else present, came to his senses and shook his head "It's unlikely to remain. They are acidic in nature, capable of dissolving through anything. I don't know how your hand is still fine, unless you are some kind of freak of nature. Either way, we cannot let you do so. Disposing of the Gelac is the only option. Now step away, Kree'aria, before we will be forced to take you down alongside it."
Gazing at the soldiers, Kree's expression turned more stern "Don't you think you're jumping to extreme measures too much? I offered you a different way! Can you not consider it?"
"Take the Gelac down!"
Without being given another chance, the soldiers started firing their energy, and Kree quickly turned, kneeled down, and covered herself and the Gelac the best she could with her wings. She could feel each hit against her wings. Whatever that energy was, it had quite a lot of force in it, but didn't seem to cause any actual injuries. Kree figured the force would be enough to just cause the Gelac to burst into pieces and die.
"That's enough Fy'ta! We get a visitor from elsewhere and you treat them like this?"
A new, feminine voice seemed to join, and the firing stopped. Kree took another moment, before retracting her wings and turning to look back at the soldiers, who all seemed to have lowered their arms, and the signs of the blue energy was gone. The soldier who talked to her before seemed to have both arms in front of him, and bowing towards a woman.
"Twy'la, you do not understand. We are on a Gelac extermination mission, and this individual was protecting one-"
"Enough. Doesn't matter what it was, you know our laws regarding other-worldly visitors. Or do I need to pass along a message about what you did to the others?"
Fy'ta seemed to become hesitant after the threat posed, before he glanced at Kree and the Gelac "That creature will be deemed your responsibility. Should it ever turn green, you will need to put it down. Kly'ta 13, we're heading back." He instructed to his soldiers, who all gave a firm nod, before beginning to walk back deeper into the tunnel.
Twy'la sighed, before approaching Kree "Sorry. The soldiers of our people tend to be unwelcoming bucketheads. All they care about is the instructions given and nothing else. I'm Twy'la, of the Kly'ta members. We live deeper into the caverns, if you want to see our home.
Standing back up, Kree looked Twy'la. Grey skin like the soldiers, but her appearance had more elegance. A 2 part top, with light purple covering a high collar and the long sleeves, with a lower part of a deeper shade of purple, and what seemed like an ever darker purple corset. Then accompanied by an almost white skirt, and a pair of black high heels. But the most curious part was the lights that seemed to accompany her. A pink energy ring, crocked around her waist, two smaller rings around the hoops in her hair, and two small energy wings next to her shoulders.
"Oh, if you do want to come, then it can't be with the Gelac. I'm afraid that will cause too much panic if it is seen there, and even if you are a guest, you can be charged with intent to bring harm to the Kly'ta. And then its a 20 year trial before it's determined if you'll be executed or just banished."
Hearing Twy'la's explaination, Kree's jaw almost dropped. That felt very extreme, and very long "R-right. Uhm," She turned and kneeled down to the Gelac "You should go then. I am curious about these people, and I don't want you to die. Just go and bounce along then."
The Gelac just blinked at Kree twice, not giving any indications if it understood her or not, before it started hopping away.
Turning her attention back to Twy'la, Kree performed the circle with her right hand once more "I'm Kree'aria of Re'eva. Not local to this system."
Twy'la nodded "I'm Twy'la. And wait, how were you able to communicate with Fy'ta?" She asked, realizing that something seemed off.
Taking out an ear piece, she handed it to Twy'la "This is an inter-galactic translator. It analyzes languages as it hears them, and lets me speak in my native language and it also translates for others to understand me. Though," Kree then looked at Twy'la a bit apologetic "I suppose that without it in my ear you wouldn't understand anything I say." She said, and gestured for Twy'la to give the device back.
"No, I still understand you fine. I have my own capabilities." Twy'la explained as she handed the translator back "I am a bit more special than most of my kind. But I think that explanation can be done back home. I'm starting to become a bit cold."
Nodding, Kree started to follow Twy'la deeper into the tunnel, curious about what kind of home Twy'la and the Kly'ta had in the caverns of Europa.