Chen touched the plant specimen in his robes. He felt the organism search his skin for the toxins it craved, but there was none on his person. Chen was pure, uncorrupted energy.
Chen could tell that Ngai was not stable in his mind. He may have had his plan to use Chen and his link as a homing beacon, but not if Chen extinguished the beacon first. Not if he took his own life and ensured the safety of everyone he held dear.
When Eloh males went peacefully into the world after, the separation was not drastic. Hsing would survive it and remain whole with Shanti by his side. It was a great and terrible sacrifice, but one Chen was prepared to make.
Chen closed his eyes. In his mind's eye he saw the faces of his parents on the last day of their lives. His Yang father had told his sons of a vision, an incomprehensible vision of his death. They'd left their children, knowing they might never return.
Chen had always remembered the looks on their faces to be ones of sadness. But now he realized they were of steel. Their sacrifice was so that their children would live.
There was sadness in Chen's hearts. A deep ache that he would not get to touch Shanti's lips to his again. A hollowness that he would no longer stand beside his brother to offer support. On the surface of his mind sat despair that the plant would not make it to the Mothership to save the rest of his tribe. But surely once Chen was gone, and the Marred Ones on their way, Hsing would return to the Earth to gather another specimen.
Hsing would not fall to the way of the Marred Ones. His brother was strong, more importantly their mate was stronger. And Hsing was on the Mothership, surrounded by those who would care for and support him. If they came after the Marred Ones, who knows who would get harmed.
Any more casualties aboard the Mothership could cause the Eloheem brothers to turn on each other. If they turned on each other than Shanti would get hurt. If Shanti got hurt, Hsing would well and truly go mad. Then there would be no one from their tribe left.
No. The best thing would be for them to stay away. To let Chen go so they could save themselves. Chen's hearts felt heavy that his brother would receive this same message a second time in his life, but it had to be done.
Chen sent the message along the bond. His inner voice was weak, but he knew the message got through. Knew it for certain when he heard the vehement reply of both his brother and his mate.
For a moment, their outrage and refusal made Chen’s hearts swell. He yearned to be with them both. To hold Shanti to him, to let her know she was not alone. To place his hand at his brother's back, to let him know he had support.
Chen couldn't shake the image. It was his hearts' desire. Was he wrong to give up so quickly? To not put up a fight for the ones he loved? His death would cause them both great pain, and though he knew they were strong enough to persevere, it pained him that he would be without them.
Chen straightened his spine to sit up. Ngai and Manu had left long moments ago and not returned. Chen reached out and sensed a great deal of agitation. Just then, the ship twisted and turned in the Heaven's abyss. Chen felt the unmistakable sound of sonar coming towards them and then the ship shook as a blast impacted them.
Chen's mind was rattled along with his body. Could that be his brother come to rescue him? But no, the Mothership had no weapons. She was a vessel of peace.
Cold dread went down Chen's spine as he realized where the blast came from. There was sonar power on this cold, Grey ship where he was being held captive. That could only mean that another Grey Reticulean ship gave chase.
As the metal ship maneuvered, Chen was thrown into the side of the metal room he'd been put in. His body twisted awkwardly as the shackles held onto his wrists. The metal smashed into his shoulder, sending sharp pain down his arm. As the ship sped through the Heavens, Chen imagined he heard screams.
Was that his Shanti? Did she sense his pain? Chen centered his mind. The last thing he wanted was to cause her any more pain.
After long moments, all was silent. Deathly silent. Chen opened his eyes. Before him stood Ngai. Ngai looked battle weary and in pain. When he came near, Chen felt minuscule movement beneath his robes. The hungry plant yearned for the marred Eloh. Chen tuned into the plant. Through its awareness he sensed the toxins within Ngai.
"Are we captured?" Chen asked.
"No, the grey ones did not capture us. Manu blasted them out of the sky. They are all dead. But more will come. They are a family. They will seek revenge. That is how they take care of one another."
"We are a family too, Ngai. We take care of one another through healing. Come home."
Ngai laughed. He looked down at his hands. Then he looked back up at Chen. His eyes were empty pools of mist.
Ngai held his hands out to Chen. "Every thing I touch dies." He looked back at his hands as though they didn't belong to him. "That is not right, is it? That is not how I am meant to be?"
"No," said Chen. "You are Eloh. You are Yin. You are a protector.”
Ngai shook his head. "Can you not see it?" He raised his eyes to Chen. The orbs were no longer empty; they were full of an aching darkness. "Can you not see the blood?"
Chen shook his head. "I see remorse. That is the first step towards redemption."
"I do not want redemption. I want death." Ngai came to Chen's shackled wrists. He unlocked the lock and pulled the metal free of Chen's flesh.
The skin from his wrists tore. Chen cried out at the pain of his release.
Ngai pulled a dagger from his robes. He turned the blade towards his own gut and handed Chen the blunt end.
Chen recoiled.
"If you take my life,” Ngai said, “you could return to the Mothership, to your family."
"I will not take your life. I want to save it."
Ngai shoved the dagger into Chen's hands. He would not let go until Chen grasped it.
"You will change your mind when you see what we have done." Ngai walked out of the room.
Chen’s fingers shook with the dagger in his hand. He was a being of peace. He'd never harmed a living creature in his entire life.
He thought of the scorpion that'd poisoned Shanti. It had acted in self-defense. He thought of the Draconians who severed his parents. He knew not why the reptilians had come after his people? For sport? To turn the Eloheem into weapons?
Chen had planned to take his own life in sacrifice, but he would never kill another. That's what he told himself as he placed the dagger inside his robes and followed Ngai out.
They went down the hall. Chen heard sobs and wails. They were feminine. His hearts kicked into his gut. It hadn't been his imagination. Ngai had Shanti. She was here. She was in pain. Chen reached out passed the metal doors, but he couldn't feel her within.
Ngai reached out to unlock the door.
Chen reached into his robes for the dagger.
When the door opened, the sight was not what Chen expected. It was sickening just the same.
"I thought that if I replaced the link with a new mate then I would be free. But I was wrong."
Strapped down on examination tables were three human females.
Chen couldn't take his eyes off the small female who clearly was a child. She had her dark hair styled in tiny knots about the crown of her head. She could have been an Eloh youngling. The sight of her strapped to an examination table turned Chen's stomach. The knife trembled in his hand, slipping from his grasp.
"Will you take my life now Chen-Na?"
