Page 61 of The Alien's Major Dilemma

"I'll look into it as soon as I get you to the conference room," John said. "Do you think it'll cause a problem if you come in wearing it?"

"Probably," Cooper said. "But I want to see how the others react to it."

"It sounds like he has a plan," John said to Marissa. "I hate it when scouts have plans. Things always get really exciting."

Marissa laughed.

They got to the conference room and the guard on the door let them in. There were already a handful of human civilians, a couple of them diplomats, an Orvax doctor, an Orvax nurse, Zoric and Ae-cha Da.

Marissa watched the lizard people out of the corner of her eye while she was introduced to the others and she saw the moment Ae-cha Da noticed the pendant. While she tried to hide her reaction, it was obvious she wasn't happy to see the pendant around Cooper's neck.

"Major Ozark," the Orvax doctor, Mintonar, said once they'd all taken their seats. "I understand you're still suffering from an injury you sustained recently. As I am here to ask for your assistance in helping me pinpoint an anomaly, I would like to offer the services of our medical bay in exchange."

Marissa took a moment to try and parse what Mintonar had asked. "You want me to help you figure out what happened to Captain LaGrange and, in exchange, you'll fix my concussion?"

"And any other injuries you may have," he said with a nod.

Marissa shrugged. "I'm happy to help but I'm not sure how much information I'll be able to give you. I have no idea what happened to Captain LaGrange. Scared the shi- crap out of both of us, though."

"Indeed," he said with a small smile. "He was most descriptive with his retelling of events. I'd like to hear your side and possibly take a few samples to see if I can begin to unravel this."

"Samples?" Cooper asked.

"A few tissue samples, a little blood. Less than you'd lose at a human check up."

"I don't see a problem with that," Marissa said with a glance at the Commander.

"You can't just heal her concussion without asking for something in return?" One of the human diplomats demanded.

Mintonar turned to him with a long-suffering look. "The samples would be left behind while she was on the table anyway. I am seeking her permission to use them to help another human. Do you not think I should ask for her consent to use her property?"

The diplomat sputtered and Marissa had to hide her smile. She'd liked Damina, too, and was happy to know that she'd been a standard Orvax and not an exception.

Chapter 26

Cooper tried to pay attention to the meeting that was obviously the preliminary opening to negotiations with all the aliens the humans had encountered but his mind kept returning to the pendant around his neck.

The language had changed, the spellings, but he recognized the list of names. He'd learned them as a nymph. A list of traitors and spies who had conspired over the ages to keep the Dragor from assuming their place as the guides and caretakers of their planet. Who had worked to keep the Chelion weak and vulnerable to war, disease, famine, and despair.

And his name had been added to the list.

A confirmed link to the last of the family to wear the pendant.

Ae-cha Da.

Not the one sitting down the table and glaring at him when she thought nobody was looking. The one who she'd been named for.

There was no doubt the Chelion female knew what the pendant was. Or what the soft glow of the blue stone meant.

He wondered what she was going to do about it.

A lunch break was called and Cooper started in surprised. He hadn't realized they'd been there that long. Nobody had demanded his attention and Marissa hadn't chided him for not answering when something was addressed to him so he assumed he hadn't missed much but he'd have to ask.

Zoric came around the table to stand next to him as the humans began to file out of the room.

"You have some new jewelry," the lizard man said. "It suits you."

"It's the first time I've ever seen one out from under guard," Cooper said. "I hadn't expected to ever see one in my lifetime."

---