Alien Tango

Reid was the king. Taft wasn’t a pawn, he was at least a bishop on Reid’s board. So, who were his other pieces? Serene had been an unwitting one, more powerful than a pawn, call her the queen they thought they were controlling. The others at Kennedy were pawns, rooks, maybe knights, but no one got rid of all their pieces. You could still win if you had a pawn or one power piece, even if your opponent seemed to have the upper hand.
    So who was left? Were all the pieces taken so Reid would have to regroup and find new ones? Or were we overlooking a power piece or a pawn standing on the edge of the board?
    I worried about this the entire way home, while Martini slept like the dead. In fact, the only way I knew he was alive was that he would occasionally nuzzle his face more into my breasts or hug me closer. Otherwise, he was more out than I’d ever seen. Whatever Lorraine was giving him was heavy duty.
    The flight was uneventful. We landed at Area 51 and were greeted by the Pontifex. Hugs all around. White seemed relieved we were all back. “I’m sorry for what happened,” he said to me as we went into Headquarters. He’d ensured we were walking behind the others, and that Martini and Christopher were far ahead.
    “It’s okay, we’re kind of used to things trying to kill us.”
    He laughed. “I meant what my sister tried to pull.”
    “Oh, that. Yeah, that was interesting.” I took a deep breath. “So, is Caliente Base really annexed?”
    “Oh, yes. We were fully cooperative. The U.S. military were thrilled to be escorting so many young ladies to safety.”
    I winced. “Sorry.”
    “Don’t be.” White shook his head. “You’ve made it easier.”
    “What easier?”
    “Lifting the interspecies marriage ban.”
    “Seriously?” I tried not to think about Martini’s reaction. I wasn’t sure if he’d be thrilled or not. A part of me still sometimes wondered if he was with me because I was exotic and forbidden.
    “Yes. It will require more negotiations and a huge show of resistance on the part of my Office, but I expect things to be approved in the reasonably near future.”
    “You don’t seem upset.”
    “I’m not. Your arguments in favor have been more compelling than you realize. However, I have an entire race of people who have to be moved to a mind-set that, for many, is incompatible with our traditions.”
    “Yeah, I got a load of those firsthand.”
    White chuckled. “No one had accepted on behalf of their children on Alpha Centauri for at least three decades before we came to Earth. Barbara and Lucinda just figured it was worth a try.”
    “So, does your sister actually hate me?”
    “We had a long chat. No, she’s afraid being married to Jeffrey will be more than you can deal with and that you’ll leave him, either before or definitely after you have children.”
    “I got the word on empathic children from one of Jeff’s sisters.”
    White shrugged. “My wife dealt with Jeffrey very well. And Christopher. Imageers are not always the easiest babies, either, at least those whose talents manifest early.” He chuckled. “Imageers are much harder to deal with as children and teenagers than empaths, in some key ways.”
    “You don’t seem worried.”
    He laughed again. “In the five-plus months I’ve known you, you’ve proved to be many things, but a quitter isn’t one of them. Nor are you a coward. I feel confident that if Jeffrey ever does declare for you, and you accept, that you will manage to successfully deal with his many quirks.”
    I didn’t really think of Martini as quirky. “That would be my plan, yes.”
    “Good.” He sighed. “Well, another mission over, and completed quickly.”
    “I suppose.” I stopped walking. “Richard, do you really think it’s over?”
    “In the grand scheme of things, no. But it appears you’ve crippled a huge anti-alien conspiracy as well as saved our personnel at Kennedy. While creating freedom for our young people at the same time.”
    “Right. Do we really have to go to Caliente Base?”
    “Yes, but no worries. Your belongings have already been moved there, and while it’s smaller than Dulce, there should be sufficient space. And I don’t expect it to remain separate from the rest of us all that long. As soon as I can gracefully acquiesce to your demands, we’ll return to normal, with a few differences. And, of course, we hope that Alpha Team will continue to straddle the lines between old and new. So come by any