The Cresperian Alliance by Stephanie Osborn

female medic gently surveyed Piki's hands.
    "Rope burns,” she said, “pretty nasty. They're superficial, but pretty extensive, and I know from experience how painful they can be. But I can treat these.” A kit came out of her medical pack and Peggy gently cleaned the rope bits out of the abrasions, then swabbed something on Piki's wounds. Piki sighed in relief as the numbing agent in the antibiotic gel took effect.
    "Thank,” she said softly to the medic. “I can tell some mens nice, some mens bad. You nices, all.” She waved her denuded palms. “Now I shall concentrate, and fix this."
    "The bad man hurt you,” Peggy added tentatively, catching one of Piki's hands and applying a temporary bandage until the alien woman could close the wound. “Do you need help fixing that, too?” She caught Piki's other hand and did the same.
    "No,” Piki sighed. “It is fixed, but... it is not the same. It does not hurt any more, though."
    "Are you going to have a baby?"
    "Baby?"
    "UH boy,” Wersky tossed over his shoulder, looking back at the shore past the pilot, machine gun still at the ready. Suddenly the raft, already storm-tossed, bucked hard, and everyone grabbed for purchase to avoid being launched into the drink.
    "What the hell was that?!” Nunez demanded.
    "Dunno,” the pilot remarked, puzzled, then shrugged. “Probably a sunken log."
    "Great,” Wersky grumbled. “Now we're gonna sink. And in this weather.” He spared a moment to glance apprehensively about them at the rough, choppy water of the misty inlet.
    "These rafts are tougher than that,” the pilot chuckled. “We're fine."
    "Back to business, then,” Nunez said. “Piki, a baby is... uhm, reproduction, making a new person, uh..."
    A soft call floated across the water in Cresperian. “Ll'tk, Piki. N'do ll'tk?"
    "Oh,” Piki said, understanding. “No. No baby. I stop that before he do. I made his sac empty—fast fast. Then made his... uh... I don't know right word for that.” She gestured with her bandaged hands to indicate male genitalia. “He called it whanger? I made it go short, small, floppy. Make it so it would not get long and hard anymore. It hurt lots, because it was already long and hard, so he screamed back. Piki laughed then; he not make babies ever. Not hurt me that way no more ever. That why he beat."
    "Uh BOY,” Wersky added, trying to find a way to cross his legs in the rubber boat.
    "Um,” Bangler began, starting to feel decidedly light headed as some of the adrenaline faded. “I hate to interrupt, but... um—” Appear, he thought woozily, and instantly became visible, his torn bloody sleeve readily apparent, as well as a hole in the chest of his shirt exposing his bulletproof vest. Before he could say any more, he slumped in the boat, semiconscious. Piki let out a small wail of concern.
    "Oh shit,” Nunez muttered, alarmed. “I didn't know he got hit.” She set to work, rapidly slitting open the sleeve of his shirt and bandaging his arm to stop the blood loss; the chest would have to wait. By the time they'd arrived at the Sea Wolf , smelling salts were bringing him around.
    .Piki stayed close to Bangler, not only concerned for his well being but seeming to feel safe with him, and together they managed to climb the ladder to the top where he escorted her inside.
    As the passengers entered the sub, the pilots dexterously deflated the rafts and stowed them and their engines in a compartment near the stern.
    Within seconds, the hatch was closed and secure, and the submarine disappeared beneath the whitecap covered surface of the weatherbeaten loch.
    Two minutes later, a bright flare erupted from the pinnacle of the tor, illuminating the sea loch. Seconds after, a concussion wave swept across the surface, temporarily smoothing the rough water.
    A large head broke the water. It looked around, big eyes glowing luminously in the dark. Its gaze riveted on the blaze at the head of the loch, and it watched for several minutes. A