Thriexa Aizih POV

  I stood at the docking bay, my hands clasped behind my back as the second transport approached. The hum of the station filled the silence around me, but my thoughts were loud, restless. I had insisted on being here, on being the first one he saw.

  Jace.

  He had seen me in my human form for so long, adapted to my features as they were on Earth. But now, in the place where I could exist as I truly was, he would see me differently. Would he recognize me? Would he be overwhelmed? There was a part of me—small, buried beneath duty and responsibility—that felt an undeniable thrill at the thought.

  The transport slowed, aligning perfectly with the docking platform. My heartbeat quickened as the doors hissed, releasing pressure before slowly sliding open.

  Jace stepped forward.

  His eyes locked onto me immediately, widening as he took me in. I saw the mix of emotions flash across his face—awe, curiosity, understanding. His gaze traced over me, lingering on the natural markings along my skin, the vines that twisted around my arms and legs, keeping me connected to the energy of the station. I remained still, letting him absorb the sight of me in my true form, not speaking, not moving.

  Finally, he exhaled, a slow, measured breath. “Thriexa…”

  The way he said my name sent a strange warmth through me, something I wasn’t entirely prepared for. “This is who I am,” I said softly. “This is how I was always meant to be.”

  He took another step forward, closing the distance between us. “You’re beautiful.”

  A flicker of something passed through me—something deep, something I didn’t quite know how to name. But I had no time to dwell on it.

  “Come,” I said, turning swiftly toward the corridor. “We have much to do.”

  I sent Jace with Tocci, she could use some help with the weapons and many of the Eova would not be up to that task, but I knew that Jace would have no problem with it.

  I sat across from my mother in the command chamber, the weight of history pressing down on both of us. Maps of former conflicts and strategic analysis reports flickered in holographic displays around us, but my focus remained on my mother’s guarded expression.

  “We cannot trust them,” my mother stated firmly, her hands resting on the table. “They have pursued us for generations, and they killed your father—my true partner. You ask me to negotiate with that?”

  “I ask you to give them the chance to prove they have changed,” I countered, my voice unwavering. “We cannot afford a war, Mother. We do not have the resources, and we do not have anywhere left to run. If we continue to flee, we will be running for the rest of our existence.”

  Xilta exhaled sharply, her skepticism evident, but there was something else beneath it—fear. “If this goes wrong, we risk everything.”

  I nodded. “And if we do nothing, we lose everything.”

  The room fell into silence, but beyond our chamber, the station buzzed with activity. Eova moved with a sense of urgency, some preparing defenses, others gathering data for the talks. The division among their people was evident—some were hopeful for peace, others prepared for war.

  Tensions ran high. And time was running out.

  Jace Strickland POV

  Stepping onto the Eova space station felt like stepping into an entirely new world. The sheer scale of it was breathtaking—the corridors stretched endlessly, constructed from sleek, reflective metal infused with veins of glowing energy. The technology surrounding me was unlike anything I had ever seen. Floating displays flickered with data, and the hum of the station vibrated beneath my feet.

  I barely had time to marvel at my surroundings before my gaze was drawn to her.

  Thriexa stood ahead, waiting for me. This was the first time I had seen her in her true form, and it left me momentarily speechless. Her frame, though still familiar, radiated an undeniable presence. The intricate markings along her skin seemed to shimmer under the station’s lighting, and the vines coiled around her arms and legs, shifting subtly as if alive. She looked regal, untamed, entirely in her element.

  She held my gaze, letting me take in the sight of her without speaking. My chest tightened, a mix of admiration and something deeper stirring within me. “You’re beautiful,” I said before I could stop myself.

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  A flicker of emotion passed through her eyes, but she quickly masked it. “Come,” she said, turning swiftly. “We have much to do.”

  Tocci led me down a winding corridor, her usual lightheartedness replaced by a focused determination. “If you’re going to be up here, you need to know what we may have to defend ourselves,” she said as we entered the armory.

  The room was unlike any weapon cache I’d ever seen. The walls were lined with sleek, alien firearms, energy-based weaponry that pulsed with power. Tocci grabbed one from the rack and tossed it to me. “Think fast.”

  I caught it easily, turning it over in my hands. It was lighter than I expected, yet I could feel the raw energy coursing through it. “Eova hate violence, yet you keep an armory like this?”

  Tocci sighed, picking up a weapon of her own and inspecting it. “These weapons haven’t been used since twelve planets ago. We don’t fight unless we have no other choice. Our people have spent generations running, avoiding war, avoiding destruction. But running hasn’t kept us safe forever. So, we prepare. Just in case.”

  She gestured toward the weapons. “I need to test each one to make sure they still work. No point in carrying dead weight. Here, let me show you how to use them.”

  She moved closer, demonstrating the weapon’s grip and firing mechanism before handing it to me. “Now, let’s see what you can do.”

  I raised the weapon, feeling the balance of it in my hands before aiming at the designated target zone. With a steady breath, I pulled the trigger, and a controlled burst of energy shot forward, striking the target dead center.

  Tocci grinned. “Not bad, human. But let’s see if you can keep up.”

  We continued testing the weapons, the hum of energy pulses filling the armory. Tocci broke the silence first, her voice softer than before. “What about you, Jace? You protect people, right? What made you choose that life?”

  I adjusted my grip on the weapon, considering her question. “I guess… I wanted to stand between the innocent and those who would harm them. To stop things before they got worse.”

  Tocci studied me for a long moment, then smirked. “Sounds familiar.”

  She put her weapon down, crossing her arms as she regarded me curiously. “And Thriexa? What is she to you?”

  I stiffened slightly. “What do you mean?”

  She tilted her head, her knowing eyes narrowing slightly. “I can sense emotions, Jace. And when I asked that, I felt something very strong from you. Something warm.” She paused, her smirk turning more genuine. “You love her, don’t you?”

  I swallowed hard, not answering right away. But I knew the truth. And judging by Tocci’s expression, she did too.

  She sighed, placing the weapon down gently. “Jace, you need to understand something. Thriexa will always put the Eova first. I’ve seen it in every one of her lives, just like I saw it in her mother and father. No matter what happens, her duty comes before everything.”

  I nodded, absorbing her words. “I know. And I would never come between her and her people.”

  Tocci studied me carefully, then gave a small nod of approval. “Good. Because I’ve also seen how hard it is for someone who loves her. And for someone who is not Eova… that’s a heavy burden to carry.”

  I exhaled, gripping the weapon tighter. “That’s why I’ve been trying to avoid my feelings for her. But it’s proving to be impossible.”

  The silence stretched between us, the steady hum of the station filling the space. A thought struck me, something I hadn’t considered before. I glanced at Tocci and asked, “How old are you?”

  She raised an eyebrow, a knowing smirk playing at her lips. “Older than you, human.”

  I chuckled, but the question lingered in my mind. “You said you knew Thriexa’s father?”

  Tocci’s expression shifted, something softer and more thoughtful settling over her face. “I did. Dephoria was my second planet. I’ve lived on six worlds beside Earth, but that one…” She trailed off before shaking her head. “That one changed everything.”

  She hesitated before continuing, her voice quieter now. “I was part of the Aizihs’ security detail back then. When everything fell apart, I was responsible for saving a group of Eova from the destruction. Xilta saw what I did, and after we escaped, she assigned me to protect Thriexa for the rest of my life. At first, it was duty, but over time…”

  She exhaled slowly, looking away. “I grew to love her, we quickly became friends. And now, I protect her because I choose to, not because I was ordered to.”

  Her words settled deep within me. Tocci had been through more than I realized, and her loyalty to Thriexa was unwavering. I understood that kind of devotion more than I wanted to admit.

  Before I could respond, the steady hum of the station was interrupted by a voice in my mind. A Zetill Eova had reached out telepathically, their message urgent and clear.

  “The Dephorians are here. Their ship is preparing to dock.”

  Tocci and I exchanged a glance, our shared instincts kicking in. Without a word, we both set down the weapons we had been testing—except for the smaller, easily concealed ones we each grabbed and secured at our sides.

  “Let’s go,” Tocci said, already heading for the corridor.

  Together, we walked with purpose toward the chamber where the peace talks would take place. My heart pounded in my chest, my mind sharpening as I prepared to come face to face with the ones who had haunted the Eova for generations.

  As we entered, the doors slid open to reveal them. The Dephorian leader stood tall, his imposing frame wrapped in dark, segmented armor that shifted and flexed as if it were alive, absorbing the dim light of the chamber. His skin, a deep slate gray, bore intricate etchings like scars, remnants of his people’s past conflicts. His piercing, sunken eyes glowed faintly, an eerie yellow that made it impossible to discern warmth or cruelty. Every movement was deliberate, his aura one of hardened authority, as if the very air around him bowed to his presence.

  Beside him, his daughter moved with a measured grace, her presence quieter but just as commanding. Her form was leaner, her features sharper, with an air of keen intellect rather than brute strength. The same gray skin stretched over her frame, but where her father’s markings were battle-worn and jagged, hers were more intricate, almost ornamental. A crest of dark spines ran along the back of her head, shifting slightly with every movement, giving away the careful calculations she was making as she scanned the room. Her golden eyes flickered over us, assessing, weighing, preparing.

  This was the moment. And I had no idea what would come next.