Something about Britt's eyes betray him. He knows more. But as usual wants to follow the rules.

"Tell me, Britt." All of our verbal conversations are recorded automatically by Syndicate for the mission records, so maybe he'll tell me more if I speak to him telepathically.

"I cannot Zea. I gave my word. I was commanded to make sure you were able to stay focused and on task for this mission. My main job is to protect you and aid you in this mission. This mission is extremely important."

"To who? Armada or the Orikai?"

"Both. I have orders from both. Your safety and the success of this mission are the highest priority right now."

Well tie me down, roast my ass and call me dinner. The man is ever the soldier. I want to pull my hair out.

Even when he shows me how much he cares about me, loves me even, when given orders, orders are followed no matter what.

He gave me the truth the best he could but made sure to stay within the boundaries of the orders given to him. By both Armada and the Orikai. Bloody stubborn male.

Not sure how much I like this part of Britt's character. Couldn't he break the rules a little?

Stifling a groan and barely stopping myself from rolling my eyes, I stand up from the table with my food. Even though I haven't touched it yet and had literally just sat down, I don't feel like staying.

"I am going to eat in my room. I want to go over the map recovered by Syndicate showing everywhere Ufrik and I already searched. We only had the underground left but maybe we missed something."

With that, I take my food back to my room more than a little frustrated at Britt. He doesn't bother to apologize or try to justify his decision to be the obedient soldier. It's just the way it is. It is who he is.

Britt is rather black and white that way. His face had been stone still as he had watched me leave. One way or another I will find out what had happened. The thought of something bad happening to Nadia eats at my insides. Not sure I could forgive myself if she had been hurt or killed.

I spend hours searching the Galactic news sites and military reports. I find nothing about an incident in regards to the rescued Humans. Everything reported is rosy and upbeat.

Armada is once again the hero saving a lost species and preserving their history before they faded into nothing. Yeah for Armada.

I snort derisively—what a joke. They are more like conquerors than heroes if you ask me, but that doesn't change the news or the military reports.

Stars this sucks.

How can I get my hands on classified documents? I need to talk to Sica. Maybe she'll feel generous.

"Syndicate, what time is it?"

"Zero two hundred Universal time, Marshal."

"Too late to contact Sica then?" I hadn't meant to speak out loud. I was more mumbling to myself than anything, yet, Syndicate answers me.

"I am seeing her communicator as active Marshal. She is currently online. Therefore I would assume it is still OK to contact her." Wow. I am pretty sure I love this new technology. Everything is instant.

"Alright then. Please send a communication request to her."

A few seconds later my wall lites up with the face of Sica. It scares the shit out of me and I shamefully jump in my chair.

I am still not used to it, even after all this time. It's not normal for walls to just light up with images like that. All of my previous ships had been equipped with specific communication screens.

"Marshal Zea. Why the late night hail?" Sica's voice is flat and she is completely unreadable. Pretty sure her resting face is her "I want to eat your flesh" face.

So I skip the niceties and jump in with both feet.

"What happened to humans rescued outside the compounds Sica?"

"Right to the point then." Her eyes twinkle with what almost looks like respect. I must be confusing wry humour with admiration.

"You asked." I shrug. She did ask why I had contacted her.

"This couldn't wait for a more appropriate hour Marshal?"

"When would that be Sica?"

She sits back in her office chair. Still at her desk even though it is well past midnight on her planet.

"Fine. You want to know this Zea?" She reverts to my first name like I have for her. This meeting is to be off the record.

My stomach does a flip flop and my muscles tense everywhere in anticipation of bad news. Feeling my teeth grinding I swallow hard.

"If you want me to focus on my mission, you better tell me."

She let's out a heavy sigh. "Fine."

Rubbing her face with a furry clawed hand she takes a deep breath before facing me again. Then without any preamble, she just lays it all out. Like a punch to the gut.

"We found the small group you mentioned. They came more willingly than we had anticipated. We put them on a shuttle and they were sent to the Centennial to be taken to their new home. We had already filled the other ships but due to some crew members not making it there was some room left on the Centennial."

She swallows hard at the mention of our fallen men and women.

"However, the leader of the group you had found, must have made a deal with the Zu'Lar. Before we knew what was happening half the ship had been blown into tiny little pieces and the small group of survivors had magically vanished. Our guess is the Zu'Lar teleported them out before the explosive devices they had carried on board, detonated."

"How is that possible?" My head is spinning. I need to breath.

That can't be right. The old guy had been creepy, maybe even slightly crazy, but I hadn't sensed any deception from anyone else. Only him. Shit. Maybe he'd made the deal and not told his people?

"We didn't scan them for weapons. They were barely clothed and time had been short. Our window had been closing fast. Soon the Zu'Lar would have recovered from the damage we caused them and been on us. So we rushed them on board. Quarantined them based on your suspicion of cannibalism, and prepared for departure.

"Never before, has the Zu'Lar made contact with a planet's inhabitants and left them uncaptured and alive, mind you striked a deal with them."

Shaking her head in disgust she continues. "They were in the process of preparing to test some of them for cannibalism, and any other health risks when the first explosion happened. According to the few who survived, not everyone from the small group was saved. Their leader sacrificed some of his own to follow through with his plan.

"Everyone up in the med bay being prepared for testing died. The security footage salvaged from the ship's main computer shows the rest of the group disappearing into thin air while still in quarantine. It happened at the same time as the explosion in the med bay took place. Then two more explosions took place simultaneously. One from the shuttle that they boarded in, while in its docking station and another from the quarantine cell the second they were gone. Took out over half the ship. Only a few survived. Thankfully not all your men were aboard yet."

I sit there stunned. My mouth agape. Holy mother of stars! The Zu'Lar are willing to do anything to kill us.

Stupid Humans. If they thought after they had served their purpose the Zu'Lar would let them live, they had no idea. Why they had been teleported away is beyond me.

Granted the Zu'Lar may have teleported them into dead space for all I know. Or they wanted the Humans for testing... or breeding.

They had done that before. Not having many healthy females of their own, they did tend to use compatible species like living test tubes.

We don't know for sure, but suspicion is that the Zu'Lar offspring can not survive outside of a living womb. No test tube babies for them. Unlike some of the other species out there. Especially those from the Quantum region who no longer had natural births of any kind.

The Zu'Lar had a problem though that seemed to increase every decade. They had fewer and less healthy females being born every year. Intel reported the decline in healthy females was tripling each decade. Which would mean extinction for their species if they don't find a solution. If it wasn't for their ability to live such long lives they probably would have gone extinct already.

For now they had found a temporary solution. Harvest fertilized eggs from a female Zu'Lar, and have other females from a compatible species, carry the offspring to term.

No one knows how accurate this information is but it would explain why they might have kept the humans alive and not just killed them on the spot.

"If that is all Marshal, I think I will like to go to bed now?"

Shit, I am still staring at Sica like an imbecile. She had the decency to pretend like she didn't notice my obvious distress. I slam my mouth shut and nod. Keeping my face blank.

"Yes, Lady Secretary. Sorry for keeping you." I sound weird to my ears. Robotic. Barely audible. "Thank you." The last part comes out so quiet I barely hear myself.

Sica nods an understanding nod but keeps her face stony. Then she disappears leaving me staring at a blank wall.

Had Britt known the whole story? Or just that the Centennial had been blown up?

Do I ask him? And why had Sica told me without much of a fight? That feels odd to me. Normally if something is of a classified nature, it is like pulling teeth to get info.

Does Armada know she just told me everything? Just then my new personal microband beeps on my wrist. A message from Sica.

WE NEVER SPOKE.

Before I am even done reading it, it vanishes. Geezes. I do not want to know what kind of technology she has at her disposal. Nevertheless, that answers that.

Still, why would she tell me? Especially if Armada is against it?

"She has her reasons, Zea."

"I may not be able to shut off my thoughts being broadcasted but that doesn't give you the right to eavesdrop whenever you feel like it, Britt!"

"Sorry. Not sure how to turn it off yet either."

"Fuck. So how much did you know?"

"Only that most of the crew had been blown up with the Centennial. I was told it had been the Zu'Lar. The rest doesn't make a lot of sense to me? You had found a group of Human's camped outside the compounds?"

Right he hadn't been there for that part. If Britt and I were going to try and stay honest with each other I guess I should start now.

Being honest about everything, isn't a natural thing for me. I want to keep my private thoughts private. Sharing anything, after years of hiding my abilities and past from everyone, is not something I am comfortable with.

"Come see me." Britt's voice in my head is demanding but warm.

Unless I want him to start to keep things from me again, I need to do better. So be it.

I stand up pacing the room. I have a million things floating in my mind. One question at the forefront.

Had Nadia made it? If she had, were they using her as a breeder?

Shit.

Maybe I should be hoping she'd blown up. Both thoughts make me feel ill. Her aura had been so pure. Not very often you find a true healer with a pure soul. She should have been saved. Her and her children.

A flash of the memory I had seen sweeps across my vision. She had watched Zu'Lar kill her partner. The father of her children. If they forced her to carry their offspring would she be able to handle it?

Ufrik might have to wait. Not sure why but a burning desire consumes me. I will find out if she had survived and if she is alive, I will save her.

A calming sensation washes through me. The decision made it feels right. She will be saved if she lives.

With a new sense of determination, I turn to the door as Britt enters obviously not having the patience to wait for me. When our eyes meet his face falls instantly.

"Crap." He groans and wearily rubs a hand over his face.

"What?"

"I know that look, Zea. You are going to get us killed before this is over."

A crooked smile creeps over my face. In some ways, it is nice having someone know you so well. It helps not having to explain what I am thinking all the time.

Granted he is right, I may get us killed.

However, it has to be done. It's just the way it is.