Chapter 127: Tip The Scale
No one had expected to be woken up so early for the second day of the congressional, but the polite pounding on the door dragged Tel out of bed anyway. She returned to the room and started undressing where she was, ignoring her immodesty in favour of getting ready. Scarlet and Volta were quick to get up and change as well, but Joseph figured they’d be less comfortable doing so if they noticed that he was awake.
As much as he would have liked to ease the transition to wakefulness with something nice to look at, he wasn’t comfortable ogling everyone, so he flipped over and ended up buried in Jax’s chest. He did slyly get an eyeful of Tel before the others disrobed, however.
It took a few tries to wake the black-furred male up once everyone else was ready. Joseph was inclined not to bother his friend—Hunt Mother knew the guy could have used the sleep—but he had been captured by both arms and a tail, so freedom had come at a cost. Regardless, Jax made an offhanded comment about missing the show, got prodded by Tel’s claw for the trouble, then finally released the Grand Hunter before getting his things ready.
Once again, he refused the opportunity to stay behind for the day, but he didn’t look too enthusiastic to go either, despite the more chipper mood of the night before.
Joseph did manage to get the guy out of bed for drinks—Atmo not required, thankfully. By the time they had gone through all the alcohol, Jax was half-flirting with and half-antagonizing both him and Tel, finalizing the night by entrapping both of them once it was time for the cuddle puddle. Neither of them complained; they figured he was just missing Harrow and having them to snuggle into made it easier to feel less lonely.
Okay, Tel may have had a complaint or two, but she was also getting a little frisky lately, and he wasn’t quite sure of the Lilhun policy on more private activities taking place with the others in the same room. It certainly wasn’t the time to discover them, nor was he particularly interested in having running commentary during it—especially when said commentator’s arm was wrapped around them. His fiancee’s drive was probably just a side-effect of all the madness that kept delaying the payoff, anyway.
That, or the alcohol encouraged it.
Alcohol that was belatedly encouraging the artificial light in the room to make his hangover pound against his skull.
They had gathered back around the ring-like table, the sun outside resting low in the sky as it started its journey throughout. Joseph drank from a flask, the painkillers dissolved in it giving the water a sharp tinge. It wasn’t his idea, but Rob insisted on it as a punishment for going overboard.
“Ah, Blademaster,” Trill greeted, entering the room with more energy than anyone else. He nodded towards Rob and Sunny before taking a seat much closer than the day before, smiling to himself as he watched his daughter give him a conflicted glance. “I pray the moon treated you well.”
Joseph rubbed at his eyes, freeing himself of the vestiges of sleep before doubling up on the painkiller-laced liquid.
Ugh. Bitter.
“Trill, what happens with us now?”
The male tilted his head, his professional smile remaining strong. “How do you mean?”
“Am I your boss now or something? You know, being the ‘Blademaster of Avalon’ and all?”
“Not quite,” he answered, furrowing his brow as if he had never stopped to think about it. The smirk that played at the edges of his muzzle dispelled the effect, though. “It would be more accurate to say that I am willing to impart some of my knowledge. It would be a waste to simply allow my progeny to carry on my legacy with little insight, no?”
Joseph gave a facial shrug, his brows rising for a moment as he accepted the answer. He wasn’t in the mood to dig through the male’s words for something deeper. If Trill wanted to say that he was going to offer advice and help his daughter ‘take up the reins,’ then that was what he was going to do. He was probably trying to weasel his way out of taking orders, but Joseph wasn’t really keen on pressing the issue anyway.
A second question left his mouth before he could think it through, but honestly, the headache made giving a shit difficult.
“You’re aware I have another mate, right? I take it that you don’t care, since you let Tel inherit everything.”
Trill's smile faltered as he thought about it, soon replacing it with pensive indifference. He shrugged, shifting his attention to the projector in the middle of the room as Tel pretended not to be paying close attention.
“The tenets of the Blades were instated long before myself, Blademaster. Although I instill their importance, my kit has found a weakness in their presentation.” He glanced back to the Grand Hunter, his eyes only holding a dangerous edge for a moment before they softened. “Had she been displeased, then perhaps I might have done more. As it is, I will simply concede that she has yet again managed the impossible.”
‘I’m going to ignore it because she’s happy.’ That works. Hell, it was the most fatherly thing the guy had said—including his talk of fucking over as many people as possible while having her take on the family business.
Well...given the circumstances, Joseph would probably have the same mindset.
He sighed as he leaned back in his chair, taking in the company chatting amongst themselves as he worked off the sting of consciousness and tried to make up for his dehydration.
The seating arrangement around the table was the same as yesterday, for the most part. Rob sat closest to the First Claw’s chair like before, followed by Sil, Violet, then him. Sunny was talking with Volta and Scarlet, but she would be sat next to him once everything was ready. Trill took the last spot, his guards standing a little further away. The Blade looked like any other that Joseph had seen—blankly staring into nothingness while their paw rested on a dagger—but Loptr was reading through documents while occasionally checking his pocket for what looked to be a small portable terminal.
A quick question was answered by the male saying that the device wasn’t of importance, while the papers he was referencing were trade agreements made between various settlements.
The thought passed his mind like nails on a chalkboard. Fantastic, that would also be his problem now, wouldn’t it? Actually, with so much territory, he supposed that proper delegation was going to be in order.
Joseph groaned through the throbbing in his head.
The doors opened to allow a harried First Claw to enter the room, her fur missing its shine and a lack of sleep showing in her eyes. She didn’t even glare at them as she took her seat, making the all-nighter an obvious conclusion. Her gaze did linger on Trill, but a sweep across the rest of them had her dismissing his presence with a soft sigh, probably giving up on the idea of trying to kick him out like Sunundra.
The pale-furred female returned to her seat as the First Claw set up her tablet terminal. A black-furred paw hovered over something on it before eventually falling to the table as she eyed the group.
“Off the record,” she hedged hesitantly, a subtle gesture with her claw making a few of the soldiers in the room very interested in inspecting their weapons rather than the conversation. “Joseph, are you amenable to rescinding the contract signed last sun?”
He blinked, thoughts flowing through molasses. “I’m open to discussing additions, but I’m not changing what I have.”
Her eyes narrowed for just a second, trepidation and guilt flashing within her amber irises. “Then we will proceed as I was instructed.”
Her phrasing itched at his tired mind.
She was the one who signed off on things. Sure, Trill apparently played games in the background to set everything up, so yeah, that would throw a wrench in things, but it wasn’t his fault. Besides, wouldn’t isolating the ‘troublesome’ alien in the room to a landmass make occupying the rest of the planet easier?
“We will continue the congressional,” she announced, flicking through various screens to project an updated map of the planet. It looked the same as before, for the most part; massive continents, small oceans compared to Earth, and the largest chunk of land was now coloured blue, extending somewhat into the surrounding waters.
“Although there is still much to cover, I have been advised to continue with the topic of our potential cooperation with the entity named ‘Horizon,’” the First Claw stated, turning in her chair to regard Robert and Silva more directly.
The Trilaxin was quick to compose herself, pulling out the documents she had spent most of the night working on. She seemed more tired than expected—given that she had gone to bed the earliest out of all of them—but questioning that might dredge up answers into more personal activities, and Joseph wasn’t interested in digging into his brother’s marital affairs.
“We have prepared a draft for an agreement,” Sil opened, offering a copy as Jax translated. A soldier approached to retrieve it and passed the documents along.
He took another sip of his water, wondering if Rob stashed another energy drink in his coat or not.
“You know our written language?” the First Claw asked, raising a tired brow at the Lilhun script presented. Sil gestured to the Violet with a wing, the young Queen waving in greeting while remaining politely quiet. Joseph scratched at her back absently, earning a soft purr that eased a bit of his headache.
“She was very helpful in preparing the document.”
The black-furred female nodded, breathing deeply as she flicked through the pages. Her reading slowed as she neared the end, confusion dominating her expression. “These terms are...favourable...”
The Trilaxin tilted her head. “Is that an issue? Sorry, I’m not very well versed in your culture.”
The First Claw glanced at Jax as he translated before returning her gaze to the avian. Her stare remained for a moment, returning to the papers with a light shake of her head. “Merely noting my thoughts.”
Rob’s expression turned suspicious as he leaned forward. “You were expecting us to demand more? Why?”
“As I said—“
“—Admitting that you were the one to turn the warp-spike against us? Thought we would use it as leverage?”
Both the First Claw and Joseph glared at Robert, surprised by his unusual aggression. She slowly placed the agreement on the table and folded her paws over it. Her internal debate took place over a conflicted breath, but she gave a subtle nod in the end. “It is as you say. We needed to be sure that you were unable to contact the Union or interfere with the congressional in other forms.”
Joseph bit back a scathing remark. Thanks to her, they had a hollowed-out Tech back at the settlement, and Leader—someone who had stuck his neck out for them on multiple occasions now—believed that his friend burned to ash before his very eyes. The green-furred male was mourning the death of someone close to him because of some barely justifiable paranoia.
It made him sick.
Robert shifted back in his chair to get comfortable. “Then it should be obvious that your cooperation is simply worth overlooking that indiscretion.”
She glanced at him, tapping a few things on her terminal. Her claws lingered in the air before settling back down. “I am inclined to accept these terms.”
“Then we can—“
“—However, that does still leave one item of issue,” she interrupted, waving a paw at the Martian and Trilaxin. “You claim our kin safe and sheltered from discovery upon planets of your choosing, yet we have no means in which to assure it ourselves. What stays your claw, should you decide that our compliance is no longer beneficial?”
Robert started to speak, adopting his most professional posture to deliver what was likely a political answer to assure them, but Joseph held up his hand loosely. With an uncertain nod, Rob gave his permission to interject.
The Grand Hunter gestured for the can that most likely resided in his brother's pocket, and thankfully, received it. The crack of the seal drew the eye of every Lilhun in the room, as well as causing several guns to rise. He ignored the minor chaos as he took a sip, sighing his caffeine satisfaction before motioning for the Wraiths to ease off their weapons, paying no mind to the concerned looks from his brother and Sil.
“First Claw, why do you think humans are being targeted by the Union? You have the document. You’ve read it. So why is it that Lilhuns are being hunted down?”
The black-furred female seemed wary of his question, eventually following his example and getting the soldiers to lower their guns. “They fear our utility—our ability to rend flesh from bone.”
Joseph stopped mid-drink, eyeing her over the can. “You’re fucking with me.”
“Excuse me?”
The dull clack of thin metal on wood reverberated off the walls. He jabbed a thumb at his daughter. “Look at her. Tell me that you have half the damage potential that they do.”
“We are accomplished warr—“
“—You’re an idiot if you read all of that and still think that the living weapons in the room were almost wiped out for the same reason as you.”
The First Claw snarled. “Then what reason might there be? The bond?”
He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Yes.”
“Then what of your people, hmm? What makes your clawless paws and dulled teeth so intimidating?”
Joseph snorted his laugh, taking another drink as he shook his head. “We’re not intimidating. Not for raw violence. Not in the way you think.” He held a finger up as he took a deeper mouthful, licking his lips and swirling the can to get a feel for how much he had left. He was chugging the stuff without meaning to. “They want us gone because we’re too friendly.”
Whatever anger that had built up in the female dissipated with her perplexed exhale, a few blinks broadcasting the doubt behind it. He waved his hand dismissively.
“My brother is mated to a Trilaxin, I’m mated to two of your people, my kit is an Atmo, and there are countless examples of extra-species pairings in any combination you care to think about. I don’t need to ask everyone in this room to know that it’s weird to you for Lilhuns to be this interested in a human, yet here we are.”
“Whom others choose to bed is of no—“
“—But it’s not about who I lay with, is it? I have a pack—multiple even—and they chose me over their own military. Their own species.”
The First Claw’s eyes narrowed, but her expression returned to something less aggressive; her curiosity was winning out over her annoyance, her paw gesturing curtly for him to get on with it.
“Let’s say—for the sake of argument—that you’re the Union.” A hand went up to stop the protest. Thankfully, she was quicker to calm down than the last time he made a similar statement. “You have control over all these people; they listen, obey, and rely on you. Whatever your reason for it, you have power. Much like right now, some alien shows up, and suddenly, you start losing that power. It doesn’t really matter how they do it, because the fact remains; the longer they stick around, more and more of the people you command start changing loyalty. Eventually, you realize that in order to take back control, you need to get rid of the alien. The issue is that it could cause a backlash that even you couldn’t contain, and you could lose everything in trying.”
Her eyes flickered in recognition, but she remained silent.
“Let’s say that you do look into why it was happening. The answer is simple, if unexpected; people just like them. It’s ludicrous to think about—your people liking an alien enough to abandon your own—but the proof is there, and the longer it goes on, the bigger of a threat that alien becomes. So, to make your plans easier, you decide to stop the growth; stop anyone who might side with them from ever meeting them. The problem is that this isn’t the same scale as you and me; this is a species of people who really like the idea of meeting others not like themselves. Any time there is a species of people we haven’t met, we go out of our way to correct that. That’s a problem to consider when new species are found.”
“Thus the experiments,” she surmised, receiving a nod in return.
“And once they learn that a new species would become an actual threat—like the Atmo who took to humans so strongly that they basically declared them family in all but name—then the Union was ‘forced’ to take care of it before it could bite them in the ass. The Lilhuns... Well, you know the rest; the healing properties of your saliva, the bonds...” He tipped his head towards Sunny. “If it wasn’t for her and her bond to a human, then all that would be left of your species is space dust. So, yeah. They have reason to hate us, but not the freedom to simply wipe us out.”
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The First Claw seemed to look at him for the first time—not as someone on the opposite side of a tense negotiation, but as a person. As someone looking at the same problem from a different angle, with different experiences. Her mouth opened to voice something, her eyes carrying an emotion other than hatred, but it was closed again as she looked to her terminal. She took a breath.
“We can not cooperate with those aligned with our enemies. The members of Horizon will be quarantined until such a time that their allegiance can be verified.”
Joseph’s eyes widened, but Robert’s sigh took the steam out of any building anger.
“I wouldn’t do that.”
She glanced at him lethargically, her stare almost vacant. “And why not?”
“Because the Union will be here soon.” He held up both hands at his sides in a bored display as her fur bristled and guns were raised. “Can I explain?”
The black-furred female nodded as she clenched her jaw, motioning for the soldiers to hold their fire. “Quickly.”
“As soon as I figured out where my brother was, I made a few calls—some to contacts within the Union, some to friends who owed me favours.” He pulled out his own terminal, navigating it for a few seconds until what looked like transaction reports filled the screen. He rotated it for the First Claw to view. “On the way here, I got a few messages back. As of a few days ago, the Union has sold an unoccupied, boring, and ultimately worthless planet that rested just beyond their ‘preservation’ line.”
He flicked his fingers over the screen, bringing up specific records as he spoke.
“Now, this planet should have been included in that zone, barring access from even the richest man on Mars from putting a price on it—and it was, until a friend of mine edited the records. Since some eccentric idiot bought an entire world next to a ‘naturally occurring’ dampening field—and had the balls to actually go there—the Union is sending a verification team to do two things; one, double-check that the planet really is outside the zone, and two, make sure that said ‘idiot’ isn’t just dead, and thus allowing them to keep the exorbitant price that was paid without worry.”
He laid the terminal flat on the table, lacing his fingers over it with a shrug. “Now, I get that you couldn’t read any of that, but I think my point is made. They’re going to come here, notice that the warp-spike isn’t doing what it’s supposed to, and they’re going to see the ships of a species they’re hunting to the last in orbit. Knowing what I do? They’ll track your trail and get a lot better at finding the rest of you.”
Fear coloured the First Claw’s face. “You brought them upon us.”
Rob shook his head, giving a small smile at his brother’s gobsmacked expression. “I bought my brother a wedding gift. Well, outwardly, I bought a ‘summer home’ of a planet for my fiancee. I knew your scouts were here when I left, but I was hoping I had more time before you arrived. If this had wrapped up like I wanted, then we both could have at least gotten your ships out of range before I met with them. A few boring forms later, they would head back to where they came from—happy to leave the strange human to his planet, unbothered—and you could have started setting up here. It would be the first area of safety shared between the Lilhuns, humans, and Avalon.”
The First Claw swallowed, her eyes darting back and forth in a panic before flicking back to him. “What use would your people have for this arrangement?”
The Martian frowned. “Besides what I said last time? I own a metal conglomerate. This place has new, naturally occurring alloys that have been integrated into damn near everything. But, to answer your question more succinctly, we want to study the planet and extract resources, as well as install a base for future clandestine operations. It would be the first act of our alliance to prove our genuine intent; if they found you, they would find out that we were sheltering you, and then everyone’s doomed. A perfect incentive to make sure that didn’t happen.”
The black-furred female worked her muzzle voicelessly, her expression shifting to that of someone watching everything she held dear burn to the ground. Rob lost the slightly condescending tone, a mild concern in his eyes as he regarded the previously strong-willed female looking so lost.
“I meant for it to be a ‘let’s celebrate our agreement’ kind of revelation as we finalized things. We really do want to ally with you. How about we just chalk this up to everyone being tired and start over? I don’t feel right screwing us both over because we need a nap.”
Her response came out monotonous—like she was quoting something, rather than actually replying—her eyes fixed downwards as claws dug into the flesh of her clenched paws.
“The United Military will not abide by any contract made under such manipulative means. We are rescinding our agreement with Avalon effective immediately and will be exerting martial law; the Lilhun people are to be conscripted and occupation of the planet will begin, regardless of their prior wishes. We will not humour ancient edicts in times of war.”
Silence dominated the room, no one willing to break the suffocating atmosphere. Eventually, Trill did, his voice crawling out of his throat like gravel and shattered glass.
“I will give you a single opportunity to correct yourself, First Claw.”
She huffed, a disconnected smile forming as she stared into space. “There is nothing for me to correct.”
The grey-furred male held a paw over his shoulder, Loptr passing along the small terminal he had in his pocket. Trill slid it over to Joseph, a single red box on the screen staring up at him. The Grand Hunter raised a brow, but when all he got for an explanation was a nod, he cautiously tapped the device. The box was replaced by a black one with scrolling Lilhun script populating the screen. Several seconds passed.
“What—“
His query was interrupted by several alarms ringing out from the various soldiers, then the First Claw’s own tablet terminal.
Her eyes widened. “What did you do?”
Trill slowly stood from the table, taking measured steps to stand behind Joseph. It sent a shiver down the human’s spine as the male chuckled, each sharp bark of the unhinged laugh and swinging between enraged and giddy.
“Me? Nothing. The Blademaster? He has announced his claim to Avalon.” Trill placed both paws firmly on Joseph’s shoulders, lowering his muzzle to be level with the Grand Hunter’s ear as he almost purred out the rest of his response. “And his Blades are ever so eager to remove that which might keep them from welcoming him.”
She stared at her terminal, blinking before holding up a claw and spinning it in a small circle, directing her attention to the soldiers in the room. “All of you, leave.”
“But, First—“
“Leave.”
A moment’s hesitation passed before the armed Lilhuns filtered out of the room. Once she was alone, her eyes fell to the table, unwilling to meet the gaze of anyone else. She crossed her arms, then her legs, abandoning the professional air she had projected previously.
“I have done my duty; the decision of the High Elders has been delivered.”
Trill’s venomous growl cut off Joseph’s attempt for clarity. “Those old fools again, is it?” Another ice cold chuckle poured out from him as he squeezed the Grand Hunter’s flesh beneath his claws. “Joseph, could you press the black box on the terminal?”
He glared at the male through the corner of his eye. “Is anyone going to explain what the fuck that was?”
“The terminal, if you—“
“We’re surrounded,” the First Claw offered lazily, never removing her gaze from the table. “I don’t know when he did it, but there are hundreds of unregistered ships that have slipped past our detection and are now aiming at both the Smokeless Hunt and the colony ship with enough weapons to turn them into little more than perforated metal.”
The grey-furred male smiled, baring his teeth. “I had a relay powered by our solar generation for quite some time. It was your commandeering of the warp-spike that allowed my summons to be received. It was quite fortunate, too; they have grown restless without me. They rushed from hiding to answer their Blademaster, and now they gnaw at the shackles to witness the ones who will proceed me.”
She glanced up at him, huffing, then bursting into near-manic laughter a moment later. The sound echoed off the walls until she calmed down. “There never was a point to this, was there? You would have claimed control from the start.”
Trill separated from Joseph, ignoring the looks from the others. “I do not believe in taking that which is not offered, First Claw.”
“Yet you aim tooth and claw at civilians to get what you want?”
He paced around the table, stopping once he reached her side. He leaned forward, lowering himself to match the desolate stare of the seated female. “Tell me, what would your decision be in this congressional?”
Her response took a moment, but she sighed through her nose and conceded. “Barring personal feelings regarding the attendees, I would be a fool not to accept Horizon’s offer. We...” She broke eye contact bitterly. “Our people demand resolution—be it vengeance or acceptance. The High Elders chain and imprison our own in their greed, seeking more technologies the likes of which we plundered initially. They seek power at the cost of blood and bone.”
“And you?”
The black-furred female blinked, raising her head to look at her brother. Regret tinted her visage before she closed her eyes. “I wish for us not to forget, but to progress. If it is by the paws of those who offer an alliance—be it for friendship as they claim, or otherwise—then so be it. We will fill the Void with our enemy’s kin, but we must first escape it ourselves.”
The male held his stare, eventually nodding to himself and standing up straight. He turned back, moving up to Joseph and retrieving the small terminal before entering strings of text into it. Once he was done, he flipped it, displaying the same box as before. “As Blademaster of Avalon, confirm it. It will grant her wish, Joseph.”
The Grand Hunter exchanged a look with Robert. “What the fuck does it do, Trill?”
A dark chuckle filled with malice poured from the grey-furred male. “It will right the scales.”
“Trill.”
Death stared back at him, cool and collected, yet sharp and determined.
“There are those whose demise would destabilize the fragile structure of society. We are called upon to remove both those that threaten the balance, and those who seek to claim it for themselves. We shape and mold, trim and prune. Avalon is more than the means of removal that many seek to utilize, Joseph. It is that which can cut the strings manipulating it all at their source. One press, and you can remove said source, and take your first step as a true Blademaster.”
Trill held the device closer with a beckoning wave. “Press it, Joseph. Claim control over the Void you wield.”
A grey-furred paw reached over Joseph’s shoulder, Tel’s tail curling around his wrist. A soft click of her claw against the terminal screen sounded out, a singular chime responding from the device. His eyes widened as he looked back at her over his shoulder.
“Tel, what did you—“
“—I have committed the only instance of disobedience you will ever experience from me,” she answered softly, cutting him off. “Forgive me.”
His gaze shot back to Trill using the terminal, images of dead Lilhuns in various opulent surroundings scrolling past the screen. The male examined each of them before turning it for First Claw to see.
“It is done. The High Elders have joined the Hunt Mother’s embrace by my Blades, and others have been instated in their place. Rey’zel of Geras, you and the Claws are now the new High Elders of the United Military—the penultimate.” He nodded at the stunned female. “You are of no higher, and few equal. Your decisions shall be law, your will, commands, and your life, balanced by the blade that has cut the cloth for your passage. You are a voice which will either lead our kin, or sentence them to the Void. Speak, high one, and let your wish be known, for none shall deny it.”
Rey’zel sputtered, a sharpened gaze flicking between Trill, Tel, Joseph, and the tablet terminal in front of her displaying a flurry of new text. Murmurs of confusion could be heard from outside, but the female was focused on the message in front of her. She shut her eyes tightly, opening them with a reluctant firmness.
“The UM will accept the offer of Horizon, honour the agreement with Avalon, and pledge to assist the gathering of the Atmo where we are able. All we request is aid from our allies in exchange.”
Trill turned his attention to the others at the table, meeting the accusatory glare from Rob.
“This wasn’t what we discussed, Trill.”
An icy stare was returned. “If we have remained inactive, then more than those paltry few would have fallen. Worry not, humans remain uninvolved in the concerns of our people, and thus, free of blame.”
“You just killed the leaders of an entire people, Trill.”
“I did,” he answered flatly, his eyes flicking to Joseph and Tel before an almost imperceptible smile formed. “This is hardly my first; what is a few more drops of blood on my paws, when they bear the stains of many?”
The Martian glowered, his fists tight. “Our deal is off.”
“So be it,” Trill replied, shrugging indifferently. He tipped an ear back to Rey’zel. “High one, does that satisfy the agenda for the congressional?”
The black-furred female nodded, her attention fixed on her tablet. “We require instruction for how to act in regards to the Union visitors, but such can be delayed while I deal with...this.” She touched the terminal, waiting a moment before rattling off a series of instructions. As soon as her claw left the device, she bowed her head in apology. “The warp-spike has been deactivated; you may operate freely in the interim.”
Rob waited for nothing as he got out of his chair and all but dragged Silva with him, the human guards jogging to form a perimeter. Sunundra hesitated, but with a vacant agreement from Joseph, ushered the Atmo after them. Scarlet and Volta silently followed suit and slipped out to stay with Violet, the cleaner all but glued to the Wraith’s side.
Jax opened his mouth to speak, stepping forward with a paw extended to comfort his sister, but a sharp glare had him retreat back. He only lasted a few seconds before apologizing and leaving, not giving anyone a chance to say anything. Joseph shot out of his chair to chase after him, stopped by Tel’s paw against his chest, her head shaking.
“Leave him his space.”
“Why?” Joseph’s question lingered in the air, his eyes pleading for an answer. He looked back at Trill and Rey’zel, the former casually making his way towards the exit, while the latter remained silent. “What the fuck just happened?”
Trill patted his shoulder as he passed, pushing open the door with a paw and flippant disregard of the events. “A debt has been repaid, Blademaster. It was my final act before vacating my station.”
The grey-furred male paused in the doorway, glancing back at the First Claw. “Rey’zel?”
She looked up from her terminal.
“Your power was gained by the same claw that slayed those before you. Though I may no longer forge the steel that severs, I am still of influence, and you are still beholden to your signature. Learn the lesson your predecessors failed to; do not break the contract. Only the Void awaits those who try to tip the Scale.”
The door closed with a heavy clack, leaving a tense air in its wake. With nothing more to say to the overwhelmed female, Joseph left her to sort out her promotion—Tel hot on his heels as he blindly stomped through the alleyways.
“Joseph—“
“—Don’t.”
“But—“
He spun around, jabbing a finger into her chest. “Don’t. Just...don’t. I...” He took a deep breath, deflating with the exhale. His arm dropped limply. “Why did you do it Tel?”
She stiffened, averting her eyes. “You need not be burdened by such an action.”
He shook his head slowly, running his fingers through his hair. His voice came out as a huffed laugh of disgust. “I would have done it, Tel. You heard what they ordered; they were going to lock us up and take all of you away. Hell, as soon as the words left her mouth I wanted to... Well, I’d say you know how I felt.”
Her paw cupped his cheek, guiding his gaze to her. Her amber eyes pierced him with their unshakable certainty. “Then what burdens your mind? I am not Pan—my bond is unbalanced—yet I see your regret just the same.”
He choked down a sardonic chuckle. “It feels like I’m the only one not helping, Tel. Rob has plans for an entire species, Trill was able to do...that to get his way, and all I’ve done is sit there like an idiot and have shit given to me because of who knows why. My entire species is in danger—waiting for something to set off a reaction—and all I care about is making sure my little slice of happiness stays safe while everyone else is risking everything for the bigger picture.”
She let his self-chastisement flow out, his thoughts leaking like a broken faucet as he finally put words to feelings. He had been bottling it up for a while now—he had people who were reliant on him keeping his shit together—but the moment of confusion and weakness was apparently the prompt he needed to spill. Tel simply wrapped her tail around his arm as he vented; the settlement, the increase in territory, what he was supposed to do now... It all felt so crushing, because it seemed so pedestrian.
His problems were all but solved, yet he never escaped feeling helpless. He was at a loss for what to do next. Each day had been addressing the next big catastrophic event, so now that his biggest worry would be the things he managed normally, it just seemed like stagnation. Sure, he would smile with his friends, manage the pack, and raise his daughter, but knowing there was so much more out there—that there were others that needed help to escape the Union...
All of it was getting wrapped tighter and tighter in a cocoon of death and destruction, and it worried him that he wasn’t flinching away when it was put in his palm. It worried him that he found the power comforting.
It worried him that he wanted to use it.
Tel’s other paw joined the first on his face, stabilizing him. “I recall a male declaring—through rather thorough impairment—that he would assist all who sought him. That he would encompass all within his walls.”
He winced at the memory of yelling something along those lines the night that Nalah and Sahari asked him for his permission to be an item. Looking back on it, he barely had a grip on anything—not that he had much more of one now. “Tel, I was drunk. Besides, the Atmo are with Sunny or me, and Rob just signed up to help the UM. There’s not much more for me to do here besides not run everything into the ground.”
She shook her head firmly, her eyes gaining a gentle softness. “The Atmo largely remain adrift, unknowing of what awaits them, and our people have much more to lose yet. I am aware that your mind lingers on the knowledge that others like the Atmo and ourselves may be victims of the Union’s experiments. What station do you hold, Joseph?”
He frowned at the non-sequitur. “Grand Hunter.”
“You are more now.”
He exhaled through his nose. “Blademaster, I guess.”
“And what tools does a Blademaster wield?”
“Blades?”
She leaned in, shifting her paws from his jaw to his chest. The tips of her claws dug into his skin as she whispered into his ear. “You worry that such issues remain beyond your grasp, my love, yet a Blademaster is only limited by those in his possession.”
He leaned away, but quickly found himself backpedalling into a wall. Tel was quick to cut off any escape, her expression firm as she pressed herself against him, her lips mere fractions from his own. The peppermint scent tickled his nose, mixing with the passive smell of her fur.
“You were ready to sever the fabric of life of those who threatened what was yours, yet you refuse to lay claim to the tools that enabled it?”
“I can’t just send Blades everywhere, Tel. If they get spotted, the Union figures it out, and then everything goes up in smoke,” he refuted, placing a palm to her chest to stop her from suffocating him. She smirked.
“Then reforge them as you have done before, mold them from what they are to fit your image; craft those Blades into something worthy of your rule, then change the circumstances that forced your paw. Be the male who earned my yearning; protect what is yours, claim that which wishes for you, and lay waste all that endangers it. Use your Wraiths to grasp your wish, my love. Be the Guardian of all that is yours.”
He looked away, mulling her words over in his head. Drunken as his declaration was, he did have the ability to do more now. Like Rob said, the Union hadn’t stopped with the Atmo and Lilhuns; there were species in danger of being wiped out even as they spoke. It was just a matter of time.
He couldn’t act on it now…but he could prepare. He could reach out and help from the shadows, guiding others to where he could shelter them. He could build everything he needed to burn those Union facilities to the ground, turn the researchers inside them to ash, and protect those who had no one else. He had everything he needed to start. He could do it.
He could…
But was he willing to cross a line that couldn’t be uncrossed?
His gaze returned after a few seconds. “What about you?”
She kissed his neck, her paws tensing in tandem with his determination. “I am yours—will, body, and soul. As I have said many times, my love: I will bring a mountain to its knees, you need only wish it.”
“...What if what I want is something unforgivable?”
Her voice gained a husky quality, her teeth nipping at his throat with careful pressure. “I need but your desire to act upon.”
He took a deep breath, letting it out slowly as he gently made space between them. Tel pouted playfully, but her gaze was sharp, her eyes begging for chaos.
“Then we have some favours to collect.”