Sector B

7

"I suggest you start talking." Decha pulled a small blaster pistol from his holster and turned the dial on the side. Blasters were guns that fired small laser beams that would burn the skin. The higher the charge, the more detrimental the burn. "Or else I start shooting."

"I have nothing to say to Austellian swine like you." The man let the words glide out of his mouth like they were poison.

"Start talking, dastard!" Amir stepped forward, but Decha raised his hand to stop him.

"Easy," Decha commanded before looking back at the prisoner. "That's no way to talk about yourself. Don't we Austellians learn how to esteem ourselves in secondary school?"

"I'm not an Austellian! Don't insult me."

"You were born in Sector A. Last time I checked, that means your nationality is here."

"You're wrong," The prisoner smiled and crossed his arms. "I may have been born here, but my father was a Bracketer. I was raised in the Brackets. I am a Bracketer."

"And what about your mother?" Decha tilted his head. He wanted to know more about his family history. This would be a key to understanding the reason why he bombed the building across the agency. If this man was raised in the Brackets, then it would lead them to conduct a more strict investigation on the other side. Maybe he was part of an organized group, being urged to kill because of his emotional turmoil.

The prisoner kept quiet, but Decha knew the answer. "You're a Hybrid."

"He's a what?" Amir questioned.

"A hybrid. According to the Council's more recent laws, An Austellian and Bracketer may come together in union and marriage according to strict procedures. Through that union, if a child is born, they are hybrids. But because Bracket Blood lies in you, you don't have full access to citizenship as the pure-blood Astellians do."

"Decha, what are you trying to say?"

"His mother was Austellian. That explains why he was born here." Decha simplified it to Amir's satisfaction. "Isn't that right, Lindsey?"

Hearing his name roll out of the most feared General made his skin crawl. "You Austellians are so foolish. You carry yourself as if you're high and mighty, but you're as easy as the rest of us."

"Why did you kill all of those people?" Decha went straight in, not wanting to waste his time. "Innocent children, parents, people who were working. All of their lives are gone because you decided to play god."

Lindsey, the prisoner rested his head against the wall. "Because they deserved it."

Amir clenched his fists. "Crazy dastard!"

"They deserved it!" Lindsey outspoke and leaned forward. He was very close to Decha's face, but the general before him didn't flinch. "When the 5th war occurred, Astell took over the land that rightfully belonged to the Brackets. They claimed it was to establish the uniting of our nations. But what did your leaders do?"

"They established a peace treaty," Amir answered. "Bracketers rioted and wreaked havoc, so the Astellian government enforced patrol."

"Wrong," Lindsey smirked and looked right into Decha's eyes. "But you know what happened."

Decha's body tensed, but his expression remained the same. He wasn't going to allow the lowlife prisoner to see how much he was affecting him.

Decha knew the History of the 5th war. The true history behind it. Only a few generals assigned to the Outside knew the truth.

When the Austellian government tried to establish unity, they stole resources from the Brackets. The operation was hushed to prevent another war, and thus the council was formed. The Brackets were forced to keep quiet under the new hand of the government. The Walling occurred to enforce the silence, but over time the Brackets began to suffer economically because they were walled in with Sector A. So they went to rely on Astell for help with funds, and resources. The agreement was for the Brackets to keep quiet about their past to receive any goods for somewhat normal living.