about her ability or what goes on in that alien head of hers. I’m just a dumb kalzirian guard.” Melton maintained the hands raised, ‘don’t shoot me’ posture.
Connor saw his alarm, and tried to dial down his emotions, Melton was right; he couldn’t be expected to make a diagnosis.
He looked over again at Chesara. Pale and boneless, she lay on the dirt as if she was unwanted luggage. It didn’t seem possible that on a beautiful day like this, warm and sunny with the sounds of birds and insects around them, that Chesara was like this. She should be laughing and flirting with both him and Tenset, as she teased them to catch her.
Melton coughed, bringing Connor back to harsh reality.
“I’ve told you what I know; now it’s your turn. I don’t care about me, but are my wife and children ok? They have nothing to do with any of this.”
Connor nodded absently, he hadn’t heard anything so assumed they were fine. Federation protocol meant ground teams would have been fully briefed on the full situation.
“What happened at the mansion, we had a message that Federation shuttles were landing.” Melton prompted.
“The Apollo got a message from the planet. They sent a team down, secured the mansion and started a search. They found me soon afterwards, and we’ve been hunting for Chesara ever since.”
“If you keep quiet about what went on between Tenset, myself and Chesara, and I’ll give you a favourable report.”
“Melton looked at him sadly. “Son, what happened down in those rooms, has always stayed there. Tamas made sure his ‘guests’ wouldn’t or couldn’t talk about it, and neither will I, for their sake and that of their families, not his. If I’m allowed to return, I’ll see to it that those rooms are never used again. I believed him when he said what he was doing was justified, to protect the Kalzirian people. I was wrong.”
He placed a large hand on the young Federation Officer’s shoulder, before walking back towards the other soldiers.
Connor ignored the offer from one of the other soldiers to carry her and he gathered Chesara up in his arms. He spent the walk back to the shuttle near the mansion gazing down into her face, willing her to wake up, talking softly to her. He desperately wanted to kiss her, but with the soldiers around he dare not give away their relationship, he’d be reassigned if it came out.
Once she’d had one of her prolonged sleeps, she’d wake up, smile and everything would go back to the way it had been before. In his heart, he didn’t believe a word of it. Chesara knew too much to be content in her gilded cage any more, and so did he.
CHAPTER 9
––––––––
C hesara lay unresponsive in the medical bay, being fed by IV and wearing an adult diaper. Connor had visited her for several hours every day for the past week. He’d talked to her about anything that came into his head, except the important things, such as how much he loved her.
Reading aloud, anything from medical texts to fiction helped to relieve the sound of the machines beeping and whirling. The sight of her in the bed, pale and unresponsive against the crisp white sheets, was slowly killing him, inch by inch. Tamas’ pins had been less painful.
Even the lighting, harsh and artificial made him sad. He knew would it bug the hell out of her if she’d been awake, but she just lay there under its continuous glare.
The bossy nurse, who had introduced herself as Clara Walker, insisted on sending him out for food and sleep at regular interval. He seldom indulged in either. He updated his superior on a regular basis via his implants, but the reports had no variation.
“Mr Temple. Its time you rested. You’ve been in here for hours and I’ve still to see you eat. If this carries on, you’ll be in the next bed. She’ll need you to be strong when she wakes up.”
The lecture was a familiar one, so he didn’t bother replying.
His view of Chesara was obscured as she stepped in
Connor saw his alarm, and tried to dial down his emotions, Melton was right; he couldn’t be expected to make a diagnosis.
He looked over again at Chesara. Pale and boneless, she lay on the dirt as if she was unwanted luggage. It didn’t seem possible that on a beautiful day like this, warm and sunny with the sounds of birds and insects around them, that Chesara was like this. She should be laughing and flirting with both him and Tenset, as she teased them to catch her.
Melton coughed, bringing Connor back to harsh reality.
“I’ve told you what I know; now it’s your turn. I don’t care about me, but are my wife and children ok? They have nothing to do with any of this.”
Connor nodded absently, he hadn’t heard anything so assumed they were fine. Federation protocol meant ground teams would have been fully briefed on the full situation.
“What happened at the mansion, we had a message that Federation shuttles were landing.” Melton prompted.
“The Apollo got a message from the planet. They sent a team down, secured the mansion and started a search. They found me soon afterwards, and we’ve been hunting for Chesara ever since.”
“If you keep quiet about what went on between Tenset, myself and Chesara, and I’ll give you a favourable report.”
“Melton looked at him sadly. “Son, what happened down in those rooms, has always stayed there. Tamas made sure his ‘guests’ wouldn’t or couldn’t talk about it, and neither will I, for their sake and that of their families, not his. If I’m allowed to return, I’ll see to it that those rooms are never used again. I believed him when he said what he was doing was justified, to protect the Kalzirian people. I was wrong.”
He placed a large hand on the young Federation Officer’s shoulder, before walking back towards the other soldiers.
Connor ignored the offer from one of the other soldiers to carry her and he gathered Chesara up in his arms. He spent the walk back to the shuttle near the mansion gazing down into her face, willing her to wake up, talking softly to her. He desperately wanted to kiss her, but with the soldiers around he dare not give away their relationship, he’d be reassigned if it came out.
Once she’d had one of her prolonged sleeps, she’d wake up, smile and everything would go back to the way it had been before. In his heart, he didn’t believe a word of it. Chesara knew too much to be content in her gilded cage any more, and so did he.
CHAPTER 9
––––––––
C hesara lay unresponsive in the medical bay, being fed by IV and wearing an adult diaper. Connor had visited her for several hours every day for the past week. He’d talked to her about anything that came into his head, except the important things, such as how much he loved her.
Reading aloud, anything from medical texts to fiction helped to relieve the sound of the machines beeping and whirling. The sight of her in the bed, pale and unresponsive against the crisp white sheets, was slowly killing him, inch by inch. Tamas’ pins had been less painful.
Even the lighting, harsh and artificial made him sad. He knew would it bug the hell out of her if she’d been awake, but she just lay there under its continuous glare.
The bossy nurse, who had introduced herself as Clara Walker, insisted on sending him out for food and sleep at regular interval. He seldom indulged in either. He updated his superior on a regular basis via his implants, but the reports had no variation.
“Mr Temple. Its time you rested. You’ve been in here for hours and I’ve still to see you eat. If this carries on, you’ll be in the next bed. She’ll need you to be strong when she wakes up.”
The lecture was a familiar one, so he didn’t bother replying.
His view of Chesara was obscured as she stepped in
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