Page 8 of Her Alien Delegate (Necia Alien Warriors)

Chapter four

Broma

" T here are still concerns with human contracts.

It will take more time before we're given any applicants from Earth while they sort through the trade concerns.

Our contract is a bit different than the traditional one-earth year.

Your mother made sure to include the addendum that states as long as you bond the human within that year, the contract becomes permanent and the human is thus under the rule of AsunGor laws," Romek explained when we arrived on Trillume.

"Permanency tends to frighten the humans, and an anti-alliance group has used our contract request as an excuse to attack in 'defense'.

The original female your mother picked for you was killed, and you'll have to wait for new applicants for the contract. "

"And you believe any female I'd pick next would not be harmed by this group of humans against trade contracts?"

"I didn't say they were all humans," he dismissed.

"The group is a mix of all species against giving humans the rights to join the alliance.

Your contract is more than giving a human the rights to breed with you.

It is a high honor to be the delegate of The Commissioner of AsunGor.

Your mother has left you with a pile of shit to clean up upon your arrival. "

"We support the future leader of Trillume," Pheyal reminded Romek as he took a foreboding step forward.

It seemed Romek had been on Trillume long enough to forget that he was indeed not a trill himself, and the old queen was known to take what she wanted without much diplomacy if diplomacy didn't match her wants.

Princess Klemon was the future that kept our planet prosperous, and my mother knew that the price of keeping that loyalty strong would be to support her desire to have humans officially in the Galactic Alliance, and not simply a planet owned by the trill.

We were no different under the rule of the trill queen, and it was only because of our undesirable planet's surface that the unGor did well diplomatically. The trill disliked the harsh wind on their scales, and they disliked being underground.

"I have not forgotten," Romek growled back. "It was a warning that there will be some that would rather kill you than allow you to attend the next Council and throw your new title around with the intention of promoting humans."

"What do you suggest then?" Vaquel snapped with irritation.

He was even more invested in solving this than I was after he won the har fruit duel, but only after each of us failed equally many times and he was just more prepared with a scent neutralizer so he wasn't impaired in the next rounds.

I still claim the results were cheating when both Pheyal and myself had more trouble avoiding bursting the sacks, distracted with the putrid scent.

"You should stay at the Blue District pods. They have the highest security on the planet, even better than the palace in Central Trillume. Not bad entertainment while you wait to claim your title and face the Council either."

"We will follow your advice," Pheyal agreed.

"No, not you," Romek objected, and Pheyal growled at him in response.

"Explain yourself," he said in warning.

"If we are seen together, it will be obvious that commissioner Broma is there. A couple of unGors together is normal, but a single unGor with more than one attendant, and one of your size is much too recognizable."

"I'll go," Vaquel stated.

"You will take me to the palace, where I will arrange the transfer of title for Commissioner Broma," Pheyal said pointedly to Romek, suspicion clear in his glare.

He shifted his attention to me and gave a nod.

"Do not go directly there. I'm not certain this isn't an attempt to separate us, and Romek may be bound to follow trill protocols without knowing who's pulling his ormete. "

"I am not being pulled. I would have suggested going straight to the palace if I thought it was safe enough to do so," Romek objected. "In the storm, the clearest path is surrounded in dangers that you must not run from but take cover and let the storm pass."

"He even starts to sound like them," Vaquel said with distrust when we were out of earshot of both Pheyal and Romek.

"Pheyal suspects that we'll be followed and Romek has the desire to take the title from you through your failure to adapt to Trillume, but he is still convinced he wouldn't resort to killing you. "

"You do not share his thoughts," I suspected.

"He wouldn't risk killing you himself, but I wouldn't rule out using the anti-human group to do it for him."

"I memorized the map before we landed, and even if someone knows we're going to the Blue District, we just need to make it to the dome and we'd be under the protection of the district as long as we are paying customers," I assured him.

"You are not prepared for a duel without risking your ormete," Vaquel warned about not taking the threat seriously enough.

"I do not need to use my ormete to win a duel; it was simply a requirement when dueling for commission."

"Forgive me," he said with a bow of his head. I hadn't realized the threat in my tone towards him, and I sighed. There was still work to be done on keeping my tone diplomatic.

"I will remind you that outside of AsunGor, dueling is not about honor here.

Even contracts are not kept without threat of consequences.

It is why we do not use implants, as we do not trust the technology to not be tainted with the lure of power.

" Our language translators were external only.

And easily disposed of. Which I took the time to unclip mine and toss it to the ground before my boot crushed the device to crumbs.

Vaquel did the same with his and we disappeared into the crowd.

"Where do you think you're going?" We were cut off by the imposing figure of a large trill and a sickly appearing garrant beast with four arms and a strange rippling beneath its hide.

The garrant growled before adding, "Do you think the princess will send someone to help you?"

I lifted a brow at that turn of truth. This was less about my support, and more about luring out their primary target.

"You'll be coming with us," the trill said while grabbing Vaquel.

"I fear you'll be disappointed to know that Broma isn't officially appointed yet. Taking him won't be much of a threat to make Princess Klemon come out of hiding."

"What's he saying?" the garrant deferred to the trill.

"He's saying catching an egg before it is fertilized is but a small meal, while a hatched egg will be a larger feast," the trill explained in their typical manner of verbose analogies. "But what do we care about keeping the egg alive?"

The garrant grunted, obviously not in its right mind to realize the trill didn't care if Princess Klemon was lured out or not. It was telling of the trill's motives, and of the garrant's.

Vaquel eyed me, knowing what these fools were giving away the more they talked.

And clearly understanding they were mistaking him for me.

They were looking for a large unGor such as Pheyal with a normal sized unGor such as myself, but they weren't expecting that I wasn't that much smaller than Pheyal.

Tacticians were a much more toned and compact build than a warrior, but he was still strong compared to other species.

Vaquel was probably reveling being mistaken for the future Commissioner of all of AsunGor, given the smirk on his face, he was enjoying this.

"Killing me does you no good," he stated with the confidence of any honorable warrior of AsunGor. In more ways than one, his words were bringing him even more joy, knowing that even if he were to die, they earned nothing with the real Broma free to go.

I would not allow such a sacrifice, but he was earning my respect for the offer, nonetheless.

That alone would earn him the first claim on my mate's delegation celebration. He would be alive to see the day I'm bonded and seeking more support for my mate.

"Quiet!" the trill snapped.

"Dead bait doesn't earn a meal," the garrant rightly regained his wits enough to challenge the trill.

It was time for my interjection. "Might I suggest a compromise? Take him to the Blue District, place him in a room under your credit, and hold him hostage. I'm sure the supporters will wish to trade to make sure he can get back to the palace to claim his title."

"And you'd let us take him?" the trill seemed rightfully unconvinced.

"Of course not," I placated him. "I will follow you to the Blue District, and make sure you are placing him in a room by himself without the option of harm him in your care.

It's also beneficial to you, as you wouldn't be safe stuck in a room with him.

He's liable to sacrifice himself to kill you, that's how mad he's known to be.

It is for your safety as much as his own. "

Vaquel played into the role by growling his protest and snapping his jaw like a wild animal.

The trill's scales folded over each other at his forehead in disgust. "I have heard the rumors of his rise to commission. He sliced through his own flesh to harm his opponent, uncaring of whether he died as long as he was victorious."

That wasn't exactly how it went , I thought with amusement. It was strange how quickly and how exaggerated the stories became in such a short time.

"The only reason I have not killed you already is because I'm not uncivilized like your kind.

If being your hostage means I get to have my title without murdering you, then that is preferable.

But I'm not opposed to using you as an example like I have my own brother," Vaquel warned with a cool viciousness.

"If I wanted you dead, we wouldn't be talking at all," the trill ignored the threat, but the flutter in his scales on his head spoke of being uncomfortable with holding Vaquel so close.