by F. E. Arliss
General Freux survived, but had only a small band of warriors and workers that now found a home on a planet on the outer reaches of their once thriving galaxy. Queen Altum Juls hoped that meant he would be open to learning a more ‘purposeful and honorable’ way of dealing with energy sources.
General Monsav had a good opinion of General Freux. Freux was a fierce warrior, clever tactician, and honorable General. He’d been defeated by trickery and betrayal. Perhaps he would be amenable to an alliance to save what remained of his nest and his unhatched eggs.
Juls sent Dent in a small cruiser to find out. She’d recorded a message for General Freux stating that he could accompany Dent on his return if he would agree to being placed in stasis. This would allow him to talk with Queen Altum Juls in person, see the remnants of his hatchling nest, and still keep their location a secret.
Two weeks later, Dent returned with a sealed stasis pod. The pod was checked and double checked to make sure it was free of tracking devices or weapons before Dent would allow it loaded aboard his cruiser. The same procedure was followed as it was unloaded on Geboren.
General Kor watched over the revival process. As Freux stumbled from stasis, Dent and Axel caught his swaying frame. “Kor,” Freux rasped, raising his amber eyes to Kor’s yellow ones. “Good to see you.”
“And you, General Freux. Thank you for coming,” Kor continued. “How are your warriors? Well, I hope.”
A grunting laugh tore from Freux’s lips. “What I have left of them, you mean!” He sniped, a look of regret spanning his face. “Most left for other nests, or died in the fighting. I have only twenty warriors left and no nest ship. Times are treacherous, Kor. Very treacherous.”
“That is why my Queen has sent for you.” Kor replied.
“Your Queen is dead! Altum Vis is gone!” Freux exclaimed harshly. “The greatest Queen of all and supposedly dead to old age. We had just bred a group of hatchlings. She was not old!” he bit out.
“As you say, she was not old. Age doesn't matter to Queens. She was murdered. By General Shale. Then set afloat in the knotted abyss, her most loyal crew entombed with her in stasis. It was Shale’s last act of respect. It will also be his downfall, as we live!” Kor stated with fervor.
General Freux stared at Kor like he’d lost his mind. “You say that Altum Vis is alive?” He asked, narrowing his glowing amber eyes. “And that Shale was her murder? None of that makes sense,” Freux said wearily, rubbing a hand over his face. “Explain yourself!”
“No, Queen Altum Vis is gone, and Queen Altum Juls lives,” Kor added calmly. “Shale put Altum Vis in her pool. A thousand years later, a new queen was laid next to her. The product awaits you at the birthing nest.”
General Freux stumbled against Dent’s restraining arm. “The product?” He queried. “The eggs survive?” he questioned, a hopeful rasp in his voice.
“Not many. But some. Queen Altum Juls even now feeds them. Some appear close to hatching. She sent for you to be present at the birth,” Kor added. “It is not one of our traditions, but Queen Altum Juls is not traditional. She is not pure, as the fanatics say.”
At the scowl that crept across Freux’s face, Kor added in a voice cold as ice, “She is not pure. Instead, she is powerful, loyal, clever, and resourceful. More powerful and far more loyal than any ‘pure’ queen I’ve ever seen” he added with a sneer. “To underestimate her would be an error.”
A silence followed this statement. “Loyal you say,” General Freux questioned him gravely. “That is a quality I have not seen for some time.”
“Loyal.” It was a statement. “Smart. Powerful.”
“Very well, let us proceed to the nest. I would see my remaining offspring.” General Freux nodded towards General Kor’s chest. “Good to see you are my equal now,” he said, observing the general’s bars on Kor’s breastplate.
General Kor smirked at him. “You will have to get used to our new Queen, Freux. According to her, we were always equal,” he said with a sidelong glance at the warrior next to him. “She only rewards intelligence and loyalty. Position means little to her. She is...refreshing.” he added with a smirk. Freux scowled once again, serving only to increase the width of Kor’s smirk.
When the two Generals emerged into the birthing chamber, Kor had to catch General Freux as he stumbled once again. “The energy,” he gasped. “It is so strong. I feel revived just by being near it.”
“Yes, it is one of her gifts. She can feed us from proximity. Our Queen is strong, as I told you,” Kor said, a smug undertone causing Freux to elbow him sharply in his knotted rib-cage. Kor rumbled a whirring laugh in response.
“My Queen, General Freux,” Kor announced.
Juls opened her eyes and surveyed the General. She almost gasped in surprise. Vis’ image of the General had left her with the strong impression that he was disgustingly ugly. This warrior was what a human might consider ravishingly handsome. He had long, straight, grey-white hair, a chiseled chin, glowing amber eyes, and a tall, strong physique. On top of that, when he smiled at her, his teeth had been filed into an almost perfect Hollywood movie era straight-edge. He was as good-looking as any Idolum was ever going to get in human terms, and Juls quivered with an almost instant sense of attraction. Clamping down on her emotions, Juls welcomed him.
“General Freux, thank you for coming. You have arrived just in the knick of time. One of our warriors is about to come out. Please, Kor, send for one of our warriors. Have them bring their totem animal. They can set our young ones on their animals’ back and let them join in the nurture. It is a time of celebration for all of us. Our nest is strengthened. Our warriors will help build that.” Queen Altum Juls said, her gaze never wavering from Freux’s face.
He seemed mesmerized by the events before him and had moved slowly towards the egg Juls had motioned to. Crouching beside it, he ran a hand over its hard shell. The egg shuddered and a small crack appeared. Freux raised a beaming glance towards Juls. She smiled in return. Their eyes met and in both, a stronger hope flared.
A few moments later, under the constant stroking hand of its father, the worker-warrior hatched. A tiny bundle of grasping arms and legs was lifted from the shell by Freux, who was giving off a constant whirring sound of approval. Looking once more towards Juls, she grinned at him and then nodded for him to hand the hatchling off to the warrior standing to the side. A cloth dangled from the warriors knotty hand, and a look of bemused wonder panned over his face. Slowly, Freux handed the small Idolum to the warrior. Cradling it gently against his chest the warrior slowly wiped the tiny figure clean of matter, adjusted him against his chest and turned to leave.
“Where are you taking him,” Freux demanded aggressively, pinning the warrior with killing eyes.
“Follow him and see,” Juls said gently. “You will understand when you see. Then return, we have more on the way,” she laughed, gesturing towards two more eggs that had begun cracking. “Hurry!”
Leaping over a cluster of defunct eggs, General Freux glared at a laughing Kor, then charged after the warrior disappearing with his child. What he saw next stopped him in his tracks. Freux couldn’t decide if he was terrified or awed.
The warrior had proceeded towards a large mammal that was presently at rest, and chewing an enormous cud. Showing the squirming bundle to the animal, the warrior spoke gently to it and then slowly, placed the tiny being belly down onto the animal’s back. A small, shallow box had been strapped to the animal’s back and now prevented the baby from slipping.
Holding the hatchling carefully in place, the trio turned slowly and walked back down the trail. A long line of warriors and animals could be seen waiting patiently at the bottom of the incline. It was like a long feeding line, Freux could see. The animals would nurture the babies’ energies. But the small babies would not draw enough to harm the animals. It was a symbiosis of sorts. Clever! So much better than the rumored free-for-all that went on in most nests. The stronger babies leaching the life from the one
s too weak to resist.
Turning to rush back into the birthing chamber, General Freux grinned manically at Juls, “You are a wonder!” Then he forgot everything else for the next twelve hours. Eggs hatched into his hands and warriors gently took the baby Idolum to their mammalian bastinets. One died. Freux felt as crushed as if he’d lost his own arm. Juls had wailed slightly as that one slipped away. He’d rushed to her and gathered her close, murmuring reassurances.
Later, he would wonder where all that had come from. He had never experienced anything like that and had no knowledge to draw from. It had been, dare he say it, instinctual. He’d wanted to comfort her. He’d wanted to hold her.
When the three Lieutenant eggs hatched, it was the most entrancing sight of his entire life. A male emerged first, then another close behind. They were currently strapped to the chests of Dent and Axel, snug and drawing light energy from their two ‘nannies’. The last came out with a resounding crack that echoed through the chamber. Freux grinned at Queen Altum Juls. “This one seems determined,” he added with a raised eyebrow. “A suitable name seems imperative.”
Juls smiled back. “I think Zeus, god of lightning on my home world,” she added at the questioning look on his face. “That was certainly a great crack of lightning a moment ago.”
Freux smiled. “I hope that is a girl’s name,” he added.
“Not really,” Juls said doubtfully. “Why?”
Freux held up his hands, cradled in them was a tiny female Idolum. “We have a future queen,” he said quietly, a wondering note in his voice. “A future queen,” he repeated. Rising, he brought the last small bundle to Juls and handed the baby to her. “You have done well.”
“As have you,” Juls replied, smiling. “I think this one shall stay with me,” she added. “She is a bit weak, the energy will be good for her.” It was an excuse, and she realized that she didn’t need an excuse. She was saving what she loved. And these eggs were her children. Now they were hers. Or theirs, depending on what General Freux had to say. They could talk of that tomorrow.
Chapter Seventeen
Happiness
The days following the hatchlings emergence were incredibly full. The growth cycle of the Idolum species was much accelerated and the babes would achieve their full growth in only three years. With thirty worker-warriors to teach and three Lieutenant-warriors to prepare, the whole nest had to chip in on the ‘babysitting’ duties.
Some days were total chaos as a nest of about fifty Idolum tried to corral and teach a new batch of thirty hatchlings. In the beginning, the hippolites simply carried the babes around on their backs while the nest went about its labors accompanied by their slow cud-chewing companions.
After two months of that, the crawling and then walking began. With the walking, havoc broke loose as toddler Idolum tried every new and daring trick in the book. Freux had insisted on a school at that point, and five of the most patient warriors were set up in a habitat to teach and train the thirty-three newest members of the nest.
While some crews worked on getting the habitats in top-shape, others worked on security and weapons systems. A top priority was keeping the moon safe from invaders.
General Freux turned out to be a strangely compatible parenting partner and Juls struggled to come to terms with the attraction she felt for him. Even his scent didn’t disturb her the way Shale’s had. It was very confusing. The Queen Altum Vis part of her found him ugly as sin. The human Queen Altum Juls side found him deliciously handsome and sinfully sexy.
Of course, Juls laughed at herself, as far as the human world was concerned she was a sinner of the first order. She’d helped an enemy General escape. That had turned out to be a mistake. No, Juls assured herself. Escaping had been her only alternative. Trusting Shale had been the mistake. If she’d not taken the chance when it had presented itself, she would still be an indentured servant to the Intergalactic Guard. She’d done what she needed to. She sure as hell didn’t need to explain herself to her past acquaintances.
After a few weeks of struggling to make sense of her feelings, Juls gave up and sat in the chair. Lowering the helmet into place she concentrated on what she wanted to know. She wanted to know more about the hybridization of the Idolum species. How did a Queen lay hatchling eggs, and since she sure as hell wasn’t going to lay eggs externally...what did that mean for her and any future with Freux that she could invision.
To her enormous confusion, it turned out that there had been recorded incidents of Idolum human hybrids. It seemed that the same set of organs that fertilized eggs in the Idolum queens could indeed mate with a human partner. This information only sent her deeper into a swirl of uncertainty. Juls supposed she’d been waiting for the chair to tell her to give up her attraction to Freux. Clearly, that wasn’t going to happen. The new information just made it more anxiety producing.
Sighing with indecision, Juls crept back to her quarters then stepped out the side doors she had installed. They opened out into the perfectly protected sanctuary she’d found outside her quarters. Maybe she could think here.
The planet’s lush vegetation had produced several flamingly glorious vining plants that bloomed outside her room. Once she’d found them, she’d set about having the doors put in, via a message to Talio. He’d reconfigured her quarters overnight and when she woke the next morning, Voila! A set of doors opened outwards into the small natural clearing. Sun filtered down through the overhead canopy of lacy-leaved trees and made a setting both private and enchanted.
Throwing herself onto the ground in the sun, Juls closed her eyes and flung one arm over her face. Floating in relaxation, she allowed all thought to drain from her and replaced it with a deep feeling of contentment. She didn’t need to think about things. What would come, would come.
An hour passed in blissful oblivion. Only when a shadow floated over her eyes did she revive enough to open her eyes. Freux stood above her. In one hand he held out a clump of fragrant earth. From it sprang the most gracefully arcing and lushly laden orchid-type plant she had ever seen.
Bright cerise blooms ran down the long stem and sported small lime-green dots in the centers. Vibrant forest-green foliage was lined with yellow and orange veins. Small roots could be seen tangled in the clump of earth and leaves Freux offered her. A swirling scent of something like roses and peony blossoms wafter to her.
Grinning, she sat up and exclaimed, “Wow! That is so gorgeous! Where did you find it?”
“I found it in the cleft of a tree on the edge of the plain. I thought you might enjoy it here in your garden. The tree I found it in is the same as the one against the side of your private space,” Freux said, his amber eyes glowing and a grin exposing his perfectly filed teeth. “Am I wrong?” he asked, a sudden dimming of his million watt smile flitted over his features.
“No! No, you’re not wrong! I love it!” Juls said softly, her heart racing. “It was very thoughtful of you. Help me put it in the tree,” she said, rising from the ground in one graceful swirling motion. Bending her head to take in the lush scent, she allowed him to slip the clump of soil into her hands. She glanced up at him and sent him a beaming smile. He grinned back.
Wandering over to the tree in question, Juls saw that there was a small cleft where the branches met just above her arms’ reach. Turning to Freux, she saw his eyes were directed at the same spot just above her. “Let me lift you,” he said softly, returning his eyes to her face. She nodded, almost shyly.
Turning her back to him, and lifting her arms, Juls almost gasped when Freux’s large hands slipped around her hips and easily lifted her the few inches needed to place the orchid gently in the cleft of the tree. Tucking a few stray roots into the moist material gathered in the small hollow, Juls brushed off her hands. In a show of dazzling strength, Freux turned her against him and lowered her along his chest. When her face came even with his, he paused, pressing her against his long torso.
“I wish to be close to you. Will you allow me?” he asked so
ftly. “We have made a good team these last weeks, but I find that that is not enough for me,” he added quietly.
Juls nodded, “I’ve felt the same. Though I’ve been uncertain about the wisdom of it. We have much at stake.”
Gently, Freux rubbed his forehead against hers. “We have much at stake and all of it depends on us working well together. I think we need not fear a falling out. Our destinies seem entwined,” he said, thoughtfully.
Juls allowed her lips to brush his. “Do Idolum kiss?” she asked. “I forgot to ask the helmet.”
Freux barked out a laugh, “Ah, so you consulted the helmet about me, did you?” he asked, waggling his eyebrows at her.
Juls blushed and giggled. Dear Heaven, I sound like an idiot, she thought to herself. This is what love does to one. Please Heaven, don’t make a fool of me again. Then bent her head and said, “I’ll teach you to kiss, if you’d like.”
“I’d like,” Freux whispered back, then gently turned and lowered her to the ground in the sun. Gracefully sinking next to her, Freux took it all in stride as Juls shimmied up his lanky frame and slowly began brushing her lips over his strong jaw, along the chiseled perfection of his lips, the long straightness of his nose. It was an exploration of texture, taste, and a symphony of slowly growing delight. It was only dusk and the cooling of the grass that finally drove them, hours later, into the Queen’s nest.
Juls had been right, Freux without his clothes was just as impressive as in them. He was strong, and perfectly formed and she spent the next several days learning every contour of his glorious frame.
He, in turn, was just as eager and sensitive in learning her body. What might have felt strange or awkward, simply ceased to exist now that they shared a future with children, a nest, and a destiny.