Alien General's Fated: SciFi Alien Romance (Brion Brides)

by Voxley, Vi

  CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR

  Aria

  The Galaya Hall had survived.

  All eyes turned to her when Aria stepped in. She tried to take notice which were friendly and which hostile, but mostly they were simply curious. For more than a year, she'd worked alongside these people, discussing important matters with them and trying to implement her work as best as she was able. All at once Aria got the sense it was like they were seeing her for the first time.

  It occurred to her that she might have been wrong about Sota. Maybe the man did know what he was talking about, having been part of the council for so long. All those eyes on her, trying to strip her down, figure her out.

  It made Aria feel like they'd barely noticed her before.

  There were no assigned seats in the Galaya Hall, but usually the delegations sat together. Today, Aria had no wish to be anywhere near the other Terrans. Not only Sota, but all of them had left her in the dark and if she'd understood correctly, most of them agreed with the rest of the council.

  That figured. Terra wasn't a great military power; naturally they didn't want to make enemies of the council.

  Meaning they're risking making enemies of the Brions, Aria thought. In their stead, I'd take my chances with the Union.

  From the few bits and pieces of conversations she'd had with Ryden about the Brion ambassadors, she got the sense he didn't like them much. They were bound to be on his side, but the animosity between them was clear enough.

  Aria went and sat with the Palian delegation.

  She'd always liked the Palians, peaceful and reasonable, always looking for ways to end conflicts without bloodshed. She liked them even more because of the fact that when there was a problem that couldn't be avoided, they threw themselves into the fight without remorse.

  And of all the ambassadors in the Galaya Hall, they seemed the only ones who didn't think it was odd she chose to sit with them. Everyone else was staring, some looks outright shocked, but the leader of the Palian delegation merely gave her a nod and they made room for her. Not one of them raised the question of whether her presence implicated them in Ryden's trial. After all, they'd had no problem sending the Palian fleet away on his commands.

  With them, Aria felt better, like there was at least one safe haven of reason in the hall.

  Before the council seats stood a platform with a chair meant for Ryden. A bit farther away, almost side-by-side with the council, sat Stavor and the Fremma commander. By the way they were seated, it was almost as if they had voices in the council too.

  The Palian head ambassador, Wellack, turned to her with a hint of a smile when he saw her looking in the commanders' direction.

  "The council feels better behind their backs," he said in his smooth, sing-song voice.

  Now that he mentioned it... Aria noticed how many more guards there were in the hall than usual. Looking around, she saw quite a few openly frightened faces. It brought a smile to her lips, but in the next moment she remembered the danger Ryden was in.

  Hesitantly, she turned to Wellack.

  "Ambassador," Aria began, "can we count on your support in this—"

  "Yes," the Palian said, lifting a weight off her shoulders. "The Palians agree with the general."

  That was good, very good, to know at least the Palians were with her, but there were so many more in the council who didn't. Wellack saw the look in her eyes and with the usual perception of his species, smiled kindly.

  "Don't worry, Miss Aria," he said. "This is not a trial. You don't put Brion generals on trial."

  The same idea had occurred to her, but all the evidence pointed to the contrary.

  "It sure looks like one."

  "Of course," Wellack agreed. "But I assure you, your gerion is letting this happen because of a specific reason. He has something up his sleeve, and all that's happening now is merely a show."

  "How can you be sure of that?" Aria asked.

  Wellack chuckled. "He's a Brion. They always have a plan."

  "But the Conqueror is practically defenseless."

  "So it is," Wellack said, when the doors opened at the other end of the hall. "Brions against two fleets. I think this is the most even stand-off we've ever had with them."

  Aria was about to ask if he was joking or not, but Ryden caught her attention. Although they'd only been apart for a few hours, she'd already missed him. The bond, still fresh, was pulling them toward each other.

  Seeing him walk to the podium that had been readied for him made Aria's heart beat fast. He looked so regal and strong in his full armor, powerful and unbeatable. With difficulty, she tore her gaze away from him just for a second to check what Stavor was doing. The look on the warlord's face was anything but thrilled. Slowly but surely Aria was beginning to feel as if the whole thing might work out after all.

  It might have had something to do with the arrogant, self-assured smile on Ryden's lips.

  Weeks ago it had bothered Aria, but now it made her match the grin when she saw the general's eyes scan the crowd, looking for her. First he looked at the Terrans. Aria saw his frown when he didn't find her there. From there he moved to the Brions and eventually found her next to Wellack. The smile that been smug when the general was observing the council instantly turned soft when he noticed her. Aria saw him give the slightest nod to Wellack.

  She wondered if she was missing a vital piece of information there, but Ryden had reached his podium. The guards escorting him were keeping a very long distance, considering their... what? Aria couldn't call Ryden a prisoner even in her head. The thought was simply too ridiculous. Wellack was right, as the general had said he had the habit of being. There could be no trial there that Ryden didn't allow to happen.

  "Council members," Ryden said. "Ambassador Aria."

  He took a seat, looking as if nothing out of the ordinary was going on. With a hint of worry, Aria noticed he'd come alone. There was no honor guard, no aides, no anyone. Ryden was there alone.

  Then she remembered the man who'd killed the hive mind. Was he truly in danger? It was the Conqueror and everyone aboard who were actually at risk of dying without a chance to defend themselves. Aria's heart tightened when she thought that it was her who was responsible for all that.

  She noticed the change in the mood. The council had been puzzled before; now they were outright confused. They hadn't expected Ryden to come before them, and apparently the fact he seemed to submit to their questions was a surprise too.

  Finally, Ambassador Klaen rose.

  "General Ryden," he said, his voice shaking a bit.

  Lounging carelessly in his seat, Ryden raised his eyes to him. The look in his green eyes was fierce, challenging. It seemed to Aria that his gaze alone almost forced Klaen back into his seat, but the old man pulled himself together.

  "You are here today so this council can discuss your actions during the Clayor War," he said.

  Ryden didn't respond.

  "Are you willing to accept the decision of this council?" Klaen went on.

  The general's lips twitched into an amused smirk, but he kept his silence. Aria heard Stavor growling.

  "If he doesn't want to accept it, I'll make him," the warlord announced.

  Aria was taken aback by the ferocity of the commander. The Koliars were known for their temper, but the man had seemed sensible before, during the conflict. His outburst worried her a little, but no one else reacted, including Ryden.

  "Very well," Klaen said. "The council accepts Commander Stavor's promise. We will now read the charges."

  When a clerk got up and started reciting all the things the council found to be wrong with Ryden's conduct, Aria saw Wellack grin.

  "I am honestly amazed they actually made a list," he said.

  Meaning they didn't expect any of this to happen. Meaning they've already found him guilty.

  Aria stayed silent despite her blood boiling, listening to the endless accusations of brutality and exceeding authority, not to mention letting Ilotra be da
maged.

  Politics. How could she ever have thought she'd have a knack for that? It was starting to become very clear to her that she and the other council members didn't live in the same world.

  The clerk finished at last. Aria saw Ryden nod approvingly, as if it was exactly what he'd predicted. Klaen addressed the council again.

  "Does anyone have something to add?" he asked.

  The Koliar delegation jumped on the opportunity to bash Brions, quickly going from the matter at hand to ancient feuds. The Brions interfered at last, but Ryden stayed as silent as he had been from the beginning.

  Others spoke too, of their experiences during the siege and their impressions of Ryden. Of his decision to put Ilotra under martial law and lock them all away.

  Not all of the arguments were against Ryden. Wellack, the Brions, and a few more pointed out that in the end, they'd won. Not to mention that the general had come to Ilotra in the first place because the council had invited him.

  It was all pointless, Aria thought to herself. They repeated the words that had already been spoken, discussed theories that had passed through everyone's minds, picked up old problems and probably created a few new ones. Her older naïve self was watching it all unfold with terrible sorrow. Even as she stood up to speak for the first time before a full council, Aria knew her words had no weight. And if they didn't, what was the point of being an ambassador?

  The point was, of course, that she would open her mouth and tell the truth. Sota had tried to convince her that since she wouldn't be able to change anything, she shouldn't try in the first place. Aria couldn't accept that. She would speak her mind and they could do with that as they wished.

  The Galaya Hall fell silent when she stood. Ryden, who hadn't paid much attention to any of the arguments that broke around him, turned her way too.

  "You are unbelievable cowards," Aria said.

  The council welcomed that with stunned silence. Ryden was regarding her with a pleased look on his face.

  "I went to see my rooms today," she went on. "And you are right. They were destroyed, blasted apart beyond repair. Everywhere on this moon there is damage that will take years to replace and mend. I could tell you exactly how we could have avoided most of it in advance, but I already did a year ago and I don't think you'll pay more attention to my words now than you did then."

  She took a pause to look at Klaen and the Koliars directly.

  "You want to get rid of Ryden, want to humiliate the Brions for coming to your aid. If you do not see the dishonor and fault with that yourself, I can't help you."

  Aria then turned so that most of the council was before her.

  "But above all, do you know what else I saw on my way to my quarters? People. Everywhere. I had to push through crowds at some point to get to where I needed to be. And that applies to all of you too. How many empty seats do you see? We are all here. The only reason for that is the things you protested against.

  If we would have evacuated to the lower levels any later, many of us would have died in the bombardment or by the hands of the Clayors. I don't know what else I need to say. I would think you valued the lives of the people on Ilotra more than Ilotra itself, more than your wounded pride at being told to go and not die."

  There was deafening silence around Aria by then. She gave them one more look and sat down. Wellack smiled to her encouragingly.

  "Thank you, Ambassador Aria," Klaen said slowly. "The council will rule now."

  CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE

  Ryden

  He had to admit a part of him had doubted.

  After Aria's initial dislike of him and her disapproval of the way he waged war, Ryden hadn't been sure if her support was sincere. It was known that bonded couples resonated with each other, but they also shared the other's mindset and opinions.

  Even the cold general Faren had shown some emotion after binding to his lively, bright gesha. The girl herself, a pacifist, known for her opinions across all Briolina, had in turn admitted that some things were worth going to war for.

  Hearing Aria speak, calling the council out, Ryden silently thanked the fates. He had waited for his gesha, wondering what she might be like. The bindings had always been a central part of the lives of Brions, but recent events had started to shake some old beliefs.

  Truths that had not been widely known before started to emerge, stories that had been hidden were coming to light. And among them was the lie the Elders had kept in the hope of protecting their people: that all binds were made to work.

  The High Senator Eleya had been the first to publicly admit to it. Her broken bind to the treacherous Senator Eren was common knowledge now, but it had taken Eleya many months to gather the courage to speak of it. She was the one who refused the binding, despising the man who the fates had brought her, now dead by General Diego Grothan's hand. After a powerful, influential figure like her had brought the lie to light, others dared to speak up too.

  Brions had taken the lie in their stride with their unflappability. The news that not all binds were made to work had shocked them, but it hadn't broken them like some had feared. They merely hoped more, hoped for a true, good bond.

  That was all Ryden had wanted as well. A gesha he would like, not just love. For other species, that distinction went the other way, but not for them. The binding worked, it always worked. The pull, the desire, the absolute commitment was always there. But nothing could force two people to like each other.

  Aria was destined to be his world, his everything, from the moment he recognized her as his own. But with every moment he spent with the little Terran, he wanted her more. Ryden wasn't pulled along by some unseen force of the fates; he was willingly casting himself into the current that she was.

  It was the reason he had decided to go about things the way he was. Not to create trouble for Aria, not to shed more blood. That wasn't his real trial. The only ones who could judge his actions were the Brion Elders, but he was certain they'd approve.

  Her words were simple and true and he loved her for them, for the innocence he couldn't match. Aria's voice was hopeless. She knew she was speaking to a deaf crowd, but she still seemed to think of it as a process. Ryden knew it was all over a while ago.

  The council had set its table and he had set his. Now they were playing chess, but he wouldn't have been a true general if he'd shown all his pieces at the very start.

  The look on Aria's beautiful face was hollow when the council members finished voting on the matter. Ryden watched them with detached curiosity, more interested in whether he'd predicted everyone's votes correctly than the outcome.

  After all of the ambassadors had made their mark on the screen implanted into their seats, Klaen pulled up the results. The general watched him intensely as a peculiar array of emotions warred across Klaen's face.

  First, there was joy, then fear, then hesitation, and finally forced courage.

  The decision is guilty, but he doesn't dare announce it.

  It seemed that many in the hall had figured out the same or predicted it like he had. Ryden noticed quite a few sitting tensely, ready to flee behind their guards. It was truly vexing, the way they continued to believe that any of them could stand in his way. Stavor, perhaps, would slow him down.

  "General," Klaen said. "This council regrets that it has decided to convict you on the charges of an attempted coup."

  Ryden could scarcely hold back the grin. His mistrust and hate toward politicians was known—in fact all of the generals shared that particular opinion—but this was on a new level. They were accusing him of trying to take over Ilotra after he'd handed it back to them. It was said fear had big eyes.

  Stavor was beaming, but Ryden read his posturing without trouble. The warlord wasn't sure he would emerge from a duel with him. The general swore to give him a quick death because for all of that, the Koliar stood, ready to fulfill his promise.

  "Time for justice," the warrior growled.

  Voices rose, filling the Galaya Hall with n
oise. Several delegations, including the Brions and the Palians were protesting the decision, saying it was illegal. Ryden didn't bother himself with trying to listen to their reasoning. It was pointless.

  Aria had stood up too, pressing through the crowds to come his way, but the general signaled Wellack before she got very far. The Palian caught her, pulling her back to her seat. He was speaking urgently to her and after a long moment, Aria relaxed.

  Seeing another man's hands on his gesha set his valor squares pulsing, but the Palians knew better. The moment Aria stopped struggling, he let go, retreating to a respectful distance.

  Palians, Ryden thought. They think of everything.

  The noise was getting annoying now. Stavor was pacing restlessly like a leashed dog.

  Ryden stood from his seat. "Silence," he roared.

  His powerful, deep voice carried easily to every corner of the great hall. The ambassadors fell quiet at once, some with fearful looks on their faces, but Ryden had no interest in them. They were nothing to him. Only Stavor and the Fremma mattered.

  He turned to the Koliar. "What about the Conqueror?" he asked.

  The warlord gave him a measuring look. "If you submit yourself to the will of the council, your ship will be left unharmed," he said.

  That brought a new clamor, but Ryden focused his attention on Stavor.

  "You don't seriously expect me to bare my neck to you," he said, letting the council argue over their heads.

  Stavor snarled. "Slay an unarmed man? What do you take me for?"

  Ryden gave him a nod.

  "Very well, then," he said. "We fight. And you leave my ship be."

  The Koliar nodded grimly. Ryden knew he'd keep his word, considering the council an excuse as much as he did. They could say and decide whatever they wanted. Stavor had only looked for a reason to fight him, and Ryden was buying time. If the Koliar insisted on dying, that was out of his hands.

  "This is not what we ruled," Klaen shouted to Stavor over the mayhem around them. "We have yet to decide the fate of the Conqueror and its crew."