Page 6 of Jewel of the Alien Bandit
THERE WERE ALWAYSat least a few offworlders that have tried to enter the moon ceremony for the ‘fun’ of it, without an invite from Almder. Estreldez has, over recent years since opening to diplomats, been given quite the reputation I’ve found of being an exclusive, highly-sought-after invite for a pleasurable time. I rolled my eyes. This wasn’t a brothel, this was our very existence on the line and they treated us like a commodity.
I flipped through the images of the mating candidates, and stopped abruptly on one in particular with hard brown eyes so dark they reminded me of tarnpul deposits before they were polished. This one was definitely not invited by my mother. He appeared to be a warrior, chiseled jaw line, battle formed into a mask of determination and a lifelong built distance between himself and anything that would harm him, emotions included.
“He’s handsome,” Mabel commented over my shoulder. “In a dangerous kind of way.”
I scanned his file. He was a bounty hunter, that made sense, and he was in peak physical condition. But, what didn’t make sense was where he said he was from. Sholonus was destroyed before I was spawned. I’ve read about many failed civilizations to better prevent our own from suffering the same fate, and hedidn’t look anything like the natural inhabitants of Sholonus. Was my data incomplete, or was he hiding something?
“He’s one of the pleasure seekers,” I informed Mabel. Definitely not a true diplomat seeking to further bond our trade or alliances with assisting our repopulation efforts. Not that I really cared about his motives. I’d seen his kind over the years, and he’d leave as soon as he’d had his fun, and he’d be much too distracted to notice an extra passenger on his ship.
I grinned wickedly, he was perfect to get me offworld. Once I was settled, I’d inform my mother where I was, and have her send my selected team to me, or I’d threaten to never return to my duties as future Almder of Estreldez.
“He has strange scars on his skin, they are black as his eyes and hair.”
I nodded. A tingling in my gut made me stand, and pace the garden. Why was I getting nervous? He’s seen battle, would I not be safe when he discovered me on his ship? He wouldn’t want to cause an incident, he would take me where I requested, right? I was second guessing my plans at using him for my escape.
“Mabel.” She watched me wear a line into the dirt at my feet. I pressed my lips together doubting my own resolve. “You’ve been part of the M.R. team and an adviser to Almder for a few years now…”
She bit her lip, still raw about her new status as infertile from her previous report to my mother.
“Yes.”
I regretted reminding her of something that upset her, but she’d understand more than anyone else what I was trying to do. Most of all, I trusted her.
“I need your help to search for new technology and treaties that could help us save our clan.”
“Of course, anything I can do to help.” She was eager to distract herself, and it was the reason she joined the M.R., MoonMating Research, team to begin with. I knew I could count on her.
“As you know there is only so far diplomacy can reach from inside the palace. That's why we send delegates out as representatives, and the voice of the Almder across the current system.” She already knew all this, but when you asked for someone to go against the current Almder’s wishes, things needed to be prefaced and the reasons clearly positive. “And though my mother has many more years of leadership, she has agreed to form a team to go outside of our current system to seek out new solutions, and alliances with my direct involvement. My support will be well received by any planet or species to increase our chances of forming those bonds, being the future Almder of Estreldez. It is why I must personally acquire those relationships myself being an integral part of the team that explores the systems until it is my time to take over my mother’s duties.”
Rushing that last part was probably the reason why she furrowed her brow with a mix of confusion and disbelief. I had basically inferred I had my mother’s approval for joining the team, when really I only had her approval to form the team, which in my opinion was the same thing. I was forming the team, and I decided I should be the diplomat of the mission to seek offworld assistance to our cause.
“Luan… you are forgetting you would be putting our whole planet’s future in jeopardy by leaving the safety of Estreldez. You are the future Almder, the Jewel of Estreldez, and easily a target by those that wish to control our resources, or worse enslave us.”
Frowning, this was not how I envisioned this conversation going. She was supposed to support me, and be on my side of things. My relation to my mother was always kept quiet outside the planet during the moon ceremony. No one should even know who I am until I’ve made it to the first planet for treaty and trade discussions. People talked, I thought suspiciously. Any one ofthe previous mates or diplomats could have said something, but no one should know my name outside this planet. They were all under oath.
“We are not cowards.” I bristled at the implications of why we should be sequestering ourselves to our home planet.
“No, all of our warriors have proven themselves against the krelins before our treaty. We are not cowards. You think this will show our strength to have you part of the mission.” She understood, and I breathed a sigh of relief. “I won’t tell your mom what you are up to, but that’s the best I can do.”
My shoulders sagged. She wouldn't help, but she wouldn’t deter me either. That was something.
I nodded sadly.
“That will have to be enough, then.”
“The games will begin soon.” Mabel stood. She was here to make sure I attended, though sometimes I forgot that Mabel and Loric were at their core my mother’s advisers, and therefore hung out with me because they were tasked to do so. My heart grew heavy, not willing to accept neither of them were my friends after all the years I’d known them.
“Mabel. We are friends.” I needed her reassurances, that this wasn’t one sided, even if she lied to me, I needed to hear the words.
Her green eyes softened, and she pulled me into a hug. “We are.” With a heavy sigh she continued, “I will see what I can do to help you, but right now we must see if any of the mates can make your shoulders tingle.”
I blew off a laugh, holding her tightly. “I’ve seen the games before, and I have my doubts.”
She pulled me back, her hands giving me a gentle squeeze on my biceps. “It is different when they display their talents to you personally.”
“I don’t understand.” I watched her skeptically. Had she felt her eggs drop before? She spoke as if she knew that I would feel the tingle myself, that she had felt that very same thing when someone had displayed themselves in games before.
Mabel glanced away shyly, embarrassed. “As a scientist of behavioral analysis, I’ve interviewed many that have successfully mated. Some knew as soon as they saw them, and others needed to be in close proximity. You’ve been far from attentive during the previous ceremonies, participating may change things for you.”
