by Cynthia Sax
Count quickly. Thrasher’s control sounded as strained as his was.
One. Ace thrust.
Two. He withdrew.
Three. He drove fully into their female and swiveled his hips, grinding his base against her clit. Their Carys screamed, flinging her body upward, unable to move far, clenching his cock.
“Mine,” Ace roared, his balls feeling as though they’d detonated. Cum exploded from his tip, the force of his release temporarily shorting his visual system, overloading his circuits.
“Mine.” Thrasher’s bellow of satisfaction echoed his. The male’s ass bounced against their female’s chest. His scent flavored the air.
Their Carys screamed a second time, squeezing Ace’s cock, and he pushed deeper, seeking to give her more of him. The motion set Thrasher off, his ass cheeks clenching as more of his tantalizing scent filled the air.
The cycle repeated again and again, every reiteration dampening in comparison to the one before it, until their female had taken everything from them.
“Frag.” Ace collapsed, falling forward. His face smacked against Thrasher’s back. He mouthed along the warrior’s skin, unable and unwilling to straighten.
Thrasher leaned back, the two of them propping each other up. Their Carys trembled and shook under them, soft and sated and delightfully feminine.
They stayed like that for a couple of moments, linked by love, by spent passion. Ace tasted the metallic flavor of Thrasher’s skin. Thrasher rubbed his essence over their female’s breasts.
When that was completed to the warrior’s satisfaction, he toppled to the left. Ace toppled to the right. They snuggled close to their female, burrowing their faces into her curves.
“Have to lick you clean.” Her voice was drowsy.
“You’ll lick both of us clean when we’re done with you.” Thrasher spread his fingers over her stomach. “We’re not done with you yet.”
Ace filled in the spaces with his fingers. “We’ll never be done with you.”
Silence stretched.
Ace listened to the beating of their female’s heart. She was strong in spirit, highly intelligent, but her form was human, delicate, fragile, easily damaged.
He knew what they had to do.
For their female’s safety.
Ace met Thrasher’s gaze. I’m sending the transmission to Power. If we don’t survive this mission, he’ll protect our female.
The Rebels, being foolish humans and humanoids, might seek to reprimand her for her bravery. Their Commander was certain they’d take her battle station away from her. She believed they’d take her life also, executing her for her insubordination.
Ace wouldn’t allow her to face that threat alone.
He’d protect his female even after his death. That meant assigning the task of safeguarding her to a rival.
Power was the best choice. The warrior had been unable to locate the one female genetically designed for him. There was no match for him in any of the databases. He would view their Carys as his only opportunity for long-term companionship. She had absorbed their nanocybotics and wouldn’t age.
He won’t allow anyone to damage her. Power was a powerful proud male. He’d protect anything and any being he viewed as his.
Thrasher scowled, appearing as unhappy as he was with the idea of another male safeguarding their female. Power wants her. He’ll try to claim her physically for his own.
He can try. Even if that was possible, if Power discovered some way to tolerate their opposing nanocybotics, Ace doubted their strong female would allow the physical claiming.
Yes. Thrasher’s blue eyes gleamed. He can try.
Chapter Fifteen
Her males had kept their vows.
Their rest cycle had regretfully ended. Carys walked along their battle station’s corridors. Ace and Thrasher followed her, guarding her rear.
They had covered her with their scent. It wafted from the neckline of her chest covering every time she moved, their unique fragrance comforting her, reassuring her.
It wasn’t a human scent. It was cyborg.
They were cyborgs, difficult to kill, skilled in exactly the type of mission they were undertaking.
She passed crew members. Everyone was aware they were heading into another battle. Their faces were creased with worry lines.
Carys showed none of her concern, her expression carefully constructed arrogance. Crew members gathered courage from their leader. She’d give them what little she could feign.
Feign because it was an act. She was terrified.
She valued the lifespans of the beings reporting to her. They were her responsibility and she would protect them to the best of her ability.
But she loved the two males behind her.
And she was sending them into danger.
She paused outside the doors to the bridge. It was where they’d agreed to part. Her males would head toward their ship. It was parked in the docking bay. She would take the helm of her battle station.
Carys didn’t want to leave them.
She didn’t have a choice.
She was the commander. Commanders did many things they didn’t want to do.
Carys turned. Ace and Thrasher stood before her, their backs straight, their shoulders squared, their faces expressionless. Only their eyes conveyed their emotions. They glowed with caring, with passion, with pride.
“Do you have everything you require to complete your mission?” Her voice was raw, and all of her was aching, wanting to clutch them to her chest, keep them safe.
“Yes, Commander.” They said it in unison.
She looked them over, memorizing their features, noting their weapons. “There’s a sheath empty.” She touched the bare spot over Thrasher’s heart. Her gaze shifted to Ace. There was a bare spot over his heart also.
“That’s for a dagger,” Ace explained. “We’ll be utilizing guns for this mission.”
Guns were faster, could be utilized at a greater distance from the enemy. She nodded, approving of that weapon choice. “You will complete your mission and immediately return to…” Carys paused. “The battle station.”
They were to return to her. She left that unsaid.
“Yes, Commander.”
She caught the teasing edge to their response, spotted the sparkle in their eyes. Carys frowned. This was a serious matter. “There is to be no unnecessary killing.”
Thrasher glanced at Ace. “Yes, Commander.”
What did that look mean? She narrowed her eyes at them.
“We wish to return to…the battle station without delay also.” Thrasher reassured her. “That might require extra killing.”
“That’s acceptable.” As long as they were back by her side as quickly as they were able, she’d tolerate the extra killing.
They gazed at each other. She should dismiss them, allow them to continue to the docking bay.
She couldn’t, not yet.
“You can do this.” She cupped Thrasher’s face. “You are strong. You are intelligent.” You are loved. Carys silently added, telling her emotion-driven warrior what she had told Pimmy, her daughter every sunset.
She skimmed her lips over his, a tempting, teasing kiss expressing softer feelings she couldn’t yet put into words.
“We won’t fail you.” Thrasher flashed her one of his pussy-wetting grins.
“No, you won’t.” She couldn’t lose them. Carys shifted her attention to Ace, her more-patient-yet-no-less-passionate warrior. She captured his face between her trembling fingers.
“Are we worthy, Commander?” There was a touching vulnerability in his voice.
“You are more than worthy, warrior.” She stroked his cheeks. “You are strong. You are intelligent.” You are loved. She indulged in the same whisper of a kiss, conveying the reverence, the caring she held for him.
“If we have to defeat all of the Humanoid Alliance forces to return, we will.” Thrasher bumped against Ace.
“That shouldn’t be necessary.�
� She forced her stern expression. “Concentrate on your mission.”
“Yes, Commander.” They clicked their boot heels together.
“Go.” Before she lost control. “Your ship is waiting for you.”
They obeyed, marching in the opposite direction. She watched them for a couple of moments. Her brain told her they’d be fine. They were cyborgs, had performed similar missions in the past. Her heart screamed not to let them go. She loved them, couldn’t lose them. Her gut was strangely silent, giving no guidance.
She turned, pressed her right hand on the control panel. The doors to the bridge slid open.
“Commander,” Thrasher called.
“Warriors.” She faced them once more.
They stood at the far end of the corridor, her two handsome young males.
“We love you.”
They…what? Before she could respond, they were gone, striding at cyborg speed toward their confrontation with the Humanoid Alliance.
Crew members in the corridors gaped at her. She glanced over her shoulder. The officers on the bridge stared.
They had all heard what her two foolish warriors had said.
Her males loved her. Carys hugged that revelation close to her battered heart. She hadn’t known it was possible for cyborgs to love, yet they did.
They loved her.
They couldn’t die. She’d ensure that they didn’t.
Carys summoned a scowl. “Why is everyone standing around? We have a battle to prepare for.”
Beings raced into action, running left and right.
She entered the bridge, hiding all of her softer emotions under her serious expression. “Navigation, are we on schedule?”
“Yes, Commander.”
That schedule gave her a couple of moments to rally her crew. She sat in the captain’s chair. “Communications, open all internal lines.”
“Internal lines opened, Commander.”
“Warriors, this is your commander speaking.” Carys gripped her chair’s armrests. “And we are all warriors this planet rotation, whether we sit in the captain’s chair, ready our ships for flight, treat the wounded in the medical bay, or distribute supplies to our missile operators.”
She gazed around the bridge. The officers hung on to her every word. They felt the importance of what they were about to do.
“We’re heading into battle. The fiercest battle of our lifespans, a battle that will decide the fates of not only ourselves but our children, our species, our universe. We have an opportunity to end this war, now, on this planet rotation, over these next few moments. This is the battle we’ve been waiting for, warriors. This is the reason we are in this universe. Make me and your offspring’s offspring proud.”
Her crew cheered. Carys nodded at her communications officer.
He closed the internal lines.
She wouldn’t know her offspring’s offspring. Her daughter had died. But she could have an almost endless future with Ace and Thrasher.
Carys focused on the plan she’d crafted with the assistance of her warriors, with the data gathered from her officers. “Navigation, head toward a planet nearest to our target.”
“Are there any other specifications for the planet, Commander?”
“There are none. The planet is a false destination.” And their battle station was a decoy. The success of the battle rested with the mission ship, with her cyborgs. “We’ll act as though we’re unaware of the target’s presence, allow them to chase us.”
“Won’t they suspect a trap?” Her first officer said from his seat to her right.
“They should suspect that.” Carys would. “But they might not.” Many of the Humanoid Alliance commanders were arrogant. “They might believe they’re in control.”
The commander might focus on their battle station and not concern himself with a much smaller ship piloted by two cyborg warriors.
“Shields up?” her weapons officer asked.
“Not yet.” A fully functional vessel would easily detect the target but many of the Rebel battle stations were old. Some were damaged. The Humanoid Alliance knew that, might think they weren’t spotted. “Once they’re within range, we’ll raise shields.”
“Yes, Commander.”
“Space Traffic.” She opened communications with that officer.
“The mission ship has departed, Commander.”
Ace and Thrasher had left the battle station. Carys’ heart squeezed. “I want the rest of our fleet in space. Their mission is to disrupt the enemy’s formation, cause confusion.”
The enemy’s officers would have more difficulty keeping track of their ships. That might make it easier for Ace and Thrasher to land.
Anything she could accomplish to help them, she would do.
They were the only chance of winning this battle, since she was facing a more-advanced battle station that had better shields and more firepower.
They were also two of the three loves of her life, the third being Pimmy, her daughter.
“The target has locked onto us, Commander,” Navigation reported. “They’re closing in on our location.”
“Good.” It was anything but good. It was necessary, however. She wanted the target to chase her battle station. “Keep me posted, Navigation.”
“Our fleet is in space, Commander.” Space Traffic gave her the update.
“Perfect timing, Space Traffic.” Carys displayed the enemy’s battle station on the main viewscreen.
Stars. She gulped. It was in mint condition, dauntingly big, and heavily armed, its sides decorated with gun ports.
To pitch her older battle station against that beast of a vessel was foolhardy.
But that decision was already made. Her males were in space. The impending confrontation with the Humanoid Alliance target was key to the war, to the cyborg brethren gaining their freedom.
She couldn’t, wouldn’t retreat.
“Their missiles are within range, Commander.”
Alarms sounded, lights flashing red, sirens wailing, warning the rest of the crew.
Carys jumped to her feet, unable to sit through a battle.
“Weapons, shields up,” she instructed. According to Thrasher’s calculations, they should hold long enough.
Should. She hated that word. It guaranteed nothing.
“They’re firing, Commander,” her weapons officer announced.
“Brace for impact.” Carys held onto the edge of the console. If her two cyborg warriors were on the bridge, they’d strap their arms around her, hold her steady. She felt achingly vulnerable without them.
The battle station shook. Carys was thrown forward. Her upper thighs smacked the console. Pain shot up her legs.
“It was a direct hit, Commander.” Her weapons officer relayed what Carys already knew.
It would be the first of many direct hits.
“Damage report,” Carys barked.
Her first officer’s slight hesitation reminded her he was new at the position. “There was minimal damage, Commander.” Sweat beaded on his brow but his voice didn’t tremble.
He didn’t yet have the experience but he did have the guts to be a commander.
If they lived through this battle, he could fill her vacant position.
“Weapons, fire at will.” The missiles wouldn’t breach the enemy’s shields, but they’d serve as a much-needed distraction. The Humanoid Alliance Commander would focus on her battle station and not on her ships.
She studied the viewscreen. The space was too clear. There wasn’t enough confusion around the enemy’s vessel.
“Operations.” In a battle like this, every crew member contributed to their efforts. “Dump the metal waste out of all disposal portals.”
“Yes, Commander.” The officer was yelling at her crew before the communication line closed.
Debris filled the void. The bits of waste wouldn’t do any damage to the battle stations but they added to the chaos, disrupted the tracking of ships.
Missiles
volleyed back and forth, arcs of light in the darkness of space.
The battle station shuddered again and again, rocking Carys against the console, the motion bruising her thighs. The shields held.
“Space Traffic, report.” Had Ace and Thrasher successfully infiltrated the enemy’s vessel?
“We’ve lost two ships, Commander.”
Shit. Beings had died. Had one of the ships contained her males? “The mission ship?”
“Successfully docked. They went dark after that.”
They had planned to go dark, not wanting to trigger any alarms with their communications. Carys blew out her breath, relieved.
Ace and Thrasher had docked. That had been the most dangerous part of their mission. Once on board the target, her two cyborgs could disable any system they needed to.
They were fast, able to dodge enemy fire, and they were tough, able to survive any projectile wounds. All they had to do was set the alarms and leave.
“Space Traffic, tell our fleet to retreat.” They were no longer needed and she wouldn’t put them at any additional risk. “They should fall back one at a time.” A mass retreat would appear suspicious, could raise questions in the Humanoid Alliance Commander’s mind. “The goal is to make the enemy think our ships are being hit.”
“Understood, Commander.” Her Officer confirmed.
She had some of the best pilots in space. They would enjoy that challenge.
“Weapons?”
“Shields—both ours and theirs—are still holding, Commander.”
The shields were buying them much-needed time. As Thrasher had predicted. “Navigation, feign a retreat.” The Humanoid Alliance Commander would expect them to move, to try to avoid the missiles. “Make it slow, as though our engines have been damaged.”
“Retreating slowly, Commander.”
The enemy tracked them, not allowing the gap between them to widen. They were confident, as they should be. They had the superior vessel.
Then the Humanoid Alliance’s guns started to fail. One at a time. Starting from the back of the battle station, far away from the docking bay Ace and Thrasher had entered.
Carys knew who was responsible, however.
Her lips flattened. Those damn warriors. They had vowed to enter and to exit as quickly as possible. Ace and Thrasher shouldn’t be using their valuable time to disable the weapons system.