Earth Shadows (Earthrise Book 5) by Arenson Daniel

Author:Arenson, Daniel [Arenson, Daniel]
Language: eng
Format: azw3, epub
Publisher: Moonclipse
Published: 2016-12-10T05:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Even among the beauty of the Nandaki village, Ben-Ari could not stop her bitterness from rising.

This is what you withheld from me for so long, Father. These are the adventures you had while I wasted away.

The village spread around Ben-Ari across the trees, a jungle of tree houses, bridges, rope ladders, and wooden pipes that grew like mushrooms, nearly vanishing into the foliage. At first, she had thought the Nandaki frightening, what with their four arms, the mouths on their hands, and the massive eyes in their pale round heads. But she had come to admire them. They were a peaceful, intelligent race with a deep love of nature, art, and music. A race that someday could join the alliance of Milky Way civilizations.

She closed her eyes, and she was a child again. No longer Captain Ben-Ari, a leader of soldiers, but just little Einav, a girl, the daughter of a great colonel. She ran across the military base, passing between tanks and cannons. Fighter jets soared above and soldiers marched ahead. She raced into the building, and she leaped onto her father.

"Papa, take me with you!"

The tall, slender man pulled her into his arms and kissed her cheek, his mustache so bristly. Einav had inherited Colonel Ben-Ari's green eyes, pale skin, and dark blond hair, rare colors among her people. Everyone said that Einav looked like him, not like her dark, demure mother, and that saddened Einav. Her mother had died so long ago, killed by a bee sting, and Einav could barely remember the woman's face, only what she saw in photographs.

"Einavi, you know it's dangerous out there." Papa placed her down.

"But I want to go into space!" she said. "I'll help you find aliens. I'm good at making friends."

Papa only laughed—his deep laugh, head tossed back. He mussed her hair. "Someday, Einavi, you'll be an officer like me. An explorer. And you'll travel the galaxy. But today there is a war in space. Today I need you to stay here. My sergeants will take care of you."

"I don't want them!" Einav shouted, tears in her eyes. "I want my mother to take care of me. But she's dead. She's dead, and now you're leaving again!"

Across the base, soldiers turned toward her, then quickly looked away.

"Einav Ben-Ari!" Papa rumbled. "You will not speak to me like that."

"I'll say whatever I want, because I hate you! I miss Mama!"

With that, tears on her cheeks, Einav fled her father. And with that, only an hour later, smoke blazed and fire roared as Colonel Yoram Ben-Ari took off in his rocket, flying into the sky until he disappeared, leaving her alone again. In a few months, he would return, as he always did. He would bring her some gift, often just purchased at the base's spaceport. And in a few months, he would leave again.

Einav sniffed, tears in her eyes, and ran into her quarters. Every few months, they switched bases, had a new little room for a home. She

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