Most of what Artemis was saying went over Azdrei’in’s head, since his English vocabulary wasn’t robust enough to catch every word she spoke. However, he was distracted anyway as he took over the controls of the ship to bring it down to land. Switching off the auto-pilot mode, he guided the craft past the oxygen barrier and into the loading bay, a large room filled with other ships of different shapes and sizes. Most were almost identical to his vehicle, with crescent shaped wings and teardrop-shaped bodies. Since they had come to colonize the planet, scouting ships were the most useful kinds to them by far. However, there were also larger cargo transports and a few vessels that could bus groups of individuals all at once.

He eased his ship lower to the dock, where another warrior stood and directed him to one of the empty spaces where he could land. He followed the gesticulated orders and brought his craft down in a slot between two other private ships, powering down the engine once the vehicle’s feet were firmly planted. As he got up from his seat, a flurry of mixed emotions struck him at once. There was some relief in being among his people again, since he felt comfortable in their presence, but he was also a little disappointed to be on the mothership when he could have been exploring the earth.

Reminding himself that he was here to serve a purpose, he unlatched the door and waited for it to open. The sound of voices beyond the craft drifted to his ears, a familiar hum of Lunvalgan language. When the hatch touched the floor, he waited for a moment until another warrior approached the opening. They exchanged a brief gesture in greeting, crossing their left arms over their midriffs, and the other male turned to Artemis. “This is the earthling?” he asked curiously, waving to beckon them out of the ship.

“Yes,” he confirmed, glancing down at her as well. Switching to English, he told her, “You are safe. Come.” Then, he pressed a hand to her back to usher her down the ramp as he stepped out with her. Already, he could feel the eyes of the other Lunvalgans on them. Those who were loading cargo onto the larger ships craned their necks to get a glimpse of the human, fascinated by the strange and foreign being in their midst.

“You learned its language?” the other warrior studied him with intrigue.

“I am still learning it, but yes,” Azdrei’in nodded. “She has valuable knowledge to share with our people, so it was a necessity. I plan to translate when she speaks with the Om’phaers.”

“I see,” the warrior mused, turning to her again in quiet interest. “Well, it is late, so the Om’phaers will see her tomorrow morning. I am here to escort both of you to your assigned quarters for the night.” He beckoned them again and strode toward a door at the edge of the loading bay that would carry them into the inner part of the mothership, where the rest of the colony lived.

Azdrei’in followed him, explaining the situation to Artemis in a quiet tone, “Because of the time, you will talk to our specialist doctors tomorrow. Now, he is showing us where we will sleep at night.”