Commander Jaize Lorna
Once I knew that Christina was safely sleeping in her room, I sat back against the wall and sighed deeply. It had been a hell of a day, for both of us. Now, knowing that the young man I had met earlier that day was definitely bound for execution, I had a choice to make.
If I attempted to rescue him, it would not only be a dangerous, probably failed mission, but it would also label me a traitor to my people. It was unlikely that I would succeed, especially considering my disease, but there was something that had been bothering me since we’d come back from the prison. I had lifted Karan easily, as if he were nothing but a tiny child. It almost felt like, at that moment, that I’d gotten a bit of my strength back.
But that was impossible. Still, I couldn’t shake the feeling. The whole situation had given me a rush, a taste of the impossible. I couldn’t dare to dream of it being a permanent state, but the possibility of being cured left me feeling elated. It would be nice to feel like a real man again.
I tensed up at the sound of Christina’s voice. She had been suffering deeply all night long, tossing and turning in a fitful, fever-like sleep. If I could rescue her brother, it would show her that I truly cared about her. That I would rather raise my family on the run from the powerful Verian government than I serve as Commander any longer.
Truthfully, living with Christina had been eye-opening. I had never known that humans could be so…charming. The same was true of young Lucas, who had proven to be quite endearing. The idea that I might have a son like that myself, someday soon, filled me with pride and giddy anticipation.
But the thought of the boy being executed put those feelings to a halt. I couldn’t just let him suffer like that. It was cruel and needless. Surely there was something I could do without compromising everything I had on planet Helna!
But what was it that I had, really? A wife who would be better off without me, a boss who hated me, and a thankless job for a government that worried more about mining resources from innocent people than promoting a peaceful way of co-existing with them? We had anti-human propaganda that had left me feeling, from a young age, that humans were vermin. I had worked hard to reach the top of the military’s career track so that I would have a chance to protect my people from the human enemy once and for all.
And now, I had fallen in love with one. But to love her also meant to love her family. A family my people had viciously torn apart and continued to harm, even as I sat protectively outside of Christina’s room.
I got to my feet, a growl lodged deep in my throat. I couldn’t let them execute Luke. He had done nothing wrong. He was just a child, in the wrong place at the wrong time. A child, not a casualty of war, or some kind of spy with intel on an ambush. And certainly not just a waste of space and resources. That was what was wrong with my planet. Everything was focused on the utilitarian aspect. So rarely were Verians focused on the non-material aspects of life. Aspects like love, or loyalty. The things that Christina needed from me that I wasn’t sure I knew how to give her.
But I knew one thing: I wasn’t going to make the mistake of letting her go so easily. And I wasn’t going to let any young child of mine be forced into a system of oppressive bondage to the Verian army. I was going to fight for the freedom of my family and win Christina’s heart once and for all.
***
I woke up early, after only an hour’s worth of rest, my plan fresh in my mind.
“Please, look after the human,” I asked the Pelin.
“Of course,” he said, with a low nod.
“I need you to drive her to the bay, later in the day. Make sure she’s there waiting for me by 2:00, Earth time. Use this.”
I slipped the watch off of my wrist and handed it to the Pelin. It looked huge in his little hands, and he knelt in acknowledgment of the request.
“You can’t let Malnia know where you have taken the human. She isn’t to do any further damage to her. Understood?”
“Yes,” the Pelin said seriously, and I knew by the sound of his voice that he took this job seriously. It had been unbelievable for Malnia to risk the life of Christina and the child the way she had, and a sobering event for the Pelin, who had taken quite a liking to the human.
I knelt to him, unsure of whether or not this would be the last time I would see him, and then stepped inside the cool guest bedroom where Christina was slumbering soundly.
I gazed at her for a moment, pain wrenching my heart. I lowered my lips gently against her temple.
“I may die trying,” I whispered, “but I will do everything in my power to bring your brother back.”
I left quickly, before Christina could stir and ask what I was doing hovering over her in her sleep, and headed for the prison. My heart tremored nervously as I made the trip. It was one I had made a thousand times before, but this time, I was terrified. Whether the place was understaffed or not, the Doyan was very particular about who worked there. It was under the supervision of some of the most experienced fighters on all of Helna, and the idea of confronting any of them, with the mysterious disease that continued to weaken me, was disturbing, to say the least.
“Jaize, hello!” Narei said, walking toward me when I crossed into the entrance. “I was just—”
“I’m sorry, Narei,” I said. His face flickered with confusion just before I struck him hard. He fell to the ground fast, and I studied my fist in disbelief. It hadn’t just been my imagination. Ever since Christina had gotten pregnant, it seemed I had been regaining my strength again, little by little.
And now, when I closed my eyes, I could almost feel the heartbeat of my tiny son or daughter as their strength urged me forward. I opened my eyes again, thrilled and determined to accomplish exactly what I set out to accomplish. With strength on my side once more, there was nothing to stand in my way.
I knelt beside Narei and dug through his pockets until I found the ring of keys and passcodes. I would find Luke and get him out of this place if it was the last thing I ever did.
***
I could hear the heavy snores of human men once I opened the door to the corridor, and knew immediately that I was in the right place. Narei had led me here once before, to his detriment, unfortunately, and I crept through the hallway as quietly as I could, peering in each cell until I found the one where Luke was sleeping.
“Max!” I hissed. One of the men stirred, but Lucas stayed asleep. Finally, I lost my patience and unlocked the door carefully. If I was too loud, the men would end up charging out of the cell all at once, and I would lose my advantage.
I crept inside until I was standing just over the sleeping boy. I nudged him.
“Lucas,” I whispered. “Time to go.”
His eyes shot open, and he sat bolt upright, staring into my eyes fearfully.
“Please don’t hurt me!” he whimpered.
I clamped my hand over his mouth and lifted him up. “I’m here to save you, little Yul!”
His brow furrowed in confusion but he stayed silent until we were outside the cell. I sat him down on his feet and fumbled with the keys, peering at the lock.
As I attempted to lock the door behind us, a strong hand gripped my wrist and wrenched the key ring out of my hand.
“You shouldn’t have done that, Jaize!”
Narei shouted from behind the line of hulking Verian warriors, retired from battle and content to work the graveyard shift at the prison.
“Stay down!” I growled to Lucas. He nodded, his brown eyes wide in terror, and I turned to the group of men. They clearly hadn’t seen a good fight in years, and they were ready. I braced myself for the impact, and soon my fists were flying.
It had been almost four years since I had felt like myself, and with every connection my fists made to another Verian man’s flesh, the more alive I felt. Soon, I was giddy with the adrenaline and had knocked out three out of my seven opponents. Narei was watching from the sidelines with fear etched all over his face, occasionally trying to talk some sense into me.
“Think of your ranking!” he would shout, running behind the wall to avoid getting splashed with blood from one of the older men’s teeth getting knocked out. Or, “You have a hybrid on the way! What if their career is jeopardized because of your own foolishness?!”
But I was immune to his words. There was nothing left on Helna for me. Verian society had far more wrong with it than it had right at this point, and until they learned to compromise and appreciate humans, and vice versa, I couldn’t see myself taking either side in the war. There had to be somewhere that we could coexist without having to live in fear. And I was going to find it.
“Krocha!” the last man shouted in fury as his head hit the ground hard. I grinned. I had never felt so alive in my life. Narei cried out and backed away toward the wall with his hands raised in the air.
“Don’t hurt me!” he pleaded. “I didn’t want to do this!”
I shook my head at him and tossed him the keys.
“Don’t try to stop me next time,” I warned him, pointing my finger at him.
“I won’t!” he promised.
“Come on,” I said to Lucas, taking the boy’s hand. “We’re going to get out of here.”
“Where are we going?” he asked. He was clearly afraid of me, and really, I couldn’t blame him.
“I know where your sister is.”
The boy gasped, and I couldn’t help but smile. I was doing the right thing. Finally. And nothing was going to stand in my way.