Page 69 of Alien's Love Child

"Hey," Davin clears his throat. "Need to tell you all something."

Rena straightens, her pilot's instincts picking up the shift in mood. "What's wrong?"

"Got a message from the Lightyear gang." Davin pulls out his PerComm, the blue glow highlighting the tension in his face. "They know where we are. Or at least they claim to. Not really willing to take a chance on it, though."

"Those bastards are still after the data?" Taluk leans forward, elbows on his knees.

"But you destroyed it," Rena says.

"They don't believe that." I sink into the chair beside Davin. "Or they don't care. Either way, they're threatening to kill us if we don't hand it over."

"All of us?" Rena's voice carries an edge I haven't heard since our smuggling days.

"The message was pretty clear about including Leo in that threat." Davin's jaw clenches as he says our son's name.

"Over my dead body." The words slip out before I can stop them.

"That's kind of the point, isn't it?" Rena stands, pacing the length of our small living room. "They're not going to believe the data's gone. Not after what it cost them last time."

"You could run again," Paraxan suggests. "Plenty of space to get lost in out there."

I shake my head. "They found us here. They'll find us anywhere."

"So what's the plan?" Rena stops pacing, crossing her arms. "Because I know that look, Jesse. You've got something brewing in that criminal mind of yours."

Taluk shifts in his seat, his scales shining. "Come on, Captain. You always kept backups of everything." His claws tap against his knee. "Remember that job on Gur? Three copies of the cargo manifest, all hidden in different data caches."

"That was different." I lean back, crossing my arms. "This isn't some shipping manifest we're talking about. It's weapons data that could get a lot of people killed."

"But if we just give them what they want?—"

"There is no backup." The words come out sharper than intended. "I destroyed every trace of it. Every fragment, every temporary file, even the encrypted partitions where it might have left shadows."

Davin's hand finds mine, giving it a light squeeze. His skin is cool against my palm.

"You sure?" Taluk presses. "Maybe in one of your old drives? Or that memory chip you used to wear?"

"The data's gone. All of it." I touch my neck where it used to hang. "Crushed it myself. Nothing but dust in space now. Look, I know you're trying to help, but there's nothing left to give them. Nothing that would satisfy them anyway."

"But—"

"Drop it, Taluk." Rena's voice cuts through his protest. "If Jesse says it's gone, it's gone."

Taluk slumps back, his scales dulling slightly – a sure sign of frustration. "Just trying to find a way out of this mess that doesn't end with all of us dead."

"Actually, we do have a plan already." I lean forward, keeping my voice low. "Davin and I are going to hit them first. Just us."

"Like hell you are." Rena jumps up, her boots scuffing against the floor. "You're not leaving us behind."

"This isn't up for discussion." I glance toward Leo's room. "We need you here."

Taluk's scales flush dark red. "You can't be serious. After everything we've been through?—"

"Someone has to protect Leo," Davin cuts in. "Someone we trust."

"So what, we just sit here while you two get yourselves killed?" Rena's voice rises. "That's not?—"

"Keep it down." Davin holds up his hand. "The kid's sleeping."

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