Witness [A First Contact Romance]-COMPLETE

57. Bittersweet

Earth

2027

Rory had returned to Theo after delivering her message to Vehru while Jace had to attend a debriefing. Her heart hadn't stopped pounding since they'd transmitted the message and footage to Levi's nanny. As satisfying as it was to see Vehru lying on the ground after, it also ignited the hatred inside of her to see that woman dare to pity herself.

Before parting, Jace had gazed into her eyes, clearly wanting to draw her close, and told her that she'd done well.

This had to work. If the rest of their plan fell through, they at least had to have the neuroweb out of her son's brain.

She sat with Theo on the bed now and shared the part of the plan with him that she could. "I got the approval for you to leave the base. You'll be checked to make sure you don't have anything. They already communicated with General Price to make arrangements for you to be delivered to him."

He crossed his arms. "I'm not comfortable with leaving you."

"I have work to do too. We all have to go do our part. This is the only way for everything to be okay one day. Now, later, we'll get the data back to you. You need to give everything to Earth. All of it."

"Your squad is willing to help?"

"Yes. Once we know Levi is safe, we'll send a message to you. Don't hold back after that. Give Earth everything we have and help them figure out how to reverse engineer the transportation system."

Theo sat back. "What about the rest of you? You all have the neuroweb."

Rory had never lied to him before and even though it might have made things easier on him to hide the truth, she couldn't. Now was not the time to start breaking each other's trust. "We're trying to get the neuroweb out of all of our minds, but I don't know if it'll work. Some day, someone has to say enough is enough, no matter the consequences. We can't let that stop us. Once Levi is safe, we make our move."

She could see him wrestling with her words. "They could torture you to death or even torture you indefinitely."

If Rory thought about what Vehru or Morfrain could do to her and her family, then the terror of it would entirely freeze her. Her training on Lumiea had taught her how to compartmentalize. It was something she'd noticed that she often automatically did, one of the first things she had learned about herself after losing her memory. Since then, she'd tried to find a healthier way to live. Now, they were at war. Rory had to fragment her mind to do what had to be done.

"One person can't win a war or save the world," Rory said. "So it's easy to tell ourselves that we can get away with not doing our part. Will it really make a difference?" Rory laced her fingers with his. "Our only chance of saving Earth from the federation is if we all do everything we can. Some of us will have the chance to make the kind of impact that changes things. Vehru put me in a position like that. How can I turn away from what only I can do?"