The Alien Commander's Surrogate

Episode forty-eight

Hillary
Our stop to meet with the engineering team had been quite brief, we were barely there long enough to see a familiar Bayes, grim-faced and brooding, accepting the newcomers' words before Oren urged us on again.
Salex and I had shared a look, his golden eyes narrowed. We knew that they were using the ship's current situation as leverage to board and explore the human mate situation, but I believe we both would've expected them to be more subtle about it. Especially the Prime.
But he didn't seem embarrassed or ashamed when he moved through the ship at Salex's side, the still-whispering council group milling about behind us.
"Our surrogacy program is the best in the system, one thing that we have always prided ourselves on in Trenzian," Oren was saying his eyes sweeping over the ship, "But to know that we may have stumbled upon a way to match humans with mates is a new angle we had not considered."
"We don't know that for sure. Only a few other women have been awoken, and none have openly claiming a mate yet."
Oren's purple hand darted through the air, swatting down my concerns. "We don't not know that either. Time will tell, but even at a ten percent or less success rate, meaning the two of you compared to them, would change the Trenzian warrior perspective completely."
I couldn't stop myself from speaking up. "Aren't you worried about the warrior's finding mates? I thought you would hate it."
Oren shrugged, "My Father might, maybe a brother or two, but from my perspective we have diluted not only our genetics in past years but our culture as well. Our soldiers may be mindless killing machines when called for it, but what happens when our world turns to peace. Not everyone can remain a weapon, there must be other ambitions too."
"That's very advanced thinking of you," I said dryly, running my fingers through my mindless killing machine. "
Oren let out a laughing huff, "You must hate me, human, but I'm doing what has to be done. There is no future in warfare. Not at the expense of my culture. If my words seem crass to you it is because I do not burden myself with the old-fashioned politics of my family's past. I will learn to be soft and kind when the time calls for it. But that is not yet. Not now."
Salex squeezed my fingers, "We understand. Truely."
Oren's eyes flickered down to our hands wound together, something in his jaw tightening. "I must ask you something else, Commander."
Salex remained silent, his brows lifted.
"The male who went feral. The one that we heard about a few days ago. How badly did he react?"
They were talking about Adra. Fuck. I swallowed down my nerves, even as Salex calmly stared back at the other male.
"He's been contained."
"Contained?" Oren cursed in a language I didn't understand. "That bad?"
"He's a powerful male, and one in a position of authority. It made the most sense to put him in a space that keeps both him and his crewmates safe."
Oren stared us down.
"I want to help you. But I need to know exactly what we are dealing with should things go wrong. Take me to him."
"Prime Oren," Salex began, his voice low enough the council members wouldn't hear. "I do not know how he will react."
"I need to know," Oren insisted. "Just me, we can leave the others to their tour."
A long moment passed. And then slowly, Salex nodded. My heart leaped into my throat. I hoped to God that Adra had gotten himself under control. The whole operation to change the rules on mates was hanging on his sanity.
Or what was left of it.