Nillara eventually gave a heavy sigh and didn't answer what I'd reported to her right away. My thoughts in this were to try and show Amanda that I wasn't a monster now and that Lycothans weren't necessarily monsters. It came from my remembering who I was, and thus seeing Amanda and the other prisoners being my sisters along with the other Warriors. They had the right to choose to because they wanted to, not to be broken and forced to. Nillara, however, had the fact that she was an Alpha to consider. Her responsibilities were greater than mine and had more to do than I did as a Warrior. Those responsibilities might make things more difficult for Nillara, as Amanda might respond in an even more resistant manner to her, but I wasn't fully sure that would happen. She hadn't been completely hostile to me.
"I will agree," Nillara gave a sigh, "You're right that I don't want my sister broken... but we must still follow protocol..."
"Of course, Alpha Nillara," I answered.
"This means you will accompany me and act as my personal guard," Nillara continued, "You will stand outside the door while I talk with my sister. You will listen carefully and come to my protection if she does attack me."
There was a rather "hurt" tone in her voice as she said that, which I kind of expected.
"I do not believe she will do that, Alpha," I reported.
Nillara nodded, "You will protect me, nonetheless." She then paused and leaned over her desk and said very softly, "and since the only way that I can think of that might show my sister that I am still her sister would be to tell her that I do remember who I am... that I will need you to be alert to any other guards coming so that they do not overhear. If you hear one coming, knock once on the door. Knock twice when they've left."
I blinked for a moment and then nodded. Nillara was covering all the necessary bases. It reminded me a bit of something that Lartara said to me before I became Harkaal, as well as all the warnings to make sure that I didn't let it slip that I remembered being Haley. Nillara had to do that as well, and thus was making sure everything was in order. As I nodded, Nillara then stood up.
"When did you say you would be back to 995403's cell?" Nillara asked as she came around her desk.
"I'd taken her breakfast at the appointed time and told her that she would have an hour to eat, as per the rules," I answered, "I then came to report to you."
Nillara glanced her computer for a moment and then nodded, "we'd best get going. We may be a bit early for the plate and platter... but I can talk with her while she eats."
I nodded and then lead the way out. The way back to the cell-blocks went quicker than my journey to Nillara's office, as I now knew the exact way. I also attracted less attention as Nillara moved fairly closely behind me. The others probably assumed I had been ordered to report to her. Once we made it to the door to Amanda's cell, I carefully pulled the key-card from the pocket on the outside of my loin-cloth. The pockets served as a sort of built in belt and I had found allowed Warriors to carry various small items, such as the key-cards for the doors. I pulled out the card and slid it through the scanner on the side of the door. It gave an audible click and I opened the door.
I found Amanda seated and trying to tear into the meat that I had served her. Her hands and face looked a bit bloody as she had tried to eat, but hadn't made easy progress. And that made me sigh heavily. That was one of the things why I thought having us eat with our hands as prisoners wasn't right. We simply didn't have the teeth for it. I found myself licking my own teeth in my mouth as I looked at the meat, but I knew that I could easily tear the meat up without a knife and fork. Amanda, however, needed those utensils in order to chew. She looked up at me with some surprise and almost hurt in her eyes.
"You said I'd have an hour to eat!" she said with some protest.
"And I am keeping my word," I answered, "I'm not here for your breakfast. You may keep eating... but I have someone here who wishes to speak with you."
With that, Nillara slowly entered the cell and looked down at Amanda. Amanda then moved her gaze between her sister to me, to her sister, and back to me.
"Now you want to twist the knife, HALEY?!" Amanda said deliberately.
"No," I answered, "I want to show you that we aren't monsters and that there is much more to us that you may think. And she is your biological sister..."
"She wants to change me!" Amanda protested.
"Every Lycothan in the facility wants the prisoners here to accept the gift and join us," Nillara spoke softly, "however, what you don't know is the reasons why... and they aren't always what you may think."
Nillara then turned to me, "You may stand guard Warrior Harkaal."
I nodded while Nillara turned back to her sister. While she did that, I turned and again left the room. I shut the door behind me. With that, all I could do is listen to Nillara and Amanda talk to each other.
"I know neither of us thought we'd be here like this," Nillara said.
"Doesn't change that we are here," Amanda answered.
"True," Nillara replied, "which means we have a lot to do... and it's more than becoming stronger or holding on to what we we were."
"Even if it means losing everything we were?" Amanda asked back.
Outside I turned my head as I played the role of sentry.
"Joining us doesn't mean you give up everything," Nillara answered, "For Warriors, like Harkaal it means gaining strength to protect others. For Alphas like me... and possibly for you... it means being able to command others to make the right choice. To treat others with respect."
There was a silence for a few moments.
"Not everyone does that," Amanda eventually spoke, "especially those that simply want to change us... to make us give up... to forget who we were..."
"I don't," Nillara answered.
"What?!" I heard Amanda gasp, "But you became an Alpha! You gave up being Nellie Ritz!"
"But I AM still her," Nillara answered, "I still remember being her."
There was a silence for a few moments Amanda was certainly surprised. So far no one was coming close enough to hear.
"You..." I heard Amanda say after a moment.
"I remember growing up with you...being your sister," Nillara said softly"Being more than just a friend... I remember when you skinned your knees rollerblading. Who put band-aids on your knees?"
"Nellie did! You're just a Lycothan with her face!" Amanda shot back, her voice sounding like it was mixed between tears and being full of food.
"Do you really believe that?" Nillara asked, "that I'd reveal something that only Nellie would know to you?"
"But..." Amanda said slowly.
"I am still your sister and I still love you very much," Nillara spoke, likely softly as I could only just hear her through the door.
"But... but... why do you want to change me?" Amanda asked, "Why?"
"To save you," Nillara spoke, "and to potentially give the others a shot being free without being changed. Some Lycothans are noble warriors who will fight hard for what is right, like Warrior Harkaal and her Captain. Some Lycothans are honest champions of justice, as I and my mate, Jaxar, are. But some can be overly ambitious and power hungry and are quite willing to do anything to have their way..."
"Like that bitch who tried to have Casey raped..." Amanda practically growled.
"Alpha Jinara, yes," Nillara answered, "Her actions, while they are wrong, are not illegal..."
"Can't you change that then?" Amanda asked.
"Alphas like me and those who are in favor of coexistence with humans have tried and are trying... but there aren't enough of us and we don't have enough "proof" to see to a change in policy," Nillara answered, "Which gives Alphas like Jinara a great deal of leeway with regard to what they want."
"So you want me to change to support your faction?" Amanda asked slowly, her voice half curious half accusing.
"Partially," Nillara said slowly, "but at the same time... I fear that Jinara could have prisoners killed to try and break you... or worse... she's gives up and has you killed. It is bad enough that the rules won't let me let you out, do you know what your death would do to me?"
Nillara's voice grew weaker toward the end, however I began to hear footsteps approaching. I glanced toward them and saw Marrh walking along the hallway. I knocked once on the door and waited for my sister.
"Here you are Harkaal," Marrh said as she approached, "Captain Lartara is wondering on what you've been up to. You were to deliver breakfast and report for training an hour after..."
"And I will report as soon as my present mission is complete," I said to her, "I had to report on the prisoner's response to me to the Alphas, and Alpha Nillara wished to speak with her sister. I have been assigned to stand guard so that the meeting remains private."
"Alpha Nillara?" Marrh wondered, "Trying to get her sister to join directly?"
"I would think so... but not through force," I answered, "to give 995403 reason to want to change. Not to force her."
"I see," Marrh said slowly, "I'll let the Captain know the Alphas have you on special detail for the moment."
"Thank you, sister," I said to her.
Marrh nodded and was off. After a few moments I knocked twice on the door to signal to Nillara that it was safe to talk again. Though, from what I heard through the door, it sounded like they had continued to talk in whispers while I had been talking with Marrh.
"So... the only way you feel you can save me from Jinara is to have me change?" Amanda asked.
"That is my reasoning," Nillara answered, "to save my sister and keep her with me. Maybe it's a bit selfish on my part... but you must believe me when I say that I never stopped loving you... no matter what I became."
"And now you're going to change me?" Amanda asked.
"No," Nillara answered, "this meeting is outside of Alpha Jinara's schedule and she is still my superior... this meeting is to try and convince you that we aren't all monsters... that you're still loved... and that I will always be your sister. No matter what you become. However, that will have to wait until your next official recruitment session. For now... you can still be strong in who you are, but know that we aren't monsters and we aren't all like Jinara."
"What if I become like her... if... if I choose..." Amanda said weakly, "no one seems to remember who they were... you might be the only one..."
"It's rare and hard to predict... but there are Lycothans that remember who they were before they changed," Nillara answered, "but, even if you aren't one of them, I will train you and show you how we can all live together... There are Alphas that agree to that idea that don't remember who they were... a few were even born on Lycothos. Becoming a Lycothan won't necessarily make you like Jinara."
"You're sure?" Amanda asked.
"Of course I am," Nillara answered, "You're my sister."
"Thank you," was Amanda's response, followed by a knock at the door behind me.
"You're welcome," Nillara replied, "though, you will need to keep this conversation between you, me, and Warrior Harkaal. If word got to an Alpha like Jinara... who doesn't understand... she'd make things worse for us and you."
I couldn't see Amanda's response to that, as the door was shut. I turned and ran my key-card again to reveal Nillara at the door. She had Amanda's plate and platter, which was now empty. Amanda was still seated, but she seemed a bit more at ease now. It gave me reason to think that Nillara had been able to show that becoming a Lycothan didn't make her a monster.