*
“I’m coming with you this time,” Alana said as she strode alongside Ted down the December’s corridors towards the docking tunnel that led to the Yulasa. The time had come and Ted was to meet Kenneth. Jodi would be joining them shortly.
“I am too,” Trell confirmed. He walked on Ted’s opposite side, which was making Ted feel a little nervous. He was grateful the two of them were accompanying him to Earth this time, but walking on either side of him as if they were in some action movie heading towards the final showdown made him a little too uncomfortable.
They went down the tunnel, Ted being forced to lead the way since the tube was only wide enough for a single file line. Once they actually boarded the Yulasa, Alana took over and showed them to the Yulasa’s ship bay. The Yulasa was big, about twice the size of the December, and therefore it had a much larger docking bay. As they entered the huge hanger Ted saw rows of ships with countless crew preparing the ships for battle. The ships were short range fighters, but powerful enough to get them where they needed to go, even if they ended up going up against Drevi ships. For this mission, they were taking a Kolean ship, because if they were attacked, the December’s shuttles had absolutely no fighting capabilities. Ted stood there, glancing from ship to ship, unsure which one they would be taking.
“Good. You’re here,” a voice behind them said, causing them all to turn around. In the doorway stood Juiya, Jodi at his side.
“Juiya Kama,” Alana said, not making much effort to conceal the irritation in her voice as she saw the young Kolean soldier. “They picked you?”
“They wanted me to come because I’ve been to Earth before,” Juiya said, looking just about as pleased as Alana did that he would be joining the mission with her.
“I insisted,” Jodi said, mildly annoyed at Alana and letting it show on her face. “I know him and he’s a nice guy. I’d feel more comfortable with him around.”
“Why would they send one kul instead of, I don’t know, someone who actually knows what they’re doing?” she snapped, losing it.
Juiya glared at her but said nothing. Jodi, who had absolutely no idea what Alana’s words really meant, remained silent. That was the last straw for Ted, but Trell beat him to it. The male Kolean stared at his To-Be first in shock then anger, and as she turned to look at him, he puffed up his feathers much like an angry Earth bird would, making himself appear twice as big and royally pissed off.
“You cannot say such things in my presence,” Trell said angrily, taking Alana, and Ted for that matter, completely by surprise. “It is racist and insensitive. You have no right to demean anyone because they are a different species than you, I don’t care what an Uyya Kolean did to your father.”
Alana looked down guiltily, as if knowing she had gone too far. “I take back what I said, Trell, but not why. Ted is important to this mission. If he dies, we all might as well go home. I don’t want anyone taking any chances with his life, and that includes letting anything short of a battalion look after him!” she said, crescendoing into a yell directed towards Ted.
“That’s no excuse!” Trell cried. Alana opened her mouth to fire something back but Ted, in his anger, cut her off.
“Stop it!” roared Ted, now bordering on furious. “We are on a mission here that could make or break everything and I will not let any of you undermine it because you can’t act professionally and civilly towards each other. Now grow up and get on the goddamn ship.”
Shocked silence met his ears as his one human and three Kolean companions did as he said.
This was going to be the worst trip. Ted briefly wondered if that vacation to the Grand Canyon with his mother-in-law had been worse, but ultimately decided that bickering aliens in a life or death situation was practically the definition of “worse.”
December Page 25
