Craving: A SciFi Alien Mail Order Bride Romance (TerraMates Book 8) (16 page)

T
he meetings
with the United Earth Alliance were not going as planned.

Jenn was frustrated. She hadn't seen Kai for days. She was tired of looking at the group of UEA representatives across the table, and she thought they didn't want to see her either.

Ever since the arrival of the combined Anquesh and Earth fleet, neither she nor Kai had been able to convince the UEA that a threat loomed on the horizon. The Similcue were probably on their way to Earth.

She had no idea how Kai was doing, and she missed him. Maybe absence did make the heart grow fonder. She had realized something.

Jenn was in love with the alien warrior. She hadn't been able to tell him about her epiphany, and something inside her would ache until she confessed.

The United Earth Alliance looked at her like she had done something wrong.

"It's not that complicated, and I don't think saying the same thing for the millionth time will convince you. The Similcue have been playing us for fools. They're done toying with Earth. They're going to conquer it. Our technological advancements make us attractive as a slave state."

"What we don't understand, Ms. Carden, is why you are determined to support an alien race which has been humanity's bitter enemy for years."

"You sent me out there! You told me I would be court-martialed and thrown into prison if I didn't fulfill the provisions of the Anquesh treaty."

"We didn't intend for you to sleep with the enemy. You were supposed to play along."

"No one said anything like that to me. Are you finally going to tell me where Kai is?"

"Who?"

"Commander Imwaden!"

"Oh, the alien. I didn't realize you were on a first-name basis with him. Don't worry. We have him secured."

"What does that mean? Is he behind bars?"

"Of course. He is a war criminal."

"Kai's the farthest thing from a war criminal. He has more honor than anyone sitting at this table!"

"Ms. Carden, I'll give you a warning. You need to consider your tone of voice and your audience."

There was a commotion at the door. "Let me in. I'm her lawyer." A tall man with graying hair appeared, dressed in an expensive-looking suit. He pushed his way past the military guard. Jenn thought he looked familiar.

"This is a military proceeding," said one of the officers.

"Military or civil, my client has the right to representation. I'm sorry for being late, Jenn." He sat down in the seat next to her. His hand moved quickly under the desk, so fast she barely noticed it.

"Who are you?"

The man tossed a business card across the table. "Adam Walters, of Kellem, Brace and Walters. My firm is representing Miss Carden. We have a communication protocol. When she failed to call us, we knew we had to do some investigating. You're not playing fair, gentlemen. I almost had to take legal action. But since I found her in your military installation, we can dispense with the pleasantries. Is my client charged with a crime, or is she free to go?"

"Not yet."

"Great. Let's go, Jenn. We're leaving." He stood and put his arm under Jenn, forcefully insisting that she get up as well.

"Wait a minute. You can't do that!"

Adam smiled. "Watch me." He pulled Jenn from the table and pressed his hands together.

The table exploded.

"Time to run." Adam pushed the guard out of the way as he and Jenn ran out of the door into the hallway.

"Who are you?" she gasped.

"We met once before. You know me as Tellen. A transport ship is waiting for us. We spotted the Similcue near the planet you call Pluto. They can be here in a single jump."

"What about Kai?"

"I've sent someone to retrieve him."

Jenn ran behind Tellen. No alarms rang in the corridors. In fact, there was no noise anywhere. At the entrance, Jenn found more unconscious soldiers. As she moved to look at them, she heard footsteps behind her. She looked back, a ball of fear enveloping her gut.

Two tall dark-haired men ran out of the darkened hallway. One had a slight limp. It was Kai.

When he saw Jenn, he became energized and ran faster. "Sindare!" He swept Jenn into his arms when he reached her.

"Let's go, Commander," said Tellen. "Time is against us. We should board the transport. Be forewarned, the cloaking system is engaged."

The group ran across a parking lot as the hot sun beat down on them. As they were about to enter the transport's gaping black maw, rifle shots whizzed over their heads. The bullets bounced off the invisible spaceship.

"Halt!" an Earth soldier called.

Jenn raced into the dark hole. Once her eyes had adjusted to the darkness, she realized they were inside an Anquesh transport. Tellen pushed a button to close the hatch.

"Take off!"

The transport lurched violently, and Jenn fell against a bulkhead as the ship rose into the air. Kai reached out to steady her, and she fell into his arms. It felt good to be surrounded by Kai again.

She opened her mouth to confess her feelings. She didn't know if she would get another chance. Tellen spoke before she could say anything.

"I have made contact with Captain Oakland. He has his ships and several other battle groups ready to break Earth ranks and follow us. He knows what the Similcue can do. I believe the direct quote is, 'If the idiots at UEA can't see the forest for the trees, maybe it's time to chop down the forest.'"

"Humans need to learn to say what they mean," Kai said, looking directly at Jenn.

"It's a little beyond us, I think," she replied with a smile.

"Oakland told me there would be consequences for Jenn's participation in the treaty."

"What consequences? I just did what they told me to do!"

"According to Oakland, they were going to put you in prison on a manufactured charge. You were an uncomfortable and inconvenient reminder of their behavior."

The questions in the conference room made sense now. They were letting her speak as much as she wanted, giving her enough rope to let her say anything they could interpret as treason.

"I guess I can't go home again. We're going to get married. I don't have a choice." Jenn sighed.

"I thought we already agreed there was going to be a wedding, as long as I can beat you in the arena."

"It wasn't an agreement. More like a temporary acquiescence in exchange for certain favors."

"Are you saying I haven't won you yet?" Kai had a sly smile on his face.

"Excuse me, but we're still running a military operation here," Tellen interjected. "We will dock with the Ruvien soon, and we need to have the battle plan against the Similcue worked out. When we arrive on the Ruvien, it's time to have a conference with our allies."

The ship lurched and all forward motion stopped. "We're here already." A hatch opened automatically. "I will take Jenn to your quarters."

"No, Tellen. She's going to stay with me."

Tellen nodded, and they swiftly navigated through the ship's corridors until they reached the bridge of the Ruvien.

When Kai entered, the officers snapped to attention. Kai nodded his head. "At ease. Sevit, what's the situation?"

"We have seven ships that are battle-ready. Captain Oakland and three other Earth captains are ready to speak to you over the communications systems." Sevit passed over a hand-held computer. "These are our battle plans."

Kai took the computer and started rifling his fingers through pages of documents. "Can we put it on the battle board? What do the simulations say?"

"Commander, if the Similcue don't bring any extra ships, I think we have a chance."

Kai lifted his eyebrow. "One chance, Lieutenant?"

"I'm being conservative in my estimates. We might have two chances."

"How about the choke point you identified?"

"Their fourth planet, Mars, doesn't have a magnetic field and is the perfect place for them to conceal themselves.

"Is there any other place they can jump?"

"Yes, that's the second chance. The second planet doesn't have a magnetic field, but it is relatively close to the sun. Solar flares are active."

"Let's head for Mars. Maybe we'll get lucky."

K
ai organized
a defense of the solar system with Oakland and the other United Earth Alliance captains. Five ships were left between the moon and Earth to provide a failsafe. His navigator gave coordinates for both Mars and Venus to every ship.

"Hold on, Jenn," said Kai. "Interplanetary jumps can be a little rough."

He kept his arm protectively around her shoulders when he gave the order. Twenty-five battle cruisers moved together, a mixture of Anquera and Earth ships. Jenn felt her stomach lurch and in an instant, Earth vanished from the viewscreen. Nothing was visible for several seconds. The bridge crew waited, holding their breaths. Without warning, the electronics came back online, and the screen displayed an image of the red planet spinning underneath them.

"Implement radio silence and turn off all electronic systems," ordered Kai. "Let's go quiet."

Lights dimmed in the bridge, and audio alerts were turned off. No one spoke.

Kai sat in the captain's chair and pulled Jenn into his lap. She blushed as she looked around the bridge, watching for signs of disapproval from his crew. It seemed like a terrible protocol breach. Thankfully, the soldiers kept their eyes on either their workstations or the display screens.

Kai brushed his lips against her face. "How are you feeling, sindare?" he whispered.

She leaned her head close to his ear. Her chance was now. "I love you, Kai Imwaden."

But Kai wasn't listening to her. The screen held his complete attention. Jenn looked up to see Similcue ships appearing above Mars.

"Activate the weapons, and commence firing!" Kai shouted.

Laser fire burned jagged streaks into the Similcue ships. They returned fire immediately. So many bright flashes filled the screen that Jenn had to turn her head away to protect her eyes. Kai walked to the battle board to observe the action. He shouted orders into a headset, moving ships into different positions.

"Sir!" someone shouted out. "The Similcue have breached our landing bay. The enemy has boarded the Ruvien!"

"Vent the bay into space."

"It's too late for that, sir. They are in our corridors already."

"Jenn, secure yourself in my office."

She looked around the bridge. The Anquesh soldiers were preparing for battle and distributing weapons to each other, checking them, and arming them to kill.

"Now would be a good time. You might not get another chance."

She didn't want leave, but she didn't want to distract him either. Jenn ran to the office with a heavy heart. She wasn't concerned for her safety, but for Kai's. He had been through too much, too fast. Kai had barely healed from his previous injuries and still walked with a limp. Did he have the strength to fight off another attack?

Jenn sat at the chair behind Kai's desk. It was a place of memories already. She chuckled thinking about the day she sat behind it half-nude. Remembering the day they made love made her yearn for Kai's touch.

She wondered if he would survive to touch her again.

* * *

K
ai stood
in the middle of the bridge. He had ordered the warriors to stay as close to the workstations as possible. The workstations would help conceal his team as the attackers entered the room. Kai's gun was drawn and pointing forward. He was ready to take the first shots on anyone he saw. Kai would draw fire while his men overcome the enemy.

That was the plan, at least.

"Sir, the Similcue fleet has withdrawn. We managed to disable half their ships."

"Excellent." Despite Kai's calm outward appearance, his heart blazed with anger. The cowards had sent a suicide force to engage his team and wreak havoc while their fleet escaped. Kai would hunt down every single one of the bastards who threatened his sindare's home.

Some of the humans he had met were cowardly liars ready to hand over a defenseless female as a faux peace offering, but there were good people on Earth as well. They included Jenn's friend Nayla, Bretland, who gave his life honorably, or even Oakland, who defied a terrible command in order to save his people. They all lived a life of caring for others. There was honor in these humans, and they deserved help against the Similcue.

The bridge hatch blew open. Kai fired his gun wildly, pumping multiple laser blasts into the enemy bodies, taking down as many as he could. These Similcue, being suicide warriors, had no concern for their lives and were willing to die as long as they took down an Anquesh warrior with them. Kai dropped down to the deck to avoid the laser blasts but felt pain in different parts of his body. He had taken down a few Similcue, but they kept coming.

Kai wasn't defending the bridge by himself. His men were firing as well, and one by one the Similcue warriors fell to the ground. Soon the firing stopped, and all the Similcue were dead.

He breathed a sigh of relief and tried to sit up, but found that he couldn't. For some reason, he felt weak.

Sevit appeared at his side. "Get someone from medical here right away. The commander has multiple wounds."

* * *

F
or the second
time in as many weeks, Jenn looked down at Kai in a hospital bed. Various tubes and wires protruded from his body. Kai's eyes were closed, and he was as still as death.

"After you recover, we're going to find you another job. This one is bad for my mental health."

Aden and Tellen walked to Kai's bed. "How is the Commander?" asked Tellen quietly.

"We can only wait," said Jenn. "They've done everything they can."

"Who would have known your people had such advanced surgical techniques?" Tellen asked.

"Aden did."

"I was supposed to learn as much about Earth as I could. And you put everything on television! I couldn't believe people watch surgeries for entertainment. Our doctors have different healing techniques."

"You were the only one who thought to ask Earth's doctors for assistance."

"They seemed happy to help."

Oakland had called the United Earth Alliance immediately to tell them of the Similcue's attack. He also mentioned who devised the battle plan which defeated them. Being politically savvy, Oakland made sure the Anquesh fleet and Earth news organizations were monitoring the transmission. In the face of a public announcement of Anquera's value as an ally, the United Earth Alliance had to announce the treaty between Earth and Anquera was valid.

But it would only remain valid if Kai stayed alive.

Suddenly all the energy rushed out of Jenn's body, and she felt like she had to sit down. "If you don't mind, I'd like to spend some time alone with Kai."

"Of course, my lady," said Tellen.

"I'll just be outside the curtain," said Aden. "I'm here for security."

"I didn't ask the question. I knew already. Kai requires a guard."

"You don't understand," said Tellen. "I'm here for the Commander's protection. Aden is here for yours. I'll be in the hallway on patrol." He nodded his head and strode out of the medical bay.

"You're here to protect me?"

"Yes, Lady Imwaden."

It was strange how quickly the Anquesh assumed she was Kai's wife. They hadn't even had the ceremony yet.

"May I approach?" Jenn could easily recognize Sevit's voice by now. "How is our commander?"

"It was difficult, but he'll recover. They had to insert some stents into the damaged arteries. They doctors said one artery had such extensive damage that they couldn't believe he was still alive. Kai lost a lot of blood."

"We have plenty of volunteers ready to donate."

"I don't think they'll be necessary. We use a combination of artificial blood and nanites to accelerate the healing. It's better for a high-risk surgery."

What Jenn didn't say was that the doctors were unsure how Anquesh physiology would handle Earth medicine. They had warned her that Kai's body could reject the stents or the nanites. Kai was on the cutting edge of Anquesh medical research.

"If we had known your people had this much science, we would have conquered you sooner." Sevit smiled. Jenn understood the joke, but she wasn't in a particularly humorous mood.

"Is there something I can do for you, Sevit?"

"First, I wanted to congratulate you for being officially designated ambassador to Anquera. The Earth government made an excellent choice."

"Thank you. I was just in the right place at the right time."

"No, Lady Imwaden, I sincerely mean it. You will do well in your new position."

Jenn bit her tongue.
I don't know about that
, she thought.
It's more like the United Earth Alliance had no idea how to deal with Anquera and was ready to send anyone who seemed vaguely qualified.

"We are scheduled to arrive at Anquera in ten days."

"Do you know what we're going to find there?"

"No one does. Whatever it is, I'm confident the additional ships from Earth us will help us handle the situation."

Did he intend to use the Earth ships to stop a civil war? Jenn knew that wasn't the intended purpose. Ten days would feel like a lifetime. Would Kai be next to her, or would she be burying him in an Anquesh ritual?

The thought was too awful to contemplate.