by Regine Abel
“Excuse me?” I stilled. Did he mean…?
Khel grinned. “When you became Amalia’s Second Mate, you also became my Consort. As such, you may now inherit my Council duty.”
Gharah’s teeth!
“I thought you’d like that, Councilor Kirnhan.” Khel slapped the back of my shoulder with a smug smile. “Now brother, let’s get our mate and go home before Ghan throws a hissy fit.”
CHAPTER 30
Amalia
As expected, Ghan was waiting for us when we entered the Situation Room. He gave us a once over, his eyes lingering on me. I winked at him. He gave me his typical stern frown, but I noticed the barely-there smirk that followed.
“About time,” Ghan grunted.
We were at least twenty minutes early, but we all understood his meaning. Khel raised an eyebrow at him and Ghan sniffed in disdain, turning on the vidscreen.
“Status?” Khel asked after we took our seats.
“Alpha Squad is orbiting Filgarion Moon where one of Gruuk’s strongholds is located,” Ghan said. “Surface scans confirm the presence of three hundred and twenty-nine life forms, fifty-seven Guldan, the rest are human and Avean. We believe all, or most, are slaves. Though we don’t exclude the possibility that some humans may be part of Gruuk’s staff. Alpha Squad is ready to move in at any time. They’re awaiting your orders.”
I had been over the moon when we rescued eighty-one females from the Blood House, but this was more than three times as many. I reached out for Lhor’s hand. He smiled and gave mine a gentle squeeze.
“Excellent,” Khel said. “What of Sigma?”
“Sigma Squad is in position near Crebios where the second stronghold is located.” Ghan displayed a star chart of the Welan System before zooming in on the uninhabited planet. “There’s a problem. Here’s our fleet.” A series of blue ship outlines appeared on the star chart. “And this is a small fleet of Tuurean ships, including a battlecruiser. They uncloaked a few minutes ago when Sigma tried to move into orbit.”
Oooh shit…
Tuureans took badass to a whole new level. The rogue nation was reclusive, secretive and extremely hostile to intruders in their airspace. They were amongst the most technologically advanced species in the known galaxy. This largely contributed to their mindboggling overnight rise to power from complete obscurity. They never mingled with other species, limiting their interactions to the rare celesium trade and mercenary, defense or escort services. A Tuurean escort guaranteed your ship would reach its destination safely. However, the cost was prohibitive, thus limiting the frequency of such transactions. What did they want with Crebios?
“They’ve ordered Sigma to stand down. They demand we retreat peacefully. Any attempt to approach Crebios will be considered an act of aggression and treated as such. Here’s the com transcript.” Ghan slid a datapad across the table to Khel.
“This doesn’t make sense.” Khel gave the datapad a cursory glance. “Tuureans usually act as vigilantes against pirates and slavers. They’d never protect Gruuk’s operations so why keep us away? Something’s going on here. Until we figure it out, Captain Lendhen must keep his squad in position but not provoke the Tuureans. Shields at the ready but weapons powered down. Sigma wouldn’t survive an encounter with them and we don’t want to start a war.”
“I instructed them not to engage in hostilities. I’ll confirm the order still stands,” Ghan said.
Khel put down the datapad and tapped a finger on it absentmindedly. “While you’re at it, ask Lendhen for the hailing frequency of the Tuurean command ship. I want to send them a message. How long before they receive it?”
“Four minutes, twenty-eight seconds.”
Ghan sent Khel’s instructions.
The message barely left when we received a vidcom request. The look Ghan gave Khel was so stunned, it worried me.
“General, we’ve got an incoming vidcom request from Admiral Lee of the Tuurean battlecruiser Tempest.”
Wait. What?
I knew com systems. A vidcom request meant the battlecruiser was in close range to Xelix Prime space. With their unbelievable stealth technology, they could have an entire armada in orbit and we wouldn’t know until the moment they opened fire. What was going on?
Khel stood and took position in front of the vidscreen. “On screen.”
His calm and sure voice impressed me. I’d be freaking out in his shoes. Correction, I was freaking out.
Three Tuureans appeared on screen, two males and one female. The one I assumed to be Admiral Lee stood by the helm, center screen. The other two, probably his commanding officers, stood two feet behind him. True to the rumors, all three wore full celesium armor. The lustrous black alloy, enhanced with bio-nanites, was as strong as titanium yet supple as leather, allowing for fluid movements. They were covered with it from head to toe, gloves and helmet included. No one knew what they looked like beneath their armor. Gruuk had tried in vain to secure one of the suits. He wanted to know if my abilities would allow me to take control of the nanites.
The males were tall and lithe. The female was also tall and lean, with nice curves. She had a single long braid that fell below her knees, fully covered in the bio-alloy. It was said the females used their braid as a deadly weapon to grapple, spear and even behead their enemies. The face of their helmet was a black shiny surface like polished glass and showed nothing of their features.
The middle male bowed his head in greeting. He spoke with an androgynous synthetic voice. “Greetings, General Praghan. I’m Admiral Lee.”
People suspected Tuureans were bio-engineered; either an evolved artificial intelligence or cyborgs. If they were mostly made of chips and circuits, it would explain why they never showed their bodies. I wondered if the speculations were accurate.
Khel performed the standard Xelixian salutation. “Admiral Lee. This is unexpected.”
“But needed in light of the Crebios situation.”
“Indeed. My fleet was dispatched to Crebios on an urgent rescue mission, which your people are impeding. The Welan system is light-years away from Tuurean space. Why the interference?”
The Admiral nodded. “Hmmm… I understand your displeasure under the circumstances. Your rescue attempt is commendable but unnecessary. Please recall your troops. We have no quarrel with you, General, and would hate to reward your good intentions with a show of force.”
My heart pounded at the barely veiled threat. Ghan tapped some commands on the command console. He was trying to locate the origin of their signal, probably to see how serious a threat they were to Xelix Prime. But I could get that information faster. I placed a hand on the table’s control panel and surfed the open com channel into the Tuurean ship’s systems.
“I beg to differ.” Khel folded his hands behind his back. “A rescue is very much necessary. We have strong evidence females are currently being held captive and abused in a stronghold on Crebios. We want to aid them, then be on our way. Surely, you’ll agree our request is reasonable?”
“It is.” He bowed his head in agreement. “But your aid isn’t required. As we speak, my troops are evacuating the last of the females and disposing of their captors. The females will remain in our care unless they decide otherwise – which is very unlikely.”
“That’s unacceptable,” Khel said. “How do we know you’re not holding them against their will?”
“This isn’t a negotiation, General,” the Admiral said, his hollow voice impassive. “The decision has already been made.”
Their system was too tightly secured. If I wasn’t so freaked out, I would have enjoyed the challenge. There was little time and I couldn’t risk discovery. I accessed whatever offered the least resistance, which wasn’t much. After a number of dead ends, a series of unsecured cameras gave me a window into the Tuurean ship’s mess hall, recreation room and what looked like a meeting room.
Goddess have mercy!
Something kicked me out of the system. Stunned, I watched the Admiral face m
e.
“Tsk, tsk, tsk. Amalia Valis… You naughty girl. It isn’t polite to snoop around other people’s property.”
I pulled my hand away from the control panel, cradling it against my chest as if it had just been slapped. My heart leaped into my throat as I cast a guilty look at Khel. His clenched teeth told me how badly I had fucked up… again. He’d warned me against hacking into their system, though technically I hadn’t. I was hacking the Tuureans through the compound’s systems. The Tuureans could consider my intrusion an act of aggression. What the fuck was I thinking to act so recklessly?
Khel turned back to the Admiral. “How do you know my mate’s name?”
“Who doesn’t?” the Admiral asked. “Your improbable mating to a survivor of the extinct Veredian race raised a great deal of interest, General. Your heroic rescue of the Blood House females has stirred our collective imagination. Off-worlders rarely pique our interest.”
The Admiral faced me again. “Don’t ever try to hack Tuurean technology. Your abilities may fool other systems but not our defenses. I knew the minute you made contact. You were granted limited access to satisfy your curiosity. Did you like what you saw, little sister?”
I shoved back my chair and stood with my hands fisted. “I’m not your sister.”
“Consider me chastised,” he said with a mocking tone.
I pointed an accusing finger at him. “You’re holding Veredian females on your ship!”
“Correct. And the one hundred and sixteen females being transferred from the Crebios stronghold are also all Veredians.”
Lhor’s gasp echoed mine. I clung to him for support. He wrapped a protective arm around my waist and I leaned into him.
“Two mates, Amalia Valis?” the Admiral asked, tilting his head slightly. “Impressive choices.”
Anger stirred within me at his casual familiarity. “It’s Praghan. Amalia Praghan.”
“Noted.” He flicked a finger dismissively.
I wanted to punch him. “What do you want with my people? Have we not suffered enough? What gives you the right to take them like objects and deny them a life of their own? We’re not merchandise!”
The Admiral shook his head slowly. “You misunderstand our intention, Lady Praghan.”
He gave a slight nod to the Tuurean female who turned around. She walked off the viewport, her armored braid swinging like a pendulum.
“Incoming communications from Alpha and Sigma Squads,” Ghan said, drawing Admiral Lee’s attention.
“First Officer Ghan Delphin,” he said with a slight nod. “We meet at last.” There was something odd in the way he addressed Ghan. I couldn’t quite figure out what. “This should be Sigma Squad’s message finally reaching you about us raiding the base. As for your Alpha Squad, they’ll be informing you that three Tuurean vessels have just de-cloaked behind them at Filgarion Moon.”
Khel’s eyes narrowed. “Behind them? Why did you allow Alpha squad to enter Orbit but not Sigma?”
“We revealed our presence to make it clear that while aware of that second target, we won’t interfere. But we’ll offer assistance raiding the premises should you request it.”
Khel snorted. “You let us through because that stronghold has nothing you want. Our scans revealed Guldans, humans, and Aveans. You’re not interested in them. You’re after Veredians.”
The Admiral’s distorted chuckled resounded. “I like you, General. I can see why your mate is so fond of you. We would see the Filgarion Moon captives freed since we don’t condone slavery. But we have no use for them and gladly leave that task to you. Veredians, are another matter.”
The Tuurean female returned at that moment accompanied by four Veredian females; two adults, one juvenile and a child no older than five or six.
My people…
The Admiral turned to face the females and offered them a Veredian greeting. They stopped to return the gesture, then continued their approach until they surrounded him.
“General, Amalia,” the Admiral said, “please meet some of our guests.”
Releasing Lhor I circled the table in a daze to stand next to Khel in front of the vidscreen. Lhor followed.
“Hello, Sister. My name is Lavenia Kuris. These are my blood sisters, Kaleena and Zenavia,” the female said pointing at each. “And this is my daughter, Alleria. We’ve heard much about you, Amalia Valis. It’s our great honor to meet you.”
They faced me and performed the same Veredian greeting they exchanged with the Admiral.
“H–Hi.” My voice shook as badly as the rest of me. “I–I have dreamt for so long of meeting others of my kind. Are… Are you okay? Do they treat you well?”
“Yes, Sister.” Lavenia’s smile seemed genuine. “I know you have many questions. I can only answer a few today, but we’ll talk again in the future. We’re not prisoners. We’re with the Tuureans of our own free will. Admiral Lee rescued my daughter and me over two years ago. We’ve since made it our mission to find and free as many Veredians as possible. And with his aid, we were able to find my two sisters.”
They found and freed other Veredians… Was it the three dozen or so I saw on their ship when I hacked their cameras? Were there more? Did they start a new settlement somewhere? A new Veredia? So many questions bounced through my head, I couldn’t think straight.
“How… How many have you found?”
“Quite a few, Amalia. But never as many in a single raid as today. And we owe all of this to you and your mates.”
“How?” Khel asked.
“Lavenia,” Admiral Lee’s synthetic voice warned.
“No, Lee.” Lavenia placed a calming hand on his arm. “They deserve the truth, if only out of respect for the great service they’ve done us.”
After a slight hesitation, the Admiral gave a stiff nod, bending to her will. At that moment, whatever doubts I had about the nature of their relationship dissipated. Lavenia wasn’t a prisoner or a brainwashed slave. She was confident in her right to express her free will and was treated as an equal partner. For a moment, I wondered if they were mated, but then dismissed that thought. When she saluted him earlier, she didn’t touch her heart then his, as Veredians did with loved ones.
“When news of your mating and subsequent rescue of the Blood House slaves reached us, we set course immediately for Xelix Prime,” Lavenia said. “Our intention was to take Amalia back with us so she could be reunited with her own kind.”
As if we shared a single mind, I instinctively took a step back. Both my hands reached out for Lhor and Khel. And the two of them simultaneously moved toward me. I wanted to know more about my people, but no one was taking me away from my mates.
“Oh relax!” Lavenia giggled prettily. “I said our intention was to take you with us. But it’s clear you’re well-loved. It warms my heart, Amalia, that you’ve found such happiness. We won’t interfere with it. We assumed you joined the Fastening out of desperation and would’ve offered you an alternative. But we’ve been observing you, hoping your investigation would lead you to more Veredian females, and it did.”
“And where are you taking the ones you just rescued? Where are all the others?” I said.
“That information is classified,” Admiral Lee intervened before facing Khel. “Surely you understand, General that keeping their location secret is vital to their safety? Veredian females are beautiful, and highly desirable to collectors. Veredians’ abilities further increase their appeal. They’re too vulnerable to be publicly exposed. And this is partially the reason for our interference today.”
“Partially?” Khel asked.
“If you had rescued the Veredians from Crebios, what would you have done with them? Brought them back to Xelix Prime? To the Galactic Council? Your rescue of eighty-one humans and Aveans created a media frenzy throughout the galaxy. What do you think would happen if you showed up with over a hundred females of an extinct species? It would be open season on Veredians. We’ve sworn to protect them, and we will, even against your good in
tentions.”
His point was more than valid. We hadn’t expected to find this many Veredians. Even only the dozen or so we’d hoped for would’ve been a political and media nightmare. Khel planned on secreting them into a secondary compound until they could decide what to do with the rest of their lives. We were even keeping Valena, the Blood House’s blind Veredian’s existence a secret.
“Why? Why are you helping my people?” I said.
“Why wouldn’t we?” the Admiral shrugged.
My eyes narrowed. “People don’t go to such great extent to help others out of the goodness of their hearts. Tuureans aren’t known as philanthropists. What’s in it for you?”
He looked at Alleria before answering. “Credits aren’t the only things worth fighting for.”
I turned to the Veredian little girl and gave her a gentle smile. “Hello, Alleria.”
“Hi,” Alleria replied with a sweet voice and a big grin.
“Do you like living with the Tuureans? Are they nice to you?” I stole a quick glance at the Admiral to see his reaction, wishing I could see his face. He didn’t react.
She nodded enthusiastically. “Yeah, I like it. Everyone is nice. Well, most of the time. Lee is a big meanie.” Alleria glared at the Admiral.
“Alleria!” her mother scolded.
“What?! You said I could answer their questions honestly. I’m answering honestly. Lee is a meanie. I want to join the combat training. I’m not too little to start!” she mumbled, frowning up at the Admiral, her lips pursed in the cutest pout.
“Right. More like tiny.” The Admiral’s impassive tone sounded even more robotic.
I stared in shock at the Admiral. The sense of déja vu was uncanny. I didn’t know what to think. From the corner of my eye, I noticed Khel, Ghan, and Lhor exchanging an uneasy look.
“See?” Alleria said in childish outrage. Lavenia caressed her daughter’s hair.
“Yes.” I smiled sympathetically. “You’re right. He’s truly a meanie. I know another one just like him.”