The Arrival: A Sci-Fi Alien Warrior Paranormal Romance (19 page)

"Do you have to call him that?"

"Yes," Kaleth replied, lifting an eyebrow. "He tried to kill me. I assumed he'd have a sword pointed at my face as soon as I walked through the door."

If Sorrin had been there, then that was actually a safe assumption. Abby sighed. "He's not here."

"What do you mean, he's not here? I thought he was determined to become your shadow. Why anyone would want to get that close to a human is beyond me."

"Thanks, Kaleth," Abby said dryly. "And it's just what I said. He's not here. He's..."

"He found out, didn't he?"

Abby didn't even bother to try to hide it. She dropped her head and nodded. "I told him."

"You told him?" Kaleth sounded incredulous. "Even knowing what his reaction would be? Why would you do that?"

"Because he deserved to know," Abby said, shrugging a shoulder. "If he's going to risk his life to do this, then he deserved to know. And I wouldn't want...I wouldn't have wanted things to continue if they were just built on lies."

Kaleth looked at her and then shook her head. "I do not understand humans. Or barbarians. Will he still fight?"

Abby nodded. "He will. This was his fight before it was ours."

"Then I suppose that is all that matters." She hesitated for a moment and then sighed. "The Caran is not someone to lightly make an enemy of, and we have both done it. You do know this will end poorly, do you not? If we do not defeat her, then she will kill us all."

Abby nodded again. She knew. Oh, she knew. "Yes," she said. "But there's no other choice."

Kaleth inclined her head. "Then we will continue as planned."

Yes. They would.

Chapter Thirteen: Fight

The thing about dulling your feelings was that it allowed you to see some things with more clarity and others became hazy with your neglect. Sorrin knew this, probably better than anyone at this point. He’d dulled some feelings and heightened others until he wasn’t sure what he was seeing clearly anymore and what was just happening to him, but he did know one thing for sure, and that was that the Camadors had to be stopped.

Everything was in place. The reinforcements from Halphia and the other Senators had arrived, and everyone was on edge, waiting to see what would happen next. They were armed and armored in the way that used to be second nature to Sorrin, and it was so strange to form up with them, just like he had in the old days.

It was an odd sense of living a moment more than once, though he was on a different end of it now, standing in line while someone else delivered the motivational speech and rallied everyone together.

Halphia found his eyes as she stood next to her new commander, the one who had replaced him, and Sorrin let her look at his face. He imagined that he looked tired, perhaps weary, but there wasn’t much he could do about that. Sorrin just wanted this to be done.

He hadn’t had much time to talk to his old friend since she’d been here. This wasn’t a social visit, after all. She’d come with a purpose, and Sorrin meant to see this through to the end. There would, ideally, be time to talk later, but he was more than a little aware that this could be the last time he ever saw her.

Halphia was too valuable to send into battle. Especially this battle, so she wouldn’t be going in with them, and that was of some comfort.

Now, if only he knew where Abby was.

Sorrin was angry with her, yes. He was angrier than he thought he could be at someone for something like that, but there was still a very large part of him that didn’t want her to get hurt. He knew she would be here for the battle. The grudge she held against the Camadors was real, and it was strong. They’d taken things from her, different things than they’d taken from him, of course, but still. She had reason to want to see them destroyed.

And she had a role to play in this plan. When Halphia had asked if she would be leading the humans out of the city, Sorrin had simply inclined his head. He knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt that Abby would still do her job here.

So he told himself that he didn’t need to worry about it, even though that was, as Abby was so fond of saying, easier said than done.

He forced his thoughts away from her and turned his attention back to the rousing speech from the commander, trying to feel the motivation he was trying to impart. Sorrin remembered how the words from the man up front could make even the most fearful new recruit suddenly believe in themselves. He remembered giving those speeches himself back when things were different, trying to get fired up for the fight. He remembered the one he gave before the battle with the Camadors four years ago.

Sorrin stepped forward.

“I’d like to say something.”

The current commander looked confused until he recognized Sorrin, but he looked to Halphia for guidance. Halphia nodded her head graciously. “Of course, Sorrin. After all, you were there the last time.”

People began to murmur amongst themselves as he stepped out of the ranks and made his way to the front of the lines. Now that he was up there, all the words he’d thought of saying flew out of his head, and he just looked for a moment. Much like the squad he had commanded, the warriors here were from all walks of life. Different clans were represented, different races. Some he recognized from being native to the Independent colonies, such as they were, and some that had to have come from further reaches of the galaxy, brought together by their dedication to a cause.

They were all so fresh faced, so young looking. He knew that they’d passed all the same tests that he had to get to this point, and that they were trained as well as they could be, but Sorrin also knew that sometimes that wasn’t enough, and that was what he wanted to tell them.

“My name is Sorrin,” he said finally. “And like Senator Halphia said, I was at the attack on the Camadors four years ago. In fact, I led the attack on the Camadors four years ago. I stood in a position very much like this one, and I gave a rousing speech very much like the one your commander just gave. I wanted my people to be at their best. I wanted them on fire with the need to see this battle to the end. I wanted them to believe they could do it. And in the end, that was where everything went wrong. You see, those of us who have been in charge, we stand here and we tell you that you have to fight, that you have to win, that victory is the only condition that matters. I’m not going to stand here and say that they’re wrong, that
we’re
wrong, but there is something else to consider. Survival. Caution. Going back home to your families at the end of the fight. You can give something your all and still die. You can think you know everything about an opponent and still be surprised by the outcome. Nothing is certain. I don’t say this to send you in with fear, but with knowledge. Four years ago, we fought the Camadors and very few of us lived. We thought we knew everything we needed to know and that our strength was enough, but it wasn’t. So just remember that caution is as worthy as valor, and I hope to see you all on the other side of this.”

He blinked, surprised that he’d spoken so much. Halphia put a comforting hand on his shoulder, and he went to take his place back in the lines, not looking at the others. Sorrin didn’t want to see pity on their faces. He just wanted to get this done.

The lines moved out. Halphia fell into step with Sorrin as they moved, and she leaned in close to him. "I'm proud of you, you know," she murmured as they walked.

Sorrin didn't look at her, just smiled shortly. "You shouldn't be."

Halphia didn't argue, and Sorrin could imagine the serene smile that would be on her face. For someone who loved peace as much as she did, she was surprisingly comfortable in times of war. She marched in the lines like she belonged there, and Sorrin was proud of her, too.

"We'll have the element of surprise," she remarked next.

"I hope so." His mind was on Abby and her betrayal, however reluctant. If the Camadors had been watching her, then there was a chance that they knew their entire plan and this would end badly.

"You don't think so?"

Sorrin turned his head and looked into those too perceptive eyes. She wanted his honest opinion, and she also knew something was going on. Something more than what he was saying. But she wasn't going to press him for the information, and he was pleased about that.

"We'll be fine," he said finally.

The floating city loomed in the distance, the sun reflecting on the shiny metal dome at the bottom. The ladder was still there, leading up into the city, and it was just like them to leave it there, a testament to their arrogance. For one wild moment, Sorrin felt like he had four years ago. He wanted to climb that ladder rashly and burst in, his gun in one hand, sword in the other. But he was older now, and he had learned better, so he made himself stay with the group.

The guards were on the wall, as usual, and it was they who had captured Sorrin the last time he had attempted to gain entry into their city. Now they had a plan for them.

There were five in all, spread out in intervals around the circular wall that guarded the city proper. The commander lifted a hand, and five of the best snipers the colonies had to offer slunk off into their positions. One sniper for each guard.

They'd discussed this, of course. Each guard had to fall at the same time. If one fell before the others, then they would sound the alarm, and it would all be ruined. Caution, Sorrin thought. It was of the essence here.

The commander lifted his hand higher, and no one dared to make a sound. None of the guards had a good view of the ground from up there, and they mostly just watched the perimeter. One of the things about being unbearably arrogant was that it made it hard to imagine that anyone could break through and gain entrance into the city.

Hopefully they were going to show them the price of that mistake.

No one breathed it seemed until the commander lowered his hand in a downward slash that was the cue for the snipers to fire. Their shots were already lined up, fingers on the triggers of their guns, and no sooner had the commander dropped his hand than the blasts went off, silent and deadly streaking towards their targets in jets of silvery green energy.

The impacts made no sound either, but one by one the guards fell, holes burned into their chests.

No one moved for several seconds, waiting to see if there would be any sort of alarm raised from someone seeing what had just happened. When it was all silent, they moved to phase two of the plan.

"We're going in in waves," the commander said. "First line, then second, then third. Take out anyone you see, no questions asked. There are prisoners here, humans, and who knows what else. Getting them out is not our priority."

Sorrin frowned, but then a cleared throat caught his attention. He turned, and the sight of a Camador woman standing there nearly made them all reach for their weapons. Sorrin recognized her just as Abby stepped around her, hands lifted.

"It's alright," she said. "Kaleth is a friend."

The so named Kaleth snorted. "You assume much, human."

Abby rolled her eyes, and it was such an Abby thing that it momentarily made Sorrin ache. She looked...different. There had always been something heavy and worn about her, ever since the moment they met, even though she tried her best to deflect it with humor and bravado. Now it was worse. She looked somehow thinner, and her eyes were bloodshot and heavy, dark circles ringing them as if she hadn't been sleeping. It had only been a week since the last time he'd seen her, and he wanted to pull her closer and demand to know why she wasn't taking care of herself.

Instead, he focused on the plan.

"There are reinforcements coming," Abby was saying, and if she was nervous to speak in front of a veritable army of aliens, she didn't show it. "Kaleth and I will go up with one of your lines and rescue the prisoners."

"We won't be able to protect you," the commander said, visibly dismissive of Abby, more than likely because she was a human.

"That is fine," Kaleth said, and her voice was melodious as always, but sharp. "I can protect her and the others just fine."

"And why should we trust you?"

For a moment, Sorrin thought the words had come out of his own mouth.

Kaleth shrugged. "She trusts me," she said, pointing to Abby. "And I do not want to see my people rule this planet. That is all you need to know."

"It's okay," Abby said. "She's on our side."

And whose side are
you
on?
Sorrin thought, but he kept his mouth closed.

"Have it your way," the commander said. "You'll go in with the second and third lines. First line, move."

The warriors in the front saluted, and Sorrin saw that they were the most experienced, the strongest and best with their weapons. They were the first wave, the ones who would break through any defenses the Camadors might have. The second wave was more of the newer warriors, the ones who were getting their legs for the first time and who might not have seen battles like this before. The third was a mix of the two, ready to clean up any messes. Sorrin was in the third line, and he was ready.

Up and up they climbed, hand over hand on the strange metallic ladder. The sounds of fighting could already be heard from above, and Sorrin's heart was pounding as he moved. Somewhere behind him was Abby, climbing with them, ready to throw herself into danger to save people. To try and make things right.