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“I agree. We already know the effects of this poison on humans when they come into contact with the smallest amount, and we’re aware that Apexians can’t use their energy transfer to heal us, only slow the effects. And although it’s not been tested on any Apexians, we have to assume the worst. They could also be vulnerable to this poison, too,” Cleo said.

“We don’t like being vulnerable to anything,” Jagger said. “This ends. We both agree on an immediate deployment.”

Hunter stiffened and lifted his chin. “With respect, we’ve been working non-stop on this discovery for over twenty-four hours. The crew needs to rest before we send out a team to explore the sites.”

Jagger glared at him. “Don’t tell me your time working with humans has made you soft? I remember when you served under Admiral Baxat. He marched his warriors for hours and then sent them into combat.”

Hunter remembered his rookie days well. “Our human partners require rest.”

“I’m fine,” Cleo said. “It’ll be a few hours before we get to the first location.”

“We need time to check through our equipment and make sure everyone is mission ready. We can’t afford any mistakes,” Hunter said.

Cleo glared at him, but he saw the exhaustion on her face. Even though she wouldn’t admit to it, she desperately needed a break.

“Miss Newman, you’re in charge of this operation. Is your crew able to handle this mission, or do we need to look for another team?” Jagger said.

Hunter gritted his teeth, not missing the fact he’d just been cut out of the conversation.

She didn’t hesitate. “We’ll be ready. We want this to come to an end as much as you do. We’re in the perfect location to strike hard and quickly.”

“That’s the spirit. It seems working alongside my Apexians has toughened you up. And I’m satisfied with the data you’ve presented. It all makes sense. It’s something the data geeks should have picked up on as soon as this poison was discovered.”

“Everyone is working as hard as they can,” Cleo said. “We’re all doing our best. I just got a lucky break.”

“Luck be damned. You’re excellent at your job. Don’t undersell yourself,” Jagger said. “I wouldn’t have my warriors working with any of you if I thought you were inadequate. The leader shows the rest how to follow and thrive. You’ll be leading this mission?”

“Thank you, Jagger,” Cleo said. “And yes, that’s the plan.”

Hunter squashed his panic. “We should request an additional squad of Apexians to join us on this mission. The Siblet play dirty. If we had more Apexians, the human contingent of this crew could remain on board.”

Cleo sucked in a breath, but said nothing to contradict him.

“There’s a high risk we’ll come into conflict with the Siblet and their mutant beasts. We don’t need to expose our human partners to that risk,” Hunter said.

“There’s no need to exclude anyone from this ship. We’re all trained and capable of going on this mission,” Cleo said, irritation clear in her voice.

“I’m not saying you aren’t. But Apexians are more likely to survive if we come into contact with the poison. We know what happened to Georgia. She almost died. And the effects were so sudden. If anyone gets cut off and is unable to get back for treatment—”

“That won’t happen. We always work with a partner. And the initial plan isn’t to go in all guns blazing.”

“We agree,” Jagger said. “Initially, this needs to be a covert mission so we can observe any movements.”

“We might not get the chance to be covert,” Hunter said.

“We need to make sure my calculations are correct before we go on the attack,” Cleo said. “We can gather data and figure out our next move.”

“I’m all for a swift end to this,” Jagger said, “but I agree with Cleo. The first part of this mission needs to be intelligence gathering. But you must also be prepared for coming into contact with the Siblet.”

“And they’re getting desperate,” Commissioner Viewick said. “We’ve been listening to their online chatter, and they’re panicking.”

“They’re panicked morons with a secret to hide,” Jagger said. “They’ll do stupid, reckless things to keep it safe. They might even be desperate enough to unleash the poison on you.”

“All the more reason the humans shouldn’t be a part of this.” Hunter glanced at Cleo, but she refused to meet his gaze. Her hands were clenched into fists and her breath came out in shallow pants. She was pissed off, but he didn’t want to put her in a vulnerable position. He wanted this damn poison found as badly as she did, but not at her expense. She had to rest, so she could be ready for the final conflict.

“Miss Newman, I defer to you,” Jagger said. “You made this discovery, and you know your crew better than anyone else. Do you think the humans should stay out of this?”

“No, I don’t agree with Hunter. We should go with our usual partners. If we bring in new crew members, it’ll upset the team dynamic, and that will weaken us.”