Across the Galaxy: Book One of the Soliria Series

CHAPTER SEVEN

I can't recall stumbling onto the stage with a look of pure shock on my face. 

I can't remember the thundering applause and the pin with our galaxy, Soliria's center star, Solir, being pinned to my dress. 

I forgot the feeling of pride when I was given my new data file on information for my training. 

But somehow it all happened, and Mom chatters on and on about it over breakfast the next morning. "You were amazing!" and "What an opportunity!" she repeatedly chirped as she bustled around the kitchen. 

She doesn't care that I'm not responding (still in shock, as she says) but I'm not just shocked about my position. I'm just as shocked about Xylora's. Imperial Scientist? She never told me she applied for that! The hardest position, even!  

I fork a piece of sa'afariso (waffles in Alien language?) and force it into my mouth, although I have no appetite whatsoever. 

The familiar buzz of the doorbell interrupts me just then, and, needing an excuse to postpone eating, I get up and answer it. 

The door slides away, revealing the one person that is the very last person I want to see right now.

"Lixi?"

Xylora walks up the steps to my HoloSphere and meets me at the door.
"You're an Exirist."

"You're an Imperial Scientist."

"Why didn't you tell me?" she asks.

"Why didn't you tell me?" I shot back impatiently.

"I don't know." Her eyes avoided mine.  

"Lori." I grabbed her arm. "The training facility is in the Libra system. Pure evil."

"Yeah, but you're in the Aries System. Allied with the real evil." She pointed out.

I stared at her for a moment, as if she is a complete stranger to me. 

When had she gotten the idea that Scorpio was evil? I knew she was half Libra, but she never was that loyal to them.

"So we're on different sides of the same war, then." It wasn't a question.

"I guess so." she said, sounding distracted.

"When does training start?" I changed the subject so the last time we see each other wouldn't turn us into enemies.

"Two days. My flight to Ka'ari leaves tomorrow morning." She seemed grateful for the subject change. 

"Ah."

"Yeah."

Going against my grudge, I hugged her. "Be careful."

She returned my embrace.
"You too."

"I hope you survive the Elimination."

"Same here." She laughed softly.

Then she pulled away and walked back down the steps, got into her Hovercar, and drove away.
As I watched her leave, I realized she had accidently dropped an earring on the steps. I picked it up gingerly, inspecting it. Suddenly, something caught my eye. A small, circular, silver disk was lodged under the blue stone, and a small red light was flashing from it. I identified the object as soon as I pried it lose.
A bug. They were tracking and listening to her every move. She had either left me a clue to her sudden change in point of view accidentally or purposefully. But the earring gave me a message loud and clear: Her loyalty to me was long gone.