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 Scottsdale. 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 Scottsdale 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 Scottsdale City. “You need to loosen up, both of you. You’re going to stand out if you g
o 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 Scottsdale 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 sk
in 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.
Battle For Earth Page 55
