by Rachel Aukes
Sienna almost grinned when Jax narrowed his eyes and gave her the classic Jax scowl. Yeah, Jax was back. “Can I get you anything else?” she asked, setting the basket on the floor next to his chair.
“Nah. We’re good,” Jax replied.
“You know, Talla, things would go easier if you were willing to meet us halfway,” Sienna said.
The Draeken glared at Sienna before giving them her back once again.
“Have it your way, then. You and Jax have fun. Oh, and Talla…” Sienna waited for the Draeken to straighten. “You better rest up. You’re scheduled for another round of interrogation today.” With that, Sienna left the holding cells.
She was surprised to find Apolo waiting for her outside the door, peeling an orange. He held out an arm. Sienna took it, and he walked her into his old quarters, which had been converted into briefing rooms. She sat on the newly-added leather couch while he took an overstuffed chair across from her.
“I wanted to stop by before I leave for England tonight,” he said before popping a slice of orange in his mouth.
Her brow furrowed. “You’re leaving already? I thought it would take longer for them to prepare for your arrival.”
“I did, too. Evidently the Brits are quite excited to get their hands on our technology.”
Sienna nodded in silent agreement. I bet they are.
He smiled. “They are also quite accommodating. They’ve established an old wartime bunker for us. Sunlight-free.”
“That’s the British for you. I’m guessing you’ll acquire an addiction to fine teas and crumpets in no time,” Sienna said with a smile. “With my luck, the Americans will try to relocate our U. S. group to an army base where we can be monitored twenty-four/seven.”
His lips thinned. “Make no mistake, we are already being monitored. Every second of every minute of every day.” He glanced down the hallway. “Tell me, how does Jax fare?”
Sienna raised her eyebrows. “He’s going to be fine. Doc says his burn is healing nicely.”
“I’m not talking about his injury.”
She leaned back into the couch. “Risa’s betrayal knocked him down for a bit.” It knocked us all down. “But he’s getting right back on. I’ve assigned him to our Draeken prisoner to keep him busy. He’s been quite diligent in his duties.”
Apolo smiled. “It was wise to assign him to the prisoner. I think it was exactly what the soldier in him needed.”
Sienna shrugged. “I figured only drunkenness or duty would work with him, and duty seemed like a healthier plan. Everything would be easier if only Nalea was back.” Sienna winced, regretting saying those last words.
Apolo inhaled deeply. “Roden has her, and he’s keeping her alive for a reason. There is hope. However, having a complete trinity is a critical strength of a leader. Being without one is a weakness in the eyes of the Sephians.”
“But replacing Nalea would also be a sign of weakness,” Sienna said. “It would show that you’re giving up on her.”
Apolo said, “And that, to me, that is unacceptable.”
They sat in silence for several moments while Apolo finished the orange and Sienna stared at the wall.
“We will make it our priority to find Nalea, and I will work with the Brits on this as well. She is crucial.”
“How so?”
He mused for a moment. “That is something she needs to tell you herself. What I know, I know in confidence. All I can say is, the longer the Draeken have her, the greater the risk.”
Sienna eyed him strangely, but he said nothing more. “I wonder if Roden knows.”
Apolo jerked. “Why do you think that?”
Sienna shrugged. “I don’t know exactly. But, there was something off about the meeting that day. It was almost as though Roden had planned all along to take Nalea. He seemed awfully focused on her.”
“Perhaps Roden suspects something. All the more reason to search for her and stop Roden.”
“Lieutenant-Colonel Jerrick has offered to help out with the search,” Sienna said. “Let’s hope he meant it.”
“Time will tell. The Americans have shown strong initial support.”
“By support, you mean the troops he’s assigned to the base?” Sienna shook her head. “They’re here to keep an eye on us, not to keep the Draeken out.” She rested her head on the back of the couch as she stared up at the ceiling for a long moment before turning back to Apolo. “We have a long road ahead of us, don’t we?”
Apolo smiled weakly. “While our alliance isn’t yet written in stone, we’re all on the same page when it comes to the Draeken. We’ll have to build from that.” He stood and looked around. “I’m short on time. I should be going. I’ll give you my location and will set up communications once I’m settled in there. Even though our British hosts have offered a full telecommunications setup, I also desire something a little less privy to eager ears.”
“Good luck. And, Apolo? Thank you. I treasure both your leadership and our friendship.”
“As do I.” With that, he gave her a formal Sephian handshake then turned and walked out the door without another word.
Sienna headed outside to wait for her mother’s transport ship to land. Instead of standing idly around, she spent the time walking the perimeter, stopping at every checkpoint to chat with the Sephians, who looked to her in order to learn about humans.
As the ship touched down with her mother inside, Sienna leaned against the wall. At some point during the past several months, she realized that she considered the Sephians more her people than humans. The Sephians were her people, and she’d do anything for them. The idea didn’t disturb her. Instead, it made her proud.
Chapter Twenty-Four
“Are we good here?” Sienna asked.
“All scans came through clean. Your visitor is cleared for access,” Quincy replied as he reached to remove her visitor’s blindfold.
Her mother looked just like she had the day Sienna had seen her last, except her brown hair with striking waves of gray was shorter now. Kat had always been attractive, and age hadn’t changed that one bit.
Kat rubbed her eyes, looked around, and then threw out her arms when she found her daughter. “Sienna!”
Sienna smiled, only to be pulled into a full hug. “Sorry about not being there to pick you up. I got a bit tied up here.”
“It’s okay. I’ve missed you so much, sweetie.” Her mother pulled back to take in her surroundings. “This is unbelievable, Sienna,” she said motioning around the hangar. “And you’re in the middle of all this.”
“C’mon.” Sienna motioned to her mother. “I’ll show you the gardens.”
Kat frowned, bringing out the fine lines at her eyes. “Can I have a tour? I was hoping to see the rooms where all the technology is, like for communications.”
“Only the gardens are approved for guests. I’ll see if I can get you more clearance next time.”
Kat smile flattened in disappointment. “All right then. To the gardens.”
“They’re really something. You’ll see.”
As they went down a level toward the gardens, they walked past several guards—both human and Sephian, though few of the interracial teams spoke to each other. The Sephians towered above the humans by several inches. Unlike humans, Sephian females stood as tall as their male counterparts. That genetic trait did nothing to help average-height Sienna earn respect. Her size and her inability to pull energy to heal only made the Sephians believe humans were all the more fragile, which meant she had to work twice as hard to get them to look up to her.
As the human face of the Sephian force, the soldiers came to her—or Jax—rather than going to any Sephian, and she doubted it had much to do with her authority. Racism was still running rampant across the base—on both sides—something she hoped would fade over time. At least they both saw the Draeken as a common threat.
“…I thought.”
Sienna glanced over at Kat. “Sorry. What’d you say?”
&n
bsp; “Still the daydreamer, I see.” Kat smiled. “I was saying that this place is more normal than I’d expect. I don’t know what I thought I’d see, but this,”—Kat motioned around her—“isn’t much different than any military base.”
Sienna shrugged. “Guess other than a few trillion or so miles separating our people, we’re not that different from each other.” Although there would always be some biological differences. They had brightened the lights when the troops came. Now the Sephians needed to wear sunglasses all the time, but it was a small price considering the alternative.
With a swoosh, the door to the gardens opened, and Kat sucked in a breath. “Oh my. Incredible.”
“These gardens provide all the food for the Sephians on this base.” While the gardens that spanned over an acre were an incredible sight, Sienna had been here long enough to notice that the plants were quickly growing more and more sparse. The knot in her stomach continued to grow.
The gardens weren’t intended to provide sustenance while on-world. While the Sephians were slowly accustoming their biology to Earth foods, they would be hard-pressed to support themselves without the gardens—and the gardens couldn’t last much longer. The Sephians needed to adapt fast, but having the proverbial Draeken wolf at the door didn’t make things any easier.
They took a seat on a bench under a fruit tree. The air was heavier here. The Sephian home world’s atmosphere had slightly higher concentrations of oxygen, and while the Sephians handled Earth’s air just fine, their plants were more sensitive.
Kat sighed. “Oh, Sienna. I wish you weren’t entangled in this mess.”
Sienna frowned. “I thought coming face to face with life beyond Earth was your greatest dream.”
“It was, but that was before you were pulled into this. But don’t you worry, dear. I’m going to make everything better.”
“What are you talking about?”
Her mother came to her feet and pulled something out of her purse.
“Kat?”
She made no response as she lay what looked like a piece of black plastic wrap over a control panel. Instantly it melted around the panel and started to grow.
Sienna’s frozen as she stared at the growing black liquid.
Kat tugged Sienna’s hand. “Come. It’s finished. We must hurry.”
Sienna yanked out of Kat’s grip and stepped back. “What have you done?” She scrambled in her pocket, found the comm she always carried, and hit the panic button, which would now be sending a constant signal to both the tech-hub as well as Legian.
“I did what needed to be done, dear. The Sephians are here to commit genocide. Life beyond Earth is still my greatest dream. All life.” Kat unbuttoned her sleeve and pulled up her shirt, revealing a tattoo of the Draeken imperial family’s symbol.
Sienna brought a hand up to cover her mouth. “Oh, Kat, you didn’t.”
Her mother smiled as she glanced down at the tattoo then her smile fell, and she snapped at her daughter. “We must hurry. We don’t have long. We must get out of here before it’s too late.”
“Mom,” Sienna snapped. “These are my people. I’m never leaving them.”
Kat’s lips thinned. “I’m sorry it has to be this way. But I won’t sit by and watch the genocide of an entire race. Good bye, Sienna.” She turned to run, but Sienna tackled her.
“Sienna, no! You’ll kill us both!” she cried out from under her daughter.
“Then deactivate that thing.”
Kat looked confused. “I can’t.”
Footsteps pounded the floor, sending vibrations through her. She looked up to find the soldiers first on the scene.
She pointed to growing black liquid-like substance and yelled out, “She’s attempting to sabotage the base!”
They looked at the substance and back to Sienna as if waiting for instruction. The door to her other side opened, and she watched Legian, shirtless and barefoot, lead in several Sephian troops. Oh, thank God.
Everything felt slow-motion as he took in Sienna, Kat, and then finally the black substance. The look on his face was pure dread.
Legian’s eyebrows shot up as he faced Sienna. “Find cover! The bomb is small enough that we may be able to burn it in time.” He visibly swallowed. “If it burns,” he said quieter, clearly just to Sienna. “The blast will still be powerful enough to destroy this room.”
And everyone in it. The terror emanating from every Sephian present was answer enough. As he lifted his gun, she wished she had her weapon, but protocol prevented her from carrying a weapon when with a visitor. “Get down!” she shouted to the human troops. But none listened. Instead, they pulled out their weapons as well, following suit with Legian.
She pushed her mother against the floor hard, and fortunately the woman didn’t push back. Armageddon broke out when the Sephians opened blaster fire above Sienna.
The air grew hot as the weapons continued to fire for several long seconds. Sienna closed her eyes and pressed her head into her mother’s back, who was shouting out accusations against the Sephians. She’d been too late. The bomb had grown too much—
The explosion sent Sienna flying off Kat and through the air. She crashed into a bench, knocking her breath from her lungs. Fire burned her skin, and she sucked in a breath.
Eyes, nose…
Throat…
No, her lungs were on fire.
She couldn’t breathe.
Blackness.
Sienna came awake with a moan scratching her raw throat. Trying to open her burned eyes, tears began to pour against the cold air. All she saw was the large Sephian holding her, golden tears streaming down his darkened face.
She wanted to tell him how good it was to see him, how she knew he’d survive. But she settled for “Hey”.
Much of her body hurt, like she’d been out in the sun all day and was now the center attraction in a dodgeball tournament. She frowned, or at least tried to. Strangely, some parts of her were completely numb. She glanced down at her blistered hands. They weren’t numb, but her shoulder—and much of her face—felt weird. “Help me up.”
“You’re in shock. I need to get you to the med-hub.” She hadn’t heard that level of concern in Legian’s voice since the base attack.
“I’ll be okay,” she replied, trying to pull herself up but finding no strength to do so.
Reluctantly, Legian pulled Sienna up, holding her carefully. She glanced around. Most of the human troops were spread across the floor, motionless, many clearly never getting up again. Several of the Sephians were down as well, but the med-techs were already helping them. From the look of Legian’s skin, he’d gone through several donors while she was out. Then she spotted her mother sitting in the middle of the mess, her hair gone and blisters covering her face.
“You betrayed us, Kat.”
Her mother made no response.
“You betrayed the Sephians, the United States, and your own daughter,” she said, coughing between words.
“I told you, Sienna. I couldn’t stand for genocide.”
“It’s not like that.”
Kat looked up. “I love you, Sienna, but your friends have blinded you. I never wanted to hurt you.”
“I know, Kat,” she replied softly. She took in a breath, though it burned to do so. “Katherine Wolfe, you are a traitor. And by Sephian law, the penalty for treason is immediate execution.”
Sienna glanced up at Legian. His lips tightened. She nodded as much as her broken muscles would allow. With a grimace, he handed her his blaster.
Sienna lifted it, the weight causing it to wobble in her hand, but she was close enough that aim didn’t matter.
A sad look of acceptance came over Kat’s face. She held out her arms. “It’s finished.”
“No, Kat,” Sienna replied. “It’s just the beginning.”
Then she squeezed the trigger.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Sienna never cried.
She’d made sure Kat received a proper burial. Des
pite her last actions in life, her mother had helped out many people as a humanitarian. Kat had always been her mentor, teaching her the hard lessons of life. And it seemed she’d had one lesson left.
Being a leader means you have to make the hardest sacrifices.
She didn’t hate her mother. She couldn’t. With her hands braced on the sink, Sienna stared at her reflection in the mirror. The left side of her face was scabbed, with no hope of healing without massive scarring. She’d surprised everyone by not dying. With third degree burns over a third of her body, that she hadn’t succumbed to infection was a miracle thanks to Sephian medicine.
Once she healed enough, she’d shave off what was left of her hair. In the meantime, she didn’t care what she looked like. She had more important things to worry about.
Like ensuring the Sephians a safe future on Earth.
Pushing off from the sink, Sienna started her slow inspection of the base. She knew where to find Jax at least; at this same time every day, he’d be in the holding cell watching their Draeken prisoner.
Finally, long after sunset, she went back to her room and read for a while. She didn’t know how long she stayed up, but she knew she’d been asleep for hours when Legian stepped into the room. She awoke at the sound of his footsteps. The book lay across her chest, still open to the page she last read. She set it on the nightstand and watched him walk over to the bed.
“You’re home.” She muffled a yawn and made room for him in the bed.
“Home,” he murmured as he sat down on the mattress and gave her a soft kiss. “I like the sound of that.”
She leaned into him and drifted away, letting the Draeken threat wait until tomorrow.
END OF BOOK 1
Get Book 2, Implosion, here
Message from the author:
Thank you for reading Collision. I hope you enjoyed it. If you would take two minutes to post a review, I would be very grateful. Reviews don’t just help others decide whether to spend their quality time and money on a book; as an author—they help me improve my stories. I take reader feedback very seriously, as it helps me create better and more enjoyable books.