“Rotation, Judge.”
They shifted until their concealers were in contact, and she felt him turning her until they were jumbled. Once they reset their positions, they began a quick march to the courtroom. The attack was coming, she could feel it, and it was pressing down on her.
She brought in the jury early. If anyone doubted what was going on, she needed someone seeing it through her eyes.
They made it through the first checkpoint without incident and up the steps toward the courthouse. They were crossing the courtyard when three beings rushed at them. Judge Dex was shoved back as Ex-Hess stepped forward. He let a pulse out that knocked the attackers back, and in Dex’s mind, she heard screaming. Hundreds of voices were shrieking in pain. It was the worst sort of confirmation.
Judge Dex staggered into the courthouse with Ex-Hess right behind her. She stumbled into her chambers and sat motionless. “Did you feel that?”
“Yes. I now know what is making you ill. I hope that this concludes today.”
She rubbed her temples, though he couldn’t see her. “One way or another, this will.”
As the light crept in through the high window, she nodded. “Right. Let’s get the show on the road.”
He organized the courtroom for her, and the shocked prosecution stared as she emerged from chambers and took her seat, apparently they were not expecting her.
“Court will resume.” Ex-Hess nodded and everyone took their seats.
Judge Dex settled in. “Council, begin the defense.”
The defense called the Guardian Trace to the stand. It went as she expected it to. They had received a distress call, Legion had answered it and the village had shattered.
The second Guardian, Tumbler, also agreed that those were the events. Someone called them.
Legion was still sitting with a blank expression on his features.
Judge Dex nodded, “Bring the defendant to the stand and release his restrictor.”
The prosecution looked nervous. “I object.”
Dex snorted. “My courtroom, my rules. This is what happens when an imperium judge and jury is called in. I am impartial, but I do things my way. Release him. I will restrain him if necessary.”
The prosecution and witnesses looked at each other nervously.
Trace helped his team member onto the stand, and the defense council released the restraint.
Legion shuddered violently, but he sat quietly.
“Legion, do you know where you are?” She spoke calmly and clearly. Her mind was open and watching his.
“I am in a courtroom.”
“Do you remember the events that brought you here?”
“The village. I remember being called to the village.”
Now for the important question. “Legion, what is the nature of your talent?”
He smiled slightly, his pale features drawn and exhausted, but his eyes were brightening. “I take the focus of the population and turn it into energy to help them in their time of distress.”
“Do you know what happened the day you arrived in Norgin?”
“It seemed fairly quiet, but they were all in the square. Every member of the population was watching me. I asked them who needed help, told them I was there to help, and suddenly, everything went light and I felt a push like nothing I had felt before. There was silence, and then, I heard the shuttle coming in and then screaming started. No one was killed, but a few people were injured by falling debris. I was on my knees and the mayor was demanding that I be put into custody, that I was dangerous and needed to be destroyed.”
“He said destroyed?”
“The mayor of Norgin is a woman, but yes, she said I was to be destroyed.” Legion was looking better now that the restrictor was off.
A quick look into his mind told her that he drew his health from those around him. The restrictor had been slowly killing him. He was a symbiote of the highest order. He offered protection to any population he was in, in exchange for a small bit of biological energy. It would never be a problem in a normal population, which is why Legion had been sent to Vradu. It was a safe and non-psychic population or that was the common idea.
“Thank you, Legion. Please take a seat next to your counsel.”
“Your Honour, permission to cross-examine?”
“Denied. He has been examined by the jury. His statements are completely accurate.”
The prosecutor blinked in surprise.
“Now, prosecutor, defense, I need a local expert on lore of the hills. I need it immediately.”
The defense representative removed a com unit from his bag and immediately made a few calls.
“Recess is called until the experts can be brought forward to fill in the gaps. I want no disruptions in my courtroom. Guardians, I am deputizing you for security.” She got to her feet and headed to her chambers.
She felt the blast coming a moment before it struck. The witnesses of Norgin were standing and projecting a column of hate towards her. The jury got a filtered measure of it but enough to feel the attack.
“Legion! Help!”
She directed a short blast of psychic energy, and it had the desired effect. “Ex-Hess, get down!”
He covered her body with his as Legion energized and sent out a compressing wave that threw all standing parties against the walls with heavy thuds.
Ex-Hess whispered, “Did you know that would happen?”
She grunted. “Of course I did. Legion’s records are quite clear. He is not to operate on any world with a psychic population. He gets over-stimulated and kablamo.”
“This world has psychics?”
“It would explain a lot, would it not?”
She elbowed him and got to her feet the moment he rolled free of her. The Vradu were stunned and clutching their heads, and the Guardians were back to back with Legion. He looked dazed but otherwise fine.
Judge Dex resumed her seat. “Apologies for the interference in your power, Legion.”
“It is fine, Judge, but what did you do to me?”
She smiled, but he couldn’t see it. “Everyone be seated. If you are on the floor, stay there.”
She took a deep breath. “Legion, your attack on the village of Norgin was not an attack on your part. You are cleared of all charges and may resume your duties as Guardian.”
The Guardians shook his hand and slapped his back in celebration.
“However.”
The courtroom froze.
“As the village of Norgin have bred into a collective consciousness with a high psychic element, it is no longer sound for you to remain here in an active capacity. I will be ordering a transfer to a silent world for you.”
Legion stiffened, but he nodded in acceptance.
“As for the people of Norgin, I am charging all witnesses with perjury and ordering a full psychic assessment by the imperium auditor. If you have a significant psychic presence, it must be recorded.”
The villagers looked ill.
The prosecutor piped up, “You heard the exact story from all of the witnesses. How dare you say they lied?”
Dex laughed. “If you looked around the courtroom and described it, do you believe that it would be the same point of view as the Guardians?”
“Of course not.”
“Then, why do all of your witnesses have precisely the same image in their minds in bright and vivid colour with no emotion attached?”
He paled and got shaky. “What?”
“I am a judge of the imperium. I carry a jury with me. I see all the evidence whether the witnesses wish to divulge it or not. On seven worlds, seven individuals have seen what I see, and they all agree on one thing, Legion was set up. Now, who made the call?”
The moment she asked, the answer swarmed to her in the minds of the Norgin.
“Teenagers wanted to see what would happen if they called Legion to the morning meeting. Wonderful. Well, they destroyed your home for you, so you had better get them involved in rebuilding.”
She got to her feet and Ex-Hess joined her.
He turned and cleared the courtroom with one statement. “Court is dismissed.”
The guards lined the walk, unsure of what to do. Ex-Hess was ready for a fight and his hostile energy must have gotten through to them. They stayed away.
Dex was shaking by the time they got to the ship. She wanted to scream, to fight, to holler, but instead, she dismissed the jury and headed for the com.
She repeated the situation for the high court and filed copies of the reports with all branches, including the Guardian project. They needed to transfer Legion immediately and going directly to the project was the fastest way to get a response.
Once she had made all the reports and had the tea that Ex-Hess had slipped into her shadows, she turned off the com and gave Harry the go signal. Time to head off to the next disaster.
She laughed as she turned off the concealer and brought it to the charger. A few days of freedom had never been more tempting.
“How did you know?” Truanic was behind her, rubbing her neck and massaging her shoulders.
“The memories were too bright. Do you remember all the silly questions I asked after each witness testimony?”
“I do.”
“The best days of their lives were coated with joy and blurred by the excitement of looking everywhere at once. The day of the shockwave, they were staring fixed at what appeared to be Legion landing with a mad look in his eyes. None of them mentioned that he was irritated but that was how they were remembering him.”
“Was that it?”
“Well, that and every witness was showing me a memory from the same angle, which means they were occupying the same space at the same time, or it was a fake memory and a shared consciousness.” She groaned as he worked on the knots of her lower back.
“You are getting a few days off by the way.”
She froze and looked up at him. “What?”
“Harry has been monitoring your vital signs and being pressured by hundreds of minds has made its mark. You are burned mentally. You need some time off. I have arranged it.”
“That is very high-handed of you.” She hissed as he massaged the spot where he landed on her during the Legion wave.
“I am aware, but as I stated earlier, you are my new hobby.” He pressed a kiss to her neck and worked on her lower back.
They rocked as Harry took off. As far as Jayd knew, she had one of the only self-propelling ships in the imperium. Harry didn’t need her for take-offs and landings. He could haul her around with just a copy of her schedule.
“Wait, you two ganged up on me?” She turned and scowled up at him.
“Of course. We both have your best interests at heart.” He reached around her and continued his massaging of her back, but his hands plastered her tightly against him.
“That is unfair.”
“You bear the weight of your decisions and you run around with seven strangers in your mind on any given day. You need more time off than you are taking.”
“There is a backlog on the docket. They need more judges than are available for this sort of thing.” It felt so good to rest against him as Harry lifted them off Vradu.
“Tough. You just saved a Guardian from incarceration in Janial, the least they can do is let you have a few days off.” He pressed a kiss to her temple, her cheek and her jawline.
“It sounds wonderful, but where will we go?”
“I have made reservations at a seaside resort. If you have not spent time at the seaside, this will be an education for you.” He smiled against her skin.
“Harry, what is the schedule like?”
“I have three full land-bound days booked for you. I am going to get myself detailed in the spaceport. You are seven days ahead of schedule, so you have time to enjoy yourself.”
There went her last excuse. “Fine. Set course for wherever you are taking me.”
“Already done, Judge. Now, get to bed with Truanic. The pheromones are clogging up my air scrubbers.”
Jayd blushed hotly and Truanic carried her to her room, peeling the robes and the bodysuit away from her before easing her to her bed. She jerked in surprise when he parted her thighs and settled between them, his head inches from her sex.
The heat from his skin warmed her dramatically and the touch of his hands on her inner thighs sent her blood pounding through her sex. He trailed his fingers up and down her skin, and each time he got closer to her opening, she felt more liquid heat emerging.
He had done nothing more than touch her lightly and she was already squirming.
Truanic leaned forward and pressed his lips to her, parting her with his tongue.
Jayd pressed her head back into the bedding and cupped her breasts as his tongue flicked at her opening, stroked upward to her clit, and then, he returned to plunge his tongue inside her.
She rolled her nipples between her fingers, pinching them gently and then harder as he lapped and sucked at her sex.
He worshipped between her thighs until she caught her breath on a shocked squeak and her body shook, locked in orgasm, as he continued to stroke his tongue against her.
When he pulled back, she slumped on the sheets. He joined her again in a moment, his clothing no longer a concern.
To her surprise, he tucked her under the covers and spooned against her, his erection pressing against her spine. He carefully lifted her upper thigh and bent it toward her chest.
Truanic shifted and his cock pressed between her ass cheeks, rubbing against her sex. He shifted again and lodged the thick head of his erection inside her. He had to scoot down in the bed a little, but when he found the right angle, he pressed into her, holding her leg to her chest and using that grip as leverage.
She grunted as he thrust into her in short bursts. It wasn’t the most ladylike noise she had ever made, but this wasn’t exactly dainty sex.
Once he had fit himself to her completely, he hooked an arm under her knee and pressed against her, stroking the inner wall of her channel with the angle of his shaft inside her.
He rocked inside her, holding her securely as he moved.
She moaned every time he pressed against the forward wall of her sex and once again, her body tingled, her hands and feet felt hot while her muscles clenched and relaxed around him.
Truanic moved his free hand and stroked her breast with that peculiar nails-first caress.