One was a man almost as big as Khel, with dark hair and thick stubble covering his jaw. He was flanked by two women—a blonde and a brunette. The brunette was also tall. Her thin, wiry build and ready stance screamed ‘soldier’. Definitely Sadirian.
Brendan walked to her side and she reached for his hand without seeming to think about it. Was that Kira? Her new sister-in-law…
Paige would deal with that later.
The blonde, though, was picking at the collar of her uniform and shifting her weight from foot to foot. Her hair was pulled up in a messy bun, and she kept reaching to her face as if she was adjusting invisible glasses, then letting out little sighs. That one had to be human.
“General Serath,” Khel said. “I mean Adam. Yes, Paige Sloan is in excellent health.”
“Apparently.” Adam leveled a stare at them, one eye a rich green and the other a deep blue.
“Whoa, that’s a cool design,” Paige murmured. “Nice to see you guys are capable of creativity.”
“Adam is a gl—”
Khel stopped himself from finishing, and it was a good thing. Paige was pretty sure she could make him jump, too, if he dared to use that word again. The blonde woman was glaring at him as well.
“An unexpected result,” Khel said. “What you see is nature, not science.”
“I like to think he’s a little of both.” The blonde woman hooked her arm in the crook of Adam’s elbow, and waved at Paige with her free hand. “Greetings, fellow Earthling. I’m Evelyn.”
“Hi.” Paige smiled at her, then nodded toward the brunette. “I’m guessing that makes you Kira.”
Kira nodded curtly. “That’s correct.”
Paige smiled and cocked her head to the side as she moved her gaze to Brendan. “And that makes you a dead man. Mom’s going to go nuts when she finds out you got hitched without telling her.”
Brendan shook his head. “Neither of us will be telling her for a while. We have other priorities. Besides, it was important that Kira and I formalize our relationship. Being pair-bonded to an Earthling will give Adam a stronger case for appointing her as the new planetary liaison for Earth and should also help with them recognizing the Department of Homeworld Security.”
“The what?”
“Earth’s First Contact committee,” Kira said. “That’s what Brendan’s calling it.”
Paige snorted. “Of course he is.”
Evelyn shrugged. “I don’t know. I think it’s kind of catchy.”
“So, the three of us get to decide the fate of the planet?” she said.
The idea was insane.
“We’re working on that.” Kira nodded toward Adam. “Adam still needs to return to Sadr-4 and present the case to the Coalition High Council. Until the First Contact Committee—”
Brendan cleared his throat.
Kira sighed, then said, “Until the Department of Homeworld Security is recognized, they’ll continue making all decisions regarding Earth.”
Paige’s stomach seemed to fall to her feet. Three humans determining the fate of their planet was a hell of a lot better than a bunch of aliens who didn’t have any stake in their homeworld—especially given what she knew of their society.
“How likely are they to recognize our sovereignty?” Paige said.
Adam and Kira exchanged a glance. Paige could feel Khel stiffen beside her.
“That bad, huh?”
“We’ll do our best,” Adam said. “But there are other matters we need to bring to the High Council. The Tau Ceti must be dealt with for exploiting Earth’s resources.”
Khel shook his head. “It’s much worse than that. They weren’t just trespassing. They were setting up spawning pools.”
Kira’s jaw dropped. Adam hid his surprise a bit more effectively, but it was still there.
“Norm—their leader—also told us the Centaurans are here, looking to set up a permanent presence,” Paige said. “And they’re not the only ones.”
Adam wrapped his arm around Evelyn and pulled her against his side.
“General, Earth has not been properly managed.” Kira’s voice was strong. Whatever shock she had experienced, she was over it, and ready to take action.
Paige liked that.
“There is a very strong case to bring in a First Contact committee at this point, given this information,” Kira said.
“Agreed.” Adam leveled a stare at Khel again. “If we can prove it. But that proof will also bring the Coalition into the first real war we have experienced in thousands of years.”
“The war has already begun,” Khel said. “The Tau Ceti were able to completely incapacitate my ship. They’ve developed new technologies that will bring the Coalition to its knees if we don’t stop them.”
“That’s not possible.” Kira stepped forward, her hands curling into fists.
“Anything is possible,” Paige said. “All of us standing here together is proof of that.”
Khel wrapped his arms around Paige’s shoulders, pulling her against his chest. She let herself lean on him. She had a feeling she’d be doing that a lot in the coming days.
Adam shook his head. “These matters are better discussed aboard the Arbiter. Sorca has been dispatched to retrieve the fourth prospective member of the First Contact committee.”
“Department of Homeworld Security,” Brendan said.
Adam barely glanced at him before continuing. “As soon as she returns with Eric, we can convene the inaugural meeting and determine how to proceed.”
Paige wanted to protect her homeworld, but the thought of all those planets stripped bare, their inhabitants left to the mercy of the Coalition… She couldn’t let that pass.
She stepped away from Khel, and said, “This has moved beyond the needs of Earth. Whatever we decide, it has to be in the best interest of all the citizens of the Coalition. From what Khel has told me, we have an incredible opportunity to assist your people. If we work together, we can help each other. Maybe repair some of the damage done to other worlds by overharvesting resources.”
Adam’s lips twitched into an almost-smile. “Brendan was right about you being an excellent candidate for the First Contact Committee.”
“Department of Homeworld Security,” Brendan said.
Paige rolled her eyes. “We get it, Brendan.”
Adam ignored him. “I want to hear more of your ideas for regenerating our stripped planets. Pairing Earth’s resources with Coalition technology could go far in easing the transition we will be proposing to the High Council.”
A thrill of excitement shot through her. Protecting her world and healing others… Paige was surprised at how much those other planets mattered to her already. She wanted to help. Wanted to do something.
“We have much work ahead of us.” Khel moved to stand beside her and took her hand in his.
As long as they kept working together—as partners—she had a feeling everything would be okay. She had to believe it.
With Khel at her side, it wasn’t that hard.
She gave him a brief smile. “Then let’s get down to business.”
A Note for the Reader
What did you think? I’d love to hear from you through a review. If you’d prefer another way to connect, you can stop by my blog (cassandra-chandler.com), follow me on Twitter (@CassChandler) or Facebook (CassChandlerAuthor), or even send me some email at [email protected]. You can also stay in touch by subscribing to my newsletter (cassandra-chandler.com/newsletter). There are many more adventures to come.
Thanks for reading!
About the Author
Cassandra Chandler has studied folklore and mythology for her entire life and been accused of taking fairy tales a bit too seriously. She sees the starry sky as a destination rather than a matte painting, though her primary residence is on Earth. Her romances range from sweet to scorching, set in extraordinary worlds and driven by characters searching for a deep and lasting love.
Look for More Titles by Cassandra
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The Department of Homeworld Security (novellas)
Gray Card
Resident Alien
Business or Pleasure
Seconds (short stories)
“Second Sight”
“Second Skin”
CRAFTING A WRITER’S LIFE: Building a Foundation
Coming Soon
The Department of Homeworld Security (novellas)
Tied up in Customs
The Summer Park Psychics
WANDERING SOUL
WHISPERING HEARTS
LINGERING TOUCH
Business or Pleasure (The Department of Homeworld Security Book 3) Page 9