Page 84 of Alien Peacock
“Maeve,” Averie says, “if you have the time before the Supreme Leader arrives, I wonder if we could talk… Tara, too.”
“Sure.”
All three of us step away from the group. Cerak discreetly rolls in between me and Zaroc. He’s been tasked by Arelion to keep me safe, and he takes that very seriously.
“Sorry,” Averie says, “I just don’t know what will happen right now. So I want to discuss a couple of things before this all starts.” She motions to the window. The hiss from the crowd outside is steadily getting louder.
“Probably a good idea,” I agree. “I also don’t know exactly. I’m not sure anyone does. This is all new for everyone.”
“Great work with Xap Station,” Averie says warmly. “It was one of the most important Bululg slave auctions. And now it’s gone forever. I know you probably worry about having blown up everyone inside, but this is war and wearesoldiers. No innocent lives were lost. There were only criminals and enemies.” The Resistance in space is less formal than down on Earth, and military protocol is only observed sometimes. And I think Averie would find it awkward to have me address her with her formal rank in this place and at this time.
“There were no slaves there,” Tara says. “The Bululg had rented it to Buroteo. If there was a war for the freedom of Eo, he intended to put any prisoners of war there and sell them.”
“That doesn’t surprise me,” I state. “He was that kind of creep. I’m just happy the good guys survived.”
“Not everyone did,” Tara reminds us grimly. “Buroteo and his cronies killed many more innocent Eoans during his dictatorship. I’m not bothered by using our suicide bombs to destroy them. And a handful of Bululg. I would do it again.”
Tara has been much more successful than the Resistance told me on Earth. Her silence was due to her being undercover while infiltrating another Bululg space station before blowing a big hole in its side. The station was abandoned, but Tara was discovered and caught.
“There may not be a need for that,” Averie says. “The Resistance has recently gained access to a stockpile of Elder weapons. Once we can safely use them, the Bululg occupation of Earth is practically over.”
My Mark starts tingling for the twentieth time in two hours, and I hide a smile. He’s thinking of me a lot.
“Hopefully those weapons will not be used on Earth itself,” Tara says. “I heard they’re incredibly powerful.”
Averie absentmindedly adjusts an exotic-looking bracelet on her wrist. “They can be. Maeve, may I see that stick they gave you on Earth?”
I loosen the fighting stick from my belt and hand it to her. “You’rekidding. It’s an Elder weapon?”
She gingerly accepts it. “One of the first we learned to use safely.” She telescopes the stick to about half length and twirls it. “It does exactly what you want. If not for this thing, that Single Filament Construct robot that betrayed you would have been invincible. But this stick cut right through the filament. Not even a gigawatt laser would have been able to do that. Don’t lose it!” She hands it back.
I weigh the stick in my hand with a new appreciation. “It is incredibly strong, but I thought it was just alien, not Elder. I’m astonished they trusted me with it.”
“Oh, that was not a hard decision,” Averie says with a smile. “They were very impressed with you during training. If not, they would never have sent you to space to find Tara. And as it turned out, they were right in their assessment. Say, that Yomeran guy, the archmagus… did he give you a way to contact him, by any chance?”
I frown. “Not me, anyway. And I’m fine with never seeing him again. Why, you want to talk to him?”
“We think it would be useful. If the Fire Mages are just regular aliens who can perform miracles like the ones you described, they must be among the most powerful beings since the Elders themselves. It means they are able to use Elder tech on a level that we can’t. We have the weapons, but we don’t really know how to use them all without destroying something important. That’s why.”
“Uh-huh. I’ll tell Arelion. Maybe he got his number or something- oh, hi.”
The door to the office opens, and a group of Eoans come walking in. Arelion is at the head of the pack, as usual. He’s looking incredible in a simple, dark suit that doesn’t cover his wings at all. It’s his official attire, and he kept whining when I was helping him put it on. But now he’s wearing it, all I can think of is ripping it all off again.
He spots me across the room and sends me a happy smile, but then has to greet some officials and well-wishers.
Averie grabs my arm and puts her mouth close to my ear. “Before he gets over here, Maeve…”
“Yes?”
“Zaroc has certain alien talents,” she whispers. “He can see a wide spectrum, and he has been looking at you. He says your heat signature is unmistakable.”
I frown, getting worried. “What does that mean?”
She just has time to tell me before Arelion is in front of me and she tactfully pulls away.
“My love,” he rumbles. “You’ve been waiting.” He comes in to kiss me with the usual passion. Being a Supreme Leader and having a great audience of officials and aliens doesn’t influence him at all. He’s just being himself.
“All my life,” I tell him, deciding that I’m going to ignore the others, too.