Chapter 14 – Lucide's story

'What the fuck is happening?', Eva is running through the spaceship in the direction of the bridge. She is not the only one she sees, when she reach her destination. It's busy at the helm because Don Wei is yelling in total panick at Lucide, the Nourasians are talking loud to the Inna and Rush is barking against the ones that are left.

They all fall over when the ship is getting hit by another blast from behind. 'We're under attack!', Lucide tells everyone behind him. Silence. 'What?', Don asks. 'We're under attack', the man at the helm repeats calm. 'And why you're staying calm like that?', the voice of Rick sounds. 'Because it doesn't help me when I'm going to jump up and down and yell of fear.'

The day passed quicker then the fellowship had thought in the first place. After being chased by the Crogs, who were send after them by Jordan, they finally managed to get some rest. Unfortunately for them it didn't last long. The interesting about the last part of the hunt was that the Avatar himself had joined the forces of the hostile alien race. Lucide had showed some real flying skills and seemed to fall into the favor of Don Wei. Now they found a place to spend the 'night' and everybody was returning to their cabins.

'Eva!', it's her father calling her. The young woman turns around and looks at him. 'Is there a problem sir?', she asks in a formal way. 'I overheard Ning and Skun talking about yesterday evening and that they saw Lucide coming out of your room. Is there anything wrong my daughter?', he is looking suspiciously at her. Eva nods and tells him that is was nothing and she turns around to disappear in her room. In her room is Aikka sitting on the bed and jumps off it when she comes in. 'Owh Aikka, I didn't…', She is cut off by the king who says: 'Maybe I had to ask first, but just like your father I'm curious about what happened yesterday between you and Lucide.'

Eva sits down on the bed beside the Nourasian and thinks back at last night. After a while of silence she begins to talk. 'He came in to ask if I was alright, now idea how he find out that something was wrong with me, but we talked. And it helped a lot, my king.' Still Aikka isn't satisfied: 'But who is he? Why did he came into the room just after I left? Is he watching us in any way? Speak up Eva!' This is a very wrong move of the Nourasian but he notice too late. 'I believe it is time you should leave my friend', the ice cold voice of the earthling says.

'Where the hell did he get the guts from to be so hostile towards Lucide?', Eva is muttering while she walks through the ship. She can't sleep so she decided to go for a walk. She ends up before a door in a corridor she doesn't know. Curious she opens it and enters the room. It's definitely the room of their host and she wants to turn around when her eye falls upon an old looking picture. Her hand moves without a command and she gasps the picture. It looks like a family photo of some kind. Its shows two elder men and women. Around them are all children. They all look happy, but still Eva feels some recognition. She takes a closer look without knowing what to search for and then se suddenly sees it. She is shocked, as if hit by lighting. There, just too left of one of the elderly men stands her mother. Though she hasn't got the moon and stripe on her cheek, Eva would recognise her everywhere. 'What?...', then she hears a whooshing sound of a door opening and Lucide walks into his chambers.

'Hello Eva, I saw you were in my room so I thought I owed you an explanation', the man says calmly. 'You saw me into your room?', Eva is asking suspiciously. Lucide grins and comes a stop just in front of the young woman. 'Yes, saw. On the bridge I've a system which allows me to look all around my ship. So I can see if there are any intruders or that there are happening bad things to my guests. It is installed in every room and every hallways and deck.' Eva nods but keeps her mouth shut, so it is up to the host to talk again. 'I saw you finding the picture and that's when I decided it was time to come down.' Still the young woman is front of him is nodding. Then she looks him straight in his eyes and asks: 'You knew my mother?' With a deep sight of maybe sadness and even shame Lucide admits that. 'The two grown-up men you see are brothers. Both with their wives and children. One of them is my father, the other one is your mothers father. So you see, we were cousins which makes you my little niece.' Still shocked the earth girl looks at the man. 'Is that why you after all decided to help us?' Lucide can't help but to laugh. 'No, not first. I was forced by Ning to help your father. It was after we left Alleria that I learned your name and I didn't drop your friends on a distant planet. You see, Maya and I were very good friends and even she choose to stay on Earth and marry I supported her. She wrote me letters of her adventures with racing, but above all about her daughter Eva. One look on you when Aikka brought you on board was enough to settle everything for me.'

After this story a silence falls. It stays silent for a very long time and Lucide just want to say something to break it, when Eva opens her mouth. 'Ning told me you are on of the lost Turtai. Who are the Turtai? Considered I'm one of them as well.' 'The Turtai, that's a long story my child. I'll be tell you the story, I promise, but not now. Come to my room tomorrow after we boarded at the planet Koula. Then we'll be save from the Crogs for a while. We'll do repairs there and pick up some friends of mine. We also will discuss what to with the Avatar, but we need more information before we make a plan.'