Page 10 of Alien Engineer's Mate

“You’re not Latharian,” the human lawyer glared at her.

She looked up at him. “I see humans are indeed as perceptive as I had been led to believe.”

Maax hid his grin. Oh, she was good. Very good. Suddenly, he felt a whole lot more confident about this meeting.

The human male’s eyes narrowed. “What I mean is, that our case is with the Latharian. Not… whatever your species is. No offense.”

“None taken.” She inclined her head, the silver markings around her horns glinting in the light. It looked like the design was carved in and then had been filled with silver. Maax didn’t know much about Tavkronian physiology, but that had to have hurt.

“I am Tavkronian, for the record. My species, and my family corp, specializes in intergalactic law. As such, we have been on retainer with the Latharian Imperial Court for the last seven hundred years. I am here at the behest of the Emperor to represent Warrior A'Taav. In these matters, it is the Emperor’s feeling that all Lathar are members of the Imperial household, and as such, their rights must be protected.”

There was silence. Whatever the humans had expected, he was sure they hadn’t expected an alien legal expert.

"Shall we begin?" Tisshel smiled, her soft voice filling the room.

“Yes, indeed. Let's cut to the chase." The lawyer's voice cracked through the air like an energy whip, designed to wound. "This is a clear case?—”

“Excuse me,” Tisshel interrupted him. “I do not know how these matters are dealt with on Earth, but in the intergalacticcommunity, it is seen as courteous to introduce yourself and your companions. We have already done so,” she said, spreading her hands to indicate herself and Maax.

“Yes, yes, of course,” he said in irritation. “I am Alan Carson, legal representative for the Department of Social Services.” He turned to indicate the woman sat nearest to him. “This is Andrea Lucas, Emily Morgan’s caseworker. And...”

His voice trailed off as he turned to look at the steel-haired woman.

“My name is Taylor,” she replied. “I am simply an observer.”

“Thank you.” Tisshel inclined her head again, then looked at Carson. “You may continue.”

“Thank you. As I was saying, this is a clear case of jurisdictional overreach. The child in question, Emily Morgan, is an Earth citizen and subject to Earth's laws regarding fostering and adoption."

Maax's hands clenched beneath the table, safely out of sight, his nails cutting into his palms. The pain helped him maintain his warrior's discipline as the human lawyer continued.

"Furthermore, the manner in which she was removed from her legal guardians' care shows a complete disregard for proper channels and procedures. The Morgans had full custody?—"

"The Morgans," Tisshel interrupted, "were using children placed in their care as household servants.” Her eyes flashed with quickly-leashed anger. "Or perhaps you'd like to explain how forcing a five-year-old child to sleep in a locked closet constitutes ‘proper’ guardianship?"

Maax watched in growing appreciation as the mild-mannered advocate transformed before his eyes. She pulled up holographic documentation with deadly efficiency, her movements precise and controlled as a warrior with a blade. Each piece of evidence appeared in the air between them like ammunition being loaded into a weapon.

"Under the Latharian Emperor's Protection Order regarding human females, specifically subsection 47-B concerning minors, any warrior who encounters such a situation has not only the right but the duty to intervene." Her voice never rose but carried the weight of absolute authority. "Warrior Maax fulfilled his obligations both as a warrior and as a sentient being when he removed Emily from the Morgan’s care.”

“Humanity does not fall under the laws of the Lathar!” Carson snapped. “We have our own laws and legal systems.”

Tisshel tilted her head. “You have done, but the ruling of the intergalactic courts is that humanity has been proven and ratified as a sub-species of the Lathar. This means, as is the case for every other species with sub-species in the galaxy, that, without an application for emancipation from the child species, the parent species has jurisdiction over its sub-species.”

“This is preposterous! Humans are not sub?—”

The lawyer started to respond, but a slight throat-clearing from the third representative silenced him. The woman hadn't moved, hadn't changed her expression, but her control over the others was absolute. She studied Maax with those steel-grey eyes, measuring him in ways he couldn't quite grasp but recognized as dangerous.

"Before we proceed further," Tisshel said, her mild tone unchanged, "I believe we have additional testimony that may prove relevant to these proceedings."

4

Ahuman female entered the room, perhaps in her early twenties. Maax sat up straighter when he recognized her; Lady Jade, Vaarn's mate. She moved with precision as if she'd mapped out every step in advance. Her clothing was of good quality, simple and well-maintained, and the bracelet of a Latharian warrior on her wrist caught the light.

"Please state your name for the record," Tisshel asked.

"Jade Ashton." Her expression was steady as she addressed the humans opposite her. "But you'll find me in the Terran legal system as Jade Morgan, along with an application to have it legally changed."

Carson's expression hardened. "Morgan? Any relation to?—"

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