Birds flutter from the trees. The scream leaves my mouth before I can stop it. I look around wildly, trying desperately to find Hadone – dreading the inevitability that he’s been cut down by one of the soldier’s bullets.
Then there’s a rustle in the undergrowth and Hadone is lead out, bound in shackles but somehow, miraculously, unharmed.
The Capital’s forces are not known for their trigger discipline, but each member of the platoon knows the recognition, fame, and promotions they’ll receive by bringing in live Aurelians prisoners.
“Did they rape you?” It’s the voice of a young soldier, eighteen at most. He snarls as he says it, and I’m not sure if he’s horrified by the thought of aliens violating me – or excited at the concept. I say nothing, and instead the young soldier stares at Darok – looking at him as if he is some kind of freakish monster. The soldier’s tongue darts against his lips nervously. The testosterone pulsing through the young soldier’s body is overcoming his reason, and I know he wants to ‘avenge’ me for what he only imagines must have happened. I’m painfully aware of his rifle, pointed at Darok.
“No! No! Let them go!” I cry. “They saved me! They saved us! We were trapped in Barl, and if it wasn’t for these Aurelians, we’d have been…”
I’m suddenly cut off, my jaw dropping as the captain backhands the young soldier so hard that he crumples to the ground. I stare, eyes wide, not understanding.
“How dare you interrogate the young woman? One who’s just been kidnapped and abused by these beasts! Her mind is spinning – she doesn’t know what she says. In the Capital, she’ll be safe.” He turns to me, and murmurs: “You’ll be safe from these monsters there.”
His words might sound reassuring and sympathetic, but there’s a warning glare in the captain’s eyes. I understand. He’s not on my side, and he wasn’t backhanding the solider for my benefit. If I mention anything else positive about the three Aurelians, I know the next backhand will be for me - rattling my teeth.
The young soldier pulls himself groggily to his feet. His eyes aren’t focusing perfectly, and I can tell he’s groggy. “Y-yes sir,” he says, his voice losing all of the fire from earlier. He casts one last, rueful glance at the Aurelians, then looks down towards his boots.
“Tell me, woman, what is your name?” The captain scrutinizes me, as if I’m as guilty as he believes the three Aurelians to be.
“Tammy,” I say hesitantly. Darok has been cuffed as well, but he’s trying to inch forward towards me, wanting to put himself between me and the captain. His attempt doesn’t go unnoticed. Three soldiers pull him to the ground, and miraculously Darok doesn’t try to fight back. The Aurelians are then herded together – a dozen guns pointed right at them.
“Good, Tammy,” the captain wheels around to face me. “You’re safe now. My name is Captain Arnold and I’ll be escorting you and these prisoners to the Capital. Your testimony will be essential in convicting these Aurelian spies.”
My mouth drops open.
Aurelian spies? What do they think these three did? What are they going to pretend they were responsible for?
“But…”
Captain Arnold’s hand twitches. I know what he’ll do if I say anything else. I want to protect the Aurelians, but I can’t do that by earning myself the same backhanded slap the young soldier received.
“I understand,” I say meekly, hoping that if I pretend to be as timid as a mouse, maybe he won’t suspect that I have more strength than he could ever comprehend.
“Aurelians work in triads,” the Captain informs me condescendingly. “But these fuckers aren’t your normal Aurelians, are they? They’ve got tattoos all over their body. Tell me, do these bastards work in threes, or are there more of them lurking out there in the forest?”
I shake my head. “No… I only saw these three. I… I was in Barl when the Scorp came. These three…”
I want to try to convince him that these Aurelians aren’t like the ones we hate. I try to find the words, but I don’t know what to say.
“These three took you, and four children, and they would have done something terrible if I didn’t come to save you.” When he sees my mask-like expression, Captain Arnold tries to reassure me: “You’ll be lauded as a hero for surviving this. The whole planet will want to hear your story. You care about these children? Do you care about their future?”
He’s no simple infantry grunt. Each word is cold, calculated, and contains the unspoken promise of a thinly-veiled threat. My life is hanging in the balance, and so are the lives of the seven others under my care.
I nod, slowly.
The captain gives me a long glance. “Good. Then do as I say. I work for Lord Areon, and he can help these children… He can help you, if you remain… compliant.”
But he won’t help the Aurelians. Their fate is sealed.
And worse? Captain Arnold just admitted he’s on Lord Aeron’s payroll openly. There’s so much corruption in the Capital’s troops that he doesn’t even bother pretending not to be receiving Aeron’s bribes!
The name Lord Aeron is feared across Independence. He is not an elected official, but everyone knows he’s the bankroll behind the humanist party – and therefore the de facto ruler of Independence.
I spare a glance over to the Aurelians. They’re still as statues, their flesh white as marble, and totally unflinching. In contrast, the soldiers tremble before them, guns trained anxious at the towering aliens.
Forn glances at me, woken from his healing slumber. I can tell nothing from his gaze. I can’t even tell if he knows whether I was part of this betrayal. The three of them are utterly calm, as if their
