Jabieko glares. "I will not allow any Azhalians, even Euperians, to be tortured and killed by your kind! You humans have demonstrated throughout your history that you cannot be trusted to govern peacefully."
"Mr. Ambassador, considering who you are, that's rich coming from you. I will submit this motion with or without your support," Bannon says flatly, "and if you block it, you will be responsible for the uprising that will surely follow."
Jabieko stares at him coolly for a long moment, hands steepled before him on his desk, before he replies. "Mr. Head Minister, I think you're forgetting who was truly responsible for getting you elected. I can just as easily arrange for a vote of no confidence and toss you back out onto the street." Jabieko stands up. "Now, Bannon, if you don't mind, let's adjourn. Assassination attempts can leave one feeling a bit fatigued."
Bannon stands smoothly, clearly aware that Jabieko has dropped any pretense of civility along with his title, but none of the emotions he is feeling show on his face. "Certainly. Again, I'm happy that you're still alive, and I will find those scum." He doesn't bother to offer a handshake before he turns to go. The Head Minister's entourage follows as he exits the bunker.
Nima hands Jabieko a drink. "Careful, sir. Bannon may be a career politician, but that makes him smarter than most people give him credit for."
Jabieko takes a sip. "I know exactly what he is."
"If you block a measure to make it legal to bear arms, the humans will no longer see you as an ally."
"Yes, and that's what he wants. He wants to expel us from Earth. Set an emergency meeting with the Azhalian Assembly. If we have to pass this resolution, we'll do it our way."
Chapter 14
Eva stands on the cabin's porch with a cup of coffee in hand. She takes a sip as she watches Blake and Wally wrestle. "Take him down, Wally!" she shouts.
Blake looks up, and Wally slams him to the ground.
"What happened to never losing focus in battle?" the bearded Isarian asks as he helps Blake up.
"Whatever. Lucky move." Blake brushes the leaves off his shirt and starts walking toward the cabin.
"Aren't you afraid of using your powers out in the open?" Eva asks as he steps up onto the porch.
"We're both registered Azhalians," Blake says, "so not really." He grabs a glass of water from the table and takes a sip.
"I hear that doesn't matter anymore unless you're an Ucte," Eva says.
"Well, that's why we live here," Blake says. "No neighbors close by, and the pine trees hide us from the drones. How was the game?"
"Americans love their football, don't they?"
"I'll make us breakfast," Wally says. He enters the cabin.
"You should go to a college or professional game," Blake says. "It's even crazier."
"No thanks. I just want to go home. Last night the humans reminded me how evil they can be, even towards their own kind."
"What happened?"
"A group of Euperians was harassed by a mob. Their human friend was beaten for trying to defuse the situation." Eva pauses. "The worst part is, I stood there and did nothing. I even stopped Zack from intervening."
"You did the right thing."
"No. They were our people, and they needed help."
Blake puts his arm around her shoulders. "We got an invitation to meet with members of the EIRF. With Zack reconnecting with us, Wally and I realized we need to start taking chances."
"Are you serious? When?"
"This coming weekend."
"How do we know they can be trusted?" Eva asks.
"We don't, but what choice do we have?" Blake starts stretching. "Are you ready for a quick one-on-one?"
Eva puts her coffee down. "I thought you'd never ask."
❖❖❖
George Harper walks into the volunteer tent, signs in, and gets his badge. It comes with a T-shirt with the image of Head Minister Bannon on it, and a red Make Earth Human Again ball cap. He then attends the briefing where instructions are given to the volunteers before they head to their posts. George looks at the podium where Bannon has promised to reveal a new measure to help humans defend themselves from an invasion. For the first time in a very long time, George feels that somebody is standing up for the rights of the human race.
As attendees start arriving, George ushers them to their assigned seats. Before long, the stadium is full of the Head Minister's supporters. The announcer welcomes the Minister to the podium, and the crowd gives him a thunderous ovation. George joins in enthusiastically. Once the applause dies down, Bannon starts the rally by condemning the media and the cowardly members of the opposition party who won't stand up to the alien invasion. He continues by painting a grim picture of Earth, and how the aliens have taken advantage of humans; he glosses over the fact that the aliens also saved humanity from extinction, just as his audience wants him to. Crowds cheer and chant with excitement. As he winds down his speech, the Head Minister makes his latest proclamation — he will reinstate the right to bear arms to every human on Earth!
It takes a moment for the crowd to process what many thought was unthinkable, but seconds after, the crowd erupts, chanting, "Make Earth Human Again! Make Earth Human Again!" The Head Minister lifts his fist to the crowd in appreciation.
George helps direct the crowd to the exit. Once done, he returns his badge and carries his MEHA swag to his rental car, where he finds a stranger leaning against it. "Can I help you?" he asks cautiously.
"Hi, George. My name is Paul Ingram." The man extends his hand.
After a brief pause, George shakes his hand. "May I
