“Are you sure about this?” I asked Derrial nervously over the breakfast table. Here we sat, eating fluffy pancakes with berries while talking about disrupting the whole planet of Veon.
Derrial nodded and took a mouthful of pancakes, as if we casually talked about what we’d do with our day. “We’re good to go. The serum is ready to be dispatched worldwide to everyone needing it. And the only way to get distribution is to let everyone know what the council has been up to. To show them evidence of their corruption. To cause distrust so that when we offer our serum, more people will be inclined to accept it and see the truth.”
“We’ll need to overpower the council,” Thane added, supporting this decision. “It’s the only way to derail their plans and save everyone.”
I pushed my plate away, my stomach feeling queasy. “So, you’re going head to head with them?”
“Not quite,” Corran answered. “If our plan works, we won’t be alone in this battle.”
I shifted in my seat uncomfortably. “I’m just scared this will backfire. The council will never go down without a fight.”
“And that’s what we are counting on. No one will stand up to them alone, but as a collective, people will stand up and fight,” Thane explained.
Derrial and Corran nodded.
All three looked at me and smiled like I had nothing in the world to worry about.
I bit on my lower lip, thinking it over, praying this plan worked. “I know you’re right. It’s just me being worried. We are a family now, and we have Rory to care for.”
Derrial leaned closer and took my hand in his. “This is why we have to stand up to them. They’ll continue to walk over anyone in their way and they’ll continue to destroy our people. If we don’t fight, what sort of future will we be leaving for our precious little girl?”
My heart clenched at hearing the ache in his voice, at what was at stake. I looked at each of my three husbands, loving each one of them with everything I had. If it wasn’t for them, I never would have found this new future. And that was a future worth saving beyond anything.
“Okay, we do this, but we’ll just be super vigilant,” I said, knowing even as I said it what I was asking for wouldn’t be possible.
Derrial got up. He was the leader, the Vepar with the strongest political position in Veon besides the council. The Vepar knew him and the hard work he’d done for their kind over the last hundred years.
“It’s time,” Derrial said strongly as he got to his feet. “Thane, prepare the media channels to ensure we tap into every single airwave. Corran, you’re with me during the talk.” Derrial looked over at me. “This will work, pet. You will see.”
I loved his confidence and believed in him. Everyone had left the table to get ready so I checked on my angel who was still fast asleep in her crib, then had a shower and dressed. Next, I packed a bag with baby clothes, formula, diapers, and everything else our parents would need to care for Rory. She would be safe with them while this went down. I couldn’t have her with us in case something went wrong. That wasn’t a risk I was willing to take.
My stomach churned with worry about what we were about to do, but if we did nothing, then what? We kept running while the planet of Veon became a wasteland?
The sound of voices drew my attention, and I slipped out of the nursery and moved quickly down the long hall with white halls and to the far room where the three of them had started the broadcast.
Pressing my back into the wall just outside the room where Derrial and Corran were broadcasting themselves, I remained silent and listened as Derrial finished introducing themselves.
“Veon is devastated. Our futures are in jeopardy, and the infected fill our streets. The council is doing nothing to help because they don’t know how. They are responsible for the virus that has taken your loved ones, yet they do nothing to help you. For years, our council has been experimenting for a way to aid our women in becoming fertile again. But they haven’t been experimenting just on humans. They also have been experimenting with Vepar. They’ve treated our kind like animals.” There was a pause, and I heard a small electronic click.
“The images you are seeing on your screen,” Derrial continued, “are the test papers of the subjects from the council’s laboratories. It clearly shows they are Vepar and being experimented on. These are the same tests that resulted in the virus outbreak that now plagues our lives and devastates our planet.”
Derrial swallowed loudly. “This is our chance to stop the council’s destruction and bring back the Veon we once loved. They must be stopped. I invite you to join us to finally make the council responsible for their actions. The coordinates flashing across your screen is where we will be meeting today at 16:00 hours. Show up and show your support to save our planet before it is too late.”
A loud click sounded of the broadcast ending, and both of them sighed heavily.
“Fuck!” Derrial announced. “That has to work. Did that broadcast reach all the various council airwave channels too?”
“It sure fucking did. And I’m sending them a copy just to ensure they don’t miss it. We need them there.”
“We’re finally doing this,” Corran added, and they cheered. But I sensed the fear in their voices. This was a massive gamble and could just as easily turn against us. So having as many supporters turn up as possible was the key to success.
I stepped into the doorway, unsure how to feel. Scared. Excited. Worried. Still, I smiled. “I may need another quick rundown on using a huge laser gun.”
Thane smiled. “Kitten, I’ve got just the weapon for you. It will fit perfectly in your tiny hand, but will blast someone’s face off.”
“Now you’re talking.” After everything we’d been through, I was ready to eradicate the council and help Veon rebuild itself into a strong world where people didn’t live in fear. I was tired of being scared, and I wanted a bright future for Rory.
“First, we need to drop off our angel at our parents,” I added. “Then I’m ready to kick ass.”
“That’s my girl.” Derrial stretched out his arm toward me, and I accepted his hand. He drew me closer and my husbands all closed in around me. We huddled closer, and I bathed in their warmth and love. Their presence alone encouraged me to stand tall and not back down. We were in this together, and it reminded me why I fought so hard to survive. When I left Earth, I thought I lost everything, but I’d been wrong. That was the moment that I finally started to find myself.
“Today is going to go down in history,” Corran said. “It has to be the start of a new beginning. Otherwise, we’ll all need to move to a planet as far away as possible because if the council survives today, they’ll hunt us down across the universe.”
On that foreboding note, we separated to complete our tasks.
“Do you think anyone will come?” I asked Thane who stood next me in Farilion Park. These were the coordinates they blasted over the airwaves for a final stand off between the Vepar and the council, to finally put an end to their tyranny.
“I pray to the universe they do,” Thane responded. “ I sent out requests to all our allies and friends. They should also join our forces.”
Except, right now the forces were four of us and an empty field. Had the broadcast worked? I couldn’t stop shaking from the trepidation. What if the people didn’t believe us despite the evidence Derrial showed them? What if they preferred better the devil they knew, then actually standing up and fighting back?
The longer we waited, the more the trepidation dug its claws into my chest. I felt vulnerable standing at one end of the field. Our ship was shielded in the trees not far in case things went to hell and we needed a fast escape. But I hoped it didn’t come to that.
The laser gun at my side felt heavy on my belt. The wind blew past, rustling the brightly colored leaves of the nearby trees.
We waited.
The place remained empty of allies.
Empty of our supporters.
Empty of the enemy.
I turned to Derrial when movement across the field caught our attention. I jerked around, my heart in my throat, my fingers grazing the hilt of my gun on my belt.
A river of soldiers suddenly poured out from behind the trees, streaming across the field in front of us. All I saw were their black uniforms, the once brightly colored greens and purples swallowed by darkness.
Any hope I’d held onto now dissolved around my feet. My three Vepar closed in to my sides, weapons raised, except we were out-matched. I knew that. They had to know that.
Fear gripped my chest and squeezed the life out of me.
Breaths caught in my lungs, and a scream rose through me. The council had arrived with the full power of their army against just us four. There was no sign of the council members, but they were near, hiding like gutless rats on their ships.
There were dozens of soldiers...hundreds. More coming out from the tree lines ahead of us.
I gripped my gun, and my muscles tensed.
We’d made a mistake… a terrible mistake. My arms trembled as terror flashed over my thoughts. We had to turn and run.
And all I could think about was never seeing my little angel ever again.