Zileca gave her treasonous orders without pause, then leaned back in her chair, seemingly satisfied that she'd won their silent battle when Avaria's challenging posture subsided to shock.
“We will accompany you to see that you succeed.”
Her muscles were so numb with surprise that her head almost felt like it was levitating as she turned it to face the Growloc who spoke. She was at a loss for how to respond. The events of the last few days had violently uprooted her from the nonchalant attitude she typically maintained. For years she had been a picture of self-control, but now she felt as though she was being helplessly cast about an emotional spinning wheel and couldn't identify precisely where she'd landed.
She didn't know how long she'd remained silent, but evidently, it had extended beyond the parameters of Worg's patience.
“This is where you speak, Three-Ring.”
Avaria's lip curled slightly at the derogatory nickname, but it was more for show than genuine offense.
“That is the greatest form of treason any Chorlak could commit.” Her tone was slow and moderated as she settled on responding passively, although her face tightened with silent accusation.
“But you aren't a Chorlak,” Zileca countered, “This is your opportunity to correct that, to change the law under which Chorlea operates.” She edged forward again, intensifying her words, “Without High Overseer Tizomi in our way, we can restructure our society so that you and the others like you have a place in the new order that you help design.”
Avaria's lips tensed and relaxed in quick, barely perceptible movements as she mulled over these words, her fingers tapping a slow rhythm into her armrest. She supposed she should have expected exactly this sort of thing.
What Zileca had done was quite clever. She facilitated an environment where the Marred would be inclined to kill each other, abandoning the honor of living by the Chorlak code in favor of personal gain, and with that foundation laid, what she was now suggesting could be perceived as somewhat reasonable. Zileca was only asking that she do the same thing again- kill another Chorlak to better her own life, disregarding the unit mentality of the Chorlak one more time.
Avaria could almost be impressed with the woman's scheme if she wasn't so increasingly irritated to be ensnared in it. A quiet sound passed through her mouth that was half huff, half growl as she leaned against her backrest with much more force than necessary.
She lightly massaged the bridge of her nose, eyes pinched tightly shut as the throbbing in her skull became almost blinding. A deep breath helped her steel herself to ignore the pain, and the calmness she managed to coral herself into by the time she opened her eyes provided her with some semblance of control over the situation.
“If I were to do what you want me to,” the words were like bitter honey in her mouth, prompting a hint of a sneer to distort her upper lip, “what happens to me afterward?”
Zileca seemed pleased by her response, although her expression barely reflected it, her brows perked up just enough to be noticed.
“At that point, you will have proved yourself more loyal than any other. There would be nothing to stop you from assuming a position of leadership in the new order.” Her eyes cut to the Growloc for a moment before returning to her. “When our peoples stand together, we will need many able bodies to oversee the planets and galaxies we will soon possess.”
Avaria forced her face to form a slight, clearly non-genuine smile to appear more stable minded than she felt. She sat this way for long enough that Worg shifted uncomfortably in the silence, but she didn't mind the building intensity as the others waited for her to speak.
At that moment, she didn't know what words might form when she opened her mouth. Analyzing herself, she found that alarmingly, she wasn't terribly unsettled by the task. She could almost envision herself carrying it out. Almost.
After all, it was the High Overseer who personally sentenced each Marred to their banishment. It was also him, a small vengeful voice in the back of her mind offered, who condemned her parents to execution after they were arrested. She had a chance to uproot those unjust laws that had so thoroughly mutilated her life.
The large but shrinking portion of her mind that conformed so devoutly to Chorlak law insisted that she couldn't stoop to such self-destructive savagery again. Contrarily, her self-preservation quickly reminded her that she had already disjointed herself from honorable, law-abiding Chorlak the moment that Korbak died.
“When do I leave?” She was almost startled when her voice filled the room, somehow bursting with confidence despite having made the final decision only seconds before she spoke.
“There is a transport for us downstairs. We will begin our journey around the planet at dusk.” The Growloc sat a little taller, if that was even possible, satisfied that she would conform to her role in the plan.
She didn't know precisely how long it would take to travel around three-quarters of the planet, but she knew that was exactly what they would be doing. They couldn't cross the quarter of the planet where the toxic mist resided, even though it was shorter. She could only assume that someone in the room had considered whether or not she could be brought to the Council Tower in time for the meeting.
“In celebration, let us feast!” Zileca stood as she spoke, her movement quick but precise as the chair scraped backward in her wake.
Avaria also hurried to her feet, not wanting Zileca to be able to look down at her, and followed the woman to the elevator.
Despite the dark, almost guilt-ridden mood attempting to sweep across her mind, an amused smirk brightened her face as she stood in the back of the elevator, watching the three Growloc stand in a disgruntled clump outside the doors. They considered one another for a moment, silently deliberating how they might fit their massive bodies into the Chorlak-height elevator, before finally the leader hunched his shoulders, rounded his neck, and waddled in awkwardly. She could have laughed at the sheer annoyance on his face had she not been so devoutly maintaining a composure she hoped was intimidating.
Alas, the doors dinged to a horribly cordial close, its inhabitants tucked uncomfortably within, before humming to life. She leaned back against the wall to put a few more inches between her nose and the pebbly skin inches from it. Her face faltered, doubt threatening to consume her. She couldn't stop thinking that she had just done something terribly wrong.
MESSAGE FROM THE AUTHOR <3
TREASON, anyone?? Nothin like a little treason to get the blood pumping.
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