Anarchy

Solidarity

Misha watched her leave the room after their talk, listening as she hummed quietly to herself. Letting out a deep breath, he dragged a hand over his face and looked up to see Trykerius standing in the shadowy door. Confused at the meek look on the Terrans face, he raised a brow. “Something wrong?”

Moving into the light, Trykerius swallowed a few times. Blinking hard, he shook his head. Taking the seat that Azrael had vacated moments before, the blond dropped his head into his hands. Staying silent for a moment, he combed his hair with his fingers. “I’m ready.”

Not ‘something’s up’, and not ‘I found something’ like he would normally say. ‘I’m ready’ actually meant something. It meant the human male had decided to finally open up to the crew after a year and a half of keeping his secrets.

Misha’s jaw almost unhinged it dropped so quickly. “Are you sure?”

“Yeah,” the Terran said. Lowering his head, he blew out his cheeks before raising his eyes to meet Misha’s gaze. “Novi is asking questions, hard questions, and it’s dangerous to lie to a creature that volatile. I know you guys are probably sick and tired of it, too, but I couldn’t…”

Sniffling, Trykerius blinked hard, pressing the heels of his hands into his eyes as he fought the tears. “I can’t keep hiding and hoping my engineering work will be enough to hold the crew’s trust.”

Holding up his hand, Misha motioned for the human to stop. “One, you’re rambling. Two, your work is the reason you’re still breathing. Three, this can wait until tomorrow. We’ll hold a team meeting so everyone can hear it at one time, and you don’t have to constantly repeat yourself.”

“You sure?”

“You asking stupid questions isn’t going to make being honest any easier. Just go get some sleep. We’ll deal with this s**t in the morning.” Misha repeated, zipping his bag and heading out the door. He stopped, turning to look at the engineer. “Azrael wants to get to know us. If we handle everything at once, then its out of the way and everyone can move forward without baggage.”

Trykerius nodded, yawning as he stretched and followed Misha as far as his rooms. Stopping outside the door, he blinked back the tears before making his way inside and going back to sleep.

Or, at least, he tried to sleep.

The next morning, as the crew gathered for the first meal of the day, Trykerius dropped into his chair with a groan. Beside him, Novidia was already tearing into a plate of some kind of meat.

She looked up, a dribble of blood trickling down her chin. “You look like someone baked you in s**t, then toasted you with a thruster.”

“Yeah, and dipped me in insecurity,” he answered with a yawn. “Pass the fruit, please.”

Something growled low, and every head snapped toward the Weaver. She was holding a bowl of mixed berries, all six eyes narrowed on the Terran as she pulled the bowl closer. “Mine.”

“Yes, that’s yours. I was talking about the other one, Sol,” Trykerius laughed.

Azrael pushed the other bowl of fruit toward the male and sighed. “I didn’t sleep well, either. Deep thoughts or bad dreams?”

“Option one.”

“Yeah,” she muttered, eating a pre-fab meal. “Me too.”

Clearing his throat from the head of the table, Bane set down his water as he tore into a chunk of Void Beast meat. His Concloian features dull from exhaustion, he huffed out a stream of air and smoke. “So, Misha mentioned you had something to tell us, Tryk?”

Again, the table went quiet. As Azrael looked at everyone around her, she leaned back and smirked to herself. Tucking her burgundy hair behind her ear, she tapped her spork against the biodegradable tray. “I want to get to know all of you better. In fact, I had a lengthy conversation last night with Misha and it helped me figure a few things out.”

Bane nodded, appreciating her openness. “Let’s hear it, then.”

“The researchers used me to kill the other subjects.” The words came out blunt, heavy with guilt and gut-wrenching truth. “I made the deaths quick and as painless as possible. They were already suffering, and it hurt to do it, but it’s survival of the fittest. The strongest. The most adaptable. I wanted to live long enough to make those bastards pay for hurting me.”

The silence stretched as the others came to terms with the information.

Then, Novidia laughed. “You think that’s going to stop us from trusting you? I was caught in a restricted zone, but how the hell was I supposed to know. That boar looked tasty, and there were no signs telling people to stay out. All I’m saying is that, if you want to make a protected wildlife zone, then maybe put up some damned signage.”

“Yeah, then you broke out of prison and hid on my fighter,” Trykerius grinned, popping some blueberries into his mouth.

“Why are you complaining? I provided cover fire while you got us the heck outta there.” Novidia said, rolling her eyes.

He sighed heavily. “Whatever. Anyway, um, yeah. I’m ready to tell all of you about me. Before that, were you done, Azrael?”

“Yeah,” she said, waving her hand in the air. “Have at it.”

Taking a drink of the synthesized coffee, Trykerius hauled in a deep breath. “I’ve been on the run from my home world for two and a half cycles. Not for an actual crime, but for something I can’t truly control. My brother found out, ratted me to our high-caste family. The night I knew I had to leave, I overheard them talking about purification, which, for my people, is basically death.”

“What are you talking about?” Valiant asked.

Everyone else was quietly absorbing the confession, but Azrael was staring at him with knowing eyes. Realizing she may have heard his thoughts, he hung his head.

“No.”

His eyes snapped to hers. “What?”

“I wasn’t even using my power. I can use it at will, but, like any power, it’s a responsibility. Not a right. Just because I can read your mind, doesn’t mean I will. Just because I can hurt people with my mind, doesn’t mean I will.”

“But you just…”

She smirked. “No, I didn’t. I learned how to read micro-hints while in captivity. I saw the anxiety in your movements and facial expressions.”

“Oh,” Trykerius answered, his eyes going wide. “I, uh… wow. I seriously made an ass of myself just now, didn’t I?”

“I won’t hold it against you,” the girl commented as she finished her food.

Taking a minute to finish his own meal, Trykerius sighed. The sound was heavy with regret and unresolved pain. Then, he said, “In my family, if you cannot conform, you are a threat to the dynasty. You see, I didn’t come from an outpost or station settlement. I was born royal, the second son to the Governor of Libertine. I disagreed with some of the laws, and I voiced it publicly at the Coalition Summit.”

Now the others were staring openly.

Trykerius felt their eyes burning into him, refusing to look up as his eyes burned. Would his friends shut him out now? Would the people he called his found family turn him out after learning he was an actual prince?

“I stood against their beliefs, and I nearly paid with my life. As it is, I was officially exiled and disowned. I’m not even supposed to use the name Xen anymore, but I do it anyway as an act of defiance.” His heart hammered against his ribs.

Then, as he moved to leave the table, the tiny arms of the Weaver crawled slowly up his back. Her primary hands locked around his shoulders, her head rubbing against his back as she clicked her mandibles softly. “It is okay. You are still friend to me. You shared your yummy food with me, and that makes you my friend now.”

“She’s got a point,” Bane stated. “Thanks for finally sharing, but I get why you were worried.”

Misha let out a rumbling laugh. “So, you’re a prince who was written out of the family after standing up for your beliefs? Yeah, no. That’s not a fault. That’s strength.”

Axel squawked his version of a laugh. “If you were worried we’d drop you, get over it. We’re not about to give up on one of the best engineers this side of the galaxy.”

“You were on the run when I snuck onto your fighter? For holding the line for the people?” Novidia asked.

“Basically.”

Valiant scoffed. “Tryk, reup, man. You’re not going anywhere, so put the thought out of your mind. You’re part of the Anarchy now.”

“So, what about you, Talis?” Novidia said, taking the heat off her friend. “Why would someone want to frame you for killing the king of Lumia?”

“It’s Lumari, and I once served as a combat medic during the last stretch of the Andromedan war, and I do believe that’s when I started questioning orders. That questioning got me discharged and sent home in shame, where I joined the local medical community.” The Arian said, his eyes softening to a gentle lavender.

Azrael’s eyes snapped to his face as she automatically skimmed his thoughts. “You’re afraid I’m going to hate you. That I’m going to blame you for my life. I won’t. you fought in the war, but you didn’t start it.”

Talis’s eyes snapped to her, his jaw dropping slightly. “You…”

“Yes, before you ask, I used my power to skim your thoughts. A deep dive would be too invasive for my tastes,” Azrael said gently.

“And now that everyone’s truth is out in the open,” Bane said, rising to his feet as he held up his cup. “We are the thorn in the side of corruption. We are Anarchy.”

There was a round of laughter and ‘here, here’s’ as the room settled down.