Steal the Stars: A first-contact alien romance (The Coalition Book 1) by Ann Aguirre & P.T. Maylee

Author:Ann Aguirre & P.T. Maylee [Aguirre, Ann & Maylee, P.T.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Ann Aguirre & P.T. Maylee
Published: 2024-02-14T00:00:00+00:00

[ 15 ]

“You want to put a pirate base on the moon? How’s that in the best interest of Earth or the Coalition?”

Hayden couldn’t decide if that was a complaint or not. He’d never served under an officer as unconventional as himself. Normally, he’d be looking for loopholes, but he never had to maneuver around the captain’s orders. Instead, he had to be creative to navigate within the captain’s commands.

“Evaluate that for yourself,” the captain said. “My orders stand.”

The debrief ended soon after, freeing the task force to return to their duties, and he considered the implications. Willing pirates would join the Coalition. Those who refused would have to negotiate with Earth. The Coalition gets rid of a pirate fleet and Earth gains a space force. It sounded kooky enough to be one of his own ideas. Now he needed to be inventive enough to make it work.

He studied the aliens in the annex. Their strange game was still going; when some dropped out, others joined in. Only the rest periods paused it. Hayde recognized C’aloo skipping and dodging with the rest.

Hayden cleared his throat and addressed the room. “Listen up!”

The commotion stopped and everyone turned to face him. Hayden put on a non-threatening smile. “We’ve got a deal to begin returning you to the wandering fleet, but we’ll only be able to send half of you back in the first run. I’m asking for volunteers to stay and wait for the second trip. If you’re interested, step forward.”

“Pick me,” C’aloo called.

Others echoed the request.

Hayden chuckled when he saw that more than half their number wanted to stick around. E’no’s unusual idea might be a good one.

“Before you volunteer, I have to warn you. Captain E’no wants this facility upgraded and anyone who stays will be part of the work crew.”

Nobody bowed out. In fact, even more joined the lineup.

That was a surprise, but Hayden stuck with the plan. “Captains, decide who to take with you. We leave at the start of the next cycle, we can take thirty with us. Be ready.”

The next morning, he watched the three shuttles land for loading. He’d chatted a little with K’enir and E’nela last night. They seemed decent, but he still didn’t trust them. K’enir was one of the new aliens, a squid-faced individual who was impossible to read. E’nela was more familiar, but Hayden didn’t have Maddy’s knack with frond colors. The two pirate captains each led a group to their assigned shuttles, accompanied by D’aroi and E’milly. The age and wear on the pirate shuttles were more apparent in contrast to the new thrust cones Pierce had attached to their underbellies.

Captain E’no and Maddy boarded the task force shuttle with the two pirate shuttles tethered to its controls. Maddy and E’no could fly the other two transports from their cockpit. He understood why E’no and Maddy had to make the trip; the captain was their best pilot and Maddy had done all the negotiating.

Those two obviously had a bond. Hayden was starting to think this E’no might be Maddy’s lost love.

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