by Sara Page
Slowly, I drag my eyes away from Maul to peer back at the Supreme Leader. His face might as well be made out of stone for all it tells me. I honestly can’t determine if he’s being sincere or not but feel some of my anger fade.
“Is that a joke?” I ask and feel Maul stiffen around me.
The Supreme Leader’s eyes narrow to slits and his nostrils flare.
“Ixnay on the okejay,” Marketh mutters, fluttering around me while he demonstrates the pig latin I’ve been teaching him.
“Explain your meaning,” the Supreme Leader demands without reciting my name and title.
Uh oh, I guess that means I’m in trouble now.
I look back at Maul and his arms squeeze around me, encouraging me while Marketh mutters that I should tread carefully.
This is my moment though. This is my one and only chance to call out what’s being done to Earth. To try to make things right.
To help Isla.
I take a deep, calming breath and look back to the Supreme Leader, focusing on his nose instead of his hypnotic gold eyes.
“What I mean,” I say and then clear my throat so I can speak up. “Is that we humans are so unimportant that you and the Tribunal care not that the protection order you’ve slapped on us is being violated.”
The Supreme Leader is still for a long moment before nodding his head.
“We are aware of the violations—” he begins.
But I firmly cut him off. “Yet you do nothing about it.”
His nostrils flare with irritation and the crimson of his skin darkens. I know I’m pushing it and there might be consequences, but to hell right now with the consequences. This is too important.
“We investigate every reported infraction,” he goes on to say like he’s explaining something to a young child. “The reports we have received from your Human Protection Bureau are minimal and most have been resolved.”
“What do you mean by minimal?” I ask, confused. Not understanding how that could be so.
Perhaps the Tribunal’s definition of minimal is not the same as mine given their vast scale across the galaxies…
“Your Human Protection Bureau is reporting a dozen disappearances daily that we attribute to rogue—”
“A dozen? As in twelve?” I ask, incredulous.
I can feel my blood pressure starting to rise again. Perhaps this is just one of those things that’s getting lost in translation, I try to reason with myself. There’s no way the Bureau, my Bureau, would only report a dozen daily disappearances.
Unless they were hiding something.
Shit.
The Supreme Leader frowns, his eyes taking in my face and my angry scowl. “Yes, as in twelve disappearances a day. Most that can be attributed to rogue poachers—”
“No frickin’ way!” I blurt out. “There’s no frickin’ way,” I repeat, turning to Maul, looking to him as if he could fix this for me.
If what he’s saying is true, then it means someone in the Bureau is downplaying the true scope of the situation.
“I do not understand this ‘frickin’ way’, but I can assure you the numbers are correct,” the Supreme Leader says.
“But there are thousands of people disappearing on a daily basis!” I cry out, turning back to face the assembly and the Supreme Leader.
I can feel Maul sending me soothing waves as I face down the Supreme Leader, but I don’t want to be soothed right now and it only makes me feel more irritated.
“Families are being torn apart,” I burst out before the Supreme Leader speaks again. “My own sister was taken. There are entire communities that have been completely decimated. And every day it gets worse. Every day the number taken rises. Men, women, and children are disappearing. There is no rhyme or reason or pattern to explain who is taken. And there’s nothing we can do to stop it…”
A murmur travels through the assembly and I look to them, hoping to find some kind of compassion, but their faces are so foreign to me all I see is coldness.
In the grand scope of things, Earth’s problems are probably of no consequence to them. We’re a weak, technologically impaired species that has little to offer them.
But it’s my species, dammit. We’re not just going to take this laying down.
The Supreme Leader stares at me for a long time and I can almost literally feel the weight of his regard upon my shoulders.
“This is troubling new information,” he finally says after a long moment. “And I can assure you, Alexus Miller of House Lathuria, this matter will be fully investigated.”
“But?!” I cry out.
I shouldn’t be surprised by the brush off, but I am. I’ve always had this hope, this naïve belief, that if I could just present my case to the Tribunal, that they’d be outraged enough to help me.
“But?” the Supreme Leader repeats as if the word confuses him.
“You’re not actually going to do anything about it.”
The Supreme Leader’s eyes flash and his voice is heavy with authority as he says, “After a full, formal investigation of your allegation, the appropriate justice will be meted out to those in violation of the protection.”
Perhaps if not so many people were being taken. Perhaps if my own sister wasn’t out there, somewhere, right at this moment, in slavery, that would be good enough. But it’s not good enough right now. Something big needs to be done to stop this before Earth is completely decimated.
“And how long is a full, formal investigation going to take? Days? Weeks? Months? Not until we lose another hundred-thousand?” I say, my voice growing higher and higher in octave with each word spoken.
I can feel everything I’ve worked for, everything I’ve put myself through starting to amount to nothing.
Maul and his father share a worried look and then Maul says softly, “Lexi, my bonded, we cannot know how long an investigation will take, especially one of this scale.”
“It is my understanding,” the Supreme Leader says, “That you, Fourth-Striped Maul, have already partially investigated this matter.”
Maul nods at the Supreme Leader. “Yes, Supreme Leader. And my findings are…” Maul trails off and he looks to the assembly as if he’s choosing his next words carefully. “Disturbing, to say the least.”
The Supreme Leader frowns as if he’s not pleased to learn this. “You will send a full, detailed report to the Committee tonight.”
Maul nods his head and I get the feeling they’re just going to let it end like this. With a promise of an investigation but no real action. My ‘allegation’ will be ‘investigated’ and in the meantime thousands will keep disappearing.
Mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, sons, and daughters.
“So that’s it?” I ask with disbelief.
The Supreme Leader’s eyes narrow at me once more and his face hardens.
“Silly me,” I blurt out a little shrilly. “I actually thought the Tribunal gave a shit when their precious rules were being broken.
For the first time since we stepped into the formal assembly chamber the assembly falls completely silent.
Marketh buzzes worriedly at my elbow and I sense Maul’s pulse spiking up with tension. Every muscle he has wrapped around me feels taunt with expectation.
Feeling the need to back up my words, I lift my gaze and look the Supreme Leader dead in the eyes. At first, I can feel the power of them pulling at me, trying to suck me in, but I’m so angry, so damn determined, I fight it. I will not cower and I will not grovel.
This might be the only chance Earth has.
“I can assure you, Alexus Miller of House Lathuria, we do give a shit,” the Supreme Leader says.
Still staring into his hypnotic eyes, I swear they seem to soften once again. There’s almost a fondness there, but it disappears so quickly I must be mistaken.
“Then prove it,” I challenge him and hear Marketh cursing my stubbornness.
The Supreme Leader stares back at me hard, and it’s almost like we’re playing a game of chicken now. His e
yes bore into mine, the force of them willing me to roll over, to submit to him, but I’m not going to back down. I have very little to lose, but I have to wonder how far is he willing to push this.
Is he willing to lose face in front of his people?
“Bring in the human representing the Human Protection Bureau,” he finally demands. “Jack Weir of Earth.”
The Gold Cloak bows his head to the Supreme Leader and then turns, snapping off orders to a group of Red Masks. The Red Masks quickly disperse to carry out the orders, disappearing through some exit hidden off to the side.
My heart starts to pump so hard I fear the damn thing is about to break a rib. I haven’t seen Jack since he tried to enslave me with serenity. He was so close to permanently making me his bitch, I break out in a cold sweat just thinking about it.
The Supreme Leader continues to watch me but the intensity is gone, replaced by a blatant curiosity. He seems to relax in his seat and his head inclines.
“Tell me, Alexus,” he says, his voice sounding less formal. “What do you suggest we do to better protect your home planet?”
I don’t know if he’s intentionally trying to distract me from the thought of facing Jack again or if he honestly wants to know my suggestions, but I jump on the opportunity to voice my opinion.
“The first thing I would do is remove Earth’s protected status.”
A few murmurs of surprise flutter through the assembly and also quite a few laughs.
The Supreme Leader looks surprised by my suggestion. “You would remove the only protection Earth has?”
I nod my head and try not to take Maul’s confusion flowing through our bond personally. I’ve never discussed this with him before. In fact, I’ve kind of been hiding it from him because I’ve been afraid of how he would react.
“I would remove the protection because it prevents us from arming ourselves with strong allies.”
While the Protected Species status slapped on Earth is supposed to protect us from being abused by other races, it also keeps us from being able to willingly interact with them. We can’t reach out to trade or exchange information, something we desperately need to be able to do if we ever want to make it out of our technological stone age.
“I take it you have a specific ally in mind, yes?” the Supreme Leader says.
I nod. “I do. The Vicarions.”
A roar goes through the crowd and even Maul stiffens against the suggestion.
It takes several bellows of the Gold Cloak threatening to make the inquiry private again before things quiet down enough for the Supreme Leader to speak again.
“You wish to have Earth’s status removed so you can ally with the Vicarions?” the Supreme Leader repeats as if he too can’t quite believe it.
Feeling a little under the gun, I squirm under the Supreme Leader’s incredulous expression. “Yes,” I say, and then speak up over the crowd as they once again react loudly. “The Vicarions have already graciously offered to protect Earth from our enemies.”
“In exchange for what?” The Supreme Leader asks.
I shift from foot to foot and glance nervously at Maul who is currently staring at me with a look of stark disbelief. “They wish to explore the possibility of there being a breeding compatibility with humans.” The Supreme Leader frowns at me and I feel the need to add, “All voluntary, of course.”
“Of course,” the Supreme Leader repeats with sarcasm.
Yes, I know it almost seems like I’m willing to whore Earth out in exchange for some protection, but after my brief and informative discussion with the Vicarion Randor, I’ve been assured no humans will be forced into breeding against their will.
Which is a big step up from abductions and forced slavery, in my opinion.
And who’s to say we’re even compatible? Just because I seem to smell good to them doesn’t mean any actual babies could come out of it…
“Supreme Leader,” Maul suddenly speaks up. “The Vicarions have reached out to me and asked me to act as an envoy on their behalf. They wish peace with the Tribunal, and perhaps allowing them to explore their breeding capabilities with Earth is a good way to make that happen.”
The Supreme Leader’s eyes light up with interest and he nods his head in agreement. “Perhaps. But that is a matter we will discuss at another inquiry.”
I feel so much love for Maul at the moment, I have to fight the urge to turn around, throw my arms around him, and kiss him.
“Supreme Leader!” A tall, purple alien with tentacles coming out of his body calls out from the assembly. “If the Vicarions are permitted to breed with Earth, we ask that we, the Krakus, are also permitted to explore our breeding compatibilities.”
“And us!” The cat-like aliens call out and it seems to set off a domino effect.
Suddenly, nearly all the different races seated in the assembly are calling out, promising to protect Earth if we agree to breed with them.
What the hell?
“Look what you did,” Marketh snickers just as the Paxzies themselves promise to devote half of their war fleet to Earth’s protection.
“What’s going on?” I ask, completely overwhelmed by the assembly’s reaction. “Why do they want to breed with Earth? I mean, I can understand why the Vicarions are willing, but why them?”
“Because, my heart, Earth gives those who have yet to find their bonded hope,” Maul says as he hugs me tightly.
“But why do they need the hope in the first place?” I press.
A strange orange race of aliens with huge heads calls out, demanding a chance to breed with humans and I shudder, pitying any human that would mate with them.
“Some of the races, such as the Krakus are dying out. Though not at the same pace as the Vicarions,” Maul explains.
“And if a human can bond and successful breed with a Rathturian, it gives them hope that a human could potentially be a match for them,” Marketh adds.
Maul nods as the Gold Cloak once more has to make all kinds of threats to get the assembly to quiet down. “Not all races are dying out though. There are many who fail to find their bonded on their home planet and feel they are doomed to a solitary fate.”
“Can’t they just search through the other allied races?” I ask.
“No,” Maul says almost sadly, shaking his head. “What they said earlier is true. Interspecies breeding has never before been successful… that is before you and me.”
It takes the Supreme Leader himself roaring out, “We will discuss the breeding possibilities with Earth at a future inquiry. Be silent or be found in contempt!” before things start to settle down.
I peek back out at the assembly from the comfort of Maul’s arms and this time instead of seeing cold judgment in their faces, I see something else. There’s an eager hopefulness that wasn’t there before, and the entire assembly seems much more cheerful. Almost joyful even.
Then the Gold Cloak booms loudly, “Jack Weir of Earth,” and all the warmth is sucked from the air.
The group of Red Masks marches back in with Jack wedged firmly between them. I can’t tell if they’re shielding him or keeping him from escaping.
My heart starts to pound again and my stomach twists. I reach down, placing a protective hand over my belly.
Maul begins to growl, the rumbling vibration of his chest surprisingly soothing against my back.
Jack looks to me, his eyes feverish bright, as he’s led closer and closer to my little group.
I almost fear the Red Masks are going to march him right up to us and find myself clutching at Maul’s arm, but at the last moment, the Red Masks make a sharp right and stop several feet away from us.
“Lexi,” Jack says, turning to me and completely ignoring the Supreme Leader.
The Red Masks that still surround Jack nudge at him, ordering him to face forward. Jack completely ignores them and chooses instead to take a step toward me.
“Lexi,” he repeats more pleadingly. “Don’t do this. You’re making a mistake.�
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Before I can respond, the Supreme Leader says loudly, “Jack Weir of Earth, you were summoned before me to confirm the latest reports provided by the Human Protection Bureau.”
Still Jack continues to ignore the Supreme Leader, giving me all of his attention. “If you come with me, Lexi, I will show you where Isla is. I know where those dirty bastards have taken her.”
“You know where Isla is?” I ask, my desperation to find her suddenly surfacing with a vengeance. I know I can’t trust him but perhaps I could convince him to give me the information.
“Human,” the Gold Cloak suddenly bellows. “You will turn and address the Supreme Leader.”
“Yes, I know where she is,” Jack nods almost enthusiastically and tries to take another step toward me. “I can show you. We can go right now if you like.”
The Red Cloaks shove him back and he looks angrily at them. “Get your fucking hands off me, freaks.”
“He lies,” Maul growls into my ear and I can feel his entire body vibrating with the effort of keeping his rage in check. I can feel his anger bleeding into me from the bond but I fight it back.
“Maybe,” I say. “But he could be telling the truth. He might know something…”
I’m so desperate for any little piece of information, I’m willing to humor Jack to get my hands on it. I suppose that’s the problem with hope, it’s almost like a drug. You need it to keep going, to keep the demons at bay. To continue breathing each day. But you become so dependent upon it, and are so afraid of losing it, it can manipulate you and force you to make mistakes you normally wouldn’t make.
“Jack Weir of Earth,” the Gold Cloak calls out, at the end of his patience. “Turn to face the Supreme Leader or be held in contempt.”
Jack shakes his head and glances towards the bellowing Gold Cloak before looking back to me. “Lexi, she’s still alive. Come with me and I’ll show you.”
He reaches between the Red Masks and holds out his hand as if he expects me to take it.
I shake my head and burrow myself deeper into Maul’s embrace, my hand now clutching at my stomach. Maul is shaking so violently now I’m afraid he might snap and go after Jack and earn the wrath of those gathered.
