by Erin Raegan
“It doesn’t matter anyway. The humans will end themselves in their foolishness.” Yilt sat beside Vivian as she held vigil over Hector. Several healers, along with Gryo worked to stem the blood flow before they were going to move him to their med bay. Gryo had said he was injured pretty bad. Though he had hope he would recover.
“Enough,” Tahk growled and rubbed my back as I shook. “Send for Hybolt.”
Uthyf left with a grim stare and Yilt looked away.
“Come. You must rest and eat.”
“I can’t leave them.” I shook him off and sat bedside Vivian.
“He is ready for transport.” Gryo stood and motioned for a healer to bring the hovering med cot.
“Come on, Viv.” I grasped her elbow and walked with her behind the healers. We were on Tahk’s battle ship, but the lab wasn’t equipped for Hector’s injuries, so he would need to be moved to Dahk One, along with Ford, but the healers were worried the flight would only make them worse, so they would need to stabilize them here first.
We walked to a lab room much like the one we were in the day we first met the Dahk. Hector and Ford were transferred onto med tables and strange machines were hooked up to them.
Gryo walked to Vivian with a compassionate gaze. “He will be safe here, you must go and rest.”
“I can’t leave him,” she choked. Her body was curled inwards, all vibrancy of my friend gone.
“We need to work on him, you cannot stay for that,” he told her firmly but not without compassion. He handed her a small box. “This is a comm, it will ping if I call for you. If his status changes, I will contact you immediately. He needs rest as much as you, youngling. Give him space to heal.” Viv sniffled but took the box and allowed Yilt to take her from the room.
“Come,” Tahk urged me again, and this time I let him. We walked down the hallway, following Yilt and Vivian. We were stopped by another healer. It was Filiya.
“My lord, I was so worried,” she cried and ran into his arms. I stiffened. Tahk felt it and gently extracted himself from her.
“I am well,” he said stiffly. He grasped my hand and stepped around her.
“Yes, thank Dahkish, but when we received the distress call, I did not know what we would find!” She rushed to catch up to us and blocked us again. Her eyes shone, and her delicate shoulders quaked.
“Filiya, my mate needs rest. I will speak with you later.” Tahk glowered at her. She stiffened and glared at me. Her silver eyes flared with hatred. Ex-girlfriend hate was the same, no matter where you came from. She had some serious jealousy issues. I couldn’t blame her though, Tahk was quite the catch.
“She is one of them,” she spat. “The humans attacked you! You cannot mean to keep her now.”
“My Pythen did not attack me,” Tahk growled.
“She cannot be trusted.” She pointed a sharp claw in my face. I flinched. She could tear me apart with those. There would be no hair pulling with this one. I’d need full on armor to go toe to toe with her.
“My Pythen holds my utmost trust,” he snarled menacingly. “I cannot say the same of you.”
She gasped and stepped back. “How do you mean?”
“You forget your place, female. I suggest you learn it.” He pushed past her with that awesome comment. I smiled to myself. It was shaky and a little sad, but it was there. Everything was crashing down around me, but Tahk still managed to brighten a small part of the day for me. Her face was priceless. She huffed and pranced off. I didn’t understand what my badass Commander ever saw in her. She was entitled, and far too clingy. Though I guess you could classify me as clingy, I found myself hanging onto Tahk more and more every day. He didn’t seem to mind it with me though.
Yilt had stopped a few feet ahead at a door, and I peeked in to see Vivian crawling onto a small bed, clutching the black communicator box close to her chest. I stepped in and crouched by her head.
“You okay?” I brushed a dirty strand of hair from her blotchy face. Stupid question, of course she wasn’t.
“No, I just want him better.” She squeezed her eyes shut tight and pushed her face into the bedding.
“He will be,” Tahk rumbled from the door. “Gryo is a gifted healer. I have boundless faith in his abilities.”
I could tell the words bolstered her a little, but they worried me. What did the Dahk really know about human structure? What worked for them might not work for us. Though I had to admit, the wounds on my arms were fairing far better than any human medicine could have accomplished.
“Get some sleep.” I kissed her cheek. She gave me a shaky smile in return.
“I will bring food,” Yilt murmured and rushed off. The alien was beside himself in front of her grief. I think he had a soft spot for her.
“Now you, Pehytohn.” Tahk’s face was severe. He wouldn’t let it go until my stomach was stuffed, and I was fast asleep. I didn’t think telling him I had no appetite, and was too worked up to nap, would do any good.
“Go.” Viv sacrificed her clutch on the box to pat my hand. “I’ll be okay. Really,” she added when I gave her a doubtful look.
She sighed and reached up to hug me tightly. “I need some alone time right now,” she whispered in my ear. I squeezed her back tightly and stood.
“Get me if you need anything,” I ordered. She smiled again and laid back down.
“Yilt will guard her and call us if she needs you,” Tahk murmured as we left the room.
I nodded and let him lead me to his room. We walked in and I rushed to the bathroom. I hadn’t peed in hours. Dahk toilets were weird. They were shaped like squares and settled in the canter of the room instead of the wall, I guess they needed more space for their wings. I groaned in relief and finished up. Tahk was at the door when I came back out, several plates of food in his arms.
“Eat,” he ordered and thrust a plate under my nose. My belly rolled. “Please,” he softened.
I sighed and took it from him. Picking up the tasty fruit I nibbled lightly. This seemed to satisfy him enough because his tense shoulders dropped, and he scrubbed at his face.
“I need to go to the command deck.”
“What for?”
“I will not allow the humans to destroy themselves.” He picked up another piece of fruit and held it to my lips.
“How will you stop them?”
“I believe we may be able to prevent them from accessing their larger bombs.” He rubbed my lips when they closed over the fruit. I chewed quickly and nearly choked.
“How?” I demanded.
“It will come at a cost,” he said gravely. “Humans will lose contact to much of their technology. These weapons cannot be activated easily without them?”
I nodded. They would still have rocket launchers, and grenades. Possibly even missiles. But no atom bombs. Was it possible? Could Tahk wipe out technology and electricity? That would give us more time. Didn’t they need football suitcases and computers to blow us all up? My hands vibrated with the need to wipe out those bombs myself.
“This is not all good,” Tahk warned gravely. “It will also open the Vitat up for a greater advantage. Humans may lose all communication. Their defensive capabilities will be hindered.”
That was a problem. But what was worse? The Vitat having an advantage? Or murdering millions of people needlessly? At least it would buy us more time. We could work to get them to agree to aid. I would hold a gun to their heads if I had to.
“Do it,” I told him. I was not in a position to make this decision. I was a nobody that lived on a ranch, and spent hours molding hunks of clay. I was one person, but those that had the power were wrong. I just knew it. The millions of people at risk would have done the same thing. I was sure of it. For my mother, and the Lauren’s and Hallie’s of the world, for the children, I would decide. At least they would have a chance. The government wasn’t giving them that, so I would.
“Are you sure? It can be done from here. We will not witness the aftermath, but it will happen. You need
to be sure.”
“I am. Give them a chance, Tahk.”
“It will be done. I am not giving up, my mate. I will call the Galactic Council as well. There must be a way.”
“You think you can get them to ignore their stupid law?”
Tahk chuckled and fed me another piece of fruit. “If they do not wish to make an enemy of the Dahk and our allies, they will see my way of thinking.”
I lunged for him. He held me close to him as I cried in his shoulder. I knew better after everything to convince myself it would work. But that he was willing to try at the risk of his own, was everything to me.
“Now eat, and rest. I will return shortly.” He licked along my neck and sat me down. “I will send someone to guard your door. Do not leave. Too many from Dahk One roam the ship now.”
I nodded earnestly. I wouldn’t risk interrupting him when what he was doing was so important.
Tahk walked to the door, but I jumped up and rushed back to him. He caught me again. “Thank you.” I kissed him on the mouth, my tears mingling between us.
“I am yours,” he swore and kissed me back heatedly before leaving.
He was mine. But what he didn’t know was that I was just as every bit his.
Chapter 29
Tahk
I strode to the command deck thinking of the cowardly humans. They had attacked with fear and desperation, but it did not excuse them. Their bombs destroyed my flyer, but they would have done nothing against us. Nonetheless, my mate and the other humans were much thinner hided. Her small body was covered in injuries. The death of her companions’ proof of how lucky I was she was able to walk away from the crash. Dahk hide was much too thick for such fires. They would need much more advanced weaponry to wipe us out.
The Dahk had gone through a similar evolution millennia ago. There was a time we fought amongst ourselves as the human’s do. Our technology was destructive to our planet in its infancy. We were chaotic in our petty skirmishes, thin minded in our attempts at peace. It did not last, as all species that prosper, we moved past these things and came together. Whole and better for our mistakes.
But I spoke truth to the human that betrayed us. Upon first contact with the outside universe, we were frightened yes, but we saw the challenge and welcomed the war for what it was. Growth. We were invaded by a weaker species. They did not expect us to be warriors and convicted in our efforts to save our planet. Aid came, just as we do for the humans now, but we did not turn them away. We were wary, yes, but we took the opportunity to grow our technological abilities, our warfare, and we drove the Findilis back. They retreated as they were defeated.
The Juldo were our new allies. They aided us, gave us knowledge and welcomed us into the universe. They guided our entry into the Galactic Order. But where the humans were not wrong in their wariness of our interference, the Dahk were similar. Though we did not turn on them so easily, we prepared ourselves for all threats. Including those of our allies. And when the Juldo Master perished and a new took up the hold, they attacked. We were ready and used all we had learned from them and many others to beat them back.
The Dahk would not turn on the human’s as long as I stood for them, but one day― it was not unreasonable to prepare and stand ready for all threats.
Not in this manner though. They needed us now and were too foolish to look past frightened orders of humans unprepared for galactic warfare. My mate suffered for these decisions. Her grief apparent. I had to look past my wrath and aid a species that was as unwise as they were irrational.
“Send a comm for the King,” I ordered Fihk upon entering.
It was long dimtides I waited. My frustration mounting. My mate was alone, her sorrow in need of comforting. But I knew she needed this of me more. I took comfort in that, as I was kept away from her. Instead I checked on her humans. The Hyctoor was still unawake. As well as the Fowrrd. Their status had not changed but also had not worsened. They would need better care. A healing vat, Gryo suggested. We did not have one here. The practice outdated. Dahk healed much faster with nano nits. But Gryo was hesitant to use them on their weaker systems. He thought the risk of their death too great. Dahk One did not have a working healing vat. We would have to send for one or send the humans Home World.
Gryo had suggested looking for a human healer, but Yilt, who’s curiosity drove him to study the humans closely in the early days of arriving, believed their medicines just as primitive as their feeble defensives.
What a mess. My mate would not be so quick to send her humans so far away and to a new world. But they may not survive long if they stayed earth side. I would have Gryo with me when I suggested it, let him take her ire. I grinned to myself. My mate was fierce. She had defended well with the Vitat after the crash.
Olynth told me of how she wielded his Guhuvin steal blade. A find from the Juldo. The steal was the finest of all galaxies. Sharp enough to cut through the toughest stone, deadly in any hands. She did not hesitate to defend her kin. A fine mam for our younglings. I would help her hone her skill, so she may be more confident in any future danger. The thought sickened me, but it would be foolish not to prepare her.
Finally, the King was ready to receive me. “I see.” He pondered all I had told him. He sat in his quarters to take my comm call. His long ridges were tangled after having taken his stress out on them. A weakness he so rarely showed.
He was one of very few familiar with humans. I believed his knowledge of mating may be the reason. Someone in the kingdom became aware of our compatibility, and now he had the delicate information. It was something I would need to bring up with him in private. Too many untrusting eyes were on us now.
“Lyrn believes he can access their connection to these weaponries and cut them off. My mate believes this will buy the endangered humans more time to form an alliance with us.”
“And you?” He asked without censure.
I sighed. “Truth? I would save my mate’s home. If we must do this, it is all we have available now. Our wings are tied. Unless the Galactic Order allows us to intervene, this may be the only chance the humans will have to defend themselves. Though I have little hope. They choose to wipe themselves out, but they have no other options. Their armaments will do very little damage to the Vitat. They need our intervention.”
“Yes. I will contact the Order. My own council would advise against it, their trivial arguments with Galactic Council will color their disagreement. I must act without their knowledge. It will take time, though. I agree with your Pythen. Eliminate the human’s ability to destroy themselves. Still, I believe we cannot wait for agreement from the Order. We must do what we can to intervene.”
“There will be consequences, my King.” My rebuke was weak. We could not wait. The human’s numbers were fading. Not many would survive at this rate.
He waved my protest away through the screen. “Yes, yes. Fines and reprimands. The will pull our trading agreements in the dead sector, no doubt. It must be done, regardless. Do not engage the Vitat on Earth, that will only bring on their fleet of constabularies, but you have my consent to prevent any more of their ships to enter Earth’s atmosphere. They will know we are here but are not foolish enough to take on Dahk One. Shoot their flyers before they can exit their hive ship. That will slow them down. But do not send out our own pilots. Use the battlements on Dahk One. You will not get them all, but I could argue with the Order that we did not engage in war on Earth. It will be a small concession, but it may lessen the loss of trading we suffer.”
“We will lose our stealth, the Vitat’s are shrewd in their ability to evade. It may take many sunrings to hunt them down on Earth. And even then, we may not catch them all.” Again, my protest was weak. My King was gracious in this order. It would slow down the invasion and save many lives. Dahk would suffer from the loss of trading, but I had full faith my King’s skill in negotiations. The Order would not hold out for long. Trade would open soon after they pulled what they really sought from our alliance. If the Order�
�s fleet were dispatched though, they would come down hard on Dahk One. I was hesitant, but I had faith in my King.
“Diffident disavowals, Commander. You do not need stealth in this endeavor. Your attack will be swift and successful. I have no reservations.”
“My King. On behalf of my Pythen, bountiful gratitude to you for your affability.” I bowed deeply and thumped my chest plates.
“I congratulate you again, Commander. A true gift is she. I wish to meet this auspicious human.” His fangs glinted with his mischievous grin. Yes, my King knew much he withheld of the humans.
“My thanks, my King. I would be honored to present her.”
“Go now,” he dismissed. “Much must be done, by us both here, and Earth side.” He leaned forward and flashed glinting fang. “Good hunting, Commander.”
“Go easy on the soft hided Order, my King. They have whiled away on their gilded thrones. They are not as crafty as you.”
The King chuckled and clicked off.
Exhaustion rose up swiftly, but immense relief consumed all traces. My mate would be thrilled at this new turn of events. The humans had more of a chance at survival with my King’s interference.
I could not wait a moment more to be by her side. After quickly informing my Council and crew of the new defensive maneuvers and preparing them to ready Dahk One for attack, I rushed back to my mate. It would take but a few dimtides for my council to present a strategic attack that did not involve the hive ship. I would take the moments they strategized to be with my mate. There would be very few moments I was free in the coming sunrings.
My Council was not happy with the King’s orders, but they did not have to approve. They did as they were told. Uthyf was the master strategist. He agreed without protest and that was all I needed to know a keen attack would be available to me shortly.
She was slumbering when I entered my rooms and dismissed Dao of his guard. She slept fitfully, twisting and turning, fighting unseen enemies behind her wiggling eyes. She was distressed, so I placed my palm against her crown and she settled. Even in sleep, my mate felt my comforting touch.
