“First race?” Rayland asked. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
I blinked, and stared at Rayland in surprise. I would have figured Janet would have filled him in, but I suppose there hadn’t been much time for that. I bowed my head and closed my eyes ready to tell him everything, but it was the doctor who spoke first.
“Vakrexid has discovered that both my own race and the Qharr share an astounding number of genetic traits with humans. Far too many to be of coincidence. Vakrexid can only conclude that the Phyrr Lesch, our creators, used humans as basis for our two races.”
“You’re kidding me, right? After all these years no one’s figured this out? You can’t honestly tell me that at no time during the war did anyone thing to analyze of Qharr DNA? Or the Dexagarmetrax for that matter? How many years did your people have contact with Earth before the war?”
The doctor blinked and let out a low-pitched keening warble. “My people had been in contact with yours for many years, but Vakrexid was among the first physicians to study with your people. There are many cultures for my people to study and forgive me, but your medical technology was considered quite primitive by galactic standards. So there was very little to draw other doctors here.”
“Okay, so maybe it’s understandable that the Dexagarmetrax wouldn’t have figured it out, but what about humans? We must have done our own genetic research. I don’t know about the rest of you, but if I were at war with a race with superior weapons technology I’d certain look into creating bioweapons. Wouldn’t that have led them to discover the similarities between the Qharr and humans?” Rayland asked with just the hint of his usual smile touching the corner of his lips.
“He’s right,” Colonel Morris said. “We’ve known about the genetic similarities between the Qharr and humans for a long time.
“What?” Mara’s head turned sharply and she stared at the Colonel her jaw hanging open in what looked to be genuine surprise. “Why wasn’t I apprised of this, Colonel?”
“I’m sorry Ma’am, but it was on a need to know basis.”
“Need to know basis! I have higher security clearance than you!” She said her hands pressing into the table so hard that her fingers were turning white.
Morris jaw tightened and he clasped his hands atop the table. “The discovery was made just before the start of the war and it was all kept very quiet from the start. I’m sure you can understand that this sort of news would cause ripples of controversy through our society particularly with religious groups. We’d already made contact with the gray skins and while it hadn’t been particularly amiable it wasn’t exactly hostile either. A team of diplomats with a small military escort, which I was a part of, was sent to Kyrll, a world on the edge of Qharr space to open diplomatic relations with the sub-ascendant living on that world.”
“Kyrll.” Mara gasped and she brought both hands up to cup her mouth. “Dear lord, that’s a stone’s throw away from Ismara Prime. The war didn’t start over some territory dispute did it?
“No, that’s just what the public was told,” he said with a slight shake of his head. “The Qharr killed the diplomats. I and a few others barely escaped with our lives. Two days later the gray skins attacked Ismara Prime heralding in the beginning the war.”
“Fucking hell.” Lily only mouthed the words before speaking aloud. “Then the war, really everything, can be traced back to that single diplomatic mission. Why the hell would the gray skins start a war over something like this? Wouldn’t they want to know where they came from?”
‘Khala?’ I thought at my symbiote. ‘Do you have any insight?’
‘No, the Qharr wouldn’t see the first race as a threat. They should have welcomed you with open arms. I was always told that your diplomats had started the war by making an aborted attempt on the sub-ascendant’s life. Something else must be behind this. It bears telling you, Jykarr Bynd, the former sub-ascendant of Kyrll spearheaded the war against humanity and it was over lobbied to have himself appointed sub-ascendant of Earth. The Prime-Ascendant of course, could not refuse given his status as hero of the war and obliged. Jykarr rules to this day.’
“Jykarr Bynd,” I muttered the name in what I thought was a quiet tone of a voice, but soon had everyone in the room looking at me. “I bet you anything that it was all his doing, the war, the invasion of Earth, everything. He was the sub-ascendant of Kyrll before everything went to hell but the real question is why? Why would he want to enslave humanity?”
Mara sighed, thrumming her fingers against the table. “We could spend months trying to reason it out and never get anywhere. The only way we’re going to uncover the truth is if we seek it out.”
“One thing is for certain. If you are right about Jykarr, I don’t believe he’d want anyone to know about his people’s link to humanity. Perhaps that is even why he started the war,” Rayland mused stroking his chin more than a hint of his usual smirk returning to his face. “Which is why we need to find a way to get this information out in the open. If the grays skins learn of this it could undermine the entire occupation of Earth and could help tilt the scales in our favor.”
“Yes.” Mara nodded. “I agree, but we need to find a way to transmit this message to the whole of Qharr society living here on Earth.”
“New York,” Lily said suddenly and everyone in the room turned to look at her. “That’s where the sub-ascendant supposedly lives, isn’t it?”
“Yes, but what’s that got to do with any of this?” Colonel Morris demanded staring at Lily with an undisguised look of contempt.
Lily, shrank into her chair, and her face turned red as she stared at the Morris with wide eyes. “Well I was just thinking that the sub-ascendant is supposed to be able to send planet-wide transmissions. If we could send a strike team into his palace we might be able to use his communication array to relay the information.”
“Yes we could, if we knew where the sub-ascendant’s palace was located, but most Qharr don’t even know. They’ve kept the location under wraps after the resistance destroyed his first home,” Rayland said then cleared his throat when I glanced at him with a single raised eyebrow.
“We monitor Qharr communications,” he replied with a shrug.
“Actually,” I said tapping the side of my temple. “We do know where it is. Khala told Mara, the other one; where it was when she tried to interrogate her, but I’m not sure attacking his palace is such a good idea. Can you imagine what that place would be like? I doubt it will be as easy as sneaking into a slave compound and the last time we tried to do that we almost didn’t make it out.”
“It would be risky, I’m sure,” Mara pursed her lips and let out a long sigh. “But it may be the only option left to us if we are unable to incite an uprising. In the meantime, I believe we have preparations to make. The sooner we get underway, and get this all done with the sooner I’ll reveal the final pieces of the plan to you.”
“We just need to decide on teams.”
“Naturally,” Mara nodded. “I assume you wish to lead this expedition into Scottsdale City yourself.”
I nodded. “A large group will draw too much notice. I don’t think I should take any more three people, counting myself, into the city just to play it safe.”
“Very well, it may not be a bad idea to lend you a crew to man your ship. If you need to leave in a hurry they could have the ship prepped and ready to take off.”
“That seems like a wise precaution. Lily, will obviously have to accompany your people on the part run, and Farris is still in pretty rough shape it might be better to let him sit this one out. The doctor will probably want to stay with his patients, which is just as well a Dexagarmatrax walking the streets of a Qharr occupied city would draw a lot of notice and as for my sister–”
Mara held her hand up before I could finish and slowly started to shake her head. “Rebecca, will stay here at the nest with me. I’ll be getting to know the nesters better and I think I’d like a representative of the resistance present. This Farr
is friend of yours is in rough shape, I wouldn’t want to subject him to many hours at the negotiating table.”
I felt my jaw tighten and I gritted my teeth as I stared across the table at Mara. I didn’t like the idea of leaving my sister with the nesters after everything that had happened. It was one thing meeting with Rayland and Arianne, they were friends, but actually going into the nest was another thing entirely. I didn’t like the idea of Becca sticking around without someone to protect her. Then again knowing my sister she’d probably insist on staying to protect Farris. I grimaced and bit my lip meeting Mara’s gaze.
“Absolutely not! I don’t want my people stuck in that death pit especially if someone gets it into their heads to continue what Dahl started.”
“That won’t be an issue,” Mara replied. “I have no intention of infringing on the nesters. We’ve brought along a number portable housing units which can be constructed in a matter of hours. They each come rigged with a holo cloaker and are highly defensible. If trouble comes to us, believe me when I say we’ll be ready for it.”
I sighed and brushed the hair out of my eyes. “I can’t speak for Becca, but it may take some doing to convince her to stay. She’s her own person, the choice is hers. I won’t stand in her way if she whatever decision she makes.”
“Very well, I will talk with her.” She cleared her throat and turned back to me with a smile. “Now, dear have you thought about who you’d like to bring along on your team?”
“Rodriquez and Neada.”
“You can have Rodriguez, but it would behoove us to have Major Patterson’s second in command along on the main trip. Don’t you think? If anything were to happen to the major we’d need her to develop a working relationship with our troops. I’m sure your friends in the nest could make a suggestion.”
“I know a man,” Arianne said finally speaking after a long silence.
She had a shrewd smile on her face and I realized she had been kept quiet, not because she was intimidated, but had allowed us to carry on in order to get a better gauge on us. She reminded me of a predator carefully studying its prey preparing to pounce on it. The moment Mara glanced in Arianne’s direction; the pretty auburnette dropped the sly look and stared back at the older woman with wide innocent eyes.
It was a dangerous game to play. She could pretend to be the spineless young leader and have Mara think she had her eating out of her hands, but when the time was right she could show her teeth and sink claws into Mara’s back revealing that she hadn’t been quite so spineless after all. Of course, if Mara caught on the whole thing would be shot to hell, but I had no intention of telling her. It might be interesting to see Mara squirm for once.
“President, I’ll be glad to talk with your man. I can’t make any promises, but I given the circumstances I’m not sure I have a lot of choice in the matter.”
“Then it’s settled,” Mara smiled evidently oblivious to Arianne’s little scheme.
“Right.” I cleared my throat and stood back up. “I see no reason to delay things. We’ll make preparations tonight and tomorrow we’ll head out. Assuming that everything goes well, we’ll meet back here.”
“Perfect, the guards outside the door will escort you back to your ship. I’ll be sure to send Rodriquez over after I’ve briefed her.”
She gestured with an open hand toward the door and we didn’t linger quickly finding our way back to the umbilical that led back the Relentless.
Chapter Six
I laid back in bed and sighed as I stared up at the ceiling. The idea had been to catch a few hours of shut-eye while I was waiting on Mara and Arianne to send their people over, but I hadn’t been sleeping well since Lily and I had stopped sharing a bed. Every time I tried to talk to her, I just made things worse. She didn’t even yell at me, I think I could have handled that. She acted like a wounded puppy and I couldn’t bring myself to look into her eyes anymore.
I sat up and rubbed my eyes and ran a hand through my long mass of tangled hair. It was wrong of me to spend so much time muddling over my ailing relationship when the fate of the entire world hung in the balance, but no matter how much I told myself this, thoughts of Lily came to me unbidden. If only I had spoken up when I’d had the chance the distance that had grown between us would have never even come about.
There was a tap at the door and I sat bolt upright, happy for an interruption. “Come in,” I said pecking at my hair and hoping to make it at least a somewhat presentable.
The door slid open and in walked Rodriquez. It was the first time I’d seen her out of her body armor and while I’d known she had an attractive face I hadn’t quite realized the rest of the package was just as alluring. I coughed and shook my head and felt ashamed for thinking such things. I don’t know if it was the absence of Lily’s touch or the fact that our relationship was on the rocks, but I was having trouble keeping the more carnal part of my mind caged up. It had only been a few days since I’d gotten some, but for whatever damn reason all I could think of, when I wasn’t thinking about Lily, was sex, sex, sex.
“Mara said she’d brief you, so I doubt I need to tell you what our mission is, but I’m sure you have questions.”
“You can say that again, she said you asked for me. Why?” She asked staring back at me lacing her arms on her hips and leaned against the wall.
“Honestly?” I shrugged and lurched to my feet. “You’re one of the few from Mara’s group whose name I even know that isn’t a total meathead.”
“Meathead?” Rodriquez let out a low throaty chuckle. “You’d be surprised.”
I raised my eyebrows, but didn’t press the matter. I was curious to say the least, but I wasn’t really sure I wanted to know what she had meant. Even so, she told me anyway.
“You should know. I’m not like the other soldiers.”
“And you wonder why I picked you?” I asked. “The rest of those guys will stand out like a sore thumb the moment they step into the city. I think you would have a better chance at blending in than the rest.”
“Look I’m flattered, but that’s not what I meant. I’m a bit like that Rayland friend of yours. A defect, a clone who should have been terminated.”
“Then why is it that you’re still around? The E-R-F, doesn’t exactly seem like the types to rely on a piece of faulty hardware.” I winced, closed my eyes and rubbed my temples. “I’m sorry that came out sounding a little harsher than I’d intended.”
“I’ve heard worse.” She shrugged. “I’ve developed a bit of a tough skin. There are only a handful of people who know about my defect, but it’s not exactly physical as with your friend.”
That definitely had my curiosity peaked. “So it’s mental?”
“You could say that. Though I’m not quite sure my problem could be described so simply. It’s funny, if it hadn’t been for some random little computer bug I never would have existed. In short, this body was flashed with the wrong memories. It should have been given the recollections of Susan Rodriquez, but somehow I ended up with the mind of a medic by the name of Maximilian Everly.”
Understanding dawned on me and I bit my lip as I studied the other woman. “That’s one hell of a revelation, but why tell me?”
She shrugged and bit her lip. “Because you’re bound to find out sooner or later and because I figured you of all people would understand.”
“Mara told you that I used to be a man, didn’t she?”
Rodriquez nodded. “She thought I could talk to you. I’ve struggled living in this body from the moment I first came awake. Mara’s the only reason I’ve been allowed to live as long as I had. She sees me as her project, something to fix. Honestly, I’m not sure I can be fixed.”
“I know the feeling, but to be completely honest if you’re telling me this because you think I can give you some insights I’m not really sure I’ll be able to give you what you’re looking for. Adjusting has been a rough road for me. I’ll help you if I can, but my first priority is driving the Qharr from Earth. I
f we get a chance, I’d love to talk some more, but for now I need you to concentrate on the mission. Can you do that?”
“Yes, it’s why I’m here. If I couldn’t concentrate on the job at hand Morris would have had me put down a long time ago.”
“Good.” I put a hand on her shoulder and reached into my pocket with the other. “I’ve compiled a list of supplies. I want you to work with your people and if they have anything we’ll need they’ll be willing to part with.”
“Yes, ma’am.” She nodded, paused at the door and turned back to me. “What would you prefer I call you? I’m accustomed to dealing with a little clearer chain of command.”
“I’d prefer, you call me Lexa.”
“Alright,” she replied. “And you can call me Max.”
“Becca.” I scratched the back of my head standing in the doorway of my sister’s quarters. “Can I talk to you for a minute?”
“If this is about this whole Mara thing, I’ve already decided to stay with Mara and help with the negotiations.”
I nodded and scratched sat down on the edge of her bed. “Actually, I already knew Mara had talked to you. Are you really sure you want to stay? After what happened the last time–”
Becca held a hand up cutting me short. “Lexa, I can take care of myself. Honestly, if it weren’t for Matt I’d probably go with you, but I can’t just leave him alone with Mara.”
“Alright.” I bowed my head and ran a hand through my long blue locks. “I’d stay with you if I didn’t think this were so important, but another ship could really come in handy and–”
“Lex.” She planted her hand on her hips and gave me a pointed look. “You don’t have to explain I understand.”
“Now,” she continued folding her arms across her chest. “Why don’t you tell me what’s going on between you and Lily?”
I stopped and stared at my sister for a long moment, caught by surprise, but I probably shouldn’t have been. It was stupid to assume that no one had caught on when the two of us barely even talked to each other and when we did it wasn’t especially cordial. I shook my head and fell back into the bed my hair falling into my face. “I’m not sure I want to talk about it.”
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