Starcrossed - Bianca D'Arc Page 0,2
What he did, he did for his people. He’d failed them once already by allowing Elius to have the throne that should have been Tigh’s. He would not fail them, again. He would take to wife the first human woman that would have him and get her with child, proving to both races that they could merge and end their fighting, once and for all.
It was an ambitious plan, and it would be his life’s work. Tigh had risked all by entering human space, seeking audience with their Governing Council over his advisors’ objections. Only old Torm and a small contingent of Tigh’s most loyal warriors accompanied him, steadfast by his side, willing to face any consequences his actions might bring. It would be well within the humans’ right to put them all to death without even hearing what he had to say. The use of a bioweapon was cowardly and not something a jit’suku warrior should countenance. Yet, it had been done. Tigh could hardly fathom his twin’s reasoning, but he would make up for it, if he could.
And so, he found himself before the Governing Council, ringed by women of power and their aides. Tigh noted a few males, as well—undoubtedly some of the famous Sons of Amber he’d heard about from his tech advisors. The humans had found a way to outsmart the virus, but it would take generations to restore the balance of male and female, and they would be forever changed on a genetic level, since the Sons were genetic creations of Dr. Amber Waithe and her team.
They were not fully human any longer. Their genetic codes had been modified to make them immune to the virus and able to father over ninety percent male children, with successive generations normalizing to about fifty percent within a few generations as the race recovered. It was a brilliant plan, but the jit’suku had no such similar strategy. Without women, they were stuck. Condemned by their own arrogance.
Tigh moved to the center of the Council chamber, all eyes on him as he was called to speak. He moved deliberately, knowing his actions were being recorded for posterity. Slowly, he sank to one knee, his ancient sword of office at his feet, head bowed in the traditional gesture of surrender, seldom seen from a jit’suku warrior. What he did here, he did for his people. Some would see it as weakness, but the wise among both races would understand the nobility of his actions. Or so he hoped.
One of the few males on the Council rose and moved to stand before Tigh. His death could come now, Tigh thought, and it would be justified. But all he’d learned of humans and their history made him hope they’d want to know why he surrendered first, before exacting retribution. He was counting on human curiosity to let him plead his case.
“I know you had nothing to do with the release of the virus, Tigh, warrior-priest and newly crowned Emperor. Your surrender means little, and I do not accept it.”
Tigh rose to face the other warrior, meeting the dark-haired man eye to eye. Tigh respected the steel he sensed in the other man, the unrelenting dominance and the honor in his words. He was also surprised at the man’s knowledge of Tigh’s past.
“It’s true I was not aware of what my brother had done until recently, but I took over his sins when I took his throne.”
“A throne that should have been yours to begin with.”
Tigh bowed his head in acknowledgment. “Another sin for which my people—and yours—have paid too high a price. I would never have released any kind of bioweapon. I could not. It goes against every teaching of my faith and tenet of our Warrior Code. I still don’t understand why Elius did it, but none of that matters now. What matters is how we fix the problems the virus has created and rebuild our societies.”
“We’ve found our answer,” Dr. Amber Waithe said from her seat on the Council. Tigh recognized her from the reconnaissance holos he had of all the Council members. He knew, too, that this genetically manipulated man standing before him was Commandant Michael Amber, leader of the Atlantia fleet, which made up a substantial portion of the humans’ fighting forces.
Tigh turned to the scientist, motioning also to Torm who stood forward from the small group of warriors who had been allowed into the chamber with him.
“You have come up with an elegant, but long-term solution,