Chapter 34

Rane

“The emergency tribunal of Rane el Elffa el Avanie will now continue. I shall begin by reading the summarization of findings for the investigation before announcing our ruling.”

Rane kept his eyes down, staring but not really seeing the ground before him. His stomach was twisted up in knots. His heart hurt. His nerves were stretched to their limit and were strained to the point of near shattering.

He couldn’t handle much more of this. The investigation and trial had proceeded quickly – the media attention alone demanding a quick resolution – but it had still been too long.

Too long since he’d been placed in detainment.

Too long since he’d heard any news of the outside world.

Too long since he’d seen his mate.

But his people had adopted the Coalition Standard of judicial process, and the first part of it involved isolating all the parties involved. Rane hadn’t seen them, but he knew that Sandy, his mother, Drevor, Sal, and the rest of the team, had all been confined and interrogated.

It was a relatively short process, but not an easy one. He supposed he could count himself lucky, as the Coalition used a technique of interrogation that didn’t involve direct questioning or long, drawn out investigations. It wasn’t comfortable, but it was absolutely reliable.

Essentially, Rane had just been forced to relive every terrible, horrible thing his mother had done to him. In their quest for the truth, they’d ripped and read the memories right from his head. It was a complex process he knew little about but required him to sleep, to dream, through his memories. It had been like watching it all on a holodisplay – slightly separate from him but still very much connected. Elsewhere, he knew, his mother and friends had all undergone the same process.

After they finished, the only thing left was for Rane to wait for the tribunal to convene, go over all the recorded data gathered from the process, and reach a decision.

All of that, Rane knew.

What he didn’t know was what would happen now that the tribunal knew the whole truth.

He’d never needed to undergo this process before. It was performed on criminals and, as bad as his misspent youth appeared, his mother had never actually made him do anything that would earn such treatment. It wasn’t even something he could have requested before, as it was too expensive and exhaustive for all crimes – only violent ones with clear victims.

Now having undergone the process, he understood why. And also, why only those accused of a crime had to do it. It was not meant for victims – unless they requested it – as it would force them to relive their worst moments.

That was why Sandy didn’t have to undergo this.

Though she had been isolated, it was for her own protection, not for the investigation. Until they knew who was telling the truth and what was going on, no one was allowed to see her. The domini, the primary sponsor species of humanity, had claimed temporary guardianship of her, and that wouldn’t change until the outcome of this tribunal was decided.

Something Rane could only wait for. He stood before the seven-person strong council – five females, and two males all with somber expressions on their faces – within a cube that was opaque on three sides. All but the front, which remained clear so he could see the council members. He knew that, to one of his sides, Sandy was standing. But so was his mother, his teammates, and Drevor. They couldn’t see each other, but they were all there.

Whoever was found innocent would be released from the box.

Whoever was not would remain inside and be remanded into custody.

Because the crime now before them was bad. Very bad. The kidnap and rape of a human was considered to be a high crime within the Coalition. Its punishment was similarly harsh.

And that was why Rane was so nervous.

They had seen, in his memories, all the things he had done – either because his mother staged it or he just did it himself since he was already being accused anyway, he might as well still get the joy of being high too. They saw the way he had been forced to taste Sandy’s blood, and the way he had ravished her afterwards.

They knew every sordid detail. And while he was absolutely sure that what his mother did was illegal, he actually didn’t know if what he did was considered illegal.

And even if it wasn’t, he didn’t know if he would be allowed to be with Sandy again.

There was so much riding on this moment, it was a wonder he could even breathe around his nerves.

The head of the tribunal – a fierce looking, older female with unforgivably sharp features, read in a short, clipped voice, from the console before her:

“A total of nine people were implicated in the investigation of the imprisonment of the human female, Alexandra ‘Sandy’ Tollman. The investigation was carried out according to Standard guidelines set up by the Coalition using the Hekvay neural reading technique. Ten readings were carried out, as the victim of the crime requested that the investigation include her as well. Therefore, using the data from all ten readings, the tribunal has created a complete and accurate timeline of events. We have thus come to the following decisions:

“Firstly: Elffa el Avanie el Mureen has been charged with lying and presenting false evidence to a tribunal. Intoxication assault. Assault. Imprisonment. Forging government documents. Bribery. Kidnapping. Extortion. Thievery. Parental alienation. Abuse of a youngling. As well as the high crimes of kidnapping, imprisonment, and sexual assault of a human female.

“For the high crimes, the Coalition has claimed right of punishment. And so, Elffa el Avanie el Mureen shall be remanded into the custody of the Coalition, where she will be sentenced and serve out her time of punishment and rehabilitation. She will have her guardianship status of all persons revoked. Her right to ever have guardianship over any person, regardless of their blood relation to her, has similarly been revoked.”

Rane let out a short breath of disbelief.

His mother had essentially just lost everything. Not just because she was being exiled from Levtiram and forced to serve her punishment and rehabilitation through Coalition authorities but revoking her guardianship of him meant that she no longer had access to his credz, his properties, his belongings, or anything that might belong rightly to him.

The look of disgust on the various faces of the tribunal was somehow vindicating. And satisfying. They, no doubt, hated her for the fact that she had taken advantage of the tribunal system so thoroughly more than anything else. Though this tribunal was not the one she had bribed into keeping Rane in her guardianship, the fact that any tribunal had been was a mark against them all, and their anger towards her was not lessened for not being directly related to them.

And now, finally, she was being held accountable for her actions. Part of Rane wished he could see his mother’s face. Revel in her defeat and know that she was finally getting what she deserved.

But another part of him was happy just knowing it happened at all. Part of him didn’t want to see his mother ever again, regardless of the reason. He didn’t know how long she would be gone from Levtiram – her punishment and subsequent mandatory rehabilitation would be determined later – he did know that she wasn’t his problem anymore. He would never be under her control again, and if he ever did see her again, she wouldn’t be able to do anything to him.

It was freeing.

Only until the head female continued speaking:

“Secondly: Drevor el Sunran el Truella has no charges laid against him. Though he is guilty of aiding and abetting Elffa in her various crimes, his participation was either ignorant or forced. Furthermore, he made efforts, despite the extortion of Elffa, to aid Rane and Sandy. Therefore, he is to be freed from detainment without punishment.”

Rane bit his lip as he listened to her continue with all his teammates – starting with Sal – and declaring something similar for each of them. Unlike Drevor, their complicit actions were only ever ignorant. His mother hadn’t blackmailed, extorted, or threatened any of them, but she didn’t have to. She had them doing what she wanted through good, old-fashioned manipulation. With that power, she got them to do whatever she wanted, and they were innocent of any crime.

It seemed to take forever to get through them all. But then-

“Finally: Rane el Elffa el Avanie.” The female lifted her head, looking right at him. “We had to debate for some time to decide what to do with you.”

His stomach dropped, but he kept his gaze steady. He would accept whatever fate they had in store for him. Sandy was safe now, that was all that mattered.

“The domini embassy had to get in contact with their colleagues around Earth. They have to amend their entire process for placing humans with their new alien mates. Not only that, but you’ve made us need to reconsider the process for adult guardianship, especially in regard to long term adult guardianship.”

Rane didn’t know if she was accusing him or just informing him, but he kept his gaze even. If his case meant that no others would have to be controlled the way he had been, then there was something good that came from this after all.

“Our main debate was whether or not to grant you legal adulthood,” she continued evenly. “Some of us argued that Elffa’s actions are not enough to excuse your own, and that you should, at least for a trial period, remain with another guardian until you prove that you are, indeed, mature without her. Others argued that you have already proven your maturity by the way you prioritized your mate through this ordeal and that you should be allowed your legal adulthood regardless of what choices you might make going forward. It was a spirited debate with good arguments on both sides.

“Therefore, before I announce our choice, we first wish to hear from you. Rane el Elffa el Avanie, you have the freedom to say whatever you wish right now. You can condemn your mother, you can plead your case, you can denounce the tribunal itself. We will listen to your words, whatever they may be. What is it that you want to say?”

She felt silent. The entire tribunal looked down on him, waiting patiently. Though the box was designed so that he would not usually be heard if he spoke, he knew that they could hear him now. He was given leave to declare whatever he wanted.

And, for a moment, he didn’t actually know what that could be.

What did he want to say? Beg for his freedom? Beg for forgiveness? Condemn the tribunals that allowed him to be trapped here in the first place? It all seemed relevant, but…

None of it was really important right now.

“Sandy,” he finally said, something tightening in his chest just to hear himself say her name again. The days they had been separated seemed to be entirely too long now. He knew she was nearby, but being unable to see her, to hear her, made that distance seem insurmountable.

The head female cocked her head, the barest hint of motion, as she gazed down at him without a change in expression.

“What of her?” She asked tonelessly.

“She should be granted legal adulthood,” he said firmly. “She was a legal adult on her planet already before she came here. She took adult guardianship of her grandmother when she became too ill to care for herself. She is intelligent and far more responsible than I am. Being mated to me should not mean she gets something taken from her, especially since it wasn’t a choice she made. I’ll accept another guardianship without complaint – be it temporary or permanent – but I ask for your leniency and understanding regarding hers.”

The head female sat back in her chair. The others leaned forward. Rane suddenly couldn’t hear what they were saying, but he could see that they were clearly speaking to each other. Deliberating again? He honestly didn’t care what happened to him at this point, so long as Sandy was okay.

Some time passed, and all Rane could do was shift his weight, waiting for their decision.

It came without fanfare or ceremony. The tribunal sat back in their chairs, and they all looked at him as, suddenly, he could hear the head female speaking again.

“The tribunal has come to a decision. As it pertains to the guardianship of Rane el Elffa el Avanie, we hereby do revoke the need for guardianship and bestow onto him the full responsibilities, rights, and privileges of adulthood for a telfay male. Furthermore, all funds and properties that have been confiscated from the criminal Elffa el Avanie el Mureen shall be distributed onto Rane el Elffa el Avanie as his rightful, earned, and/or inherited property.

“In regard to his mate, Alexandra ‘Sandy’ Tollman, in recognition of her legal adulthood attained on her planet, and the lack of consent in her mating, she will similarly be bestowed with the full responsibilities, rights, and privileges of adulthood for a telfay female without further delay.

“Rane el Elffa el Avanie and Alexandra ‘Sandy’ Tollman were both reluctant participants with their mating, but by their own requests, their mating shall be formally recognized as legal despite that.

“These are our judgments regarding this case. All parties not remanded into custody are dismissed and may continue about their day without further responsibilities towards the tribunal.”

The walls around Rane suddenly slid away, dropping down into the floor, at the same time as one rose in front of the tribunal members, hiding them from his view. He blinked, looking around the tribunal room.

The first thing he saw was one box that didn’t release its occupant. He leaned forward, not far, but just enough that he could see his mother’s hands pressed against the clear side. She had one fist flat on the panel, the other pounding against it angrily. He didn’t hear anything aside from the muffled thuds of her strikes.

But even that stopped when her entire box, with her inside, dropped down through the floor.

Then, just like that, she was gone. She would be sent to Holotulle, capital of the Coalition, and her punishment would be determined there. She might have been able to remain on Levtiram had her crimes only been against him. But the moment she brought Sandy here under false pretenses, she’d begun walking a path of high crimes, and now she might never return.

He could only stand there for a moment, staring at the spot in the floor she had vanished through, and feel strange. He wouldn’t call it bad. He certainly wouldn’t miss her, but there was still something bitter about seeing his mother carried away like that.

“Rane?”

That melancholy immediately faded at the sound of his mate’s voice. He turned to see her and his team and Drevor – all of them standing there, giving him different looks. But he didn’t really care about the others.

“Sandy!” He rushed for her at the same moment she ran to him, arms open.

She threw herself at him, laughing. He caught her happily, holding her tight as her legs locked around his waist, kissing all over his face. He clutched her close as he looked over her shoulder. His teammates were there, relief on their faces. Drevor appeared unimpressed, but he seemed unimpressed with most things, so that seemed right too.

“Hey, Rane,” Sal started, approaching him cautiously.

“Hey,” he returned, still holding onto Sandy. She showed no signs of letting go, and he was quite happy to never let go of her again

Sal hesitated, crest pressed tight to his scalp. “I’m… I’m glad that it worked.”

“What worked?”

“The plan.” Sal gave him a grimacing, half smile. “Lisra thought of it. When Sandy stopped sending her messages, she knew something had gone wrong, but we weren’t really sure what to do. If we even should do anything. We knew she said she was worried, but we also knew that nothing was really going to happen to her. We were so sure of it. That’s why we were asking you those questions at practice. We needed to make sure things weren’t right before we did something drastic.”

“Drastic…” Rane blinked. “Wait, are you all the reason that everything suddenly blew up in the media?”

Sal smirked as the others crossed their arms over their chests. That gleam in their eyes was familiar to him. It was the one he saw after the successful completion of a play. They had planned, implemented, and performed everything perfectly, and they were unabashedly proud.

“It was you,” Rane whispered. “You prompted that story. All those questions…”

“Wasn’t easy,” Arus chuckled, his hot pink crest up high. “No one wanted to write a good article about you. Took us forever to find someone willing to do it.”

“No, that was the easy part,” Louve countered, crossing his arms. “The actual hard part was getting everyone online to start asking questions. We had to do most of it ourselves. Making new accounts and paying a few people to make their own posts.”

“I didn’t like that part,” Torou frowned. “We had to talk badly about you a couple times. But it did work!”

“People began talking on their own,” Sal smirked. “And, as it turns out, there was actually plenty of support for you besides us. Everyone just kept saying that there’s no way your mate changed you so drastically and, just like that, everything was over.”

“Especially with all the footage going around,” Zell laughed. “The arcade and the gravity jump and all the fashion channels that talked about what you two would wear. It was all too much to say ended just like that. Especially without you spiraling again, Rane.”

“If we got off topic, we just used our many accounts to steer the conversation back,” Sal took over. “We had to bribe a couple news stations to press your mother in the beginning, but when she got defensive, they smelled the story on their own, and we couldn’t keep them back.”

“You… did all that?” Rane asked.

“It was a team effort,” Sal chuckled. “And Sandy had already laid the groundwork. It was clear by the way she talked in the videos that she already knew about your guardianship, so no one was buying that she just found out why. Made it easy to take over, actually. We weren’t sure if it would work, or if it was the right thing to do, but…” Sal reached over and clapped his shoulder – the one Sandy wasn’t currently resting her face on. “I only wish you could have come to us sooner. I wish we could have heard you before things got that bad.”

“I… I should have tried harder to tell you,” Rane admitted. “Back when things weren’t so bad. Back before all the animosity and distrust and uncertainty. Before I was too ashamed to speak. Before you believed all the things my mother said about me.”

Sal shook his head. “No. I know you, Rane. I knew you. I should have known something was wrong. Well, something besides what Elffa made us believe. I thought that’s what was wrong. I… She was just so convincing. When she told us that you were acting out, that she was scared for you, I believed her because I felt the same way. But I should have looked closer. I should have-”

“Alright,” Arus interjected, laughing. “Let’s just agree that we were all fools.”

“We also have a championship game in, like, two days,” Louve added dully.

“The game!” Rane cried out in dismay. “We haven’t practiced at all!”

“We can make up for that,” Sal assured him. “And if we don’t win the championship this year, I don’t think it really matters. We already won.”

Rane blinked, surprised. But then he looked down at his mate, still clinging to him so desperately. He was free. She was free. No victory had ever been as sweet.

“Yeah,” he agreed, stroking her back. “I think we did.”