And I’m thirsty. I take the canteen. I make him wait an extra second before I drink, just to see if he’ll take it back. Or take his eyes off me. He does neither. Finally, I drink deeply. It’s cold and wild, like it came from the belly of a mountain. The other women are drinking too, accepting canteens from the warriors. I hand the container back slowly, my eyes locked on his.
The Ex O addresses us. “The Claiming Ceremony will soon begin. We must prepare you.”
Dana steps forward. The Xytheans eye her through their visors. "You cited the Astra Conventum. We formally invoke its protection, on record, before the highest governing authority on Xytheos,” she says.
None of the Xytheans react, but we stir in response. Dana is using their own law on them.
Ex O Drenz addresses Dana. “Your request is formally recorded and routed to the Concord Council. By law, you are under the protection of the Astra Conventum. Article Seven.”
Dana advances slowly, like she's walking into a negotiation. Or a trap.
Rythar shifts. He hasn’t forgotten that Dana tried to use a weapon.
“Article Seven doesn’t give you the right to force us to march with you to some claiming ceremony,” she says.
The Ex O says, “Article Seven allows planetary sovereignty in protective enactment. You are on Xytheos. The Concord Council keeps Xythean law. Under Xythean law, all Starfallen females are placed into Claiming Custody until they are claimed as brides.”
Custody. Bride. A neat solution for them. Not for us.
Piper snorts. “Like a prize show dog. One with birthing hips.”
Rythar’s visor is pointed toward me for a moment. Then he gives a slight nod to the Ex O.
The Ex O answers for him. “No. Assignment is not transactional. The Concord Stone will match each of you.”
Dana crosses her arms. “Sure. Because magic rocks have such a great track record.”
Rythar’s lips press tight. “Comply,” he says, almost like he is forcing the word out, or forcing himself not to say worse.
But we don't.
Maya moves up, shoulders squared. “No. We won’t be forced to mate with anyone.”
Dana is beside her in a heartbeat. I move too, flanking them, and other women follow.
“Forced mating is illegal,” Dana says. “On every planet signed to the Astra Conventum.”
A ripple moves through the group.
Rythar’s reaction is quiet but sharp. His spine locks. I can see his frustration as he gives another tight nod to the Ex O.
“We do not force mating,” the Ex O says again. His voice is almost a growl. "The Stone assigns custody. Reproduction is a duty. Not a choice. We do not understand your objection. You left New Terra to preserve your genetic library. Or did you forget why you exist?”
“Our mission goes far beyond reproduction,” Dr. Patel snaps. “And we were to preserve the human genome.” She doesn’t elaborate, but everyone here knows what she means. These Xytheans aren’t human. Not to us.
The Ex O frowns. “Your mission details direct you to locate fertile males and produce fertile offspring.”
"What?" I step forward. "Let me read the mission data you extracted from our chips."
At the Ex O’s glance, Rythar nods once. The Ex O turns his datapad to me, letting me read the section detailing our mission.
I shake my head, glancing back at the other women. “It’s wrong. This was never our mission.”
All the aliens watch closely as confusion ripples through us. In the crowd of women, I catch Quinn’s eye.
“Quinn?” I ask.
Quinn looks at the ground. Whatever it is, she doesn't want to say it here. We never got to hear the secrets she was keeping, what she encrypted or decrypted. Probably just as well, since Rythar and his warriors are watching us the whole time.
