Witness [A First Contact Romance]

33. Desperation (Part 1)

Lumiea

Year -19 (L.D.)

Despite her age, Aeryn did not often feel young. The fight to make it to Iyla and then to bond to her squad had consumed so much of her life that her world had narrowed, and with it time, so this cause she'd given so much for felt timeless and all-consuming. Her life had not been measured in years nor her years in months or days but in each battle she'd waged to make it to this point.

Petrin's eyes–brimming with the conviction of a man who knew more of the world than her–made her feel young and childish. Aeryn knew nothing.

She wanted to say she was fighting for Earth. When she'd stood in the Ceremony Hall at Iyla and looked up to see the image of Earth for the first time, Commander Vehru had told them they would liberate the planet from the plague of violence, poverty, and oppression that ruled the innocent people there. But then Vehru had also told her that fighting rebels protected her world.

Not once while hunting down rebels did Aeryn ever feel as if she protected anything.

So athough she did not know this man and had no reason to trust him, her heart recognized the truth in his words as one which had already been filling her heart day after bloody day as an Iylan soldier.

"You've seen it too." Petrin tilted his head to the side, studying her. "There's suffering in your eyes. You've seen the blood that soaks your uniform and stains your soul."

Wisdom from training tried to speak reason to her. Never trust the words of a captor during an interrogation. A basic, obvious truth. What if Vehru had been the real captor, though? And their entire world her hostage. Aeryn had devoted too much of herself to becoming a liberator of worlds for her to simply trust anyone. It was with her hands she pulled the trigger on Joon and took the last remnant of his wife, Rory, from his stiff grasp. Had Aeryn fought all this time for Vehru, herself, or liberation?

It wasn't a question she really needed to ask herself.

"You think there's hope for Earth?" Aeryn asked.

"The Ephemorian are human, no matter how advanced they are. Humans have weaknesses."

"What does the Witness do?"

Petrin lowered his gaze, seeming to think. "It's dangerous to share information and I've already given you so much. But then again, if I can't trust you, I have to kill you." Sorrow filled his eyes as he looked back up. "The knowledge will die with you in that case."

"Just tell me, please."

"You become Rory." He nodded. "Like her, I mean. Commander Vehru takes your memories from you and sends you ahead to Earth a decade before Liberation Day."

"Why? What purpose could it serve to take the memories?"

"Think about it. Why would Vehru want someone on the planet early?"