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Serenity smiled, took the proffered hand, and shook it.
“Nice to meet you too, Alyx.”
“All right, now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, what’s all this business about everything being your fault?”
Serenity wanted Jagga to hear her story too, so she took off the translator device and handed it to him. She would have given it to Grodd, but she doubted the big ukkur would understand all the details of her story. Maybe Jagga could fill him in later.
When she started talking, the words poured out of her like a flood. She confessed how much she had hated living in the encampment for the last months, how she had longed to return to Earth, despite the fact her own people had sold her to the nith like a piece of meat. So when Patrick had come along with his story about the ksh smugglers, Serenity had jumped at the chance. Little had she known it was a trick.
Even though it was disgusting and shameful, she told about Patrick’s deal with the nith. He had given them the maps of the tunnels which he had recorded using their technology, and in exchange they had offered to give him the luxury of breeding with Serenity. She explained how they had drugged her in order to make her compliant with that deal.
When she got to this part of the story, she sensed Jagga trembling with barely restrained rage. She knew he wasn’t angry at her. He was angry at Patrick. When he found out how Patrick had been brutally killed, he seemed simultaneously relieved that Serenity had not been raped and disappointed that he would not have the opportunity to kill Patrick himself.
As for the rest of the story, Serenity told it in less detail. She left out the dirty parts. Her and Hruk that first night. Grodd tasting her while she was caught in the trap. All three of them sharing her roughly by the campfire.
When she was finished, the woman named Alyx just nodded.
“Well, you’ve certainly been through an ordeal, Serenity. I guess you could say that about all the humans on this planet. We’re all survivors of the nith atrocities. But your story is especially harrowing. There’s just one thing I don’t understand.”
“What?”
“Why the hell do you think any of this is your fault?”
“If I hadn’t agreed to go with Patrick, then he—“
“Then he probably would have tried some other woman,” Alyx interrupted. “He tricked you, Serenity. He lied to you, and he preyed on your very understandable desire to get off this planet. You said you hate it here, right?”
Serenity nodded. She felt a little embarrassed to admit it, but she did hate this planet. Maybe noteverythingabout it. She like Jagga and Grodd. She liked Hruk. She liked this woman Alyx.
But there were far more things she didn’t like.
Still cradling the nursing baby in against her breast, Alyx leaned forward and whispered to Serenity in a conspiratorial tone.
“You want to know a little secret? I hate it here too.”
“Really?” Serenity gasped.
“Yup. I hate the nith. I hate how there are dangerous predators lurking around every corner. I don’t care much for this hard and primitive way of life. But you know what? I wouldn’t leave even if I had the chance.”
She looked down at her nursing baby and stroked the little head whorled with fine hairs.
“I hate this planet, but I’m trying my best to make it a place my children will love.”
She reached out her free arm, and one of her mates helped her stand up. Serenity stood up too.
“Come here,” Alyx said, “I want to show you something.”
Serenity followed Alyx across the small room to the charcoal map on the far wall. Jagga and Grodd were right behind her.
“This is the map of the underground tunnels leading into this canyon.” Serenity said. “Basically the same map that sorry excuse for a man sold to the nith. The map is not complete, of course. Many of these bigger tunnels extend outward for hundreds of miles. Some of them even connect to other canyon encampments like this one. We’ve already sent our fastest young ukkur messengers to warn the other tribes. But I suspect the brunt of the nith invasion will be focused here. And that will be the nith’s downfall. Look…”
Serenity gestured to the three biggest corridors branching off of the main canyon.
“These are the widest tunnels. Those are the ones the nith will use for their invasion.”
“How can you be sure?” Serenity asked.
“Trust me. I’ve been at war with these scum for years now. I know the rotten bastards better than they know themselves. And if there is one thing you can rely on when it comes to the nith, it’s their innate laziness. They always follow the path of least resistance. In the case of the invasion, it will be these three tunnels. I’m sure of it.”
