Broken

.41.

"Are you ready for sentencing?" Khos sounded amused and I bowed my head further.

"You would dare start without me?" A rather bulky man pushed open the far doors and I wiped at my eyes, trembling in my spot as I watched him. "Let her up. No need to shove her to the floor." At his rather gruff words I was let go rather abruptly as the Peace Officers backed away from me rapidly, heading for the door just as quickly. The man had three other bulky men following him as he moved closer.

"Ahhh, Councilman Rehnas. Very good of you to join us. Who are your colleagues?" Khos' voice was jovial and almost friendly and I shuddered on my spot. I hated that man with everything that I had.

"Councilmen Jonah, Kesparth, and Billimish." He gestured to each man as he said their name and their cold eyes made me shiver uncontrollably. My arms throbbed hotly with what I knew were bruises and I resisted the urge to curl into a ball and cry. I was dead. It was a fact I needed to get used to. "They were to accompany me to the ship on the behalf of the Oria council just as I was. Now please answer my question." He settled into Nadila's seat and I wanted to wince at the reminder that my friend was gone.

"I figured the quicker we got this... nasty business dealt with the sooner we could move on." He sneered the word nasty as he glanced at me and I shrunk under the gazes of the four men who turned to look at me. I swallowed hard and kept my gaze on the floor.

"Nasty business is quite an apt description for it but regardless, such an act needs to be done with a full council in place. You know this." Councilman Rehnas sounded bored and I glanced up as the other three moved to stand beside the table. The movement was odd because there were enough seats available for them to sit down.

"Apologies. Now would you like me to give you the details of this particular case?" Khos lifted a file and Rehnas shook his head.

"No. I am well versed in the case of Liviya Burch and Rhex DharSon. I had a long trip, lots of time to review it." He laced his fingers together and leaned against the table in a rather lazy manner. I let my gaze fall to the floor. My chest hurt and all I wanted was Rhex. My stomach flipped and flopped inside of me, making me nauseous and my entire body shake from nerves.

"Well then I suggest we move onto sentencing." Khos sounded almost delighted and I had to swallow back the vomit that climbed into my throat.

"If you do not mind, Councilman Khos. The Oria council has already passed a sentencing for this particular case." Rehnas picked up a file from the table and flipped it open.

"They have? How efficient. The floor is yours, Councilman Rehnas." Khos waved him on and I had a particular feeling that even if Khos had an issue with it, Rehnas wouldn't have paid him any attention.

"In the case of Liviya Burch and Rhex DharSon, the Oria council had deliberated and come to one very clear conclusion for this matter. As we are to preserve our race and our very people, the Oria council has decreed that action must be taken for this serious transgression." He said it calmly and evenly and my heart sank at each word. "In the preservation of our species and the future of our race, the Oria council had decreed that Councilman Khos and the rest of the council of ship two-nine-three are hereby stripped of their council positions and ranks and are to be banished to the outer realms for their treasonous actions against the people of Oria." My head snapped up and my eyes went wide as I stared at Rehnas. He stood up to his full height, his expression bored as he looked at Khos.

"What?" It was a collective cry as the three council members shot to their feet, their eyes wide with shock. I was fairly positive I looked the exact same as them.

"Detain them." At his words the three councilmen that had arrived with him moved over to them, grabbing them tightly as they cuffed the fighting council members.