Page 8 of Resisting the Alien Commander

“Do you no longer welcome poor refugees? Or do you only allow those who can afford the prince’s exorbitant price for kanet powder?”

“What do you mean ‘those who can afford kanet powder’? Never has Alik made our people pay for it. Besides, we both know you are no refugee.” I try to maintain the same careless attitude as him, but it is not in my nature and is more difficult than I expect.

“You wound me, Commander.”

“If you won’t answer my questions here, maybe spending time in the pit will loosen your tongue.”

One side of the rebel’s mouth cocks up. “Are you always so eager to imprison innocent people?”

It is my turn to laugh. “Is that what you are? Innocent?”

“As an untried youth.”

A sudden clicking sound has my senses on full alert. I recognize it. My gaze locks with the rebel’s whose smirk turns into a broad smile. A raucous boom is deafening and I slam my palms over my ears as an explosion of dark smoke blinds me. I try to snap out an order, but the noxious gas chokes me. My lungs and throat burn. A coughing fit that has me bowled over. The guards are no better off than I am.

I do everything I can to shield my mouth and nose, but my eyes burn as I try and seek out the perpetrator of the attack. It’s no use. I stumble around, colliding with several large masses until far too slowly the air clears enough for me to get a visual on my surroundings. All the males are present and accounted for. Except one.

Lying on the ground at the base of the tree where the rebel had been bound are the shackles used to hold him. Yet, he is nowhere to be seen. Water leaks from eyes that sting and ache.

“Fuck.” I stomp over to the iron restraints and inspect them.

They haven’t been cut. It’s as though he merely slipped out of them or they were removed with a key. I study the guards. Is one of them secretly part of the rebel’s forces and helped the other male? They are young, but none have a look of guilt about him.

“Return to your posts.”

“Yes, sir,” they say in unison.

I remain a few moments longer after they’ve left and observe the area, hoping to find a clue to…well, anything. The unrest has been escalating over the last few moon cycles until the rebels suddenly went silent. Until today. I fear the quiet is only a temporary thing that will soon turn to something much bigger than either Alik or I anticipate.

What was the rebel doing sneaking into Preska on the same day the human females arrived? It can’t be a coincidence. I tap my wrist comm.

“Yes, Commander?” Lorik answers.

“Increase the rotation of patrols along the rainforest border as well as the humans’ dwelling.”

“Right away, sir.”

I end the transmission and take one final glance around. As before, nothing stands out besides the shackles still lying on the ground and the empty smoke canister used to disorient us. I pocket both to take to our scientists for examination. Perhaps there is something they might discover that I’m unable to.

The back of my neck tingles. I spin to confront whoever is behind me, but I’m alone. I scan the streets and buildings along the city limits, but nothing is out of place. It doesn’t matter. I’m being watched. Whoever it is has hidden themself well. I suspect it’s the rebel we detained.

Since there’s no use waiting him out, I walk away and return to my duties. I’ll need to report to Alik what happened, although I hate not being able to give him any news, or admitting the rebel got away right beneath our noses. So far, they haven’t incited any true violence, only made life difficult for my cousin by vandalizing transport ships and machinery, as well as disrupting trade lines with other cities on Bohna.

Everything they’re doing, however, has made some of our people question Alik’s fitness to rule. More rumblings have made their way to the capitol and there has been a hint of unrest, even within Preska’s city limits. It is another reason for the human females to be here. Not as a distraction, but rather, a way to bring hope to the Bohnari.

Chapter5

Quinn

Nothing could have prepared me for my new home. The bathroom alone is bigger than the bedroom I shared with my mom back on Earth. There’s a high tech toilet with a wall of buttons whose functions are completely unknown to me. I might have squealed a little at not only the walk-in shower, but the huge bathing pool. Back on Earth, my mom and I only have a bathtub.

The bed is enormous. At least twice the size of the double I shared with Mom and there’s far more storage space in the closet than I have clothing. It would probably take me a lifetime to fill it up. I glance around the seating area from my position on the neutral-shaded sofa.

While the place is huge, it’s also…sterile. Almost cold, even. There aren’t any windows, which I’m not used to, and no decor on the walls. The bedding is pretty enough considering it matches the entire planet, but there’s nothing in here that makes it homey.

Different ideas run through my head, like adding some plants or flowers. Of course, they won’t get sunshine so maybe that’s not an option. A sharp knock on the door has me standing and moving to open it. One of the Bohnari guards stands on the other side, easily holding two large duffels which contain everything I own in the world.

“Greetings. I’m Bannik. Are you Quinn Brooks? I have your things.” He raises his arms slightly like I can’t see what he’s carrying.

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