Annexation

by Marisa Chenery

  The following week was busy with secret meetings with Cax and the rebel warriors. They couldn’t meet at the same time or it would have been noticed. Plans were made in her house, mostly in the basement, at all hours of the day and night. Kiri tried to be present at each one.

  She had to admit that Cax knew what he was about. His plan was detailed and thorough, and he coordinated each step so it would go over without a hitch. He had the warriors working in tandem so nothing would be left to chance.

  It was the night before all their plans were to come to fruition. Cax, Kiri, and Drace were to board the breakfast shuttle to be taken to the San Diego ship. Kiri sat in the master bedroom, about ready to turn in. There was a knock at the door, and she called for whoever it was to come in.

  Cax stepped inside. He closed the door behind him. He crossed the room and sat on the bed beside her. “All ready for tomorrow?”

  She nodded. “Yeah. I think. I packed my bow, quiver, and some extra arrows in my duffle.” Kiri pointed to where it sat on the floor in front of what had been her mom’s dresser.

  He glanced at it. “Good. I’ll have to carry it. They shouldn’t question it or try to look inside since I have it. Even if one does, I’ll tell them it’s a souvenir from my stay on the surface. I was supposed to be here studying Earth’s culture, anyway.”

  Even though Cax had told her this a few times, Kiri asked, “So, what will happen once we arrive on the ship?”

  “You and I will go to the quarters I’ll be given for my use. Drace will have to go to the barracks. As my pet, no one will think anything of it if I take you with me when I make a supposed inspection of the ship. We’ll do that shortly after we arrive. That way you have a chance to see what your targets will be and find the best place for you to shoot from. In the middle of the night, that’s when we’ll make our move.”

  Kiri rubbed her palms on her thighs, her nerves trying to get the better of her. “And if everything goes as planned, by this time tomorrow some of the adults will be free and we’ll have established ourselves as rebels.”

  Cax took hold of one of her hands and pulled her close so she leaned in to him. He put his arm around her shoulders. “You’re nervous.”

  “Of course I am. I’ve never had to do anything like this before. It’ll be a new experience to actually be on a spaceship.”

  “You’ll never be alone. I’ll always will be with you. And Drace will be there.”

  “I know.” She looked at him. “It’s just the unknown that’s getting to me.”

  Cax cupped the side of her face and took her lips with his. Kiri didn’t pull away. She kissed him back. The more time she spent with him, the more her feelings for him grew. She still wasn’t ready to tell him that she would like to take the next step and call him her boyfriend. For one, she wasn’t sure how he’d take it. He wanted more of a commitment from her than that, but she wanted to take baby steps. Another reason she hadn’t said anything was that they already had too much on their plates with this plan. Once it was over and they were solid in their new positions as rebels, she’d talk to him.

  He was the first to end the kiss and rested his forehead on hers. “You’re mine to protect, even though I know you can look after yourself.” Cax smiled. “It won’t stop me from doing it.” He released her and stood. “Try to get some sleep.”

  “I will do my best.”

  After Cax let himself out of the room and softly shut the door, Kiri turned off the lights before climbing into bed. Sleep seemed a far way off. She closed her eyes and wondered what her parents would have thought of what would happen tomorrow and her part in it. She hoped they would have been proud of her.

  * * * *

  In the morning Cax, Kiri, and Drace boarded the breakfast shuttle after all the food had been handed out. Lemeah had come to say goodbye to her brother, and had squeezed Kiri’s hand in encouragement as she’d looked her in the eyes.

  Kiri couldn’t stop herself from staring at the cockpit as they walked by it to take a seat on the bench that ran down the shuttle’s length. There was only a single pilot, no co-pilot, and she recognized him as one of the rebel warriors who’d come to the house. He nodded at them.

  Once the other warriors had come aboard, the shuttle’s hatch swept up and locked into place with a quiet whoosh. Kiri fisted her hands on her lap as the ship lifted off the ground with the familiar whine of alien engines.

  It was nothing like being on a plane. It took off straight up without having to taxi down a runway. It was so smooth, it hardly felt as if they were moving. There were no other windows, except for the large one at the front of the shuttle. The scenery zipped by at a very fast rate. In what seemed to only take a few minutes, the city of San Diego came into view. They were high above it.

  Kiri leaned forward to get a better view out the front window as they approached the ship that hovered above the middle of the city. It looked so much bigger than it had when she’d seen it on TV when the Atres had first arrived. She took a deep breath and quietly blew it out. She’d be in alien territory. It would be a whole new world.

  The shuttle slowed as it closed the distance between it and the ship. The pilot positioned the craft at the larger ship’s side where there was a spacious opening. Other shuttles and fighters shot in and out of it.

  They flew inside and ended up in a wide, high-ceilinged space. The pilot landed the shuttle in an empty slot between two others. The door opened, and the other warriors stood before they filed out into the hangar. Cax, Drace, and Kiri did the same and followed them. This was it. This was the beginning of all their plans.

  There was a small group of Atres who were off to the side. Once they saw them, they walked in their direction. The one leading the warriors appeared to be middle-aged, and his uniform sported a circle of gold stars on the left side of his shirt, over his chest.

  “Welcome aboard,” he said as he looked at Cax. “I’m Captain Naro. I received your message about your visit, sir.”

  Cax gave the captain a nod. “Thanks for welcoming me. I plan to do an inspection of the ship. First, I’d like to see my quarters. As you can see, I have a pet as well.”

  The captain’s gaze flicked to Kiri, but he didn’t acknowledge her presence in any way. She had the feeling she hadn’t really registered with him at all. She might as well have been a fly on the wall for all the interest he seemed to have for her.

  Captain Naro nodded. “We’ve prepared your quarters. If you’d like to follow me, I’ll show you to them. Your warrior can bunk down in the barracks.”

  Drace gave a curt nod. He walked with them out of the hangar and into a long hallway. He turned and headed in the opposite direction from the one they took. Off to the barracks, no doubt. There, he’d be meeting up with other rebels.

  Kiri walked a few steps behind Cax, which was expected of a pet. He’d given her the lowdown on how one was to act around his or her owner. Being subservient was a big aspect of it. She didn’t mind acting the part since she wasn’t really a pet.

  They stepped into what looked like an elevator. The two Atres who’d accompanied the captain didn’t follow. They nodded at them and continued walking. Kiri was happy to see them go. Their stares in her direction hadn’t exactly been friendly.

  Kiri had expected the elevator to either go up or down so when it went sideways to the left, she just about lost her balance and fell against Cax. She caught herself before she did. Well into his role as owner, he didn’t bother to look at her to see if she was okay.

  The elevator went up. It took another sideways trip to the right before it came to a stop and the door silently slid open. The captain led them out into another long hallway. It was lined with windows on one side and the other with rows of what she assumed were doors. Kiri looked outside. San Diego was spread out below the ship. She would have wanted to stop and admire the sight if they were there for any other purpose. Now wasn’t the time to play Earthling tourist on a spaceship.

&
nbsp; They walked past six doors. On the seventh, the captain stopped and pressed the touchscreen installed on the right-hand side of it on the wall. He motioned for Cax to take his place as he stepped aside. Cax pressed his thumb to the screen. A red light scanned it, and the door silently slid open.

  The captain remained in the hall when Cax and Kiri went into the room. “If you need anything, sir, please contact me.”

  Cax turned to him. “I will. Thank you.” He waved his hand in front of a screen on this side of the door, and it shut.

  Kiri looked around. The room they were in resembled a living room. The furniture was different than found on Earth. It was thick and low to the floor. The couch was in a flowing shape that had rounded edges. It was dark gray. Same with the chair. The rest of the color scheme was off-white and light gray. Boring colors that seemed to blend one into the other. There were two other doors, which she assumed one led to a bedroom. Not that it would get any use, since they wouldn’t be staying overnight.

  Cax placed her duffle on the low table next to the couch. “We’ll wait an hour, then do the inspection.”

  “Okay.” Kiri sat beside the duffle. “How long will that take?”

  “A couple of hours, I would think, if I want to make it look authentic.”

  “All right. What about Drace? Will he be going with us?”

  “No. He and the others will go to the hangar and see which shuttles and fighters we’ll be able to take when the time comes.”

  “What about the captain? He won’t want to follow us I hope.”

  “He shouldn’t. It normally isn’t done. Plus, he’ll be busy with running the ship.”

  “Good to know.” She paused. “What did the captain do when he pressed the buttons on the touchscreen before you had your thumb scanned?”

  “He was setting the lock to only open for me. It’s standard protocol when someone as important as me comes aboard a ship.”

  “So, I won’t have to worry about anyone coming in here while we’re doing the inspection and finding my duffle with my bow and arrows?”

  “No.”

  “Great. I thought I might have to look for a hiding spot for them.”

  “No, you don’t.” He smiled. “Relax or look around. We have some time to kill as you Earthlings say.”

  Kiri smiled in return and went to check out the other two rooms.

  Chapter 14

  They waited out the hour before they left the quarters to start their inspection. Kiri had asked Cax whether or not they’d “inspect” the bridge while they were at it, but he’d said no, which she was happy to hear. She didn’t want to go near there. Even though it was stupid to think that way, she figured if she were around the captain and his officers too much, they might be able to tell just by looking at her what she, Drace, and Cax had planned. It was just her nerves getting the best of her.

  Cax brought her to one floor after another, quickly looking over storage areas and the like. They were headed to what he’d called the officers’ off-duty room when another Atres male with someone walking behind him headed in their direction. Once Kiri had spotted him, she’d quickly dropped into pet position, following Cax.

  She didn’t look directly at the male, not wanting to draw his notice. The person behind him snagged her attention. It was a man, and human. A pet. Kiri lifted her gaze until she looked at his face.

  The air punched out of her lungs in a whoosh, and before she could stop herself, she loudly said, “Dad!”

  His gaze jerked to hers and his steps faltered. “Kiri?”

  His owner turned and pulled on his arm to keep him moving. “Be quiet, pet. I told you no talking unless I tell you to.”

  As her dad and the Atres kept walking, Kiri tugged Cax to a stop. “Do something,” she whispered harshly. “That’s my father. I won’t leave him behind.”

  Cax turned and nodded before he stepped around and went after the other Atres. “Wait,” he called.

  The male stopped, turning in Cax’s direction. “Yes, sir.”

  Once Cax stood in front of the male, he said, “It seems your pet is the father of mine. What would you like for him?”

  “You want to barter for my pet?”

  “Yes.”

  The male looked at Kiri’s father, then back at Cax. “I’ll give him to you, but be warned he isn’t much of a pet. He likes to step out of place. All I ask is that you put in a good word about me to your father, our leader. I’m Salus.”

  “I’ll be sure to do that. I’ll also mention how kind you were to indulge me.”

  “Thank you, sir.” The male pushed her father in Cax’s direction. “This is your new owner, pet. I’m sure he won’t be as tolerant as I’ve been.” With a nod to Cax, he turned and continued on his way, leaving her dad with them.

  Once they were alone in the long hallway, Kiri threw herself into her dad’s arms, fighting to hold back tears. He squeezed her in a hug that made it hard to breathe, but she didn’t care.

  After a few seconds, he pushed her away and looked at Cax. “I’ll be your obedient pet as long as you don’t mistreat my daughter.”

  “Cax isn’t like the others,” Kiri said softly.

  Cax looked around and motioned for them to follow him. “Not out here.” He brought them to a large storage area. After the door closed behind them, he said, “We can talk now.”

  “What’s going on, Kiri?” her dad asked. “And what are you doing with him, the leader’s son?”

  “Cax is Thalar’s son, but he doesn’t think the same way as his father. I’m not really his pet. We’re here to free all the El Centro adults from this ship and start a rebellion with our city as its base headquarters.”

  “I heard the Atres had taken all the adults because their warriors were being shot with arrows. Was that you?”

  “Yes.”

  “Your mother allowed that? And is she here on the ship?”

  Kiri gave her dad a sad look. “Mom’s dead, Dad. It’s been a few months now. An Atres killed her. He shot her with one of their guns. That’s when I started hunting the warriors on our streets.”

  Her father’s shoulders slumped as if someone had sucked all the life out of him. His eyes glazed with unshed tears, but they didn’t fall. He took a deep breath and pulled himself together.

  “Why was she killed?” he asked quietly.

  “She tried to protect a human man some warriors had dragged out of his house in the middle of the night.”

  “What happened to the warrior who killed her?”

  “He’s dead. I ended his life. I shot an arrow into his heart.”

  He sighed and pulled her into a hug. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you.”

  Kiri shook her head and took a step back. “Don’t feel like that. You didn’t know. How did you end up here? As a pet?”

  “The day the Atres arrived, I couldn’t get out of San Diego. There were fighters and troops everywhere. I was rounded up with some other men. I think some of the officers just randomly picked humans off the street to be their pets. I happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. I’ve been on the ship ever since.”

  Kiri noticed the bite marks on her father’s neck for the first time. There were several of them. He wore a T-shirt, which showed off the bruises on his upper arms. His jeans were a little looser than they had been. He’d lost some weight, which didn’t surprise her since his owner had probably fed him the same crappy food she’d been given.

  Cax had given them some space as they’d talked, but he came and rejoined them. “We’ll have to leave more of the explanations until we’re in my quarters. We have to keep moving. I think it best we go directly to where they’re keeping the humans. We cab end the inspection there.”

  “All right,” Kiri said.

  She couldn’t pull her gaze away from her father. After thinking for months that he was dead, she couldn’t believe she’d found him alive and on the San Diego ship. She wasn’t an orph
an, after all.

  Back outside in the hallway, Kiri and her dad walked behind Cax as he led them to the human holding area. Luckily, they didn’t pass any more Atres on the way to the elevator. Once inside and the door slid shut, Cax pressed a spot on the touchscreen and the car shot off to the right, then down and to the left.

  They stepped out into a small space that led to another set of doors. Cax pressed his thumb to the screen, and they opened with no sound. There were two warriors just inside. They came to attention once they saw Cax.

  Cax nodded at them. “You may leave while I do my inspection.”

  “Yes, sir,” they said at the same time. Each one dipped his head in Cax’s direction and walked through the doors, which closed behind them.

  With the warriors out of the way, Kiri looked around the large open space. There were three cells, each holding around twenty adults—men and women mixed together. The bars were made up of pure light. Inside the cell, there were three-tiered bunks, which were the only furniture. She turned her gaze upward, spotting the three holes in the wall. There was no way she’d be able to hit those targets while on the floor. The angle was all wrong, and there was another wall too close to her back so she couldn’t get far enough away to even attempt it.

  As if he knew what she’d been thinking, Cax tapped her shoulder. He pointed up behind her. Kiri turned and smiled. There was a suspended walkway where he’d indicated, and it was the perfect spot for her to stand while taking her shots.

  “I’ll show you how we can get up there,” he said.

  Kiri and her dad followed him. They had to walk past the cells. She felt the people inside watching them. At the last cell, she turned her head to look at them. Her gaze landed on Meg’s mom. Kiri placed a finger across her lips to tell her to remain quiet. The warriors hadn’t gone too far, and she wasn’t sure if those doors were soundproof or not. Meg’s mom nodded with no expression.