by Maia Starr
Next, I rummaged through the drawers, disturbed by some of the things I found inside of them, until I found a thick brown envelope marked confidential. Now that looked juicy.
I excitedly pulled the folder out of the drawer and spread the contents out carefully on the floor in front of me, taking pictures of each and every sheet. I hoped that it could be useful to Chaz’z. I was risking my life to get the information for him, after all. What good would it be if he didn’t forgive me?
I pursed my lips together. Why was I thinking like Sam? I didn’t need to do the right thing just because it would win the approval of the guy I liked. I needed to do the right thing because it was the right thing. Whether Chaz’z and I ever made up or not, I couldn’t let the people of Kalron suffer just because I was too cowardly to do my part in uncovering the horrible truth of their situation. It could very well be the same thing happening on Earth.
No matter what happened, what I was doing was important. And whether Chaz’z forgave me for my betrayal or not, that was what counted the most. Wasn’t it?
***
“Female, come!”
My heart lurched and I shoved my camera back into its hiding place, deep in a wad of human clothing that I left in the back of the drawer Zod had assigned me.
“Female!”
“Coming!” I cried, closing the drawer quickly. “Sorry, I was trying to find a good outfit to wear to surprise you, but I feel like I just have the three gowns.”
Zod appeared puzzled. “Do humans require more than three outfits?”
I snorted, knowing just how Samantha would react to that question. “A human can go through three outfits in a single day alone. I had a huge wardrobe on Earth! The envy of many other humans!”
“Well,” Zod said, smiling smugly. “It seems my female was quite a status symbol on her planet. How lucky I am to have chosen such an esteemed human.”
I smiled the way I thought my twin would have before I remembered to bow at him for coming home.
“Welcome home, my lord,” I said. I was starting to get used to bowing to him, but I hated it more and more every single time I did it. It was a strange combination of muscle memory and agitation.
“Thank you, female. I came to tell you not to eat your fifth meal. Commander Wyl’es and I are going to have a meal together at one of the most highly esteemed restaurants on Jenal’k, and you are to accompany me.”
I surge of panic coursed through me at the thought of enduring a dinner with Chaz’z. Even worse, what if he brought Sam along? Zod would be beside himself with fury.
“Are you sure humans are welcome in such a nice place?” I asked, trying to find any reason to get out of going. What was Chaz’z thinking, inviting us to go out with him? Or had it been the other way around? Surely Chaz’z would keep Sam at home. Unless he wanted to out our secret once and for all and punish me for all I had done.
“It is generally frowned upon for anybody without a Thressl’n pallet to attend, but being who I am, they won’t mind.”
Ah. So the reality was that Zod wanted to bring his female with him to gloat. If even the lower class Thressl’n couldn’t attend, what kind of a snub would it be for him to bring a lower class being from the opposite end of the universe and rub it in their faces? A person who couldn’t even begin to appreciate the subtleties of the Thressl’n cuisine?
“As always, you impress me, my lord,” I said, with another deep bow. “Please allow me to finish dressing myself. I’ll choose a different gown for the evening.”
Zod’s eyes sparkled, and I disappeared back into the bedroom, where I dressed quickly and tossed the camera into the handbag Sam had brought with her from Earth. It would be the only way to sneak out with it. Hopefully Zod wouldn’t say anything about it.
“Ready!” I said cheerfully.
Zod looked at the bag, his brow drawn, and my heart thudded in fear.
“All right,” he said finally. “Let’s get this over with.”
Chapter 8
Chaz’z Wyl’es (Commander of the Fleet)
I paced in anticipation as I waited for Samantha to finish getting herself ready.
“Aren’t you done yet?” I exclaimed. “It’s not like anybody is going to see you. You are going to be hiding in the washing room until you see Alexa.”
“A girl has to have standards!” Sam shouted back at me. “And I am not going to the most high-class restaurant on this planet without looking my absolute best!”
I growled in agitation before Samantha finally emerged, looking not unlike she had when she had first gone in. but I knew that drawing attention to the fact would only delay the meeting further.
Whether I wanted to admit it or not, I was craving the sight of Alexa’s face. I didn’t want to be, but it was the obnoxious fact. She had betrayed me. That much was certain. I wasn’t even sure if I could ever trust her again. But wasn’t it possible that she had done it with the best of intentions? I did remember her attempting to speak to me before I had left to war. Perhaps she had intended to come clean to me then.
Still, the sting of her betrayal was poignant, and living with her sister was like salt in the wound. The female was unbearable. I was eager to switch them back as soon as possible. Not only was I anxious to have a more harmonious household, but tensions were high within the fleet, and without the evidence that I hoped Alexa was getting for me, it was possible that things would only get worse.
“When we walk inside, I want you to go immediately to the washing room and do not come out until Alexa goes in and the two of you have switched clothing.”
“All right, all right. I get it,” Samantha said, sighing irritably. “You had better hope that she gets what’s going on. If she doesn’t, then what are you going to do? Didn’t you say that Zod isn’t going anywhere for a while?”
“Just stay quiet and don’t undermine me.”
Samantha pouted and followed behind me until we reached the hovercraft. I had taken great pains to leave early, and instructed Sam to act as if she were sick from the meal. She would have to pass the news on to her sister so that when I collected her, she could keep her face hidden in case Zod hadn’t left yet, though I hoped that wouldn’t be a concern.
When we arrived, I saw with relief that the coast was clear. We were the only ones there, and I walked Samantha to the washing rooms.
“Stay hidden from view in one of the stalls until your sister comes in,” I instructed. “Act as if you are crying or sick so that nobody becomes suspicious. I will instruct the staff to leave you be until my meeting is over. They will do as I command.”
Samantha said nothing, but disappeared into the washing room. I headed to my table and ordered a drink, then sat in wait until I heard Zod’s unpleasant voice from behind me.
“They don’t usually let humans in here,” Zod was bragging. “See how much power I have?”
I rolled my eyes, knowing that soon the humans would be normalized in our culture and their presence in establishments like these would be welcomed rather than frowned upon. Still, I didn’t interject, and held my breath until Zod and Alexa were sitting in front of me.
My hearts skipped a beat when I caught a glance at Alexa, who looked immediately down at the table without meeting my gaze. She was looking well; I had been expecting her to show some signs of damage. It was a relief to know that Zod had been holding his temper.
“Greetings to you,” I said finally, bowing to Zod. He smirked and bowed back without the greeting. It was infuriating, because he was supposed to greet me first, as it was the rule of our rank. But buddying up with the Supreme Leader had left him feeling infallible, and whenever he could get away with it, he would dishonor those who ranked higher than he did.
I let it go, though, and continued.
“I had wanted to speak more of Kalron…”
“Didn’t I tell you!” Zod interjected, elbowing Alexa in the side. She flinched at his touch, but he didn’t seem to notice. “This guy is obsessed with work. He must
trust my guidance more than he trusts that of the Supreme Leader himself. Tell me, Chaz’z, why not hold audience with Supreme Leader Aloitus about your concerns? Why speak to me?”
I sighed. “Because I know you have been assigned as diplomat on Kalron, and considering I’m in charge of the most powerful war machine frequenting their planet, I was wondering what you think the people of Kalron want.”
“What they want?” Zod said, laughing dismissively. “They want, of course, to be left alone. Don’t you understand what’s going on here?”
Zod was silent and looked at me hard. I really wasn’t sure, but if I showed any suspicion of corruption being hidden from the masses, it would be my head and likely Zod to replace my command.
“Of course,” I finally said. “I was just wondering what your thoughts were. It would be nice to speak to you personally on such matters. Reports and transcripts are such cold ways of learning things.”
I looked meaningfully at Alexa, whose clear hazel eyes I could feel staring at me now that my focus was on Zod. She got my drift immediately and nodded, almost imperceptibly. She had brought the evidence I needed. My chest hammered in excitement. This was really happening.
Zod laughed dismissively. “This really is quite strange, Chaz’z. We’re in the middle of a war that most people just don’t know anything about. It’s up to us to stick together on this. Nobody else will be able to relate to the way we feel about this. I know I am not the most agreeable person on the fleet, but I do hope that you can learn to trust me.”
His sentiment seemed completely sincere, and I found it very surprising. He wasn’t asking, exactly, to be friends. Just to be treated as I treated all of our other comrades. But it was so difficult. Zod was a disagreeable little man, and we all knew that Aloitus favored him for whatever reason. I would have to look at the evidence that Alexa had accumulated before my next mission to Kalron. Everything we were doing just felt wrong.
“I do trust you, Zod,” I said. “Despite my reservations, I believe in the power of Fate.”
The words felt hollow as I spoke them, and I could only hope that Zod didn’t hear them the same way I did.
“Great! Then let us feast.”
I nodded as the food was served, wondering how in the hell I would manage to get Alexa into the washing room before dinner was over.
***
Fortunately, nature ran its course and Alexa slipped into the washing room a little while later, excusing herself with a deep bow that made me feel a little bit sorry for her. Zod was a man who liked a subservient female more than most, so it seemed he was training her hard in the ways of docility.
“Welcome back, female!” Zod said.
“Hi, Zod!” Samantha said cheerfully. He glanced at her, surprised but pleased by her enthusiasm.
“It’s ‘my Lord.’ Remember?” he reprimanded gently. I wasn’t sure if he was holding his temper back on my account or if he was sincerely feeling tender toward the female. Alexa had a tendency of bringing that out in people, I thought bitterly. I couldn’t wait to have a stern talk with her. It had been far too long.
“Thanks to you, Commander, for the meal,” Zod said finally, bowing and nudging Sam to follow suit. She smiled at me as she bowed, apparently just as glad to be rid of me as I was glad to be rid of her.
“It was my pleasure, Captain. Wishes to safe travel for you and your female.”
Zod left with Samantha in tow, talking his ear off about how nice the restaurant was. His stern demeanor seemed to relax and brighten with Samantha chattering beside him, and I shook my head. What an unlikely couple. But perhaps there was a strong fated thread that was pulling all of us together. That was the only possible way to reconcile the idea of a female actually enjoying Zod’s company, and vice versa.
“Are you all right in there, female?” I asked into the women’s washing room.
“Fine,” Alexa’s gentle voice reached my ears, and it felt like a soothing balm on my very injured soul. The wound that had been inflicted upon me was one that only she could fix, and if she couldn’t, then at the very least, she would be able to help me figure out whether or not I was doing the right thing by honoring Fate’s code and the people guiding my planet into a dark age.
“Come on out now; it is time for us to head back home,” I said, surprised by how right it felt to refer to my home as Alexa’s home as well. But I couldn’t let myself get drawn in by sentiment. There was work to do, and the female had betrayed me.
“All right,” Alexa said, coming out of the room tentatively, still clutching the bag that she had brought with her when she’d entered with Zod.
Heat coursed through my body as I took her in; she still wore Thressl’n clothing much more naturally than her sister, and the curves of her body seemed snug inside the fabric. It brought my mind back to the memory of her soft gasps as I roamed those curves the night of the fleet’s event at the palace, and how distraught I had been to lose her in the crowd so soon after expressing, what I thought, was a vow for us to stay together.
“The craft is this way,” I said, clearing my throat and attempting not to let those memories pave the way toward any unwanted feelings. Alexa followed, keeping her eyes on the ground until we got in the hovercraft. The silence as I drove was unbearable, and Alexa suddenly turned her beautiful clear eyes upon me.
“I should have told you sooner,” she said desperately. “I tried. I didn’t want to leave that night with Zod, but he found me in the crowd and forced me back with him. I am really afraid of him, Chaz’z. He’s the first Thressl’n man I was assigned to and left me cold in his cellar without food or water after beating me senseless. I didn’t know what to do; I couldn’t just…”
I was silent as Alexa’s words poured from her lips. I could imagine how afraid she must have been, and my hatred toward Zod doubled upon hearing how he treated his female. But it still didn’t make up for the betrayal. No matter what she said, I was hurt.
“I don’t know what to say to you right now,” I said, sighing deeply. We soon pulled into my home, and we sat in the craft, the tension between us thick. “I thought that I could trust you.”
“Let’s go inside,” Alexa said, touching my arm gently. It felt so right to have her touching me, but I was still conflicted. “I’ll tell you everything.”
I thought it over for a few moments. It couldn’t hurt to talk things over. And afterward, whatever conclusion we arrived at, I would be able to learn the truth about Zod, Aloitus, and my government’s actions. It was worth a try.
***
Alexa was trembling as we sat on my long couch together, staring at her hands as she attempted to gather her words.
“It started when we went to the first event. The woman you said looked like me is my sister, which you know now. She’s insufferable, but I have a feeling you know that too. So when she forced me into switching places with her, I was almost relieved in a way, not to be forced into suffering…to let my twin suffer in my place the way I always have for her.”
“That makes sense,” I agreed. I had seen for myself just how willful Samantha could be. And I was quickly learning that there really was nothing more aggravating than a willful, spoiled Earth female. It wasn’t a lifestyle I was anxious to live.
“I’m sorry, Chaz’z,” Alexa said, dropping her head into her hands miserably. “I didn’t know what to do. I couldn’t stand the thought of Zod being cruel to her, so I left. And we were too afraid to tell either one of you.”
“You could have told me,” I said. “Perhaps before we joined bodies, you should have.”
Alexa grimaced.
“You’re right. I should have. I don’t know why I didn’t. I guess it’s just terrifying to be here. To not know what to expect of the people around you. After Zod treated me the way he did, I guess I just wasn’t comfortable testing your temper. I was worried something might happen to me and Sam if I told anybody.”
“But you just disappeared,” I exclaimed. “How do you think it made m
e feel to discover that it wasn’t you, it was your sister who was nearly invited to my bed? Do you realize just how complicated things could have gotten?”
“I’m sorry, I—”
“I don’t want Samantha,” I said, looking Alexa hard in the eye. “I want you. And I don’t know how long it will take before I can trust you again.”
Alexa’s eyes filled with pain, and she nodded, pulling the bag she had been carrying onto her lap and pulling the camera out for me.
“Here,” she said. “I hope these are useful because I risked my life for them.”
I grabbed the camera eagerly and immediately began scanning the images on it through its projection lens.
“Where did you get that, anyway?” Alexa asked. “It’s so similar to cameras on Earth, but so much better.”
“A man named Laike made it when I asked him. He is quite inventive, and is responsible for the design of my ships.”
“Well he did a good job,” Alexa said.
But I barely heard her. I was taking in the information on the photographs, confused and shocked by what I was seeing.
“Are you sure this was in Zod’s room?” I demanded, flipping through the images again.
“I’m sure,” Alexa said defiantly. “I didn’t have anywhere else to go to look for information.”
“I don’t believe it,” I breathed. “I can’t believe it. Not without confirmation…these could be decoys.”
“What are you talking about?”
But there was no time to explain.
“Put this back in your bag,” I said, thrusting the camera at Alexa. “We have to go back to the palace.”
***
“Are you sure this is a good idea?” Alexa hissed. It irritated me to be second-guessed.
“Please keep quiet. This is the only way.”
She sighed and followed me to the room where the Supreme Leader worked.
“Stay here.”
Alexa nodded. She already knew the plan. I had enlisted some of the men from my fleet, who were convinced of the Supreme Leader’s corruption, to create a diversion outside the palace gates. All hands would be required, and Aloitus and I would go to see what the trouble was. Alexa would sneak into the office and get whatever information she could, at whatever cost.