Cosmic Honor

by Jade Waltz

  “Then why has it taken this long for either side to try to reconcile and try again?” Jaiya shook her head in disbelief. “Why would you continue to fight us humans when you were already at war with another species? That doesn’t make any sense.”

  “Because the chance to conquer one of your star systems and mine the sand for our home territory was too tempting. ” Erlyn brought up a chart on his tablet, gesturing at various bars representing resource distributions. “We only have about two-thirds of the sand we need in this system. Do you see the red, green and purple bars? Those are your three star systems. Taking over just one of them would give us enough sand to support our current population and the next generation.”

  Sand.

  This whole war had been fought over a bunch of sand.

  Not water or technology or some mortal offense.

  She had even wondered if the Daextru needed human breeders to reproduce, like she’d heard some romantic humans speculate back home. But no, all they wanted was sand.

  “If we were willing to give you the sand you need, what would you offer us in return?”

  Please say your bodies.

  Jaiya walked along the corridor with Raizxl trailing swiftly behind her as they left the fourth day of meetings. Years of piloting fighter ships had made her forget how boring it was to sit at a table for the whole day—and after four days of political discussions, she was ready to be done.

  How am I supposed to handle another day trapped inside these metal walls?

  She would make sure her brother realized the sacrifices she made coming here. Not only would she probably be disciplined when she returned, but with peace between their species slowly becoming a reality, she could be stripped of her duties as a wing captain and lose her reason to fly.

  Jaiya stopped at the large window and peered out at the wondrous view of space beyond. A sudden itch to escape the starbase and fly amongst the stars coursed through her.

  “Do you see something?” Raizxl asked, slightly alarmed.

  “Only the stars.” Jaiya shot a smile at the emerald male. “I’ve always loved the feeling of freedom whenever I fly. All of these heavy conversations have placed a lot of weight on my shoulders, and just gazing at the stars made me ache for a break from all of this.”

  “I understand.” He nodded, crossing his arms in thought. “We have a recreational pool. At this time of day, most of the day shift should be turning down for the night, so it should be fairly empty.”

  Jaiya cringed. The major differences between their species were quite noticeable whenever she traveled along the halls to and from the war room, and they would be all the more pronounced in swim clothes. Not to mention the fact that she lacked a vital part of the male anatomy.

  “Sorry,” Jaiya sighed. “I appreciate the offer, but even though you’ve done nothing more to make my stay awkward, the rest of the starbase has failed to hide their blatant stares.”

  “For what it’s worth, you are the most pleasant human I’ve ever talked to.”

  “How many humans have you talked to?” Jaiya asked pointedly.

  “One.” Raizxl laughed, merriment dancing in his silver eyes. “But, I have shouted insults at plenty of your pilots in battle.”

  “In CTA Common, I hope,” Jaiya chuckled. “Not many humans study Dzexet, and even fewer understand it at a proficient level. Slinging insults in your enemy’s native tongue is much different than trying to orchestrate a peace treaty between two species.”

  Raizxl sobered, studying her. “I learned enough of the basics of your language, in case I ever needed to converse with your species.”

  “Is that so?” Jaiya faced the male, switching from Dzexet to CTA Common to test his understanding. “Are you an alien? Because you’re out of this world.”

  His eyes bulged—apparently, he’d caught her implication. “I’m not interested in copulating with you,” he replied in his native tongue. “Is it possible for males in your species to do so?”

  Laughter erupted in loud bursts from her mouth like chimes of a bell. The innocence in his question humored her, especially considering the secret that she held.

  Jaiya gasped, quickly covering her mouth with both hands to stop herself from making any more feminine sounds. She had been hiding her gender well, deepening her voice and tying down her breasts, even though her size was already smaller than most human males liked.

  Both species were too arrogant to study more than the other’s language and war tactics; social and physical characteristics were a mystery. She had a feeling that unless she was nude, most Daextru wouldn’t know the difference between a human man and woman, especially since all Daextru wore their hair long regardless of gender.

  If only I hadn’t cut my hair.

  She suppressed that train of thought. There was no use denying how much she hated having long hair. The care alone was enough to drive her crazy, and she didn’t like dealing with the weight on her scalp. Sooner or later, she would have cut her hair anyways, so it was foolish to regret her haircut for the sake of the mission.

  “You have nothing to worry about, Raizxl,” she assured him. “Humans, like your species, need one female and one male in order to reproduce. But that doesn’t mean that there aren’t multiple different types and sizes of relationships.”

  Raizxl took a step away from her, eyeing her with caution. “What do you mean?”

  Jaiya pursed her lips. While she was glad he was trying to become more informed about her species, human relationships were a foreign concept to the Daextru, so she needed to explain carefully.

  “While most humans are in monogamous female-male pairings, we have monogamous same-gender couples too,” Jaiya sighed. “The next part will be more difficult to explain.”

  Jaiya took some time trying to describe various forms of polygamy. His limited grasp on CTA Common complicated the explanation, but he responded with interesting information about his own species as well. He told her that during desperate times in the past, the Daextru royal family had a structure like some historic Earth royals, where each royal member bound themselves to multiple mates in order to preserve their bloodline. More mates meant more potential heirs to the throne, which was vital in times when war could take many royal lives.

  The Daextru was a possessive species and didn’t like sharing. Once they bonded a mate, they were loyal until death. Most never moved on after losing their mate.

  “Such practices haven’t been necessary until recently. We have been at war for over forty years with the Vresqoxk, and starting a war with your species made matters worse.”

  “Are you saying the current royal family is polygamous?” Jaiya asked.

  Raizxl flicked his tail, seeming to catch the hitch in her voice.

  “Both Princess Ushyaz and Prince Idris have put all of their focus on the two war fronts. They’ve avoided returning home anytime soon, in hopes of postponing their duty to preserve the bloodline.” Raizxl’s body tensed as he turned his attention to the stars. “Both have received many offers to bond. Rumor has it that some females begged to provide Prince Idris with offspring, even without a bonding in place.”

  “If Prince Idris is considered so desirable at home, why haven’t any of the females here bugged him?”

  Why am I asking if he’s single? It doesn’t matter; it’s not like I have a chance in this universe to be with him.

  “Almost all of the females stationed here are already bonded to another male; they follow their warriors wherever they go. Most are warriors themselves,” he sighed, voice turning melancholy. “In times of war, it is better to spend every waking moment with your starmate, knowing that the next battle may be their last. The overseers and civilians planetside focus on repopulating, while we protect our territory.”

  “Do female warriors ever become pregnant on duty?” she asked softly.

  Raizxl shook his head. “Their eggs are stored, and the females are placed on suppressant drugs that are refreshed once every ten years. Some make
the choice to become sterile, not wanting to risk being captured and used.”

  “Used?”

  Raizxl glared at her. “Humans are lucky we are the first aliens you came across. There are other species in this galaxy that will do anything to invade a habitable planet, especially if they found one with less advanced technology and bodies capable of brooding their young.”

  “Wait, you are saying—”

  “Correct,” Raizxl hissed. “Our warrior females would rather become sterile than take the chance of being captured while fertile, to be raped and forced to incubate for a deranged species that values no one but their own.”

  Jaiya was going to be sick.

  While most of the CTA believed that the Daextru were villainous, from what she had seen so far, they were everything but. They may have had strange and unfamiliar traditions like sleeping in a large sandbox for a bed, but it wasn’t like humans didn’t have their own quirks.

  She didn’t want to think about what would happen if a species like the Vresqoxk invaded the CTA.

  Twenty-five years of war with a species that wanted nothing but sand. It was moronic, even if they were lying about the destroyed representatives’ vessel.

  “Is there a sparring ring on the base? A gymnasium? Or perhaps a large room where I can run laps?” Jaiya asked, having a sudden urge to do something other than returning to her cabin to lie in the sand that had fueled a war. “I have a sudden burst of energy I need to burn if I want any chance at sleep tonight.”

  “The diplomat has a sudden need to fight with something other than words?” Raizxl smirked.

  “I wasn’t the one who was afraid of a fragile little diplomat stabbing the prince,” she teased.

  Raizxl narrowed his eyes. “You could have been an assassin on a suicidal mission.”

  “I believe some would consider my coming here by myself a death wish.” Jaiya turned away from the window and crossed her arms. “But yes, if you can guide me someplace I can stretch my legs, I would appreciate it.”

  “I know just the place.”

  “What is the meaning of this, Raizxl?” Idris demanded as he entered the observation deck, Erlyn trailing behind him. “We were on our way back from the hangar’s Control Room.”

  The observation deck was a single floor that surrounded a rectangular arena from above. The ground floor was split into twenty rooms, each with its own viewing window and set of control panels. The room’s occupant could train in simulated combat scenarios, while the staff could adjust each individual’s experience from above.

  The battle arena was equipped with a living AI technology, immersing the trainee and forcing them to respond to a simulated attack. Each occupant wore a black living-cloth suit capable of realistically mimicking any battle injury. The suit left the wearer’s head and neck exposed; if the system determined the user was struck there, the living AI environment would automatically end the test program, signaling the occupant’s failure.

  This set-up allowed experienced warriors to burn off their anger without injuring others, as well as new soldiers trained in hand-to-hand combat.

  Idris was surprised when Raizxl paged him and requested his presence here. Not only was the guard showing a part of their advanced technology to a human, but a diplomat should have had no use for the living arena.

  Raizxl glanced behind him and stood next to the only viewing window with an active light on. The single occupied room was dark, the only light coming from a single figure battling an AI projection of Raizxl.

  Raizxl nodded his head in greeting before returning his attention to the battle arena. “I wanted to show you that I wasn’t wrong about his capabilities, Sire.” He jerked his chin in the direction of the glowing fighter. “I knew you would have to see it to believe it, but it seems like our diplomat possesses more skills than just a sharp tongue.”

  Idris would have called him a liar, if not for the fact that Aydin Lian was the only person aboard the starbase without horns and a tail.

  “What brought this on?” He asked, studying the short-haired male as he seemed to dance around Raizxl’s projection.

  Something about the pale male stirred a reaction to life within him, making Idris question everything about himself. There was a familiarity about Aydin that he couldn’t wrap his tail around. Idris knew they had never met outside of the starbase, so he couldn’t explain why even his name felt familiar.

  “Our little assassin—”

  “Don’t call him that!” Erlyn hissed.

  “I would like to remind you that Aydin Lian is here as a diplomat. Using such language may jeopardize the goodwill we’ve worked so hard to earn the last few days,” Idris challenged. “He has skillfully designed a fair peace treaty for both of our species and has never shown any signs of aggression during our talks.”

  “I agree with Idris.” Erlyn shot a glance at the rest of the observation deck, making sure it was still empty before continuing. “If word of your theories spread, you’ll cause problems we all can’t afford at this point. Not when our starbase’s main fleet is dying on the front lines.”

  “How else would you explain his skillset?” Raizxl asked. He winced and covered his crotch when Aydin stabbed the same spot on his projection. The AI disintegrated Raizxl’s doppelganger and manifested as a blue sphere in the air, waiting for the next test run.

  “My mother, the Overseer, wanted me to follow in her steps. I probably would have just to make her happy, if it wasn’t for the endless barrage of females bugging me every waking moment. They tried to sweet-talk mother to get to me, but I wouldn’t allow that.” Idris shivered at the memory of a female who had broken into his chambers and tried to climb into his bed as he slept. After that shock, he had demanded that his father, the Sovereign, allow him to join the Fleet Academy on Azophi 1 and support his sister Ushyaz on its starbase. He’d been here ever since, protecting the star system while she was away fighting with the main fleet. “I am here now acting as our species representative because my earlier studies gave me the right experience for the job. Perhaps he has a similar story that we don’t know about.”

  “You are just upset that he bested your AI projection,” Erlyn chuckled. “Once the treaty is signed, and he goes home, you can return to your starstorm and the rest of the fleet.”

  “We will see about that,” Raizxl chuckled as he worked the control panel.

  The blue sphere materialized into an AI-projected copy of Erlyn.

  “Sire, this is an abuse of power!” Erlyn shouted with a blanched face.

  “I don’t see a problem.” Idris squeezed his assistant’s shoulder. “Plus, I would like to see how our diplomat fares with a new opponent.”

  Erlyn sighed in defeat as the room fell silent, focused on the performance below.

  Idris watched as Aydin tried to calm his breathing. He stood in a defensive stance, ready for Erlyn’s copy to attack.

  The green light that twinkled from his bodysuit almost tricked Idris into believing he was a Daextru. The fiery glare he gave his opponent sent his mind back to his starstorm’s chair. He had seen that same glare before—on the battlefield when he had come across a certain captain and her wing.

  “Erlyn, what do you know about Aydin Lian’s twin sister?” he asked, unable to pull his gaze away from the graceful male as he ducked and swerved, dodging every attack the AI threw at him.

  Erlyn pulled out his tablet and worked the controls, glancing at the display a few times. “Nothing much about his sister, but . . .” He frantically typed some commands before looking up. “I knew the last name sounded familiar. Yueji Lian was on the original diplomatic vessel sent to establish peace with us.”

  “What are you saying?” Idris asked as Aydin tackled his opponent to the floor.

  He couldn’t rip his gaze away from the male; he had pinned the projection, both of his legs straddling him as they joisted. Something about the display was erotic, and he could feel his cock starting to harden.

  “Humans use secondary
names to distinguish familial ties, just as we use beading between starmates.” Erlyn paused, and Idris followed his gaze until he saw Aydin being flipped onto his back with the AI pushing a dagger to his neck.

  “Stop getting distracted and answer your Prince,” Raizxl snapped.

  “Oh, sorry.” Erlyn jerked his gaze away from the battle and returned to his tablet. “It seems like Yueji Lian was the mother of Aydin Lian, and the admiral who declared war on us twenty-five years ago was his father, Admiral Lian.”

  A loud growl roared from the room below, pulling everyone’s attention back to the battle just in time to see Aydin flip Erlyn’s projection over, kneeing the figure in the crotch as he plunged his dagger into its neck.

  In an instant, Aydin returned to his feet, leaving the dagger lodged in Erlyn’s lifeless throat and pumping his fist into the air triumphantly. The AI form disappeared as he shouted his victory to the room. “I want you to look into his family’s history,” Idris commanded, studying the intriguing male. “His behavior during our negotiations has been acceptable, and he has shown nothing but kindness and respect to those around him. I don’t want to believe he is here for nefarious reasons but protecting our people must be our priority.”

  “Understood.”

  “Thank you for being so cooperative over these last five days, Diplomat Lian.”

  Jaiya smiled as Idris offered her his hand, a human gesture he’d picked up after working so closely with her. She bowed her head; tilting their horns was how Daextru acknowledged each other. Her lack of horns wouldn’t deter her from a gesture as simple as a human’s wave.

  “I look forward to our species working together for the greater good. I truly believe we will be able to learn a lot from each other in the coming years,” she said, shaking his hand.

  He peered down at their enclosed hands, gently squeezing hers. A pleasant warmth radiated from his soft, scaly hands as she tried to file this moment away in her memory.