The Rain: The End by Marietta Standlee (good summer reads TXT) 📕

"Yes, mine is just the same." She points towards the one she's wearing. "I have to switch them out occasionally so that Ka won't get suspicious when he can't monitor me."

"What about right now? Won't he want to know what was said?" I caution.

She smiles sardonically. "Don't worry, we have some excellent tech members who will change our conversation into something different before adding it to my normal device."

"You've turned into quite the James Bond." I echo my earlier thoughts.

She ignores my statement and looks fiercely at me. "I hate him, Viv! With all my heart I'll do what I can to bring him down. Even if I have to die for it. I swear." The stealth in her posture and words leave no doubt of her sincerity.

"Just be careful." I warn.

"I will, don't worry. Most of the other girls are on our side, all except Natasha, be careful should you see her. She's with one of Ka's friends, and eating up all the attention and power." Clair spits.

I mirror her movements as she rises and explains, "We better get back; he's already suspicious."

"You are very brave." I tell her and mean it.

"So are you. Besides, I have a baby I'm fighting for. I want her to have a good future, but one that is not built on the demise of my species." She responds vehemently, leaving no doubt where her loyalties lie.

I give her another hug and she promises, "We'll stay in contact. What are you guys planning?"

I hate doing this to her, especially after everything she told me and is risking, but my team members' lives depend on it. It's not that I don't trust her, I do, but… yeah, nowadays there's always a but it seems. "We're working on the same goal, trust me. But the less you know, the safer you are."

Again, I've underestimated her; understanding is written all over her face. She just smiles and puts her hand on my shoulder, "Be careful."

"You too."

Chapter 4

Together we saunter back to the party as if we don't have a care in the world. Ka watches us enter ever so nonchalantly as if he doesn't care one way or another, but a hint of tension in his posture betrays his true intentions. I watch Claire walk towards him, smile at him, and whisper something. I have to admire her; I prefer actual combat to the shenanigans going on behind the curtains here and on Earth.

Colin looks at me, questioning, and I'm blown away again by him; he looks so handsome in his uniform. I dive under his arm and kiss his cheek, needing to be close to him and wanting to do a lot more but that one chaste kiss, but we're being watched, and I'm worried I'm already pushing the boundaries.

President Koralen holds a lengthy, boring speech, I plaster a smile on my face and let my mind wander. We need to find out as much as we can about the Phinaruh, the Gorongiaths' enemies. This should be the next step in our plan. I'm just not sure how to contact them; until recently, we didn't even have an inkling of their existence.

Applause breaks out, and I realize my mind drifted a little too far. I move my hands to join in the clapping and brighten my smile even more, although I have not faintest idea what the President said.

"As long as our allies are by our side, we're ready for the next step, and we'll take the war to the Phinaruh," she adds, exposing her tattooed teeth and making me shudder. This custom of theirs is just one of the many things grossing me out, especially with the added jewels.

Again, applause breaks out. I think I missed something important here. Does this mean we're going to attack the other aliens? I look up at Colin, questioning. He smiles and shakes his head; he knows full well I haven't listened to a word the President said. Speeches, no matter on what topic or who is giving them (except Colin, of course), bore me to death.

Later that night, we assemble our main Captains in the leisure room, ensuring the tablets are left behind. The breakroom is generously sized and includes various couches, tables. Even a small bar, stocked not just with alcoholic beverages but also with sodas and snacks.

If nothing else, our hosts are very generous. Two pool tables, five dart boards, a foosball table, and several game consoles with various electronic games finish it. All of it imported from Earth. Just for us. Lucky us.

We've used it on and off after training to pass time, but mostly it's our war room. We also have an assigned conference room, which we use to talk training rosters and stuff, but for more pressing matters we meet in here, assuming it's less likely to be bugged.

I stay quiet for a while and listen as they talk about the upcoming battle with the Phinaruh. As I guessed, while I was zoned out, the President made a point of including our small army into her war plans. We don't have specifics yet; don't know where or when, but it's not too early to make plans on our own, how to handle ourselves during the battle.

"They'll expect us to fight and kill their enemy," Briggs states sipping her soda.

"I don't see how; those guys are not our enemies." Drew throws in.

His face set into a grim mask. Made even more grotesque because of the long scar running down one site of it. Curtesy of the dinosaur attack during our battle with the Russians.

"They assume we're on their side; they think they have us properly cowed," Colin explains.

"We're only twenty-five hundred strong, including the pilots," I add. "How much of a help can we be?"

"Cannon fodder?" Kat offers dryly, making Briggs choke on her soda, laughing.

"Whatever happens, whatever we're supposed to do, we have to make sure to catch a few of the new aliens alive,"