Spears of Uu'kata

Chapter 59 The Beans

Charlotte felt like she was gonna puke. "Look, you needed Andora 7 and we took it from you. Now, there is an armada on its way. Here. Right now. Bringing a couple thousand humans here would insulate you against attack. Especially if their trackers are removed. We release our own broadcasts containing the files that show the truth of how the war started. Videos that show the humans that will be brought here aren't being mistreated."

"What makes you think we have the resources to take in several thousand humans?" Ahnekk asked. "I know you know that our people are dying out, Charlotte. This is impossible."

Dread dropped into her guts like a stone and she swallowed hard, glancing at Vasquez, then her shelen, then the Tilith captain.

Fuck, she thought, realizing there was no way she was convincing anyone her idea was a good one without telling the truth. 

"What if... what if I told you..." her heart was pounding in her chest and her palms were sweaty.

She looked at Gondroll, who watched her intently, then at Tasha, who nodded encouragingly.

"Charlotte," Gondroll said, his voice gentle, "tell them."

"Tell me what?" Ahnekk demanded.

"What if I told you you could... have babies with humans?" she asked.

Ahnekk snorted. "I'd know you are desperate, Charlotte. Our blood isn't even the same. We all know it would be impossible."

"No. It's not impossible. I'm... I'm..." Charlotte couldn't make the words come out. She pressed a hand to her stomach and stared at nothing, mouth dry.

Shodara gasped and covered her mouth, taking a step forward. She paused, then rushed up to Charlotte, taking her face in her hands and angling her head upward so Charlotte was forced to look into her shimmering, golden eyes.

"My Charlotte," she said. "Are you telling us that you are pregnant?"

Charlotte felt herself trembling. Her eyes pricked and she gulped before jerkily nodding her head.

Shodara made a strangled sound as she dropped to her knees and pressed a hand to Charlotte's stomach.

"H-how?" she said, voice thick with emotion.

Charlotte shrugged. "Maybe it has something to do with my blood being changed," she said.

"A baby..." Shodara breathed. "A baby!"

"Not just one," Charlotte said softly, looking up to see Ahnekk watching her, eyes wide. Echnar was gapping while Godroll had a hand over his mouth, eyes spilling over. "There are two of them in there," she added. "And they're both girls. Uh... human-Uu'k'asht hy... brids."

The room was dead silent. Everyone stared in astonishment.

Shodara pressed her face to Charlotte's chest, wrapping her arms around her tightly, and sobbed.

Charlotte felt like she was dangling on the edge of a cliff, wondering which way she would fall. Her heart was pounding, her stomach full of butterflies.

Ahnekk hadn't said anything.

She gulped.

Please, say something.

Arms folded, Vasquez glared around the room.

Finally, Ahnekk stepped toward her. He crossed the room slowly, his expression unfathomable. When he finally stood beside her, looking down into her face, his hand cupped the back of her head. His touch so gentle it was barely there.

"S-say that... again," he said softly.

"I don't wanna," she said. "I'm super uncomfortable and everyone is watching me and I can't read the room so I'm freaking out right now because I don't know if you're gonna be mad or disgusted or—"