Taylor placed one last kiss against the back of her neck. "Any time."
Chapter Twenty One
The detachment of naledai soldiers arrived a couple of days after Taylor and Maia’s moment in the shower. Taylor looked forward to their arrival more than a lot of the other soldiers on base. Rachel and Andrew had only looked at her like she was insane when she tried talking about what she had experienced with Maia, so she stopped trying. Who better to talk to about her strange obsession with an alien than another alien?
Akton was just that alien. The naledai was cocky, a smart-ass, and one of the best fighters she had ever seen on the battlefield. Despite her pride in the human military, she would have bet all her wages that they could not find a brawler among their ranks to match him. Not even action movies could compare to watching Akton deliver the kind of blows he did when he got in range of an enemy.
After the naledai disembarked from their ship to meet with the brass, Taylor waited for the right moment to steal Akton away. He was walking back to the bunkers when Taylor finally caught him. "Akton!"
He turned toward her. "Taylor Morgan," he said, raising a hand in greeting. The naledai were fearsome-looking creatures, with tough skin layered in bone plates. They stood taller than most humans, with long, curved legs designed to let them sprint faster than most other species. Akton strode over to her with his strange, loping walk. He almost resembled a wolf on hind legs. "I see you’ve managed to keep all your limbs attached. Or do humans have three arms? I can never remember." His pointed, snout-like mouth trembled in a way that represented a smile, or at least, Taylor had learned to interpret it that way.
She laughed and clapped him on the shoulder. "It’s four. I’ve had some bad luck." They chuckled, though Akton's came out as more of a deep rumble. She had gotten good at interpreting his various expressions and sounds.
"So, the rumor on base is that you've got an important visitor," Akton said as they began walking, not heading for any particular destination. "My C.O. was pretty tight-lipped about it, but I know that's why we were sent here."
"Yeah. An ikthian prisoner of war. I’m in charge of looking after her." Taylor's smile widened as she thought about Maia, and this time, she did not bother suppressing it. Akton seemed to notice her odd expression, but did not offer any comments.
"And I guess that's gone well," Akton drawled.
Taylor’s smile receded. "I’m not sure that’s how I’d describe the situation. I was hoping to talk to you about it, actually." She glanced around to make sure no one else was within earshot before continuing. "We’ve actually, um, fallen into bed together, and I…"
Akton interrupted her. "You're sleeping with the ikthian you're supposed to be guarding? I know some humans think they're beautiful, but are you sure that's a good idea? My superiors would kill me for even thinking about it."
"They don't exactly know," Taylor confessed. "We didn’t really mean for it to happen. And then we swore it wouldn’t happen again, but it…we can’t stop." She paused, considering how best to explain what had happened. "I care about her."
"You’re in trouble, Taylor." Akton eyed her with pity, but made no move to suggest he might report her. Naledai did not work like that. They stayed out of affairs that did not concern their own military operations, and they did not betray their friends.
"I know, I know. I didn’t want any of it to go like this. It kind of just happened."
"Be careful. You're playing a dangerous game with this one. She's an ikthian, and a prisoner of war. Even if she doesn't turn on you, they could send her back to her people in an exchange or decide to execute her."
The thought of her comrades executing Maia made Taylor's stomach toss. "I…" She was at a loss for words. She and Maia had discussed this before, but it hurt to have the reminder pushed to the forefront so harshly. She knew they planned on trading Maia away for hostages, or whatever else they could get. She would probably only have Maia for a few more weeks at most, and then never see her again. "I try not to think about that."
"But you need to keep it in mind," Akton insisted. "She’s a prisoner, not a fling you can forget about after shore leave is over."
"You think I don’t know that?" Taylor felt somewhat wounded that Akton insisted on her focusing on only the bad. She could not remember what she had hoped to gain by talking to him.
"You know that’s not what I…Look, I’m just worried about you," Akton said, clearly trying to backpedal. "I heard what happened to your squad. I was concerned for you."
"Thank you." Taylor tried to accept the truce Akton offered her. "I’m managing, though." Thinking about her squad led her mind to dark places, so she let her thoughts drift back to her conversations with the prisoner. "Maia has helped with that a lot, actually."
"Hold on a moment. Did you say Maia? As in Kalanis? Are you screwing Maia Kalanis? Do you have any idea who she is to the ikthians?" They stopped walking, and Akton crossed his arms over his chest.
"Well..." Taylor rubbed the back of her neck. "I know her mother is one of their leaders. She was on the vid recording."
"Irana Kalanis and the rest of her family aren't just leaders. They control a good portion of Korithia all by themselves. They're the closest thing the ikthians have to royalty."
Taylor's eyes widened. "So, you're saying that trading her for a couple of hostages is probably a bad deal?"
Akton nodded his large head. "She's important, Taylor. Aside from being a political figure, she’s one of their premier genetic researchers. They cite her findings in propaganda all the time. As long as you keep her, you'll be able to convince the ikthians to leave Earth alone, at least until they figure out where she is. Then, they'll probably come looking for her, and I hope I’m not around when they do."
"Maia mentioned that her research is unpopular with the ikthians. I didn’t think they were using her for their war effort." The thought troubled her. What if Maia had lied to gain humanity’s favor? She was facing death on both ends. She hardly had much to lose by lying. Before Taylor could dwell on the thought any further, her stomach grumbled. "Hey, want to hop into the mess? I could use some food."
"Sure. Need to keep your energy up for all that thinking?"
Taylor stuck out her lower lip in an exaggerated pout. "I don’t blunder into everything, believe it or not."
Akton chuckled at her and they continued on to the mess hall. It was fairly crowded when they stepped in the front door. Fortunately for Akton, there was a small, separated section in the chow line with naledai options. Someone had informed the cook in advance that their allies were paying a visit.
"I guess I just don’t understand what’s happening between us," Taylor said as she sat her tray down on the nearest table. She stared reluctantly at the rations she had piled onto it, trying to decide what to eat first. Perhaps she should have paid for real food. "I know she isn't seducing me or anything, but I feel drawn to her anyway. There are some moments where it feels like we should be pursuing an actual relationship, as impossible as that sounds."
Akton watched her play with her food for a moment. Taylor knew he was considering what to say. "Well, if you both are developing emotional attachments, I’d suggest distancing yourselves, but it sounds like that plan isn’t working so far." He took a small bite from his food, probably testing to make sure it was safe. "But if you ever find yourself in a tight spot, Taylor…" Akton glanced around, and then lowered his voice. "You know how to contact me."
Taylor shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "You’re a good soldier, Akton, but you know I won’t do anything to compromise myself or the well-being of Earth."
"I never thought you’d sleep with an ikthian, either. Just…things change, Taylor, and I’m willing to help if you need me. I have a feeling things are going to get very complicated for you very quickly."
Taylor caught the solemn tone in Akton’s voice. Her friend was offering to make sure she stayed safe. It was a huge gesture on the naledai’s part. Their culture valued per
sonal duty over everything else, including duty to their military. She accepted the gesture of friendship for what it was. "Well…thanks." She smiled at Akton, trying to banish any feelings of discomfort between them.
Akton shrugged. "It’s all in the line of work." He moved as if to continue, but before he could say anything else, they were interrupted by another familiar face.
"What’s in the line of work?" asked Andrew as he plopped down next to Taylor at the table. A few other soldiers shifted their chairs, turning away from their own tables to listen in. Taylor was not familiar with any of them. "Hey, scaley," he said, nodding at Akton. "Good to see you in one piece. Heard your people took a few hits recently."
"More like a few hundred thousand casualties on our home-world," Akton sighed. "But let's not talk about that. Taylor and I were just discussing maintenance protocol differences between our ships."
"Aw, that sounds boring," Andrew said. "And here I was hoping you’d be discussing something juicy."
"Andrew, I don’t know what you’re leading up to, but give up now," Taylor growled. She did not like the way the other soldiers were looking at them.
Andrew crossed his arms, showing off his muscles. "Well, we were all just wondering how the special prisoner was doing. I mean, it’s been under wraps, but I know you’ve got the insider story." The other soldiers nodded in agreement.
Taylor knew that she had to say something, but did not want to encourage the group. "The prisoner is currently being held for a peace talk, if that’s what you’re wondering.
"Everyone knows that, Lieutenant," said another soldier. His voice was familiar, but Taylor was not able to place it until she turned to see Sergeant Bower standing near her. Taylor glowered at him. Even though he had addressed her by her rank, his tone had been anything but respectful. "Does she ask after me, ever?"
"I thought I told you to stay away from her, Bower," she said, resisting the temptation to rise out of her seat and stare him down.
"Why not? She seems willing enough to play nice with you."
"Well, Sergeant, that's because even ikthians have some standards." The other soldiers hooted and hollered. Pleased with how she had handled the conflict, she stood up, taking her tray and nodding to Akton. "Now, if you don't mind, I have guard duty."
Taylor headed for the door with Akton walking beside her. They dropped off their trays at the front of the mess, not speaking until they were outside and well away from the group. "Are you sure that was a good idea, Taylor? Goading them on like that?" Akton asked.
"That’s the only way to deal with those meatheads," Taylor said. "You have to be tough on them, or they’ll push you around."
"But what if some of them take it as a challenge? You’re just one person. What if they…"
"They wouldn’t try to start something with me in front of hundreds of other soldiers. Even they aren’t that dumb."
Akton looked unconvinced. "Just…if you need anything…remember what I said before. Contact me. I have a secure channel we can use." He brought up his datapad and sent her the info. "Don’t argue with me on this one, Taylor, and don’t ask questions. Let’s just hope your ass doesn’t end up needing a rescue."
Chapter Twenty Two
"This is ridiculous! I told you before, the ikthians are uncompromising. They will refuse our offer, and we will be back where we started." Taylor caught Roberts's eye as Bouchard continued ranting. Hunt and the other generals had finally sent their offer back to the ikthians, and on Taylor's advice, they had aimed for the stars—allowing the humans to govern Earth themselves in exchange for allowing the Dominion to mine for resources within human colonies. It was asking a lot, but Maia was valuable to them. If the ikthians accepted, the war might even end early. If they said no, negotiations could continue.
"Do you want Earth to end up like the naledai home-world?" Roberts asked. "At least this way, we'll stay in control of our own planet."
"The offer is already sent, Chairman," Hunt said, trying to act as mediator even though it was obvious that he was frustrated with Bouchard's antics. "We should probably save the arguments until after the Dominion gives us their answer."
"And what about the naledai?" Bouchard countered. "They came here in a gesture of cooperation, and we asked for nothing that would help them."
Taylor rolled her eyes. Bouchard was not military, and not technically her superior. She couldn't resist challenging him. "You haven't seemed particularly interested in helping the naledai in the past, Chairman. I thought your first allegiance was to humanity?" They were Bouchard's own words from a televised broadcast only a few weeks ago, and he obviously recognized them.
"They are our allies," he said stiffly. "Surely they deserve some consideration. Perhaps a few prisoners..."
"Prisoners?" Roberts barked out in frustration. "She's a Kalanis, and essential to their war effort if what the naledai say is true. We can't just trade her for prisoners. I'd rather keep her here than accept such a terrible offer. At least then the ikthians would be less likely to make bombing runs on Earth."
"It’s pointless to argue the issue anymore," Hunt said. "The ikthians won’t contact us again for a few more days at least. When we get their response, I’ll gladly let you both fight about it." He turned to Bouchard. "Can you at least wait until then?"
"It seems that the only thing we do in these meetings is agree to wait. I don’t appreciate being shut out of decisions, General. This may be a time of war, but humanity has not relinquished all its power to the military yet." He glanced over at Taylor. "I find it unsettling that you continue to attempt to outnumber me in these discussions."
"That’s not what we mean by bringing Taylor into this," Roberts said. "She's been watching over the ikthian prisoner almost constantly, and has valuable insight to share with us."
Bouchard clenched his fists, and Taylor suddenly felt uneasy. "I…" She took a step back, glancing at Hunt. "I think I’ll return to my quarters, if that's acceptable to you, Sir. The Chairman would obviously feel more comfortable with fewer jarheads present."
"Dismissed, Lieutenant," Hunt said. He obviously felt some sympathy for her. "It probably isn't wise to leave the prisoner alone for too long anyway."
"We'll be sure to let you know when we hear back from the Dominion," Roberts added. Although Taylor was flattered that the upper brass valued her opinions and wanted to include her in the negotiations, she was beginning to feel like the new responsibility was more trouble than it was worth. Since Maia’s capture, the only thing she had actually enjoyed about her job was spending time with her.
Roberts followed her out into the hall, telling the others he would only be a moment. “It’ll be okay, Morgan,” he said, though the tightness in his shoulders indicated too much stress. “Bouchard and the generals are just scared, that’s all.”
Taylor sighed and ran a hand through her messy black hair. “I know. But it would be nice if they’d actually listen to me when I show up to these things, you know?”
Roberts nodded. “About that, Lieutenant.” He glanced over his shoulder to make sure the door was shut and that no one lingered the hallway. “Have you discovered anything about Maia? About what she might know?”
Taylor shook her head. “I didn’t know that was my job, Sir. I thought the interrogators would deal with that.”
“The brass isn’t interested in questioning her anymore. But I’ve got a feeling. We know now that her research is used in war propaganda. That’s huge. It makes you wonder why the ikthians were hunting her down.” Roberts gave her a knowing glance and Taylor swallowed.
“I…I’ll see what I can find out, Sir.”
Roberts nodded. “Good soldier. I’ll make sure you get a bonus after this is all settled. Report back to me with anything you find.”
Taylor gave Roberts a farewell salute, turning to walk out of the office. Maia had only been on base for a handful of weeks so far. It seemed strange that she had grown so attached to the ikthian in such a short time. Sex with f
eelings had not been the standard for Taylor. She had made do with it in the past, but Maia haunted her thoughts. It was true that her assignment forced her to be in nearly constant contact with Maia, but that could not explain everything. Even so, she felt odd about what Commander Roberts had requested her to do. It almost felt like he suspected Maia would turn against the Dominion, and that was too much for Taylor to hope for.
She felt an ache settle in her chest as she walked into the officer's barracks and stepped in the elevator, folding her hands behind her back and rocking onto her heels as she waited for it to carry her to the top floor. The ache was another troubling development. It hurt every time she remembered that Maia’s fate was as good as sealed.
The elevator stopped, and Taylor stepped into the hallway. She frowned when she noticed that no one was standing outside of the door. Usually, there were two guards posted during the day, especially when she left the room to meet with the brass. At first, Taylor thought that perhaps there had been some confusion in the guard rotation, but she still felt uneasy. What if Maia had escaped? What if…
Taylor reached down to her hip holster and drew out her pistol. When she opened the door, her suspicions were confirmed. Maia was in the living room, but she was not alone. Three soldiers, all of them from the mess hall incident, had closed in around her. Sergeant Bower held her by the wrist while the other two hovered nearby. All of them sported bruises, clear evidence that Maia had put up a fight.
Maia’s eyes widened when she saw her. "Taylor!"
Taylor raised her pistol and undid the safety, aiming it right at Bower. "Let her go before I blow a hole in your head."
All three men jumped, but Bower did not let go of Maia. He glanced at Taylor with his annoying, cocky grin, probably trying to figure out if she was bluffing. Taylor moved her finger to the trigger. "She’s not your property, if I recall," he said. "So what’s to stop me from having a little fun?"
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