Page 39 of Human Reclaimed
“Just thinking.”
“Care to share?”
I smiled, taking her hand in mine. “Later. When we don’t have a colony to save.”
She squeezed my hand, and in that simple gesture, I found more hope than I’d had in nearly two years.
SEVENTEEN
TALIA
Rune and I finally reached the front of the central plaza where Commanders Helix and Aeon were already standing. The crimson-gold light of the setting suns cast dramatic shadows across the gathered crowd—not quite the full two hundred colonists, but at least 125 of them. Their faces reflected a mixture of concern and determination.
I squeezed Rune’s hand before letting go, straightening my shoulders. Time to be Captain Reed again.
“Thank you all for coming,” Rune’s voice carried across the plaza. “As you know, we face a significant threat. Captain Reed and I have developed a strategy we’re calling Operation Eclipse.”
I stepped forward. “In three days, the bunkers in the eastern cavern system will be complete. When—not if—the pirates breach orbit, Commander Aeon will trigger a silent alarm through your communicators. At that signal, you must immediately evacuate to the safety zone.”
The crowd murmured, exchanging worried glances. From the back, a tall figure pushed forward—Tegan, his auburn hair catching the fading sunlight, followed by two other security officers I recognized as Kel and Tobin.
“With all due respect,” Tegan said, his eyes narrowing at me before turning to Rune, “why wait for them to breach our defenses? We should conduct a preemptive strike against their fleet. Five ships won’t stand a chance if we surprise them.”
Several colonists nodded in agreement, their voices rising in support.
I stepped forward, feeling all eyes shift to me. “While your brigade and security team are exceptional—frankly better than anything I saw in fifteen years with Earth’s Army—you’re not equipped for an assault of this scale. A preemptive strike is too risky.”
Tegan’s jaw tightened. “And just letting pirates breach our defenses isn’t suicide?”
“No,” I said firmly. “It’s strategy. The best way to protect everyone is to evacuate the colony and surrender it temporarily. We lure them in, trap them, and take them down systematically from positions of advantage—fewer casualties, better outcomes.”
“We lose our homes either way,” someone shouted from the crowd.
“Only temporarily,” I countered. “Not permanently.”
The murmurs grew louder, faces hardening with disagreement. I felt the crowd turning against me. For a moment, I was back on Earth, fighting to be heard in strategy meetings dominated by men who dismissed my expertise despite my rank.
Rune moved to my side, his presence immediately commanding attention. “Enough!” His voice cut through the noise like a blade. “Captain Reed’s strategy isn’t born from fear or weakness. It’s born from intelligence and experience.”
He paced before the crowd, his tall frame and broad shoulders silhouetted against the sunset. “I’ve fought in more battles than most of you combined. And I’ve learned that victory doesn’t go to the strongest or the most aggressive. It goes to the smartest.”
The crowd quieted, their eyes fixed on him.
“I understand your desire to fight,” he continued, his voice softening with unexpected empathy. “To protect what we’ve built here. But rushing headlong into battle without proper preparation isn’t courage. It’s recklessness.”
I watched him in awe, struck by how he commanded their respect without intimidation. He wasn’t the cold, calculating cyborg weapon I’d known from my time during the war. He was a free-thinking leader—passionate, protective, and persuasive.
“Captain Reed has given us something more valuable than simple bravery,” he gestured toward me. “She’s given us a plan that keeps our most vulnerable safe while maximizing our chance of success.”
Commander Helix stepped forward, her blonde hair glowing in the fading light. “It’s settled then. We’ll follow Captain Reed’s strategies, both defensive and offensive, and execute the evacuation as planned at the signal.”
The crowd dispersed, tension still visible in some faces but the near-mutiny quelled. Tegan lingered, giving me a reluctant nod before returning to the security center.
As darkness fell across the plaza, Rune’s hand found mine again. “You handled that well.”
“Me?” I raised my eyebrow. “You’re the one who turned a mutiny into a pep rally.”
He laughed, the sound warming me from the inside. “They just needed perspective. Your plan is solid. They’ll see that when it works.”
