Page 13 of Balarr
That abrupt softness in his eyes, however slight, brought Luna hope.
“I’m glad the danger is over,” she said.“Your ship must be powerful if it can automatically avoid weapons fire.”
“I design auto-navigation systems for Vaxxlian cruisers, and my ship—theCormma—is one of the most technologically advanced vessels among my people.Please don’t worry.Even if the ship who fired upon us returns, I doubt they would manage to strike us.And if they did manage to hit us, my ship is equipped with a protective shield that would lessen the impact of any weapons fire.Please rest assured that you are very safe on theCormma.”
“That’s impressive.”Most of the worry drained out of her.She was starting to trust Balarr.She didn’t think he was lying—or overestimating—the capabilities of his Vaxxlian cruiser.
He removed his hands from her shoulders, then nodded toward the bathroom.“Go and take a shower.I’m going to attempt to contact the three Vaxxlian cruisers that chased the other vessel away.I will also replicate clothing for you, and I will set the items right outside the bathroom door.”
“All right, thank you, Balarr.I appreciate all you’re doing for me, and I’m glad we’re safe on your ship.”
He nodded, gave her a strangely profound look, then spun on his heel and marched out of his quarters.
She placed a hand over her racing heart.
He’d almost kissed her.If not for the rogue Vaxxlian cruiser opening fire on theCormma, he would’ve definitely kissed her.She emitted a dreamy sigh and headed for the bathroom.
Chapter7
Balarr stoodat the main communication console on the bridge, staring at Commander Harnn—an old comrade he hadn’t seen since the destruction of Vaxxlia.He hadn’t expected to find the aging warrior on Earth, and he was even more surprised to learn his reasons for visiting the human planet—he’d been sent to track down a group of Vaxxlian insurgents known as the Threxals.
“As I’m sure you know,” Balarr said, “Not long after we first settled on New Vaxx, I was part of a contingent that eliminated several Threxal cells hiding in the mountains near Starzzia.I’m familiar with their tactics, and with their ideology—and I have to admit, it’s disturbing that any of them have made it to Earth.”
The Threxals were radical purists who believed Vaxxlian blood should remain untainted by human influence.They had tried to sabotage the VAMOB program multiple times, and their extremist views bordered on fanaticism.According to their doctrine, the surviving Vaxxlian females should be forced to bear as many offspring as biologically possible—or worse, have their eggs harvested for controlled reproduction.The Threxals had even begun developing artificial wombs in secret, hoping to grow a new generation of “pureblood” Vaxxlians—without ever involving human mates.
“I agree it’s disturbing that the Threxals have made it to Earth,” the commander finally said.“There have been similar purist groups that have threatened the VAMOB program, but I daresay the Threxals are the worst.They have tried harming human females before, and they have also tried kidnapping Vaxxlian females.”
“How many Threxals are on Earth?”Balarr asked.
“Not very many—only about fifty—but they all brought their own Vaxxlian cruisers.We believe they are spread out around the planet, and we think they are gearing up for a coordinated attack on the VAMOB program.”Commander Harnn gave a weary sigh, making Balarr wonder how long he’d gone without sleep.
“The recruitment centers,” Balarr whispered as a sickening feeling came over him.“They will likely attack the recruitment centers.They will also likely try to hack the VAMOB website.”
“They’ve already hacked the VAMOB website.Did you really think a glitch on the Intergalactic Dating Agency’s end was the reason for the recent delay in matches being made?But yes, I agree that they will look at the recruitment centers next.”The commander glanced at another screen for a moment, then returned his attention to Balarr.“We have increased the security at the VAMOB recruitment centers, and we are trying to hunt every last one of the Threxals down.”
“I’m going to transmit my latest auto-navigation protocols to you, and perhaps you can install it in all your cruisers’ systems,” Balarr said.“That way if the Threxals fire on your ships, your navigation controls will automatically evade the weapons fire.It shouldn’t take you long to install, and you can transmit the protocols to the other ships in your contingent.”
“Thank you, Warrior Balarr.I appreciate your assistance.”
Balarr gave a deep nod.“I plan to depart Earth tomorrow and bring my human female back to New Vaxx, but if you have any difficulty installing the protocols, please do not hesitate to contact me.I wish I could offer to stay and help you hunt down the blasted Threxals, but I am eager to get my mate to safety.”
“Thank you again.”Commander Harnn suddenly narrowed his eyes at Balarr.“If you’re eager to get your mate to safety, why haven’t you already left Earth?Why are you lingering in the mountains of Colorado?”
Balarr briefly explained the circumstances in which he’d found Luna, as well as his plan to contact Vaxxlian diplomats stationed on Earth for assistance.
“Government-funded organ harvesting?”The commander scowled.“It is no wonder so many human females are signing up for the VAMOB program.It seems nearly every country in the world is descending into corruption and chaos.But I think your plan to contact the diplomats is a sound one—they shouldn’t have any difficulty infiltrating Zalora Biotech’s database, tracking down the escaped patients, and rescuing anyone who might remain trapped in the facility.”
“I know I could depart Earth now and send the diplomats a message on my way to the Eshunna Passage,” he said, referring to the nearby wormhole that significantly shortened the travel time between Earth and New Vaxx, “but I wanted to wait for their response and inform my mate of their action plan.She suffered greatly at the hands of the doctors and surgeons at the facility—they kept her imprisoned for two years and removed five of her organs.”
“You can tell me the full truth,” Commander Harnn said with a knowing smirk.“You aren’t just planning to wait for the diplomats’ response.You’re also planning to go on a little killing spree, aren’t you?”
“You know I would never admit such a thing to a commander,” Balarr said with a touch of humor in his voice.“While on Earth, Vaxxlian warriors are only permitted to kill humans if it’s a matter of self-defense.”
Commander Harnn barked out a laugh.“In that case, I wish you great luck during your remaining time on Earth.”He glanced at a nearby console and frowned at whatever he saw.“I must go now, but I’ll be watching for your transmission of the new navigation protocols.Goodbye, Balarr.”
“Goodbye, Commander Harrn.”
Balarr ended the communication and immediately transmitted the auto-navigation protocols to the commander’s ship.Then he sent detailed messages about the goings-on at Zalora Biotech to every Vaxxlian diplomat on Earth.He was confident the diplomats would organize a clandestine rescue operation to free any remaining patients and help those who’d escaped.
