with his hands folded in front of him, no outward show of emotion, K’vyn’s laughter sounded in her mind.
Interpreting with a mogha pup would have been a challenge, he said.
Are you interpreting? she asked.
Yes, of course.
Why can’t I hear you? What are you telling them?
You won’t be able to hear me when I’m speaking to D’alla, he said.
But you seem to be able to hear me when I’m speaking to C’hase.
That’s because you’re broadcasting on all frequencies. K’vyn’s stance shifted.
Broadcasting?
Think of it like radio frequencies, he said. When you’re speaking to C’hase, speak only to C’hase. Turn the frequency with me off.
A sobering emotion poured from the Korthan.
I just told them about the seed torpedo, he said, answering her last question. Some say their packs will refuse to leave.
Refuse to leave? Dani always knew this was a rescue mission. Saving the planet was impossible. But it never occurred to her that some of the residents would refuse to leave.
They can’t, she said, eyes widening. They will be changed—
This is their home; they know the consequences and want to stay, K’vyn said. And you thought you’d be able to rescue them all with only one freighter?
I didn’t know there were so many— There were hundreds of mogha, thousands. It wasn’t the greatest plan, she added with a sheepish grin.
Earpiece squelching in K’vyn’s ear, he winced, very nearly pulling it out when L’iza’s voice said, “It’s time.”
The scout ships are here, he told D’alla. The evacuation begins.
10
Standing next to L’iza in her cargo hold, K’vyn wasn’t exactly sure why D’alla wanted to inspect the ship. There were no other options to evacuate the mogha off world. It was either this or nothing—
Some need convincing that it’s safe, she said.
Safe? Their world was about to be destroyed. There was nothing safe about that to begin with—
Is that a molk? D’alla stopped to stare in the glass enclosure sitting next to the chicken crates.
Hedge lay upside down on a pile of shiny objects; buttons, wires, lizard scales. Wallowing with his feet straight up in the air, K’vyn had no idea a molk could look so happy.
“He hasn’t even tried to get out,” L’iza said, nothing getting past her observant gaze. “He seems to pine after the reddish-brown chicken, so I show it to him every now and then and he’s fine.”
“If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you’re starting to like him.” K’vyn smirked.
You might want to hide it before the other mogha get onboard, D’alla said, K’vyn keeping up with two conversations at once. Many haven’t been off the home world, but everyone knows a molk can crash a ship.
“Nobody likes a molk,” L’iza said, indignant. Too indignant. “Just doing what it takes to prevent him from escaping that enclosure. Let me guess, the mogha wants you to hide it?”
You’ll want to hide these avians too. D’alla licked her lips. Unless you don’t mind a few mogha helping themselves.
The chickens are off-limits, he said. Help yourself to the eggs.
“The Invader Fleet has been spotted in the system,” L’iza said.
It was pure chaos, mogha running every which way as they appeared, the air full of an array of barking as pack leaders organized them in groups, dozens of Korthan scout ships landing among the trees.
The ships were as colorful as the mogha, the yellow coloration of L’iza just one of many. Some were blue, some were red, some were even pink, their swept-back wings traced with their respective color, some a combination of two. The sight of their graceful majesty took Dani’s breath away.
Were all these ships sentient?
D’alla ran from K’vyn’s ship as the last scout landed, rushing between the pack leaders and their groups, antennae straight up in high alert.
C’hase was sticking as close to Dani as she was to him, never more than a few feet from each other, his coat of orange easy to keep track of. Many mogha brushed him with their feather-tips as they arrived, a delight to C’hase as much as a fascination to her, the intensity of the situation rendering the gestures bitter-sweet.
As D’alla escorted several dozen skittish, whimpering and yipping mogha into L’iza’s cargo hold, Dani’s heart ached.
Strong arms came around her from behind and she turned into K’vyn’s chest.
“What we are about to do is extremely dangerous,” he murmured in her hair. “We could die.”
Pulling away, he grasped her shoulders, looking her in the eye. “The safest place will be the Galaxy Ship. I can talk to L’den about granting you asylum—”
“What happens to