Cress

Chapter 19

Kai scooped his hair off his brow, staring at the holograph

 that floated above the conference table with a mixture

 of horror and awe.

 Part of him wanted to laugh.

Not at all because it was funny.

 But because their didn't seem, to be any better reaction.

The holograph showed the planet Earth. 

 And all around it were hundreds of small yellow lights, many 

clumped above Earth's most-populated cities.

Hundreds of tiny spaceships.

They were surrounded.

"And they're all Lunar?" he said.

 "We're sure?"

"Without a doubt," said European Prime Minister Bromstad, 

 his face grouped with the other Earthen Union leaders on

 the massive netscreen.

 "What's most disconcerting is that we were given zero

 indication of their approach. 

 It's as if they all just ... flickered into existence, ten thousand

 kilometers over our heads."

"Or," said Queen Camilla of the United Kingdom, "as if they 

 were there all along, but we were unable to detect them.

 Haven't we been hearing for years about these Lunar ships 

 sneaking into our atmosphere, bypassing all of our security

 measures?"

"Does it matter how long they've been there, or how they got

 there in the first place?" asked American Republic President 

 Vargas.

 "They're obviously there now, and this is obviously a threat."

Kai squeezed his eyes shut.

 "But why? She's getting exactly what she wants.

Why threaten us now? 

Why show us her hand?"

"Perhaps to ensure the Commonwealth doesn't out of the

 marriage alliance at the last minute?" 

Bromstad suggested.

"But she has absolutely no reason—" Kai huffed and dropped

 his hand to the back off his chair ... what had once been his 

 father's chair. He was far too restless to sit down as he glanced 

around at his cabinet members and advisers, his country's 

 educated experts who were looking as baffled as he felt.

"What do you all make of this?"

His experts traded looks among themselves, before Chairman

 decal Huy start to drum his fingers against the table.