by Luna Hunter
I can tell that my second-in-command does not agree with me, but honestly, I don’t give a shit anymore. I can’t avenge Vojin, can’t lift the shame-debt that his valiant self-sacrifice has placed on me. The human and I aren’t meant to be together — we are from different places, with different goals, different ideals and values.
It was a foolish notion of me to begin with.
Mating with a human. Ridiculous.
There’s nothing left for us in this quadrant of space. It’s time we head on home and fulfill our duty: making Zoran space safe for its inhabitants. To fight the Ygg when those beasts rear their ugly heads. To stop the slaver incursions from the outer planets. To train new recruits.
This whole mission has been a distraction, a mistake.
I hope that by serving the Zoran with renewed vigor, with an intense focus and determination, I can rid myself of my shame-debt; that I can make Vojin’s sacrifice worthwhile.
There’s no place for a human female in those plans.
In fact, I’m glad to be rid of her.
That’s what I keep telling myself.
I wonder the halls of my ship without aim or direction, feeling empty. I try throwing a few crossballs around, but it’s not the same. Everything reminds me of the time we spent here. I can never play the game again without thinking about her.
There’s only thing that can take my mind off Michelle: hand-to-hand combat.
I head down to the fighting pits. Some generals spar with their men every day, but I haven’t used the pit very often. That’s all about to change.
“You!” I say to a Zoran engineer who walks by. “What’s your rank?”
He snaps to attention. “I’m engineer Stojan, sir.”
“Stojan. Come fight me.”
“S-sir?”
I raise my fists. “That’s an order, soldier. This is a warship, you have to be ready for combat at all times. Show me your training.”
“O-okay,” he says. He steps into the fighting right with trepidation.
He stands before me and salutes me. I punch him in the stomach, and he doubles over.
“Never let your guard down, soldier,” I say. “Rule number one.”
“I thought we hadn’t…” he says, gasping for air, still doubled over.
“There’s four different ways I could kill you right now. I could knee you in the face and send your nose flying into your brain. I could elbow your neck and snap it right in half. I could go on. You should always be prepared, soldier.”
I grab his head and push him away. “Leave. You’re a disgrace.”
A crowd has formed around the pits now, my soldiers murmuring to one another
“Who is next?” I bellow.
They all fall silent. I can smell their fear, and it disappoints me.
I’ve been too lenient. My crew ought to be a trained, well-oiled killing machine. Instead, all I see are weaklings.
I point at a random face in the crowd and call him forward. The soldier in fronts of me trembles like a leaf in the wind. He shows me his open palms in submission, and it only angers me more.
“Fight, you coward,” I growl. “Fight!”
My fist connects with his jaw. I throw another punch. And another. My eyes see red as I pummel the warrior into oblivion. I turn into a machine, not thinking, not feeling, only striking.
“Novak!”
Marko’s voice booms through the hall, and it rouses me from my anger-fueled bloodlust. I look down at my bloody red knuckles in surprise. The look and feel as if they belong to someone else. To some monster.
The warrior in front of me is lying on the floor, barely conscious, bleeding from his nose, his face battered and bruised.
I did this.
Fuck.
I look around the gathered crowd. I’m surrounded by my soldiers, but the looks in their eyes have changed. The respect they had for me has turned to fear.
“Novak,” Marko says again. He pushes his way through the crowd. “The King is waiting for you.”
15
Michelle
With a feeling of melancholy I stare at the Behemoth as we pull away. Cindy and I have been placed on a small cruiser that will take us back to the Observer, the Alliance’s space station.
I haven’t seen Novak since I told him to leave — and never show his face again.
I meant it at the time, but now, I’d kill just to see his face one more time. To feel his breath on my neck, to feel the taste of his lips.
Why doesn’t he trust me? Why can’t he see that not all humans are trying to undermine our alliance? I understand that he’s vigilant, and that he feels guilty for what happened to the Andromeda, but…
It’s not my fault. I nearly died on that ship as well!
“Michelle,” Cindy says. “Sorry to bother you, but… the Federation News Network and the Alliance News want a statement from us, about everything that happened. I’ve held them off so far, as you’ve been busy enough, but they’ve been calling me relentlessly. What do you want me to tell them?”
I turn to Cindy. She’s holding her tablet in her hands, a pair of glasses balanced perfectly on the tip of her nose, a pen tucked behind her left ear. I’m still wallowing in my own sadness, and she’s already moving onto business as usual.
If I didn’t have her I’d be a sorry excuse for an ambassador.
Perhaps she’s right. Moving on is the only option I have left. If I bury myself in my work I can forget about Novak and his broad, blue chest, his chiseled jaw, the intricate tattoos the cover most of his gorgeous body.
But not yet. I have to grieve a moment longer.
“Tell them to fuck off.”
Cindy’s eyes grow wide. “I’ll let them know you’re still recovering.”
“That’s my girl,” I say with a smile. “Thanks.”
Cindy taps away on her tablet, sending one message after another. “Nonsense, only doing my job,” she says.
I really should follow her example. Instead I turn back around, resting my forehead against the window as I watch the Behemoth shrink in the distance. I’ve only stayed on the Zoran warship for a few days, but it already felt more like home than the Observer has ever done.
“My condolences.”
Jakob, the Falurian ambassador, stands to my left.
Oh great, that smarmy creep is here as well. Every interaction I’ve had with him has left a sour taste in my mouth. He’s tall but lanky, looking nothing like the Falurian soldiers I’ve seen on the Alliance’s space station. Those were proud dragon-like warriors. Jakob, on the other hand, is more of a reptilian used hovercar salesman.
“What for?” I say, agitated. I’m trying to mope in peace, and the Falurian man is taking up way too much of my personal space.
“Let’s not play games, ambassador,” the Falurian says. “It’s not a secret you and the Zoran general have grown quite close these last few days. Not surprising, after the both of you survived the mishap that was the Andromeda. Such a powerful event must have made quite an impression on the both of you.”
“Mishap? Is that what you call watching dozens of lives being snuffed out in an instant? A mishap?”
The Falurian bows his head slightly. “My apologies if my choice of words offended you, ambassador.” His words are polite but his tone is not. I can tell from his forced smile that he’s lying through his teeth. “That being said, I do believe it’s become quite clear that the project has been labeled a disaster by the powers that be.”
“What do you mean?”
I constantly get the feeling with Jakob that he’s fishing for a response, teasing me with snippets of information, pretending he knows more than me. It’s beyond frustrating. As an ambassador I’m used to aliens not telling me everything, but none manage to drive me up the wall more than this one. He has an uncanny knack for being annoying.
“It’s obvious, isn’t it? Or have you not been reading your reports from the council, or the general assembly?”
I glance at
Cindy from the corner of my eyes. If something important has been discussed, I should have known about it… but I can’t blame my assistant as she’s been working her butt off.
“No, Jakob. I have not seen those reports. I haven’t had the time to do so. I understand you have had plenty of time to read though, seeing as the Zorans kept you locked up in your room. I wonder why? Or no, that’s obvious, isn’t it?”
The Falurian ambassador forces a smile, but I can see his eyes twitching. I too can hit him where it hurts.
“Now, are you going to tell me or do you just want to make me look foolish?”
“I’m merely trying to assist a fellow ambassador,” Jakob says. “I do not know where this venom comes from. Regardless, I will answer your question, as a sign of good faith. The general assembly of the Intergalactic Alliance is very unhappy with the Andromeda Project. You can imagine that the leaders of the various races weren’t too happy to find out that the Alliance funneled billions of their credits into a top-secret weapon program that spectacularly failed due to human incompetence.”
Every word that leaves the Falurian’s mouth is perfectly measured to inflict as much damage as possible. He’s not here to tell me anything; he’s here to gloat. To rub salt into my wounds.
“You’ll have your hands full cleaning up this mess when you return to the Observer. I’m sure every single race wants to know why they should still trust humankind when you fail so spectacularly every time you’re handed a sliver of responsibility. Consider this a friendly warning, from one ambassador to another.”
He smiles again, baring his many sharp teeth. His face is far from friendly; it’s more a menacing grin.
“Good day, ambassador.”
He walks off, a triumphant sway in his steps. I want nothing more than to wipe that smirk from his face, preferably with my fists, but that doesn’t seem very ambassador-like. Not that it matters. From the sounds of it, humanity is about to be kicked from the Alliance, so I won’t have to be ambassador for very long anyway.
“Is he telling the truth?”
Cindy’s heard every word, but she hides herself behind her big screen, sending off one message after another. She glances up, a nervous smile on her lips.
“Tell me, Cin. I can handle it.”
“There has been some… unrest in the assembly, yes,” she says. “Nothing out of the ordinary though, I’m sure it’ll blow over.”
“You’re my assistant, Cindy. I appreciate you looking out for me, but that’s really my call to make.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“How many species have requested a personal audience with me?”
She glances at the screen in front of her. “At the moment… thirty-four. And counting.”
“Thirty-four?! And you haven’t thought to tell me?”
“They’ve only just started pouring in, after the destruction of the Gautur and the accompanying Humanity First broadcast,” she says defensively. “And you have more than enough on your mind.”
I grasp the tablet from Cindy’s hands. My personal inbox is filled with angry requests from one species after another, demanding answers that I don’t have.
Feeling sad about my love life can wait. I have work to do.
A whole mountain of it.
16
Novak
I sit in my captain’s chair, staring into nothingness.
I’ve sat here before, countless times. I’ve planned dangerous attacks and daring rescues. I’ve had to make decisions regarding life and death.
Yet, having Michelle and Cindy arrested was the hardest decision I’ve had to make yet. I didn’t see any other way. They are humans; I cannot be certain of their allegiance.
If they allowed the Andromeda Project to be infiltrated by xenophobes, by terrorists, then their government, and their security, is a sham. Any secret we’d share with them would spread instantly.
And that’s high treason.
I have instructed my men to comb through every bit of data we have on the two human females. So far they haven’t found anything to link them to the attack… and I’m very thankful for that.
I don’t know if I have the strength in me to order them executed.
My king is talking to me, but I don’t listen. My mind is too preoccupied.
“Novak,” he thunders, his holographic image filling my quarters. “Do you copy?”
“Yes,” I say absentmindedly. “Sure.”
He slams his fist down on the side of his throne, denting it. His crown shifts to the side. “Damn it, Novak. I am your king, and you will address me as such.”
My eyes flicker towards him. My anger at the situation turns towards him. “I remember when you were a general, Vinz. Like me. You didn’t wear plush purple robes, or sit on gold thrones, or don a flashy crown. What happened to you? Is the power getting to you?”
Vinz’s expression is firm and unmoving, like granite. However, if we were in the same room together, I know he’d try to tear my head off. He’s calm and collected, but he’s still a Zoran warrior.
“I have to wear this vulgar outfit because I have to explain to the human Federation why you arrested their ambassador. Their species respects our rule more if they see familiar symbols they associate with leadership, such as the crown and the throne. They are susceptible to displays of wealth. So it’s your fault I’m dressed like this, Novak. They are interested in knowing why we’ve broken our agreement. Michelle has diplomatic immunity, in case you forgot.”
“No one has immunity on my ship,” I bristle.
“Your ship is still under my command, Novak. Don’t you forget that.”
“My men are loyal to me and me alone.”
“Don’t test me, Novak. Don’t. I know you’re having a tough time, so I’m going to let this slide — but only once. If you threaten me again, if you insinuate that your allegiance doesn’t lie with the Zorans, then I will strangle you personally myself — after you just watched every single member of your squad being killed for foolishly following you into certain death. Understood?”
Vinz has never threatened me before. He’s never, for even a second, doubted me. I considered myself one of his close confidants, a general he could always rely on.
How did it get like this? How did the one man I’d give my life for become my adversary?
I wish I hadn’t met that damn human female. With her luscious curves, her big tits, that delicious juicy cunt of hers — I’m a man possessed. I’m a man who is longer in control of his own feelings and his own desires.
I’m a man who is losing his mind.
“Understood,” I say bitterly.
“Look, Novak. I know what you’re going through.”
“How would you know?!” I say. “You know nothing!”
“I’ve been there, my friend.” He removes his crown and slips the robe off his broad shoulders. “No more king, no more politics. Right now, I’m just a fellow Zoran. A friend. My human mate, Jillian Archer, was also imprisoned. Briefly, by Senator Dimtri. We had only just mated when he snatched her away from me and locked her up. I understand that your situation is similar. You mated with Michelle, right?”
I’m not sure how to respond. How does he know?
“When you parade through your own ship carrying a naked human female, it’s going to make the rounds, Novak,” Vinz says with a smile. “And that’s fine. I remember the conversation we had right before you met Michelle. You swore up and down you could never even tolerate the presence of a human. Do you see their value now?”
“Michelle is different,” I say very softly. “I thought. I’m not sure anymore.”
“I know what mating fever feels like. A lust that can’t be controlled. Your cock is hard enough to cut diamonds. When something keeps you from your mate, your eyes see red. Your anger burns with the fire of a thousand suns. You want to rip everyone’s throat out. Sound familiar?”
“Yes. Very.”
“I don’t mean to say ‘I told you so’, but… you
have found your mate, Novak. You have found the one who completes you, who makes you whole. And yes, she is human. Yes, humanity is not perfect. They have their own problems, their own power struggles. But are we not the same? Did we not overthrow our High Command? Were we not governed by corrupt traitors who enriched themselves, who took all the available females for themselves and let the population suffer?”
“It’s different,” I say, though I scramble to find any arguments to support that statement.
“Even among our ranks there are those who support the old regime, the traditionalists, who call me a dictator.”
“Really? Even after we exposed their corruption?”
“Of course. That is the nature of power. There are always those who want change, to benefit themselves. These humans, these Humanity First fanatics — they are just scared. They are frightened by change. The galaxy is changing so rapidly all around them. Remember that the human lifespan is short. Within one lifetime they’ve gone from being alone in the universe to being a member of the Alliance. Take a second to imagine how that must feel like for the poor, the disenfranchised. They are not just competing with their fellow men, but with us, with Terulians, with the Tyk’ix, with the the Falurians, the Suricat. I can go on. There are species who are smarter than them, who are stronger than them, who live longer. Every single thing they can pride themselves on has been ripped from their grasp. That takes time to adjust to. And some can’t. They cling to their old ways, to the feeling of superiority they had. It’s the only thing that gives them a purpose in life.”
“How can you say that? How can you, our leader, defend these terrorists, these murderers? They killed Zorans. The killed Vojin. He died saving me. And you pity them?”
“I’m not defending them,” Vinz says decisively. “I want to be very, very clear on that. I’m not defending them. I am, however, trying to understand where they are coming from. The first step in defeating a foe is understanding them. If we know where they come from, what their motivations are, then we can attack the root of the issue. We can’t just put out fires as they came up, and ignore the smoldering grass that feeds the flames.”
“So what do you propose we do?”
Vinz sighs. “That’s the problem. There is very little we can do. Of course, we’ll fight these xenophobes wherever they try to harm us, and we’ll support the humans in the fight where we can, but in the end, this is a human problem that requires a human solution. If we condemn all of humanity, if we cut off trade, refuse to cooperate, isolate them… we’ll be playing right into Humanity’s First hand. Their support will grow. We’ll be proving them right.”