Chapter 13

Invader Homeworld, outside Sirius

Jori-Def-Olen-Nalemo sat down in the heavy iron chair in his residence area within the fortified walls of the Invader capital building. Selestren-Kulam had recently given Nalemo this room, having been thoroughly impressed with the informant's work. Nalemo greatly appreciated his leader's act of kindness; it was obvious that he didn't show this kind of appreciation to many other Invaders. Nalemo had been surprised that he had been given such a generous reward. Even so, he was happy with it. With Selestren-Kulam using Nalemo as a personal messenger, the long travels that he was sent on were tiring. Nalemo knew that he was well past his prime; he was thirty-eight, after all. Had he entered service as a soldier, he would have probably already been discharged for medical reasons, as most soldiers usually were. The brutish conditions that the infantry personnel endured on a daily basis put a tremendous strain on their bodies. As a result, most soldiers developed severe arthritis later on in their lives, which greatly hindered their combat effectiveness.

Such thoughts made Nalemo think back to his youth when he had been training to be a soldier. Like all other Invader boys, he had been taken from his mother to be raised by the military when he was still very young. From there on he grew up with the rest of the boys in his legion, keening his senses and heightening his physical endurance through the teachings of combat specialists. (Exercise was for the most part ignored, Invaders didn't need it; their muscles were incapable of strengthening or weakening.)

It wasn't until Nalemo's navigation skills were tested that his life took a drastic turn. The assignment was simple: find an enemy base that was hidden in the wilderness. Nalemo had been searching for his objective when he fell into a ravine and broke his leg. Nalemo, knowing well that any Invader that went missing would not be searched for, began the long crawl back towards civilization, a journey that took almost eight days, with Nalemo nearly starving to death. Upon his return Nalemo received medical attention and nourishment, but the damage had already been done. After being so severely deprived of food, Nalemo's body ceased to grow, stunting his height and muscle mass. After that, Nalemo was no longer fit to be a soldier, and he was relocated to work in a division of intelligence. At the time Nalemo was devastated, but looking back on it now, he was actually glad that he did not become a run-of-the-mill soldier. Now he was one of Selestren-Kulam's personal assistants, a position that was greatly respected by others.

Nalemo withdrew from his memories, shaking his head. He needed to focus on the task at hand. Selestren-Kulam had given Nalemo strict orders to write down everything that had happened during his conversation with Orad-Porel, the captain of the battleship Relentless. He was to write down every word, every gesture, and every other minute detail in the conversation to tell exactly what happened. He was to then personally give his report to Selestren-Kulam, who would then take it and store it in the capital's sole tower. What was up there, Nalemo had no idea; the area was closed off unto everyone, the only exception being the great Invader leader himself.

Sighing, Nalemo conjured a typing pad and set it down on the small table in front of him. Scratching his crest thoughtfully, the old Invader began to tap the keys in sequence, a report slowly forming on the pad's small screen. Nalemo took a moment to think about how his job was incredibly contradictory to the common outlook on Invader society. Most of Invaders saw their society as one of powerful force, with everyone being in on or behind the kill. If you weren't a leader, you were a fighter, and a damn good one at that. Yet here sat an Invader unto whom such principles did not seem to influence. But Nalemo knew that the reality of his job was extremely easy to overlook, so it did not bother him. Feeling secure, Nalemo continued to write his report.

-----

Juni looked down at the engagement ring that Trent had given to her just a few weeks prior. "What is this war going to do to us, Edison?" She looked up at her fiancé with a disquieted look on her face.

Trent tried think of the best way answer Juni's question. He didn't want to see her like this; he needed to reassure her that somehow everything was going to be all right. The problem was that both of them knew that if the Invaders kept advancing into Sirius like they have been, there was very little hope of everything turning out 'okay.'

Trent finally gave up, unable to think of anything. He huffed in self disappointment. "I have thought about the same thing, Jun'ko, and to tell you the truth, I don't know." Trent mentally scolded himself for not saying something supportive as he watched his fiancée's face grow sadder. Trent tried to think of something else to say, but once again came up with nothing. He sat there, totally silent, staring into the eyes of his beloved fiancée, feeling sorry that he could not say anything to comfort her.

Juni looked into Trent's eyes and saw his love and concern. She saw that he was regretting being unable to comfort her in the discussion of their future. She saw that they both needed comforting. Juni leaned towards Trent and wrapped her arms around him, drawing him close. "Hold me," she whispered.

Trent hesitated, but then proceeded to gently wrap his arms around Juni's small waist. Suddenly he felt calm, relaxed. He remembered how Jun'ko always seemed to be able to ease his tensions like this. Trent pulled his fiancée tighter against him, not wanting to let go. He gave a slight smile, sighing with a what-would-I-do-without-you expression.

Juni felt tears welling up in her eyes. She loved Trent so much; it was almost unbearable to think about losing him. She cared about him deeply, and it was obvious that he cared about her just as much. Juni knew that behind her fiancé's rugged appearance and demeanor, there was a kind and loving man that she had fallen in love with.

Juni looked up at Trent, and he looked down at her. As they gazed into each other's eyes, they exchanged their deepest feelings for one another through an emotional bond that suddenly tied them together. Slowly, surely, their faces drew closer together, until they finally came together in a kiss.