"What do you mean she's your mother?" I asked Shahae.
It took several minutes before she could respond. "It is a long and complicated story."
"We've got time," I said as I placed my hands on the table.
Shahae took a deep breath before continuing. "To fully understand what I'm about to tell you, I'll need to relate some of our recent history. Narrisal has been ruled by a king and queen for as long as anyone can remember, and as I have explained before, heirs are not selected until late in the life of the current ruler. Shaniir's parents were unable to have children. Our best doctors couldn't explain it, but a miracle happened late in their lives and Shaniir was born. Shaniir was their only child and, contrary to custom, was selected as their heir. Shortly after they died, a husband was selected for her. The Tuleeriri do not normally take part in arranged marriages, but this is one exception. The man chosen as her husband came from a greedy and power-hungry family. His name was Frymaer, and from what little I was told, Frymaer and Shaniir disliked each other immensely. Unknown to anyone, Shaniir had a secret lover...my father. He was a well-respected admiral in the Tuleeririan fleet."
"Their affair lasted a very long time, and eventually, a child was conceived. After the queen found out she was pregnant, she told everyone that the child was Frymaer's. She knew the ruse would last throughout the pregnancy but required medical tests after birth would have revealed the true father of the child. A plan was set into motion to convince the world that the child died shortly after birth. The doctor who delivered me was my mother's trusted friend, and he switched me for a genetic clone that was grown to take my place. My mother in her "grief" had the body burned immediately and the ashes placed in the family crypt. My mother wanted the best for me, so she talked my father into adopting me. Four people knew the truth, and of those four people, only my mother and I still live."
"As much as I want to believe you, the only way I can prove what you say is true is to ask the queen," I replied. "I will not harm you, but if I find that you have been lying, you will not be able to imagine the pain I will cause to you." Her eyes were closed, and tears streamed down her face. I grabbed the device and left before I lost my resolve. I left the device under the watchful eyes of the marines guarding the doors and went to my quarters.
I lay down on my bed knowing I wouldn't be able to sleep with the guilt of what I had done to Shahae and Zalix weighing heavily on me. Frustrated, I stood and started pacing like a caged animal. I was so focused on my inner turmoil, that I almost didn't hear the light knock on my door. I wrenched the door open and saw a startled woman staring back at me. I immediately recognize the green eyes and red hair. "What can I do for you Ensign Lisa Byrne?"
"You remembered this time," she joked. Her smile quickly faded when I didn't react. "May I come in?"
I sighed and stepped aside so she could enter. "What do you want?" I asked a little too harshly.
She didn't seem fazed by my abruptness. She smiled and said, "We haven't really had a chance to talk, so I thought I would drop by and see how you are doing."
I shook my head and replied. "So, what you're really saying is that the crew is worried I might be losing it and Andrew sent you to check on me. That about sums it up, right?"
She laughed. "I told him you would see right through me." Her face grew serious. "They're worried about you...I'm worried about you. You have got us out of some rough spots. You put your crew's lives before your own. I've even heard some of the marines talk about the way you fought alongside them. Your ship...your crew...your friends need you. I'm not privileged to know exactly what is going on, but from what I heard you left the ship to go on a suicidal mission."
"I've done more than that," I said quietly. "I don't deserve the respect that you claim everyone has for me." I was shocked as a hand flew through the air and made contact with my right cheek. My face stung and it took me a moment to realize what had just happened.
"That's enough!" Lisa yelled. "I didn't come here to hear you whine like a spoiled brat. What happened that made our fearless leader doubt himself and whine like a little child?"
I sighed and stood silently for several minutes. Lisa didn't say a word as she stared expectantly at me. I finally caved and told her everything that had happened since we were attacked, with the exception of Shahae's story. If the story were true, then I would make sure it was never repeated.
"I still don't understand why you had to be part of the unit that was going after Zalix," she stated.
"I will not ask anyone to put their lives in danger unless I am willing to the same," I answered.
"I can respect that," she said. "The part I really don't understand is why you feel bad about what you did to Zalix. If what you said is true, he is a monster just as dangerous as the Zrynt. If causing him pain gets information that will keep us safe, I would gladly torture him every second of every day."
"That was how I felt until I was the one causing the pain," I whispered. "The pain in his face and terror in his eyes brought a sick satisfaction. That is the part I hate. I hate that I enjoyed his pain."
Lisa shook her head and sighed. "I don't know if I'll ever understand you. So, what are you going to do now?" she asked after a moment of silence.
"It's obvious Zalix isn't going to give us the information we want," I responded. "If we can't get the information, maybe the Tuleeriri can."
"Do you think it wise to let his accomplices know he failed?" she asked. "My guess is they would do anything to silence him before he could rat them out."
"That's a good point," I conceded. "If I can't take Zalix to the Tuleeriri, I'll have to bring them to Zalix."
"What, you're going to just show up and demand the queen to come up here?" she asked jokingly.
"That's actually not a bad idea," I said thoughtfully.
"I was only joking," she replied. "There is no way she would come on board after everything that has happened."
"I'll just have to convince her," I responded. We talked for a few more minutes, and then I excused myself and began making plans. We really needed to return to Earth, this place was going to be the death of me.
Several hours later I sat on the bridge, enjoying the comfort and security of my fully functioning chair. I was busy reading over status reports, and, except for the decompressed hangar containing Zalix's weapon, the ship was back to normal operational status. I enjoyed a few moments of quiet on the bridge before announcing, "Alright everyone, let's get this over with and stay alert. Take us back to our original orbit around Narrisal." I soon felt the familiar tug of the jump drives engaging, and a second later, our main viewing screen showed Narrisal.
"Tuleeririan ships are mobilizing," reported Lt. Young.
"The lead ship is hailing us," said Lt. Sanchez.
"Let's see what they have to say," I replied. "Open the channel."
I watched the picture of Narrisal disappear. It was replaced by a very confused looking Commander Vaehil, Shahae's second in command. "Admiral Ryan, it is good to see that you are still alive. Would you like to inform me why everyone was convinced you were dead and how two senior military members went missing shortly afterwards?"
"It's good to be alive," I answered, but the humor was wasted on him. "All your questions will be answered, but first I must speak with Queen Shaniir."
"I will pass along your request," he responded and cut off communications. It wasn't lost on me that we were still surrounded by the Tuleeririan fleet. I was walking on a knife's edge, and I knew it. One small misstep and the results would be fatal. Several minutes later, I received a private call from the surface.
The screens in my chair came alive and I accepted the call. I saw Shaniir's face and noticed the worried expression. "You had better have a good explanation for your actions Commander Ryan." She did not look pleased to see me, but I had come this far, so it was too late to back out now.
"I need to meet with you in person and privately," I requested.
"Why would I do such a thing?" she asked.
"Is this communication secure?" I questioned.
"Yes," she answered.
"Part of what I want to discuss involves your daughter," I said bluntly.
I saw her cheeks turn crimson. "I'll give you clearance to land on the surface," she seethed.
Next would be the difficult part, "For what I need to show you, I need you to meet me on the Unity." She laughed, but there was no humor in it. I cut her off before she could make a snide remark. "Have I ever given you reason to doubt me? Have I ever once given any indication that I meant you harm? I'm asking you to trust me. Your life depends on it. I'll be on the surface in a half hour to personally escort you up to my ship." I severed communication before she could say no. Once again, I was putting myself into an impossible situation and I could only hope to live to see this through to the end.
Twenty-five minutes later I was sitting in the shuttle cockpit and making my descent into Narrisal's atmosphere. I was alone, much to the discomfort among some in my crew, but I knew this was something I had to do myself. I touched down near the royal palace and I opened the rear hatch to find Shaniir waiting with her retinue of armed personal guards. The expression on her face was anything but happy. "I hope you know what you are doing Commander Ryan. Your actions could mean a termination of our treaty. I don't take betrayal lightly."
"I'm afraid you are going to have a very bad day," I stated, as I waited for her party to board. I climbed into the cockpit and took off. One of the benefits of flying the shuttle was I didn't have to sit in the awkward silence with the queen. The flight back seemed to last several times longer than the flight down. I docked with the Unity and was tempted to wait as long as possible before going to the rear of the ship. I steeled my nerves for what was to come and moved back saying, "Alright, a few more minutes and everything will become clear. I apologize for the way things have been happening, but you will see the wisdom of my actions shortly."
Without saying a word, Shaniir followed me to our makeshift holding cells. Instead of going into the cells, I led her into a small conference room down the hall. "Please have a seat," I offered.
"Not until you tell me what is going on," she replied vehemently. "I am tired of not getting answers."
"That is why I'm asking you to sit," I explained calmly. "I can begin to answer your questions as soon as you are seated." Queen Shaniir quickly sat and folded her hands elegantly on the table. I stifled a sigh and related everything that had happened the last few days. She sat quietly through the whole story without saying a word or giving any kind of facial expressions to show what she was thinking.
When I had finished, she looked at me and asked, "Do you expect me to believe that one of my closest advisors, and one of our most senior military officers is out to kill me?" Without saying a word, I played back both of Zalix's recordings. I could see her face start to pale, which was the first response she had allowed to slip past her practiced expressionless mask.
"There is more evidence," I said after I let what she had heard sink in. I hoisted the control unit out from under the table, and Shaniir's eyes widened at the sight of it. "Judging on your reaction, you know what this is."
"I do," she answered. "I did not know that it had been built yet. The last I received stated it was still under development and had several fatal flaws that needed to be addressed."
"It definitely works," I replied. "I'll assume you don't know about its secondary function." She looked confused. "This device also interfaces with the nanites inside the Tuleeriri."
"That's impossible!" she yelled. "Such technology would violate everything we stand for."
"May I demonstrate?" I asked. She slowly nodded her head. I pulled out my tablet and numbed the legs of all her guards. The look of panic on their faces was all the confirmation she needed. "Now that you know the enormity of the situation, would you like to meet the person responsible for all of this?"
"If this individual is Tuleeririan, then I alone am responsible for their fate," she said darkly. "It would be unwise for you to interfere."
"I will do as you say," I replied, and we stepped into the room where Zalix was waiting.
"Come to question me some more?" He asked as we stepped into the room.
"The time for questions is over," Shaniir said, and I could see Zalix stiffen. "It's time we received answers. I'll give you one chance. Tell me everything you know." Zalix began arguing with her in Tuleeririan.
"You've made your choice," Shaniir finally replied. She placed her index fingers on his temples, and as she closed her eyes Zalix began screaming. It went on for close to a minute before she removed her fingers. She stumbled a little and I reached out to steady her, but she pushed my hand away and stood up straight. Her face was extremely pale, which was saying something considering her natural while complexion. She stood in silence for a moment then looked at me and said, "I need you to bring two of my personal guards in here to act as witnesses."
True to my word I did as she asked without question, though I had no idea what she would need witnesses for. I returned with two of her personal guards in tow, and once we were in the room she said, "Zalix, you have been found guilty of treason. Due to the extremity of the situation, I sentence you to immediate death." She touched his head and Zalix collapsed onto the table. Shaniir's guards nodded their heads in her direction and left the room.
"He's dead?" I asked.
"Yes," she said quietly. She suddenly looked as if she had aged several years in the last few minutes.
"May I ask how we are going to discover who his accomplices are?" I asked. "There is no way he was working alone."
She looked at me and said, "This is a Tuleeririan matter, you need not concern yourself. I have all the information I require. Now, I must see my daughter."
"She is in the next room," I replied. "I don't believe she had anything to do with this." I added, hoping I was right. Shaniir didn't respond as we left Zalix's corpse and walked into Shahae's room. Shaniir quickly walked over to the other chair and sat down in front of an astonished Shahae. They quickly started conversing in Tuleeririan and seeing how I wasn't needed; I silently left the room. I stood outside the door and looked around. I saw Sergeant Collins quietly conversing with one of Shaniir's guards. I walked up and asked, "Sergeant Collins, would you please assist these men in preparing Zalix's body for transit back to the surface?"
"His body Sir?" he questioned.
"He's dead, Sergeant," I answered.
"I'll take care of it," he said with a salute.
I waited several more minutes for Shaniir to finish with Shahae. Finally, Shaniir exited the room, followed closely by Shahae. "I need to return to Narrisal," she insisted. "I have urgent business to attend to."
"I'll take you down immediately," I replied. We boarded the shuttle and made our way back to the surface. Once again, I was alone in the cockpit. I was glad this whole fiasco would be over soon. Going back to the simple life of fighting the Zrynt sounded much more appealing that what I was currently entangled with. The Zrynt had been unusually quiet, and that is never a good sign. I would have several days of updates to catch up on, so I started making a mental to do list, and started prioritizing them. We landed and exited the ship. Two of the guards hauled away Zalix's body.
"Commander Ryan, I am going to address my people and inform them of what has transpired," Shaniir said to me. "I wish for you to be in attendance. I want you to see that we still stand by you and trust you."
All I wanted to do was sleep, but I knew that in the best interest of diplomacy I couldn't refuse. I couldn't help but notice Shahae kept her distance from me and remained silent. She was normally very expressive, but she seemed closed off. She wouldn't even look at me. I couldn't really blame her, while I hadn't treated her harshly, I hadn't been kind either. I could only hope she understood my reasons. "Give her time," Shaniir said following my gaze towards Shahae. "She is having a hard time understanding why you didn't believe her."
"I was only doing what I thought I must to protect my ship," I admitted.
"Like I said, give her some time. She will find understanding," she said.
We walked through the palace for several minutes and finally came to a room full of equipment. "What is all this?" I asked.
"I suppose you could call it a broadcast system," Shaniir answered. "It amplifies the nanites' ability to communicate. Essentially, it allows me to communicate with all the Tuleeriri at the same time."
Shaniir had me sit down and handed me an object that resembled an earpiece. I stuck it in my ear and waited. Satisfied that I had correctly guessed the purpose of the device, she closed her eyes and stood still. I heard a replica of Shaniir's voice coming from the earpiece. "Attention residents of Narrisal. It has come to my attention that there are some who are displeased with how I am performing my duties as your queen. Those involved took it upon themselves to attempt to take my life that they may rule as they see fit. As you can see, I am still alive and well. I have uncovered those involved, and punishment for those involved will be immediate death. I am depending on you to help capture them. Those who are to be punished for treason against the Tuleeriri people are as follows..." She started with Zalix, noting that he had already been captured and punished. She read off another two dozen names, and I recognized a few as being members of the war council. When she finished with the list, she finished the transmission by saying, "Those who are found helping these persons shall share in their fate. There is no need to question the loyalty of the Terrans to our cause. They brought this to my attention, and their behavior for the last several cycles has been in response to the severity of the situation."
I handed the earpiece back to Shaniir and excused myself. I returned to the shuttle and made my way to my ship. Now that this mess was finally over, it was time to catch up, mostly on some sleep.