Page 16 of Alien's Love Child

Jesse pulls out a chair, the metal legs scraping against the floor. I follow suit, settling into the seat across from her. The tea's warmth seeps through the mug into my palms.

"So, what was it like? Running with the Sirius Syndicate?" Her eyes sparkle with curiosity over the rim of her cup.

I lean back, drawing from an old infiltration mission. "Ever heard of the Nexus heist?"

"Who hasn't? Three ships, supposedly untouchable cargo..." She leans forward. "Don't tell me you were there."

"Right in the thick of it." I tap my finger against the mug. "What they don't tell you is how we got past those quantum locks. Everyone thinks it was some fancy tech or inside job."

"Wasn't it?"

"Nah. Sometimes the old ways work best. Had to spacewalk between ships in complete darkness. No lights, no comm chatter. Just me and the void." I pause, remembering the actual mission. "Used the debris field as cover. Guards never thought to look for someone crazy enough to drift through that mess."

"You're lying." But her smile widens.

"Hand to heart. Lost three good tethers that day. Nearly lost something else when a piece of scrap metal came spinning past." I gesture to my side, where an actual scar sits from a different mission entirely. "Missed me by inches."

"And the cargo?"

"Trade secret." I wink, enjoying how she rolls her eyes. "Let's just say it involved a lot of creative reprogramming and one very confused security AI."

"That's not what I heard happened."

"History's written by the winners. And the ones who don't get caught." I take another sip of tea. "Though I'll tell you this – those reinforced containers everyone talks about? They're not nearly as tough as they look when you know exactly where to hit them."

Jesse props her chin on her hand, completely engrossed. "And where would that be?"

"Now that would be telling." The irony of using my actual military experience to build this false persona isn't lost on me. "Though I might be persuaded to share more stories."

Jesse's lips curve into a smile that makes my pulse quicken. The dim kitchen lights catch the gold flecks in her green eyes.

Why am I holding back? She's right here. I'm sure she'd melt in my palms if I held her close, laid her out on the table…

"Your turn," I say, leaning back. Not yet. It's not time yet. "Fair's fair. Tell me about little Jesse's first adventure."

She traces the rim of her mug. "You really want to hear about twelve-year-old me making a complete fool of herself?"

"Even more now that you've put it that way."

"Fine." She tucks her legs under her. "First time my parents let me help on a real job. We were running stolen medical supplies– actual medical supplies, not the recreational kind. I was supposed to be the lookout while they made the exchange."

"Let me guess – you got distracted?"

"Worse. I thought I saw Ataxian patrol lights and hit the emergency alarm." She covers her face. "Turns out it was just some kid playing with a light stick outside the warehouse."

"Oh no."

"Oh yes. The whole operation went sideways. Dad dropped half the supplies trying to run. Mom twisted her ankle jumping over a crate. And me?" She drops her hands, laughing. "I was so scared I climbed into a ventilation shaft and got stuck."

"How long?"

"Three hours. They had to take apart the whole thing to get me out." She shakes her head. "Dad didn't even yell. Just looked at me, covered in dust and crying, and said 'Lesson one: always verify your intel.'"

"Smart man."

"Yeah. Lesson two was 'know your escape route before you need it.' Lesson three was 'never hide somewhere you can't get out of on your own.'" She drains her tea. "Though I think the real lesson was 'don't trust your pre-teen daughter as a lookout.'"

I laugh at her story, the sound echoing in the quiet kitchen. Jesse rests her chin on her palm, studying me with those mesmerizing green eyes.

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