Forging the Alliance short Read online

  The officer rubbed his chin with his thumb and forefinger, never taking his eyes off of Darius. Darius held the man’s stare, knowing that if he looked away, his whole story would fall apart. He needed to show conviction, now more than ever.

  “You’re probably right. What does Dr. Kandre think?”

  Darius shot a glance at the impish doctor hiding in his office and reluctantly waved to him to come out. Kandre now held the girl’s fate in his hands, and Darius’s too. The doctor emerged haughtily and went straight to the officer.

  “Hello, sir. How can I help you?”

  “Darius, here, was just telling me about his brave rescue of this young girl. What are your thoughts? Do you think she will recover enough to give us any useful information?”

  Kandre shrugged indifferently again, glancing over his shoulder at Xerces for a split second. She remained unmoving.

  “She’ll make a full recovery, eventually. I don’t know how useful she’ll be, but I suppose it would be a cruelty to let her die now that she’s here. I’ve already told Darius that I will do what I can for her, but there are limits to my medicine at this time, and I will not expend vital resources meant for our men just to save her. She is our prisoner now, and according to conventions, it is our duty to care for her until such time as she can be sentenced or put to death. I know my oath, and I stand behind it.”

  Kandre’s answer did nothing to put Darius at ease, but he was grateful for its relative vagueness. Kandre could weasel out of an answer by falling back on oaths, and that meant that he had bought them all some time. Darius had to be thankful for that, at least.

  The officer nodded again, side stepping once to observe Xerces where she lay. He didn’t step closer, and Darius held his breath until his lungs burned, willing the man to leave. Dr. Kandre stood near the end of the bed, bouncing on his toes eagerly, but not saying anything further. The moment stretched out until Darius thought he would have to gasp for breath, but the officer alleviated him of his fears.

  “All right. I will report this to the other officers, and I will have guards posted outside the medical bay doors until further notice. Darius, you are to return to your normal duties. Your presence is no longer required here. Kandre, do what you can for the girl, but don’t be wasteful. Either she recovers, or she doesn’t. If she does, the guards will escort her down to the brig with the rest of the prisoners and she will be questioned.”

  The man made a sudden about-face and marched out of the room, leaving the door open behind him. Darius hurried to shut the door and re-lock it in the man’s absence. A crowd was already gathering outside, trying to snatch a glance at what he hid beneath the blankets in the corner.

  As soon as the door was closed and Darius leaned against it in relief, Kandre spoke.

  “You better remember this next time I need a favor.”

  Darius lifted a hand to wave the man off, but he didn’t have the energy to speak. This had all been more than he was bargaining for. He went to Xerces’s side, and she lay wide awake, staring blankly at the ceiling, not meeting his gaze. Her expression was cold.

  “Listen, I will find you a way out of this. I won’t let them take you.”

  “You can’t stop them.”

  “I just had to buy some time. I need you to trust me.”

  Xerces snorted again, and Darius realized that her attitude was wearing on him. He was doing the best he could, and she didn’t seem to appreciate that he was putting his neck on the line for her. He still wasn’t even sure why he cared so much.

  Giving up, he turned to Kandre.

  “Take good care of her. I’ll repay you when we make it out of this. If she dies, so do you.”

  That was a threat he intended to carry out. He would love nothing more than to wipe the smug look off of Dr. Kandre’s face when he was least expecting it, but for now, he needed the man on his side.

  Kandre only nodded his understanding, but didn’t seem too alarmed by the threat. They each knew where they stood, and what they had to gain.

  “I’ll be back when I can,” he said, and then he excused himself from the room. Xerces didn’t even watch him go.

  5

  Darius spent the next few days trying to focus on his regular duties. After loading all the other prisoners onto the ship and moving out, things had returned to normal for the crew. For him, that meant standing watch on rotating shifts, along with a mix of cleaning and other necessary duties. Occasionally he could catch a few solid hours of sleep, during which his mind revisited Xerces, and he wondered whether he had done the right thing. He had no way of knowing, and he knew better than to go near the medical bay to ask after her.

  On the fourth day of travel, the Administration ship had crossed and recrossed the desert planet, searching for any further signs of the insurgents. Not surprisingly, an announcement to the crew stated that no insurgents remained and the ship could return to its home sector. This announcement was both promising and ominous for Darius. On the one hand, it meant that there would be no more bombs dropped on Xerces’s people. They would slaughter no more innocents in the name of keeping up appearances. However, it also meant that they were leaving Xerces’s planet behind, and even if she recovered, she would be trapped far from home, a prisoner despised for a crime she didn’t commit.

  As soon as they made the announcement, Darius knew he had to see her. He had to tell her what was happening before someone else did. He had to make sure she was okay, and he wanted to remind her he was still on her side. He had no way of knowing what kind of poison Dr. Kandre had been filling her mind with in his absence. He feared that Kandre had already told her the bad news, leaving her in the grips of fear.

  Darius finished scooping the last bit of food off of his tray and into his mouth. He had already pocketed two soft dinner rolls and a morsel of chocolate from earlier in the week. He meant it as a peace offering. He cleaned up after himself and hurried out of the mess hall, keeping his head down. Nobody bothered to stop him, so he headed straight for the medical bay.

  As promised, two men guarded the door. They stood to either side, chatting idly about all the things they looked forward to doing when they finally got back home. Darius approached them with his head held high.

  “How’s it going, boys?”

  They both nodded to him. “Slow and quiet, just the way we like it,” one guard replied.

  “Is the doctor in?”

  The men looked at each other warily, suddenly on edge.

  “What for?” the guard’s tone had gone from friendly to dry.

  “You know, Kandre! He asked me to bring him by a little of that chocolate for the girl. I think the man’s gone soft,” Darius joke, throwing on his most charismatic smile.

  “Didn’t tell us anything about it. We were told no visitors.”

  “Well, I’m sure he didn’t call the officer’s quarters to get permission to have some chocolate brought down. He radioed me directly. Just stick your head in there and ask him yourself. He can come to the door and get it. We don’t have to break any rules here.”

  Darius backed off, showing both his hands as if to say he had nothing to hide. The second guard seemed to take the bait, knocking on the door and calling for the doctor. There was a momentary pause, and then Kandre stood inside the door frame. He was about to complain about the disruption to his work when he spotted Darius and froze.

  “Oh, it’s you. Come on in.”

  “But, Dr. Kandre, we were told no visitors,” the guard protested, suddenly realizing that he had lost control of the situation, and trying to step in front of the open door to block Darius’s passage.

  “This isn’t a visitor. This man is bringing me the supplies I need to do my job. That’s all.”

  He reached out into the hallway, grabbed Darius’s uniform at the shoulder, and hauled him through the door before slamming it in the guard’s face. He clicked the lock before the guard could yank it back open.

  “Mind telling me what the hell you think you’re
doing here?” he demanded.

  “I came to check on her. I brought her a few things.”

  Dr. Kandre gave him an exasperated huff, but refrained from any further lecturing. “Fine. Hurry, though, before they call the whole damn command down here. I want no more problems than I’ve already got.”

  “I’ll be quick. Promise.”

  The whole time, Xerces had been sitting up on her bed, watching Darius closely. The coldness that she had displayed four days earlier was not completely gone, but she was feeling better. Her skin was healing, and she had regained some color. She no longer appeared weak and on the verge of collapsing. It was a wonder what four days of rest and proper food could do, if you could call the rations in the medical bay proper food.

  Darius went to her and found himself speechless. He couldn’t read her expression, and he didn’t know how to explain what might happen next. He was afraid that any information he gave her might break the spirit that she had only recently recaptured. Remembering himself, he reached into his pocket.

  “I… I brought you these.” He held out the dinner rolls, wrapped neatly in a napkin, and the chocolate in its silvery wrapper. “It’s not much, but it has to be better than whatever he’s feeding you.” Darius tilted his head back toward Kandre.

  “Thank you. I’m glad you came back.” She took a big bite out of one of the dinner rolls and chewed ravenously.

  “I’m sorry I didn’t come sooner. Things have been… complicated.”

  She shrugged. “What’s your next move? I’m running out of time here. They will realize I’m getting stronger, and they’ll haul me out of here any day now.” She searched his face hopefully.

  “I don’t have a plan yet.”

  Her eyes grew wide with surprise, and then her face darkened to anger and she dropped the dinner roll into her lap.

  “I’m still working on it, okay?” he interjected before she could get another word out.

  “And I’m just supposed to sit here and wait for you like a princess locked away in a tower? There you go with that knight in shining armor bullshit again!”

  “Hey, hang on a second. That’s not fair.”

  She huffed. “I didn’t ask you to come riding into my hometown to save me. I certainly didn’t ask to be held prisoner in this medical bay. And I will not let you walk out of here again just so you can swoop in just in the nick of time to save me when it’s convenient for you.” Her words grated on him and he clenched his jaw shut.

  He leaned in close to her, so close he could smell the newly fresh scent of her washed hair. “Listen to me, Xerces. This is not a game, and I didn’t come here looking for prizes. You don’t have to believe me, but the least you could do is stop fighting me. In case you didn’t know, we left Faylir this morning and we are sailing through space. Even if I had a plan, and I freed you, you’re stuck on this ship until we get somewhere safe. It’s better if we bide our time.”

  Xerces looked as if someone had slapped her across the face. Obviously she had not known that the ship was ordered home, and she was here for the long haul.

  “I don’t believe this,” she whispered, and this time the tears rolled down her cheeks, climbing over the rough patches of scabs and scrapes, and falling onto her lap. “What am I going to do?”

  “That’s enough,” Kandre interrupted. “You need to go. You’re upsetting my patient.”

  “Just one more minute,” Darius asked, wishing that he could be something other than a source of pain for Xerces, just once.

  “You have to help me get back. Wherever we end up, help me.”

  All the spite and contempt Xerces was harboring had vanished, and now she sat helplessly before him, wringing her hands.

  “I promise. Just give me a chance.”

  Before he could turn to go, she threw her arms around his neck and hugged him close. He could feel the dampness of her cheek pressing into his neck. Her thin arms were surprisingly strong, and she clung to him tightly. At first, he thought to pull back, alarmed by the sudden change that had come over her, but he relented, wrapping his arms around her and comforting her silently. His hands rubbed her back gently, and he held her until he felt her grip loosen around his neck. Then he stepped back, gave her a reassuring pat on the hand, and turned to leave.

  “Hey,” she called after him. “Be safe out there. I’ll be waiting.”

  Darius let himself out quickly.

  “Thank you for your understanding, gentlemen,” he said to the two guards, and he headed back up the hall, not giving them a chance to say anything at all about the delay.

  Now, it was really up to him to find a way out of this mess. Xerces was counting on him, and he couldn’t help but feel responsible for bringing her aboard the ship. He hadn’t had a plan when he did it, and now he knew that the universe was actively working against him as he tried to keep her safe.

  Checking his watch, he realized it was time for him to report. He arrived at his station just in time, greeting everyone he saw on the way. He fought the urge to talk about the girl in the medical bay, even when people made passing comments or shared their theories about why she was down there. All he could do was turn his mind to solving the problem at hand.

  6

  Each day, Darius found some excuse to drop by the medical bay. Dr. Kandre always accepted his deliveries, although he did not approve. However, after the first day, the guards seemed to accept that Darius was supposed to be there, and they said nothing when his visits stretched from five minutes to ten and twenty. Still, he didn’t want to push his luck.

  Xerces was growing stronger by the day. Emotionally, she was still fragile, prone to breaking down in tears from time to time, but Darius couldn’t blame her. He didn’t have any easy answers for her either. All he could do was stop by, bring her some fresh fruit or bread, and hold her while she cried. Only once did she ask him about the orphans, the ones he had promised to go back for, but all he could do was shake his head sadly in answer. She understood what he meant, and a fresh wave of sobs wracked her body.

  No matter how long or hard she cried for her home and her people, he stayed steady. He held her and ran his fingers through her hair and whispered reassurances in her ear. Sometimes he held her until she was so exhausted she fell asleep on his chest, and he listened to her breathing, staying as still as possible until he absolutely had to go back. In those moments, he thought he loved her, or at least that he could love her, if things were different.

  For her part, Xerces was always happy to see him. The first time she threw her arms around his neck had been a mishap, a moment of letting her guard down and impulsively reaching for the only comfort she could find. However, each time he came back to her room, she had fewer and fewer qualms about snuggling close to him and breathing in his scent. Her anger and hurt subsided, giving way to a desperate need for affection and a hunger to be held. Darius nourished those parts of her, and she soaked up his tenderness to tide her over through the long hours alone with the doctor and his dour attitude.

  “I don’t think you should come here anymore,” she said one day, pulling away from Darius and holding him at a distance. She seemed embarrassed by what she was saying, like she wasn’t sure she meant it.

  “But why?”

  “I just don’t think it’s a good idea.”

  “I promised I wouldn’t leave you here alone. I promised I would find a way out of this.”

  She placed a hand on his chest, stopping him. “I know. I know what you promised, and it means a lot to me. Maybe you’ll even pull it off. But they will take me out of here in shackles any day now, and I think it would be better if I got used to being… alone…” she trailed off, her eyes glazing over and losing their focus as she thought about what it would mean for her.

  “I’ll come visit you down there, too. I swear.” He placed his hands firmly on her shoulders, trying to bring her attention back to his face.

  He could feel a swell of anxiety rising within him. She didn’t know it yet, but sh
e had become a lifeline for him. A connection to reality that kept him grounded when he could no longer listen to the poisonous lies of the Administration being parroted by his fellow soldiers. Sitting next to her in the medical bay under the watchful eye of Dr. Kandre was a reprieve from the total isolation he felt when he was standing watch upstairs.

  Xerces gave him an appreciative smile, but he could see in her eyes she didn’t believe a word he was saying. Why would she? Once she was out of the medical bay, neither one of them would be in control of the situation any longer, and there would be no Dr. Kandre there to help them sneak around.

  “I don’t want to go,” he admitted.

  “I’m not asking,” she said definitively, and he felt a tiny crack appear in his heart. She made up her mind, and she was pulling away.

  Distraught, he dropped his hands limply to his sides. Even touching her felt wrong now. She didn’t want him there. He couldn’t hide the crestfallen look on his face, or the shakiness in his voice.

  “Then I guess I’ll go,” he said under his breath, stunned by the suddenness with which she had cut him off.

  For the last few days, he thought they had been growing closer. They didn’t talk about much, but they had grown accustomed to one another’s silence, like old lovers. He had taken those moments for granted. Now they had drawn to an end.

  She sat on the medical bed; her face impassive and her body still. Even after he closed the door behind him, she made no move. The guards outside greeted him the same way they always did upon his exit, but this time he avoided meeting their eyes, dropping his head to his chest and slipping away solemnly. He didn’t care what they thought anymore. It didn’t matter.

  Before he reached the end of the hall, a noise made him stop. As he listened, he realized it was the sound of Xerces crying in despair from the other side of the medical bay door. The sound made his heart catch in his throat, and for a split second he almost ran back to make sure she was okay, but he didn’t. He clenched his hands inside his pockets and trudged away, leaving her to her emotions as she wished, but he had to admit that hearing her sorrow was a little reassuring. For a minute, he thought the emotions of the last few days had been all in his head. Now he knew that there was something more there, and he meant to find his way back to her, whatever it took.