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

We need to talk to those Phinaruhs, need more information on them. The tablets have not provided any intelligence on the Gorongiath' enemies, raising our suspicion, because everything else seems to be stored on these little computers. Bringing us to the next logical question. What else are they omitting?

I contemplate briefly to bring up Claire, but even though I trust our core members here—well, all except Dimitrov, this is about Claire's life. I'll tell Colin about it when we're alone, but nobody else needs to know at this point. The decision leaves a sour taste in my mouth.

Before we came to this planet, I never withheld information from my teammates, never. But even if Dimitrov wasn't present, I wouldn't share this with the group.

Playing politics is taking a toll on me; I hate it with all my being. I'm not a deceptive person, and this game of cat and mouse just isn't me, but I do understand the importance of it, and like it or not, I'm in the middle of it now, and I'll do my best like I always do.

Chapter 5

It's the eve of our first battle. Again, we have our main captains assembled. This time though, in the room that was originally assigned to me as my sleeping quarters. We've used it before; and are fairly certain it's not bugged. Of course, we can't be a hundred percent confident, but this is what we got.

We gave up using the breakroom a couple weeks back. It wasn't fair to the other soldiers closing it up for hours at a time just to hold our conference. They need their downtime too.

And since I haven't used this room, except the bathroom, we've been using it for meetings with our top five commanders.

Colin had to shuffle the order of command; meeting with twenty-three captains all the time just wasn't feasible without raising more suspicion from the aliens. It was more practical, to announce five top Commanders, and have them spread the word down the ranks. The five Commanders are: Briggs, of course, as head of the pilot team, my friend Kat Smart and Commander Vandyke, because between them, they have the most military experience. The other two are Derek and Dimitrov. Colin doesn't trust the Russian and would rather keep him close.

All seven of us are assembled in the small fourteen by fourteen room, taking up space wherever we can, three on the bed, two on chairs; Colin leans against the desk, and I lean against Colin, we share the information gleaned from Quill earlier.

Our troops have been ordered to leave tomorrow morning to head for a planet called Oaron, where a small settlement of Phinaruhs has been reported. The Gorongiaths want to make an example of the settlement, encroaching on their territory. Quill thought it would be an excellent learning experience for us humans to assist in their annihilation.

He explained that we'll find about fifteen-thousand Phinaruhs inside the outpost, whereas our combined numbers will be around ten-thousand strong. More than enough to bring the enemy to its knees, moreover because all our attacking forces will be armed and trained soldiers, whereas the Phinaruhs are settlers. I'm sure they brought a security force with them, but it's probably a small one.

"Sounds like a slaughter to me," Derek states thoughtfully.

Briggs's face twists with anger. "So, we are to kill unarmed civilians? People we've never seen or spoken to? People we don't know anything about?"

Colin nods tensely. "Yap, that about sums it up."

The room falls quiet again, everybody's thoughts are circling around the doomed colony. We all know how wrong this is, but we all know, too that we don't have a choice. President Koralen and Quill want us there, we'll have to go unless we want to risk the fragile truce our races have forged.

Still, it doesn't seem right; it's not fair that thousands of people will have to die just so our race can live. Have I mentioned that I hate politics? I would rather fight in battle, which coincidentally is to happen tomorrow, just not the kind of battle I envision or even remotely feel like fighting.

A knock on the door has all of us lookup. Colin disentangles himself from me, walks over and opens it. A familiar-looking alien stands on the other side, his eyes dart across the room until he sees me. "Vivian."

I scan the alien head to toe, trying to figure out where I've seen him before. When he speaks though, it comes back to me, he was with Ka on the ship that rescued the others and me. Parm. "Greetings from Claire."

I narrow my eyes at him. "What about her?"

"Please, may I come in?" Parm requests, arms stretched out as if to say he comes in peace.

Colin steps aside and waves him in. Parm enters, making a show of turning his tablet off and pushing it back into the hallway before closing the door behind him.

"Claire is fine, don't worry. We're all on the same side." He assures me.

His words make the other five members of our group turn their heads towards me, each one asking me silently about Claire. Most of them don't even know who she is, but I'm not about to enlighten them right now. Making my position known by tightening my lips and crossing my arms over my chest for good measure.

"And which side is that?" I ask the alien challengingly.

"I'm still with the Ethics Committee; even though that might not mean a lot to other members of my species, it has been my calling since before I graduated school." He states, looking around the room at the gathered people. "Can we trust everybody?"

Colin gives Parm a sardonic smile while he leans against the wall and crosses his arms as well. "Can we trust you?" he counters.

"Fair enough." Parm grins.

I throw a quick glance towards Dimitrov; maybe it wasn't such a good idea to make him one of the top five. He's the