Fleet Commander Lerian walked out of the mothership's council room with the list of those from his ship and shuttle who had touched the injector filled with human truth serum. No one was involved that he could find on his ship.

Lerian pulled out his Comm link. "Council Leader Vorik, Sir," he said over the comm link. "I have interrogated all from my ship who have touched the injector. I did not find anyone involved."

"We have leads from the dome. A total of five so far," Council Leader Vorik responded. "I need you on the surface for the final interrogations."

"On my way, sir," Fleet Commander Lerian stated through the comm link.

Shoving his comm link in a pocket, he headed for his shuttle. He was slightly in a better mood since it did not appear to be anyone from his ship who was involved.

When he made it to his shuttle, his pilot and co-pilot were waiting for him. They looked at each other in question. They didn't normally have to fly anywhere because their fleet commander never left the mothership. He was coming and going constantly, all of a sudden.

"Take me to the main dome," Fleet Commander Lerian ordered.

"Yes, sir," Pilot Tresk responded, then headed to the pilot's chair. Co-pilot Strem was close behind him.

After quickly starting the flight sequence, the shuttle smoothly lifted and glided out of the hangar bay and into open space. The shuttle soared to the surface of the planet and then toward the main dome. After requesting clearance to land their shuttle, it flew through the opening in the main dome and then landed on the docking pad.

Fleet Commander Lerian stood and waited impatiently for the shuttle's doors to open. Once they did, he called back to his pilots. "Stand by," he ordered.

"Yes, sir," they responded in unison.

Fleet Commander Lerian rushed off toward the prison. He needed to get to the interrogation room for the final interrogations of their prisoners.

When he reached the prison, the double doors slid open, and he rushed in. The interrogation room was at the far end. He quickly reached it and then stepped inside.

Council Leader Vorik, Guard Commander Drevick, and a human male were standing in front of two prisoners who were seated, and bar shackled to keep them in place.

Council Leader Vorik looked up. "We are waiting for the other three to be brought in," he explained to the fleet commander.

Lerian nodded, then went to stand with the others. There was a line of injectors on the table, waiting to be used.

The door slid open, and three sets of guards came in, each set with a prisoner, bar shackled and being nearly dragged into the interrogation room.

Once they were seated and bar shackled in their seats, they were all injected with the truth serum. Elser and Fel, who was the twin of the guard, were injected again. Too much time had passed, and it was already nearly worn off.

Council Leader Vorik stood waiting for the serum to take effect. Once their faces went slack, their eyes unfocused, staring at nothing, Vorik stood in front of the first new prisoner, ready to begin their interrogation.

"What is your name?" Vorik ordered.

"Grij," the prisoner stated in monotone. His eyes were unfocused, staring at nothing.

"Are you involved with tampering with an injector used to inject humans with truth serum?" Vorik questioned.

"Yes," prisoner Grij stated.

"Who was involved with you?" Council Leader Vorik asked.

The prisoner spoke in a monotone, listing the names as if reading off a list. "Telise, Morv, Fel, Elser, and I," he listed.

Going to the other prisoners one by one, Vorik asked the same questions. They gave the same answers, naming the four others in the room along with themselves.

Council Leader Vorik went to Fel again, standing in front of him. "Why did you tamper with the injector of human truth serum?" he asked Fel.

"In hopes it would start a conflict with the humans," Fel stated in a monotone. "We wanted war."

"Why do you want a war with the humans?" Vorik asked.

"To take you out of power and put someone in who will destroy them rather than ally with them," Fel stated.

"Were you targeting the females, Jada, Aleigha, Niki, and Hope?" Vorik asked, barely able to contain his anger.

"Yes," Fel stated. "We knew they would be the first to be interrogated."

"Who do you want to take my place if I was taken out of power?" Vorik asked.

"Fleet Commander Lerian," Fel stated. "He has shown no softness to the human population or to the Kreq."

"Did you tamper with the Kreq truth serum?" Vorik demanded.

"No, there isn't one yet," Fel answered.

"Why do you wish to cause harm to humans and Kreq?" Vorik continued his questions. The tension in the room threatened to consume him as he faced off with Fel and his answers.

"Because we should be the only race on this planet," Fel continued. "Kerq and humans are too much alike. It doesn't matter that our mates are among them. I don't want to breed with them."

Fleet Commander Lerian walked up to the prisoners, staring at them for a moment before picking up an injector and sitting in a chair. Looking at Council Leader Vorik, he spoke evenly. "I don't want to be Council Leader. It appears that I need to be cleared. I want no question of my innocence. Interrogate me," he told his leader before shoving the injector in his own neck and injecting the truth serum.

Once the serum flowed through his veins, the injector fell from his hand just as his face began to change. Just like the prisoner, his face became slack, his eyes unfocused.

Vorik sighed before standing in front of the fleet commander. "Fleet Commander Lerian, are you involved with tampering with the human truth serum's injector?"

"No," Lerian stated. His voice was monotone, his eyes staring forward at nothing.

"Are you wishing to become Council Leader?" Vorik asked.

"No," Lerian responded.

"Do you wish me out of power?" Vorik asked slowly, not sure he wanted to know the answer.

"No," Lerian stated. Before Vorik could ask another question, Lerian continued. "I fear if you are taken out of power, war will start. You nurture all the people, not just ours. It promotes peace. I want peace. I fear that without you, there will be no peace."

"How do you feel about the Kreq and humans?" Vorik continued as he tried to hide the shock of Lerian's confession.

"Our mates are among them. We no longer have mates with our own people. We are meant to be with them. If we weren't, then our mates would not be among them," he stated in a monotone. "Our race is doomed without them. Their females are stunning. I look forward to finding my own mate."

One of the guards holding one of the prisoners spoke. "The fleet commander speaks the truth," he said quietly. "You need to stay in power if we ever want peace on this planet. The people of this planet are the key to our own existence."

Dan noted that the other guards nodded at his words. It was a subtle response. One that was not conscious. It showed their true feelings.

Dan turned to Council Leader Vorik. "Now you know why the girls are so adamant about protecting you. We have had a lot of bad leaders on this planet. You have more than proven yourself as a good one. You care about everyone. The girls know that. They have the skill to protect you," he told him quietly, then turned to scan the fleet commander and guards. "I know one of them was charged with being inappropriate with Council Leader Vorik. It's not inappropriate for the girls to protect him. Humans see our friends as family. We love our friends as if they are family. We protect our friends and family. I know the girls see Council Leader Vorik as a friend. One that is like family. They also know he's a good leader, one that needs to stay in his position if we all are to thrive."

The guards nodded again. Understanding Dan's words.

"We can't have a division between the people," Vorik stated. "I have no choice but to order their execution. There are five humans fighting for their lives. We can't siphon the toxin they used to tamper with the injector because if we do, the toxin will bind to their tissue and kill them faster. We don't know how to save them," Vorik stated.

Guard Commander Drevick stepped forward, pulling out his executioner's blade, and quickly severed the heads of the five prisoners.

"How can we save those in stasis because of what these males have done?" Vorik asked, more to himself than anyone else.

Fleet Commander Lerian, still under the influence of the truth serum, spoke. "The white-eyed girl can save them," he stated in a monotone.

Council Leader Vorik's head snapped to Fleet Commander Lerian. "How long have you known how to help them?" he shot back, angry that he didn't say anything sooner.

"As a child, I found an archive speaking of white-eyed Ramesians. They are very special. I did not remember what I learned," Lerian stated, his voice still monotone.

"Are you saying the truth serum inside your veins allowed you to recall something you didn't remember from your past?" Vorik asked.

"Yes," Lerian responded.

"How can Ver, the white-eyed girl, save them?" Vorik asked. Everyone in the room listened for the answer. They all knew of Ver; they just didn't know how special she was.

"The white-eyed girl is a healer. I do not believe she knows it, nor how, but she is capable," Lerian continued.

"How was she born with white eyes?" Vorik asked, not sure why he wanted to know.

"The archives never told how they are born, only why. They are born to heal. The white in their eyes is the evidence of the healing power inside of them. There is always a cost for them to heal. Healing can kill the healer depending on the ailment they are healing," Lerian stated.

"With what is wrong with the humans, can healing the humans kill her?" Vorik asked.

"If you force her to heal one of the five, you must choose who you want to be healed. The others will die, and so will the healer," Lerian stated.

Vorik leaned on the interrogation room table. His face was pale. "I can't ask Ver to give up her life to save another. There has to be another way," he whispered.

Lerian, hearing the council leader's words, spoke again. His voice is still monotone. "The choice is hers and hers alone. To force a healer will counteract what the healer must do to save a life. She can't heal if it's forced."

Drevick spoke next. "Where exactly can we find the archives of the healers?" he asked the fleet commander.

Lerian spoke again. "The archives I found as a child were in the capital building of the Ramesian government. The file was labeled 'white-eyed specimen.' It told of those born with white eyes who had been held for an interview and some for experimentation. The file was the result of their findings."

Vorik looked at the fleet commander in shock. Lerian's eyes began to clear. He shook his head, trying to clear his head before he looked around the room, suddenly confused. Remembering he had injected himself with the truth serum, he rubbed his temple, clearing the last of the haze in his head.

When his head was clear, he didn't know what he had said. He didn't remember anything past injecting himself with the injector of truth serum. "Is it safe to assume I am innocent?" he asked, looking at the Council Leader Vorik.

Council Leader Vorik nodded. "You are."

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