Vigilant - 1. Arrival

'Immediate threat has passed, all clear - Immediate threat has passed, all clear!'

The echoing siren fades into the distant sound of a storm dissipating.

Ardant turns and stretches on his makeshift bed, a thin mattress thrown on an electronic lift in the cargo room. Limbs cold and muscles stiff, the shirtless male lets out forced sigh. No use in trying to sleep anymore. He glowers at the ceiling of the small vessel, blue light shining across the cramped space from a panel of buttons.

His amber orbs fall on the double plated window, getting the first glimpse of sunlight rising along the Earth's horizon, some 150,000 feet below Nitabo Community Port.

The shape of his sister, bundled in a blanket, suddenly appears at the doorway. "Oh, you're awake. Xar woke me during the lightening storm."

He sits up, a mess of dark locks grazing the top of the converted aircraft. It's supposed to be a one man shuttle for long distance travel from ground level to the thirteen colonies hovering in orbit, but it's since been salvaged from his entrepreneur days to house family. Ardant first took in his cousin for a bit, then his pop after mum died, and finally Sarklet showed up pregnant after pop passed away. He hasn't originally planned it that way, but family is family, and Ardant finds himself in dangerous situations when he's left alone.

"Do you need help with him?"

Sarklet's face alights in a tired smile. "Could you? I need a shower and I can start breakfast."

"Consider it done!" Ardant returns an identical smile and climbs down the three step ladder, storing it and snatching a pullover from a pile of half-folded mound of laundry. As soon as he opens the door to the shared living/kitchen area, Xar is being pushed into his arms, the twenty-month-old babe blinking tiredly at him. The boy starts wiggling as soon as Sarklet disappears into the bedroom that's built over the pilot station compartment.

"Hey, none of that." Ardant brings his nephew eye-level. "Let's have a good morning alright?"

It proves to be far from a good morning, than he'd hoped. Xar fought him every step of the way; from changing, to getting clothes on. Screaming 'no' and babbling angrily. Ardant secretly can't wait for some unlucky man to step into his sister's life again and take the reins. The babe is almost two and already a menace.

Just as he hands the wailing boy a warm bottle, Sarklet enters the room to watch Xar throw it to the ground and reach for her. Ardant scowls and retreats to the coffee machine, trying to ignore his sister's amused expression. Laughing, she picks the drink from the rubber floor. "Just wait till you have kids!"

Sneering, he picks out a mug from the overstocked cabinet. "Thankfully, I'm gayer than a rainbow."

"That doesn't guarantee anything!"

She's right of course, his last two boyfriends had their own children. Ardant hadn't been child-friendly then either. Being in the Corps for six years and surrounded by Inter-Galaxy war didn't soften soldiers. By the time a peace treaty between the Humans and Gahlamons was set in place, almost a whole generation ceased to exist. When the Corps downsized, the men and women were frantic to start families, but unable to keep them together. The last few years have seen a skyrocketing number of births and divorces.

"What are you going to do if you get stuck with a kid of your own?"

"I'll run far, far away." Is his immediate response and he can tell by her twisting visage that it's the wrong one.

"Harthen's, don't run from their problems."

Ardant grunts over his coffee, glancing away from her pointed look. "Joking."

"Uh-huh." Sarklet shoves him to the side, her petite form shuffling about the kitchen island to start breakfast with Xar on a hip. "Biscuits?"

"Sure." He withdraws to his domain, escaping rising tensions. By the time he finishes in the washroom, Ardant can smell the fragrant scent of baked bread and sausage. Shouldering his way back inside, the broad male slides past Xar watching old re-runs of cartoons on a holopad.

"Want to take this on the deck or the docking porch?" Sarklet hands him a bowl with a hesitant grin. He accepts the food and nods to the rear of his airship.

He goes about the process of raising his cot and lowering the cargo deck. Strapping the plastic doorways aside, Ardant drags out a set of chairs and a table under the low hanging trees. Just thirty feet away, the protection dome ends at ledge that drops into the stratosphere. Surprisingly warm during the day, Natabo is sustainable for plant life and open enough for several housing shuttles. They have a community pool and gym too, with enough room for a cozy patio area. Sarklet turned theirs into a herb and veggie garden to save on groceries.

With the drop in population, Ardant could have spent his units for a larger home on planet, but the male had spent his entire life among the stars and decided that he can hang around for another year as the housing list reached him for a plot in one of the thirteen colony's ships. He's entitled to it as a veteran, but funds in the military have been halted -dealing with treaties and bills in partnership of Gahlamon diplomats. Still, He's willing to play the waiting game.

The telling signs of an arriving vessel, draws Ardant's attention to the lot beside them. There's a newer model Adventurer being waved down to dock and he's instantly intrigued.

Sarklet joins him shortly with Xar. "Maza is at the door for you."

A leap of excitement at the male's name causes him to leave his sister and reach the door in the kitchen, a moment later. He knows he shouldn't be so fixated on the married man, but Maza brings out all the masculine energy he hasn't felt since his Academy days. The profile of the other is standing just outside the garden deck, olive skin and black hair glinting in sweat from a morning run. Ardant has to remind his libido that the last time he tried sweet talking the shorter male, it was Lakla that stomped over and gave him a black eye. He might have retaliated, but he didn't mean to upset anyone and never hit a female human in his life. Maza took pity after a good laugh and Lakla begrudgingly forgave Ardant after he left her wail on him. Since then, Lakla and Sarklet became close friends. Maza and Ardant now on friendly terms.

"Hey," he leans against the frame, "did you need something?"

"They did it! I didn't believe it at first, but they accepted the proposal!"

Ardant frowns in confusion, wondering what his neighbor is referring to. "What are you talking about?"

The man blinks in open bewilderment. "You mean haven't heard the rumors?"

"Why don't you fill me in?"

"Stars!" The man runs both hands through his shaggy hair in a nervous gesture, unnoticed to Ardant watching the movement closely. "The UPA released a list to lower community ports to accept the integration of Gahlamons!"

"What?!" Ardant's hackles rise. The United Planets Association had been debating similar ideas for years, but the last he heard, it was yet to be voted into the World Senate Chamber.

"Not only that-"

"Natibo's on the list..." He finished Maza's sentence in a daze, his stomach dropping downward with a twist of nausea. The irony didn't bypass Ardant, it hit him head on.

There comes a slight thump as the Adventurer settles on the other side. A feeling of dawning horror travels his spine. It's Sarklet's voice that cuts through his mind from the back, "Ardant!"

Quickly, he launches through the too tight living space. Hurdling towards the deck, numb from head to toe. He sees Sarklet rise with Xar, an expression of mixed confusion and fear on her face as she's peering over the rail. In seconds he's tugging her behind him and turning to the lot.

There. Stepping out the hatch door to the expensive shuttle is at first glance a man, and yet the humanoid form ends abruptly at the silver-skin and living mass of ebony hair drifting around two curling horns. Intelligent slitted eyes shift to them and latch onto Ardant's amber ones.

His hand clamps down on the deck railing, knuckles white and knees threatening to buckle in shock.

"Ardant, what is it?" Sarklet already knows, but she can't tell if this is actually real. Actually happening.

The veteran swallows and forces out in a hissed whisper, "Gahlamon!"

@Daddydavek brought to my attention that I have some errors in the chapter text, so I went through to spruce it up.
I'm sure the next chapter in waiting is going to need some similar revisions, and on that note:
Is there anyone interested in becoming a Beta-Reader or Editor for this story?
Thanks and sorry for the trouble folks.