Spears of Uu'kata

Chapter 59 The Beans

Charlotte was sweating and felt more than a little nauseous. She told herself it was just nerves but she knew it was more than that. How was she going to convince them all of what she needed to convince them of without spilling the beans. The two... little beans.

She'd refused to say more until everyone who needed to be present was in attendance, so she faced a room of aliens.

Vasquez and Annie were the only other humans in attendance. The rest of Delta was wounded and/or sleeping off their binding drugs. Annie looked hung over as hell but her eyes roamed over the aliens with rapt interest from where she held to Chelling's arm. She wore nothing but an enormous shirt that hung to her knees, and a pair of huge socks that bunched around her ankles. She looked like a child dressing up in her father's clothes. Even the steaming cup she held in her hands looked oversized.

Charlotte's shelen were all present. So was Tasha and Helkta Dhorrekka. Captain Tlornden and his first officer and creepy head of security were present, as were several of the Arinol.

Everyone was watching her. Charlotte didn't mind being in front of a group when she was entertaining. Put a guitar in her hands and give her an audience and the room was hers. But this was different.

The war room was crowded. Their eyes were on her and dread ground into her like a slow churning drill to the gut.

"Charlotte, I think everyone is here," Ahnekk said.

She nodded and glanced at Vasquez, who watched her questioningly. He still wasn't wearing a shirt and several of the aliens were curiously staring at his tattoos while he pretended not to notice.

"Okay," Charlotte said, glancing around the room.

She took a deep breath and swallowed. "You have been making plans to destroy a human farm. I left to warn my people of an attack because those farms are full of innocent civilians whom I have sworn to protect."

"I knew you would betray them," Captain Tlornden grumbled, shaking his head and folding all four of his arms.

"I betrayed no one," Charlotte snapped. "I'm a soldier and I've sworn to protect my people. It would have been a betrayal not to do what I did so you shut your face until I'm done!" Charlotte snapped.

Eyebrows lifted around the room, surprised at the vehemence in her tone.

Captain Tlornden's eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Don't fuck with her, dude. She'll Pikachu your ass," Vasquez warned, despite having been able to understand exactly nothing she'd said. She was, of course, speaking in Uu'k'asht.

 "I... found out some things while I was away," she continued.

She dropped her eyes and said "I'm ready to help you. But I won't help you kill innocent people. If you want to destroy the farm, all you need to do is to take its most valuable assets."

"Which are?" Captain Tlornden asked, leaning forward in interest.

"The people," Charlotte said.

"Uh, Char?" Vasquez said. "Wanna fill me in?"

She turned to him and said, "I'm suggesting we take the farming colony COS by kidnapping all the people who live there and bringing them here."

Then she turned to the gathered aliens and said, "Without the people to run the farm, it will die."

"And what, exactly, are we supposed to do with a couple thousand human prisoners?" Ahnekk asked, his tone hard and irritated.

"Uh, you wanna run that by me again?" Vasquez asked with his eyebrows raised.