DUET :Chapter 11:

My arrival at the capital has been a strange experience to say the least. As soon as we landed, I was rushed out of the craft and into a building attached to the main structure. They told me wait in the quarters until I was called forward to speak with the Jeweloids and officials. This morning was day nine of my stay here. I haven’t left the building, attendants bring me meals and news of whether or not it’ll be another day of duldrum. I have kept myself preoccupied by reading books in the library section, but one can only spend so much of their day reading unspecific details of lost places.

I’ve walked around each of the highly decorated rooms, each bringing out different thoughts to mind. My personal favorite is one colored pale blue, as it has large windows that overlook the expansive executive area of the capital. Large white buildings rise in the distance, breathtaking to someone like me who had never left home before the war. I normally take books in there and read by the window, it’s fun.

Other than that, I only went into a pale rose room once, as it reminded me of Maggie.

I know I’m here because of her, but I want to be to myself for the time being.

Well, I did until the door suddenly slammed open and a group of women entered, dragging me to a changing room. I was totally clueless as I was dressed in my dress uniform, and whatever else that could be cleaned up was done. Basically, I had the same experience as I did during the introduction.

Still not fun.

Since I was deemed suitable by the blushing dressers, I’ve been escorted out and into the main building. The towering structure is amazing, the décor reminiscent of buildings I’ve seen in books about America, and even Rome. The white marble is cut perfectly, reliefs of battle scenes decorating the hall walls. There’s an echo that follows your footsteps in the corridors, reminding you with every step that you should be grateful to walk the same halls as historic figures. After walking a good way in, we come to the grand dome at the center of the complex. It’s richly decorated from top to bottom, beautiful scroll detailing trailing all the way to the top where it encircles a beautiful mural, figures I don’t exactly recognize relaxing in a circle.

Suddenly, I’m jolted from my thoughts as the escort coughs, notifying me that someone’s approaching us from behind. I look over my shoulder, and to my surprise, walking up to us is none other than Kasami’s Partner; Swami.

He looks happy to see me, a bright smile plastered on his face as he shakes my hand firmly. “Good to see those bullets didn’t keep you down!” he whispers energetically.

I grin a bit, “Never would, Sir.”

“My, my, you clean up well! I can see why you’re perceived as a ladies’ man,” Swami laughs as he releases my hold and pats me on the back, gesturing to a separate hallway, “Come, we have a lot to discuss and catch up on!”

My eyes widen a bit, “We, Sir?”

“Yes, you didn’t think you’d be spoken to by just some higher up that knows nothing about the Jeweloid Sector, did you?” Swami replies, “I am the highest official ever associated with the program, so of course I was chosen to speak to you.”

“Oh, I wasn’t aware of that, Sir,” I reply honestly.

“Well then, now you are!” he says, before he leans in to whisper something to me, “So you don’t have to look so stiff, boy. It’ll be just us for a while.”

“Who else will eventually join us?” I ask as he leads me down a side corridor.

“The Class Zeroes you don’t know,” Swami answers, “Though I can tell you right now that JEREM will be the one that speaks.”

“Alright, that doesn’t sound too bad,” I say.

Without warning, Swami stops me, catching me off guard. I look back at him, surprised by his more serious expression. “Boy, I know that you’ve tamed LAPIS, but don’t take these five lightly,” he warns, “They are the strongest of the strong. Maybe not physically strong like your Partner, but mentally, they are light years ahead.”

A lump gets caught in my throat, and I look away. Part of me wants to argue, but at the same time, I can’t. I don’t have the same vigor to defend her since I last saw her. Swami looks over me, and his brow furrows. He glances over his shoulder at the escort, and he immediately leaves us, prompting Swami to lead me quickly into a private parlor. I’m confused as he quietly shuts the door, then abruptly turns back around to stare me down. I look back and forth. “Um, why did you?-“ I start.

“Care for a drink, boy?” he interrupts, suddenly returning to his normal self. I blink as he walks right passed me towards a liquor station sitting on a nearby table, the crystal flasks reflecting against the sunlight. I don’t answer as I watch him pick up one and pour it into a glass sitting near, tossing back a sip. Then, he looks back at me. “You’re of age, aren’t you?” he asks, “Or can you not hold your alcohol?”

“No, I can-“ I start again.

“Good!” he laughs, “Gin or Whiskey?”

“Uh, Whiskey I guess. . . .” I trail, very perplexed as he happily pours me a drink. He walks back over to me, and hands me the glass, and just to ease myself, I take a decent gulp of the hard liquor. It burns my throat a bit as it goes down, but just by the taste you can tell it definitely isn’t cheap.

“Well, you just dove right into that, didn’t you?” Swami chuckles as he sits on a lavish seat in front of me.

“S-Sorry, um . . . .” I stutter as he gestures me to sit. I do as instructed, watching him smile as I sink into my chair. After a moment, I clear my throat, and begin to speak, “So, why are we-“

“I’ve heard that you’ve had an interesting time with LAPIS recently,” Swami states, meeting my eyes, “Since she got back, she’s got more bite to her?”

I don’t answer quickly, making his brow rise a bit. Though, I do get an answer out before he can say anything, “She’s been a ride.”

Swami chuckles again, but his expression softens, “Let me guess, you left on bad terms with her, didn’t you?”

I answer with another gulp of my whiskey, commenting hoarsely, “She didn’t let me explain. She just kicked me out.”

He watches me as I focus my eyes on my drink, watching the liquor spin around the glass. Then, he sighs, standing, “Boy, from what Kasami has told me, you’ve been working hard since you two left here after the . . . incident.”

My eyes fall as I think back on what happened. Maggie and I had been made to go on a two day mission trip to another area so Maggie and I could work some on our battle dynamics. On the way to the grounds, Maggie and I had gotten into an . . . argument, I suppose, so things didn’t go to well once the training begun. Though, things just got worse when real Noxcus soldiers showed up, and we had to take them down. It was an awful day.

It was that day that Maggie dirtied her hands for the first time with blood.

Swami watches me, taking a sip of his drink before he speaks, “I saw her while she was here at the capital, twice actually. . . . The first was maybe a few weeks into her stay. As soon as she saw me, she asked me about you, if I had heard anything from Kasami. When I told her no, she looked upset, to say the least.”

My brow furrows, but for the first time, it doesn’t change my mood. Swami seems to notice, and in response, he takes on a much more serious countenance, straightening. I take immediate notice of the change in atmosphere, and prepared myself with another drink. Swami looks me straight in the eye as he speaks. “The second time I saw her, maybe five months later, she was very different,” he says, “She looked colder, less human in her eyes. When I approached her, I told her that I had heard word of you from Kasami, told her that you were well.”

A knot starts to form in my gut as he continues. “She spat back at me to never speak of you,” he states, “Whatever it was that happened between you two, it was a knife in her side.” His gaze hardens. As he stares at me, I feel like he’s probing me, thinking perhaps that I’ll confess to whatever it is that horribly affected Maggie. But, I stay silent. I still have no clue what I did to her to make her hate me. Swami’s expression suddenly lightens, his brows rising. Slowly, he asks me, “You . . . You don’t know, do you?”

My eye widen, “Huh?”

At that moment, I make the sudden realization. Swami isn’t speaking in a way of trying to figure out what happened. He’s trying to get my side of the story. That being said, if he’s trying to get my side that means he’s trying to make a comparison . . . and that means. . . .

I stand without warning, catching him off guard as I get in his space. I speak quickly, “Y-You know! She told you!” He seems taken back by my words, but after a moment of watching me, his brow falls in concern. He moves his eyes down.

He won’t tell me.

I clench my fists. “Oh, c’mon!” I shout without thinking, “Why is it that everyone else gets to know why the hell she hated me EXCEPT for me?!”

Swami just stares at me in shock as I stand there, panting as my frustration seems to finally hit the breaking point. I turn back and take my glass, and in one fell swoop, I swallow the rest of the whiskey. The sharp burning distracts me from my shaking, and I grunt in response. Then, in total juxtaposition . . . I hear Swami laughing to himself. I look back over my shoulder. He appears entertained, but in an innocent manner, sitting back down with his chin propped in his hand as his eyes traced the elaborate carpet. “You two really are an interesting pair. Both so passionate, so strong-willed. You really are the perfect choice to be her Partner,” he comments as he looks up at me, “You broke her, didn’t you? You got her to adore you again?”

“She never adored me,” I reply.

“Heh, you’re a fool,” Swami replies, “That girl was broken when she was taken from Gelus, and it wasn’t because she missed the food.” He gestures his glass at me. “Boy, you were everything to that girl. You were her only friend, her protector, and it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see that she kinda had a crush on you,” he continues, before taking a sip from his glass, “So, knowing that, you’re her greatest weakness. . . . Although I knew she truly was angry with you, I never believed she could hold true to those feelings.”

I don’t respond, a bit overwhelmed by everything. He grins a bit as he asks again, “So, did she break? You prefaced “hate” in past tense when you blew up for a moment.”

I’m silent. I don’t know how to react. I’m at a point of mental exhaustion because of Maggie’s actions. I knew she’d react in such a way considering the shaky foundations we were standing on, but even so, it bothers me that I still don’t know why there was a problem in the first place. Yes, I was able to get back on something of a good side when it comes to Maggie. She has been acting a lot more like the girl I knew in the recent weeks. Yet, now that this is happened, I’m probably back at square one.

I just want to know what I did wrong.

Swami watches me as I think, his countenance becoming heavier as he realizes my dilemma. He sighs slightly, then takes another drink. “Tell me boy, do you still have a strong desire to protect her?” he asks, “Do you still have that same vigor I saw that day during that mission?”

Without thinking, I look up and meet his eyes, replying, “Of course I do.”

He grins, and I’m taken back. “Well, it seems your mind is made up, but you haven’t realized it yet,” Swami comments, “You’re a very determined person, I respect that.”

I look away. Well, that just popped out of my mouth, now didn’t it? I don’t understand why I still have so much drive to deal with her.

I really am stubborn.

My eyes fall to my empty glass, tracing the edges with my eyes as I contemplate. Though, I’m caught off guard as we hear a knock at the door. Swami rolls his eyes, mumbling to himself as he stands and walks over to the door. He opens it slightly, and speaks in a hushed tone to whoever is on the other side, before he quickly shuts it. He lets out a drawn out grown, tipping back his drink as he walks back to my chair. “C’mon Boy, apparently I borrowed you for too long and GRANDI is getting her panties in a twist,” he says as he sets his now empty glass on a side table.

“GRANDI?” I ask as I stand, walking over to set my glace beside his.

“GRANDI, a Class Zero pain in my ass,” Swami replies, “She’s one of the twins, though unlike her brother, DIERITE, she doesn’t stop complaining.”

“So, they’re real siblings?” I ask as he gestures me to follow him out of the room and back into the hall, “Do they have the same powers?”

“Yes, they are real siblings. As for their powers . . . it’s complicated,” Swami replies, before he laughs, “Ask her, she’ll give you an earful about it.”

With that, we continue small talk until we reach the end of a long corridor, large wooden doors looming with two attendants standing at the ready. They salute us, then quickly move to open the doors, another appearing to announce us, “Entering; Colonel, First Class Official of Jeweloid Interests Bierre Gulf, and First Class Warrant Officer, First Class Human Representative of the Jeweloid Sector, Isugoro Jintez.”

I’m surprised that as we walk in. Although the space is large, with many rows of tables and chairs set up, the group that’s waiting is much smaller, maybe fifteen people at best. I can pick out the Class Zeroes quickly, each with a very defining presence. JEREM turns back to look at us first, her expression warm. “Oh, Swami, you’re finally here! We thought you got lost in the halls!” she exclaims as she leaves the group to greet us. Her pale yellow bob bounces as she walks quickly, her entire aura light. She’s dressed like the rest; elegantly designed clothes, each accented with colors that represented the Class Zero, making each look on par with the CEO of a corporation. JEREM herself has added accessories of yellow bulk jewelry, making her outfit as perky as she is. No one would believe just from looking at her bubbly persona that she was actually a very dangerous soldier.

“Hmph, they’re late on purpose,” GRANDI comments as she leads the rest of the group, all of them looking less than joyful, “The policy of attendance always seems to slip Gulf’s mind.”

“Miss GRANDI, I told you that you could address me as Swami like everyone else-“ Swami starts.

“I don’t regard your permission as necessary,” GRANDI interrupts, her ice blue eyes narrowed as she stares him down, “Gulf is your name, Gulf is what I will use.”

“Sis,” DIERITE whispers closely to her, “Stop for now.”

GRANDI lets out a bit of a snarl toward her brother, but does indeed silence herself, turning her ice gaze towards me, “And you’re the new meat.”

I grimace. Oh great, this is a good start. “I suppose you could call me that-“ I start.

“Oh, let me see you, let me see!” JEREM squeals, taking my wrists to pull me forward, “LAPIS told us a bit about you while she was here, and I must say, she wasn’t joking.” JEREM giggles, looking over at OPAL, who looks amused by JEREM’s antics. “Isn’t he as LAPIS told us?” JEREM asks as she kinda spins me.

What the Hell is happening?

“Well, he is definitely tall, I’ll give her that description,” OPAL comments as she steps closer, stopping me so I can stand right in front of her, “He dwarfs me by at least two feet.”

“I’m talking about his appearance, not his height, silly,” JEREM giggles, poking her head out from behind me, “She wasn’t joking, you’re quite a looker, young man.”

“I still don’t see why she cracked at the introduction though,” GRANDI degrades, “I mean, yeah, he’s definitely not unattractive-“

“Oh hush, GRANDI,” JEREM interrupts, before she steps around so she can look me right in the eye, “You aren’t much older than LAPIS, are you?”

“Um, I’m twenty-one,” I say.

“Oh, so three years difference!” JEREM replies, “That’s not too bad!”

My brow rises, “She’s seventeen-“

“Ass-hat, she turned eighteen while she was here,” GRANDI comments, before she looks back at JADEITE, who’s been standing a bit back from the rest of the group, “When was her birthday again?”

“I believe it was the seventeenth of the first month,” JADEITE replies, his voice much lower than what I was expecting, considering his tall lanky figure.

“Yeah, so, now you know,” GRANDI replies, looking back at me.

“Oh, alright,” I answered totally perplexed by how I should be acting.

GRANDI just stares at me, then pouts, turning back toward her brother. “Dear Jesus, he’s as bad as she was. Might as well make him a scarecrow,” GRANDI comments as she walks away. DIERITE deflates a bit, his eyes meeting mine for a moment before he follows after his sister Although they’re the same ice blue, his eyes seem much more sympathetic, apologizing for his sister’s behavior. I’m guessing he’s the younger sibling.

JEREM pouts a bit, “Oh c’mon GRANDI. Like LAPIS, he’s totally unsure what’s happening.”

“Well then, let’s change that, shall we?” Swami says as he presses a hand to my back, gesturing with his other to the tables set up at the center of the room, “Let’s begin the debriefing.”

JEREM and OPAL nod, walking ahead with JADEITE to take their seats. As I sit beside Swami, others appear; their partners. I keep my gaze on the table, a bit on edge.

I really wish I wasn’t here on my own.

Suddenly, I feel a sharp glare. I glance up, and to my surprise, I meet the eyes of a Jeweloid I don’t recognize. She glares me down with a silent fury, a bit startling in its intensity. I swallow hard as I keep hold of her rusted red gaze. Something about her makes me wary.

She looks like Maggie the first time I saw her.

I pull my eyes away after a minute, delving into the material set in front of me to distract myself. Quickly, they begin into the information I already knew about Jeweloids. Swami discusses their rankings and power types, and their obvious need in the military. Then, he moves into more detailed workings of Class Zeroes. “Class Zeroes do more than normal Jeweloids,” Swami says, “They are Ambassadors of the sector. They meet with leaders from all of our allies, including terrestrial societies. They have been helpful in securing peace pacts and have even kept residence in allied posts in Saxcoates and Orienus.”

“In fact, it was OPAL and JADIETE that set up the Orienus Jeweloid Sector,” OPAL’s Partner comments.

My eyes widen, “Wait, there’s another Jeweloid Sector?”

GRANDI groans in annoyance, “Did this gut live under a rock until you shipped him here?”

“Actually GRANDI, no one except Class Ones and Zeroes know of the other Jeweloid Sector,” DIERITE’s Partner comments, “No human soldier is aware of it.”

“But he’s LAPIS’ Partner, why hasn’t she told him?” GRANDI asks, now suddenly suspicious as she looks over at me.

Note; Never open your mouth ever again.

Swami quickly tries to move back to the original topic. “Yes, there’s a Jeweloid Sector located in Orienus. It’s at a base called Divum-“

“No, no, Gulf. Not so fast,” GRANDI interrupts, her icy eyes locked on mine, “What’s your name again, newbie?”

“Isugoro Jintez,” I reply.

“Isugoro Jintez. . . . Y’know, LAPIS used to talk about you a lot,” GRANDI says, “But, by the time she left, I remember her saying crap about making you pay.”

Not this again.

“You’d have to ask her, she still has yet to tell me what happened,” I reply honestly, “Though I will say we are on good terms for the most part-“

“For the most part?” OPAL repeats, looking questioning now.

JEREM’s expression falls, looking concerned, “Jintez, has something happened between you two?”

“Well, she and I do butt heads every once in a while, but it’s always been like that,” I try to explain, “We normally are back on good terms within a day or two-“

“That’s bullshit.”

Everyone looks surprised as the Jeweloid that has been glaring at me speaks, her tone laced with hate. I look back at her, my brow furrowed. “Who are you?” I ask.

“This is SUN, a Class One coordinator from Miss LAPIS’ stay,” Swami explains, “She had similar responsibilities as an assistant to LAPIS.”

Oh crap. I immediately start to speak, but SUN interrupts, “You’re a pathetic excuse of a man, using her like you have to climb the ranks. Now you’re gonna try to just act all innocent?!”

“What?” I ask, totally clueless, “What are you talking about?”

“You know what you did to her!” SUN snaps.

“What are you accusing him of, SUN?” JEREM orders, “Explain.”

SUN falls quiet, breathing harder as she tries to calm herself. Then, she finally unravels the mysteries. “You abandoned her here without anything to talk to that she knew or trusted,” SUN says, “You told her that you’d be there for her, but when she sent you all those invitations, you personally refused each and every one-“

“Wait, invitations?” I interrupt. I’ve never heard anything about invitations. What the Hell is she talking about?

SUN rolls her eyes, “Don’t be daft. LAPIS sent you at least thirty personal invitations throughout her stay here, inviting you to join us after she had pleaded with the General to get you clearance to come here.”

The warmth in my face begins to recede as her words sink in. What? . . .

“Hell, I think she started sending them at week three,” SUN continues, obviously not picking up on my growing uneasiness, “She was so excited, I remember, that you’d come and make her feel less lonely. But, you refused to come. She thought maybe that you said no because you didn’t believe she had gotten clearance. She then sent maybe three more, one after another, this time with the General’s seal on it, proving that you were ok to come. The same happened again, all personal refusals.”

My stomach is tying in a knot. I have absolutely no idea what she’s talking about.

“I . . . I never-“ I start.

“She was so stupid, getting herself upset over scum like you,” SUN says, “I told her to stop, to give up on trying to send you invitations. But, being stubborn, she continued to write you, hoping you’d finally give in.”

The others seem to be picking up on my implosion, trying to silence her. JEREM gestures at her, “SUN, I think you should-“

“But no, invite after invite, sent back with a refusal,” SUN continues, “That girl cried more than any other person I’ve ever seen. Then, one day, that last invite, that broke her entirely.” Everyone is caught off guard as SUN reaches into her pocket, pulling out a ripped piece of parchment paper. She stands, and despite everyone else telling her to return to her seat, she makes a beeline straight for me, holding it right in front of my face. I take it, and turn it over.

I feel sick as I read the message in the comment section of the official notice.

“Just give it up already, I’m not coming. Get over it.”

Suddenly, everything makes sense. Her words, her anger, her hatred, her sadness, her confusion . . . She really believed I had abandoned her all by herself.

I read over the text again and again. It’s definitely not my handwriting, but Maggie has never seen mine . . . She wouldn’t have known the difference. Someone else wrote these to her. I never saw anything like this notice. If I had . . . I would’ve been here.

But I never did, and because of it, she lost her trust in me.

“You’re awful-“ SUN starts.

“I didn’t do it!” I snap, realizing I have to make right here first.

SUN looks surprised for a moment, then immediately her rage sparks to life. “How dare you-!” she shouts.

“I didn’t know anything about any damn invitations, you hear me?!” I shout back, “I never received a single one!”

“Bullshit!” SUN snaps.

“Both of you, be silent!” GRANDI yells. Instantly, the room falls still, the only sounds being our breathing. GRANDI looks annoyed beyond belief, while the rest look totally flabbergasted. No one knows what’s going on. “Alright, so Jintez is an ass-“ GRANDI starts.

“No, I never received the messages,” I start, standing. GRANDI looks at me in shock, not believing that I cut her off. But I can’t let them tell the story for me. I look at Swami. “Please, let me try to explain my side,” I plead.

He watches me, and nods, looking over at SUN and the others, “Give him the floor.”

SUN curses me under her breath, leaving my side to return to her chair. I quickly grab a free sheet of paper and a pen as I look over the handwriting on the invite. Then, I look back up at the group, their eyes judging before I open my mouth, “Alright, so, first and foremost, thank you SUN, for being the first person to tell me what the Hell happened. Now, as for my reasoning, it’s plain and simple; I didn’t know about it. I never received a single one of these invitations.”

“That’s bull-“ SUN starts.

“SUN, did each of the returned notices have this handwriting on it?” I interrupt.

“Yeah, you’re handwriting-“ she starts.

“That’s the thing,” I say as I pick up the pen, “That’s not my handwriting. This person writes at a slant that is normal for someone that is right handed.”

“Ok, why is that important?” GRANDI asks.

Quickly, I lean over and write on the fresh piece of paper, catching everyone’s attention as they notice a difference. SUN falls still. I look up and hold it out, the same message written in my own writing, “It’s important because I’m left-handed. Someone else wrote those messages, not me.”

SUN looks startled to see the differences in my handwriting in comparison to the invites. Everyone else looks to each other. JEREM speaks, “So, what about Kasami?”

“Yeah, he would’ve been informed if Jintez received any notification from the Capital-“ GRANDI starts.

“No, not true. LAPIS wanted them sent directly to Jintez, correct?” JADEITE says, looking at SUN. SUN nods slightly, prompting JADEITE to continue. “In that case, the invitation would’ve gone through the normal soldier mail ways, but it would’ve been received immediately.”

“So, Kasami never would’ve seen it,” OPAL adds.

“So he doesn’t know about the invitations either, then,” DIERITE concludes.

“And all mail has to be reviewed by soldiers in the mail hub as safety protocol,” Swami says, looking serious, “Which means a soldier in the mail hub was seeing the invitations. . . .”

“And made sure I never saw them,” I realize, putting the pieces together, “They replied in my place and sent them right back.”

SUN looks flustered, “. . . We did always get a reply the very next day. While unusual, considering the circumstances, I didn’t think much of it.”

JEREM looks shocked as it sinks in, “But why? What would this person gain from causing a rift between LAPIS and her Partner?”

“Exactly that, a rift,” Swami comments, grabbing everyone’s attention, “Miss LAPIS was very close to Isugoro before she came here. Many human soldiers don’t like when humans mix with Jeweloids, that’s why humans involved in the sector are allowed to eat with the Jeweloids. Considering that Isugoro had gained so much attention for his actions in the Power Processor, it makes total sense that a soldier that didn’t agree would do something like this to make sure both Isugoro and LAPIS knew their place.”

“So they sabotaged us just because of some stupid politics?” I say, irritated, “That’s absolutely ridiculous! We did nothing wrong!”

Swami looks up at me, his expression stone, “Boy, politics are what keep people like you alive in Gelus. You are rare among human soldiers; you see Jeweloids as equals. That is threatening to the rest of them.” He gestures to the others at the table. “These Jeweloids are controlled with fear, with the fact that there are more of us than them. Humans know their weaknesses, that’s really why all those tests take place. How do you think the Commander knew COBALT’s death points were both of his lungs?”

The mention of Nathan makes me tense, surprising the others. “Oh yes, he was a friend of yours. . . .” Swami trails, “He and his lover were made examples of because they wanted to be together. COBALT wanted to change things, yet he was made to watch his lover die, then die himself. Jeweloids fear that fate.”

I don’t answer, prompting him to speak. “Though, if someone like you, a young, smart, and determined soldier enters the mix and stands with the Jeweloids, that makes you threat to changing the balance,” Swami says, “More humans, through your words, could see Jeweloids the same way, and then, the higher ups lose their power over them, because it’s the few against the many. Heads would roll on both sides.”

“I’m no different than Nathan or Syria,” I comment.

Swami and the others look surprised, GRANDI commenting, “Nathan? You actually got a name out of that smart ass?”

“Y-Yeah . . .” I say, “We were good friends, the three of us.”

“He trusted you?” DIERITE says, “Oh God, what did he see in your future?”

“CO- Nathan, was a leader in the equality movement,” Swami says, “He was quite the young man. . . . The fact that you got him to trust you means he gave you his reigns. I’m sure by the time you two met, he knew his fate.”

I simply watch Swami, unsure how to feel about his words. Just as others have said, I’m once again being told that I am some leader. I don’t know how to feel about it, nothing I’ve done was done so I could become a leader. I never asked for a position where people would follow me, I just didn’t want to be bored. I got involved with Maggie because I was concerned about her, not because I wanted to be some high ranking Partner. I just wanted to help. “Why does everyone keep saying that?” I say to myself.

OPAL and JEREM look a bit surprised when I glance up, while GRANDI appears slightly irritated. OPAL stands, and walks around the table so to stand beside me. She really is short in comparison to me, coming to my mid waist. Her pale eyes linger on my face as she reaches out to me, her hand gently resting on my chest. Then, her eyes widen, her hand jerking back. Everyone looks perplexed by her cryptic actions, before she speaks quietly, “You’re her shield.”

“A shield?” DIERITE repeats.

Immediately, Swami looks alarmed, gripping his chair. OPAL looks over at him, as do I. “Do you understand my vision?” OPAL asks him.

“Yes, I do, maybe,” Swami replies, before he glances up at me, “Boy, has the Commander gone near LAPIS?”

I blink, “Huh?”

“The Commander, Boy!” Swami says, “Has he approached LAPIS? Has he tried to touch her?”

My expression falls, trying to understand what Swami may be getting at. My brow furrows as I answer, “Yes, he has attempted.”

“Why do you say attempted?” JEREM asks.

“I stopped him,” I reply honestly.

GRANDI, for once, looks impressed, “You stood up to that ass?”

“Yes. . . . She was upset and he tried to get me to leave her,” I explain, “I refused. Glared him down even.”

Swami looks a bit concerned, looking back at OPAL, “You saw the word “shield”, are you certain?”

OPAL nods, “Yes, it was the clearest thing. That . . . and a horrible sinking feeling.”

“Should we contact LAPIS?” JEREM asks.

Swami nods, “Yes, I want to contact Kasami as well, and let him know to keep attendants on LAPIS.”

“What? Why?” I ask, on edge, “What is it?”

He looks back at me, his expression hard, “I don’t want the Commander trying anything while you’re gone.”

My stomach sinks, “You don’t trust him?”

“The Commander? I haven’t trusted that man since I first met him in Boot Camp,” Swami explains, “We came up through the ranks together, so I know him well. He was always . . . a very bothersome person.”

“What do you mean?” I ask.

Swami doesn’t answer quickly, looking away as an attendant enters with a larger device; a hologram intercom. Then, he sighs, running a hand over his slicked back hair, “Just something about him, you couldn’t trust him. He used to say things that were very strange, but to him they were nothing. . . . Then of course, there’s his two follies; power . . . and beautiful women.”

My fists clench, my mind returning to the two encounters I’ve had with the Commander involving Maggie. I knew there was a reason I felt uncomfortable, but I just thought it was me being ridiculous. “Why didn’t you say anything about this when I last saw you?” I ask in a tamed tone.

“At the time, neither of you had had any major interaction with the Commander, so I didn’t think to say anything,” Swami explains, “Why make you cautious of something when there’s no evidence?”

“Gulf, we’re connecting to Gelus now,” GRANDI says.

We both turn, our attention pulled to the large rectangle screen forming from the light box of the device. The attendant presses numerous buttons on a connected rod, and before long, we’re all standing around the screen. A connecting screen with the Gelus insignia forms, then a face appears. My eyes widen as I see the person on the other side.

Sammy.

She appears surprised to see me, though she smiles, “Why hello Isugoro, long time no see.”

GRANDI groans, “Dear God, of course one of his friends answered.”

“State your codename, please,” Swami instructs Sammy.

Sammy’s expression becomes a bit more serious as she replies, “QUARTZ, Sir.”

“Ah, QUARTZ, I got word from Kasami about you,” Swami says with a grin, “You are a childhood friend of LAPIS.”

“You’re joking, really?” JEREM says as she smiles brightly at Sammy, “That’s so wonderful that you two found each other Miss QUARTZ.”

Sammy grins, “Thank you Ma’am. May I ask why y’all called?”

“Well, I’ll ask you first before you transfer the call to Kasami; Where is LAPIS right now?” Swami asks.

Sammy’s expression falters. Instantly, I can tell that something has happened. I step up a bit and look straight at her, “Sammy, where is she?”

“Dear God, does he know all their real names?” GRANDI whispers to DIERITE.

“Sis,” he shushes.

Sammy’s meet mine, and her countenance becomes more strained as she answers, “She’s in the Detention Sector.”

“She’s what?!” Swami gasps.

“What the Hell is a Class Zero doing in the Detention Sector?!” DIERITE says, looking straight at Sammy, “Explain QUARTZ!”

“Ma- LAPIS, well, she and a few others . . . including myself, decided to attempt a protest, a peaceful one,” Sammy explains, “She thought that maybe someone may actually listen because of her status. So, at lunch two days ago, we carried out a planned protest at the peak time of Jeweloids eating.”

“What did you do?” I ask.

“We sang,” Sammy replies, “We performed a song that she thought best represented the situation at hand.”

“What song was that?” JEREM asks.

“It’s called They Don’t Care About Us,” Sammy replies.

“Michael Jackson, huh?” GRANDI comments, “Hey at least she has taste.”

“Well yes, but at the end. . . .” Sammy trails, “Well, they took her out, as well as two others involved. I was allowed to go thanks to LAPIS taking responsibility in my place, and then . . . they took them.”

“What do you mean they took her out?” Swami asks.

Sammy goes quiet, looking away as her eyes gloss over a bit. Then, her eyes fall on me, pain in her gaze as tears form on her lashes, “You didn’t tell me her kink was so extreme, Goro.”

My mind goes still. They used her kink? Sammy cringes, “Dear Lord, I’ve never heard her scream before. And you had to see her dropped into a pool of water! It was absolutely terrifying-!”

“How long are they keeping her in the Detention Sector, Sammy?” I interrupt, tense.

Sammy looks surprised, but quickly replies, “U-Um, I believe she’ll be out tomorrow, then will be directed to meet with the Commander-“

“SUN, I want Jintez on the first ship out of the Capital and back to Gelus; tonight. Do you understand me?” Swami interrupts, looking over at a dazed SUN.

She nods, “Yes sir!” She quickly leaves the table, though pauses and turns back to walk up to me. I meet her gaze, and for the first time, she looks at me kindly, “Please tell her. . . . I’m sorry-“

“You were just looking out for her,” I reply, grinning, “Thank you for taking care of her for me.”

She looks taken back by my words, then grins, her cheeks flushing. With that, she runs off, and Swami starts speaking again, “Get me through to Kasami. I’m sending Jintez back before that roach can touch LAPIS.”

Sammy looks surprised, “Who’s a roach-?”

“Not now, Sammy,” I reply.

She looks over at me, and her expression hardens, “I hate not being in the loop, Goro.”

“Well, you’ll have to trust me for now, ok?” I respond, “I’ll keep Maggie safe.”

“You better, or else I’ll give you an ass whooping,” Sammy says, “Since I don’t seem allowed to know anything.”

“Hey, you know more than Cent,” I reply.

Her brow furrows, “I don’t know if that’s necessarily a good thing, Goro-“

“Ok, enough chit-chat!” GRANDI shouts, glaring at Sammy, “Connect us to Kasami.”

“U-Understood,” Sammy replies, and quickly you see her pressing buttons. A loading screen starts to appear, and as it connect, she grimaces at me. “Good luck, Goro,” she says.

With that, she disappears and the screen goes into the connection screen. GRANDI clicks her tongue, “Damn, you really do attract Jeweloid girls, don’t you?”

“No, I met Sam- QUARTZ on my first day,” I reply, looking over to meet her icy stare, “We’re good friends, that’s all.”

“Who’s Cent?” OPAL asks.

“He’s my best friend. He’s also at Gelus,” I answer, “We’re all kinda friends with each other.”

“So, there’s a unit of four of you?” GRANDI comments, “Two human men, two Jeweloid women. I wonder what could go wrong-“

“Sis!” DIERITE whispers.

I ignore their argument as I look back at Swami, “You really don’t trust the Commander.”

“No, and neither should you,” Swami says, “That man, while incompetent when it comes to leading, he’s definitely not stupid. He probably already knows what I just realized.”

“Which is, Sir?” I ask.

He meets my eyes, “Nathan’s prophesy; The Dragon and the Shield.”

My brow furrows, “What?”

“The prophesy Nathan foretold before he was killed,” Swami explains leaning over just so I can hear, “The mouse will become a dragon and with its shield, will take down the unrighteous Commander.”

“I remember what he said-“ I start.

“Boy, you’re the shield,” Swami whispers, “And the Dragon . . . that’s Miss LAPIS.”

My eyes widen. “Wait, you’re trying to tell me-“

“Nathan’s visions have never been wrong,” Swami says, “So, you two, somehow, will get that tyrant out of power.”

“But how-?” I start.

“Only Nathan knew that,” Swami interrupts, “But the Commander also knows that Nathan was never wrong. He probably figured it out when you glared him down. So . . . he’s going to do everything to keep whatever will happen . . . from happening.”

“What would he do to Maggie?” I ask, forgetting formalities.

“Who knows, I’ve heard stories of some Jeweloids being changed by him. Protestors one day, his puppets the next,” Swami says, “If he was to get her alone, he’d make sure that she was on his side by the time she left. He knows about your rift, for all we know, he may have set it up. So, we need to be mindful that he never goes near her without you nearby.”

“What will you do?” I ask.

“I’ll keep tabs through Kasami,” Swami replies, “I will lay quietly until the day you two bring him down, then I will start forward to change things for the better; for Jeweloids and humans.”

He grins a bit at me, “You really are the perfect candidate to be her Partner, Boy. I’m glad we’re on the same side.”

“What makes you say that?” I answer.

“Because right now, as you think of the Commander, you look menacing,” he replies.

“So-“

“Get your things packed, Boy,” Swami says, looking back at the screen, “You’re going back to Gelus.”