Chapter Six

“You had no choice but to participate,” Cyan said. “Your role was dictated by your society. You were literally created for that purpose. It is to be respected that you were able to break through their mental programming and take action to assist others the moment you had a chance to.”

Xan wondered what Gwen would think about that. If she knew half of the things he’d been forced to participate in, she’d probably be disgusted by him. When he thought of what the Reckoning had done, all the damage they had caused, he felt the same way.

“Yes, shooting your former commander is such a laudable action,” Zemanni said.

Cyan swatted him again. “She had it coming.”

Xan’s stomach sank. He didn’t know why it mattered to him so much what Gwen thought of him, but it did.

He felt her reach for his hand. She interlaced their fingers when he looked down at her.

“I’m sorry you were forced to be part of things that disturbed you,” she said.

How could she be so understanding?

He managed to smile at her, squeezing her hand. He held on, not wanting to let go. Somehow, he knew he never would.

“Thanks,” he said.

“We hope you can see why it is so important that no one sees that video,” Cyan said.

“Even if I shared it with others, I doubt anyone would believe it’s real,” Gwen said.

Xan shook his head. “But our people would see it, and they would know it’s real. They might think that Earthlings would panic if they discovered how many aliens are coming to the Sol system. They might even stop allowing more sentients to settle here.”

“My people have allied themselves with Earth,” Cyan said. “If your planet came together and said that they did not wish for other sentients to live in the system with them, I have no doubt that my people would respect that wish and turn away Xan’s people and other sentients seeking refuge. If you demanded it, we would leave as well.”

Xan had spent enough time with the Vegans to know how much that would cost her people. They had been stuck on the Life Ship for tens of thousands of years. He wasn’t sure exactly why they were in that situation, but the thought of them returning to such a lonely existence tore at his heart.

His grip tightened on Gwen’s hand, and she shifted closer to him.

“I don’t want any of that,” Gwen said. “But this is…a lot to absorb.”

Bandit let out a quiet meow, then reached up and gently batted at her face. Gwen lifted him to nuzzle his head and kiss him.

“If I may make a more personal plea,” Cyan said, taking a few steps closer. “My people will see what Peri has done as a threat to us remaining on Earth as our new homeworld. There is only”—she swallowed hard before continuing—“only one other transgression that would result in a harsher punishment. If my people see what Peri has done, he will be once more confined to the Life Ship. He will not be allowed to leave it again.”

The Vegan clasped her hands in front of her chest, some of the green of her scales fading. “I cannot tell you how that would destroy his spirit. We have been traveling through the galaxy for so long, looking for a home. We thought we would never find a place outside of the Life Ship where we could live. A true home. My friend made a mistake. I beg you not to let it cost him his freedom.”

“That seems really harsh,” Gwen said. “Are the other Vegans mean or something?”

“Not at all.” Cyan shook her head. “But they are very aware of what is at stake. I fear the excitement of having a new home has caused some of us to forget that and become a bit…reckless.”

Some of us?

Had other Vegans done something similar to Peri? Xan filed that thought away and turned his attention back to the matter at hand.

“Gwen,” Xan said, keeping his voice as gentle as he could. “I promise you, I’m telling you the truth. The only thing that footage can do is drive wedges between people and cause hardship. Whether you realize it or not, those wedges have tremendous potential to cause damage to Earth and its inhabitants. You need the Vegans’ protection during this war and probably after. And we… We need Earth’s.”

“I…” Gwen shook her head. “I don’t know enough about what’s going on to make a decision.”

A sudden idea lit Xan’s mind. He turned so that he was standing before Gwen, lifting the hand he held between them and clasping it with both of his palms.

“Then let me show you,” he said. “I can take you to the dome worlds we’re creating. I can introduce you to my friends on the Reckoning. This isn’t just about my people. It’s about yours, as well. If we’re allowed to stay, once Earth is ready to know about aliens, they’ll have immediate access to the entire galaxy. Dome worlds already built within their system. Space stations and star ports. Earth is already at the forefront of the advancement of so many sentients. They just don’t know about it yet.”

“I guess I wouldn’t want to be the one to deny my people all of that,” Gwen said. “But wouldn’t introducing me to your friends clue them in that someone else figured out there are aliens around?”

“At the rate everyone’s been pair-bonding, they’ll think we just ran into each other during one of my trips to Earth and really hit it off,” Xan said.

Her cheeks flushed and she looked down. “You think they’d believe that about you and me?”

“I have no doubt of it,” Xan said.

Zemanni cleared his throat. “It seems like you have this well in hand. I’m going to head back to the Florida base before they notice I’m gone. I’d appreciate it if you didn’t let anyone know about my little trip.”

“It seems this is a night for secrets,” Cyan said. “We will keep your confidence.”

Zemanni angled his head toward her, then walked away. Xan watched him until the Scorpiian was out of sight.

Scorpiians were not to be trusted. Despite everything he’d heard about Zemanni, Xan remained unconvinced of the Scorpiian’s change of heart and “retirement” on Earth. Their interactions today had done nothing to reassure him.

Cyan’s voice brought him back to the moment.

“If we are to proceed upon this path, we will need to first return to the Reckoning,” she said. “I will put in a request to gather more samples from the dome worlds for my xenobiological research. That should enable you to secure a ship for your voyage.”

“I want to see the Reckoning first,” Gwen said. “And I’d like to talk to Peri.”

“Of course.” Xan wasn’t sure why it pleased him so much that she wanted to see his home ship first. Most people would probably have been focused on the flashier trip—himself included.

“We should go,” Cyan said. “It will be light here soon. We must leave before dawn.”

“Why?” Gwen followed the Vegan down the stairs, with Xan trailing after them. “Can’t you cloak your ships?”

“We can, but cloaks sometimes fail,” Xan said. “As an extra precaution, protocol dictates that we only travel during night in populated areas.”

“I guess that makes sense.” Gwen turned toward them and said, “I’m really trusting you both. I hope you live up to that.”

The idea that she trusted him made warmth bloom in his chest.

“I swear to you, I will keep you safe,” Xan said.

Bandit let out a few chirruping meows and Cyan laughed.

Gwen looked in the direction of the sound. “What’s so funny?”

“Bandit says all will be well,” Cyan said, “And that he trusts people all the time when he lets them pick him up. He trusts them not to drop him.”

Gwen laughed, then brought the kitten to her face to kiss him between his ears. “You little cutie. How could anybody drop you?”

He began to purr, causing Gwen to laugh again. She managed to get her coat and boots on without having to put him down. She patted her pockets, then pulled out her keys.

Cyan activated her cloaking field, disappearing from view. Only the slightest wavering in the air let Xan know where she was.

“That is so cool,” Gwen said.

She opened the kitchen door and headed out into the wintry night air. Xan allowed some time for Cyan to exit, then followed, closing the door behind them. Gwen locked it, then smiled up at him.

“It’s this way,” Xan said, gesturing toward the front of the house.

He wished he could hold Gwen’s hand or lace their elbows together, but between their height difference and the way she was using both hands to hold and pet Bandit, that wouldn’t really work out. He settled for walking as close to her as he could without bumping into her as they headed toward the ship.

Xan loved how well Bandit and Gwen got along. Until now, Xan had been the sentient Bandit was closest to.

Xan was working up the courage to ask his commander, Marq, if perhaps Bandit could be his pet. The kitten’s mother, Meredith, was Marq’s own pet, but even with his spacious quarters, having four cats had to be too much.

Caring for Bandit would be a big responsibility, but Xan was up for it. He loved Bandit already, and couldn’t imagine life without his near-constant orange companion. Now, when Xan imagined himself on the Reckoning, he saw Gwen with them as well.

Xan shook off the thought. He was getting way ahead of himself.

Then again, with what he’d heard of the others’ pair-bonding, they had happened incredibly quickly. Sorca, the Coalition’s chief liaison with the Cygnians, had ended up married to her current bondmate within an hour of meeting him.

Most of the other bonds had been established within hours as well. Something about the pheromones of remarkably compatible couples rapidly elicited strong emotions. At least, that was the prevailing theory.

He glanced over at Gwen as they walked, wondering if she was feeling something similar toward him. She caught him looking, and smiled. A wave of self-consciousness hit him, and he looked away, letting out a nervous laugh.

He was really getting ahead of himself. Gwen knew almost nothing about their society. What would she think when she found out that he was considered a defective specimen?

He was way too tall. Too muscled, even though he thankfully wasn’t nearly as large as some of the other soldiers on his ship. His lack of bulk made it easier for him to navigate in some of the more cramped stations and ships he’d visited during his career.

His hair was too curly. It stood up on top of his head, no matter how he tried to slick it down like most Sadirian citizens did.

He couldn’t explain the math of the courses he plotted when he was at navigation, no matter how hard he studied the intricate formulae. But even so, he was the best pilot in the fleet.

The Coalition scientists who had engineered Xan had been completely baffled by his incredible reflexes and instinctive ability to fly any vessel they put him in after programming his mind with the navigational protocols—along with whatever other programming the High Council wanted in his brain.

How could he explain any of this to Gwen in a way that didn’t make him sound like what he was?

A glitch.