What Must Be Done

by Seven


Disclaimer:  Earth: Final Conflict and its characters are copyrighted by Tribune Entertainment Company.  All rights reserved.



Note from Author:  Dedicated to peabody...



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The silence hurt.

The wide, bright blue office was silent, silent as the grave. How curious—that I have begun to use human terminology... so casually. And in the middle was Da'an, like the eye of a storm. But there was no calmness in his sad blue eyes.

Liam was not there, absorbed in the annihilation of the Resistance. Sandoval was also gone, gone to finish hiding evidence of what had been going on. And Lili...

Da'an's eyes hardened slightly, his fingers coming to rest on the arm of his chair with an audible thump.

He hadn't expected it. Hadn't expected her to use his trust, the information he had once given her to save Liam, to attack the Taelons. He had shared with her once, allowed her to see his emotions, his soul, "what made him tick." She had tricked him, lied to him, all to attack his species.

And that was who they were. His species. Had he lost sight of that? Perhaps he had, had become too intertwined with humanity.

After a moment of hesitation, he waved the datastream into view, watched as the data scrolled by. An enlarged strand of human DNA, a series of Jaridian genes that spun themselves into the strand, became one with it.

Da'an's eyes widened as he watched it. That was what had happened to Lili Marquette. It had been his plan, in case anyone under him were found to be Resistance, a plan that had evolved over time. The fusion of Jaridian and human DNA would make a creature that he knew the Jaridians would take in, if not accept. Taelons, he thought acidly, are not so forgiving of what cannot be helped.

I know their minds. They are as clever as Taelons, and will adapt the ID drive soon... they will come to Earth soon.

Our last stronghold, last fortress against the Jaridians. In a way, it might be a relief to finally admit that we cannot stand against them. This way, at least, humanity may be spared. Not being Jaridian, I cannot know this for certain. But they are unique, and some Jaridian will recognize it.

Sandoval would return to report soon, to tell him what he already knew. Captain Marquette's physiology was now part-Jaridian, and she was on her way to their space. One of the enemy now.

His anger was tempered with sorrow, that she had been so untrustworthy. But I will do what must be done...