Gabriel made a face. “That won’t do. You should feel at home. Phyrro?”
“I was about to do that!” Alexis exclaimed.
K’aia looked from Alexis to Gabriel. “Do what?”
Phyrro’s avatar appeared on the wallscreen. “How can I help?”
Alexis flicked her hair back over her shoulder. “Phyrro, where are K’aia’s assigned quarters?”
Phyrro looked off to the side for a moment. “K’aia is quartered in the suite next to this one.”
Alexis clapped her hands and bounced on the spot. “Great! That means we can hang out.” She spotted the signs of exhaustion on K’aia. “After you’ve eaten and rested. How does that sound?”
K’aia nodded, a touch of her exhaustion creeping through her tough facade. “That sounds like the best idea anyone has come up with ever.”
Michael opened his link to Bethany Anne as he left Alexis to help K'aia settle in.
My love, I have retrieved our young Yollin friend and we are on our way.
I can’t wait to see you all. There was concern in her voice. How is K'aia? Sabine’s call made it sound like she was in need of help.
She's flighty, Michael reported. She needs to spend some time with people who give a damn before the urge to run fades in her.
She's been through hell, Bethany Anne murmured. I wish we could have done more for her the first time we met. We'll do what we can to help her recover.
I've made a step toward that already. Our daughter was taken with K'aia almost immediately, so I had ArchAngel put her in the room next to the children.
Good thinking. She hesitated. You don't think K'aia is too old for Alexis and Gabriel?
I think the three will do each other good. Alexis and Gabriel need to develop friendships outside the family as much as K'aia needs the security of friends she can rely upon. Besides, it can’t hurt that our little Yollin is fierce as a box of kittens, despite her attempts to appear otherwise.
I don't know, I liked how she fought. What does that have to do with this?
You were considering assigning a guard detail to Alexis and Gabriel, Michael reminded her. K’aia’s thoughts were clear on her earning a place here if she was to have one at all. Would it not be ideal for the three to form bonds while they are still young?
Bethany Anne loved it as a solution. Dammit, will you stop being right all the time? How am I supposed to maintain my position as your better half if you keep showering me with wisdom that’s actually…I don’t know, wise? You're killing me here.
Michael chuckled dryly. That would be like asking water not to be wet. If you wanted incompetence in a man, perhaps Bobcat would have been a wiser choice of husband?
I can't believe what I'm hearing. Bethany Anne couldn’t believe the audacity of the man. Then again, she couldn’t say she didn’t like it. Just wait until I get my hands on you.
Michael’s voice was silk over their link, a caress in her mind. I am anticipating it already.
8
QT2 System, QBBS Helena, Meeting Room
Bethany Anne adjusted the placement of her feet on the large conference table. Her fingers drummed a rapid tattoo on the arm of her chair to match the angry beat of her heart against her ribcage, her lips pressing together in a tight line as she regarded the holomap above the polished stone.
Seven Ooken worlds. Seven.
That fucking number was taunting her and her failure to bring her vendetta against the Kurtherians to a satisfactory conclusion.
Right now all she had was the possibility of a lead waiting for her at the end of this war. Granted, it was a very high possibility, not to mention that the task of removing such a serious threat was a necessary one.
The question was how to best apply her assets to the problem to get the most efficient result in the shortest amount of time. She sat up and brushed off the table where her feet had been and resumed her tapping while she worked on the solution.
Bethany Anne's concentration was broken by the arrival of her husband. She looked up as Michael entered the meeting room, savoring the little jump her heart did whenever he came into her presence.
Michael brushed his lips against her cheek as he placed a takeout cup on the table. “The children are settling in well. I thought you’d appreciate some time to arrange your thoughts before the briefing.”
Bethany Anne looked under the lid and smiled. “As much as I appreciate that you knew I was thirsty.” She replaced the lid and sipped her Coke through the straw.
Michael scrutinized the map. “We’re up to seven locations?”
“Mmhmm.” She put the cup on the table and waved a finger at the map. “The sixth is confirmed, and the seventh we’re almost certain about.”
Michael took the seat beside Bethany Anne. “Could one of them be the homeworld?”
“I really fucking hope so,” Bethany Anne shrugged, “but I doubt it. ADAM and Loralei have gone out to confirm it, one way or the other. Kael-ven left with him on the G’axix Sphaea after you guys got here with instructions to get whatever they can get on the third planet.”
Michael pointed out the largest of the marked planets. “That’s this one, with the highest population density?”
Bethany Anne nodded grimly. “It looks to me like they settled that planet first, then spread out. I think that’s the one with the biggest likelihood of giving us a lead to the homeworld. If not, then we just keep on kicking in doors until we find it.”
“I would expect nothing less from you.” Michael took her hand. “Of course, we can always hope for a favorable resolution.”
Bethany Anne squeezed his hand in return. “Fucking right we can. I never give up hope. But we are also smart enough to prepare for the worst, which is why I’m having Jean and Qui’nan step up fleet production here after we leave.”
Michael's brow furrowed. “So Bart has been holding out on you.”
Bethany Anne dropped his hand and narrowed her eyes at him. “You knew?”
Michael lifted a shoulder. “I knew he was up to something. This makes perfect sense.” He was silent a moment. “But we know he wouldn’t hold back without a good reason. Will increasing production cause a bottleneck?”
Bethany Anne sipped her Coke, putting her annoyance at not having already resolved this aside to be realistic for the moment. “Not anymore. The station is complete near as I can tell, and the drain on resources from supporting so many people will ease as soon as we leave with the fleet.”
Michael nodded. “I’m not even going to question the need for expanding so rapidly.”
“Oh, it's completely necessary.” A sad smile touched the corner of Bethany Anne's lips. “Given the information that’s been coming in from the scout fleet these last months, I don’t think we can be overprepared.”
Michael leaned forward, steepling his hands on the table in front of him. “It’s the numbers, right?”
Bethany Anne nodded. “The damn numbers. Seven planets, various population levels on each. There are too many Ooken to fucking count, so it would be beyond stupid not to be cautious.”
Michael had no argument with that. “Agreed. So what’s your plan?”
Bethany Anne tapped a finger on her lips, turning her attention back to the map. “The biggest challenge here is managing the expansion of the fleet in a sustainable way. As for the Ooken, I want to know what they know, then I want them wiped out before they even know we’ve been there.”
Michael looked up as familiar presences tickled his awareness. “We have company.”
Bethany Anne's eyes flicked from the map to the door. “Mmhmm. I heard them too.”
John was first into the meeting room. “See, I'm here on time, Boss.”
Bethany Anne raised her eyebrow. “Good thing, or push-ups on the table would have been your reality for however long this meeting takes.”
John hid his smirk as he made his way to his chair.
Darryl, Eric, and Scott filed in behind him with the usual shenanigans, follow
ed by Gabrielle. Jean and Qui’nan arrived a couple of minutes later, accompanied by Admiral Thomas and Giselle.
Jean grumbled something about this not being what Bethany Anne had promised. She slid into her seat as Akio and Eve slipped through the door.
“This is exactly what I promised,” Bethany Anne sighed with exasperation. “If you stop bitching for ten minutes, you’ll find out.” She waved a hand and the holomap winked out of existence. “Now that we’re all here…”
“Why are we all here?” Jean asked, a little more congenially this time.
Bethany Anne leaned forward and placed her hands on the table. “You, Giselle, and Qui’nan are here because you’re responsible for this part of space while we’re gone.”
Giselle raised a hand.
Bethany Anne anticipated the question on Giselle’s lips. “You will take care of the people and the station while Jean and Qui’nan take care of things like defense and expanding the fleet,” she narrowed her eyes at Admiral Thomas, “in the fastest sustainable time.”
Admiral Thomas shrugged. “Consider us even, and next time you build a ship I can’t find, please don’t.” He pretended not to see the glare she shot him. “It didn’t occur that the first time you did that, we almost lost you?”
Bethany Anne's face softened when she saw glances of agreement pass around the table. “You can all save your concern. I have one focus and one only—eliminating the Ooken on my way to the Kurtherians.”
She got to her feet, her hands remaining on the table. “This has gone on long enough. I want to go home. We have an opportunity to move closer to that goal, and there’s no fucking way I’m going to let it pass. Neither am I going to stand for any species that thrives on the misery of others.”
“Isn’t that two things?” Scott asked, flashing his dimples. There was a sparkle in his eyes.
Bethany Anne returned his grin with a hard smile. “You know, I think I’ve been going too easy on you folks. A training session is just what we all need.”
“Seconded,” Michael agreed as everyone else groaned. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “In the meantime, what are we going to do about the Ooken? We’re in the same situation as we were nine months ago. We have the means to blow their planets to dust, and they have both the information we’re looking for and the numbers to make us reticent about kicking in the front door to obtain it.”
Bethany Anne sat down again. “I agree completely, so we’re going to take a similar tack here as we did on the first splinter world. If it’s not broken, then it doesn’t need fixing.” She held up a hand before anyone could object. “Same plan, with some adjustments.”
Her fingers began to tap on the table again. “We’re going to split into teams, each with someone who can protect the rest from mental manipulation. But honestly, I don’t expect there to be a need for it.”
“Why not?” Eric asked. “I’m not going to lie. As much as I wanted to be there for Peter, I was relieved you benched us the last time.”
Bethany Anne’s face was hard as stone. “I’m not expecting there to be a need because our objective is to get into the administration centers for our assigned colony, and that is all we are going to do. No big stands, no heroics. We go in, get our hands on every bit of information we can find, and get the fuck out.” She clenched her hands into fists, fighting to keep her emotions under control. “I will never put any of you in a situation like we had with the grubs again. This universe would be too small to contain my grief if anything happened to any of you.”
Admiral Thomas had confusion written all over his face. “How does that prevent the Ooken from attacking anyone?”
Bethany Anne frowned. “It doesn’t. There will, however, most likely be a clue somewhere in all the data we copy as to where their homeworld is.” She waved a finger around the table. “We’ll take care of that. After we’re done, that’s where you come in. I want the fleet ready to blow the colonies into last fucking week as soon as the teams are far enough from the planets.”
Admiral Thomas nodded once and sat back in his chair. “That I can arrange.”
Bethany Anne returned his nod. “I have complete faith that you can. Just like I know without a doubt that when we get back here, there will be double the ships I left with awaiting my return.” She raised an eyebrow at Jean. “Are you satisfied?”
Jean smirked. “More than.”
Qui'nan chittered happily in the background, already lost in her designs.
Bethany Anne looked around the table. “Back to the plan; this is what we're going to do.”
“We have seven targets.” She narrowed her eyes at Gabrielle's amusement as she brought back the holomap with another not-quite-necessary wave. “It's habit at this point.”
Gabrielle's mouth twitched. “Not vanity?”
Bethany Anne tilted her chin, the corner of her mouth quirking up slightly. “Me, vain? Never.” Her fingers danced, and the rest of the map fell away as the seven locations were enlarged. Data for each site was in a box alongside. “The SSE fleet has identified one, possibly two more Ooken planets. It’s going to require an adjustment to the plan.”
John pointed at the seventh planet. “There’s no data on that one.”
Bethany Anne shrugged. “It was only just discovered. ADAM is headed straight there from the third planet. He will arrive before we do, so we won’t be going in blind.”
John nodded. “So we’re leaving the mystery planet until last. What about the rest of them?”
Bethany Anne made a flicking motion with her fingers and the seven planets winked out, leaving the space over the table clear. “Team leaders are—Gabrielle and Eric, Akio and John, Eve and Scott, and Michael and me.”
Scott’s chuckle held a touch of nervousness. “What about the freaky mind powers? I’m still not convinced it’s safe.”
Bethany Anne made a see-saw motion with her hands. “It’s a calculated risk. If you encounter anything beyond your capability to deal with, get out and call in the fleet. But really, it was so easy to walk in and out of the first colony that I’m not as concerned as I was before.”
“Meaning?” Eric asked.
“Meaning,” Bethany Anne clarified, “that if anything does go down, each team will have someone with even freakier mind powers to take care of it. You all have your assigned section of the fleet and the locations you’re to take.”
All the team leaders looked through the packets they had received. Darryl frowned, not seeing his assigned team. “What about me?”
Bethany Anne grinned. “You know, I must have forgotten you… Uncle Darryl.”
Darryl grimaced. “Babysitting? I don’t know anything about kids.”
Bethany Anne grinned. “That’s great, because the twins don’t know that much about you, either.” She shrugged. “That must be why they asked for you. After you’re done, you can pick your team.”
John and Scott exchanged the looks of two men who knew exactly what the third was in for.
“Daaamn, it was nice knowing you, dude,” Scott muttered in a near-whisper.
“I know, right?” John replied equally quietly. “If they asked for him, it means they got a topic in mind.”
Devon, QBBS Guardian, Dock 001, QBS Achronyx
Tabitha hooked both arms under the handle of Todd's travel seat to take the strain from her shoulder as she waited at the top of the ramp.
“Want me to take him a spell?” Peter offered.
Tabitha shook her head and flashed a mischievous grin at him. “No, thanks. I’ve got our chunky monkey just fine.” Todd griped in the seat, protesting either the nickname or the passing of what he thought was his dinner time. “I can lift a car off the ground but holding a car seat hurts—go figure. However, it would be nice if you could take care of finding Sabine.”
“Tabithaaa! Over here!”
Tabitha and Peter turned as one to the source of the shout. Sabine was waving from below. Peter smirked but kept his remark to himself.
Sabi
ne grinned as she walked over briskly. “Thanks for stopping by to pick me up. The transports planetside are booked solid for the next thirty hours.”
Peter smiled. “Isn’t it your fight night? I’ve heard great things.”
Sabine nodded, adjusting the weight of her overnight bag. “Yeah, which is why the transports are booked up. If not for you I would have had to cancel my date, so thank you.”
Tabitha wiggled her eyebrows. “Oh? You and Tim are official now?”
Before Sabine had a chance to answer, Todd decided he’d had enough of traveling, and his grumping turned to loud wails.
Tabitha gave him her finger to suck, which he promptly bit and spat out. “Todd needs a change and a meal.” She grinned when her stomach growled. “He’s not the only one. Baby first, though.” She turned and went back into the ship, being careful to avoid jolting Todd’s seat.
Peter waved Sabine aboard and excused himself. “Feel free to explore. If you want to call home to let them know we’re on our way, just come to the bridge and I’ll set you up.”
Sabine tapped the side of her head as she passed Peter at the top of the ramp. “I already did.”
CEREBRO cleared them to leave the Guardian as soon as everyone was aboard. Tabitha spent some time in their quarters taking care of Todd.
She hummed to her son as she rocked him. Todd's energy for protesting was all gone, sated by the meal and the warmth of his mother's arms, His tiny eyelids fluttered closed, and Tabitha eased him into his Pod-crib. How long until we get to the Hexagon? she asked Peter.
We’re nearly there, he replied. Is Todd okay? You should come up to the bridge and see how this place has changed.
Clean, full, and fast asleep, Tabitha told him. I’m on my way with him now. She set the Pod-crib to float along behind her and made her way to the elevator outside their quarters.
I’m surprised he settled. He was kicking up such a stink.
Tabitha gazed through the Pod-crib’s viewing panel at her sleeping son while the elevator took them up. Like a dream. You know, he really loves classics for his lullabies.
Peter chuckled. Have you been singing Iron Maiden to our son again?
All’s Fair in Blood and War (The Kurtherian Endgame Book 4) Page 9
