"Thank you, Sir," Taylor said crisply. It was somewhat disconcerting to put a name to the alien, but she ignored her discomfort.
"We've already read your report," Hunt said, recapturing Taylor's attention. "But we wanted to hear what happened from you in person." Her detachment, led by Commander Roberts, was under General Hunt's command, so technically, he was her boss's boss. His presence alone let Taylor know just how serious the situation was.
"Yes, Sir. The mission parameters were simple: reconnaissance on a world called Amaren. Mostly unpopulated, some active volcanoes, but we had reports that the ikthians were using the mineral deposits there to fuel their fleets. We hoped to cut off their supply line. When we arrived, we ran into a group of seekers almost immediately. I managed to contact the evac crew, but they had already butchered most of my squad."
Taylor paused, trying not to replay Jackson’s death in her mind. She took a deep breath. "There was no possible way to salvage the mission. I retreated, and on my way to the rendezvous point, I captured the ikthian. When the seekers saw her, they stopped pursuit and I was able to return to the ship." She glanced over at the ikthian, Maia, who was looking everywhere but at her. "I guess I know why they didn't fire on me now."
"The Kalanis family is very influential in Dominion controlled space," General Ines Moore said. She was one of only two female generals in the Coalition, and Taylor knew that she had taken the hard route to get there, serving plenty of combat time before taking a leadership position. "We think that we can use this one as a bargaining chip, perhaps even open negotiations. Taking her alive has given us an invaluable asset."
"And that asset needs to be guarded," another voice interrupted. Taylor had not noticed a fourth figure slithering around behind the generals, but she recognized him immediately once he stepped in front of them. She had seen Chairman Bouchard's smarmy face on more than enough news broadcasts concerning his lead position on the Council of Defense. His self-important attitude was even more off-putting in real life. If her capture of the ikthian had politicians crawling out of the woodwork in addition to the generals, things were even more serious than she thought.
Another one of the generals, Lee, cleared his throat. "What the Chairman means to say is that the prisoner will need to be monitored. Unfortunately, this base doesn't have proper holding facilities."
It took a moment for Taylor to realize what the general was implying. "You want me to guard her, Sir?" she asked, a little skeptically.
"During the negotiations, yes. We can’t afford to lose such a valuable bargaining chip. It makes sense for you to guard her, since you were the one to bring her here, and your squad was killed in action. You will set up a guard rotation outside her quarters, provide for her basic needs, and go with her whenever she is outside of the room. Upon completion of this assignment, you will receive a promotion."
That phrase caught Taylor's attention. She wondered for a moment if she had only imagined it. "I'm sorry. But did you say...?"
Hunt nodded. "Assuming that Kalanis makes it through to the end of negotiations, you'll be promoted to Captain."
"We've decided to move the prisoner out of interrogation, since it isn't suitable for long-term imprisonment," Bouchard said. "She needs a humidified environment, or her health will be negatively impacted." He spoke with a diplomatic tone that only made him sound more insincere. It was obvious that he did not care what happened to Maia as long as she was still around to bargain with. "She will be confined to a recently vacated captain's quarters, since it has the necessary controls and the highest security clearance. It's a little...opulent for a prisoner of war, but it is the best we can do. At the very least, it will allow you to stay there in comfort as well." Bouchard paused and looked from Maia to Taylor.
"I cannot stress how important this task is," Lee said. "I don't care what methods you use to restrain her or keep her in line. They are completely at your discretion. But if she dies or escapes and we are unable to make use of her in our negotiations, there will be serious personal consequences for you."
Taylor did not know what else to say. She looked once again at Maia, but the ikthian still showed no sign of a reaction to her fate. Taylor would have wondered if ikthians showed emotion at all, but she had seen several looks of pure anger directed at her on the battlefield, as well as the sick joy some ikthians got out of poisoning humans with their toxins or mowing them down with assault rifles. Taylor felt her nails biting into her palms and unclenched her fists. She had not even realized she had tightened them.
"Do you have any questions, Lieutenant?" Hunt asked.
Taylor looked over at the general and tried to think of what she could possibly ask that was appropriate. Thousands of questions ran through her head, all of them centered on her confusion over the situation. She did not understand why she had been selected to look after an ikthian prisoner, but if she really could help them end the war, Taylor owed it to her squad to do her best and follow the generals’ orders.
"I have no questions, Sir."
Hunt nodded. "Very well. Report to the top floor of the officer's barracks at 0900. Bring your gear and personal items. You'll be bunking there. The prisoner will be waiting for you when you arrive. After that time, she will be transferred to your custody."
"Yes, Sir."
"You're dismissed," Bouchard drawled, but Taylor remained in place until Hunt gave her a nod of approval. With his permission and another salute, she turned and left the office, resisting the nearly overpowering temptation to look back over her shoulder at the ikthian on the way out.
Chapter Seven
It only took Taylor a few minutes to throw all of her things into a camouflaged duffel bag. She was minimalist by nature, and she did not have many personal items. Aside from her clothes, medals, and toiletries, nothing much was left.
Once the room was almost bare, she opened the top drawer beside her bed. There, within easy reach, was one of the few luxuries she allowed herself—a realistic looking, sensation transmitting strap-on. She had no intention of using it any time soon, since there weren’t a lot of available women on base, but the military was strained these days. She had no guarantee that her bunk would remain empty. If they decided to give someone else her quarters, the last thing she wanted was an expensive sex toy left out for someone else to find. Taylor tossed it in the bag with the rest of her things, throwing several pairs of underwear from the same drawer on top of it.
Once everything was packed, Taylor slung the bag over her shoulder. It was heavier than she had expected. She headed through the door, walking in the direction of the elevator. She could not really say that she would miss her old room, she thought as she waited for the lift's doors to open. She liked living on her own, and had appreciated the private shower, but her old quarters were not anything special.
Her stomach churned with guilt at the thought of receiving such an easy assignment in response to the slaughter her squad had faced. Based on their few interactions, Maia seemed to be the quiet, careful type. If she tried to escape, it would be a long and drawn-out process. Taylor could tell there was intelligence in those shimmering blue eyes. Maia would not waste time trying to overpower or threaten her. Perhaps seduction, but…
The thought jarred her. It was true that the ikthians had a promiscuous reputation, and often chose to mate outside of their own species if rumors were to be believed, but Taylor was still not sure where the strange thought had come from. Maybe Rachel had been right, and the stories about ikthian pheromones were true. She shook her head in an attempt to clear her mind and took the elevator up to the captain’s quarters.
Finally, the lift stopped and she stepped out, glancing down at her boots as they scuffed over plush carpeting. "Damn. Even the floor's nicer up here." Much of the base had been something else before the war. The officer’s quarters happened to be part of an old hotel previously used for visiting families staying with injured soldiers in the medical ward.
There were five visible doors spac
ed throughout the hallway, but Taylor knew which one she wanted immediately. Two guards in black body armor were posted on either side, assault rifles clutched to their chests. Adjusting the strap of her duffel on her shoulder, Taylor approached them, and the pair saluted.
After nodding at them, the guards lowered their arms. "I've got it from here, boys," Taylor said. They stepped aside and allowed her to enter the quarters. She turned and watched them leave before stepping through the doorway and shutting it. She initiated the lock sequence for good measure. The door had already been coded to her fingerprints and retinal scans. No one could get in or out aside from her and whoever else General Hunt had given clearance. Hunt had also given her the necessary codes to operate the prisoner’s restraints and energy suppressor, though Taylor doubted she would need them.
The quarters were quiet as she examined her surroundings, and Taylor noticed that they was much more spacious than her previous bunk. Furniture had even been provided to fill the space. The living room contained couches and a low table, and a short hallway most likely led to the bedroom. The only thing missing was her charge. But as Taylor stood there scanning her surroundings, she picked up the sound of running water. "She's not seriously…"
***
The shower was the first luxury that Maia had made use of in her new gilded cage. Although a part of her desperately wanted to remain under the spray forever, breathing in the blissful steam and letting it soothe her itchy, uncomfortable skin, she worked fast, knowing she would only have a few precious moments of privacy. She had no idea when the humans would interrupt her again, but she decided it was safe to close her eyes and take a few deep breaths. Even though her species had not lived beneath the water for millions of years, she still needed more moisture than this planet afforded. Her home planet of Korithia was nearly covered in water and scattered islands, dense with humidity and tropical weather.
With a sigh, she returned to washing her skin. She winced whenever she touched a bruise or scrape that had not fully healed. Once she had scrubbed the dirt of the last several days away, she turned off the faucet and stepped out into the steamy room. She grabbed a towel and ran it over her body quickly, not bothering to brush aside all the droplets that clung to her arms and legs. She wanted to dry off and change into her fresh clothes before the human—Taylor—arrived. This would probably be her last opportunity for a moment alone. She wanted to cherish it.
Stating her mother's name had produced more than its desired effect. Maia had not expected the humans to open negotiations so quickly. She had always been told they were an aggressive, war-mongering species. Their willingness to bargain did not fit with the mental image she had generated of them.
Maia set the towel aside and opened the bathroom door. The cool air on her wet skin made her shiver, so she hurried into the bedroom. She stopped in her tracks, however, as soon as she spotted the human sitting on the bed. She gasped and immediately covered her chest with both arms. Her captor’s gaze lingered on her body, and she felt her cheeks burn with embarrassment. She moved to go back to the bathroom and fetch her old, ruined clothes, but the human spoke.
"Don't." Taylor rose off the bed. "Come here."
Maia hesitated for a moment before moving back into the bedroom, still keeping her hands clutched over her breasts.
"So…you're not that different underneath the armor," Taylor said. The words sounded stilted, and her face was flushed. Whatever she had been doing in the bedroom, she had obviously not suspected a naked ikthian to come running in.
Maia had received occasional compliments on her figure over the years from other ikthians, but somehow, this was different. It made her heartbeat throb in the dip of her collarbone. There was something in the human’s stare that she could not read. For a moment, Maia almost expected her to reach out and try to touch.
Instead, Taylor looked away, the blush on her cheeks spreading. "You don't have any clothes aside from the ones you came in, do you?"
Maia shook her head. She had never been so concerned about her state of undress, but she had never been in such an embarrassing or compromising position before, especially in front of an alien. Briefly, she wondered what her new guard intended to do with her.
"Here," Taylor said, reaching for her duffel bag. "I have some spare fatigues. They might not fit you properly, though," she warned, studying the ikthian's figure. This time, her examination seemed more clinical. Maia frowned. Although she was smaller overall, her breasts were larger than Taylor's, and her hips were far more generous. The human's clothes were sure to hang off her in some places and pull snug in others.
"Thank you," Maia whispered as Taylor pulled out a shirt and a pair of pants and passed them into her arms. They would have to do. She dressed quickly, all too aware of Taylor's watchful eyes as she pulled the shirt over her head. This human had been kinder to her than the others, relatively speaking. Still, her broad shoulders and muscular arms clearly marked her as a warrior. She would have been able to tell that about Taylor even if she had not run into the human on a battlefield. Maia knew that as long as she had the energy suppressor on, Taylor would easily be able to overpower her.
"I'll try and see about getting you something that fits better," Taylor said as Maia pulled up the pants, struggling to get them around her hips. There were several inches of material at the bottom that covered her feet.
"I…thank you," Maia repeated, not knowing what else to say. She glanced around the room, avoiding Taylor's eyes. When she chanced another look, she caught the human staring at the bed.
"Guess we'll both be sharing these quarters," Taylor said. "Do you want the bed?"
Maia's heart thumped harder. She was expected to share living space with the human? "I…" Still, words failed her. She had delivered talks at academic panels and scientific conferences before, but how was she supposed to communicate with this human? Her captor? The alien that had refused to kill her even when her own people showed no mercy?
Maia had never thought much about humans before, too absorbed in her work to really form an opinion on them one way or another, but this one made her pause to study. The shape of her body was strangely pleasing, and even the strange material on top of her head was somewhat fascinating. Maia bit her lower lip, suppressing the sudden urge to reach out and touch it.
Unfortunately, Taylor noticed where she was staring. She laughed softly as Maia blushed. "You like my hair, huh?" she asked, running one of her own hands through the dark, spiky strands.
"Hair?" Maia repeated, studying the human's head more intently.
"Yep. We all have it." Taylor brought her hand back down. She paused for a moment as if she was considering something. Finally, she seemed to come to a decision. "Do you want to touch?"
Maia thought about Taylor’s offer. Even though she knew it was irrational, she desperately wanted to touch the human. Her scientific curiosity got the better of her, and she nodded once.
Taylor bent her head. Slowly, Maia reached out with one hand, gingerly touching the soft strands. Her blue eyes widened as she ran her fingers through them, and she gasped. She had not expected it to be so soft, or so ticklish. It was a strangely tactile experience. Soon, she found herself lightly scratching over Taylor's scalp. The human allowed her to explore for a few moments before straightening back up, forcing Maia to pull her hand away. She found herself slightly disappointed that they had broken contact so soon.
Taylor took a step away from Maia, clearing her throat. "Have you eaten since you arrived on base?"
Maia shook her head no, and her stomach began cramping uncomfortably at the reminder. She was starving.
"I'll go get us both something...wait, can you even eat human food?"
"Yes," Maia said. She knew something about humans from her genetic research, although she had not met any of them in person before her capture yesterday. "Your food should be compatible with my digestive system."
Taylor shrugged. "All right. I'm going then," she said awkwardly, taking another st
ep away from Maia. "I'll be back." She walked out of the room, leaving Maia alone again.
Maia heard the door to the apartment hiss open, and then slide shut as it locked back into place, sealing her into her new prison. She sat on the bed and crossed her arms, unsure why she felt more alone now than when she had first been brought to Earth.
Chapter Eight
The apartment was quiet when Taylor finally returned, carrying several boxes. She looked around the living space, but saw no sign of the ikthian. Shifting the boxes of food to one arm, she shut the door and locked it, afraid for a moment that her captive might try to escape. She set the boxes she had retrieved down on a coffee table, figuring she could at least show her prisoner that humans were civil regarding their meals.
The next place to check was back in the bedroom. She kicked off her boots and walked slowly down the hall. As she had expected, she found Maia sprawled across the bed with her eyes closed. She paused for a moment to study her again. Something about the ikthian prompted her to be compassionate rather than cold and clinical like she had planned.
Everything about Maia only confirmed Taylor’s first suspicions. She was a scientist, a civilian completely cut off from any forms of rough labor, if human scientists were an acceptable comparison. Her silvery skin, almost a pale white, had not looked so jarringly alien when Maia had run into the bedroom from her shower. Taylor had been shocked at the sudden appearance, and then angry at herself later when she fetched the food. Her prisoner was not something to be gawked at. She was to be considered dangerous and treated with the respect owed a prisoner of war. Instead, Taylor found herself stumbling over her words worse than when she was a teenager.
Dark Horizons Page 4