by Eva Brandt
“We came so close to being separated forever,” Selene continued. “Please don’t let that happen.”
It was a low blow on Selene’s part, but also a masterful one. August might not remember a lot from the incident during the tournament, but he was aware it had hit us all pretty badly. Flinching, he hugged her back. “Right. I’m sorry. I don’t know what came over me.”
“You just lost your temper,” I said. “That’s not a sin. But maybe in the future, keep the tachyon manipulation out of it, okay?”
“Yeah, okay,” he replied with a tiny smile. “I promise.”
He looked like he wanted to say something else, but before he could do so, the hangar doors opened. Commander Trevor stalked into the room, followed by Dr. Bell.
“What is the meaning of this?” he fumed.
“We had an argument, Sir. Flight Lieutenant Glass and Flight Lieutenant Argyle approached us and started making injurious comments regarding Acting Pilot Renard and the Charybdis. I admit I lost my temper and I threw the first punch.”
That was the understatement of the century. It had been far more than a punch. If I hadn’t gotten in the way and Selene and Knox hadn’t arrived, disaster might have struck.
When had August become more dangerous and temperamental than Knox?
Commander Trevor turned toward the two Harpy pilots, giving them the chance to tell him their side of the story. “Well?”
“We were only making an observation, Sir,” Scott replied. “It’s not a crime.”
“It is a crime when you’re launching accusations of incompetence and sabotage,” Selene piped up. “It’s slander and we will take this to Dean Chimera.”
Her vicious attack sharply contrasted with the gentle way she’d earlier talked August down. The other students stared at her like they’d never seen her before. I found this a little amusing, since by now, they must have all realized she was no delicate flower. But no matter what happened, we could always count on Selene to be surprising.
She smiled, and the expression reminded me an awful lot of Sphinx. “Additionally, questioning the presence of Flight Lieutenant Cavallero in the school is equivalent with questioning the dictates of The Grand Judiciary. Further disrespect would amount to treason.”
It wasn’t quite that bad and I doubted anyone would convict Vincent and Scott of treason because they’d called August an incompetent human. But even so, disrespecting The Grand Judiciary even slightly was a bad idea, far worse than a tachyon manipulation accident.
Commander Trevor’s breath caught. “Is this true?” he asked the Harpy tamers. “Did you betray The Grand Judiciary?”
“W-We only said Flight Lieutenant Cavallero’s Terran upbringing is the reason why Charybdis is dead,” Vincent stammered.
Commander Trevor looked down at the floor and clenched his fists, as if praying to Tartarus for patience. “Why was I cursed with students who have no sense? You’re a member of a chimera squad, for fuck’s sake. Surely you understand what a dormant chimera is.”
“Yes, but no chimera has ever gone dormant mid-flight,” Vincent argued. “It has to be a piloting error.”
“In other words, you think The Grand Judiciary is lying. I see what Acting Pilot Renard means.” Commander Trevor rubbed his eyes tiredly. “Dr. Bell, take these… children to the med bay and make sure they’re treated for their injuries. After that, notify the dean of what happened here. He’ll want to handle the situation himself.”
Dr. Bell nodded, looking uncharacteristically grave. “Yes, Commander Trevor.” Jerking his head toward Vincent and Scott, he ushered them to the door. “You two, with me. If anyone else needs medical attention, now’s the time to say so.”
Nobody admitted to any injuries, doubtlessly having no desire to be thrust into the center of attention in such an unpleasant situation. Dr. Bell allowed it. I wondered if that meant the rumors about his implanted eyes were true.
In any case, he must have concluded there was no further danger here, because he left. Vincent and Scott trailed in his wake. As the door slid closed behind them, Commander Trevor directed his attention toward us.
“That was completely unacceptable. I understand that a lot of people here have issues with the fast changes we’ve recently had at the academy. Some of you might even be mourning the recent loss of your friend. But that doesn’t make disrespect of our superiors acceptable. You have to learn how to deal with these things, or you’ll never be able to form a real part of any star fleet.
“Fortunately, King Philip and The Grand Judiciary have already foreseen these issues and they’ve come up with a solution. Starting this semester, a new class will be introduced, dealing with a more realistic perspective of Terran law and culture. I expect all of you to attend regularly and get high grades. Do I make myself clear?”
“Sir, yes, sir,” everybody agreed.
“Acting Lieutenant Renard, you should head out to class. I believe Professor Strange was waiting for you in Tachyon Manipulation. If he has any questions about the incident, refer him to me.”
“Yes, Sir,” Selene answered. “Thank you, Sir.”
She shared one last look with me and at that moment, I could’ve sworn I felt her mind brush against mine. It was a little odd, since she’d never done it before when we weren’t having sex. Remembering what Brendan had told me, I almost recoiled. But I managed to suppress my alarm just in time and relaxed.
In the end, Selene was a familiar, comforting presence, and the secrets we kept from her didn’t change that.
She must have decided I’d be all right, because she finally saluted and left the room. In the wake of her departure, the hangars seemed so much emptier, as if she’d absorbed all the heat from inside.
When Commander Trevor started the actual lesson, I was very relieved. But at the same time, I couldn’t help but wonder where else we’d be going with this.
Things were changing so quickly—too quickly. I feared that, no matter how hard we tried, we wouldn’t be able to protect Selene from it.
The New Teachers
Selene
Throughout my stay at Chimera Academy, people had constantly expressed their belief that Terrans were trash. For that reason, the addition to the new curriculum didn’t fill me with much confidence. Any teacher The Grand Judiciary sent would undoubtedly be as biased and cruel as three-quarters of the men on the asteroid.
Never in a million years did I expect walking into the room assigned to the new class and finding my mother waiting for us there.
For a few seconds, I froze in my tracks, not knowing what to do. Fortunately, I shared the class with people my age, which meant my lovers were with me. Pollux gripped my elbow with a gentle hand, and just like that, I remembered how to move again.
I shuffled into the room, and everyone followed me. The male students who’d been so disrespectful of me didn’t even dare to breathe in her presence.
As everyone settled down inside the classroom, my mother started to speak. “Welcome to Terran Sociology and Languages. My name is Tanya Renard and I am the High Priestess of Gaia on the American continent. While in this class, you will call me Professor Renard. The rest of the time, you will address me as High Priestess or Your Holiness.”
My fellow students looked between us and realization dawned on several faces. Despite my very distinctive red hair, I was still my mother’s daughter and we were physically quite alike. Between that and the last name, it was obvious that we were related.
I decided to not let it affect me. If she’d come here to teach, I’d be a student like any other. Our private dispute and blood connection didn’t matter, not right now.
“Yes, Professor Renard,” I said, and everyone in the room echoed me.
“You’ve probably been raised with some misconceptions about Terra. The purpose of this class is to fix this issue and clarify these misconceptions.”
Her comment snapped the other students out of their trances. “So… Terran women aren’t all whores, then?�
�� one of the young men asked.
If I remembered well, his name was Ernest Boyle and he was one of the members of the non-chimera units. He specialized in Shuttle Piloting and for that reason, our paths hadn’t crossed a lot in the past.
As expected, my mother didn’t take the question well. “Obviously not. If they were, you wouldn’t have half the food you’re eating.”
I’d said similar things countless times in the past, but coming from me, it hadn’t made much difference. But my mother’s words held a weight mine did not.
“Let me make this perfectly clear, Warrant Officer Boyle. I’ll allow this question, because I know your minds have been twisted by your upbringing and your attitude isn’t completely your fault. However, in the future, any sort of disrespectful reference toward Terrans will result in automatic failure of the class. In case you’re wondering, this will also mean you’ll repeat the year and likely lose chimera privileges.”
Ernest froze, clearly realizing he’d miscalculated. I didn’t know what to make of this either. This was a huge change in tune compared to the previous attitude of the people at the school. After the way King Philip had treated me during the previous term, it seemed unbelievable that he’d do a complete 180 and decide to show the men of Tartarus Base the error of their ways.
Commander Trevor had told us during the incident in the hangars that disrespect directed at The Grand Judiciary was unacceptable. But I doubted the dean would have modified the whole curriculum because of one fight. The two chimera units had bickered plenty of times before and nobody had intervened.
I didn’t get any answers to my dilemma in the class. After putting the fear of Gaia in everyone, my mother gave us a brief summary of what we were supposed to expect. It would mostly be stuff I already knew because I’d lived through it, but there was some new information, things related to governmental affairs that I hadn’t been too worried about before.
Overall, though, the class would be a waste of time for me, so I wasn’t surprised when, toward the end of the class, my mother said, “Students who feel they have a good grasp of the material can come to me and take a test beforehand. But be advised that this will not be simple, and if you attempt it and fail, the mark will affect your final results for the class.”
The moment I heard that last part, I knew it was a trap. My mother might not like me very much right now, but this class of hers would give her the perfect method to humble the men at Tartarus base.
I suspected at least half of the students of Chimera Academy would run the risk of failing the class, if not fail it altogether.
My mother ended the lesson shortly after that, by giving us our first assignment. It would be on Terran contributions in the war with the apsids. Oh, boy, this would be an interesting project.
It wasn’t something I’d get to enjoy, because my mother had other plans for me. As she headed toward the door, she wordlessly gestured for me to follow.
I tensed but obeyed. It stood to reason that whatever had brought her here would involve me. She had an important position on Terra, and if she’d decided to absent herself regularly from New Washington, it could only be for a good reason. I had a free period next anyway so I wouldn’t be late for any class.
My mother pulled me into a vacant room and eyed me from head to toe. I couldn’t read her at all. “Mother? Is anything wrong?”
After what had happened on Terra, I half-expected her to tell me to call her Your Holiness. She didn’t, but what she did was much worse. She slapped me hard across the face.
“I understand that you and Prince Brendan are planning to have children,” she snarled with striking viciousness. “What in the world are you thinking? How can you even consider bringing children into your mess of a twisted life?”
I cupped my cheek in silent shock. My mother had never hit me, not even when I’d sneaked out to see Sphinx and had ended up being shipped to Chimera Academy because of my recklessness. That alone would’ve been surprising enough, but the comment about children made it irrelevant. What in the world was she talking about?
“Children? I don’t understand.”
“You didn’t know?” My mother arched a brow. “Your lover went out of his way to tell your father he’s planning to make you his broodmare. Apparently, that was the plan the whole time. And since Terrans are oh so fertile, you’ll get to give birth to the children of the others too. Congratulations.”
I didn’t hate the idea of being a mother, but it just hadn’t been an option I’d seen on the table. The Grand Judiciary enforced heavy control on human population, and an Unblessed woman would’ve never been allowed to have children. I’d made my peace with that a long time ago.
I’d thought I’d found a family in the Grand Chimera Unit. Had I been wrong?
No, not really. Brendan was a prince. Of course he would need children. And considering our relationship, it stood to reason that he’d want them with me.
Straightening my back, I smiled at my mother. “Thank you for letting me know. I admit I didn’t expect it, but they must have wanted to wait until they managed to lift the reproduction ban. Anyway, if you’re eager to be a grandmother, I’ll keep you posted about our progress as we go along.”
My mother let out a heavy sigh. “Look, Selene. You have to stop this. You have to take a step back and think. You can’t stay here. You can’t be part of the Chimera royal family.”
“Brendan thinks differently.” A sudden realization dawned and my smile widened. “That’s why you’re here, right? The king needs people to have a better perspective on Terrans, because I’m the one who is supposed to bear Brendan’s children.”
It was actually ironic. I’d wanted to change the world despite being a woman. Maybe I was going to change it because of it.
Who really cared what method I used anyway? I wasn’t ready to have children, because right now, I was first and foremost a chimera tamer. I had no intention of giving up my bond with Sphinx. But when we did decide to make our family grow, it would be something we could look forward to.
Maybe my children could be born in a better world, one where they wouldn’t be looked down upon for their gender, background or innate skills.
“I don’t understand you, Mother. You’re saying you want to help me, but instead, you’re trying to thwart me. You’ve called me an abomination, but you’re the one who’s defying Gaia’s dictates by spitting in the face of motherhood. I’m not going to blame you for the choices you make, but I’d appreciate it if you at least respected me enough to tell me the truth.”
It was a foolish, defiant request. I expected her to hit me again. Maybe I’d have deserved it.
But my mother surprised me once more. Her eyes filled with tears and she walked up to me, pulling me into her arms. Despite our dispute, my instinct was still to trust her so I went easily.
“My poor daughter,” she whispered, petting my hair. “I wish… I wish things were different. I wish so badly that I could protect you.
“This whole thing… It’s wrong. The Grand Judiciary is dangerous. You might think you’ve seen everything they can do, but you haven’t even brushed the surface.”
The desperation in her voice was far truer and more honest than the disdain I’d seen on Terra. She’d thrown harsh words and insults at me, but now, I had to wonder what she truly believed.
“Mother, what—?”
“Don’t,” she cut me off, still holding me tightly. “Your lovers know very well what’s going on with The Grand Judiciary. Brendan Chimera is a prince. I’d be surprised if he wasn’t directly involved in the messier affairs that go on behind the scenes. But if you find out about it, Selene, if you’re completely drawn into his world… There’s no way I can save you, not anymore.”
For the first time, I noticed she’d lost a lot of weight compared to the way she’d been before I’d left for Chimera Academy. How had I missed that when we’d reunited, back on Terra?
“You’ve fallen into a trap, Selene, and I can’t extr
act you. Just promise me something. No matter what you do, don’t have children with them until you’re absolutely sure you know everything there is to know about your situation.”
That much, I could agree to. I loved and trusted my fellow Chimera Warriors, but it didn’t hurt to find out what I was getting myself into before I committed to anything. Besides, I hadn’t forgotten what they’d told me about that whole business with the terrorists in New Washington.
I already knew The Grand Judiciary was unscrupulous and my lovers were keeping things from me. I’d have to make sure I fixed that problem before it turned into something more serious.
In the meantime, I had my mother’s erratic behavior to worry about. “All right, Mother. I’ll be careful. But you have to rest at ease. You might not be able to save me, but you can help me.
“Please. I know you’re against me using Gaia’s power. I know you think it’s not something I should’ve ever had. But I feel it deep inside me, close to my heart. I can become more, as long as you teach me. Will you give me the chance?”
My mother’s shoulders slumped. “All right, Selene. It looks like I have no choice. This is against my better judgment, but I agree.”
“Really?” I almost couldn’t believe my ears. “You’ll help?”
She nodded, although she didn’t look happy about it. “You can come with me when I return to Earth today. It’s high time you were introduced a little more to what it actually means to be a priestess of Gaia.”
Terra-forming! I could actually do terra-forming! Oh, this was excellent news.
“I’ll also speak with Dean Chimera to establish a better schedule for you,” my mother continued. “Come. We might as well take advantage of your free period and handle this now.”
Ecstatic, I hugged her one last time. “Thank you. I promise I won’t disappoint you.”
“You never do, Selene. No matter what I may tell you, at any point in time, please know that you are and you’ve always been my greatest achievement.”