A NEW Beginning - Book 3

Chapter 7 - Day 1 - Krolia - The Ganymede

I had tried to stay calm. I had tried to not get angry. But being in this tin can, with no way to escape him, my blood was now boiling with the rage of a thousand Dovado volcanoes.

He sat across the cockpit from me, laughing with Matthew and his ex-generals.

I was free to move about the ship, but my body was willing me not to. I had been suffering from motion sickness lately, especially on small ships like this one, and I found it better if I could sit still and see where I was going, so I was stuck.

The door to the cockpit opened, and Kosmo padded in, nose to the ground, as he finished his inspection of the ship. He came and plonked down at my feet, his head resting on my lap.

I absentmindedly scratched his ears as I tried to visualise myself anywhere but this ship.

The first thing I visualised was Keith. It's been about a decaphoeb since I have seen him, and I can't wait to lay eyes on my boy. He had grown and changed so much since I had found him, I was worried how much he would have changed again, how much I had missed out on.

I didn't like being away from him for so long, but we both had our commitments, and we are also both headstrong creatures, and, although I have always loved him, and he has grown to love me, we found that if we were in each others company for too long, we would get on each other's nerves.

We video called, if not every day, then every other day, and he and Lance seem safe and happy, but I wouldn't be convinced until I can hold him in my arms and see for myself.

Kosmo missed him too and gets excited when he calls, jumping up at the screen and whining loudly until he had Keith's full attention for at least 10 minutes. Keith chatters away to the wolf and Kosmo makes little noises like he was talking back.

He had gone back with Keith when he returned to Earth, but he hadn't been suited to the toxins in the atmosphere. Even out in the desert, the pollution had been too much for him, and he couldn't stay for long periods of time.

At the beginning he had planet hopped, spending time with Keith before making the multiple jump trip back to Daibazaal to recover. But as time went on he needed more time to recover, and the distances he could teleport grew shorter and shorter. Now he was limited to staying on the same planet, and his jumps were even shorter if he chose to take someone with him.

Keith and I were worried about what this trip might do to him, but we both knew he would only try to hurt himself getting to us if I left him behind.

~

"So you're looking forward to seeing Allura then?" I heard Ezor ask from her seat beside Lotor.

"Yes," he replied, "I've never longed for something so strongly. There's a tightness in my chest when I think of her."

"VOMIT!" Matt said loudly from the navigator's seat, "Who are you, and what have you done with Lotor?"

"Well, I think it's cute!" said Ezor, "To see Lo so open and vulnerable, when he's been so closed off all this time. It's nice to see he has feelings!"

"Ha!" I muttered under my breath, "too bad he doesn't care for anyone else's. Good luck to Allura!"

"What was that?" he asked, turning to face me, I panicked for a second before realising he genuinely didn't hear what I said.

"Oh, I said good luck to you and Allura!"

"Oh! Well, thank you!" he smiled, "If our relationship is half as good as yours and Kolivan's, I'll be extremely happy. I didn't have anyone to look up to when I was younger, and I very much doubted love existed at all, but watching the love develop between you has given me renewed hope!"

My anger softened slightly.

"I don't know how you can stand to leave him!"

I glared at him, and his smile fell in confusion. How could he not know what he said wrong?

I turned away from him, refocusing on Kosmo, but I could feel his questioning eyes on me. He eventually looked away, turning to talk to Ezor again.

The fact was, I didn't want to leave Kolivan. I wasn't supposed to be leaving him behind. He was supposed to be coming with me. Me, Kosmo and Kolivan. Our little family, going to spend time with our bigger family.

Lotor was supposed to be staying behind, running the planet for a few months. He didn't have the connection to Shiro and Curtis, or Keith and the rest of the Earthlings, as we did, but he had put up a fight.

He had become sulky, and snappy, and bad mannered, like a young Galran having a temper tantrum, until Kolivan had relented and given in.

That was bad enough. The fact that I had to leave my love behind when we were meant to be spending time with my son and his family.