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

only one in the room who is a wildcard and whom I'm not a hundred percent sure of. A quick glance at Colin confirms he shares my reservations, but it's too late to kick the Russian out now.

Awkwardly, Parm stands there, until Kat has mercy on him and offers him her chair.

"Thank you." He slumps into it. "You've been briefed on tomorrow's attack, yes?" He waits for our nods. "You understand this will be a slaughter of civilians, yes?"

He is confirming our darkest suspicions, and the fine hairs on my arm stand up. Whatever he's going to say, I have a premonition it'll be a game-changer for us.

Colin answers grimly, "Yes, we're aware."

"You're not happy about it." Parm states.

I sigh, "Just tell us what brought you here."

"As Claire probably told you, there are some of us who aren't in agreement with the course our current leadership is taking. Believe it or not, our race used to be peaceful."

"What changed?" Briggs asks.

Parm shrugs his shoulders, "I could give you a history lecture, but I don't think we have enough time for that. Let's just say our military is getting too much funding and doesn't know what to do with itself. While our corporations are too power hungry, a deadly combination."

He pauses, "Anyway, the Ethical Committee is not going to stand by and watch thousands of people get slaughtered. Even within our military are people who will not stand by and watch."

"So, what are you suggesting.?" Colin asks.

"Tomorrow, we'll rescue the civilian Phinaruh and strike our military leaders a blow they won't soon forget."

"You're going to kill your own people?" Dimitrov clarifies, leaning forward in his chair. I notice he didn't offer Kat his chair after she gave up hers for Parm and I'm not sure if it is out of respect for her military command or because of lack of courtesy.

Parm nods decisively. "Yes, unfortunately, there is no other way at this point; we're fully prepared to live with the consequences."

Colin uncrosses his arms and looks at Parm. "How many soldiers do you exactly have on your side tomorrow?"

"Enough to eliminate the ones who aren't with us, if you and your soldiers are willing to help."

We exchange dumbfounded glances between us, until Vandyke asks the obvious question, "How can we trust this isn't a trick to test our loyalty or something like that?"

Parm's eyes go to Vandyke before meeting the rest of ours. "I understand your doubts, especially after what Ka did. I can't prove to you that what I'm saying is true, not until tomorrow." He grins awkwardly. "You'll just have to make up your mind to trust me."

"What's the plan?" Colin asks.

"Captain Lorant is the commander of our pilots. He leads the resistance. When you hear him say, Pull back, it's a trap. I need your army to engage."

"Engage how?" Briggs inquires.

"If you agree, I'll give you a detailed plan later, each one of yours and our pilots will have one or two spacecrafts assigned to them to take out. There will be chaos, nobody will have the slightest idea of what is happening during the first few minutes; in those minutes, we have to have won."

Colin rubs his chin thoughtfully. "Because nobody can be allowed to radio HQ they were attacked by their own people?"

Parm nods, "Exactly. It has to appear as if the Phinaruhs lured us into a trap."

"And then what? We just come back here, pretend we have our tails tucked between our legs, and tell Quill, sorry, we lost?" I ask in disbelieve.

"That's the plan." Parm looks triumphant.

"What about the troops on the ground?" Vandyke asks.

"You'll finally get to beat the crap out of them." Parm looks directly at me. His amber eyes alight with mischief and intelligence, and in that instant, I realize he knows what we've been up to the entire time.

"Does everybody know?" I ask with trepidation.

He shrugs his shoulders; "Hard to tell." he answers truthfully. "I had my suspicions, and our leaders aren't stupid." He shrugs. "They probably came to their own conclusions."

"To come back to your question." he nods at Vandyke, "Everybody on our side will wear black arm ties; that's how you'll be able to distinguish who is on our side; try not to kill those soldiers."

"Will there be enough of them?" Colin questions.

"Not if you are not on our side." Parm looks challenging at all of us.

Again, we all exchange uneasy glances, before all eyes land on our leader, Colin. Who is thoughtfully rubbing his chin. "It's better than to stand by and watch innocent people get slaughtered."

"Who are the Phinaruhs?" Dimitrov asks.

"They are a race just like yours and mine who happened to inhabit a planet that our corporations desired."

"Because of the plant?" I ask.

"No, your planet is the only one we found so far, where Belia Orolatis thrives. The Phinaruh's planet had other resources we wanted. But that was a few centuries back, and the Phinaruh were more advanced than your race, no offense." He looks apologetically before continuing. "At the time of the attack, our leaders had no idea how advanced the Phinaruhs were and that they had colonized several outposts, who came together to retaliate. We have been at war with them ever since. A war that neither side seems to win or be willing to surrender."

He takes a deep breath. "A war that has been going on for over a century and is exhausting, not only to both sides resources and lives but the populace's patience. Everybody wants peace; but our ideas on how to accomplish that goal are slightly different." His owl eyes roll for maximum effect of his words.

Dimitrov doesn't seem impressed. "What are you not telling us?"

I raise my eyebrows; I thought Parm was pretty forthcoming but judging by the expression on his face now, I realize Dimitrov is not off his mark, and admire the Russian spy for that.

Parm sighs deeply and actual tears form in his eyes. "The Phinaruhs did something to us. We don't know how or