by Jade Waltz
The Chamber Master waved his hand, and the room silenced.
He chuckled as he sat down.
“Prince Zirene of the Aldawi has already given us documents of his team’s findings and such claims. We have to determine if you will cause harm to any of CEG’s citizens if we allow you to go along your business unsupervised, and if you can deny any scientific research to help aid the fertility problems in CEG,” Master Mwe said, addressing the whole room.
“And how would you determine if I am fit enough to be a citizen? I am intelligent enough to have a conversation with you right now. I am not showing any signs of aggression or breaking any of your laws. The only thing different between the rest of you and me is that I developed in a tube while I am assuming everyone here was either hatched or born,” I said loudly, to make sure everyone could hear me.
“It was reported that you attacked the Senior Healer on the ship that rescued you.” Mwe looked down at his desk and lifted a tablet. “I believe the exact words were: ‘Patient is a primitive female. She was found unconscious, injured, malnourished, and pregnant. In her fragile state, she savagely attacked me as I was checking the work of the Master Scholar—who unknown to me at the time had started a courting bond with his patient. Must be watched at all times.’” He placed the tablet down on his desk and returned his gaze to me. “Are you telling me none of this is true?”
Fisting my cape, I tried to calm the anger brewing in me.
I should have known he would betray me. Everything had to follow protocol. I would show him protocol when I got back. Did he know he just ejected me out of an airlock with nothing but an empty tank?
“Temper. Temper. More like into a blackhole—but I agree.”
“Is this a game to you?”
Silence met me. I huffed and rolled my eyes. I didn’t understand how listening to my inner thoughts without my permission wasn’t abuse in his position of power—unless no one knew, and he had gotten away with it this whole time.
“Yes, it is true,” I projected. “If self-defense is a crime, then I am guilty. He walked into my washing facilities unannounced and surprised me. Instinctively, I attacked. After everything I had been through, I didn’t want to take any chances of someone trying to take advantage of me.” I smiled and relaxed, letting go of my cape. “Now tell me, did I do something wrong?”
“I am not your enemy.”
Chapter Thirteen
Selena
“You could have fooled me,” I mocked. What happened to being a “neutral party”?
“Questionable. But I don’t see any more disturbances mentioned in the files, so I will let that one occurrence slide, due to the nature of your upbringing.” He sighed. “Now tell me, Selena—tell the Assembly and everyone watching—what do you want to do with your future if it is up to you?”
I took in a deep breath and collected my thoughts as I surveyed the room. Folks in the stadium were whispering to each other. Each Assembly member met my gaze, their focus never faltering.
“Answer truthfully, and I will do everything in my power to protect you,” Mwe’s deep voice rumbled.
“Protect me from what?”
“There are forces here that don’t like what you represent.”
“And what is that?”
“Change.”
“Truthfully? I want to have the freedoms any citizen has. I want to live my life with my clan and be left alone from outside pressures. I know by being attached to Prince Zirene, my status and importance will hinder any chance of privacy. Even so, my dream is to have the power to explore the stars whenever I want to,” I admitted, my voice filling the room.
“I see,” he replied softly. “What if I told you that you might be the key to unlocking all of our problems? That you could help interspecies couples, and all species which are having fertility problems?”
“Are you trying to guilt me into allowing myself and my offspring—current and future—to be your test subjects?” I barked, slashing the air with my hand. “You said they provided you with documents from Prince Zirene. I am sure between them and the meeting he had here, you know how I was treated. So why would I want to help? It was Prince Zirene and the Aldawi who hunted down the remaining Yaarkins. The rest of you said it was a waste of resources. Who cares that your withdrawal from protecting Earth resulted in the Yaarkins abducting a small percentage of humans, killing the rest and making sure Earth was uninhabitable? Now tell me—why would I want to help the group who doomed my species, not once, but twice?” I demanded, meeting his gaze with full force.
“Are you going to allow this savage to speak to you like that?” a silver Quaaw male shrilled.
I turned toward the voice and shouted, “It’s the truth!”
“She isn’t natural. She is an abomination! Untamed! She should have no say in the matter. She should be locked up and experimented on,” a muddy-colored reptilian female hissed—reminding me of the male who tried to take me when I tried to escape the Yaarkins ship.
Their comments cut deep, but I refused to allow them to see how it affected me. Dark memories from my time on the Yaarkins’ ship flashed before me. My past threatened to drown me, swelling up from the hidden corners of my mind, only to hurt me at a time like this. My vision started to blur. Images of being tied down to a table with a bright light blinding flashed by.
“Selena! Snap out of it!”
I blinked and shook my head.
Voices flooded the room. Arguments between members of the same species and their neighbors exploded.
Breathing deeply, I willed myself to filter out the banter and stop the tears threatening to drop. Getting upset in front of everyone would only make everything worse.
“This was what I tried to warn you about,” Mwe remarked.
I jerked my head his direction, and his subdued gaze met mine.
“What’s in it for me? Why would I want to help?”
“Because you have a kind soul and deserve better.”
“Being good or kind doesn’t cut it,” I paused, trying to hold myself together. “Why?”
Sadness filled his eyes, and he frowned. “Because my daughter is the last of her generation. My bond-mate sacrificed herself for my species’ future, experimenting on herself in hopes of solving the problem. She died while pregnant with our son. My daughter has been working hard, continuing her mother’s research, and finishing what she started.”
Guilt stabbed my heart at his story. I felt for him—being the last of my species—but I didn’t want to subject my offspring to the same life I had. I refused to.
“What do you suggest?”
Did I have to sacrifice my newfound freedom after all? When would enough be enough?
“Allow my daughter to lead a team in studying you and—”
“You are going to leave my offspring alone. I will NOT allow them to be touched. This is my sacrifice and a gift to them to have a normal life,” I demanded.
“But what if we set limitations?” His eyes lit up in hope.
“No. It is just me or nothing. Also, I am putting my nestmate, Master Scholar Xylo, and his team in charge of building the research team. No offense, but I don’t trust you or your daughter. They have been with me since they found me and know everything about me.”
“But my daughter—”
“Will still have to be vetted. If approved, she can aid my current team with finding any other team members they may want.”
“Deal.”
Our telepathic conversation lasted a few blinks of an eye.
“SILENCE!” Chamber Master Mwe shouted both mentally and out loud, slamming his hands on his desk.
The noise in dome instantly ceased. Members rushed back to their seats.
“First. How dare you mock the one being who may be our answer. You should be ashamed of yourselves. Selena spoke the truth. It was our fault the humans were left unprotected, and pure humans are extinct.” His eyes roamed the politicians before meeting mine once more. “Selena, if we gave
you your freedom, would you allow us to create a research team to study only you? We would leave your offspring in peace. By doing this, you would be able to travel the stars whenever you wanted—but I hope you would allow one team member to travel with you. Does that sound reasonable?” Mentally, he added, “Just state everything we agreed on to make it official.”
“This better not be a setup. I am already angry at a group of males, grouping you with them wouldn’t be hard,” I said, studying the Assembly representatives.
“Why would I ruin potentially the only chance I have to assist my daughter in finishing my deceased bond-mate’s research?” he asked, his voice laced with irritation.
“Because I am used to others—especially males—taking without asking. Pardon me if I feel a little defensive about this deal,” I said, peering at the Circuli representatives. There was a female and male pair for both Circuli species, and all four watched me with stern expressions.
Why would they be angry at me?
I jerked my head away to prevent the members in the room wondering why I had stopped speaking. Mwe nodded when I returned my gaze to his.
“Chamber Master Mwe and the Assembly… I don’t believe I should be forced into experiments and treated as a product—an object—once again,” I paused at the rumblings of the representatives. I held my hand up the way I saw Mwe do earlier, and he mimicked my action. Once the room fell silent again, I lowered my hand and continued.
“I understand the significance of the research that is needed to solve fertility problems with multiple species in the CEG. Because of this, I would allow a research team to be created; but I want my nestmate, Master Scholar Xylo, and his team to be in charge of assembling and leading it. They know my limits and would respect them without hesitation. By agreeing to this, I want all of my offspring—current and future—to be protected from any experimentation or research, unless accepted by either me or them.” I sighed. “I understand why you want a team member to accompany me; I don’t fully agree with it, but I hope they will respect my privacy when I want it.”
“Thank you, Selena,” Master Mwe smiled. “Is there anything else you want to add?”
Gathering the capped anger I felt toward the group of males behind me and the raw freshness of the dark memories with the Yaarkins, I tilted my head in confidence.
“I will only say this once.” I spun around the room, meeting all the representatives’ gazes. “I was not asked to be created. I did not ask for the Yaarkins to alter me. I understand your laws about creating offspring via unnatural means, but just because I was born from a test tube, does not make it my fault. Thanks to Prince Zirene and his army, my creators were hunted and punished for their crimes.” Meeting the gazes of the Aldawi representatives table, I nodded my head before continuing.
“Humans may have been inferior to all the species within these walls, but that doesn’t mean I am. You can’t say that I am, then demand me to be tested because of my superior abilities.” Stepping toward the Circuli’s desk, I gave them a hard stare.
“I know there are those in the CEG who use their freedoms to self-govern their empires and territories. I have aligned myself with the Aldawi… and so has my clan. This alliance prevents them from any backlash by their species’ government.” I turned to face Mwe, meeting his face full of pride. “Prince Zirene has given us protections since we swore ourselves to him. Because of this, my nestmates, my offspring, and I are protected under CEG laws, no matter how I originated. If you do not honor this, you will be breaking your own laws; laws that have protected you since the creation of CEG.”
“Is there any more to add to your closing statement before the Assembly votes?” Mwe asked.
“No. I believe that is it, Chamber Master,” I replied confidently.
Mwe stood and peered at his fellow politicians. He had an elegance to him—one that only comes from maturity and age. The ruffling of his black robe thundered throughout the eerie silence of the chamber. Was it from my closing statement? Or from their Chamber Master’s presence demanding their attention? Was it respect or fear that made them not question him?
“I would like to believe both, but I know that isn’t the case for a few of them,” Mwe said as he held his arms out. It looked like he was praying to the Fates and Stars above.
“Now is the time to vote on whether Selena should be allowed to live among the CEG with no restrictions. She has agreed to allow a research team to study her until the fertility problems in the CEG are cured, or until she can’t provide any more useful data. Her nestmate, Master Scholar Xylo, and his fellow healers would lead the research team. They would be in charge of building their team to help aid the CEG’s needs. None of Selena’s offspring would be studied, unless she gives permission—or they do once they reach maturity.” He lowered his arms and faced them toward me as if he was welcoming me.
“Now, I ask you to determine Selena’s fate, and vote.”
Suddenly, the room came alive. Mwe sat down and watched me as the surrounding chaos unfolded. Politicians were whispering to their fellow representatives. Others grabbed their tablets from their desks and made a selection after a few moments before setting them back down.
This was it. All the studying I crammed in was for this moment. Was it enough? What would happen if it failed?
My fury at my males battled with how upset I was with them for setting me up. I thought Zirene would lead my case. Why did they even bother to come? Emotional support? What emotional support, when they knew I had to prove my case alone, and that others would bring up my past? All without my connections with my nestmates.
Did Zirene have something to do with Xylo and Odelm not warning me about today?
“You should clear your mind from such questions and deal with the males behind you once this is over. Voting has completed, and it’s time for me to make the announcement,” Mwe suggested gently, pulling me from my thoughts.
The room dimmed as a dull light beamed from behind me.
Hovering in the air was a chart of the Assembly floor. There were twenty-seven blocks—sixteen were blacked out, eight were green, two were red, and the remaining one was gold.
“Results are in with eight accepting the planned deal and two denying. Since there was no tie, my vote is not needed,” his deep voice filled the chamber’s walls.
Two species representatives didn’t agree I should be free. Why?
“The Quaww and the Trr’kiki voted against you. I would be wary around them if I were you,” Mwe cautioned, pulling my gaze to him.
Did he warn me about something coming in the future? Or did he know something I didn’t?
He nodded in reply. His face was stoic, his eyes filled with sadness.
“The decision is made, and it is up to your clan to fulfill your end of the deal.” He paused as the lights in the chamber returned to normal. “Thank you, Selena, for your time. You may return to your party.”
“Thank you for your time and allowing me to have the freedom to live my life,” I said, bowing my head.
I turned around and faced the males who set me up. Seeing them raised my simmering anger to a boil.
Prince Royak looked concerned as he watched me approach, yet Zirene’s face was filled with a smug smirk. Both of my nestmates looked distressed, probably because they couldn’t feel me through our connection with Mwe temporarily blocking them. It didn’t matter. If they knew I would be making my case alone, they were part of the guilty party.
It hurt me that these three males, who were deeply connected with me, decided to keep secrets from me.
Hurt. Betrayal. Anger.
Those emotions were swirling inside of me, waiting for me to release them.
When I looked at the Circuli princes, their attention wasn’t on me. I glanced at the direction of their gaze to the Circuli desk. The two female Circuli looked at my group in hatred.
Why? What did we do?
I jerked my gaze away, realizing the whole chamber was watching me still. I h
urried to my party, refusing to meet their eyes and returned to my original spot between my nestmates. Almost instantaneously, they tried to wrap one of their appendages around my wrists. I jerked them away, refusing to allow them to touch me while I didn’t know if they sided with Zirene.
“Now we have that settled,” Chamber Master Mwe chuckled and grabbed his tablet. “It is time for the last part of the agenda. I believe the Circuli representatives have a complaint against… the Aldawi… for arranging for the separated Circuli vessel to settle on the moon Destima of the capital planet Lunkai, in the second-star system ruled by the Aldawi.” His gaze roamed the room. “Usually, we don’t deal with complaints between minors and their major, but this is a sensitive topic due to the nature of the events that caused it.”
His eyes locked onto mine.
“I am sorry, Selena. It seems you are the main topic of this case as well.”
Chapter Fourteen
Odelm
The moment Selena flicked her wrist away from him, dread filled Odelm as he realized how much trouble they were in. She’d never denied comfort from him. That she now did—in front of a crowd—just proved how much he’d failed his nestqueen.
He glared at the Chamber Master. If it wasn’t for him mentally blocking Selena, he could comfort her and explain everything.
Odelm would have been distraught if Zirene and the princes hadn’t already explained how today would go, with the Chamber Master isolating Selena. Having the courting bond severed once was hollowing—losing Selena when she was unconscious was something he didn’t want to feel again. He could still feel that she existed at the end of their connection, but it was muted. He felt no emotions and could not hear any of her loud thoughts.
“We will have our chance to explain to her soon, nestbrother,” Xylo said, his voice laced with uncertainty.
“I don’t like this. We should’ve warned her. I fear for what will happen once we are done.”