Original Stories Fan Fiction ❯ Homeworld - Tales of the Vjel-Amaj: Aira's Quest - Part I ❯ Chapter 5 - My mysterious sister ( Chapter 5 )

Chapter 5 - My mysterious sister



All eyes within the messhall were focused upon Aira, who quietly sat with her view down upon the table, her hands lying on her lap. Not a single sound ever since the last words left her lips. Being stared at like this was something the young kadeshi girl could not handle at all. Feelings that she could not hold back went through the kadeshi girl as sorrowed tears for Rahji slowly fell from her eyes. That nightmare that became true, outing herself with her heritage as a complete stranger who just did not fit into this crew...



The sound of Aira sniffing hollowed throughout the messhall. Kaydaana, who still stood behind her, began to rub her shoulder - gently and in manor that slowly calmed her down, soothing her embarrassed feeling.



Hailynn felt so sorry for the girl, suffering under the eyes of the crowd in this place. She could not stand her suffering anymore. Lifting herself immediately, the hiigaran officer gently grabbed Aira's hand. Slowly lifting herself up, Kaydaana made space for the kadeshi girl to slip away from table and slowly walk away with Hailynn.

Speechless, Hailynn followed Aira as she made her way out - but just as they reached the exit, they both heard a sound. Pausing their movement, Hailynn turned around, looking at where the familiar sound originated of... and with surprise, her eyes widened.



One of the pilots, sniffed, and had a crystal strain that ran down his cheek. Hailynn did not say a word, but her surprised face said it all as she slowly lifted her finger at that pilot. Kaydaana and the others looked at the pilot as well, amazed at what Hailynn discovered.



The pilot, who at first stared at Aira, suddenly noticed that he was being observed and felt the cold strain on his cheek. Immediately lifting himself, he turned around to the others within the messhall, totally staggered... A bad idea, for his frantic turn-around revealed the tear that ran down his cheek. His eyes anxiously jumped from one face to another among the many. Everybody spotted the tear in his eye. At first, both him and all the others were startled, seeing a tall man having a tear in eye... actually showing an emotion... was surprising for them as well... but then the pilot straightened his body and shortly wiped the tear from his cheek before he turned over the kadeshi girl. He just stood there, his chest abroad and with a firm face.



But why did he stand up?



Spotting another motion, somebody stood up as well. His swift hand movement showed that he just wiped something off his face. Somebody else rose himself too... then a woman... then two at once. A chain-reaction of people began to stand up... A few of the woman folded their hands together in front of themselves and smiled towards Aira, before they disappeared behind others who stood up.



What was going on?

Why were they all standing up?



Her thoughts left her without answers...

Aira looked back at Hailynn. The eyes of the kadeshi girl were full of questions, but all Hailynn did was to give her a gentle smile.



Her smile... Why was she smiling at me?

She looked back at everybody and spotted Kaydaana, saluting her in the Manaani manor -knocking right fist against the left side of her chest and then holding it up to her right side again-, with a soft smile alike Hailynn's.



Slowly understanding, Aira began to learn that they were not just staring at her because of her being a stranger - not at all. They listened to her tale. They were respecting her... her heritage and beliefs. Others were simply impressed and taken by the tragic tale. They all trusted the `scientific fact', but never was a tale told in that manor to them, despite how short it was. They seemed to understand how much this kadeshi girl missed her homeworld.



Feeling of urge of Aira wanting to go, both Hailynn and the girl exited the messhall.

Watching them making their steps out of the messhall, Kaydaana silently sighed, “Oh, that poor `Shy'ra'”





Quietly making their way along the rather empty corridors, the lights along were dimmed, only shimmering weak artificial lighting and glowing illuminators in separate colors showing direct ways to certain sections - Needless to say, it was `night shift' time. Just occasional pairs of marines walking by, saluting to Hailynn, were the only ones seen. Only slight humming of the ship's core and other secondary power grids were heard besides their dull sounded steps upon the floor.

Aira held her hand on her stomach as she felt a strange feeling inside.

“Hailynn?”, she suddenly asked.

“Hmm?”

“Where are we going?”

“Officer's quarters. We better get some rest.”

“Oh.”, the kadeshi girl replied as she walked along with her. Both her shoulder and her hip ached slightly with each movement due to the holster and the intercom radio-unit she carried.



After a long walk, they both finally reached their quarters, their access doors only across to each other.

“ Hope you will be alright, Ai' - ”, Hailynn said, who nearly entered her room, but noticed a missing sound from behind. Shortly turning around, the hiigaran woman spotted Aira still standing in front of her closed door. She just stayed in front of it, staring at it. Hailynn did not need to think much, since the conclusion for her hesitation was clear. She already suffered so much the past day ever since the `Vjel-Amaj' was dispatch to the distress operation. She shook her head, forgetting that she was still a young shy girl who was actually... alone.

Wanting to cheer her up, she said to the girl, “ Hey - What are you waiting for?”

Aira turned around, wondering what Hailynn was talking about.

“Y'know, I could always need some company...”

Aira dropped her shoulders slightly and faintly smiled, accepting Hailynn's polite gesture.



With both entering the Hailynn's officer quarters, Hailynn left the lights dimmed... when she suddenly felt an `urge'.

“Whoa -”, the woman suddenly said with a strange voice.

“H-Hailynn, are you alright? You -”

“- I'm fine, I'm fine - Just give me a moment. Those dreaded inhibitor pills just gave up on me. Nature calls... You can rest on my bed, girl, just give me a moment.”

“Y-yes.”

The weary officer desperately left the living room, leaving Aira with her curiosity alone for the moment. Slowly walking around, the kadeshi girl observed the rather dark room with her eyes, only finding strange looking pictures and objects, medals and symbols of her Kiithid. The room itself was actually sloppy, things were every... For sure not done through the rumbling of hyperspace...

Aira smiled a bit, it seemed to amuse her that Hailynn was not as tidy as she always seemed to be... at least not at `home'.

Entering the bedroom, Aira made her way to the bed and sat upon it. Bouncing only shortly upon it, she stayed quiet and looked around, when she noticed she still had `weight' on her shoulders and hip. Taking off the radio-unit from her shoulder, she laid it on her lap and immediately detached the holster from her hip. Nervously laying both objects away on top of the small table next to her, her hands stumbled upon a picture frame that was knocked slightly to the side by her clumsiness.



Lifting the picture up with one hand, she discovered several people on it, relatives perhaps of her former Kiithid - she did not know. At least that is how Aira expressed it. The adolescent girl stared upon the picture with both of her hands clawing as if it were precious. Slightly caught by surprise, Hailynn came into the bedroom of the quarters and walked up to the closet only a few feet away from the bed and where the girl sat...

“*man* Captain was right...”, Hailynn remarked, “Remind me never to drink that much coffee with inhibitor pills again... Heh- huh?”

Spotting Aira sitting on the bed, her arms embraced the large picture frame that normally stood on the small table next to the bed. The girl hesitated to say something, before her arms loosened slightly, “I-I'm sorry - I didn't mean to snoop...”

“Aira, dear, stop apologizing. It's okay, girl”, Hailynn replied gently to her and turned away to a closet. By the second, Hailynn was getting more and more exhausted. The pills she took to survive the several shifts without interruption were wearing off and soon she was mildly suffering the effects. Finally able, she detached the `actually light' communication gear from her shoulders, along with several access chips and other gadgets, including the holster and the handgun.

*Snap, snap, snap* and other sounds of detaching velcro-straps was what Aira heard. Embarrassed as she stared, Hailynn detached more parts of her naval uniform, exposing more of her body. Just by moving her neck and her back, Aira heard three faint bone snaps.



Needless to say, Hailynn's shoulders were overstrained for being so many long hours without rest as she squeezed her shoulders together and then made a long sigh and moved her neck around again, feeling the pain around the stem of her neck. With two last movements, Hailynn removed both the remaining uniform jacket along with the vest and her skirt, leaving a half-naked exposed averagely mature built higaari woman in undergarment standing with her back towards the discomforted Aira, who kept her view sunk to floor.

“I'm sure we will have a good sleep, Ai... Think I'll leave the shower for later - I'm just too lahhh*yaawwwn*hhzy I guess”, Hailynn paused before she grabbed a night robe from the closet and turned her head shortly and then gently smirked. Hailynn for sure was aware that Aira was a growing young woman, her age somewhere around 17, but she somewhat forgot that she never really had been `in touch' with others of her kind, not even to mention with other women to `talk' to.

Hailynn turned herself slightly, “No need to be shy, really, Aira. We all are the `same', no matter where we come from. You might want to take some of that clothes off, too, before you lay down, girl.”



Looking upon herself shortly, Aira did still have too much on. Without much hesitation, Aira slowly took off both the beautifully patterned robes upon her shoulders and her body, left with a patterned undergarments.

Aira remained silent at first but did look up to her.

“I wonder sometimes what those Bentusi were busy with while they had you, girl”, Hailynn remarked. She only knew that the girl has had a very rough past and that the Bentusi said she were to suffer under a somewhat undermining amnesia - but still, Hailynn found it inappropriate to ask her about her past now...

“H-Hailynn?”

“Yes?”

“This picture, is it your - Kiithid?”

Hailynn straightened her back shortly,“- was -. Not a Kiithid really - well, they were a small one, to me they were just a... family...Almost all of them have disappeared or whatever - If you count my father, who doesn't care about me at all any more, for sure acts like I'm dead.”

“I-I am sorry to ask”, Aira said and threw herself away upon the bed, curling up with the picture enclosed within her arms upon her chest, but then her curiosity let words leave her lips, “- but - did you love them, at all?”.



Putting on the robe and strapping the light cloth belt around her waist, Hailynn walked around the bed, sat down and lay upon it, throwing the blanket over the both of them. Now it was Hailynn who was hesitating to answer. Turning her head to the left, Aira's eyes were wide - she did seem sleepy - but they awaited her to answer... The unusual glare of her beautifully colored eyes curiously waiting to be satisfied.

“We actually hated each other all along. I was the youngest in the Kiithid. As we grew up, my elder Kiithid sisters only concentrated on trying to be the first to be married with other Kiithid primes, -`sa, princes and any other man in a high position you could imagine. My brothers did take care of me back then, but contact to each other slowly broke as one disappeared after another, serving the sake of Higaara and their pride. I left Kiith Delixa only with the name attached to my blood heritage, it doesn't really mean... anything to me...”

Raising her eyes to Aira's again, they still stared upon Hailynn's... somewhat piercing into her mind, feeling the truth deep within her soul...

A single tear ran down Hailynn's cheek.

“Yes... I did... and I still do... love... them. I still miss them... I don't know why - but with me being light years away from them and them not caring? My naval career as a desquamated of Kiith Delixa and serving the Kiith Amaj as my only hope? I do, Ai' ... but for the sake of Hiigara, I won't believe what I am going to say, but even Kaydaana is right, I am `alone'. No love. Just my career and my duty, just hate...”

“You love her and those people who were around, too... or?”, Aira curiously asked again, her intentions somehow leaving .

“I haaaate her”, Hailynn replied with a sharp tongue but then she paused, there was no real way of getting out of this. She did not want to lie at Aira at all, therefore was she too precious...

“*sigh* I love her - but I still hate her! It's just - hate-love - I guess. And yes, I do love the others... `They' all have been a true family for me... actually...”, Hailynn slowly falling asleep.



Aira once again smiled shortly but then hid it right after. The kadeshi girl turned her head upwards, revealing the beautifully tattooed small symbols and stripes upon the side of her face. Her eyes stared at the ceilling.

“I don't have a family...”, Aira whispered...

“Never forget, girl... You are not... alone... *yawn* - You and everybody else on this... ship... are my family...”



The girl's eyes widened as Hailynn's words hollowed within her mind. The salvation to her seek has been revealed... But as Hailynn said `Good night' before she was about to fall asleep, strange gurgling occurred...

-gggrhhhghg-

“Wh-What- was that?”, Hailynn said tiredly... about to snore...

“H-Hailynn...”, the girl stuttered...



There was a long pause before Aira answered. She barely had the courage, but she did try to fight against her shyness...



“Please don't be mad... but... I... I'm hungry...”, she said with a shaky voice.

“Eh?” -Hailynn's eyes shot open.









The messhall... ten minutes later.

The large cafeteria hall only had a very selected few of crewmen and marines taking a break. Ever since she left her quarters, the ship continuously rumbled, only barely felt. She assumed that that Vagyr fighter has been `docked' aboard and felt that the ship was engaging cruise flight IV thrust profile.

Appearing at counter, a weary Hailynn stood before; her uniform slightly deranged with open straps, a slightly misplaced shoulder-mounted radio unit and with messed up hair. Hoping the Captain or any other bridge officers would not see her, she nonetheless wanted to help poor Aira satisfy her hunger. Hailynn totally forgot that she did not eat at all.





“Whoa, zombie... Oh my gods, where art thou?”, the cook for the late shift said to her, as he noticed her weird appearance waiting at the counter.

“Please be merciful, Cookie”, she mumbled.

“Man. You look like you had a rough night there, ma'am -”

“Don't ask... But I assure you it was not what you think. Another one of those long duties with those pills...”

“Ma'am, you need to stop doing that. You're killing yourself... But nevermind. What may it be? Double coffee?”

She rose her hand and wove it several times as she shook her head.

“Oh my, please no. My roommate for the night, Aira, needs something to eat.”

“Aira? Our kadeshi girl?”, he asked, as he made his way to the back.

“Exactly - But leave the meat away, please, she's one of those - fruit eaters - I forgot how they call them on Higaara, but she can't eat meat at all.”

“Ah, you mean, `Vegetarian' actually - Veggie. Yes, we have a few of them onboard. I know what I can give to you for her.”

“Yeea*yaaawn*ah - sorry...”, she replied and wove her hand in front of her mouth.

“We still got plenty to eat for her. Just let me put it together, Hailey.”

“Right”

“Y'know, that was an impressive story she told there back then.”

“I know, but what do you mean?”

“You should have seen the hall”, the cook explained, “Everybody was only talking about that `tale' she told. It sort of started a lot of interesting conversations after the both of you left. And actually, they all had open questions. You better keep an eye on that girl, Hailey. Looks like you might have people asking for her later on. Say hello to her from me, will you?”

Handing over a tray filled with fruits and those... `vegetables', about as much as Aira would like it.

“Sure thing, Cookie. Thanks a lot - See you later on.”

“Later”



With her messed-up looks, Hailynn carried the tray back, heading down the hallway. The ship was still vibrating but she already got used to it. There was no way Aira would be sleeping this through. Any disturbance never gave her a break.

Hailynn suddenly stopped... just noticing bad luck tapping her shoulder as she saw somebody coming around the corner and walking towards her. Astonished, she did not move a muscle...



It was the Captain, heading somewhere... unfortunately...

Over hundreds of corridors in this big cruiser and he just had to take this way!, her mind shouted.

Hailynn's hands were full. There was not enough time or space to put down the tray and arrange herself, therefore it was way too late. This was going to be the first time they would meet having her in a very embarrassing situation. She could trust Cookie not talking about her, but for sure, if anybody would figure out her being seen by the Captain like this, she would be the laughing stock forever.

With her sloppy and startled appearance, she had no other choice but to stand still and let her strange looks as they were... even with the strap of her bra visible upon her shoulder. All she did was to make space by standing still with her back against the wall of the corridor and look straight, nervously hoping he would say nothing... But it all came different than her expectations.



As the Captain walked passed her, he did say something to her, as he continued along the way and disappeared around the second intersection. His words caught her totally offguard, that she slid down the wall in surprise.



“At east, Sub-Commander. You are off-duty”, was what she said to her.



Finally reaching her quarters again, she entered the living room and looked around. Aira was not here as she thought her to be waiting at. The access door sealed behind Hailynn as she made her way to the bedroom.

“Hey, Ai' - You won't believe what happened. Supposed to say hello to you from the cook. I brought you some -”, she said, but then noticed that nobody was actually listen.

Needless to say, Aira only replied the invisible “`Z's”...

“-food.. Oh girl, why do you do this to me...”, Hailynn whispered.



Despite what happened recently, Hailynn forgot about it and laid the tray aside. That time and again, the hiigaran woman swapped her uniform with her night robe and brought her tired self to the left side of the bed, lying herself down close to the right side of Aira. She peacefully slept. Alas, she did deserve the rest.

Suddenly, Aira mumbled something, words in a non-understandable but familiar language. She was mumbling kadeshi in her sleep, since Hailynn accidentally bumped her. Hailynn was way too exhausted, but the girl's mumbling did sound a bit as if she were in slightly at unrest, probably her mind only dreaming of what happened the last 24 hours.

“Teg're eshi... mahhmh na'hi...bethsss”, she mumbled further, soundly only slightly anxious. Feeling sorry for the poor girl, it seemed as if Aira needed to feel warmth - It seemed as if she even felt alone in her dreams.



There was no way Hailynn could ignore Aira's need.

She was somewhat the little sister she never had.



Embracing the girl slightly, Hailynn whispered “Shh... shhhh...”, calming her down.

Aira immediately curled up closer, resting her head on Hailynn's chest as she finally became silent and slept further. Holding her `lost' little sister, Hailynn fell asleep after a long sigh... Both of them not even the slightest disturbed by the ship's thruster rumbling throughout the room and whole ship.





Several hours later.

Slowly waking up alone in the bed and with a picture next to her, Hailynn lifted herself and stretched her body a few times. The sleep she had remedied most of her stressed muscles, but she was still dreaded sleepy. Waking up was always a difficulty the hiigaran woman had. Taking a look upon one of the clocks displaying the ship's clock, she suddenly noticed that she did not have all too much time. She needed to get ready for duty.

But where was Aira?

Shaking her head several times, she heard a voice. Noticing that it was not in her head, she heard the girl's voice speaking something in the other room. With half-closed eyes and her balance sense still `inactive', she walked awkwardly towards the living room, noticing everything arranged - not messy, including Aira, who sat on her knees in front of the large screen in the living room. The screen revealed a live-feed image from the observatory of the ship, focused upon the distant shrouded star in the center of the system that also illuminated the whole living room, throwing a shadow of Aira as its light reflected upon her surface. The scenery was absolutely beautiful. Never have she seen something alike before... but it gave Hailynn a rather disturbing and threatening feeling as she stared upon this majestic entity, consuming and being shrouded by endless streams of colorful gas-vortexes ...



Chants and prayers were heard.

Aira was praying or praising... or more likely, she seemed to be devoting her words to somebody. Again, Hailynn heard the name `Rahji' and `Kadesha' and many other kadeshi words. Worshiping was the definitely the wrong word - She seemed to be seeking guidance or some sort of spiritual illumination, opening her hands to the side and bowing. For being a `lost' one and so far away from where she came from, Hailynn understood why she did this and respected her ancient religion. It was what formed her to what she was today that gave her hope. Aira sat before the screen and looked upwards upon it for very long moments.



Hearing Hailynn bumping her foot against something -painfully-, Aira slowly looked over her shoulder as she noticed the hiigaran woman awoken from her sleep.

“M-M'desh, Hailynn...”, the kadeshi girl greeted to her and gave a sorrow looking smile.

“*Ouch... * Sorry - I did not want to disturb your prayers, Ai'. My bad...”, Hailynn apologized, feeling guilty for disturbing her.

“No-no! It is... okay ... I am done right now. I should not be doing this here - I should be at my shrine... but I feel more... secure here with you around as `Rahji's' essence is looking upon me. I hope it was alright to - ”

“Aira - You know me *I hope* good enough. There is no reason to be saying sorry all the time. Never should you be needing to ask for permission, girl.”



The kadeshi girl turned herself and sat on her legs with hands on top of her lap, staring upon Hailynn a while, curiously awaiting what she would or say next.

“Look, I will need a shower. Something you should do to in the meantime, Ai'. We will soon need to report for duty to figure out how things are going on from now. It won't be an easy day, so it looks like a coffee would be the appropriate medication against my sleepiness - need one bad.”

“Yes... I understand.”



“Very well”, Hailynn said and made her way to the bathroom. Before she entered, Aira, who stared upon the ground, asked quietly, “ Hailynn?”

“hmm?”



̶ 0; Thank you... for taking care of me...”



Hailynn smiled warmly to her, before she left Aira in the living room.