Page 7 of Kranow (Brides of the Mylos #4)

Marley twisted her hands together nervously. This is really happening. I ’ m doing this and billions of beings around the galaxy, including people I know back on Earth, are going to see it. She shivered, knowing that many of her supposed friends, people she only truly had had The Human Right in common with, were going to brand her as a race traitor. Others, including people who didn ’ t know her, would believe this a publicity stunt to avoid prosecution. Some would believe her, just as Torval and Maya did. Her therapist had explained to her what she could expect and had advised her to stay well away from news outlets and social media for several months at a minimum. That was fine by her, anything truly important she knew would filter through her safe network of family and any true friends she made going forwards.

Jackie O ’ Hannigan openly gawked as she was introduced to Charteesie on set. Marley didn ’ t blame her as the four foot tall, green skinned beauty with the set of curled horns on her head was a stern message that they truly weren ’ t in Kansas anymore. All traces of surprise had melted away within moments as the two women hit it off.

They sat in the Council office where Torval worked, a pot of green tea and a platter of cookies sat on a low table between a grouping of four chairs. The women each occupied one chair while Torval ’ s boss, a stern faced Mylos named Lopert, occupied the fourth. Lopert was acting for the Bride Registry office today. Off to one side, out of filming range, stood Mya, Torval, and to Marley ’ s surprise, the Intelligence officer who had captured her and later escorted her to her sister ’ s home to serve her house arrest sentence. I suppose he ’ s got a vested interest in what happens with me, seeing as it was his case and all. He noticed her glance and gave her a nod in greeting, his face impassive.

“ We are ready to begin. Tethis, please begin recording and transmission, ” Lopert said.

“ Recording and transmission beginning in three, two, one, start, ” the AI replied.

Charteesie gave a large smile. “ Hi once again and welcome to the show! Today ’ s special is something exciting indeed! I ’ m seated here today with the renowned human talk show host Jackie O'Hannigan, local Council official, Lopert, and Marley Sampson. Jackie, I am so happy to have you here. I hope this is not the last time we co-host a show together. ”

“ Charteesie, I am so excited to be here! ”

“ Other than Brides, and Marley here, you ’ re the first human to visit any of our home worlds. How are you finding it? ” Charteesie asked Jackie.

“ It had truly been astounding! The flight was incredibly short and pleasant, a mere nine hours from Earth to here, and the accommodations offered in the shuttle made it even more pleasant than flying first class on an airplane back home. Should you guys decide to open tourism up between Earth and here, I ’ m sure you ’ ll get zero complaints about the flights themselves. And the people! Everyone has been so nice and welcoming. I feel like I stepped into a science fiction movie where I live in a multi species utopia. ”

Charteesie poured herself a cup of the fragrant tea. “ We ’ re actually here because it ’ s far from a utopia, though. ” She took a sip and turned to peer at Marley meaningfully.

Marley swallowed. “ That ’ s very true. Unfortunately, I helped sow some of the discord myself. Back on Earth, there are many who believe human women belong only with human men. Others believe that the Mylos gave a hidden agenda, masked behind benevolence and that the various Bride programs are a front. I ’ m ashamed to say that I allowed a personal decision by my sister to apply for a scholarship with the program to anger me, mainly because we ’ re identical twins who used to tell each other everything and make all our plans together. Then she got matched and, well, the Mylos made s convenient scapegoat for my anger. I listened to the wrong people and before it was all said and done, I actually hired two men to grab a Bride before her wedding. ” Charteesie ’ s hand fluttered to the base of her throat.

“ You arranged the kidnapping of a Bride? That ’ s the most horrible thing I ’ ve ever had someone admit to me! ” Jackie nodded her head in agreement.

“ What were your plans for this Bride? ” Jackie asked.

“ Well, I had this half-baked idea that the guys would get her alone and convince her to get into a car with them. I was going to have them bring her some place for s couple hours then just let her go. I just wanted to scare people so they ’ d reconsider signing up as I was convinced that it was all a trick. ”

“ A trick? ” Charteesie asked, tilting her head to one side.

Marley blushed and stared down at her hands on her lap. “ Yeah. I thought that the women were actually being used as breeding stock in some kind of breeding facilities. ”

Both presenters gaped at her. “ Well, ” Jackie said after a moment ’ s pause, “ that is certainly untrue. ”

Marley nodded her head. “ It certainly is nothing but an unfortunate fear that has no basis whatsoever in reality. In fact, after I was apprehended, I was placed in my sister ’ s and her mate ’ s custody here. I got to see the truth of their life together for myself. It helped me face the truth of what I ’ d done and with the help of my government appointed therapist, come to terms with it. It ’ s also helped me to have the courage to apologize to those I wronged and try to show anyone who might have similar ideas just how completely and utterly I now embrace the facts. ”

“ And have those you ’ ve wronged forgiven you? ” Charteesie asked before taking a delicate bite from a cookie.

Marley looked at her directly in the eyes, meeting her gaze unflinchingly. “ Amazingly enough, yes. The woman who I had abducted and her mate gave both forgiven me. I wouldn ’ t say that we ’ re close friends now, but I believe she knows I am not the same woman now that I was then. ”

“ That ’ s truly incredible. I don ’ t know if I ’ d ever be able to forgive someone for doing something like that to me. And you ’ ve been so nice, so it simply boggles my mind that you masterminded such a dastardly feat to begin with. Not that it went as planned, did it? ” Jackie shook her head sadly as she spoke.

“ Well, I did. I made a huge mistake, one that there is no excuse for. No matter what I believed, I had no right to do that to another person. I think Melissa and Junrig are incredible people for being able to forgive me the way they gave. And Commander Gundar, too. What I did was an act against the Fleet, too. I gave a formal apology to the Fleet and to Commander Gundar, and he also accepted it. In fact, he was instrumental in getting my sentencing to be what it was, while I still believed the terrible things I did and had no remorse. I think he saw my pain and wanted to help me heal. And to answer your question, no, the guys I ' d hired didn ’ t stick to the plan. They drugged her and kept her tied up until local Leos and Mylos security tracked them down and rescued her. ”

“ Wow! That ’ s incredible! ” Jackie exclaimed.

“ It goes to show the quality of the Fleet ’ s officers that they have ones such as Gundar and Junrig among their numbers, ” Charteesie agreed, nodding before taking another bite of her cookie.

“ Well, we ’ ve been gabbing while Lopert sits here sidelined. Lopert, can you explain for our viewers at home what is about to happen here today? ”

“ Here on our home worlds, we don ’ t have Bride registry offices. Those are solely on worlds outside of our governance that we enter into treaties with. We exchange knowledge and technology that isn ’ t too far advanced for that world ’ s current level of development in exchange for running Bride programs to help introduce even more genetic diversity into the Mylos gene pool. As you know, our species has an unviable number of females born to continue our race and that ’ s been true for quite some time. ”

“ And since there are no Bride Registry Offices here, you ’ re acting on behalf of their department today? ” prompted Charteesie.

“ That is correct. Marley here contacted us, asking if she herself could apply to the scholarship program we offer to her species. We ’ ve ascertained that she truly harbors no ill intentions towards anyone and believes that the programs are as stated. ”

“ So you ’ re applying to the Bride program? Are you hoping to find true love like your sister? Surely you know that even if you are matched, and I understand the odds are something like a million to one or something rare like that, you probably won ’ t get to live up the street from your sister? ” Jackie asked Marley.

“ I know that. I ’ m actually wanting to show my appreciation for the forgiveness I ’ ve been shown and make something of myself. I was a teacher before the school I worked for closed, and I ’ d like to study for an advanced degree in education. My depression from losing the job I loved probably helped feed my anger. I should have dug in and looked far and wide for another job. To be honest, if I had, I probably would be standing in a classroom right now, having been too busy to sit in chats and plot disruptions. There is a shortage of teachers in Hawaii where I was living, so I likely would not have stayed unemployed for long. ”

“ So what will you do if you ’ re matched? ” Charteesie asked, curiosity written across her expression.

Marley took a deep breath before replying. “ If I am lucky enough to be matched, I plan on doing my very best to be the best wife to my mate. This includes not ever giving him reason to be ashamed if my past by doing all I can to show that I ’ m not that woman anymore. I ’ d still pursue my education if it ’ s feasible. ”

Lopert leaned forward slightly. “ Marley filled out the forms earlier and gave us s fresh DNA sample. Tethis simply needs to run the program. Marley has requested we scan the entire database, not just those profiles within the Fleet, so that is what we will be doing. ” He leaned back in his chair and crossed his legs casually before casting his eyes up theatrically. “ Tethis, please run the Bride Registry matching program, all profiles. ”

“ Analyzing, ” came the reply.

“ This may take several minutes, perhaps up to an hour, ” he informed the group. Marley shifted nervously in her chair, drawing his direct attention. “ Marley, you wrote an open letter, to any match you might get, I believe. ”

“ Yes, I did, ” Marley admitted. She took a data pad from where it sat on her lap, previously hidden by her hands. “ I ’ d like to read it out loud, and if I do get matched, I hope he hears this and believes me. ” She began to read the missive that she ’ d written and submitted for official approval to do just this, unaware that she already not only been matched, but that he ’ d read her heartfelt words and agreed to the match becoming official.

Everyone present looked moved by her words, the weight of the sound of her emotions as they bled through her voice pushing her sister, Jackie, and Charteesie to visible tears which they wiped at. Marley herself was struggling against tears as she finished.

“ That was beautiful. And you are not worthless. If you were, so many would not have struggled to catch you and get you the help you needed, ” Charteesie said.

“ I think anyone who doubts the sincerity of her change of heart after hearing this must have s heart of stone, ” sniffled Jackie.

A series if chimes sounded, startling the group. “ Match confirmed, ” Tethis announced. “ Notifications have been sent. ”

Marley lost her battle then, sobs erupting as her hands flew to cover her face.

Charteesie and Jackie sat with stunned expressions upon their faces as Lopert appeared to gather his wits to ask, “ Who is she matched with? ”

“ Lieutenant Kranow of the Bride Fleet at Earth, ” came the reply. “ Receiving confirmation of notification. He requests she be brought to him so he may see to their change of quarters. ”

Lopert glanced off to the side at Sachuu who stepped forward. “ I will happily see to her transport, ” Sachuu said, his lips thinning at the change to their plans.

“ Do you think he heard me? ” Marley asked hoarsely between sobs.

“ I ’ m sure he did but in case he isn ’ t watching the live broadcast, Tethis can send him a copy right now, ” Lopert assured her.

“ Sending now, ” Tethis said, sounding smug.

“ This has certainly been a show to remember, ” Charteesie said. “ You ’ ve been matched and need to pack and leave without delay lest your mate enters into the fever. ”

“ It has been incredible, ” Jackie agreed. “ Thank you for inviting us and I hope you follow up with us as you settle into married life. ”

“ I am certain she is grateful for having a second chance, ” Sachuu said, determined to get things back on track.

Marley nodded her agreement, her mind still reeling from being matched, tears pricking her eyelids, her emotions an equal measure of relief and apprehension. She barely registered the two hosts saying good bye to their viewership, too immersed in her own thoughts for anything else to register. He ’ s in the Fleet. I hope they really have forgiven me all the way deep down because if they haven ’ t, things are about to get very awkward.