Chapter 16

Aurora had been returned to her cell after being taken for a medical examination. Two things troubled her. The first was the Burel had found the transponder she’d intended to activate to signal her people with her location once she figured out her escape plan. Second, they’d told her she was pregnant and would not have to be artificially inseminated.

It became clear that the Burel were breeding other races, including humans, for some nefarious reason Aurora hadn’t yet puzzled out. Her guesses about what they might be up to weren’t good.

She would worry about how and when she’d become pregnant once everyone was safe.

Having the transponder removed wasn’t the end of the world because it would automatically activate after eighteen hours without sensing life signs; it simply sped up her timeline for escape. She had less than a day to figure out how to help everyone escape.

She remembered what Brodie had told her: find a way to save herself. Yes, it would be easier to get away alone, but Brodie had grown on her. Now, part of him might also be growing inside her. Could she let the father of her child die on the Burel homeworld without trying to rescue him? She thought not.

Aurora’s trip to medical had given her a better idea of the layout of this section of the facility. Two armed guards manned a control room. There were thirty cells, each partially full. She’d seen two other reptiles and six catpeople. Seven other cells held human women in different stages of pregnancy.

If she could get into the control room, she could deactivate the force fields and release the captives. From there, she would have to play it by ear.

Aurora nearly jumped out of her skin when alarms suddenly blared. It must have been something major happening because two Burel guards rushed down the corridor to ensure everyone was in their cell. Then the lights went dark, which meant the force fields were down. Goth warriors had enhanced vision, giving her the ability to make out things in the dark. She saw the three reptiles sprint past her cell, going straight for the Burel guards.

Aurora heard two screams cut off as the Burel died.

She crept to the cell’s entrance and peeked around the corner to see if the reptiles were coming back for them. She ducked back when a clawed hand swiped at her.

“What the hell!” Aurora cried out.

“Sorry,” a voice hissed back in Common. “I thought you were a Griss.”

It was the cat-like alien in the cell next to hers. The Griss must be what the reptiles were called.

“Aurora.”

“MaraSlayer,” the catwoman said to introduce herself.

The emergency lights came on, allowing everyone to see better.

“I think they’re more focused on killing the Burel. If there was ever a better time to escape, I don’t know what it is,” Aurora said.

“Help me gather my cubs,” MaraSlayer requested.

By now, others had begun to venture out of their cells.

“Gather around,” Aurora called out. “We need to get organized to escape.”

“If the Griss are hunting, it’s not safe,” one of the catwomen said, who Aurora would later learn was named SwiftClaw.

“They’re hunting the Burel,” the one with the cubs said as she handed Aurora two of them, then returned to her cell to get the other two.

Two other catwomen, who didn’t look pleased to have a human holding the babies, took the cubs from Aurora. After a momentary confusion at getting and giving up the babies, Aurora gathered her wits.

“Follow me,” she said and started for the entrance.

They found the dead guards. Aurora grabbed their sidearms, taking one herself and handing the other to another catwoman. She looked at it and gave it to a human.

“I’m not helpless. I can protect myself.”

Aurora wasn’t about to argue. They came to the end of the hall and found the door open.

Commander Sylmar felt his communicator vibrate. He’d shut it off so he could get some sleep. If it was going off, that meant the emergency override was being used; it must be important. He grabbed it off the end table and, at first, couldn’t understand what he saw displayed.

CODE BLACK

That was a term he never wanted to see. ‘Black’ referred to being out of something. For example, ‘We’re black on fuel’ meant you were out.

A ‘Code Black’ was reserved for only the most dire situation: the Griss had found them. They were out of time, and all hell would soon break loose.

The ‘Code Black’ order gave the military full authority, putting Sylmar in command of the Nexfor. Captain Bassom would be a problem. Sylmar’s first order of business was to go to the bridge and take command by any means necessary, including lethal measures.

His second, Subcommander Gargi, fell in step with him as he walked to the bridge.

“What do you think the captain will do?” Gargi asked.

“Whatever it is, I need you to have my back.”

“Yes, sir.”

They rounded the corner and found Captain Bassom waiting, with his command crew standing behind him.

“Stand down, Mister, until we confirm the Code Black.”

Sylmar and Gargi drew their sidearms simultaneously and fired until everyone opposing them had been put down with extreme prejudice. The rest of the bridge crew stared straight ahead, awaiting orders.

“I’ll be in the captain’s alcove so I can receive our orders. Subcommander Gargi has the bridge. Prepare for battle,” Commander Sylmar said.

Walking to the captain’s alcove, he heard over the intercom, “All hands to battle stations. I repeat, all hands to battle stations.”

Once inside, he activated the privacy shield and entered the briefing already in progress.

“ ... I have just been informed that the Assimilation Facility was holding Griss prisoners, which escaped. It appears the Griss have managed to send a signal giving our location. Your job is to hold the attackers off long enough for our people to evacuate Een. A small force will escort our people to our new home,” Admiral Nexfor, Sylmar’s ship’s namesake, said.

Sylmar gasped at that news. How could they have been so stupid? There was a standing order to kill all Griss on sight. He couldn’t believe anyone could have been so careless as to bring them to Een. What could possibly be the benefit so great it would outweigh the risk?