by Regine Abel
Applause and happy shouts exploded from the balcony while the Councilors knocked their knuckles on the tables before them in approval.
Don’t rejoice too quickly.
“However, their Council has outlined a series of conditions which they consider essential to the welfare of the Sisters.”
As expected, the mood of the room changed as they braced for it. This should have increased my discomfort, but instead it allowed me to slip back into the ‘take no prisoner’ persona of Admiral Lee.
“But before I dive into those conditions, there is a fact that needs to be settled.”
This is the part I had dreaded from the moment the Sisters had begun requesting this mingling. Once they mated with Xelixians, the need to reveal their abilities would become inevitable, especially once they started having children. Still, it worried me.
“Many rumors have been circulating about Veredians possessing psi powers. They are true. Having all been sired by Korletheans, they have naturally inherited psi abilities from them.”
The words scorched my lips as I carefully watched the crowd’s reaction. The lack of surprise left me a little baffled. Then again, in the wake of the Capital District Blood House debacle, the media had played in a loop videos of Amalia unlocking the Convention Center’s security doors by merely pressing her hand against it. In the weeks that followed, speculations had run wild with people digging up videos of her freeing Kamala from the Guldan net during the attack on the day of her Confirmation Ceremony. The Terrans and Aveans rescued from the Blood Houses had also been talking about Valena’s powers once they had returned to their homeworlds.
Still, I had expected a stronger reaction but gladly dropped the topic.
“With that settled, regarding bonds with Xelixians, while Veredians have the utmost respect for your traditions, they will not choose a potential mate through your Fastening Ceremony.”
This time, angry and outraged shouts greeted my words. I grinned, feeling like my old self again. Lee had always been a bit of a cocky jerk, which I totally liked. Leading the most powerful army in the quadrant, despite its small size, would do that to you.
I tapped my finger on the podium, waiting for the ruckus to die down, thus expressing my boredom. Lhor hid his smile behind his hand while Zhul discreetly shook his head at me.
“The Sisters refuse to blindly bind their lives to a complete stranger after a mere half-hour conversation. They will be properly courted over however long a period of time each female deems appropriate for her to make her decision, and only then will she consent to have the union made official in your Fastening Hall.”
The muttering hovered between anger and confusion. A male suffering with advanced Taint stood at the balcony.
“How are we supposed to court them when you keep them locked up on your ships?”
That question stung. In a way, I was indeed keeping them under lock and key.
Aggressive nods and applause seconded the male’s statement.
“If we can reach an agreement, regular meet-and-greets will be organized in every district. Interested males will have to register for a chance to be invited. You are encouraged to self-advocate what would make you a great mate in that application. One hundred males per district will be randomly chosen each week. Up to an additional fifty males will be specifically invited if your application piqued one of the Sisters’ interest.”
“How random will that truly be?” Another male from the balcony asked. “It seems that only nobles and the closest friends of the General get first dibs on the Veredians.”
The assembly manifested its support to the male’s comment, even a couple of a Councilors nodded.
At the edge of my vision, President Frebhin frowned at the male. From all accounts, he ran his Council Hall with an iron fist, following strict rules. Councilors and citizens alike were expected to request permission to speak to keep things civilized. However, while this breach in protocol clearly displeased him, he didn’t intervene as order was somewhat maintained.
I didn’t mind.
The argument was fair. After all, Amalia had mated Khel, my mother had mated his family doctor, Valena had mated another noble and now, Ghan had me. Once that news came out, there would be a proper uproar if we didn’t get this whole thing in motion. Despite my misgivings, this reinforced my conviction to pursue this course of action.
“The algorithm to pick the males will be fair. Xelixians are welcomed to appoint one or two people to verify it if you doubt my word.”
The male cringed, realizing he had indirectly called me a liar.
“However, at the request of the Veredian Council, the algorithm will be skewed in favor of the applicants suffering from the most advanced Taint.”
This time, President Frebhin was forced to intervene to quiet the uproar that ensued. While the Tainted rejoiced, the Norms and the Primes complained about unfairness.
“You should be ashamed to resent this opportunity for the Tainted,” I said with contempt when the noise settled. “These males live on borrowed time. Being chosen for the meet-and-greet does not guarantee the female will choose you. Rather than complaining, you should be grateful that we give the Tainted a greater chance.”
I winced, relieved for my helmet hiding my face. I hadn’t meant to say we. Embracing Aleina made me forget that to the rest of the world, I was Admiral Lee, the Tuurean.
“Why should we be ashamed?” a Norm asked. “Rumor has it that you finally found the cure to the Taint but are withholding it from the population. What are you and the General doing with it? Blackmailing our government? Demanding favors?”
What in Gharah’s name…?
Lhor jumped to his feet, his face contorted with fury.
“That is slander!”
My stomach dropped. Slander and defamation were considered serious crimes and severely punished. That male wouldn’t have made such an accusation publicly without cause.
“It is only slander if it isn’t true!” the male shouted back. “Eye witnesses have confirmed seeing the First Officer Ghan Delphin in complete remission of his Taint. He was in the final stages of the disease then became Prime overnight. Explain that!”
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
We weren’t ready to reveal the psi powers the children possessed. Zhul tensed and exchanged a look with Lhor, who was trying to come up with a reply. The First Division wouldn’t have spread the rumors about Ghan. That only left the orchard employees that might have seen him while he visited the Praghans. Either way, this needed to be handled carefully.
“Ghan Delphin isn’t Prime,” Lhor countered. “Yes, the toxin has drained from his system, and Dr. Minh Volghan is hard at work trying to explain and reproduce the phenomenon.”
Dubious looks and chatter greeted his response. It was flimsy at best, but I still welcomed his quick thinking which gave me time to come up with an answer of my own.
“Your concerns are fair, Xelixian,” I said, “but unfounded. As I’m sure you are aware by now, Veredians struggle to conceive. All our tests so far have demonstrated that unless they are Geminates, Tainted males will not be able to give them offspring, not even daughters. You know how desperate Veredians are to rebuild their population, and Tuureans have pledged to support them in this endeavor in every single way possible. So I ask you, how does withholding a cure help any of us?”
The Norm appeared troubled and lost some of his aggression.
“In the short-term, Xelixians stand to gain the most from these unions as they will save countless among you from certain death.”
I leaned on the podium and looked at the assembly, letting my words sink in. Admiral Lee’s armor, synthetic voice, and presence always commanded attention and often intimidated. I wanted them to feel all of the above right now.
“All of the scientists and doctors concur that the cure for both the Veredians’ infertility and the Xelixians’ Taint lies somewhere between the two species. With more couples to study samples from, we can only
increase our chances of success. So no, Sehr, there is no nefarious conspiracy to keep the cure from you or anyone else.”
The wind shifted with a thunder of applause. But my unease remained. The seed of doubt had been sown, and people would continue to poke and prod at Ghan’s miraculous healing. Shifting the topic back to the meet-and-greet, I cycled through the remaining expectations of the Veredian Council and discussed a tentative timeline.
The session couldn’t end quickly enough. When it finally did, I didn’t give the Councilors seeking a private audience the chance to intercept me as I made a lightning fast exit.
* * *
When I approached the Praghans’ estate, my heart leapt at the sight of six cloaked Tuurean and Xelixian ships surrounding the property. I hailed them. Sanya’s voice, the artificial intelligence from the Tempest, automatically responded.
“Admiral Lee, please land and present yourself to the main entrance of the Praghan estate.”
What the actual fuck?
“Sanya, what’s going on?” I demanded.
“Admiral Lee, please land and present yourself to the main entrance of the Praghan estate.”
“I have asked you a question. Comply!”
“Admiral Lee, please land and present yourself to the main entrance of the Praghan estate.”
“ARGH!”
Hailing Kamala, Ghan, Khel, or anyone else yielded similar result. This shouldn’t be possible. Sanya was bound to the Tempest. For her to answer on these different frequencies meant her message had been prerecorded and assigned to the various communication devices.
I hesitated, wondering if I was walking into a trap, yet couldn’t imagine how the General’s property, with its own military compound, could possibly have fallen to an enemy. No traces of damage or battle could be seen, either.
While I hovered near the landing pad, debating, Lhor’s personal shuttle flew past me before landing. He disembarked, followed by Zhul Dervhen, and headed for the main house. Baffled, I tried to hail Lhor again, but Sanya repeated her infuriating message. The house’s front door opened as the two males approached, and Jhola’s smiling face greeted them.
More confused than ever, I decided to land. Hands hanging near my blaster and sword, I made a slow approach toward the house. Before I even reached the porch, the front door opened and a dozen Veredians in ceremonial outfits poured out of the house. Dancing, singing, and clapping, they formed two lines, one on each side at the base of the stairs, creating a passage for me to walk through. At the top of the stairs, my mother, Amalia, and Zhara all stood in ceremonial outfits as well.
My breath caught in my throat and my eyes pricked.
Tapping the opening sequence along my neck, I shed my Tuurean armor while walking up to the house. I stopped in front of my mother, my throat too constricted to speak.
“Your special day is finally here, my daughter,” she said, cupping my face in her hands. “I never dared hope to witness one of my own children having her Veredian wedding. Thank you for all you have done for our people. I couldn’t be prouder of you or of the mate you have chosen. May the Goddess forever bless your union and your home.”
We embraced each other, and I couldn’t hold in one lone tear. When I released her, Amalia pulled me into a tight hug of her own under the sustained singing and clapping of our Sisters. No sooner did she let go than little Zhara tugged at my hand.
“Come put on your dress, Auntie Aleina! It’s even prettier than mine!” she added waving at herself. “Come! Come!”
I let her drag me to one of the guest rooms on the first floor of the house. The Sisters came into the house behind us and made a beeline for the back of the house where I suspected an outdoor ceremony would take place.
Excited and overwhelmed, I let my mother help me undress before shoving me into the shower. I made quick work of it and came out to find my wedding outfit laid out on the bed. Like the one worn by my mother, my niece, and all the other Veredians, the ‘dress’ was in fact a heavily ornate halter bustier and a short, bejeweled skirt—although ‘slip with jeweled strings forming the skirt’ might be a more accurate description.
The material and color of the outfit changed according to breed. As a Warrior, my bustier could almost pass for armor if not for the intricate gold weaves and embedded gems. The waist of the bottom sat low on my hips. Large gems laid out in swirly patterns decorated the belt. It was done on purpose to accentuate the movement of my hips when I would dance later. The beaded strings only hung from the front and back of the belt, leaving the sides of my legs—and therefore my Veredian markings—on full display.
As the bride, my outfit was golden with peacock colored gems. My mother, Amalia, and her daughter, as Warriors, too, wore similar outfits; silver plated with amber colored gems. Their outfits possessed a third of the ornaments mine did.
Barefoot, with ankle and wrist bracelets as my sole other ornamentation, I stood before my family for inspection. The emotion in my mother’s eyes told me she approved and more. I should be saying something but words failed me. I, too, had dreamt of my Veredian wedding with Ghan, but duty always seemed to get in the way of properly planning it. Once I regained my composure, I’d need to find out who spearheaded this whole thing, to thank them.
“We ready?” Zhara asked.
“Yes, sweetheart, we are,” Amalia said.
“Yay!” Zhara shouted before storming out of the room.
Amalia burst out laughing and shook her head at the child who was already long gone.
“Come on, Auntie! Time for you to marry Mr. Grumpypants.”
“Actually, I believe that will be Uncle Ghan for you from now on,” I said.
Amalia made a choked sound and horrified face. “Fuck that! Sorry,” she amended at my stern glare. “But hmmm, no!”
“You don’t have much of a choice,” my mother said, laughing.
Amalia muttered something about calling off the wedding while they escorted me to the large garden on the left side of the house. My heart seized when I turned the corner of the house and saw the décor they had prepared for my wedding.
A faux floor of senoqua wood had been laid out in a large square. Its dark brown color contrasted sharply with the beige Xelixian grass around it. Various Veredian trees and plants bordered the floor, the pots containing them cleverly camouflaged with smaller plants and decorative rocks. Sitting off to the side on an elevated dais, a dozen Veredians and Xelixians started playing the traditional Veredian percussion and wind instruments.
The Xelixians all wore the male version of our ceremonial outfits. Instead of a bustier, a wide, half-moon shaped, ornate necklace rested on their chest. Once again, their breed dictated the color of the metal and gems. In this instance, as they were all the members of the First Division, they wore the amber gems of the Warriors—except for Minh and Sivh, who would qualify more as Scholars and therefore wore blue gems. Like the females, they wore a short skirt, this time made of large leather strips decorated with ornate patterns and embedded with gems. They also hung low on their hips, giving us quite the eyeful.
As physical exertion was the only way for a non-mated Tainted male to prolong his life, Xelixian males all had bodies to die for, and my Sisters were certainly noticing. I was too busy looking for my mate to pay them any attention... much. I would also never admit to anyone, especially not my niece, that my gaze did linger on her mates.
Barefoot as well, the males lined up in front of the females. Led by the percussion, both groups began thumping their feet and clapping their hands, slapping specific parts of their bodies with their palms in a rhythmic pattern. Tears welled in my eyes when I saw the four Veredian boys near the adult males facing off with a dozen or so little girls, including Zhara and Lenora.
It finally dawned on me that despite the challenges that still lay ahead, we had done it. We had succeeded. The future of Veredia stood before me. Whatever hurdles awaited us, we would succeed with our allies by our side.
Between patterns of
stomping, clapping, and shouting, both males and females would gyrate their hips in a suggestive manner while circling around each other. The dance symbolized the physical and mental strength both partners needed to overcome difficulties and remain united, the determination to slap obstacles, disappointments, or old mistakes out of the way to look forward to the future, and the sensual bond between the mates that, with the Goddess’ blessing, would produce many strong and healthy offspring.
Although a little stiff in their movements, the Xelixians performed surprisingly well. With a final shout, the males and females parted, moving to their respective side of the floor. At the far end, opposite from me, the object of my dreams stood, looking magnificent. Whatever I had said about the Xelixians having incredible bodies, I took back.
My mate was built like a god and put the other Xelixians’ incredible bodies all to shame.
Tall and broad, he towered over everyone. The rippling muscles of his arms, chest, and abdomen, streaked with bulging veins that demanded to be licked, lay bared for all to see. And did they ever look.
Eat your hearts out, Sisters. This is all mine.
The burnished gold and dark blue gems of his outfit stood out against his silver skin. My eyes locked with the black pools of his and the world around us ceased to exist. The thundering percussions set my feet in motion. Stomping the ground in defiance, clapping my hands in a taunt, I dared my mate to come claim me.
Ghan roared in response, thumping his chest in a manner that screamed ‘mine’ while glaring at the males to warn off any would-be challenger. They bowed their heads in submission while clapping encouragingly in sync with the percussions. Ghan turned his attention back to me, then all but glided forward, his movements, fluid and effortless, as he transitioned from foot stomping, to hand slapping, to hip gyrating.
Those hips….
As I danced toward him, I hissed threateningly at my Sisters who were enjoying the show too much. Like the males had done, they bowed their heads and clapped, giggling shamelessly. Then we finally came face to face. Eyes locked, chest against chest, arms hanging by our sides, we rubbed our pelvises together. Well, technically, we were just doing the whole gyrating move, but in the end, it resulted in some serious nether region rubbing. It suddenly struck me how raunchy it was in front of the children.