Total pages in book: 61
Estimated words: 58483 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 292(@200wpm)___ 234(@250wpm)___ 195(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 58483 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 292(@200wpm)___ 234(@250wpm)___ 195(@300wpm)
“It’s also possible our refusal to send her sets off a conflict that endangers all humans on our planet.”
“No.” Taisha steps forward, chin held high. “I will not endanger the other humans on this planet. I will turn myself in and tell them I was working alone, without aid from Zandia.” She bows her head. “You do not need to force me or convince me. I will go willingly.”
“No. I won’t allow it.” The words are out before the king, or anyone else can speak. My voice catches. “You have already sacrificed enough for Zandia.”
I stride across the room and take her hand into mine. Stars, it’s so cold.
To my great relief, she doesn’t pull away.
I turn to King Zander. “My lord, please. We must not send her back. I say this as a judicial expert, a warrior with experience in the field, and with my… my gut.” I shake my head. “I know it with my head and my heart, my lord. If we give her back”— I clench a fist—“and I’m not saying this purely out of selfish emotion, but if we give her back, it will only open the floodgates to our demise. They will see us as weak and malleable. Ones who may be governed by fear and led by their whims.”
I believe what I’m saying. But it wouldn’t matter, because there is no way I will let them give Taisha back. I would sacrifice myself instead to save her. I would steal a ship and leave with her first. Go into hiding somewhere in the galaxy.
I break off, checking our king’s face. He knows what I feel for Taisha. Does he still trust me as an advisor?
I believe my advice now is stronger than ever. The fact that I’m more emotional doesn’t hold me back. I’m positive it only makes me a stronger advocate for Zandia, because I have a fervency to my devotion that I previously lacked. And it’s Taisha who brought that out in me.
I hold my breath.
To my surprise, he meets my eyes. Like he is staring into my soul, and approves of what lies inside. He nods. “Continue, Captain.”
My confidence grows as I speak, turning to address the entire room, making eye contact with each council member. “We must be strong and defiant, as Taisha was defiant. When she escaped Romon-3. When she engaged in the mission for us to get the discs. When she helped us make an ally in Marshan, in the Wark. The serum she helped us create. She is far more valuable to us as an ally than a pawn to trade.”
King Zander holds up his hand. “We are not considering her a pawn to trade. We are here to determine policy. We knew this day would come. That the Ocretions would get wind that the humans we keep here are not slaves held in chains. They’re not kept as property. They are integrating into Zandian culture.
“We knew it could pose a political problem with the Ocretions. It could also pose problems for our planet. If too many humans get word and escape to Zandia, we may not be able to grant them all asylum. We could easily face the situation of having more humans than Zandians here. I won’t allow Zandia to lose our identity. So we require policies for handling human immigrants. A policy for answering to the Ocretions.”
A beat goes by and then Master Seke speaks. “Captain Drayk is correct. We should never capitulate to the capricious demands of the Ocretions. This is a test; they are checking to see if we are cowards who may be bullied with threats.”
Relief washes down my back. I squeeze Taisha’s hand.
The king puts up his hand. “Taisha is indeed valuable to us for her contributions. And we will not make it a policy, ever, to return a human to slavery. It is not Taisha’s fault that she lies at the center of this controversy. Lamira’s visions show her as the harbinger of aggressions, but returning her would do nothing to help us.”
Taisha goes slack by my side and closes her eyes—relief? Overwhelmed with emotion?
I tuck her closer to my side, grateful when she leans into me. “It’s all right now,” I whisper.
The king looks at his council. “So what are our options?”
“We can play dumb,” Erick muses. “Continue to pretend humans are slaves here. They can’t definitively prove it’s not true. There’s no public Zandian law that says differently. And we can tell them Taisha’s new slave owner refuses to relinquish her, but as a concession, he’ll pay her previous owner the normal fee for an ag slave.
“Or we can make an out-and-out stand now. Declare humans are free on our soil. But I’m not sure we’re prepared to deal with the influx of humans we may get.”