Risha
Chapter 1
Within the limitless reaches of space there is room for more than just life on planets as planets are few and far between. Space stations were built on the main trader lines, taking advantage of uninhabited planetary systems, asteroid belts and any other material that could be used. Most of these stations were planets in their own fashion, turned inside out and containing everything one needed to sustain the basics of life.
Stations, like planets and homes were in varying degrees of upkeep and suitability for life. Some were good, some were held together with what amounted to wire and glue and were constantly being patched. And some were designed to look good on the outside, while inside the atmospheres were toxic to many alien races. One had to make sure that the stations were compatible with their requirements.
Shira Lessa peered through the small view port while telling her small son about Space Stations and the new one they were going to. He was only two, but he listened to every word. His eyes never left his mother's face. She smiled at him.
"Your father has an important job and now we're going to have real quarters with windows and a little garden." Lessa smiled, playing with the boy's hair. "And then, Lexx, maybe we'll get an allowance so you can have a little sister."
"Sisa?" Lexx grinned grabbing for a handful of Lessa's white hair. "Momma?"
"Yes." She was proud of her little boy. What mother wouldn't be? And now, things were really going good for their small family. She'd be running watch duty as a fighter pilot in a quiet sector on a new station. Her husband was serving as second in command of the station, which was a big jump in pay and privileges for all of them.
For the longest time, they'd lived in very small one-room officer quarters. Space was tight and due to the fact that the stations they were on disapproved of kids, they were often given the worst quarters in an attempt to discourage them from remaining on the station. Never mind they did their jobs and did them well.
Now, things were going to change. This station had been created by and for their people, the Rishan. Everyone who worked and lived there was their kind. It was among the first of its kind and Lessa felt good about it, proud of what they had accomplished with so much against them. The Rishan were a slave race, engineered to serve, or so they were told.
They had been freed from that bondage and left to another one. That of being homeless. They didn't have a planet to go home to and nobody wanted the hundreds of thousands of freed Rishan on their worlds. At one point, it was thought they'd become the trash of the Galaxy and many things were done to try to prevent them from marrying and having children. They were told not to, fined for it, treated horribly for even the possibility of adding to their numbers to a point, that the Rishan gathered together and showed everyone what they could do. They were not stupid. Many were well educated and from varying backgrounds. They would not fail and if no planet would allow them a home, they would build their own among the stars and be true Children of the Stars, which was the rough translation of the word Rishan.
The Rishan, were considered children by other races and the term had begun as almost a derogatory one, told often with a sarcastic slur to it. Lessa and her husband, Taumas, had gone through a lot together and even more once they had their first son. The station doctors had taken him from them when he was only a few months old. They had decreed he was a drain on resources and they had taken him.
Less than a year later, they had moved to another station and a daughter was born. They had thought things would be different, but they never saw the little girl. The officials took her away. With Lexx, they were smarter. Lessa's third child was not going anywhere. He was born on Litta. The Littans, while a strange race, were compassionate to the Rishan's situation. They were also one of the few races that were similar to the Rishan in build and emotion.
Taumas and Lessa had to separate for a short time and now, they would be reunited on the new station. Lessa's smile broadened. She had her son and she would have her husband back and they would have a home and a life. Her son wouldn't have to go through everything they had to. He would be educated in whatever his interests led him to and he seemed to be a very capable child, even at two. He had a slight problem with his speech, but he was bright and caught onto things quickly.
The main speakers crackled to life and a voice stated over them, "We have been cleared to dock and are arriving ahead of schedule to Risha 1. Baggage will be delivered to its destination or you may pick it up and transfer it to your next destination at your convenience."
"Well, Lexx." Lessa scooted the boy into the seat beside her to fasten the safety belts. Docking could at times be a little jerky. "It looks like we're home." She patted him on the head, getting a playful giggle in return from him as he tried to grab her hands.
"Momma! Dadda's goin' be here?" Lexx had only seen his father a few times, but they'd always been pleasant experiences and he looked forward to them and now, looked even more forward to having him around all the time to play with him.
"Yes." Lessa looked back out the view port. "He is waiting for us,… for both of us."
Chapter 2
Taumas checked the time, the metal strip on the back of his left hand projecting the numbers. He stood at the back of a crowd of people waiting for the most recent ship to dock. Despite being a ranking officer and second in charge, he felt he should remain at the back of the line instead of pushing his way to the front which he could have if he'd wanted. It was polite. He had afterall, arrived later than everyone ahead of him.
His white and blue uniform made him stand out a bit from the more normal everyday wear that everyone else at the terminal had on, but otherwise, he was an average representation of the Rishan. Six foot two, medium build with dark blue hair. His skin was a lighter shade of blue, a bit lighter than those around him since he worked on the decks and not in the station itself. Taumas' eyes were the only things that were not average. They were green. Rishan eye color was ordinarily brown to coppery orange, just as their hair ranged from white to blue and black. Green was exotic.
Men and women walked by, joining friends all around Taumas. He noted that there were at least four children among the stream of Rishan. A boy of about ten and three little girls of varying ages, giggling and running amidst the crowd. They were such a scattered people that Taumas supposed they'd probably made friends on the ship.
Then, he saw his wife carrying their own boy amidst the line. Taumas couldn't help but smile. He really had missed her and at that moment felt such a surge of joy at the sight of them actually here to stay; he thought his chest might explode. "Lessa!" He waved a hand to get her attention, carefully avoiding getting into the way of Rishan still getting off the ship.
The moment the doors opened, light flooded into the room beyond it. Taumas, now carrying Lexx stepped aside for Lessa to go inside first. "What do you think?" He inquired eagerly, hoping that she would be pleased with the quarters he was assigned.
Lessa stopped just inside the door, staring at the layout of the quarters. Here, they were standing in a little foyer with a doorway to the left, right and directly in front of them. The door to the left led to a kitchen and dining area. The kitchen alone was larger than any of their previous homes. The door to the right went directly into a large bedroom. She could see several other doors going off from there, another small bedroom and a showering room. That's right, they would have access to water for showers.
Without a word, Lessa walked forward, through the main door. This room was the living area, long seats, viewers, and … plants. Lessa noticed the plants immediately. The wall was open halfway up; windows open to the garden outside. The tops of leafy green, red and blue bushes and vines could be seen through the opening. Taumas walked behind Lessa, waiting patiently.
"Look! A bird!" Lexx suddenly began squirming to get down, pointing at the window and a bright orange and gold bird that had just alighted on the sill. It pecked at a spot on the sill, then ruffled its feathers and chirped.
Lessa laughed, "This is great, Taumas! I love it! We have birds?!"
"Lots of them. They come and go as they please. Nice decorations, right?" Taumas grinned happily. "I'm glad you approve. I wouldn't have it any other way… oh, and there's one more thing, Lessa, I got something for Lexx."
"Oh?" Lessa blinked at Taumas, wondering why he hadn't said anything about this before and curious to see what it was.
"I'll go get it." Taumas put Lexx down and vanished around a corner of the room. He came back a moment later with his hands cupped together. "I saw this and thought he'd enjoy it."
Lessa stared at Taumas as he opened his hands. Curled up against his palms was a very plump little red and gold creature. It blinked huge blue eyes and yawned. "What is it?" Lessa was immediately wary of it, noting that it had small pointy teeth and already wondering if it might harm her son.
"Don't worry, Lessa. It's a miniature Sallomandyr. This one's a baby, but they only get about twice this big and don't bite unless they're teased. Do you hear that Lexx?" Taumas got down on one knee to present the creature to the child.
"Mine?" Lexx spoke in almost a whisper, taking awhile to just look at the little animal. It was very small and made a squeaking sound as Taumas deposited it into Lexx's hands.
"Yes, but you have to be nice to it. Don't squeeze it or pick on it. Treat it like you would want to be treated if you were in his position." Taumas instructed further, ruffling the boy's hair. "Do you understand?"
Lexx nodded, holding the Sallomandyr against him. It snuggled up against his shirt, tickling him. "Yes! Yes! I do." The little animal was surprisingly warm and had a coat of very fine, short and soft fur.
"That's a smart boy." Taumas grinned and stood up. "Now,… for you. I have something really special for you, Lessa."
"Oh,… really?" Lessa feigned disinterest in her tone, but was smiling. "What could you get for me that I don't already have?" Taumas didn't reply, reaching into his pocket and producing a small black square.
Lessa blinked, turning it over in her hands, "Taumas… this is too much. This is a ship tile…"
"Your ship tile, to be built to your specifications. I know you've always wanted a fighter of your own." Taumas stepped forward to embrace his wife.
"When do I ged a sisa?" Lexx spoke up.
Taumas and Lessa laughed.
"Not wanting to waste any time, Love?" Taumas smirked at Lessa.
"I was just talking." Lessa smiled back.
"I don't think it's a bad idea myself." With a mischievous grin, Taumas looked down at his son. "Let's go look at the garden, Lexx can play out there by himself."
