by Viola Grace
“You aren’t going to worry about your brothers?”
“Of course, I am. I will worry about all my siblings, but it doesn’t stop the fact that we are at war. We were designed for war, and our parents were brought together because of a war. If we fight and win, we will have to find our place in the universe because we have only been born to Imrahl, and it is a flicker in the hour of the universe.”
Lekorh was surprised. “How do you know that? Even Sarah doesn’t know that.”
“The logic doesn’t fit. Why would they have us born and raised at high speed and then step us directly into a situation where time was passing at the same time as Imrahl. Imrahl is a creche of another sort. It is a place to hide an army, and we are willing to become that army.”
“You must keep that knowledge to yourself.”
“Only if you answer this one thing for me.”
He looked around and then nodded. “Fine. What?”
“How long will have passed from when the initial humans were sampled in the human world until now?”
He nodded. “Right. About twenty days. We are looking to stage for the defense of Earth in another two months of their time. The Voboth will be arriving in Earth space in four months, Terran time.”
She nodded. “Right. So, we will be ready when that happens.”
“Or your children will be.”
“Who am I cleared to mate with? Rrassic? Other hybrids? I don’t know if there are any rules that guide me.”
“That will be determined by the examiner.”
She smiled. “Thank you. I will head back to the VIP quarters the moment that I am released from medical.”
“Good. I will see you this evening. We will bring you something for dinner.”
Remi chuckled. “Please make it junk food. I was just going to molest the food dispenser for stuff that I wasn’t able to get in the creche.”
He inclined his head. “I will see what I can do. Rest and heal.”
She nodded and relaxed in the bed, letting the regenerating light work its stimulation on her cells. She had some time to kill, so she ran fantasies of Kromir through her thoughts. Nothing would come of it, but she really wished it could.
A light touch on her forehead and cheek woke her. She didn’t open her eyes, but the soft caress moved to her lips, tracing them lightly.
She waited until the finger withdrew before she opened her eyes and looked at her companion. “Examiner. I thought you had left.”
“I returned. Your skin is fascinating. You truly looked like a human in the simulation.”
Remi smiled slightly. “Just the follicles on the surface of my skin, like any Luthin.”
“But you are not a Luthin, and though your brothers presented themselves to this world as Nool, none of them are. They all became their Rrassic designations far earlier than one of us. That was not common knowledge.”
She shook her head lightly. “We thought it best that it was discovered more organically than having them all troop through the portal in their mature forms.”
“But they all have Luthin characteristics as well.”
Remi shrugged. “My dad’s genes carried through. All of his children are Luthin to some extent.”
“How many sisters do you have?”
“Eight in total. Eleven brothers.”
He exhaled. “Are they all accelerators?”
“As far as our testing indicates, yes.” She checked the display to see the progress on her healing. She still had ten minutes to go. Most of her body was fine; it was her hand that was getting all the attention.
He nodded. “Tell me about the other hybrids from the other matches.”
She sat and told him about the Zjin, Regiz, and Dorbin-Rrassic children. So far, the fathers’ genetics were breeding true, but the children were exhibiting traits of other Rrassic clans as well.
“How are their developments?”
“Behind my family by a decade, but once we even out with medical assistance, they catch up in short order.”
“How old are you, in simple years you have lived.”
“By Rrassic standards, I am forty years old. My lifespan is estimated around five hundred years if there is nothing to interfere with it.”
Kromir nodded. “I see. I would like to speak with you about it later. Perhaps over dinner?”
“Ah, Lekorh and Sarah are bringing over dinner while I rest from the breaks and bruises.”
“Excellent. I will accompany them, and we can share a meal.”
Remi couldn’t argue with him, so she smiled weakly. “Let them know, and I will see you there.”
He smiled, and to her shock, he leaned over and pressed a kiss to her lips. The kiss was slow, warm, and exploratory. When he leaned back, he licked his lips. His smile was wicked. “I will definitely see you tonight.”
She looked at the time ticking down on the display, and she wanted it to accelerate already.
Remi was going to have to wait until she was healed, and then, she could go back to her quarters and work out what she was going to wear to a business-casual meal with a man she respected. The nervousness caused fear in her; she wasn’t used to fearing. She had been raised to be a woman who could take action, not wait and see. Now, she was stuck waiting and losing patience rapidly.
It was quite the high wire to walk.
Chapter Six
Remi sat down in the shuttle and waited for the few minutes that it sent her under the surface of Imrahl and back to her quarters.
She brushed her fingers over her lips, remembering the kiss. It might have been her first proper kiss, but he had either studied or practiced a bit. Remi shook off her daze when the transport stopped, and she headed for the lift. She was too old to be mooning around like this, or so her mother would say. Her body had left puberty behind almost two decades ago. It was ridiculous for her to be so focused on Kromir. He was going to bring his report back to the Rrassic council, and she would never see him again.
Remi chuckled and thought about the benefits of a short-term relationship. If she did get Kromir into bed and it resulted in a pregnancy, she could start on her way to her allotment of embryos. Having sex with him might not be the worst way to spend an evening.
The lift chimed again. She had been mulling over the idea of a casual encounter so intently, she had missed arriving at her floor. Shaking her head, she stepped into her quarters and looked around. The next day, the rest of her family arrived, and she was not looking forward to sharing space with her eight sisters.
Chuckling, she went to take a shower. Setting the water to cold was supposed to be good for an overheated imagination, so she stood under the punishing spray until her body’s heat started fighting back.
She turned off the shower and dried off, seeking out a robe before she went to the balcony. Staring off into the light of her true homeworld, she tried not to think of the fight that she had been created for.
A cool whisper ran through her thoughts, and she blinked. She had been staring out until sundown, and her guests were on their way.
She requested five minutes, and she got a soft laugh through her thoughts.
Moving as quickly as her sore body could, she pulled out a dress that simply slipped over her head. No undergarments were needed or required. She made a face at the light bruising that was still visible on her skin but stepped into sandals and went to answer her door.
Kromir was in the lift, and he blinked in surprise as she stepped aside with a smile.
“Please, be welcome, Examiner Kromir.”
He entered her quarters and stared at her. “You appear to be completely healed.”
She grinned. The lift closed, and it went to retrieve Lekorh and Sarah.
“Please, come in. Lekorh is going to be doing the cooking. He and Sarah are on their way.”
“An actual fresh meal? This is a rare treat.” Kromir paused, and his wings expanded slightly to frame his body and the gold and black of his uniform. He looked splendid.
/> She chuckled. “Can I get you a beverage from the dispenser?”
“Wine if you have it, water if you don’t.”
She excused herself to let Lekorh and Sarah in. They had full access, her authorization was just a formality.
She welcomed them and asked them about their beverage choices.
Sarah smiled and sat close to her on one of the couches. “So, how are you feeling after your test?”
Kromir sat on the nearby backless hassock, and he listened in. Remi glanced at Lekorh, but he was busy humming and chopping the raw ingredients for dinner.
“I am fine. I feel a little foolish for getting lost in the moment, but it seemed so real at the time.”
“I mean your body and mind. How are you feeling?” Sarah gave her an encouraging nod.
“I am sore but healed. My mind keeps replaying the images of the women screaming for help. That was one of the things that gave it away. I know why the Rrassic took only women, but the Voboth would have had no reason to do that. There was also no way that they could have picked out all the genetic donors so precisely. The entire crowd was wrong.”
“How did that make you feel?”
“Disoriented, angry, and upset.” Remi paused. “Is this a therapy session?”
“No. Is there anything else going on?”
“Oh, you mean the other thing? Yes, that is still going on. I am not insane yet, but I will need to take action sooner rather than later.”
Kromir frowned. “What are you talking about?”
Sarah turned to him with a bland smile. “She is in heat, in case it missed your keen senses.”
He jerked upright and stared at Remi. “How are you still sitting there so calmly?”
That was surprising. “What?”
“Rrassic females take dozens of lovers as their heat progresses. They can’t be sated. Has it only just begun?”
She shook her head. “No, it has been ongoing for the last ten days or so. And I am a hybrid. I have considerable control over my actions, if not my impulses.”
“What is the difference?”
She quirked her lips. “I am neither in your lap right now, nor going to one of the socials to find a mate.”
He blinked, and the flames flared in his eyes. “That is an interesting offer.”
“It wasn’t an offer, it is an impulse. I have control over my actions; therefore, I am having dinner with family friends and a visiting dignitary.”
He swallowed slowly. “I see.”
Sarah was sitting with her hand over her mouth in amused glee. “We were warned that some of the hybrids might come through in this condition, so we were asked to keep an eye on her.”
“Or to mind me, as it were.” Remi smiled.
The sizzle and smell of dinner got her attention. “Please, excuse me.”
She got to her feet and walked into the kitchen. “Lekorh, do you need assistance?”
He grinned and stepped away from the heating element and the pan. She moved into the evacuated position and tossed the contents expertly. “All of us were taught to cook. Some of us were more enthusiastic than others.”
He chuckled. “Excellent. I can’t get Sarah to assist unless it is under duress.”
They stood, and he added the right vegetable at the right interval until they had enough food to feed ten humans or two Rrassic, a hybrid, and a human.
She set the food out on the low table. Sarah had put the plates and eating prongs in place. They all had their beverages with them as they sat on cushions, and Kromir looked relieved to have enough room to spread his wings out behind him.
“Thank you, Lekorh, for preparing everything.” She scooted her dress in a comfortable position.
Lekorh inclined his head. “Thank you for allowing us to see the real you. Your colouring is really stunning.”
“A bit of that is bruising.” She inclined her head. “Let’s eat.”
Kromir was the first one to the main dish, and he smiled as he chewed the first bite. When he swallowed, he said, “I know that the food from the dispenser is healthy, but it doesn’t taste nearly as nice as fresh.”
Sarah and Lekorh were busy eating.
Remi muttered, “At the creche, all we got was fresh. The dispensers were saved for emergency food for a growth spurt. Everything we are eating here is grown on Imrahl.”
Kromir was busy stuffing his face. He looked up and gave her a slight smile.
Remi sighed and tucked into dinner. There was nothing but chewing sounds for several minutes as the feast dwindled to nothing. She wished there was dessert, but she would wait until she was alone and then get some out of the dispenser.
She was about to collect the empty plates, but Sarah got to her feet and whisked everything to the kitchen where she washed the dishes.
Lekorh grinned. “At least the dishes are always taken care of. Sarah’s skill at tidying is astonishing.”
Sarah called out, “I can hear you.”
Kromir looked at them, and his gaze fixed on the grinning Saya. “Lekorh, I must say that I have never met one of your kind who is so relaxed and filled with good humour.”
Sarah snickered from the kitchen. “He gets laid. A lot.”
Lekorh chuckled. “Occasionally it is even physical.”
Kromir was intrigued. “You are also the first Saya I have seen with a drive to mate. How did that come about?”
“I met Sarah. Her mind and mine met and meshed as if they were one. It has been a blissful few weeks with her, and I look forward to decades or centuries more.”
Remi smiled. It was apparently a common sentiment with the humans and their mates. Once a Rrassic found the right female and she acknowledged that he was the one for her, a deep sense of anticipation and contentment filled them. Her father was the perfect example of a content Rrassic, and her mother never let him forget it. Only the ability of a Luthin to disappear from view kept things new. Hide and seek was one of the games that her parents still played, four decades into their bonding. No one played hide and seek like a Luthin.
Kromir looked at her. “You are smiling.”
“I was thinking of my parents and how they are doing after four decades of union. Human women are remarkably tolerant.” She chuckled.
Sarah called out, “Yes, we are.”
Remi laughed and sipped at her favourite concoction. She had been so delighted to figure out how to make the creche cocktail in the dispenser that she made it whenever she had the chance. The lightly flavoured water with a hint of fruit juice was always pleasant to consume.
Kromir was drinking wine, and Lekorh and Sarah were drinking water. They couldn’t afford to lose control, so non-alcoholic consumables were necessary.
Kromir inclined his head to Lekorh. “Thank you for the meal. It was delightful.”
“You are most welcome. I cook all of our evening and morning meals, so while you are here, it would be no trouble to increase the amount if you like.”
“I would love to agree, but I will be keeping irregular hours. The reports must be as detailed as I can make them.”
Lekorh nodded. “I understand.”
The sunset had long faded, and the stars were coming out to blink and shimmer in the sky.
Remi looked over her shoulder, and she tried not to think about the sky that she wanted to learn firsthand. She wanted to be up and out in those stars and not sitting here and waiting to find out whom she was going to be allowed to breed with.
She wanted a hybrid charter of rights, but that wasn’t going to happen. The hybrids were firmly in between being cloned humans and Rrassic citizens. They had no status; they were simply the desired result.
Remi shook her head. She had to stop thinking about that situation. It was pressing on her, but that wasn’t what she was here for. Her entire existence was a simple proof of concept, and she had to impress the examiner with the usefulness of her genetics.
She looked over at the examiner in question, and he was having a conversation in High
Rrassic about the likelihood that Remi was actually in heat.
She got up and took her cup out onto the balcony, staring out at the night sky. Keeping herself under control was second nature. There were no authorized mates for her in the creche, and as she thought of all of them as little brothers, it was better that way. There was less chance for incidences when you considered all those of a similar species to be related to you.
“You are staring at the stars as if you would pull them down to you.” Kromir’s voice came from behind her.
She sipped at her cup and kept her gaze at the arch of the sky. “I would pull myself to them if I could.”
“Why?”
She turned and leaned against the railing, looking him in the eyes. “What is my life here?”
He paused. “What?”
“What will my life here be? Will I find a mate or one of them after another? Am I to be a breeder, a freak, an example? What about the women who will emerge from the creche behind me? What will their role be?”
“It has not yet been decided. They are waiting until my report is issued.”
She tapped her fingers on the cup. “What is your current inclination?”
“To bend you back over that railing and kiss you until your head spins then fly you up to my quarters where we can share a discussion and a bath in the deep tub.”
She smiled and pressed her cup to her forehead. “I meant for the hybrid women?”
He grinned. “Ah, that. You have demonstrated battlefield intelligence, analytical skills that surpassed your brethren, and awareness of the situation to get the threat neutralized. I am recommending any comparable females for command positions.”
“Put that in writing.”
He shrugged. “I already have. My preliminary report has been forwarded to the council. The hybrids of Imrahl are authorized for duty as soon as a sufficient number have been assembled.”
Remi leaned down to put her cup next to her feet. “I believe that you mentioned having an inclination?”
He grinned and stepped forward pressing his lips to hers as he wrapped his arms around her.