Chapter Twenty-Six

FOR THE NEXT WEEK, Taylor worked hard to discover new ways of making Maia happy. During the days, she usually found some excuse to go out for a little while and pick up gifts. Sometimes she brought back food, and she provided Maia with meals more often than was strictly necessary. When she noticed that Maia had a sweet tooth, Taylor bribed the line cook into giving her extra rations of fresh fruit, which the ikthian took a liking to immediately. She’d given Rachel a piece of the haul, too, as repayment for the alcohol and friendly ear that she had provided.

Taylor also started looking for books to bring to Maia, since she had caught her glancing over the limited selection in her quarters more than once. She handed over the first one she found quietly, hoping for a positive reaction. Maia studied the book she had chosen with hesitant surprise. "I thought you might like this," Taylor explained, wincing a little at how awkward her own voice sounded.

The sad smile she got in return was almost enough to dishearten her. Maia took the book and looked it over. "I appreciate the thought, and I probably would enjoy this book, but I cannot read any human languages."

"I know, but…I thought I might be able to read it to you," Taylor said, unable to conceal her hopefulness. She didn’t consider her own reading voice to be any good, but she and Maia had nothing else to do while they waited for the generals and the ikthians to come to an agreement.

"Yes," Maia said, smiling broadly. "I would like that very much. "

The book, Pride and Prejudice, delighted Maia. They never got very far in it, considering she constantly interrupted Taylor’s attempts at reading aloud. "This is quite archaic," she said more than once. That was her favorite note. "Imagine, assuming the females of a species needed to be enslaved, or traded around like property...although I suppose we did not treat our males very well in the past, either."

"It’s an old book," Taylor said, feeling the need to defend the work. "And if you’d let me get farther, you’d realize Elizabeth is undermining that stereotype."

"I like that character. The one who ruined her clothes in the mud?" For some reason, Taylor had suspected that Maia would latch onto the defiant main character. "I dislike her mother, though."

Taylor smirked. "Does she remind you of anyone?"

"If you are trying to infer that my mother is like the controlling human in that story, then…you would have a point. The male character, though. Darcy. That is what he is called, yes? He seems rude."

Taylor shrugged. "He just doesn’t know how to talk to women, especially one as lovely as Elizabeth."

"Does he remind you of anyone?" Maia asked, a playful edge to her voice.

Taylor laughed and shut the book. "I refuse to acknowledge what you’re implying. I’m hardly a wealthy Englishman."

"A what?" Maia asked.

"Englishman. It just means someone who is from England."

"Is that a neighboring planet?" Maia asked. Her eyes were wide again with scientific curiosity. Taylor liked seeing it in her gaze.

"No. It’s an island here on Earth. We like to divide up where people are from that way."

Maia furrowed her brow as she processed the information. "So where would you be from?"

Taylor sighed and placed the book on top of the nightstand. She ran a hand through her hair and thought of the simplest way to explain it to Maia. "Well, most humans would consider me to come from two places. I grew up about seven hundred miles north of San Diego, where we are right now, but my mom is actually from Japan. It’s a set of islands west of this continent."

"But if you always lived on this continent, why would other humans assume you belong to both?"

Taylor shrugged. "It’s a heritage thing. What about you? You don’t have just your mother, right? What does your father do, or where is he from?"

"My father is on Korithia. He has always been there." Maia glanced out the window, looking wistful. "We rarely speak, though. He mostly focuses on keeping up with my mother and her career. It was always...exhausting for him to live such a public life, but he is expected to remain with my mother, and so he does." Taylor nodded and waited for the inevitable question. She knew Maia would ask it, even though she was an alien. She would ask just like any other woman Taylor had dated. "And what about your mother and father?"

She took a deep breath. "They died when I was young." Maia’s face fell, but Taylor gave her a small smile anyways. "Don’t feel too bad for me. It was a long time ago, and I’ve had time to come to terms with it." She reached for the book and opened it again. "I can read more for you, if you want." It seemed like a suitable time to change the subject.

Unfortunately, reality interrupted before Maia could agree. Taylor’s wrist comm buzzed with a message from Roberts, requesting her presence at another meeting. Normally, Taylor hated meeting with the brass, especially when Bouchard was involved, but this time, she was grateful for the excuse to leave for a little while. Bringing up her parents always made whatever woman she was seeing feel pity for her, and while Maia hadn’t rushed to soothe her, she could tell the ikthian needed a moment to process the information.

It only took her a few minutes to say goodbye to Maia, put the book away, and hurry over to the meeting. Taylor reported to Roberts’ office early. She could hear muffled voices shouting at one another through the door, and for once, things were almost normal. She nodded at the guard, and he activated his communicator. "Sir?" he said. The voices in the next room grew quiet. "Lieutenant Morgan is here."

There was the silent crackle of static, and then, "Send her in." The guard nodded and opened the door.

Inside, Generals Hunt, Lee, and Moore were waiting for her, along with Captain Roberts. Bouchard had made an appearance again as well. Taylor held her salute until General Hunt nodded. "At ease, Lieutenant Morgan. We wanted to check up on your progress with Kalanis. Anything to report?"

Taylor thought for a moment. What had she learned about Maia that would prove useful to a war effort? She had learned she was a person, and that she had a new appetite for human literature, but the generals probably weren’t interested in hearing any of that. "Maia told me some more about her genetic research," she said instead.

"We knew that already," Bouchard said. "She confessed that during the initial interrogation."

"But you don’t know what she was researching." General Hunt and the others seemed intrigued, but Bouchard looked like he wanted to slap her for contradicting him. "Her latest study suggests that the ikthians and most species in the Milky Way are more closely related than the ikthians like to think. We share some DNA sequences with them, and the way Maia put it, we’re almost like distant relatives. That's why the Dominion wants her back so badly. Her discoveries would undermine their deepest-held convictions. One of the naledai on base, Akton, even told me that the ECO offices on Korithia scrubbed every attempt she made to talk about her findings or issue corrections when they were misused."

General Lee stroked his dark beard, studying Taylor intently. "She told you this, Lieutenant Morgan?"

"Yes. That’s why the seekers were chasing her, and why we captured her so easily."

"I can see why," Bouchard said sourly. "Perhaps we should modify our negotiation tactics. Surely the Dominion has little use for someone who challenges their doctrine..."

Even though she didn’t like the idea of returning Maia to the Dominion, Taylor was alarmed by Bouchard's dismissal. If he didn’t perceive Maia as valuable anymore, it could put her in serious danger sooner rather than later. The Coalition had no reason to house a prisoner they couldn’t use, and as much as Taylor still wavered on the issue, she knew she needed to find a reason for the generals to keep Maia around.

General Moore spoke before she could. "The ikthians have been open to negotiating with us so far. Things are moving slowly, but they seem invested in getting her back. She’s obviously still valuable to them."

Taylor breathed a sigh of relief.

"We cannot just ignore this information," Bouchard insisted. "Making deals to trade an unfavored prisoner of war could be extremely detrimental to us. If the Dominion views Kalanis as a traitor..."

"It doesn't matter what they value her for as long as they value her," General Hunt said. "If her people consider her research so subversive, it might even drive up her price."

Taylor’s stomach churned. Although she admired him, hearing General Hunt discuss Maia like a piece of property was difficult, almost painful. It reminded her too much of her own actions. No wonder Maia’s feelings were hurt.

"What if her research is valuable to us, Sir?" Taylor asked. If she wanted to help Maia, now was the time to act. "What if it could help end the war?"

Bouchard rolled his eyes. "Do you honestly think some bleeding-edge theory about genetics will stop the Dominion from conquering any planet it wants? Kalanis is obviously playing you, Lieutenant. Don’t let a pretty face distract you from your true loyalties."

Taylor froze. In that moment, she realized that Bouchard knew. She wasn’t sure whether Bower had told him, whether he had heard it from some other source, or whether he had simply guessed, but he knew. Taylor was certain that if he got the chance, he would use the information against her.

"You’re being harsh, Bouchard," Roberts said, breaking the tension. "The lieutenant may have a point. This research might not do much for the leaders, but what if it incites a riot among the masses? Large regimes aren’t kept together without layers and layers of lies."

"The ikthians won’t care," Bouchard said dismissively.

"Not all of them, but some," Roberts continued. "Besides, the Dominion has a lot of other planets under their control. If we could get our hands on Kalanis’s research and make the Dominion look weak, it might encourage some of them other species fight back. Most naledai worlds are already on the brink of revolution."

General Hunt frowned, and Taylor's stomach sank. "That might take too long, Captain. And it’s a huge risk. Human lives could be saved if we stick to negotiations. If we could guarantee safety for Earth…"

"There is no guarantee that the ikthians won't turn around and go back on their word once Kalanis is secured," Bouchard said. "We should bargain for something of substance, not an empty promise."

"What do you suggest, Chairman?" General Hunt asked.

"Other prisoners, resources, anything we can use to try and boost our war efforts. I guarantee that this conflict will not end until the Dominion is destroyed, or they are convinced that we are capable of defending ourselves."

Taylor grew more upset as she watched the three men fight. General Hunt was too optimistic, and Bouchard was far too cynical, as well as completely inconsistent in his opinions. She was suspicious, but she kept her mouth shut.

Noticing Taylor's distress, General Moore was kind enough to offer her an escape route. "We can't do anything until we receive our next message from the ikthians," she pointed out, glancing between Hunt, Bouchard, and Roberts. Her words seemed to soothe them. "We can decide what to do after we hear their offer. And Lieutenant Morgan, good work on the intel. I'm sure it will guide our decision."

"Thank you, General." Taylor couldn't help admiring Moore’s calm, rational tone. If she had been a general instead of a lieutenant, she might not have been so patient with Bouchard.

"See if you can find out any more from Kalanis," General Lee added. "We need to know more about her research." Taylor saluted to show that she understood. "The rest of us will call you for another status report in the next two days. You're dismissed."

For what felt like the hundredth time, Taylor hurried out the door, eager to be anywhere but Roberts' office. She took the stairs two at a time down to the first floor, bypassing the elevator, and she wondered what she should do. Bouchard was obviously working some kind of angle, but until she figured out what it was, she couldn’t be sure of the best way to respond. Until then, she’d have to live with the sick feeling of fear in the pit of her stomach.