After the spacecraft touched down in Tuoni’s bustling capital city of Ájaivi, Lumina and Riku proceeded towards the customs center, where the former human’s carefully constructed backstory would be put to the test. The building was nothing like Riku had ever seen on Earth aside from a sci-fi movie set, with holographic screens and glass counters along white walls. After Lumina seamlessly cleared processing, It was Riku’s turn to clear processing.
Vela, a Nalli spaceport agent greeted him with a professional demeanor. "And you must be Riku?" she inquired, her eyes fixed on the human-turned-anthro Arctic Fox alien.
"Yes, that's me," Riku replied, as he struggled to fight the nervousness within him,
"What brought you to Terra?" Vela inquired,
Riku recalled the explanation he had crafted and his translation device seamlessly interpreted it into the Nalli language. "I embarked on an independent expedition to explore the cosmos. Unfortunately, my spacecraft crash-landed on Terra,” His ears began to flatten. “Then, I found Lumina. I seized the opportunity to hitch a ride back home with her."
"And where is home for you?" Vela's gaze narrowed slightly, examining Riku's response.
Riku glanced before identifying a distant town on the map behind Vela.
"Jàkaiku" he answered.
"Well, it seems you were woefully unprepared for your expedition, Riku." Vela criticized him, “You were very lucky you had found another Nalli to bring you home. You are also lucky no Terrans have found you while you were stranded.”
Riku's ears perked up, his curiosity piqued by Vela's next suggestion. "Have you considered joining the Galactic Exploration Force? They offer training and education to aspiring explorers like yourself. Not only will you have the opportunity to meet fellow Nalli, but you'll also encounter many spacefaring races across the cosmos."
"Where would I sign up?" Riku leaned in, his tail wagging in interest, after all, he was going to need something to do in his new life, so why not this?
"Just take this and fill it out once you get home, you'll hear back in a couple of rotations." Vela hands Riku an application.
Grateful for the guidance, Riku beamed with enthusiasm. "Thank you! You'll hear from me as soon as possible."
With Vela's approval, Riku joined Lumina, and together they made their way towards Lumina's vehicle parked in the lot, a sense of accomplishment and excitement coursing through their beings.
"How did it go, Riku?"
"Well, I made it through, couldn't have done it without you, Lumina." Riku says with a glint of appreciation in his eyes.
"So you want to explore space some more? Looks like you got an application for the GEF." Lumina glared at the application in Riku's hands.
"It's what was offered to me. Figured I might need something to do as a Nalli," Riku suggested.
"It's a good position for you given your backstory, speaking of which, you don't actually have a home on Tuoni yet, so I'll take you home and you can stay for the meantime" Lumina adds, as her vehicle begins to float above the ground and pulls out of the lot, hovering its way to her dwelling…