Page 2 of Enslak

"Here's the primary complication." I highlighted the collar visible around another prisoner's neck in the surveillance footage. "A qhoma collar, DNA-coded to his flesh. If we attempt a frontal assault, the Ulkommenian will detonate it remotely before we breach the outer perimeter. He'll be dead before our forces reach him." I let that sink in. "We have to remove the collar before any rescue attempt."

"Then we don't go in guns blazing," Cullen said, his voice a low rumble. "We go in quiet."

"Precisely." I pulled up another image, a Negita with rodent features twisted in a perpetual sneer. "This is Zarlak, Enslak's caretaker, if you can call it that. He's the only one with regular access to the cell without guards present. Binwee has been observing his patterns for weeks."

"Your operative is inside?" Nansar asked.

"Undercover as a cook in the compound's kitchen. The Framaddi are considered some of the best chefs in the universe." Pride surged through me. "And Binwee is one of my best. But even she can't get close enough to Enslak to remove the collar. Zarlak is the only one allowed in that cell. If we could find someone to take his place, we stand a chance of getting Enslak out alive."

"Why not use a cuddwisg device?" Duke Ako's question came immediately. "I used one myself when I rescued Helene from Earth. Have your operative wear it, impersonate the Negita, get close enough to remove the collar."

I'd already considered that option. My operatives used the holographic disguise device often. "Binwee is approximately three feet tall. The Negita is over five feet. The cuddwisg only works properly when the wearer is roughly the same size as the person they're impersonating. The holographic distortion is proportional to size difference, and with more than a fifteen percent variance, the device starts to fail. Shadows lag, edges blur. The guards would notice immediately."

Duke Ako frowned. "I wasn't aware the tolerances were so narrow. I used it to appear human." His lips twitched. Possibly a smile. "Granted, a big human."

"The technology works flawlessly within parameters," I said, gesturing at the schematic. "But Binwee attempting to project as someone nearly twice her height? The guards would spot the shimmer, a flicker, and that's all it takes to trigger an alarm in a high-security facility like this."

"Then use someone else," Cullen said. "Someone closer to the Negita's size."

"All my other available operatives are either too large or already deployed on critical missions. I don't have anyone who—"

"Use a human female."

The words came from Chloe.

I turned to stare at her as if she'd suggested we politely ask the Ulkommenians to release their prisoner and expect them to comply.

"Absolutely not."

"Why not?" She met my gaze without flinching. "Human females are roughly the same size as the Negita. The cuddwisg distortion would be minimal."

"Because humans are—" I caught myself before saying something diplomatically unfortunate. "Because they lack the training, the experience, the—"

"The courage?" Chloe's voice sharpened, her left eyebrow arching. "The resourcefulness? I was a spy on Earth, Siemba, an FBI agent. I infiltrated organizations that would have killed me without hesitation if they'd discovered who I was. I extracted intelligence that saved lives." She leaned forward. "And I'm not unique among humans."

My jaw clenched. "With all due respect—"

"There are dozens of human females in Alliance space right now who have specialized skills just like I do. Former law enforcement. Military. Intelligence operatives. The Prime's own daughter-in-law was Naval Intelligence." Her passion built. "Women who risked their lives in service of something greater than themselves. And what are we offering them if they can't go back to Earth? Farm work on Tau Ceti? Waiting tables at Space Pearls?" She shook her head. "They want more. They deserve more. You should consider allowing them to join Asad Intelligence."

"This isn't about what they deserve. This is about capability." I struggled to keep my voice level. "This mission requires precision, technical expertise, the ability to stay calm under pressure when one wrong move means death—"

"Then I have just the person," Chloe interrupted. "A New York City police detective. Recently rescued from the Trogvyk. She was shot in the line of duty and had to go through the Garoot Healer, so she can't go back to Earth. She's trained in investigation, close-quarters combat, hostage extraction." She paused. "And she's the right size. The cuddwisg will fit perfectly."

I looked to the Prime, expecting her to shut down this absurd suggestion.

Instead, she watched me with an expression I couldn't quite read.

"Siemba," her voice was quiet. "I lost my son a century ago. I thought him dead all this time. Now I learn he's been suffering, being tortured and experimented on." Her voice cracked slightly. "If there's even a chance this could work..."

The weight of her desperation pressed down on me like a physical thing.

"Human females are tougher than you think," Cullen added. "I've seen it firsthand. They're adaptable, determined, and they don't give up easily."

"Chloe's assessment is accurate," Nansar said. "Several human females aboard the Historia and Bardaga have proven themselves more than capable." A slight smile curved his lips. "Besides, I've heard your own human mate is quite a handful herself."

My jaw tightened.

Dixa. Of course they'd bring her up.