by Sky, Stella
“What career path did you choose?” I asked, my curiosity overwhelming. I had never considered the option of choosing one’s ranking in society. It seemed both startlingly unsure and exciting.
“Investigative journalist,” Alexa said.
“Ah…I don’t know what that is. Perhaps you would like to accompany me for a walk in the gardens? But if you do, maybe you should bring a parasol; the weather is hot today.”
Alexa smiled at me in a way that made the heat rise to my face. Again, I thought to myself how no creature here, or in any other universe, might compare to her beauty.
“That sounds nice,” she said. “Do you have a parasol I could borrow then?”
“Of course,” I stammered, walking briskly to the closet and retrieving one for her. “Please, take this.”
“That’s grandmother’s!” Temal exclaimed from the kitchen doorway. I looked sternly at her.
“Mind your rank!”
Temal’s eyes widened, surprised. I usually didn’t like to pull rank on her, but the way she was treating Alexa was starting to get on my nerves. You couldn’t judge a whole race of people based on singular events pushed forward by singularly greedy people. I had learned that the hard way as Commander of the Fleet, and soon I would be learning a whole lot more.
“Apologies to you,” Temal said bitterly, bowing deeply at me. She turned her back before I could give her my words of forgiveness and disappeared into the kitchen. A few moments later, I could hear her scrubbing the floor furiously, and I sighed deeply.
“Just give her some time,” Alexa said, linking my hand with hers and squeezing it gently. A sudden peace washed over me, and the heat from Alexa’s hands seemed to warm my entire body. How had I ever lived without this female in my life?
“The gardens are this way,” I said, not acknowledging my cousin’s emotional outburst. I would have to have a talk with her privately. If she continued to treat the human poorly, I would have to fire her.
“It’s so beautiful!”
Alexa’s clear hazel eyes were wide in wonderment as she gazed at all of the lush greenery of Jenal’k. Much of my collection was exotic and had come from Mount Zennith, and even I had to express amazement at the beauty of my garden. I had forsaken a large house so that I would have space for my huge sanctuary of plants, though most men in my position would have built a palace instead.
“This is my sanctuary,” I said, smiling at Alexa. “I’m gone from home so much that when I come back, I don’t need a lot of rooms in a fancy house. I need a place where I can unwind and be comfortable.”
“I love it,” Alexa said, turning her dazzling eyes on me. Her face was radiant with pleasure, and a fleeting, forbidden thought drove me to wonder just what it might look like when other types of pleasure flickered across it.
“Anyway, you still haven’t told me,” I said, trying to shove the forbidden thoughts out of my mind. It was surprisingly difficult. “What is an investigative journalist?”
Alexa looked down at her hands and laughed quietly. “It’s someone who goes around uncovering mysteries and conspiracies. Corruption in places where people are getting hurt because of other people’s greed.”
“So then…you choose to go against the wishes of your people?” I asked, surprised that one might decide on such a risky career path.
“Only the people with something to hide and more power than they deserve,” Alexa said, jutting her chin out defiantly.
“And who determines who deserves power and who doesn’t?” I asked, finding myself at odds with her words. My planet’s philosophy would dictate that we accept what we are fated with or suffer.
“How you use your power should determine whether or not you deserve to have it,” Alexa said confidently. “Some people take advantage of what they’re given and profit at the expense of others.”
“That’s no different than Earth’s concept of capitalism,” I pointed out, cleverly I thought. Alexa ignored the point though, and continued speaking. I had never heard a female so passionate about something before. It was attractive.
“Well, I think that’s wrong. There’s an unspoken moral code that one should follow, and when the people in power are doing things that hurt others for their own profit, and then lying about it, that’s when an investigative journalist should get involved and expose those lies so that nobody else falls victim to them. Are you trying to tell me that there is no such thing as corruption on Jenal’k?”
“Well, no, it’s just that we listen to our leaders. They are chosen by Fate, you understand. There are divinities that we hold very dear and who guide our way. And until recently, everything has run very smoothly upon listening to their guidance. So I don’t see any reason to—”
“Wait a second. You said ‘until recently,’ which means there is a problem with the system. When there is a problem with the system, it’s somebody’s job to speak up about it, don’t you think?” Alexa was staring hard at me, and raising questions in my mind that made me feel very uncomfortable.
I hesitated to answer. My job was to protect the secrecy of the men above me and command ships in a war that, to my knowledge, nobody on Jenal’k understood. Why the war was happening was simple, but the reasons were left obscured by distance and time. It was to the point that nobody was asking, “Why is the war happening in the Kalron territory,” and instead they would say things such as, “I hear there was a Thressl’n casualty in the war on the other side of the galaxy. What a shame.”
The Thressl’n enlisted to fight had been carefully selected. They were men with nothing to lose, or men with nothing to gain from the career paths they were already on. It was a dangerous time to be living in, but nobody knew just how little safety they had to rely on. And if I didn’t do my job right, Jenal’k itself could end up being a target.
All because Supreme Leader Aloitus was after something the Kalron had. Something I wasn’t sure was worth the lives of countless casualties.
“I don’t think I want to talk about this right now,” I said finally, clearing my throat. “But I wonder…of all the paths you could have chosen, why this one? Isn’t it dangerous? Earthlings aren’t huge fans of the truth, are they?”
Alexa laughed softly, and I noticed suddenly the way her cheeks formed into shallow, alluring dimples when she smiled. I had to tear my eyes away before she caught me staring.
“No, the truth is a difficult concept on Earth because they’ve made it such a subjective thing. It’s different for everybody.”
“But facts are facts,” I said. There was clearly a lot I had to learn about Earth.
Alexa shrugged. “I chose the path I’m on because I wanted to help people. And I love photography. It was a great way to combine two of my passions: sticking my nose where it doesn’t belong, and taking pictures.”
I grinned. “Taking pictures?”
“It probably seems silly to you. Thressl’n technology is so advanced that I doubt you would ever covet photography like I do.”
“It is a rather primitive art form, don’t you think? There are satellite feeds you can insert location points into and get a feed of an image from any date or time. Isn’t that good enough?”
Alexa looked at me as if I were the biggest idiot in the world.
“You don’t think the people doing corrupt things and owning satellites could alter images to keep themselves out of trouble?” she exclaimed. “I want my own camera.”
“You want a camera, huh?” I asked, chuckling and shaking my head. “Well, I’m not sure what to tell you about that.”
Alexa smiled at me, and all of the tension I was feeling from the conversation melted away. “That’s okay. I think I can keep myself occupied here.”
She was just so unbelievably beautiful.
“I hope so. Will you be okay while I’m gone?”
“I should be fine, though I don’t know what I’m going to eat,” she laughed.
I grinned. “That shouldn’t be a problem. I will arrange meals to be
delivered if you aren’t confident after yesterday’s lesson.”
“Would you be?” she exclaimed. We both laughed. It had been a pleasant disaster.
“Like I said, meals will be arranged. But don’t let anybody inside with you. There is a lot of hostility about the humans, kind of what you’ve seen with my cousin. It would be safer if you stayed inside and kept to yourself. I would take you with me if I could.”
“Where are you going?”
“To war,” I said without thinking.
“What? I thought you guys were relatively peaceful. I mean, despite kidnapping hundreds of women and forcing them into camps where people like Zod can abduct them.”
“Zod?” I asked, thrown off-guard at the mention of him.
Alexa’s cheeks reddened deeply, and she looked quickly to the ground.
“Well, you know, he seems so arrogant. Like some of the men on Earth. So I can only imagine how he might treat a human woman if he got his hands on her.”
“He was particularly eager to claim his female,” I agreed.
Alexa glowered darkly at the row of flowers in front of us. “I’m sure he was.”
“Are you okay?” I asked, reaching out to touch her on the shoulder. She seemed to relax under my touch, and she turned to face me.
“Chaz’z, there’s something I should tell you,” Alexa said. “I—”
“Commander!”
The bangle on my arm barked at me, and I sighed.
“Apologies to you,” I said to Alexa, turning away to speak to Supreme Leader Aloitus.
“Yes, sir?”
“Take off has been moved to three rotations from now. You are expected at headquarters immediately.”
“But—”
“Are you questioning my command?!”
“No, sir! I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
“That’s what I thought.”
I pursed my lips in irritation and turned to face Alexa.
“I’m afraid I will have to leave sooner than was thought. Please look after the home for me. I will be back as soon as I can.”
Without thinking, I embraced Alexa. She gasped at the feeling of my arms around her waist and craned her neck up to look at me. It was as if our bodies had a mind of their own, and without thinking twice, I leaned over and kissed Alexa, lightly at first, but soon a passionate fire was ignited. Waves of desire washed over me as I drank in the sweetness of her supple lips, and she gripped the cloth over my shoulders. We were both breathless when we broke away from each other, and Alexa wrapped her arms around herself and looked down modestly at the ground.
“Stay safe,” she whispered, her clear eyes shimmering with the same strange clear liquid as I had seen once before.
“That means you are sad!” I exclaimed happily, proud that I understood this strange human phenomenon.
Alexa gave me a strange look, and the smile on my face faltered.
“I am sorry,” I stammered. “Was that not appropriate?”
To my relief, the attractive dimple returned to her cheek, and her captivating eyes drew me in, deeper than I thought I could ever look into somebody else.
“It’s not offensive,” Alexa said quietly. “Because I don’t think you would ever find real pleasure in my pain.”
Alexa’s lips parted into the most dazzling smile I had ever seen, and my hearts hammered hard in my chest. I would have stared at her all day, mesmerized, were it not for the communications device around my arm.
“Commander!” Zod’s voice agitated me immediately. “You need to pick up the St’arghach for the offering! Someone forgot it! Do you want to tempt fate, Rog?!”
“I’m sorry, Captain Zod,” Rog’s muffled voice said. I sighed deeply.
“I’ll pick it up.”
“Zod’s going too?” Alexa asked, her brow creasing.
“Yes, but we should be stationed in different areas, so I will survive,” I said with a dismissive laugh. The worry didn’t leave her eyes, and she smiled unconvincingly at me. “It will be all right.”
“Sure…” Alexa said. “You’d better go.”
“I’d best,” I said, reluctant, for some reason, to part with her. Why did it feel like I was risking everything by leaving her? She would still be here when I got back, wouldn’t she?
I did my best to smile at Alexa one last time, fighting the foreboding in my chest. One way or another, I would have to go. Whether I liked it or not, Alexa would have to stay on Jenal’k. I would just have to trust that when I returned, things would be just as I’d left them.
Chapter 5
Alexa Thomas (Investigative Journalist)
The first night without Chaz’z in the house was difficult. I kept expecting to run into him, or hear his soothing voice speaking into his communications device. I had grown quite fond of his little home. It was comfortable but luxurious. Seeing the gardens had been magical, and it seemed like the perfect touch for his already incredible dwelling.
He had seemed surprised that I liked it though, and again I felt anger and irritation toward my twin, who had undoubtedly snubbed Chaz’z’s kindness. In a way, I felt like she had Zod’s temper coming to her. But she was still my sister. I couldn’t just leave her there.
I waited until Temal had left and then roamed through the house quietly. If I was going to do this, I would have to do it right. Since I couldn’t trust that Zod would ever feed me, I would have to make sure my basic needs were met myself. At least, for as long as they possibly could be.
“Don’t worry Sam; I’m coming,” I whispered as I rummaged through the drawers in Chaz’z’s house. They didn’t give me much to work with, until I found a needle and thread stuffed far in the back of one drawer.
I used it to sew pockets inside my clothing so that I could hide food inside of them, and then went into the kitchen to rummage through it. There weren’t many dried goods, so I had to settle for strange packages of things I couldn’t recognize. Who knew what they were? Still, it would be better than leaving unprepared.
I rushed out the front door as quickly as I could, closing my eyes in an attempt to recall which direction Zod lived in. I would have to try to remain hidden for this to work.
Thankfully, it was a small neighborhood full of elite Thressl’n men, and most of them were gone, if the absence of a hovercraft was any indication. The neighborhood was small enough that it was easy to find my way to Zod’s home. I recognized it immediately and felt sick to my stomach at the sight of it. I couldn’t believe I was going back. And willingly. But I knew it was safe. He wouldn’t be there for another few days. It would be enough time to switch back with Samantha and save her.
***
“Alexa! What the hell are you doing here?!” Samantha exclaimed. I had been tapping on the window for at least five minutes, and had almost given up. “What if Zod catches you?”
“Sam, just let me in.”
“No! We could get in trouble!”
“We’re not going to get in trouble. Zod isn’t going to be back for another few days. Chaz’z and Zod went out to space together. Or they will be later today.”
Sam sighed heavily.
“Fine.”
Samantha unlatched the window, and I climbed into the kitchen, annoyed when she didn’t offer me any help.
“I’m here to switch places with you,” I said.
“What?” Samantha asked, her eyes narrowing. “Why would you want to do that?”
“Because Zod is a monster and I feel bad leaving you alone with him.”
Sam was quiet for a moment before she finally spoke.
“Well, none of the Thressl’n are super fun guys, Alexa. What makes you think I want to switch back?”
I gaped at my twin. She couldn’t possibly be serious.
“I see what’s going on here,” I said, sitting heavily on one of the kitchen chairs. The house smelled like Zod and it took everything I had not to throw up. “You’re getting Stockholm syndrome. You must think he’s actually a decent guy!”
“Who? Zod? I mean, he’s no Prince Charming, but I’ve dated worse guys than this.”
The information made my nausea worsen.
“I’m so sorry,” I said, standing up quickly and hugging my sister. She pulled away and fixed a look of disgust on me. “It must have been so hard for you. But don’t worry. Everything is going to be fine now.”
If there was one thing my sister enjoyed, it was being the center of attention. My sympathy seemed to awaken something deep within her, because suddenly her eyes turned glassy with unshed tears and her mouth puckered up into a pout.
“Life can be so unfair sometimes,” Samantha agreed. “It is awful!”
Whether she meant that about Zod, the captor she seemed to still be somewhat enamored with, or about the whole situation in general, I couldn’t help but feel terrible for my twin. I had left her alone. I could have tried harder to keep her from going home to Zod. Who knew what kind of things he had done?
“You can take my place back with Chaz’z,” I said, wiping away the small tear that had begun to fall down Samantha’s cheek. “He won’t hurt you. Not the way Zod has.”
My mind wandered to the heat of Chaz’z’s lips against mine, and I could feel my cheeks burning as I tried to push the thought away. No school-girl crush was going to get in the way of doing the right thing. Zod was the man I had been assigned to. Not Chaz’z. I wouldn’t let my sister suffer for my fate any longer.
“All right, Alexa. Thank you,” Sam said. “It was getting boring here anyway.”
Boring?
“Zod and Chaz’z won’t be here for a few days, so don’t worry. Take some time alone to heal.”
“Aww, thanks, Lexi. I owe you one!” Sam rushed to the window. “Would you mind giving me a boost out of here? It’s a little high.”
I smiled, gritting my teeth to keep from snapping at my sister for demanding the same help she had refused me.
“Sure, sis; be careful on the way down.”
When she successfully reached the ground, Sam beamed up at me.
“Do you think these guys would let us have a girls’ night sometime?” Sam asked. “That would be fun!”
