by Liza Probz
Although opinion on Zanthar was still divided, the Supreme Regent Xivthar Rasveen had assured everyone that he was working to get to the bottom of said conspiracy. He was doing so with the aid of his mate, the human female, Dr. Sylvia Cohen.
The thought of a Zantharian mating with a human set off a chaotic mixture of feelings in the major. He had concern over the political ramifications of such a union, discomfort regarding who could be trusted with state secrets. There was a twinge of curiosity at the nuts and bolts of their attraction to each other, and a bit of disgust at the thought of mating outside of his own species.
He knew his confusion was shared by other Zantharians, and the Supreme Regent had been having a hell of a time keeping ahead of the other political factions on Zanthar. Ontarii thought the Hareema threat hanging over their heads was the sole thing that kept Rasveen in power.
That and the fact that his brother was missing.
The Minister of Defense had been replaced by a Hareema operative who had used its power to manipulate his underlings and somehow take down the defense grid. The real Minister of Defense, known by those closest to him as Drake, had yet to be found.
Ontarii figured Drake to be dead. The Supreme Regent, however, wasn’t ready to give up hope of his brother’s recovery. He had parties searching throughout the system for him, and the ships that made up the defense perimeter around Zanthar, including the flagship that Ontarii was currently commanding, had orders to scan everything for signs of Drake’s DNA.
So far, nothing had been uncovered that might sustain the regent’s hope.
Ontarii took a deep breath, pushing away his rambling thoughts. It was time to investigate the human ship to determine if a Hareema infiltrator was on board. The ship was small and quarters were tight, which left Ontarii able to take two men with him. He was secure in his superior abilities and technology savviness, so a few extra eyes and hands were all he required. Besides, the flagship would be monitoring their movements should anything go awry.
Part of Ontarii hoped something would. The silence was killing everyone. The Hareema were masters of disguise and that meant anyone around, at any given time, could be the enemy seeking to take you out. They needed advancement on their search. He would take anything afforded him to relieve this tension of not knowing whom he could trust.
Ontarii gave the signal to open the membrane. A thin slit appeared in the center of its surface and he moved forward, nodding to his companions as they moved inside.
The human ship was miniscule compared to the flagship, and the technology was incredibly outdated. It would be considered quaint by antique collectors on Zanthar no doubt. Ontarii was slightly surprised that there was no one to greet them at the hatch.
Scanning the surroundings, he moved forward and gestured for his men to follow.
The corridors were tight, forcing them to walk single-file, with Ontarii in the front position. He reached a doorway quickly and found the button that activated it. Ontarii waved to his men to take up positions on the left side of the door while he pressed his back to the wall on the right before hitting the button.
The doors whooshed open and Ontarii crept to the edge of the doorway to peer through it. No one greeted him on the other side. He motioned his men forward into what appeared to be the crew’s mess.
Where are the humans? Surely they aren’t ignorant enough to set up an ambush on such a small craft. Even worse, they could all be Hareema agents using human form for cover.
It was impossible to tell by the readings they’d received on their ship.
Ontarii stood in the center of the mess and debated which of the two doors that led out of the area he should try first. From their scans of the ship, he knew one led towards the crew quarters and the infirmary, while the other headed towards the bridge.
Ontarii frowned, considering his options. He could split his men up, search one option while they searched the other. But dividing his forces didn’t make sense to him. That meant he needed to choose a direction.
Ontarii relied on instinct to guide him often in military situations, but when dealing with an almost completely unfamiliar life form such as humans, he didn’t think his instinct would provide an adequate guide. He did what he thought best, and left the choice completely up to chance.
“Through there,” he said, his voice low as he motioned toward the door that would lead in the direction of the bridge.
The corridor was empty, and the ship eerily quiet. On either side of them were two doors, leading to what he assumed were small scientific stations. In front of them stood another door, this one leading to the bridge. He moved toward the final door, as he motioned to his companions to take up their positions on the left side while he went right.
Before they could reach their destination, the bridge door whooshed open. Ontarii was confronted by two large mechanical beings. Their shape resembled a person's, with two arms and two legs, but the area where their faces should be were instead light displays. The displays were bright red and flashing angrily.
“Intruder alert,” the units said in unison.
Small hatches on the units’ shoulders opened to reveal laser weapons that swiveled to lock in on him. Ontarii breathed deeply and started charging up his bioelectric weaponry. Zantharians had the ability to discharge powerful pulses of electric energy from their bodies. The discharge should be powerful enough to take out the unit.
The door behind him opened, catching him further off guard.
“Intruder alert,” came from behind him. He risked a glance and found two more units stationed behind them. They were effectively trapped between the robot pairs.
Ontarii wasn’t used to someone getting the drop on him. It rankled. While he and his companions could each discharge into one of the robots, they would still leave one unaffected, and that one robot could do significant damage before they were sufficiently recharged to use their bio-weapons again. Still, they couldn’t stand here and do nothing.
“Prepare for shock discharge,” he said, powering up his own weapon.
“Stand down!” a strong feminine voice commanded.
Ontarii’s head shot up at the command. His eyes narrowed as his gaze fastened on the one who’d spoken.
A human female stood behind the two robots blocking the entrance to the bridge. She was tall, for a human, only a couple inches lacking six feet. Her hair was dark and pulled back tightly. Her eyes were a light amber that reminded him of starlight seen through the tinted glass dome of Noruma’s temple. His heart fluttered uncommonly in his chest.
That’s an unexpected thought to have while facing down the enemy. Ontarii chastised himself. Focus on the matter at hand.
“Call off your robots, human,” he said, his voice firm.
“I’m sorry,” she said, her tone sweet but her face expressionless. “I can’t do that. It looks like you’re charging up some kind of weapon of your own, if the pulses in your skin are any indication. Why should I disarm myself when you’re not willing to do the same?”
Ontarii had to admit that she had a point.
“Perhaps you’re mistaken about your situation here,” he said. Point or no point, she’s outnumbered and outgunned. She will back down. “Your ship is tractored to our hull. I’ve got over one hundred soldiers on that vessel. Your paltry vessel couldn’t hold more than a dozen, and I doubt you have that many with you. Even if your robots succeed in overtaking us, they still can’t match the force we can bring to bear.”
“Maybe not,” she said, her dark eyebrow rising. “But my robots will still be able to put a hurting on you and your companions before your ship of soldiers can get to you. So stand down, stop charging up whatever weird weapons you’ve got, and let’s talk like civilized beings.”
Ontarii considered her words. The Earthlings posed no real threat, and if he wanted to push the issue, he could alert the flagship and have this tiny craft flooded with Zantharian soldiers within seconds.
He didn’t appreciate the tone the
Earthling female was taking with him, nor the way it was making him feel. He had half a mind to blast her with his charge and see how she took it. Hopefully it would wipe the smug look off her pretty face.
Ontarii’s eyes narrowed as he stared down the human female, giving her a minute to think through her strategy.
Chapter 3
Brook swallowed around the lump in her throat as subtly as she could. She didn’t appreciate the expression on the alien leader’s face at all. There was no doubt that he was the leader within the small squad before her. He was slightly taller than the other two, his entire demeanor projected command and dominance. Her stomach tightened in a way that made her want to blush, but she forced herself to remain in control. She was a scientist. It was simply the excitement bubbling up inside of her at their finding.
The male stood ramrod straight, his skin a curious mint green color, but beautiful somehow. There was nothing little about the “little green man” though. He was taller than most humans she knew, and his body was a mass of muscle tone and restrained power.
His eyes were as black as empty space. His nose was prominent and straight, leading to lips that were compressed in what she imagined was barely repressed rage. The clothing he was wearing was strange, made out of some kind of natural plant fiber. It consisted mainly of a skirt of sorts that fell to his knees in braids, with two thicker braids climbing his chest. At his shoulders the braids displayed an intricate knot. The rest of his massive body was bare.
Brook concentrated on her breathing, her eyes boring into the alien leader. I will not back down. Why the fuck are you so hot? I will not back down.
If she gave in now, the aliens would walk all over her. Hell, they likely would anyway, given their advanced technology and weapons. Regardless, she would stand up for herself and her crew, ensuring that the foreign being before her knew she meant business. It was her duty to keep those under her command safe, and to complete her mission.
And she would, by God, accomplish those goals, despite any resistance from her new discovery.
The leader’s eyes narrowed as he met her gaze and held it for a few minutes. He broke the connection finally, turning to his companions and giving a short nod. The energy pulses that were rippling across their bodies faded away.
Brook let out the breath she was holding. Round one - humans.
“Power down your robots,” the leader barked, his voice as hard as steel.
She didn’t like giving up her advantage, slim as it might be, but she had to make concessions as well. It was only fair. “Lieutenant Brunt, power down the FIDOs.”
Talia stood just behind her, and moved up as Brook turned to pin Brunt with a stare. Talia lifted to her toes and murmured close to Brook’s ear, “You sure that is a good idea?”
Of course not. It’s the dumbest idea I’ve had in years.
Behind her, Brunt was at the console, inputting the commands to deactivate the FIDOs. The face displays of the units blinked from red to blue, and the robots turned and headed down the corridor and back to the cargo bay where they were stored.
Brook turned back in time to see the leader starting to speak, but she jumped in first, not wanting to give him the chance to take control of the situation. “Do you want to explain to me why you captured my ship and boarded her without permission? We’ve done nothing to provoke such a response.”
The leader gave her a tight smile as his eyes moved across her face. “You were nearing the Zantharian defense perimeter. We’re on high alert and scanning all ships entering our system.”
“Scanning doesn’t mean boarding.”
The hair on his head started to move suddenly. She was riveted and couldn’t speak for a minute as she stared at him. She’d assumed the alien had hair similar to her own, but now she realized it was something more akin to tiny tentacles. And they’d started to ripple.
He didn’t answer, but asked a question of his own. “What are you doing here? Explain yourself. Now.”
Brook’s face tightened. “Explain why you boarded my ship.”
Letting out a large sigh the alien took a step forward. “I already told you. Keep up and don’t waste my time.”
Alvarez, who had been standing next to her on the left, lifted his laser pistol, aiming it at the lead alien who scoffed and turned his attention to her crewmate and then back to her.
“I thought we were past brandishing our weapons at one another.”
Brook put her hand on Alvarez’s pistol to push it back toward the floor. “If that’s the truth, then you should release my ship and stop talking to me like I’m a child. It’s not going to get you anywhere with me.”
The alien’s face hardened until it looked carved from jade. “I can’t do that. Not until you explain what you’re doing here.”
Brook let out a heavy breath. Someone had to be the first one to capitulate. The alien seemed to be meeting her halfway, so she supposed it was time to give a little.
“One of our people was investigating a nearby planet, classified as JL-398. We lost contact with her when she entered the planet’s atmosphere and haven’t been able to re-establish communications. My crew was sent to try and locate her.”
The leader nodded as if he’d been expecting her answer. “And is this the entirety of your crew?”
Brook frowned. “The Earhart currently has a complement of eight crew members, including her captain.”
“I suppose you’re the captain?” He eyed her up and down as if it was humorous that a woman was captaining a ship.
She wanted to slam her fist into his arrogant smirk, but instead she nodded and pursed her lips momentarily. “Captain Brooklyn, at your service. Now you know why we’re here, so you should be able to release my ship.”
The alien shook his head. “I am Major Ontarii, commander of the Zantharian defense fleet, and I’m afraid we’ve detected a threat aboard your ship, so releasing you isn’t a possibility.”
Heat rose in Brook’s chest and coated her insides. “What threat? We’re no match for you. Shit, you said so yourself.”
“You humans are not a threat,” the alien said, as he scanned the crew gathered behind her.
“Well, we humans are the only ones aboard this ship, other than the robots, which we turned off. You must be mistaken about your supposed threat, or you’re looking for an excuse to invade the ship of an innocent species.”
“Innocent?” he said, cocking a dark eyebrow at her and taking another step forward so that she had to tilt her head back to meet his gaze. “That remains to be seen.”
Something about his tone of voice set off a strange shiver down her spine. She stifled the shake and let the odd feelings burn into anger. Anger was safe.
Frustration. Anger. Not lust. Just not lust. It wasn’t turning out to be what she’d expected her first contact between humans and an alien race would be like. Off to a bad start. This is going to look like shit on my record.
“Look,” she said, her tone now brooking resistance. “You either tell me what you think this threat is, or you get the hell off of my ship.”
He scowled down at her, his jaw locking as if she were the biggest pain in the ass ever. His skin, which had been a light green, had started to shift slightly. Yellow striations appeared across his skin’s surface, the change quite striking and unexpectedly beautiful.
“Human, I am not in the habit of explaining myself to my subordinates,” he snapped at her and looked down his nose at her.
He was angry, but it couldn’t match the fury boiling over inside of her at his statement. “Subordinate? That’s no way to refer to a member of species you’re meeting for the first time.”
He rolled his eyes, and she barely stopped herself from kicking him in the shin or kneeing him in the crotch. If he had a crotch to knee him in.
As captain, Brook had had to keep her cool in much more high stakes situations than her current conversation, but for some reason she was having problems keeping her temper in check with this particular e
litist asshole.
“You aren’t the first human I’ve met,” he said. “I’ve studied your species, and believe me, my assessment of Zantharian superiority is well founded.”
That was it.
Brook closed the space between herself and the alien until her breasts pressed tightly to his hardened chest. She lifted on her toes, and even though he was still several inches taller than her, she was as close to being in his face as she was getting.
Purposefully making her voice firm with an appropriate dash of anger, she bore an angry stare at him and whispered low and dark, “You and your Zantharian superiority can go fuck yourself. Get the hell off my ship before I physically remove you from it.”
Chapter 4
Ontarii couldn’t explain the flush of warmth that shot through his body at the human female’s words. Anger was a familiar emotion, but something else lurked beneath it, something more sinister. Something he wasn’t ready to deal with.
Anger was safer.
“Captain Brooklyn, I believe you said your name was, I don’t have time for your snarkiness. Zanthar is under threat of enemy invasion, and Earth has been implicated in a conspiracy to overrun my world. So maybe you should just shut up and let the big boys do their job.”
He watched the human’s jaw drop. Perhaps in another situation he’d be able to admit to himself that he wasn’t in the habit of being so high-handed in diplomatic situations, but something about this female unsettled him.
It wasn’t that she held a command. Plenty of Zantharian females held high ranks and offices. It wasn’t that she was from another species. He’d met aliens from many different worlds. In fact, he couldn’t put his finger on exactly what it was about her that made him agitated. He didn’t have time, nor the energy to try and figure it out either.
