Free Resident Alien: Department of Homeworld Security, Book 2 by Cassandra Chandler Page B

toward her. Two Tau Ceti entered the cabin.
    The Tau Ceti had done their best to look like Sadirians, but there were imperfections in their process. Their mouths were too wide, faces too tall and long. And their eyes, while within Earth norms, were much smaller than Sadirians’.
    One was a foot soldier, fully decked with cybernetic enhancements. As if that wasn’t enough, he was carrying a laser rifle in his muscular arms. The other was tall and lanky, wearing an Earth-style business suit. His skin was pale and he had dark black hair. Somehow, the awkwardness of his features lent him an eerie sort of handsomeness. He hadn’t bothered with a weapon and didn’t look augmented like the other.
    “Well, this is quaint.” The leader’s voice was low and smooth.
    His soldier closed the door behind them, then took up a guarding stance.
    “It isn’t much, but it’s home,” Brendan said. “Welcome, Mister…?”
    “St. John. But you can call me Horatio.”
    “Horatio? Okay, then. I’m Brendan. This is—”
    “K-58-b7. Born during cycle 12 on Sadr-4 station 9 to batch 31. It wasn’t a very good batch, I’m afraid. Full of glitches. Kira. I’m well aware.”
    “I’ll thank you to show some manners while you’re in my house,” Brendan said. “Kira’s not a glitch.”
    Brendan glanced at Kira. She shook her head tersely, but it wasn’t enough to stop him from reaching for her hand. She didn’t take it. It didn’t make a difference. Horatio noticed.
    “Uck, this compulsion you Sadirians feel to pair-bond is bizarre. It makes you vulnerable. Lucky me.” His smile was nothing less than sinister. “You did a very good job concealing yourself, my dear. Didn’t spare yourself so much as a laser cutter. I bet you’re wishing you had a little something now, aren’t you? Coalition tech can be addictive for your kind. It’s a shame, really.”
    He walked over to Brendan’s equipment, looking everything over.
    Stars, don’t let him notice the destruct sequence.
    “Pretty sweet setup, eh?” Brendan said. Maybe he was thinking the same thing, trying to distract the Tau Ceti. “Best Earth has to offer.”
    “I don’t know. I’m rather fond of those little robotic vacuums Earthlings have developed. But I suppose this was able to get the job done, so to speak.”
    “I can show you how it works,” Brendan said.
    No way. That would get him way too close to the equipment. Then again, maybe that was the idea. Try to take the Tau Ceti out with the self-destruct somehow? Maybe Brendan was thinking about that EMP too. Disabling the foot soldier’s cybernetics would help even out their fighting abilities.
    “I’m not concerned with how it works, but rather what it was used for. The transmission was encrypted with a Coalition code we’re not familiar with.” Horatio turned back to them. “Let’s get to business. You’re both going to die. The question is how unpleasant the experience will be and who will go first. The best thing you can do is cooperate.”
    Even if the EMP took down the soldier’s cybernetics, she wasn’t sure she could take both of them. If only she had a weapon. Kira’s skin was tingling with the urge to do something.
    Wait, skin…
    The med-kit had several doses of Balance . If she could splash them with it, they would be incapacitated.
    She reached for Brendan’s hand and squeezed it to let him know she had a plan. She only hoped it would work.

Chapter Thirteen
    Horatio Cannibal Space-Frog had stepped a bit away from Brendan’s equipment. He was still close enough that he was about to get a nasty surprise. By Brendan’s count, the EMP and fireworks should happen any minute.
    The problem was, Kira was still in the cabin. At ground zero. She was confident having her nanites powered down would protect her, but Brendan wasn’t so sure. He held her hand tighter.
    There was nothing they could do about that. But maybe they could learn more while they waited for the big boom.
    “So…from