feeling something drape over her figure and something warm wrap around her.
You’re alright, I’m here.
Immediately, Andrea relaxed, leaning into the embrace that she knew belonged to no one else but Dom. She felt him rub his hands up and down her arms, and each gasp and hiccup that wrenched out her throat.
“Are we there?” Andrea whispered after some time. “Rusneon?”
When she glanced up, Dom’s eyes were warm and alight with a flare of energy she had never seen before. It surprised her, made her straighten in his embrace to fully see his face.
“We’re entering the atmosphere in ten minutes.” Andrea’s eyes widened.
She’d been asleep for two hundred years and yet her body had not aged a bit… and now they were finally here.
“Wait… I thought you said you wouldn’t wake me until we were already landed,” Andrea replied, her voice hoarse and small. She rubbed at her throat, exhausted.
“Don’t strain yourself,” Dom said gently, “It may not feel like it but you haven’t used your body in a very long time. Don’t try to stand up or anything on your own. The gravity in Rusneon is slightly lighter than on earth, but you should still take it easy.”
Andrea nodded, feeling faint, but she let out a small gasp when she felt his arms work under her legs and secure the blanket around her body.
“I want to show you something,” he whispered before sweeping her down the hull of his ship.
They moved carefully yet she could tell there was a legitimate urgency in his steps, catching eagerness in the curl of his smile that made him seem younger. It was endearing and Andrea couldn’t help but smile and lean her head against his shoulder.
Her exhaustion must have been stronger than she had thought because moments later, she was being roused by a gentle shaking.
“You dozed off,” Dom said and Andrea let out a soft chuckle.
“Sorry…”
His violet eyes were twinkling with excitement, “Don’t be, huale’ak’ahn. ” Look.
And she did look.
They had moved from the hull to a hallway near the starboard side of the ship, xenoglass making up the large dome like wall that spanned from the top to beneath the side of the rails. Andrea gasped when her eyes found purchase over the sight before her.
A large horizon stars and the curve of a large and brilliant planet were ahead, painting a sight and a view so spectacular, Andrea’s eyes filled with awestruck tears. Light from a distant sun lit a grand portion of the planet into a euphoric composition of color and splendor.
Over the atmosphere, Andrea let her eyes feast over the plethora of ships moving about, working as a function—a network, so to speak—of incoming traffic and of huge immense space ships that loomed and moved slowly.
“It’s…”
Beautiful.
Andrea found herself staring and wondering, knowing that she could stare at this forever. In the distance, her eyes even spotted the tell-tale curves of large moons, and her inner space-geek lit up in her chest. This was all so very real.
Glancing up, she let out a small laugh, meeting Dom’s eyes with an echoing excitement he shared tenfold. “It’s amazing!”
“Not many Rusneans have ever seen this sight, Andrea,” He said, “Now you are one of the few who have.”
Moved beyond description, Andrea beamed up brightly, lifting a weak hand to press against his jaw. She brought him close into a kiss that he returned fervently.
“Thank you…” she whispered softly, their lips parting after a moment of intense passion.
“Let’s go,” Dom said, “It’s just about time to enter our home.”
Andrea threw a final look out toward the view of the planet and its impressive functions of ships and technology, and the more she watched, the more she felt a twinge of excitement fill her.
Our home…
I’m home.
Chapter 13
They had docked the ship in one of the great networks of ships and space ports, landing within a very peculiar station that had such