"This must be the lucky girl who inspired your poetry."
Eve said, shaking Sameena's hand.
"Sameena, this is the woman I told you about—my savior," Mustafa cheered as Sameena embraced her.
"Thanks for bringing him back in one piece."
Eve had saved Mustafa's caravan from looters back in the desert (planet Raekeer) just a few weeks ago.
"He's a tough man. I'm pretty sure he didn't need my help."
They stood in a tent. Outside, lush greenery. A beautiful lakeside prairie. Green mountains in the distance. The tribe's summer destination. The whole planet was like this—Safoora was indeed an oasis among the worlds that surrounded her.
Eve was there to attend his brother's crowning ceremony on his invitation. She had just dropped from an orbital ferry. Mustafa was there to receive her, on horses with his fellow men.
Eve was not accustomed to these protocols. She enjoyed the tribal experience.
They sat at the chief's table—his family and relatives, with Eve among them, right next to Mustafa and his wife.
"I raise this toast to Eve, for saving my beloved son. This family and tribe are forever in your debt."
The crowning ceremony was a blast—colorful, festive, and vibrant. The girls even dressed Eve in local attire and made her dance.
Later at the chief's pavilion, the next morning, Eve was about to leave.
"You can live among us as one of us," the chief offered Eve a home.
"Why not? I mean, father, I have implored her before, but she's so stubborn," Mustafa added.
"I can't. I just can't."
Just then, a plasma blast erupted, shattering the calm of the morning ambience.
Mercs. They had followed Eve. The people of the tribe were in danger!
"Mustafa! Get me a sword and a gun! Get your warriors—protect your people!" Eve suddenly shifted to command mode, barking orders.
The battle was fierce. Plasma rifles against gunpowder, but the assailants had a disadvantage—they attacked a tribe they knew very little about. Musahida tribe... brave soldiers whose valor compensated for their low tech.
Eve and Mustafa rushed out. Hundreds of warriors emerged with guns and swords. Canvas from a few tents dropped, revealing huge cannons that blew the enemy scoutship right out of the air. It exploded as it fell to the ground.
Eve took care of the mercs on the ground as she led the Musahidan warriors. After the last of them had fallen, Mustafa turned around and exclaimed, "Like it was Raekeer all over again."
Eve breathed heavily. "Except this time, we had cannons."
They started walking back to the chief's tent, his hand over her shoulder. "And now you have a lot of explaining to do."
"You figured the first part... they weren't after your tribe."
That afternoon, Eve told Mustafa and his father her entire story. They listened patiently.
"If I had a daughter, she'd be your age. Eve, you need a family. Please, consider living with us. Mustafa can be a brother you never had, and I, your father."
"That's the catch, chief. Different town. Same story. I can't risk—"
"You can't go on living millennia on your own. You have to start somewhere. Why not here?" Mustafa questioned.
Eve knew they wouldn't understand. She left them, promising to return one day.