Daruk

Lilith’s scream can be heard from a mile away. It cuts right through me, filling me with anguish. Tearing my damn heart apart.

I run towards the source as fast as I can, throwing all caution in the wind. Branches cut against my arms, scraping my skin, wildlife scatters away, while my heart races faster than I thought possible.

I pray with my entire being it was an insect that scared her. Something innocuous. Screaming about it would be foolish, yes, but anything would be better than seeing…

Father.

“Look who shows up just in time,” he says coldly. “I have captured an interloper. You must be proud of your father.”

Father is holding Lilith up by the scruff of her neck. She’s hanging in the air, helpless, looking absolutely brokenhearted.

Yano is standing to the side, frozen to the spot.

My hand slides towards my dagger. I wish it wouldn’t have to come to this. I wish I could make him see the error of his ways, show him that humans are our natural allies, our friends… and sometimes, even more than that.

Lovers.

Mates.

For life.

The bond Lilith and I share is nothing but magical. No one in their right mind could ever object to that. Only bigotry, xenophobia, only blind hatred could stand in the way of that.

As diluted, as misguided as he is, General Goran is still my father. He is still an accomplished, some say legendary, warrior.

Yet if he stands in the way between me and my mate…

My choice is easy.

I choose my mate every single time.

Yano sees my wrist moving slowly, and my brother’s eyes plead for me to stop. I know what he fears. Our father is undefeated in battle. Yano is in a tough spot — he either loses a father or a brother.

A choice no one should have to make.

But, he doesn’t know Lilith like I do. He hasn’t experienced the passion, the ecstasy, the happiness that can only come from finding your soulmate, the one you are meant to be with.

The one that completes you in ways you didn’t think possible.

Hopefully, one day Yano will find his mate. Until that day… I pray he’ll forgive me for what I’m about to do.

The bushes rustle, and several Zoran hunters burst forth. My heart drops. Defeating father alone, in hand-to-hand combat, would require all of my skills. My complete concentration.

Now, I’m outnumbered. It’s hopeless.

A suicide mission.

“General Goran! We heard a scream,” one of the hunters says.

“Yes,” father answers. “I have captured an alien invader. Using forbidden tools on my son, no less.”

He holds up a strange, metallic tool with his free hand. That must be whatever Lilith headed into the jungle for.

“I will take her to the Elders,” he continues. “She will face a trial. Tonight.”

He turns around and walks away, still carrying my mate. I pull out my dagger, but Yano jumps in front of me, stopping me from attacking our father.

“Stop it,” he hisses. “It’s over!”

“No!” I growl. “Let me at him!”

“Stop it, you idiot, you’ll get all three of us killed!”

I drop down to my knees.

Defeated.

I can barely stop the flow of tears streaming down my face. I have failed my mate. My life has lost its meaning.

* * *

Lilith

I struggle, I kick, I punch, but it’s no use.

The more I struggle, the more my abductor seems to enjoy it. I can’t believe that this man is Daruk’s and Yano’s father.

How can two kind spirits be born from such an evil man? They share his golden skin, his blue eyes… but unlike his sons, there is no warmth in this man’s eyes.

His icy stare makes my blood run cold.

“You’re going to pay for what you did,” he hisses as he carries me through the jungle. Zoran warriors flank us on either side.

A moment ago, Daruk looked like he was going to attack his own father. He looked like a predator that was about to jump on his prey — but then more warriors showed up, and I saw the hope in his eyes snuffed out.

The crushed look in his eyes hurt me more than this cruel man ever could. This is my fault.

I let myself get captured.

I risked everything.

I did treat Yano, so at least, it hasn’t all been for nothing… I saved his life. So, my death will have meaning. It was worth it.

Yet, that thought doesn’t feel comforting.

At all.

In fact, I’m terrified.

I’m just a delivery girl. I watch TV. I sleep in. How did I go from my carefree life to being abducted by an alien barbarian? To being ‘put on trial’, whatever that means?

Fuck.

“You won’t get away with this,” I say. “They’ll come to save me, you know! The Federation.”

“That’s the plan,” he grins. “But you won’t be alive to see that, trust me.”

Gulp.

“Unless the admiral takes a liking to you,” he says. “But he has enough breeders now. No, we will make an example out of you. Show the people what we do to uppity humans who break our rules.”

I swallow the lump in my throat.

I don’t like the sound of that.

* * *

Daruk

I have never felt lower. The trial is moments away, but I can’t find the energy to get up and move my legs. All my hopes and dreams have been shattered in a single moment.

To watch my people, my fellow Zorans, all jeer at my mate, to call for her head… I don’t think I can take that. I won’t be able to handle it.

I’ll go feral.

I’ll die for my mate.

It’s a strange sensation; I’m filled with both a fiery, burning rage that can’t be snuffed out, and dread so strong it’s completely debilitating at the same time.

“Come.”

I look up. Yano is standing on front of me, holding out his hand.

“You want to be there.”

I scowl, glancing away.

“And be confronted with my failure? To watch father twist the knife even more?”

“You know you need to be there.”

I sigh. Yano’s right. Of course he’s right. My little brother is wiser than I ever give him credit for. If everyone listened to him, instead of that Admiral Bast, we’d all be in a better place.

I rise to my feet. They are heavy, as if filled with lead, but I make my way towards the village regardless. A crowd has congregated on the main square, an electric buzz in the air.

Everyone falls silent when the figures of the Elders become visible. They walk out of their cave, their thin, frail, elderly bodies wrapped in robes. Leading them are General Goran, Admiral Bast, and my very own mate, Lilith. She is wearing chains around her neck, her arms and feet.

She’s dressed like a slave.

Admiral Bast, our leader, takes center stage.

“Welcome,” he says. “I’m glad all of you have come. This is a momentous day. We are gathered here to witness a trial. The first trial of New Exon. Justice will be served. A new precedent will be set.”

The crowd cheers. I can’t believe I once followed this man. That I once believed in his form of justice. Lilith has opened my eyes to the lies I’ve been told.

My hands ball into fists, and Yano grabs my wrist.

“Stay calm,” he whispers. “They might see reason.”

“Do you really believe that?” I bite.

From the pitying look in my brother’s eyes, I know that he does not.

In the centre of the square, the admiral turns back to my mate.

“Human, you stand accused of the crime of trespassing on our land, and of using forbidden technology. How do you plead?”

“You’re insane,” Lilith spits. “You’re all insane!”

Father grabs the chain that’s attached to my mate’s neck and pulls hard. She falls to her knees, and my heart jumps. I can’t bear to watch. I have to do something, but plunging a dagger into the admiral’s neck will do nothing but get us both killed.

I’m sure it’ll feel good though. Really good.

“Did you not use this strictly forbidden weapon?”

Father throws the strange tool onto the floor, and the crowd whispers.

“Yes,” Lilith says, “but only to heal, to sav—”

“So you admit!” the admiral booms. “The filthy human admits! Even here, even lightyears from Earth, do the humans continue to follow us! To hound us! They will not let us be, not let us grow, not let us prosper! They will not rest until we are their lapdogs, their pitbulls, our fates chained to theirs! No more, I say, no more! No longer will we bend to their will, no longer will we put human lives before the Zorans!”

The crowd cheers and it sickens me.

How do they not see the wool being pulled over their eyes?

Yano explained what happened. How Lilith has saved his life. I feel immensely grateful for that… but I wish it wouldn’t have come at the price of her life. I wish she had stayed patient, had let us find a way, had let Yano or me enter the desolate ship instead.

Then again, it was me who rudely refused to do so when Lilith asked. It was my stern demeanor, my unwillingness to yield, to listen to my mate, which pushed her to risk her life.

For my sins, we will pay the ultimate price.

“I object.”

My strong voice carries far, and the crowd falls silent. Yano tugs at my arm, frantically.

“What are you doing?!” he whispers.

I shrug him off, clear my throat and repeat myself.

“I object.”

“You… object?” the admiral says. “You misunderstand this trial, young one. You cannot object to justice!”

“This is a mockery.”

The crowd around me parts as if I’m on fire. I step forward, walking towards my mate. She looks up at me and shakes her head, her eyes pleading for me not to throw my life away as well… but I have no other choice.

A life without my mate is not one I want to live.

“She used her tool to save my brother’s life. We ought to thank her, not punish her!”

“Let me handle this, with your permission, admiral,” my father says.

Admiral Bast nods, and my father takes his place.

General Goran.

Dressed in his full armor, his chest decorated with medals.

A hatred stronger than any I’ve ever felt fills my entire being, but I remain calm. As calm as possible, at least. I need to win the minds and hearts of my fellow Zorans, and I can’t do that by snarling like a beast.

Father clears his throat.

“If Yano truly was sick, then he ought to have died. To keep the weak alive is unnatural. That is the way of the jungle. That is the way of the Zorans.”

The crowd is silent, watching with bated breath. My eyes are narrowed, my fists balled.

“If the human is even telling the truth,” father continues. “They are deceitful. They are liars. They are manipulators. They have manipulated us into leaving Exon, in getting our homeworld destroyed by the Tyk’ix. They have manipulated us into becoming their dogs, their pets, wielding our strength as theirs. No longer. Finally, we are free from their chains… and you wish to return to that?”

“What about King Vinz?” I growl. “The warrior-king who freed us from Emperor Qleiord? The one who cursed us all, the reason why there are so few Zoran women, even now, generations later? Does Vinz’s name mean nothing anymore? He mated with a human. He saw our futures were entwined.”

“Even the wisest make mistakes,” father growls. “His deeds were great, yes, but being pampered by the humans has made him weak and malleable! That is why we took our fleet and left, to escape the damning influence he and his generals were having on our species as a whole!”

Father points at Lilith, the veins in his neck bulging.

“If you choose her side, then you are an enemy of the people! Beg for forgiveness and you might live, or you will share her fate!”

“Please,” Lilith croaks. Her eyes are red and puffy, tears streaming down her face. “Don’t die for me.”

I’m too stubborn to listen to her.

“She is my mate,” I say loudly.

The crowd gasps.

Father shakes his head.

“Lilith is my mate,” I repeat. “Her fate is mine. King Vinz was right. You are wrong. History will prove that.”

Admiral Bast steps forward, resting his hand on my father’s shoulder.

“I am sorry for your loss, general. You are the most loyal man I know. To hear your own son reject our teachings… my heart goes out to you.”

Father shakes his head.

“Daruk is no son of mine.”

Even after everything, those words still hurt.

“Take them away.”

Warriors step forward from every side. Before I can grab my dagger, before I can fight and die valiantly, my arms are grabbed and twisted behind my back.

“You idiots,” I growl. “Don’t you see you are being lied to?!”

“Shut up, traitor,” one of them growls. A knee is planted in my back, forcing me to my knees.

A blow to my head turns all the lights off.