Dekkir (Galaxy Alien Warriors #1)(41)
Neyilla stared. “You . . . you are one of the Ancients!” She took a step forward, looking him up and down. “Are you not?”
The Ancients were legendary on Lyra. Over two thousand years ago, they had chosen to alter their race’s genetic structure, to adapt them to survival without the over-reliance on technology that had nearly killed their planet. Thanks to them, the planet was currently thriving, its ecosystem pristine and its people, though low in population, both long-lived and almost impossibly healthy. Apparently, the older version of the Lyrans was so close to human in appearance that he had been able to pass for one of us.
Tabirus nodded once. “I am. I was alive when the great adaptation was made. I was part of the team of scientists who developed the Golden Strain and one of the first to inoculate myself with it.” He bowed to us. “I apologize for my deceit, but it was necessary in order to make my infiltration of the humans that much more convincing.” He offered a charming smile.
Dorin didn’t seem entirely convinced, but simply lifted an eyebrow. “Your assistance is welcome,” the high chieftain said and then started coughing, leaning hard against the wall as his son put a hand on his shoulder.
“What my father means is your assistance is welcome, but . . .” Dekkir frowned. “Do not bring that flying machine within range of any of our forts again.”
The Ancient smiled. “Understood. It was a desperate time.”
Tabirus sat with his brandy by Dorin’s hearth, as everyone sat around nearby, listening to his story. “We watched our world dying around us while most of us busied ourselves warring over the scraps that were left. It was the biological sciences that saved us, where mechanistic science had failed. By engineering ourselves and our world, we slowly healed this world and made it strong again.”
“Any particular reason you filled it up with horrible flesh-eating monsters?” I couldn’t help but sound a little sarcastic.
“All right, well, perhaps we made it just a bit too strong.” He smiled ruefully. “But the powerful genetics that allowed this world to heal simply made everything that much more . . . vital.”
“And aggressive.” Dekkir smiled a bit, though. Keer had come through unscathed, and he was clearly happy about it.
“But even though our world is dangerous, and our numbers small, we live in balance with it and thrive. That was what we Ancients set out to do, and I see it in what the humans now covet.” Tabirus looked around at them calmly. “You have done well with the tools we have given you. That is why I chose to aid you by infiltrating the humans.”
I frowned thoughtfully at him. “Were you among the developing Lyrans this entire time?”
“Actually, I was in stasis for a significant portion of that time. I had deliberately absented myself in order to let our descendants develop without as much meddling. But the approach of the humans awakened me, and I chose to intervene.” He smiled around at their stunned expressions. “Dear me, you’re an interesting lot when you’re quiet for once.”
“Very funny.” Dekkir tilted his head slightly. “What are your intentions now?”
Tabirus smiled. “Take one of the dropships back, continue the charade. I have a project . . . growing . . . back at Earth base, which should help us tremendously.”
He looked straight at me and then gave me a conspiratorial wink. I blinked at him, wondering what it meant, but he just went right back to telling stories of ancient times.
CHAPTER 17 / DEKKIR
That night, my mate and I celebrated in the most appropriate Lyran fashion: in the baths. The enormous, frothy tub of steaming water smelled of night-blooms and washed against us softly as we embraced in its depths. I stood in water up to my chest, cradling her soft, warm, deliciously lithe body against me as we bobbed and writhed and nuzzled together. My muscles were beautifully slack after the second climax, and she sobbed with pleasure and happy exhaustion as she clung to me.
Resting half afloat between bouts, her head pillowed on my chest while her hair floated around her, she radiated contentment, love, and relief. We were all relieved. We had survived the siege, the humans were routed, and Tabirus had shared his secret—and hope for the future, not only for Lyra, but for Earth as well. For if a scientist of the old times chose to intervene in Earth’s accelerating decline, then perhaps there was hope for humanity and for peace between them and the Lyrans.
The very idea had Grace much happier and more excited than I had seen her since she had discovered the true aims of Earth Command in this sector. I was so happy to see her smiling wholeheartedly instead of fighting tears.
I drowsed against her for a little while as we leaned on the side of the tub, my eyelids growing deliciously heavy. But then . . . I sensed something.
Normally, no one could slip up on me. I would sense their emotions, if not the noise they made. But in that moment, I realized we were not alone in the columned bathing chamber. A shadow with no feelings at all stepped out from behind a partition and pointed a silver hand weapon at me.
“Well, isn’t this cute?” the dark-haired, icily pretty human male sneered as he walked toward us. He wore one of the silver jumpsuits, this one with black piping, and his blue eyes were empty despite his broad smirk. “Didn’t think you had an alien fetish, Grace.” His tone went childishly mocking.
Grace stiffened against me, and I tightened a protective arm around her, knowing from her disgusted rage who this man had to be. “What is your game, Norcross?” I spat the name.