Page 44 of Human Reclaimed
“How much faster?” I asked, dreading the answer.
Sage turned to me, her expression grim. “They’ll be here in two days. Not five.”
“Two days?” Rune slammed his fist on the console. “How the hell did we miscalculate by three entire days? What happened to your projections, Tegan?”
I’d never seen him this angry, a muscle twitching in his jaw as he stared down the head of security.
“I don’t know how it’s possible,” Tegan said, swiping through data screens. “Their propulsion systems shouldn’t be capable of this acceleration. Either our intel was wrong, or…”
“Or they’ve upgraded,” I finished for him.
“Aeon’s already been alerted,” Sage added. “They’re doubling efforts to get the wet-climate bunkers built by tomorrow. We need to be ready to evacuate the colonists when necessary.”
I watched Rune’s face—the way his eyes narrowed and the tight line of his mouth—and recognized the weight of leadership pressing down on him. Every life in this colony was his responsibility. He’d taken me because he believed I could help save them. Now it was time to prove him right.
My mind raced through combat scenarios I’d orchestrated during my army days, suddenly remembering a strategy I’d implemented in the Amazon conflict.
“I have an idea,” I said, stepping closer to the displays. Three pairs of eyes turned to me. “Something I used once before. It was only partially successful then, but your brigade is far more skilled than my army unit was.”
Rune’s intense gaze fixed on mine. “What are you thinking?”
“A fallback jungle maze using explosive vines.” I moved my fingers across Tegan’s screen, mapping it out. “We lure any pirates who breach the perimeter into preset kill zones. The jungle becomes our weapon. We place remote detonated charges in the native climbing vines, create false paths that lead to ambush points. When they follow, we trap them and then trigger the explosives.”
The security team stared at me in silence for a long moment. Then Rune’s face broke into a fierce smile that made my stomach flip.
“That might just work,” he said, his voice low and appreciative. “With the brigade’s skill level and this unique environment, we could decimate any ground forces.”
His hand found the small of my back, warm and steady. “Tegan, call the brigade. Training begins in one hour on Talia’s offensive strategy.”
The way he said my name—filled with complete trust and confidence—sent a warm flood of pride through me. No commander I’d served under had ever believed in me so completely, had ever looked at me the way Rune did now, like I was the answer to a prayer he hadn’t known to make.
Rune pulled me slightly aside, his eyes searching mine. “This is why you’re here,” he said softly. “This is what I knew you could do.”
I’d spent two years hiding my military expertise, burying my strategist’s mind in mundane tasks at the veterans’ facility. Now, standing in the heart of an alien colony facing annihilation, I’d found meaning again. And somehow, incredibly, I’d found someone who saw my value without question.
“Two days,” I said, squaring my shoulders. “Let’s make them count.”
Later that afternoon, sweat trickled down my neck as I demonstrated a series of hand signals to the attentive brigade members. The jungle heat pressed against us like a physical weight, but nobody complained. They couldn’t afford to—not with the pirates two days away.
“This signal means ‘hold position,’” I explained, raising my fist. “This means ‘enemy spotted.’” I pointed two fingers to my eyes and then jabbed them forward. “And this means ‘trigger explosives now.’” I made a quick upward motion with my palm.
Rune stood at my side, his presence solid and reassuring. Several hours of intensive training had transformed these already-disciplined fighters into a cohesive tactical unit prepared to implement my fallback maze strategy.
“Remember,” Rune’s deep voice carried through the small clearing where we’d gathered, “vocal communication could give away your positions. In the maze, silence equals survival.”
His eyes met mine briefly, a flash of something intimate passing between us before his expression returned to professional focus. My heart stuttered. Keeping our new relationship secret felt physically painful, like trying to contain lightning in a bottle.
“Let’s divide into teams,” I continued, forcing my thoughts back to the mission. “North quadrant, you’re with Kel. East with Sage. West with me. South with Tegan. We need to set the charges strategically along the false trails.”
As the teams dispersed, Rune approached, standing close enough that I could feel the heat radiating from his body but not so close as to raise suspicions.
“You handled that perfectly,” he murmured. “They respect you now.”
“They’re excellent soldiers.” I watched the retreating brigade members with genuine admiration. “Better than those I commanded on Earth.”
Rune’s mouth curved into a smile that melted something inside me. “I’m assigning myself to your team. For… strategic purposes.”
“Of course. Strategic.” I fought back a grin.
