Alien vs. Alien

they were in them because the beings they were with were wearing the same outfits. And, on five-foot-tall bird people, they looked okay, sort of like extra long and luxurious feathers. But on humans and human-looking aliens it was pretentious, funny, and basically unflattering.
    “We do not come in peace,” Al Dejahl said, voice booming. I was sure everyone around us could hear him. Possibly everyone on the Mall could hear him. That’s right, he had troubadour talent, along with imageering. And mind control. Couldn’t forget about the mind control, because he was undoubtedly going to start using it shortly.
    “No kidding,” I muttered under my breath.
    LaRue looked at the three of us. “You.” She pointed to me. “You will come to us. The others will stay away.”
    Jeff growled. I could tell he was ready to attack. “No,” I said quietly. “I’ll go. You figure out what the hell’s going on and how to stop it. And coordinate our forces, because we seem to be lacking things like air support, Chuckie, the Gower girls, and androids.”
    I squeezed his hand, and Christopher’s, then let go and trotted up the stairs. This was really reminiscent of my short trip to Alpha Four, only I’d had a lot more and better backup then, and I hadn’t been sick to my stomach from horror.
    Stopped a few steps away from them so that I’d have an easy time jumping back and falling down the stairs should one of them lunge for me. “Give me back my daughter.” Jamie appeared to be calm and asleep. I hoped it was sleep and not drugs, but I put nothing past these people.
    The bird-people had heads that looked something like a humanoid version of an eagle, with an extra-large lower jaw. Unlike most birds, their eyes were more centered. I cocked my head. From another angle, they looked like something else vaguely familiar. Couldn’t place what, but I had a feeling I needed to.
    Their bodies were completely hidden by their Space Togas, so I had no guess there, but I did spot six large talons sticking out from under each muumuu. The talons were painted with designs I didn’t have time to focus on.
    Feathers stuck out of their Space Toga sleeves. Didn’t know if this meant they only had wings, had feathers for fingers like an avian version of
Edward Scissorhands
, or something else. The way things were going, I put my money on “something else.”
    LaRue smirked. “I don’t think so. If you’d just let us have her before, none of this would be happening now.”
    “Right, you’d have enacted whatever horrible world domination plan you had and enslaved us all already. Instead you headed out of town to find new friends.” I looked at their companions. “So, just who are the Bird People of Outer Space?”
    “They are the Z’porrah,” Al Dejahl replied. “An ancient race.”
    The three birds looked at me. I looked back. “Can you understand me?”
    They nodded.
    “Good. Then understand that you’ve invaded and attacked a world that hasn’t done anything to you or yours. You’ve slaughtered innocent people—not warriors but people, civilians. Children, the elderly, the infirm. None of these people deserved to die, and certainly not in this way and with no warning. That’s an act of war no matter what part of the galaxy you’re from. And around here, it’s also considered an act of terrorism.”
    They stared at me, the way birds will.
    “And I’m kind of interested in how, in addition to every other heinous crime you’ve committed and are committing, the kidnapping and threatening of an innocent baby, or chick, is considered okay where you people come from.”
    More bird stares. Contemplated doing a staredown with them. Decided even if I won, I was still likely to lose. Supersoldiers taking the laser blasts or no, we weren’t in a good position.
    No sooner thought than a supersoldier took a major hit and plummeted to the ground, barely missing the building and people. The wreckage only missed the people because the A-Cs had managed to shove everyone away.
    I looked back to LaRue. I had to get it together and keep it together, and that meant I needed to, shock of shocks, run my mouth.
    “Great dresses you and Ronnie are wearing. They really say ‘I’m a wise elder god wannabe.’ And, wow, LaRue, let me just applaud you for managing to find a way to dye your hair all the way out in the far reaches of space. Lesser women would have let their hair go back to its natural color, but not you. Way to focus on