Witness [A First Contact Romance]

30. War Council

Ashby Virtual Hotel District, The Ephemor Federation

2027

0 (L.D.)

Vehru transported back to Iyla to prepare her troops for Liberation Day. She would have preferred to immediately begin with that, but the meetings would not wait. So almost as soon as she arrived, she had to hook up virtually. All the transporting gave her whiplash.

It was hard not to be distracted, as well, after speaking to her Witness for the first time in a decade, and after letting Earthlings lay eyes on her. This would be a hard day for them on Earth.

When Vehru spawned, Morfrain already stood in the conference room of the hotel. He stared at her for several seconds without speaking. "Why did you transport to Earth early?" Her partner had flashed his disapproving frown at her so many times over hundreds of years that each time he did it, she wanted to stab hot pokers into her eyes. It drove her insane.

Vehru managed to keep her glance looking disinterested. "My witness called on me. She wanted me to come."

"You have a soft spot for her."

"You say that about all my witnesses."

He grunted. "It's been true for them all."

Vehru rolled her neck and kneaded her fingers into the base of her skull. Transporting multiple times in one day always left her sore.

"How was your introduction?" he asked.

She held back her sigh at the edge of sarcasm in his tone. After hundreds of years of disagreement in her approach, any comments or jokes about their differences were truly over the top at this point. If it were up to him, they would conquer a world in a day, no matter how many people it killed.

"My Witness told me to shut the fuck up. That was interesting. She's always been so slow to take drastic action. Once she does, though... Well, the kid has potential." Vehru took the seat beside Morfrain, never keen to let him see exactly how infuriating she found him. "I'll return soon. She'll be in a much better state with her memories when I do and we can finally begin."

"You should not have gone until you were ready to stay. These trips are expensive."

"Will you ever tire of telling me?"

"Never." He glanced down her face. "Not when it makes you mad enough to try hiding how your muscles tighten."

"You really ought to adjust your limbic system. Your temperament is very out of fashion."

"I'm a naturalist, Vehru. No reason to change the personality I was born with."

"Keeping your head attached to your shoulders should be reason enough." She twisted to face him, smiling sweetly as she ran her finger along his throat. "Another hundred years of you being an utter prick and I won't be able to control myself."