by Liza Probz
“I’m afraid I’m not familiar with ninnies either, Lieutenant.”
Jeffrey wanted to groan. It was clear she was set on keeping her chilly attitude in place.
“Look,” he said, grabbing her arm to pull her to the side of the corridor, near a large round window. “We never talked about what happened.”
“And we won’t, Lieutenant,” she replied.
Jeffrey almost recoiled at the venom she put into his title.
“If you’re going to be working under me, we should at least discuss—“
“I’ll never be under you again, so you don’t need to worry about it. Let’s just complete this mission, and then we never have to talk to each other again.”
“I enjoy talking to you. I thought you enjoyed me too. At least—“
“You can be sure, I’m not enjoying this,” she spit back at him, streaks of yellow starting to climb up her limbs.
“Kat, I don’t know what I did to make you so upset, but—“
She was determined to continue interrupting him, it seemed. “I’m not upset,” she said, closing her eyes until the yellow tint of her skin morphed back to green. Her eyes opened once more. “I’m impatient to follow the regent’s orders.”
Jeffrey realized the conversation was going nowhere, and they were wasting time. He turned away, his eyes lighting on something outside the window.
“What is that?” he breathed, entranced. A thousand willowy creatures floated outside the window, each flashing soft lights over their skin. They blinked in patterns, turning from blue to purple to green and back again.
“Jellies,” Kat said from beside him. “They gather in clusters to talk. To ward off enemies. To exchange information. To breed.”
“They’re amazing.” Jeffrey had never seen anything so picaresque in his life. The jellies floated there, seeming so calm, blinking at one another.
“They’re considered blessed on our world. We claim one species of giant jelly as our probable ancestor.
Jeffrey considered her words. They made sense, when one factored in the color-changing Zantharian skin and their bioelectrical abilities.
Still, no Zantharian he’d met yet had radiated the sense of peace these creatures did. He wished he could stare at them for hours.
Instead, duty called.
“Come, Lieutenant,” he said at last. “Lead the way.”
They didn’t talk as they headed toward the heavily-guarded chamber holding the Hareema prisoner. It took several minutes for them to be allowed access, and Jeffrey had to submit to another zapping to prove his human status. Finally, they entered the cell where the shapeshifter was housed.
It was in the center of the room, in a large cube that seemed to be made of glowing walls of energy.
“We’re running a constant current between those four posts,” the Zantharian scientist in charge confirmed. “So far, it hasn’t been able to break through yet.”
In the middle of the force field walls stood a towering red jelly. It seemed so innocuous, so unable to do the damage attributed to its race.
All you need to take out a six-foot cube of jelly is a spoon, Jeffrey thought to himself.
“How are you keeping it in its basic form?” Kat asked the scientist.
“We zap it any time it tries to change. The section of floor beneath it has been electrified. If it tries to alter its shape, we hit it with enough current to destabilize the form and force it back to its original shape.”
Kat nodded, but Jeffrey had his doubts. “We need to interrogate the creature, and I’m not even sure if it can talk in this form. I mean, does a block of jelly have a vocal tract?”
The scientist looked amused. “We’re not sure.”
“Then hold off zapping it if it tries to shift, just while we’re talking with it. If it can’t get through the electric walls, then there won’t be any harm done.”
The scientist half-heartedly agreed, and Jeffrey approached the electric cell warily. “I’d like to ask you some questions.”
He watched and waited. At first, there was no reaction, and Jeffrey was afraid that the creature wouldn’t talk. Then its body began to vibrate and shift. One moment he was standing in front of a red blob and the next, it was like standing in front of a mirror.
The Hareema prisoner had decided to imitate his own form. The only difference was the eyes. They were a deep red, with no pupil. Just a field of red that looked even more sinister for being in his own face.
A chill ran down Jeffrey’s spine. It was unnerving, staring at oneself. He didn’t have the luxury of being freaked out, unfortunately. There was no more time to waste.
“You were on my ship. How many other members of my crew are Hareema?”
The creature stared back at him, a sinister smile on its face. “Why should I tell you?” it rasped after a moment.
“Perhaps we can negotiate a peaceful settlement to hostilities,” Jeffrey suggested. “We could open up a dialogue. I’d be happy to mediate. And as a show of good faith, you could tell us how many of your species are on the Earhart.”
The creature that looked like him chuckled. “We have no interest in a dialogue with the Zantharian, or you pitiful humans. Why talk, when we’ll soon have control of both planets?”
“You sound very sure of yourself,” Kat said, walking up to stand next to Jeffrey. “And yet, now that we know how to hold you, what makes you think you’ll control anything?”
“We are everywhere,” it said, its tone threatening. “It’s too late for you to do anything about it.”
Kat turned to him. “It’s never going to talk. We should go.”
Jeffrey frowned. It was likely she was right. Still, if he could manage to get anything out of the creature, it would help them prepare for whatever they’d face in trying to recover his ship.
There was a commotion near the entrance and Jeffrey turned to watch. Major Ontarii make his way into the chamber, advancing until he reached his side.
“Has it told you anything?”
Jeffrey shook his head. “Nothing of consequence yet.”
“Let me take a stab at it.”
Jeffrey stepped back, giving the major room. His eyes flitted to Kat, who was watching her commanding officer with her full attention.
The change in the electric cell brought his gaze back to the Hareema. Its shape was shifting, and suddenly he was no longer looking at his mirror image. His form had been replaced by another human imitation.
This time it was Captain Brooklyn’s form staring out at them.
“Cute,” Major Ontarii said. But his calm tone was belied by the flecks of yellow that started to appear in his skin.
“What’s wrong, Major?” the creature murmured. “I’ve learned you enjoy the human form.”
“Cut the shit,” the major said.
Kat started at his side. She apparently wasn’t used to the bite in her C.O.’s voice.
“Where is the human ship?”
The Hareema plant shook its head. “Is that any way to talk to your mate?”
Major Ontarii’s entire skin flashed yellow, and murder filled his eyes. Jeffrey glanced at Kat and noticed the female’s expression had hardened.
She doesn’t like the fact that Major Ontarii’s fallen for Captain Brooklyn. Is it because she doesn’t approve of human-Zantharian pairings? Or could there be something more to it?
The idea that Kat was against interracial coupling bothered him. Yet she’d opened herself up to the experience on the flagship with little protest. Until after her climax, anyway.
Perhaps there was something more here that he was missing. Could her brittle demeanor now hint at deeper feelings for the major?
Jeffrey didn’t realize that his hands had tightened into fists. An intimate relationship with Major Ontarii would explain her unwillingness to consider that he’d been replaced on the flagship. She had defended him over and over, not wanting to admit that his form could have been imitated.
Somehow the thought t
hat Kat wanted the major was worse than the notion that she might not approve of the mixing of their species. His stomach was a hard knot inside him.
Jeffrey forced his attention back to the interchange between the major and the Hareema captive. He could stew about Kat’s possible lust for her commander later.
“You seem very sure that your people will be successful in their plot to take control of our planet. Are you that certain that your plans have the full support of your race?”
“Don’t be ridiculous, Major,” the creature replied. “We are of one mind. Command and control all that we survey.”
“I don’t think everyone on your planet agrees. In fact, I met a Hareema who assured me that a large portion of your planet refuses to go along with the plan, and are, in fact, actively working against it.”
The thing with wearing Brooklyn’s face turned nasty. “You have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Is that right?” Major Ontarii continued, his words coming out like blows. “I think you do know. Although your High Council spits out propaganda to convince your people that it’s your right to rule the universe, not everyone believes it. How do you think I escaped from your prisoner cell? It was only with the help of a Hareema that I made it back to Zanthar alive.”
Jeffrey goggled at the major. Was what he was saying true? Were there Hareema factions working against the expansionist agenda? A sudden glimmer of hope at surviving the situation and besting the shapeshifters began to take shape inside him.
“You’re spewing lies in the hopes of getting me to talk, but it makes no difference. The pitiful resistance forces are no match for the High Council.”
“So you admit there is a resistance,” Jeffrey spoke up.
The thing with Brooklyn’s face scowled at him. “I’m done talking to you.”
Major Ontarii pressed on. “I was on your prison planet. Your scientists have made a big discovery, an upgrade we’re lucky you weren’t equipped with before you infiltrated the human ship.”
“Then they’d figured out how to adapt the human scientist’s device, to make us impervious to your energy blasts?” The Hareema captive chortled. “That proves that we are within a stone’s throw of achieving our goal. And you’ll never be able to stop us now.”
“Yes, your little upgrade has the rebellion in a tizzy. They’ll be stepping up their efforts to take you down from the inside. And we’ll be happy to help them.”
The thing with Brooklyn’s face laughed with undisguised glee. “You’re no match for us.”
Major Ontarii smiled back, a cruel smile that Jeffrey was glad wasn’t aimed at him. “We’ll see.”
The major turned on his heel and left the room without another word. Jeffrey glanced at Kat, who wore a slight frown as she watched Major Ontarii depart.
“Time to go get my ship back,” he said to her softly. She nodded, then followed him to the entrance. Before they left, she turned to the scientist.
“Hit him with a blast of electricity,” she said.
The scientist nodded, then turned on the electric floor. The creature’s laughs gave way to screams.
Kat walked out of the chamber, not bothering to look back.
That woman has ice water in her veins, Jeffrey thought, following her out into the corridor. She set off in a new direction and he paced after her, going over the situation in his mind.
It seemed the Hareema weren’t as infallible as he’d feared. If rebels were working from within the Hareema power structure to take them down, perhaps the humans and Zantharians could find a way to join forces with them.
Kat walked in front of him, her motions stiff. Still, he couldn’t help staring at her well-toned bottom. He had a weakness for firm behinds, and hers was the firmest he’d ever seen.
Jeffrey figured that his intuition about her feelings for Major Ontarii were correct. Still, he refused to abandon hope. Despite her desire for the major, she’s still responded when he’d kissed her, when he’d licked her body with abandon.
The memory of her taste once again made his flight suit uncomfortably tight. It was damned difficult to keep his mind on his mission when he couldn’t stop imagining her lips on his, her body naked and writhing beneath him.
“I’ll never be under you again,” she’d said, her anger evident. Even though she promised to put up a valiant effort to ignore his charm, Jeffrey knew that the prize would be worth any fight.
She led him into a wide chamber with high ceilings and several stations interspersed throughout. Walking up to a desk she addressed the male seated behind it. “Is the ship ready to go?”
“The last of the crew just arrived. Everything has been checked and double checked. You are cleared for departure immediately.”
Kat nodded, making her way through a large archway and not watching to see if Jeffrey followed.
I’m getting tired of tagging along after her like a lost puppy. He picked up speed until he came up alongside her. She moved away to make sure their shoulders didn’t touch.
They’d entered some kind of hangar, with several Zantharian ships parked in rows along the center. The outer wall held three large membranes, presumably for the ships to make their way through.
Kat hurried to the smallest ship in the hangar. It resembled something sleek, dark gray with two fins on either side and a smaller one on top. Like a dolphin.
The entry hatch was open, and she climbed inside, Jeffrey following behind her. The ship was small, the interior tightly packed. They were in a corridor of some sort, with a low ceiling that his head nearly brushed against, and slightly curved walls. There were hatches dotting the walls, which Jeffrey assumed were for storage.
Kat finally decided to acknowledge his existence, pointing toward the rear of the ship. “The crew quarters are there. They consist of a bunkroom and a small mess. Unfortunately, a ship of this size has no captain’s quarters.”
Although it sounded as if she’d sneered the last words, he nodded, preferring to pretend he hadn’t noticed her tone.
“This way to the bridge,” she said, leading him to the membrane at the other end of the corridor. She entered and he went in after her, seeing that five Zantharian crewmembers were already aboard.
“Everything is ready for departure, Lieutenant,” the Zantharian perched in front of the center console chirped.
“What are your orders?” another asked.
Kat opened her mouth to respond, and Jeffrey nudged her gently with his elbow. She looked over at him, her face dark. It was a wonder that she hasn’t gone bright yellow. Still, if he was going to assert his command, it was best to do so from the beginning.
“This is Lieutenant Jeffrey Brunt. He’s in command of this mission.”
Five Zantharian jaws dropped in unison. “You’re kidding,” one of them said.
“The command comes from the Supreme Regent himself.” Jeffrey bristled at her apologetic tone.
“I’m sure you’ll find me a fair and capable commanding officer,” he said, giving a winning smile. “Our highest priority is finding my ship before it disappears into Hareema control permanently. Since we have no time to waste, I suggest we depart immediately.”
The Zantharians stared. Kat gave a nearly imperceptible nod of the head, and they, at last, were spurred to action.
Jeffrey found an unoccupied seat and proceeded to strap himself in.
“Course heading?” the navigator requested.
“Make for the place where your ship originally captured mine,” he told Kat. “We’ll start our scans there.” It was the only place that made sense, in part because it was the only place he could think of.
“Quadrant 4-3, section 19.”
The navigator nodded at Kat’s words and the ship moved toward the membrane. “Hold on tight,” Kat said.
The ship burst out of the membrane and sped forward at a breakneck speed. Jeffrey watched the view screen, fighting against nausea. The world was a blue-green blur around him.
Suddenly the s
hip burst through the waves and headed high into the air. They were in the upper atmosphere in a matter of moments, and not long after, they were in the open blackness of space.
“This ship is among the fastest in our fleet. It won’t take long to make our way back to our previous position.”
He glanced at his companion. She wasn’t looking at him, but was watching the view screen instead.
There were so many things he wanted to say to her, but he was unsure of how to start. She was still raw and angry about what had happened on the flagship, and being put under his command had not done anything to abate that anger. Perhaps some light flirting would be the best way to breach the gap between them.
He kept his voice low, intimate. He didn’t need the crew to overhear his wooing. “I’m not sure if I’ve told you this, but you look so lovely in starlight.”
He saw one perfect brow arch in her gorgeous face. Still, he barreled onward. “It’s like you were made for space. An alluring jewel in the ideal setting.”
Her expression remained neutral, but he thought he noticed a slight change in her skin tone. Jeffrey decided to press on with his seduction.
“And your eyes, they match their surroundings. Like an eclipse, the darkness ringed by blinding light.”
She finally turned to him, her face cold. “There’s no need to resort to flattery. I’ve accepted your command. I can behave like a professional if you can.”
Jeffrey wanted to laugh. “You might be able to behave like a professional, but I’d prefer if you let your hair down, so to speak. You weren’t very professional back on the flagship.”
“Will you never stop throwing that up in my face?” she asked, her words coming out in a harsh whisper. “It was a mistake. I was confused. Let’s move past it.”
“Confused? You didn’t seem confused when you were writhing beneath my tongue.”
Kat glared at him. “Don’t flatter yourself, Lieutenant. Like you said, it gets lonely out in space. I hadn’t enjoyed male attention for too long, so I let myself be seduced by you. But believe me, it was nothing worth repeating.”
“Ouch, that stung.” He put his hands over his chest in mock agony to hide his hurt. “And I was just going to say that I was barely getting warmed up before. I should have held you there until you climaxed a half dozen more times.”
