Space Cradle - Chapter One

Chapter One: Preconceptions

It was nighttime. The air was slightly chilly and Jamie Waftsman was sitting on the front porch that had been in xir family for years. Xe had inherited the ranch from xir family when xir parents died, but not because they felt a paternal love to give it to xem, but because xe was the only child they had and had no other close relative to give to instead. Jamie was born a man, but had never felt like one. Or female at that. Jamie was just Jamie, and had lived xir life as neutrally as possible. This, of course, did not fare well with xir parents, who insisted on calling Jamie a him and calling xem James instead of xir preferred more neutral nickname. Still, Jamie loved xirs parents, even though they never fully accepted xem. Besides, they had long passed away, and xe was content to just live the rest of xir life up in the ranch. Here, all xe had to do was tend to a few animals and continue making xir living painting and writing xir next novel.

Space Cradle - Prologue

Prologue:

The skies were black. Voltru could see nothing save the pinpricks of light from stars long dead. The starship was deathly quiet; a lesser Eltroin would've been scared, but Voltru had been in the Black Wars and appreciated the silence in a way only someone who had heard the cacophony of war for too long. Voltru was close. The planet that he had picked was only a few lightclicks away. He flipped a switch and the small ship jumped through a self created wormhole. His visors lit up rapidly; colors blasting his sensory feelers to the point that he was almost blinded. Still he pressed onwards. It would only be a matter of time before the Star Police were after him. High Treason was top priority nowadays.

He piloted the ship outside the wormhole, and across the empty space as he fought for momentary control. Not far below him, a blue and green planet waited. He would need to release the Cargo now. His Directional Coordinates glowed up, the words "The Water Grave" popping up. It was a Class Zor planet, meaning it was protected by the Interstellar Union. The Skefas would not go after the Cargo unless the IU gave them the ok. And the IU would never do that. Not since the last debacle.

Voltru hovered over one of the smaller landmass, and before he pressed the release button, he prayed to the Great Goddess Welva. He prayed for her forgiveness. Then he pushed the button. From the bowels of his ship, a pod was sent barreling down to the planet. Purple and blue fire emission glowed from the rear, leveling the pod as it descended before extinguishing itself quickly. It fell ever faster before colliding violently in the ground. Voltru had left the moment the pod left his ship. He was going to return to his home, drink a bottle of Oflo's finest, and wait for the Star Police to come. There was nothing more he can do.