by Jade Waltz
“Our people.”
Raizxl walked along the hallway, waiting for the details needed to take care of the humans aboard the starbase. He hoped the Overseer would find a solution, and soon because three recently graduated wings were supposed to be transferred to the base from Azophi 1.
Warrior Princess Ushyaz had already ordered Prince Idris and his squadron to stay behind to guard the starbase and star system when she left with her fleet. She was worried the CTA would return, even after their fleet had been nearly eliminated.
He agreed.
While Raizxl had no problem with their humans, after what had happened, he couldn’t trust the CTA. They were willing to sell out their females to the Vresqoxk. That was unforgivable.
No news had come from their scouts about the state and recuperation of their alliance. He wouldn’t be surprised if the Vresqoxk decided to invade them while they were still weak.
A part of him hoped they would, so the Vresqoxk would leave his people alone, but deep down, he knew they would only return stronger. It was better to face them now than wait and allow them to gather more resources—and breed more warriors.
His wristband pinged, signaling Erlyn was paging him.
He answered, and the purple male’s face greeted him.
“Yes, Sir?”
Concern laced his pale green eyes. “There’s been a development, and you are needed.”
Raizxl stilled.
They were celebrating, even though it was the early morning. There shouldn’t be a reason for him to report back to work security.
Now that Jaiya Lian was a Warrior Princess, his services of protecting her as her guard were unneeded. The prince himself dismissed him before requesting Raizxl to accept his new mission as a favor since he was one of the few who knew how human females acted.
Raizxl had dared to laugh at that comment. He was barely fluent and only tolerated Jaiya at first because she was an honorable female. Now, he preferred to converse with her more than most Daextru females.
His new mission was to interview all the tributes and give a detailed report to the Overseer’s assistant about his findings. Which meant he wouldn’t be joining the fleet anytime soon.
“What type of development?”
“There is an unmarked transport vessel—human and badly banged up—on its way here.” Erlyn glanced away from the screen. “They’re not responding to any of our hails, not even those from the human tribute speaking CTA Common.”
“When did we start using tributes within our staff?” Raizxl asked, surprised.
“She bumped into Ajexk during the ceremony and asked about work. She had a background as a communications officer. He tested her and stated that other than her broken Dzexet, she would be a fine addition to the crew.” He shrugged. “I don’t see the problem. Might as well make use of the humans than having them sit idly.”
“The transport. How much time do we have left?”
Erlyn sighed.
“It’s still early; the ceremony was last night. I haven’t reported to my Prince yet because he will most likely be sleeping since he isn’t due in for another few hours.”
While he was happy for his prince for finding his starmate, who was a perfect match for him, Raizxl felt an itch of jealousy creep through him as he watched their relationship blossom to what it became—watching him carry her off from the festival with smiles on both of their faces just added to his yearning to have what they had.
“We don’t have that much time.” Erlyn’s eye flicked to the side. “Estimated arrival is two hours, forty-one minutes.”
“Why can’t Princess Ushyaz handle this?” He eyed the royal assistant. “Normally, she’s the one in charge while her fleet is being housed here.”
“Princess Ushyaz was up late last night . . .” Erlyn muttered. “Her royal assistant asked for the prince to take care of it.”
Raizxl nodded. “Makes sense. Prince Idris would be on duty by the time of arrival.”
“I wanted to contact you first since you are one of the best for these types of situations.” He sighed. “Once I page the Hangar Security, I will wake him.”
Raizxl tilted his head and smirked. “Good luck.”
“I already walked in on them enough to know exactly what they do behind closed doors.”
“Which is healthy, among new starmates,” Raizxl chuckled. “You will soon learn to ping before you enter.”
Erlyn narrowed his eyes. “See you in two hours.”
The screen went blank.
Raizxl stood behind the prince and his starmate while the welcome party waited next to the landing pad. Ushyaz had arrived with Hwonk and Ajexk, only moments before the transport landed. Raizxl could see the dark half-circles under Ushyaz’s eyes and hoped that wasn’t a sign.
Behind them, a line of warriors stood with weapons drawn, ready to mount a counterattack.
The transport door opened, and a ramp lowered onto the ground. Two figures stood in the doorway, both eerily familiar. It wasn’t until the steam cleared, he understood why.
“Brother? Father?” Jaiya asked in CTA Common. Her voice was confused, and she didn’t move to greet them. “What are you doing here?”
“‘Gone fishing. Meet me by the fruit tree.’ Seriously, sister? By the time I snuck to our father’s fishing cabin, you had already been captured. Just as we were about to mount a rescue, someone else got there first!”
“Perhaps you were too slow,” Idris seethed in CTA Common. “For a diplomat, you are terrible at making amends. It is a good thing I dealt with your sister instead of you. I would have shot you, sent back the body, and asked for someone else.”
The true Aydin paled. Jaiya’s father slapped the back of his head, eliciting a wince on impact.
“How did you even land that job? No wonder you were the lowest ranking diplomat.”
Raizxl shot a glance at Jaiya and wondered if she was truly related to these two embarrassing males. Her father approached the welcome party, Aydin following closely behind. Raizxl watched in shock as Jaiya placed her hand near the hilt of her blade as if she was preparing herself to defend the prince once again.
Does she really not trust her own flesh and blood?
Both males dropped to their knees, and her father grabbed his large tan hat and tossed it onto the floor, revealing his bald head. In one swift motion, they both bowed, pressing their heads against the ground, just as Jaiya had done when she returned.
“Prince Idris. We seek asylum from our own people. I bring information and supplies, along with recent news, in exchange for our safety,” Jaiya’s father begged. “I want to right past wrongs and hope for a chance to be a part of my daughter’s future.”
The room turned to the female everyone had grown to love and respect.
“I leave the decision up to my starmate.” She turned and left the group.
Raizxl, along with the rest of the hangar, watched as she walked out the door.
What did they do to merit that response?
“Treat them like the tributes. They are not to receive special privileges, whether or not they are related to our Warrior Princess Jaiya.”
“Wait, Warrior Princess?”
Prince Idris raised his head proudly. “Jaiya has honored me by becoming my starmate. By doing so, she has become a Warrior Princess to reflect her status and the deeds she has done for my people.” He turned and faced Raizxl. “I want you to house them in the guest chambers, and I will have Erlyn place two guards outside their doors. You are to continue your mission.”
“Yes, Sire.”
“I want those females interviewed as soon as possible.” The prince glanced at the two troublesome males as his tail twitched. “We need to get them sorted and have them shipped to wherever the Overseer selects.” He sighed and returned his gaze back to Raizxl.
“We are at war. While I am glad we picked up the Lime Wing, I am starting to worry this starbase is becoming a shelter and will slowly stop functioning as a military ba
se. It is up to you to return this base back to its glory. The faster you get your detailed reports done, the faster we can relocate the tributes with no skills needed for this base.”
“I won’t fail you, Sire.”
Author’s Note
Thank you for taking the time to read my book!
I hope you enjoyed my SFR alien romance inspired by the Mulan legend – with a twist! I will not base the rest of the standalone series on legends or myths, but that doesn’t mean it won’t be epic.
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Cosmic Valor
Raizxl had one mission: Interview the tributes and determine who would be useful to remain on the starbase. He thought his job was easy until he met one feisty hairstylist who is determined to prove that she deserved to stay.
Meanwhile, the CTA wants to attempt to establish peace one more time…
Release Date:
Summer 2020
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Visit the “In the Stars” official website at:
http://inthestarsromance.com
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Project: Adapt
Found
“I will return for you, my little Nova, I promise…”
Those were the last words he’d whispered to me before he left me alone in my cell, my only known home, nine days ago.
I believed him then.
After so many years walking almost nightly with me in my dreams, he’d earned my trust. The instant connection when we finally met in person had convinced me I knew him. A connection that led to our one night of passion. Now I am starting to have my doubts. He hasn’t returned to my dreams since.
Had it all been some trick? Some ploy the Yaarkins designed to make me submit to their experiments? I’d thought that the first few times he visited me, but after countless years seeing him in my dreams, I believed him when he said he was real.
Had he sensed my desperation to finally meet the only person who seemed to care about me? Not that it mattered anymore. He’d been a paying customer and would have taken my virginity from me—with or without force.
I still didn’t understand why sex was such a big deal. Sure, he’d tried to make it feel nice for me, but between his size and anatomy, the experience had given more pain than pleasure. After the disappointing night I had, I didn’t see why the other human females raved about their nightly experiences to each other. They had accepted their fate and acted more like voluntary pleasure workers than slaves sold for sex to the highest bidder.
Maybe my studies had been wrong after all. Perhaps my masters had somehow broken me with all their tests and experiments. Or the excitement of spending the night with him had been spoiled when the things I’d envisioned hadn’t happened.
It had tarnished the whole experience. I’d been disappointed when the images from my studies differed from reality. Perhaps it was a good thing sex with my dreamscape male had been a one-time thing.
I was used to being disappointed.
I was a Yaarkin-created prototype, their prized possession.
Being different from the other human experiments had its advantages and disadvantages.
I’d never had to deal with being sold to clients as the other female humans had. But the other females steered clear of me in fear of what the Yaarkins might do to them too. They didn’t want to suffer the daily experiments I was forced to endure.
So, I remained the sole focus of the Yaarkins’ tests and experiments. The pain they inflicted daily wasn’t what I would call fun, but the freedom in not being forced to service multiple clients made the sessions worth it. I was kept segregated from the other humans aboard ship and only saw them in passing in the hallway.
Something had changed nine days ago.
My masters had feared their experiment with me was a failure. Instead of my usual daily tests and experiments, I’d been placed in a showcase with the other human females. Since I wasn’t a regular pleasure slave, my masters had hoped they could sell me to a higher-paying customer by advertising me as a unique experience. They made it clear—as long as I behaved and made my special customer happy, I would continue to live to earn back some of the money they’d invested in me.
When the time had come for me to walk on stage at the showcase, I’d kept my head high and tried to focus only on getting through it. But when I glanced at the crowd as they cast their bids and he had won, I froze, my eyes locked on him. He’d stood motionless at the back of the room, a figure in a black hooded cloak and gloves, with those amethyst eyes I would have recognized anywhere.
Later that evening, he’d been delivered to my room. He had kept the lights off and had been in control of both the conversation and the whole sexual experience. And he held me afterward until the time had come for him to leave.
I didn’t really mind he may have used my vulnerability. Yeah, the pain from that night had taken some time to go away, but I was grateful I had experienced my first—and only—time with someone who had at least acted as if he cared for me.
The other humans I came across ignored me almost as much as my masters did. Any physical contact I had with my masters was strictly clinical, and even then, the Yaarkins were more machine than anything biological. They hid anything that wasn’t robotic under metal armor, leaving nothing visible for anyone to determine their species.
After many years of playing the loyal test subject, always alone, I craved any form of companionship. An overwhelming need to be touched, to have contact with other biological beings capable of feelings rode me every waking moment.
The result? Me giving into my needs and allowing him to do whatever he wanted with me, just so I could experience the touch of someone organic and living, not something cold and hard.
And now, I’d finally come to the realization I needed to find a way to escape on my own. To depend on someone to rescue me, no matter what strange connection we’d had, was clearly not going to help me. My dreamscape male hadn’t met me in my dreams since that night. I felt foolish for trusting him.
I laid on my back on the bed, staring up at the blank ceiling on the evening of the ninth day since that night I spent with him. No matter how much I tried, I couldn’t forget the night with my amethyst-eyed male. Thoughts of him plagued my mind.
Should I continue to believe the promise he made me? My dreams have been empty, and I haven’t been sold to another since that night. My mind played the question endlessly.
An alarm blared, startling me from sleep. I scrambled out of bed and darted to the cell door to peer out the porthole, hoping I could figure out what was happening.
“Attention, humans! We are under attack. When your doors unlock, head to the hangar to receive further instructions,” a robotic voice commanded from the ship's speakers.
A tsunami of feelings rushed through me.
Fear of what was happening.
Excitement the commotion could indicate a rescue. Is this it? Did he really come back for me?
Anger I couldn’t keep him out of my head.
I forced myself to focus, suppressing the maelstrom of emotions and halting my wishful thinking. Now was neither the time to panic nor get my hopes up—it was time to survive. Plenty of time to think of him after I reached safety.
Placing my hand on the door scanner, I slumped with relief when it lit up green, unlocking the door. Easing forward into the doorway, I peered down the hall filling with t
he other female humans. Most hurried by with fear-filled faces. The few who noticed me met my gaze with shock in their eyes. One or two made a snide remark and snickered as they passed me, but all rushed down the hall toward the hangar. I ignored them, stepping out to elbow my way through the crowd. Survival was my focus; the others didn’t matter.
I crammed into the lift with a group of panicked females. They shifted restlessly and surged out of the lift as soon as the doors opened, then down the hall that led to the hangar. I trailed behind as the others pushed and shoved ahead of me, nearly drowning out the urgently blaring alarm with their screams of panic.
Each time the ship shook from an impact, the level of hysteria increased.
Panicking wasn’t going to help anyone in this situation. There was enough time to be scared once we escaped the fight.
I slipped into a side hallway and paused, allowing the other humans to continue to the hangar alone. This was my chance.
From the sound of explosions and how violently the ship shook with each impact, it was apparent we were losing. I needed to find my way to the Engineering Bay I knew contained personal escape pods.
Decision made, I sprinted down the hallway, taking a moment to pause at every intersection. Each hall was bare. It seemed everyone was busy either fighting or escaping.
At the last intersection before Engineering, I looked carefully around the corner.
All was clear.
As I rounded the corner, pain exploded across my face. My head snapped to the left and my vision blurred as my knees buckled from the impact. Before I could hit the floor, a hand tangled in my hair, and my head was wrenched back, dragging me upright.