by Luna Hunter
How perspectives can change! My heart feels like it has grown threefold. I’m experiencing things I never thought possible. Every time I look at Michelle I feel amazed, and every time I touch her it feels like fireworks.
I haven’t been able to fully articulate my feelings so I’ve let my body do the talking, and my body has fucked Michelle into a coma.
I don’t need to sleep as much as she does, so I’ve been watching her rest, committing every last detail of her to memory. From the freckles on the bridge of her nose to the dimple in her cheeks when she grins — I can’t get enough of it.
My com beeps. Michelle stirs slightly, and I quickly silence the machine. Nothing can break the spell of this moment.
Almost nothing.
My com beeps again, going faster this time. The beeps means that it’s urgent.
My training kicks back in. It’s a second nature to me. Within a second I’m up and standing next to my com device.
“Novak reporting in.”
“Sir,” I hear on the other line. It’s Marko, and I can tell from one word alone that he’s dead serious. “You’re going to want to see this.”
“What’s this about?”
“I think you better come and see this in person, sir.”
His voice sounds strained. Different than usual.
“Understood. I’ll be right there.”
I slip into my obsidian armor and kiss Michelle’s forehead. The moment I’ve handled this situation I’m heading right back to bed with her. All my duties, the thing I’ve dedicated my life to, it all seems so… inconsequential now.
Of course there’s honor in serving in the military, in keeping the peace throughout the galaxy, but it can’t compare to being wholehearted, to when two people become one.
I stride through the familiar hallways of my ship with a feeling like I’m floating on air. Not even the grimace on Marko’s face can change that.
The message he has for me, however, can.
He’s waiting for me in the command center, bent over the table, his eyes peering over a broadcast.
“What’s did you want to show me?”
Marko glances up, his face filled with thunder. He taps the button that brings the view up to the main screen. I see an image of space with debris floating in it.
“This.”
I see a planet in the background, but I don’t instantly recognize it.
“What am I looking at?”
“Our destination. Or, rather, what’s left of it. The space-station where the humans and Falurians have been working on the engine was just vaporized.
“What?!”
“Yeah,” Marko says. “And that’s not all. We also picked up this message.”
He tabs a few button and the screen is turned to black. A hooded human appears, a shawl hiding most of his face.
“Death to the aliens!” he shouts, raising his fist. “Death to the Andromeda!”
He starts going off on a racist, hate-filled tangent, and I close the feed after a few seconds. A heavy feeling grips my heart, sucking out all the joy, all the happiness that has just made its home there.
The humans are behind this.
It is as I feared; as I originally suspected. Michelle has clouded my judgement, seduced me with her shapely body, distracted me from mission, from my duty.
I am seething with rage, feeling absolutely disgusted with myself. People died on the Andromeda, but rather than work tirelessly, I spent half a day in bed with a human.
With the enemy.
“What do we know about this bastard?” I say, pointing at the screen.
“Information is still trickling in as we speak,” Marko answers, “but I can confirm he’s a member of Humanity First, a xenophobic organization that promotes human superiority.”
“Humanity First,” I growl. Suddenly the puzzle pieces seem to fit together. “I know the name. Wasn’t that group also involved in the bombing of the Observer? And weren’t Michelle Coors and Riley Harper implicated in that attack?”
“They were cleared of all charges,” Marko says. “And that attack was linked to subversive Tyk’ix elements.”
“Where there’s smoke, there’s fire. We have to be certain. We can’t take any chances.”
My heart grows cold. This is the hardest damn order I’ve had to give, but for Zorans everywhere, and for Officer Vojin in particular, I have to make it.
“Place Michelle and Cindy under arrest.”
13
Michelle
I roll over in bed and am sad to find the place next to me is cold and empty. I look around, stretching my arms over my head. Novak’s gone, nowhere to be found.
And his quarters are an absolute mess. It looks like a bomb went off — that’s what our twelve hour bout of passion did to this room.
I’ve never had a night like this before. It was absolutely mind-blowing. I wish he was right beside me again. I’m ready for a morning round…
The door whizzes open.
Three Zoran warriors march into the room, rifles slung over their shoulders. I quickly pull the covers up, hiding my naked breasts.
“Michelle Coors,” one of them says. “You are under house arrest. Please follow me to your quarters.”
I don’t quite know how to respond to that. “I’m what?”
“Under arrest. Please follow me.”
The soldiers remain in their position, their eyes all fixed on me.
“This must be some kind of misunderstanding,” I say. “Where’s Novak?”
“The order came from the general himself,” the soldier says matter-of-factly. “If you do not comply we will be required to use force.”
That feels like a punch in the gut. Novak ordered my arrest? How in the hell? How could he? After last night, after everything we did, everything we shared. I don’t want to believe it. I can’t believe it. But at the same time, I know that we’re on his ship, and I know that his warriors are loyal to him.
They wouldn’t be doing this if he hadn’t ordered it — or he would tear them apart with his bare hands.
I pull my knees up to my chest, feeling violated. Dirty. I gave that man my heart, my body, I did things I’ve never done for any man… and this is how he repays me? Was this part of some sick game? Was I just a trophy, a notch on his belt?
“Miss Coors,” the soldier says briskly. “Comply.”
“Can you please leave so I can get dressed?”
“Negative.”
“I’m naked,” I bristle. “You’re not dragging me naked through this damn ship!”
“We will follow our orders,” the soldier says. “To the letter.”
Military types and their damn fetishism for order, for rules, for protocols. I can’t stand it. I can’t believe I let myself be bamboozled by Novak’s blue pecs and honey-colored eyes!
“Can you at least turn around? Or does your order forbid that as well?”
The soldier hesitates for a second. “It does not.”
“Good. Then turn the hell around.”
He nods at his fellow warriors and they whirl around. I desperately search the room for something to wear, but then I realize that I came here butt-naked as well. Novak carried me completely nude, showing me off like I was his trophy, as proud as a peacock. That was a different time. I was happy, happier than I’d ever been.
And now I’m crushed, humiliated, defeated.
I grab the bedsheets and fasten them into a makeshift toga.
“Let’s go. And tell that damn general of yours to come see me ASAP. I have an earful to give him.”
The soldiers escort me down the hall. Necks turn everywhere I pass. Now that the general is not with me and I’m no longer in his good graces, it’s apparently okay to stare, to point, to whisper. My cheeks burn and my eyes sting, but I won’t cry. I won’t let them hurt me.
Novak’s seed is still inside of me. Once I get to my quarters I’m taking a long, long shower, and after that I’m done with men. I’ll try being a mo
nk for a change. Riley was wrong; Zorans are bad news.
Cindy is waiting for me in my room, bawling her eyes out. The moment I enter she flings her arms around my neck. I can’t hold the tears back any longer.
We cry and hold each other like two teenaged girls.
“I was worried sick about you,” Cindy says, between sobs. “I had no idea where you were, and then those soldiers came, and I feared the worst. What’s going?”
“I’m sorry, Cindy, I’m so so sorry. I had no idea you were worried about me! I have no idea what’s going on.”
“Did they… hurt you?” she says, looking at the bedsheet I’m wearing.
“Only emotionally,” I say with a sad smile. “Yesterday Novak was this entirely different person; he was… well, I have no idea what changed, but I guess the Zorans are showing us their true nature now.”
I wish I’d followed my gut and stopped myself from giving my heart to Novak. Now he’s stepped all over it, created this gaping hole in my chest and I don’t know if it will ever heal. I’ve never felt so high as last night, and I’ve never felt as low as right now.
There’s only one person who can help me now.
Riley.
I send Cindy off to her own room, after making sure she’s calmed down a bit. I pray that the Zoran haven’t cut off my holo-feed. If they did, I’m just going to curl up in bed and cry for a while.
I thank my lucky stripes that the call goes through. I imagine they’ll be listening in on it, but I don’t care.
“Hi, Michelle,” Riley says when she pops up holographically. She’s got an apron tied around her waist, and flour is sticking to her fingers. “What’s up?”
She has time to bake? And be a minister and a mother? That’s so not fair.
All I muster is a small cry when I see how happy she is. When my best friend takes a closer look at me her eyes grow wide.
“Oh baby, what happened? Why are you crying?”
I tell her everything, and I mean everything. I need to get it all of my chest. Cindy’s growing into a good friend, but I’m also her boss, so I don’t want to make things too awkward for her. Technically Riley is my boss, but we’ve been through so much together that it doesn’t feel that way.
“I just don’t know,” I conclude. “I have no idea what happened, why he’s acting like this. Novak sent his soldiers to come get me, he didn’t even show his face. Do you think it was just a game to him, that he played me?”
“No,” Riley says. “I can’t imagine that. Zorans are headstrong, cocky, arrogant, full of themselves, all of that stuff, yes, but they are not schemers. They are not manipulative. What you see is what you get. That can be infuriating at times, but it also makes it quite easy. If they like something, they’ll tell you. And if they don’t like something, then believe me they’ll tell you too! So, based on my experience… I’d say something happened while you were asleep. Something that changed everything.”
“Like what? I can’t imagine anything that would make him change his mind like that.”
“Hold on,” Riley says. “I’ll contact the Federation’s Intelligence Agency. See if they know something we don’t.”
“The FIA? You have contacts there?”
“Of course,” Riley says. “I’m a minister, after all! I’ll pull some strings, call you the moment I get news. Don’t go anywhere.”
I sit and wait, curled up in my bed, my hands wrapped around my knees. I’m so happy to have Riley and Cindy around me. If I didn’t have them, I wouldn’t know what I’d do. Still, they can’t fill the Zoran-shaped hole in my heart.
Fifteen minutes later Riley pops back into my room, holographically. Her smile is gone. Her lips are pulled tight, and she changed from her apron into a pantsuit. Her hair is now pulled into a tight bun.
“I have bad news,” my best friend says. “This is highly, highly classified, and the FIA informed me that if I told you it would technically be treason, but I don’t care. But don’t tell anyone.”
“Of course,” I say, my stomach in knots. What’s going on that could be so secret and important? “Don’t tell me if you’ll get in trouble, it’s not that big of a— ”
“Nonsense, you’re my ambassador. I’m only saving you a briefing that you’ll get a few days down the road.” She rubs her temples, which is one of her nervous tics. “There was an attack on the Gautur, the human-Falurian research station that orbits Audur.”
“You mean…?”
“Yes, the very place the ship you’re on is headed to.”
“How bad?”
“The station has been vaporized.”
“V-vaporized?” I stammer.
“Yes. It’s gone. All of it.”
I sit there in silence. This is bad, bad news.
“And it gets worse. Humanity First has their fingerprints all over this. They claimed the attack, and it looks credible. Probably had moles working on the inside. I’m sure that is what set Novak off.”
Humanity First destroyed the only place where we could find answers on who destroyed the Andromeda — well, I guess that question just answered itself, but still. That’s worse than the worst case scenario.
If those xenophobes have infiltrated such a top-secret project… that means nothing is truly safe. That means the Federation’s grasp is not as strong as it pretends to be.
And that means all humans, including me, are now suspect.
14
Novak
I stand outside Michelle’s quarters with my heart beating like a drum. I have interrogated countless enemies — breaking them is my specialty.
I’ve never had a case like this one, though.
I feel nervous. My palms are sweaty, my heart is racing. I haven’t felt like this since my first battle at the military academy. I won that fight without breaking a sweat, and I haven’t doubted myself since.
Since I met Michelle, everything has changed.
The door automatically opens when I touch the cold metal. Michelle is sitting on her bed, reading a tablet, her blonde hair tied up in a bun. She’s wearing sweats and a baggy shirt.
She still looks gorgeous.
I didn’t come here to admire her beauty, though. I came here to question her.
Her eyes go wide when she sees me. At first there’s a flicker of hope in those blue eyes, and for a second I imagine she’s going to fly into my arms and we’re going to continue where we left off in bed — but that look is quickly snuffed out.
“You!”
She runs at me, wielding a pillow. I’ve never seen her look so angry before. I stand there like a statue as she hits me with the soft thing, screaming and cursing.
“How could you!” she bellows. “After everything! After what we… we did! We had! You’re even worse than I thought!”
I let her rage.
Perhaps I deserve it.
I don’t see how I could have made any other decision. Protecting the Zoran people is my first priority. That takes precedence over all else — including my own feelings. My own happiness.
She’s a liability. I haven’t concluded she isn’t a Humanity First spy. Until I know that for sure, I can’t let her roam this warship freely.
“Are you ready to talk?” I say.
“Talk?! There’s nothing left to say! You said it all when you sent your soldiers to humiliate me. I can’t believe I thought for even one second that you were different from the rest. That you weren’t like them.”
Every word that comes from Michelle’s well-formed lips is laced with anger.
“Like who?”
“Like all of you Zorans! You think you’re so impressive, that you’re so fantastic. Yet you lack all empathy. Everything is about rules with you, isn’t it? Following orders? Worshipping protocol? I’m done. I’m done.”
“With what?”
“With you!” she screams. “Get out of my room!”
“This is my ship,” I say.
She puts her hands on her hips. “And this is my room. So get o
ut.”
There’s nothing left to say. She’s so angry she’s red in the face, and I’m more likely to get another pillow to the face than a straight answer.
“I’m leaving,” I say. “Of my own accord.”
“Don’t come back,” she says, her voice nearly breaking. “Ever.”
Her words cut deep.
“We’ve analyzed every scrap of outbound and incoming data on Michelle Coor’s data feed, sir.”
“And?” I ask Nero, a glass of cuhla in my hands. The strong drink is the only thing that can calm my nerves; that can soothe the rage building inside of me.
“There’s nothing that links her to the Andromeda Project or Humanity First.”
“Nothing?”
“Nothing.”
“What about Cindy, her assistant?”
“Nothing as well, sir.”
I stare dead ahead. There’s no proof linking either of them to the heinous attack. Yet. Of course there’s not. That would be too easy. She’s too cunning. Manipulative, even. She played me like a fiddle. I wish I’d never met her.
“Put the two humans on a cruiser and send them to the Alliance’s station.”
“Are you sure, sir?” Marko asks. “We don’t have anything on them, so there’s no reason why they can’t—”
“If we can’t charge them with anything then there’s no reason to keep them here. Gautur station, our destination, is destroyed. Humanity First has revealed themselves as the culprit. They sabotaged the Andromeda. The investigation is over. The culprit has achieved martyrdom by blowing himself and the entire station to smithereens. We’ve lost our chance at revenge. There’s no reason for them to stay here any longer. This is a Zoran warship. No place for a human.”
Marko looks at me long and hard, but I don’t intend to change my mind.
Michelle was exceptionally clear
Don’t come back. Ever.
“And put that Falurian ambassador on the ship as well. Plot a course for Exon Prime.”
“Shouldn’t you call King Vinz, see what his take is on the situa—”
“That’s an order, Marko.”