Another pregnant pause at the table, then Prince Z’fir picked up the thread. “This is part of the reason we are on the Destiny, Selena. To find another way. To provide new opportunities for the disenfranchised. To have the opportunity to start over without being beholden to our society’s rigid rules and stratification. Our dream is to find a planet that can support a colony and settle there. When the Yaarkin War ended, the Aldawi gifted us this ship—a model scheduled to be decommissioned—and agreed to allow us to search Aldawi territory for a habitable planet. If we find one, we can settle it, so long as we establish and support an outpost there for them.”
“We had to seize this opportunity, though our Queen mothers felt we were foolish. When we started recruiting volunteers for this exploration, we knew a number of Circuli felt there must be another way—who agreed with us—but we had no idea how many,” Prince V’dim explained. “All told, the ship is now home to one hundred females with their three hundred and fifty mated males, four hundred males in male-to-male relationships, and one hundred fifty males who were either rejected or unmated. And none wish to return to Circul.”
“Have you found any planets that fit your needs yet?” I asked.
“We are beginning to lose hope, and that is part of the reason we were heading to CEG HQ when we came across your escape pod. It has been five years since we left our home planet. We have not found anything remotely suitable and were hoping to enlist Aldawi aid. We want to find something close to populated Aldawi territory—under closer Aldawi protection. Too close to the fringe and the likelihood of attack from outside the CEG rises considerably.”
The booth descended into a morose silence.
Given what Odelm and Xylo had told me about the Circuli’s connection to nature, I could see how an extended trip through space would be difficult. But to me? Traveling the stars for five years sounded terrific. I was used to life on a spaceship—indeed, I had never been planet-side.
Kaede broke into my thoughts. “So, Selena. Have you thought about names for your offspring yet?”
Surprised naming my children had never crossed my mind, I responded, “No. It hadn’t even occurred to me. Until I met you, having a name hadn’t even occurred to me. I was simply 5313-3F.”
The others looked shocked, and Xylo’s grip tightened on my hand. No one spoke, but I saw the others glancing at one another.
I coughed, searching for a way to take the focus off me again. “So, umm... How do Ulax and Wudox name their offspring?”
“When my fathers adopted me, they combined their names, creating Odelm. They raised me as their own,” Odelm admitted.
Surprised that Odelm was the one to answer me, that he was sharing a part of his history with us, I leaned toward him encouragingly.
“What did they do? Since you aren’t a member of the Warrior Class, I am assuming they raised you differently?”
A smile crossed his face. “They were a Ulax and Wudox unmated couple and fairly successful members of the Merchant Class, so we never stayed in one place very long, and I was often left to my own devices. Digging through the varied merchandise was a favorite pastime. That was how they discovered I had a talent for music. When I was a youngling, I found an instrument buried in a pile of goods and it piqued my curiosity. I began playing with it, and when my fathers came back to the storage bay, they discovered me. That was the moment they knew I would never be a Merchant, and they made sure I had instruments and music from then on. I spent long hours teaching myself every instrument and song they brought back, and eventually, they had me perform for some of their clients. That is how I became known.”
“Are they still alive?”
“Yes. They were among the first Circuli merchants to trade off-planet with other species in CEG. When I joined the Destiny’s mission, they told me they would join me—when we found a hospitable planet—to be able to see me whenever they were planet-side. I have not seen them since we left five years ago.” The smile fell from his face.
“I am sorry, Odelm. Hopefully, the Aldawi will be able to help, and you will see them soon.”
Turning toward Xylo, I rested my hand on his hip petals. “What about you? How did you get your name?”
He glanced at Odelm before meeting my eyes. “Odelm and I came from the same hatchery. I was adopted by an unmated couple also, but my fathers were both widely known healers in the capital. Whereas they specialized in both Ulax and Wudox anatomy and healing, I was more interested in learning about other species in CEG—about their culture and physiology. I would not be where I am now without their support and assistance—nor without the princes asking me to join them. This opportunity to interact with other species is everything I have dreamed of, but I, too, have not seen my fathers since we left Circul. Once we find a new home, I will send word, but they have no drive to explore space.”
“But how did you come by your name?” I pressed.
Xylo shrugged. “They never did tell me how they chose it. I have always assumed it was just a name they liked.”
I leaned back for a moment, thinking.
“So, how do Aldawi name their cubs?”
Odelm started, and Kaede gave me a warning look—then he leaned back and rubbed a horn with his gloved hand as he thought.
“All Aldawi cubs get their mother's surname—though if she allows the sire to claim them his name is appended to hers. Traditionally, first names for littermates are chosen with some sort of theme in mind. So... a litter born during a storm? The cubs might be given storm-related names. Sometimes, the theme is as simple as all names starting with the same
