"You've got a good female," Vailen turned on the viewscreen to showcase Addison sitting nervously in the communications room chair.

I preened in the glow of pride, "I do." I had the best female.

Another male on the communications team fiddled with some controls off behind us, sending Addison's image to the left side of the screen and engaging the right half with another correspondence.

"I will call the American news station and then link their feed to Addison's. I'm worried, however, they've become more and more hostile when speaking with us ever since your female was brought up." Vailen looked displeased. He was a rather formal male and kept his emotions under control, so the fact that his displeasure was so visible was telling. The wanton disregard for professional communications on the human's part likely greatly bothered him.

"Will they be contentious with Addison?" I looked back to the sealed doorway where Addison was secluded. I hadn't wanted to part with her when I felt her nerves at the idea of talking to her media outlets, but I knew she was strong and could handle anything she put her mind to.

"We are hoping not, as they are the same species. They seemed concerned about her well-being, so currently we're hoping the hostility was purely against us and the fact that they had no idea what was being done to one of their own. We shall see, however." Vailen turned to the viewscreen that had begun to chime faintly as the numbers counted down until the connection was made between our ship and the human news station.

A human male with a fake smile answered our feed. He was tailored in an extravagant outfit with many layers. It reminded me of our military dress uniforms, but I was struck by the fact that he certainly didn't look military. He was slim but didn't show any signs of ever having trained for battle on his delicate frame. His fingers were even neatly manicured and lacked the calluses of using weapons. "Caleb Nichols with AmID news. I'm speaking with Vailen of the Val'Dornn communications team, yes."

"That is correct, yes." Vailen intoned fluidly. His diction held hints of our mother tongue Vallan, giving the English a more musical quality because he lacked the neural interface. He'd learned nearly all of the main Earthen dialects in the short time it had taken us to set up the proper roads of communications to contact the human populace. "Addison has agreed to speak with you on matters of her safety."

"You mean you've agreed to let her speak to us?" This Caleb Nichols could barely contain the resentment that laced his tone.

I bristled but remained impassive. Addison had mentioned that human males became territorial over their females. Not that they really have a right anymore with how they've treated them.

"No. Addison was given a choice regarding whether or not she wanted to speak in this interview. We will not detain a female and keep her from interacting with her home planet."

"So you say," the male artfully shuffled some papers on the desk, "Let me speak to her then."

"Surely. I will connect both of your communication feeds." Vailen pressed a button and I noticed as Addison jumped.

I could feel the faint tingle of anxiety even from another room.

"I'm distrusting." Vailen sidled up next to me as we watched the countdown for Addison and the male's correspondence to connect.

"Of the male?" Certainly, he couldn't distrust Addison.

He inclined his head in agreement, "I'm recording their entire exchange. I want a record of the communication just in case." He didn't elaborate on what he might think they'd do, but I felt I agreed with him. The human government had been decidedly backhanded in their relations not only with us Val'Dornn but with their own masses as well.

Vailen and I almost let out a sigh of relief as the male's expression softened when he got his first look at Addison. He'd looked surprised, but then a quick flash of relief replaced it when he noticed my small female on the viewscreen.

I was torn when he asked her how she was an inquired if she were being treated well. I was pleased that the male first and foremost was seeking to assure himself of her safety, but it smarted that he thought we Val'Dornn would mistreat any female we brought up to the Aarond Form. Any female we brought up here would be a soulmate to one of our males and would be treasured and loved. We would die fighting before we allowed any of our mates to be mistreated.

The male seemed almost pleased that Addison was well and not harmed in any way. For a moment I thought that maybe all the trouble caused by the misleading Temani Bercari documents could be handled in this small conversation. Only for a moment, though.

The male seemed to fish for any kind of negative spin on Addison's experience aboard this ship, and while I'm sure she could have said many negative things about being brought up here unknowing, she only expressed her frustrations regarding the way her human government handled this whole exchange. I felt a swell of pride. My female was going to defend us. I wouldn't have blamed her if she'd mentioned her upset with the Val'Dornn as I'd come to know the humans preferred choice and felt stifled by the concept of being bound spiritually to one being, as we Val'Dornn knew to be the case. But, she didn't.

When she gave him nothing and even hinted at the problem residing not with the Val'Dornn, but with the human government instead his entire demeanor changed. That soft expression hardened and a distinct air of distaste entered his eyes. It only worsened when he noticed that Addison had removed that metal band around her wrist. He commented on it but remained professional.

"This is not good." Vailen's arms were crossed over his chest. They were tense and I could see a muscle in his jaw flex.

I likely looked the same. The male was upset with my female and it was only a matter of time until it boiled over. "He's displeased with her for her association with us."

And he was, he only became more and more disgusted when the discussion turned to Addison's change of citizenship despite it certainly being one of the few things that had been outlined in that small legal document. Even Addison began to pick up on his displeasure and I could see a guarded, annoyed expression buried beneath her cordial commentary.

When the male accused us of forcing females into marriage the entire room broke into outrage. I was at the door separating us in a second, but it wouldn't open as I pressed my hand to the interface.

Vailen was pulling me back a second later, fangs bared. Not at me, but more the insinuation the male had made. "You cannot go in. It would only fuel the humans' hatred of us. I will end the communication if it gets worse."

We'd done everything. We'd done everything to detail what the Temani Bercari entailed to the females of this species. The human governments stalled us in nearly every way. We had wanted a more direct approach and asked to be granted access to their small blue planet so that we could meet face to face with the humans and more organically allow our relationships to flourish even, and they denied us. We didn't force the issue because we as a race have always cared more about the comfort and peace of our mates, so we accepted their demands to remain on our ship mostly. However, it only gave them the opportunity to manipulate our information and systematically turn seemingly all of humanity against us.

It felt like a heartbreak. None of us would have an easy time. None of our females would be at peace when they came to our ship.

"Your female claimed you." Vailen's odd silver eyes were locked on the communications screen, "She claimed you in front of him."

Addison sat proud and defiant in the wake of the man's smug smile. I'd missed most of their conversation in the wake of my sorrow for my kin.

"Would you have entered the lottery if you knew all of this information, Addison Kane?"

"No," she paused, "But I'm happy I did."

My heart soared

"He is a good male, who treats me well. I'm a valued member of society here unlike on Earth where women are nothing more than a nuisance. I'm free to live and to love here and to do it at my own pace. I'm free to build a family if I so please. So, no I wouldn't have chosen this had I known what the Temani Bercari entailed because I'm scared of change and scared of the unknown, but I'll tell you right now I'm more honored to call myself Val'Kier than I am to call myself human. Our first contact with a noble race and this is how human beings act? It's disgraceful."

She defended me. My little female was just as fierce and protective as Vall0'Karain was as she stood to protect her mate from the bite of Alo'Hira's blade. If we hadn't been sure that the human females were our next Temani Bercari then we certainly were now.

"The only disgrace here is you, Addison Kane. I was instructed to offer you asylum, but you've dirtied yourself already and in only a matter of days. What a disgusting woman you are to give your body to something that isn't even human. How horrendous that women have debauched themselves so much that they can't even see right from wrong. Mark my words those monsters up there with you will have to tag you just to keep you under control, just like we have."

"Shut it off!" I roared to one of the other males in the room, but they were already working on it. I fought against Vailen's grip, oblivious to the fact that the male continued to insult my mate. I saw red and I knew it leaked through our bond because my female bared her blunt teeth back at the man insulting her.

"I'll be the change I want to see in this world, Caleb Nichols. Women aren't livestock and we won't continue to be treated as such." Her words were vicious and confident. I almost wished we hadn't cut the feed in the middle of them.

The door opened for me easily after the communication was ended. I barrelled into the room, to Addison. Vailen was hot on my heels.

"It's a smear campaign. They're going to try to make you out to be terrible creatures. They'll take bits and pieces of our communication if this wasn't on live television and they'll break it up so it sounds like you're terrible to me." Her words were rushed and angry, but it was a righteous anger. She stood tall despite being considerably shorter than any male on this ship, "Do you have the full recording of our communications?"

Vailen nodded, surprised by the command in her voice.

"Have it ready. When they air that on the news stations if it's at all negative I want you to send that video feed to someone down on Earth."

"Who do you want to send it to?"

"Her name is Cecilia Marie Bird and she lives in Houston, Texas."

*****A/N*****

You know the idea that I have over 500 views on this story is mind-boggling. Thank you all so much for taking the time to read this first draft. I never expected this kind of response. I only ever did this to give myself a reason to continue writing a story for once instead of just dropping it and never returning to it once I got bored. The idea that there are people I have never met, reading my story is so surreal. So, thank you. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.

Esayr and Addison say thank you as well, along with a host of other characters floating around in the blank spaces of my mind.

Love always,

Layla