Valiant Val-Yor

You walk up to Val-Yor and hold out your hand.

"Oh, I see you have some... Tamaranian friends," he says. He slowly grabs your hand and shakes. Val-Yor does the same with Blackfire and Flashfire.

"So, who are those green guys?" you ask. Val-Yor doesn't seem to hear you.

"Yes, Mr. Val-Yor, sir," Onyx speaks up. "Who are those green, wrinkly hunch-back guys?"

"Those are smugglers," Val-Yor answers, looking Onyx in the eye. "They were taking contraband across star-system boundaries without clearance. They were namely taking across drugs and stolen weapons."

"Wow," Nuh says, marveling at Val-Yor, "you are really strong to have stopped them all by yourself!"

"Well, thank you, Nuh!" he says, patting her on the shoulder. "Of course, it wasn't hard. Those guys aren't exactly super villains."

As Onyx, Nuh, and Foxy practically hover around Val-Yor, you get a strange feeling about him.

You lean in close to Blackfire.

"Hey," you whisper, "do you feel like Val-Yor doesn't quite... like us?"

"He did seem to ignore your question," Blackfire answers.

Flashfire joins the two of you.

"And he did seem to hesitate when he addressed us," she whispers.

You decide not to confront Val-Yor on this issue yet, and instead ask him to have a meal.

"Well, perhaps," he says. "So long as it's not any of these sugary sweets. I don't want to have an acne break out or ruin my healthy physique. Although I suppose you... Tamaraneans... don't need to worry about that, do you?"

You could sware there was a sneering tone in that last sentence.

"No, we don't, since we have multiple stomachs," you answer. "It takes much more than some 'sweets' to put weight on our bodies."

"That explains why you all have fit figures," Val-Yor says. Is he eyeing Blackfire and your sister?

The seven of you enter Onyx's ship and prepare some food. Val-Yor sits with Nuh and Onyx on either side, across from you, Blackfire, and Flashfire. Foxy serves up the food, then sits between Blackfire and Nuh.

"I see you are a Shadowan," Val-Yor says to Onyx. "A very mysterious species."

Onyx blushes, making her charcoal-black cheeks look like glowing embers in a firepit.

"Well, we're not that mysterious," she replies. "It's just that we live in the dark, and usually shy away from others."

"Well, your people should show yourselves more often," Val-Yor says. "You are very beautiful." Val-Yor then strokes his hand across Onyx's cheek. She blushes again.