Alien Invader's Baby (Science Fiction Alien/BBW Secret Baby Romance) Read online

  Dani felt unease and worry grow in her. Did he carry some kind of contagious disease? Some kind of exotic virus with no known cure?

  "And?"

  "The results are clear. Well, ready, anyway. 'Clear' is not the word. Not at all. Now, you're not sick. You are in perfect health. I thought I'd tell you now and maybe not tell anyone else. I'd normally inform the commanding officer and of course the doctor. Not doing that is a breach of regs. A bad breach. But this time... Because with royals, these things have special significance and are matters of state, sometimes. As is my understanding. I am of course not an expert on constitutional matters, but..."

  Kienle fidgeted with his tab and Dani spluttered in impatience. "Well?"

  "Ah," the scientist said nervously. "The thing is this: you're pregnant."

  27

  The Tycho was the flagship for Space Force, the biggest spaceship mankind had ever made. Braxians and other friendly aliens had helped with the technology, but it still had the utilitarian look that Earth spaceships always did. It was named after the place on the Moon where the Ethereals had wiped out mankind's first and largest colony outside of Earth. The huge crater Tycho had been a sprawling and vibrant city in its own right, with thousands of citizens, a strong economy and extremely fast development. Until the Ethereals casually dropped one of their exotic bombs on it and killed everyone there.

  The Space Marines on the Copernicus crowded the large windows in the common rooms to watch the majestic warship glide slowly to a halt three kilometers away, and it was still big enough to completely obscure the view of space beyond.

  The Tycho was easily five times larger than the Copernicus, which was a roomy home to sixty thousand Space Marines and all their support personnel. The Tycho housed two hundred thousand troops, a giant exploration and procurement section and many fighter squadrons and larger ships. It was a very impressive sight, even if King Ator'aq's End of Time was even larger.

  Queen Olivia had insisted that the first meeting with her daughter should be private and not official, and they hadn't seen each other for months. Dani brought Bella over on the shuttle, because her mother had often said that she wanted to see the little alien feline.

  Dani wore jeans and a cute top, too, glad to be out of her fatigues. The crew of the transport shuttle threw weird glances at her – they probably guessed who she was going to see, and being in civilian clothes must seem very inappropriate to them. Not to mention the alien pet.

  And if they'd known she was pregnant with an Ethereal, the stars knew what they would have done.

  Again she shook her head to herself in pure disbelief and the interior of the shuttle seemed to spin around her. It made her dizzy to just think about it. But Kienle had been sure. She was pregnant. And the baby had the characteristics of both human and Braxian. And something so weird and alien that Kienle had only seen once before, and that was in Crixael's strange blood.

  The idea that she might get pregnant with him had never crossed her mind. Female Space Marines were given one injection at the start of their service, and it would keep them from conceiving until they left service or went on extended leave with the expressed purpose of bearing a child. Then they were given another injection that cancelled the first. So no one was worried about becoming knocked up on tough military missions light years away from home.

  And he was an alien so weird that no one understood him. How could she have gotten impregnated by him? How was that even remotely possible? Had he known? Had he done it on purpose?

  Kienle was right. A pregnant royal was not a trivial matter. Her children would be royals in their own right, close to the throne, born as dukes and duchesses. If Ter'Umion somehow never had kids, then Dani's offspring would be first in line to inherit the Crown of Brax after Ter'Umion himself.

  An Ethereal as king of Brax... The shuttle seemed to rotate around her again and she felt like throwing up. The Ethereals had completely ruined Brax and the sprawling Braxian civilization, killed her father's family and taken his kingdom away from him. He would drop dead in shock if he knew. Or be so saddened that he would change forever. There was nothing in the universe that could make an impression on the powerful, confident, endlessly loving and larger-than-life King Ator'aq. Nothing. Except the Ethereals. When it came to them, he was ruthless. And certain. She would hate to hurt him. But this thing would hurt him. It would hurt him so bad he might never recover. Gods, she couldn't do that to him!

  Again she grabbed her forehead in disbelief at the disastrous developments. Pregnant. With the Arch Enemy. She had to concentrate to not burst into tears of despair in front of the crew of the shuttle.

  The craft jerked once, and they were there. A corporal escorted her to the Admiral's quarters on the Tycho, which the Supreme Commander had taken over for the trip. They passed through many corridors and were gently hurled up many levels in zero-gravity shafts.

  In a corridor Dani thought she saw a familiar face, and when that person glared back at her she realized who it was – Colonel Abeni, whose life she had saved and who had gone on to report her for insubordination. He had probably been transferred from the Copernicus to the Tycho as soon as it was possible, to get him away from the Space Marine division where he was now known to be incompetent. He would not be happy about that, Dani thought as she forced herself to send him a radiant smile and he just glared back. But he had brought it on himself.

  Queen Olivia was in civilian clothes, too – a very cute pink skirt and a top that brought out her impressive cleavage well, but was still completely professional. She had six small golden stars dangling from each ear – a discreet way to display her rank, even when out of uniform.

  "My baby giiiirl," the Supreme Commander exclaimed as soon as the door closed behind the corporal. "I've missed you sooooo!"

  She ran to hug her daughter, and Dani carefully dropped Bella to the floor to get her hands free. Then they both hugged for a long time, and sniffed and wiped the happy tears they both shed when they had reunions like this.

  "I missed you too, mom," Dani said and picked the alien pet back up. "This is Bella."

  "Hi, Bella," Queen Olivia said and stroked the little animal on the head. "She's had a rough life, looks like."

  "I guess," Dani said. "Somehow she lost one ear and at least two tails before I found her. But she's doing fine now."

  "I bet," her mother said. "She's lucky to be under your care. You were always one to bring home strays and wounded birds and all kinds of things."

  "To your irritation," Dani said. "No, you were actually very patient with me. I'm not sure I would have been quite as understanding if I were in your shoes."

  They sat down in comfortable chairs by a huge picture window with a fine view of the Copernicus and the alien planet behind it.

  "Oh, I think you would if it was your own child," the queen said. "And now I understand you've dragged home another stray."

  It was said casually, but Dani could detect the pride in her mother's voice.

  "More or less. No dragging was involved. I don't think you can make that guy do anything he doesn't want to."

  Olivia nodded and raised her eyebrows. "Which begs the question."

  Dani looked past her, out at space. "It does, doesn't it. The truth is that I don't really know why he came with me. I gave him the choice. Come along or stay. I suppose just hanging out on a planet full of angry Vlon didn't seem too tempting to him. And of course we had promised them we would leave. But I don't get the impression that that part mattered that much to him."

  Olivia snorted. "You bet it didn't. Ethereals lie and cheat so casually that it's pretty much all they do. I don't think anyone has ever heard of an Ethereal who actually kept his promise."

  Dani shrugged. "Maybe this one is different."

  Olivia shook her head so vigorously the golden stars in her ears tinkled. "No. They are all the same. Everything we know about them confirms it. Anyone who trusts an Ethereal is a fool."

  "Really? This Ethereal saved
my life. And that of Colonel Abeni. And he let me inside his flying saucer, where I was safe from the bomb that killed my squad and all of Camp Epsilon. He said he'd come peacefully into the Copernicus, and he did."

  Olivia got to her feet and walked over the the window, staring at the Copernicus where Crixael was held. "It's all so suspicious that it has to be a plot. That behavior is very untypical for Ethereals. They're up to something very bad. He had no need to use a spaceship or to go into captivity on the Copernicus. They can travel using only their special gifts, you know that. Walls don't exist for them. They can come in and out of existence at will. No, this is a trap. And I hate that you are in the middle of it. It can't be a coincidence."

  "Maybe not," Dani agreed. "But I don't think they can travel as easily as you think. At least this one can't. He might be in trouble with his queen."

  Olivia turned in surprise. "Yes? His queen?"

  "As far as I understand," Dani said carefully, "he has fewer powers than he normally would have because his queen has withdrawn them from him. Or withdrawn her support, I guess."

  "That is sensational! We know that ordinary Ethereals draw some of their talents from their king, so it might be true. But I didn't read any of this in General Tanh's report or your debriefing."

  Dani stroked Bella's back. "That's probably because I didn't tell her."

  The words hung in the air for several seconds until Dani glanced up. Olivia was looking at her with her brown eyes, usually so warm. But they could be made remarkably cold. Now, Dani knew she wasn't talking to her mother, but to the Supreme Commander of Space Force.

  "Is there a reason for that?"

  She stared straight back, clenching her jaw. "There might be."

  Of course they'd had clashes before, one half-Braxian daughter and one very headstrong Earthling, like the mother and child in any family. But they had always been private. This time, Space Force was involved, and Dani felt its whole weight in her mother's icy glare.

  "I am waiting to hear the reason," Olivia said, and there was steel beneath the neutral surface.

  Dani shrugged. "He told me in confidence. I didn't feel comfortable revealing his secrets to that whole committee."

  "It's not a committee, it's an investigator and her assistants. No one has any business keeping information from them. You're still a sergeant, Dani. You don't have any special rights because of who you are."

  "I never said I did."

  "What else didn't you tell Tanh?"

  How much would she say? She had a feeling that her career with Space Force was coming to its end very fast. She might as well spill most of it. "Their queen's name is Benirsheba. She took some of his powers away. I don't know why. He can't heal as fast as otherwise, and he can't travel like they usually can. That's why he used a flying saucer. He was on the planet on an errand, he said. He didn't know I was there. The queen probably did. She dropped the bomb that left the Vlon alive. He's half human. He doesn't know anything about how that happened. He doesn't know how old he is. He's fascinated by me. He's the sexiest man I've ever laid eyes on. He's completely different from how you seem to think Ethereals are. He's bright and brave and he reads people like open books. Oh, and I love him like I've never loved anyone before."

  28

  Dani had never seen her mother go completely white before. She wouldn't have thought it was even possible for a woman with a vanilla caramel skin tone. But there it was. Queen Olivia, the calm, competent and unshakeable Star Marshal, was horrified.

  The room was silent while they both tried to come to terms with what had been said.

  Olivia took a deep breath. "Okay. This is worse than I'd ever imagined. But we can handle it. He's using you for something and he has managed to manipulate you into developing feelings for him. Very well, I suppose that can happen to anyone. But I would not have expected it to happen to you."

  "No, right?" Danai's fired back. "Because when was the last time I was in love? Have you ever seen me in love? You have not. Because I have never been in love with anyone. Because I'm a royal princess. I must be so damn careful about who I let get close to me, and I must always consider very carefully what they really want. Because there's no chance that someone can love me for me, right? They always have ulterior motives, right? I must always consider what they are? Well, this time I have considered, and my conclusion is that Crixael really loves me and that I really love him. Yeah, you're right. I don't have any special rights because of who I am. In fact, I have fewer rights than anyone. I don't even have the right to fall in love! "

  Olivia's eyes shot fire. "He is an Ethereal! Do you really not understand what that means? You're socializing with the worst enemy mankind has ever had! You, a Braxian princess! King Ator'aq's own daughter! My daughter!"

  Dani stared back in defiance. "I may be a princess. But I still need love in my life."

  Olivia took another deep breath. "Well. I see we're in much greater trouble than I had ever thought possible. All our work for twenty years down the drain if the Ethereals are now being given an open door to the heart of both Earth and Brax. But please tell me. Have you told me everything? Is that all?"

  No, mom. He fucks like a god and I'm carrying his baby.

  "That's all. For now."

  "For now?"

  Dani shrugged, feeling cold defiance take control. If this was how her own mother would handle hearing that she had finally found real love, then she was not going to say anything else. "That's right."

  "But that's not good enough, Serge- Dai. I want everything on the table right now. If you can't do that, then you put me in a very difficult position."

  "Isn't that what you're paid for?"

  They locked eyes again, and this time Dani didn't look away first. But it broke her heart to see the light go out in her mother's face. It was the image of sadness.

  "Your father is going to be hurt by this. Oh stars, my Ator'aq will grieve! I can't bear thinking about it."

  Dani felt something snap inside her. A coldness spread through her soul and she knew things would never be the same. "I guess you'll both have to come to terms with it."

  She stood up and dropped Bella to the floor, then straightened to attention. "Marshal, request permission to return to quarters."

  The hurt in her mother's eyes were almost too much to bear. Almost. "Oh, Dai, don't-"

  She was interrupted by an emergency signal. A life-size holographic representation of General Tanh came into view on the deck ten feet away.

  "I am General Tanh, Chief of Intel, currently on the Copernicus, ma'am," she said, as per protocol. She and Olivia were good friends. But her formality made it clear that something bad had happened.

  Olivia visibly gathered herself. "Go ahead, General."

  "One hundred and five seconds ago it was determined that the Ethereal captive Crixael was not in his cabin. He cannot be detected anywhere else on the ship and he has not been seen. I must conclude that he has left the Copernicus, ma'am."

  Dani felt her heart sink. Damn. It had been too good to be true.

  "Any clue as to how? An unlocked door? A wall missing? A hole clawed in the wall?"

  "No, ma'am. We've checked on him every eleven minutes. The last check showed the cabin empty, with no trace of him. As if he'd never been there. I will of course stand down as Chief of Intelligence and transfer my command to Brigadier Micallef."

  "You will do no such thing, General. You have my full confidence. I'm astounded he was with us even this long. Keep looking."

  "Very well, ma'am. Copernicus out."

  Olivia looked over at the other spaceship outside the window. "Seems our captive changed his mind. I'm not surprised. But I suppose you are."

  Dani gathered Bella in her arms, too numb to feel anything. "You're right. I am surprised. But you must be very happy. I'll just leave now. See you at the hearing. Because I'm sure there must be one. I know how much you love those things."

  She turned to leave, but then something caught her eye. "Oh
my stars..."

  Outside the huge window to space, the enormous spaceship Copernicus, Dani's home for over a year and containing her whole Space Marine division, seemed to glitter and turn from its usual dark gray to a brilliant white. It started rotating chaotically on the spot, just hanging stationary in empty space and tumbling wildly for no apparent reason.

  And then it exploded.

  There were no flames or fireballs or visible shockwaves. There was an intense, sickly green flash of light. Then the whole spaceship just dissolved into its individual components and blew them apart with a speed so astounding that a split second later, there was nothing left where it had once been. The Tycho shook violently as it was hit with large pieces of debris from the explosion, moving at immense speeds.

  Dani had frozen with Bella in her hands, and the only sound in the Admiral's quarters was a low wailing that Dani realized came from her. "No no no no no no please noooo..."

  Olivia turned, and if she had been white before, she was gray now. She extended her own arm and pointed with a finger that was visibly shaking. "That's your Ethereal. That's him. Do you need more?!"

  Then the Supreme Commander rushed past her to get to the bridge of the ship and take control of the response and rescue operation, hopeless thought it would be.

  Dani felt her knees give out and she kneeled down on the hard deck as the reality of the situation dawned on her. They were all dead. Sixty thousand space marines and the crew of the ship. Veierland and Callahan and Jonsson. Tanh. Kelson. Kienle. Nichole.

  All because of her.

  Because she had trusted him.

  Hard sobs started racking her body, and she gasped for air.

  Only one thing was left where the Copernicus had been, a little sliver of something that rotated calmly and glinted with reflected starlight every two seconds.

  With hands that trembled helplessly, she used the window's magnification function and zoomed in on it.

  It was her sword, the Braxian heirloom that she had used to fight the Vlon and was specifically made to kill Ethereals.