“Put this on,” Jyn commanded as he handed Adrian a combat suit. It would fit poorly but would be enough to fully cover Adrian’s skin while he was escorted to where the interview would take place.

  Adrian eyed the suit with a grimace but still took it. “I thought the point was to expose me to the world. Why hide me further?” he asked.

  “High Command doesn’t want to take any chances with you being attacked or accosted,” Jyn replied simply. “Normally, I wouldn’t want you in military tech, but this will hopefully keep you safe long enough for us to eliminate whatever threat there might be.”

  “Your Tribunal really thinks so poorly of its own populace?” Adrian said. “I’m going directly onto a military base. In theory, I should be the safest there. I get that’s where the guns are, but still.”

  “About that,” Jyn said. “We’re only landing at the military base temporarily. Your actual reveal will be held at the same news station that Reya’s interviews were broadcast from. Elder Orryn will be there with you in person.”

  Adrian frowned. “Isn’t that a big security risk?” he asked. “Something could easily happen to either of us if we’re that exposed.”

  “The military is taking steps to secure the building and any possible points of entry,” Jyn explained. “The city is absolutely swarming with soldiers right now. Dressed in that combat suit, you’ll look like everyone and can stay anonymous while we prepare the studio.”

  “I still don’t get it,” Adrian said. It simply didn’t make sense to him to go through such theatrics. “You told me the entire Tribunal will be present. Is that still the case if it’s off base?”

  “The other Elders will be there virtually through holograms,” Jyn replied. “Only you and Elder Orryn will actually be present. High Command wants there to be a live audience in a well-known setting so that people will actually believe that you’re a new species. They actually want everybody attending to film and broadcast simultaneously as proof that they’re not making anything up.” Jyn got pinged by Tassie after he finished speaking. After a quick confirmation, he focused back on Adrian. “Suit up, we’ve arrived. We’ll bring you regular clothes to change into.”

  Adrian stripped and put on the suit with Jyn’s help. Having never done so before, Adrian wasn’t sure how to equip it properly. Even then, it still took several long minutes before he was ready to leave the ship. Much to his surprise, Jyn wasn’t impatient with his ineptitude in putting on the suit. It was a strange feeling to Adrian given Jyn’s antagonism towards him.

  Now that he looked the part of a proper soldier, albeit unarmed, Adrian was escorted by the rest of the team off the ship and onto the military base proper. Descending the ship’s ramp, he was met with a hangar. It very much resembled the one from when he’d first arrived. He didn’t pause his stride but took a moment all the same to appreciate its stark utilitarian atmosphere. He knew that everything he saw had a specific purpose in being there, even though he didn’t know what that purpose was.

  The brief trip towards the armoured vehicle that would bring him into town was the most Adrian had seen of what Reya’s military actually looked like and how it functioned on a daily basis. The no-nonsense attitude of everybody around him only amplified the very distinct feeling that he didn’t belong there. That he was an imposter parading around as one of them and nothing but a fraud. He knew he had no purpose being on base apart from being brought off base.

  The trip was very short and sadly cut Adrian’s sightseeing early, much to his disappointment. He couldn’t help but find it strange to be surrounded by so many people again and actually be part of a crowd rather than the subject of one. He entered the large convoy alongside the rest of the team and soon found himself being driven outside the military compound.

  He tried his best not to look, but the architecture of the city was an odd blend of familiar and alien. Smooth curves replaced the cold, angular style from where he hailed. It once again drove home that he truly wasn’t on Earth anymore. It was easy to forget sometimes when so isolated at the safe house.

  Now, he couldn’t pretend. Not when the stark differences were right in his face.

  There was hardly anybody in the streets that wasn’t a soldier. Adrian noticed people staring down from windows above at the spectacle on the ground. Thanks to his improved eyesight, he was easily able to read the apprehension and fear on most faces as their gaze wandered from one soldier to the next. Jyn instructed the team, including him, on how to act and where to go.

  Adrian hardly paid attention, easily able to file away what was being said even if his full attention wasn’t on the conversation. Unease spread inside him but before he knew it, the car was coming to a stop.

  As one, the group poured out of the vehicle and made towards the entrance of the building. Dressed as they were, they hardly stood out from the others around them. Jyn passed them through various checkpoints without issue and directed the team to one of the changing rooms.

  Thanks to their high clearance, the luggage Tassie was transporting in a small case went unchecked. Beor and Eimir remained on guard outside while everyone else locked themselves in the room.

  Adrian took off his helmet and breathed a sigh of relief. He noticed that neither Tassie nor Jyn followed suit. Rather than speak, Tassie went to the vanity unit with a large mirror and put down the case she was holding. Opening it revealed a plain set of black pants and a dark blue long-sleeved sweater, as well as a nice pair of black shoes and a set of purple ceremonial robes.

  “The broadcast is starting soon,” Jyn said. “I’ll help you out of your gear, Adrian. You can get changed and then we’ll be on standby until it’s time for you to be brought towards the recording room.”

  “How much time do we have?” Adrian asked nervously. Suddenly, he completely understood how Reya must have felt waiting backstage for her interviews. The thought of being publicly revealed terrified him. It was a long time coming and he felt he should be ready to finally be able to out in society at large. Yet Verilia wasn’t Earth. The thought of any possible backlash and outbursts over his existence left him terrified.

  All he wanted was to be accepted. But he was different and knew deep down he might never be.

  True to his word, Jyn helped Adrian get changed in record time, and he soon found himself waiting idly, alone with his thoughts. Adrian grew more apprehensive with each passing second. “Am I going to meet Elder Orryn before going live one air?” he asked.

  “No,” Jyn replied. “The only expectation of you is not to reveal too much that wasn’t covered before you make your appearance. It will be the entire Tribunal making a guest appearance, so you won’t be speaking that much, all things considered. Let them do the talking.” An alert sounded in his helmet, and he was informed it was time for Adrian to be brought directly backstage. “It’s time,” Jyn said.

  The walk backstage was the longest minute of Adrian life. Though he couldn’t see behind their masks, he knew each soldier he passed was openly gawking at him. Flanked by Tassie, Eimir, Jyn, and Beor, he found some solace in the fact that he had a protection detail for such a crucial moment.

  It turned out that backstage there was a holoscreen of the broadcast happening right on the other side. Adrian could see that Orryn was the first one seated at a long desk, easily able to seat the Tribunal. He didn’t remember the studio looking like that when Reya was being interviewed but supposed that it made sense for there to have been a slight change.

  The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

  Without any warning, the rest of the Tribunal winked into existence to both sides of Orryn, with only the seat directly to her right left empty. The crowd was quieted and waited with bated breaths for the announcement to begin.

  All at once, every channel and every radio station had their scheduled programming replaced by the broadcast and the Tribunal was on every holoscreen on the planet. The world went silent as they waited for the proclamation.

  “Citizens of the Sunalii faction,” Kaius began, “the Tribunal hereby has an announcement that will affect everyone at large. It is therefore for this reason that we interrupt your daily routines.” He paused. “There have been rumors circulating that the Tribunal has failed to announce first contact protocols. This is indeed correct.”

  Verilians shared a collective gasp that the Tribunal would so openly admit such a failure.

  “There are extenuating circumstances that forced us to keep quiet about it,” Kaius continued. “Some time ago, we shocked Verilia with the bestowal of the Silver Star to Corporal Reya Ayala. The mission that gave her her accolades resulted in the capture of a secret gru’ul research facility. For the sacrifice endured in the name of our faction, the Tribunal deemed her Silver Star merited.

  “Our understanding of the universe has evolved leaps and bounds thanks to the research we’ve accomplished. Scientists from around the world have collaborated to grant us stunning technological advances. We have entered a golden age of space exploration thanks to a revolutionary breakthrough in spacefaring engines. That is only the beginning of what we’ve accomplished.

  “During our exploration of the facility, we discovered a single person held captive deep within its confines. A gru’ul test subject. This man looked like us in all but skin colour and claimed he hailed from a world where everybody shared similar skin tones. Unable to believe that nature could permit another species to evolve so similarly to us a’vaare, we placed immense efforts in determining whether his claims were true.

  “After much research as well as limited contact with his home world, we hereby declare the discovery of humanity, a nascent spacefaring civilization. We do not, however, know the location of their home world, which made verifying the claims a long, arduous process. We hereby name Adrian Blackwood as Ambassador of his species, as is customary under first contact protocols.

  “Many of you have no doubt seen the video of a horrific experiment undergone by him at the hands of the gru’ul. That experiment was real, ghastly though that may be. The Sunalii played no part in the creation of the chemical compound used during the experiment, but once discovered, we moved half of our fleet to secure it.

  “Hear this decree, citizens of the Sunalii,” Kaius’ voice boomed, his full might as Arbiter brought to bear. “The Tribunal hereby declares such a chemical to be the highest crime against the living possible. We denounce the creation of such evil and hereby declare total war against the gru’ul for its inception. The War Tribunal has risen to power. We will not let such a thing be weaponized. We must keep safe from its harm.

  “The gru’ul have long since denied us their technology. Our capture of their facility is but the first step that will level the playing field between our species. Select technologies will be made publicly available so that our faction may innovate them in the face of the war that is to come. Every person here on Verilia is hereby required to participate in the war. Any enterprise that successfully aides the war effort will be handsomely rewarded. More so, should they collaborate with the military.

  “Let there be no room for doubt,” Kaius’ voice boomed imperiously. “The vile act of creating the highest crime against the living shall not go unpunished. We must prevent such a thing from being weaponized and used against us. Against your parents and friends. Against your partners. Against children. Such evil is intolerable. The gru’ul have done the two most reprehensible acts possible: creating the compound and daring to even use it on another person. They must atone for their sins and their redemption shall be death.

  “We have learned their secrets. We have learned what they long wanted to keep hidden from us in their sick, twisted games they play. Where lives are the ante and horrific death the reward. They will surely not allow us to continue to live now that we know. War is inevitable. If we lose, everything will be destroyed.” Kaius’ voice dropped as declared, “Victory at all costs. No matter the cost. Lest we be obliterated.”

  The silence around Verilia was deafening and unease rippled through society.

  “In light of our acceptance of Adrian Blackwood’s claims,” Orryn spoke up, filling the void left behind by Kaius’ speech, “we will now introduce him to the world, as required by first contact protocols.” She gestured towards the empty seat next to her. “He will be here in person in the coming moments, ready to introduce humanity to the a’vaare.”

  Adrian broke out into a cold sweat as a production assistant approached and requested his presence in front of the cameras. The team moved around him protectively as she approached, but all she did was lead him just out of view beside the stage.

  Orryn glanced to her left and spotted Adrian waiting in the wings. The assistant gave her the affirmative that he was ready to be in front of the camera without consulting him. “Without further ado, I present to you Ambassador Adrian Blackwood,” she said. “You have seen but a part of his sufferance. He has survived unspeakable horrors and will now tell us his tale. Citizens of the Sunalii, here is the human.”

  Adrian was unceremoniously shoved onstage from behind but managed to catch himself to avoid tripping as he stumbled into Verilia’s view for the first time. Just a glance at the live audience assembled for his reveal made his heart leap into his throat. He forced leaden legs forward and mechanically sat down in the chair beside Elder Orryn.

  When he’d been told he’d have to wear normal clothes, Adrian hadn’t expected to wear a set of deep purple ceremonial robes. Gasps emerged from the audience as they beheld him. He looked every part an a’vaare save for his coloration. It was baffling. It was strange.

  It was wrong.

  Adrian remained frozen until a slight nudge from Orryn snapped him back to the present. “Humanity sends its regards to the a’vaare of the Sunalii,” he forced out diplomatically, keenly aware he was representing his entire race. He studied the audience as he searched for his words. “It’s remarkable, how much we resemble each other. When your Tribunal saved me from the gru’ul, I thought I’d woken up from cryostasis far in the future, where humans had evolved to look like you. I soon realized that I had not traveled to a distant time but instead to a distant place.

  “Your society is a wonder compared to mine. To a nascent space-faring civilization like mine, your technologies are merely fiction back on Earth, my home world. It is regrettable that under current circumstances, there is no way to locate my civilization. I was forcefully abducted by the gru’ul and brought somewhere with no reference coordinates to Earth.

  “Had your Tribunal not arrived when they did, I would likely never have made it to Verilia alive. For freeing me from that hell, I thank the Sunalii from the bottom of my heart.

  “Because humans and a’vaare are so similar, your Elders had great difficulty believing my claims, unable to determine whether I look the way I do as nature intended or by the design of the experiments the gru’ul performed on me.

  “I have survived, but at great personal cost,” Adrian said, his voice heavy and tormented. “It has come to my attention that there is a video of one the experiments performed on me circulating over your networks. I humbly ask that you refrain from viewing it out of respect for me. I do not wish to be seen in such pain. For those of you who choose to ignore my wishes, I apologize in advance for what you will witness.” He couldn’t help but tear up over his memories of being subjected to the purple chemical. “Whatever you think you understand,” his voice cracked and broke as he choked up, “simply know that it was incomparably worse than what your imagination leads you to believe. No word in any language will ever be enough to accurately describe the experience.”

  Adrian reigned in his emotions and continued. “Your Tribunal has declared war against the beings who have hurt me so. I can’t help but wish them all cruel, painful deaths in light of what they’ve done to me. I may not be your guiding purpose in your war where the survival of your species is at stake, but please.” A deep-seated fury rose from within him at the injustice of how he’d been treated in the name of science. “Make them pay.”

  The world bore witness to the broken man wishing for retribution against those who had wronged him. His expression was such that all who had seen his video silently agreed.

  Such horror would never happen again.

  Back at the safe house, Reya was a crying mess. Seeing her love in such pain while she couldn’t do anything to console him tore her heart to pieces. She wanted nothing more than to comfort him in his time of need but wasn’t able to.

  Rann and Kell also watched the broadcast alongside her, not wanting to miss the historic moment. Kell was still pale, the after effects of the video still fresh in his mind. Sleeping problems, Reya and Adrian had claimed. To help with their nightmares. While he imagined they’d had a hard time of it, he could hardly believe the depth of what they were trying to repress.

  He felt like a failure of a doctor for not having been able to help his patients properly when they’d come to him for help. Stop-gap measures like weak sleeping pills were never going to be enough. They’d been in such pain all this time, and he’d been blind to it. That either of them were remotely functional was inconceivable to him.

  He glanced over to Reya, where Rann was trying to calm her and then back at the holoscreen to Adrian and vowed to be better. He had research to do but knew it would have to wait until after the announcement.

  He would solve the mystery, one step at a time.