by LC Morgans
“To colonize and rule?” one girl asked, and the soldier shrugged.
“Yes, but more than that?” No one answered. “We started out the same as the humans, and our planet is like Earth, but superior in every way. Our species evolved millennia ago, whereas yours crawled from the primordial ooze, evolved and then diminished over time. That’s why our leaders decided to begin an invasion hundreds of years ago. Earth was a gift to King Thrakor’s youngest son as his inheritance, and he came to take control when he reached adulthood. I’m talking, of course, of King Kronus.”
Murmurs erupted in the class, and Kyra watched as he scanned them with a sly smile. She knew they were all lapping up his tales of how the Thraks saw the humans as nothing but cattle tending to their world, while they reaped the benefits, but she didn’t believe it. Her hand instinctively went to her cheek, and she rubbed the scar there. She’d been treated with the loving and gentle hand of a man she was sure hadn’t come to crush and rule the humans with fear.
“So are we simply inhabitants of a world solely existing as a trial run for if he eventually inherits the Thrakorian throne?” she asked, and silence quickly descended on the class.
“You could say that, yes,” the soldier answered. “But also, Earth is an extension of King Thrakor’s reign, and his offspring have every right to rule it as they see fit. Other colonies of ours are ruled with an iron fist, and in others the previously populating species was obliterated before colonization. You should count yourself lucky King Kronus came looking for peace here.”
“Oh, I do,” she replied, feeling like a deer in the headlights. “And perhaps one day my service will be proof of my gratitude,” she added, to ensure he knew she wasn’t questioning their ruler, just his motives.
They went on to learn more about the Thraks as a race, and the differences between them and the humans from a genetic point of view. Kyra learned how the planet Thrakor had been created in the same big-bang explosion that’d formed the Earth billions of years ago. The two species’ were similar from the start, but the Thraks had thrived and advanced to be far more superior to the human race over the millennia. They’d gone in search of planets like theirs centuries ago, and had placed reconnaissance units on each before deciding to lay the foundations of various colonies. Mixed-breeds were essential to ensure the Thraks had a stronghold already on Earth, and they had caused a wave of immigrants from Thrakor to come and stay.
“When a Thrakorian chooses their partner, nothing will come between them. Not surprisingly, many of the first waves of soldiers’ fell in love with their human child-bearers in the same way, and requested permission to stay. Their lovers grew old and died, but they stayed to care for their children, and see to it that they kept within the mixed-breed families,” he told them, and Kyra remembered how Samia had said the same about her own family tree.
There was a lot to take in, but by the end of the day she was well versed in the sectors, classes and Thrakorian way of life. The detailed truths were more than she’d ever expected to be taught so openly, and she understood Quinn’s opening warning now. It was a shock to discover how closely related the humans and Thraks were, but also how complicated that distant relationship had become after centuries of interbreeding, and the colonization process.
Kyra walked back to her room deep in thought, trying to figure out how she was feeling. The soldier, who never had given his name, had worked hard making them feel inferior to his race in a way she’d always known to be possible, but never believed true. Part of her wondered if the Thrakorian civilians hated the humans, or saw them as pesky vermin on a planet they were trying to call home. The few she’d met in her life had been all about purpose, and had never shown care or consideration to her or the other humans in their stead, but she’d seen the importance of family values and racial prejudice in Samia’s upbringing. None of it seemed to add up, and the confusion was making her head sore. Kyra was well aware by now how exhausting the training was, and found herself counting the days until summer leave came around again. This time she wouldn’t have to complete a grueling exercise, and in fact many of her fellow trainees had been tasked with playing rebels for the primary assessments, so she welcomed the chance to get to the end of the month and take it easy.
“Can you believe almost an entire year has gone by?” Brona asked as she plopped down on the end of Kyra’s bed. “Where are you going this time, Hawaii again?” she then asked, and Kyra shrugged. She and Silas hadn’t had much of a chance to discuss it yet, but she hoped he was planning to take her away again. It would be nice to just hide out for the break, but she’d take whatever she could get, just so long as she spent it with him.
After a bit of small talk, Brona seemed to take the hint that she was tired, and left her to have a power-nap before dinner. Kyra set her alarm for twenty minutes later, closed her eyes and quickly began dreaming about the Thrak who still had her very confused—King Kronus.
He approached her cowering form, but this time she stood and was an adult. He reached out and stroked her bloody cheek, and then kissed the other side without so much as a word. Kyra swooned, and stumbled backwards to where the thick thorns threatened to hurt her again. Kronus immediately lunged, and caught her in his arms. He pulled her close, and she inhaled deeply. He smelled of roses combined with the sharpness of metal from his armor, and a faint tang of blood from her cuts.
“Do you love me?” he asked. She jumped back and peered up at him in shock. His face had turned into the hard stare she’d seen on television, and she shook her head. “Good, because you aren’t worthy anyway. Why would a King love a common foster kid like you? You’re just playing a game, and it’s a game you'll lose. No one wants you to succeed, and you'll soon be back in the gutter where you belong.” Her ears were ringing, and she tried to shake the sound away. It wouldn’t stop, and as she focused on it, Kronus started to disappear, until eventually she jumped awake and dismissed her alarm.
“Talk about messed up…” she mumbled, and climbed up off the bed. It was hard to admit, even to herself, but everything was starting to get on top of her, and she was in a bad mood as she wandered the short distance to the food hall. Silas was there to greet her, having saved her the usual spot beside him, but Kyra still found it hard to pull herself out of her melancholy. She sat down and devoured her meal in silence.
“Struggling with the workload?” he eventually asked, and she nodded. “It’ll get easier, I promise.” She knew he was lying, but appreciated the effort anyway.
“Everything I thought I had figured out doesn’t seem so set in stone anymore. How do I stay strong when the pieces of the puzzle aren’t fitting?” she asked, and then it clicked. Her doubts and beliefs were getting in the way of the knowledge she was being given. Her mind didn’t work that way, so the conflicting messages weren’t sitting right in her gut.
“Will a trip to New York help?” he whispered in her ear, and the sheer thought of making plans for summer leave again had a smile forcing itself back onto her lips. Kyra nodded, and offered her gorgeous man a wink.
“That would help very much, how soon can we make it happen?” she answered, and leaned back in her chair. She watched as Silas moved with careful, fluid movements, as in control of himself as ever, while she felt like an excited puppy, desperately trying to keep calm or else get a tap on the nose.
“T-minus twelve days, and counting,” he replied, and he put a hand on her thigh. The small touch sent a shiver down her spine, and a vibe of aching need to her belly. No matter what strange infatuation she seemed to still hold in her heart for King Kronus, Silas was the one who’d become the real love of her life. He was the real deal, not the daydream, and she would show him how dear that love was to her as soon as they were alone.
Chapter
Eleven
“As part of the Intelligence Division, you must learn to weed out anomalies and help in the capturing of rebels, but you must also be ready to fight, should the need arise. There are also times in combat
where you might come upon a Thrakorian opponent, why?” the soldier, who had revealed his name to be Sentinel Gron, asked in class later that week. He eyed the students impatiently, and picked a hand at random to answer.
“Rogues,” the girl answered, and Gron nodded.
“And why would a Thrak turn rogue?” he asked again.
“Because they disagree with King Kronus’ reign?” one of the male soldiers asked, and Gron waved his hand in a circular motion indicating for him to elaborate on his answer. “More specifically, his laws. They join the rebels because they do not believe in the human oppression.”
“Very good, but also they may turn against all of us. There are some who hunt down humans for sport and Thrakorian’s for revenge. Usually they were wronged in some way and seek recompense. Whatever their reasons, you do not take your strength or your training for granted. They are not only stronger and faster than you, but they lack the rules and regulations we willingly live by. They will kill you.” Each student paled at the realization of a very real threat. They'd heard many times during training about rogue Thraks, but had never properly discussed the reasons why they existed, or what they were capable of. Kyra realized she’d naively thought they were lone-wolf types, living and working off the radar for stolen credits of scraps of food. She hadn’t properly considered how a Thrakorian could possibly turn against their King, or why.
“If a Thrak’s husband or wife turned rogue, would they follow?” she asked, trying to put herself in their shoes.
“Quite possibly,” Gron answered. “Their loyalty to their partners would know no bounds. It stands to reason they would follow them into the unknown.” She got it. If Silas came to her and told her he was turning against what they’d been taught, she knew there would be a part of her that would consider going with him. No matter how loyal she was to their extraterrestrial overlord and his race, there was always part of herself that wasn’t completely convinced that she’d pushed aside in the line of duty. If he begged her to question their new world, she would, and could understand why others might be swayed in the same way. Gron coughed loudly and brought everyone out of their thoughts. “This brings us very nicely to your next challenge. Follow me,” he told them, and left the computer suite in a quick march that had them all clambering for the doorway. He led them into the very back of the huge building, and into a padded training room very much like the one where Silas had trained her in self-defense the year before.
Kyra knew exactly what was coming. “The longest anyone has lasted before yielding is twenty seconds. Who thinks they can beat it?” Gron asked them, and the group immediately formed a line behind the tallest and strongest of the human bunch. She had no illusions that she would last more than a few seconds, but she was ready to give it her best shot, and took her place in the queue.
Each trainee took a turn in trying to fend off Gron’s attack, and each was subsequently floored and bested within seconds. Kyra watched as they each tried the same standard methods of self-defense, and failed. She noticed the pattern, and when it was her turn, she knew exactly what she had to do.
Gron stood just feet away, his shoulders and arms bulging with muscle, and even on her tiptoes, she only just about reached his chest. He was by far the biggest she’d seen, and Kyra knew she had no chance of fighting him. Instead of attempting to block his fists like the others had done, when the attack came, she ducked it and ran to his back. She took off for the door and was halfway there, when she was tackled from behind and pulled down to the floor with a hard thud. Gron’s immense frame overlapped hers, pressing into her back, but she still refused to yield.
With jabbing elbows and core strength developed over years of training, she didn’t hesitate to go full-throttle. She fought herself into a small gap beneath his arms, and took the opportunity to twist onto her back. Gron growled as she connected with his ribs, but it wasn’t enough to stop him. Only when he had her pinned down, bound by his incredible mass, and wrapped in her own twisted arms did she give in. She cursed him in anger, but then lay flat on her back, gasping for air when he released his grip and stood over her.
“Run, surely that’s the only way?” Kyra asked with a scowl.
“Quite right, but at least try and take your opponent down first. That was the mistake you made,” Gron answered, offering her a hand up. “But you lasted twenty-two seconds by my calculations, so well done.” His grin was infectious, and she returned it involuntarily. Kyra then watched as the rest of her class tried the same tactic she had, and many made it into the teens with their scores, but she was the overall victor.
After their defense class, they were dismissed. It felt good to end the year on a high, and when it came to finishing up and packing her room, she was more than happy with her progress.
There were many ways in which she still needed to clear her head of the doubts and opposing ideas she still had about their leaders, but being away with McD would help with that, she had absolutely no doubt about it.
***
After hours of travelling, Silas finally pulled Kyra through a security door and into a huge apartment building in the center of Manhattan. He used the chip in his wrist to gain access into the elevator, and pressed the button for the twentieth floor. When they reached it, he led her out into a hallway with just two doors, and opened the left one using a key from his pocket.
“Welcome to the McDermott’s New York bribe,” he murmured, but wrapped an arm around her as they crossed the blissfully silent threshold. “We will not be disturbed this time, I’ve been guaranteed it.”
“Good,” Kyra retorted, and she ran through the huge room to peer out the window at the night’s sky and the vast city all around them. Just like Los Angeles, there was a combination of old and new buildings, and each was alive with energy and life. She wondered what sorts of people were living in the city, and if they even had lower-class areas there any more. She hoped they wouldn’t have to worry about having to deal with any undesirables, and then mentally kicked herself for daring to think such a thing. Luxury was becoming easier to accept and expect nowadays, and sometimes Kyra hated the person she seemed to be becoming.
“You’re so beautiful in the moonlight,” Silas told her from the doorway, where he’d seemingly stayed in wait for her to take it all in. “The only thing wrong with this picture is that you’re still dressed.” The view suddenly lost all of its appeal, and Kyra padded to the only room he’d lit via the control panel on the wall. She dropped her clothes as she went, and gasped when she opened the door wide and found the biggest bed she’d ever seen inside.
“Where do you want me?” she asked.
“Everywhere,” was all he answered, and it was more than enough.
Chapter
Twelve
On the morning of their final day in Manhattan, Kyra rolled out of bed with a groan and forced herself into the shower. The hot jets were bliss, as had been their entire stay, and she smiled to herself as she ran her hands over her body with the soap. Silas had made up for their lack of private time and then some during their break, and she knew they'd each be arriving back on base with stupid grins on their faces and unavoidable springs in their steps. They hadn’t seen another soul the entire two weeks, nor had they seen the ancient sights the city had to offer, but she didn’t care. All each had cared about was getting some rest and relaxation with the person that mattered most, and they'd gotten it.
The pair soon gathered their things and left the solace of the apartment behind, and she was sad to go. Kyra was quiet at first, but then leaned into Silas’ hold, needing to feel his grip again.
“Tell me we’ll come back next year?” she begged as they watched the apartment building disappear out the cab window. “One more year and I’ll be a Sergeant. We can live together, eat our meals in our own home, sleep together…”
“Not if you go elite,” he replied coldly, and pulled away. Kyra watched him warily, and wondered if perhaps he might be jealous. She’d always hoped she might get c
hosen to move onto elite training, and hadn’t counted on something pulling her in the opposite direction. Part of her hated him for it, but knew it wasn’t his fault. Silas wanted them to be together, and Kyra knew if it were her being left behind, she’d beg him to stay. She couldn't bring herself to confront him about it, but remained out of sorts until they climbed aboard the hovercraft that’d take them back to L.A.
“Whatever I do, or wherever I go—I’ll always come home to you, Silas. We’ve made it through so far, no matter the times apart, or the pressure from your family. Don’t push me away because you're scared to work hard to keep us together, or else you'll lose me anyway.” He was instantly enraged, and threw down their packs in a huff before storming off toward the bathroom. She watched him go, and hated seeing him so angry. Nothing would keep her away from him, but she wasn’t going to fall behind just so they could be together for longer, and he had to understand that. Kyra hoped their first fight wouldn’t come after such a wonderful summer break, and especially not because of his feelings towards her career. She’d fought hard to get where she was, and thought he’d known her ambition to succeed would always come first over her personal life.
She let him stew on it, and busied herself with her notes until he came back over and handed her a bottle of water he’d bought from the vendor at the end of the craft. Kyra thanked him and took a long sip while watching his body language carefully. He was poised and quiet, but too calm. Silas was clearly trying hard to keep his emotions under control, and she decided against pushing him. The rest of their journey was done in relative silence, and when they reached the bus heading to Fort Angel, he finally spoke up.