Chapter 7
Cade lounged in a chair in the bridge when Jaspar returned, the latter looking flustered—with reason.
“You seduced the target,” Cade accused, which led to Jaspar’s cheeks turning purple.
“Not exactly.”
“We did, but only because she initiated it.” Jaspar hung his head. “Colette wanted to be sure we were compatible with humans.”
“And?”
“And what?” Jaspar repeated.
“How was it?” While miffed Jaspar had been chosen over him, Cade harbored no real ill will, just a little envy. He would have been more than happy to give Colette an example of Xamian prowess.
The other male’s mouth opened and shut a few times before he exhaled. “It was incredible.”
“You bonded?” Cade made the assumption, but Jaspar immediately looked appalled.
“We most certainly did not!” Jaspar hotly exclaimed. “We fornicated, but there was no pledge made, no joining of the spirits.”
“Hmm,” Cade hummed. “Interesting.”
“How is that interesting?”
“Because I’ve always been told that sex with a mate is incomparable, hence why I thought it might have occurred.”
Jaspar shrugged. “I wouldn’t know.”
“Then what made it so good?”
Once more, the other male paused before slowly replying.
“Everything. Looking at her, I couldn’t help but feel arousal, which isn’t a common occurrence.
At least for me. When she touched me…” Jaspar swallowed hard.
“It was as if everything within me ignited. Everything after that felt amplified. I’ve never experienced anything like it. ”
“Perhaps the humans ooze a hormone that heightens sexual pleasure,” Cade mused aloud.
“Maybe.” Jaspar didn’t sound convinced. “None of the research on their kind mentioned it, though.”
“Perhaps you abstained for so long that it seemed better than usual,” Cade’s next theory.
“That’s most likely the reason,” Jaspar agreed and then rushed to change the subject. “Colette asked to meet on the morrow to begin discussing how to proceed.”
“Very well. Let me know how that goes.”
Jaspar shook his head. “I do believe she wants both of us there.”
For some reason, hearing she wanted to include him eased some of Cade’s disgruntlement, which had hit the moment Beta informed him that Jaspar and Colette were getting intimate.
He’d not understood the disappointment that filled him.
Still didn’t. Blame it on the fact he’d met Colette first, and yet Jaspar, who’d barely spoken to her, had been the one she’d chosen to have intercourse with.
“Did she indicate if we should bring anything to the meeting?”
“As far as I know, she simply planned to ask questions. On that note, I’m going to reread our mission file in preparation. You should, too.”
Jaspar left, and Cade remained staring blankly at the screen showing the spinning planet.
He’d studied their orders numerous times on the voyage over and felt no need to read them again, especially since they didn’t contain much information.
In brief, set up a system whereby willing females could meet warriors who’d applied for a mate, but it didn’t mention how to pair them.
Usually, the Oracle, with the help of the ancestors, would give warriors a specific person to seek out.
A female meant for them. In most cases, it turned out to be accurate, but not always.
Some humans did not take the transition from Earth to Xaanda well.
While it only happened rarely, Cade had to wonder how Colette, a mere human, would find the right mates for the selected Xamian males.
His concern had multiplied since Beta presented Cade with statistics that showed in some regions of Earth, more than fifty percent of bondings, which they called marriages, failed.
Despite his trepidation, Cade would complete his mission to the best of his ability. After all, he trusted the Oracle. If she said this was how it had to be done, then so be it, which led to him wondering, if Colette didn’t consult ancestors, then how did she pair couples?
“Beta, can you explain to me again the method Colette uses?” Perhaps he’d misunderstood or missed something that would explain her success.
“The dating service, Locked and Mated, is a computer program that gathers submissions from unattached males and females. It catalogues their interests through a series of tests. It then pairs those who might be compatible, and they go on dates to see if they enjoy spending time together.”
“Dates?” Beta used the English word, which didn’t mesh with his definition.
“Dating is defined by humans as attracted pairs engaging in numerous encounters to see if they will develop affection.”
Sounded long and tedious to him. Pity the humans didn’t have their ancestors looking after them.
Being told who to seek out simplified things.
Then again, the Xamian hadn’t always relied on the Oracle to help.
There was a time the male heads of families made the alliances for their daughters and sons and simply offered up a prayer to the ancestors for their blessing.
If unsuitable, the ancestors had ways of making their disfavor known.
“So what you’re saying is Colette isn’t the one actually making the matches. It’s a computer making the decision.”
“Yes,” Beta affirmed.
“What if it’s wrong and the pair is not compatible?”
“Then they do not bond and return to the service to try again.”
“Meaning more dates.”
“Yes.”
Cade pursed his lips. “I don’t see how that will work with a Xamian warrior. They don’t usually have much leave between missions, and even if given leave, this process would require them to spend time on the surface and being seen by humans.”
“Yes.”
But that was getting ahead of things. “How will the humans react to our existence?”
“That is uncertain. While many Earthlings believe there is other life in the universe, fictional plays and literature have many convinced that such meetings will result in violence.”
“Fiction isn’t reality,” he pointed out.
“True. However, an analysis of human history shows numerous conflicts based on the differences of skin color, culture, and even religion. There is a strong possibility they will react negatively to the Xamian presence.”
“Meaning we need to be cautious in how we present ourselves.” He tapped his fingers on the console.
“Beta, what would happen if I or Jaspar were to introduce ourselves to the leaders beforehand?” Surely if they gained the approval of a head of state, that would ease their introduction with the populace.
“Arranging a meeting could prove difficult.”
“Not if you beamed us into their presence.”
“Not recommended. Most likely you would be executed the moment you appeared.”
His brows rose. “Without even a chance to discourse?”
“Humans take the security of their governing heads seriously.”
“In that case, how would one treaty with them? Could we open a channel of communication beforehand that would establish our peaceful intent?”
“That is an option with some modicum of success. However, even with a promise of safe passage for a meeting, there exists a possibility they would agree simply to gain access and sequester you for questioning and testing.”
“Testing of what?”
“Everything,” Beta’s simple reply. “Previous incursions by other species led to them being dissected.”
Not a promising outcome, but he could also understand the Earthlings’ caution. Look at what had been done to the Xamian females by an enemy race. A race they’d eradicated in revenge.
“How can we accomplish our mission without starting a war?”
“I don’t have the answer to that question.”
That wasn’t helpful. They’d have to be very careful, not Cade’s usual mode of operation. Hence why he sought out Jaspar. He found the other male in the training room, running in place.
Cade dove right into the dilemma. “As you are aware, we cannot create a conduit for bond mates without revealing our presence to the humans. However, in doing so, we run the risk of them seeing us as a threat and the Earthlings attempting to eliminate us.”
“I’m aware.”
“You are?” Cade blurted out. “Why didn’t you mention this?”
“Because it seemed obvious.”
“How do we overcome it?”
Jaspar stopped his run. “By convincing them we are peaceful allies.”
“You forgot the how part.”
“Because I haven’t thought of one yet, although I do have a few ideas.”
“Such as?”
“Trade. We can offer knowledge and technology to the humans to appease them.”
“We aren’t supposed to do that with cultures that haven’t yet managed to travel outside their galaxies.” Part of letting them evolve on their own.
“The humans are very close to achieving that feat.”
“But will bribing the leaders of the many governing factions be enough to satisfy the populace?” It wasn’t just the leaders they needed to convince.
“What other suggestion do you have?”
The only thing that came to mind? “I know when I was on Zilkov Five as part of the team sent to aid against an incursion of Kaffrds”—giant beetles that emerged from the core of the planet and begun decimating everything in their path—“that saving them from such a devastating disaster led to them being so grateful they signed a very generous trade deal with us.” Thus ending centuries of raiding for lilarose, a rare plant that only grew on Zilkov Five, which the Xamian used in much of their food manufacturing.
While they’d technically eliminated the Kaffrds to preserve the plant, in doing so, they’d forged enough goodwill with those living on the planet that they no longer had to steal it.
“That’s actually an interesting idea, except for the fact there’s nothing currently threatening their world that we could save them from.”
Pity. It would have been an excellent way to introduce the Xamian that would have displayed their bravery while showing they meant no harm.
Beta had a suggestion. “We could manufacture a crisis.”
“Such as?” Cade asked.
“Redirecting an asteroid that would have a devastating effect if it impacted.”
“We would then rescue them from the calamity, thus fostering good will,” Cade murmured. “It has possibility.”
“It’s dishonest,” Jaspar pointed out, “and would likely cause widespread unrest. When a species is threatened with extinction, they tend to behave erratically. Untold damage could be done before the situation was resolved, and if it were discovered we engineered the crisis, we’d have an even bigger problem. ”
Perhaps Colette would have an idea on how they could present the news of their existence.
However, they never had a chance to ask because she disappeared before they could meet the next day.