by Regine Abel
A number of people squirmed in their seats, some averting their eyes or suddenly becoming fascinated by the dark-grey accents on the walls or on the floor tiles.
“We understand your fears. Truly, we do. Would we have reacted the same way you have? Maybe. Probably,” Aleina conceded. “But the multiplication of recent incidents has led us, Veredians, to question a number of things, including our status here on Xelix Prime.”
The tension suddenly rose in the room. Just like with the Xelixian cure, the audience was sensing where my sister’s words were headed. Many faces bore gradually deepening frowns as Aleina continued speaking.
“In our times of need, you gave us succor, shelter, and the stability many of us craved and had never known. But the chrysalis of our rebirth has been shed. It is now time for us to spread our wings.” Mutterings of protest began rising slightly from the balcony while the Councilors looked at Aleina in disbelief. My sister made an apologetic face but plowed on through with a gentle yet firm voice. “It was a very difficult and painful decision to make, but after a unanimous vote, the Veredians have decided it is now time for us to part ways and settle with our children on our new home world.”
This time, angry shouts of protest mixed with apologetic pleas to reconsider. While some people seemed confused as to how they felt about the situation, most were polarized in their sentiments: betrayal that we should just up and leave when things got complicated, and guilt that they had—maybe—contributed to the isolationist behavior that had driven us away, or at least supported it.
President Frebhin had to intervene again to obtain some kind of order, for which Aleina thanked him before continuing.
“This outcome was always inevitable. Were our roles reversed, would you not want to go home and help rebuild your culture? To ensure your first generation of males in over a century is raised according to your own values and heritage? That their main language be that of their ancestors? This isn’t about whatever tensions may have risen between our people. This is purely about the future of Veredia.”
While still displeased, Aleina’s words slightly pacified some of the people in attendance, as it resonated with their deeply patriotic nature.
“And what of the children’s Xelixian heritage?” a male shouted from the balcony. Judging by his white clothes and extensive amount of exposed, flawless, grey skin, he was clearly a Prime.
“That heritage will not be lost,” Aleina reassured them. “All of the sires have agreed to follow their mates to Haven. The children already speak Xelixian, but advanced classes will be mandatory in their school curriculum. The construction of the Xelixian Educational Center was completed a month ago and has already begun providing services in Xelixian gastronomy, culture, history, and politics. New services will be added on a continued basis. And the children will naturally come back for visits, school expeditions, or vacation with their families. It is a short flight, after all.”
That only partially placated some people. But they had to get over it. The decision had been made, and they had no say in the matter.
“What of your mate, First Officer Ghan Delphin?” Councilor Rhev Pelghon asked. “What of Seha Praghan’s mate, the General Khel Praghan? And what of Councilors Lhor Kirnhan and Zhul Dervhen? And what of Dr. Minh Volghan? They are all prominent figures of Xelix Prime who are also mated to Veredians. Are these females remaining here with their mates or are their mates resigning their duty to follow them?”
This time, I held my breath along with the rest of the audience. I had dreaded that question from the start.
“I will be moving to Haven with my children,” Aleina said. “Amalia, my Mother, and Valena have also decided to leave with their offspring. I will not speak for the males, not even my mate. It is their decision to make whether to follow or not and for them to reveal their decision.”
All eyes turned towards Lhor and Zhul. The two men exchanged a look, and Zhul rose to his feet, claiming the right to speak.
“As stated by Ambassador Delphin, my mate has informed me of her desire to leave Xelix Prime to be with her people in Haven,” Zhul said. “When she became my bonded-mate, six years ago, Valena relinquished her dream of being reunited with her Sisters after years of isolation just so that I could pursue my role as Councilor and remain with my family who was going through difficult times. It is now my turn to sacrifice my personal desires for her happiness.”
The crowd objected loudly to this statement, but Zhul plowed on through, undeterred.
“If the Council consents, my father, Nhed Dervhen, will end his role as Ambassador to the Galactic Council and resume his former role as Councilor of the Xelhen District. Should that not be an option, then I will personally oversee a new election for my replacement before my departure.”
Unfazed by the unhappy outcry from the crowd, Zhul resumed his seat. Anyone with eyes could see the Councilor would not be swayed from his chosen course of action. Lhor rose to his feet. The shouts died down while tension, thick enough to cut with a blade, filled the room. Aside from being the other half of the soul of their beloved General Praghan, Lhor had become a symbol of hope for the Tainted males of Xelix Prime when Amalia had taken him as second mate, despite him being in the final stages of the disease. He had since become one of the staunchest defenders of the rights of the Tainted.
“As the Geminate of General Praghan, it has been my greatest pride to hold the seat of the Praghan family within this honorable Council. As Ambassador Delphin stated, Amalia will be leaving Xelix Prime with our offspring. My place, as mate and protector, is by my woman’s side and with our young children,” Lhor said, eliciting another wave of protest from the crowd, and consternation from his colleagues. “While the Veredians’ exodus will begin as early as tomorrow, in order to ensure a smooth transition of my duties to both this Council and to my constituents of the Xelhan District, my family will be among the last to depart Xelix Prime, in a few weeks’ time.”
The clamoring became so loud, Lhor was forced to stop talking until President Frebhin intervened. I felt sorry for the Xelixians, and almost like a thief for taking away from them some of their most prominent and beloved figures. I also feared the potential backlash against the Veredians because of it.
“I do not speak for Khel,” Lhor continued. “The General will personally address the people of Xelix Prime with whatever decision he will have made. I realize this news is upsetting for many among you. But remember that we are Xelixians. Our duty is to ensure the happiness and welfare of our mates and offspring. Do you expect any less from me? Would you not follow your soulmate to the other end of the galaxy and beyond if required? I am alive today because of the love of my mate. Amalia has done so much for our people, especially for the Tainted. If she has ever meant anything to you, then you will send her and her Sisters off with your best wishes, not venom and resentment.”
A heavy silence greeted his words as Lhor resumed his seat.
Clearing her throat, Aleina brought the attention back to herself. My stomach knotted with apprehension.
“We have taken you through quite the emotional journey today,” Aleina said in an apologetic voice. “But I must beg you to bear with us for one last topic.”
She tucked her long, light-brown hair behind her ear, a nervous gesture I hadn’t seen my sister perform in forever. After abandoning her Admiral Lee persona, Aleina had finally allowed her hair to grow back to a more traditional Veredian length, to my great delight. I still remember crying the day she had cut it to better hide it under her male armor.
“The day Veredia died, a handful of our Sisters had managed to escape enslavement at the hands of the Guldans,” Aleina said, hating even more than me the prospect of abandoning the shield that had kept our people safe for decades. “Hiding and secrecy became an essential way of life. We were too few, too vulnerable, surrounded by predators who would deny us our freedom and exploit us. Until the Tuureans made their appearance.”
She turned to look at me and gestured for me
to approach. Swallowing hard, more than ever grateful for my visor, I took the two steps to the podium and stood upon it next to her.
“Under the military protection of the Tuureans led by Admiral Lee and Lieutenant Kamala, we were finally able to reclaim our place under the sun, protected from those who would abuse us,” Aleina said, her hand resting on my upper arm. “Many have wondered at the indestructible bond that unites us to the most powerful army of the galaxy. The most outrageous theories have been spread around, many of them quite amusing,” my sister added with a smile. “But I will now let Kamala shed light on this mystery.”
Swallowing once more painfully, I bowed my head in gratitude to my sister who stepped down from the podium to give me the floor. The crowd appeared to collectively hold its breath, the same eager curiosity plastered on every single face.
“Sixteen years ago, the galaxy was first introduced to us, the Tuureans,” I said in my synthetic voice.
In the past year, we had done away with the voice modulator applied to our necks and integrated the modulator to our suits, which eliminated the awkward situations where some of our Sisters had omitted to put it on, or that it had been misaligned, giving them a creepier than normal tone.
“Our advanced technologies and combat abilities quickly made us a force to be reckoned with,” I said with a pride I made no effort to hide. “Many free worlds in the Western Quadrants feared we would use that power to enslave them. But as proven by history, we have no such designs. Our sole purpose, the reason of our existence is the protection of the Veredians. We were relentless in our efforts to free them and terraformed our planet Tuur to emulate the ecosystem of the original planet Veredia. As of today, Tuur has formally been renamed Veredia, and the Tuureans have officially become the Veredian military.”
Gasps and murmurs of disbelief rose from the people in attendance, many exchanging stunned looks, while others cast furtive glances at my sister, clearly wondering what kind of hold the Veredians had on us.
“But do not be alarmed. This doesn’t change our commitment to the alliance between Tuureans and Xelixians, or our pledge to the planet members of the Galactic Alliance,” I specified. Obvious relief from the crowd welcomed my words. “I know the question you’re all asking yourselves. Why? What could drive us to merge into the Veredians? Is that the proof that we are indeed cyborgs created by them, for themselves?”
Aleina chuckled, which only heightened the curiosity of those watching us.
“No, we are not cyborgs,” I said, feeling both relieved and terrified to finally put an end to this charade. “But the Tuureans were indeed created by the Veredians, for the Veredians. Our armor and our technology allowed us to hide in plain sight and keep those who would harm our people at bay. As my sister said, secrecy is what kept us alive.”
“No fucking way,” whispered Councilor Rhev Pelghon, understanding dawning on him.
More jaws dropped as the audience gradually figured out my meaning. Raising my hand to my left shoulder, my fingers traced the pattern to disable my celesium armor. Shock and incredulous shouts rose from the crowd as my face was revealed. I rarely walked around Xelix Prime without my armor, so people didn’t know my face.
Aleina caressed the Veredian markings on my shoulder then, stepping back onto the podium, she leaned in to kiss my cheek. We exchanged an affectionate smile then I stepped down from the podium.
“We apologize for the deception, but it had been a matter of survival. And here’s for those of you who wondered why Admiral Lee retired from his duty three years ago,” Aleina said, activating her Tuurean armor dissimulated in the decorative belt around her waist. The black nanites unraveled, quickly cladding her in the impenetrable armor. Once it finished forming, it inflated with a slight hissing sound, giving my sister the bulkier shape of a male’s body. Smiling behind the black visor which hid her features from the flabbergasted audience, Admiral Lee said in the androgynous, synthetic voice I had so missed: “I got married.”
CHAPTER 19
Xevius
Twenty-four hours after my mate and her sister had rocked the Xelixians with their news, the population was in an even greater uproar. The media were replaying the public address in a loop. Khel had not yet held his press conference to reveal his intentions, but we all knew what he would say. I’d only known him for a few days, but the way he looked at his mate every time he laid eyes on her, you’d think he was gazing upon the Goddess herself. That male would never accept a separation from Amalia.
To my mate’s chagrin, Sohr informed her that he would be remaining on Xelix Prime. Although he didn’t yet possess the experience to take over Khel’s role as General of the First Division, Ghan had been training him for the past three years to take over the role of First Officer. Once Khel had completed the transfer of power to the new male he would appoint in his stead, Sohr would serve as his right hand.
Where anti-Veredian propaganda had prompted the Sisters to finally act on what had always been inevitable, today, large groups of Xelixians paraded the streets chanting for the Veredians to stay. It was pointless, but it still deeply moved the females. Dr. Minh’s conference temporarily helped shift the focus away from the exodus. But even as Minh was describing the protocols that would be observed and the priority given to Tainted males in the final stages of the disease, three Tuurean ships were leaving Xelix Prime, carrying the first Veredian families to their new home world.
Although they had suspected as much, the Xelixians were nevertheless distressed when Dr. Minh confirmed he, too, would follow his mate and the young son he had never hoped to have to Veredia.
As if there wasn’t enough happening, a small fleet of Braxian ships docked at the Xelixian space station. This was the second time Braxia’s King—or rather Magnar—was setting foot on the planet. While he hadn’t come in any kind of official or political visit, Magnar Ravik stopped by the Council Hall to pay his respects to President Frebhin, with Lhor performing the introductions.
My mate had warned me that the Braxian species took intimidating to another level. But when their shuttle settled on the Praghan property’s landing pad, and the doors opened, I almost swallowed my tongue at the sight of the massive giant that stepped out of it. Nearly eight feet tall, arms bigger than my head, the brutish face of a feral beast, with strong brows that gave him a permanent scowl, a broad, flat nose that reminded me of a lion, and a strong, square jaw, Magnar Ravik was terrifying to behold. Clad in black pants and a dark grey shirt that seemed stretched to its limits by the bulging muscles of his broad chest, he didn’t lumber about as one would expect from this mountain of a man but prowled with the lethal grace of a predator.
And then I noticed the tiny bundle cradled in his arm. The sight of this embodiment of brute force carrying a newborn baby threw me for a loop. Next to him, Mercy, the hybrid Veredian-Guldan female that had made fun of my discomfort as she breastfed the baby Magnar Ravik was holding, held the hands of her firstborn twins, a beautiful boy and girl displaying the perfect mix of Braxian-Veredian-Guldan traits.
“Uncle Ravik!” Zhara exclaimed, running past us.
I couldn’t decide if I was more shocked seeing the savage face of that behemoth melt into an affectionate smile, or flat out terrified. Smiling made the Magnar look even more dangerous, like he could already feel your bones crunching beneath his teeth and was savoring every second of it. He picked up Zhara with one hand like she weighed nothing, careful not to crush his newborn whom he still held in the other arm. Zhara wrapped an arm around Ravik’s neck and plopped a loud kiss on his cheek.
At the same time, Lenora, Ghan and Aleina’s adopted daughter, rushed towards Mercy. She had understandably developed a special bond with her aunt who was, like her, a Veredian-Guldan hybrid. Mercy released the hands of her twins to embrace the little girl and caressed her horns.
“I missed you, Uncle Ravik!” Zhara said, then tilted her head to side with a slight frown. “I think you’re even bigger than I remembered.”
&n
bsp; A wave of displeasure laced with a hint of jealousy rose to my left. Casting a furtive glance to see who it emanated from, I noticed Ghan standing with his arm around Aleina’s waist, his gaze burning holes into the Magnar. I bit the insides of my cheek to keep myself from smiling. Before Mercy married a Braxian, Ghan had been Zhara’s greatest gentle giant. Although the little girl didn’t get to see Ravik often with them living on the other side of the galaxy, it had to sting to have been ‘demoted’ to second most intimidating uncle.
Ravik’s chuckle sounded like the deep, rumbling sound of a distant thunder. “I assure you, I am not bigger. But you certainly are.”
“I’m fourteen centimeters taller!” she exclaimed puffing her chest, then bent her head to peer at the oddly quiet baby. “Hello, Cousin Dregor,” she said with a soft voice, extending a hand to carefully caress his cheek. A frown deepened the grooves of the crihnin on her forehead. “He doesn’t have a flat nose like you or my Gavin.”
“No,” Ravik mumbled, casting a displeased look at his mate. “His mother was greedy and only gave him her features.”
“Stop complaining,” Mercy said without the slightest guilt. “He may look like me, but he sure took his size from you. My back still hasn’t recovered from carrying him for six months.”
“Hi, Aunt Mercy,” Zhara said.
“Hello, sweetie,” Mercy replied, winking at her niece.
“Are you and Uncle Ravik going to have your Veredian wedding with Aunt Kamala and Uncle Xevius?”