by A. J. Ross
She stopped in her tracks, “What will you do to him?”
The guard shrugged. “The governor will be here tomorrow for his trial. He’ll most likely hang.”
“I want to see him first,” she demanded.
The man turned to face her. He twirled his keyring around and round his fingers as he thought. “Well, who am I to stand in the way of true love?” he asked mockingly.
He led her in another direction down a long hall with cells on either side. Each cell had three or four men in it, but only two beds. They all stopped whatever they were doing to watch her as she passed by. When they reached the end of the hall, he led her through a door to a set of stairs. They walked down to the lower floor. The guard ducked into an office and grabbed a lamp from the desk. He lit it, handed it to her, and led her down another hall.
He unlocked a large solid metal door, and gestured for her to go inside. “Two minutes,” he said.
She took the lamp and held it up in the dark room. Erwin was sitting on the ground chained by the leg near the back of the cell.
“Oh my god.” She went to him and fell down on her knees in front of him, “Erwin.”
“Princess,” he looked at her with a hint of pain in his eyes, “you left without saying goodbye.”
She burst into tears. “My name is Braii.”
He smiled weakly and pulled her into his arms. She cried out when he put pressure on the spot where she had been shot. He quickly released her, his eyes examining her face and body. “What happened? Are you okay?”
She ignored his question, taking his face in her hands and kissing his lips frantically. “What are you doing here?” she asked between kisses. “Do you realize what you’ve done? You’re killing the rebellion; the people won’t stand without you. You are the one they listen to, and you are the one they follow. I can’t believe you would throw everything we’ve worked for away.” She pounded his chest with the side of her fist in frustration.
“Hey,” he said softly, lifting her chin with his forefinger. “How can such an intelligent woman have so little faith? Maybe I was the face of this rebellion, but I have no power in it. If I die tomorrow and least I’ll know I gave the people here the tools to help themselves, and I couldn’t have done that without you. No man can have everything. We come into this world, write one story, and then leave it. That’s all any of us can hope for. This is not your planet. Not your fight. And, well, some lives are more important than others.” He gently caressed the side of her cheek with the back of his middle finger. “At least, to me.”
She wept silently in his arms, lulled into pain and paradise by the gentleness of his words. By every beat of his heart. By each expansion, then collapse of his broad chest. He held her body gently but firmly against his, gifting his warmth - careful to avoid the sore spot from her injury.
“Riian is with Pyotr,” he continued. “He’ll take over for me.” Grabbing her arms, he gently pried her body from his so he could look into her face with stern eyes as he spoke. “You take Riian and get off this planet. That’s an order.”
She was silent. The tears kept flowing in steady streams down her cheeks, but her body was still; back arched and perfectly postured. She took his face in her hands, her thumb slowly gliding across his bottom lip. Looking at him with both longing and despair, she confessed, “I love you.”
“Times up,” the guard shouted.
Erwin’s grave and burdened face softened. He took one of her hands from his face and gently kissed the palm. “Now I can leave this world knowing one man actually did get everything.” He smiled softly, and his crystal-blue eyes were filled with tears of bliss and sadness, “Goodbye.”
“No,” she said to Erwin, as the guard entered and grabbed her arm. “I’ll get you out of here.”
“Let’s go,” the guard shouted, pulling her away from him.
Her eyes lingered on Erwin's as the space between them grew wider and wider.
She stood somewhat dazed, watching the guard lock Erwin’s cell. Her eyes moved down to the guards waist. He had a stick, some kind of electrical device, and a gun. She didn’t know how to use any of those weapons. Perhaps she could take the stick. As long as she hit him hard enough in the right spot, she could kill him. But how many other guards were there? She had seen dozens. She reached for her throbbing gunshot wound and had to admit to herself she was in no condition to fight. She needed help.
Thankfully there were street lights in the city, so she could see most of the way back. She ran as fast as she could. Her eyes moved constantly from straight ahead into the near distance, to the ground below surveying the next several meters. If she could find a gate to the underground, she could find her way back to the forest, and back to Lincoln.
She darted into the forest as soon as she reached it. She could feel pain in her side and moisture from her now bleeding wound. She willed herself to endure as a Griician warrior. Pain was no more than a cave for the lazy or weak to hide. Pressing on, she pushed through the darkness of the forest despite the constant assaults from the trees and their low branches whipping and jabbing her all over her body as she passed by.
It was near sunrise when she reached the clearing in the forest. Without slowing her pace, she ran until her body slammed against the side of the carrier. She banged on it urgently.
“Lincoln,” she shouted. She kept banging, “Let me in. Let me in now.” She felt around the body of the large spacecraft. “The reader,” she said quietly to herself as she felt around near the door. “It’s gotta be here somewhere.”
She knew the carriers were connected to the central database on Graiis, so all citizens would have access according to rank. Her hand found the pad. “Yes,” she exclaimed as the reader verified her identity and the door opened. She came into the carrier. Lincoln was in the living space with Simone. His face was red and his dark eyes were puffy. He stood when he saw her.
“Braii,” he ran over to her. “Where have you been? What happ-”
She moved past him and started to search for something. She was opening storage spaces and moving things. “Where is it?” she asked.
“You’re bleeding,” he said. And it wasn’t just a little. He could tell from the size of the large dark round circle on her side that she had bled a lot.
“Where is it?” She came to him and reached both of her hands into his pockets, and tears were streaming down her cheeks. “Where is it?”
He grabbed both of her wrists firmly. “Where is what? What are you looking for?”
“The Fiie. I need your Fiie. Give it to me. Now.”
Lincoln was perplexed. “Why do you want my Fiie?” he asked sternly.
“The commander,” she said, trying to compose herself. “They locked him up. He’s in a dungeon or some dark isolated place, I don’t know . . . I, I have to go back. I need your help. I need you to . . . no. No, I can do it myself. I just need the Fiie. Give it to me . . . Just give it to me.”
Erraticism was something Lincoln had never seen in her, and it woke something up inside of him. Her behavior was disturbingly familiar. He had known this same type of emotional volatility many times within himself. That busyness and inner turmoil that comes along with knowing exactly what you want to do, but having none of the strength or tools necessary to do it.
It was during those times, Raymond or Logan would pull him back. They kept him steady like an anchor touching ground during the deadliest storms of his life. He looked at Braii. His betrothed was in the middle of a deadly storm, and it was up to him to pull her back. He prepared himself for her wrath.
“No,” he said softly. “The only place we’re going is back to Graiis.”
She looked at him in disbelief, then her eyes turned cold. “I’m not leaving this planet until after I rescue the commander.” She tried to snatch her wrist free from his hands, but his hold had tightened, and she was unable to pull herself free. Realizing she was no match for his strength, her desperate eyes pleaded with him.
“
I’m sorry,” he said looking into them. “But you’re not going back. Computer,” he shouted over his left shoulder, “Initiate return flight.”
“Please be seated,” the computer instructed.
“No,” she wailed painfully. “Please Lincoln . . . Please help me.”
“Override,” he replied to the computer, keeping his eyes focused on Braii. The engine started to purr quietly and the carrier began to lift. It rose for several thousands of feet before going into hyperdrive.
Defeated, Braii collapsed to the floor with Lincoln still holding her wrists. He let them go and scooped her up, carrying her limp, light body to the medical bay. He lay her down gently on the bed. After giving her a mild sedative, he initiated a computer scan of her body. Much to his relief, there was nothing inside of her, but because of her careless behavior, the stitches keeping her wound closed had burst. He undressed her, meticulously peeling away the clothing that was glued to her skin with sticky, and dried-up blood.
The sedative had kicked in, and she stared blankly into the bright lights above her as he worked.
He knew she would be angry with him later, and he didn’t care. For the first time in his life, he was not afraid while standing next to her. He had never been so sure of anyone’s need for him as he was at that exact moment. Braii was the fight of his life, and always had been. He had fought for her love, then to find her, then to save her. If it had been necessary for him to fight forever, he would have. Instead, she was safe with him where she belonged, and he could finally stop fighting. Despite the heaviness and severity of the situation, he was grateful it was his hands nursing her in her most vulnerable state.
He took warm soapy water and gently cleaned her wound, then carefully removed the stitches that were entangled in her broken swollen skin and flesh. After disinfecting the area completely, he began to stitch her back up. She had lost a lot of blood, but the digital surgery assistant assured him her count would rise back to normal after a couple days of rest. When he finished stitching, he wrapped her waist with clean white bandages.
By that time, she was sleeping peacefully with her hands sprawled above her head. His eyes drifted over her naked body. She had gotten thinner during the months spent on Kayora, but no less perfect. Her breasts and hips were full and round. The blood rushed to his cheeks, and he felt embarrassed for wanting her in the way he did, especially at that moment. He took a blanket and covered her, before leaving the medical bay.
Braii opened her eyes. She looked around. Everything was dark besides the glow from the computer displaying her vital signs. She was still in the medical bay, and under heavy warm blankets. ‘Okay,’ she thought to herself. ‘What time is it?’ Her eyes rested on the digital display. It was almost 9:00 AM, which meant she must have slept for over three hours.
She remembered what the man in the prison had told her when she asked what would happen to Erwin. He said he would be tried this morning and likely executed. She got up carefully from the bed keeping the blanket wrapped around her naked body, and went into the main part of the carrier. Everything was silent.
She crept over to the dormitory area, slowly turning the doorknob to one of the rooms. She peeked inside. Lincoln was strewn across the bed, half naked and laying on his stomach. His dark hair was wild, and his deep breathing was intermingled with a light snore. And next to him; Simone.
Braii stood in the doorway trying to reconcile her feelings as she watched Lincoln sleep peacefully with a woman who was not her. She felt a strange balance between anger and acceptance, and neither was stronger than the other. She didn’t blame Lincoln. How could she condemn his actions without also condemning her own? She wondered if he was in love with the woman he slept next to, or if she was just another of his hobbies. The woman was beautiful. Or rather, Braii recognized she was the type of woman many men would consider to be so.
As she watched them sleep, she noticed a small gift box on a stand on the other side of the bed. Curious, she slowly entered the room and picked up the box. Her eyes darted in Lincoln’s direction to make sure she hadn’t woken him or the blonde next to him. To her relief, they were both still sleeping soundly.
She opened the box. Inside of it, held in place by soft white padding, there was a beautiful, clean, level four Fiie. She smiled as she carefully removed it. She closed the box silently, placed it exactly where she had picked it up, then slowly left the room.
After dressing herself, she got into an emergency escape pod. “Computer, chart a course for escape pod 3 to planet Kayora.”
The computer responded, “You are not authorized.”
“Under whose authority?” she asked.
“Lincoln Wolfe, 57821”
She scoffed, “Override, Gelila, 29012”
“Verifying . . . Charting a course to Kayora.”
She heaved a sigh of relief, and the pod was ejected from the vessel and on a course to return to Kayora…
Lincoln woke up. It was the best he had slept in days. He lifted his tired and heavy body from the mattress. He looked over and saw Simone sleeping next to him. He jumped out of the bed. ‘When did she get here?’ he thought.
She stirred and opened her eyes. “Hey,” she said with a soft smile.
“Hey,” he said slowly. “What are you doing in here?”
“I just wanted to see you,” she said. Her tone was both sweet and sincere. “The princess was so upset last night, and it seemed like you were having a tough time trying to deal with her. I thought I could bring you a little comfort.”
Lincoln sighed, feeling guilty for the first time since he had met Simone. He sat on the bed next to her and took her hands. He knew that Simone’s actions were his fault. He hadn’t been clear with her before, but now, with his fiancée sleeping nearby in the medical bay, it was time to come clean.
“Listen,” he said regretfully, “I wasn’t just here to rescue the princess of Graiis. I was here to rescue my soon to be wife.”
“What?” she said. Confusion spread across her face. “You . . . you’re engaged?”
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you,” he said. “When I came to Kayora I was a spy and I didn’t know what information to give, and what to keep secret. I didn’t mean to lie to you.”
He saw the pain in her face and in her eyes as he spoke. “Listen,” he said, “you’re one of the most beautiful women I’ve ever seen-”
She held up her hand, “Just stop, please.” Her eyes filled with tears as she got up from his bed and left the room.
He sighed heavily and buried his face in the palms of his hands. The trip back to Graiis would be a long and awkward one. It was only 11:00AM, which meant they still had another several hours before reaching Graiis. He stood up and put on a pair of pants and a shirt. There was a soft grumbling in his stomach reminding him he hadn’t eaten in over fourteen hours. He headed to the dining room, but on the way decided to check on Braii in the medical bay.
As soon as he entered, he saw she was gone. He went from room to room searching for her, but she was nowhere to be found on the small carrier. His instinct nagged within him, You know where she is, but he was not ready to accept it. He returned to his room and went straight for the box on the table and opened it. Sure enough, the Fiie was gone. He cursed under his breath.
He went to the pilot bay area and ordered an equipment analysis, and sure enough, a pod was missing. He asked the computer to confirm the course of the pod, and just as he feared, it was Kayora. He took several deep breaths trying to subdue his anger and frustration. “Computer,” he said finally, “return to Kayora.”
When Braii arrived on Kayora she went straight for the underground. It was past noon, and she didn’t know where Erwin’s trial would be held. Besides that, if she was going to rescue him from any heavily guarded place, she needed help. Lincoln’s Fiie was a start, but at a level four, it would be less effective and more difficult for her to wield.
She knocked on Pyotr’s door.
“Yes,” he said as he
pulled it open. “Princess,” he said with a look of surprise on his face.
“Do you have my boy?” she asked.
He nodded, “Yes of course. He’s with Lola and her children at the moment. I’ll go around the corner and get him for you.”
“No, wait,” she said, “I need to know, where does the North hold criminal trials? Erwin is being tried today, right? We have to help him. I won’t let him throw away this revolution for me.”
Pyotr was silent and his eyes bore deeply into her in a peculiar way. “You do love him, don’t you?”
Her eyes shifted to the ground and her lashes fluttered. She took a second to bury her emotion before replying steadily, “That isn’t important right now. I need you to tell me where he is.”
Again, he was silent and watched her with the same look of peculiarity as he had before. “I’m sorry,” he said finally, “but he’s gone.”
“That’s not possible,” she said, shaking her head. “I know the trial may have started, but there’s no way it's already over.”
“The trial started at seven,” he continued, “and it was over in less than an hour. They already knew what they were going to do. They hung him in the square at ten. He’s dead.”
The entire time Pyotr spoke, she just kept shaking her head in disbelief. “I don’t believe you,” she said. “Where is his body? I want to see it.”
“I’m sorry,” he replied softly. “After they hung him, they took him down and burned his body right there in the city center. Herman and I saw the whole thing. We’re going to have a memorial for him in three days. I’m sorry princess, I truly am. He loved you too.”
Tears began to flow from her eyes in steady streams, and she kept shaking her head. She threw her arms around Pyotr’s neck, squeezing him tightly as she wept. She didn’t want to believe what she was hearing, but knew it was true. She could sense it. The universe felt a little emptier, and Kayora was much colder than before. Her fervor and devotion to the rebellion dulled into non-existence. Erwin was gone. She forced herself into acceptance first, then composure, as she wiped the tears from her face, trying to gain complete control of her sniffles and ragged breathing.