CHAPTER ONE
Sergeant Arin Varga resisted the temptation to adjust her collar as she sat in the witness stand. Her formal military suit was stiff and uncomfortable, and she thanked the stars she only had to wear the damn thing once every few years.
She’d never expected she would have to dust it off to front up to a Senate Committee, and she’d been surprised to find it tight at the shoulders but a little loose around her waist and ass. A couple of years patrolling a gigantic mining station on substandard space rations could do that to a body.
“Sergeant Varga, do you understand that you are under Truth Monitoring, and that you are under oath for the purposes of this interview?”
“I understand.” A monitoring cap covered her cropped hair, capturing her brain waves. To her left, a holoscreen displayed her neural signals as indecipherable colored squiggles. Its complex neuranalysis algorithms would reveal even the slightest hint of a lie.
It was standard procedure, and it didn’t bother Arin. She had nothing to hide.
“Could you please state your full name, rank, and station for the Committee?” Her questioner was a stern woman withshort gunmetal-grey hair called Senator Monroe. A few years ago, Monroe had headed some big investigation into human-alien relations.
Back then, the senator had been skeptical about opening Earth’s borders to nonhumans.
Arin straightened and gazed across the room, making eye contact with each member of the Committee. “Sergeant Arin Varga, Peacekeeper Division, Morrigan Five, formerly assigned to protection duty on the Armium mining and processing station Fortuna Tau.”
Beside her, thin blue lines ran across the monitor.
“Thank you, Sergeant Varga.” The senator stood, walking slowly across the floor until she reached the stand. The Committee was made up of five senators who sat in a semi-circle facing Arin. The gallery behind them was filled with their support staff and the representatives of various Federation Agencies.
Of course, they all had the proper security clearances. Whatever Arin said wouldn’t go beyond these walls.
Welcome back to Earth, Varga.
It was her first day back on sweet Earth soil, and already she’d been hauled before this pain-in-the-ass Committee. But that was all part of the plan. She had a job to do. Arin schooled her features into a blank mask, careful not to betray any sign of her impatience.
“Go planetside and explain the situation to your leaders in terms they understand. Don’t take too long. The Xargek are multiplying as we speak. Your entire planet is at stake now, Arin.”
Monroe looked down at a datapad, going over her notes. “We’ve heard from a number of experts on this matter, but I wanted to get your input on a few specific points, especially since you’re the only peacekeeper who’s actually been allowed off theHendrix II.” The senator regarded Arin with a steely gaze, raising a questioning eyebrow. Her tone wasskeptical. “It seems you were ‘close to the action’, as they say.”
Unruffled, Arin returned Monroe’s stare. She refused to be intimidated.
“Sergeant, some alarming footage has been passed on to us. We’ve all heard rumors about the Xargek, but this is the first time we’ve gained direct vision of their offensive capabilities. They are clearly a threat to Earth and to the human race. You are one of the few peacekeepers with first-hand combat experience against these monsters. For that reason, I will ask you: how do we kill them?”
Arin gave the senator a long, hard look, choosing her words carefully. “For that, you need a Kordolian.”
Murmurs rippled through the audience. Monroe’s eyes narrowed. She obviously didn’t like Arin’s answer. “Do you care to clarify that statement, Sergeant?”
“It’s exactly as I said. Only the Kordolians have the capacity to take down a mature Xargek.”
“I find it hard to believe you couldn’t eliminateanyof the enemy up there, Varga.”
Arin shrugged. “We killed a few larvae.”
“A few larvae,” Monroe stated flatly. “Were you on vacation up there, soldier?”
“Vacation?” Arin stiffened. “I don’t think the families of the men and women killed by those monsters would agree with that sentiment, senator.”
Monroe opened her mouth, then closed it again, shooting Arin a frosty glare. “Tell me about the Kordolians,” she said, changing the subject. “Not one, but two hostile species have appeared in Earth’s orbit during the past week. The Kordolians have captured the SuperfreighterHendrix II, and we don’t know what they want. There have been reports of Xargek attacks in the deserts around Naea. Now you’re telling me only the Kordolians can kill the Xargek? Tell me, Sergeant. What makes them so special? What makes you think only theyhave the capacity to kill Xargek when we have equipped you with the most advanced offensive weaponry in the Federation?”
A sarcastic answer found its way to the tip of Arin’s tongue, but she bit it back. She reminded herself that she was sitting before a Senate Committee, not idling in the grease pits with her squad. She had to try and act civilized.
“Kordolians are super-evolved beings,” she answered, keeping her tone neutral. “The Xargek are impervious to bolt-powered weapons and any other incendiary substance known to man. The only thing I’ve seen successfully penetrate their exoskeletons is a Callidum blade. And the only being possessing the speed, power, aggression, technology, and experience needed to take on a fully grown Xargek is a Kordolian warrior. As much as we love our bolt-weapons, Senator, we have nothing on the Kordolians. We might not like to hear it, but there’s a reason they’re holding half the known galaxies hostage.”
Beside her, the Truth Monitor flickered blue and green. Arin was cool, calm, and collected, and she was telling the honest-to-Jupiter truth.
“So it seems,” Monroe said dryly. She studied her datapad for a moment, allowing the silence to stretch between them. A few awkward coughs and shuffles punctuated the stillness.
