Chapter 9.2

The woman glanced up from her slouched position to look at us. Chemical burns and blisters covered her exposed skin. I made a mental note to take her to the showers to clean off her skin before the soldiers were given their decision.

“Actually, Nick and Addison took her prisoner,” I said. “They just gave her to me.”

“Oh, I know,” Luna said. “I read the transcripts. I was just trying to make conversation. You are definitely the most interesting active military member we have turned.”

“Oh?” I asked.

"Yes, most of them are active foot soldiers or officer secretaries and most will never see this camp or know of its location,” she said. “And there are reasons for this, safety on our part mostly. However, you’re just a mechanic because of a horrible training accident. How common is it to have single mechanical failure on HAJ suits?”

“Not very,” I said. “Double is even rarer.”

“And triple?”

“Near impossible,” I said. “I really don’t like to talk about it.”

“I understand, an experience like that is very traumatic,” Luna said. “So, you live in the slums?”

“I do,” I said.

“What are conditions like in the capitol?” she asked.

“They’re fine,” I said. “Running water, clean streets, food, easy access to medical—”

Luna held up a hand. “Don’t lie to me. I might not be from this side of the front lines, but I know for a fact the conditions are not perfect, not where you live.  What are the conditions in the capitol and not center city?”

“I live in a tin shack with no heating or running water. I buy food that can barely be called food. I shower at a bath house that charges for use. I don’t have to pay for my place, so the meager kredit I get pays for food and clothes,” I said.

“So poor,” she said.

“And getting worse by the day,” I confirmed. “What did you mean by you aren’t from this side of the front lines?”

“What do you think I meant?” she asked.

“You’re part of the Alliance military,” I stated.

“Do I look military?” she asked. I took in the woman with the facial tattoo, the brilliant blue hair and the grungy clothes.

“Don’t let her fool you, she’s a two star general in the alliance armed forces,” a man said walking up to us. “Promoted to be an ambassador between the resistance and the alliance military after a few incidents with field officers on the alliance side refusing to listen to her. Luna, you are expected back in a timely manner, Nathan sent me to remind you of that.”

“Of course he did, tell him I’m a big girl and can take care of myself,” Luna said.

The man dipped his head and turned around, walking away.

“Two star general?” I asked.

“They didn’t want me having too much authority, just enough that anyone who came to meet me at the border couldn’t over rule me,” she muttered. “Luna’s not even my real name. It’s a nickname these jokers came up with.”

“Nickname?” I asked.

“Short for lunatic,” she said. “My name’s actually Grenadine.”

I felt my jaw go slack. “Grenadine? You don’t look like a Grenadine,” I said.

“That’s kind of the point of this whole get up,” she said. “I’m not supposed to look military, so I dyed my hair and got a tattoo. I’m not supposed to be Grenadine, she died in a border skirmish up north. So, I let them call me Luna. I’m not supposed to be a lot of things.”

I bit my lip and smiled weakly. “I’m not supposed to be gay or Tzi,” I said. “I think it’s safe to say, everyone has something they’re not supposed to be. Some just have more than others.”

Luna smiled. “I never thought of it that way,” she said. “Thank you.” She looked over and my shoulder and frowned.

I turned back to see my father striding towards us. “Luna, we must make our decision soon, we have to give the prisoners and ferals their choice soon,” he said.

Luna sighed and extended her hand to me. “I’ll do my best to keep you here,” she said. “Thank you for that new perspective. I trust you can find your way back?”

Without waiting for my answer, she turned and went with my father. I turned and continued walking, taking in the children running around the camp with happy squeals in delight. Some men and women sat in front of their tents with smiles on their faces, but more looked scared. A group of boys ran past me, smiling and waving the whole time. I offered a smile and wave back.

I started to turn in the direction of where I thought Nick’s tent was and stopped. One of the pregnant women from the train sat in front of the tent sunning her face and holding her swelled stomach. That’s the wrong tent. Where am I? I spun around in place looking for something, anything familiar. Not that there was anything familiar in the camp to begin with, but where am I?

***

Two hours later, after a fair deal of wandering, I found myself standing in front of Nick’s tent. I pushed through the tent flap and flopped down onto my bed, burying my face in the pillow.

“Where have you been?” Nick asked. “The conversation shouldn’t have taken that long.”

“Shut up,” I said without moving from where I was. “I got lost.”

I rolled onto my side and hugged the pillow closer to myself. I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to ignore the sounds of whatever Nick was doing. I began to drift in and out of sleep and then I felt a hand on my shoulder.

“Tawny, they’ve made their decision,” Nick said. “You’ll want to hear it.”

I rolled out of bed and stood. “You’re going to have to take me back to the tent; I’m not sure how to get to it.”

Nick motioned to the door out of the tent and we started walking. I made sure to take note of how to find the leadership tent from Nick’s. He motioned to the door and walked away.

“Wait, you aren’t coming in with me?” I called back.

“Everyone faces the leadership alone,” he said. “You’re no different than the rest of us.”

I walked into the tent with a deep breath. Luna smiled at me and nodded. I smiled weakly as the men turned their attention back on me. Cole licked his lips.

“Well, Jade, it’s definitely been an interesting conversation about you,” he said. “Luna here has vouched for you, kind of makes me wonder what you girls talked about out there. Your father assures me that you are still Tzi to the bone, though Jason and I question it since he hasn’t seen you in over a decade. Kai spoke of your prowess with a computer and Victoria told us there was no questioning you’d be loyal to the Ferals and not the government, however, she didn’t say why.”

“Are you asking me to tell you, sir?” I asked cautiously.

“I would like to know, yes,” Cole said.

"Is my father being Tzi not enough?” I asked. “My parents getting hauled away in the middle of the night by the military?”

"You would not have confined that information in anyone, lest they draw the conclusions,” Cole said.

“I’m gay,” I said.

“Alright,” Cole said. “We have decided that we will allow you to leave camp on the basis that you are now to stay with Kai’s cell. You will move in with them and continue your normal work schedule, you will do what we say without question or you will be brought here immediately and will no longer be allowed to leave, do you understand?”

I nodded.

"Good, dismissed,” Cole said. “Oh, and you’re included in today’s decision, everyone is. Two hours, Nick will know where to bring you.”