******
Nearly two hours later, Li'ren seemed to have asked all the questions that she'd wanted to ask of Jack. She eyed the human, who was now sitting on the floor once more, impassively. Jack looked back at her just as blankly, though inside he was as anxious as he'd ever been. He wondered whether he had done the right thing, being so honest with her, but Jack had the strangest feeling that Li'ren was someone who could be trusted. Of course, that could all be part of her plan, to lull him into a false sense of security in order to make him talk as much as possible.
“So,” Li'ren finally said, folding her arms in her lap. “It would seem I have questioned you for a few hours just to arrive at the same conclusion that our soldiers took days to come to.” She smiled, though the smile did not extend to her eyes. “You really do not know anything of military value.”
“That's what I've tried to tell you from the start,” Jack sighed wearily. “I retired from the Navy years ago. Anything I might have known then is way too old to be of any use now. I'm just a transport pilot who was in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
“So it would seem,” Li'ren agreed. She stood up from the prison bed, smoothing her robes. “Thank you for your cooperation. You will be rewarded as was promised.” The blue Ailian stepped away from the bed, heading for the door.
“Wait!” Jack blurted out, shooting to his feet and taking a step towards her. Li'ren stopped and turned fractionally, looking over her shoulder at him, her tail twitching in warning. He froze in place, keenly aware that though Li'ren might not appear to be a soldier, she was still an Ailian and could definitely overpower him if she wanted to. “Where are we going? And what's going to happen when we get there?”
Li'ren considered him for some time, her garnet eyes narrowing slightly. “We are going to Lirna, the capital planet of the Ascendancy,” she replied. “When we arrive there, Lieutenant Me'lia will face her first appearance before a military tribunal, facing the crimes of treason and fraternization with the enemy. Because you hold little value as a prisoner of war, I imagine you shall be pressed into servitude.”
A knot of ice formed in the pit of Jack's stomach. “You mean I'll be made a slave.”
“Yes.”
He stared at her, not wanting to believe what she was telling him. Yes, of course Aria had told him it might be a possibility, but until now it hadn't seemed quite so real. “There's no other option?”
“No.”
Jack stared at the floor for a few long moments. “Can I see her?” he asked quietly.
Li'ren turned towards him fully, clasping her hands low in front of her. She was looking at Jack with what looked strangely like pity. “I am afraid you cannot,” she said. “I am sorry.” With that, she turned and knocked on the cell door. The guard opened it and she stepped out, leaving Jack alone once more.
Feeling a despair deeper than anything he'd felt in the past few weeks, Jack went back to the cold, uncomfortable metal bed and laid down upon it. Before long, true to Li'ren's word, the lights turned off and the dull humming noise quieted. Even though sleep was no longer the thing Jack wanted the most.
******
Aria opened one eye, coming awake from the short nap she had been taking. Her tail twitched, and one ear flicked as she heard faint sounds coming from the hallway outside of the door to her quarters. The sounds seemed to be footsteps, accompanied by quiet conversation. Just as Aria was about to dismiss the noise as more crew members passing by, there was a soft knock on the door. She sat up on her bed, pulling aside the blanket and swinging her feet out onto the floor. Up until now, anyone coming to her quarters had just opened the door, instead of knocking. The knock repeated itself, a little louder this time.
-Come in...,- Aria said, speaking in her native tongue.
The door to her quarters opened, and a blue-furred female, gold-striped and wearing noble white robes entered the room. She was carrying a tray upon which were two steaming cups. As Aria watched, the female closed the door behind her, stepping across the room without saying anything. She placed the tray on the table that the computer terminal was set up on, and turned to Aria.
-Good evening, Lieutenant Me'lia,- she said. -Would you care for a drink?-
Aria didn't say anything, eyeing the other female suspiciously. When no response was given, the blue female picked up a cup, carrying it to her. She held it out to Aria, watching her expectantly. After staring back at her for a while, she took the cup, cradling the warmth in her hands. Her nose twitched as she sniffed the steam rising from the surface of the liquid within. The drink was easily recognizable to her as a pungent tea made from a green herb of her home planet, favored by her species. Flavorful and nourishing, the brewed drink also contained a very mild psychoactive compound that induced a sensation not unlike alcohol intoxication in humans.
The other female noticed that Aria was not drinking. Returning to the table, she picked up the other cup and walked to the chair in the room, turning it and sitting down so that she was facing Aria. She sipped at the drink, her red eyes staring.
Relenting, Aria lifted her cup and tasted it. Warmth flooded into her and she gave a barely perceptible sigh of pleasure. She hadn't tasted the food or drink of her homeworld in quite a long time; the military food she'd been provided with so far hardly counted.
-There,- the other female said, seeming satisfied. -That's not bad at all, is it?-
-Thank you,- Aria said, somewhat grudgingly. She took another sip of the tea, savoring the flavor. -And who might you be? You are not one of the crew of this ship, that's clear enough.-
The female sitting across from her laughed, raising her cup and drinking before she answered. -You are quite right about that, Lieutenant.- She lowered her cup, holding it in her lap, as she crossed one leg over the other. -I am Lady Li'ren Amani. I am Her Majesty the Empress' representative on this ship.-
Aria found her throat suddenly dry, despite the drink. -I see...And I presume you're here to discuss the terms of my execution?-
Lady Amani laughed. -Hardly. I am, in fact, the sole reason that you are not dead already.- The noblewoman set her cup down on the flat arm of her chair. -Were it up to the commander of this vessel, you would have been executed as soon as you had been brought aboard. It was only through my assurances that Her Majesty would be most displeased by that course of action that I was able to stay his hand.-
Not sure of quite what to say to that, Aria elected just to look into her cup. Her head was swimming by now, and not from the effects of the tea. She'd had a feeling that her position on board this ship was a little more precarious than it would have seemed, but to have confirmation of that was still quite the shock indeed. Aria ought to have expected it, considering what the rescue party had witnessed right from the start. She'd kissed Jack so passionately, in full view of them...A foolish thing to have done, with the benefit of looking back with a clear head.
-And to what do I owe that courtesy?-
-Why, your family, of course,- Li'ren explained. -Your mother served the Ascendancy so loyally, after all, and you after her as well. Hm...Until now, at least if the charges are to be believed.-
Aria's gaze shot up to spear Li'ren, and she bared her teeth in a vicious snarl. -I am
still
loyal to the Empress! How
dare
you suggest...-
-Peace, Lieutenant,- Li'ren said, her voice calm and quiet. -And remember who you are speaking to. Do not presume to speak so freely to Her Majesty's representative.-
Fighting back the urge to give a scathing retort, Aria pushed down her anger. She took a few deep breaths, collecting herself, and then she closed her eyes for a few moments. -Forgive me, m'lady.-
Li'ren watched Aria, and then she smiled. -You are forgiven, so long as you do not forget yourself again. As I said, you have been given a reprieve from execution until a formal trial can be conducted. I presume you understand the nature of the charges against you?-
-...I do.-
-And you understand why those charges have been brought?-
-...Yes.-
-Good.- Li'ren considered the other Ailian, looking her over. She could sense Aria's anguish, fear, anger, and frustration. Curious, in spite of the official capacity in which she was serving, she had to ask the question. -Her Majesty would like to know if any of the details of the charges have merit.-
Aria looked away from Li'ren, feeling shame wash over her. Despite everything that she felt, and how little she had come to regret anything that had happened during her time with Jack, she felt she was a loyal Ailian subject. And a loyal Ailian subject would not have done what she had done. -Some of the details may have merit...-
-...I see.- Li'ren considered for a moment. -Well, never mind that for now. I imagine you have questions of your own. For example, you haven't yet asked me
why
exactly the Empress would send a personal representative on such a mission as this.-
-Actually...I was kind of wondering why,- Aria admitted.
-I would worry for your sanity if you were not.- Li'ren stood up from her chair, and started walking slowly back and forth across the room. -This ship was not originally on a rescue mission. Before we received your transmission from that planet, we were on a mission of diplomacy to the Nuretan Empire.-
Aria blinked, surprised by that. The Nuretans were a species unknown to humans, a species that inhabited a small cluster of a few dozen aquatic planets adjacent to Ascendancy territory. The Nuretans were allies of the Ailians, though they had not joined in their conflict with humanity. They were a slightly built race, bipedal, with slick, amphibian skin that tended towards pale yellows and greens. Despite their low population relative to Ailians or even humans, they had a powerful space fleet. Owing to a cultural dislike of conflict, the Nuretans did not associate much with the Ascendancy even though they did consider each other allies.
-Why were you going to the Nuretans?- Aria asked, curious. -Has something happened?-
-The Pteryd are up to something,- Li'ren hissed. -We don't know what, yet, but they are massing ships near their border with human space.-
-Do they mean to go to war with the humans as well?-
Li'ren shook her head. -Perhaps, but that is not the popular opinion. Most of our analysts believe they mean to make first contact with the humans. And they would do that only for one reason: to combine forces against us.-
Aria felt a chill. The Pteryd were the mortal, ancient enemies of the Ascendancy. They were an insect-like race, resembling most closely a species found on Earth called a praying mantis. Telepathic, they were an all-female species that reproduced through parthenogenesis, meaning that a female's children were virtually identical genetic copies of their mother. A single Pteryd would expect to give birth close to one hundred times in its reproductive lifetime, which was considerable. The average Pteryd lived nearly three centuries. Their longevity and reproductive rate had made it so that they were a tough enemy, and it was only through superior firepower and technology that the Ailians had managed to keep them at bay.
-So that's why we're reaching out to the Nuretans...,- Aria murmured. She gripped her cup tightly, which had gone cold by now. -If the humans join with them...That would be a disaster for us.-
-Indeed. I only hope that the delay caused by sending a different ship to the Nuretan Empire will not hasten the disaster.-
-My apologies...- Aria felt a wave guilt pass over her. If she was responsible for such a calamity to fall over her people...
Li'ren waved away her apology. She returned to her chair, sitting down. -It's not your fault, Lieutenant. You've been out of the loop for weeks. You can't be expected to know each and every little development that has occurred in the war. And the war goes well in all other respects, so there's a great deal of hope. I apologize if I made things sound overly bleak. That's not the way it is.-
Aria sighed quietly, feeling a small sense of relief. Of course it couldn't have been that bad. If it had, the rescue simply wouldn't have happened. If the delay was really that unacceptable, Aria would still be stuck on that uncharted planet, with Jack...
Which reminded her... -And what of J-...the human?- Aria inquired, trying to sound as casual as she possibly could.
-He is being kept in the ship's prison,- Li'ren replied. -He's being cared for, and has not been mistreated more than is usual for a captured enemy.-
-And...- Aria almost bit her tongue, knowing that she shouldn't ask what she was about to ask. But she couldn't help herself. -I don't suppose I could be...allowed to see him?-
Li'ren looked at her with her blood red eyes, which were slightly wider than they'd been most of the time she'd been speaking with Aria. Then she began laughing, and it sounded like genuine amusement. The blue female leaned forward, her tail waving behind her, and she cupped her chin in one clawed hand. -Do you know, he asked me the exact same thing when I spoke with him earlier...- She got control of her laughter, grew serious again. -You care about him, don't you?-
Aria looked away, all too aware that she might be signing her own death warrant. -He helped me...,- she said quietly, studiously avoiding the totally honest answer. -How could I not care? Would you not care, if you were me?- She looked back at Li'ren, defiance in her golden eyes. Li'ren gazed back at her, and then she stood up. She crossed the room, standing before Aria. With simple, regal nobility, she laid a hand on her shoulder.