Export Duty

by Cassandra Chandler

  Rin snickered, then tried to mask it with a fake cough. Lily grinned at him and shook her head.

  “This is what you ask in trade?” Sis said.

  “No. I don’t ask anything in trade. I’m giving you this gluten. I don’t have limitless resources, but giving you this does me no harm, and keeping it to myself would have terrible repercussions for your people. I couldn’t live with myself if I didn’t help.” Lily let out an exasperated breath. “You owe me nothing.”

  Sis cocked her head to the side again, her eyes flickering. The light morphed from green to pale yellow.

  “I only told you what I want because you asked,” Lily said. “And if we’re going to be friends, we need to talk to each other and learn about each other. So…now you know.”

  Lily shrugged. She stared at Sis, holding her breath.

  Sis reached out with one of her arms and rested it on Lily’s shoulder. “To be friends with such a generous being would bring me great joy. And I express my deepest gratitude for this gift. We accept your offer and your alliance, and stand ready to assist you in your goal.”

  They were going to assist… Lily couldn’t believe it. She’d just established a potential partner in helping people throughout the freaking galaxy.

  When she’d set her sights on using the import/export company for altruistic pursuits, she had no idea they would be so expansive.

  Her heart was pounding. She felt a little dizzy, even. She wanted to shout and laugh and cry all at once.

  Instead, she cleared her throat, trying to control the emotions that threatened to overwhelm her. This was the most important moment in her life.

  Well, one of them.

  She glanced over her shoulder at Rin. He was beaming at her.

  “Okay then,” Lily said. “We’ll be in touch…somehow, I guess.”

  Rin stepped forward. “I’d be happy to help.”

  “The Coalition won’t be okay with that,” Lily said.

  “What the Coalition doesn’t know…” He winked at her, and she laughed, despite her worry for him. “Come on, Sis. We’ll set up a secure channel while the other Sisters load the ship. Cyan, do you mind helping us out?”

  “I am very pleased to assist all my friends.” She looked up at him, a wide smile stretching across her face.

  The three of them walked a few steps away from Lily, messing with Rin’s watch and talking in hushed tones. The Antareans formed a line between the ship and the truck, passing the heavy bags of gluten over their heads.

  “Now that’s efficiency for you.” Nana walked over to Lily and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. “We could use help like this in the warehouses.”

  “Nana—”

  “For good pay.” Nana clucked at her. “Alliances and trades are strongest when we help each other. It’s best for both parties. But this…” Her eyes followed the trail of bags disappearing into the ship. “This is something else. A really good something else. I’m proud of you.”

  Lily’s eyes misted over. “Thanks.”

  “And happy for you, too.” Nana leaned in close and whispered, “He’s a real hottie.”

  “Nana!” Lily said, then laughed.

  Lily was happy for herself. Happier than she’d been in a very long time.

  If Rin was going to help her communicate with the Antareans, that meant they would be keeping in touch as well. And she really enjoyed the thought of keeping in touch with him.

  Rin, Cyan, and Sis headed back to Nana and Lily. As soon as he was close enough, Rin claimed Lily’s hand again, interlacing their fingers.

  “We have a secured channel set up between Cyan and the Antareans,” Rin said. “We’ll get a communications device set up at Nana’s place, and use it to coordinate, if that’s okay.”

  “Fine with me,” Nana said.

  “And, of course, Cyan and I will need to keep visiting to set things up and check on the equipment.” Rin smiled down at Lily.

  “I have a feeling Cyan and I will be going for lots of walks during those visits,” Nana said.

  Cyan cocked her head to the side. “Why is that?”

  “Pheromones,” Nana said.

  Sis let out a chittering that sounded suspiciously like a laugh. Her eyes pulsed pink.

  “It would be safest for everyone to clear the area before we launch,” Sis said. She turned to Lily and bowed her head slightly, but only for a moment. “We will not forget what you have done for us. And we thank you.”

  “I’m glad I could help,” Lily said.

  Nana gestured in the direction of her house. “Let’s go ahead and walk back to my place. It isn’t far. These two can take the truck.”

  “Come on,” Rin said. “The sooner they head out, the sooner they can begin treating their people.”

  “Right.” Lily waved one last time at Sis before climbing into the truck and heading back to the road that would take them to Nana’s.

  Chapter Fourteen

  “That was really incredible,” Lily said.

  “You have no idea.” Rin was still trying to process everything.

  She had saved an entire species from a plague. And he had helped her do it. They were setting up a system to help even more sentients in the galaxy.

  For the first time in as long as he could remember, Rin felt…meaningful. He had purpose, beyond what was assigned to him. And a lot of that purpose was building around the beautiful woman beside him.

  “Lily, I want…” He paused, not sure how to put his thoughts into words without scaring her off.

  “Sounds good to me.” Lily laughed, then pulled her truck to the side of the road and parked it, shutting off the engine.

  She turned to him with a smile that promised things. Wonderful things.

  He shifted in his seat, focusing on what he needed to say before anything else could happen between them.

  “We need to talk,” he said.

  “Oh.” Lily sat back, a worried look on her face. “You know, on Earth, when someone says, ‘We need to talk’, it’s almost always a bad thing.”

  “It isn’t. I hope not, anyway. I just need you to know what you’re getting into.”

  Shit, was this a bad thing?

  He sighed. “I know you have your business and your mission. I want to help you as much as I can, but I have to be careful. If the Coalition catches you helping others, I’m not sure what they’ll do.”

  “Won’t they just give me a mind-wipe?”

  “That’s what the law would tell them to do.”

  She nodded slowly. “But you’re not sure they would follow the law.”

  “There’s more risk here than you realize,” he said.

  “It’s worth it, but…”

  He waited a few moments before prompting her to continue. “‘But’?”

  “What will happen to you if they catch us? You’re a Coalition soldier, and you’re defying them to help me.”

  “I’m defying them to help sentients who desperately need it. And to do what I know in my heart is right.” He lifted her hand and placed it on his chest. Warmth spread through him at her touch, at the way she smiled softly up at him and splayed her fingers over his heart.

  “I’m being really selfish,” she said.

  “What?”

  He couldn’t understand how she could think such a thing. She’d been nothing but generous in everything he’d seen her do. Helping Cyan and the Antareans. And when they’d made love at her apartment… Selfish was not a word he would associate with her.

  “I want…more,” she said.

  He racked his brain trying to think of what she could mean. More resources? More access to tech?

  She reached up to put her hand on the back of his neck and pulled him in for a kiss. Slow and lingering, then deeper as she shifted closer. She crawled across the bench seat, straddling him.

  Time seemed to dilate until all he knew was her and this. Their kiss, their bodies pressed together, mouths dancing, tongues exploring.

  Eventually,
she pulled back, tracing his cheek with her fingertips.

  “I want you,” she said.

  He didn’t hesitate in his response. “You have me.”

  “No, I mean, I want more than this. I want to get to know you. I want to spend time with you. But every moment we’re together, it adds to your risk of being discovered.”

  “It’s worth it.” He let out a sigh, knowing he had to tell her more if they were really going to do any of this together. Explore their connection. Help other sentients. “Things might get harder than you think.”

  She leaned forward and nipped at his ear, sending jolts of pleasure through him. “Oh, I’m counting on that,” she said.

  Rin let out a little laugh, despite his fear for their situation. “That’s not what I’m talking about. I want all those things with you, too. But the Coalition is sending the Reckoning to assess the situation here on Earth. It’s a warship scheduled to arrive within weeks.”

  “Oh. That is bad.” She pulled back and stared at him, all hint of humor gone. “Wait, what ‘situation’ are they assessing?”

  “Other species are trespassing here. We don’t know how many. And Earthlings aren’t supposed to know we exist, let alone be pair-bonding with us.”

  “Pair-bonding?”

  “Like marriage, only with less joy and more paperwork.”

  “Fun.” She was quiet for a moment, her eyes narrowing as she thought things through. “When the ship arrives, will it take you all away?”

  “That’s the best-case scenario.” He had to be honest with her—and himself. “Worst case, they’ll think Earth is ready to be brought into the Coalition, and it’ll be stripped of resources in exchange for access to our technology.”

  “How can anyone think that’s a fair trade?”

  “The tech is alluring. Extremely long lifespans. No sickness.” He smirked. “No allergies.”

  “Except, Cyan does have allergies. And even with your tech, you were nearly taken down by…”

  Lily twisted around and opened a compartment in the front of the vehicle. She pulled out a cylinder of those damned “cat treats”.

  “Are you insane?” Rin grabbed her hands, holding them still to keep the container from making any noise. “Those cats are still out there, and we’re close enough to Nana’s for them to hear.”

  “Relax, I just—”

  His watch emitted a loud, keening beep. A proximity alert. Sadirian tech was nearby, and it wasn’t being used by anyone in the Department of Homeworld Security.

  Oh shit. It’s too soon.

  Lily covered her ears, wincing. “What is that?”

  Rin lifted her from his lap and opened the door to the truck. He flung himself to the ground. Panic clouded his thoughts. He had to keep Lily safe—and Nana. Distance was his only option.

  “Coalition soldiers,” Rin yelled. “You have to go. Get to Nana and take her as far away from here as you can.”

  “Rin—”

  “Warn Cyan.”

  He turned to run and made it three strides away before he felt his muscles seize up, his body freezing in place. A stasis field.

  “Rin!” If anything, Lily’s voice sounded closer. She was supposed to be running away. She was supposed to be saving herself.

  Of course, Lily didn’t run. She wouldn’t leave him—or anyone—helpless. But she had no idea what she was dealing with.

  The Reckoning. It was here.

  He wondered how many had been sent after him. A full landing party or just a few soldiers? He didn’t have to wait long to find out.

  A single Sadirian stepped out of the trees surrounding them. Her silver uniform clung to her body—an efficient choice rather than an aesthetic one. She held her left arm out toward him, her bracer generating the stasis field that held him. With her right hand, she hit the button on her collar that controlled her helmet.

  Inch-wide segments appeared in the shiny chrome. They folded back on themselves, sliding into the compartment around her neck and revealing her face.

  Shining chestnut hair. Pale skin. Deep brown eyes. Features he knew by heart.

  Clara…

  Why the hell had she come? And by herself?

  “I always knew you were overly emotional, but I had no idea you were stupid, too,” she said.

  “Hey!” Lily yelled.

  Rin’s heart sank. Lily was heading for a mind-wipe. There was no way around it. She would forget him and the Antareans and all about the chance she had to make a difference in the galaxy. Clara would take that from her. From both of them.

  “Come here, Earthling,” Clara commanded. “Or I’ll vaporize your transport with you in it.”

  He heard Lily climb down from the truck, but couldn’t turn to see her, couldn’t warn her. He couldn’t do anything.

  He grit his teeth together, wishing he could speak, could swear, could…throw sand in Clara’s face to distract her for long enough to let Lily escape.

  But there was no escape. Rin wasn’t fool enough to think otherwise.

  Clara would take them both back to her ship. Hopefully, she didn’t know about Nana and no one was heading toward Nana’s house.

  Then again, if they ran into Cyan, maybe Rin and Lily would stand a chance. The Coalition had done next to nothing to improve on the technology the Vegans had given them. Meanwhile the Vegans had spent the thousands of years since making advances.

  But Cyan was with Nana at the house. As close as they were, it was still too far to call out to her. Cyan was keeping her exosuit as dormant as possible to avoid detection. She wouldn’t know that Clara was there.

  The only comfort Rin had was knowing what a surprise the Reckoning’s soldiers would get when they tried to take in the others. The Vegans would stop them, and the Coalition would know they’d finally met their match.

  “Step away from the transport.” Clara started to reach for the plasma pistol strapped to her thigh. Lily must have done something to set her off.

  Please, please, don’t set her off.

  “Okay, you caught me,” Lily said.

  “I have. And your transport has been thoroughly scanned. I know that you are without weapons.”

  “That’s great. Then you know that this thing is harmless.”

  Rin heard a rattling sound that sent a shiver down his spine. The can of cat treats. What was Lily doing?

  “What is that?” Clara demanded.

  “It’s just a…musical instrument,” Lily said. “I was showing it to Rin when you interrupted us. That’s considered really rude on this planet, by the way.”

  “I have no concern for the cultural norms of your primitive planet.”

  “That is no way to start off with a new trade partner.”

  Clara bristled. “We are not trade partners.”

  “So, the Coalition has no interest in Earth’s resources?” Lily said. “Or working with someone who already has established contacts and methods for gaining access to goods from all over the world?”

  Clara’s eyes narrowed.

  Lily continued, a confidence ringing through her tone that he’d never heard before. “I don’t know if your laws insist on working through planetary governments—which could be a problem for you, since we have a ton of those that you’ll have to learn to work with individually. But I would think the High Council would at least want to consider working with a single entity who already has systems in place to get them anything they want.”

  Clever.

  Lily knew the Coalition was interested in Earth’s resources. Hell, she might even mean what she was saying—to a point.

  “You can explain this all to my commanding officer,” Clara said. “We are leaving.”

  “That sounds great.” Lily had walked far enough forward that Rin could see her. She actually smiled. “But you should know something about my personal ‘cultural norms’.”

  Clara waited for Lily to continue. After a few moments of uncomfortable silence, she said, “Which are?”

  “I li
ke to welcome people with gifts.”

  Clara shifted her weight so that it was balanced more easily between both feet. She could react to anything, was ready for whatever Lily threw at her.

  She threw the can. Rin heard the rattling of the treats as it flew over his head.

  “Here you go,” Lily said.

  Clara caught the can out of the air easily with her right hand. She eyed it suspiciously.

  “It makes music,” Lily said. “You just have to shake it.”

  Clara shook the can. “This is just noise.”

  “It’s a percussion instrument. You’ll get the hang of it.”

  The first cat appeared at the edge of the trees. It was followed by a dozen more.

  They seemed to ripple along the ground, stalking up behind Clara. Their steps were silenced by the sand, and for whatever reason, they weren’t making any of the mracking sounds he’d heard from them. Maybe after their failure bringing him down earlier, they had learned better hunting techniques.

  The thought sent another shiver down his spine.

  Lily could see them, too. She said, “Try again.”

  “This is a waste of time.” Clara stepped back. Toward the trees. The treats rattled in the can as she let her arm dangle at her side.

  The cats attacked.

  Three leapt from the ground at the same time. Two latched onto Clara’s uniform and another landed on her back, its claws digging into the fabric as it climbed higher onto her body.

  “Cygnus X!” Clara yelled, spinning around.

  Another cat leapt onto her arm, swatting at her gloved hand as it tried to reach the can. A fifth ran straight up her legs, perching on her shoulder and stretching toward the treats with a loud “Mrack!”

  Clara screamed. She dropped the can, and tried to reach for her plasma pistol, but her right arm was weighted down with two cats. She reached for one of them with her left hand.

  This was his chance. The stasis field dropped as she shifted the hand controlling her bracer, turning her attention to the cats. Rin launched himself at her, trying to be careful to keep the cats from harm.