Liberation

by Sabine Priestley

  ***

  Balastar watched as the strand in her hair shifted from purple to red. Their psi started a slow dance that quickened rapidly. Neither of them was holding back now. The hard-on he’d had when they landed returned, making his pants seriously uncomfortable.

  Her gaze took in the bulge, then returned to his face. There was nothing more they could do now but wait, and he knew exactly how to kill the time.

  They came together in a frenzied blast. Their psi swirled and pulsed with pleasure. It was different from anything he’d experienced, reminding him she had the alternate psi he and the Cavacent clan had been searching for. They left a trail of boots and clothes and made their way to Balastar’s cabin. Her touch set him on fire. She tasted of caff and sugar. With honey-colored skin and almond eyes, she had an exotic flare. Her arms and legs were lean and lanky and her lips entirely too enticing as he pushed her down on the bed. He swore to explore every inch of her.

  She began to slide to the center of the bed, but he stopped her. Grabbing behind her knees, he pulled her forward and knelt down between her legs. He would start here at her very core. His desire to taste her burned. Starting at her ankle, he licked his way up her inner thigh. She was wet and hot. She tensed when he reached his destination and lightly flicked his tongue between her lips. Mother Goddess, she tasted like heaven. He spread her legs wider and swiped his tongue from side to side, teasing out her moans and amplifying his own need.

  “Damn it, Balastar.” She bucked her hips, begging for more.

  He plunged his tongue inside, then withdrew and sucked on the nub of her clit. She cried out and arched her back as he inserted first one, then two fingers, sucking and licking her mound.

  The tension in him rose along with the urgency of her cries.

  “Balastar.” It was a plea. Her hips pushed into him, seeking deeper penetration. He was happy to oblige. Everything about her made him want more. Like a need for a fix, he couldn’t get enough. He stroked his fingers in and out while sucking her nub. She cried out as the orgasm took her. Tight muscles quivered around his fingers.

  “Get up here now.” Her voice was low and hoarse. She pushed back on the bed as he slid on top of her. Her breasts were large and utter perfection, and she responded to each bite, lick, nibble, and suck. Kit lifted her knees and spread her legs wide for him.

  “Is this what you want?” Teasing, he positioned himself at her opening.

  “Yes, Gods please, yes.” She begged with her hips, seeking penetration.

  Balastar wasn’t going to last long, but he wanted to hear her say it. Needed to hear the words. “Tell me what you want.”

  She grabbed his hips and pulled him deep inside. The streak in her hair glowed red. “Fuck me, Balastar. For frack sake, fuck me now.”

  He pulled back and slammed into her fast. She grabbed the comforter in bunches over her head and held on as he plunged ever harder.

  “Yes,” she ground out, her eyes shut. Her perfect tits bounced to their rhythm.

  Their psi pulsed and twirled together in their own erotic dance, and he moaned as the tension shot down his spine and straight to his balls.

  She reached her hand down and rubbed her clit. One finger stroking his cock. Her eyes shut as she stilled, her wet pussy convulsing around him. The perfect nudge to send him over the edge as he exploded inside her.

  ***

  Balastar kissed the tender skin of her neck and rolled over onto his back.

  Kit moaned when he withdrew.

  He placed a hand on the flat of her stomach and lightly trailed his fingers back and forth.

  She purred in response. Turning to him, she smiled. “We’re still alive.”

  “Always a good thing.” He rolled onto his side and reached for the strand of purple in her hair. Silky smooth, the color fluctuated as he twirled it around his fingers. “Is this a gen mod?”

  “Sort of. People from my planet often have a strand of different-colored hair like this. I had it modified so that I could change the color, only it doesn’t work right. I never know what it’s going to do.”

  “It’s pulsating right now.”

  A tingle shot up his arm as Kit took the strand from his fingers and inspected it.

  “Huh. That’s new.”

  Balastar sat up and stretched. He’d like to check the area surrounding the asteroid they were holed up in, but it was too dangerous. They couldn’t risk a signal. “Any idea how long they’ll continue looking for us?”

  “A couple days at most.”

  He stood and headed for the shower. “I wonder how we’re going to keep ourselves busy with no electronics.”

  She was behind him before he reached the door. Her psi enveloped his. “I think we can come up with something.”

  He took her hand and led her to the shower unit. It was state of the art and just big enough for two.

  Back in the galley, Balastar watched Kit devour an entire meal pack. They’d eventually gotten around to washing each other in the shower, but the contact led to another bout of steamy sex with her bent over, offering the perfect view of her perfect ass. Her appetite matched his own and apparently extended to food as well. He laughed when she licked the container.

  “What?” Her tongue slid around the edges.

  “Would you like another one? There’s enough for five weeks onboard.”

  “Why didn’t you say so? Sex always makes me ravenous.” She hopped up and went to the food printer. “Especially sex like that.” Selecting a vegetarian meal this time, she dialed in the code and waited. With her clothes in the wash, she wore nothing but a T-shirt of his.

  He wouldn’t have guessed a shirt could be so sexy. Her hair gave a soft glow to one side of her face. She was hot as hell. He already wanted more. More sex, more Kit.

  She brought the steaming dish to the table and blew on it to cool.

  Balastar picked up his fork and stabbed a potato before she could stop him.

  “Hey, get your own.”

  “I couldn’t eat another one.” He took a bite, then held the fork out to her. “Do you want it back?”

  “Now that your germs are all over it? No thanks.” She shot him a wicked smile.

  That smile was worth working for. He leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. With their attraction, he’d completely forgotten why she was here in the first place. “Why didn’t you port off Florin 5?”

  “There’s nothing in range out here.”

  As frequently was the case with her, he got the feeling there was more to the story. “What can you tell me about the portal devices?”

  “You mean the spatial distorters?” She put her fork down and eyed him suspiciously. “Why are your friends looking for them?”

  That was a good question. With a long answer. Where to start? “They don’t want to take them, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

  “Good. Because no one is getting them.” She leaned forward. “I’m serious Balastar. Don’t mess with me. I will kill you.”

  Balastar leaned in and met her gaze. “Not likely, beautiful. And not necessary. We simply want to know where they come from.” Balastar had expected to find some of the devices, but he hadn’t been prepared to find another person with the alternative psi. He didn’t know how much to tell her. Hell, he didn’t even know what questions to ask. He should have discussed the possibility with Rucon. He needed to get her to Earth and let him decide how to deal with her.

  “Where they’re from isn’t for me to say.” Kit grabbed the fork and dug in again. “Why are you smiling?”

  “Because I was just thinking the same thing about your questions for me. Look, let’s go at this another way. How much do you know about the empire?”

  The streak in Kit’s hair flashed blue.

  Balastar leaned back. “I helped bring it down, if that makes you feel any better.”

  “That empire…” Kit jabbed her fork at Balastar. “That empire…” She struggled for words. “It’s not completely gone, y
ou know.”

  “What do you mean?”

  Kit squirmed in her seat.

  Balastar sensed her struggle with whether or not to trust him. “When we get out of here, I’d like you to come with me. Meet my friends.”

  “When we get out of here, I need to find my ship. Why do you want me to meet them, anyway?”

  “Like I said, some of them have your form of psi.”

  “So they’re Vertans.” She clamped her mouth shut and set her fork down.

  “If that’s where you’re from, I’ve never heard of it.”

  “Yeah, well, there’s a reason for that. These friends of yours are on Earth?”

  “Yes.”

  Kit coughed and grabbed her drink, swallowing hard. She eyed him a long moment while she cleared her throat. “That’s where we were headed.”

  “Who?”

  “That vid you showed me. I was taking Brie and her husband Thomas there when they were captured.”

  It was Balastar’s turn to be shocked. “You were going to Earth? Why? You know it’s a silent planet, right? They don’t know about aliens.”

  “Yeah, Thomas told me. It wouldn’t be the first time I’ve gotten people on or off a planet undetected.”

  “Not Earth. Not anymore.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I mean it’s one of the most heavily guarded planets in the galaxy right now. The Galactic Trade Organization has a battleship stationed there. You would have been intercepted at best and destroyed at worst.” His gut clenched at the thought of something happening to her.

  “Okay, Thomas didn’t tell me that.”

  “He may not have known. It’s a fairly recent development. It started after the fall.”

  Kit blew out a breath. “Gods, I hope they’re okay.”

  “Do you know why they were going there?”

  “No, but I got the feeling it was personal. They were really excited.” Kit shook her head. “Why is Earth so heavily protected?”

  Balastar didn’t see any point in keeping secrets from her now. He needed her trust. “Lord Rucon Cavacent barely escaped Sandaria during the fall. He moved his entire clan to Earth, along with a handful of Portal Masters.”

  “Portal Masters!” Kit jumped up, knocking over her chair. “No way in hell I’m going anywhere near a Portal Master.”

  Balastar got to his feet and held his hands up. “Whoa, it’s okay. You don’t understand. They escaped the guild on Sandaria.” He couldn’t guess what she had against Portal Masters but judging by her reaction, it was a good thing she couldn’t bolt. From what Armond and the PMs had determined, the distorters needed the mass of an entire planet to create a portal. One could create a portal from planet to planet or to a near planet base station as long as the station was in geosynchronous orbit, but not from a moving ship or asteroid like this one. He had a feeling she’d be gone by now otherwise, and gone wasn’t where he wanted her.

  She was breathing heavy, and her hair glowed a mix of blue and yellow. She shook slightly, clenching her fists, obviously fighting for control.

  He came slowly around the table. “It’s all right. I don’t know what your issue is with the PMs, but I can tell you that Durgan and the others are good men. That’s why they escaped the guild.”

  ***

  Kit’s head spun. How had she gotten herself so close to a man with connections to the Portal Masters? They were responsible for killing thousands of Vertans and putting the entire planet under quarantine. She’d spent her life smuggling spatial distorters off-world in an effort to free as many of her people as possible. Colonies were forming slowly but surely. It was a painful process with two steps back for every three forward. The PMs couldn’t use the distorters, but they’d figured out how to modify them. Any attempt to use an altered device resulted in a trip back to Vertan. She didn’t know much about the new GTO, only that it had taken the place of the emperor, but the Torogs still guarded her planet. Nothing had changed on Vertan.

  She crossed her arms and let out a huff. She’d just had mind blowing sex with a man who knew the Portal Masters.

  Balastar took a step closer.

  “Stop.” She was being foolish. If he wanted to hurt her, he could have done so, or at least tried, long before now. Still…

  He waited a few feet away.

  She struggled to make sense of everything. “Why is the GTO guarding Earth?”

  “A month ago Torogs exited a portal inside the impact zone.”

  “What does that mean, flyboy?”

  “It means that if they had been unlucky, they could have materialized inside of Earth’s core.”

  “Whoa. Why would they risk that?”

  “We have no idea, but the GTO was concerned enough to station a ship there. Earth has carnium. It’s an important asset.”

  Carnium was a critical element in the Faster Than Light, FTL, drives of interstellar ships, including her own. “Still…”

  “Lord Cavacent is also a personal friend of the new Supreme Commander.”

  Okay, that was interesting. If they could get the GTO involved—if it wasn’t corrupt—they could remove the Torogs and free her planet. The idea that it might be possible was staggering. She didn’t want to get her hopes up, but this could actually work. She shifted her weight and tapped her foot. She had to explore the option. “All right. I’ll talk to your people.”

  “Are we good?” Balastar asked.

  “Yeah.”

  He closed the gap between them, and the familiar pleasure buzzed.

  She placed a hand on his chest. Gods, she loved the way this man made her feel. “There’s one more thing.”

  He looked relieved. “Sure, what is it?”

  “My ship. A friend of mine has her. He took off when we were nearly captured, part of our plan in case of emergencies.” She chewed her lower lip. “We um…we’ve kind of been together for a few years now.” She refused to let herself think about why she cared so much about his next words.

  Balastar frowned. “Is this friend of yours going to be okay with what we’re doing here?”

  Kit continued to chew her lip. Corvak had spent a week on Xandar with an old flame a year or so ago. It had pissed her off, but that’s all. They were still together in a loose kind of way. She couldn’t see ever marrying the man. It was more a relationship of convenience as they worked together. No, after Xandar, he couldn’t very well argue about a few days spent with Balastar. “He’ll be fine.”

  Balastar pulled her close. “In that case, I suggest we not waste any time.”

  Kit wrapped her arms around his neck. He may be a little clean cut and posh for her taste, a true gentleman, but the man played her body like none other.

  ***

  Kit woke on the second morning to find Balastar’s hardness pressed against the small of her back. He slowly trailed his fingers across her ass, over her hip, then down her abdomen. She raised her leg, giving him full access.

  This is how it’s done. If only I could wake like this every day.

  Balastar slipped his hand between her legs. “About time you woke up.” His fingers caressed the nub between her lips. She let out a little moan as the sensations spread throughout her body and psi.

  She lifted her hips when his fingers were near her entrance, but he teased, rubbing her nub instead. Rolling fully on her back, she pulled him down for a kiss, but it was never just a kiss with this one. Their psi mixed and mingled, doing a dance all their own. She found his cock with her hand and pumped him slow and steady.

  His fingers plunged deep inside her, picking up the tempo. She kissed him harder, then bit and nipped his lips. He matched her rhythm, and she became wetter with every plunge.

  She was close, so very close when he pulled out.

  “Excuse me? You can’t stop now.”

  He laughed. “Don’t worry, baby. There is no stopping with us.” He flipped himself on top and sheathed himself deep inside her in one fluid motion.

  Pleasure flooded
her, spreading out from her core. Such exquisite sensitivity to this man. His touch, his psi. Her thoughts disintegrated as he glided in and out of her body. Each motion bringing her higher, closer to release.

  She locked her ankles behind his back and let him pound them both to oblivion.

  Kit trailed her fingers across his back as they lay catching their breath. Being stuck here was frustrating on one level, but somehow worked. Which was odd. She didn’t do still. She’d spent her life moving. Smuggling distorters off Vertan and into the hands of those struggling to make a life, free to travel the stars. They’d been here a day and a half. Soon it would be time to move. But not yet.

  Two breakfast packs later, he sat across the table from her shaking his head. “That is quite the metabolism you have there.”

  “I’m telling you, it’s the sex. You’re probably right, though. I think it does increase my metabolism. I can work out for two hours and not eat this much after.”

  He smiled and tilted his head to the side. Ringlets of blond fell on his forehead, and he needed a shave. She liked the days-old stubble. It took the edge off his pretty boy look. This was more her style. She was wondering if he’d keep it that way when reality snapped back into place. This wasn’t Corvak, and it wasn’t her ship. It was time to don some atmo suits and take a visual. The change in thought must have shown on her face.

  “What’s the matter? You’re frowning.” He held his mug in both hands and eyed her over the rim.

  “I was thinking we should get suited-up and take a look outside.”

  His expression sobered as well. “I do, too. We’ll start short, then go long, and if it’s clear, we’ll get the hell out of here.”

  Kit picked up her empty food packs and tossed them into the reclaimer. She should be happy, relieved even, to be getting out of here and back online so she could find Corvak. But she wasn’t. It’s just the sex. Fucking amazing sex. Who wouldn’t miss that?

  It took nearly thirty minutes to get themselves suited up and outside. Like everything on Balastar’s ship, the suits were impressive. They had built-in gravity modulators, giving them approximately one Vertan-G. However, without a planet’s core to draw from, it was a serious power drain on their battery packs. It was a fair trade. They would be able to make the walk out and back in the fraction of the time it would take in zero-G. Kit carried a box with the short-range sensors. They carefully made their way toward the cave entrance, hugging the side wall.