Page 18 of Human Reclaimed
She glanced up, momentarily startled by my proximity. “Just doing my job, Commander.”
“Rune,” I corrected her softly, surprising myself with the intimacy of the request. “When it’s just us… call me Rune.”
Something flickered in her eyes—uncertainty, perhaps, or interest. The slight dilation of her pupils made my heart race.
“Rune,” she repeated, testing my name on her lips.
I couldn’t remember the last time the word had sounded so… significant. The way she pronounced it—slightly emphasizing the R while letting the rest flow like water—sent a strange, pleasant warmth through me.
Sage cleared her throat beside us, startling me. I’d forgotten she was even there, so completely consumed by Talia. Sage’s knowing smirk told me she hadn’t missed a second of our exchange.
“Commanders Helix and Aeon want to meet with Captain Reed,” she announced, tapping her wrist communicator. “In ten minutes.”
I felt my jaw clench involuntarily. “Why now? We’re in the middle of critical security revisions.”
Sage’s eyebrow raised. “Just following orders from the top, Commander.”
“Fine,” I muttered, not bothering to hide my frustration. Working beside Talia, watching her brilliant mind navigate our defenses, felt like discovering a precious resource I wasn’t ready to share.
“I take it your leaders are the suspicious type?” Talia asked, her lips quirking into a half-smile.
“Cautious,” I corrected, though my tone probably betrayed my annoyance. “We’ve had to be.”
I stood up reluctantly. Without thinking, I extended my hand to help Talia from her chair. Her fingers hesitated before sliding into mine, small but strong. A jolt of electricity shot up my arm at the contact.
She didn’t need my help—that much was obvious from how easily she rose—but something primal in me needed to offer it anyway. The urge to provide for her and to care for her felt as natural as breathing despite knowing she was more than capable on her own.
“Is this going to be an interrogation?” she asked as we exited the security center, the afternoon sunlight filtering through the canopy above the path.
“Just a formality,” I assured her, guiding her through our settlement toward the council chamber at its center. Our fingers had long since separated, but I still felt the ghost of her touch. “Helix likes to be involved in everything.”
“And you?” Talia glanced at me. “Do you always follow her orders?”
The question carried more weight than perhaps she realized. “I respect Helix,” I said carefully, “but I also trust my own judgment.”
“And what does your judgment say about me?” Her voice lowered, almost challenging.
I stopped walking, turning to face her fully. The dappled sunlight played across her features, highlighting the determination in her eyes. “That you’re the most capable strategist I’ve ever met. That in one hour, you’ve already improved our defenses more than I have in months. And that I’d be a fool not to listen to you.”
A soft flush colored her cheeks. “High praise from my kidnapper.”
“I prefer strategic recruiter.” I smiled, surprising myself.
“Semantics.” She rolled her eyes but returned the smile.
We approached the council chamber, its spiraling roof catching the sunlight from the dual suns. Two guards stood at attention outside, nodding as we approached. I felt Talia tense beside me.
“Hey,” I said softly, my hand instinctively finding the small of her back. “You’ve got this. Just tell them what you told me.”
She took a deep breath and nodded. “Thanks… Rune.”
The chamber doors slid open, revealing the semi-circular room where our colony’s leadership gathered. Helix and Aeon stood near the central podium, engaged in quiet conversation. Helix’s blonde hair was pulled back, her gray eyes sharp as they tracked our entrance. Aeon’s imposing frame seemed relaxed by comparison, his dark hair slightly disheveled as if he’d been running his hands through it.
“Commander.” Helix acknowledged me before turning her full attention to Talia. “Captain Reed. I trust you’re finding our hospitality adequate?”
“Adequate for a kidnapping, yes,” Talia replied coolly, and I bit back a smile at her audacity.
I stepped forward. “Captain Reed has already made significant progress analyzing our perimeter defenses. She’s identified vulnerabilities we missed and developed solutions that could be implemented immediately.”
