Chapter 9
Kat’Chinna was torn. More torn that she’d ever been in her life. Her commanding officer was ordering her to kill the prisoner, a man she’d just allowed to make love to her with his hot mouth. Events were spiraling out of her control, and she knew she had only seconds to make a decision.
The human’s words made sense, when she considered them, but at the same time, years of following the major’s orders made her hesitate. If she was wrong, if she disobeyed a direct order, her career was finished.
But the real danger was bigger than her career. If she made the wrong choice now, her entire planet could be at risk.
Kat watched as Major Ontarii brutally kicked the captive. She felt as if the blow had hit her instead of the human.
Could she risk it all, now, to save a man she’d known for only hours? She’d always trusted her C.O. before without a doubt or hesitation. But would the Major Ontarii she knew behave in this savage?
The major had always kept his cool before, in the face of any threat. Although he was strong and sure, he’d never been hotheaded. She’d seen him fight, had seen him take down opponents before. But there had never been any joy at their demise. Major Ontarii was doing his job, nothing more.
This was different. The grin on her major’s face said that he was enjoying inflicting pain on his prisoner.
Her emotions were rising beyond her careful control. Without warning, her bioelectricity surged over her skin in waves.
“That’s it, Lieutenant,” she heard Major Ontarii say. “Finish this.”
Kat’Chinna wasn’t sure that she had the power to finish anything. The blast she’d hit Jeffrey with to end their dalliance had drained some of her reserves and it would take time to replenish them. Still, she had enough power to send a shock through someone.
But whom? Kat risked a glance at the human. His eyes were closed, his mouth a tight white line.
Could I do it? Could I kill him, to save my planet?
Major Ontarii turned to her, his face filled with rage. “Fucking finish him!” he shouted.
Kat could feel the energy filling her. It was time to make a choice.
“I’ll have your uniform for this,” Major Ontarii said. “You’ll face a full court martial and will be lucky to come away with your life for such gross insubordination.”
The major turned back to the helpless human, his fists balling. He leaned into the human, about to deliver the final blows that would end the confrontation once and for all.
It was time to choose. Kat prayed that she made the right choice.
Charging up her bioelectricity, she extended her hand and made a decision.
The electricity arched from her hand and into the major, stopping him cold, filling him with bright white light.
Major Ontarii groaned, his face spasming. Then his body began to change.
Because she didn’t have her full powers, she could only send a medium-level charge through him. But it was enough for his shape to destabilize.
Major Ontarii began to lose definition. Kat knew then that the commander of the Zantharian flagship had been replaced with a Hareema plant.
She wondered if she had enough charge to finish him off. She pulled on all of her reserves, about to deliver the biggest blast she could.
“Wait!”
Her eyes flew to the human. Jeffrey was crawling toward her. “Hold that charge. Don’t blast him to oblivion yet.”
“It’s protocol,” she answered. “Take out the threat immediately.”
“You’ve got a damn Hareema prisoner. Doesn’t it make sense to take him prisoner and find out what he knows? Don’t waste this opportunity by following your foolish protocols.”
Once again, the human’s words made sense. It was an opportunity to find out what the enemy knew. Even if he wouldn’t talk, Zantharian scientists could determine what advances the Hareema had made that had allowed them to slip past Zantharian defenses.
She watched as the creature before her vibrated. Its form still resembled the major, but it was blurry. Like a reflection in a mirror coated with steam.
