The Joy Thief

Six - Willa

Fifth is risking everything for us. He's preparing to betray his own kind for the sake of ours. Is this what it means to have a soul? Are the effects of our essence really affecting him in such a way he'd betray his own species, the Nexspheni, for the sake of his guilt over what they'd done to humans? I'd never believed in the notion of having a soul, let alone the belief that it could change the way we see things and alter our perceptions of right and wrong in such a visible way.

Maybe Fifth's more human than me now.

"Fifth, you're doing a noble thing helping us." Walking over to him, I wrapped my arms against his large, cool body. He tensed up for a moment, before relaxing and wrapping a single arm around me. It was strange to think a Nexspheni could be my friend, but if we pulled this off and we freed Della, that's exactly what he would be. And not just a friend to me—but a friend of humanity. We stood there for a few moments, before I stepped back, looking him in the eyes and giving him a warm smile. "Thank you for this."

"Well, this is... different. Fifth. What are you doing with that human?"

Whose voice is that?

I spun around to face the voice. Standing a row of containers away at about 20 paces, was a very large Ironhide. The voice sounded female, and she was staring at Fifth with a look of utter contempt and disgust.

"C-C-Commander. Nothing. I brought these two humans to clean up the chamber before the Queen arrives in the morning," Fifth managed to say, fear clearly consuming him.

"Enough. I suspected something was different about you when I spoke to you on our vessel. I had some other legionnaires keep an eye out for you, and they were to alert me to anything you were doing once you entered the city." She stepped forward, her stiff arms folded against her chest. "They reported you arrived from the slave colony, trailed by two humans. Odd. Never would I have guessed I'd find you plotting treason against the Queen with this filth."

"Commander, this isn't wha-," Fifth started to say.

"Silence. You and these humans will be executed for conspiring against the Queen. I will enjoy letting you watch as Her Majesty harvests the essence from these two and consumes them before your very eyes." The Commander reached for her blaster and raised it, pointing it at Fifth. "Surrender now."

"Willa, Isaiah! Take cover now!" Fifth leapt into action, rolling behind a container and drawing his weapon.

"Willa, look out!" Isaiah tackled me to the ground. "Get behind one of these. Let the Ironhides sort this out."

Pain shot through my side as I hit the floor beneath Isaiah who tried to shield me with his own body.

"Get off me, Isaiah. We have to help Fifth!" Blasters fired lightning bolts around us. Bright blue bolts of energy shot around the room and smashed into different containers. Some of the bolts glanced off, but others hit directly on the glass, shattering it into pieces.

"What are we going to do against that?" Isaiah asked as he crawled away.

"You will meet your end here and now, Fifth! I will not be merciful to a traitor!"

"We have to do something! He might die, Isaiah!" I poked my head up from behind the container, Fifth and the Commander were weaving in and around the various containers, ducking behind them and firing off shots at one another. Taking cover once more, I reached into my pocket and pulled out the blade that Fifth had given me. Grasping it in the palm of my hand, I snuck around the corner of the container, catching a glimpse of the Commander.