Aliens Vs. Humans (Aliens Series Book 4) Read Online Free Page B

just a silly helium dream? He didn’t know. But his Grandpa Ephraim had taught him the vital importance of never giving up on your dreams.
    “Thank you Hilok and Nalik of the Northern Pack. Your council has been heard by me, by my lifemate and by my crew,” Jack said. He turned and went to stand beside Nikola. Softly he caressed her long brown curls. “My lifemate expects a cub soon. We will share that good news with you and your family when it happens. We will also travel to meet this Arbitor and do our best to obey its judgment. For the sake of humanity and our family.”
    Hilok curled his tail over his striped back. “May your pack continue to increase in numbers and in riches. You, your mother-to-be and your crewmates are welcome to visit our home on Hunt Forever. We have need of more elk steaks, more sauces and more interactive combat games. My Sator plays your games every day, until his mother and I give him lessons to learn. As we did when you visited our Contact habitat on the comet Hot Blood. Until we meet again.”
    Jack waved with his free hand. “Until we meet again.”
    The front screen went blank, then filled with the true-light image of the interior of the Dock Cavern of Mathilde. A place busy with the six other ships of his fleet, visiting transport ships, and automated cargobots delivering supplies to ships floating in the kilometers-wide space of the cavern.
    “So we surrender to this Arbitor?” Maureen said from her Combat station, her tone disgusted.
    Shifting his hand to Nikola’s shoulder, he turned and faced his crewmates. “Shit no we don’t surrender! We figure a way around whatever this Arbitor wants. We call in ships from our Alliance allies. And we figure out some way to make our contacts with juvenile species sound like they fit into the Rules of Engagement.” He caught the gaze of their Sociologist. “Blodwen, I know you’re not a lawyer or solicitor. But you’re the only person I know who can help us figure out a way to subvert this damnable system while pretending to comply with its Rules. Will you work on this?”
    The lanky woman crossed bony arms over her black leotard. She fixed pale green eyes on him, her lips lifting in a half-smile. “My professors always said I could verbally tie them in knots. I’ll work on this. We have seven days before we go face-to-face with that ugly T-rex dino.”
    “Good.”
    Maureen gave him a sour look. “And if fancy words don’t work? How do we defeat this Arbitor and his ship?”
    Jack smiled at the woman who never let a battle opponent have an even chance. “Well, then I kick the butts of Archibald and Max. This shield thingie sounds like something up their line of work.”
    “But Jack,” called Elaine from her Pilot station, her look concerned. “If these Arbitors have been running things for 3,000 years, it sounds as if no one has figured out how to defeat this protective shield.”
    “True.” He headed for the back wall hatch leading to the Spine hallway of Uhuru , pulling along Nikola. “But humans are problem solvers. Look how far we’ve come in the year since First Contact with the Rizen. The difficult we do today. The impossible we manage tomorrow. Anyway, I’m thirsty. Nikola, you want a Europa Light Ale? Or a glass of cabernet sauvignon wine?”
    His lifemate’s chuckle as she followed him into the hallway said she might claim both types of drink. In limited quantity, considering the baby she carried.
    Behind them restraint strap locks unsnapped and Jack knew his fellow crewmates were following his lead.
    His prime recruiting tool had been the offer of steaks, cigars and good booze. It seemed those three items were equally good for raising the morale of his fellow humans. Plus he was hungry and thirsty and not willing to wait for tonight’s dinner with Hideyoshi and the other fleet captains in the Admiral’s Mess on the Bismarck . Anyway, his new motto was eat now, booze now, pass out for a few hours, then get up and