Iqi: Arrival

Chapter One

I peered down at the dwarf planet my mother once called home. It's swirls of white and blue were slow moving and mesmerizing. I saw Captain Ki'rnne's reflection approaching me in the glass. I turned and looked up at his towering stance. He stood nearly twice my height on his quadrupedal legs, he was even more formidable when he reared back onto his back legs. A thick armour like red exoskeleton covered his back, tail and top of his head, ending in a point at his forehead like a war helmet. His four black eyes regarded me inquisitively.

"Are you excited to finally see your mother's home?" He asked in his rough native language.

"I think I am?" I sighed.

"You are nervous."

It wasn't a question. "What if..." I shifted anxiously. "What if they don't like me?"

Captain Ki'rnne turned his gaze to the planet we were slowly approaching. We would make our descent in less than four clicks.

"The Soenil are different from the Darite. Your mother's people are far more accepting and tolerant of beings different from them. In fact they are known for it, otherwise you wouldn't be standing here today. Besides you look more like the Soenil than the Darite, acceptance would be easier regardless."

"Fu'knlgt says I don't look like either of them," I frowned looking at my reflection in the glass.

"You've seen what other Soenil look like," Captain Ki'rnne said. "You bare resemblance to both."

"But not enough," I turned from the glass.

"Iqi," Captain Kiernan sighed.

"I'm going to go prepare for arrival, Captain," I said switching the conversation into Basic Intergalactic Language.

"Very well."

I could feel his eyes on my back as I left the common area. I was certain the Soenil would find me just as wrong as the Darite did. The Darite were no strangers to cross breeding with different species but I was a particularly horrific combination to them. I was old enough to remember the look of their faces as they took in my appearance, I remember my father's reaction. A hairless, short limbed, crippled abomination were the exact words my father's sire had used to describe me.

To his credit my father did attempt to defend me. It wasn't my fault I was so deformed. I was the first pregnancy and birth recorded between a Soenil and any other species. Of course there would be some complications. But my father's sire would not accept me, so I was sent back to the ship that had delivered me to my father's planet.

I waved my hand over the sensor at my door. The door slide open with a soft whoosh and I stepped inside my room. Sighing I side stepped my passed out roommate and walked to the mirror. I gazed at my features warily. Captain was right that I looked more Soenil than Darite, but that was only in structure. I had a Soenil's short stance and limbs, their head hair, colorful iris and fleshy lips, but I could not say I looked like a Soenil. I inherited my father's pale white hue, flat bifurcated nose, long pointed ears and wide feathered wings. But my wings were not big or strong enough for travel. They were stunted in growth and only as wide as my body was long. I could fly but only short distances.

"Attention crew members: We will be landing on Planet Soen in less than a click. Please prepare yourself for entering the atmosphere. As you all know Planet Soen is Class 5 and extremely temperamental. Make sure all equipment is prepared for landing and all crew are accounted for before descent."

A loud piercing alarm signified the beginning countdown to entry of Planet Soen's atmosphere. I quickly dressed myself in the Soen garments Captain Ki'rnne purchased me on Planet Dtriun. I kicked my roommate Hud'erpaktr. He just groaned and tighter his coils around himself.