Free Protector of the Realm by Gun Brooke Page A

and Armeo were fugitives, refugees at the mercy of strangers. Their life on Gantharat was over and her options limited. Rae’s route offered the best possible outcome, but damn, the woman overwhelmed her.
    The commodore’s solution to her situation disconcerted Kellen, and an inner voice clanged, warning her not to trust Rae. H’rea deasav’h! The Gantharian curse flashed through her mind, relieving some of the pressure. She’s a member of the damn ruling class. High up enough in the hierarchy to have power over an entire sector. Everyone on Gantharat knows it’s only a matter of time before the SC recognizes the Onotharat occupation. No matter how you look at it, she’s part of all that!
    Kellen pressed her nails into the calloused palm of her hand, trying to remain collected. She had to play along; right now she had no options. She’s damn sure of herself, manipulating me this way. Well, two can play that game, Commodore.
    “Kellen, this is Judge Trijjani.” Rae’s calm voice broke her out of her reverie. Turning around, Kellen faced an extremely tall man dressed in a long black robe. His handshake was strong when he greeted her the traditional human way, and the gleam in his brown eyes was alert and observant.
    “Ms. O’Dal, I’m glad to make your acquaintance,” he said in a deep voice. “I believe we have an urgent ceremony to perform.”
    “So I understand.” Kellen glanced at Rae, trying to judge what she was thinking. Rae merely nodded, her eyes darker than usual.
    Turning her attention back to the judge, Kellen scrambled for something polite to say in Premoni. She had to prevent them from noticing her true feelings regarding this charade. Searching her brain, Kellen wanted to curse out loud when the alien language eluded her. She clenched her hands harder and attempted a common nicety, almost choking on it in the process. “Thank you for helping me…for…” This was not going well.
    “For assisting us in this matter,” Rae filled in, moving up to stand next to Kellen. “I have summoned two witnesses, as required, Your Honor.”
    “Excellent. I know we must hurry.” Judge Trijjani walked over to the desk and placed a folder and an old scroll on it.
    The door hissed open again and Lieutenant Grey entered, shortly followed by Commander Todd.
    They exchanged formal greetings and shook hands with Judge Trijjani.
    “Thank you for coming.” Rae gestured for her crew members to stand by the porthole. “You are here to witness a legal procedure.”
    Kellen thought she detected a glimpse of understanding in Commander Todd’s eyes when he shot her a look. Refusing to lower her gaze, she returned his glance with defiance. He surprised her by smiling and winking discreetly, which took her off guard, since she expected him, and everyone else around Rae, to disapprove.
    “Let’s begin,” Judge Trijjani suggested. “Commodore, please stand in front of me and take Ms. O’Dal’s hand.”
    Kellen and Rae moved in front of the impressive man, looking up at him. Kellen tried to remember all the objections to Rae’s solution to her problem that she hadn’t listed out loud yet. We don’t know each other. We’re from different worlds. And we certainly don’t love each other. And who knows what the commodore’s agenda is.
    Kellen knew she should feel grateful for Rae’s sacrifice, and she did, but her emotions were tangled as she tried to fathom Rae’s real motives. Was she being absurdly overprotective? Would Kellen become a political pawn for Rae’s future promotions? Or was she being what she seemed--caring and unwilling to let Kellen die a slow, agonizing death on an Onotharian prison asteroid?
    Kellen had agreed to marry Commodore Rae Jacelon only because she had no other choice. She would be trapped in a loveless marriage for five years, but that was a small price to pay if it guaranteed Armeo’s safety. Standing in front of the judge, she felt a hand claim hers. She refused to look at Rae