“I’ll think on it, Granny. Right now, I just want to get Mom and Dad laid to rest. Jess is coming by this evening to help with the planning. I need to call and find out when we can get Mom and Dad out of the compound.”
“You do that, then get yourself a little nap, baby girl.”
“I will, Granny. This whole thing has drained every bit of energy I had.”
***
After the stress of the past few days, finding out about the coalition, and learning Kayn might’ve murdered her parents, Alyssa napped through the evening and all the way until the next morning. She slept like a baby in her old, comfy bed, surrounded by her childhood memories.
After calling Jordan to pick her up, Alyssa shared a simple, easy-on-the-morning-sickness breakfast with Granny, while she waited, discussing the delivery of her parents’ bodies and what arrangements still needed finalizing.
While she slept, Jess and Granny did most of the planning without her. A grateful Alyssa assured Granny she’d help out more, as well as promising to keep an open mind about the coalition and their plans.
When Alyssa heard Jordan’s truck pull up in front of the house, she quickly stacked her dishes in the sink and dropped a kiss on Granny’s cheek. Stepping out the front door, Alyssa shivered when the spring morning chill engulfed her and grabbed her jacket from the coatrack.
Jordan waited by the passenger door, with his usual goofy grin on his face, opening the door with a flourish as Alyssa giggled at him. He ran around to jump inside the driver side of the pickup, stilling grinning.
“Why are you so happy this morning?”
“Oh, no reason.” Jordan batted his eyelashes, giving her an innocent face.
“Mm hmm, you seem pretty cheery for this early in the day.”
“Well, I’ve been up for a few hours already.”
“Why?”
“Coalition stuff,” he said. “Everyone was so stoked about meeting you yesterday. They seem optimistic about everything they have planned, if we can get you on board.”
“I haven’t decided to join you yet, you know?”
“I know, I know, but this is a big step for us. Your help could tip the scales to our side in this twenty-year battle.”
“How long have you been in the coalition, Jordan?”
“About five years now. I got tired of moving around with my mom. I’d kept in touch with Bas since I was a kid, and hung out with him whenever he came around. He taught me a lot. With my mom, I always felt bored and useless, but now I have a mission, a goal in life, you know?”
“Yeah, I guess. My goal was to finish school then work for the Szu’Kara. After getting the job working for Kayn, I didn’t really have any goals except to be a good employee and make him happy. I suppose I just figured everything else would happen when it happened.”
“And now?”
“I’m not sure. I’ve lived and worked with the Szu’Kara for so long. I was raised to trust them to take care of us. I knew, without a doubt, I’d have everlasting life in Zion someday, but now, you and your brother and all those people, including Shar and Nait, are telling me everything I’ve always believed is a lie. I’m so confused and don’t know what to think or who to trust. I mean, seriously, I was falling in love with the commander of an alien species you say is out to kill me, for heaven’s sake!”
“Calm down, girly.” Jordan patted Alyssa’s hand.
When his hand stayed on hers, she looked down at it then peered at him out of the corner of her eye, stifling a giggle when he noticed her looking and yanked it back to the steering wheel, mumbling an apology.
Alyssa thought about the differences between him and Kayn. Jordan was always so polite and chivalrous, interested in everything she said, and easy to talk to, whereas Kayn had such a commanding demeanor, obviously, and could be so sweet when he had the time to give her his full attention. Her heart had belonged to Kayn for years, even if he didn’t know it.
Ugh, so awkward. Jordan’s a good guy, and I don’t want to hurt him, but I just don’t have feelings for him like I do Kayn or... no no, don’t think about him and those beautiful blue eyes! Besides, I’m with Kayn, and I’m having his baby. I should be loyal to Kayn—but he killed my parents! At least that’s what Shar said. And why would she and Nait claim these things against their own people if they weren’t true?
Alyssa focused on the passing scenery while Jordan stayed silent, cheeks still pink. They both perked up when the coalition headquarters appeared in the distance, several seemingly abandoned buildings planted in the middle of overgrown fields.
“So, do I have to meet with the same people again?”
“Not yet, but probably later today we’ll have another meeting with the group leaders. Also, Bas wants you to meet another person… privately. Otherwise, pretty sure this morning’s just you, me, Bas, and Nait.”
“No Shar?”
“Nope. She had to go into work last night. Bas wanted her to make sure Commander Kayn didn’t suspect anything.”
“Really? How’s she supposed to do that?”
“I think she was going to check in with him, give him a report about your health, and gauge his reactions. You know, they can read each other better than we can read them… stone-faced bastards.”
“Hey! Those bastards are my friends.”
“Sorry.” He shrugged. “I know you don’t know any better, but I’ve seen them do some terrible shit.”
“Don’t talk down to me like I’m some naïve child.” Alyssa fisted her hands, irritation swelling in her chest. “Just because I grew up trusting them, doesn’t mean I don’t know any better. I was raised this way, and I haven’t seen any of the things you and your brother have seen. If you want to change my way of thinking, you’d better show me some hard evidence because the word of two aliens isn’t enough. For all I know, they could’ve been brainwashed by the coalition. You can’t expect me to suddenly change everything I know and believe after one short meeting.”
Gritting her teeth, Alyssa jumped out of the pickup as soon as they pulled into the garage. Jordan rushed to catch up to her, grabbing her arm as she turned on him, ready to spit some outrage in his face.
“Alyssa, hey, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it that way. I don’t think you’re naïve, I really don’t.”
“Well, maybe you should think before you speak, Jordan.”
“I will, Alyssa, I promise. It won’t happen again. But I got to warn you, I’m not the only one who thinks and says things like that. You might not like what you hear, but I really hope you can look past our prejudices and listen to what we have to say because what you decide could be the difference between life and death.”
“I’ll keep an open mind, but like I said, there’d better be some hard evidence to back up your claims.”
“Let’s go. Bas is waiting.” Jordan scowled, for once not looking at her with longing in his eyes or a goofy smile.
Alyssa rolled her eyes and followed him to the same conference room as the day before, her breath catching at the sight of Sebastian sitting at the head of the table, looking stunningly gorgeous. She tore her eyes away to notice Nait and Lorn were also there.
Lorn stood, and thankful for a friendly face, Alyssa hugged him, his short stature, compared to other aliens, making him much easier to embrace. With warm, light-brown eyes, he reminded Alyssa of an old, loyal dog waiting at the door for his owner while his tan skin and normal height made him look almost human.
“Alyssa, I am happy you are here.”
“I’m glad you’re here too, Lorn. I really need someone I trust to help me figure this all out. How do you keep such a huge secret from Jess?”
“I only visit headquarters when she is at work,” he said, saddened. “She is as loyal to my kind as you are. I am afraid I will not be able to convince her to leave the Command Compound.”
“Well, if what they told me is true, I’ll do everything I can to help you. Jess and you are family.” Tears welled up in her eyes. “You two and Gra
nny are all I have left.”
“I know, Aly, I know. You are family to me as well. I wish to take Jess away from the commander. I am afraid if he were to find out about my involvement with the coalition, he would kill my Jess. I cannot let that happen, ever.”
Sebastian cleared his throat, grabbing their attention. “Shall we begin?”
Alyssa nodded, settling in at the table, acutely aware of Sebastian’s gaze.
“First, do you have any questions?” he asked. “I know we dumped a lot on you yesterday.”
“Yeah.” She sighed, anxious about what new information they would throw at her. “It was a lot of shocking information. I just can’t believe Kayn could kill my parents. They were so loyal to him, and so am… well… It’s a lot for me to take in. I honestly don’t know how I got out of bed this morning.”
“I’m sorry for your pain, Alyssa,” Sebastian said, his deep, silky voice causing her toes to tingle.
Pull it together, girl! Don’t get distracted by sexy Sebastian.
“My condolences for your loss, Aly.” Lorn bowed his head, his eyes reflecting a sadness unseen in most Szu’Kara. “Your parents were excellent people. Jess has been torn up by their deaths. If you need anything, please let us know. You know you can call me if Jess is unavailable.”
“I know, Lorn, thank you. Jess has been a godsend. I feel bad about sleeping through Jess’ visit last night. I hope she wasn’t upset?”
“No, of course not. She said she had a nice time with Ms. Willow. Do not worry about anything.”
“I’ll do my best,” Alyssa said, putting on a brave face. “Granny told me she’s been holding meetings at her house, disguised as book club meetings.”
“Yes, she’s been very helpful,” Sebastian said, nodding. “It’d be noticeable if so many people drove out of town at the same time. Having meetings at her house provides a safe place that doesn’t arouse suspicion.”
“What goes on at these meetings?”
“Mostly it’s an information exchange. We’ve discussed how to get you on our side and out of the hands of Commander Kayn.”
“Who provides you with this inside information?”
“Well, I can’t disclose that information until you’ve made your decision about joining. Our source is in a precarious position. If they should be found out, the commander would kill them.”
“Can you tell me if they’re human or Szu’Kara?”
“Szu’Kara. Very few humans are held in high enough positions to provide reliable information that would be useful to our cause.”
“Besides me?”
“Yes, besides you. Your position provides you with the unique ability to overhear conversations and see pertinent documentation. Also, it doesn’t hurt that you have a relationship with the commander.”
“I did… I’m not so sure now, though. The last time I saw him he was rather cold. It’s hard to say if he was distancing himself from me, or if he was just being… commander-ish because Granny and Jess were in the room.”
“It is possible he is angry about your rejection of Final Asen’Sha,” Nait said. “The commander has not engaged in many relationships in the past. It has always been understood that the commander line would choose only one mate for procreation. Such a pairing would be for life. His choosing you has caused some dissent among our people.”
“It most certainly has.” Lorn fidgeted in a very un-Szu’Kara-like manner. “It is acceptable for us to mate with another species, but not so for the commanders. We cannot have a commander of mixed descent. Our people are questioning his choice; most believe humans will be eradicated. At best, our half-breed offspring would be spared due to our low numbers.”
“Are the half-breeds allowed to travel with you when you leave a planet? I’ve never seen a Szu’Kara that isn’t purebred, I don’t think...”
“No. You would not,” Nait said, shaking his dark head. “All half-breeds are left to occupy the planets they originated on. The mixed genetics are eventually bred out of them, but it does allow for some diversity in the long run that would not be there if we only mated among our people.”
“So, it’s acceptable to impregnate a host species as long as the commander doesn’t do it?”
“Yes,” Lorn said.
“And all the other civilizations you’ve encountered were exterminated?”
“Yes.” Nait’s dark face paled with shame. “There have been a few that tried to fight back, as the coalition is doing, but they were not successful.”
“What makes you think this time will be any different?”
“Humans are the most advanced society we have encountered. I would not put myself at risk for a species incapable of fighting back.”
“How many Szu’Kara have joined the coalition?”
“There are many that have joined us,” Sebastian said, leaning back in his chair. “This is a worldwide endeavor. It’s difficult to give you exact numbers, but I can tell you that a handful of groups are made up of mostly Szu’Kara members.”
“If you’re so against this practice,” Alyssa asked, looking at Lorn and Nait, “why have you participated for so long?”
“We have no choice,” Lorn said, with a slight tremor in his tenor voice. “If we were to refuse, we would be imprisoned or executed. I cannot speak for all Szu’Kara like me, but until I met Jess, I chose not to participate in any mating of any kind. As you know, we have long lifespans. That is a long time to be alone, although it is not unusual. Until this situation has been resolved, I will not procreate with Jess.”
Nait muttered in agreement as Alyssa stared at the table in front of her, trying to process everything without losing her sanity.
“Not that I don’t trust what you’re all saying—especially you, Lorn—but I feel like I need more evidence to make a sound decision in this matter. I can’t risk my life stealing the Key from my mother’s office without some sort of proof. You understand that, right?”
“Yes,” Sebastian said. “We fully understand. You should be as committed to the cause as we are before you put yourself in danger. We have a meeting with the group leaders this afternoon. Each of them, as well as myself, will provide documentation and photographic evidence that should be enough to convince you.”
“Thank you. In the meantime, is that room still available? I’m feeling a little sick and worn out.”
“Absolutely. I’ll take you there myself,” he said, unfolding his sinewy body from his chair. “Jordan can bring you some crackers from the cafeteria.”
***
In the room, Sebastian’s whole stance changed, less militant and more relaxed. Alyssa sat on the bed hugging herself, dizzy, frazzled, and staving off a bout of nausea, yet searching her jumbled mind for something to say to fill the awkward silence.
“So, um, you’ve always been a… a freedom fighter?”
“Uh yeah, pretty much. At fourteen, I was drafted into what was left of the military a couple days before the aliens arrived.”
“Jordan said you were in Seattle on Arrival Day.”
“Yep, we were stationed at a fish market. I lost most of my team to the terrorists that day. Lost my girlfriend too.”
“That’s awful, Sebastian. I’m so sorry.”
“I was just a kid and so was she. We shouldn’t have been there. No one should have been there, but we didn’t have a choice. Someone had to fight back.” Sebastian hung his head, looking at the floor.
“How long were you in the military before you joined the coalition?”
Sebastian approached the bed, looking her in the eye the whole way. When he sat down next to her, she realized she had stopped breathing. Gasping in a quick breath, she glanced away, blushing. Looking back up, she saw Sebastian watching her, the corners of his mouth turned up.
“Well, after the arrival, I was in the hospital for several months. I had a serious head injury from an explosion caused by a blast from a Szu’Kara fighter jet. The military had pretty much been dissolved in favor of the human
-alien joint task force by the time I was discharged. I didn’t want to join that, so I traveled around for a while. Met a lot of people, saw a lot of things. Witnessed the good and the bad of the aliens. Eventually, I joined a small rebel group in California. Since then, we’ve been growing and evolving into the global organization we are now.”
“Wow.” Alyssa took in a deep breath to stave off a wave of nausea, Sebastian’s clean and faintly cinnamon scent filling her sensitive nose, tightening things in her body. Does Kayn have a smell? I don’t think so. Not like yummy Sebastian. Alyssa shoved the thought away. “When did you become the leader?”
“Three years ago, when the old leader, Bran, was killed in a battle down in Mexico.”
“I’ve seen reports of skirmishes, and General Ass is constantly bitching about the rebels.”
“General Ass?” he asked, roaring with laughter, bringing a big grin to Alyssa’s green-tinged face.
“Yep, that’s what Jess and I call him. Well, mostly me actually, but it makes her laugh every time, and she has a great laugh.”
A wave of melancholy swept over Alyssa, her smile fading as she studied Sebastian’s face, slowly reaching up to trace the scar on his forehead. His eyes closed as a small sigh escaped his lips, and worried she’d gone too far, Alyssa snatched her hand away.
“Sorry.”
“It’s okay. It doesn’t hurt anymore, except sometimes before the rain comes.”
“Do you go into battle much?”
“Yeah, but it’s been a while. We’ve been on standby here for a few months. There’s another rebel group out there… radicals. They’re less discerning in their targets, completely anti-alien, and we’ve been monitoring their movements. Our operation against the Command Compound is paramount, and we can’t let them interfere.”
“No kidding... I knew about rebels, but two different groups? Not to mention, my best friend’s dating a rebel. It’s mind-boggling.”
Broken: The Discordant Earth Series 1.0 Page 11
