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"I'm dedicated, loyal to our homeworld," I reminded her sternly. "It's all I ever want to do—restore Alesis (our home planet) and regain control of our dynasty once again. If I don't fight the Belic in their shipping lanes, thenhowdo youeverexpect me to be able to do that?"
Amada slowly approached me. Her eyes didn't waver from mine. She stared me down with an intensity that made my heart pound.
"Yes, but please don't forget you are currently carrying ten-thousand souls on board our generation ships. These ships are our lifeline, ouronlyway of sustaininganysort of welfare whatsoever. If something happens to these ships, then we are doomed."
This was where I tried to appease her and get her steered back in my direction. "Yesbut,we have thebestchief engineer out there—"
Amada rolled her eyes. "Don't patronize me, Cyburn. You won't get yourself in my good graces this way."
"We all need each other," I reminded her with a sobering expression.
Amada released a long, drawn out sigh. She was about average height, but she was super slim. She tried to hide her whisp of a body underneath loose style pants, but on the contrary, she preferred to wear sleeveless tops. She wanted to be taken seriously, but we all did to a certain extent.
Her dangly earrings sparkled in the light and her heavy necklaces looked like they burdened her. Every time she moved, her extensive set of bracelets made a clickity sound as they rubbed against each other.
Her hair was worn on the longer side and in braids that she loved to toss about, especially when she was involved in a heated argument. Amada wasn't shy for drama. Most of the time, I was her indifferent target involved in those heated arguments, by the way.
"Why do you want to save them anyway?" she asked, throwing her arms up in the air while giving me a judgmental and exasperated stare.
"You mean the captives on board the Belic ship?" I asked. I couldn't believe she would ask me something like that.
"Yes." She nodded firmly. "Is itreallygoing to be worth it in the end to risk ourownlives to free a bunch of humans who are just bound for a brain-stripping factory anyway?"
"You should hear yourself," I said and gave her a look of disgust.
"I didn't mean itthatway." Amada rolled her eyes.
"Then whatdoyou mean?"
Amada shrugged, her eyes scanning the bridge as she contemplated. "Even if youarelucky enough to free some survivors, what can they possibly have to offer tousanyway?"
"You're being unnecessarily cruel," I told her— but trust me, I had some other choice words that I'dratherhave said to her instead.
"I'm just being realistic," Amada protested.
"Well, be that as it may, everyone is entitled to their opinion. But I'm still your leader, even if youarethe chief engineer. Youstillhave to comply with my direction in the end."
"Lucky me," Amada mocked with another begrudged eye roll and a snarky smile.
"You can't really expect me to stand idly by and let these human prisoners be 'processed,'" I countered.
"Why not? What does it have to do with us?" Amada stared at me and shrugged again.
"Because we have the ability to feel compassion and emotions forothers," I reminded her. "Or did you forget your place here on this ship? Not tomention,but the more organic matter those creatures use, the stronger and more calculated they'll become. We can't let them gain the upper hand. They want to be the supreme species, but they are cheating to do it."
Amada's face drained pale. Her mouth opened with surprise as if she hadn't expected me to combat her like this. She didn't answer me at first.
"I'm going to have my battle crew attack the Belic ship closest to us," I told her with a steadfastness that let her know there was no room now left for debate on the matter. "We are going to breach it from the hangar hatch and raid it from within. From there, we will free the prisoners and bring them onto our ships."
"Areyougoing on the ship, too?" Amada asked. "What's all this'we'business?"
I knew exactly what she was getting at. She didn't care about my crew or any of the human captives on the enemy ship. She only cared aboutmeand what would happen tomein the end.
I released a heavy sigh. "You already know I have to go with them, Amada."
Amada pursed her lips tightly and her jaw twitched, but she didn't protest. However, I knew she wanted to, deep down.
"You better be careful or I'm going to kick your ass," she finally said.
