We had suffered so much loss at the hands of the gray skins, but we would soon have our chance to bring them to justice. The final battle was coming and everything was riding on us, but were we up to the task?
Author's Note:
A very big thanks to Zapper, Beyogi, Loki & Maggie Finson for providing valued input and assistance editing this story. Another big thank you to all those who participated in the following blogs Requesting help with a name for a race of aliens... and Questions about a human hair bracelet of all things. Although all participants in the former thread were very helpful (well, really both threads), I feel I need to thank Rasufelle and Elizabeth Jean both for their suggestions as those two inspired the final name for the Phyrr Lesch the most.
Chapter Five
The defiant was so bright. That was the first thing I had noticed upon stepping through the airlock. The Qharr preferred things dark, so none of the ships or domiciles had been particularly bright, and the Relentless had never been the most luminescent of an environment. I suppose there hadn't been much need for lighting, the ship was a prototype after all.
There was something about the ship that was off putting, it wasn't the brightness though, that I liked. No, it was something about the place. Everything was so crisp, sterile and uniform. Each room was virtually identical from the last and each corridor too. It was a wonder they could travel the decks of the ship without getting lost.
“Thrum, thrum, thrum.” It was the sound of Lily's fingers against the conference table, a long dull gray slab that exemplified the design of the interior of ship. Faux-Mara had invited us aboard only to dump us inside the conference room and left us to stew. Lily wasn't the only one who was getting tired of waiting, Janet was pacing back and forth across the length of the room, the doctor was sitting at the head of the table behaving quite sedate for once, and Rayland looked ready to doze off. Arianne on the other hand, sat at her seat patiently hand clasped in front of her with a smile touching corners of her mouth.
Finally, the door slid open and in marched Mara accompanied by a severe looking man in a uniform. "I'm sorry about the delay," she said with a smile that didn't quite extend to her eyes. "Colonel Morris here had some security concerns that needed to be addressed."
"Yes, when introducing an unknown element," he said with a sneer, his eyes falling on me before he glanced at the doctor and Lily. "You must take a certain number of precautions."
Mara cleared her throat and took a seat setting a small computing device on the table in front of her.
"Sit, Morris," she said without looking up. The Colonel moved to comply and she studied her little device, her fingers pecking at the screen before she looked back up and eyed me with that shrewd calculating look that was so uniquely hers. "Now, we do find this talk of your little disagreement in the nest a little how should I put it? Off-putting?"
"Well, I can't really say I'd argue with that." Arianne grimaced and ran a hand through her long auburn tresses. "It was more than off-putting to have men I've known my whole life kill each other in front of my eyes. I'm ashamed of what Dahl has done, though thankfully he has been brought to justice."
"Be that as it may, we are preparing to retake our world, Miss Le Fonte, I can't commit my troops to an engagement with so many unknown variables. When I go into battle with someone I damn well expect him to watch my back. How can I trust a single one of you to do that when you've spent so much time shooting each other? The plan will go forward with or without the assistance of the nesters or the resistance." Colonel Morris slammed a fist onto the table in front of him.
"Now, now Morris there is no reason to be so terribly rude," Mara shook her head and turned to Le Fonte giving the other woman the same penetrative glare that I'd come to associate with Mara. "Trust is the biggest issue. None of us has any reason to trust the others, but we must find common ground if we are to retake Earth."
"Well said. Might I suggest a joint venture between our three groups? It would give our men an opportunity to get to know one other and hopefully get a good measure of each group's mettle," Le Fonte said meeting Mara's gaze without even blinking.
"Now you see, I told you there was no reason to be such a pessimist, Colonel," Mara said turning toward Morris who had a sour expression on his face.
She turned back toward Arianne and smiled. "What would you suggest dear?"
"The Relentless!" I blurted out suddenly and my cheeks burned as all eyes in the little conference room turned to me. "I mean, that's what I've decided to call our ship. The shield reactor is faulty, but Mara's people believe it can be fixed. If we could find the parts, having working shields would be pretty damn beneficial."
"It would be helpful, but a supply run isn't exactly what I had in mind." Arianne frowned and glanced over at me. "A simple supply run isn't going to help our people get along better. They need a challenge, something that would force them to work together."
"It wouldn't be simple by any means." Lily shook her head and bit her lip. "Few things ever are on Earth with the gray skins in control of damn near everything. I know somewhere where we might be able to pick up the parts we need. There's an old junk yard where the Qharr dump old derelict ships. There aren't any human vessels, but if we can work out what we need I might be able to find something that would work."
"Salvaging parts from human ships is one thing, but you're talking about using components from Qharr vessels. Their systems while similar in function operate on entirely different principles." Mara shook her head. "Qharr and human tech just don't meld."
"Oh yeah," I reached inside my jacket and yanked one of my phase pistols free of its holster and slammed it down on the table in front of me. Mara's people had confiscated the power-cells when we first entered the ship, but I didn't need them to prove my point. "This pistol can use power-cells from both human and Qharr weapons and I've been using them for weeks now. They seem to meld just fine to me."
"A phase pistol is one thing, but--"
"But nothing!" I cut Morris short and glared at him between gritted teeth. "Lily is brilliant. She's founds ways to do things with Qharr tech that your people probably haven't even dreamed of. The only reason we were able to move around so freely was because she found a way to fool Qharr satellites into thinking we weren't even there. If she says she can do it I believe her."
"Be that as it may," Mara said clasping her hand over mine. "The president does have a point. Such an errand doesn't exactly fit the criteria of what she has in mind."
Lily shook her head and tapped her index-finger against the table. "We used to mine the place for parts all the time, but then the Qharr caught wind of it and started patrolling the area. It won't be easy to sneak in, and getting out will be just as hard. There's a pretty good chance we'll run into trouble. That is what you wanted, right? Something that would force us to rely on each other."
"Right," Arianne nodded.
"What we really need is another ship," Mara said. "We could dig up one of the other omega-sevens, but that would involve yet another repair job."
"Not to mention, the weapons are severely outdated in the Relentless." Lily crinkled her nose and glanced at me with a shake of her head. "I had to burn out the phase emitters just so we could disable the weapons on a single destroyer. It's going to be a pain in the ass retrofitting the Relentless. That is assuming we can even find the parts. I'm not sure I'd want to do it on a second ship too."
I bit my lip and gritted my teeth as an idea suddenly popped into my head. "I-I think I might know where we can get another ship. When we snuck into the compound to rescue my sister we had help."
"Oh god." Lily groaned and messaged the base of her nose. "Not Velspatt again."
"You weren't even there," I replied glaring over at Lily.
"No, but Kaya told me all about it. I just don't think consorting with the Ghrev crime syndicate is going to work out so well for us." She did make a valid point, but the angry set of her jaw was any indication I think her antagonism had much more to do with my failure to return her declaration of affection.
"She may be a criminal, but I get the feeling she hates the gray skins just as much as us. If I can convince her to--"
"That a pretty big if," Mara stated. "What's to say this Velspatt won't just turn you over to the Qharr? Criminals are hardly the sort we want to be consorting with in any case."
"I won't deny that Velspatt may not be the most likely choice for an ally, but she came through for us in the past. She has no reason to turn us over to the Qharr, or she would have done so the last time we visited Salt Lake. All I want here is to take a small team into the city and reach out to her. If she says no, fine, but think of what we'll have gained if she says yes."
"Very well," Mara nodded. "I'm not in complete agreement, but part of being in an alliance is making concessions. You can take your team into the city and I think another group can find this junk yard. I think I should tell you that I believe we may need to accelerate our plans. The longer we stay on Earth the more likely we are to be found by the Qharr."
"Why don't you tell us a little more of this plan of yours? Enough beating around the bush! What makes you think we'll be willing to risk our lives when you won't even tell us what the hell it is you're doing here?" I stood bolt upright out of my seat pressing both fists into the table.
Mara stared at me calmly, her eyes smoldering holes into my soul, but not about to be cowered, I sat back in my seat to glare directly into her eyes. She thrummed her fingers against the table and pursed her lips. I didn't break eye contact and she cleared her throat before finally speaking. "Soon, if anyone is captured during our little excursions and the Qharr are successful at interrogating them I don't think I have to tell you how disastrous that would be for us. If you make it back, then I will tell you, dear."
"Fuck, how the hell did I know you were going to say that?"
Mara smiled and clasped her hands in front of her. "Now, why don't we start making preparations? The sooner we get underway, the better."
"I'm not about to let this go, Mara. I swear God if you don't give me something I will walk. You may think you can do this without us, but I'd be very surprised. Earth has changed a lot in the last two decades and a half and the only people who can tell you what you need to know are those of us who have been fighting and dying here on Earth."
Mara pursed her lips and clenched her jaw. Her facade of calm serenity fell away and I could see the anger smoldering in her eyes. "I believe I can risk giving away part of the plan seeing as it must now change." We planned to foment an uprising among the human population here on Earth, but the fall off the resistance has made those plans all but impossible. As you said, you and your co-patriots in the resistance have been the ones fighting and dying. You are the only ones who could have successfully infiltrated the compounds and cities. Neither the E-R-F forces nor the nesters have the appropriate knowledge."
"Then maybe it's time to consider a different tactic," I replied. "What if we undermine the very fabric of Qharr society? They are a race of warriors who pride themselves on their honor. How do you think they'd react if they learned that the humans were the first race?"
"First race?" Rayland asked. "What's that supposed to mean?"
I blinked, and stared at Rayland in surprise. I would have figured Janet would have filled him in, but I suppose there hadn't been much time for that. I bowed my head and closed my eyes ready to tell him everything, but it was the doctor who spoke first.
"Vakrexid has discovered that both my own race and the Qharr share an astounding number of genetic traits with humans. Far too many to be of coincidence. Vakrexid can only conclude that the Phyrr Lesch, our creators, used humans as basis for our two races."
"You’re kidding me, right? After all these years no one's figured this out? You can't honestly tell me that at no time during the war did anyone thing to analyze of Qharr DNA? Or the Dexagarmetrax for that matter? How many years did your people have contact with Earth before the war?"
The doctor blinked and let out a low-pitched keening warble. "My people had been in contact with yours for many years, but Vakrexid was among the first physicians to study with your people. There are many cultures for my people to study and forgive me, but your medical technology was considered quite primitive by galactic standards. So there was very little to draw other doctors here."
"Okay, so maybe it's understandable that the Dexagarmetrax wouldn't have figured it out, but what about humans? We must have done our own genetic research. I don't know about the rest of you, but if I were at war with a race with superior weapons technology I'd certain look into creating bioweapons. Wouldn't that have led them to discover the similarities between the Qharr and humans?" Rayland asked with just the hint of his usual smile touching the corner of his lips.
"He's right," Colonel Morris said. "We've known about the genetic similarities between the Qharr and humans for a long time.
"What?" Mara's head turned sharply and she stared at the Colonel her jaw hanging open in what looked to be genuine surprise. "Why wasn't I apprised of this, Colonel?"
"I'm sorry Ma'am, but it was on a need to know basis."
"Need to know basis! I have higher security clearance than you!" She said her hands pressing into the table so hard that her fingers were turning white.
Morris jaw tightened and he clasped his hands atop the table. "The discovery was made just before the start of the war and it was all kept very quiet from the start. I'm sure you can understand that this sort of news would cause ripples of controversy through our society particularly with religious groups. We'd already made contact with the gray skins and while it hadn't been particularly amiable it wasn't exactly hostile either. A team of diplomats with a small military escort, which I was a part of, was sent to Kyrll, a world on the edge of Qharr space to open diplomatic relations with the sub-ascendant living on that world."
"Kyrll." Mara gasped and she brought both hands up to cup her mouth. "Dear lord, that's a stone's throw away from Ismara Prime. The war didn't start over some territory dispute did it?
"No, that's just what the public was told," he said with a slight shake of his head. "The Qharr killed the diplomats. I and a few others barely escaped with our lives. Two days later the gray skins attacked Ismara Prime heralding in the beginning the war."
"Fucking hell." Lily only mouthed the words before speaking aloud. "Then the war, really everything, can be traced back to that single diplomatic mission. Why the hell would the gray skins start a war over something like this? Wouldn't they want to know where they came from?"
'Khala?' I thought at my symbiote. 'Do you have any insight?'
'No, the Qharr wouldn't see the first race as a threat. They should have welcomed you with open arms. I was always told that your diplomats had started the war by making an aborted attempt on the sub-ascendant's life. Something else must be behind this. It bears telling you, Jykarr Bynd, the former sub-ascendant of Kyrll spearheaded the war against humanity and it was over lobbied to have himself appointed sub-ascendant of Earth. The Prime-Ascendant of course, could not refuse given his status as hero of the war and obliged. Jykarr rules to this day.'
"Jykarr Bynd," I muttered the name in what I thought was a quiet tone of a voice, but soon had everyone in the room looking at me. "I bet you anything that it was all his doing, the war, the invasion of Earth, everything. He was the sub-ascendant of Kyrll before everything went to hell but the real question is why? Why would he want to enslave humanity?"
Mara sighed, thrumming her fingers against the table. "We could spend months trying to reason it out and never get anywhere. The only way we're going to uncover the truth is if we seek it out."
"One thing is for certain. If you are right about Jykarr, I don't believe he’d want anyone to know about his people's link to humanity. Perhaps that is even why he started the war," Rayland mused stroking his chin more than a hint of his usual smirk returning to his face. "Which is why we need to find a way to get this information out in the open. If the grays skins learn of this it could undermine the entire occupation of Earth and could help tilt the scales in our favor."
"Yes." Mara nodded. "I agree, but we need to find a way to transmit this message to the whole of Qharr society living here on Earth."
"New York," Lily said suddenly and everyone in the room turned to look at her. "That's where the sub-ascendant supposedly lives, isn't it?"
"Yes, but what's that got to do with any of this?" Colonel Morris demanded staring at Lily with an undisguised look of contempt.
Lily, shrank into her chair, and her face turned red as she stared at the Morris with wide eyes. "Well I was just thinking that the sub-ascendant is supposed to be able to send planet-wide transmissions. If we could send a strike team into his palace we might be able to use his communication array to relay the information."
"Yes we could, if we knew where the sub-ascendant's palace was located, but most Qharr don't even know. They've kept the location under wraps after the resistance destroyed his first home," Rayland said then cleared his throat when I glanced at him with a single raised eyebrow.
"We monitor Qharr communications," he replied with a shrug.
"Actually," I said tapping the side of my temple. "We do know where it is. Khala told Mara, the other one; where it was when she tried to interrogate her, but I'm not sure attacking his palace is such a good idea. Can you imagine what that place would be like? I doubt it will be as easy as sneaking into a slave compound and the last time we tried to do that we almost didn't make it out."
"It would be risky, I'm sure," Mara pursed her lips and let out a long sigh. "But it may be the only option left to us if we are unable to incite an uprising. In the meantime, I believe we have preparations to make. The sooner we get underway, and get this all done with the sooner I'll reveal the final pieces of the plan to you."
"We just need to decide on teams."
"Naturally," Mara nodded. "I assume you wish to lead this expedition into Salt Lake City yourself."
I nodded. "A large group will draw too much notice. I don't think I should take any more three people, counting myself, into the city just to play it safe."
"Very well, it may not be a bad idea to lend you a crew to man your ship. If you need to leave in a hurry they could have the ship prepped and ready to take off."
"That seems like a wise precaution. Lily, will obviously have to accompany your people on the part run, and Farris is still in pretty rough shape it might be better to let him sit this one out. The doctor will probably want to stay with his patients, which is just as well a Dexagarmatrax walking the streets of a Qharr occupied city would draw a lot of notice and as for my sister--"
Mara held her hand up before I could finish and slowly started to shake her head. "Rebecca, will stay here at the nest with me. I'll be getting to know the nesters better and I think I'd like a representative of the resistance present. This Farris friend of yours is in rough shape, I wouldn't want to subject him to many hours at the negotiating table."
I felt my jaw tighten and I gritted my teeth as I stared across the table at Mara. I didn't like the idea of leaving my sister with the nesters after everything that had happened. It was one thing meeting with Rayland and Arianne, they were friends, but actually going into the nest was another thing entirely. I didn't like the idea of Becca sticking around without someone to protect her. Then again knowing my sister she'd probably insist on staying to protect Farris. I grimaced and bit my lip meeting Mara's gaze.
"Absolutely not! I don't want my people stuck in that death pit especially if someone gets it into their heads to continue what Dahl started."
"That won't be an issue," Mara replied. "I have no intention of infringing on the nesters. We've brought along a number portable housing units which can be constructed in a matter of hours. They each come rigged with a holo cloaker and are highly defensible. If trouble comes to us, believe me when I say we'll be ready for it."
I sighed and brushed the hair out of my eyes. "I can't speak for Becca, but it may take some doing to convince her to stay. She's her own person, the choice is hers. I won't stand in her way if she whatever decision she makes."
"Very well, I will talk with her." She cleared her throat and turned back to me with a smile. "Now, dear have you thought about who you'd like to bring along on your team?"
"Rodriquez and Neada."
"You can have Rodriguez, but it would behoove us to have Major Patterson's second in command along on the main trip. Don't you think? If anything were to happen to the major we'd need her to develop a working relationship with our troops. I'm sure your friends in the nest could make a suggestion."
"I know a man," Arianne said finally speaking after a long silence.
She had a shrewd smile on her face and I realized she had been kept quiet, not because she was intimidated, but had allowed us to carry on in order to get a better gauge on us. She reminded me of a predator carefully studying its prey preparing to pounce on it. The moment Mara glanced in Arianne's direction; the pretty auburnette dropped the sly look and stared back at the older woman with wide innocent eyes.
It was a dangerous game to play. She could pretend to be the spineless young leader and have Mara think she had her eating out of her hands, but when the time was right she could show her teeth and sink claws into Mara's back revealing that she hadn't been quite so spineless after all. Of course, if Mara caught on the whole thing would be shot to hell, but I had no intention of telling her. It might be interesting to see Mara squirm for once.
"President, I'll be glad to talk with your man. I can't make any promises, but I given the circumstances I'm not sure I have a lot of choice in the matter."
"Then it's settled," Mara smiled evidently oblivious to Arianne's little scheme.
"Right." I cleared my throat and stood back up. "I see no reason to delay things. We'll make preparations tonight and tomorrow we'll head out. Assuming that everything goes well, we'll meet back here."
"Perfect, the guards outside the door will escort you back to your ship. I'll be sure to send Rodriquez over after I've briefed her."
She gestured with an open hand toward the door and we didn't linger quickly finding our way back to the umbilical that led back the Relentless.
Chapter Six
I laid back in bed and sighed as I stared up at the ceiling. The idea had been to catch a few hours of shut-eye while I was waiting on Mara and Arianne to send their people over, but I hadn't been sleeping well since Lily and I had stopped sharing a bed. Every time I tried to talk to her, I just made things worse. She didn't even yell at me, I think I could have handled that. She acted like a wounded puppy and I couldn't bring myself to look into her eyes anymore.
I sat up and rubbed my eyes and ran a hand through my long mass of tangled hair. It was wrong of me to spend so much time muddling over my ailing relationship when the fate of the entire world hung in the balance, but no matter how much I told myself this, thoughts of Lily came to me unbidden. If only I had spoken up when I'd had the chance the distance that had grown between us would have never even come about.
There was a tap at the door and I sat bolt upright, happy for an interruption. "Come in," I said pecking at my hair and hoping to make it at least a somewhat presentable.
The door slid open and in walked Rodriquez. It was the first time I'd seen her out of her body armor and while I'd known she had an attractive face I hadn't quite realized the rest of the package was just as alluring. I coughed and shook my head and felt ashamed for thinking such things. I don't know if it was the absence of Lily's touch or the fact that our relationship was on the rocks, but I was having trouble keeping the more carnal part of my mind caged up. It had only been a few days since I'd gotten some, but for whatever damn reason all I could think of, when I wasn't thinking about Lily, was sex, sex, sex.
"Mara said she'd brief you, so I doubt I need to tell you what our mission is, but I'm sure you have questions."
"You can say that again, she said you asked for me. Why?" She asked staring back at me lacing her arms on her hips and leaned against the wall.
"Honestly?" I shrugged and lurched to my feet. "You're one of the few from Mara's group whose name I even know that isn't a total meathead."
"Meathead?" Rodriquez let out a low throaty chuckle. "You'd be surprised."
I raised my eyebrows, but didn't press the matter. I was curious to say the least, but I wasn't really sure I wanted to know what she had meant. Even so, she told me anyway.
"You should know. I'm not like the other soldiers."
"And you wonder why I picked you?" I asked. "The rest of those guys will stand out like a sore thumb the moment they step into the city. I think you would have a better chance at blending in than the rest."
"Look I'm flattered, but that's not what I meant. I'm a bit like that Rayland friend of yours. A defect, a clone who should have been terminated."
"Then why is it that you're still around? The E-R-F, doesn't exactly seem like the types to rely on a piece of faulty hardware." I winced, closed my eyes and rubbed my temples. "I'm sorry that came out sounding a little harsher than I'd intended."
"I've heard worse." She shrugged. "I've developed a bit of a tough skin. There are only a handful of people who know about my defect, but it's not exactly physical as with your friend."
That definitely had my curiosity peaked. "So it's mental?"
"You could say that. Though I'm not quite sure my problem could be described so simply. It's funny, if it hadn't been for some random little computer bug I never would have existed. In short, this body was flashed with the wrong memories. It should have been given the recollections of Susan Rodriquez, but somehow I ended up with the mind of a medic by the name of Maximilian Everly."
Understanding dawned on me and I bit my lip as I studied the other woman. "That's one hell of a revelation, but why tell me?"
She shrugged and bit her lip. "Because you're bound to find out sooner or later and because I figured you of all people would understand."
"Mara told you that I used to be a man, didn't she?"
Rodriquez nodded. "She thought I could talk to you. I've struggled living in this body from the moment I first came awake. Mara's the only reason I've been allowed to live as long as I had. She sees me as her project, something to fix. Honestly, I'm not sure I can be fixed."
"I know the feeling, but to be completely honest if you're telling me this because you think I can give you some insights I'm not really sure I'll be able to give you what you're looking for. Adjusting has been a rough road for me. I'll help you if I can, but my first priority is driving the Qharr from Earth. If we get a chance, I'd love to talk some more, but for now I need you to concentrate on the mission. Can you do that?"
"Yes, it's why I'm here. If I couldn't concentrate on the job at hand Morris would have had me put down a long time ago."
"Good." I put a hand on her shoulder and reached into my pocket with the other. "I've compiled a list of supplies. I want you to work with your people and if they have anything we'll need they'll be willing to part with."
"Yes, ma'am." She nodded, paused at the door and turned back to me. "What would you prefer I call you? I'm accustomed to dealing with a little clearer chain of command."
"I'd prefer, you call me Lexa."
"Alright," she replied. "And you can call me Max."
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"Becca." I scratched the back of my head standing in the doorway of my sister's quarters. "Can I talk to you for a minute?"
"If this is about this whole Mara thing, I've already decided to stay with Mara and help with the negotiations."
I nodded and scratched sat down on the edge of her bed. "Actually, I already knew Mara had talked to you. Are you really sure you want to stay? After what happened the last time--"
Becca held a hand up cutting me short. "Lexa, I can take care of myself. Honestly, if it weren't for Matt I'd probably go with you, but I can't just leave him alone with Mara."
"Alright." I bowed my head and ran a hand through my long blue locks. "I'd stay with you if I didn't think this were so important, but another ship could really come in handy and--"
"Lex." She planted her hand on her hips and gave me a pointed look. "You don't have to explain I understand."
"Now," she continued folding her arms across her chest. "Why don't you tell me what's going on between you and Lily?"
I stopped and stared at my sister for a long moment, caught by surprise, but I probably shouldn't have been. It was stupid to assume that no one had caught on when the two of us barely even talked to each other and when we did it wasn't especially cordial. I shook my head and fell back into the bed my hair falling into my face. "I'm not sure I want to talk about it."
Becca flicked the hair out of my face and looked down into my eyes. "Come on, I can't stand seeing you like this. Why don't you tell me what's going on?"
I pushed myself up, resting my weight on my elbows and bit my lip before finally relenting. "Lily told me she loved me."
"Oh, well, that's good, isn't it?"
"No, I mean, I don't know! She just sprang it on me, I sort of panicked and froze. Before I knew it the Defiant was under attack and by then it was too late. Since then, I've spent every waking moment regretting what had happened. I know I could have handled better, but the last woman who told me she loved me was Kaya and you know how that turned out. What should I do, Becca?"
My sister collapsed onto the bed and ran her hands through her thick mop of hair. "Well, that explains Lily's behavior. I guess the question is, do you love her too?"
I closed my eyes, massaged my temples and let a little moan escape my lips. "I do, I really do. It's just I'm worried we're moving too fast. What if she leaves me? What if one of us dies? I just can't lose her like I did Kaya. I don't think I can handle it."
"Well," Becca said a little bit of a quiver in her voice. "I understand better than anyone, but if you do nothing you will lose her. Besides." She pushed herself up and leaned over me her hair tickling my arm. "Can you honestly say you'd want to erase everything that had happened between you and Kaya? When Coran died I found myself wondering if I would have been better off if we'd never met, but now..."
She trailed off a tear touching the corner of her eye before she continued. "But now, I wouldn't take our time together away for all the world. He made me feel special in a way that no one else has ever…” she paused her eyes growing wide as her cheeks turned bright red.
"Well, maybe someone else has," she said a slow smile creasing her lips. She cleared her voice and batted at her bangs. "You know what I mean."
"Yeah, I think I do. I've been an idiot and I think it's time I do something about it," I replied just before pulling myself up to my feet and rushed out the door to find Lily.
"God-dammit, Lily!" I grabbed her by the wrist and spun her around so she would face me. "Would you just listen to me?"
Lily jerked reacting as if I had stabbed her in the gut and I reached out to touch her face even as she fought to break my grip. She slipped loose and collapsed to the ground at my feet staring up at me with wide eyes. "This is it, isn't it? You're going to break up with me."
It was my time to jerk backward, collapsing against the airlock hatch. So that was why she had been trying so hard to avoid me over the last few days. It seemed so obvious looking back on it, but I'd been so caught up in what I should have said I didn't stop to think what Lily might have been thinking.
I was still afraid, but I couldn't just let her leave without telling her how I felt. Tears were winding their way down her face and I knelt down next to her and place a hand on her shoulder. "Lil, this has never been about that. The truth is, since you said those words I've been terrified. I kept telling myself we were moving too fast, but it's not that. The truth is I'm afraid of losing you just like I lost Kaya, but if I stand by and let you walk away it's not any different."
"What are you saying?" She stared up at me, the tears starting to dry up.
"What I'm saying, Lily, is that I love you," I grabbed her by both cheeks and pecked her on the lips.
I could feel her trembling and she fell forward collapsing into my arms. "God, it's so good to hear you say that."
I felt her lips on my neck and a slow smile form on my face just before she pulled my chin down for a kiss. I closed my eyes and became lost to the sensuality that was an odd contrast to the excitement that was bubbling inside of me. I loved Lily, and as clichéd as it sounded I wanted to shout it from every rooftop and tell the whole world.
It was strange, I had the same feelings for Lily that I had for Kaya, but the two were as different as night and day. Kaya had been like a reactor that had gone critical ready to explode at any moment. Lily was more like her new namesake, soft and delicate, but whenever I looked at her I felt my heartbeat kick into overdrive just like it had with Kaya. I didn't want the moment to end, but like all good things it eventually did. Too soon, in fact.
"Well, this is awkward," a voice said.
Lily jerked out of my lap with a suddenness that startled me. I cleared my throat and stood up to face the newcomer. Though we'd only met once, his name was one I didn't have any trouble recalling. "Councilor Schmit."
"I'd prefer Jokeb, if you don't mind," he said showing almost no emotion on his face. "Arianne tells me I've been picked to accompany you on an expedition. As you might have guessed I'm just giddy with excitement."
I wasn't quite sure if he was sincere, but given that his voice didn't mirror his supposed enthusiasm I tended to think he was being cynical. I studied the squat little man and wondered why the president would have chosen this man to accompany me. He wasn't much to look at. He was short, balding, and middle-aged with touches of gray touching his temples. He wasn't overweight though I couldn't say he was exactly fit either, but it was hard to tell since he was wearing a long-sleeve shirt and pants.
"Jokeb, I don't really mean to be rude, but--"
"You wanna know what makes me so special?" He asked a glint of amusement in his eyes. "I grew up in Salt Lake. If the city's layout hasn't changed much in the last two decade and a half, and I see no reason to think it has, I know a few hidey-holes we can use if the going gets tough. I may not look it but I'm pretty good in a fight. I was a soldier and a bit of a brawler in my younger days."
"Very well," I replied. "I have Alex Rodriquez, the other member of our expedition, gathering supplies. The list isn't very extensive, but there were some things she was having trouble rounding up. Would you mind working with her to see if you can't wrangle up the last few items?"
He stared at me and I felt his cold eyes studying me. A smile touched the corner of my lips, but still he didn't speak. I raised my eyebrows and matched his gaze. "Is there a problem?"
"I'm not sure yet." He grinned then calming walked away. "I'll get your precious supplies if I can," he called back over his shoulder just before disappearing around a bend in the corridor.
"Interesting fellow," Lily said a moment later. "Hard to read that one. Sure hope he doesn't wind up becoming a liability."
"Yeah," I said. "I just wish I knew what the hell that was all about."
She leaned and pecked me on the lips resting her head up against my shoulder and sighed. "I gotta get going soon. I only came back to grab a few things from the Relentless. Colonel Morris isn't exactly the type you wanna keep waiting."
We shared another brief kiss before she too departed disappearing in the same direction as Jokeb. It was probably the last time I'd get to see her before we left for our missions and a part of me worried that it might be our final meeting. I worried for her, but I think that was part of being in a relationship. Lily could fend for herself, and if all went well we'd see each other again. It was the best I could hope for and sometimes hope is enough.
Chapter Seven
We parted ways the next day; I took the Relentless with Rodriquez and Schmit and left Morris in the Defiant with Lily as part of the crew. Becca wasn't happy to stay at the nest, especially after what had happened, but I'd managed to soothe many of her doubts. I just wish I could say the same for myself.
We arrived at the city about midday and the three of us set out immediately. We were just approaching the Salt Lake City limits when I stopped Jokeb by placing a hand on his chest. Alex came to a stop behind him and I craned my neck back glancing at the towering skyscrapers of Salt Lake City. "You need to loosen up, both of you. You're going to stand out if you go traipsing into the city with your heads held high like that."
Schmit grinned and didn't say a word, but Rodriquez more than made up for his silence. "Why do you say that?"
I palmed my forehead and sighed. "You're supposed to be slaves who've spent the past twenty-four years living under the shadow of the gray skins. Do you know what that does to a person? It breaks you; it makes you give up hope. Hang your head a little when you walk, don't make eye contact with anyone, look at your feet. Maybe hunch over a little bit and whatever you do, you stay out of the way of the Qharr. Don't talk back, hell don't talk at all, unless you're spoken to directly."
Jokeb grunted and looked out to the city. "I'll play along and do your little monkey dance, but I'm a little more worried about getting into the city."
"Yeah," I nodded looking out toward the city. "But if we pull this off it'll all be worth it."
Rodriquez looked out on the city and grimaced. "I'm not so sure we can pull this off."
"Now, now, girl there's no need to be a pessimist. I for one think it seems like a worthwhile venture."
With that I turned sharply to examine Jokeb. His tone of voice was neutral, but the way he'd emphasized worthwhile made me think he was being ironic. I wasn't about to waste my time mincing words for clarification. As longs as Schmit did his job he could think whatever the hell we wanted.
"That reminds me, it's about time I did something about these eyes and hair." I said grabbing a fistful of blue locks and holding them in front of my face. 'Khala would you care to do the honor.'
'It would be my pleasure,' she replied sounding almost chipper for a change.
My scalp started to itch and I shook my head as hair fell away. I was bald just long enough to feel the breeze tickle my crown, but then I felt new locks cascade down my head. My eyes burned and I forced them shut only to snap them back open a moment later once Khala had finished.
"Damn," Jokeb said snorting as he looked me over.
"God." Rodriquez gasped and stared at me with wide eyes. "Does it hurt?"
"Mostly, it just itches, and burns a little."
"I don't get it why don't you just keep it that way? Wouldn't you rather just blend in?"
"It's a little more complicated than that." I shook my head and glanced back at the city. "Frankly, I'm getting a little tired of explaining it. Maybe I'll tell you later, but for now I'd like to get this done with. The quicker we get our asses into the city the quicker we can get the hell out."
"Papers." The Qharr at the gate demanded holding a massive paw out in front of me.
I reached inside my jacket and produced the asked for documents. The guard, a towering gray skin whose skin had an almost bluish tinge to it, studied them with furrowed brows. When he let the papers drop to the ground at our feet I knew that it was a bust.
"Get down!" I yelled tossing my rucksack aside producing a phase pistol from inside my jacket and slammed it into the chest of the guard. He staggered back and I spun around opening fire on the other three guards. I took one down with a head shot and managed to hit another in the shoulder, but the fourth leapt out of the way before my shots could hit home.
"Inside now!" I yelled at Jokeb and Alex as the gate started to slide shut. I slammed my shoulder into the first guard who had recovered from my initial blow and went dashing toward the opening right on my companions' tails.
"That went well," Jokeb called over his shoulder as the gate came crashing into place behind us.
"Yeah, you're telling me!" I called craning my neck back and cursed as I caught sight of cadre of guards in hot pursuit. "We've got company!"
I stopped dead in my tracks and spun around using my phase pistol to take down three of the bastards with carefully aimed shots to the head. Phase blasts pelted me, but I'd become so accustomed to my immunity to energy weapons that I didn't even flinch. Flashes of phase bolts came sizzling past me from behind as Alex and Jokeb opened fire behind me and I managed to take out another gray skin and grazed a second before the remaining five guards were on top of me.
I jumped up sailing above the bastard's head and spinning around in a back flip I landed on their tails and started blasting them before my feet even hit the ground. Three fell against my sudden barrage, but the remaining two managed to lurch out of the way. The first, a slender example of Qharr womanhood, charged at me her fists swinging and I spun away landing a blow in her side.
I wasn't so fortunate with the second guard, who smashed his fists into my side before I even saw him coming. I took a bit of a tumble and landed rather ungracefully on my ass. Before I could climb back to my feet the Qharr woman hit me with powerful kick in the ribs. I stumbled back, but after I regained my footing I kicked out and managed to sweep her feet out from under her. The second guard slammed into me, but I dislodged him and plant a fist into his face. He went down like a sack of potatoes and I spun around to face the female guard and saw a dozen or so guards dashing through the city toward us I
"Well crap," I muttered and took off running. Schmit and Rodriquez fell in sync behind me and we went tearing through the streets of Salt Lake the gray skins in hot pursuit. I fired a number of shots over my shoulder and so did my companions, but it's damn near impossible to aim when you're running even with abilities like mine.
"Jokeb, Alex" I screamed as we turned a corner into a side street. "No matter what happens just keep running. If I go down, do whatever it takes to complete the mission without me."
Joken grunted in what I hoped was an affirmative as I spun around on the balls of my feet to face the deluge of oncoming pursuers. I gritted my teeth, screamed at the top of my lungs, and went charging right at them. I even managed to pick off four guards with my pistol before I landed the first blows with my fists.
"Fatherless dre'ks!" I screamed bashing one of the bastards in the skull before kicking another across the chest. Another pounced on me, but I leapt up and over his head. He was quick on his feet even by human standards and I soon found myself facing him. He was short and slender, small by Qharr standards, but still much bulkier than your average human.
He swung a fist at me, but I raised my pistol and shot him in the face. Before I could fire off another shot another guard smashed into me and sent the pistol clattering to the ground. I cursed, but didn't even bother lunging after it. Instead, I yanked the guard's own weapon from its holster and shot him dead. I killed two more guards before my filched weapon was forced out of my hands by the tall slender Qharr woman from before.
I threw my fist back to hit her, but she was thrown aside as a short and squat figure came slamming into her with surprising force. I had to do a double take when I realized it was Jokeb, but I didn't have to time to reason out how he might have pulled off such a feat of strength. I dodged another attack, and pounced on my new opponent. I made short work of him and the next two after that. I swirled around ready to take on another only to find that Jokeb had picked off the remaining few.
"Come on." He motioned me forward and we both joined Rodriquez, who had lingered in the distance, a moment later.
I glanced back over my shoulder and was relieved to find that there were no guards in pursuit for the time being, but that could change any minute. "We need to find some place to hide."
We dashed down an adjoining street only to come to a screeching halt. It was packed from one end to the other with a whole host of different species including Qharr, Ghrev, humans and a dozen or so more aliens that I couldn't name. I almost turned away, but then I caught sight of a familiar face. I pushed my way through the crowd and took off after her. Jokeb and Alex called after me and I glanced back at them furiously motioning at them to follow. Unfortunately, when I looked back Velspatt had disappeared into the crowd.
It didn't help matters when I took notice of the gray skin guards working their way through the crowd. I cursed under my breath and ducked under a nearby awning and a few seconds later Jokeb and Alex joined me.
"Shit," Alex said gripping the side of her head. "What the hell are we going to do? There's no way we can fight Qharr in a crowd like this."
I bit my tongue, and stopped myself from pointing out that Rodriquez hadn't done a lot of fighting during the last fight. "I'd rather not hurt any of these people--" I stopped and glanced around at the crowd. I wasn't concerned in the least about injuring Qharr, but there were plenty of innocents of other species who might get caught in the crossfires. "--but there's too much at risk for any one of us to get captured. What we need is a way out."
Jokeb grinned then and threw a thumb over his shoulder. "That ain't no problem. Come on."
We zigzagged through the crowd and the guards on both sides of the street moved closer and closer boxing us in. We were just seconds away from being trapped, but then Jokeb veered right so suddenly that I almost kept on walking straight forward. As it was, I barely managed to keep myself from running into a rather large and menacing looking Credknot before I following after Schmit.
A moment later we stepped out into an alley barley wide enough for us to walk through single file. I never would have even known it was there had it not been for Jokeb, the gap between the two buildings had been almost perfectly concealed by the awnings from the market carts and booths. It was a good thing it was an open ended alley or we might have been trapped there.
At the alley’s end, I realized just how wrong my earlier assessment had been. There were two paths that led right and left at the end, but they were both closed off from the outside streets. Fortunately, that didn't mean there weren't other routes we could take. A single metal door, long rusted over from disuse, was all that stood between us and our escape. Hopefully, the building would provide access to the next street over, but there was just one problem the door mechanisms were rusted stuck. That wasn't much of an impediment for us, but this time it wasn't me that forced the door open, it was Jokeb.
He slammed into the door with his shoulder and it popped open with a groan of protest providing just enough room for him to squeeze through. Alex and I were pretty quick to follow him through and the room went dark a moment when the door clanged shut with another metallic clank.
A beam of light cascaded out from a small cylindrical tube clenched in Max's hand and I spent a moment taking stock of my surroundings. We were in some sort of storage room which was lined with shelves, most of them empty, here or there was an empty box or a piece of equipment too heavy to be carried out by scavengers, but I didn't see anything that justified further investigation.
Joken grunted and spun around just in time to watch him send one of the heavy metal shelfs crashing down in front of the door. "That ought to hold 'em off."
"Assuming they'll even find this place," I replied glancing back over my shoulder. "Either way I say it's time for us to make our exit. If they do find their way here I want to be long gone before they show up."
We did just that exiting out through the opposite door and found ourselves back on the streets. From there we made our escape disappearing into the crowds of the next nearest roadway.
I collapsed against the wall running a hand through my hair as took several deep breaths. My heart was racing, but considering that we'd just spent the last four hours playing cat and mouse with the Qharr that wasn't much a surprise.
This time I was fairly certain we'd managed to give them the slip, but Rodriquez was keeping a close eye on the window just in case.
"Okay, Jokeb. Now that we're settled I think it's about time you clarify things," I said.
"Clarify?" He grinned scratching at his beard as studied me with those deep set eyes. "Let's not dance around with our words. You wanna know how I can mash faces so easily, is that it?"
Mash faces? That seemed like an odd way of putting it, but I bit my lip and nodded. Jokeb gritted his teeth and let out a long sigh before pulling his shirt up over his head.
"Hey look." I held my hands up and scooted away. "I don't know what--"
Jokeb let out a low throaty laugh then turned his back to me revealing a long column of metal that protruded from his back where his spine should have been. It was segmented, each section having the appearance of a vertebrae and there were tiny silver strands threading out from the each segment like snakes burrowing down into his skin.
"There's a lot of names for people like me. Cyborg, bionic, biomechs, fusers, and probably half a dozen others that you won't hear mentioned in polite conversation. I ain't immune to phase fire like you, but I'm stronger than most Qharr and I can take a beating like no other."
I nodded and let out a long sigh of relief as he pulled his shirt back over his head. "Sorry, I thought you might have had something else in mind."
He didn't answer, but instead he grinned and shook his head.
"How long do you think it will be before they give up the chase?" Max craned her beck back turning away from the window to glance over at me.
"Well they're Qharr so probably never," I replied sinking down to the floor. "But things will probably die down a little in a couple of days. We'll need to disguise ourselves though and stay out of sight as much as possible when we're traveling through the city."
"Three days doesn’t hardly seem like enough time," Jokeb replied his hands thrumming against the floor. "We oughtta settle down and wait the bastards out."
"I don't believe this," Max palmed her face and shook her head. "You might be comfortable hiding in a hole, but I don't think we want to stay in the city long term. The sooner we get out the better."
"You're one to talk," Jokeb narrowed his eyes and glared at Max. "Your people ran away from Earth with their tails tucked between their legs and left the rest of us to the Qharr."
Max clenched her jaw and looked almost as if she were ready to scream, but I held my hand up and stopped her before she could issue her retort. "Max you're right, we can't afford to stick around the city for very long, but we do need to wait the gray skins out. We'll watch the streets and see how it goes, but if five days go by without incidence and guards are still roaming the city in full force I will go find Velspatt all by myself."
"Just you?" Max raised an eyebrow and turned back to the window. "I know with your abilities you can do some pretty amazing things, but even you aren't invincible."
"No, but you can't walk up a wall or leap across rooftops," I replied feeling a huge grin stretch across my face as I caught her eyebrows shooting up. I guess she'd underestimated my abilities after all.
"Jesus," she said, with slight shake of her head. "Is there anything you can't do?"
I grunted and sank down the rest of the way to the floor. "Jokeb try to get some sleep. Max, you have first watch, wake me up in a few hours, and I'll take a turn."
I drifted off in no time and faded into the darkness of a dreamless sleep.
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Chapter Eight
Five days came and went and the Qharr patrols showed no signs of letting up. Which gave us plenty of time to think, fortunately we'd packed in enough foodstuffs to last us those five days. Well, once we rationed them. Water was another matter entirely, but we managed to procure some through a quick trip back into the street and some less than honest means.
Five days of sitting around gave me plenty of time to think and given some the more recent revelations I had plenty of fodder. I'd been so caught up with Mara's return from the grave and everything that had happened since then that I'd barely given myself much time to think about it, but it had to come up sooner or later.
The Qharr were human or damn near close to it. My whole life there had been no doubt in my mind that humans were less violent than the Qharr, but if we had been used as a template for the gray skins could that really be true? I'd seen the horrible things humans could do to one another and I'd experienced more than a few of them myself.
I was always so sure that the horrible things humans did were a result of the way in which the gray skins had tread upon us. They had taught us to commit atrocities, but that didn't ring true anymore. The truth was we had the same capacity for violence that our oppressors did, but then what separated us from them?
I didn't know, but despite all that I was resolved to keep up the fight. Before the war humanity had managed to put aside all our differences and unite as we reached out to the stars. If we could do it once, why not again?
Delving into human and Qharr nature weren't the only things that kept me occupied. Jokeb wasn't much of a conversationalist, but Max was more than happy to chatter. Given that we'd both been forced into bodies of the opposite sex, although through very different means, we had a lot of things to discuss and she was more than happy to do so.
"It's strange, but I can't help but wonder. I'm so different from the other Everlys, but I'm not much like the other Rodriquezes either. We know a lot of our behavior is ruled by genetics, but a lot is shaped by our personal experiences. How much of me is a product of genetics and how much is by my own experiences?" Max said rubbing a hand against her temple. "And maybe some of it is influences by my sex. I have the memories of a man, but the body of a woman. There aren't any clones like me, I just wonder..."
"You need to stop worrying your pretty little face off. You are who you are, and the only things that makes you that way is because you choose to be that way. The second you woke from your tube you were different from anybody else. You're experiences are gonna be different and you are gonna make different choices," Jokeb said with a suddenness that startled us both.
Max pursed her lips and glared at the little man. I'm not sure she took well to being called pretty. I could certainly understand where she was coming from. I'd never cared to be called that myself.
"It's a little more complicated than that," I replied shaking my head. "I think I understand or at least I do better than most. After I was joined, I was transformed and I really came to know my violent side. I've done things I'm not proud of and frankly I never would have believed that I was actually capable of. I found myself blaming my symbiote, and the body that she had forced on me. Anyone or anything, but myself."
"I didn't know who I was or what I had allowed myself to become, but I even started to think of Lexa and Jelfree as two separate people. I eventually realized that whatever name I chose to go by I’m still the same person. Those violent acts I’d committed weren't the fault of my symbiote or my body. I had chosen to do those things and I would have done so regardless of what face or sex I happened to wear. I guess that's why I had my symbiote give me a new face, as a way of showing I had moved past all that."
"Are you done yet? Or do you think we need to sit and discuss this for another five days?"
"Weren't you the one that wanted to settle in for the long haul?" Rodriquez turned to Schmit with a crooked eyebrow.
"I was, but after five days of listening to the two of you yammer on I can't much stand the thought of sticking around."
I bit my tongue forcing back the response that was so close to escaping my lips and climbed to my feet.
"I don't suppose there's any need to wait longer. Don't wait up for me," I said just before disappearing from our little hidey hole and into the darkness of the city around us.
Finding my way through the city was difficult, not just because the streets were dark and unlit, but because I wasn't quite sure where I was going. I knew what direction I needed to take, but the city was big and face it a girl can get lost when traveling amongst those big towering structures. Especially when she'd spent most of her life living in slave compounds, the cities were a different kind of beast entirely.
The streets were mostly empty save for a smattering of Qharr here or there. Fortunately, it was dark enough that I was able to slip past them pretty easily. In all the slave compounds I'd visited in my travels, there was always a curfew for humans so it seemed likely there was one in the city as well which would explain the absence of humans in the streets.
"Shit," I cursed under my breathe and dove into the shadows just as a Qharr patrol came marching down the street. A moment later they disappeared around a corner and I let out a long sigh of relief before looking straight up. Most of the buildings on the street were close enough together and low enough to the ground that traveling by way of rooftop seemed like the best way of keeping out of sight.
I was in what was once probably a business district where tall skyscrapers reached into the night sky. The buildings looked to be in pretty decent shape, which led me to believe they were still in use. I was relieved to find that the windows were dark when I launched myself up the side of the nearest building.
When I was on top I got a better view of the city around me, but it did little help point me in the right direction. I was almost ready to make my way back down to street level when Khala chimed in. 'Keep going forward.'
"Yes, mistress. Your wish is my command."
"Smart ass," she replied her facade appearing out of the open air. "I was trying to give you directions."
"Directions? How the hell can you make heads or tails of all of this?!" I held an open hand out gesturing at the cityscape before us.
"We need to go west, right? Trust me I have an internal compass. Just keep headed in that direction and we should find our way."
I watched Khala's image fade away and then after a running head start I leapt over to the next rooftop. I continued on like that, jumping from roof to roof until I came to the end of the street. From there I was forced to leap back down and sneak across the street and was back up on the opposite rooftop in no time. I continued on like that for several hours, once in a while Khala would point me in the right direction.
Whenever I came back down to street level it got harder and harder to dodge the patrols, but somehow I managed to squeeze through each time. That being said there were half a dozen close calls and when I finally neared the Ghrev deli I was never so glad to find the place.
I was a little disheartened when I saw the deli and realized that the lights were out, but, face it, that's not exactly a surprising development considering what time it was. I ducked behind a corner just as another patrol passed by. Once they'd disappeared back into the darkness I crossed the street and found my way to the back.
The back door was locked, but that wasn't exactly much of an impediment for someone like me. I slammed my shoulder into the door and after the third strike it gave away. I rushed forward flying inside with my phase pistol readied only to stop dead in my tracks.
Three very large and well armed Ghrev were standing opposite me with phase pistols drawn. A smaller specimen of Ghrev womanhood was standing in the corner, but she looked no less fierce than her cohorts.
"Velspatt," I said and tucked my pistol away.
"Just what exactly is it that you think you're doing, hume?" The sleek and slender Ghrev asked gliding across the floor so gracefully that she almost seemed to moving in sync with some silent tune.
"You don't recognize me," I said brushing the hair away from my eyes. "But then you could blame you? I'm not exactly wearing the same face that I was last time."
"Hume, I grow impatient. I don't know what nonsense you're going on about, and I don't really care. Tell me who you are and what you are doing here or my associates will open fire." Velspatt stepped forward holding an open hand to her three companions.
I folded my arms across my chest and shrugged. "Do it, see what happens."
Velspatt turned away, and let out a long low-pitched growl. I don't know if there was some sort of meaning to her bellow, but her flunkies responded to it as if there was. They raised weapons and blasted me with a volley of phase blasts and I felt an influx of energy as Khala absorbed it all up.
"Hatect brûalten," one of Ghrev cursed as the three lowered their weapons.
Velspatt spun back around to face me and she let out another growl studied me with those strange reptilian-esque eyes. "You are no ordinary human. Tell me, you wouldn't happened to have come in contact with a K’teth symbiote lately, have you?"
"As a matter of fact," I said tucking my thumbs into my waistband. "I have and you guessed as much the last time we met."
"The last we met?" she asked slowly stepping forward. "I remember meeting another human who had been invaded by one of these K’teth. I admit there is something familiar about your scent, but there is a distinct difference. Are you perhaps a member of her clan?"
"You could say that, I am her." I put my hands on my hips and gritted my teeth. I briefly thought of appealing to Khala for help, but thought better of it. What could she do short of transforming me back to my previous form anyway?
"And I suppose you have a means of proving this? I presume you've come to me with a reason in mind and I'm afraid I'm not in the habit of doing business with beings that cannot substantiate their claims. I'm sure you understand."
I let out a long sigh and shuddered. I'd definitely have to get some help from my symbiote on this one. 'Khala is there anything you can do?'
'I think I can manage something, but I must warn you it will be painful. I'll be able to dull the pain, but this isn't something I've done before so it may not be possible to shut the pain out completely.'
'It won't be permanent will it?'
Khala answered in the negative and I reluctantly allowed her to have a go at it. She got to work immediately. I felt the skin on my face begin the ripple. I grunted and fell to my knees. It contorted and stretched and when I looked up at the Ghrev they all took a step back from me. I thought Khala was done, but then I felt the changes reverse themselves. It was all over in a matter of minutes and when I stood back up I saw the Ghrev each take another step back. Clearly whatever it was Khala had done had spooked them.
"Aupe haurm cre!" Velspatt yelled looked almost as if she were ready to bolt. She stared at me her nostrils flaring for what must have been several minutes before her muscles finally relaxed. "You can change your form."
"Yes," I said with a nod finally getting an inkling of what my symbiote had done. "Though it's not something I like to do very often. It's rather painful."
Velspatt let out a long hissing laugh. "Yes, I can understand why."
She approached me and ran a clawed finger down my cheek. "I like the way you smell," her voice rumbled in my ear and I shuddered and quickly pulled away.
"Velspatt, so help me if you don't back off I will flatten your face." I raised my fist up and pulled it back more than willing to make good on my threat.
Her hand ran down my back and she grabbed at my ass. I yelped and swatted at her hand. She withdrew her hand, all the while laughing. I gritted my teeth, and rounded on her. "If there is one thing you can ever be sure of Velspatt it’s that I won't ever be one of your conquests. If you even so much as touch me again I will do something we'll bother regret."
Velspatt turned away and walked a half a dozen steps before spinning back around to face me. "I think we can do business."
I raised an eyebrow and watched her pace about the room like a caged animal. "As I recall you owe me a favor."
"Assuming that you are in fact the same human who killed the corrector, then yes I believe I do, but how can I be sure you are? Your ability to transform is only proof that you can change your form. I must say I was rather impressed that you were able to duplicate the smell from the other hume, but even that could be a trick."
"Just how the hell am I supposed to convince you, Velspatt? I'm here to collect on my debt if you're not going to repay me maybe it's just better if I leave," I said and turned away ready to leave.
"I don't believe that will be necessary. I don't know what it is, but I believe you. It seems unlikely that another K’teth would find it's way into another human."
"Well." I spun back around and eyed the Ghrev crime lord suspiciously. Her turnaround seemed a bit too sudden for my liking, but I needed her help so I didn't press the matter. There would be plenty of time to discover whatever secret motives she had later on. "I believe it's time get down to business."
I looked down at the getup I was wearing and felt my cheeks burn. It would have been one thing if it had been something that skirted the edges of decency, but the sheer crop top and loin cloth I was wearing left nothing to the imagination. I might as well have been wearing nothing at all. Certainly the outfit matched the part I was going to play, but it was not what I had in mind when I'd gone to Velspatt.
She of course had outright refused use of her ship, but that didn't surprise me in the least. Fortunately, Salt Lake City had a space port which was what allowed me to fall back on my second idea and with Velspatt's help I might just be able to pull it off. Assuming she wasn't up to something with this little scheme of hers, but it was a risk I was willing to take if it meant getting my hands on another ship.
"Damn," Max said from the doorway. I spun around to face her and I think my face must have turned an even deeper shade of red when I caught her looking at my chest.
After my meeting with Velspatt I'd returned back to our little hideaway and retrieved Max and Jokeb. Velspatt had been kind enough to offer us food and shelter, something which I could hardly refuse considering that we had virtually no rations left. The accommodations certainly beat the tiny little rat-hole we'd spent the last five days tucked away inside.
I cleared my throat and quickly covered my chest as I fought down the urge to go scurrying away. Her cheeks looked about as red as mine felt and she quickly ducked her head behind the huge piece of snowy white animal fur she was holding in her arms. "Velspatt told me to bring this in to you. She wanted you to wear it while out in the city."
"How thoughtful of her. Now I won’t' freeze to death," I replied eagerly snatching the fur out from her arms and draping it over my shoulders.
"Not to mention your modesty. If it was me I wouldn't be caught dead wearing that." Rodriegez bit her lip and shook her head. "You sure about this?"
"About as sure as I can be. Believe me I'm none too thrilled about this outfit, but I've learned sometimes you have to make compromises to achieve your goals," I replied pulling the ends of the fur together so that they covered my breasts. "I don't think I have to tell you how beneficial it would be to have another ship, do I?"
"No, but I don't think I have to tell you the consequences if we fail. Tell me do you really trust Velspatt?"
"No," I replied grabbing fistful of fur with each hand. I wasn't sure what animal it might have belonged to, but it was certainly soft. "I'd be an idiot if I did, but at the moment she's our best bet so we'll play along... for now."
"I'm not sure I can do that, Lexa. This whole thing has me on edge."
"How do you think I feel?" I grimaced and looked down at my ridiculous little outfit before I reached out to put a hand on her shoulder. "Look, I understand, I really do. You're a soldier, right?"
Max nodded and met my gaze, stiffening just a little bit as she stared me down. "I am."
"Concentrate on your orders. If this goes to pot it will be my fault. I don't want you worrying about something that is out of your control. Do you understand?"
She pursed her lips and nodded. "Yes, Ma'am."
"Good, now are you clear on what you have to do?"
Rodriquez nodded again a slow smile gradually stretching across her face. "This oughtta prove to be one of the more interesting ops I've ever been involved in."
"Me too," I grinned back at her then shuffled out the door and waved for her to follow. It was time for me to play my part.
To be continued...
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