Syn-En: Plague World: The Founders War Begins by Linda Andrews

gave rise to the Founders. They journeyed to space first, claimed it and everything in it as their birthright. Skaperia would have been conquered but, like Earth, my home world is on the edge of the galaxy. We had begun colonizing systems near us when we stumbled upon the first evidence of Erwar. My people arrived on the planet before the Founders.”
    “Did they claim you?” The yellow color drained from Bei’s forehead, leaving peach tones behind.
    “They tried. We fought back.” Apollie’s raptor claw on her middle toe tapped on the metal deck. “We were close to surrendering when their technology failed. After many broken treaties and truces, the Erwar Consortium was written and ensured a lasting peace.”
    Doc frowned at the screen. Deft fingers flew over the readout then the numbers disappeared.
    Nell took a deep breath. She knew she was infected. How bad could it be? “So Skaperians are the sixth pillar and humanity is the seventh?”
    “No. Skaperia has no pillar.” Apollie dragged a hand down her face. “Earth is the sixth pillar. We only know of the seventh pillar because of references to it. That world, if it still exists, has not been found.”
    “I’ve been to Earth. We have pyramids, great walls, and nose-bleed cities.” Nell ignored the readout. “I don’t recall any pillar.”
    “That is because the Founders removed it when they held Earth as their territory.”
    Bei’s fingers curled into fists. “The Founders claimed Earth?”
    “Yes.” Apollie folded her hands in her lap. The power jewels in her vambraces winked. “They had to cede the territory to Skaperia when they joined the Erwar Consortium as war reparations. We found evidence of a pillar soon after taking possession.”
    Nell shifted on the cushioned bench. “If Skaperia owned Earth all this time, why didn’t we know it? I mean, you’re hardly a Gray and I very much doubt you wield anal probes.”
    She squirmed inside her skin. The feather-heads had tinkered with her egg basket.
    “We had liaisons in your governments.” Apollie studied her fingernails. “As long as the Empress received her quota of slaves, she didn’t really pay much attention to what we did on Earth.”
    Nell blinked. She was missing something.
    Bei dropped to the seat opposite Apollie. “You allowed most of Earth civilization to proceed without interference, because you thought Humans, as one of the seven pillars, could be used against the Founders.”
    “The Founders uprooted humans and placed them on all their colonies and worlds. If Humanity could declare itself sentient, then Humans on those worlds could get revenge for their treatment by spying and revealing information about the forbidden worlds deep in Founders’ space. It is a valid military tactic.”
    Nell rose off her seat. Everyone on Earth had been used. She felt dirty. Unclean. “I know where you can shove your valid military tactic.”
    Bei rubbed the back of his neck. “She is correct. We are gaining a lot of intelligence about the Founders with every group of rescued humans.”
    Nell wanted to kick him in his military tactic. “How can you say that?”
    Doc tugged her back onto the seat. “You’ve seen how the Founders treat their conquered worlds. Would you rather Earth be under their thumb or the Skaperians?”
    “I’d rather be free.” Nell plopped onto the seat. Memories played like a commercial asking for donations to a third world country—bloated corpses, starving young, missing limbs, and unspeakable mutilations. What the Founders had done made all of man’s wars seem like a cake walk.
    Setting a square of gauze atop the needle, Doc removed it. “We’re free because of the Skaperians.”
    She bent her arm to stop the blood flow. “And because we survived the Surlat strain.”
    Nell just hoped they did this time around. The yellow glow faded from her skin.
    Apollie scooted back on the bench and folded her legs Indian-style. “We did not wish to infect Earth, but we