Read Star Alliance for Free Online

you’re here for this as well, actually,” Emma said to Katie.
    “Hicks is with Redford on the Boxan ship. What can I do?” Katie asked.
    Kaylan admired how Katie could be so focused, while Kaylan herself felt like more of an emotional wreck than she’d ever been before. In her mind’s eye she saw Zack’s face with that deep, penetrating gaze and the slight smile that had grazed his lips as he pressed his hand to the elevator door. He had sacrificed himself to save her. She wished she could go back to that moment and pull him into the elevator with her. Kaylan clenched her teeth and shoved her anger to the side, but it was getting harder to do.
    “I’ve been thinking about the Xiiginn influence the Boxans are afraid of,” Emma said.
    “With good reason,” Katie said. “I’ve never seen someone so completely taken over against their will. It goes beyond any brainwashing I’ve ever heard of.”
    Kaylan nodded. “Back on the cruiser, the Boxan who fell victim to it was aware of what he was doing but was unable to stop himself. He begged for the others to kill him even as he fired his weapon at them.”
    “It must have been horrifying,” Emma said. “I want to better understand how it works so we can come up with a way to prevent it.”
    “Do you really think that’s possible?” Katie asked.
    Emma nodded. “I do. I realize we’re not nearly as advanced as the Boxans, but the fundamentals of solving this problem are the same. If nothing else, it will give us something to report back to Earth when we make it there.”
    “The Boxans can only delay the effects, so they must have some understanding of how the compulsion works. I’m not sure how much they’re willing to share with us at the moment,” Kaylan said.
    “That’s because you’re thinking about it all wrong,” Katie said with a smile. “We need information, and the Boxans have it.”
    “Yeah, but Kladomaor won’t share. Whenever I’ve brought up the subject, he deflects or acts as if the subject is too complex for us to understand,” Kaylan said.
    “Well, he is a victim of it. Remember when Gaarokk told us about when Kladomaor was taken captive by the Xiiginns? Mar Arden forced him to kill his own soldiers,” Emma said.
    Kaylan nodded and then her brows rose as she finally understood what Katie was implying. “Not Kladomaor, but Gaarokk. He’s not a soldier, and I think with the right coaxing he would be willing to share the information they have about the Xiiginns and, in particular, how this compulsion of theirs works.”
    “Well I think I know a way we can get him to help,” Emma said. “We invite him aboard the Athena. He’s been wanting to see the ship. I say we give him a tour and get his opinion on the upgrades the AI had us implement.”
    “It would be a tight squeeze, but without their armor it could be done,” Katie said.
    “We need to be careful. We’re not doing anything wrong by having him here, but I don’t want to put Gaarokk in a position where he feels conflicted,” Kaylan said.
    “Yes, you do. We all do,” Katie said. “The Xiiginns have Zack and at the very least are questioning him, but judging by what they did to the Nershals in the research lab, whatever they’re doing to him could be much worse.”
    Kaylan looked away and shook her head. She wasn’t ready for this. They were so far outside the Athena’s mission parameters that she wasn’t sure what they should do first. Kaylan looked back at the others. “I think Gaarokk will help us.”
    Kaylan’s comms link chimed from her PDA, and she activated it.
    “Greetings, Commander,” Gaarokk said. “Ma’jasalax would like to see you on our ship if you have a moment. She wants to try to find Zack again and needs you with her.”
    “Of course. I’ll be right over,” Kaylan said. “Oh, and Gaarokk, we were wondering if you wouldn’t mind coming over to the Athena for a quick tour. The AI had us perform several upgrades that we would like to get