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“I am worried that he has proof of our romance and is trying to use that to have me removed from my position. I don’t think anyone in leadership or in the government would care that I have found someone new to be romantic with, but our society is not as open as it could be, and I can’t be completely sure about that.”
“I understand that, and if you need me to back off romantically for a while, I can temporarily go back to just taking care of Cian and Triat.”
“I don’t want to ask that of you because we just started to get past our cultural differences, but I may need to ask it for now, at least.”
“Done. No need to discuss it further. I am going to settle in for the evening, and if you need my help with the children, let me know.”
He spent the rest of the evening prepping the children for bed and reading them stories. He had left for the office the next day before anyone woke and prepared to meet with his military chiefs. He welcomed his men into his office one by one and set them around the table.
“Thank you, gentlemen, for joining me this morning. This argument with Kiek seems to be getting out of hand, and I need your help ending this before it gets much worse.”
“We are here to help any way we can, sir. So far, we haven’t heard anything from him. He hasn’t been anywhere near our planet since before the last summit.”
“I am willing to bet that will change soon. We just need to be ready for anything at this point.”
“We have been running planetary protective drills all week in our annual training programs, but we can maintain them for another week as an added measure.”
“That would definitely help. Thank you for offering that as a suggestion. What about you, Ku’qang? You were particularly quiet during the call yesterday as well.”
“Sir? I am generally quiet. I am mostly taking note of the situation and preparing mentally for anything my men may need to contribute to the cause.”
“Of course. Of course. I have noticed how quiet you have been in the past during our meetings as well.” He was growing more suspicious of Ku’qang every day and had started to pick up on subtle changes in his attitude since the summit.
“We have sent a schedule to your message box for the security of your home, sir. Please review it and let me know if that works for you.”
“Thank you. I don’t think I have anything else to discuss with you all at this time, but I will call upon you again if we need to meet.”
He saw the chiefs out of his office and spent the rest of the afternoon reviewing the schedule in his box. After ensuring that everything was in order, he created a copy to take home and give it to Mia so she could help him keep an eye on the guards as well.
SEVENTEEN
MIA
Mia sat in her and Tharon’s shared bedroom, reminiscing and recovering from the spectacular holiday they’d just had. The weather was getting cooler, quite like a brisk autumn day on Earth, and it made her feel a little nostalgic for home. She decided to turn on the fireplace. It soon bloomed into sea glass green swarmed with laces of crimson.
She smiled down at it. Heat began to emanate, and she made herself cozy on the bed. There were a few things on her list that she could be doing, but she knew that Tharon really wouldn’t mind. He was seeing to work matters, and because the children had gone to visit friends, she was hoping he would return for a little afternoon delight…
Mia was jolted out of the bed and her daydreams by a sound that she thought had traveled over space and time from her planet … gunfire.
It cut through the quiet of the estate, with yelling and screaming following. She launched herself from the bed and peered out the window that looked out over the front lawn and driveway.
Men were fighting, some with fists, some with guns. Multiple vehicles had driven in, smashing into the front door and buckling it inward, while aliens who looked just like Tharon leapt out, advancing on the house with what looked like a battering ram and holding weapons that were larger than the average handgun.
“Mia!”
She heard his voice from what felt like lightyears away. She even wondered for a second if it was actually in her mind. The estate was large, and his office was all the way on the opposing end from where she stood. She ran for him but soon heard the stomping of feet and splitting sounds of bullets as the attackers infiltrated the building.
Mia’s hand lingered on the doorknob, the crash of the front door below thundering and terrifying. She heard a few familiar voices from below. It was the men who were assigned as personal house guards, but not as many as she had initially observed. He was, after all, a military commander. Who else would have such access to protection?
“Fuck,” she grunted.
Mia bolted the door shut with the futuristic locks, which were really just a high-tech version of a normal lock. She slammed her fist against a button, then came a swift sliding sound. Alarms blared overhead while sirens swirled, alerting the estate and everyone else within that they were under attack.
“Stations. Stations,” a calm, robotic voice relayed. “Code Magenta.”
The alarm was a high-pitched shriek, and Mia clapped her hands over her ears. She heard more gunfire and bodies thudding to the ground. She began to panic when the footsteps moved to her section, wishing in her frantic state that she had been prepped for such an event.
They had weapons on their planet, but based on the brief glance she had given the men outside before they managed their way inside, they were nothing like the spaghetti Westerns and war films back home.
