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«And you, Lindon Dorn Gray-Linn? You joined them later?» Empress tilted her head.
«Yes. At first I was after Wolfin, investigating the disappearances of Veluthian citizens on that planet, but Serena held a field court and I found out that he was innocent through means of memory extraction. I was later attacked, because the proof I brought to clear his name threatened the people who have conspired to falsely accuse the man.»
«And… these Terrans? What stakes do they have in this matter?»
Hunter took a very short step forward:
«I am sorry, I do not know how to address you properly, Empress. But we are Serena’s friends. We helped her collect all that information, not for some benefit or reward, but to help her. She felt it was crucial to bring these crimes to light. She was certain that if she could be heard and the information disclosed to the right people, something could be done to stop the contraband from filling pockets and spreading among the space pirates.»
«And you are sure that Laithorian technology is being used by pirates?»
«Yes. I’ve seen it first-hand.»
Hunter saw one of the Royal Guards approaching the Empress and whispering something to her ear. And though her expression hadn’t changed, her eyes squinted. She replied – quietly, and the guard walked off.
«Which of the contraband found on MSS Lyssandra have you retrieved from pirates?» the Empress asked the man.
«The contraband we had in our possession was retrieved from a smuggler.» Wolfin said. «We were investigating a trail of some pirates to find out where the tech was, but we had to return to Velutha, as we were approached by bounty hunters and found out that Serena was wanted under the guise of false accusations against her.»
«Ah… yes, that I saw in the extracted memories Serena had sent us.» the Empress glanced at one of her council members and nodded.
«We shall start the Royal Trial as soon as Serena Dal Thara-Lyss will be brought to court to face her charges.» the man, dressed in strange wide clothing stood. «In the meantime, you are free to stay here.»
Chapter 5. Trial
The wait took some time. Hunter felt his nerves becoming even more strained – he was not only anxious to see Serena, but worried that it was taking so long for her to be brought before the Empress at all. Lindon and Wolfin seemed to be even more tense, though at the start they were the ones telling the Terrans to keep their heads cool.
Hunter felt like something was terribly wrong.
Finally, after what seemed like at least an hour passing, the doors to the hall opened and everyone turned to see a group of people. Hunter flinched, only to be stopped by Lindon, as the people walked in.
However, everyone saw that the prisoner that was brought, wasn’t walking herself. On the contrary, she was being dragged by two men, who carried her by her armpits, while her legs dragged on the floor.
Wolfin frowned, seeing Serena being seemingly unresponsive.
Hunter, seeing the procession, barely recognised Serena. He flinched forward, wishing to approach, forcing Wolfin and Lindon to catch him from running up to the woman, who seemed to be heavily beaten and barely conscious – if at all. All three men watched in horror at the state Serena was in, realising they could do nothing in the circumstances they were in. The only one to do or say anything at that moment was only the Empress herself.
«What is the meaning of this?!» Empress Alathea’s furious tone reverberated through the throne room. «Where are her clothes? And why is she in such a pathetic state?»
The woman watched the prisoner with a dangerous squint in her golden eyes.
«During the very first day she resisted us when we were searching her for any weapons, my liege.» Lazarus Dorn Kalun said, bowing. «I beg your forgiveness.»
«And her hair?»
«It was cut for safety reasons – her own and ours, my liege.»
«Liar…» Serena forced out, fighting through the pain and humiliation.
The Empress tilted her head:
«Prisoner! Are you calling him a liar?»
Serena tried her hardest to lift her head, even though it felt impossible:
«I am… See my memories, my liege.» her voice sounded pained, raspy and very weak. «See how corrupt this man is. And his father… and a few others…»
«You demand memory extraction to prove your words?»
«I do.»
The Empress closed her eyes and leaned towards one of her councillors, listening to his advice. Finally, the royal waved aside:
«Bring the doctor to monitor the procedure.»
«I hereby give my consent to have my memories extracted without the use of any stimulants and painkillers.» Serena breathed out. «I wish for the extraction to have no ways of being undermined by any sort of drugs.»
Lindon noted how Lazarus suddenly lost colour in his face.
«You are aware how dangerous it is in your current state?» the Empress squinted.
«I am.»
«Very well.»
Hunter felt Wolfin’s hand squeezing his shoulder.
«How dangerous is it?» the Terran exhaled, panicking at the sight of his lover being so injured and mistreated.
«She could lose her life.» Lindon replied, gritting his teeth. «But she has a reason for this risk.»
«I’ve never seen anyone being in such a state after prison…» Wolfin mumbled to himself. «What did they do?»
They watched as Royal Guards took the prisoner from the prison guards and carried her to the medical pod that slid out in the far end of this hall – closer to the Empress and her counsellors. A thin, sleek looking man approached the pod and the prisoner, carrying a scanner, checking her state and Hunter noticed how the man frowned deeply, seeing the results. The medic glanced at the Empress and seemed to hesitate to start the procedure for some reason.
And while this was happening, Serena was only trying to stay awake. She was on the brim of losing consciousness, but kept herself awake only because of her stubborn wish to show the Empress and all the counsel what was happening right under their noses.
She hoped she would have enough strength to withstand the memory extraction – she had a whole week of pain and memories of what has been done to her to show them.
«I highly recommend a stim shot to be made.» the medic leaned in, when Serena was put into the pod.
«No.» Serena whispered, her voice failing.
«Then you must know how harsh it will be on your body in such a state.»
«Yes. I do.»
«Is the prisoner ready?» the Empress asked, and something in the tone of her voice felt off.
«Ready, Empress.» the medic sighed, looking into Serena’s eyes.
As he began the procedure, Serena felt her head bursting with pain – at first distant and faint, but then becoming stronger and overwhelming. Her abused body clenched in a spasm, causing her even more pain, and almost throwing her into the darkness of unconsciousness, but she powered through, biting down onto her lip to try and keep herself from collapsing.
To someone else the procedure seemed to have been taking only a few minutes. For Serena it was a struggle that lasted almost as long as her confinement. A few times she felt her consciousness slipping, only to be brought back in a fit of pure hatred for the men who had used her, while she awaited trial.
She tried hard not to let out a scream of pain, knowing well how many eyes were fixated on her at that very moment. But a few stray tears still burst from her eyes, sliding down and leaving her a faint, cold reminder that she needed to live through this.
When the torture finally ended, she felt her muscles relaxing, and her sight slowly becoming darker.
She might have given them the proof she needed to… but she didn’t know what will happen next. The rest was up to the Empress. Losing her consciousness, Serena wished that her sacrifices would serve their purpose and bring criminals to light.
Hunter, watching like a hawk, saw her eyes closing, and tensed up, only to feel Lindon and Wolfin tightening their grasp, so that he wouldn’t run off to his woman. The Terran saw the medic scanning Serena once again, and glancing at the Empress in a very strange manner.
«They’re done…» Hunter whispered. «Why don’t they stim her?»
Everyone watched, how the Empress and her counsellors aimed their eyes on the screens before them.
Wolfin felt his muscles tensing up, as he saw the Empress frown, and then tense up on her throne. The counsellors too seemed unnerved to see whatever they were watching on their screens unfold. Not knowing what they were seeing, he could only guess that it was something hard to process, as the Empress suddenly widened her eyes and threw a quick glance to Serena, before returning her gaze to the screen.
Time seemed to flow slowly, as the High Council sat there, watching Serena’s memories.
Lindon flinched, seeing the Empress gasp and close her mouth with her palm, obviously shocked from whatever she saw on the screen. The Veluthian noticed how a few of her counsellors gasped as well, their eyes widening in horror and shock.
Hunter and Wolfin frowned, seeing this reaction. But if Hunter was trying to grasp at the thought that, maybe, the court saw some terrible torture that Serena endured, Wolfin found himself thinking on the fact that there had to be something extremely vile happening on their screens.
The Veluthian knew that none of the witnesses among the people standing there in the throne room will ever be shown what was on those screens. Unless, of course, the Empress will wish it.
But the Empress looked at Serena again, who lay unmoving in the memory extraction pod, and in her eyes Wolfin saw pure terror. The woman was not only shocked, but terrified at what she saw.
A quiet rumble of people talking arose – everyone noticed the expressions of the counsellors and the Empress herself. Everyone was wondering what had happened.
«Doctor Dorn Malachant!» the Empress finally found her voice. «Take the prisoner to the infirmary immediately and see to it that her injuries are looked at.»
«No…» everyone heard a raspy, frail whisper from the prisoner.
Empress Alathea looked at Serena once again:
«By Royal Decree I hereby set this woman free, all charges are to be dropped!»
The people began talking, filling the throne room with an even louder rumble of voices. Wolfin tried to find the people who took Serena to the hall, but the witnesses gathered so close that he couldn’t see her prison guards. For a few moments he thought that, perhaps, something foul was uncovered to what they had done to Serena while she was incarcerated.
«Take her away! Stim her before releasing!» The Empress gestured to her Royal Guard, calling him.
Wolfin saw how Serena was taken out of the pod and dragged off by a couple of royal guards at the command of the Empress. This time, however, she wasn’t handled as harshly as before. The Doctor hurried after them, his face frowning and concerned. Hunter flinched beside the Veluthian, and Wolfin caught his wrist:
«Don’t. We’ll see her shortly. We can’t leave just yet.»
He heard Hunter gritting his teeth in frustration.
The men watched as the Royal Guards approached Lazarus and his men, arresting them.
«Everyone’s free to leave!» one of the counsellors said loudly.
Hunter and Wolfin pushed through the crowd, followed by a silent and worried Lindon, who stayed like this all through the trial. Cipher walked last, wondering about what could have been seen on those screens.
Chapter 6. Release
Hunter couldn’t stay in one place, walking from side to side all through the time they’ve been waiting for Serena. The big double doors of the prison stayed shut, and the man was losing patience with each passing moment.
Wolfin and Lindon stood still, frowning at the doors and wondering why the release was taking so long. Cipher stood a bit further, keeping an eye on Hunter just in case he was about to do something stupid.
Finally, the doors slipped open, and they all saw Serena slowly walking out – four guards letting her go, bowing to her from the sides of the corridor that stretched into the bowels of the building.
Serena trembled, grasping herself by the sides and keeping her eyes fixed to the ground under her feet.
Hunter and Lindon jolted to her, but she bared her teeth:
«Don’t touch me!» Serena hissed, throwing their hands off her shoulders.
Wolfin and Lindon exchanged glances, but stayed silent. Hunter, however, tried to embrace her once again.
«Get the fuck away from me!» the woman shoved him aside, throwing him to the pavement. «Respect my wish. It’s the least you could do after I saved all your lives by surrendering mine to the Empress.»
She finally straightened, obviously straining against her body, forcing her usual proud military posture to her shoulders and back. Not looking at anyone, she headed forward – towards SS Growler, which stood ways away on one of the parking spaces.
«Serena, take my quarters for the time being…» Cipher offered, reaching out to touch her shoulder.
«Fine!» she growled. «Just don’t touch me!»
Cipher slowly retracted his palm, frowning at the unusual manner she addressed them all.
«Serena…» Hunter caught up to her, trying hard to see into her eyes.
The woman didn’t look up, still fixated with her eyes on the ground beneath her feet.
«What…» Hunter tried to ask her again, but the woman shook her head, making him fall silent.
They walked silently, until they reached the ship. Wolfin and Lindon exchanged glances, but said nothing, even though they both felt something was terribly wrong.
«You’re hurt…» Lindon said, trying to reach out to Serena to get her attention.
The woman swayed aside, not letting him touch her.
«It’ll heal.» she growled under her breath.
«Serena, you have to tell us…» Wolfin tried to watch his ward for any hint of her being able to respond to their questions.
«I don’t have to tell you anything, Wolfin. Not now.»
