Dekkir (Galaxy Alien Warriors #1)(28)
Across from me, Neyilla sat placid in her own seat, as meanwhile, her most recent patient, High Chieftain Dorin, paced the floor between us. The two were a study in contrasts. The healer, slender to the point of emaciation and with her pale hair caught up in elaborate braids, watched the scene before her while showing little emotion. Her questions, when they came, were calm and pointed. Draped neck to foot in embroidered blue robes, she only moved now and again to reach out, placating, to her patient, who grew more and more agitated as time went on. It was not good for his health, not so soon after being poisoned.
Dorin, nearly as big and broad as his son, olive-skinned and sporting curly, bronze-colored hair and beard, stalked back and forth like a caged tiger. Every once in a while, his golden eyes would fix on me, a mix of anger and suspicion riding in them. I always stared back as calmly as I could. If he felt like making me his personal scapegoat in this matter, I was pretty much ready to tell him to go to hell. My life was falling apart around me, and the last thing I needed was some egotistical alien nobleman trying to tell me I was the one to blame in this situation.
“You say they gave you no idea at all that this was their aim.” His voice was hard and angry, and I felt Dekkir tense beside me. He had already started arguing with his father twice, and I was glad he was there to step in on my behalf. “What else did Tabirus say?”
“He said their plan is to manufacture a conflict the people of Earth will accept as sufficient excuse to take over this planet. They’ve been planning it for years, but they did not even bring it to the commander’s attention until recently. Everyone on that base has been operating under the same lie. We all believed what Command’s leaders wanted was a treaty and trade agreements.” I wiped my eyes. I had managed to keep my voice even, at least.
He turned and stared at me hard, standing still for a few moments. I could feel his rage and worry pecking at me from the outside, like small, sharp-beaked birds. “And if we took you hostage, would they still feel comfortable in attacking?”
“Excuse me? Are you out of your mind?” I was getting thoroughly sick of his posturing. He might be important in this world, but right now, I didn’t care what happened to me. “I’ve technically been your hostage for over a week and a half. You may or may not have noticed that no one has come to rescue me.” He had no need to know Tabirus was covering for me. It didn’t change the truth of what I said next. “My death would be considered an acceptable loss. I’m absolutely certain of it.”
He blinked at me in shock, and Dekkir quickly spoke up. “Father, may I remind you of the risks Grace has already faced in order to thwart those who sought your life?”
His anger faded slightly from both his manner and his face. “That, at least, is true. But how do we know where your loyalties lie?”
I glared at him, tears running down my face. “I just got betrayed by Earth Command. I just found out they have decided to use me as a pawn in their long game of screwing up everything I had intended to come here to do. Do you really think, even though my family and people are back on Earth, that I could possibly have any loyalty left to my former employers?” I knew it to be true even more once I said it aloud. After this, any respect or consideration I showed to Earth Command would be an act. As theirs had been to me.
Dorin went quiet for the moment. Neyilla spoke up. “I understand your grief at this betrayal. But I do not understand. Why would they have you gathering information on us if they had no intention of releasing it to the general public?”
“They did release them to the general public, just as propaganda. According to Tabirus, they took all of my reports, and all the reports he did before me, and edited them so heavily they became pretty much fiction. They left our names on them and sent them back to Earth. Their aim was basically to make your people seem like uncooperative savages who would have to be forced to give us the resources we need to survive.”
The healer steepled her fingers. “And don’t you think anyone back on Earth would raise any sort of protest if they killed you in the course of their actions?”
My face crumpled and fresh tears filled my eyes. I had to stay silent for a minute while I pulled myself back together.
Dekkir spoke up for me. “It seems likely that her family, which is important amongst the warriors of Earth, would lodge some sort of protest. We have not yet determined how it is that Command intends to get around this complication.”
My heart ached. I tried to imagine Mom, Dad, and my brothers getting the news that there was war with Lyra and that I was trapped planet-side with no possibility of rescue. They would all be furious. They would definitely protest. They would even go to the press if they felt they had to, oaths of loyalty or no. But . . . it wouldn’t change anything. Earth Command had too much power to challenge directly unless there was truly widespread outrage. My one death would not be enough to stir that.
“So,” Neyilla said in that same calm voice, “what can best be done about this?”
Dorin glared at me again. “If you weren’t my son’s mate, I would exile you from this world immediately. I know you are conflicted. You cannot hide it from me. You may despise those who give the orders, but that is still your world, and this is not. I also know your people are desperate. You must sympathize with them at least somewhat. Your world is dying.”
I managed to focus enough to answer. “Yes, and even from a purely logical standpoint, no one in their right mind would support war with your world. We barely have any resources left. The idea we should waste them all in a gamble to take over this planet is ridiculous. We needed this alliance. We can’t afford to have Lyra as our enemy. I don’t understand how Earth Command came to the decision to manufacture a conflict.”