I stand with a neutral expression. I don’t know what he means by ‘this very moment.’ No one has properly briefed me yet. It feels like I’ve stepped into a movie that is halfway through, and I’m trying to piece together what is going on.
“I’ll do whatever is needed of me,” I say.
Adus’s smile disappears, and he leans forward. “Of course you will. I’m High Commander.”
I nod, waiting for my orders.
“When we lost everything on Atlantis,” Adus says, “we had to continue the plan. Our window for making it to Epsilon Eridani is closing….”
I narrow my eyes. If they simply wanted to leave, they could just leave. It’s Adus’s desire to eradicate humanity before leaving that is delaying them.
“No, Kain,” Adus says. “We couldn’t have left yet. Yes, we could have, but even with hibernation, do you think we’d be ready to fight in a new system with a mere two ships full of old men? A Marauder invasion used to be one hundred ships. If we destroy humanity first, we can pillage the solar system before departure. There are some retired Marauder ships we could take, and we could use the nanofactories on Titan to produce some fresh parts for our existing ships.”
Everything he’s saying makes sense. Though it still sounds like a justification for genocide more than anything else.
“Wouldn't we need to recruit more Seraphim before we attack?” I ask. “Do we have time for that?”
That should take at least a year. Recruiting Seraphim means sending Darkstar agents to Mars, Earth, and Venus. It’s getting harder and harder to forge identification on those planets– especially on Earth.
Adus taps his head and widens his eyes. His ears twitch furiously. “See, you’re a thinker, Kain. I’m aware of the timelines and what we need to accomplish.”
“You’ve already recruited more Seraphim.”
He grins wide and laughs. “Yes, I have. And they will arrive tomorrow. This is why you arriving now is meaningful. I will task you with training the Seraphim. I want them combat-ready in four months.
“On Darkstar?” I ask.
“Of course on Darkstar. Where else would we train?”
Training on the high gravity gives Darkstar Marauders even greater strength than Marauder and Seraphim from Earth, Mars, and Venus.
I try not to sigh in relief. I had assumed they’d keep me on the command ship for quite some time. I had already started trying to devise excuses for needing to travel to Darkstar, but now I’ll be stationed there. Getting to Kara should be much easier now.
“What will I be training them for, specifically?” I ask.
Adus narrows his eyes at me. “Be patient, brother. I like to keep my cards close to my body, even among family. Just train them to fight. To be Marauders.”
11 Kara
“This is ridiculous,” Felicia says, swinging her pickaxe.
“At least we’re still getting to mine.”
“Why did you have to tell them we were miners?” Felicia shouts. Her voice booms through the intercom in my suit.
“Imagine if we had these exosuits to mine with before,” I say.
I swing my pickaxe, and with the strength boost from the exosuit, the giant boulder shatters to pieces from my swing.
Felicia lets out an annoyed grunt.
I look back and see another group of prisoners walking toward us, pickaxes in hand.
“Morning!” one of them shouts– a man. Apparently our suits are all linked together.
“You two got an early start,” the man says, coming up behind us.
I put my pickaxe down and turn to face him.
“I’m Eli,” he says. “And these two are Andres and Thorsten.”
“I’m Kara,” I say. “This is my sister Felicia.”
“They got two women on mining duty?” Andreas asks. “What did you do to piss them off?”
Felicia lifts up a chunk of rock and throws it into the wagon. “Kara here thought it was a good idea to tell them we were experienced miners.”
“They saw us mining when they found us!” I say, throwing up my hands. “Give me a fucking break.”
“Well,” Eli says, “there are worse jobs. You could be on sanitation...that’s not pretty.”
The three men start swinging their pickaxes and pulverizing boulders. With all five of us working together, we fill the wagon up in less than an hour.
The “wagon” is basically a giant truck. It has an open top though, so we call it a wagon.
As the last boulder goes in, Eli hits a button, and the wagon turns around and putters away from us, back toward the buildings and landing strip.
“You guys don’t have exosuits, do you?” I ask.
“Nope,” Thorsten says. “Pure Darkstar muscle. I reckon we’re among the strongest humans in the solar system now. You’ll become the strongest women if you keep at this.”
“If we keep at this…,” Felicia says, mocking. “Like we have a choice.”
“Let someone from High Command claim you,” Eli says. “And yeah, you won’t have to keep swinging a pickaxe.”
“Oh, come on,” I say. “You’d really let one of them claim you?”
They all grin.
“Marauder women can only orgasm once per month,” Andreas says. “And they are fiercely protective of their males.”
“What…?” Felicia says. “You mean–”
“We’re all proudly claimed,” Eli says. “Can you imagine a woman who can only fuck once per month? How bad she’ll want it, how wet–”
Thorsten elbows Eli, and Eli coughs.
“Sorry,” Andreas says. “We’ve been three dudes mining without women around for a long time. We get used to, uh, talking like that.”
“Whatever,” I say. “And why the fuck do they need humans to break up rocks? It looks like the wagon is driven by A.I. Do they seriously not have automated mining rigs?”
“They used to,” Eli says. “Before Darkstar backstabbed Harmony. Now they don’t let A.I. run anything with a weapon...like a mining drill or anything that could do damage. The wagon could run people over, I guess, but it couldn’t damage any structures, sabotage life support, that kind of thing. And the A.I. that drives it is really basic. Point A to Point B.”
I see another wagon driving up toward us on the horizon. “Looks like our break is almost over.”
“So they let us mine out here with no supervision?” Felicia asks. “No overlord to whip us when we slack off?”
“If the wagon isn’t filled on time, they’ll whip you when you get back,” Thorsten says, hoisting his pickaxe over his shoulder.
“And as far as being unsupervised,” Eli says. “Where are you going to go?”
He points his hand out into the darkness, beyond the gleam of the lights.
There really is nowhere to go, but the rocks we are mining are a good five kilometers from the base. The main lights from the base are small on the horizon, and if Kain were going to rescue us, this would be an ideal spot from where to do it.
“So all three of you…,” Felicia says, “are claimed?”
They all stand tall and nod.
“Just regular engineering women, though,” Eli says.
“Mine’s a pilot!” Andreas says.
“You know what he means!” Thorsten snaps. “No one important! Not like De Souza’s.”
“De Souza’s?” I ask.
“Miguel De Souza,” Eli says. “The lucky bastard. One of the youngest Marauders is a woman, and the younger you are, the more important you are here. So not only does he get a young one, but she’s deemed important enough that De Souza doesn’t have to lift a finger! He just lounges around waiting for his once-a-month fuck-fest.”
“I thought they could only come once per month,” Felicia says. “How is it a fuck-fest?”
“Right,” Thorsten says, his eyes widening in...wonder? “But really think about it. Really think.”
I’m not sure how comfortable I am talking about this. These three men are se
x slaves. Well, sex slaves would be bad enough, but what’s worse is that they are willing– no, happy– sex slaves. It sends a shudder down my spine as they continue to talk about it to Felicia.
“So,” Andreas says, “if you could only come once per month, how good do you think you’d be at riding the edge of the orgasm? De Souza says his Marauder can ride him for hours, hovering just on the cusp of orgasm, before she’s tapped out. She makes him come like ten times before she’s done.... God, the lucky bastard.”
Felicia laughs nervously. “Well, you guys all get to enjoy that.”
“Yeah, I guess,” Thorsten says. “None of ours can last that long, and besides, we gotta’ chip away at rocks for the rest of the month.”
“If you could escape,” I say, “would you?”
They all look at each other and start to shrug.
“I guess.” Eli says.
“If I could fuck twice a month,” Thorsten says. “I would stay here, but once a month? Nah, fuck it– pun not intended– I’d escape if I could.”
“It’s dangerous to think like that,” Andreas says. “Thinking about escaping. It’s like if you ever dreamed of winning the lottery. You started mentally buying stuff, imagining what your house would look like, how you’d eat...and it feels really good until you realize you aren’t going to win the lottery. You’re going to work all your life for almost no money.”
“And then,” Thorsten says, “you get taken as a slave, and you work for a once-a-month shag. Eating gruel.”
“Wait,” I ask. “You guys still eat gruel? They told me we’d get better food once the exosuits were off….”
All three men laugh. “Everyone believes that lie. They want you to lose your hope slowly. It’s all gruel, all the time here. Better get used to it– you’re never going to win the lottery.”
When the second wagon is about halfway full, I figure out how to communicate directly to Felicia without the others hearing.
“It sounds like they’ll help us escape,” I say.
“Are you joking?” Felicia says. “Maybe if we can get Kain to break us out right after their monthly fuck-fest? Certainly they’re not going to go with us if their special day is coming up, the horny fuck–”
“Woah, woah,” Eli’s voice crackles on. “What’s this about Kain breaking you out?”
“Who’s Kain?” Thorsten shouts.
Damn it. I figured out how to not broadcast to everyone, but Felicia obviously did not.
“Hey, Kara,” Felicia says. “How do I set it so they can’t hear me?”
I flip my suit back to all-broadcast and say, “Please, don’t say anything to anyone–”
“Hey, look girls, we’re horny as fuck. That’s true. But we want off this rock, and if you’ve got a way out, we’re in. I mean out, I mean–”
“We wanna’ eat fucking steak!” Andreas says, voice wild. “I wanna’ fuck every night and eat steak and drink whiskey! Steak with gravy and garlic mashed potatoes! And I want red wine, too!”
“Andreas is from the habs, can’t recall which one,” Eli says. “Hedonists….”
“Kain is the new High Commander’s brother,” Thorsten says.
The men drop their pickaxes.
“For real?” Eli asks. “Shit, we really might have a chance.”
“Shit,” Andreas says. “You’ll have to wait though.”
“No,” I say. “The sooner the better.”
Andreas shoves me hard, but my exosuit steels itself and prevents me from falling.
“Those suits have kill switches,” Andreas says.
“They’ll blow us up?” Felicia asks.
“No,” Andreas says. “But they’ll shut off– lock up. Same way Kara’s suit stopped her from falling. They’ll stop you from moving. As soon as they know you’re escaping, they can just lock your suit.”
“How long until we can lose the suits?” I ask.
“On standard settings,” Eli says, “at least a month.”
Too long. Way too long.
“It can go faster?” I ask.
“Yep,” Thorsten says, reaching for my back. He fiddles with some knobs on my pack, and I suddenly feel heavier.
“Now try your pickaxe,” Thorsten says.
I raise my pickaxe to swing, but it feels as heavy as a barbarian’s sledgehammer. The downswing still shatters the rock, but I’m panting and out of breath after just one swing.
“At that setting,” Thorsten says, “you’ll probably have the suit off in under two weeks, assuming your heart doesn’t give out.”
I laugh nervously.
“For real,” Thorsten says. “Your body is already working overdrive. Your heart has to pump way harder to get your blood going in this gravity, and there’s a real risk your heart will just give out...even at your age.”
“Hey, look,” Eli says, pointing up.
Coming over one of the rocky mountains, we spot at least six ships and their blue engine flame.
“Is that normal?” I ask.
“One ship is normal,” Eli says. “Never six.”
12 Kain
I watch the lights on Darkstar as the shuttle descends. The Seraphim have already landed, and they’re waiting for me.
Thousands of half-Marauder, half-humans discontent with their human half. They want nothing more than to abandon their home system and become Marauders– to travel to a new star system to conquer and interbreed. And I’m supposed to train them. If only Adus knew what I was really up to.
Maybe he does. He certainly is withholding key information. If I knew where specifically these Seraphim were going to fight, or what they were going to fight against, I could specialize their training. But Adus has so little trust that he won’t even tell me what to train them for.
The shuttle touches down in the main hangar, and the roof shuts above me. When I step outside, I see line after line of uniformed Seraph waiting for me.
They try to snap to attention in unison, but they’re completely disjointed. One even falls over.
I want to shake my head, but I snap to attention to meet them.
They’re all watching me. Clearly they know I’m the one who will train them. They’ve all sacrificed everything to be here, to receive this training. I am their first impression of Darkstar– of being a Marauder.
I better sell it.
“On your homes,” I say, speaking loud and projecting my voice so it fills the hangar. “On Earth, Mars, and Venus, what do they call you?”
The Seraphim stand lined up, though some risk looking at each other. They don’t know if they are supposed to speak. I twitch my ears to give them a hint.
“Fallen Seraphim!” someone from the back shouts.
“Yes,” I say, pointing toward him. “They call you Fallen Seraphim. But this is wrong. You are not Fallen Seraphim...you are simply Marauders that have yet to rise up. Here, on Darkstar, we will make you into true Marauders. Through sweat and training on this cold, hard planet, we will make you into Marauders….”
They are all looking at me now, all standing straighter...but I need to say something more to really get them on board.
“Fallen Seraphim…,” I say, my voice full of loathing. “How dare they call you that, as if they know what it means to be a Seraphim– to be a Marauder. The only ones who will fall will be the humans. When Darkstar is done– when you are done– all humans will be fallen humans. We will destroy their planets one by one, obliterate them. Those left will descend in chaos and anarchy, killing each other while we stand strong and united. We will rise up, and they will fall!”
Now they cheer. Thousands of pink hands thrusting up into the air. I smile wide and keep my ears taut, but I don’t believe a word of what I’ve said. Hopefully Adus was watching that scene through a camera, as I probably looked quite convincing.
“Report to your barracks!” I shout, as the cheering dies down. “Sleep well, and wake first thing in the morning. I will have to break all of you if I’m to rebuild you into warriors!�
�
Senka and Raius have been assigned to help me with the training. I can’t help but feel they are here more to supervise and report back to Adus on me than to actually help, but they lead the Seraphim to their barracks after my speech is over. I stand in the hangar until I’m alone.
I still haven’t been told anything. I have been given no weapons, let in on no plans or information. I don’t even know where I’m staying.
But I know where Kara is, and that’s really all that matters.
With Senka and Raius gone, and the Seraphim resting until morning, now would be the time to pay her a visit. Adus may be tracking my movements, but I have to risk it.
All of the buildings on the surface of Darkstar are connected by sealed hallways, so there’s no need to suit up and go from building to building. I travel through the hallways and toward the area where the prisoners are kept.
When I near the prisoners’ quarters, three human men with bulging muscles– all humans who live on Darkstar are thick with muscle– cross my path.
They stop dead when they see me, and their mouths hang open.
“Do you not have work to do?” I snap.
The tallest one steps forward and speaks. “We just finished mining detail...Sir.”
His “sir” sounds almost like a question. I’m new on the surface, at least for him. He must have been taken in the last year since I don’t recognize him, though I never really visited the prisoners’ quarters very often before my time on Atlantis and Venus.
“Kain,” I say. “Son of Grius.”
“Brother of Adus,” another man says.
They all look at me with knowing expressions. They seem...expectant.
“Kara is doing well, sir,” one of them says hastily. The other two elbow him, and they quickly try to scurry away.
“Wait,” I say.
They stop, but don’t turn around.
“We don’t know anything!” one of them blurts out.
“Where is she?”
“She’s done for the day,” one says. “You can just go to her room.”
“Go,” I say. “And you know nothing.”
Marauder Kain: Scifi Alien Invasion Romance (Mating Wars Book 5) Page 6