Page 42 of Alien in the Attic

“But you wish your relationship was more like ours?” she guessed.

He grunted affirmatively.

She picked up her head, her brown eyes meeting his violet ones. “It wasn’t always easy. After my parents died, I was left in charge of them. They resented it, feeling like I was somehow trying to replace Mom and Dad. I hadn’t intended it to be like that at all, but we were all in too much pain to realize that the others were hurting, too.”

“What changed?”

She shrugged. “Time and maturity, I think. We all grew up and realized that if we didn’t stop fighting, we’d have no family left. Maybe your brother will have that realization.”

Arccoo sighed. “I doubt it. Once Rocco has set his mind to something, it’s impossible to change it.”

“Do you think…” she began but then cut herself off. “No, never mind.”

Arccoo smiled in spite of himself. “Don’t just leave me waiting.”

“I was going to ask if you think you’ll have to kill him, but that’s not fair.”

His face fell. It was a good question, one he did not have the answer to. “I will do whatever I must in order to keep my people and planet safe.”

“A kingly answer. But I hope you don’t actually have to face that decision. I don’t know what I’d do in your place.”

He sighed, unable to meet her gaze. “I truly hope so, too.”

The next morning, he met with his troops and the Flores sisters at sunrise. Their best bet was the element of surprise. They would get in, get the parantaa, arrest his brother, and then get out.

Carmen stood at his side, taking his hand as they boarded the ship. He checked her invisibility device, making sure it was fully operational with Elena’s modifications. “It’s not too late to turn back now,” he murmured in her ear.

She shook her head. “It’s my fault he has the parantaa in the first place.”

“It’s not—” he began but was cut off by a warning look from her.

“I know I didn’t mean to, but even if you lose the nuclear codes by accident, you’re still responsible for what happens after the wrong person gets their hands on them.”

He wanted to protest further, but the ship rumbled and took off. It took three hours to get to the old fort, and Arccoo spent the whole time feeling slightly queasy. He hadn’t lied when he told Carmen that he would do what he must for the greater good of his people, but he still hated the thought of hurting his brother, no matter how badly he’d betrayed them.

The ship, which had cloaked itself on the approach, hovered above the fort. Carmen gave his hand an anxious squeeze, and he squeezed it back. The side doors opened, and everyone engaged their hover boots. They jumped out in pairs, Elena and Sofia going together while he went with Carmen.

They landed quietly, the rest of his cloaked troops following close behind. With a few hand signals, he gestured for them to fan out and secure the area. The Flores sisters were to stay close to him as they headed to the vault where they likely kept the parantaa.

When they reached it, he stopped short. The sisters nearly bumped into him. The door was open and the parantaa was just sitting there with no one guarding it.

“If that isn’t the most obvious trap I’ve ever seen, I don’t know what is,” Elena muttered.

“Agreed,” Arccoo said.

“This place has been eerily empty,” Carmen whispered. “Almost as if we were expected.”

“Give me a second.” Elena stuck a small EMP device to the wall and pressed a button. For a moment, all the electronics in the area went haywire. The cloaks of the soldiers hidden in the vault flickered out, and Arccoo didn’t hesitate to open fire on them.

With no other way out, the soldiers guarding the parantaa were easily picked off.

“Well done,” Rocco said from behind. Arccoo turned around, only to realize they were cornered and surrounded on all sides. Their only retreat would be the vault, and Arccoo had just proved how useless that would be.

Out of the corner of his eye, he watched Carmen discreetly press the distress button attached to her blaster staff. It would alert all their troops to their location. Now, Arccoo just had to buy time until backup arrived.

“Rocco, why? We need the parantaa to take care of our people. Would you really abandon them in favor of war?”

His brother laughed. “Funny. I’m not the one who shacked up with the thieves responsible for the plague in the first place. At least I care enough about my people to protect them from all invaders.”

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