Astray Among The Stars

Chapter 10: Shadow of a Man Pt. I

The young female kept her gaze on the man, her onyx uniform dotted with the beige dust of the outdoors. The cool wind gently caressed her skin, flapping her jacket's loose sleeves, her dark hair dancing in tune with the chilly breeze. Her cyan eyes sparkled in the tango binary sunrise, squinting in focus at her object beyond the tan stucco buildings. With a full shaggy beard stained dark like coffee, the human stood out from the Kotarin crowd. He did not belong here, an obvious fact, yet how he came here and why remained an enigma.

This was the second time Tevra noticed the man, the other sighting yesterday, in the market during a deal. She was surprised that no one knew he was there, only she saw the strange figure. Just like yesterday, the team split up into pairs. Today, however, she was accompanied by Roger rather than Commander Marlin.

Tevra nudged her partner. "See him?"

"Yeah, I see him."

The boy grimaced, his eyes hidden behind the binoculars as he zoomed in, focusing on the figure. "He doesn't look too nice."

"Meet now?"

"No, we should stake it out first and watch his behavior."

"Oh."

Roger put the binoculars in his bag, sliding on his onyx aviator shades. He gestured towards the valley market, centered below the tuscan hills on which they rested.

"Let's go down and take a closer look."

Tevra stood up, following Roger behind the cover of the hill, the steep path taking them down into a narrow passageway below, which led to the small settlement in the nearby valley. They eventually reached the outskirts of the desert market.

Roger gently grabbed her hand. "I don't want you to get lost like last time. Stay close."

Tevra flustered slightly, her cheeks a pale amber. "Okay."

The teen looked around briefly. "Do you see him?"

Tevra scanned the crowds, darting from Kotarin to Kotarin, their heads bobbing up and down like ocean waves. Then, in the distance, she spotted the familiar face.

"That way," she pointed.

Roger pulled her, their path flowing with the crowd. They pursued the figure. He stopped at stand, purchasing another item. Roger pulled her aside from the village crowds. He took her to an outside restaurant, where they sat at a table next to each other. The man, making a deal across the crowd, could be seen by both young crew members at a safe distance.

"Approach now?"

"No, Tevs. Not yet."

"Head back?"

"No. I want to see what he's buying. It could tell us what type of person he is."

Roger fixated on the counter, glimpsing through brief openings of the crowd. The man paid with local cash, then tucked his purchase in his coat before briefly leaving the market square, the item obscured from their view. Both Roger and Tevra stood up, leaving the outside table once the man walked out of sight, disappearing into the moving masses.

"I didn't see anything, Tevs; did you?"

"No."

"Okay then, let's go see what he bought."

They walked over to the small stand. The Kotarin dealer, his skin a pastel arctic, bleached from the suns, looked middle-aged, unlike his city counterparts on the previous planet they visited. His ruby hair, short and curly, covered the back of his neck in a mullet, accentuated with a rugged, poorly shaved beard. A few scars ran across his hands and one on his face. His tattered tan outfit matched his age, contrasting with his bright and youthful golden eyes.