by Mikayla Lane
“I feel amazing. I don’t know the last time that I have ever felt this wonderful.”
That told him a lot about how much she had endured, since she had two organs failing and still needed much more healing. How little she had eaten before becoming full worried him though. It was going to take longer than he thought to get her to be able to eat properly on her own. He sent the command to the computer to increase her nutrient intake in her medibands for later tonight.
He had been unsure if he should have stayed while she’d eaten, not wanting to embarrass her if she didn’t know how to use utensils. However, he was slightly surprised when she not only used the utensils, but ate with impeccable manners, and he wondered how that was possible considering the conditions of how she had grown up. Now was not the time to ask her such things though.
Standing up he took a chair and joined the women at the table and listened while Cari began to talk to Jess about the ship and other things she didn’t know while they waited to talk to the council members.
He watched in rapt attention to every expression she made, how she moved, the softness of her voice and the gentle movements of her hands. The soft lilt of her laughter sent chills humming through his body, making him painfully hard, but he couldn’t make himself leave the room. Everything about her captivated him and the time flew by until it was time to meet the council.
Chapter Four
“The Council is ready, Amun. Please bring Jess to the conference room.” The announcement over the comm startled Jess for a moment, but she recovered quickly.
Amun stood up and held his hand out to Jess. Cari had explained while they were talking why men did such a thing, and she gingerly placed her hand in his large, warm one. The butterflies in her stomach took flight at the contact, and she looked down shyly hoping no one noticed how much his touch affected her.
She held tightly to Amun’s arm when they left her room in MedLab, and she saw the large, empty corridor they stepped into. Switching out his arms Amun put one around her waist and the other held her hand, giving her the ability to lean more heavily on him as she walked.
Amun and Cari matched her much slower pace and used the long walk to the conference room as an opportunity to explain things about the ship. They had effectively kept her occupied enough to keep her mind off of the meeting with the council until they reached the door to the room.
“Are you sure you are ready for this?” Amun asked her as he stopped in front of the closed door.
Jess straightened her shoulders and nodded her head to Amun, grateful for his show of concern but ready to get this over with.
“You’re going to be fine honey. The High Councilor is my mate’s father; Caretia is my great mother, and Duncar is my uncle Randor’s father. All of them are so grateful that you saved my life. You have nothing to be worried about in there. And I’ll be with you the whole time.” Cari said trying to help alleviate some of Jess’s obvious nervousness.
“I’ll be with you as well, and Gibly is already in there.” Amun squeezed her arm gently and gave her a bright smile as he led her into the room. At the conference table, were Ivint, Duncar, Caretia, Scaden, Reven, Gracus, Niklosi and Lagor.
He tightened his arm around Jess’s waist when she stopped in her tracks right inside the door and looked around her with surprise and a little fear.
“Child, I am very glad to see you looking so well today. Are you feeling better?” Caretia said as she got up from the table and came over to give her a quick hug.
“Yes, I am very well, thank you.” At Amun’s urging Jess followed Caretia back to the table and took the seat that she had gestured to with her hand.
She gave Amun a beautiful smile of thanks when he took the seat next to her and Cari the one across from her.
“I am High Councilor Ivint Torenson of the planet Valendra. This is Councilor Duncar Macner and Councilor Caretia Lakatis. On this side of the table is Reven Debreskii, my military commander. Gracus Adrastor is the second commander of the ship Adaria, which you are currently on. Scaden is the commander of Adaria and is Cari’s mate and my son. Niklosi Jevasari is the leader of the tact team that rescued you.” Each person nodded their heads to her as they were introduced allowing her to put the name to their faces.
“And this is Lagor Ratroya; he is the engineering commander of the ship Draconia, which is in orbit with us.” Ivint waited for a moment to see if there any hint of recognition on her part of at least the name. When Amun gave a slight shake of his head, Ivint continued.
“I was told that you wanted to speak with us? Please feel free to say whatever you need to say in confidence among those present.”
Taking a deep breath to steady her nerves, Jess began to tell them everything she and Julou had agreed they needed to know.
“I memorized the full names of all the women and girls that I’ve seen prior to their escape. I even memorized certain features about each of them and their gifts.”
“That is wonderful news! How many did you see?” Cari asked excitedly, hoping there were a lot more girls out there like them.
“I don’t know my numbers… I don’t know how many there are.” Jess hid her face in embarrassment.
“Like Cari, they were all smart enough to save themselves. I only helped out when I could.” Jess said quietly.
“I couldn’t have survived my injuries without you Jess. Amun can vouch for that. I would have died without you. You did save my life and most likely a lot of others.” Cari said reassuringly.
“How did they know we were there to get you?” Niklosi asked the question that had been eating at him.
“They detected your tracking device not long after we had left. After they had contacted their commander, they decided to leave it and let you track them, so that they could track you while they set up a trap.” Jess responded honestly.
“They’ve had the ability to contact their home world all this time?” Scaden asked.
“I only know that they have been able to do it since I’ve been with them. Julou said that they had been able to since they first crashed here. He was brought in from their home world not long after they realized the extent of the resources on the planet.”
“Who is Julou?” Amun asked between gritted teeth. He didn't like the way her voice softened when she spoke the name.
“Julou V’Dua is a captive from the planet Katavai. He was a mineral specialist on his planet, and the Relians have used his knowledge to help them on planets with heavy minerals. Because they think he no longer fights his service to them and has sworn his allegiance, they allow him into their confidence.”
“He’s one of the things I need to tell you about. Julou and many other captives from other planets have staged a revolt on Earth. They have been working against the Relians in secret to keep them from seizing control of the planet. It’s Julou and a few others that helped me get the other girls to safety. They have also been able to get others released from other camps as well.”
“They would like to open a dialog with you in the hopes of forming an alliance to remove the Relians from the planet and free themselves from their enslavement.”
“How do you know this child?” Ivint pondered the implications of having an established ally on the planet to help them.
“Julou and the others had been planning this for a long time. The Relians knew that sooner, or later you’d end up back on the planet. Either because of their development or because you’d realize you had survivors. They had hoped to have control by then, but Julou and the others have been sabotaging their efforts for a long time.”
“Once you showed up and Cari was rescued; he knew it was only a matter of time before you came for me or to destroy them. So he and the others planned for me to be taken and to try to set up a meeting.”
“How the hell were you supposed to do that with your throat cut and bleeding to death?” Amun growled angrily while he clenched his fists in rage.
“No, I wasn’t supposed to die. We studied a medica
l book Julou found to make sure he didn’t kill me. He was only trying to make it look real enough that they wouldn’t have someone else do it or come looking for me. They already planned to kill me; it just worked in their favor to do it in front of you to try to scare you into leaving. It also gave Julou a chance to get me out of there.”
Amun was surprised when Jess flashed angry eyes at him as she defended her tormentor. He’d heard of this particular attachment captives got with their abductors but had never seen it before now. Even the Earth people had a name for it… Stockholm syndrome.
“So he wasn’t trying to kill you, but he almost did? That beast who dragged you out of the barn that day?” Cari asked incredulous that Jess would defend that pig.
“He only did that to protect me! He would hide me where he slept and keep me warm and safe from the others. The only time I was ever hurt was when he wasn’t there to stop it. If it wasn’t for his help, the other girls could never have escaped. He and the others like him have been trying to help us for years. They know what it’s like; their families have been slaughtered or worked to death, their planets destroyed. They have nothing to lose by helping.” Jess tried desperately to make them understand that Julou’s plight was the same as their own. They were victims of the Relians, just as she was.
“Jess, there’s no way I can look at your injuries and believe you were only hurt when he wasn’t around.” Randor tried to say it as kindly as he could, but he just couldn’t believe that this Julou was as benevolent as she was leading them to believe.
“No, Julou didn’t come to the camp until a few years ago. I was by myself with the camp until he arrived. Everything changed when he got there and realized I was one of your children. He made everyone in the camp think that he made me his personal slave. Being bigger and stronger than the others, they didn’t argue with him.”
“They only hurt me when they knew he’d be gone for a few hours. But we couldn’t do anything about it without them figuring out he wasn’t working with them anymore. It was worth it just to know how much damage they were doing to the Relians plans. To feel like in some way I was helping by helping others escape them.”
“If he could help the others escape, why didn’t he help you escape before now?” Amun asked angrily. He didn’t believe that this Julou creature was really a friend to anyone, especially not to Jess.
“There was really nowhere I could go until Julou had come. I didn’t know anything about the outside world until he came and started to teach me. He wanted to take me out of there all the time, but I wouldn’t go. Where the other girls were going, they could help save others and be of some use. There was nothing I could do there to help them. But I could if I stayed. Besides, if I had ever escaped, they would have known Julou was responsible, and they would have killed him.” Jess knew that if she could just get them to talk to Julou that they would be able to see why they needed to trust him and work with him and his people.
“Where were the other girls going?” Reven asked curiously, this whole development was fascinating to him. He wasn’t sure what to think about this Julou character, but the prospect of more allies was very appealing now that they knew the Relians had a major presence in the area.
“One of the girls they captured was Truennia Demetrios. While she was there she told me about how her father had found others like us and had taught them to fight and use their gifts to fight against the Relians. She said that when I could help others escape I could give them a way to contact her, and she’d help them.” Jess wasn’t sure why she was starting to feel so tired. She’d woken up feeling better than she ever had; she’d eaten wonderful food and hadn’t had to slave over the others in the camp, so she had no idea why she felt this way.
“That must be Banatar’s daughter. Do you know how to get hold of Banatar?” Randor added, referring to Banatar Demetrios, he had been on the outpost with him.
“No, I never had a reason to know. But Julou knows how to get him since he works with his people often.” Jess answered.
“What does Julou and his people want in return for their allegiance?” Ivint knew there had to be something that they wanted in return and was suspicious of their intentions.
“Peace. Their world’s and families destroyed, they have nowhere to go. Certain continents here remind them of their home worlds, and they just want to get the Relians off the planet and live in peace. They don’t even want revenge anymore. When they found out that the majority of the Relian forces were prisoners like them, they couldn’t continue to stay angry at them all when they were just like them. And more and more of them are turning towards the rebellion every day. It’s why they are losing control of everything. Even some of their own have gone rogue and are working with Julou and his people.”
Jess knew what she was saying was hard to believe, but it was true. Everything in her believed it and trusted Julou. He had been like a father to her, and she loved him and wanted him and the others like him to find peace. These people weren't prisoners of the Relian's; they didn’t know what it was like just to want the one thing they probably took for granted. Peace. A day without fear, without worry or pain and the threat of death. They just sat there looking strangely at each other. The longer they resisted accepting Julou’s help, the more she questioned if coming here had been the right thing to do.
“I think we’ll table the discussion about Julou until we can discuss this together. I’m sure you can understand that finding out that the Relians are here has surprised us greatly, and we need to figure out our plans from where we stand. We will let you know tomorrow our decision regarding contacting him.”
“Can you tell us a little about your gift? Do you know anything about it? I’m truly fascinated by the fact that you were able to craft something that has given speech to a creature from another world.” Ivint tried to soften the blow of the rejection by asking a sedate question. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to trust the girl and this Julou, but there was far too much happening right now to make a snap decision.
“I don’t know anything about how it works.” Jess had to stop herself from gritting her teeth in anger. Years of being slapped or punched for doing it helped her hide the tell-tale sign of anger quickly. Why didn’t they want to talk to him? Just talk?
“I was able to run scans on the collar last night while Gibly, and I was in MedLab. The scans show that dozens of tiny crystals and metals have formed a unique circuitry like pattern underneath the green and white gemstones that you can see on the outside. It’s beautiful, almost like looking at artwork in its design.” Amun spoke with such reverence that Jess blushed deeply.
“I would like to see that later please.” Lagor spoke for the first time. As the engineering commander of the ship Draconia, the thought that her gift could create circuitry fascinated him. And it might give him something to talk to her, about so he could get to know her. They were going to tell her after this meeting that he was her father’s brother and that her great father was still alive.
“I’ll send a copy of the scans to your comm.” Amun pulled out a small flat pad and started tapping it lightly, sending the scans to Lagor.
More exhaustion washed through Jess in a wave that would have brought her to her knees had she been standing. What was wrong with her? Had Amun done something to her? She stood up quickly, the room tilting slightly as she steadied herself. She struggled to get to the door, the voices coming at her as if in a tunnel. Stumbling, she held tightly to the hand that had grabbed her own, her other hand hitting the table. She wasn’t sure if she imagined the bright flash in the room before everything went dark.
*****
Amun could tell something was wrong with Jess seconds before she stood up and began swaying on her feet. He stood up quickly intending to help her when she stumbled into Ivint. He was standing behind her as Ivint tried to steady her when she began to shake almost violently.
He was running scans on her before he even reached her side. A bright flash blinded the room before ev
erything went dark.
“What the hell happened?” Ivint shouted.
“I don’t know sir! We’re checking.”
A few moments later the room began to light, the light stones casting eerie shadows around the room. Amun kneeled next to Jess, who was passed out in Ivint’s arms; her hand still wrapped tightly around his wrist.
“What did she do to me?” Ivint asked nervously.
“What do you mean?” Scaden moved around Cari to look at his father at the same time she did.
Covering Ivint’s chest was what could only be described as an ancient breastplate. The light stones glinted off of the gold; green and silver metals brushed into an intricate design around what looked like a fierce looking Sibiox made entirely out of different colored gemstones.
Walking around his father, Scaden could see that the breastplate covered his entire chest front and back and he didn’t see a clasp or way to take it off.
“Sir, this entire room has been stripped of every metal and crystal from the computers and sensors. I think it’s safe to assume that is what she used to make… that.” Lagor said in a stunned voice.
“Every mineral level in her body is dangerously low; I’m taking her to MedLab.” Without waiting for permission, Amun picked Jess up and carried her from the room.
With Jess out of his arms, Ivint got a better look at what was covering his chest. It wasn’t uncomfortable; in fact, it moved and breathed with him like a second skin, yet was hard to the touch.
“I think we need to get you to MedLab and let Amun scan it, so we can get a better look at it.” Lagor suggested as he tried to hide his excitement at being able to look at it more closely.
“Jess made pretty! It’s Gibly!” Gibly said putting his paw on the front of Ivint’s chest.
“It appears that way, Gibly.” Ivint said, standing up. He shrugged his shoulders testing his mobility in the breastplate and noticed that it conformed perfectly to his movements.
“We need to have her design our armor; this thing is really comfortable.” Ivint tried to sound light hearted, although he was a little apprehensive about the breastplate.