Tied up in Customs (The Department of Homeworld Security Book 4)

by Cassandra Chandler

  With another battle cry that drowned out its shrill scream, she ran toward the cliff and tossed it over the edge. She turned back to Eric just as he managed to get to his feet. He took a few wobbly steps in her direction, falling into her arms as he reached her.

  Smiling, he said, “Remind me never to piss you off.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  The forest was spinning wildly around Eric as Sorca drew his arm across her shoulders, supporting most of his weight. He felt nauseated and his vision was blurry. Not good. He still managed to keep his grip on the space rifle that his evil twin had cold-cocked him with, though.

  He probably had a concussion. At least the Gray—the Scorpiian—was gone.

  “Are you okay?” he asked.

  “You’re the one who can’t stand, yet you ask if I’m okay?”

  Eric half-shrugged. “That thing hit you pretty hard a couple of times.”

  “I’m more durable than that, as you well know. I’m more concerned for you. The regen bed in my ship can address your injuries.”

  “Wait a minute.” Something was nagging at the back of his mind—swirly as it was. “The Scorpiian. Did you hear it hit the ground?”

  Sorca looked up at him, her eyes wide. She mostly carried him to the edge of the cliff.

  The rocks below weren’t splattered with carnage, as he’d expected. In fact, there was nothing on them at all.

  “Eric.”

  He followed Sorca’s gaze to the treeline beneath them, a hundred yards or so from the bottom of the cliff. The Scorpiian stood there, in its tall, Gray form, with folds of near-transparent skin connecting its arms and legs illuminated by the setting sun.

  “Did that thing just glide to safety after being thrown off a cliff?” He wanted to be sure he wasn’t imagining things.

  “Scorpiians are feared for good reason.”

  “At least it doesn’t look like me anymore.”

  “Come.” She turned them back toward the ship, moving at a fast pace. “We must leave the planet as quickly as possible.”

  “The sun hasn’t quite set yet.”

  “I want you healed before we board the Arbiter. You’ll need to be at your best.”

  “Why do I feel like there’s something you’re not telling me?”

  “Because you’re observant and intelligent. And there are several things I haven’t told you yet.”

  A wave of nausea washed over him as he wondered what else could go wrong.

  As soon as they were aboard, she closed the ship’s ramp. Lights along the ceiling and floor began to glow, immediately replacing the sunlight that had just been cut off. Sorca pressed a control, and a bench slid out of the wall. She set him on it and knelt beside him.

  “Are you in much pain?” she said.

  “Not really.” His head felt like it was cracked in half, but he could deal with that.

  “I don’t believe you.”

  She smiled, tracing her fingers over his forehead. He could feel her gently pulling hair free that was sticking to his skin.

  “I warned you that you would be injured if you persisted in trying to defend me,” she said.

  “You’re worth it.”

  Her eyes widened and her mouth dropped open. For a wrenching moment, he was afraid she might start to cry. But not his Sorca. His Sorca.

  He cupped her jaw, tilting her head up to his so that he could claim her mouth. He delved into her, caressing her tongue with his, feeling her rise up and melt against him. The room was still spinning, but possibly for a much more pleasant reason when they finally parted.

  “I’m glad you figured out it was me. And not just because I wouldn’t have stood a chance of surviving being chucked off the cliff like that.”

  “Even in the battle, I could tell you were trying to protect me. It truly is hardwired into your DNA.”

  He laughed and shook his head. He couldn’t deny it. As far back as grade school, he’d felt compelled to help people when they were being picked on. Too bad that sentiment hadn’t been passed on to the Scorpiian when it took his shape.

  Sorca picked up the rifle and carried it to its storage rack, snapping it into place. The wall slid closed over it, making the weapons locker nearly invisible.

  “I think I’ll feel better once you teach me how to shoot one of those things,” Eric said.

  “That time will come sooner than you think.” Her hands flew over the etchings on the wall, bringing systems to life throughout the ship.

  Lights flickered on the walls, and a gridline superimposed itself over the viewscreen. He could hear things powering up and feel the vibration of engines through his seat.

  “Does this thing have seatbelts?” he said.

  She turned back to him and smiled. “Our uniforms have safety harnesses built into them that we can attach to the walls in case of sudden gravity loss. We’ll want to change before we board the Arbiter. It’s standard protocol.”

  “Far be it from me to stand against standard protocol. Are you going to tell me that news before we get there, too?”

  “I was going to wait till you were out of the regen bed.”

  “I’d rather not.”

  She sighed, then crossed the small space and sat next to him. “The Tau Ceti are much more invested in Earth than we thought. General Serath sent a coded transmission to alert me to the danger. They’ve been setting up spawning pools—altering Earth’s environment so that they could make a permanent home here.”

  His stomach lurched again. Maybe he should have waited till her regen bed fixed his probable-concussion. He rubbed his eyes, trying to clear his mind.

  “So what? Sanctions? Arrests? I can’t see the Coalition going to war for a planet that’s not even one of their members.”

  “If they go to war, it will not be over this. In fact…”

  He’d only seen her censor herself once. What was she holding back this time?

  “We’re bondmates, remember? And to me, that means we’re partners. I want—I need—to know what we’re dealing with.”

  She nodded, then said, “I have grave concerns. The fact that there is a Scorpiian bounty hunter operating on Earth leads me to believe…”

  Her voice trailed off, a furrow appearing between her eyebrows. He reached over and stroked her cheek.

  “Sorca…”

  She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Here it came…

  “Scorpiians often work for the High Council. They don’t pursue bounties that won’t pay out for them. There are no bounties on Earth that they could be seeking that aren’t sanctioned, even if they’re covert.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “I believe that the High Council is aware that there are other sentients trespassing on Earth. They may even be the ones behind the Scorpiian’s presence. And if that’s the case, they may have been aware of the planetary liaison’s actions as well. They might not think there’s a problem on Earth at all.”

  The room spun faster as he processed her words. If their government was aware of its citizens breaking their own laws, and was using secretive ways of dealing with it instead of facing it in the open… Earth faced an even greater challenge than he’d realized.

  “Let’s get me to the regen bed,” he said. “I need to talk to Serath.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  Back aboard the Arbiter, Sorca experienced the strange sense of detachment that usually only accompanied adjusting to a new body. She supposed it was a reaction to the knowledge that this was most likely among the last times she would walk these corridors. The adjustment was easier with Eric walking at her side.

  “I feel ridiculous,” he said.

  Another crewmember paused to let them pass, pressing his back to the wall to give them room. The Arbiter had larger corridors than most ships in the fleet, but the Coalition still understood that space was to be used as efficiently as possible—just as they used their people.

  That knowledge had never chafed as it did now. Earth truly did have
a transformative effect. Or at least its inhabitants did.

  Eric shook his head. “I can’t believe your uniform is a silver catsuit.”

  “I don’t know what cats have to do with it, but our uniforms have been designed to provide maximum protection while utilizing the fewest resources.”

  “Uh-huh.” He walked a bit closer to her when they were alone again, and said, “I do have to admit, you look gorgeous in it.”

  She grinned at the compliment. “As do you.”

  He chuckled. “Thanks.”

  She wished she could wear the special bracelets he’d given her underneath it, but he had convinced her to leave them back in her quarters. Perhaps she could have one of the mechanical engineers aboard the ship repair and reinforce the chain that had connected them…

  “I really like the look on your face right now,” Eric said.

  Grinning, she pressed the control panel that gave her access to Serath’s main meeting room. The door slid open, revealing the relatively large, circular space. Eric followed her inside.

  Brendan was standing on the near side of the oval table that filled most of the chamber. He and Eric walked briskly toward each other and clasped hands, also grasping each other’s shoulders.

  “I’m glad you could make it,” Brendan said.

  “Your friend here didn’t give me much choice.” Eric grinned at her over his shoulder. “She carried me to her ship when I tried to leave.”

  Brendan took a deep breath and held it for a moment before blowing it out. Visibly attempting to be calm, he said, “Sorca. The next time I ask you to go get someone, please don’t abduct them.”

  She shrugged. “Next time, give clearer orders.”

  “I’m glad she insisted,” Eric said. “From what I’ve learned, things are pretty bad.”

  “They are much worse than any of us knew.” Serath’s commanding tone echoed across the room.

  He entered with his bondmate, Evelyn. Khel followed with a woman who had the same red hair as Brendan. Sorca guessed this was Paige.

  “Please sit,” Serath said. “We have much to discuss.”

  Sorca led Eric around the table so that they could sit across from Brendan and Earth’s new planetary liaison, his bondmate, Kira. Everyone’s expressions were grim—even the normally cheerful Evelyn’s.

  She tucked a lock of her blonde hair behind her ear and tried to push a pair of glasses that she was no longer wearing up her nose. After her first sleep in a regen bed, her eyesight was perfect.

  Wearing anything on one’s face was dangerous on board. If the ship suffered decompression, the helmet built into the collars of their suits would unfold to cover their heads and seal the uniform. Evelyn’s glasses would have obstructed the process, but she still seemed to mourn their loss.

  Sorca understood a bit better now why Evelyn had yelled at Serath afterwards about not being consulted before her body was altered.

  “Kira,” Serath said. “Speak.”

  Kira looked a bit surprised. Her gaze flitted to each person seated around the table. When her eyes locked with Brendan’s, he smiled at her and nodded slightly. She immediately looked more comfortable, straightening in her chair

  She spoke in a strong voice. “The Tau Ceti very nearly set up spawning pools on Earth. They’ve been feeding on the population for an undetermined amount of time. There are also Centaurans somewhere on the planet. The previous planetary liaison is in custody on board. We’ve determined that he was running an extensive smuggling operation that was supported by several very high-level members of the Coalition.”

  “Sorca,” Serath said. “Your report.”

  He glared at her with his mismatched eyes—one bright blue and the other green. His presence dominated the room. She noted that everyone started to fidget in their seats. Even Eric was affected, sitting straighter in his chair and not taking his eyes off of their leader.

  Serath had told her once that she was the only one who seemed to be unaffected by him—which was part of why he valued her so much as his chief security officer. Undoubtedly, he was not happy to know of her pair-bonding.

  He’d get over it.

  “The High Council itself was most likely aware of the smuggling operation,” Sorca said.

  “What?” Khel’s shout echoed in the room. He had always been extremely loyal to the Coalition. Sorca wondered if his new relationship with the Earthling, Paige, would alter that.

  Paige set her hand on his shoulder, and said, “Easy, there. Let’s hear her out.”

  “Present your evidence,” Kira said.

  Sorca grinned at the new liaison. The woman had a voice like steel. It seemed to match her temperament. Earth was in good hands there. Sorca hoped it would be enough.

  “Eric and I were attacked by a Scorpiian,” Sorca said.

  Kira and Khel both gasped. Serath’s glare darkened.

  “How in the name of the Solar Cross are you still alive?” Kira said.

  “Um, excuse me?” Evelyn raised her hand tentatively, as she often did when she had something to contribute. “Scorpions aren’t that dangerous. Even really big ones. You can just stomp on them. I don’t get why it’s such a big deal.”

  Brendan and Paige turned to Sorca, obviously as confused by the statement as Serath’s bondmate.

  “Not the bug,” Eric said. “Aliens from one of the solar systems in the constellation Scorpii. They look like your standard movie Grays. And they can shapeshift.”

  “Grays are real?” Brendan’s face actually lit up. So did Evelyn’s.

  Serath reached for Evelyn’s hand and entwined their fingers, resting their arms on the table. He understood the danger of the situation.

  “Scorpiians are assassins,” he said. “They can take the form of any being whose DNA they’ve sampled. And they are nearly impossible to kill.”

  “The High Council uses them to collect bounties on individuals who are deemed extremely dangerous to the Coalition,” Sorca said.

  “I think it started out following me to try to get to Brendan.” Eric spoke with confidence, even in such novel circumstances. Sorca’s estimation of him increased yet again. “Probably due to his work on the communications array or his link to Kira.”

  “The Scorpiian changed targets after it learned that Eric had defeated me in combat,” Sorca said.

  “He… He what?” Khel leaned back in his chair, his eyes wide as he stared at Eric.

  Eric just shrugged. He smirked at Sorca. “Technically, the tree is what took you down.”

  “I refuse to be pair-bonded to a tree. And you’re the one who spared my life instead of ending it. The victory is yours.”

  “Pair-bonded.” Kira shook her head. “I don’t understand.”

  “That makes a bunch of us, I think,” Evelyn said.

  Serath’s scowl-creased brows formed a single dark line across his forehead. “Sorca is a Cygnian hybrid.”

  Kira glanced over with raised eyebrows. To her credit, she looked away quickly instead of indulging her curiosity with the long stares Sorca was more accustomed to when her true nature was revealed.

  “Anybody want to clue the Earthlings in on what that means?” Brendan said.

  “The Cygnians are a warrior race,” Khel said. “Their prowess is legendary. They have incredible strength, skin like stone, and can—”

  “Enough.” Serath’s booming voice made everyone jump in their seats. Evelyn grasped his arm in what Sorca now recognized as a reassuring gesture. He looked at Kira. “Explain.”

  After a few moments of silence, Kira spoke in an even voice. “Cygnian DNA is highly sought after by Coalition geneticists. The Cygnians consider any hybrids created to be their citizens. Part of the agreement in supplying us with their DNA is that the Coalition respect their customs.”

  “Okay,” Brendan said. “So, how does that make them married?”

  “Cygnians pair-bond through martial challenges,” Kira added.

  Brendan and Evelyn both said, “Oh,” at the
same time. Paige merely shook her head and smirked.

  “Sorca has officially logged Eric as the victor in his challenge,” Serath said. “The Coalition has no choice but to recognize their partnership. To do otherwise risks losing the cooperation of all the Cygnians among us and destroying relations between Cygnus-1 and the High Council.”

  The strain in his voice tugged at Sorca’s heart in a way she wasn’t sure she’d have been capable of even a day ago. Serath was the closest thing to a friend that she’d ever had. She didn’t like the thought of bringing him difficulty or…pain. From the look on his face, perhaps he felt the same way about her and didn’t want to see her leave his command for personal reasons, as well as due to his station.

  “It is not yet certain whether I will relinquish my position,” she said. “Eric will decide—”

  “Excuse me.” Eric leaned forward in his chair so that he could crane his neck around and hold her gaze. “We will decide. I’m not making any of these decisions alone. We’re partners, remember?”

  She smiled at him and nodded. Warmth flooded her chest. It was so strange to not see herself as a tool.

  She hoped Serath would understand. Victory in combat or not, she wanted Eric.

  “I am…pleased to see that you have partnered with someone who shows you such respect,” Serath said. “We will all need to support each other if we are to navigate the future successfully for Earth and the people of the Coalition.”

  The “people” of the Coalition? Not the Coalition itself. Sorca sat up straighter.

  She had served with Serath for decades. She knew how he thought—or at least, she had known. Before he went to Earth and came back changed.

  Was Serath planning on challenging the High Council? If so, she wanted to be part of that. Very, very badly.

  “The Tau Ceti have access to new technology that threatens every sentient in the galaxy,” Serath said. “We need to determine the source of this technology. There are also issues we need to address with the High Council, and even more that remains to be done on Earth.”