16. Chapter 15

General Duncan laid out a map on the long table in the main hall. She pointed to the mountains around Assan Keep. “And this is Harkniss Keep, where Team 1 was stationed. We’ll contact them first.”

General Duncan’s first lieutenant, Colonel Torrence, bent over to get a closer look. “Aren’t Commander Cooper and her family still there?”

General Duncan set her jaw. “You aren’t to consider Commander Cooper or her family in your plans. Moira Flannery disappeared on the planet, too, and you’re not to consider her, either. Go ahead with our agenda. Don’t deviate from it without express orders from me.”

Colonel Torrence straightened up. “Yes, Ma’am.”

General Duncan pointed to the northern areas on the map. “We know there are several more Keeps here. We’ll move our force into these plains to counter any resistance.”

“How could they resist when they don’t know we’re coming?” Colonel Torrence asked. “No one beyond this Keep knows we’re on the planet. The other Clans consider us peaceful.”

“Hopefully, we can keep it that way,” General Duncan replied, “but I’m not taking any chances. Make sure our force is powerful enough to send a strong message to anybody who might object to our presence. Do you understand?”

“Yes, Ma’am. Should we take a portion of this force to secure the northern areas, or should we wait for the rest of the landing party.”

“The rest of the landing party will arrive in approximately five hours. We can spare roughly half this force to secure the north. Go now. When you have the force on the ground and in position, come back here for further orders. I’ll take the new arrivals in hand. We won’t lose any coverage down here while you’re away.”

“Yes, Ma’am.”

Colonel Torrence left the hall, and General Duncan turned to Jasmine. “You and your team had your chance to study the Krataks in their native environment. Now you can withdraw.”

“None of us wants to withdraw,” Jasmine countered. “I’m sorry, General. I don’t mean to be insubordinate. We’ve had a matter of days to complete the studies that should have taken a year to complete. Some of the information we came here to collect could prove valuable to the Allies in the future. Dr. Simons, for example, has yet to complete even a cursory medical examination of one Kratak or take blood samples. The rest of us also have good reason to remain behind.”

General Duncan fixed a withering glare on her. “I don’t like this at all. This is the second time I’ve recalled you and you’ve refused.”

“I understand, General. Please. Just give us a few more days at the least. We also have some relevant information coming our way related to the construction of these Keeps. You might find that information useful, should you need to invade one of them.”

General Duncan let air puff through her nose. “Well, the information you describe does sound useful. Very well. You and your team may stay on the planet, but be prepared to withdraw at any moment. If this business escalates faster than we expect, I want you well out of the way.”

“Yes, Ma’am.”

General Duncan turned back to her map. “We’ll make Assan Keep our base of operations. As far as we know, this and Harkniss Keep are the only Keeps with large open spaces around them for landing ships and supplies. It’s the perfect launching place to secure our position on this planet.”

Jasmine watched General Duncan’s finger trace its way over the map. This planet was nothing more than a logistical challenge to the Allies and hard-nosed officers like the General. Jasmine knew exactly how they thought.

General Duncan looked up at her. “Did you hear what I just said, Jasmine?”

“Sorry, General. I was thinking of something else.”

“I asked if you learned anything about the Krataks’ defenses since you’ve been here.”

Jasmine shrugged. She couldn’t exactly tell the General the Krataks were dragons who could incinerate the Allies ships with one puff of their fiery breath. What would happen when the Allies finally figured out exactly what they were up against? This planet wouldn’t be such an easy conquest after all.

They never would find out, either, unless someone on the team spilled the beans. Who would do that? Jasmine had to get back to her friends fast. She had to convince them to keep the Krataks’ secret as long as possible.

Jasmine herself fought back the urge to divulge everything she knew to the General. Turning against her own people proved a lot harder than she anticipated. Whose side was she really on? Why did she cling to the dwindling hope that she could go back to the way things used to be?

She could never go back to the way things used to be. She could never be the person she was when she landed on this planet. She sank her roots into this planet, and the planet sank its roots into her. She’d gambled everything by telling the Krataks the truth about the Allies’ intentions. She couldn’t go back if she wanted to.

General Duncan turned away from the table. “I realize you’ve only been on this planet a short time, and you’re a biologist, not a strategist. Don’t worry. We can get that information somewhere else.”

Another voice echoed across the room. “You wanted to see me, General?”

Jasmine spun around to see Rex stride into the hall. He smiled at Jasmine.

“Thank you for coming, Rex. I was just asking Jasmine about the Krataks’ defenses, but she couldn’t tell me anything. Maybe you discovered something that could benefit us in our efforts.”

Jasmine stared at Rex in horror. This scene came out of her worst nightmares. Rex would tell General Duncan everything. He would tell her the Krataks were dragons. He would tell her about the Ulasso having technology that could combat the Allies invasion. He would leave the Krataks utterly exposed.

To top it all off, Rex would surely tell General Duncan that Jasmine knew the truth all along. He would betray her as a traitor to her people. He would destroy her along with the Krataks. That’s how he would get his revenge for her spurning him.

Well, at least she tried. She would go down fighting this insidious force. She would do everything she could to preserve Kratak and the people she grew to care so much about. She gambled, and she lost.

Rex cast a casual glance at Jasmine before he answered. “None of us has seen much of the Krataks’ defenses. They’ve been busy preparing an assault against another Clan, and they’ve kept all their preparations and armaments locked in the basement somewhere. They say they don’t want civilians underfoot.”

General Duncan nodded. “That makes sense. We may be able to exploit their internal conflicts to our advantage.”

“For some reason none of us can divine,” Rex went on, “they have been extremely tight-lipped about their defenses. No one seems to know much about the Keep’s construction, but if you saw their archives room, you would understand this is a matter of extremely inefficient record-keeping. I don’t see any deliberate planning to confound us.”

“Good. Better and better. Anything else?”

Jasmine held her breath while Rex went on in his same nonchalant tone. “These people don’t have any weapons or defenses we need to worry about. As you know, they have only primitive technology. They’re the perfect chattel race.”

“That’s what I thought.” General Duncan waved her hand. “Thank you, Rex. You are both dismissed.”

Jasmine followed Rex out of the hall. They strolled side by side to the front entrance where they could gaze down at all the soldiers buzzing around the Keep. Jasmine could barely form the words to ask. “Why didn’t you tell her?”

Rex didn’t look at her. “Hmm?”

Jasmine confronted him. “You’re the Allies man on the ground here. General Duncan called on you to tell her everything you know about the Krataks’ defenses. Why didn’t you tell her the truth? You didn’t tell her about the Krataks being dragons, and you didn’t tell her about the Ulasso. Why?

He turned his languid eyes on her. “Do you really have to ask that? I did it for you, Jasmine.”

“Me!” Her hand flew to her heart. “Why for me?”

“Do you think I don’t see how attached you are to these people? You’ve given everything to preparing them for this moment. Do you think I would blow that out of the water?”

Jasmine’s mind raged in turmoil. “But I thought you would want to get me back for rejecting you. I thought you would tell the General everything I’d done since we got here. I thought you would expose me along with the Krataks.”

He shook his head and clucked his tongue. “You don’t understand, do you? I still love you, even though you don’t care for me anymore. I would crush you if I told. I couldn’t do that. Maybe now you’ll understand what you mean to me.”

Jasmine choked back sobs, but they wouldn’t break free. “I had no idea you felt that way about me, Rex. I had no idea.”

He compressed his lips. “It doesn’t make any difference, though, does it? Your feelings for me won’t change. Not even knowing will change you now. You’re part of this planet.”

“I’m sorry, Rex. I’m sorry I can’t feel the same way about you. I really wish I could.”

“Don’t wish that. Someone else has already claimed you. Don’t deny it.”

Jasmine cast her eyes to the ground. “Is it that obvious?”

He chuckled. “It’s been obvious since you first walked in the door. Are you sure Rocor’s the right guy for you?”

“I don’t know about that, but I can’t turn away from him. Now more than ever, the Krataks need me. I have to throw my lot in with them. I didn’t choose this. It just sort of happened to me.”

He turned away. “I understand that, but it just sort of happened to me, too. I never wanted anyone but you, and I’ll never have you.”

“Isn’t there anything I can do to make it up to you?”

“You’ll never love me again, will you?”

She shook her head, but she couldn’t look at him. “I’m sorry. We can never be more than friends.”

“Then you can be happy. I don’t want anything but to see you happy. If you can’t love me, that’s all you can do for me.”

“I won’t be happy until the Allies abandon this planet for good. I can’t rest until Kratak is free.”

He stole a glance at her. “Then maybe we can be more than friends. Maybe we can be allies. What do you say?”

Jasmine’s eyes flew open. “Do you mean it? Would you really help me protect this planet?”

“If that’s the best gift I can give you, I’ll do it.”

She threw her arms around him and kissed his neck. “Thank you so much, Rex. I do love you for this.”

His cheeks colored, and he pushed her away. “Stop that. If Rocor saw you doing that, he would break my neck.”

She couldn’t stop laughing. “Thank you so much, Rex. You don’t know what this means to me.”

“Of course, I do. That’s why I’m doing it.”

Jasmine stood back. “This is great. What should we do first?”

He grinned at her. “You’re in charge here. You tell me.”

She looped her hand through his elbow. “I’m so delighted, I don’t know what to say. I never thought I could get you with us. You’re the best thing to happen to us in a long time.”

He cocked his head. “Us?”

She waved her hand. “You know what I mean. Just tell me one thing. Did you really change your mind because of me?”

“Well, you’ve been arguing so passionately about this for days. You’ve done everything you could to convince everybody. You convinced Freya, and now you’ve convinced everybody else, including me. If Kratak means that much to you, maybe it really is worth saving after all.”

They strolled arm in arm back inside the Keep. “Do you know something? I’ve been thinking a lot lately about Fawks.”

“What about him? He tried to kill us.”

“Maybe he did, but he also saved us. I still haven’t figured out why, but maybe it doesn’t matter. If Freya can put aside several hundred years of hostility to make peace with them, maybe the Ulasso will do the same thing. Maybe they’ll let bygones be bygones and help the other Clans defend the planet. Maybe the Ulasso will give the rest of Kratak a fighting chance.”

“Maybe,” he replied. “There’s just one little problem. We’ll have to convince the other Clans to accept the Ulassos’ help.”