Failed Colony

As the sole survivor of a failed colony, Kithya expects to spend the last of her days in isolation. With a crippled bird for company, she attempts to forge a life for herself on a planet devoid of human life.

While Persistence makes an excellent companion, a chance encounter with sentient feathered predators gives her a chance to return to her world, Galieze. But a young, rainbow-colored male named Taesinn is determined to keep her company despite their differences. But he comes with dire news: planet busters had destroyed her home a few years following her departure.

With nowhere left to go, no family, and as the last homo sapiens from her world, Kithya is faced with an uncertain future. One thing is certain, however.

She has a debt she must repay, one that will take her away from everything she has every known and into the expanses of space.

Originally published in the Pets in Space 9 Anthology.