by Corin Cain
At her insistence, a host of new protocols and laws have been introduced to give human women a better position in society. Jasmine is the reason that women from an Aurelian Harem are now guaranteed a full education and boarding after they serve their Aurelian masters for three years or more.
Queen Jasmine is also the reason women aren’t left without any employable skills when they grow too old for the tastes of their alien harem keepers. While a human woman ages normally – turning forty or fifty as part of a harem – the Aurelians she serves will continue to appear the same age.
In the past, such women would have been relegated to non-sexual roles like maid service, or cook – but now, thanks to Queen Jasmine, they have options to pursue vocational training that can give them the resources to create a life of their own, outside of the harem.
These seem like simple, decent things – but they hadn’t existed before Jasmine’s coronation. Aurelians live thousands of years – so before Jasmine’s arrival, the species couldn’t help but look down on humanity as childlike and weak; worthy of pity and protection.
Which is understandable - we must be like bugs to them, living brief flashes of life.
But Queen Jasmine has changed all that – and in thinking of Queen Jasmine, I find my strength.
I look up defiantly at Captain Aelon and growl: “My crew must be treated with care.”
Too late, I realize that’s the wrong approach to getting what I want from Captain Aelon.
His cold eyes narrow.
“Your crew will be treated as I see fit.” Then, coldly, he orders: “Take them to the brig!”
Aelon belts out the command while looking straight at me. He’s making it very fucking clear that any attempt to boss him around will not go unpunished.
I’m an idiot. Why did I have to try and defy him?
I know why – because I’m a starship captain, a leader, and I look to role models like Queen Jasmine.
Aelon, however, seems typical of his species – treating the defiance and independence of a woman as a character flaw that must be corrected.
I should have kept my damn mouth shut. If I had, Aelon might have housed my crew in visitor quarters. Now, instead, he’s throwing them into a cell.
Sawoot leans closer to me, gently touching me on the shoulder. We don’t need words. She’s reassuring me that everything is going to be alright.
I wish I could believe her.
Then, just like that, a triad of Aurelians arrives and escorts my crew away. I watch in horror as the towering warriors manhandle Chris, Sawoot and the others; hauling them off towards the doorway of the loading bay.
A moment later, I’m left standing alone in front of the infuriating Captain Aelon.
Now, it’s just me and him, and he’s not smiling anymore.
“You want something on my ship?” He takes a menacing step forward. “Then you ask for it nicely.”
His eyes narrow.
“Now – why don’t you be a good girl and ask me nicely?”
I clench my jaw. My cheeks burn from the shame of how condescending this bastard sounds.
That being said – I have to choose my crew over my pride. I take a deep breath, and ask:
“Could you please treat my crew with care?” I force the words out of my mouth. It’s painful, but I say them. “I’m asking you nicely.”
The corners of Aelon’s mouth lift up.
“Good girl. I’ll send down rations and fresh water to the brig.” He winks, and it makes me just want to slap the towering alien. “See how easy that was?”
My palm twitches with the desire to plant it hard across Aelon’s smug face, but I resist the temptation. I know what he’s up to, and I have to be extremely careful.
Whether you’re dealing with an enemy or a competitor, the prerogative is to always make them to play by your rules. Like it or not, I’m now trapped on this Aurelian’s ship, and I’ve got to march to the beat of his drum. It’s just infuriating how obvious it is that Captain Aelon enjoys making me squirm.
But if I am playing his game – I need to know the rules.
“Captain Aelon,” I keep my tone as respectful as I can, without sounding subservient. “Might I ask what you’re going to do with us?”
Aelon licks his lips, and his eyes roam over me again. The sexual appetites of Aurelians are legendary, and after my experience with that previous Rogue triad, the hungry look in his eyes is making me nervous.
Nervous… and a little heated.
I’m ashamed of myself – but I can’t help how I feel. I’ve heard plenty of ribald tales about the infamous Aurelian mating frenzy – when the need to seed and claim a woman overwhelms their species. It’s difficult not to get… distracted at the thought of what happens when an Aurelian sees a woman he thinks might be his Fated Mate.
According to the stories, they lose all rational thought – descending into a near feral state. Given the already reckless behavior of the swaggering, braggadocios Captain Aelon, I don’t think he has much rational thought to spare as it is.
Oblivious to my thoughts, Aelon slaps his thigh – like he’s summoning a dog.
“You’re coming with me. Start walking.”
I glare at the arrogant bastard, but I start walking. What else can I do? I’m trapped on an enemy ship – and I’ll cling to any moment I’m not in the brig, in chains, or worse.
As we walk, Aelon puts his hand on the small of my back – a constant reminder of how massive Aurelians are. I feel like a little doll compared to the towering alien commander.
As we head out of the loading bay, another thought fills me with dread. I’ve already experienced the unwanted attentions of that Rogue Aurelian triad – who tried to force me into their harem. What if Captain Aelon has similar intentions?
If he gets me alone – well, there’s nothing I’ll be able to do to stop him from doing whatever he wants with me – to me. I shiver at the thought.
The irony is that Captain Aelon, like all Aurelians, is stunningly attractive. He’s huge, fine-featured, and his body is sculpted like a statue of Adonis. I feel butterflies in my stomach when I’m near him – an intrinsic, instinctual reaction that is both natural, but that I’m also deeply ashamed by.
But if Captain Aelon turns out to be like those Rogue Aurelians, it won’t matter how stunningly handsome he is. His features will be ugly and disgusting if he takes me against my will. I can already imagine that aristocratic face of his contorted in a rictus of stolen pleasure.
If he is like that – a Rogue Aurelian – I’m doomed.
3
Tasha
We stride past dozens of Aurelian warriors as we head to wherever Aelon is taking me. They’re dressed in light military-style outfits that look more functional than the Captain’s, working on maintenance, running patrols, or just moving from one post to the other as they navigate around the ship.
One thing is consistent – each of them stops and stares as I’m escorted past. They stare at me with those ubiquitous, slate-grey eyes – drinking in the sight of me with a mixture of curiosity and hunger. I shudder at the heat of their gaze.
The second thing that quickly becomes clear is that there doesn’t appear to be another human on board – none aside from myself, and the six members of my captured crew.
Given that Aurelians are an all-male species, this presumably means that Sawoot and I are the only females on board, and that doesn’t fill me with confidence. Just two women, surrounded by hundreds of hyper-masculine, over-sexed aliens.
If I wasn’t being escorted through the hallways by the Captain of this vessel, I fear what would happen to me. Some of those stares are a little too hungry for my taste.
I’m desperate to run – but where would I go? There’s no escape. Even attempting to flee would be foolish. Assuming I could get away from the Aurelian Captain – which isn’t likely, given the inhuman reflexes of Aurelians – I’d still be left on a ship manned by dozens or hundreds of his crew. Assuming I could escape them, I can�
��t leave without my own crew – and that’s assuming I could find a way to leave in the first place.
No – my only hope is to comply with Captain Aelon and pray a better opportunity arises.
We walk for what seems like miles, until Aelon finally stops us in front of a large set of doors. As we approach, they open automatically with a hiss.
My heart skips. We’ve arrived at Aelon’s private chambers.
The room is immense by human standards – especially on a starship, which is supposed to be cramped and close-quartered.
Everything in this huge chamber appears custom made for Aurelians – built to the scale of the huge, muscular aliens. From the big, circular dining table in the middle of the room to the oversized chairs – which would leave my feet dangling above the floor if I sat in one of them – it all made me feel as small and vulnerable as a kid again.
Over the dining table is a holographic projection of the moon I’d used to slingshot the Wayward Scythe away from the Toad assault ships, hovering in orbit next to a projection of the planet Tarrion and the asteroid field I’d hoped to escape into. There’s a blinking light on the far side of the moon; which I assume to indicate the current position of Aelon’s warship.
On the projection of Tarrion, isolated dots are lit up all over the planet. These indicate mining camps, given the locations in mountains and valley ranges. On the projection of the moon, I see indicators representing large contingents of troops – presumably more soldiers working for Captain Aelon, scuttling across the planet’s projected surface like little ants.
My mind races like a computer, taking in all this information and extrapolating what I can from it.
I remember how the loading bay of this immense warship was almost empty – the bays void except for those two functional Reavers and the three others being repaired. This holographic projection explains where the rest of Aelon’s ships and troops must be. Dozens of Reavers have been stationed on the surface of the moon – suggesting there must be something valuable on it that the Aurelian Captain is trying to locate.
I’m so wrapped up in examining the holographic projection that I jump when the door hisses shut behind me.
I spin around – realizing I’m now alone with this Aurelian – in his chambers, no less.
Even worse, there’s no one here to protect me now – no Sawoot to come swooping in the rescue me, like she did from that Rogue Aurelian triad. There’s nothing stopping the seven-feet-tall, 500 pound Captain Aelon from doing whatever he wants to me; whether I want it or not.
Now, I regret not taking a weapon from the sidearms cabinet.
If they’re Rogue, the first to touch me loses his cock.
I remember Sawoot’s words from back when we were first brought into the loading bay. I admire her courage – and I don’t doubt Sawoot would attempt such a thing if the occasion called for it. The only problem for me, though, is that I don’t have anything but my hands to fight Captain Aelon off with, and wrapping my fingers around the alien’s dick and trying to rip it off would probably be closer to a handjob from the towering warrior’s perspective.
“Sit.”
I jump again at Aelon’s sharp command. He’s pointing to one of the huge, oversized chairs. I step over to it, obeying him instinctively.
As I take a seat – my feet dangling above the floor – Captain Aelon snaps his fingers, and the holographic projection winks out of existence.
He then takes one of the seats across from me – settling into the immense chair, which is perfectly proportioned for his huge frame.
For a moment, the Aurelian Captain sits there silently, sizing me up. I shiver at the heat of his gaze.
I don’t know what to fear most – that Captain Aelon desires me, and wants to take me by force…
…or that he has other plans for me.
When you’re on the Aurelian Law Enforcement criminal list, facing life in prison, I’m not sure which would eventuality would be worse.
Aelon’s tongue trails over his lips.
“The Empire is looking for you, Tasha.”
I gulp dryly as his words.
Dammit, I was able to stare down the Toad’s las-beams unflinchingly – but Aelon’s eyes are even more intense than 2,000 joules of targeted plasma. I can’t meet them – and I end up looking down at the wooden table in front of me instead. My feet are dangling above the floor and I can’t help but feel like a naughty child being disciplined by an angry parent – only the punishment I face is far worse than being grounded.
Once again, I hear Sawoot’s words in my head, and I cling to her strength and spunk. Finally, I raise my head and growl at Captain Aelon: “The Empire chokes us out like weeds. We only do what we have to do, in order to survive.”
Aelon grins. He’s enjoying my discomfort.
“By law, I have to turn you in, Tasha. You’re a criminal. I don’t know how you managed that heist – not with a skeleton crew and a ship that looks it’s held together by tape and spit – but you did.”
He shakes his head – as if both impressed and disappointed.
“The Empire demands that you pay for your crimes, with interest. You owe them forty years, Tasha.”
Forty years!
It’s not a life sentence – but it might as well be. I’d be an old lady by the time I got out of whichever Aurelian prison I wound up in; assuming I survived the entirety of my sentence.
I force myself to meet Aelon’s gaze.
“So, are you going to turn me in?”
He cocks his head right, like an owl watching its prey.
“I haven’t decided yet.”
My eyes widen. Is that a good thing, or a bad thing? What’s that Aurelian expression they use? About the ‘poison of hope’? Is that what Aelon is feeding me now?
He continues:
“It would be such a shame to waste you in a cell, Tasha. Humans are like flowers. They bloom, then they wither so quickly – and you’re so freshly bloomed.”
My cheeks burn hotly. Captain Aelon is staring right through me now, and suddenly I know exactly what this alien captain wants from me.
I should have known. I mean, Captain Aelon might stand seven-feet-tall, and be built like the statue of some ancient Greek God, but he’s still a man – and men are all the same. They all want one thing.
Not that I’m against that. I mean, I’ve had my flings with men – even a boyfriend once, for a year – but I’ve never been with a man seriously before; in a relationship that extended beyond companionship and convenient sex.
Why would I? What good would anything come of it? Even my boyfriend had eventually left – and it wasn’t because he was cheating, or had betrayed me. He simply left for a better job – because even the hardest workers on our home planet barely scraped by after the Aurelian Empire took their cut for offering our world ‘protection.’
The species offers ‘protection’, sure – but they also charge a hefty fee for it, and their taxation crushes all of us.
Aurelians only think of themselves, always. They don’t understand that the taxes they charge to pay for their warriors’ lavish mansions and harems of beautiful women have to come from somewhere – and on our world, they came from the scraps of money that the human residents relied on to put a roof over their heads and food on the table.
Aurelians only ever think of their own needs first – what they want…
…and it’s very clear that Aelon wants me.
I let myself imagine it, if only for a moment. For all his sins, Captain Aelon is devilishly handsome, even by the gorgeous standards of Aurelians. There’s a certainty to him, too – a confidence and assurance that draws me to him in the same way that his arrogance pushes me away.
I know he merely wants me to be his latest conquest. He just wants me to whimper and moan his name as he claims me as his own – to be discarded when he’s done.
But rather than feel daunted or afraid of this, I suddenly realize that it might offer me an opportunity.
“The Empire wants me,” I nod, “but they don’t know the names or identities of my crew. If you turn me in, you could tell that my crew died – say that they were blown to dust during our capture.”
I lean towards him, widening my eyes in what I hope is an alluring and submissive gesture.
I murmur: “Please.”
Aelon snorts, leaning forward to meet me halfway across the table that separates us.
“You’re negotiating, Tasha – when you should be begging.”
Oh, fuck.
My eyes instantly drop down again, staring at the table. I can’t get a read on this Captain – I don’t know how best to manipulate him with my feminine wiles; if such a ploy would even work.
“Tasha. That’s what the arrest warrant said. Is that your real name?”
I nod. “It is. Tasha.”
“Well, Captain Tasha,” Aelon’s voice is dry and mocking, “you’re seem so eager to spend your life in a jail cell.” He pauses. “Are you?”
I take a deep breath.
My heart is pounding, the blood rushing through my veins. This is a life or death situation, just like when the Toad were chasing the Wayward Scythe with their las-cannons blasting. I have to play this just right, and reap whatever advantage I can from it.
I raise my eyes.
“By law, you must turn me in – I know you don’t have a choice.”
I might sound contrite, but in truth I’m trying to bait him. If my read on Captain Aelon is even remotely accurate, I’m hoping I can push the buttons of his arrogance by reminding him of what he’s told he can’t do. Aurelians, so I’ve heard, don’t like to hear the word ‘no.’
“No.”
Aelon’s single utterance refutes my assumption.
“No – I do have a choice.” He leans back in his seat, lips curling. “By law, I must turn you in, but you assume I follow the law.”
Oh, Gods – does that mean this is a Rogue ship after all?
Is that a good or bad thing?
I try to keep my voice from stammering:
“Captain Aelon. I need to protect my crew – no matter what.” Since my appeal to the law didn’t work, I try an appeal to his humanity – or whatever Aurelians have that resembles humanity.