Alpha Centauri

Thirty-Four - Raev

"Mother?"

The word seems to echo through the room. Everyone is staring intently at Nathan and the woman. Jaden and I exchange confused stares.

"Told you he wouldn't recognize us," the short-haired girl says, annoyed.

The woman takes a few steps back from Nathan, smoothing out her cargo pants. "Come, children. We clearly have much to discuss."

The small woman leads Nathan, Jaden, and me out of the cockpit. The brother and sister walk behind us. We all follow her silently through the Roc Warbird. I feel the cold, smooth floor under my bare feet.

I don't like this. I don't trust anything about this situation. I stick close to Jaden. She has to be feeling the same way.

She doesn't return my glance. I wonder what she thinks of me after telling her about my father. She probably thinks I'm a monster.

I keep trying to catch her eye, but I eventually give up and turn my focus ahead.

The group comes to a huge area that looks like a dining hall. It's empty, and that makes the room look even bigger. It's like some huge, galactic high school cafeteria, except for the window that takes up an entire wall, giving us the view of space extending forever before us.

The brother and sister sit down on either side of the woman at an aluminum table. Jaden and I sit on either side of Nathan. Jaden still isn't looking at me.

"Can you at least tell me who you are before you claim you're my mother?" Nathan says, staring down the woman.

"My name is Corona," the woman says. "These are your siblings, Cass and Orion. We are members of the few remaining Proximians."

"Oh, great. Another race of aliens," Jaden says disdainfully, rolling her eyes.

"Corona? Isn't that a kind of beer?" Nathan asks.

Corona ignores them. "Perhaps I should start from the beginning.

"The Proximians were once a thriving race, born on the planet Proximia, a satellite of the sun Proxima Centauri. We provide the technology for this section of the galaxy, building spacecrafts and weapons.

"Eons ago, much of our kind was wiped out by war. A war against the—"

"Scriosians," I finish before I can stop myself. Growing up, it was always important to know which alien races your kind annihilated.

Corona nods. "Yes. Since then, what's left of us has been roaming around the galaxy, inhabiting planet after planet in search of a new home, trying to preserve our kind. It hasn't been easy, especially now on the brink of a galactic war.

"Our last settlement was on Earth. Your father and I were born there, and so were you, Nathan."

"You left me there," Nathan says, his expression turning somber.

"We had to," Corona says. I can't tell if there's remorse in her voice. "We had to leave Earth quickly that day. We were under attack again—our cover had been blown. We couldn't have supported young child with what little room on the starship we had.

"Since then, we've been building back up, and we've been searching for you. Who would've thought you'd be playing an important role in an intergalactic dilemma."

"This war you keep talking about. It's over Julian and Jaden, isn't it?" Nathan says. We all look at Jaden.

"Yes. With no one ruling Crenala, one of the galaxy's most wealthy nations is left vulnerable, free for the taking. We've tried to stay neutral, but we were forced into war. Having Jaden here is a major risk, since half the galaxy wants her head."