by T. J. Quinn
“We will.”
“How long will it take us to get to Efloria?” she asked, changing the topic, as she got up and put on her tunic, still not very happy with the idea of visiting the planet.
Kenyon jumped to his feet and put on his clothes as well. “A few more days. We’ll only be there for a couple of days, while we make plans and decide what to do next,” he explained.
“And where would we go from there?”
“Probably take you and the other women to a safe place while we return to Dreshan. Neela and the girls won’t want to go back there, and I can’t say I blame them, after all, they went through.”
“That sounds like a good plan,” she said, with a faint smile, not sure she wanted to be on a planet she didn’t know without him.
“I know it’s not the ideal situation, but we might engage in a war with the Dreshanians, and if that happens I want you in a safe place, away from the danger of battle,” he explained, kissing her head once more.
“I know it makes sense. I guess I’m a bit scared of being on my own in a place I don’t know,” she confessed.
“You won’t be alone. After what happened in Kalyko, we’ll leave a man with you to take care of you,” he informed her.
“Can’t that man be you?” she asked, though she knew the answer to her question. If you were going into a war, you would want to have an Asloran on your side. Their ability as warriors was well known. She raised her hand. “Don’t answer that, I know you can’t.”
He pulled her closer to him and kissed her. “You will be alright, and I’ll be in touch as much as possible.”
She smiled and nodded. “I know I’m being childish, but you’re right I’ll be fine with the other girls and whoever you leave behind.”
“Yes, you will.” He kissed her again before he guided her out of the room.
“I need a shower before the next meal,” she warned him with a smile. “I’ll see you there.”
“I would suggest joining you, but we both know we wouldn’t be on time for the meal,” he replied, with a naughty grin.
She chuckled. “I know that.”
“Enjoy your shower,” he said, as he turned to head to his own room.
Despite the fact they spent almost every free minute he had together, he was still sleeping in his own room. Sharian wasn’t sure how that made her feel, but it sure didn’t raise her hopes of a future with the man that had become so important to her.
She knew it was a mistake, that she should be taking whatever there was between them as a fling, an affair, but it was very hard not to fall for a man like Kenyon. His kindness, strength, and sense of justice attracted her as much as his fabulous body. She was completely hooked on him, and that couldn’t end well.
She sighed and went straight for a shower. A few minutes later, she was entering the meals room ready to eat and enjoy the evening with the rest of the crew.
The journey to Efloria felt too short, probably because she had little desire to visit the planet. She had spent those days trying to find an excuse to stay on board the vessel without sounding as childish as she felt.
She had a bad feeling about the visit, and no matter how hard she tried, she wasn’t able to shake it off.
They finally landed on Efloria. Ethan and Jaffar were at the docking bay waiting for them.
Neela rushed into the arms of her man, while Caisys and Ashryn pretended they weren’t disappointed with the absence of their men.
“How did you find my baby?” Jaffar asked, sounding worried as if talking about a child.
Kenyon chuckled. “Your ‘baby’ is just fine, with no harm done and running perfectly. Matthew can give you all the details,” he informed his friend after greeting him with a tight hug.
“Thank you. I wanted to go pick her up personally, but Ethan had other plans.”
“Matthew and Steven did a good job,” he assured Jaffar.
“I’m sure of that, but I can’t wait to check it on my own.”
“You’ll have more than enough time for that, later,” Ethan interrupted them when he finally released Neela from a tight embrace. “Let’s get out of here. After all this time traveling, I’m sure you’ll enjoy having solid ground under your feet,” Ethan said, signaling the vehicle waiting for them outside the docking bay.
The men nodded and a few moments later, they were leaving the area, leaving behind a couple of men in each vessel just in case. Ethan didn’t trust the Eflorians completely. They were too reserved as if they were hiding something.
They had bought all the weapons they needed from them, but he confessed to his men he couldn’t wait to get out of there.
“Why isn’t Conrad here?” Caisys asked when they were on their way to the property Ethan had rented for their stay on Efloria.
“I sent him and Jared on a mission. We weren’t sure if you would arrive today, so they agreed to leave. Either way, they will be back before sunset,” Ethan calmed the woman with a smile.
“Have you finished buying?” Kenyon asked his boss.
“Yes, I believe we have all we need.”
They arrived at a small building on the outskirts of the city, and they all left the vehicle. The place was huge but just enough to host so many people.
“Have you contacted the colonizers on Dreshan?” Kenyon asked Ethan.
“Yes, I have. Not as much as I wished, but enough to set up a meeting with them at the nearest intergalactic market,” Ethan briefed his men on the latest events.
“That’s a good idea. They should have the last say on this,” Kenyon said, nodding.
“Yes, I thought so too.”
They entered the house, and the newcomers were astounded with the interior. It felt as if they had entered a vessel. The whole place used high technology for everything.
Chairs changed shape to fit the seater’s body, food was ordered into a screen and teleported to the house, and there were several androids, all over the place, in charge of keeping it cleaned and in order.
“Is it safe to talk with the androids around?” Kenyon asked in a low tone.
“Yes, I had Fitzgerald hack into them and make sure there’s no way for them to spy on us,” Ethan said, smiling.
“Perfect. We don’t need more trouble than we already have,” Kenyon agreed.
“We’re safe here. Either way, we’ll only stay here a couple of days, while they deliver all the weapons we bought,” Ethan explained.
“Are we leaving the women behind?”
“Yes, it’s the safest option. They have no wish to go back to Dreshan, and since we don’t know how things will evolve, it’s safer to leave them behind,” Ethan confirmed, pulling Neela closer to him. The woman hadn’t left his side ever since they had met again.
“Where are you sending us?” she asked, with a slight frown.
“You’ll love Chandrula, Neela,” Gideon assured her. “It’s like a paradise, with amazing woods, fields of flowers all over and the people are welcoming and warm.”
“That sounds too good to be true,” Sharian said, with a frown.
Borzan was a good place to live if you weren’t a female. The authorities made sure the planet remained clean and healthy, by maintaining their woods and water resources almost untouched. But Gideon was describing something a lot different.
Gideon scowled. “I have to admit I thought that when we landed, and it took me a few days to ascertain all was as it seemed,” he assured her. “People there look a lot like Neela and the other girls, so I’m sure they will feel at home.”
“Well, I can’t wait to get there,” Sharian assured him, shuddering a bit.
She couldn’t wait for them to leave Efloria. She still had a really bad feeling about her stay there.
Kenyon smiled.
“Why don’t you get settled in? We’ll continue this conversation after Conrad and the others arrive,” Ethan suggested.
“How many rooms does this place have?” Kenyon asked, puzzled. There were more than forty people
on Ethan’s crew.
Ethan chuckled. “This place is some sort of hotel. It has fifty rooms fully equipped so feel free to choose any of the rooms that aren’t still occupied.
Sharian heard the news with a faint smile. Would Kenyon take her to his own room? Sadly, she was almost sure he wouldn’t.
“Come, let’s go check,” he invited her, and she followed him, carrying the small bag the girls had given her with her personal things.
It felt a bit overwhelming to know she was carrying all she had in life, and even more that she had been gifted it all. It made her fear the future.
Kenyon took her straight to the building’s last floor, assuming the others would have taken the rooms on the lower floors.
He made a quick check and confirmed the rooms were still unoccupied.
“Choose whatever room you like more. I’m afraid they all look pretty much the same,” he told her with a faint smile.
“Any room will be just fine,” she assured him, entering the room next to where she was standing. It had a very clinical decoration, with just the necessary items and absolutely nothing superfluous. “This one is perfect.”
“Good, I’ll take the one on the other side of the hallway,” he informed her with half a smile.
Sharian considered asking him to stay with her, she really did, but her instinct told her she wouldn’t like the answer and she forced herself to keep it to herself.
Instead, she pasted a smile on her face and walked to the window to enjoy the view of the woods not far from where they were.
“Will you be alright? I have a few things I need to discuss with Ethan,”
She raised her hand to stop him. “Of course, I’ll be fine. You don’t need to worry about me. I’ll see you at the night meal,” she said, doing her best to keep the smile on her face.
For some reason, he was putting a distance between them she hadn’t felt before, and she had no idea why.
“Are you sure?” he asked with a slight frown. “I could ask Neela or any of the other girls to keep you company,” he suggested.
“There’s no need for that. I’ll be more than fine,” she assured him.
He finally nodded and disappeared out her door.
Sharian sighed and put away the few things she had brought, trying to stay busy, but that only took her a few minutes.
Too restless to stay still, she decided to go out for a walk in the vast gardens of the property. She guessed she would be safe there, considering the tall walls and all the security measures.
She was stepping outside the building when she saw Kenyon and Ethan entering some sort of office. At least, he hadn’t lied to her.
She left the building and walked straight to the gardens. There were bushes everywhere, some with flowers other just exuberantly green. There were also some fruit trees, but she didn’t recognize any of them.
She wandered around the grounds for a while, covering the whole garden and only returning to the building when the sun started to come down on the horizon.
She was walking by the main gate when she heard a squealing sound, similar to the one a baby would make. It startled her, and for a moment, she considered ignoring it. It was probably just an animal, she knew nothing about, and that could be lethal.
But, the squealing continued, as if the creature was in pain and she couldn’t resist it. Cautiously, she walked towards the sound, realizing it came from outside the building’s gate. She hesitated again, not sure she wanted to leave the secure premises of the building, but again the squealing forced her to move forward.
She opened the gates and took a few steps out, making sure they remained open, in case she needed to make a run for it. The sound was coming from a few bushes not far from the main gate. As she had suspected, it was a small animal, apparently caught in some kind of trap. She wanted to help the creature, but she hesitated, not sure it would be wise.
She turned around to go back to the building to find Kenyon and almost bumped against an Eflorian.
The man was standing there, right behind her, with such a stern expression on his face she feared for her life. He was huge, with his body covered in some kind of black fur and skin as dark as the fur. He was almost naked, with only a loincloth covering his intimate parts.
She had seen an Eflorian before, or at least, an image of one of them, and he hadn’t looked as threatening as the one standing in front of her.
“Is there a problem?” he asked, in an ice-cold tone.
“I… I believe so… there’s a poor animal trapped over there…” she replied, with a tremulous tone.
The man looked at the small creature not far from them and covered the distance with a couple of strides. What he did next was so brutal, so unexpected she wasn’t able to react as fast as she should.
The man stomped the creature, crushing it against the ground, ending the squealing sounds in a second. Red blood covered the area around the man’s boot, but he didn’t even flinch.
“It’s just a vermin. Nothing to worry about,” he said, returning to where she was still standing.
His act had frozen her to the ground.
“I see… thank you… for taking care… of it…” she stuttered, taking a step back.
But he stretched out his big hand and captured hers. “It was a pleasure, citizen─” he invited her to introduce herself.
Not seeing the harm on it and wanting to leave as soon as possible, she answered the unasked question. “Sharian, my name is Sharian,” she said, tugging at her hand to free herself.
However, he didn’t let her go. If anything, his grip tightened. “It’s a pleasure finally meeting you, Sharian,” he said, with a smirk on his face that sent chills of dread down her spine.
“If you don’t mind, I should get inside. It’s getting late,” she said, pulling her hand, to no avail.
“I have to say you were quite bold coming here. Did you really think I wouldn’t find out?” he asked, pushing her closer to him.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” she said, really scared, unwilling to believe she was face to face with her suitor.
He let out a dry laugh. “Of course, you do,” he started to drag her while she struggled to free herself.
It was then when she realized he wasn’t alone. Near the main gate, there were a few large, black vehicles, along with a small army of heavily armed Eflorians. There was no way she was passing by them.
“It’s a good thing you came out when you did, it must have been a stroke of fate. You’ve spared us from unnecessary bloodshed,” he said, with a cruel grimace on his face, as he kept dragging her to the first vehicle, completely ignoring her struggle.
Sharian had opened her mouth to scream for help, but the man’s words made her shut it. They had come prepared to kill everyone in the building just to get to her. She couldn’t let that happen.
They finally reached the vehicle, and he thrust her inside, jumping in after her and pulling her to a seat at the back of the vehicle.
The other men entered the other vehicles, and just moments later, they were leaving the building behind.
Chapter Eleven
Kenyon entered the room Ethan had transformed into his office. “So, how are things back home?” he asked, as he took a seat in front of the other man’s desk.
“All good, though things are getting worst in general. I’m sending Gideon back home with all the possible locations for Gyeon to examine. I’m sure he’s eager to leave and so are the men we left behind.”
“What’s going on?” Kenyon asked with a slight frown.
“Violent riots and lootings all over the planet. They are running out of food and water a lot faster than expected,” Ethan explained, with a sad tone.
“I can’t say I’m surprised.”
“Nor am I, but it still bothers me to see how a few greedy men were able to destroy a whole planet,” Ethan grumbled.
“I know what you mean,” Kenyon sighed. “Have you examined the planet Gideon was talk
ing about?”
“Yes, I have, as well as all the information you, Jaffar and I collected. I have to admit Chandrula, sounds perfect. It already has a few alien colonies living on that planet, and it seems they coexist perfectly. They have strict rules and a small army to make sure they are followed, but Gideon insists the place is quite peaceful.”
“Are you sure this is the right place for Gyeon considering his past?” Kenyon asked, knowing a warlord like their client wouldn’t feel at home in a place so peaceful.
“I would have agreed with you if I hadn’t gotten a message from him a few days ago. The man found his soulmate and all he wants is to build a true home for her and his people.”
Kenyon snorted, a bit skeptical. “Well, I guess the Chandrulas will have no problem getting rid of him if he doesn’t play by the rules.”
Ethan nodded. “Exactly. I’m also sending him the information on a few empty planets as well, where he would be king of the world, so it’s totally up to him to decide what suits him best.”
“So, our job is done,” Kenyon concluded.
“Yes, it is,” Ethan concluded with a smile. “Now, we can focus on helping the people on Dreshan, and once that is done, we can finally settle down.”
“Are you considering settling down on Chandrula?”
“Yes, but it will be Neela’s decision. You know I can adjust to any planet, so, all that matters to me is for her to be happy,” he explained.
“Why haven’t you considered going to Arcadia. I’m sure your friend Jarcor would welcome you there,” Kenyon asked, curiously. Arcadia was the homeland of many cyborgs that had escaped Earth during the first wars, and Jarcor was their leader and a good friend of Ethan’s.
“I guess it’s a possibility now. I didn’t consider it in the past because females are still quite scarce on Arcadia. I wanted my chance at finding my soulmate and so do all of my men,” he explained. “Except for you, of course, or has that changed?”
Kenyon laughed, but there wasn’t much humor in it. “No, that hasn’t changed, and I doubt it will,” he said, though his mind kept showing him images of Sharian and calling him a liar.