Chapter 10: Interrogation

Ioren stirred in her bed again. Her scaly hand stretched out to feel that Stone wasn’t present. The Itrean woman’s reptilian eyes slowly slipped open to see that the man was wide awake. He sat naked on the bed, his rigid back aimed at her.

The day’s battle had been etched into their minds while the two resided in their quarters. Valradena had proven to be a battlefield even if no war had ever been declared.

Ioren, also naked, stretched out to Stone. Finally, she shifted and moved her body up before gently grabbing Stone’s shoulder.

“You fought well today,” he said. He glanced over to her so he could see her sign language.

“You too,” she signed back. “Are you ok?”

Stone nodded. “It’s nothing...”

“Tell me.”

The master sergeant seemed to think. “What you said to the Captain. Is it true? About your parents?”

She nodded her head again.

“All true,” she signed.

“Hmph ... the Itreans are cowards toward the life they produce, just to abandon them.”

“Yes and no. Different for each parent. Sometimes, a choice. Sometimes, no choice. My parents choose life.”

“Eugenics...,” Stone cringed. “So perfect, but any deviation and the choice is death. The children we found today wouldn’t agree to the life of being in that container.”

“I know.”

“Are you sure you’re not a member of Kinto’Lin?”

That question was an understatement for Ioren to hear. It was both annoying and severe at the same time. It was aggravating because it was a question asked by so many individuals above and below her. The terrorist group was no joke. Their goal was to fight for freedom and equality for all Golarren by almost whatever means necessary. However, they were hunted and persecuted for their violent crimes. At the same time, Ioren knew what Stone asked wasn’t an attempt to insult her in any way. It was merely a question of curiosity. Even if it was uncommon, there were a few Golarren sympathizers in T’rintar clan space. Some of these individuals wouldn’t hesitate to offer their support to the Kinto’Lin.

Ioren shook her head no.

“I would understand why you would,” Stone said as he stood up. He walked over to a locker and put in the key code. Ioren wondered what the man was doing as he opened the door and pulled out a moderate-sized rectangular flat wooden box.

“I learned a little bit more about you, and now it’s time to learn a little bit more about me,” Stone explained as he sat back down on the bed. He opened up the box and revealed a bowie knife. The blade measured well over 9 inches long and carried a black wooden grip. However, neatly crafted on the handle was one word on it: “Arondight.”

“A knife?” Ioren asked in her sign language. “I saw you carry this at Valradena.”

“It belonged to my family,” he explained. “Passed down through their generations.” The master sergeant pulled the knife out and looked closely at it. “Used by my ancestor back on Earth who etched his name onto the knife he used to gut his greatest enemies. To him, it wasn’t about concealment. It was about terror. He was a man who didn’t care what got in his way. He did what was necessary, and, in the end, he got what he wished for.” He flipped the blade and looked at the name. “I admit that I didn’t want to use it for fear of damaging a priceless heirloom, but ... this will be my knife from now on. No more concealing. No more thinking like it’s the 24th century. We fight our enemies, bringing everything from our past into the front lines. This is about the survival of our races. No mercy. No holding back.”

He closed the box and knife before putting the container by the bed. Ioren must have imagined that the knife was quite oversized, perhaps a bit overkill for its practical application. But, at the same time, it was a family heirloom.

Ioren began to think about it. Finally, she had to bring up the topic of interest. The discussion on family history was the final trigger. She needed to tell him as he looked away. She grabbed her tilon and activated it. Typing in the words for it to translate for her.

“I want to have a baby,” Ioren’s tilon stated.

There was a long silence. Each second was almost like a minute had passed. Ioren’s feathers lowered down to their lowest peak as if she had said the worst thing ever. She was about to roll over and close her tilon, maybe even apologize for bringing it up.

“No...,” Stone finally said.

Ioren’s fingers shook a little bit. She was about to start typing again.

“Why do you want to have children?” he asked her.

He patiently waited for her to come up with those answers. He refused to look at her for a little while.

“I looked up your family history,” her tilon stated. “There isn’t much left. When you die, there will be no more Stones to carry the bloodline.”

“That doesn’t matter,” he said.

“It does to me,” she countered.

“Gagana and I agreed not to have children when we got married. I wasn’t going to raise a child in this environment ... not the way the UWA wants us to raise our children. They keep changing things every few years. UWAN pandering media falls in love with something in one year and then changes their minds in the next. They can’t make up their own minds as they scream that they’re virtuous. Want proof? Look at how they made our new chef. Bastards become so disillusioned that they can become convinced that food comes out of their own asses.”

Ioren shook her head and typed. “That is the point. You are strong-willed, a strong and powerful male ... a good father.”

“And what about you?” he turned to look at her. “You want to have my child, and how do the Itreans look upon you?”

She closed up her tilon and used her sign language. “Humans are better than Itreans. Loved by humans. Rather have a child here or human world.”

His eyes wondered. “Why the change of mind?”

“Shira ... the others here. Good people. Good humans. Good Itreans ... all here.”

“They are associates, not your friends.”

“I know.” Ioren showed a hint of frustration as her fingers moved with haste. “But it’s different. You are a savior to me. I meant what I said. You are my mate. You love me, and I love you. I know you are tough ... tough as Shal’rein, but you have ... purpose. Your strength flows in this ship. You need Shira. Shira needs you. Make a difference. Make things better.”

“And how would I make things better?” he sternly asked her.

“Your way,” she signed.

“And if that conflicts with the way I would raise our child?”

She shook her head no. “It won’t,” her fingers moved. “I trust you as a father. Please ... let me carry your baby ... continue the Stone family in me ... have better future here than back in T’rintar worlds.”

“Hmph...,” Stone grunted. “I wonder if you would still be saying that once we are done with our new guest...”

“He is guilty.”

“He is, but let’s see if you Itreans are made of the same stuff I always hear about you. Because when I’m done with Bautista and every piece of shit that comes my way, that knife will have to be resharpened once or twice...”

It was all that he was going to say as Ioren watched him climb back into bed. She understood well that Stone was a mountain that was difficult to change. However, it wasn’t a fruitless endeavor either. For her, it was his way of saying, “I’ll think about it...” And it was all that she needed to hear. She surmised that Stone needed to resolve these current events before anything else was to be considered.

For now, the two laid back down on the bed. As the two rolled the bedsheets over them, Ioren’s tail and clawed hand went to Stone’s. They grasped onto one another as they slowly fell back asleep...

“I finished the analysis of the ring used in an attempt to kill me,” English calmly explained. He handed a tablet to the captain to look at.

It had been the following morning since the departure from Valradena. Medical had been mostly quiet, with only English, Stone, Shira, and Ioren to talk to one another. Shira was back to her original officer’s uniform. Her hair had been restored to the color of purple and was neatly tied back up. Stone was also back into his marine working uniform, with his gun and knife neatly holstered to his belt. Ioren was back to wearing her red and green uniform, the only difference being that she was carrying her submachine pistol. Empusa, the dog, was lying down on the floor at her favorite spot by the office entrance. The canine almost seemed bored.

“This would easily kill any human being,” Shira calmly remarked as she looked at the analysis.

“It would,” English replied. “I can also fully confirm the feathers from Bautista’s apartment came from the Itrean children we rescued, including others that weren’t inside that container.”

Ioren closed her eyes as she heard that statement. This operation had been going on far longer than anyone could guess.

“If you need any further statements from me,” English said. “You know where to find me.”

“Transfer the data to my tablet,” Shira said. “That will be all. Stone, Ioren, come with me to the detention room. It’s time we gather the information we’ll need.”

“It will be transferred to yours and the Master Sergeant’s.”

Stone gave a stern nod.

“Captain,” English requested. “May I ask for a minute with Ioren before she joins you?”

“Very well,” Shira said. “Stone...”

They were about to head out when Stone halted. He turned his head toward the doctor.

“Thank you for pushing me away at the last moment,” Stone told him.

Shira stopped as the door opened. She glanced back as English looked at the master sergeant. There was a little bit of confusion until English caught on that he was talking about what happened at Valradena.

“Familiae debitum redditum,” English said in an unfamiliar language. A hint of a smile appeared on his face. “You’re welcome.”

Shira noted the words but didn’t recognize what was said. It was also clear that Stone didn’t understand the first sentence but understood the last part. Both Shira and Stone left the room, but Ioren remained behind. The door closed as English looked at the lone Itrean. She pulled out her tilon as she began to type.

“You wished to see me?” English asked. “Have you considered my offer?”

“Why do you both glow?” Ioren’s tilon stated.

“Glow?”

“Arf!” Empusa barked.

“You glow. It changes. Sometimes it’s bright, and other times it doesn’t.”

The dog barked again as English briefly looked at her. The doctor remained collected.

“Hmmm...,” English remarked. “Perhaps your eyes are merely playing tricks with you. Do the other Itreans see me glow in the dark?”

Ioren was deliberate with this question. She didn’t feel comfortable asking it in front of the other crew members. It felt safer to bring it up since it was just her, the doctor, and the dog. However, the glow seemed more focused on Empusa rather than English. The faint aura was there, almost as if they were lighthouses. It almost reminded her of another similar event, one that happened back at Oshun.

“From my observations, no.” Ioren typed. “Galanthis glowed too. I also remember another human that glowed. She worked in adoption for New Olympia. I can’t remember the name. It started with a K...”

English put his gloved hand to his chin. “How interesting,” he said. “I did not expect an Itrean to have such an ability. Let’s just say that what you have is a gift. However, I’m forbidden to make any further comment on it.”

Ioren picked up a few of his inflections that weren’t concealed by the dark glasses. The man was caught off guard even if he was trying to keep himself composed. His final statement made him glow intensely for a moment. It was the one time the Itrean could pick up that English was doing his best to answer her question. However, whether he was lying to conceal the truth or was truly restrained from telling her the truth was anyone’s guess. Time was of the essence as English began the data transfer to Shira and Stone’s tablet devices. She had no choice but to drop it.

“Why help me?” she typed.

“Because I’m a Doctor,” English answered.

“That isn’t what I mean. So few humans know Itrean physiology. Why?”

English’s lip furled a little bit as he paused again. “You are the mate to Master Sergeant Stone, correct?”

“Yes.”

“Familiae debitum redditum,” he repeated the same sentence again. “I’m sure Shira and Stone will need you soon. Do you have your answer, or do you wish to come back and think about it?”

Again, the same sentence as before. What did it mean? Ioren typed out her answer.

“I want to have his children,” her tilon translated.

“Then I will schedule the operation at our earliest convenience.” English tipped his hat lightly. “Good day to you, Ioren.”

“Stone,” Shira asked him. “Have you familiarized yourself with Bautista’s reports?”

“With the exception of the most recent reports,” Stone said. “I stand ready.”

Both the master sergeant and the captain stood by the door not far from the detention room. Both Enlai and Gavrill were on armed watch guarding the entrance. They seemed somewhat apprehensive at the sight of the master sergeant and the captain speaking to one another. Their eyes remained glued forward at attention.

“I would suggest checking over quickly with what English has provided to us,” Shira said. “However, there is a lingering question that I must ask before we begin our interrogation with our prisoner.”

“Yes?...,” Stone gave a stern look at the captain.

“With the information we have acquired till now, how would you punish this criminal?”

Stone’s gaze was deeply attuned to Shira’s single yellow shark-like eye. “You already know the answer to that.”

“Indeed,” Shira said. “However, for my personal and legal record, I need you to state what would be obvious to me, even if you consider it trivial.”

The master sergeant leaned his head forward almost as if he were drawing all life from the scene. “There is only one place a person like Bautista goes. If you give me the order to execute him, it will be done slowly and painfully. I will ensure that he begs for death as I continue my work on him. No mercy. No quick death. It will be as it should be...”

There was more that Stone was going to say as Shira remained as emotionless as ever. Her brow lifted a little bit before she gave a light nod.

“Very well,” Shira continued. “Have you notified Zalika of the appointed time of our interrogation?”

“Yes,” the master sergeant replied with a hint of annoyance. “She’ll be here soon.”

“Then I only have one request, and it will be what I’ve already said before. Ensure that you do not kill this man or injure him beyond the point that he can’t provide us with the information that he holds. He is the key to revealing more on the whereabouts of the other pirates.”

“Hmph...”

Stone pulled out his tablet and began to quickly review it in the final preparation for Bautista’s questioning. Right on queue, a marine woman with a dark complexion and short dark hair came walking from the passageway. She was approaching everyone in the nearby room.

Zalika was no stranger to the ship. The Oshunian woman was more experienced than the newer Martian marines but less so than Stone and the other older marines. She was dressed in her marine shirt, working pants, and boots. It didn’t take long for Shira to step forward past Stone, and she looked down at the marina.

“Ma’am,” Zalika said as she came to a stop to salute the captain. “I’ve reported as ordered.”

“Sergeant,” Shira did a light salute to her. “At ease. Where is your mate?”

“Bekra is delayed, Captain. She’s busy with Nir’vina in making sure the warheads are being built correctly.”

“As she should,” Shira said as her eye looked at the nearby door. “Your presence will be required sometime soon. I’m afraid that your history is going to be exposed quite soon due to recent events.”

There was a strong hint of apprehension in her voice. “Oh ... ummm...,” Zalika’s voice suddenly got nervous as she chuckled a little bit. “Ehmm...” She could see Stone was not far. “I guess that this is going to be some hearing for me, right?”

“You are not in trouble, Corporal. I can assure you of that.”

Zalika breathed a sigh of relief. “Damn, Captain. Trying to give me a heart attack?”

“If it were my goal to put you into cardiac arrest, you would likely know well in advance. However, I will not pretend that in the following events to come, they will be entirely comfortable for you. It is best that you know that now before the Master Sergeant and I will begin. I ask you that what you see and hear soon, you will behave as you normally would. Is that clear?”

“Yes ... Ma’am,” Zalika said with some confusion on her face.

The Oshunian woman was clueless as to what was going to happen. Why was her presence needed? In her mind, was this dealing with something else? She quickly masked the guilty look on her face before the captain caught onto anything else.

It didn’t take long before Ioren came walking down the passageway. There was a look of satisfaction on the Itrean woman’s face, but she quickly dropped it when she approached Shira and Stone.

“Ah...,” Shira remarked as she turned around and saw Ioren. “Sergeant Zalika, please remain on standby outside this room until we call you in.”

“Aye, Ma’am,” Zalika said. “I’ll just keep the guards’ company then.” She walked over to the opposite side of the bulkhead and rested her back on it.

“Master Sergeant,” the Shal’rein captain gestured to the door. “At your discretion.”

Stone shut down his tablet and put it into his pocket. There would be no further delay. Everyone had briefed and prepared themselves for this upcoming event. He approached Enlai and addressed him.

“Unlock the door,” Stone firmly ordered.

“Aye, Master Sergeant,” Enlai responded. He shifted his rifle to one hand, turned around, and interfaced with the panel. He began to tap a few key buttons. Then, he applied the palm of his hand to give a final print scan. A green light emitted from the panel as the door opened.

The three remained on alert in case Bautista was somehow desperate enough to launch an attack on the incoming team of three. However, he remained sitting behind the only table in the room. The detention room was little more than a single prison. It was seemingly unused for all this time until rather recently. It was straightforward in design, having a single toilet and sink on one side with a metal table and chair on the other. Besides the blue and white lights, there was nothing else remarkable about it.

Still in his handcuffs, Bautista gave a frowned look as Stone was the first to stand gazing down at the sitting prisoner. Ioren stood as a guard for both Shira and Stone. The captain walked over to the nearby bulkhead. Shira rested her back and tail on the wall when the door closed behind the three. She began to pull out her metal tin in preparation to grab a cigarette.

It was Stone’s turn to take the reigns of what was about to happen.

“I still haven’t spoken to my lawyer yet,” Bautista said with some courage in his voice.

“You want a lawyer?” Stone asked, almost mocking him. “After what you were caught doing?”

“Doing what? Caught working as some clerk for a bunch of gangsters? Any person who works at that station would have been damn lucky to have the job that I had.”

“You seem awfully composed, Bautista,” Shira calmly remarked as she lit a cigarette with a laser lighter. “That’s not how we found you.”

“What was I supposed to react? I ... wait...,” Bautista’s eyes narrowed. “You’re the Shal’rein that apprehended me. Your hair is different, but it’s you ... in a UHN uniform...”

There was a light smack as Stone came up and used the palm of his hand to strike the prisoner’s face. It wasn’t designed to inflict any substantial pain, but the sound still echoed in the room. Bautista’s attention was directed at the towering man.

“You ... you hit me!” Bautista angrily replied. “How dare you ... I’ve been here confined for almost a day. I’m still fucking handcuffed. Do you know how difficult it is to eat like this?”

“You’re lucky to even be eating at all,” Stone replied. “You have no excuses for what you’ve done.”

The prisoner gave a hint of nervous laughter. “For what? What is this? Who are you? Is this supposed to be some sort of grilling session?”

Ioren glanced over to see that Shira. She was busy taking a drag from her newly lit cigarette. The brand of these was longer than the typical cigarettes, almost as if she anticipated being in this room for a while. The master sergeant leaned forward, pressing his hands to the table.

“Bautista,” Stone explained as he pointed. “This is Centurion Ioren, chief of security of the Lifen, who is here to process your incarceration.” He pointed at Shira. “This is Captain Shira, CO of the UHN Lifen.”

“Captain?” Bautista reacted. His hands began to tense up. “How is that possible?”

Stone turned and gave a mean look at the man. “And I’m the one that’s going to make your life a living hell.”

With that, Stone grabbed the man’s hand. Bautista tried to resist, but Stone grabbed his left middle finger with his fingers. With a hard push forward, the master sergeant snapped the man’s finger.

SNAP! It was loud. The bone of the hand broke as Bautista began to kick and yelp at the sudden shock.

“AHHH!” Bautista screamed in pain.

Stone withdrew and wrapped his arms together, standing like a bulwark tower overlooking its subjects. He waited for the prisoner to recover from his pain. Bautista cradled his hand. He managed to grab his broken finger and reset it as he cringed in sheer pain.