The interview had been a lot easier than Ellis had expected. She rose from her seat and went over to where Logan and Nin stood. She melted into his arms, laying her head against him.
Together, they walked the short distance to the temple, Logan, and Ellis hand-in-hand. They went through the side door and Ellis hoped the President wouldn’t be too disappointed at being robbed of his place in the spotlight.
Micheal waited inside, right on tow with the high priest. The bride and groom were already kneeling in front of him. The female gave Ellis a happy, excited smile and a little wave.
The temple was packed with Kolns. As Ellis and Logan entered, they all sank to their knees. In a large group setting, etiquette didn’t require they all kneel; they just chose to do so as a touching tribute.
Ellis’s voice cracked as she told them to rise.
The ceremony began, the priest's voice rising and falling in the familiar cadence of the vows. Logan
"She took a jumper on an unauthorized trip to 21st century Earth. When they questioned her about it, she said that with the mate retrievals halted, she was afraid she'd never get the chance to see it again."Ellis frowned.“Can they tell by the jumper’s log where she actually went?”Leo nodded. “I asked and it does appear she went to Earth.”Ellis shook her head. “I doubt it was nostalgia that drove her.” She wondered what it could be. There was no doubt the woman was up to something. She had the urge to go against her ethics and ask the guards to do something about Nadia. Maybe have her home searched or even slap her around until she confessed.She glanced over to Laurel to see if she had any input and found that Laurel hadn't been listening. She and Dorian were involved in a quiet conversation. It was the first time Ellis had been around Dorian since Laurel and he reconciled and she noticed a difference i
“The situation in the second planet is deteriorating fast,” Dorian exclaimed over breakfast the next morning. “The senators introduced a secession legislation last night,” he huffed.Logan looked shocked. He hadn’t thought his authority would be disputed. “That is treason! How was it received?”Dorian hung his head. “They didn’t reject it if that’s what you wanted to know. Not immediately,” his tone was grim. “I thought Ellis’s video would help…”Logan shook his head. “It’s not about the emancipation of the Kolns, Dorian. It is an excuse to revolt. They had been unhappy with the Empire since my father’s reign. Perhaps resentment has turned them into this.”“The sponsors of the bill have made a statement that they don’t want to join the rebels, but they don’t want to be part of the Empire, either.”“Claimin
The technical noises started and everyone apart from her seemed unfazed. The engine roared and the ship shook and rattled. Ellis watched Nin in amazement as she swayed with the motion of the ship to stay upright, as perfectly balanced as she was on the ground.And then Ellis could feel the lift-off. She slammed back against the seat, a giant, invisible force pinning her down. She tried to lift one of her fingers but didn’t have enough strength.And then the rattling stopped. The roar of the engine died down to a soft hum. Logan clicked open parts of Ellis’s harness so she could move her heads and hands. She relaxed a little. “You won’t want to get up. The weightlessness can make you feel disoriented.”“Is there a window?” Ellis asked.Logan reached down and pushed a panel. Beneath it was a tiny porthole, Ellis peered out into the empty blackness, littered with glittering stars. She saw Zothea and was staggered by
Cecilia was friendly. And she was human.Ellis had been prepared for hostility, but instead was met with a welcoming demeanor. It took her by surprise. Her husband had stood in front of the temple to stop the Koln wedding, so she had expected Cecilia to take cues from that behavior.Instead, Cecilia didn’t even mention politics. She chattered, leading Ellis to a room with low divans and a small table between them.Ellis took a seat on the divan that Cecilia offered and Nin knelt at the head of it, silent as always. So far, Cecilia hadn't even acknowledged her existence, which Ellis thought was a little odd. Most people were curious about Nin because it wasn't common to see her kind with a human.“Where is Logan?” Ellis asked. She took a plate of fruits and sampled one of them after seeing Cecilia eat, to ensure that it didn’t need to be peeled or pitted. She also thought about having a taste test for poison before she took them.
Nin acted as their taster, despite Ellis's reluctance. The President looked offended, but Logan insisted. Just like the Kolns at home, Nin placed the food in her palm before eating it, but unlike the Kolns, she could eat vegetables, though Ellis might have gotten a small, vicious pleasure out of making Cecilia taste them for her.Ellis only picked at her food, listening as Logan and the President struggled to make polite conversation. Ellis had never been one for small talk, so she couldn't think of anything to contribute. Ellis knew the President's name was Abe, but he never gave them leave to use it, so they were forced to refer to him by his title, making the conversation even more stilted and formal.The President, it seemed, enjoyed gambling and had just invited them to a bout the next evening. Ellis didn't hear Logan’s reply over the pounding of her heart.The meal finally ended, but instead of rising to leave, the President clapped his hands. A grou
“He essentially said that if I had sex with him, he would go along with our proclamations without a fuss.” She hung her head.Logan jumped to his feet, a ferocious growl ripping from his throat, murder in his eyes. He charged for the door but Ellis grabbed his tail, clinging to the swaying bed. “Don’t!”“How dare he? Let go of my tail, Ellis,” he snarled.“No, Logan. You’ll make things worse. You’ll play into their plans. Let’s just go home, okay?” she pleaded with him. “He wants you to attack him, to give him an excuse to cause you trouble. Cecilia tried to set me off over abusing her Koln and Abe would try to enrage you by propositioning me.”Logan froze and she could see him thing carefully. She dropped his tail. “You are right.” He cupped her face in his palm, stroking his thumb over her cheekbone. “What would I do without you?”“Do
Micheal was waiting for them at the space port when the ship landed. This time Ellis didn’t drink anything lest another bladder mishap put a stain on her good name.Ellis inhaled the Zothean are deeply and felt at home, finally. When had she come to love this planet like her own? She wasn’t sure, but she felt it now: a deep, powerful connection to this world and its people.“Glad you are home,” Micheal said. “I was worried for your safety.”“The President’s mate was desperate for us to stay until morning. I’m certain they had something planned for us during the night,” Ellis said slowly. Logan added the story about the poisonous lizard, making Micheal growl.“They threatened your mate? You would have been within your right to kill them both.”Logan tickled Ellis’s neck with the tip of his tail. “See? I’m not the only one who thinks that way.”She
“Take the children and go to the basement,” he commanded Ellis. He was already punching buttons on the communicator.“I’m coming with you.”“No, you’re not,” Logan retorted. “It is not safe. Please… I won’t be able to keep my mind on the fight unless I know you are safe. Nin?” he glanced up.“The Emperor is correct,” Nin spoke, oddly calm. “You must stay here where we can protect the children.”Yes, Ellis sank. She had to protect the children.Logan was speaking frantically into the communicator. “We’re under attack. Launch everything. It if flies, it needs to be in the air.”Another explosion. This time, it was in the opposite direction.Laurel ran to the window. “It’s the space port!”Leo and Dorian ran through the connecting closet into their apartment. Ellis could see them head directly and pe