Alien Alliance

by Honey Phillips

  T’kol watched his L’chka’s face as T’gana briefly explained the war with the Saviji, the alliance with the Icluthians, and their current concerns about the Saviji scouts. Impressed, but not particularly surprised by her quick grasp of the situation, he found his mind wandering back to the earlier encounter with T’lan. The senior commander had been surprisingly tolerant. Was it because of the current situation or was T’kol’s fear that their relationship would not be accepted another way of holding back that last piece of himself?

  He envied H’sst. The other warrior seemed to have no hesitation at all. Of course, from what H’sst had told him, he had grown up as part of a close knit zimene, not with a mother and father who could barely stand each other. His parents had claimed a mating bond but neither of them had been happy and that had influenced his own doubts about such a bond. But now he tried to push those doubts aside. He would not let his unpleasant memories spoil what they had started here.

  H’sst had been listening quietly to T’gana’s explanation, and now he leaned forward. At the last second, he shrugged and smiled, apparently decided not to speak. However, his eyes met T’kol’s and he understood the message. There were matters that they should discuss. His Yehrin warrior side wanted to demand that the lizard speak up, but as his brace mate, he found he was content to wait. Rather to his surprise, he trusted H’sst.

  As the conversation drew to a conclusion, S’rah and L’zabet decided to go see R’chel.

  “Do you wish me to accompany you?” he asked.

  “No,” she said slowly. “I think it might be best if I talked to her alone first. Well, alone with Sarah to calm her down.”

  “Perhaps it is just as well. I have duties to attend to.” The thought of returning to his daily routine held surprisingly little appeal.

  T’gana cleared his throat. “Senior Commander T’lan has ordered that you devote your attention to the negotiations. All of your other duties are being handled.”

  His fist clenched under the table. Perhaps T’lan had not been as accepting as he appeared.

  “It is not a punishment, T’kol,” T’gana said quietly. “This is the most important issue facing the Yehrin Empire at the current time. And right now, you—all three of you—are in the best position to assist.”

  Slowly his hand relaxed and he forced himself to nod. “I understand.”

  “I will escort S’rah and L’zabet to R’chel’s domicile and I will return to meet with you this afternoon.”

  “Very well.”

  L’zabet came over and kissed him, a brief taste of fragrant warmth, before kissing H’sst and departing, leaving him alone with his brace mate.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  “Now what should we do?” T’kol asked, trying not to feel bereft without his—their—mate.

  “I would be most grateful for a new thermal suit,” H’sst said ruefully, surveying the torn cloth. “I don’t do credit to our queen dressed in rags.”

  He laughed. “I suppose not. Do you want to go to the queen’s residence to get a new one?”

  “I think it might be best to stay away from there until we make an official visit.” H’sst raised a brow ridge. “If no one sees me, then no one can order me to return.”

  “Would you?” he asked curiously. “Return, I mean?”

  “No. And if it was another warrior, I would have no hesitation in declining.”

  “Even if it was your commanding officer?”

  H’sst shrugged. “They understand that a queen’s command must always come first. But that is my concern. If by some chance I should encounter Queen Adorissa… It is bred into us to always obey a queen and if my own queen is not there, it might be difficult to refuse her.”

  “All right. Let me see what I can do.” He made a few quick calls. “A new suit will be delivered this afternoon. It will not be quite the same, but it should serve.”

  “Thank you.” H’sst rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “Now, unless you want me to beat you at cards again—”

  “If I recall correctly, I won most of the games.”

  “Only because I let you.” The other warrior grinned at him. “However, I was about to say that I would enjoy some exercise. Do you have a training facility? Preferably inside?”

  “We do. Are you not concerned about being surrounded by Yehrin warriors?”

  “Not when I have my brace mate at my side.”

  A surprising warmth filled him at H’sst’s confidence.

  “There is a training center inside this facility. Would you like to borrow a training uniform?”

  H’sst nodded and a few minutes later they were on their way. The standard black training uniform did nothing to disguise H’sst’s appearance. If anything, it accentuated the differences. As they moved through the corridors, T’kol couldn’t help but wonder how his warriors were going to react. The Yehrin had a long-standing animosity with the Icluthians and although they had been working together to defeat the Saviji for the past few years, it was hard to overcome the historical antipathy between the races. For the warriors here on Earth, they had even less reason to trust the Icluthians because they had never fought side by side with them in battle.

  A wave of relief swept over him when they entered the training center and found it empty—even though he knew it was only prolonging the inevitable.

  “Do you have a preference?” In addition to the mats roped off for individual matches, a variety of areas dedicated to specific types of activity lined the walls.

  “What is that?” H’sst pointed to the obstacle course that dominated one wall. Designed to test both strength and agility, it included everything from an area requiring the warrior to traverse a path across the top of widely spaced columns to using a metal bar to lift oneself from one level to another.

  “Just a path,” he said casually. “You enter here and come out at the far end. If you can make it.”

  “Why, that sounds like a challenge.” H’sst lifted a brow ridge.

  He opened his mouth to agree, then swore. “One I would be happy to take but the medic ordered me not to strain my leg.”

  “No, of course not. I had forgotten about your injury.” H’sst looked abashed, then gave him a slow smile. “Our queen would be most displeased if you injured yourself further and were unable to pleasure her.”

  “It hasn’t stopped me so far,” he growled.

  H’sst laughed and nodded. “You are most talented in that regard. I will see if my own talents extend to this path of yours.”

  T’kol watched, reluctantly impressed, as H’sst moved through the course. He might not have the musculature of a Yehrin, but he was strong and fast.

  “You move well,” he said when H’sst completed the circuit and returned to his side.

  “Thank you.” The younger warrior looked delighted by the praise. “We train just as you do.”

  “When does it begin?”

  “In the nest.” H’sst grinned. “There is always competition amongst your nest mates. And I was from my dam’s second clutch, so our older nest mates made sure to try and keep us in line.”

  As H’sst reminisced, T’kol realized that the Icluthian training was every bit as extensive as Yehrin training, even though they did not go to a Warrior House but trained in small local schools. They were discussing the merits of various bladed weapons when he heard a muttered curse and looked up to see B’nji approaching.

  “That is L’zabet’s brother,” he said quickly. “He is not happy about our relationship.”

  “He cares for her?”

  “Yes, very much.”

  “Then I will be patient.”

  Hisst watched as the young human strode across the floor toward them. He was tall for a human, possibly even approaching Hisst in height, but he had the painfully thin build of a young male. He felt a fleeting pang of sympathy—he remembered those days all too well.

  “T’kol,” the young male said, but his eyes were fixed on Hisst. “I would have thought you could fin
d better company.”

  “B’nji,” T’kol warned. “We had this discussion last night.”

  “Yeah, well, I didn’t like it then and I like it even less now. He’s a goddamn lizard.”

  T’kol growled and started to stand, but Hisst put a restraining hand on his arm.

  “Do you have an issue with Icluthians, young male?”

  “Yeah, I do. Why the hell are you here on Earth anyway?”

  “I’m not going to bother to answer that for my people since I suspect you know, but I am here for Lissie.” He very deliberately leaned forward. “She is my queen.”

  “She’s not fucking yours.”

  “But she is mine. Mine and T’kol’s.”

  Benji’s face twisted. “That’s disgusting.”

  His patience came to a rapid end and the words came out in a low hiss. “You are saying that your sister is disgusting?”

  “No! Not her. It’s your fault.”

  At the familiar cry of youth everywhere, his anger started to vanish. He suspected that his queen would not approve, but in his experience, the best way to resolve this type of tension was physically.

  “You are very free with your accusations. Shall we see if your actions can match them?”

  “You mean a training match?”

  “Yes.”

  Benji glanced at T’kol a little uncertainty, then his face hardened. “Sure. Bring it on.”

  As Hisst followed him onto the training mat, he hoped his estimation had been correct. If he defeated the youth too easily, it would only increase his resentment. Fortunately, the match proved most satisfying. Benji had obviously been well-trained and he was a quick, smart fighter. He knew that he couldn’t match Hisst’s strength, so he relied on his technique instead. Hisst treated him as he would one of his nest mates, not holding back too much, but also not trying to inflict a decisive victory. He won the first bout, moved just slowly enough to let Benji win the second, and brought the third to a rapid conclusion.

  As he climbed to his feet, he reached a hand down. To his relief, the young male shook his head and took it.

  “You fight well, Hisst.”

  “So do you,” he said sincerely.

  “Look, I’m sorry about what I said.”

  “I know you are.”

  “It’s just, Lizzie deserves the best, you know?”

  “I agree, and I will try to make sure that she has it.”

  Benji studied him, then extended an arm. They clasped elbows and a feeling of satisfaction filled him. T’kol came to join them but didn’t make any reference to their match.

  “What happened to J’ne and T’bitha? I thought they were coming to watch you?” T’kol asked.

  The young male laughed and shook his head. “Jane left at the first sight of blood. I’ll bet Tabby would have stayed, she’s been training with T’gana since she was little, but she always follows her sister.”

  “You are very patient with them.”

  “Nah, they’re good kids.” Benji checked his wrist com and swore. “I have to run or I’m going to be late to class. Tell Lizzie I’ll come by later.”

  “I will.”

  The young male disappeared and T’kol nodded.

  “That was well done. You gave him a way to express his anger.”

  “I hope Lissie thinks so.”

  “She is a female so probably not. But as long as the two of you have reached an understanding, she will be satisfied.”

  As they walked back to T’kol’s quarters, Hisst finally asked the question that had been troubling him since their time in the cave.

  “Why did you not claim Lissie before?”

  T’kol hesitated, but eventually spoke. “She was very young when we met—too young—and I tasted her before I realized. But it haunted me, so I built up walls to keep her out. And every time she found a crack in one of those walls, I built them back stronger and taller.” He sighed. “If I had knocked them down sooner, she would never have met you.”

  “I would not have been able to resist her,” he said honestly.

  “I suspect that is because you are as reckless as she is.” T’kol looked at him thoughtfully. “Perhaps it is for the best. She needs two males to keep her in line.”

  “We believe that it is a queen’s job to keep her males in line.”

  “That is most definitely not the Yehrin way. We believe that it is our duty to protect and care for our mate above all else.”

  “Are you unhappy with what has occurred?”

  T’kol didn’t answer immediately. They had reached the small entry hall outside the entrance to his quarters. Through the glass exterior wall, they could see the snowy open meadow and the ring of residences surrounding it. More were visible amongst the trees.

  “Most Yehrin believe that the bond between a warrior and his L’chka is unbreakable,” he said slowly. “It is something they search for all their life and cherish when they find it.”

  “You do not believe that?”

  “My parents were… unhappy. They used the terms, they claimed the bond, but it only served to make them both miserable.”

  “And you also?”

  “I was a child,” he said dismissively, his face rigid.

  “A child is still conscious of an unhappy environment. When my dam was displeased with one of my sires, we all felt the tension.”

  “Perhaps.”

  Hisst suspected that was as much of a concession as he would get from the big warrior about his childhood misery.

  “As a result, I suppose you could say that I was somewhat less optimistic about finding my own L’chka. And then I met L’zabet. Despite her youth, there was no doubt in my mind that I had found my L’chka.”

  T’kol stared out across the meadow, but Hisst doubted that he was looking at the scenery.

  “If I had claimed her then, perhaps it would have been different. But as I said, I built up walls, and the memory of my parents made up part of those walls. And she is human—she doesn’t even have the Yehrin instincts and culture telling her that this is a lifetime bond.”

  “You think she will leave you? Leave us?” The thought horrified Hisst. A queen never abandoned her brace. In truth, some members might lose favor from time to time, but once she marked them, they were hers for life. Of course, Lissie had not yet marked him.

  “I do not believe so. She may be restless, but her heart is loyal. When she gives her love, she gives it completely.” For the first time since the conversation started, T’kol looked directly at him. “I believe she has given her heart to you.”

  “And you?”

  “That part is perhaps more difficult to believe.”

  “I don’t find it so.” Lissie’s affection for the Yehrin was quite clear and yet, aside from his initial feeling of dismay when T’kol had found them, he wasn’t troubled by it. He could accept that each of them brought different aspects to their relationship. He found the idea of Lissie with another Icluthian much more difficult to contemplate.

  “I hope you are right. But to answer your original question, no, I am not unhappy.” T’kol shook his head. “Even though I never expected to be in a triad with a damn lizard.”

  His tone was almost affectionate and Hisst didn’t take offense; however, the next voice to speak was clearly disdainful.

  “What the fuck is that lizard doing here?” Two burly Yehrin warriors came down the corridor towards them. The one who had spoken drew up short as he looked beyond Hisst to see T’kol. “I did not see you there, Commander T’kol.”

  “Since you are quite aware that the Icluthians are our guests, Officer T’fardar, my presence or absence should make no difference to your behavior.” T’kol’s voice echoed the cold outside.

  “Yes, Commander.” Officer T’fardar gave Hisst an uncertain look. “But why is he here? These are the warriors’ quarters.”

  “Officer H’sst is staying with me.”

  “With you?” Shock and a hint of disgust flickered across the warrior’
s face.

  “Yes,” T’kol said briefly. “I believe you are scheduled for the afternoon patrol, T’fardar. I suggest you report to your post before you are late.”

  The warrior couldn’t quite hide his scowl, and Hisst saw the look he exchanged with his comrade before both males saluted and left.

  “You did not mention Lissie,” he said mildly.

  “It is not their concern.” T’kol shrugged. “However, I suspect that all of New Haven will be aware of our situation before nightfall.” He looked back out at the meadow and sighed. “Another confrontation awaits. I see that R’chel has decided to accompany L’zabet.”

  “Ah. L’zabet spoke of the older female with much affection.”

  T’kol’s face lightened. “I am far from knowing everything about human females; however, I suggest that you not refer to her as the older female in her presence.”

  “I will keep that in mind.”

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Lizabet followed Rachel as she marched determinedly along the path to the warriors’ quarters and tried to control her annoyance. It had been inevitable that Rachel would demand to meet Hisst and while she didn’t really object, she found it annoying that Rachel had immediately gone into protective mode. Even Sarah had been surprised by how fiercely Rachel had voiced her initial objections.

  “You leave to get over T’kol and you come back not only mated to him but to another alien as well. And an Icluthian at that?” Rachel demanded.

  “Yes,” she said shortly, trying to contain her annoyance.

  “What were you thinking? Or were you even thinking at all? This is just like you, Lizzie. Charging headfirst into a situation without even thinking about the consequences.”

  That stung more than she’d like to admit, but she kept her voice calm. “I know what I’m doing.”

  “Do you? What’s going to happen now? Is he going to stay here? Get a job? Or are you going to leave with him?” Rachel’s voice cracked and Lizabet was horrified to see tears in her eyes. Rachel rarely ever cried.

  “I don’t know yet, Rach, but we’ll work it out.”