Nykon

by Maia Starr

  I could feel the human’s eyes burning a hole into my back as I left, just as the Pelin hurried past me with another bouquet of fresh oka. She was his concern now. Good riddance.

  ***

  “What have you to say for yourself, Commander Juno?”

  Inside I was quaking with rage. Looking Doyan Yoltaz in the eye was enough to make any moral and gods-fearing Verian want to vomit. But this was a council meeting. I had to present myself with the utmost dignity lest they find some reason to punish me.

  “The human was ill, and as Commander, I did what needed to be done to dispose of the corpse before it could contaminate the site.”

  “Is this so?” the Doyan asked, turning his cold eyes onto the Pelin in charge of the crematorium.

  “It is true,” the Pelin said.

  And as far as he knew, it was. I had managed to get my hands on the corpse of a woman who had been recently killed by the same disease that had nearly taken Ariel. It was she who had been incinerated, and the Pelin had disposed of the remains himself.

  “The logs say you left shortly after without proper notification to the other Yul in charge of the human’s care,” the Doyan said, his gaze returning to me.

  “That’s right!” Arke exclaimed from across the table. I refused to acknowledge him.

  “I had dismissed those gentlemen already. You will find documentation stating the same. They were using abuses on the prisoners that are outlawed.”

  “I see,” the Doyan said, looking down at his papers. “These laws are getting outdated, don’t you think, gentlemen?”

  The room erupted as most of the men present nodded in agreement. They wanted to do away with anything that prevented unprovoked cruelty. So many Verians were bitter about their inability to conceive and regain their strength. They wanted to be able to take it out on anybody at any time they chose. It chilled me inside.

  “However, as of now, the law is still in place, and as Doyan, it is my duty to uphold those laws. I consider this matter settled. Yul Pyre, Yul Arke, you may leave. The Pelin as well.”

  Clamor filled the room as everybody stood from the table and began to chatter amongst themselves.

  “Don’t think that this is the end. I know you did something with that human, and I will stop at nothing to find out what that is!” Arke growled to me, his bushy eyebrows closely knit together in rage. “You’re not going to get away with this.”

  “Yul Arke, I recommend that you keep your violence to yourself,” I said, turning to him and squaring my shoulders. It would do him good to remember that, despite my own affliction, I was still stronger than him or any of his men. That was why I had the position of power that I did, and whether he liked it or not, I would best him in any physical altercation he threw my way.

  “You’re not going to get away with this,” Arke grumbled again. I sighed as he pushed past me. I clenched my fists, but this was not the place to settle this disagreement. Despite his bloodthirsty appetite for destruction, Doyan Yoltaz was a man who liked to hide behind the guise of civility when it came to any public demonstration of his authority. It was part of why it was so difficult to convince the Verian people that the man in charge of them was actually a twisted and corrupt being.

  The opposition hoped to get footage of his ways before he had a chance to invade Earth with his harmful weaponry, but until that happened, we would all have to sit and wait for the Doyan to make a false move that was public enough to warrant outcry. It was unlikely to happen, and that is why the opposition had begun to infiltrate the council.

  I, for one, was high-ranking due to my unlikely physical prowess; but then, I had come from a long line of fierce warriors who had founded much of the rules of war. The Juno were highly skilled men and deeply intelligent women, and I was the result of many generations of the fittest breeding.

  Naturally, the Doyan had included me on the council, along with Arke, who was also of a similar background. However, he was older than I when he was stricken with the terrible disease and had half the strength of my immune system regardless.

  There were two other men on the council who were members of the opposition. A man named Grew Krechov and Plai Breanal sat on either side of the Doyan, a covert mission to get as much intel from these meetings as possible. So far, their efforts had recovered nothing of use, but there was still time. We hoped.

  “Good to see you again, Yul Juno,” Renad Vrean said, approaching me with a broad smile. We knelt to each other in greeting, and I smiled back, despite the anger bubbling just below the surface. Arke knew just how to push my buttons, and he knew it. That was dangerous.

  “Yul Vrean, hello.”

  “Are you coming to the rally tonight?” he asked, his voice low.

  “Rally?” I asked, feigning confusion. “I don’t know of any rally.”

  “I hear there is an uprising of insurrectionists gathering at the Square. A few of us have been asked by the Doyan to see to it that it stops before it even begins, and to arrest and take down the rebels by any means necessary. It sounds fun, doesn’t it?”

  Renad’s face filled with glee, and a sour feeling erupted in my stomach. So they knew already about the opposition. My men had been right; it seemed too soon to draw attention to our cause. Especially if people were going to be injured and killed in its name. People who could have proven useful during the real fight.

  “It does sound fun,” I agreed, lying through the tight smile on my face.

  “I think we’re supposed to be waiting around in the shadows at about nightfall. That’s when they’re going to show up, waving torches and shouting whatever nonsense they’re trying to talk people into believing. Some people will fall for anything, you know? But who would be stupid enough to go against the Doyan of all people?”

  “It would take a very special kind of krocha, that’s for sure,” I agreed. And it was true. One would have to be stupid and gutsy to take on this regime so close to their victory over Earth. But that was the only way.

  “Right!” Renad said. “So can I count on seeing you there? I’m getting pretty excited about the thought of bashing rebel skulls!”

  “I wish I could go,” I said, feigning sadness. “But I have matters to attend to.”

  “You’re going to beat up Arke, aren’t you?”

  At this, I laughed, as the thought was very much on my mind. But beating up Arke would be seen as some kind of admission of guilt by his cronies, and I wanted to be rid of the lot of them and stay miles away from the opposition’s demonstration if I could. No, I had other plans.

  “It would give me great pleasure to put him in his place for his false accusations, but no, I am going to take my position as leader seriously and remain honorable.”

  “Yep, you’re a Juno all right. My father spoke frequently about your family. You’re some good stock, man. Good stock.”

  Renad nodded approvingly and went along his way. I followed as the members of the council streamed through the doorway, my mind teeming with all that had transpired. The opposition was in trouble. I would ask Blaithe to help them if he would be willing, but in a way, I had a feeling that he would let them try their best to get the word out.

  The Verian people had a right to know what was going on right under their noses, and seeing one small group of insurrectionists might be enough to embolden somebody else out there as well. We could only hope such would be the case. We needed all the help we were going to get if we were going to survive Doyan Yoltaz and his regime. And that was a sad fact.

  ***

  “How is she?” I asked as soon as I returned back to my abode.

  The Pelin man nodded. “The human is fine. She is getting her appetite back. Perhaps she will be better off going back to her cell soon.”

  “Of course,” I said absently as I made my way down the hall. “As soon as she is well.”

  “Yul Pyre!”

  I froze at the sound of Blaithe’s voice.

  “What are you doing here?” I demanded.


  “I’m sorry, Yul Pyre. The man here pushed his way inside. I could not stop him…”

  I narrowed my eyes at Blaithe, who shrugged casually.

  “Why isn’t the human in her cell?” Blaithe demanded. “We need her information. Now. Did you know that the Doyan found out about the demonstration? People will die! We must find out what she knows!”

  “That is no reason for you to push your way into my home and bully Barvaa!”

  Blaithe wrinkled his nose. “You call your Pelin by name? I thought they didn’t like that.”

  “Barvaa, please go tend to the human. Lock the door behind you.”

  “You mean, you’re giving me permission to enter the Red Room?” Barvaa gasped, backing away and shaking his head profusely. “I mustn’t!”

  “Do as I say,” I growled, keeping my eyes locked on Blaithe. It was unfortunate for him that he had caught me on a bad day. I was ready to fight.

  “Of course, Yul Pyre.”

  “How dare you!” I shouted as soon as the little man was out of sight and I heard the door slam shut. “You enter my home like this?”

  “The opposition is more important than any man’s privacy!” Blaithe exclaimed. “You said so yourself!”

  “That doesn’t mean you are welcome here! I am the leader of the opposition, and that means that I make the rules. Do you or do you not understand that?”

  I balled my fists, and started forward, my mind imagining only violence.

  “We have to find out what she knows!” Blaithe exclaimed, backing away from me, his eyes wide with fear. “If we don’t then we have no way to win against the Doyan!”

  I hesitated, and instead of punching Blaithe, I put my hand through the wall. He yelped and cowered on the opposite end of the room.

  “The human has been ill. She has needed time to rest and recover. And you coming into my home without cleansing yourself first, you bringing outside contaminants from the thuse with you, could kill the only chance we have at victory!”

  “Dershalga!” Blaithe said, his eyes wide with fear. “I didn’t go near her yet, I swear it! I just needed to talk to you. To–”

  But the idea of Ariel being injured by Blaithe’s carelessness had triggered an enormous rage from deep within me, and I crossed the room and swiftly punched him in the stomach. He fell to his knees with unshed tears in his eyes, and I kicked at him, all of my frustration beginning to boil over.

  “Pyre! Stop!”

  Ariel’s voice halted me immediately, and I turned to look at her, a little bit disoriented as my need for violence began to wear away.

  “Please, if you kill him, they’ll arrest you.”

  “What do you care?” I muttered, gazing down at Blaithe’s bloody body as he scrambled to his feet.

  “Just don’t do it, all right? I want to hear more about what it is that you are going to do. Why do you hate the Doyan? What are those sticks doing in your room? There are no trees on Helna. Not anymore.”

  Blaithe looked from the human to me, shaking his head in disbelief.

  “You’re letting her wander free in your home,” he said between breaths. “You’re a fool.”

  “I’m doing what needs to be done. And if you don’t warn the demonstrators, the Doyan and his troops will kill them all. Go now, or I will toss the human’s pleas over my shoulder.”

  Blaithe seemed suddenly to understand the rage in my voice and barreled toward the door. I waited until he was gone to turn back to Ariel, surprised to find that she was approaching me, very slowly, concern in her deep blue eyes.

  “You shouldn’t be out here. What if Blaithe was contaminated?” I sputtered, gripping her arms and leading her back toward the bedroom. “I don’t know what I would do if…”

  “I’m going to be fine,” Ariel assured me, taking my hand gently and laying it by my side. “Please, just tell me what you’re trying to do with me. Why do you want to protect me so much? Is it really all to do with the information?”

  “That’s an odd question,” I said, shifting uncomfortably.

  “Yul Pyre! I’m sorry, I tried to stop her, but she was just so fast! Humans have long legs, and—”

  “It’s all right, Barvaa. But please leave us for now. Perhaps you could prepare a meal for me; it has been a long day.”

  “Of course!” the Pelin said, suddenly cheerful. He was probably relieved that I didn’t want to scold him, especially after the violence in the household that evening.

  “I suppose I will tell you,” I said. “But not here. It isn’t safe. I will have Barvaa cleanse.”

  “Let’s talk in the Red Room,” Ariel said quietly. I nodded, and followed her down the hall, wondering where I was going to begin.

  Chapter 6

  Dr. Ariel Landon

  “So what is it that you want to know, Yula?”

  Pyre was standing across the room, looking at me with dubious golden-green eyes. I sat down on the bed and studied him for a moment, wondering where we might start.

  “What is the opposition? And why do you need me?”

  Pyre sighed and crossed the room, his tall body taking long, capable strides until he reached the altar, where I had spent the early evening studying the relics from Earth closely, nostalgia stirring in my breast.

  “The opposition is a group of Verian men who oppose what the Doyan is doing.”

  “Why do you oppose it?” I asked.

  I had never even considered the possibility that there might be a Verian on the planet Helna that didn’t want war, a man that didn’t want what his leader wanted. It was shocking. But it was more shocking that I had never even thought it was a possibility. Not even after speaking with and learning to love Greandol as I would have loved my own nephew, or even my own child.

  “The Doyan wants to employ very drastic methods to subdue the people of Earth. He thinks that the war has gone on far too long already. There are men who grew up into adults and died only knowing the war between Helna and Earth.”

  “Well, I agree in that sense. It has gone on too long. We may never know peace in our lifetimes.”

  Pyre looked at me as if trying to decide whether I was being serious or not, then finally nodded. “I, too, find the whole process tedious. But it is the people of Earth who refused to settle this matter peaceably, and this is the result.”

  I glowered. Whether I had anything to do with it personally or not, it didn’t feel very good to constantly be reminded that, in Pyre’s opinion, Earth had been the cause of the whole issue in the first place. None of us were even alive yet when the war had begun, and it didn’t seem fair to be pushing the blame in either direction. The fact was that our present lives were tumultuous and filled with violence and danger. What mattered wasn’t who started the war; what really mattered now was who was going to be the one who finished it.

  “Anyway, tell me what it is that you don’t like about the Doyan. I don’t know the difference between them. They all want to kill the people I love. Forgive me if I don’t know them by name and sing their praises.”

  Pyre sighed, his broad shoulders slumping slightly as he lowered his head to think. Finally, he straightened up, and his whole muscular body came alive as he crossed the room once again to sit beside me. The bed sank down under his weight, and I had to fight the physical pull of my body to rock closer to his.

  “The Doyan Yoltaz is a very cruel, short-sighted man. He is abusive of the Verians and the humans in his charge. He encourages his men to commit serious offenses–war crimes, essentially–against the human females in our care. And worst of all…”

  Pyre’s voice trailed off, and I studied him as he labored to put his thoughts into words. His eyes had clouded over, and his fists were clenching the silky red covers of the bed we were sitting on together.

  “What is it?” I asked as gently as I could, surprising both of us by touching his shoulder. I don’t know why I wanted to comfort this man. The image of him protecting me had been both terrifying and thrilling. But I barely knew anythi
ng about him. But maybe if I could understand just this one thing, then the other missing pieces would begin to make sense, and I could get a picture of who this man truly was. Maybe I could justify the forbidden feelings that were trying to surface.

  “The resources of Earth…the humans, and even the Verian people…it’s all in danger. The new Doyan wants to destroy it all. With the kind of nuclear fallout he’s talking about, Earth will look like Helna in just a matter of years and all these decades of war will be for nothing!”

  My stomach dropped at the news, and we both sat in silence.

  “How could he be so stupid?” I whispered.

  Pyre glanced at me, his peculiar golden eyes serious and beautiful. “I fear he has another agenda at heart. He received his position of power through a very corrupt election, and he has ties with an organization that is very dubious. I don’t know what their plan is, but I know it can’t be good. And I can’t stand to see the Earth’s beauty go to waste.”

  I was touched by his passion for my planet’s beauty, but did he only feel that way because of the desolation of his own planet? Whether he was sincere or not, he was still the enemy…wasn’t he?

  “The Earth is still beautiful, in most places,” I agreed. “But the war is taking its toll.”

  “Yes,” Pyre said, his eyes flashing with sadness. “There is something so remarkably peaceful about Earth. It’s an incredible specimen among the universe. A rare jewel. Even many Verians overlook that about it, and see it for only what it’s good for: how they can use it so that we might grow more powerful.”

  “Not you though,” I said, glancing at the altar. It warmed my heart to see the little things that he treasured; a rock here, a twig with a single shriveled brown leaf there. It was like looking into the heart of a sentimental young boy. But he was not young. He was a grown man, who simply seemed to treasure life and wellness. And on top of that, he was so unbelievably sensual…

  “No, I try my best to appreciate the things that are in front of me. I see beauty where many others see only inconvenience. It’s saddening, but I’m surrounded by such people more and more every day. The Doyan brings more heartless Verians onto the Council every rotation of the suns, and with them, I can smell the promise of destruction. If only we had the evidence to convince my people that the Doyan Yoltaz is not making the right choice!”