by Regine Abel
Flipping…
I almost bit the inside of my cheeks not to burst out laughing. Where Eryon swore like his life depended on it, Sagan pushed prim and proper to the extreme. This was the epitome of vulgarity by his standards.
“I am,” Kamala responded in my stead with a shrug.
Sagan put his hands on his hips and stared at the ground, shaking his head in disbelief. Looking back up, he gazed at me with something akin to pity. That unnerved me.
“Nothing is ever simple with you, is it?” he asked, his voice filled with resignation.
“Fate loves to fuck with me,” I said.
“She most certainly does.” Sagan gave both Kamala and me an assessing look. “Under the circumstances, and in light of the visions revealed by the Oracles, you will understand that we must verify that you are not carrying any weapons.”
“Naturally,” Kamala responded.
I nodded, and we both submitted to a quick scan performed by one of the guards, who also took my blaster and sword. He lingered for a while over Kamala’s bracer until he deemed it acceptable as it was merely defensive.
With Sagan leading the way, Kamala and I behind him, and the contingent of guards surrounding us, we headed towards a small shuttle. Large enough to hold ten people, it would take us to the surface and into the shuttle bay of the Assembly.
As soon as we exited the vessel, I wrapped my arm around Kamala’s waist to make clear the nature of our bond to all who would question the presence of a Veredian on our soil. To my surprise, three of my closest friends awaited at the entrance of the Quorum’s Chamber in the Assembly: Thaddeus and Febus—both top Imperial Agents—and Killian, a powerful Seer who declined to rejoin the Fates after his liberation from the breeding compounds. With his uncanny talent to receive visions of political nature, he’d become a great asset for the Agency, although he never joined in an official capacity.
Where Thaddeus and Febus appeared shocked at the sight of my mate, Killian merely smirked, the arrogant bastard having no doubt already seen it. For the first time, I wished to ask him what the future held; what Fate had told him about my mate and daughter. But the guards pressed us to keep moving. Two enforcers guarding the entrance to the Chamber blocked our access, their eyes focused on Kamala.
“The Veredian may not enter,” one of the guards said. “She will need to be taken into custody until the Quorum has decided of her fate.”
“As Leader of the Tuurean Army, I’m here to speak with the Quorum,” Kamala said, lifting her chin defiantly.
“Be that as it may, you didn’t receive a formal invitation to land on Korlethea,” the guard argued.
“She doesn’t need one. She’s Xevius’s Sareema,” Sagan countered with a dismissive wave of the hand. “Let us through.”
“With all due respect, Omniate Lentus,” the guard said with a mulish expression, “the Imperial Agent’s findings are of a sensitive nature. Not one to be discussed before a foreigner, let alone a Veredian.”
“His mate already knows the nature of the mission he’d been sent on,” Killian interjected from the sideline. “You can spend the next ten minutes arguing or simply let her in. She will anyways. I’ve seen it.”
In that instance, I wished he hadn’t spoken up. If I were to die in the next minutes or hour, as per Eryon’s prophecy, I would rather she not bear witness. But, as expected, Killian’s words sufficed to placate the guard who immediately stepped aside; you simply didn’t argue with prophecies. Kamala lightly shook her head, her emotions buzzing with disbelief. Strangers never understood the power of prophecy over my people.
The tall, intricately ornate doors parted, revealing the Chamber filled to bursting. Not a single seat in the audience benches was unoccupied. More people still stood at the back or along the walls of the elevated, amphitheater-shaped sitting area. From a couple of reserved boxes, the media recorded our entrance, broadcasting the proceedings live.
Korletheans took great pride in our open communications and our ability to talk matters into the ground, even when the resolution had already been decided. Private sessions in the Assembly were few and far between, and normally limited to times such as when the Quorum had assigned me the mission to Xelix Prime. But, unless a vision or prophecy strongly indicated a need to keep the outcome secret, the reports of Quorum mandated missions were always given publicly as the Quorum was the voice of the people. Only missions given by the Agency were reported in private.
Despite the obvious hostility of many in the benches when they noticed the presence of my mate, Kamala remained stoic and regal. I could sense her unease, but also her determination not to allow the loud audience to intimidate her. Pride filled my heart as we walked hand in hand to the center of the arena at the foot of the Quorum’s elevated dais. With a nod and a sad look, Sagan parted from us and climbed the five steps up the dais to take his seat among the other Omniates. Today, the crescent table that usually stood before them had been lowered into the ground: they weren’t here on a work session but sitting as judges and jury.
My gaze roamed over the twelve men and women of the Quorum, surprised by the lack of fury I’d expected at the failed assassination attempt. The mere usual anger and dislike took me aback. Behind them, the Fates to the left and the Oracles to the right, emanated sadness, pity, and calm acceptance, which further knotted my insides.
Omniate Theanna raised a frail hand, and the loud conversations in the stands immediately quieted down. She stared intently at my mate before turning to me. “Agent Thanis, I congratulate you that the Goddess should bless you with finding your Sareema.”
“Thank you, Omniate Theanna,” I said, my arm tightening proudly around my mate.
Kamala bowed her head in thanks but otherwise remained quiet.
“While you are entitled to bring your mate to Korlethea, why is she here, in the Assembly and on the floor of the Quorum?” Theanna asked.
“I am here, not in my capacity as his bonded mate, but as the Leader of the Tuurean Army. We wish to open a dialogue with your people in the hopes of reaching a peaceful understanding before tensions escalate any further between us,” Kamala said.
“You have not been granted leave to speak,” Daleus exclaimed in a harsh voice.
“Then I request it,” she deadpanned with a shrug, eliciting a few chuckles from the audience, to Daleus’s great displeasure.
“And your request is denied,” he snapped back.
“On what grounds?” challenged Sagan, to my great surprise. All heads turned towards him, reflecting the same stupor I felt. “They are soulmates. As per our laws, foreign Sareems and Sareemas are automatically granted citizenship as one cannot be forbidden from the company of the other half of their soul.”
What the fuck?!
I barely managed to keep my jaw from dropping, having never heard of such a law before. Stunned mutterings rose from the crowd, quickly silenced by a stern glare from Daleus.
“That law became obsolete nearly a century ago, since before the Titans War! Since before most of us were even born!” Daleus countered, outrage plain to see on his face.
“It hasn’t been observed because it didn’t apply. Korletheans haven’t been visiting other worlds or mingling with strangers, thus eliminating the chances of encountering a foreign mate,” Sagan replied calmly.
“And what of your vote in favor of keeping those who had been enslaved with you on the breeding compounds from seeking out their Veredian Sareemas and daughters?” Daleus retorted smugly, confident to have cornered Sagan.
“I still stand by it,” Sagan said, unfazed. “My vote was against those men leaving Korlethea to go scout the Quadrant in search of their females and daughters. Should those women come to Korlethea, they would be allowed to remain, as per our laws. Xevius didn’t defy that edict. He left on a mission assigned to him by the Quorum, found his soulmate while performing that task, and decided to bring her with him upon his return to deliver his report. No edicts were broken. Furthermore, as the dau
ghter of the late Saren Dartos, Tama Kamala is doubly a citizen, and as such, she has the right to address the Quorum.”
My mate gaped at Sagan before exchanging a flabbergasted look with me. Despite my shock, my heart soared at this news. Like Kamala, I had counted on the inevitable intergalactic fallout if they harmed my mate to keep them from hurting her after my passing. But as a citizen, twice over, they would be obligated to allow her to stay unharmed and would gladly let her leave once I was no more.
“Your arguments have been heard, Omniate Sagan, and their soundness cannot be refuted,” Theanna said. “However, this hearing isn’t about whatever Agent Xevius’s mate wishes to discuss with the Quorum. She will have to schedule a hearing at a different time. Right now, we—”
Theanna was interrupted by a violent bout of coughing. A wave of compassion rose from the audience—my own chest constricting—at the sight of our beloved Omniate’s continued failing health. Even Kamala radiated with sympathy. Theanna touched the bracelet on her wrist, which injected her with some medicine to relieve some of her worst symptoms. She quickly recovered and took a deep breath before resuming speaking.
“Apologies,” she said in a weak, throaty voice. “Tama Kamala may sit in the dignitaries’ box while Agent Thanis delivers us his report.”
Although disappointed, Kamala bowed her head in gratitude, first to Sagan then to Theanna. She turned to look at me and, heedless of the crowd watching her, I cupped her face in my hands and gave her one final, farewell kiss, once more silently praying the Goddess to look after her and our unborn child.
When I released her, she gave me a troubled look. I smiled and gestured with my head for her to go to the guard that beckoned her near the dignitaries’ boxes located on each side of the speaking floor. The guard opened the door of the half wall surrounding the one on the left. Kamala walked in and up the three steps leading to the three rows of empty, padded, bleached-wood benches within. She settled down in the front row while the guard closed and locked the door.
Turning back to the Quorum, I made eye contact with each of the twelve Omniates before locking gazes with Daleus.
“Upon request of this honorable Quorum, I went to Xelix Prime to assess the threat of the Veredian Titans,” I said in a calm and composed voice.
“And to eliminate it,” Daleus said.
“If warranted,” I corrected.
“The Titan leader and the Shadow boy are both still alive. Are you saying the rumors about their tremendous power and volatile tempers are false?” Daleus challenged.
“I am saying that I observed the children even more closely than I had already been prior to this mission and found no evidence of them being a threat to our people, or anyone else. Quite the contrary.”
“A bold statement,” Sagan said. “Some might believe it biased,” he added, casting a meaningful glance towards Kamala. “Do you have evidence to substantiate that assertion?”
“I most certainly do,” I said, feeling slightly offended by his insinuation, even though it was valid.
Pulling my com device from the hidden pocket of my operative uniform, I loaded up my recordings from Xelix Prime. Anticipating my needs, one of the guards lowered the giant screen from the ceiling. With a swipe of my finger, I projected the first vid onto the screen. The image would play on both sides of the screen in the right facing for both the Quorum in front of me and the audience behind me.
“What you are about to see, is my first encounter with the children as I came in stealthily to evaluate the threat,” I said, before playing the vid, the audio streaming through the Hall’s sound-system.
Disbelieving whispers rose from the crowd at the sight of the infamous Vahl, his Shadow brother Tharek, and the Praghan and Dervhen Titans, all playing together in close comradery, and then caring for each other.
“In a few moments, you will see how Vahleryon detected my presence when my true mate came out of the house, triggering our Tuning.”
Gasps and tension rose in the room as they heard the Titans growling and advancing menacingly towards me. The intimidating feel of it all was heightened by the first-person perspective of the camera. Having been attached to my shoulder, it gave the viewer the illusion that the children were coming at them.
“You asked about his power, Omniate Daleus? Well, as you can see, they are beyond phenomenal. He could sense my precise location. And even without being able to see me through my stealth shield, Vahleryon was able to paralyze me using his biokinetic power,” I said, speaking in a way as to emphasize how dire my situation had been and up the tension. “He could have killed me with a thought. He should have killed me with a thought. Is that not how Titans behave when another alpha intrudes on their territory? Attack like mindless animals? But here’s what happened instead.”
The baffled mumblings rose another notch as they witnessed Vahleryon’s controlled response to my presence and the young Rhadames teleporting me out.
“After Vahleryon spared my life, his Geminate not only saved me by teleporting me out of their territory before the guards caught me, but he also prevented an intergalactic conflict had the Xelixians caught a Korlethean assassin on their General’s private property. This is not the behavior of feral beasts.”
To my shock, I didn’t perceive any rabid resentment from Daleus, but the same baffled amazement as the others. That didn’t add up to his previously near fanatic behavior. Not wanting to lose my momentum, I cast aside my confusion and proceeded to play the vid of the incident in the courtyard, provoking even stronger reactions from the attendance. From my mate, pride and hope flowed towards me, galvanizing me.
“That is… most unexpected,” Daleus said in a hesitant voice. Gone was the arrogant certainty and bloodlust that had dominated his discourse. I didn’t know how to handle it. “But how?”
“Indeed,” Sagan said. “How?”
“I will let an old friend explain it in his own words,” I replied, playing the recording from my meeting with Eryon in the clearing.
The sight of Eryon provoked a mix of angry and reserved emotions, some seeing him as a traitor, others uncertain what to think, and more still empathizing with his choice.
A heavy silence settled over the room after the recording ended. Twelve pairs of eyes weighed heavily on me as the screen flew back up into the ceiling, and many more drilled into my back from the audience.
“As you said,” Omniate Theanna said at last, breaking the thick silence, “Eryon makes a compelling case.”
“They have nearly fifteen hundred children, a little less than half of them Titans. Yet, not a single fatality caused by them or incident initiated by them has been recorded to date. All this because of the work of a single Korlethean—Eryon Valis,” I said, pouring all the passion I could muster in my voice. “If we want to ensure the best possible outcome, we cannot continue to stand by idle. We need to get involved. Their parents cannot do what we can. This is our chance to right the wrongs of our past by helping raise these children better and securing the future we all want.”
I didn’t miss the warning glance from Sagan, reminding me to tread carefully. Even if Kamala was allowed to attend this meeting, she couldn’t be informed of the treachery of our past. I also knew that, regardless of my death, the first topic that would be discussed in the morning would be rescinding that citizenship law.
“These suggestions fall outside the purview of your mission,” Omniate Piatus said in a stern voice. “Whatever course of action we intend to take regarding these Titans belong to a separate discussion.”
I wanted to slap the old goat, but he was technically correct. Still, I had succeeded in making the point I wanted. Even if he had shut me down now, the seed had been planted, and my people would endlessly discuss it on the plazas and in their homes. My mission was accomplished.
“My apologies, Omniate Piatus,” I conceded with apparent humility. “They weren’t meant as suggestions, but as the formal recommendations that often accompany a report. For all the reas
ons presented before you, it has been my conclusion that the Titans are not a threat, but potentially this world’s greatest asset. And I’ve already stated my recommendations.”
He pinched his lips but gave me a stiff nod.
“There is another matter that should be raised before this honorable body,” I said, choosing my words carefully. “As it could severely impact our national security, I will not divulge the details within this public Assembly. But I will leave it to the discretion of the Quorum and of the Imperial Agency’s High Command to investigate the activities of the person who was appointed as my contact on Xelix Prime. That agent has either gone rogue, or is receiving highly questionable orders from someone who, I am convinced, is falsely speaking on behalf of the Quorum. The details of my conversation with said agent have been sent, encrypted, to your personal coms.”
The Quorum nodded, each of them curious as to the nature of the threat. Once again, Daleus’s stoicism threw me. The accounts funding the propaganda clearly belonged to him, yet his reaction didn’t match that of a culprit caught in the act.
Has he been set up?
“We will examine that matter once we have concluded this one,” Omniate Piatus said. “Is there anything else you wish to share with this body?”
A sense of unease descended upon me. The way he’d said that indicated that if I was, he had matters of his own he wished to bring up. My gut already guessed what it was.
“Yes, Omniate, there is another matter,” I said, retrieving from my pocket the holocard Eryon had given me. I raised it up to show it to all in attendance. “This was given to me by Eryon Valis. He requested I hand it over to the Quorum as it reveals a series of prophecies he has received. According to him, it would be in the best interest of the Quorum to be apprised of them. I have not viewed its contents as those prophecies weren’t meant for me and therefore cannot tell you about their nature or urgency.”
“Why should we heed the words of a traitor?” Piatus asked dismissively.
“Eryon was part of the Fates. Some of the greatest prophecies of our time were heralded by him,” Sagan said. “Ignore him if you wish, but I will hear his words.”