Chapter Four
Earth girls aren’t easy…
There was a flash of black, and we appeared in a large conference room. One wall was covered with instruments of death. Swords, knives, laser pistols, rifles, war hammers and what looked like a variety of thermite grenades. A viewscreen showcased Cirrus Prime’s sparkling pink oceans.
Qa’a and a variety of alien warriors were sitting at a long platinum conference table. Built into the right arm of each chair was a control panel.
A short, Chinese-looking dude in a spiffy red uniform examined me from head-to-toe. “This is the human female warrior. Do you expect me to believe she single-handedly blew up fifteen Tai-Kok ships?”
“I blew up thirteen ships alone. The others I had help with.”
There was a short, disbelieving silence, then Captain Zan bellowed, “Impossible.”
“Are you calling me a liar, Captain?”
“With the exception of the Askole race, females are not suited for battle,” the captain shot back.
My temper flared to life. “On my world, you fight or you die.” I slammed Captain Zan’s mind with the images of our burning cities where female soldiers fought alongside the men. “Maybe if you had taught your females how to fight, the slaughter at Byblos wouldn’t have happened.”
“You dare to speak of Byblos,” Captain Zan spat. “I knew this meeting was a mistake. I should challenge you to combat.”
I gave him my Debbie Sunshine smile. “Challenge accepted.”
Zarek stiffened.
Kaelen groaned.
“Enough!” Qa’a slapped a tentacle on Captain Zan’s forehead. The captain’s eyes rolled back in his head, and he slumped in his chair.
With a bellow of rage, the Alliance officer sitting next to Zan shoved his chair back and yanked out his weapon. “Prepare to die!”
All the warriors sitting at the table erupted to their feet, weapons in hand.
Before a firefight could start, I kicked the pistol out of the idiot’s hand, spun, and planted my size twelve boot in his groin.
The Alliance officer doubled over with a squeak. I rammed my knee into his face. He hit the floor and moaned pitifully.
I looked around the room. “Anyone else think human females can’t fight?”
The gigantic Askole warrior standing next to Xyler bared his teeth in a hideous grin. “Where can I get a female like her, Zarek?”
“Lexi is one of a kind, Sariel,” Zarek replied.
Sariel’s gaze fixed on my breasts and he licked his lips. “ If human females are good at bedsport, I want one.”
If he didn’t stop looking at me like that, I was going to kick his balls up his throat.
Kaelen wrapped an arm around my shoulders and murmured in my head, “Behave. Sariel has never been defeated in battle.”
“There is always a first time,” I shot back.
His face a chalky white, Captain Zan straightened up and clung to the arm rests. “My apologies, Qa’a, I meant no offense.”
A tentacle sinuously stroked Captain Zan’s face. “My enforcers will be treated with respect. A word to the wise, never ever dismiss a human female as harmless. They are deadly creatures.”
Xylar suddenly asked, “Where is our child?”
“My father has him.”
Captain Zan frowned. “I was told the human female was mated to Battle Commander Kaelen.”
“My name is Lexi. Not human female and I am mated to Battle Commander Kaelen. I’m also Xylar’s son’s mother,” I replied.
The captain’s cold brown eyes narrowed suspiciously. “How is that even possible?”
Qa’a’s tentacle circled the captain’s neck.
“That does not concern you. You are here to meet my new enforcers. They have been assigned to hunt down and stop law breakers who are working with the Tai-Kok and Rodan to destroy our worlds. You will give them any assistance they need. Understand this, you will treat them with the respect you give me, or you will not like the consequences.” The tentacle tightened. “Do you understand me?”
“Yes,” Captain Zan croaked.
“Good.” Qa’a released him.
The idiot Alliance officer jerked upright and scrabbled for his weapon.
“No! Do not,” Captain Zan shouted.
The second the idiot’s fingers wrapped around his laser pistol; a tentacle grabbed him and stuffed him down Qa’a’s gaping maw. His screams abruptly stopped.
“You can’t cure stupid,” I muttered under my breath.
A brief, dangerous smile formed on Uncle Zarek’s mouth. “No, you cannot.”
Rage and grief flashed across Captain Zan’s face. Clenching his fists, he shoved the chair back and stood.
“Wait!” I stepped between him and Uncle Zarek. “Are you willing to gamble the safety of your people on one soldier’s bad decision? Do you hate Zarek that much? Do you even realize how much you have in common with the Overlord?”
Captain Zan glared at me. “I have nothing in common with him.”
“Seriously? Both of you are extremely powerful psychics, and obstinate as hell. Just like the Overlord, you will do whatever is necessary to protect your people. So, instead of starting another war, how about we exterminate the Tai-Kok and the Rodan first? Then you can always go back to killing each other again.”
The sudden silence was deafening as Sariel; Xylar and the other warriors gaped at me.
Uncle Zarek and Captain Zan eyed me with a distinct lack of favor.
I pasted a smile on my face and on our private link asked Kaelen, “Too much?”
“A bit.”
My chin rose. People were dying and they wanted to see whose balls were bigger? Not happening. “ I know you think I’m just an uppity female who doesn’t know her place.” My lips twisted in self-mockery. “But just like you, my goal is to stop the Tai-Kok and Rodan from destroying my world.”
“How old are you?” Captain Zan abruptly demanded.
I rolled my eyes. Ugh, he just had to ask. “Eighteen.”
“You are a youngling!”
The shock in the captain’s eyes was kinda funny. “And?”
“In need of a keeper,” Sariel added.
I gave him the one-fingered salute.
Kaelen growled in my head, “Manners, Lexi.”
Like the Askole knew what that gesture meant?
“Is the situation on your world so dire that they would send a child to do a soldier’s work?” Captain Zan inquired.
“Yes. Just like the Askole, we arm our children and teach them how to fight.”
The captain shook his head in disbelief. “Incredible. Are they as fearless as you?”
“Humans are a unique species. Do not dismiss them as harmless,” Qa’a commented.
Kaelen nodded. “The humans have been fighting the Tai-Kok and Rodan for over three years. Most worlds fall in two weeks.”
“I want to meet your leaders,” Captain Zan announced.
“That can be arranged.” Uncle Zarek said, frowning when his communications bracelet began to chirp.
Seconds later, Kaelen’s device buzzed loudly and soon everyone’s communication bracelets were going off.
Shit! Not good. “What happened?” I asked in English.
“The prototype for a new starfighter was just stolen from the Alliance military base on Roskilde,” Kaelen responded in English.
I smiled. “So, we have our first case?”
“Yes, get your gear.” Qa’a answered.