by L P Peace
‘Interesting,’ Thanesh growled, his mouth closed, his jaw muscles clenched hard. His eyes narrowed as he looked away. ‘I have no intention of sending you back to Earth,’ he said. ‘Well, I do. But not exactly.’
‘Then what?’ Olivia asked, taking a seat next to Kadian.
‘You know about the events at the IGC?’
Olivia nodded. ‘They blame us,’ she confirmed.
‘Yes. We know it was a plot between Hekalion Dar and…’ Thanesh looked at Kadian, ‘and Arridis Ordal.’
‘He didn’t!’ Kadian stood again. ‘That vrokking vashni!’ he shouted. ‘That vrokking traitorous vashni!’
‘A traitorous vashni who has gone missing. Dar told Sophia he was selling Arridis into slavery to prevent him from talking. I have people on it.’
Olivia tugged on Kadian’s hand and pulled him back into his seat. She knew who Arridis was, of course. Kadian and Arridis were both prisoners of the Goedan, forced to work on radiant. Radiant that ran Endurance, the one fighter jet and this planet. She couldn’t imagine how betrayed he felt right now.
‘What is your plan, Thanesh,’ Olivia asked.
Thanesh smiled at her. It was slight, but there was a fondness there that seemed out of place for them having just met.
He walked over to the seat opposite them and sat. ‘There’s going to be a war,’ he said. ‘Sooner or later, those clamouring for retribution against Earth will get their way unless we can prove who was actually behind it. We have to assume that won’t happen.’ Thanesh leaned forward. ‘They are going to attempt to invade your world and force me and my allies to protect it. When that day comes, humans will need ships. I believe Rhona calls this “skin in the game”.’
Olivia huffed a laugh hearing the alien Thanesh using the term. Though he’d been human once, she reminded herself. All of the Protectorate males had been human. They had been taken from Earth three hundred years before in an event called ‘The Violation’. They were genetically altered, their memories wiped to turn them into mindless slaves. An army meant to invade Earth so that humans could be turned into an army. The Cealin, the aliens who took them, had intended to conquer an empire. But Thanesh and his men, upon awakening, had chosen another path.
‘So,’ she encouraged, forcing herself to concentrate on what was happening now.
‘I’m going to build a space station outside of Earth space, barely. They still won’t allow us to patrol, and they won’t join the Protectorate. It will be a diplomatic space station on the face of it. A place for us to meet with human diplomats. A place for them to meet diplomats from other worlds. But I also plan on having a science section of the station—’
‘And you want Kadian and I to build radiant engines for Earth there.’
‘For warships,’ Thanesh agreed. ‘When the time comes, the humans will need them. But until that station is built, I will want you and Kadian to stay here.’
‘How long?’ Olivia asked. ‘Until it’s built.’
‘A solar, two at the most.’
Olivia looked at Kadian, who was watching her closely. ‘What do you think?’
‘I may not like some aspects of your home very much, but overall, I’m fond of humans,’ he said. ‘And I will go wherever you go.’
Olivia leaned forward and kissed him. It was a chaste kiss, but still, it sparked between them as though all of the need between them was contained in that one kiss.
‘Build your space station,’ Olivia smiled. ‘We’ll go.’
Thanesh stood. ‘Good. Your family, are they safe?’
‘No,’ Olivia admitted.
Thanesh nodded. ‘They are now,’ he said. ‘Let me deal with Earth and communications. I will come back to you when I have a plan to make them safe.’
‘Thank you,’ Olivia said. Without thinking, she stood and hugged the High-Protector. Thanesh stood stunned for a moment, then hugged her back briefly before gently setting her away from him, an eye on Kadian.
‘No need to thank me. I look after my own.’ With that, he let himself out.
‘What do you think he meant by that?’ Olivia asked, staring at the door.
‘His own?’
Kadian smiled. ‘You’ll discover very soon. Thanesh adopts those he cares for or considers useful. We all become an extended part of the Protectorate, but in exchange, he demands loyalty and, if he needs you, he expects you to be there.’
Olivia considered Kadian’s words. Without having to think, she knew if Thanesh wanted her help with something, she would do everything she could to make it happen. He was going to take care of her father and brother. How could she not give him her loyalty?
‘Right,’ he said, standing up. ‘I think we go back to bed, make love forty more times while our clothes are cleaned, then I’ll take you out shopping for new ones and food?’
Olivia smiled at Kadian. ‘That sounds like a plan,’ she said. She stood to her feet before falling into his arms.
Testing on the compound radiant engine was well underway. It had been Olivia’s idea. Have several smaller engines, each tied to one another, each responsible for different systems but able to cover should one or more go offline. It was built to ensure future ships never fell to the tactics used against Endurance.
All the computer models showed it had the unexpected side effect of making the engine more powerful. Fortitude, the first human warship, would be the first ship fitted with the engine once testing was complete.
‘Olivia, can you take him?’
Kadian was working across their lab on Athena station, the space station the Tessans built on the border of Earth space. He was carrying Denian, their son, in a sling wrapped around his body. Kadian liked to have Denian close.
Walking across the lab, she took their son, smelling him as she held him close while Kadian rewrapped the sling around her with practised fingers.
Denian’s body could run both hot and cold. He was cool to the touch when she took him, but as his tiny body curled against hers, his body temperature rose until he was a warm presence against her skin. Denian could adjust his body temperature to his environment.
His skin was a brownish-grey as opposed to his father’s greyish-brown. His eyes were just like his father’s, but the gold iris held flecks of green in them. His brow was smoother than the ridged brow of his father, but it was just as bald. Denian had no hair follicles anywhere on his body.
He was a constant source of wonder to his parents.
After Dairon smuggled Olivia’s father and brother off Earth, Thanesh carefully curated and shared Kadian and Olivia’s story as though it was happening in real time. Earth became addicted to the small updates over the course of several days. When news came that Olivia was safe, there were celebrations on across the Sol system; the fact that Kadian and Olivia were a couple became an accepted fact.
After, Thanesh approached the humans about building Athena station as a place of shared scientific exploration and diplomatic endeavour. The citizens of Earth were overwhelmingly in favour. The government had no choice to accede, especially when Thanesh made it clear they would have equal power at the station, and they did.
Alexander Bilaal Gadid was an ambassador, his wife, Nyala, an admiral. Nyala was the station CO, Alexander the diplomat sent to greet the various alien representatives who had made overtures to Earth through the Tessans.
Today, for the first time, Thanesh would arrive with the Amaran ambassador, courtesy of the Ilan, his Ilidan, and Ilia.
‘How’s it going?’ Olivia asked, walking over to sit with her little boy.
‘I almost have it,’ Kadian said, his voice distracted.
The radiant they were working with was fragments leftover from building Endurance’s engine and the fighter engine. After another few moments, he stood from the console and walked over to Olivia, his hand cradling the top of their son’s head.
‘Computer, show the Pallas drone.’
A screen lit up and the black of space appeared. Somewhere out there, a dro
ne floated around with the Radiant fragments inside. If this worked, it would light up and have power. If it exploded, it would be far enough away that it wouldn’t affect them.
‘You, my love,’ Kadian said.
Returning his smile with one of her own, Olivia stood and joined him. ‘Computer, execute code olive tree.’
A few moments passed.
The probe lit up with a halo of pure white light.
Behind them, the other scientists working on the project erupted into cheers.
Kadian grabbed Olivia and Denian close. ‘Well done, my love.’ His voice was ragged from pride. ‘Well done!’
Earth was used to military space stations with children on them. So several of them ran around the reception room as they waited for the Tessans to arrive with their Amaran guests. This would include several Tessan and Amaran scientists who would be permanently joining them.
Alexander and Nyala were a happily married couple. They’d both grown up in the Ethiopian highlands, which Kadian had been fortunate enough to visit while on Earth. It was stunning. A craggy landscape of mountains and valleys that Kadian had fallen in love with. Earth was a beautiful place.
‘The ship has docked,’ a young woman said as she approached. ‘They’ll be here in a few minutes.’
‘Excellent, Kamali. Thank you.’ Alexander said. He put his arm around the girl’s waist. ‘Have you met our daughter, Kamali?’
Olivia extended a hand and smiled while Alexander introduced them. She studied Kamali, who was around fifteen years old. Like her parents, her skin was rich brown in colour. Her eyes were a brown so dark they appeared black and her hair was worn loose and in bob with twisted locks that was half-stylish, half-celebratory of her tight coiled hair. It framed her delicate features and round eyes. The girl was already stunning.
Kamali took one look at Denian and gasped, a look of pure delight on her face. ‘May I hold him?’
‘Of course.’ Olivia slipped her son out of the sling currently wrapped around Kadian and carefully handed him over to Kamali.
‘Good god, he’s precious!’ she whispered.
‘I very much agree,’ Olivia said, stroking her son’s head.
‘Todaal and humans make such beautiful babies!’ Kamali said, her eyes locked on Denian’s little face.
‘He’ll be joined soon by a little girl,’ Kadian said.
Kamali looked at Olivia’s flat stomach with surprise.
‘Oh, not me. We’re going to wait a couple years before we have another one. Our friends, Tanir and Mona.’
A shiver went through the room, and the arrival of their guests was announced.
Thanesh entered with Alethia at his side, their children behind them. Olivia took Denian back, helping Kadian get him back inside the sling while the Bilaal Gadids welcomed them, their children and the other Tessan’s to the room. When they had been introduced to everyone, the Amaran contingent arrived and the spectacle was repeated. The Amaran representative, an Adalan called Sessan Tanios, was accompanied by his bond-mates and their two children.
As often happened, the children already in the room, curious and not nearly as prejudiced as some, found the new arrivals. Faster than anyone could have predicted, the room was filled with running and laughter.
‘That’ll be you one day,’ Olivia said, kissing Denian.
Kadian reached over and kissed Olivia.
The reality of the station was that they were preparing for war; that was why they were there. But the hope it represented something more peaceful couldn’t be denied.
Want to know more about Tanir and Mona? You can download their story, The Commander’s Debt, here from Bookfunnel.
Not done with Kadian and Olivia? Want to see what happens to Tanir and Mona in the years to come? You can find a Bonus Epilogue for The Scientist’s Price here.
Did you enjoy this story? Please consider leaving an Amazon review.
Universal Menagerie
Aavani are one of the slave races. Their skin, hair and eyes are gold. Originally known as the children of Micilla. The race actually comes from pale gold to dark bronze colour, but the golden ones are the ones everyone knows. Most of the other colours were killed by the Bentari. Decimen and Daius Edan are both Aavani.
Adosian have bull-like horns, pale grey skin and tails. Adosian females have no rights under Adosian law, with Adosian men considered the ones who know what is best for them. Thelan, the agent who saves Zoe from the Orthali on The Crucible is Adosian.
Ajnia are a canine-like race. They have two sets of horns, digitigrade feet, a muzzle like mouth and two sets of arms. Their skin is like suede, and they wear their hair dreaded. They used to be members of the Protectorate but left after the Tessans made their declaration against slavery.
Amaran people have the same morphology as humans, two legs, arms, eyes and ears. They have grey skin, the males and females in lighter tones, whereas adalan, their third gender, tends to have darker grey skin. Dahnus Ascendi is Amaran, and Tyne and Aran are adalan.
Athon have enormous feathered wings, with lighter downy feathers over the rest of their bodies. Volder, the pit fighter is Athon.
Bataarin have dark grey skin and black eyes, which are mostly pupils. Their hair comes in blues and greens. They come from a very dark world which only gets dim twilight a handful of times a solar. Mikel is a Bataarin.
Bolsen have blue skin with dark blue, tear-drop markings that start on their temples, go down their necks. The markings continue down the spine, over their chest and continue down to their sexual organs. They glow, flashing in different ways to show their emotional states. They also flash in a pattern when they meet their mates. The markings are extremely sensitive and are responsible for climax. Rorak, the male who helped Kadian rescue Olivia, is Bolsen. Chloe, Anne’s daughter in The Captain’s Promise, is half-Bolsen.
Bentari are the most successful slaving race in known space. They have orange to red glowing eyes with vertical pupils. Their skin is ruddy brown, and they have dark red tendrils on the back of their heads. Hekalion Dar is Bentari.
Cealin have white skin, pale blue, green and purple eyes. White hair. They are tall but slenderer than the average race. They kidnapped 50,000+ human males and genetically altered them and wiped their memories. Those males revolted, escaped and became the Protectorate. The Cealin live underground on the third planet of their system but evolved on the second planet. It was destroyed by the Enhari.
Dauvin have black hair and eyes with dark grey to black skin. Dauvin males are subservient to their queens. A queen will have several lovers and goes through heat every few years where she will make love with her entire harem, then lays eggs.
Davoshin have dark red, almost maroon skin. Large bone plates and bone spikes protrude from their arms, shoulders and back. Daius Edan was born free on a secret Aavani colony. Their colony was destroyed when Davoshin invaded, killed the darker-skinned Aavani and sold the remainder into slavery.
Devori live close to nature. They are a neutral race, though some want to enter the slave trade to become more powerful. They have black hair, yellow, orange and red eyes and grey/green skin.
Enhari have steal blue and charcoal grey skin with striations of different colours. The striations are better than fingerprints for identification. The current Enhari king murdered the previous king and his family. Their society is under embargo by most worlds for their attempts to create an empire almost four hundred solars previously. This embargo would have ended a long time ago, but they keep acting against different members of the IGC.
Fedhith are a metallic purple-skinned race, with stunning eyes. Fedhith males are subservient to their females. A female can take as many lovers as she likes. Males are brought up in monasteries where they are trained to please their females. If they lose their purity, they are punished, tattooed and sold as pleasure slaves. They produce a venom that allows a female to bear their children, but it also acts to prevent them getting pregnant by other males. Males are required to w
ear their hair long and bound for the pleasure of their females only.
Gaoalin are a deeply honourable race. They have ice blue skin, white horns and pale eyes of all different colours. Their homeworld is extremely cold.
Gliedan are Black-skinned and gold-scaled aliens, with digitigrade feet, tail and tendrils on their heads. They are ovipositors. Vandamir the pit fighter is Gliedan.
Goedan are a reptilian race who took the Enhari's side during the war hundreds of solars ago. Their space is surrounded by Amaran, Enhari and Inadiine space. Not much is known about them.
Hieledan are a Naga like sapient race made up of several tribes of different colours; black, blue, gold, green, purple, red and turquoise. Each tribe will occasionally produce a pure white Hieladan, they are considered sacred. The blue Hieladan tribe used to rule the planet, but they were betrayed by the black, who were their primary guards. Later, the family who took the throne were murdered, all but one son, and overthrown by the head of their guard. The home world has been in a state of war since.
Himaran are a dark grey race, with red markings. They are highly poisonous.
Hinari can only mate in groups of five; four males to one female. They are neighbours of both the Amarans and Kuyon and along with the Horran have fallen under Amaran protection for hundreds of solars. As such, they have strong political ties with all three peoples. Hinari males have a strong domination instinct. Unfortunately, it is easily corrupted to make true sadists, so they ignore the urge to dominate out of fear of falling into behaviours that once brought their race to the edge of oblivion.
Horran are one of the larger races. From 7 to 8 feet tall. They have huge horns which make them appear much taller. Even though they fall under Amaran protection, they do not have Tessan protection, though they are under negotiation to join the Protectorate. Their skin is mottled blue steel with a lighter turquoise or teal markings. It almost appears like marble. Jorvath, the pit fighter is Horran.