The Lunar Void (Book 2 to Moon Series)

Chapter 1- His Judgement

Once she landed on the desert floor, miles away from the Strip, Amelia didn't stop running. She only had one thought racing through her mind; The Admiral is going to kill her, if not him, than The Council surely will. Amelia soon became exhausted yet that didn't stop her constant running. Once she reached the Rakian base, hidden in the mountains, she ran inside. Amelia had entered a part of the base she wasn't familiar with, so she had to run past all the Rakians giving her strange looks.

After Amelia burned off all her steam, she panted to The Admiral's office. His window blinds were closed, which meant he was busy with something or someone, and his door was shut. The scanner on the wall wouldn't allow Amelia to open The Admiral's door. 

She began to pace, worried about her punishment and how disappointed The Admiral would be. She was most fearful if he informed The Council; although she never met them, she knew that her fate was in their hands. The were the whole backbone of the Rakian race, they controlled all the executive decisions and nearly everything there is about them as a whole. Amelia feared that since she was considered a Rakian experiment, they might decide to have her terminated. 

Suddenly, the metallic door slid open and appeared The Admiral. He said nothing, and Amelia didn't even turned to look at him; they both knew what happened and what was to come.

She sat down in his cold office, trying not to show her shivering body. The Admiral was facing away from her; automatically, his alien computer lit up, and a hologram generated in front of her. A shaky video of her and Amber falling out of the Stratosphere. Amelia looked away from the hologram, however relived the experience through the screams. 

The Admiral shook his head when the hologram finished. Amelia kept her head turned, but The Admiral faced her and sighed loudly, to express his frustration.

"Must I start this lecture again?" He hissed at her, without her turning her gaze.

"This time," she uttered, "was an accident-"

"An accident?!" He slammed his large hands on his desk, causing Amelia to flinch, but not look. "Every-God-blessed-time, it's an accident! This one is inexcusable; allowing yourself to be recorded, by countless citizens, and posted all over the Internet." The Admiral's voice was booming and frightening, but Amelia knew that the one thing that was the greatest sign of weakness was crying. To the Rakians, and even the Jusnors, tearing at the eyes was the sign of defeat, giving enough evidence to terminate whatever the solider was doing. She knew that crying would be the last thing she ever did.

"This is unacceptable; a complete outrage; a God-damn atrocity. This time, something must be done."

Amelia sat silently as The Admiral paced around the chilling office. He was muttering to himself, as if contemplating what to do with her. She crossed her arms, and began bouncing her leg to ease her tenson. He wouldn't stop uttering "The Council" and how upset they will be. "And, you have nothing to say about this, besides, 'it was an accident?!"

Amelia knew that it wasn't an accident, but she didn't have any other kind of excuse. With The Admiral constant ranting on about how irresponsible she was, Amelia was ready to punch him in his doberman pincher-like face. After he muttered something about her being a mistake, Amelia jumped up from his leather chair and glared at him intensely.

"What did you expect me to do?! Let her fall to her death, while I teleport outta there? Or rather me fall with her, and splatter all over the ground?!"

"Anything else, would have been better," The Admiral snapped at her, "Anything that didn't involve you revealing your powers-"

"So, you'd rather me die, than save an innocent life?" 

The Admiral stared at her, and Amelia back at him. She felt that she was in no wrong, and she wasn't about to admit that she did anything wrong. A few tensely moments past before The Admiral sighed loudly and shook his head from side to side. 

"The way I see it," Amelia continued, with a slightly less aggressive tone, "I did the right thing; not having her die a very painful death." 

The Admiral sat in his large chair and closed his eyes to think deeply. Amelia held her tongue as he thought about all the possibilities that could have happened. After contemplating his decision, he looked up, but not at Amelia.

"You're right," he muttered, just barely loud enough for her to hear. "You're absolutely right. You did the honorable thing." Another sigh, then he continued, "Being able to weight the good with the bad isn't always black and white. It's difficult enough hiding amongst humans, but you, being able to put them about your own safety, that requires no thinking at all." Amelia wasn't sure what he meant by that; she wasn't sure if he was being sincere, or harsh. "It takes much ethically intention to put others about oneself, especially how fast you just displayed."

"Maybe, you are ready....." The Admiral uttered to himself. Amelia watched him closely, but didn't read his mind; she figured it would be best to stay out of his head until he calmed down. 

"Ready for what?"

"The training that Neston, Borann, Mirra, Herfta, Refta, and Mij all undertook. I believe you are ready to enroll into the Ausa Academy." 

"What?" 

"It will have to presented to The Council, but I'm sure they will allow you to travel to our home planet for the academy's special training."

"I-I don't think that's a good idea,"

"Of course it is. We've been debating it for a month now, wondering whether or not you would ever be ready."

"Just me? What about James and Jerry? They have particularly the same abilities-"

"But you are the only Moon Childe." The Admiral pointed out while standing from his chair again. 

"Then, do you really think it's wise to throw me in the heart of your race when they all know who I am?"

He laughed at Amelia's apparent stupidity. "You let me handle that. The only real problem is that you're female."

"Well, I'm sorry I can't change genders; why does it matter?"

"Because, the female program at the academy isn't tough enough for such a powerful figure, like yourself."

"No, it's okay. I'm fine with easy training-"

"That would defeat the propose of you going at all. So, think of a male name you like, because I'm sure The Council will approve of proposal." 

The Admiral began pushing Amelia out of his cold office. "What?! I have to pretend to be a guy?! No way!"

"Too bad," The Admiral said while giving Amelia one last shove out of his office. "Life is full of surprises, and disappointments; you're going to have to live with them."

"But, this isn't even seem fair! What happens if someone notices I'm a girl?!"

"Don't know, No one has ever been able to purposely change genders in the academy. So, I guess you'll be the first to get away with it."

The Admiral closed the metal door on Amelia and locked it. She pounded on it in disgust. "I'm obviously not a dude! Someone will notice!"

"To us Rakians, maybe even Jusnors, you can look either female or male with your posture, voice, and attitude." The Admiral shouted through the closed door. 

Amelia gasped and kicked the door. "That's hurtful!" she shouted. Amelia was slightly surprised to hear The Admiral laugh on the other side of the door. Instead of breaking down the door, she pouted away.