by Tom Chattle
"Yes," Sina nodded. "Long ago, we had worlds across the stars and spread our knowledge to those that were ready."
"Let me guess." Chen laughed. "Humanity wasn't ready."
Sina brought up another, similar image. "You showed potential but were violent and split into warring clans."
"So, you let us grow up." Just how little humans had actually matured over the centuries could well disappoint the Talamar.
"I must admit, I was not truthful."
Chen narrowed her eyes. "How do you mean?"
Sina nodded at the information that floated in the air. "We have many records of your people, and I have studied much of them. Your language is very different from what it was, but similar." She tapped the side of her head. "Takes time to adjust."
Unable to hold back a chuckle, Chen raised an eyebrow. "I thought it was a bit unlikely you could pick up something completely new so fast."
"Yes. Languages are easy, but not if totally new." Sina closed the image with a flick of her wrist and turned to face Chen. "The Syrax became a threat, stopped us from returning."
"The Syrax are a threat again—or still. I'm not quite clear on what they've been doing since your war." Chen locked eyes with Sina. "If you would help us, we might stand a chance of fighting back."
"Perhaps." Sina leaned back against the wall, her eyes unfocused. "But I cannot leave my clan. They need me. We already struggle to supply food for the few of us left."
Chen sat on one of the small, round seats that edged the front wall. It was unexpectedly soft, and she had to awkwardly adjust the Talamar skirt after she almost slipped off. "Well, maybe you could at least come with me to our ship. We could get to know each other. Our species, I mean. Even if not fighting the Syrax, there may be other ways we can help each other. I'm sure there are spare supplies we can give you to help."
She wasn't sure why she immediately trusted the alien woman so readily, but she couldn't shake the feeling that both of their species needed to come together against the Syrax urgently.
Sina absorbed the offer for a moment. She was understandably hesitant, but then her head bobbed. "That is acceptable." She pushed away from the rock. "Let us go now. I am curious to see your vessel."
The pair returned to the central clearing where they had left Chen's fellow crew. McCann now seemed to be telling stories to the Talamar children, one of the smallest on his knee, lilac fingers grasped on his sleeve. He glanced up at Chen when she approached and raised a ginger eyebrow. "What on Earth are you wearing?"
Chen tossed the pile of wet clothes she'd been carrying at him. "Shut up, Wally."
"No, no, I think you look great!" he grinned. "All warrior princess."
Not even dignifying his teasing with a reply, Chen rolled her eyes. "Sina here is going to come back to the Valiant with us. A cultural exchange, if you will." She glanced around. "Where's Bennett?"
McCann lifted the small child off his knee and jerked his thumb in the direction of the entrance. "He went back to the shuttle. I don't think he's the biggest fan of aliens."
"What gave you that idea?" Chen snorted. "Come on, let's go see how badly he overreacts at bringing one to the Valiant."
***
"Bennett, stand down!" Chen yelled. She ducked past the sidearm he leveled at Sina, who stared him down with hard eyes.
"That is Lieutenant Commander Bennett to you," Bennett snapped. "I will not risk an unknown alien threat spying on our ship."
Chen choked back a sigh of frustration. "She is not a spy. Sina's willing to help us. She's already agreed to provide us with information on what we're facing and star maps of the region we badly need to navigate."
"I don't care," Bennett replied. "She cannot come on board the Valiant."
Chen ground her teeth together, pushed past him, and jogged up the ramp to the cockpit. She slid into the vacant co-pilot's seat and tapped at the comm to bring up a line to the ship. "Valiant, come in. This is Lieutenant Chen."
"What the hell are you doing?" Bennett yelled from outside. He brushed off Lieutenant Scott and marched up the ramp after her.
"Go ahead Lieutenant, this is Arnesen."
Chen ignored Bennett's approaching footsteps. She glanced outside the cockpit window to see Sina watching her from across the cavern. The alien didn't seem willing to antagonize Bennett by coming too close to the vessel. "Captain, requesting permission to bring aboard a visitor."
There was a pause before Arnesen responded. "What do you mean, a visitor?"
Bennett's head stuck up into the cockpit, and he gestured for her to cut the transmission.
Chen stared him down and continued. "We encountered a species of aliens down here, sir. They seem friendly, and their leader is willing to come aboard to share information and see if we can help each other."
"Cut the transmission, now," Bennett hissed.
"Bennett, is that you?" Before the NI officer could answer, Arnesen moved on. "What's your reasoning, Lieutenant Chen?"
She turned her back to Bennett. "I think we can learn a lot about the Syrax from them, sir. They appear to be the race that warred with them centuries ago, and they may have built the portal we came through."
"Captain," Bennett cut in when it was clear Chen was going to continue to ignore him, "I don't think it is wise to allow an unknown alien on board. She could well have ulterior motives or even be in alliance with the Syrax themselves."
"She would never be allied with the Syrax," Chen objected. "Their entire species was devastated in a brutal war with them."
Chen could almost hear Arnesen mull over the options from afar. "You trust this alien woman, Chen?"
"Yes, sir," Chen confirmed. "I do not believe she would harm us unless provoked."
"Very well, bring her on board," Arnesen ordered.
Bennett grimaced. "Captain, I really must object—"
"This could be invaluable in our preparation against the Syrax and may help us return home," Arnesen cut in. "Take the proper precautions, and we'll see you soon."
"Aye, sir," Chen responded and terminated the link.
Bennett leaned in close to her. "You're pushing your luck," he growled. "There won't always be a captain to pull you out of trouble." A snarl on his face, he stood and turned, then marched out the shuttle past a bewildered McCann.
"Everything okay in here?"
Chen slumped back in the seat. "For now. I'm not looking forward to the next time I'm alone with Bennett." She pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed. "All right, let me go find Sina so we can get out of here."
- 26 -
2208.10.20 // 11:35
UVS Valiant, Orotari
Strapped into the jump seat next to Chen, Sina looked up from the human datapad Chen had given her to examine and leaned forward. She strained against the harness so she could peer out the small window on the approach to the Valiant. The aging ship drifted into view, external lights extinguished to try to avoid detection. Sina's eyes narrowed when she saw it. "You came here in this vessel?"
"Hey," Chen objected, "that vessel has more to it than meets the eye."
"Of course," Sina demurred, though she didn't look at all convinced.
Minutes later, they popped through the landing bay's atmo-barrier. Chen cleared the pressure from her ears, and the shuttle settled onto the deck with a creak. The hatch hissed open. Chen unbuckled, and Sina followed suit.
Chen carefully carried Sina's twin swords. The one demand Bennett had made that she couldn't easily refuse was for Sina to be disarmed before she entered to the ship. The woman had not been pleased, and there had almost been a confrontation when Bennett tried to seize her swords himself, but in the end, she had relented as long as Chen bore them herself.
They stepped out the shuttle and strode across the hanger bay to a decontamination chamber set into the hanger's rear bulkhead. Sina's gaze in constant motion, the alien woman took in every detail of the ship. Marines busy cleaning their weapons stopped what they were doing and muttered to each
other while they watched Sina's graceful gait. Eyes also turned to the foreign garb that Chen herself wore.
Chen ushered Sina forward into the starkly lit room. Once they were inside, a hiss emanated from high up vents, and Sina's head snapped up.
"It's okay," Chen reassured her, "it's just disinfectant. They need to scan us to make sure we don't bring anything dangerous back on board."
"Crude," Sina muttered. After several minutes, a green light lit up above the door, and it opened with a pop of pressurized air.
When they approached the turbolift and boarded it, McCann joined them. Before the doors closed, Chen saw Bennett poring over scan data from the decon-chamber. His gaze rose and locked not on Chen, but on Sina right before the turbolift doors closed. The expression on his face was difficult to read, but very different from the irritation Chen expected to see.
"Your vessel is quite different." Sina watched the position of the turbolift on the glowing status screen.
"From your own technology?" Chen asked.
Sina tilted her head. "From any technology."
McCann nudged Chen in the ribs. "Is that a good thing, or a bad thing?"
"It is neither good nor bad," Sina replied without turning. "It is merely a fact." Her English had become remarkably good since she'd examined the datapad Chen had given her to look over for the flight back to the Valiant. While the woman still had a discernible, exotic accent, the stilting sentences she'd begun with had almost completely smoothed out.
The turbolift reached its destination before either human could ask for further clarification on Sina's impression of their technology. They stepped out, and Chen pointed forward. "Come on, let's introduce you to the captain."
"Captain?" Sina queried.
"The, uhh, leader of this ship," Chen mumbled. "Now, anyway."
Sina frowned. "The leader changes?"
"Lieutenant Chen used to command the Valiant," McCann said, earning a glare from Chen. "What, Auri? You did!"
"You were deposed?" Sina asked. "By combat?"
Chen sighed. "No, that's not how we do things." She ran a hand through her hair. "After I gained...powers from the Syrax matriarch, other people locked me up for a time."
"People like this Bennett?"
"Yes, actually." Chen frowned. "How did you know?"
Sina tilted her head to the side. "It is obvious he does not like you—he fears you."
"Fears me?" Chen scoffed. "I don't think so. He just enjoys causing me pain."
"No," Sina replied and tapped a slender finger to the curved side of her head. "I do not need the powers of the Syrax to understand a mind so simple."
Chen's mouth twisted, but any further thought she could give to Bennett was cut off when the bridge door opened ahead of them.
"Lieutenants," Arnesen stood and greeted them. They entered, and Sina followed them cautiously. All eyes on the bridge immediately turned to examine her.
"Captain Arnesen," Chen started, "this is Sorotar-Amanasina, leader of Clan Sorotar of the Talamar." When she glanced at Sina to make sure she had gotten it right, the alien dipped her head in affirmation.
"You may call me Sina." She gave a short bow and stared at Arnesen's outstretched hand hesitantly before she clasped it with both of hers.
"Sina." Arnesen nodded. "A pleasure to meet you. I am Captain Johann Arnesen. On behalf of the United Planetary Alliance and all of humanity, welcome aboard the UVS Valiant." He gestured to the small ready room on the other side of the bridge. "Please, let us discuss how we can help each other."
Sina nodded and followed his guidance, Chen and McCann in step behind her.
"Moreau, please join us if you have a moment," Arnesen requested.
"Of course, sir!" Blue eyes wide, Moreau stepped around her console and followed them.
Arnesen settled in the chair behind the small table, indicating for the others to sit across from him. Sina scanned the room, then eased into one of the chairs. Chen unslung Sina's curved swords from her back and laid them against the side of the chair before she sat next to Sina. Arnesen raised an eyebrow—clearly he hadn't noticed the weapons before. McCann took the last chair, which left Moreau to perch against the window, eyes locked on Sina's elegant weaponry. Chen couldn't decide if it was from fascination at the technology or fear of them being used.
"So," Arnesen started, his hands spread out across the desk. "Where do we begin?"
"Aurichen told me some of how you came to our world," Sina replied, the running together of her name lifting a corner of Chen's mouth with its peculiarity. "If you truly wish to fight the Syrax...it is possible I may be able to help you in some small manner." She glanced at Chen. "My only request is for supplies so that I may feed my people and to ask you to keep our home a secret."
"Of course, Sina," Chen assured her.
Arnesen paused at her remark, then nodded his assent. "If you can assist us with information about the Syrax, we will abide by your wishes."
Sina dipped her head, then slid a hand into a pouch on the utility belt that hung from her hips. She placed a round disk on the table before her and pressed it. A holographic map flickered into view above, rotating ponderously. "I can do better."
- 27 -
2208.10.20 // 11:47
UVS Valiant, Orotari
Arnesen leaned in, his eyes narrow. "What am I looking at?"
"This was once one of the major scientific research stations of our people, where many advanced weapons were developed." Sina looked at Chen. "You know of the disease the Syrax used to destroy us?"
Chen's eyelid twitched when memories from the Syrax database flitted through her mind. "A little, not much." She glanced at Arnesen. "It was in my report."
The captain nodded. "Yes, I recall the mention. Some sort of engineered virus?"
Sina nodded and manipulated the projection, enlarging the map. "The war neared its end, but we finally captured a sample of the terrible weapon the Syrax had unleashed on our people. There were attempts to create a cure." Sina pointed to the hologram. "But also, our people tried to turn the virus against its creators."
"Wait." McCann frowned. "You tried to use the Syrax virus on them?"
"Yes," Sina acknowledged.
"How do you know this?" Chen asked, her mind full of questions. "Were you there? Wasn't this long ago?"
Sina hesitated. "Our species has a long life but, no, I was not alive then." She turned off the projector and gathered it in her hand. "The information has been passed down through the fragmented remains of our data libraries."
Arnesen laced his fingers together and pursed his lips. "How do you foresee us using this information to our advantage?"
Tucking lustrous hair behind her coiled ears, Sina's tongue darted out to moisten her lips before she spoke. It almost seemed to Chen she was nervous about the reaction she may get. "I believe an outpost in this region of space was very close to perfecting the weapon. If we could obtain their research, then—"
"Use the virus against them?" Moreau whispered from her position leaning against the bulkhead.
Sina inclined her head in Moreau's direction. "It is possible."
"Hold on." McCann raised a hand. "If it is so close to being usable, why have your people not tried it before now?"
"We no longer have the vessels or the numbers to send a raid some distance from our sanctuary," Sina replied with a faint sigh. "But you have a ship, soldiers..."
The door to the briefing room hissed open, and everyone turned to watch Bennett enter. "I was not aware there was a meeting," he growled, glaring at Chen. She let out a quiet groan and stood to allow the senior officer to take her seat.
Arnesen waited until Bennett was seated, then turned back to Sina. "So, you're proposing we mount a mission to this research station, find what they were working on, and then try to perfect it?'
Sina bowed her head. "Yes."
There was silence among the humans. Chen leaned back against the cool metal of the bulkhead and allowed their feelin
gs to flow through her mind. Arnesen was understandably skeptical at the idea, but McCann was excited about the idea Sina had put forward. Disjointed questions raced through both his and Moreau's minds.
The emotions that came off Moreau were decidedly more mixed. The technical possibilities seemed to war with a reluctance to even think of using such a devastating weapon.
Chen's eye twitched. Even though she'd allowed them in, the bombardment of her mind was still a strain. The repressed anger that leaked off Bennett was particularly hard to stomach. Not being informed of the briefing seriously chafed at the man's ego.
"How far is this research station?" McCann asked, interrupting Chen's thoughts.
"A handful of what you call light years, a planet named Altheos," Sina replied. "Not far, but beyond the reach of the few small ships we have left."
McCann glanced at Arnesen. "Once the chief has the engines fixed up, that would be an easy trip for the Valiant."
"Easy in regards to distance, yes." Arnesen paused. "But given what we've experienced in this region so far, I doubt it would be a simple trip." He stood. "Sina, would you please allow us to discuss this matter?"
"Yes, of course," Sina nodded.
Arnesen glanced over at Moreau. "Ensign? Would you please escort our guest?"
"Of course, sir." She crossed over to the door, and the pair left the room.
Arnesen leaned back and looked at each of his officers in turn. "Opinions?"
"We have to go," Chen stated immediately, her voice certain. "The chance to gain a weapon against these things is too valuable to pass up."
Bennett lifted his chin. "I agree."
Chen jerked her head back in surprise. "Wait, you do?"
The NI officer flashed her a glare. "Of course, I do. If there's a chance we can gather powerful alien weaponry, then we absolutely should."
Taken aback by his agreement, Chen glanced at McCann, but he just shrugged.
"I don't know." Arnesen frowned. "I'm tempted to make a break for the portal and call for reinforcements. We can get much of the fleet prepared within days."