by Nadia Hutton
Thegn took out the earpiece, laying it on the table as he rubbed his inner earlobe. It did not matter. He would have to ask permission of the Septun before he could proceed or she could make this entire discussion irrelevant.
The Council’s decision was the logical choice, but he feared deep in his ghele that he would not be as neutral as he had supposed himself to be coming into the Council room.
As he waited for the others to debate, he could not help but wonder why him? There were four other Mokai ghelu. Older ones too, ones longer with the Goddess.
Yet he was pleased. He was ashamed of his vanity, but he found himself proud. It was a great task he had just been given. He prayed he was worthy of it.
*
The Septun of Juelsa greeted him without words, waving her third arm toward the chaise. Thegn paled and stood awkwardly, moving his tail into her sight as a reminder. The Septun insisted and Thegn sat, his body aching uncomfortably in the constrained position. The Elchai, no matter how many standard years since the first encounter, had never seemed to grasp that none of their three sister species were able to sit in a straight-back chair.
The Septun glanced at him with odd curiosity. She lay across her own chair, her deep purple skin shining with the oils she had been bathed in, her two sets of black eyes watching him closely as he tried not to fidget to free his tail.
He readjusted his earpiece as he saw her mouth move. While he spoke standard Renkair as fluently as he did standard Mokai, the Septun spoke a dialect that he was not as familiar with.
“You are to be given back to your people, I am told,” she said.
Thegn explained, “It is a temporary assignment. I wish to ask for leave to go to Toola. I might be able to help. There are not many of my kind who are ghelu. The council believes we can be diplomats.”
“And what do you want, Thegn?”
The earpiece buzzed slightly as she said his name. It had never been translated well into other languages, and the device had difficulty with it still.
“I want to know the truth,” Thegn replied. “I feel I can serve the Goddess best if I can prevent unnecessary war. These souls, they can be brought to her as my people and I were. If the Elchai had not thought of our lives first, then I could not serve you today. I do not want another soul lost that could be brought to her.”
He recognized the chuckle of the Elchai before the machine translated, her front gills flaring as she expelled air from them. It was a coy sound, meant to show vulnerability. It was nothing that he would have expected from the beautiful female before him, considering her dominance over him. He had been trained to find this appealing, exotic, and arousing. But he feared her too much to be swayed by coyness.
“I could call for your service today, ghelu,” she said casually. “Today could be the day you serve the Goddess in the most final way. I do not bend to the will of the Council, I serve the highest power there is. Only we know her true missions and callings. You are not sent by them. If you are to go, you are sent by me. Do you understand?”
Thegn averted his eyes and she accepted this.
“And if you die? If you do not return before it is time for your final service?”
Thegn paused, he had not thought of this possibility. “The Mokai will pledge another to your service. There have always been five of us at least, my government will ensure this.”
The same chuckle. “I know a lie when I see one, no matter what species. If you can have it arranged, then I accept. Graciously. The Goddess is interested to see what these Toolas are. Perhaps they are still wiser than us. Your vows remain, ghelu. Breaking them on Toola is the same as anywhere else in the universe. You will be punished accordingly.”
Thegn affirmed this and she rose, signaling him to follow her. She blinked her top two eyes, looking over his body in a way that made him pale.
“It is a shame, ghelu Thegn,” she said in conclusion, “I would have enjoyed your service.”
Thegn cleared his throat. “Am I clear to go?”
“Yes. The Goddess blesses your adventure. May her suns guide you wherever you are found. Let your soul be returned to her.”
Thegn turned and left, his tail throbbing with relief as blood moved through it again.
*
The Mokai looked at him with suspicion as he came aboard the ship. He could not help but feel uncomfortable. He was not really one of them anymore. At his age, he should be serving the military, a patriot for his people. Yet he was devoted to a foreign Goddess, the symbol of invaders past. It did not matter that most of them followed the same faith now, it mattered that the tattoos on his hands showed that his loyalty was first to a higher power.
Thegn introduced himself to the captain, who lowered his forehead to touch Thegn’s as a sign of respect. Thegn had been told by the Council that the captain was a religious man; he would be protected as long as he stayed by the captain’s side.
Thegn was brought to his quarters, embarrassed he would have more space than the others on the ship. It was a show of good faith, he knew, and he was grateful for some privacy. It had been a long time since he was among his people. He felt awkward in his moments around them, felt that they watched to see if he moved like an Elchai now, spoke like one of them.
He kneeled as the captain left, allowing his knees to rest against the soft grass floor, his tail stretching out until it could crack back into place. He took the datapad out, smiling as he saw the Dialogues inscribed into it in both Renkair and the written Mokai. He put it back as he rose, looking out the viewport at the space around them. It would have to be closed once they left the station, he knew, so he gave himself this moment to watch in awe of the cosmos around them. He would not be able to see the stars once they reached Toola, he had been warned, as there were dark nights and hazy days.
So he watched for a moment, wondering if it would be the last time he saw the stars. He wished he could have seen his planet through the viewport, but he could remember it well enough. Hopefully there would still be time to see it again one day.
Chapter Fourteen
Thegn was called to the captain’s chambers in the hours before they reached Toola’s gravity. They were orbiting its moon, a rather pretty thing, considering how barren it was. Thegn made sure to glance at it upon entering the captain’s chambers.
The captain offered him a piece of lbamas fruit, but Thegn politely refused. He sat down on the open-back chair, watching carefully as the captain did the same.
“Once we get into their atmosphere,” the captain said, “it will be difficult to send transmissions back and forth. There’s too much radiation. We have been given the bulk of our information now, in case we are not able to reach the Council again. You are a non-combatant, but it will be difficult to convince native Toolas this. You will only communicate with the captive ones for now. We are working on adapting your earpiece to better understand them, but it will only pick up a few words here and there. You must try to learn what you can. I am told you are quick to learn.”
Thegn paled. “Thank you, Captain.”
“If need be, protect yourself,” the captain continued. “If you are killed on our watch, the incident report may cause … confusion back home. You are both one of our people and not. We must be careful with returning you back to your Goddess.”
“My Goddess?” Thegn was amused. “You follow the Mokari then? Forgive me, I have not met a follower of the old ways in quite some time. When they said you were a religious man, I had assumed we were of the same faith.”
The captain was less amused. “I respect your mission here, ghelu, but we both know you are here as Elchai. You are not one of us any longer. You have given up the ways of your people to bend to their will.”
Thegn paused. It was not in his place to correct the captain, yet he felt a need to defend himself. Instead, he raised his palm quietly and the captain apologized.
&
nbsp; Thegn made to leave, but the captain stopped him.
“I called you in here to ask if you wanted to send a message home before we arrived. You may not get a chance again.”
“No,” Thegn replied. “There’s nothing I need to say.”
*
Thegn was dressed in his exo-suit, his brain protesting that this was not comfortable or natural. He felt trapped and his ghele raced. Yet as he stepped out onto Toola, the feeling almost entirely disappeared.
The sky was almost completely red, the sun a faint trace behind dark clouds. The grass was arid, crumbling at the slightest touch. He saw the compounds of his people and theirs, seeing the Toolas look at him with mild curiosity.
He followed the captain into the compound, gratefully taking off his exo-suit. He was surprised to see Toolas walk the halls in their bare skin.
The captain explained, “They have acclimatized now. Perhaps their children will be born being able to breathe our air from birth.”
Thegn was impressed, following the captain into the barracks. The captain introduced the other soldiers to Thegn, making sure each of them recognized him and knew his role among them. The captain then led him to the Toola habitat.
It was a small place, hosting perhaps thirty of their kind, their skins a variety of colors. They were one of the most genetically diverse species he had seen. That alone was worth the trip, he thought to himself. In many ways, they were not that dissimilar from his kind. Bipedal for certain, a similar symmetry on the exterior that he was told did not match their interior, as it did among his kind. One set of eyes and ears, if a different shape and function. Their sexual organs were similar enough by design, but he was not sure if by use. He would have to study this more.
The captain led him on, bringing him to his own study. There were a few scientists already there and they greeted him. The ghelu were known for their knowledge and skill, and perhaps these would be the only ones of his kind who would appreciate having him there.
Thegn’s own quarters were nearby, close enough for the captain to hear if he even had a slight cough. Thegn welcomed the privacy as the captain left, and allowed himself to relax into the soft grass.
*
Thegn was woken by one of the Toolas. He jumped back as it touched him, seizing its wrist in his own hand. The creature looked equally terrified, attempting to apologize in his tongue, but unable to make some of the clicks.
Thegn apologized in standard Mokai, letting go of the creature’s wrist. It was a female Toola. He was surprised that she was not unattractive. Perhaps after centuries of his species’ extra-mating, it was not too unusual for his kind. Yet this felt like a transgression on his part and he was uncomfortable as he followed her down the hallway and into the serving room for the mid day meal.
He sat among the other scientists, their eyes, too, watching the Toola who had brought Thegn to them. They clicked together quickly, the conversation turning to their reproductive research.
“Ghelu,” one asked kindly, “do you have any background in genetic histories?”
“A little,” Thegn replied. “The Goddess decided I was best brought to study in the fields of the home world. I researched the plants and birds of the Hjulu. I never studied their genetic potential. I simply observed and marked down changes over the generations. It was beautiful work, seeing the changing cycles of our planet. I still have my notes if you are interested.”
“You would be fascinated by these creatures,” the Ntes said. “They are remarkable. Long gestation, 1.38 standard years, and even then, the offspring is incredibly vulnerable. But the diversity! It is amazing. Collectors are already breeding them on our research. The different breeds; my Goddess, it’s beautiful. The cross-species variation is already turning out to be quite interesting.”
“You’re already extra-mating with them?” Thegn asked in concern.
“Oh, nothing like what you’re thinking. They’re still beasts after all. I wouldn’t extra-mate with a hedu,” the group chuckled as the Ntes continued, “but studying what the potential is based on sampling. Though there have been some … indiscretions by some of the soldiers. That is how it is though, during these things.”
“When the Elchai invaded us,” Thegn reminded, “We wouldn’t have called that an indiscretion. I also seem to recall our leaders killing any female that carried a half-breed child.”
“They could reason with us and there were twice as many female Elchai carrying half-Mokai children,” the Ntes reminded. “We’ve been here nearly four standard years and we can barely communicate. They are animals, ghelu. Fascinating ones, yes, but still. As I was saying, the cross-species variations are intriguing. The Toola genes are much stronger than I would have expected, and most of the offspring appear to be Toola. I am not sure how it will appear when they are older. They all seem to have a heart as well as a ghele. It could be quite interesting. It’s the first extra-mate I’ve seen where the female’s genes are stronger than the Mokai male. Imagine if your Goddess got her hands on one of their males. There’d be no hiding who the father was then, eh?”
“Please excuse me,” Thegn apologized, rising from the table. “I appear to have lost my appetite.”
Thegn left the room, conscious of the female Toola waiting to return with him to his room.
“I have no need for a servant,” Thegn explained, “though I appreciate your efforts.”
She tried to click in response, but from her firm stance, he understood that she was not going anywhere.
“What language do you speak?” Thegn asked, gesturing for her to follow him. “I have heard the Toolas have no standardized language.”
She made a sound he did not understand and she paused, thinking before trying it again.
The translator buzzed in his ear and he understood.
“French?” he asked, trying to mimic her sound.
She smiled hesitantly and nodded.
“I would like to learn more of this language,” he said. “It is part of my duty to record Toola culture. Will you help me?”
She nodded again, touching his hand before skittishly stepping away from him.
Thegn could not strike the images of his mind of the scientist’s casual approach to these creatures’ bodies. While it was true that the Mokai had always had a certain fascination with inter-species intercourse, particularly upon the discovery of their adaptive genes, it had generally been restricted to the other three council species. The Crisu and J’Hai had interbred continuously over their millennia on the same planet, but they had functioned as variations of the other’s species. There were no documented cases of a successful breeding between either of them and the Elchai, despite the Goddess still using them in her rituals. The Mokai, on the other hand, had successfully bred with every species it had come across, something that had provided a blessing and a curse for his people. It was said that originally the Mokai was made of eight different races until the race they were today out-bred the others. It was, and had always been, their most successful war tactic.
Surely this Toola had already learned of this, already seen other females carrying foreign children, seen some of the atrocities that created them. He understood what a risk it had been for that contact and he paled at the sentiment.
When they reached his quarters, he sent her away as kindly as he could, but he could still sense apprehension from her. She did not trust him, but there was potential for understanding.
He lowered his head to touch the soft grass as he kneeled. The Septun had taught them not to pray to the Goddess, that she did not intercede as the Mokari in the old ways. Yet he could not help asking for strength, closing his eyes as he meditated upon the day. He had been here less than one cycle of day and night and already he felt that something was terribly wrong. He prayed that he was mistaken.
As he dreamt, he dreamt of the Mokari, the little spirits of the sea and sky, danc
ing before him, calling for him to join them in the great waters of his ancestors. He woke before he could dive in after them. It was an old dream among his people. They said it was the Mokari calling the old to die, a peaceful dream of death.
Thegn could not help but shiver as he tried to fall back asleep.
Chapter Fifteen
In the light of the Toola morning, he attempted to speak with the female again. She walked from him initially, trying to get back to the human compound. He tried again to call her, realizing he had no way of addressing her.
“What is your name?” he asked.
She paused, her brow furrowing. He was not sure if she was upset or thinking.
She tried to speak, but his earpiece buzzed uselessly and he took it from his lobe and laid it down on the ground.
She said it again, the syllables meaningless to him, but still recognizable.
“Maria,” he struggled, lowering his voice to pronounce it.
She clapped her hands together and a sound he could not recognize escaped her lips. He felt an odd sense of pride. He placed his tattooed palm on his chest.
“Thegn,” he said, “ghelu Thegn.”
She could not make the proper clicks, but was able to say something similar in her own tongue. He could recognize those sounds and recognize that as his name.
This would be the beginning of their understanding, Thegn thought. This is what he had come here for.
*
Maria’s request had confused him somewhat. He understood that the Toolas needed to protect their extremities from the cold, but in this temperature-controlled room, what need they of further coverings?
He thought perhaps it was adornment she looked for, but studying her reactions, he was puzzled to learn she was ashamed of her body. There was nothing unusual about it, he had been studying the Toola females, and she seemed like any other. Yet her hands covered her glands and genitals, and Thegn tried to comprehend. Perhaps these sensitive places needed more protection. He nodded, a gesture he had learned from Maria. He would discuss this with the captain.