Twenty Nine
She expected him to be gone when she awoke. But as she surfaced, she found herself practically lying on top of him. Her head was nestled on his chest and his arm was curved around her back
She lay quietly for a few moments, not wanting to disturb him. Let him think she was still asleep.
The illusion was shattered when he spoke.
“I know you are awake, human. Your breathing has changed.”
She flushed and pulled herself upright, hoping he wouldn’t think she was enjoying being snuggled up to him.
“Why are you still here?”
It came out more rudely than she intended and he raised a brow.
“Every time I tried to leave, you held on to me.”
Fuck.
“I was asleep.”
“It is of no consequence. But we do have something to discuss.”
“Is it about me asking you to keep stroking my hair? Because…”
“No, not that.” He sighed and sat up so that they were face to face. Well, face to chest. He bent his head so he could see into her eyes.
“We need to talk about the start of the war.”
“What? No. No way.” She reached for her trousers and pulled them on. “You know that’s when my father died.”
“That is just it. He did not die in the first battle.”
She paused, confused.
“I don’t understand.”
“You are not being told the truth about the war. What you think of as the ‘first battle’ was merely the first in Earth’s atmosphere. The conflict had been raging for weeks before that.”
Kara stared at him, unable to absorb what he was saying.
“No. No, that’s not true. The Vraxians staged an incursion out of the blue, they launched an attack because they wanted…”
“Wanted your resources, yes. You keep saying that. But I promise you, Kara, we would never steal from another world. And especially not resources we consider inferior to our own. We did not even know Earth existed until a delegation journeyed to Vraxos.”
“A delegation?” She gave a hollow laugh. “Now I know you’re talking rubbish. I would have heard about it. Everyone would. A delegation to another planet? It would have been all over the news.”
“Nevertheless, an Earth delegation arrived on the agricultural side of Vraxos. They were ostensibly there to make a trade agreement. They were interested in our clean energy crystals and some of our rare minerals. They assumed, because they landed in the rural hemisphere, that Vraxos was an underdeveloped culture. So instead of making a fair deal, they tried to take what they wanted.”
“Wait, wait. Let me understand this. You’re saying Earth tried to colonize Vraxos?”
“That is correct. The delegation was traveling with a troop carrier. The E.S.V Chennai, I believe it was named. They landed armed soldiers in the agricultural sector. Many of my people died. That was the first battle.”
“I… I don’t….” Kara wanted to throw up. She jutted her chin out mutinously. “I don’t believe you. It’s a lie.”
“Why would I lie to you, Kara?” His yellow gaze was steady. “We have studied Earth’s history. Your nations have a history of pillage and plunder. The powerful have consistently stolen resources from the weak.”
“That was centuries ago. Earth has changed. Our countries work together now. We’re united.”
“Maybe with each other. But towards another species? Another planet? Tell me there isn’t a ring of truth in my words.”
Kara wanted to put her hands over her ears and shut out his voice. Because if it was true, if any of it was true, it meant that Vraxos hadn’t started this war.
“Shut up,” she said fiercely. “Shut the fuck up. You don’t know what you’re talking about. I know how the war started, and it’s not the way you’re describing.”
“You have been lied to, Kara. Your leaders…”
“I haven’t been lied to,” she yelled. “I know the truth! I know because my mother’s the goddam President and she wouldn’t lie to me!”
Vahn jerked backwards. Kara clamped her mouth shut, cursing herself for her stupidity. The silence stretched.
When he eventually spoke, Vahn was careful to keep emotion out of his voice.
“You are the daughter of President Dana Cameron?”
She could scarcely deny it now. She nodded.
“I’m Kara Cameron-Singh. Though I only go by my father’s name in the SDF.” She gave a twisted smile. “Don’t want to be accused of nepotism.”
There was another silence. Vahn was wracked with indecision. Here in front of him was the daughter of the war-monger who was responsible for the deaths of thousands of his people. A woman who, moreover, had willingly entered the conflict as a soldier. If ever there was a reason to take the blaster and press it to her head, it was now.
But all her actions, all her beliefs, stemmed from the fact that she had been lied to. Her own mother had perpetuated the falsehood of how the war had started, not just to her but to the whole planet.
As President, she must have been aware of the sins of her predecessor. But instead of campaigning for peace, she had chosen to go along with the lie that Earth was an innocent victim.
Vahn rubbed his face tiredly. He didn’t blame Kara for her views. And even if he did, he could never hate her.
Not for the first time, he sincerely wondered what the gods were thinking when they made this human his kalehsha.
“I know you have no reason to believe me. But Kara, I promise you, I will never lie to you.” He got to his feet. “We should get going while the rain has eased.”
Kara watched him leave, her mind in turmoil. What Vahn had told her turned everything she knew on its head and rewrote the history of the war. It couldn’t be true.
And yet, why would he lie? What would that gain him? They were stranded on this shit-hole of a planet with no-one else around. It seemed a spectacular waste of effort to spread alien propaganda here.
She frowned as she thought of the carrier he’d mentioned. The Chennai. How would he know that name?
The E.S.V. Chennai had become a bit of an urban myth within SDF circles. The carrier had gone out on patrol one day and never came back.
The official story was it had been lost in an ion storm which could tear a ship apart in seconds. But among the higher-ups there were rumors it had vanished into deep space without filing a flight plan. No-one had ever heard from its crew again.
It was a coincidence, Kara told herself. It had to be. And yet…
And yet it was true that just a few weeks later the Vraxians had appeared in Earth’s solar system.
Doubt nagged at her. Had the aliens really just launched an unprovoked attack, or were they retaliating for something?
There was something else. Something she didn’t want to admit.
When Vahn had told her just now that he would never lie to her, she’d believed him. She didn’t know why, but she had. And that was just crazy.
Of course he’d lie to her. He’d lie to her at the drop of a hat because he was a Vraxian. She needed to get a grip. Everything he’d just told her was a pile of steaming crap. The first battle between their species had been over Earth and that was that.
He might have been nice to her last night when she was having bad dreams but he was still an enemy of her people. She had to remember that.
She pulled on her boots and joined him outside.