Chapter 9

Kat’Chinna was torn. More torn that she’d ever been in her life. Her commanding officer was ordering her to kill the prisoner, a man she’d just allowed to make love to her with his hot mouth. Events were spiraling out of her control, and she knew she had only seconds to make a decision.

The human’s words made sense, when she considered them, but at the same time, years of following the major’s orders made her hesitate. If she was wrong, if she disobeyed a direct order, her career was finished.

But the real danger was bigger than her career. If she made the wrong choice now, her entire planet could be at risk.

Kat watched as Major Ontarii brutally kicked the captive. She felt as if the blow had hit her instead of the human.

Could she risk it all, now, to save a man she’d known for only hours? She’d always trusted her C.O. before without a doubt or hesitation. But would the Major Ontarii she knew behave in this savage?

The major had always kept his cool before, in the face of any threat. Although he was strong and sure, he’d never been hotheaded. She’d seen him fight, had seen him take down opponents before. But there had never been any joy at their demise. Major Ontarii was doing his job, nothing more.

This was different. The grin on her major’s face said that he was enjoying inflicting pain on his prisoner.

Her emotions were rising beyond her careful control. Without warning, her bioelectricity surged over her skin in waves.

“That’s it, Lieutenant,” she heard Major Ontarii say. “Finish this.”

Kat’Chinna wasn’t sure that she had the power to finish anything. The blast she’d hit Jeffrey with to end their dalliance had drained some of her reserves and it would take time to replenish them. Still, she had enough power to send a shock through someone.

But whom? Kat risked a glance at the human. His eyes were closed, his mouth a tight white line.

Could I do it? Could I kill him, to save my planet?

Major Ontarii turned to her, his face filled with rage. “Fucking finish him!” he shouted.

Kat could feel the energy filling her. It was time to make a choice.

“I’ll have your uniform for this,” Major Ontarii said. “You’ll face a full court martial and will be lucky to come away with your life for such gross insubordination.”

The major turned back to the helpless human, his fists balling. He leaned into the human, about to deliver the final blows that would end the confrontation once and for all.

It was time to choose. Kat prayed that she made the right choice.

Charging up her bioelectricity, she extended her hand and made a decision.

The electricity arched from her hand and into the major, stopping him cold, filling him with bright white light.

Major Ontarii groaned, his face spasming. Then his body began to change.

Because she didn’t have her full powers, she could only send a medium-level charge through him. But it was enough for his shape to destabilize.

Major Ontarii began to lose definition. Kat knew then that the commander of the Zantharian flagship had been replaced with a Hareema plant.

She wondered if she had enough charge to finish him off. She pulled on all of her reserves, about to deliver the biggest blast she could.

“Wait!”

Her eyes flew to the human. Jeffrey was crawling toward her. “Hold that charge. Don’t blast him to oblivion yet.”

“It’s protocol,” she answered. “Take out the threat immediately.”

“You’ve got a damn Hareema prisoner. Doesn’t it make sense to take him prisoner and find out what he knows? Don’t waste this opportunity by following your foolish protocols.”

Once again, the human’s words made sense. It was an opportunity to find out what the enemy knew. Even if he wouldn’t talk, Zantharian scientists could determine what advances the Hareema had made that had allowed them to slip past Zantharian defenses.

She watched as the creature before her vibrated. Its form still resembled the major, but it was blurry. Like a reflection in a mirror coated with steam.

Its mouth started to move, and Kat had to strain to hear what it said.

“It’s too late. There are more of us than you could ever imagine.”

Kat recoiled, almost losing her hold on her bioelectricity.

“What did he say to you?” Jeffrey asked, pulling himself to his feet beside her.

“He said there were more of them.”

“More,” Jeffrey said, standing as close as he could to the creature without getting shocked. “Here on the ship?”

The Hareema laughed, the sound coming out more like a sick gurgle. “On the ship. On her world. On yours.”

Jeffrey frowned. “Who are they?”

The creature just laughed again, then doubled over, collapsing under the constant current. It seemed the time for talking was over.

“I won’t be able to hold this forever,” she warned her human companion. “I wasted some of my reserves when I zapped you.”

“It’s okay,” Jeffrey said, putting a hand to his side, no doubt at a tinge from one of the many bruises hidden by his flight suit. “Just hold it long enough for reinforcement to come.”
He limped over to the console. “Tell me what buttons to push to call your soldiers.”

Kat gave him instructions as she struggled to keep her energy focused on the Hareema. Jeffrey cursed over the console but at last a Zantharian face appeared.

“Get your asses down here,” he shouted. “We’re under Hareema attack!”
“What are you doing, prisoner?” the officer asked. “Where is Lieutenant Kat’Chinna?”

“She’s keeping the goddamn Hareema occupied while I get help. So order your men down here immediately.”

It didn’t seem as if the Zantharian officer was impressed. She could hear Jeffrey sputtering at him, but the officer still delayed.

“Chief, send a team down here on the double,” she yelled, hoping he would hear her voice and respond. “We don’t have long before the Hareema escapes. Hurry!”

“Fuck!” Jeffrey shouted.

“What?” she said, unable to turn away from the prisoner to find out what was happening at the console.

“The fucking screen went black,” he swore, slumping over the powered-down console.

Kat frowned. Would they send men in time? She hoped so. Then a dark thought entered her mind. What if another Hareema had answered the call? There could be more than the major’s replacement on the ship. Would the enemy send reinforcements in place of her own men?

“We don’t have much time,” she groaned, using all of her power to keep the current flowing through the prisoner.

The Hareema continued to vibrate, the melting form of Major Ontarii showing signs of restabilizing. The creature began to smile, and she knew it would soon be too late.

“You can do it.”

Jeffrey had pulled himself over to her, and he held his hand out, about to touch her.

“Don’t!” she shouted. If he touched her, he would deflect some of her current into himself, draining it off of the major and perhaps allowing the Hareema to escape.

Jeffrey recoiled as if slapped, hurt apparent in his face. She opened her mouth to explain, hoping to wipe that look away, when the sound of the membrane opening drew her attention.

“Get back!” One of the Zantharians was powering up, aiming at the human, assuming he was a danger to her.

“Stop!” she shouted. “He’s not a threat. Get over here now!”

Kat prayed that the Zantharians who had responded were not enemy soldiers in disguise. Two men rushed to her side, another two pulling the human away and holding him back from the action.

“I’ve got it frozen with my energy, but my reserves are running out!”

One of the Zantharian soldiers gasped. “Major Ontarii!”

“That’s not your commander, kid,” she heard Jeffrey say. “He’s been replaced. Now help your lieutenant hold the charge on him.”

Kat could see that both soldiers were charged up and ready with their bioelectricity. One extended his hand, his arm flashing white.

“Wait!” she ordered. “No full blast!”

“But it’s protocol,” he replied. “Take out the enemy before he can escape.”

“Not this one,” she contradicted. “We’re taking it prisoner.”

“The risk is too great,” the other soldier said, his arm extending, fully powered as well.

“I’m in command of the ship,” she said, summoning all the authority she could and filling her voice with it. “I’m giving you a direct order. You are to hit it with a medium grade current, just enough to keep it destabilized. We’re not going to destroy this one.”
“He’s a danger to our race,” the second soldier said.

“Not knowing what the enemy is planning is the real danger,” she argued. “It’s clear that they know how to get past our defenses, how to fake the energy exchange. It’s time for protocol to change.”

She could see that her words were having an effect. “Obey my order,” she said, her voice firm. “I want a current on him. Mine is almost depleted.”

The soldier closest to her nodded, holding his arm steady.

Kat breathed a sigh of relief, but tensed up again when she realized the energy transfer would be delicate. Too little current, and the Hareema might escape. Too much, and they’d blast their prisoner to bits.

“On three,” she said, nodding at the soldier. “Remember, a medium current only. Ready?”

The soldier nodded.

Kat counted, realizing that her energy was almost at its limit. “One. Two. THREE!”

Her electricity faded just as she shouted, but in that second the new current hit the Hareema. The thing with the major’s face screeched, and she saw its form continue to melt and reform, melt and reform.

“Good,” she said, slumping back against the table.

“Kat!” Jeffrey yelled, struggling against the soldiers’ holds. “Are you all right?”
“I’m fine,” she said shortly. She turned to the remaining three soldiers. “I want you to keep him under rotating current until we figure out what’s going on. You four are to stay here. I’ll send reinforcements to guard the door.”

“What about the human?” one of the men asked.

“He comes with me.”

“Begging your pardon for questioning an order, lieutenant, but how do we know he isn’t dangerous?”

Kat frowned. “He’s the one who convinced me Major Ontarii was a Hareema plant.”

The man nodded, and the soldiers released Jeffrey. He stumbled a little, then gave her a smile. “Thank you.”

She nodded. “Likewise.”

Kat headed for the door. “Time to find out where the flagship is headed.”