Alien General's Beloved: SciFi Alien Romance (Brion Brides) (21 page)

The moment was serene. Corden was propped up against the pillows on the large bed in the captain's quarters, holding a sleeping Lana in his arms. Nothing and no one had disturbed them, but it wouldn't last for long. It was better if Lana got her rest. A Terran would not last very long without sleep, but as for Corden himself... he had to act.

The facts of the situation were finally clear to him and he could see several paths that would take him to victory, but they all posed dangers. Lana was a new and unexpected factor. As were her wishes, which was a first as well.

All Brion generals served their people, but they were a naturally selfish bunch. They put their duties first, but as far as everything else went, they were power-hungry and competitive. Not one of them would be pushed aside or strayed from a course they'd already chosen. So when it came to decisions, they relied upon themselves and factored others into it as an afterthought.

But a
gesha
, that was something else. Corden could not bear the thought of anything hurting Lana, including him. That meant he had to take the fleet into consideration too. He would never have simply let them die, but now he had to go out of his way to make sure the casualties were minimal. That implied some caution that didn't come naturally to a warrior, but Corden knew he was the best man for the job. He was a planner.

To add one more variable into his estimations was nothing.

With a heavy heart and plenty of regret, he left Lana to sleep. It felt wrong to leave her alone, but there wasn't much time and the less his
gesha
knew, the better. Lana would have to feed Worgen more lies and Corden knew it would be easier if she didn't even know she was doing it.

***

Ships the size of the
Flora
were always full of contradictions.

On the one hand, they were packed with people and security, making hiding a constant game of awareness. If the person trying to remain out of sight was clumsy even for a moment, they could easily be caught. It took a lot of effort and constant awareness of one's whereabouts to stay hidden.

On the other hand, it was practically impossible for one single person to be found on a ship that could easily have doubled as a functional city on most worlds.

Corden had both things covered.

Clumsy
wasn't a word that applied to any Brion warrior, but the leaders of their armies were often credited with almost supernatural powers. They fed that intergalactic rumor with glee. It wasn't true, but it was always nice to face enemies who thought you could breathe fire.

And as for not being able to find anyone, he already knew where the person he needed was.

Sneaking onto the bridge of the carrier might have looked like a needless risk, but for a man like Corden, it was not. The task might have been difficult on another ship, but the
Flora
's bridge was a mess ever since the Brions took over.

He did a quick round of scouting first. The bridge was buzzing with life, officers coming and going, especially at a perilous time like this. The air ducts above it were a safe bet, even in full armor. Corden observed for a while, noting a few details Lana hadn't mentioned to him. The man he needed was sitting in the command chair as he was supposed to, looking worried.

There was a saying in the Union.
If a Palian looks troubled, the trouble isn't far.

The general sneaked onto the bridge with a group of delegates, slipping in after them before the doors slid shut behind them. It was dim enough there for him to be able to stand almost in sight, yet unseen by any of them. All bridges had their nooks and crannies, places that couldn't be observed without the person standing very close. Corden was very good at finding those.

He stood, motionless, amused like he always was when that happened. Brions were renowned for their fighting abilities, hailed as the greatest warriors in the galaxy. Very few ever found out how still they could be if they chose to. Brions thought it was natural. For every skill, there had to be a counter. Hiding was as much a necessity as drawing attention.

Corden was about to attempt doing both at once.

First, he had to wait. With a grin, he looked at people walking by him, but he'd known they wouldn't be able to see him. His skills were simply far beyond theirs and an intruder on the bridge wasn't something they’d expect from an enemy like the Brions, who usually announced their presence loudly.

There was another Palian on the bridge, other than the man Lana had described to him. Corden had seen the bridge commander before, but only his
gesha
's words convinced him that the Palian was someone he could trust. Or at least trust to keep his secret. The general had to wait for a while before the other Palian left, leaving only Yarel on the bridge now.

His valor squares had been broadcasting a dark, shadowy light while he waited. They pulsed a silent, vibrating tune that sent everyone coming toward him away. None of them did it knowingly; it was simple instinct to distance themselves from the noise their bodies found unsettling.

Now Corden cast out a different signal. It was common for young warriors to struggle with the crystalline squares at first, when they were not used to controlling them. They sent out everything the warrior felt, that was true. But once a warrior achieved control over himself, they were able to control the squares too, most of the time at least.

The signal he sent was meant for Palians alone, a frequency specifically tuned for their ears. No one else on the bridge even noticed, but Yarel flinched like he'd been hit. The Palian looked around in the room in confusion, immediately on guard.

Presumably he was searching for Worgen, the obvious answer to the threat Corden had sent his way. The general emerged from his shadowy cover just a little, to allow himself to be seen when observed at exactly the right angle. As it happened, the only angle it offered was the straight line from the command chair.

Yarel, annoyed by the frequency, was looking around, still searching for the source. The expression on his face told Corden that he was now expecting to find someone playing a prank on him. The general could almost see the speech ready in the Palian's head, to be delivered to whoever dared to trick him during such times.

The Palian nearly screamed when he saw Corden. A startled cry nearly escaped his lips, but Yarel caught it at the last second. The reason was the finger on the general's lips, a signal that couldn't be misinterpreted.

A grin dragged the corners of his mouth upward as Corden found that Yarel was everything he'd hoped for. Despite the initial shock—and no wonder, who in the galaxy wanted to find themselves staring face-to-face with a creature in the dark, especially a Brion general—Yarel was keeping his cool. He'd given no outwardly sign of noticing him after the moment of surprise and Corden didn't think anyone had seen the commander nearly jump out of his chair. The general pointed to the door and Yarel responded with an indiscernible nod.

Corden left the way he'd come in, through an open doorway, right between the oblivious looks of the people around him. Sometimes it concerned him how easy it was. Almost as if no one else used their senses.

He didn't have to wait long. Yarel made his way off the bridge, a look of honest confusion on his face. Not seeing anyone, he walked over to his right, to a less crowded area with dimmer lighting. The general smirked, following him at a reasonable distance. He had to make sure the Palian had not signaled anyone despite the obvious warning.

When there were no others around, Corden detached himself from the darkness around him.

"This will do," he said, making Yarel nearly jump out of his skin.

They were in a darkened room, clearly a supply storage area of some kind. It stretched far into the distance, packed together in a hurry. Gods alone knew who could have made sense of that mess. Carriers were often like that, packed in a rush to get the ship on its way, knowing there was nothing else fun to do on the trip than reorganize cargo.

"Who are you?" Yarel asked carefully.

Bless your kind
, the general thought.
You're irredeemable troublemakers, but it takes one to know one, right?

He grinned, amused by the idea of how similar they were. Only Brions were feared for their temper and Palians praised for their inventiveness.

"General Corden of the Brion armies, Commander of the
Claw
," he said, taking a moment to enjoy the different emotions flashing by on Yarel's face.

Confusion, shock, fear,
curiosity
. If there ever was a species with their best and worst trait written on their faces, it was definitely the Palians. They could not leave a mystery be, whether it was a thing, a person, or an event.

"Friend of your captain," he added as an afterthought.

That calmed the Palian down, apparently. Corden had to admire his little
gesha
. She hadn't been on the ship for more than a few days, but already she commanded some respect.

"Captain Cormac sent you?" the Palian asked.

"No one sends me," Corden said with a warning smile, making Yarel nod in a hurry. "Your captain is sleeping, getting some well-deserved rest. I didn't see the need to bother her with this."

"She is sleeping," Yarel repeated. "How do you know—"

The grin spread wider on Corden's lips.

"How indeed," he said. "I assure you, my
gesha
is quite fine and in no immediate danger."

Palians really were a wonder. As soon as he spoke the word
gesha
, the man relaxed visibly. Other species sometimes questioned the Brion bonds, never truly believing in them, but Palians knew better. Yarel asked no questions. Corden saying Lana was his was enough for him, but there was a concern.

"General Worgen claims she will be his," the Palian said.

"Unfortunately for him, no."

Once again, Yarel merely accepted that as information, filing it away.

"Are you here to help, General?" he asked instead.

"Yes."

"Then I will do everything in my powers to do so. What do you need?"

Reading other species was always more difficult than judging his own, but Corden didn't doubt his words for a second. It felt good to speak to someone who understood the galaxy as he did.

"First of all, my being here—in fact my whole existence—must be a secret," he said. "Only Captain Cormac obviously knows."

"Of course."

Corden didn't even think of trying the same intimidation trick he'd used on the crew members of
Levi
. Being a Palian was an oath in itself.

"While the captain sleeps, you and I must find a way to live through the coming days until I figure out a way to save us once and for all. This requires you to show great courage. I will not lie and say there is no danger. Are you prepared?"

A shadow fell over Yarel's eyes.

"The Palians have done a horrible wrong. I want to make amends for it. I am prepared."

Corden nodded, wondering what fate brought them together there, in the hopes of righting the mistakes of their kind.

"Good. The first thing I need from you is to repeat those wrongs."

CHAPTER TWENTY

Corden

The surprise was evident on Yarel's face, his big lidless eyes suspicious.

"Explain, General," he said, an edge of doubt in his voice.

"The issue here is time," Corden said. "Lana said Worgen has given you a week to carry out his order."

Yarel scoffed, looking uneasy. He nodded, confirming the date.

"Theoretically, would it be possible to do what he asks?"

"
Very
theoretically, perhaps. I'm not a scientist myself, so I don't know all the details. From what they told me, a hurried version maybe."

"All right. Would it be possible to do something that
looks
like giving that bastard what he wants?"

Understanding started to dawn on Yarel's face, and it took on a much more positive expression.

"Yes, I'm sure there is."

"Tell me about the
Flora
's scientists. Are they trustworthy?"

Yarel sighed, like all Palians did when they had to deliver bad news. It was as good as an answer, but he went on anyway.

"There are weaker specimens in every species. I regret to say their resolve isn't strong. Worgen has them petrified."

"Yes," Corden noted calmly. "We all have those. The ones we'd rather not call brothers."

The Palian nodded, understanding that a legendary nightmare was also a bad chapter in anyone's history pages.

"They'll do as I say," the commander continued, "but I can't know what they'll do if Worgen threatens them again."

"That is hopefully not an issue. It's your task now to keep them away from him. Insist that you and Lana are the only ones Worgen needs to speak to. Make up any excuses you need to not let him see what is actually going on. Bore him. We get bored easily."

Yarel accepted his joke with a quick smile.

"And what
will
be
actually going on?" he asked.

"We will target the originals," Corden said with emphasis, to make sure the Palian understood what his intention was. "I've met a few, but he keeps most of them on the
Abysmal
. If you pretend to obey, he'll have to send them here. And we can take care of them. Once all or at least most of them are gone, the warship poses less of a danger once I kill Worgen."

The Palian's eyes lit up when he said that.

"It is good to hear you say that," Yarel noted.

"In the meantime," Corden continued. "We will have time to figure out how to take out Worgen. The best possible outcome would be to do it on the
Abysmal
or there is a danger they'll destroy the fleet as revenge. We can't let that happen."

Yarel nodded.

"I will do my best," he promised. "What about the Brion units?"

Corden grinned.