Coalition Reckoning

by Cassandra Chandler

  “I… No, they wouldn’t.”

  “I can work with that.” She ran to the fridge and threw it open. “There has to be something in here we can use.”

  “Brigid, that’s just food. There’s nothing that can help us avoid being captured.”

  “Okay, then we need to sneak stuff on board with us that will help.” She glared at him over her shoulder. “Think, Dane. There has to be a way we can use their ignorance against them. You put baked beans on spaghetti. Vay freaked out over red pepper flakes. I was planning to blow your minds with a baking soda volcano.”

  Wait… That was it. Maybe.

  She scrambled around the kitchen, grabbing the ingredients she’d need and a few containers.

  “They’re not going to let you take that on board,” he said.

  “Why? It’s just inert cooking stuff.” Until it was mixed together in the right proportions.

  “They’ll be here any second.”

  “Then spend your time thinking up a story about why we need this,” she said. “Like Earthlings have to have a special diet and I need my gear to feed us or we’ll die or something.” From what she’d learned of the Coalition, she wasn’t sure that would be motivating enough. “Tell them we’ll have sloppy emotions or barf on them or something.”

  His lips almost twitched into a smirk as he stared at her, clutching her full backpack to her stomach. A mischievous glint entered his eyes, and he outright smiled.

  “I think I have an idea.”

  Chapter Twelve

  The crashing and sounds of plasma fire from below had quieted. That only made Dane more nervous.

  He’d been on his way to the basement when he saw the interceptors hovering outside through the first floor windows. They’d disintegrated a large patch of forest to land.

  There was no way they would be able to conceal the landing site they created. If Commander Teisha was willing to leave that much evidence behind, Dane wondered if she even cared about being discovered—which meant they weren’t just here to arrest, reassign, or mind-wipe everyone. They were here to bring Earth into the Coalition, ready or not.

  His only thought had been to get to Brigid. They would take her memories of him, but maybe they’d leave his intact. He’d been hoping for a few more moments to hold onto, but now, thanks to her, he had a plan that might give them more time together. A small part of him even wondered if it might give them enough time for someone to come to their aid.

  Marq was on the Reckoning. They had to be careful not to reveal their connection, but he might be able to help. And the Vegans just needed enough time to mobilize. Once Commander Teisha knew who she was dealing with, surely she’d change her plans.

  Dane started to feel a glimmer of hope as he loosened the straps on Brigid’s backpack for her, letting it hang lower on her body. He pulled off his sweater and handed it to her.

  “Here, put this on,” he said.

  She glared at him. “Are you kidding me? This is your great plan?”

  “Trust me. It’s going to work.”

  He hoped so, anyway.

  She sighed, but then struggled into his sweater, pulling it down over the backpack that she was wearing on the front of her body. He adjusted the sleeves a little, then pulled the lower hem down so the backpack was completely obscured—except for the large bulge right at her belly.

  “This is ridiculous,” she said.

  “It isn’t.” He actually smiled. “No Sadirian has ever seen a pregnant female. They have no idea what one looks like.”

  “Are they all stupid and blind, too? Because it’s pretty obvious this isn’t actually my stomach. The outer pocket’s zipper is making a line right here.” She drew her finger across her stomach.

  “They won’t notice.” When she just kept glaring, he added, “Marq and I have been in the same room together. No one realized we’re twins and all I had to do was grow out my hair and darken it, leave some stubble, and get a tan.”

  “You’re kidding.”

  “I’m not.”

  Her lips quirked up at one side. Maybe the hope he was feeling was contagious. They had to hold on to it.

  But just in case, he leaned in and gave her a quick kiss. The temptation to deepen it welled up in him, but he heard the sound of footsteps in the hall and quickly turned to stand in front of her.

  The first soldier ran into the room, disintegration pistol aimed at them. Dane held up his empty hands.

  “We’re unarmed,” he yelled.

  “What’s that behind you?” the soldier said, a second joining him.

  “Just an Earthling.” Dane slowly stepped aside, revealing Brigid in all her “pregnant” glory.

  Dane’s burgundy sweater hung in loose wrinkles on her tiny frame, pulled tight across her backpack-belly. She held up her hands like Dane, eyes wide and skin even paler than usual. She must be terrified at the sight of the soldiers.

  They wore the standard form-fitting silver uniform with opaque metallic helmet of all soldiers. Aside from easily determining that they were both male, all she could see in them was her own reflection, distorted from the curve of their faceplates.

  He hated that she was going through this. How the hell had the Reckoning managed to get to Earth so quickly? The Department of Homeworld Security had solid data that the warship hadn’t used the Centauri dropgate generator, and it was the closest one to Earth.

  More misgiving fired in Dane’s belly. Though the Centauri always seemed docile and obedient, following the High Council’s orders, they were known to be on Earth. The Department of Homeworld Security had thought they were trespassing against Coalition law, but Dane was starting to wonder if maybe the High Council was more aware of their presence than they wanted to let on.

  His more immediate concern was the two soldiers in the room with them. They both stiffened, their weapons poised and ready to fire.

  “We’re not resisting,” Dane said. “And we’re unarmed.

  “What’s wrong with her,” the first soldier said. “She’s all…bloated.”

  “Hey,” Brigid yelled.

  Dane slowly lowered his hands to her shoulders. “She’s pregnant.”

  “Pregnant?” Both of the men in the silver jumpsuits recoiled.

  “There’s another Earthling growing inside of that one?” the taller one said.

  “Yes. And if you cause her too much distress, she might go into labor,” Dane said.

  “What does that mean?” The first soldier’s hands were shaking.

  This was definitely not an elite squad. That could work either for or against them.

  These soldiers would be easier to manipulate. But if Dane pushed too far, he could set them off and make them act recklessly. He needed to proceed cautiously. Unfortunately, Brigid had other plans.

  “Please.” She rolled her eyes. “Labor is what we call it when a human woman is about to give birth to a child.”

  Even through their uniforms, Dane could hear the soldiers suck in a breath. They turned to face each other briefly, then looked back to Brigid. Their weapons lowered a bit.

  “Oh, come on,” Brigid said.

  “Do you know what happens when an Earthling gives birth?” Dane took a careful step closer to the soldiers. “There’s an organ in her body housing the infant—and it will explode.”

  The shorter soldier who had entered the room first actually took a step to the side, shifting himself behind the taller one.

  Dane had them right where he wanted them.

  “That is not true,” Brigid said.

  Dammit, she was going to ruin this. He turned to her, and said, “Really? What’s the first thing that happens in labor? Your water breaks. And it splashes all over the place.”

  “No, it doesn’t,” Brigid said. “I mean… Well, I guess it can.”

  Dane turned back toward the soldiers. “You see? But it isn’t actually water. It’s a slurry of biological waste products and amniotic fluid.”

  “What?” Brigid yelled.
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  Dane went on, going into as much detail as he could about the entire process—and thankful that he’d been curious enough to do some research into Earth’s natural reproductive process. The soldiers shrunk closer together as he spoke, gasping occasionally. A loud crash sounded from somewhere else in the house, but the soldiers barely seemed to notice.

  “You’re making this up,” the taller one said.

  “I wish I were,” Dane said.

  “Tell us the truth.” The taller one pointed his gun toward Brigid. “Your reproduction process can’t be that disgusting.”

  “It’s not disgusting,” she said. “It’s natural. It’s beautiful.”

  She was interrupted when the shorter soldier made a gagging sound.

  “Cygnus X,” he mumbled. “She didn’t deny it.”

  “It doesn’t matter what comes out with the baby,” Brigid said. “The important thing is that it’s a new life and—”

  “Let’s just leave her here,” the short one said.

  The tall soldier shook his head. “Our orders are to take everyone to the ship for mind-wipes and reassignments.”

  Dane’s heart seemed to stutter. Just a day ago, of all the possible consequences of them being taken by the Reckoning, he would have considered that just about the best. Now, the idea of Brigid forgetting him, of being separated from her, was like a knife to the chest.

  Dane grabbed her arms and pulled her against his chest. He wanted to remember every moment, but he also had to keep up the charade.

  “Don’t upset her, you fools,” he said.

  “This is ridiculous,” Brigid said.

  The tall soldier lowered his gun. “Let’s just get them to the ship. Once she’s aboard, she’s the medical staff’s problem.”

  Dane shook his head. “She’s my patient. I’m the only one who has studied Earth childbirth and delivery.”

  “Okay,” the tall one said. “We keep you together. But you’re still coming with us to the ship.”

  Dane wrapped one arm around Brigid’s shoulders and cradled her “belly” with his other hand. “It’s going to be okay,” he said. “Trust me.”

  Stars, how he hoped that was true.

  The shorter soldier stepped aside, letting the other lead them from the room. Dane could feel the man’s gaze on their backs, even through the opaque metal of his helmet.

  A set of windows and the wall surrounding them had been completely blown into the central entryway to the house. Glass and wood splinters covered the tile floor. Dane kept close to Brigid as the soldiers urged them through the opening.

  Only one interceptor sat in the new clearing they had made by blasting a crater into the once-serene forest around the lodge. They must have thought the lodge would be an easy target—which wasn’t far from the truth.

  The main firepower was down in Florida. No one had thought the Montana base would be a target. The only fighting power they had was Craig and Barbara, and there was no way Dane wanted them in the line of fire. Not with a nestling on the way.

  A shadow flickered across his eyes. He looked up to see a shuttle already departing. At first, he thought maybe they’d be led to the interceptor, but as they descended into the crater, he could see another shuttle off to the side.

  Plasma fire sounded from back in the house. Everyone turned to see lights strobing out from a huge hole in one of the retaining walls—a basement wall. Rubble was strewn around the ground outside the hole. Barbara let out a screech that seemed to stab right through Dane’s eardrums.

  “No,” Dane said.

  Brigid started back toward the house, but the soldier at the back of the line stepped forward, his plasma rifle pointed at her. Dane grabbed her arm and held her back.

  “There’s nothing we can do for them,” he whispered.

  “We can’t just leave,” she said.

  “Get into the shuttle.” The soldier shoved his gun at them, the menace in his voice evident.

  Dane pulled Brigid to the ramp, passing the tall soldier whose faceplate was pointed at the lodge. As soon as they were on board, Dane helped Brigid onto one of the bench seats and started strapping her in.

  “Dane, we can’t just leave them,” she repeated.

  “I hate this just as much as you do,” he said. “But if we try anything, they’ll disintegrate us.”

  He glanced out at the soldiers standing at the foot of the ramp. The shorter one was angled so that he could see both the house and the exit from the shuttle. The taller was fixated on the lodge.

  From their body language, Dane could tell the soldiers were using their communication systems to talk without being overheard. He was almost glad not to hear. He already knew the outcome. They were heading for the Reckoning, and there was nothing they could do about it.

  The plasma fire died down. Silence pressed in on him, heavy enough he could barely breathe. Minutes passed that felt like hours. Finally, he heard people approaching.

  “Up the ramp,” someone barked.

  Henry stumbled into the ship, holding a large brown satchel that was almost as big as his torso. When one of the half-dozen soldiers with him moved toward it, he jerked away.

  “Don’t touch her,” he yelled.

  Dane’s heart sank. What the hell did that mean?

  Dane stepped forward and Henry flinched away at first. He blinked a few times, as if he didn’t recognize Dane.

  “It’s me,” Dane said.

  Henry’s gaze flitted over the shuttle, resting briefly on Brigid. Dane helped Henry to sit.

  “Where’s Vay?” Henry said.

  “Another shuttle just launched.” Dane sat next to Henry and started to buckle him in as he had Brigid.

  The soldiers filed onto the shuttle. Dane’s heart grew heavier with each one. Had they all been captured that easily?

  As one of the soldiers passed them, he said, “I wish all our prisoners were as helpful as this one.”

  “Yeah, well… I wish you would get blown out an airlock.” Henry glared at the soldier. “Yeah. I said it.”

  “What happened in there?” Dane asked.

  Henry looked down at the satchel he was carrying, then glanced over at the soldiers briefly. His brow furrowed.

  Raising his voice as if he was making sure everyone would hear, he said, “These heartless fiends killed Barbara.”

  Brigid gasped, but Dane almost laughed. It was reflexive. He’d seen the weapons these soldiers were carrying, and none of them packed the kind of power it would take to kill a Lyrian.

  Henry clung to the pod more tightly, squeezing it against his chest. Still using that strange tone, he said, “This is all that’s left of her, and I won’t part with it.”

  Holy crap… Was that a Lyrian stasis pod?

  Dane had heard of them, but he’d never seen one up close. He shifted closer to Henry, wrapping his shoulders in a hug that put Dane’s mouth right next to Henry’s ear.

  “Tardigrades,” Dane whispered.

  Henry nodded, and Dane caught the hint of an almost-smile.

  “Tardigrades.” Henry said.

  Damn, this Earthling was smart. Henry cleared his throat, then forced his face into a scowl that would have been obviously fake to anyone who knew him.

  Let the soldiers think they’d killed a Lyrian. It wouldn’t be long before Barbara was shoving their bragging words down their mouths with one of her many hands.

  “What about Craig?” Dane whispered.

  Henry’s voice was barely audible when he responded. “Escaped.”

  Thank the stars.

  The fact that they were leaving meant the soldiers must not know about Craig at all. With the Lyrian’s natural cloaking abilities, he and the nestling were undetectable. If Craig could manage to contact the Florida base, so much the better.

  But Craig couldn’t use any of the technology on his ship. That would be a beacon for the Reckoning. Dane could only hope that Craig would figure out some other way to call for help.

  Dane leaned
back and squeezed Henry’s shoulder. “I’m so sorry for your loss.”

  Henry just nodded, hugging Barbara’s stasis pod closer as he plastered on a look of fake outrage. Well, mostly fake. He had to be freaking out inside that Vay wasn’t with them.

  “We’re launching,” one of the soldiers said. “Strap in.”

  Dane glanced over to see that everyone else on the ship was already seated on the benches along both sides of the shuttle, belted securely to the hull. Two of the soldiers were up front, prepping to depart.

  Most of the soldiers must have stayed behind to help with Barbara. Even so, Dane doubted Vay would be able to take on the ones that were on her shuttle. He just hoped that Brendan was with her.

  “This is so terrible.” Brigid was staring at Henry, her eyes filled with unshed tears.

  Dane sat in one of the empty spaces next to her, leaving the last seat on the side closest to the hatch vacant. The soldiers who captured them had probably already warned the others about the “pregnant” Earthling and they were keeping their distance.

  Dane quickly secured his harness, then reached for Brigid’s hand and interlaced their fingers. Reassuring her would be harder without tipping off the others, but he had to try. He waited for the shuttle to launch, letting the inertia of the takeoff shift him closer to her.

  “How much do you know about tardigrades?” he asked. She glanced over at him and he gave her the biggest smile he could manage.

  She glared at him, her mouth falling open. “What does that have to do with—”

  “Brigid,” he said. “Think about it.”

  She looked over at Henry, who glanced down at Barbara’s stasis pod, then flashed her a quick grin. Her eyes widened. The soldiers might not be able to see Dane’s expression, but they could see hers.

  “Don’t let yourself get too upset.” He purposefully spoke up, wanting everyone to hear. “We wouldn’t want you to go into labor.”

  He looked back at the soldiers to see them shrinking away in their seats, trying to get as far from her as possible. Only a couple were looking at her, and even without seeing their faces, they were radiating tension and fear.