Caged With The Alien Warrior

08.

Ronan

"She is Rhodinian," I breathed as the youngling's wings unfurled.

"No, that's not possible." Aanya shook her head adamantly. "A human gave birth to her. I literally saw her push her out of her vag, and she didn't have wings. Lani's mom was 100% human. And Lani didn't have wings when..." she trailed off, voice going mumbled. "She had two grooves in her back, but I didn't think about it because I didn't have time to think about it. They were right where her wings are."

From what I'd learned of childbirth, Rhodinians were born with their wings intact, furled around themselves. But Lani was undeniably Rhodinian, so they must have come in after birth. Lani had blonde hair that was so familiar. And those blue eyes... but it couldn't be. It wasn't possible.

I stared at Lani's light, translucent wings. "Her mother was human as you are, but her father must be Rhodinian."

Aanya set Lani down on the cot and wrapped her. The youngling let out a small yawn before falling back asleep. Aanya laid on the cot next to her. I did the same on my cot. Soon the lights would turn off if my internal clock was correct.

"You're saying a human and a Rhodinian...." Aanya didn't finish her sentence.

"That's the only logical explanation." My mind raced with the implications. Humans and Rhodinians could bear young?

The lights shut off, shrouding us in darkness.

"Maybe they experimented on her? Im–Impregnated her?" Aanya stumbled on the word.

I shook my head, no. It wouldn't be possible. "Rhodinian seed does not last for artificial insemination. A child has only ever been achieved through coupling."

"Well, there's never been a human-Rhodinian hybrid before, has there?" her voice was almost frantic. "So what do we know?"

"Rhodinians have tried to couple with other species before to solve our population issue. There has been limited success and only through coupling." I explained, voice low and calm. "It's been tested."

"So she was raped here?" Aanya's voice broke.

I frowned at the darkness. "I'm not familiar with that word."

"Forced." Aanya choked on the word.

I recoiled. "Forcing a female? No, never. Rhodinians don't hurt females. They could never."

"The lizardmen, the Szenists as you call them, they've hurt me. Experimented on me. Cut me apart and lasered me back together. They could have forced them to."

I sat up and looked at her. Despite the darkness, my enhancements allowed me to see her. Her eyes were shadowed with fear.

The Szenists words were piecing themselves together in my head.

"He has no information. Now that Specimen 23 and Specimen 56 have expired, we are in need of a new pair."

"He is compatible with Specimen 124."

"We will find out if you're lying, Specimen 124."

Specimen 23 and Specimen 56 could have been Lani's parents. As Aanya said, Lani's mother passed, and I couldn't imagine a Rhodinian male not protecting his own, so he must've passed too. They couldn't mean Aanya and I were compatible for coupling, could they? No, no.

I did not voice my thoughts to Aanya. Her eyes were already scared enough; I would not worry her about this.

"I wish I could have saved her," Aanya whispered into the quiet darkness. "Lani's mom. God, I don't even know her name." Her voice was thick.