Chapter Nine: Sara
As soon as Sara and Tom were onboard, Flanard had Tom arrested. Sara braced herself, expecting a severe dressing-down before she, too, was thrown in the brig. The colonel was Aphrosian, deceptively slender-boned with skin the color of a robin's egg. They were among the strongest species in the galaxy, despite their lean frames. They also had a reputation of taking no nonsense. It was why Sara had picked the species to masquerade as.
"Welcome back, Lieutenant," the colonel said instead. "I am glad to see you alive and well."
Sara's brows rose.
"We've been looking for you ever since we got word of your abduction. The T'shav has some nerve, taking a Corps officer as a hostage."
So that was how her actions were being reported? Sara swallowed hard, nodding. If she admitted that she had had the chance to return to her post and instead stayed with Tom, she would be put in the brig along with him. And where would that put their mission? Could she trust him with what they were doing?
"Report to the med bay for a checkup and then come to my ready room to begin your debriefing," Flanard said. He offered Sara a small smile. "It's good to have you back, lieutenant."
Sara nodded at him. The checkup would include scans, which always posed a risk to revealing her identity, but they would be surface scans. As long as they didn't penetrate into her DNA, it would be fine. She saluted the Colonel and let the petty officer assigned as her escort guide her towards the medical bay.
***
When Flanard sat her down for the debriefing, Sara stared at the probes that buzzed around her head, recording her from every angle. She remembered that in these situations the recordings were analyzed by professionals to assess the honesty of the individual. So there was really no point in lying.
"Take your time," Flanard said, sitting across the table from her. "I'm sure it was a traumatic experience."
"Actually, it wasn't traumatic at all,"
Flanard's brows creased. "I have heard of cases where the individual taken hostage begins to identify with their captor."
"That's not what's happening here. Tom never took me hostage."
"Tom." The colonel leaned back in his chair, looking even more confused. "The individual you are traveling with is in our records as Bond. A rather nasty sheet—"
"His name is Tom," Sara interrupted. "He has been going by Bond to keep his mission secret. He was hired by the Ruziers Corporation to retrieve a ship going at light speed full of humans in stasis and bring them back to the core, where they can be awoken and put into a sanctuary, to help them adjust to the shock and protect them from less than savory individuals."
Flanard's eyes widened. "Holy burnt stars!"
Sara had never heard that particular phrase before and stared back at the colonel, hoping that she had made the right call.
"How many humans are there?"
"I'm uncertain of the exact numbers, but it seems to be at least a minimum viable population. I thought it was my duty to aid his mission. Those humans need to be brought back to the core."
Flanard nodded slowly. "Yes… yes, of course. They are of the utmost importance. This could signify a great financial windfall for the United Species."
"Windfall?" Sara stuttered, her heartrate spiking. "Humans aren't just some sort of product. They're sentient beings that deserve respect."
Flanard stood and paced from one end of the ready room to the other, seemingly ignoring her. Sara's hands clenched under the table. Had she just made a terrible mistake that would severely cost her fellow humans in that ship? She should have just kept her mouth shut! But how else could she have begun convincing the colonel to release Tom?
"Sir, I did not abandon my duties to the core so that these humans could end up being sold like lab rats!"
"Of course not." The colonel turned back to her. "And I'm not suggesting that the United Species will treat them as such. But just imagine the possibilities! That many humans—"
"Deserve their sanctuary, where they can live in peace and try to build a new civilization for themselves."
"Humans never had civilization. They could hardly manage light speed."
A well of anger rose up in Sara. She got to her feet and shook her head. "All of the alien species living today evolved from humans. And the ones that we find in these light speed containers most likely were probably from before space travel. But that doesn't mean they didn't have civilization, with government and laws, social boundaries, culture."
"Lieutenant—"
"I know because I am human."
Flanard stopped dead. "Excuse me?"
"I'm human." Sara raised her chin. "Do you have any idea what it's like to be terrified that if you're discovered, you'll end up in a laboratory? A human sanctuary needs to be built, and those humans need to be allowed to live their lives without that constant fear!"
"Human." Flanard shook his head. "Well, that explains how you're pregnant with a T'shav baby."
Sara felt like she had been punched in the chest. She couldn’t breathe. Her mouth fell open, but she couldn’t get the words out. Pregnant? She had known there was a risk, but it had been so long since her cycle… she hadn't really thought that it would be possible anymore…
"You weren't aware that you carried his child?"
Sara mutely shook her head.
"Our scans indicate you're three standard weeks pregnant. You are aware of Corps policy as far as hybrid babies go, yes?" Flanard's voice had become gentle.
Ice flooded Sara's veins. Humans were the only species that could carry hybrid babies to term. Any attempts between the other species to have a mixed-heritage baby always ended in miscarriages, stillbirths, or babies born with horrible deformities that only survived for a few hours. Most often the mothers also died from trying to carry the babies to term.
And so it was Corps policy that as soon as a hybrid pregnancy was discovered in its ranks, the pregnancy was either terminated or the mother ejected from the Corps. It was proclaimed to be for their own safety.
"I'm human. I can carry the baby safely to term."
"And as humans have only recently come to our attention, there is no exceptions made for them."
It was too new. She needed time to think, to decide what she wanted. Closing her eyes, she swallowed hard and nodded. "I need time to decide whether I will end the pregnancy or tender my resignation."
"Understood. I will have you taken to your quarters."
Sara felt numb as she followed her escort. He chatted blithely, completely unaware of her turmoil. What was she going to do? Did she tell Tom, or did she keep it to herself until she decided? Did she want to be responsible for a child, another living being? Where would her career be if she decided to keep it? And where would she be? Military life was all she knew, could she even get a job as a civilian?
"And our brig is just one floor down," her escort said, his constant chatter bringing Sara out of her thoughts.
The brig?
Tom.
Well, there was certainly one thing that she could be absolutely certain mattered, that she knew she needed to do. Those humans on that ship needed to be brought in by someone who would make sure that they would be safe and be able to live their lives.
Before the thought was even fully solidified in her mind, Sara had grabbed the petty officer in a chokehold. The little alien squirmed, attempting to fight her off, but she held on tightly, cutting off his air. Soon he slumped. Her heart was in her mouth as Sara laid him down and relieved him of his weapons. The brig was right below them, and she had a jailbreak to complete.
Well, I guess this solves one problem, she thought grimly as she took off, running as hard as she could. After this, my career is definitely over.