Her Commanders

by M. K. Eidem

  "Who filed the complaint?"

  "A waitress at The Brink." Taarig frowned as he looked at his tablet. "California Baker. Isn't that the name of the female you saved from the transport incident?"

  "Yes," Jamis said shortly.

  ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

  Cali ignored the stares she received walking down the wide, immaculately-clean corridor of the Command Level on the Star Base. It was vastly different from the wear-and-tear on the lower levels.

  It had been a long, hectic, dark shift, and the crowd in The Brink had been rowdier than usual. Mae had stayed past her scheduled time and then protested when Cali sent her home, but the pregnant female's exhaustion had been apparent. Mae had only agreed when Tay promised he would stay until Cali left.

  That had Tay working a double shift, too, because Cali hadn't come out from behind the bar except to take a short break. She'd waited until long after the last credit disbursement. When Nox still hadn't made an appearance by the third day, as she'd warned, she'd filed her complaint.

  Now she was running on no sleep, still dressed in her 'work' attire, and the stares she was receiving were starting to piss her off. Yes, she knew she was showing a lot of skin, but that was what her entire 'outfit' was supposed to do; from the black-heeled boots that went halfway up her thighs to her silver skirt that didn't even reach the top of them. Then there was the matching midriff-length, sheer shirt that drew the eye to the black bra that gave her more cleavage than she actually had. If that weren't enough to distract beings from wondering about her heritage, her facial cosmetics would. She'd heavily outlined her eyes with kohl and enhanced her full lips with a deep, dark red that males and even some females couldn't stop staring at. As a final touch, she'd spiked her hair with energy rods to distract from the excess power that still glowed through some of the strands. It also had the added benefit of keeping it out of her way as she worked.

  Coming up to the door with the plaque Star Base Commander Jamis Dexxirs imprinted on it, she pressed a finger against the access pad. When the door silently slid open, she stepped inside and was surprised at what she found.

  She'd braced herself to face Jamis again. After all, he had final authority on complaints against those under his command. Her thoughts repeatedly returned to him over the last few days, especially when lying alone in her bed during the night. It was because of more than the suggestive comments he'd made in the shelter, although they'd made her wonder. It was the way he'd held and cared for her and how right it had felt being in his arms. Still, she refused to be another one of his many, many females, especially after what happened with Nox. Although that didn't mean she hadn't pleasured herself fantasizing about him fucking her, well, him and Taarig. Now that had been an incredible orgasm, and why she momentarily paused when she saw Sub Commander Ynn standing behind Jamis.

  She'd only ever caught glimpses of him before but could see her fantasy hadn't done him justice. While he was similar to Jamis in looks, with the same black hair and dark grey eyes swirled with silver, Taarig was slightly shorter and leaner, with sharper cheekbones and lips that appeared to smile more than the Commander’s. She knew those lips would be playing a feature role in her next fantasy.

  ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

  Jamis knew his expression didn't change, but he felt his breath catch at his first sight of Cali in nearly five days. She appeared to be a completely different creature than the one he'd held in his arms in that shelter. Yet, he found this version of her just as attractive. Maybe it was because she looked so different. It made him want to discover who she really was.

  Taarig let his gaze travel over the little female that had his friend's breath catching. Yes, he'd caught that subtle change, but only because he knew Jamis so well. He hadn't gotten a good look at her on the flight deck, but he knew her hair hadn't looked like this. She also hadn't radiated so much power. It was incredibly arousing.

  "Sit," Jamis motioned to the chair in front of his desk. "We'll begin as soon as Pilot First Class Trudo arrives."

  Cali looked to the lone chair, then back to where Jamis sat behind a desk perfectly proportioned for his massive size, and raised an eyebrow. "Nox won't be sitting?"

  "When I read a complaint, the Coalition member always stands."

  "Then I'll stand also."

  "Please, Khatun Baker. That is the correct way to address a single, Earthan female?" the friendly way Taarig asked the question told Cali he was used to soothing ruffled feathers.

  "It is, but I prefer Cali."

  "Cali it is then." The smile he gave her had her thinking about his lips again. "Please, would you sit? It is customary for nonmilitary personnel."

  Cali's eyes narrowed slightly, letting Taarig know she didn't entirely believe him, but she moved to the chair and, after carefully sitting down, tucked her legs beneath it.

  A low tone filled the room, indicating that someone was at the door. Jamis touched a spot on his desk, and the door slid open, admitting Nox with his jacket secured improperly, and his cheeks flushed as if he had rushed to get there.

  "Star Base Commander," Nox thumped his fist against his chest then repeated it as he looked at Taarig, "Sub Commander."

  "You are late," Jamis said in a stern, cold tone.

  "Sir, sorry, sir. I was asleep when the message came in and didn't immediately notice it when I woke. If I may ask, sir, why am I here?"

  "A complaint has been filed against you, Pilot First Class Trudo. The charge is thievery."

  "What?" Nox finally looked at Cali. If she hadn't known better, she might have believed the shock in his voice was real. "Oh, Cali, I can't believe you'd take it this far."

  "Really? Even after I told you, I would give you three days, or I'd file the complaint?"

  "Did you think this little stunt would get me to give up Vaine and take you back?" He shook his head in disappointment. "I'm sorry if you thought you might mean something to me, that you could buy my attention, but that was never going to happen."

  "Buy your attention?" she bit out, her eyes beginning to turn topaz.

  "By letting me use your credit chip while you were gone. If you had told me where you were going, I would have notified you I moved on. After all, it's the civilized thing to do. I never wanted you to find out the way you did."

  "And how was that?" Jamis asked quietly.

  "Cali came to my quarters and found my current lover, Vaine, with me. We were both barely dressed." Nox looked back to Jamis. "To say Cali was enraged would be an understatement."

  "I see," Jamis said.

  "I was enraged because you used my chip without my permission. I was enraged because you threatened Mae when she questioned you about it. You fucking someone else had nothing to do with it. You weren't that good, Nox."

  That had Nox's orange skin turning red and his expression ugly. "You kept coming back, though, didn't you?"

  "I came back once because I figured it had to get better, but it didn't. I planned on letting you know it was over when I got back, but my trip took longer than expected. When I finally returned, I had more important things to deal with than you. That is until I discovered what you'd done."

  "Did you threaten a female, Pilot First Class Trudo?" Jamis demanded.

  "Certainly not!" Nox immediately denied it.

  "Khatun Baker, have you ever used your chip to buy drinks for Pilot First Class Trudo before?" Jamis turned his attention to her.

  "What? What does that have to do with anything?"

  "Have you ever…"

  Cali gave a disbelieving snort. "I heard what you said. I just don't know why that would matter."

  "It would explain why Pilot First Class Trudo would feel comfortable using your credit chip when you were gone."

  Her jaw dropped. "Aren't you listening? I never gave it to him. It fell out of my pocket, and he just used it."

  "An owner is required to verify a credit chip before use. So, you must have given Pilot First Class Trudo your code."

  "I didn't, becau
se worker chips in The Brink don't need verification. At least they didn't. Since I discovered Nox's illegal use of mine, I changed that."

  "I didn't use it illegally," Nox continued to deny, "that would be cause for my expulsion from the Coalition. Why would I risk that?"

  "Because you're an arrogant prick who thinks he can talk his way out of anything."

  "Enough!" Jamis roared. "Khatun Banks, did anyone notify you that your chip was used?"

  "No," she admitted.

  "Then I must conclude that no one in The Brink thought Pilot First Class Trudo's use of your chip to be unusual," Jamis’s voice was calm again.

  "I told you that Mae did."

  "But she did not contact you," Jamis repeated.

  "No, she couldn't."

  "Then it's your word against that of a pilot in the Coalition."

  "And, of course, you're going to take his word over mine."

  "Without evidence to directly contradict it, then I must." Was there a flicker of regret in his eyes as Jamis spoke? It was gone too fast for Cali to know.

  "Because the Coalition always protects its own." She should have known this was a waste of time, but for some reason, she'd thought better of Jamis. She rose to leave. "I don't know why I even bothered."

  "Wix Corp notified us there is a new owner of The Brink," Jamis said and saw her pause.

  "There is?" Nox questioned, then snapped his mouth closed when Jamis glared at him.

  Next, he addressed Cali, "I will speak to him and explain the situation. Your job should be secure."

  "Oh, I know my job is secure," Cali couldn’t help her self-satisfied smile, "Because I'm the new owner of The Brink."

  "What?!" all three males said in unison.

  "I believe you heard me, and since the Coalition won't take action against Nox, I will."

  "You can’t garnish my allotment, Cali," Nox told her, a smug smile breaking across his face.

  "You are right. However, The Brink’s owner can ban you until you settle your debt. I will, of course, be notifying Wik Corp as to why I am doing this. They will pass that information on to every other owner of a Wik Corp establishment. Who will, in turn, also ban you."

  "You can't do that!" Nox turned frantic eyes to Jamis. "Star Base Commander!"

  "I have no authority over the private business practices of Wik Corp or those who work for them, Pilot First Class Trudo. So, I suggest you either settle your debt with Khatun Baker or stay out of Wik Corp controlled businesses."

  "But that's nearly impossible," Nox whined. "They own most of the known universe."

  "Those are your choices."

  "I'll leave you to notify all those 'friends' who were with you when you used my credit chip. I am sure they'll be happy to know while I'm not banning them, they will be required to pay for all their drinks upfront themselves until you settle your debt. Wik Corp will also receive their names. Now, if you'll excuse me, I've been working all night and would like to get some sleep." With that, she turned and left the room.

  "Sir…" Nox began.

  "It's done, Trudo. Dismissed."

  "Yes, sir." Spinning on his heel, Nox headed for the door.

  "And, Trudo," Jamis waited until he had turned back around. "I advise you to do as Khatun Banks said. Advise your friends and be aware that you have now drawn my attention."

  Nox swallowed hard, nodded, then quickly left the room.

  "Gods, Jamis," Taarig moved to take the seat Cali had vacated. "That female has a mean streak. I think I'm in love."

  Chapter Five

  Jamis’s gaze traveled over the heavily-muscled male standing before the closed doors of The Brink wearing form-fitting pants and a sleeveless vest that emphasized every bulging muscle. It wasn't hard to understand why Cali had chosen this Galaian as a Protector for her business. If his size didn't intimidate someone, the traditional, blue facial-tattoos of a Galaian warrior on his olive-colored skin would. They covered his entire face accentuating his forehead, nose, mouth, and jaw, and with his long, dark hair pulled away from his face held by a tie, they stood out even more.

  They didn't intimidate Jamis, but he did respect what the male had to go through to receive them. Moving forward, Jamis watched the male take in his approach, and if anything, his expression became even grimmer.

  "Something I can do for you, Star Base Commander?" the Protector asked in a deep, rough voice.

  "You can open the door if that's your job. Otherwise, I'll do it myself."

  "You want to enter The Brink?" he let Jamis hear his disbelief.

  Jamis didn't say anything, just waited. After a moment, the Protector reached for the handle of the door and pulled it open. The volume of sound the door had blocked surprised Jamis. The door closed behind him as he stepped inside, sealing him inside.

  He wasn't sure what he expected The Brink to be. Some dark, dreary place, he supposed, but that wasn't what this was. While the overhead lighting was dim, there was more than enough along the floor and the tables to make up for it. But the true beacon in the room was the immense, glowing bar that curved along the inside wall. It pulled the customer to it, as did the female behind it.

  She'd changed her hairstyle to be more subdued, at least in comparison to the last time he'd seen her three days ago. Now it was pulled back from her face by braids that had hundreds of glow strands woven in it. Her clothing, what he could see of it, was even skimpier than before, if that was possible. The red squares making up this top conformed to her body like a second skin. It only went halfway up her chest, barely covering her nipples. It forced her breasts so high he wasn't sure how they weren't falling out. Not with the way they bounced and jiggled as Cali moved around making drinks for her customers.

  Walking over, he took an empty seat at one end of the bar and realized he wasn't the only male whose eyes focused on Cali's breasts or anticipating their release. He found he didn't like that. He also didn't like the skirt she wore, now that he could see it. While it was longer than what she'd worn in his office, it wasn't solid. Instead, the same red fabric panels as the top separated as she moved, giving tantalizing glimpses of her pale, toned legs.

  A flash of surprise crossed her face when she turned and saw him sitting there. It quickly turned into a teasing smile, and she walked toward him, slowly rolling her hips, making her skirt swing from side-to-side.

  "Of all the gin joints, in all the Star Bases, in all the Universe, you had to walk into mine," she quipped, stopping in front of him.

  "What?" Jamis frowned, not understanding what she was saying.

  "Nothing." She waved a hand absently. "It's a line from an old Earthan movie that I adapted. So, what are you doing in The Brink, Commander Dexxirs?"

  "As you pointed out, not only am I the Commander of this Star Base, but I am also an Apre. I go where I want when I want. And I decided I wanted to see why The Brink is the most popular establishment on my Star Base, even if it makes some uncomfortable."

  "I see," she chuckled slightly. "So then, what can I get you to drink, Commander?"

  Jamis looked from her to the variety of bottles displayed on the wall behind her, then zeroed in on one. "Is that Apreian skotsk?"

  Cali didn't have to turn to know which bottle he saw. It was on the highest shelf and had the distinctive shape that only Apreian skotsk bottles had. "In that particular bottle? No, it's just up there for show, but I do have some."

  Turning, she went to the display wall, and after entering in a code, the door to a hidden cubby slid open, and she pulled out an identical bottle to the one on the high shelf. Returning to where Jamis sat, she picked up a short glass, added a spherical orb of ice, then set it in front of him. Opening the bottle, she slowly began to pour its contents over the sphere until it was halfway submerged.

  Jamis raised an eyebrow at her.

  "What? You didn't think a lowly, Earthan drink slinger would know the proper way to pour your precious Apreian skotsk?" Slapping the top back on the bottle, she returned it to its secure ho
me.

  "That wasn't what I was thinking," he told her as he took a sip of the perfectly chilled skotsk but admitted to himself that he was surprised.

  "Oh really," she said, returning with the credit collector.

  "No, I thought that was excessive," he gestured to where she stored the bottle. "Even for this fine Apreian skotsk."

  She shrugged her shoulders. "It's rarely asked for, and occasionally a few of our more… enterprising patrons manage to get behind the bar. There's no reason to chance it."

  She set the credit collector in front of him and tapped it with her index finger.

  "You're not going to buy me my first drink at The Brink?" he teased even as he reached inside his jacket for his credit chip.

  "And be accused of trying to buy another male's attention?" she hissed out with more rage than she intended. "Not happening." When she would have turned away, she found her wrist snagged by his much larger hand, halting her.

  "I never believed you did that," Jamis ground out, angry that she would think he did. "And just to be clear, you've had my attention ever since I saw you on the transport."

  Cali continued to look at him for a moment, then tipped her head back and laughed, the tension leaving her stance. "You're full of shite, Star Base Commander. It was that Si female who held your attention on the transport. Now, I have thirsty customers waiting."

  She looked to her wrist, and slowly he released it. She tapped the credit collector one more time with a finger before she turned away and said, "Don't forget to pay, Commander, or I'll have to ban you from The Brink too."

  Saying nothing, Jamis tapped his credit chip on the collector. When it beeped, she picked it up and went back to work.

  ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

  Jamis relaxed back in his chair and watched Cali work. She was fast, efficient, and didn't take shite from anyone, regardless of their size. She was fearless, and he couldn't believe how much that turned him on. The memory of how she felt pressed against him had him shifting in his chair and adjusting his hardening cock.