Colonies of U'u'kata

"Dakota?" Ezra asked in surprise. "You want to be called Dakota?"

"Yes. It sounds strong," Goldie, or, Dakota said, raising her chin.

"Well, you're right. It does sound strong. I like it," he said with a smile.

She beamed. "You approve?" she asked.

"It doesn't matter if I approve or not, Dakota. What matters is that you approve. But, I like it. I think it suits you."

"Yes," she said, smoothing her hand over her slave smock, "suits me."

He needed to get her something warmer to wear. She needed shoes too.

"Let's move!" Captain de'Lain said loudly as the group picked up their packs and slung them over shoulders.

Ezra looked down at Dakota's bare feet. "Are you going to be okay to walk?" he asked.

She nodded and he turned to Delleth. "Are you ready?"

"Yes," the boy said.

"Okay, if her feet start to hurt, you'll need to carry her. Can you do that?"

Delleth nodded. "It... she weighs nothing. I am strong," he said.

The group headed up a mountain covered in blue-leafed trees and little purple plants with bright pink flowers. It was beautiful and alien and Ezra's chest clenched down hard as he suddenly missed home so badly it made his chest ache.

"Why do you look so sad?" Rhythm asked.

Ezra gave his head a shake and looked up at the colorful Tilith. "I was just thinking of home," he admitted.

"I heard that farm place you lived was... nice?"

Ezra snorted. "C.O.S. was not nice. It was a shithole"

"But you miss it?" Delleth asked from beside him.

"No. I don't miss C.O.S. I miss home. Earth. My planet," Ezra said.

"You're from the Human home planet?" Rhythm asked, suddenly very interested.

"Yeah. I was born in a place called Nova Scotia, Canada. It's one of the most beautiful places on Earth and one of the last places not covered in concrete."

"Why did you leave?" Rhythm asked.

Ezra sighed. "The lure of the stars had its hooks in me. My family begged me not to go but... I had no friends, no romantic prospects. I was the short, tattooed nerd who spent all his time with mushrooms. No one wanted anything to do with me. The cost of living was so high that I would never be able to afford to move out of my parent's basement and I thought living in a hole on a space station would be better."

"Was it? Better, I mean?"

Ezra swallowed, eyes roaming the beautiful, alien mountainside.

"No," he finally said. "It wasn't."

"Tell me about your Nova Scotia, Ezra. Does it have trees like these?" Rhythm asked, jerking his head up toward the blue-leafed trees.

"Yeah. Lots of trees. But the leaves are green. Most plants on my planet have green leaves."

"Green?" Delleth exclaimed, eyes wide in fascination.

"Kid, if you think that's interesting, wait till I tell you about the animals."

"Get down!" Rhythm hissed, massive hand gripping Ezra's shoulder and pushing him to the ground. Delleth and Dakota dropped into a crouch as the entire party crouched, weapons ready.