Page 107 of Stripped By the Alien

"No." The word comes out sharper than I intended. "We came here because the Gzet took Sophia."

His antennae twitch once. "You came here for Sophia."

"And why did you come?" Of course I know the answer. But I need to hear him say it, too.

He gestures toward the enormous lens. "Because this is the duty of a Chief Harrower."

The chamber grows quieter. Even the officers still nearby stop pretending not to listen.

Krix'vorr points at the four worlds. "Do you understand what this means? Four inhabited planets. Four. We expected a single target of unknown wealth. Instead we find a rich civilization spread across an entire solar system." His voice remains calm, yet excitement is creeping into it despite his efforts to control it. "A discovery like this changes everything."

I look at Sophia's image again. "It doesn't change everything."

"It changes the future of the Brood."

"And Sophia's future changes in ten hours,” I remind him. “Do you know what that means? You said yourself what the Gzet do to their slaves. They change them, turn them into nightmares."

For the first time irritation flashes across his face. "I remember what I said, Nora. This solar system contains many captives. When we Harvest it, we’ll free them all. Not just one.”

The words hang between us. Neither of us likes them.

I stare at the space station. For months I thought Sophia might be dead. Now she's right there. We know where she is, and somehow we're arguing about Harvests and strategy.

"If it were me," I ask, trying to keep my voice steady, "would you wait?"

The entire command chamber becomes still.

Krix'vorr doesn't answer immediately. His gaze remains fixed on mine.

"If it were me being sold," I repeat, trying to keep my voice from trembling, "would you spend any time counting warships, or would you act?"

Nobody moves. Nobody speaks.

Finally Krix'vorr looks away.

That tells me everything, because we both know the answer. He wouldn't wait. He would tear the solar system to pieces.

“I can’t abandon the greatest duty ever given to a Harrower," he growls.

His words are chilling because he's being completely honest. He's standing between two impossible obligations, and he can’t fulfill both. He isn't pretending the choice is easy.

That's when another voice enters the conversation.

"I believe the Chief Harrower is attempting to explain scale." Inquisitor Brax'tok steps forward from the rear of the chamber. I'd almost forgotten he was there. The fact that he has been listening the entire time immediately makes me dislike him more.

Krix'vorr doesn't look pleased, either, but neither of us tells him to leave.

The Inquisitor clasps his hands behind his back and studies the display. "A single captive female is important under certain circumstances. But now that we know where the Gzet homeworld is, she’s not needed."

I don't like where this is going.

He turns toward me and gestures at the wall. "Your friend is a tragedy. Those things happen. Indeed, they’re quite common. Anyone who falls into the hands of the Gzet can safely be considered lost." The Inquisitor points toward the four planets. "Those worlds contain billions of beings. Countless resources. Countless! The profits of millennia of slave trading. History rarely presents opportunities of this magnitude."

"She's my friend," I protest, knowing it’s hopeless.

"And this is his duty." The answer comes too smoothly, as though he's rehearsed it.

I look at Krix'vorr.