“Loona’s working on it, there is really nothing else we can do but wait.” Niall sat at his desk with his eyes downcast at his portable data pad.

“I just feel so…I mean there has to be more we can…it just seems like we are doing nothing.” Naskia’s mood was sour and ripe with remorse, in just under 10 hours…that was hardly the space of time between meals; it wasn’t even time for a nap. Just the blinking of an eye and it would all be over.

Niall looked up from his pad to Naskia, he tried to smile for her but truthfully Niall too couldn’t find much cause. “There isn’t much we can do Nas.”

“We should make a statement, get people fired up! Hearing you talk about it will get people excited!” Naskia began to pace back and forth, the wheels in turning as she began to formulate her plan.

“Nas….” Niall tried to cut her off but she was lost to her own devices.

“There are already student led demonstrations to protest the euthanasia, we could organize the students together! One loud voice is better than a dozen quiet ones right? Niall if you were to speak up at one of the demonstrations….” Naskia had a defiant and fired up look on her face but dropped slightly as she looked to the calm and reserved expression on Niall’s face.

“No, I’m not going to be doing that. I can’t Naskia.” Niall looked back down at his pad. He had finished reading the latest on the Rutger massacre and with a pained but controlled expression he closed down the article.

“Wait? What? Why not?!” Naskia argued, growing more confrontational.

“Because I can’t.” Niall sighed deeply, it wasn’t that he didn’t want to, or that he didn’t have an opinion on the matter. “My reaction could prove more harmful than anything else, both to ourselves and to Sergeant Avery.” Niall looked back to Naskia, who was not at all impressed. “Keeran Lefan was a student here; she has family and friends here. The wounds go far too deep Nas, as faculty my reaction has to be….”

Naskia paced back and forth and spoke with animated gestures. “You want a reaction, here’s one! I wish they could have killed her twice!”

Niall stood, composed and calm in contrast to Naskia, his voice was low and rather calm. “Nas, I don’t plan to make a statement unless absolutely necessary.” Niall cleared his throat, peeking down to the human built data pad in his hands.

“Why not? The student body has your back! What do we have to be afraid of!?” Naskia grumbled. She didn’t often take her battles this far, but Niall’s calm and composure in light of what was happening positively fired her up.

“YOU don’t have anything to worry about petal; I on the other hand have to play my cards very strategically. Look, if I flap my jaws too much I open myself up to whatever nut job loony copycat wants to take Keeran’s place, if I’m too quiet than I look like I don’t support my own kind.” Niall began to pace now, responding to a text from Kymie Abaforad as he spoke, still calm. “Now if I let you fight this for me, we reinforce the rumor that this whole professor deal is your puppet act.” Niall sighed. “Petal, I love you…but you have to let me do this my way.”

“Niall! You have to say something, I can’t believe you are going to let them bully you like this?” Naskia grabbed hold of the desk where Niall stood with both hands and leaned forward as she spoke. She wasn’t trying to intimidate him, nor did Niall seem to take it as such. It was simply one of Naskia’s small quirks.

“Nas, as an employee of the university it would be inappropriate for me to express a personal opinion, unless I am authorized by my employer to do so. I will not risk my employment by making loose handed comments.” Niall sighed and tried to send the disheveled Naskia a hopeful smile. “You know how I feel about this Nas, but you also know there are people at Tannhauser just itching for an excuse to sack me.”

Naskia opened her mouth to comment but quickly found she had nothing clever to say. Like a deflated balloon Naskia’s wind was knocked out and she sunk to the floor, leaning against the desk in a childish but benign act of agitation.

“Nas…” Niall laughed, all he could see was the back of her head as she pouted.

Niall gave his head a shake and climbed aboard, taking hold of her dark brown hair and hung himself upside down before her left eye. “Nnnaaasskkkiaaaa….” Niall teased.

“I hate it when you’re so gorram smart!” Naskia huffed.

“Petal, I’m always so gorram smart! That’s why you love me.” Niall boasted.

Naskia puffed cheeks and blew a sour raspberry. “Don’t remind me!”

“Um, Dr. Freeman?” An amused but mildly timid voice spoke up which caused Naskia to tilt her head upward.

“Oh, hi Kymie!” Naskia beamed as Niall dangled precariously by Naskia’s bangs.

“Hey! Keep your head still you!” Niall barked as he scrambled to grasp more hair in his fists.

Naskia pushed herself up off the ground and greeted Kymie with a wrist shake and a pleasant smile, seemingly paying no heed to the torment of her lover.

“Um, it’s…um…I’m here for Dr.Freeman?” Kymie kept her eye on Niall with great concern as he dangled between Naskia’s eyes, currently attempting to right himself on her nose.

“Oh! Time for class already? Alright, feel free to take him, and don’t forget your appointment with the board of directors this afternoon!” Naskia watched Niall cross eyed as he struggled valiantly to catch onto her nose with his legs.

Kymie’s expression was mixed between anxiety, amusement and dread as she watched Niall’s struggle, far too nervous to grab him as Naskia instructed.

“Damn-it Nas don’t be a jerk!” Niall grumbled.

Naskia wiggled her nose like a rabbit and giggled, he was really in no harm and they both knew it, Kymie however didn’t seem aware.

“Go ahead, he’s all yours!” Naskia encouraged as she blew the dangling Niall a blow kiss.

Kymie furrowed her brow and set her hand for Niall to stand on. “Are you all set to go Dr. Freeman?” Kymie asked as she brought her hand level with her chest.

Niall took a few moments to compose himself, find his balance and to send Naskia a dagger like stare. “Yea, let’s go.”

***

“As you can now see, most of you did very well on the test. Most of you being the key word. Some of you did worse than nursery school aged children. From Earth.” Niall spoke with some annoyance, his voice echoing around the lecture hall carried on the speaker system. “I’ve spent enough time with each and every one of you to know that all of you are capable of getting top marks. Anyone that’s not is just not putting in the effort, and I will not have slackers in my class.”

Niall looked around the room intently, moving from face to face. He wanted every person looking at him right now to know he meant it. He couldn’t afford to give these kids one inch. They had to respect him, and he did that by being equal parts genius and ball buster.

“One thing most people seem to be having difficulty with is maintaining a stable plasma flow during broad scale distribution.” Niall nodded to Kymie who tapped a button on her pad bringing up a diagram of power grid and the associated read outs.

The class groaned.

“Yes, yes we all know that NOBODY likes to deliver the energy. People are all keen when it comes to filming the porn but someone’s got to run the website. We don’t all get the glamorous jobs.”

The class laughed.

“Now pay attention…”

“Dr. Freeman?” A familiar voice spoke up, interrupting Niall from his intended lecture.

Niall looked up to find the source of the interruption, his eyes fell on a fresh faced young man sitting in the front row. Ivun Trojer, with short raggy blond hair, grayish blue eyes and a thing gangly build. Ivun was something of a kiss-ass, but wasn’t the sort of titan Niall felt overtly comfortable around. Ivun Trojer was the sort who smiled on the outside while scowling on the inside, he played his cards well depending on who he was with at the time, and that made Niall uneasy.

“Can it wait?” Niall said with bother in his voice.

“I was just wondering if you intended to bring up the obvious, or if we were just going to keep on pretending physics is the most important matter to discuss?” Ivun’s voice spun like spider silk. He was calm and approachable, but spoke with words laced with ulterior motive.

“Trojer, if I had as remedial an understanding of the subject matter of this course as you seem to, I’d dedicate each and every brain cell to the matter at hand hmmm? I don’t think you can afford to get side tracked.” Niall spoke with a clever grin, much to the amusement of the lecture hall who responded with a unanimous roar of laughter.

As the laughter died down Ivun spoke up once more, his resolve looked solid and he even seemed mildly amused. Niall understood this to simple be a convincing poker face.

“Don’t you think the Rutger homicide is worth discussing? Keeran Lefan was a student at Tannhauser, she even took this course didn’t she?” Ivun crossed one hand over the other and sat straight backed against his chair.

All eyes seemed to watch Niall in anticipation for his response. A sea of giants all waiting on the edge of their seats to see how the infamous Dr. Niall Freeman would respond to what was perhaps the largest known massacre of humans in years.

Niall took a breath, there was the lecture he wished he could give and then there was the response he knew he had to give. He was much closer to the horrendous reality Darren Avery was living than any of these curious young minds ever could be. The thought had occurred to Niall that any one of them could be the next Keeran, and it was highly likely his name was going to come up thanks to his unpleasant past with the girl.

“I’m sorry Mr. Trojer, did I walk into the wrong lecture hall?” Niall spoke up, he was much more anxious than he looked. Ivun Trojer was not the only one with a good poker face.

“Beg pardon sir?” The calm young man asked.

“Kymie, we are in the right lecture hall right?” Niall looked over to Kymie, who glanced up from her pad and nodded. “Shit, than this must be a gorram theoretic physics lecture isn’t it!?” Niall narrowed his eyes.

“I never implied it wasn’t….” Ivun spoke snarkly.

“Well then why don’t we stick to discussing physics eh?” Niall cleared his throat.

The dull roar of voices broke out as Niall looked over his lecture note, he was just about to speak up when Ivun spoke once more.

“Don’t you at least feel a little guilty? If you hadn’t been so rude to her she might not have felt she had no choice but to reach out to the Insectoids rather than the professor she had confided in for help in the first place?” Gone was the pleasant and cheerful act, replace now by conviction and accusation.

The room exploded in a roar of voices. Some for, some against Niall. It was impossible to get a word in edge wise. Kymie looked to Niall with a look of concern, but Niall motioned her to stay where she was. This was his fight.

Niall remembered Kiri, dangling over her mouth like a piece of meat; he remembered helplessly being accosted in Keeran’s hand like a rag doll. He remembered Dorok and what the monster had done to Nonah. He remembered the sweet loving face of Naskia, even she was capable of terrible things, his ribs sometimes hurt just thinking about that day. Niall swallowed and looked down for a moment. When he spoke, he was calm, very calm.

“Ivun, if you insist on disturbing this class further I will have to ask you to leave. This is a physics class and we will discuss physics. If you have something you wish to contribute to the subject matter I am attempting to teach you are welcome to speak when it is appropriated for you to do so. Otherwise, kindly shut your trap? Or leave this lecture hall!” Niall’s voice boomed over the speaker system as he emphasized his point.

The room fell silent. Kymie smiled and looked down at her pad to hide her silly expression.

“Now, pay attention you bunch of spanners, I’m not going over this stuff again…”

***

Niall dropped his arm to his side, pad in hand. He looked up to the three University Governors standing in front of him.

“You realize by issuing the statement you request I am basically giving students permission to assault me, abduct me or otherwise do as they please with me?

Professor Durnay smiled the most insincere of smiles. “Niall…”

“Doctor Freeman if you please. I am certified by this very institution and do not pretend for a moment we are on a first name basis.” Niall snapped.

“Doctor Freeman…all we wish you to say is that the University places the utmost importance on the safety of its students and that you are sure that Ms Leffen meant no harm…” Durnay said before being interrupted again.

“She killed a Human, near killed two more. She brought live Dunnermac roe to a banquet.” Niall paced back and forth in Kymie’s palm attempting to hold on to his temper. “What’s more she attempted to abduct me! If it weren’t for Ms Abaforad I may well have been her first victim.”

Professor Durnay forced another smile. “Nia…Doctor Freeman, the University is under a tremendous amount of pressure, not just from those asking for answers about how Ms Leffen came to find herself in such a dangerous situation but also from those who accuse us of failing to instil proper values in our students. There are even those who accuse us of quietly encouraging her actions. A statement from you, from a….Human, would go a long way to relieving some of that pressure.”

“If I read your words it will appear as if I am a muppet with your hand up my arse speaking those words…”

“Doctor please…”

“SPEAKING those words for me. If you want the pressure to die down then take action. Launch an investigation, get to the bottom of what happened and make sure it doesn’t happen again. That will appease those on both sides.” Niall fumed.

Durnay signed. “I am going to have to insist Doctor Freeman. Your employment here is exceptionally tenuous and it’s possible the board could consider your refusal as a willful attempt to damage this institution’s reputation.”

Niall glared at Professor Durnay. Professor Durnay glared back behind a false smile. He didn’t want an investigation. He already knew it would likely uncover some lackadaisical approaches to student monitoring. This was an attempt to make this go away with as little mess as possible.

“Kymie…” Niall said turning to face his pale and nervous assistant. “We’re leaving. I will have no part in this.”

“You will leave the board no choice but to review your position here.” Durnay said as Kymie approached the door.

“Feel free.” Niall said as Kymie hovered by the door. “My integrity is not for sale.”

“I was unaware Humans could have integrity.” Durnay said snidely as he gathered his things. The other two board members watched on quietly.

“Fire me if you wish. Which problem do you think would be easier to solve? Explaining how Ms Leffen died while in pursuit of a project for this University, explaining why this University’s students think it is acceptable to eat the young of a member race of The Empire and helpless, conscious, sentient beings or convincing the entire Physics department and students to return to work after you fire me?”

Durnay glared for a moment more before looking down and tapped on his pad. “Go. Say nothing.”

Kymie went to leave but Niall signalled for her to hold for a moment.

“I can assure you, as a member of staff here I will keep silent in public for the good of this institution, however I would request and advise for the sake of our reputation as a modern and upstanding University that you initiate an investigation into just how two of our students ended up where they did. Only by being honest and open are we going to make it through this with most of our reputation intact. Lying and false gestures will accomplish nothing.”

Niall waited for a response but none came. He sighed and Kymie opened the door and left the room leaving the three governors quietly talking amongst themselves.

“How’d it go?” Naskia asked as she darted up from the chair and sank to her knees to be eye level with Niall.

“I’m just happy I could convince you to wait outside.” He said forcing a smile.

“That bad?”

“Worse…” Kymie added.

Naskia extended her hand and Niall hopped aboard. “And your job?” she asked.

“Safe I believe.” Niall said. “They have much bigger problems to take care…no pun intended…”

***

“Ms. Armac, it is highly irregular for a presiding Judicator to meet with members of the press. If you are hoping I will divulge classified information I am afraid you will find yourself disappointed.” Judicator Resiar was a tall gangly old man with misty grey hair, dark smoky eyes and bushy old eyebrows that appeared to have gone unkempt most of his 71 year life.

He was one of the longest residing Judicator’s, and was not exactly known for his relaxed stance on crime. Still the man spoke with a soft and gravelly voice and appeared at least to be approachable. Loona could not help but marvel at the impressive stature of the man, he was tall with enormous hands, long limbs and a towering disposition. He spoke with every bit of authority his reputation suggested, and never broke eye contact when he did. His eyes were like lasers that could peer into a man’s soul. Loona felt more inclined to be as truthful as she could, to deny she felt in over her head would be a lie.

“I am not here as a journalist, but as a member of the general public your grace.” Loona spoke up with all the confidence she could scratch together.

“Mmmmm yes, in fact your reputation does precede you Ms. Armac.” Resiar cleared his throat and slowly clasped his hands together. “So you are here as legal counsel on behalf of the human Darren Avery then?” Judicator Resiar’s lips for a split second curled up into a hint of a smile.

The distracting constant shouting of the protesters outside the court office stole Loona’s attention for a second. She could not remember in her lifetime a larger gathering of civilians protesting one cause.

“Actually your grace, I’ve never met Sergeant Avery.” Loona said as she looked back to Resiar.

“Then you are acting counsel for the human’s owner? Ms. Fitzgerald?” Resiar looked over the information he had on the case on his terminal, sending Loona a curious look.

“No your grace, I’ve also not had a chance to contact her either. I am unaware if she has sought legal counsel yet.” Loona admitted rather sheepishly.

Judicator Resiar furrowed his brow, he was silent for far longer than Loona felt comfortable with. When he did speak it was with a resounding chuckle. “Then what brings Loona Armac, champion of the Freeman vs Tannhauser hearing to my office? If not as a member of the press, and not as official legal counsel to the accused? Hmmm?” Resiar let his head rest in his hand and rest his elbow on his desk.

“Well, your grace…” Loona took a breath and exhaled quickly as she spoke. “I am here to offer you some advice.” Loona cringed, who was she to say such a thing to Jeuleus Resiar, Judicator regent of Orion Province!

Resiar simply stared Loona down for a moment in dead silence. It wasn’t until Loona felt as if she would melt away of embarrassment that he finally spoke up.

“Ms. Armac, do you know how long I’ve held office as Judicator Regent?” Resiar spoke calmly.

“Thirty five years your grace.” Loona said quickly.

“Thirty five years.” Resiar repeated as he crossed his arms over his chest and sat back. Discreetly he motioned to the window to his office. “Do you know how often I can recall something like this happening?”

“I don’t….”

“We are many things Ms. Armac, us Titans. We are careful, meticulous, sometimes quite bold and fierce. But we are not very easy to fire up.” Resiar slowly stood and walked over to his office window. He walked with long strides.

“Loona, we have grown placid. As a society I fear we are so old and worn out, we’ve just grown complacent and placid. They say we Titans are slow to change, but do you want to know what I think?” Resiar looked out at the gathered masses, the signs, the demonstrations. The shouting was penetrating the ancient court house walls like paper.

“I would.” Loona said quietly.

“We are stale. Like bread left out too long; dry, crusty and stale.” Resiar sighed and closed the blinds, looking back to Loona. “But then I see this…” Resiar motioned to the window and at the gathered crowd. “…and it gives me hope. Maybe we are hungry for change maybe not.”

There was a long silence between them as Judicator Resair slowly walked back to his desk. “Never.” He said simply.

“Beg pardon?” Loona gave her head a slight shake.

“The answer is never, I’ve never seen such an outcry from the public.” Resiar sat at his desk and looked back to Loona. “I don’t want to retire with the title ‘monster’, nor can I in good conscience ignore the law.”

“Even when said laws are asinine and outdated?” Loona responded with confidence.

“Even when said laws are asinine Ms. Armac.” Resiar repeated softly.

“The real criminals are the ones who need to face justice your grace, not the victims.” Loona maintained eye contact.

“As a Judicator it is not up to me to decide who is a criminal and who is not, merely to apply the laws. I cannot speak for who the ‘real criminals’ are.”

Loona sighed, fearing the worst.

“I believe you had some advice you wish to offer me?” The judicator spoke.

“I did…” Loona said “But I’m unsure if it matters anymore.”

“No matter. Speak your piece.”

Loona stood readying herself to leave. “You may be old, but you’re not stale. Judge with your conscience.”

Loona walked to the door and grabbed the handle.

“Ms. Armac, please sit.” The judicator gestured to the chair she had just left.

Loona turned to look at Judicator Resair.

“Ms. Armac, I am but an old man with more years left behind him than now sits before.” The aged judicator set his hands together before him and clasped them together as he eyed Loona carefully; his bushy brow arose showing just a hint of regret.

Loona’s long slender fingers slipped off the door knob, a rarity to find in such modern times but older buildings such as the court house still made use of the archaic device.

“I’m at the end of my career Loona, and I do not want to be caught on the wrong side of history.” Judicator Resiar looked down at his desk, there were a few photo’s, old style books and a statue depicting an aged man in royal garbs with the old Archavian word for Justice carved into the base of the statue. In the man’s right hand was a scroll and in his left a grand shield with a coat of arms engraved upon it. Loona recognized the statue to be the image of Senedj I. the first emperor. “Neither do I wish to be remembered as a man who allowed the winds of pressure to interfere with his duty to uphold the law.”

Loona made her way back to Jeuleus Resiar’s desk and sat back down in the uncomfortable but sturdy chair adjacent from him, she watched him carefully as he ran a slender aged hand over the statue.

“I will be labeled a coward, a fool, or a monster.” Judicator Resiar gave his head a slow shake and looked back to Loona, his eyes softened and for a moment he looked to her hoping for an answer, hoping for a way out.

“You don’t have to be.” Loona spoke at long last, after taking a while to choose her words with the utmost caution. This was the window she had been looking for, the chance she had been waiting for, hoping for, pleading for. Loona had to be careful with every word that came out of her mouth, she could not afford to mess this up now.

“How Ms. Armac? I am obliged to uphold and enforce the law, even when my conscious would have me to otherwise.” Judicator Resiar sat back in his chair, he crossed one arm and rested his chin in the palm of the other.

Loona smiled and pulled onto her lap a small black leather business case. Carefully she pulled the documents out she had prepared and set them on the judicator’s desk, before she slid the documents over she spoke. “You can uphold the law, and act according to your conscious your grace. There is already a precedent set for just such a case as this. You are familiar with the H’katu incident at the VekMol game reserve of 1946?” Loona slid the document across the table to the waiting hands of the Judicator.

Resiar took the document and thumbed through the papers carefully, his expression remained stoic as he skimmed over the information given. Finally Judicator Resiar leaned forward and placed the document down, his eyes drifting to the clock across the room from him and back to Loona. “You’ve cut the wire awful close Ms. Armac, I’m not sure I can get the paperwork in order to stop the euthanasia in time.”

Loona sat back in her chair with her hands behind her head. There was a winning grin painted across her face as she spoke with a fair bit of confidence. “I’ve already taken care of that your grace, you have all the time in the world.” Loona felt a great deal of pride in her own doings, but also gratitude for the help she had as well. Gratitude, to of all people, Lyroo Prenn.

“I don’t understand?” Resiar himself smiled a little but also remained quite perplexed.

“The Rutger animal control office has found itself in the midst of a rather unexpected full scale audit and inspection of its facilities. Until such a time as the HOS completes this audit, all administrative and mechanical operations are put on a hold.” Loona brought her hands down and crossed them elegantly.

Judicator Resiar chuckled deeply and gave his head a shake. “Ms. Armac, you are indeed a clever woman. Have you ever considered a career in politics?”

Loona laughed and gave her head a shake. “It’s been mentioned to me once or twice your grace.”

“What you are suggesting will not guarantee this human’s life is spared you understand, you are familiar with how the H’katu incident in question ended?” Resiar eyed Loona for a moment.

“I am.” Loona spoke calmly. “But an official behavioral assessment is a step up form a cold execution in a dark room.” Loona spoke, her feelings on the mater came through in her voice, the passion and conviction was clear.

“I can’t make this call alone; it will require the approval of the Magistrate you understand?” Resiar spoke as he looked over the papers once more.

“You told me you didn’t want to be labeled a monster, a coward, or a fool? Well this is your chance sir. This is how to do it.” Loona leaned forward, trying to force the desperation in her voice down.

Resiar scratched his chin as he set the papers down. “Thank you Ms. Armac.” Jeuleus Resiar smiled from ear to ear, his stoic expression softened.

“For what?” Loona asked carefully.

“For giving me an out.” The elderly Judicator stood and extended his arm towards Loona with pride.

Loona slowly stood and took the Judicator by his wrist. His grip was hard and strong as his large powerful hand wrapped around Loona’s small wrist and shook hard.

“Let’s save the thanks for after Sergeant Avery’s free and clear.” Loona spoke carefully, now trying to hold down her excitement. Loona had done her part and felt pride having done it, the rest was up to Lyroo.