So, something completely different…I'm struggling with writer's block and I'm hoping that if I write something new, it will get my juices flowing. I saw something on one of the many group's walls and it intrigued me, The Twi-Sci-Fi/Fantasy Contest. I've always been interested in Star Trek and science fiction. Even before Twilight, it caught my attention. I even wrote some Star Trek: Deep Space Nine fic, but never posted it. Anyhow, the idea that I had couldn't really lend itself to a one-shot. I decided to make it full-length fic (or novella…whichever it turns out to be).
Now, none of this mine. I'm not Stephenie Meyer, nor do I claim to be. I just like to play with her characters because they make me forget about my life for a while. I also do not own Star Trek, which the space aspects of the story is loosely based off of. Everything else…is mine.
Chapter Ten
EPOV
Tucking the tablet into my jacket, I walked back toward the holding cell. Jasper and Norex were glaring at each other. "Norex, you have been quite busy," I said, shaking my head as if I was ashamed of him. "What would your brother say? Selling your niece, his daughter to the enemy?" He fumed in his cell. "As far as I'm concerned, you will remain in here. You snarl and yell that Nirabelle's actions are treasonous. I beg to differ, Norex. What you have done is beyond the pale."
Summoning the guards, I had a glare off with Norex. When they arrived, I gave them my orders. "Lord Norex is to remain in this cell until his trial. He is being charged with high treason. The only people allowed to speak with him are his attorney, myself or Empress Nirabelle. His meals will be personally brought down by Commander Whitlock. If he tries anything, he will lose the privilege of visitors and spend the days leading up to his trial in solitary confinement. Do you understand?" I asked.
"Yes, Emperor," they said, saluting me.
"Good," I nodded curtly, leading Jasper up to the throne room. I guided him back to my office, which was now empty. "Jasper, I need you to find out as much as you can about the transaction between Norex and Jakob."
"Is that before or after I play waiter?" Jasper asked, his eyes searing through me.
"I need someone that I can trust to deliver his food and take it away. If it's not you, I'm sending down Emmett or Garrett," I argued. "We have a list of possible moles and now, information implicating someone higher than Norex. We need to find out who."
"Okay," Jasper said, running his hand through his blonde hair. "I'll do some more digging. Why not use your envoy? D'Metri?"
"There's something about him that I don't trust. Jasper, I know you. I know my crew. With corruption spreading through the palace, I need people that I can trust implicitly to do what I need to be done. The first step is to identify the people who are working with the Alphans and why they would do that."
"Do you think those people plotted to have Bella's father executed? Leaked his location on the front lines?" Jasper questioned.
"That's what I'm afraid of," I frowned. "How do I tell Bella that some of the closest advisors and people she's known for her entire life could have led her father to his death?"
BPOV
After the Assembly of Nobles, I walked to Maralice's office. She was seated behind her desk, shuffling through several papers and computer tablets. She appeared to be very frazzled. "Are you alright, Maralice?" I asked, sliding inside of the office.
"Empress," she squeaked, standing quickly. Her chair fell behind her and she fumbled to pick it up. "I did not know that you were coming. I'm sorry for the mess."
"I don't care," I said, gesturing for her to sit. "You've seen my suite when I was a teenager. I was not always as tidy as I am now."
"That's because Jerasse and L'aurien take excellent care of you," Maralice snickered, plopping down on her righted chair. She sighed, continuing her search on her desk. "I can't find it."
"What?"
"A tablet with information about widowed Cygnarians," she said. "The pull I feel toward Commander Whitlock is becoming stronger. I feel like I'm mated to him. I can hear his thoughts quite clearly now. I'm not sure if he can hear me or if he's choosing to ignore it." She frowned, shaking her head. "I don't want to ask Marcusi to read our bond until I researched the possibility fully. What if I am bonded to him? What would Jamel's family think? Would they hate me? I can't fathom having another mate. I loved Jamel. He was my forever."
"Jamel adored you and he died knowing that," I said, a sad smile crossing over my features. "Would it be so bad that you were mated with Jasper? He's gruff and cranky, but seems like a good man. A loyal man."
Maralice huffed, crossing her arms. She chose to ignore my statement. "And what those Alphan dogs did to me …" she shuddered. "I have shamed my family and the family of my mate. Now, on top of that, I've been bonded to another. A human, no less!" She spat the last part, anger and disdain coloring her tone.
"Do you think less of me because I've been bonded to a human?" I hissed, my voice icy. My posture grew rigid and I glared at her. "That my mate is someone who is not from Forx?"
"No, Empress," Maralice stuttered. "Never. I never meant to insult you." She flushed a brilliant red, her spots glowing in embarrassment. "It's just that I've been mated. I had my one true love. How can I justify the fact that I may be mated to Jasper? Is this my punishment for what happened to me on Lapus?"
"Being mated is not a punishment," I scoffed. "And you should not be punished for what happened to you. They took away your choice, Maralice. They had their way with you and you did not want it. If anything, they should be punished. All of the Alphans who were in the palace should meet the same fate. Death."
"You won't get any arguments from me," Maralice snorted indelicately. She gave me a sheepish look, apologetic and sincere. "Empress, I am sorry. I don't mean to insult you or your relationship with the emperor. Edward is a good man. A strong man. He stepped in for you when you were caught in the zi'tkm. He made decisions and watched out for our best interests. I respect him a great deal and I can see how much you love him. He truly completes you."
"He's everything," I breathed, running my finger over the ring he had given me at our mating ceremony. "He's stronger than I ever thought possible and so noble. All of this would seem so much more without him."
"Not to mention, easy on the eyes," Maralice quipped, beaming when she found what she was looking for. "Got it!" She ran her eyes over the information, swiping her finger over the tablet's screen. "There have been instances where a woman found another mate within our history. It's rare, usually a member of her mate's family, but …"
"But what?" I asked.
She frowned, shaking her head. "Nothing. Never mind," she said, tossing the tablet into the drawer of her desk. She glowered at it angrily, thinking that it was going to jump out and attack her. "What can I do for you? I'm certain you don't want to talk about my trivial issues."
"They're not trivial, Maralice," I said.
"Compared to what is going on with the Alphans, it is," she chuckled darkly, humorlessly. "Now, what can I do for you, Empress? You look like you need something from me."
"I do. You know the computer system that has all of the information about the Cygnarian nobility better than anyone. I need the files pulled on several people whom we feel are in league with Norex," I sneered. "Someone in the palace or close to us is feeding Jakob and the Alphans privileged information. We need to find out who."
"Do you have the names?" she asked. Nodding, I gave her the list that Edward and Rose had compiled based off the meeting during the Assembly of Nobles. I also added Norex, his wife and Caius, remembering what Victoria had said about him. Maralice shot me a look of disbelief when she saw Caius's name. "Are you sure?"
"There's something about him that Victoria didn't trust," I muttered, narrowing my eyes. "Out of the three brothers, he's the one that I find to be the most … I don't trust him either."
"To make it look like I'm not singling Caius out, I'll do a search of all of the Council of Elders and their family," Maralice said, nodding her head. "There's something off-putting about Aro, too." I furrowed my brow, confused by her statement. "I'll be discreet. Since your return and your mating ceremony, there have been a lot of whispers about your sanity and the future of all Cygnarians. Some of it must be because of Norex's lies and his hatred of you, but he's not the only one spreading these rumors. He has to have an accomplice."
"I'm not crazy," I growled.
"I know, Nirabelle," Maralice said, getting up from behind her desk. She sat down next to me on the sofa, taking my hands. "I know. You are strong woman, a great leader. Just like Charel."
At the mention of my father, my eyes filled with tears and I sniffled. My royal façade crumbled and I felt the pain of losing my father all over again. Shooting up from her seat, Maralice held me close, rocking me gently. I was not a great leader like my father. I felt weak, insignificant and lost. No matter what I did to try and resolve the situation with the Alphans, things just kept getting worse. Yes, we were a part of the Federation, providing us with a diplomatic solution to the Alphan problem and I was mated, but even that was rife with controversy. I was so empty without Edward. I loved that he gave me strength, but hated that I was weak without him. "Come, Nirabelle," Maralice said quietly, helping me to my feet. "Let's get you back to your suite. You are still out of sorts from your zi'tkm. You need to relax and shut off that mind of yours."
"Unlikely," I said. Wiping my cheeks, we walked back to my suite. Maralice encouraged me to just relax until Edward returned from questioning my uncle. I knew it would be fruitless. My mind wouldn't stop churning, but I figured I'd try. I changed into some comfortable clothes and curled up on the couch. I watched as the sun slowly began its descent below the horizon, washing the sky in brilliant pinks and purples. The two Cygnarian moons were low in the sky. I was thinking about Edward's diplomatic solution for the Alphan problem. It was a brilliant idea, but too noble. I was hoping that he would forget it and that the Alphans would eventually kill themselves.
They deserved it.
Animals!
Where were all of these violent thoughts coming from? This isn't you, Nirabelle, I chastised myself. I was always one for trying to be the diplomat. In school, I was always the one that would settle disputes between my classmates. Even my father would come to me as I got older to discuss quarrels between land owners, decisions made with the Assembly of Nobles and arguments between members of our staff. I was always able to see both sides and think outside of the box. This thing with the Alphans, since Maralice was taken and her choice taken away, not to mention what they did to the colonists on H'Nan and the trap they set on their ship, I couldn't see anything other than revenge.
And let's not forget what they did to my father. They killed him in cold blood.
I wanted to gut Jakob like a pisc, his innards tumbling out of his body and his screams echoing in the throne room as he bled out. I wanted him to feel every pain that my mate did from the em'tuuk gas. I wanted him to feel every injury his men did to Maralice. I smiled evilly at the last prospect. Jakob would not like that.
"I don't like what your mind is thinking," Edward said as he walked into our suite. He looked tired, but determined. "You have every right to be upset and to want revenge on the Alphans, but what does that do?"
"It would make me feel better," I muttered, curling up on the couch, leaning my cheek on my legs.
"Temporarily, but in the long run, you would feel guilty," Edward said, sitting down in front of me. He took my hands in his. "Jakob deserves to die for what he has done, but the rest of the Alphans don't deserve the same fate."
"What about the monsters who took Alice's honor?" I asked, glaring at him. "They deserve a fate worse than death."
"I agree with that, too," Edward said, pulling me into his lap. "But, we don't know enough about the Alphans to judge them all the same way. I hate them for what they did to you, to Maralice, to your father and to our planet, but we cannot let this prejudice sign their death certificate."
I sighed, leaning my head against his shoulder. My mate was so cool-headed. "You're right," I whispered. "How did it go with Norex?"
"We have a lot to discuss about him," Edward said, his eyes dimming and his face flushing. "I want to change and get something to eat. My appetite is nearly back and I'm craving a huge steak." I nodded, putting in an order to the kitchen. He went into our bedroom, presumably to change. I didn't know what a steak was, but the chef had something that would appease Edward's craving. My chef had been reading up on human cuisine since the arrival of the Volvo and the rest of the Federation ships. He was excited at experimenting with new dishes and the Federation database was filled with new recipes for him to try.
Walking back into the living room area of the suite, Edward was dressed in some loose-fitting pants and a casual shirt. He had his phaser clipped to his hip and his communicator affixed to his shirt. "Do you want to talk about Norex before or after we eat?" he asked, pulling me into a large chair and cradling me in his arms.
"After. I want to enjoy some quiet time with you before I hear about my hateful uncle," I said, snuggling into his arms. He held me tightly, his cheek pressed to my hair. I reached up and caressed his skin, feeling the prickliness of his facial hair. He sighed, tightening his hold on me. "Do you think I'm weak?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.
"What? Never," he almost growled. "Bella, you are the strongest person I've ever met. You are handling all of this with so much power and grace."
"Then, why is everything falling apart?" I sniffled. "Why do I feel like I'm losing all control?"
"Because, in a way, you are. And it's not your fault," Edward soothed. "This war has been going on for hundreds of years. We don't know why. Hopefully, the stealth ships will gather that information from Lapus."
"I thought that the Federation didn't have cloaking technology," I said.
"We don't. They are very small ships that cannot be detected by satellites. They are a part of the War Fleet, housed in the larger battle cruisers. The cruisers usually remain hidden behind an asteroid or moon while the stealth ships gather pictures, information and download data from enemy computers. They are not designed for long-distance travel. Short range, interplanetary and not built for fighting. They are fact-finding machines with huge computers for such tiny ships."
"What do you hope to find in the Alphan computers?"
"The truth about how they got to Forx. Why they are so hell-bent on the Cygnarians? Proof of Jakob's deal to buy you," he said darkly.
The door chimed and the servants came in with our meal, setting it up on the balcony overlooking the Renien Ocean. Edward thanked them and we settled onto the balcony. Edward kept me on his lap, feeding me from his plate. He was clingy and based off the last thing he said before our meal was delivered, he had every right to be. Apparently, I had been sold to Jakob. I assumed that Norex brokered the deal, but I didn't know for certain. Edward's mind was quiet to me and he was evasive during our dinner.
After we ate, Edward led me to a chaise lounge. The sun had completely set and the moons of Forx shimmered over the Renien Ocean, casting us in a cool, blue glow. The air was cool, but not frigid. Edward wrapped me in his arms and he sighed. With another heavy sigh, he opened his mind to me and showed me the interrogation of Norex.
"My uncle sold me," I whispered, shocked at this truth.
"To Jakob. Norex and his wife received a large shipment of marchesian stones. Rose and Jasper discovered this the day we left for Ch'ich. They were trying to find proof that Norex was ultimately behind it, but they can't. The orders for the stones and your sale to Jakob have come from deep within the Cygnarian computers. I've got my best men working on this, but it's written in a language that none of us understand. I'm hoping J'amaru can provide some headway with the language, but there is someone from within our government that wants the Alphans to invade Forx. They do not want the Federation to take over. They'd rather the Alphans have their way with you."
"I can't believe anyone in my …" I trailed off. "Why? They know what the Alphans are capable of."
"I don't know, Bella," Edward said quietly, tightening his hold on me. "I do know that we need to find the person or persons responsible for these acts of treason. Norex and his wife are guilty of that and they need to pay for their crimes."
"I assume we need to punish them according to the laws of the Federation," I said, frowning. "I can't execute them?"
"There are a few capital crimes in the Federation. Treason is one of them," Edward replied, cupping my chin. He stared into my eyes. His own were filled with concern. "You are well within your right to execute your uncle and his wife. But, I think that we can use them, try and get them to snuff out the real conspirator. We need to find who is really behind this. Norex is just the public face. According to Rose, he is terrified of Jakob. He feels justified in selling you, though."
"I'm not a side of pr'aatale," I growled.
"I never said you were, love," Edward said calmly. "Besides, Jakob cannot have you. You are my mate, my love, my ti'ane, my te'atée. I'm not going to give you up. Not without a fight, Bella. He will have to kill me first."
"I don't want that," I barked, turning in his arms and straddling his legs. "I can't live without you, Edward. I can't."
"And you won't have to. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to say that," he said, taking my face into his hands. "We will get to the bottom of this. I promise you." He kissed me, his lips soft and tender against mine. "For now, Norex is being held in a cell. He will be tried for his crimes, but we need as much evidence as we can muster. We also need to talk to his wife, but just prior to dinner, Jasper contacted me. Norex's wife, Lianette and all of her children are gone from their apartment in the Imperial Palace."
"Where are they?"
"I don't know. Every article of clothing and personal belonging was gone. And from the chaos left, they left in a hurry. Do you know if Norex has any other properties? On the planet or on any outposts?"
"I don't know. I was never close to Norex. I barely tolerated him," I shuddered. "He and my father never got along. My father was an idealist, but Norex was an opportunist. He saw his opportunity with me, selling me to that animal." I gulped, looking back into my mate's eyes. "Norex will pay for his sins."
"He will, Fíorghrá. I promise you, he will get his just desserts," Edward said, his lips spreading into an evil, angry grin. I'd never seen Edward like this, but it made me want him. The anger and darkness swirling in his eyes made him more alluring. His vow to protect me made me quiver. Not out of fear, but out of want. Edward recognized it and he swept me in his arms, taking me to our bedroom.
He spent the rest of the night, helping me forget the betrayal of my uncle, the disappearance of my aunt and the looming threat of war hanging over us.
xx STAR CROSSED xx
The next day, the Imperial Guard went on a search for my aunt and my cousins. Edward also had some of the security officers from the Volvo work with the guard. A week had passed and she was nowhere to be found. She was not on the planet. Our next step was to look at Cygnarian outposts, colonies and habitable planets in route to Lapus.
A couple of days later, Maralice had gathered all of the information about the governors and nobles that Edward had asked for, along with a few others who had now aligned themselves with Norex's cause. He had built quite the following in overthrowing the Imperial Government. I had a pretty large bounty on my head, supposedly. Edward wanted me to leave Forx, to go back to Earth with his mother and sister, but I couldn't abandon my people.
I had to be strong for them.
I couldn't run away despite my fear of being handed over to the Alphans.
I refused to be perceived as a coward.
My mate was still afraid that something was going to happen to me. I was now armed to the teeth under my finery. I trained with Jasper, Rose and Edward. I was becoming physically stronger every day. My fighting skills were being honed and perfected. I didn't feel like a princess, being locked in a tower. I felt like I could hold my own and not shake in terror if I came face to face with an Alphan.
That didn't stop Edward from finding a bodyguard for me. With the help of Maralice, we found an agile fighter, former military, who was willing to be my shadow. He was D'Metri's cousin, S'ethr. He had been on the front lines for many years. After ten years of service, my father had offered S'ethr a position on the guard as a form of retirement. S'ethr declined it, moving back to a small fishing village near Ch'ich, Achre, where he taught young men how to fight. S'ethr's village was one of the few that were attacked numerous times by Alphans. It was rare they would make it to the planet, but when they did, they would send their warriors down to the same four places. The Imperial City, Achre, the royal shipyards on the southern tip of the continent, and a remote mountain village where we mined our dilithium crystals. There wasn't a lot inside the mine, but the Alphans had stolen a great deal from us when they did attack.
Additionally, I had yet to visit my uncle. Though, he had asked me to come speak with him on a daily basis. I just couldn't do it. From what Edward told me, Norex had sold me to Jakob and arranged for the death of my father. Upon further investigation, Norex had leaked the whereabouts of my father's ship to Jakob and the Alphan military. According to the report that Captain Data had found, Norex believed that if my father had died, he'd become the emperor. He would rule our people, but according to Cygnarian law, only the oldest child of the current emperor or empress could take over if there were no other heirs.
The only way Norex would become emperor was if both Charanel and I were dead. With the protection around us, both Cygnarian and Federation, that was an unlikely situation. And with Norex in prison for high treason, the possibility of him becoming emperor dropped to nil.
Who would accept him as the emperor when he had sold us out to our arch enemy? Not many.
The nobles and governors that Edward asked Maralice to investigate had also disappeared. Two weeks after Norex's crimes were made public, there houses were emptied and burning. Upon further investigation, there were no bodies inside the houses. Just ruined homes and charred ashes. Lt. Commander Anderson believed that they burnt down their homes to prevent us from reading their private communications with each other and going off the planet. With a smirk, he said that fires wouldn't prevent their secrets from being lost. Almost everything sent out or received was backed up on the Imperial Computer or in some cases, the computer from each city or town.
We had their outgoing communications, but the messages they received were encrypted or in the same language that no one could decipher. Not even Captain Data. It was too complex. J'amaru had some luck since it appeared to be an ancient Cygnarian language, but what he translated didn't make any sense. It was jumbled, sounding more like gibberish than covert communication amongst traitors. We needed to get one of the missing nobles, asking them what all of this meant.
Edward suggested that I ask Norex, but that meant I had to talk to him. I didn't want to talk to him. I wanted to kill him. I wanted to put my new training to good use. I really wanted to see if my new blade that was attached my thigh under my dress was as efficient at killing my uncle as it was killing my holodeck opponents. Edward tried to ask Norex, but he wouldn't say anything to my mate except that I'd only speak with me. It angered Edward and frustrated me. Stubbornly, I chose to not speak with Norex. I didn't want to give him the satisfaction.
I was still the empress. Norex was just a shamed lord and forever be remembered that way.
After we spent some time with Charanel, Edward and I made love, bonding and comforting each other in the only way we could at the moment. We were cuddled in our bed. Edward's fingers were tracing my spots along my back. "I wish you would speak with Norex, Bella," he whispered, his nose nuzzling my hair.
"If I go to see him, he won't be alive for very much longer," I said, clenching my fists on my mate's chest.
"Bella, he could be the only one who could help us translate these messages. What J'amaru and Data are coming up with is honestly rubbish and confusing as hell," Edward said, cupping my chin. He pleaded with me, his eyes begging me. "Norex will only speak with you. Only you."
"Who's to say if he will actually tell me something?" I asked, sitting up. "What if wants to talk with me only to mess with my head, Edward?"
"I'll be there," he murmured, running his fingers down my cheek. "Inside, I'll be there. I won't let him fuck with you."
"I'm afraid that he won't tell us anything," I grumbled, climbing over Edward's body and burying my nose into the crook of his neck.
"Rose is certain he knows something," Edward whispered, his lips finding the sweet spot behind my ear. I whimpered, shuddering against him. His mouth was hot and wet on my skin. Something inside of me wanted more from him and based off what I was feeling beneath me, so did he. I grasped his arousal and slid down his length. Edward groaned, holding me so tightly. I rocked over him, feeling every centimeter of his erection within me. He kissed me, devouring my mouth as he guided my hips over his body. My hands were buried in his hair. I wanted to get ever closer to my mate, my ti'ane. I needed his love. I needed his support. I needed his strength. I just needed him. "You have me, Fíorghrá. Always, my love."
"Edward," I breathed, leaning back and rotating my hips to push him deeper. His lips wrapped around my breast, flicking it with his tongue. I moaned, lost in the feelings of everything that my mate was doing to me. Edward bit down on my nipple, causing me to cry out and my body clench around his hardness. His thumb found the bundle of nerves at the top of my center, rubbing it roughly. With a torrent of pleasure, I screamed as my body hummed in ecstasy. Edward grunted as he spilled inside, filling me with his own release. I collapsed against his shoulder. He fell back, bringing me with him and his hands were cupping my behind. I kept my body wrapped around his for as long as I could. I felt empty when he slipped out of me. With a heavy sigh, I opened my mind to my mate. I'll speak to my uncle.
"Good," Edward replied, kissing my forehead. "But, that's the last time we'll speak of him while naked. I'd rather be doing other things."
I giggled, nodding. And we did do other things until we collapsed in a sated heap.
The next day, I dressed in a simple navy dress and my hair braided down my back. Edward was dressed in his uniform, looking powerful and intimidating. We were going down to Norex's cell to talk to him. Or rather, I was going to talk to him. Edward was going to remain outside while I spoke to Norex. It was made abundantly clear that if my mate was anywhere nearby, my uncle would not say anything. Apparently, my uncle forget about the mental connection that mates shared.
Regardless of what he said, Edward would know about it since I would keep my mind open to him.
I was still armed underneath my dress. I was antsy, willing to end my uncle, but only after I got the information I needed. So, armed with two tablets, my blade and a surly attitude, I punched in the access code to the prison wing of the palace. Edward kissed my temple, encouraging me mentally. Kick his ass, Bella. Don't let him intimidate you.
I smirked, continuing on to the solitary cell in the rear of the prison. The guards stood at attention. I nodded to them and they both left. My uncle was wearing the same clothes from he was brought in. They were dirty and he looked unkempt. I could only imagine how he smelled. He'd been down here for over a month with only a tiny toilet and leaky sink. Thankfully, the force field that kept him separated from me also kept his stench at bay.
"You wanted to see me, traitor?" I sneered.
"I am no traitor," he snapped. "It's you, you xytiria."
"Oh, no," I said, sitting down daintily on the bench opposite his cell. "You were the one who was in contact with someone on Lapus. You were the one who sold me to Crown Prince Jakob. You were the one who tried to take over the throne!"
"I would have been a better emperor than you," he snarled. "This nonsense with the Alphans would have been over. We would have had a peace treaty and all would have been perfect. But, no! The antiquated Cygnarian law said that you were the empress. That you would take control of our planet. You are a child. A child that is mated to a snirap! You are not worthy of being the empress."
He kept bellowing his displeasure. I just sat there, glaring at him until he finished his blathering. "Are you done?" I asked, leaning back on my hands. He glared at me. "You are in here, waiting for your trial. You are in here because you are being charged with high treason. Do you know what will happen if you are found guilty, Norex?"
"I won't be found guilty," he said, waving his hand dismissively. "There are so many people who agree with me, Nirabelle."
"And almost all of those people are not on Forx," I snickered. "Your little cronies are gone, Norex. We don't know where, but your wife, your children and about thirty other people are gone. That is not a lot of followers. Certainly not enough to vote you not guilty. You will die, Norex. You will be beheaded for your crimes and your status as a noble will not save you. Nor will your supposed alliance with Jakob." Norex seemed surprised at what I had said. With a grin, I placed one of the tablets I was carrying onto a small transporter pad. Pressing a few buttons it disappeared from my side and onto the same pad inside Norex's cell. "I can ask for leniency, Norex. I am the empress, after all. You don't have to die for your crimes. You can live out your days in exile, but you'd live. Your head will still be attached to your body."
He gave me a snide look. "You don't want me to live. It's driving you crazy to not kill me right now."
"Be that as it may, Norex," I said, arching a brow. "If you help us, I will consider asking for leniency. Look at that tablet. All of your comrades have received messages from Lapus in this language. They've even conversed with each other using it. We cannot decipher it and don't even know where to look. If you can help me, then you will live out your days on Cygnaria Prime, living in the desert with the bare necessities."
Norex picked up the tablet, scanning through the messages. I could see it in his eyes. He recognized what was being said. With a snort, he tossed it back on the transporter pad. "Never seen it. Never heard of it."
A quiet buzz alerted me to my own tablet. It was a message from Rose. He's lying. He knows what it is and it's scaring him.
I listened to my mate, seeing that Rose was standing next to him. "I don't believe you, Norex. You're trembling." I pointed out to his shaking hand. He clenched a fist, glaring at me. "Try again. You know what was written on that tablet. You tell me and you will live out the rest of your days. I promise you."
"I may receive leniency from you, but not from them," he whispered, barely audible. He closed his eyes and for a moment, his bravado slipped away. My uncle looked older and so very frightened. He had been the puppet in this whole thing. With whatever decision he made, he collapsed like a puppet who lost its strings. We needed to find the puppet master. They were the ones responsible for my father's death and Jakob's delusion of conquering me.
With a sigh, Norex looked up at me. He stared at me for an undetermined time. His eyes were swirling with questions, emotions and something else that I couldn't figure out. He picked up the tablet, punching in a few numbers. He put it back on the transporter, sending back to me. "It's deciphered. Also, there are coordinates for where everyone went. You won't be able to figure out who is in charge, Nirabelle. I may have given you a small victory, but there is a long war ahead of you. And you will not win."
A/N: So, who do you think is the 'puppet master'? What do you think will happen with Norex? Will Nirabelle keep to her word?
Now, I know that I haven't updated this in like forever. I do apologize for that. I'm in the process of changing how I'm updating fics. Rotating them is tough. So, I'm choosing one and finishing it before turning to another. This one is especially tough since there is the mystery element and the new language element (see below for an abbreviated glossary). I also don't know how long this story is going to be since I'm working on building up the climax (which I have an idea, but I need to see if it works). I do know that the next chapter will be in EPOV and will be off of Forx. We're taking a trip on the Volvo. We need to investigate these coordinates. Was Norex actually telling the truth or is he leading them into a trap?
There are a few pictures with this chapter. You can find them on my blogs (links for both of them are on my profile) and tumblr. You can also find me on Facebook: Tufano79's Twilight Fanfiction Appreciation and on twitter: tufano79. I'd appreciate some loving! So, yeah…thanks for sticking it with me!
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Pisc ~ a very large Cygnarian fish
Zi'tkm ~ a catatonic state where the victim is in a never ending nightmare. Only the mate of the victim can successfully pull them out of zi'tkm
Pr'aatale ~ a combination of a cow, deer and horse. Tastes like venison and is the size of a bull. Cygnarian version of beef.