Taylor saluted again. "Yes, Sir."
"Go ahead, Bouchard."
The ikthians began moving. The tallest one in the middle was obviously an elder, and she had an elaborate pink crest. The ikthian to her right had a beautiful blue pattern of scales on her cheeks. The face of the ikthian on the left, however, was clear except for a little mottling. Taylor picked up on the family resemblance immediately. This had to be Maia's infamous mother.
The first ikthian began speaking in melodious tones, and a translation appeared at the bottom of the screen. "We have received your message, and believe the evidence you have shown us regarding your capture of Maia Kalanis. We wish for her safe return, and are willing to negotiate in order to ensure it. In the meantime, in a gesture of goodwill, we will cease all attacks on Earth itself. That is all."
"Well, that was short and to the point," Roberts said as the picture froze again. "What do you think, Taylor?"
Taylor maintained a thoughtful silence before voicing her opinion. "They don't know where we're holding her, other than the fact that it's on Earth, and she's really important to them."
"Of course they don't know where she's being held," Bouchard said dismissively.
"How did you come to that conclusion, Lieutenant?" Hunt asked, ignoring Bouchard's outburst.
"That's why they're not going to send any more drone strikes to Earth, or do any more bombing runs. They don't want to risk killing her." Although ikthian attacks on Earth were not all that common, or as deadly as the long, drawn-out ground war both sides were fighting on the outer planets, their home-world had not escaped unscathed. The ikthian fleets had destroyed several civilian cities and military bases. "They only said they would cease attacks on Earth itself. That means they'll probably hit the edge of the solar system hard, trying to weaken our forces."
Hunt sighed. "That's what I was afraid of."
"They have us grossly outnumbered," Bouchard said. "We should take this opportunity to recuperate from losses on Earth before they press us to accept protectorate status." He turned to look out a window. The sun was just dipping below the horizon. "Let the naledai handle the assault."
"That’s not how we’re going to handle this," Roberts said. "The naledai are our allies, and we won't let them take the brunt of the Dominion’s retaliation. You know one of their military detachments is arriving in less than a week. How do you think they’re going to react when they hear the news?"
"It doesn’t matter. The naledai will only be useful as allies if we continue to exist as a people!"
"Stand down," Hunt ordered. Both men glared at each other, but took a step back. Bouchard crossed his arms and Roberts rolled his shoulders. "This is not the purpose of our meeting. We are currently discussing a response tactic for the ikthians. If neither of you have anything valuable to add, I suggest you leave."
Neither Roberts nor Bouchard challenged Hunt’s statement, but Taylor sensed they might break into another shouting match at any moment. "We shouldn’t respond right away," she said. Everyone's eyes turned to her. "They took their time responding to us, so why should we seem eager to get back to them?"
"You’re right," Hunt said. "Why should we appear so ready to give in to the ikthians?"
"Because it will show we are a decent people," Bouchard protested. "There are humans out there in the hands of those monsters, and we should be doing everything in our power to bring them back." Taylor could see his jaw tighten as he glared at her. "Don’t try to play politician, Lieutenant. That’s my job."
"Lieutenant Morgan," Hunt broke in before Roberts could interrupt, "why don’t you head back to the prisoner? You’ve performed your duty admirably as it is. I think we will sort it out from here."
"Yes, Sir." Taylor was all too eager to escape from Roberts's office. She had a feeling that the three men were about to get into a very long, loud argument and her first instinct was to get out of the line of fire.
"Dismissed," Roberts said. "Good work, Lieutenant."
Taylor saluted at him, and then at Hunt. "Thank you, Sir." Once the formalities had been taken care of, she slipped out through the door and hurried from the office before the shouting match started.
Chapter Eighteen
Maia heard the door open and shut in the next room, and she glanced up for a moment before returning to the human book she had laid open on the bed. None of the symbols made sense to her, but the charts and layout were interesting. It amazed her that the humans actually printed information on such a fragile material. She picked up one of the pages and rubbed it between two fingers. It was made from the fibers or pulp of some plant, of that she was certain.
Taylor’s footsteps approached, and Maia looked up again when she heard the human enter the bedroom. A sheen of sweat covered Taylor’s brow, and Maia tried to ignore the way she wiped her forehead and tugged off the outer layer of her fatigues, revealing her muscled form underneath. "It’s hot in here," Taylor muttered, apparently unconcerned with the amount of flesh she was revealing.
"I increased the humidity," Maia said. She had discovered the controls that morning, and she already felt much more comfortable thanks to the new setting.
Taylor grinned and shook her head. "Figures," she sighed. "Are you reading?" She gestured toward the book.
"No." Maia closed the book and tossed it aside. "How are you?"
Taylor’s grin receded, and Maia wished she had not asked. After a moment of hesitation, Taylor sat down on the bed. "I’m all right." Her words did not sound convincing. "Just got back from a meeting with the brass, and that’s never fun. They…heard back."
Maia’s eyes widened. "Really?"
"The ikthians sent us a short response, basically saying they want you back."
"Oh." Maia looked down at the comforter. She began wringing her hands nervously on top of her lap. Part of her wanted to ask more, to find out what the ikthians had said about her, to ask if her mother had been among them. But eventually, she decided that more information would only worsen her mood.
"I’m not even sure why they want my opinion. I don’t know anything about ikthians other than how to kill them." Taylor glanced up at Maia. "I mean…uh…I know you, obviously, but you don’t spend your time telling me about the ikthians, and, well…I mean…"
Maia reached a hand out to touch Taylor's shoulder. "I understand."
"Good. Anyway, all they do is argue with each other whenever I try to make a suggestion." Taylor let out a frustrated sigh and flopped back on the mattress, staring up at the ceiling and stretching her hands above her head. The position put her muscular arms on enticing display, but Maia forced herself not to look at them. "At least the Dominion has called a ceasefire on Earth until we come to some kind of agreement."
Maia barely stifled a gasp of surprise. The Dominion had never declared a ceasefire on their enemies before. There could only be one reason for that decision. They were still hoping to bring her in alive. Maia still did not know how much of her research was in the Dominion’s hands, but if they needed her, it probably meant that they did not fully understand it. Or perhaps they just wanted to torture her until she took back what she had already stated and published more favorable articles instead. If the public saw her research, if they knew that all intelligent life in the galaxy was genetically linked, they might not accept the Dominion’s propaganda so readily, or their constant claims of ikthian superiority.
Maia realized Taylor had been talking to her. She blinked and said, "I apologize, could you repeat yourself?"
"I asked you what you thought of that offer."
Maia shook her head. "It is generous." She left off any more telling comments. She did not want to contemplate how much longer she might have if negotiations were moving forward. "But the humans did not accept?"
"No. They can’t decide on what to ask for in return. And besides, they’re going to wait a while to respond. So…you have time." But Taylor’s words sounded hollow and unconvincing to Maia. Neither of them could make eye conta
ct, so Taylor cleared her throat and changed the subject. "On another note, Rachel is still angry at me."
"Rachel…your friend, the one that does not approve of me?"
"Yeah." Taylor sat up and wiped her forehead again. For some reason, her body distracted Maia even more in the new position. "She found out about you and me, since I told Andrew after the first time it happened." Taylor looked shy, and almost a little worried, but Maia could not bring herself to be too upset over something as trivial as this, not when her life was clearly in danger.
"And she objected?" It was a silly question, especially since she and Taylor had already agreed that the…whatever it was between them…had been a mistake. But for some reason, hearing that someone else disapproved upset her.
"She thinks you’re using your pheromones to seduce me. I told her it wasn’t like that."
Maia's eyes widened. "No! I…I would not..."
"I know you wouldn't."
The softness in Taylor’s voice touched something in Maia. Perhaps if she and Taylor had met under normal circumstances, in a world where the Dominion was not at war with Earth, the two of them could have had a proper date. They could have spent all morning making love without worrying about dying in a matter of days. She reached up and touched the slim band of the suppressor around her neck. So much could have been different.
"So…since it is not my pheromones, why are you attracted to me?" Maia knew that it was silly of her to bring it up, but she wanted to know if Taylor could imagine them pursuing a normal relationship, if circumstances were different. It would be comforting to know that the possibility was not just another one of her crazy ideas.
Taylor readjusted her position on the bed, crossing her legs. "What do you mean?"
"I mean…" What did she mean? It was unfair to ask Taylor to consider what their life would have been like without the war, and somewhat masochistic to continue dwelling on it herself. They had no way of changing the past, and the future looked bleak. "What made you want to be with me?"
Taylor rubbed the back of her neck for a moment before gripping the sheets with both hands. "That’s an interesting question," she said, obviously stalling. It made Maia smile. Perhaps she was not the only one who felt insecure after what had happened between them. "It would be kind of shallow to admit that I like your body, but your physical appearance is…appealing." Taylor's face flushed. "And…I suppose you’ve exhibited a certain amount of bravery, intelligence, understanding…empathy." The human’s expression looked vacant, as though Taylor’s thoughts were far away.
"This surprises you," Maia whispered, a statement instead of a question. "Why?"
"I guess it wasn’t something I was expecting to see in an ikthian," Taylor said after a long, thoughtful pause. "I spent so much time killing them that I never bothered to talk to them."
Although she knew that it was dangerous, Maia found herself reaching out to put a hand just above Taylor’s knee. She could feel the heat of the human’s skin even through her fatigues. "I am sure that none of them bothered talking to you, either. Do not blame yourself for killing them, Taylor. The seekers are trained for violence."
"You know, if someone had told me a few weeks ago that I would be feeling bad for ikthians even after they killed my squad, I would have called them crazy," Taylor muttered.
Maia blinked, trying to hide her surprise. "You feel bad for my species?"
Taylor’s hand found hers, covering it with warm fingers, and Maia found herself staring up into wide, dark eyes. "Well, maybe just one ikthian…"
It took Maia a few moments to realize that their faces were drifting closer and closer together, but when she did, she froze with indecision. Their lips were only a breath apart. It would be so easy to lean in and let their mouths brush. Maia jerked back, trying not to be too obvious. The moment was broken. The two of them let their hands pull apart again, leaving a little more space between their legs on the mattress.
"So, which of the leaders contacted you to make demands for my return?" Maia asked, trying to change the subject.
Taylor shrugged. "There were three of them. They never said their names, so I don’t know who they were." She hesitated a moment, and Maia could tell that she was having a brief, inward debate with herself. Finally, she seemed to come to a decision. "But one of them looked like you."
Maia felt her heart come to a stop. When it gave a painful jolt and came back to life, its echo sounded unnaturally loud in her head. "One of them looked like me?"
"Her face looked like yours," Taylor said, staring just a little too long at Maia’s lips. Maia could feel the human’s gaze travel up to meet hers and a rush of heat came along with it. "And she had your eyes. She was…sad. Worried."
"That," Maia began, but she had to swallow in order to continue. "That would be my mother. She is…important. I did not expect her to appear in the transmission. She is usually busy with speeches, or treatises, or some other menial task." Maia had spent much of her childhood with private tutors or in classrooms while her mother traveled from world to world, making speeches and writing legislation as one of the Dominion’s most formidable politicians, but there had been moments of happiness between the two of them. Those moments seemed so distant now that she paused and reflected on it.
"She’s a politician?"
"Yes." Maia thought back to some of the more recent conversations she had shared with her mother. "She wanted me to adopt her career. She never really approved of my decision to study genetics, especially with an anthropological focus. No one cares about what ikthians were like before they conquered the galaxy…" She gazed down at her hands and stopped twisting them for a moment, trying to ignore the stinging sensation behind her eyes. Tightness constricted her chest, and no amount of deep breathing could ease it away.
Taylor’s voice nearly startled her when it came from close beside her. "So she tried to stop you?"
"Not exactly. She tried to persuade me to shift my focus. When she realized that I was far too awkward to be a politician like her, she tried to convince me to work for the Dominion as one of their researchers. I suppose my decision to seek a permanent position at the university instead was yet another disappointment to her. We had…been out of touch for a long time when I began my research."
There were so many things Maia wanted to say, memories she wanted to share, but she knew that now was not the time, and Taylor was probably not the right person to hear them. Instead, she turned her face away, hoping Taylor would not notice the tears spilling out from the corners of her eyes. "I…I…" It was all too much. The memories of her mother, her feelings for Taylor, her imminent death once she was returned to Korithia. "Please, excuse me," she mumbled, pushing herself off the bed and hurrying towards the bathroom.
Maia thought she heard Taylor call after her, but she ignored the sound of her name, shutting the door behind her and bracing herself against the wall. Her tears fell in a river, streaming down her cheeks as she cupped her face in her hands.
She would give herself a few minutes to cry, she thought as she tried to stifle her sobs. A few minutes. Then, she would try to forget. Forget that she was probably going to be executed, and forget about what a disappointment she was to her mother. She was not sure why she even still cared about pleasing her. It did not matter now, when she was facing death in a matter of weeks.
The one thing she did not want to forget was the feelings that she was developing for Taylor. Even though they were confused and probably ill-advised, they had been the only bright spot amidst the darkness.
Chapter Nineteen
"Maia..."
Maia heard Taylor calling after her, but she did not answer. Even when Taylor rapped on the door, she could not force out a response. She sank to the floor and wrapped her arms around her knees, drawing into a protective position. She gasped for breath between sobs, but the dryness of the air only made things worse. She needed water, but she did not want to move.
Behind her, Taylor eased the door open with a
gentle push. "Are you okay?"
Maia felt a soft touch on her shoulder. When she did not respond, Taylor stepped into the bathroom and knelt before her. Maia looked up, tears flowing down her face. She did not know what Taylor would think of her for showing such weakness. She had fallen apart in the worst way in front of the human. Any ikthian would have been embarrassed, if not angry with her for losing control like this. To the Dominion, crying was a sign of weakness. "Why would you ask me that?"
Taylor smiled at her, though worry still lingered in her eyes and at the corners of her mouth. "I'm concerned about you. Here." She turned on the shower, and just the sound of the water made Maia relax and breathe a little easier. Taylor turned back and held out a hand, offering it to her. "We should get you cleaned up."
Maia hesitated for a moment. She knew she should not be seeking comfort from Taylor, but she took her hand anyway and stood up. Once she found her footing, Taylor let go and glanced toward the door. "I…I can leave you alone to shower if you want. I just thought…"
As Taylor moved to leave, Maia reached out, clasping her wrist and pulling her back. "Stay," she whispered. "Please..." Before she could think better of it, she leaned forward and brushed Taylor’s lips with hers, needing the intimacy and comfort. Their mouths remained pressed together for a hot second before they pulled apart, uncertain what to do next.
"Okay, I’ll stay."
Gently, Taylor helped Maia, easing her shirt up along her arms and lifting it over her head. Maia managed to tug off the undershirt herself, but she allowed Taylor to help with her pants. It was slightly awkward, since Taylor had to crouch to pull the legs down, but eventually, Maia stood naked in the middle of the washroom, feeling incredibly vulnerable. As she watched, Taylor hurried to peel out of her own clothes. Soon, her pants, shirt, and underwear were kicked into a small pile behind the door.
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