The Departure
For those who read Fate, this is a scene that takes place in Xhartan right before LX left on his mission.
I'm hoping this will explain his state of mind after his ship crashed on Earth.
Enjoy!
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The Departure
The rain had just stopped. The weathermen had done a wonderful job refreshing the temperature. It was now a comfortable 95 degrees outside. With the clouds gone, the two suns shone brightly. I stood by the open window, admiring the millions of droplets that sparkled like mini stars.
"When are you leaving?" Saylia, my wife, asked from behind me.
"Soon," I replied after shifting my gaze to the sea and the landing docks. Engineers still swarmed around my spaceship but it seemed the last-minute check-ups were completed. I needed to be on my way.
"You promised you'd be here for the birth of our son."
"I will. This won't take more than a few months, three at the most. I'm not landing anywhere," I repeated for what felt like the hundredth time.
"But you said—"
I sighed. "Saylia, you knew my job would take me away for months and sometimes years at a time. You even claimed you didn't care and that all you wanted was the prestige of being the mate of the Prime Navigator. Your words, not mine. So why this now?"
"Why?" she cried, throwing up her hands. Children's laughter drifted from somewhere in the field behind our home. She lowered her voice. "Zhendar, it's always you. Can't the Leaders send someone else, just this once?"
"I'm the best they have and there's no time for training. Besides, it's just a short mission. I'll be back before you know it."
"So that's it. You're leaving me alone with the kids…again," she said and crossed her hands over her round belly.
She looked so vulnerable. I hated these fights but more than anything, I loathed being away from my daughters for any length of time. Saylia was right. I was barely ever home, yet I had no choice. At four-hundred-and-seven, I was far too young to retire. They would never let me. Over three hundred years of space travel had made me the most experienced navigator on Xhartan. They had invested so much time and resources on me; I couldn't let them down. They counted on me…but so did my children.
I wiped a tear.
A soft wind blew through the window, carrying the clean crisp scent of the ocean. It tickled not so old memories of Saylia being happy—happy I was leaving, not mad. Zhayne, her secret boyfriend, would lurk around the corner until I'd leave, unaware I could sense him so eager he was to warm my side of the bed.
What had happened between them?
"Zhendar?"
A harsh reply crossed my mind but not my lips. Saylia was pregnant with my son; she deserved I showed some consideration.
"We'll talk about this when I come back," I said and left.
I'm hoping this will explain his state of mind after his ship crashed on Earth.
Enjoy!
++++
The Departure
The rain had just stopped. The weathermen had done a wonderful job refreshing the temperature. It was now a comfortable 95 degrees outside. With the clouds gone, the two suns shone brightly. I stood by the open window, admiring the millions of droplets that sparkled like mini stars.
"When are you leaving?" Saylia, my wife, asked from behind me.
"Soon," I replied after shifting my gaze to the sea and the landing docks. Engineers still swarmed around my spaceship but it seemed the last-minute check-ups were completed. I needed to be on my way.
"You promised you'd be here for the birth of our son."
"I will. This won't take more than a few months, three at the most. I'm not landing anywhere," I repeated for what felt like the hundredth time.
"But you said—"
I sighed. "Saylia, you knew my job would take me away for months and sometimes years at a time. You even claimed you didn't care and that all you wanted was the prestige of being the mate of the Prime Navigator. Your words, not mine. So why this now?"
"Why?" she cried, throwing up her hands. Children's laughter drifted from somewhere in the field behind our home. She lowered her voice. "Zhendar, it's always you. Can't the Leaders send someone else, just this once?"
"I'm the best they have and there's no time for training. Besides, it's just a short mission. I'll be back before you know it."
"So that's it. You're leaving me alone with the kids…again," she said and crossed her hands over her round belly.
She looked so vulnerable. I hated these fights but more than anything, I loathed being away from my daughters for any length of time. Saylia was right. I was barely ever home, yet I had no choice. At four-hundred-and-seven, I was far too young to retire. They would never let me. Over three hundred years of space travel had made me the most experienced navigator on Xhartan. They had invested so much time and resources on me; I couldn't let them down. They counted on me…but so did my children.
I wiped a tear.
A soft wind blew through the window, carrying the clean crisp scent of the ocean. It tickled not so old memories of Saylia being happy—happy I was leaving, not mad. Zhayne, her secret boyfriend, would lurk around the corner until I'd leave, unaware I could sense him so eager he was to warm my side of the bed.
What had happened between them?
"Zhendar?"
A harsh reply crossed my mind but not my lips. Saylia was pregnant with my son; she deserved I showed some consideration.
"We'll talk about this when I come back," I said and left.
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