Loyalty/Betrayal: Aspects, #5

By L.C. Mawson

Claire left Earth to protect it, but all she did was leave it defenceless.

As Empathy returns home, she finds Earth trapped in the middle of a war, with the enemy having control of the genetically engineered creatures that only Claire was ever able to control.

But Claire is trapped in the alien hell of Rena politics, and helping Earth might mean having to sink deeper than she ever imagined.

If Earth has a chance, it rests on Claire's shoulders, but the price of peace may be too much for her to bear.

LOYALTY/BETRAYAL is the fifth book in the Aspects sci-fi series.

• Language: English
• Publisher: L.C. Mawson
• Release date: Aug 31, 2018
• ISBN: 9781386324119

Book preview

Chapter One

Hate

"I t wasn’t a false alarm - there is a ship heading for us - but they sent word ahead. It’s Empathy. She’s come home."

Hate forced herself to sit up, groaning at the searing pain across her middle but otherwise ignoring it.

Hate! Kela cried, making her way back to her side. Your cybernetics are still rebooting; you shouldn’t be up and about.

I have to see Em, Hate told her, hating how her voice struggled through panting breaths. If she’s come back... If she’s come back without her sister...

Hate didn’t want to voice her fear, but it surged through her veins, pushing her forward.

If Em had come back alone, where was Claire?

Hate couldn’t see the two of them being separated. That was why Claire had followed Em to Rena space in the first place.

If something had happened to her...

Was that why she hadn’t stopped the Rena from attacking them?

Kela must have seen the fear in her eyes because she just nodded before grabbing a syringe.

Here, this should keep you on your feet temporarily, but I am not joking when I say that this is for short-term use only. It’s meant to keep you going if your cybernetics get knocked out in a fight so that you can get to safety. Once it’s done its job, it’ll knock you out for hours. And to be honest, part of why I’m giving it to you is that I don’t actually believe you’ll rest any other way.

Hate forced herself to smile. Probably not.

Kela sighed, though it was with a slight smile as she injected Hate with the substance in the syringe.

Hate gasped as the drug made its way through her system, feeling more than alert as the pain retreated.

She forced herself to her feet, and Kela helped her up.

With anyone else, Hate would have pulled away, but the cold of Kela’s cybernetic fingers on her arm reminded her that Kela understood. She wasn’t pitying her, and she didn’t see her as weak.

She understood.

Hate wasn’t sure that she’d felt relief like that before.

Once they made it out of the infirmary, Hate put all of her efforts into walking normally, though she remained arm-in-arm with Kela as they made their way down to the common room.

They arrived to see everyone but Lo and Justice already there.

Serenity frowned as she saw Hate. Should you be up and about yet?

No, Pain answered for her. She shouldn’t be.

I need to know what happened to Claire, Hate told them firmly, and no one had an answer to that as Kela helped her over to one of the spare chairs.

Just as she sat down, the door opened again, this time to reveal Justice and Lo. As they entered, Em soon followed.

She looked just as she had when her powers were dampened, though she didn’t look well. She looked pale and was holding herself as if she were trying to make herself as small as possible.

She was wearing a strange, shimmering dress that Hate figured must be something she had picked up in Rena space.

Hi, everyone, Em eventually said, her voice small, drawing Hate’s attention to the fact that they had all just been staring at her.

What happened to you? Hate found herself asking before anyone else could speak. Where’s Claire?

Em looked away. I... She was fine last time I saw her.

‘Fine’? Hate repeated, unable to believe that Claire would be ‘fine’ with her sister returning home without her. Not when she had left to keep her safe...

Em cringed. Okay, ‘fine’ might be a bit of a stretch, she admitted, under her breath so that Hate barely heard it.

Maybe you should start from the beginning, Justice told her softly.

Em nodded, taking a deep breath, though her gaze didn’t lift from the floor.

She told them everything that had happened hurriedly, her words almost blurring together, but Hate got the general gist.

Em and Claire had arrived in Rena space, only to find themselves pawns of Jia and the priestesses, thrust into a political system they didn’t even really understand.

A political life that meant marrying for power.

Hate’s fists clenched as Em told them that Claire had started dating the son of one of the brothers who had been trying to kill her.

That she was going to marry him...

She doesn’t love him, Em said, finally glancing up to look at Hate. When I used my powers to see inside her head... She feels something for him, but it’s not love. Not really. Even if she tries to convince herself that it is.

Hate looked away, having no idea what to do with that information.

So, Claire was getting married, but it wasn’t because she loved him.

She had decided to stay in Rena space to marry someone she didn’t love instead of coming home...

She stayed because that’s where she thought she could do the most good, Em told them all. When I left, I asked her to come with me, but... She knew that if we both left, they would come after us. She thought that by staying, she could solidify her political position to stop them from following me or finding out the truth about you all being here and attacking...

They’re already attacking! Hate yelled, disbelieving. The Rena are already here, and they are already trying to kill us. And you’re telling me that neither of you had any idea?!

I... I have no idea how they’re doing this... It must be the priestesses; there’s no way Jia or her temporary government would attack Earth.

Then you have a lot more confidence in Jia than I do, Hate growled. Especially after everything you just told us...

Em looked away.

And none of this matters anyway, Hate continued, her fists still clenched, her knuckles white. If Claire were here, she could fight them with us. Except she’s not here, is she? She chased after you when you decided to head into a dangerous situation on a selfish whim, and now she’s stuck in that dangerous situation so that you could come home after you realised that it wasn’t everything it was cracked up to be.

Tears pricked in Em’s eyes at that, but all that did was feed Hate’s fury.

This stupid child had gone and dumped her sister in a nightmare situation that she was now suffering alone...

Pain stood up, stepping in front of Em to glare at Hate. Stop yelling at her, he said. She gets it, she’s sorry, and yelling won’t fix anything.

Why the hell are you defending her? Hate demanded. Em left you, in case you don’t remember. She left you to go on this ridiculous trip to Rena space, and so what? Now that she’s back you’re just going to forget that she left at all?

It’s okay, Em told Pain in a watery voice. Hate’s just speaking the truth. She has every right to yell at me over this. To hate me for it. You all do... I know what I did, and I understand if the rest of you can’t forgive me for it. I know that I will never forgive myself...

At that, she fled the room.

Hate forced herself to her feet, refusing to look at the others.

She didn’t want to deal with accusatory glares.

They all wanted to treat Em like she was a child who needed her hand held through everything, but she wasn’t a child anymore.

What did they need to see before they stopped coddling her?

Kela helped her back out of the room.

Do I have to go back to the infirmary? Hate asked. Can I go back to my room instead?

Kela sighed. I’ll ask Gyla for some equipment to be sent there.

Gyla?

Our ship’s doctor. I was actually surprised that you didn’t have one here...

Bennet acted as the doctor for our last Tower, Hate explained. Then Em got good enough to act as our doctor on her own. Once she left... Well, someone from the Aspects Program can come in an emergency, but after we fought so long for independence from them, we weren’t exactly happy asking them for help with anything.

Kela nodded in understanding as they finally reached Hate’s room, opening the door for her before helping her to her bed.

Hate sighed with relief as she sat down, before spotting the piles of dirty clothes on the floor, and the used mugs on every surface.

Sorry about the mess, Hate said.

It’s okay, Kela assured her. Though I might clear some of this up after you pass out. I’m pretty sure that mug over there is growing mould.

Hate sighed as she put some pillows behind her before leaning back. Yeah, I’m not good at keeping track of things like keeping my room clean at the best of times. Since I hurt my leg...

I can imagine. Don’t worry, I don’t intend to become your maid, but this is probably a health hazard if you want to stay in here instead of the infirmary. Kela sat down on the end of Hate’s bed, worrying the edge of the blanket with her fingers before asking, So, with what happened with Em...

Hate groaned. If you just want to tell me off for yelling at her, I don’t want to hear it. She’s not a child anymore, and she messed up. Big time. We shouldn’t be coddling her.

Kela nodded. Yeah, it does seem like a pretty big screw up. I mean, she decided she wanted to accompany Jia to Rena space - as if two girls with mixed blood showing up from a backwater planet and claiming to be the heirs to the throne was ever going to end well - and her big sister was forced to go with her to look after her. And then they got there, Em didn’t like what she saw, and to come back here, her sister had to stay behind to cover for her. It does look like she screwed over Claire. But one thing just doesn’t add up for me...

And what’s that?

Why did she leave in the first place? She had to know that following Jia back to Rena space wouldn’t be a fun adventure, even if she didn’t know exactly how bad it would be. So, why do it?

Hate looked away.

I get the feeling there’s another side to this story that I don’t know, Kela said softly, her tone free of accusation.

Hate’s throat stung, and she had to take a deep breath before continuing. Her powers... They never shut off. She was constantly other people, and never able to be herself. Jia said that the Rena had technology that could give her some relief. And given that she wasn’t shapeshifting when she arrived back here, it looks as if she found that technology.

So, it was either leave or remain at the mercy of her powers?

I know that it was an impossible choice, Hate said. And even if she had tried to tell Claire not to follow her, there’s no way Claire would have listened. But... However hard it was for her in Rena space, those were the consequences she signed up for. And now, what? She gets to come home, to leave it all behind, and Claire has to stay? Why is Claire paying the price for Em’s mistakes?

I know that it’s tough, but... I think Pain was right. I don’t think Em is happy with this turn of events, and shouting at her won’t change them.

I know, Hate said, her voice thick with emotion. But I have no idea what else to do...

I’m sorry, Hate, I know that you wanted Claire to come back.

Hate snorted. I didn’t want to hear that she was stuck in hell, but... Come back? I don’t want her to be hurting, but I also have no idea what I would do if she came back. I know that she left to protect her sister, but she still left, Kela. She didn’t even wait until I woke up to say goodbye. She shook her head. Whatever Claire and I once had, it died when she made that choice.

Then I guess you won’t mind if I do this.

Kela leaned forward and gently kissed Hate.

Hate grinned as sparks ran through her.

She wanted nothing more than to return the kiss in full force, but the drug that Kela had given her was wearing off, and she found herself falling back down onto her pillows, sound asleep.

Chapter Two

Claire

As Claire sat in her honoured place on a throne that was hovering through the air at the head of a massive parade of performers and dizzying lights behind her, she had to wonder if the Rena had too many festivals.

Thankfully, the new year festival involved her sitting at the front of the parade, with her betrothed on a similar throne next to her, and smiling at the crowds below as they made their way through the streets of the capital city.

As soon as they made it back to the palace, she would be done for the day.

But it was beginning to wear on her that, even though she had put time and effort into learning how the Rena system of government worked, she was used as nothing but decoration.

Of course, given that she hadn’t grown up among the Rena, she would be more than happy with her role remaining decorative. They should rule themselves, after all, and she was just an eighteen-year-old girl from another world. But the problem was, her decorative position gave power to whoever she was acting as decoration for and given that the Rena had gotten themselves into a civil war that they were just now recovering from through awful decisions that hurt their people...

And then there was the fact that Claire wasn’t entirely sure that her role was going to remain decorative.

She was supposed to be Jia’s heir in nothing more than name. The throne was never supposed to pass to