Chapter 23
Chapter Twenty-Three
Illan peered over his shoulder at the closed door to Macy’s home, then forced himself to face ahead, locking onto Xeus’s disappearing back.
He hadn’t invited Ziamee to join him, even though she had every right.
But revealing this ugly side of him… No, that could wait until they were truly dhutyas.
She’d get a secondhand view from his memories, not witness him using any means necessary to peel the truth from this Maloidian.
Could he kill the male? Yes, he would do it…
if he had to. After what he’d discovered and how they’d treated that poor male, not to mention those Maloidians at the base?
He had no doubts that what awaited them was the same fate as that corpse on the station.
What justice he and Brac had handed out was a far kinder end than abandonment, starvation, and loneliness.
A blaster shot was swift, merciless—better than what they deserved after their destruction of Durn.
And therein lay the issue; Illan was conflicted, pitying the one Maloidian while hating the rest of the species.
“Your discoveries paint the Maloidians as beyond redeemable,” Xeus muttered, holding aside the door leading to the levels beneath the throne room. “This is not the face they show us. And yet, I do not struggle to believe this. Many things have been revealed as coming from their hands.”
“I had not considered, not once, that my planet’s destruction was anything but natural.” Illan pinched his brow, fighting for clarity of thought while using his other hand to guide him down the stairs.
“Ava says everything comes into the light, and she is not wrong,” Kanzo said from behind Illan. “What with Zucis’s revelations and the part Maloid played in them…” He tutted. “I cannot believe our lima kuu did not once entertain the possibility of Maloid instigating a galactic war.”
“True, which leaves us at a disadvantage,” Xeus said, striding into a sec room with a desk at the center. A warrior stood to attention. “How is he? Barro?” Xeus demanded.
“He has been screaming about injustice and reporting this to the G.C., my king,” the male said.
Xeus snorted. “What could the Global Council do from their padded seats? Lower the shield, Warrior Tanlu.” He strode to the farthest cell, to where a Maloidian sprawled on a bench molded to the wall. “Ambassador Barro—”
“King Xeus, what an honor,” the male muttered, sitting up, then stiffening when he caught sight of Illan. “But you,” he said, “are a rare privilege.”
“Is it?” Illan crossed to stand a few feet from the male, his fingers curling into fists. “When your kind killed mine?”
Barro froze, then blustered as if insulted, “How dare—”
“We found the facility on Vora, Barro. There is no use in denying Maloid’s involvement in the genocide of Durn.” Xeus leaned against the wall, his stance nonchalant. “All evidence will be brought before the G.C., and if they fail to act, consider Etteria at war with Maloid.”
“A war we are more than ready for,” Kanzo said, his tone droll. “And if the council chooses to act, then Maloid will be sanctioned indefinitely.”
“Sanctions?” Barro scoffed. “A slap—”
Illan punched him, relishing his fist meeting the male’s jaw. Elorach, that felt good. “More mercy than you deserve.”
“No bartering, no travel beyond your world?” Xeus said.
“No Maloidian steel for your ships?” Barro massaged his jaw but couldn’t hide his smirk.
“We should turn your weapon onto your planet,” Illan said, the idea just occurring to him. “Your world for mine.”
Barro paled, his spots darkening. “You are too soft-hearted—”
“Am I?” Illan chuckled. “Do you know many Durns there are to make such a statement? Oh, wait, no, you do not. Why is that, Barro? Why are there so few Durns left?” Illan crowded the male, his fist raised.
“Why? Why do this to an entire planet? Why kill so many? What did Maloid hope to gain? What had my people ever done to yours to deserve this fate?”
“They…interfered,” Barro muttered, leaning away from Illan.
Xeus straightened and pushed off the wall, closing the distance between them. “In what? A bargain?”
Barro winced, a ripple of pain traversing his body. “Durn was not our initial target. We had cultivated, for centuries, the aggression in one species, only to discover that they had reached out to you to ‘fix’ their barbaric nature.”
Ice slithered down Illan’s spine, and a tingle followed. “What?” he whispered, too stunned to form a proper question.
“By removing your…kind, we prevented any future attempts to meddle.” Barro laughed. “Little did we know how that ‘fix’ would kill off their birthrate. By then, it was too late to undo the destruction of your homeworld. A pity.”
Xeus loomed, his expression murderous. “Are you implying—”
“I cannot mention specifics…” Barro clasped his head, agony in his twisted features. “To do so might trigger—”
“A deathkill switch?” Xeus asked.
Barro nodded, his lips pinched.
“Why abandon your people then?” Illan demanded, uncaring that the male could die from their own brain implants.
“We assumed we were being monitored—our destinations and communication. To reach out to Vora would draw unwanted attention.”
“But for so long? I understand that your people have a long lifespan, but—”
“The loss of a few outweighs the future of many,” Barro said. “It is the way of things.”
“And Queen Alllero?” Xeus asked. “Was she complicit?”
“Of course not,” Barro snapped. “The society has governed Maloid for as long as we existed.”
“The what?” Kanzo’s eyes narrowed, distrust in his stiff posture.
“I cannot reveal more.” Barro curled into a ball, agony in his voice. “Kill or release me, for if I continue along this path, I will surely die.”
“Tell me, Ambassador, if you had discovered this had been done to your people, how would you retaliate?” Xeus’s calm question whipped Illan’s gaze to him.
“This was our retaliation.”
“To what slight?” Illan roared.
“The G.C. was in the process of putting”—Barro cried out—“policies in place.” He squirmed, crushing his head between his long-fingered hands. “That would govern how we do business: our profits, our dealings, the bargains, the bribes—all regulated and not within our control.”
“Billions killed for that?” Xeus rasped, shock on his face.
“The ultimate deal is our purpose. It is what we live for. The reason for our very existence is not to be dismissed as trivial.” The male straightened, giving Xeus a glare.
“You meddled with Etterians first. How did Durn become your target?”
“Etterians are too honorable for their own good. They would have agreed to the policies and would have prevented us from dealing the way we have done for millennia. Durn aided you when we needed you focused on survival or, better still, extinct.”
“All for the best deal? This sounds…absurd.” Illan folded his arms across his chest. “Do you expect us to believe this nonsense?”
“Do or do not; either way means nothing to me.”
“Be serious, Barro,” Xeus said.
“Commerce is our way of life.” Barro met their gazes, his eyes taking on a gray hue. “The Etterians and the Durns threatened this. Now leave me be.” He sprawled on the bench, offering them his back.
“Tanlu, fetch Zucis. I want the deathkill switch neutralized.” Xeus gathered Illan to the side. “Need more information?”
“Perhaps, after the switch has been deactivated.” Too much had been revealed, and Illan could use the time to sort through it all. “Inform Zucis of this…development.”
“Good idea. It might inspire him to resolve this without killing the male.” Xeus nodded at Kanzo before marching out of the cell. The hum of the shield activating returned as soon as Illan trailed him, his mind reeling. So much for killing the male.
From the moment he’d opened his mouth, revealing secrets, Illan hadn’t thought about revenge.
He’d been put on the back foot, struggling to reconcile what he knew with what Barro was telling him.
Worse, if Illan didn’t sort it all out, he couldn’t update Ziamee.
It all seemed so surreal. To kill so many people, he would need a damn good reason.
Not this nonsense about affecting trade negotiations and changing the way Maloidians did business.
Although, as the sole provider of Maloidian steel, he could see how this could mean trillions in tokens. Greed? Could he put it down to that? And pride?
“Your lady is on the beach,” Xeus said, gesturing to a wall up ahead.
Illan’s step faltered, surprised to find himself outside and in the middle of the royal gardens.
“I will send a warrior to escort you to your quarters, and Macy says to come for dinner.” With that said, Xeus marched off.
Illan hurried to the wall and peered over it, resting his hands on the stone. Below, along the beach, strolled his Ziamee, her pants darker to the knee. Fear gripped him at the realization that these waters weren’t safe. If she ventured in, he wouldn’t reach her in time to save her.
He bolted, careening down the steps and across the sand.
Not once did she face him, his approach no doubt softened. He wrapped his arms around her and whipped her away from the waves. With her crushed against him, her face tucked into the curve of his neck, his chin resting on her head, he waited for his breathing to calm.
“You’re being an idiot again,” she snapped, glaring at him the moment he released her.
“Again?” He arched a brow.
“I’ve been warned about the omeika.” She huffed.
“Oh,” he said, slowly stepping back.
“Before you ‘rescued’ me, I survived just fine.” She folded her arms across her chest.
“I know,” he said, digging his fingers into his scalp. “But you do not need to just survive anymore.”
“When I’m on a strange planet with a wide range of unknown fauna and flora?” She gazed at the ocean, closed her eyes, and raised her face to the sweet sunlight. “It’s pretty here, though.”