"So why are we holding out? Why not unite under the same force rather than attempt to hold our own against impossible odds?"
Roberts shrugged. "Part of it is the war propaganda. Soldiers don’t want to have to cope with the idea that humans and aliens are exactly the same underneath their physical appearances. It’s harder to kill ikthians every day when you know some of them are on our side. But if you ask me, it’s the people in charge."
"You mean Bouchard?"
"Him and other old war hawks," Roberts said. "They’re all stuck in the past, Taylor. Hunt is liberal in terms of what the others think of this new galactic community." He stared absently at a corner of his office for a moment. "Now that I think about it, I’m going to monitor Bouchard a little more closely. I don’t trust him."
Taylor snorted. "Couldn’t imagine why."
The corner of Roberts’s mouth twitched up in a smile, but that was the only reaction she got from him. "You might as well return to your quarters, Taylor. I have some matters to attend to…like monitoring a few of the Chairman's communications. I know we don't like the deal Hunt is trying to make, but if the Bouchard tries to weasel his way out of it, I'll catch him."
Taylor nodded and stood up. Roberts did not even watch her leave, but remained focused on his own thoughts. Despite the sinking feeling in her stomach, Taylor was glad to know that Roberts would watch out for her.
Chapter Thirty Three
Taylor paused outside of the quarters that she and Maia had shared. It was difficult to believe so little time had passed. It felt like she had known Maia for years. The promise she had made last night still echoed in her head. She had sworn to keep Maia alive. That left her only one option. She sighed and opened the door.
Maia was sitting in the front room instead of the bedroom, resting uneasily on the couch as if she had been waiting for her return. When their eyes met, she smiled. "Taylor, you're back."
"Not with good news. I just got back from a meeting with the brass." Taylor folded her hands behind her back, staring down at her boots for several long moments before she gathered the will to look up. "The Dominion wants you back. They’ve made the generals a tempting offer."
Maia’s skin seemed to blanch to a sickly hue. She took a deep breath and crossed her arms. "When will I be leaving?" Maia asked, her voice flat.
"That's the thing..." Taylor swallowed, even more uncertain than when she had walked in. Before meeting Maia, everything had been so simple—follow orders, serve humanity. Now, for the first time, she doubted her superiors and the very institution that she had sworn loyalty to. "I promised to keep you alive."
Maia’s eyes widened. "What are you going to do?"
Taylor slumped onto the couch. She rested her chin in her hands. "I’m still working on that, but I think I have one of my commanding officers convinced we need to get you out of here."
The more Taylor dwelled on it, the more she knew she could not just hand Maia over to the Dominion. She could not bear to see the ikthian hurt. Besides, while the negotiations would protect Earth, the colonies would be extremely vulnerable to the Dominion, and humanity would still lose the war against the ikthians eventually. "I think your research is important to this war effort, and that we should make sure others see it."
There was a long, heavy pause. Finally, Maia cleared her throat. Her words were a little unsteady, and Taylor saw a small smile begin to light up her face. Taylor recognized what it meant. Maia's hope was beginning to come back. "If you are serious about this, I will need access to a terminal in order to download my findings."
Taylor nodded. "I know. I’ve known for a while. I just need to figure out the best way to do it...Wait, can you even download your research with our servers? The Dominion has their own network."
"Not through the Coalition’s servers, no," Maia said. "But if you could get me to a naledai server, I would have everything I need. I uploaded my original research on Nakonum's network. It is ikthian-controlled, but not as heavily monitored."
"That's smart thinking. I need to take you to Akton."
"Akton?" Maia asked.
"A friend of mine," Taylor explained. Without realizing it, she reached out to stroke the side of the ikthian's arm. Maia looked surprised, but did not pull away from her touch. That simple fact was enough to make Taylor's heart pound a little harder. "He's a naledai stationed on base, and he has connections to the rebels. There should be a terminal on his ship with access to the naledai servers."
"And he can help us?"
Taylor nodded. "Definitely. The generals aren't voting on the Dominion's offer to spare Earth until tomorrow morning, so we'll have time to sneak onto the ship and download your research from there."
Maia mouth fell open, and her eyes widened with shock. "Are you saying the Dominion has offered to spare Earth?" Taylor nodded. "I…I cannot believe it. They have never offered to leave a planet alone before!"
"Yeah, well, I'm not sure I believe them," Taylor muttered, folding her arms over her chest and shifting her weight on her feet. "Either they really want to get their hands on you, or they're lying. Both of those outcomes are unacceptable."
Taylor felt warmth fold around her hand, and she glanced down at her lap. Maia's fingers had curled around hers. She looked up again, staring into Maia's worried blue eyes. "Taylor, I know my research is important, but it is also dangerous. There are so many things that could go wrong..."
"It's not just about your research," Taylor said in a low voice. "I care about you, Maia. I want to keep you safe."
"I care about you as well, Taylor. Perhaps more than I should."
Taylor stood up from the couch and offered Maia her hand. "Come on. Let’s put together a bag, just in case we need to get out of here in a hurry." The two of them retreated to the bedroom, fingers still laced together. They packed mostly without speaking, lost in their own thoughts, but they were never far from each other’s touch. Taylor filled one of her smallest bags with clothes for both of them, water, rations, and extra ammunition for her pistol. "Anything else you can think of?" she asked, noticing that there was still a considerable amount of room in the pack.
Maia blushed, dipping her head in a nod. Without speaking, she walked over to the nightstand beside the bed and opened the top drawer, the same one where Taylor had left her strap-on. When she turned around with the toy in her hands, Taylor’s eyes widened. "You never know," Maia said, smiling shyly. "We might need it."
A grin spread across Taylor’s face, and she brushed Maia’s fingers as she put the toy in the bag. If last night had demonstrated the fact that there was something growing between them, this gesture cemented it. With her heart a little bit lighter, Taylor sealed up the pack and set it at the foot of the bed, where it would be within easy reach. She made sure her pistol was loaded before setting it on top of the nightstand next to her communicator. She hoped she would not have cause to use it.
"All right, let’s get some sleep," Taylor said. "We’ll find Akton later, when the base isn’t so busy and we’re rested." Her voice suddenly became softer. "Maia…would you share the bed with me?"
Maia smiled as she took Taylor’s hand. "I suppose there is no harm."
Taylor allowed Maia to get settled in the bed first before lying down beside her and wrapping a protective arm around her midsection. Before they fell asleep, she felt a sense of peace settle over her. Her decision was made, and she knew it was the right one. No matter what happened to her, she would make sure that Maia stayed safe.
Chapter Thirty Four:
"Wake up!" A rough hand gripped Taylor's shoulder, and she blinked, trying to make out the large shape looming over her in the dark. It was obviously a person, but she was too bleary and confused from sleep to process what was happening. "We need to get you and Kalanis out of here!"
As her eyes adjusted to the dim light, Taylor sat up, recognizing the voice and shape of the person above her. "Roberts?" Taylor reached for her pistol even though it was not at her hip. Fortunately, she and Maia had f
allen asleep in their clothes.
"I was right to monitor Bouchard’s communications. It isn't safe here anymore," Roberts told Taylor as she disentangled herself from Maia's arms. She hurried to grab her weapon from the nightstand, too startled to be embarrassed that her superior had caught her without it while Maia was nearby. "Bouchard is going to have you court-martialed. He’s sending a squad to pick you up."
Taylor’s eyes widened. "On what grounds?"
Roberts cleared his throat and looked from her to Maia. "Fraternizing with the enemy." Taylor felt her face grow hot. "But it’s just an attempt to screw with the generals. Taylor, I know you’re a good person. Dr. Kalanis probably is, too."
That focused all of Taylor's attention. She turned to Maia, who had just started to wake up and was staring at her with squinting, confused eyes. "Taylor," she gasped, clinging to her arm when she noticed Roberts's dark bulk standing over them. "What is happening?"
"Don't worry, he's a friend, but we have to leave right now." She climbed out of bed, making sure that her ammo clip was fresh. Taylor had so many questions she wanted to ask, but Roberts's urgency left no room for them. Instead, there was only time for one. "What's the plan?"
"You both need to get out of here as quickly and quietly as possible."
Relieved that she had known this was coming, Taylor reached to the foot of the bed and grabbed the small bag that she and Maia had prepared the night before. She swung the straps over both shoulders, tightened her grip on her pistol, and followed Roberts towards the door. Maia continued clinging to her arm, but she was quickly starting to understand the gravity of their situation.
"We might have to fight our way out," Roberts said as they hurried through the living room and left the captain’s quarters. "They’re coming to arrest you right now."
"Where the hell did he get the proof to court-martial me?" Taylor grumbled.
Roberts gave her a sad look. His brow furrowed with concern. "It seems another soldier approached him with the information."
Taylor's stomach sank. "How much does he know?"
"Everything." For a moment, Roberts could not meet her eyes. "I’m afraid your friend Rachel Harris is responsible. She told Bouchard you were getting too attached to the prisoner, and that you were probably being mind-controlled. Bouchard decided he needed to act now, before anyone realized what he was doing."
Taylor was stunned. She blinked and nearly came to a halt, searching for words, but none came. Rachel had betrayed her? She did not want to believe it, but at the same time, everything that Roberts had said felt true. Even though Rachel had probably convinced herself that she was doing the right thing, Taylor felt a tight knot of anger form in her chest.
But she could not focus on that right now. Maia was her priority—not Rachel. They needed to find somewhere safe to take her. "Never mind about Rachel. We need to figure out where to take Maia." She started walking again, faster than before. Maia and Roberts nearly had to sprint in order to catch up. Taylor bypassed the elevator, heading directly for the stairs. "Should I contact the naledai, Sir? They’ve offered their help before."
Roberts stopped and nodded. "Whatever you need to do."
Taylor activated her communicator, sending a call along the secure channel Akton had given to her. After several seconds, he picked up. "Taylor, do you realize how late it is?" His voice was rough with sleep.
"Akton, I need a lift off base."
Taylor heard a sudden crash over the speakers and winced. She wondered if Akton had fallen out of bed. "What did you do this time?" he asked, sounding a little more alert.
"I’m bringing Maia. Her research can help the rebellion, but she’ll be dead if we don’t get her out of here, now."
A few more seconds of silence followed. Taylor glanced at Maia. She did not like the way her brow furrowed with worry. "All right," Akton said at last. "Meet me in the shuttle bay as soon as possible. I’ll forward my coordinates."
"Got it." Taylor closed the channel and reached for the stairwell door. "Let’s go."
Before she could open the door, it swung open with a loud thud, nearly hitting her face. A soldier burst into the doorframe, holding an assault rifle in one hand. He seemed surprised to see them, but he reached for Maia’s arm with his free hand. That was his mistake. A moment later, he screamed, jerking his arm back. The muscles in his face went slack, and he howled with agony, his entire body twitching. As he doubled over, Taylor raised her arm and struck the back of his skull with her pistol. He crashed onto the floor, still writhing at their feet, and Taylor hurried into the stairwell. She had no idea how much damage Maia's toxins had done to the soldier, but she was not going to stick around long enough of find out. "Come on!"
Roberts followed, pulling the door open and rushing down the stairs with them. When they reached the bottom of the stairs, he went to the door, but Taylor stopped and looked at Maia. She was shaking, obviously horrified by what she had just done. Suddenly, Taylor realized how vulnerable the ikthian was without a weapon. Her toxins would not be much use against a gun at long range. Do you have an extra gun, Roberts?" she asked, although she was not sure if Maia even knew how to use one.
Roberts nodded his head. "I have a spare pistol. Why?"
"Maia needs one."
"I can protect myself," Maia said. She touched the spot where her collar had been. "My combat training is much more useful without worrying that I will be shocked."
If Roberts noticed the absence of the collar, he chose not to say anything. After what felt like an eternity, he gave her a slow nod. "I trust your judgment, Taylor. You know her better than anyone." He removed a second pistol from his hip and passed it to Maia. Her hands shook as she accepted it, but she held the weapon correctly.
Satisfied that Maia would be able to defend herself, Taylor glanced between Roberts and Maia to make sure they were ready. When both of them nodded at her, she hauled the door open. The three of them dashed for the nearest cover, the corner of an alleyway flooded with shadow in the moonless night. Taylor only had a second to take in the surrounding area before she saw figures moving into formation. Several bullets flew by, and she heard an officer yell at them to stop.
Taylor instinctively reached for Maia, all too aware of the fact that the clothes they were wearing would not shield them. Even a single hit in the right place could end up being fatal. But Maia did not need her protection. The ikthian raised the gun and placed a clean shot in the solder’s calf, causing him to fall over and drop his weapon.
The shot gave the other guards pause, but they continued to fire. Maia and Taylor ducked behind cover with Roberts and picked off their targets as quickly as possible. Roberts unhooked a flash grenade from his belt and tossed it into the fray. As soon as it went off, they ducked out from behind their cover and went running while the other soldiers recovered from the disorienting attack.
One of them snapped out of it long enough to aim his assault rifle in their direction. Taylor charged forward, firing several shots into his chest. Despite her training, she paused for a split second. She had just killed a human soldier. One of her own people. In the Coalition's eyes, she was officially a traitor now. She heard Roberts come to a stop beside her, standing over the body of a third soldier that he had just taken out. A fourth was sprawled a few yards away with serious acidic burns covering his face. Maia had apparently dealt with him.
"Holy shit," Taylor panted, looking at the mangled body. She had seen ikthians in combat before, but they were different. They were not Maia, the same shy person she had gotten to know for the past several weeks. It was unsettling to watch her kill so efficiently.
Maia offered her a look somewhere between terror and pride. "I have never had to kill anyone before," she said, just as breathless as Taylor. Her hands trembled a little.
"Come on," Roberts said, regaining their attention. "We need to keep moving." He waved his hand forward, and the three of them started down the alleyway at a sprint. "Taylor, we need to cut through the bui
lding up ahead. It has the only entrance to the naledai docking bay."
Taylor nodded. When they emerged from the alley, she pulled Maia to the side, making sure they stuck to the shadow of the building until they came to the entrance console. She tried entering her passcode several times, but the screen just flickered red each time. "Roberts, it isn't working."
Roberts holstered his pistol and stepped up to the console. At first, his passcode did not work. He swore and shook his head. "Should have known the bastard would do something like this." He tried another code, and then another. Finally, the door opened. "Looks like he didn’t get all of them." The three of them set off into the atrium, which linked to all of the separate shuttle ports for visiting fleets or off-world shuttles. It would not take long to get to Akton from there.
Taylor glanced around at the empty halls. She kept expecting soldiers to leap out and attack her, or to catch a glimpse of the red dot of a sniper’s gun. When she heard footsteps finally echo from down the hall, she turned with her pistol drawn, but she almost lowered her arm when she realized who had an assault rifle pointed at her.
Chapter Thirty Five:
"Rachel?" Taylor blurted out, stunned.
"She’s removed the collar!" another voice shouted to her left, and Taylor glanced toward the sound. Bouchard stood in the room as well, sneering at them from a corner of the atrium. He was flanked with two guards, both of them with rifles. "You were right to come to me, Harris. The ikthian clearly has her."
Rachel made a short gesture with the body of her own rifle. "Sir, let me handle this." Bouchard nodded, though he looked displeased. Rachel turned back to Taylor. "Put the gun down. I don't want to hurt you."
Taylor lowered her pistol. "I’m taking Maia to the rebels, Rachel. You don’t have to get involved."
For a moment, Rachel's hand faltered, but she did not lower her rifle. She stared at Taylor with pain-filled eyes, obviously torn. "How could you do this, Taylor?"
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