The Iron Admiral: Conspiracy

by Greta van Der Rol

  She stared around her, at the dancing images on the dome and the pillars. Once-beautiful paintings of ptorix at play had been transformed into ugly, leering parodies. She shivered. Despite the brightness of the day, she felt cold under the dome. “It feels like… like a monument to the dead.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  “In a way, it is,” Saahren said. “I expect no one has been here for thirty years.”

  It certainly gave him a different perspective to how he usually saw the ptorix – in a battle ship ready to shoot. He knew, of course, there was another side to them but he’d rarely had an opportunity to see it.

  “First, water.” He went back to the stream, clambered down beside the bridge and scooped water up

  with his hand. It was cold, tracing a track through his body into his stomach and reminding him he was hungry. Allysha did the same and let the water drizzle down into her shirt. It was all he could do not to look at her nipples. He splashed cold water over his face, instead. At least the wound in his side wasn’t aching any more. The pain had reduced to a throb. He could live with that.

  She gazed up the stream splashing down over the rocks. “There must be a waterfall.”

  “Yes. Let’s go and see.” Maybe they’d find something they could eat, too. He hadn’t eaten since

  yesterday and neither had she.

  A path disappeared uphill under the trees. They followed it, meandering between the trunks, the murmur growing louder with each step. Beyond the last trees a towering cascade plummeted into a pool of crystal water, held there by a dam with an overflow that fed the stream they’d crossed. The waterfall’s glittering column flowed over the rock, almost like translucent glass, while the susurrus of water droplets merged into a background murmur. The pool was edged with stone and shallow, flowing steps descended into

  the water.

  “A swim would be nice,” she said.

  “It would. After we’ve checked the rest.”

  He peered into the forest. It seemed safe enough; animals wouldn’t be able to get here; nothing like a kartek, anyway. Ah. That looked familiar. Food at last. He strode over to a massive tree and gazed up at globes of red and purple fruit resembling festive decorations. A lazy insect fluttered its wings as it drifted around one of the ripest. “At least we’ll be able to eat.”

  She hurried up behind him. “Oh, now wait a minute. How do you know we can eat them?”

  He smiled down at her. “They’re mamangs. These trees are grown on many planets with jungle areas.

  My father used to grow them.” Interesting. He hadn’t thought about his father for years.

  She eyed the fruit hanging well over her head and his. “How do we get them down?”

  “I’ll help you get into the tree and I’ll catch the fruit when you throw it down.”

  He made a stirrup with his hands. “Here. I’ll hoist you up to that first branch.”

  Balancing herself with her fingers resting lightly on his shoulders, she put her foot into his hands and pushed down. She slipped sideways. “I don’t think this is going to work.” She leant into him and started to giggle.

  The scent of her invaded his nostrils; her breast pushed against his chest and set his pulse racing.Fruit.

  Think about fruit . He dropped his hands and straightened up. “I think you’d better turn around.”

  “Okay. How’s that?” She stood next to him on one foot, one hand on his shoulder as he made a stirrup

  again, her foot grasped between his hands. She shoved down, trying to use his hands as a step but she ended up staggering against him, giggling helplessly. “That’s not going to work, either.”

  He sighed and knelt down next to her, leaning forward a little to hide his erection. “Sit on my shoulders.”

  She hesitated. “Are you sure? It won’t be a strain for you?”

  “There’s not much of you. It won’t be a strain.” And at least he wouldn’t be in such intimate contact with her.

  She swung a leg around his neck and settled herself down, hooking her knees under his arms. He stood, muscles bunching under the weight. “Okay?”

  “Yes. You?”

  “Fine.” He wished he was. He could smell her, female and alluring, his hands on her smooth skin, her

  parted legs around his neck. “Climb into the tree.”Please .

  She grasped the branch and scrambled onto it, lifting herself with a foot on his shoulder. She turned around awkwardly and sat on the branch looking down at him.

  “Go for the deep orange ones. Throw them down to me.” He raised his hands, ready to catch.

  She reached up, wrenched the nearest off and tossed it to him. The over-ripe fruit splattered as it hit his hands.

  “That’s one we won’t be eating.” He shook the sticky fragments away. “Do it gently or you’ll have to

  suck the fruit off my fingers.”

  She chuckled. “Interesting thought.”

  Far too interesting. He imagined her lips around his finger, her tongue…Concentrate, Saahren .

  She dropped the fruits more gently this time. He caught them carefully and put them in a little pile under the tree.

  “That’s enough,” he said when six of the glistening orbs lay on the grass. “Come on. I’ll help you down.”

  “Er. Yeah.”

  She twisted around on the branch and felt for a foothold on the trunk with her toes. Her groping foot found a nodule. She pushed down gently, testing it and reached out with her other foot. Her toes caught a twig. Still holding on, she carefully committed her weight to her feet. The twig snapped. Allysha’s feet slid

  away from the trunk. She swung in the air, legs dangling high above the ground.

  She looked so funny, wriggling around up there in the tree. The chuckle became a laugh.

  “Don’t just stand there laughing like a fool. Get me down.”

  Still chortling, he stood underneath her and put up his arms. “Let go.”

  He caught her and let her slide down his body. Her shirt, caught between them, rode up and her breasts and belly, warm and damp, stuck to his flesh. Her face was at the same level as his, her hands on his shoulders. His body quivered, ached with longing.Allysha. I want you. I love you. He gazed into her

  eyes.

  She slid her arms around his neck and kissed him, open mouthed and passionate. Her tongue slid

  between his willing lips and twined against his. He tasted her, drank her in, his arms locked around her.

  She disentangled herself and unfastened her shirt. Her breasts pointed at him, milk chocolate nipples on creamy flesh. He slipped his hands around her waist over warm, smooth skin. She leaned toward him

  and he sucked her nipple into his mouth, flicking with his tongue. She moaned, fingers flexing in the short hair at the back of his head.

  She shrugged out of her shirt and started to unfasten his as he unclipped his utility belt and let it fall to the ground. He ripped his shirt off, boots, pants, watching her as she let her trousers slip to the ground at her feet. She stood before him, naked and beautiful.

  Hot with lust he pulled her down with him on the lawn and entered her, sliding into smooth, warm

  wetness. Allysha. She wrapped her legs around him as he thrust into her. Deep. Hard. His blood roared and he came, his hot semen pulsing into her. Her fingers stroked his shoulders, wove into the hair at the back of his neck and her lips brushed his chest.

  The tension drained from his muscles. She lay beneath him, her skin stuck to his. How close was that to rape? Still panting, he lifted himself on his elbows, to move away from her. “I’m sorry. I…”

  “Sorry about what?”

  That wariness, that hunted animal look came back into her eyes and he stopped, gazing down at her.

  “No. No, don’t misunderstand. I’m not sorry I’m here. With you. Far from it. But… It was too fast. I

  should have controlled myself.”

  Shame scolded him. Saahren. The Iron Admiral. Ice-cold in a
crisis but put him in the arms of the

  woman of his dreams… Fool.

  Cool fingers framed his face. “Has it been a while? Since you were last with a woman?”

  “Yes.” A high-class whore on Malmos, over a month ago. Since then, he’d made do with the online

  entertainment on his flagship. If she knew how inexperienced he was she’d probably laugh.

  “Well, I expect you’ll do better next time, then.” She chuckled. “But I hope it doesn’t take too long for you to reload. I’m only just getting warmed up.”

  “I expect not.” No, not long at all. The sooner the better. He felt as randy as an eighteen year old.

  Weak with relief, he rolled over and gathered her up beside him with her head in the hollow of his

  shoulder, her breasts against his chest. She didn’t mind. He hadn’t made a complete mess of it. This time, this time he’d do things properly. This time, it mattered.Allysha, I love you . The words danced in his mind. And with them came a niggling whisper. Could she loveChohzu the destroyer?

  ****

  Allysha let him regain his breath. She hoped he didn’t think she was easy; it had happened so fast. It had been months since she’d last had sex and it had been a hurried encounter with a half-drunk Sean. Brad certainly did seem to be out of practice. A man in a hurry. But right now she needed that closeness that sex brings, to feel wanted.

  She teased one of his nipples, then the other, with her finger tips; her nails brushed down over his chest and down to his navel, then she traced the outline of each abdominal muscle with her tongue, tasting the salt on his skin. He lay back, relaxed and eyes closed, clearly enjoying the caress. Soon, her exploring hand slid lower, caressing and fondling until he was stiff and ready.

  He stirred, made to sit up but she pushed him down with a gentle hand. “Let me drive for a while.”

  She straddled him, guided him into her and then eased herself down. Oh, this was nice. What a man,

  what a delicious man. Her hands gliding over his body, she rode him, wriggled her hips. His lips parted in

  a moan of pleasure, while his fingers flexed on her thighs. Allysha leaned over him and rubbed her

  breasts

  against his chest. He kissed her, flicking her tongue with his own, his fingers in her hair.

  “Roll over,” he murmured against her lips.

  “Take it slow,” she whispered as he carefully moved on top of her. “There’s no hurry.”

  It was beautiful, sensual. She wound her arms around him and enjoyed his body, breathed in his scent, felt hard muscles under smooth skin while he kept himself to the pace she set. She played him like an instrument, increasing the tempo until her blood raced and she arched, moaning, as she climaxed. Her

  reaction was enough to send him over the edge; he grunted and convulsed as he came.

  She slid her fingers through his hair, damp with sweat. “Now that was nice,” she murmured, her lips

  against his throat.

  That was unutterably delicious. She groped for words. Despite his lack of skill there had been a

  closeness with him that she’d never felt before with anyone, a real attempt to please her, to show her he cared.

  He rolled off and nuzzled the soft skin of her neck. “Oh, Allysha, why didn’t I meet you sooner?”

  What a very good question. Her stomach rumbled. “Shouldn’t we eat some of that fruit?”

  ****

  “We should.” He stood and stretched out a hand to pull her to her feet. The pink synth skin almost

  glowed on his hip. He noticed her interest. “It’s fine.”

  “No damage done? From the unexpected exercise?”

  The unexpected exercise had been a delight, a relief. He couldn’t wait to do it again. “None.”

  His leg felt a little bit sore but not enough to worry about. He gathered up the fruit and carried it to the pool where the falling water whispered its melody. Lichens and simple growing things, black and red and russet, filled the intricate carving in the rockwork. A couple of tiny lizard creatures came down to drink and graze.

  They sat together on the stone edge and he showed her how to peel the mamangs, sucking the rich red

  pulp from the stone. Sweet and rich and full of flavor. She sat beside him, her lovely naked body

  gleaming with moisture. It was all he could do to remember to eat. He’d never wanted a woman the way

  he wanted this one.

  “These would be delicious with curry, you know,” she said.

  “You’re right, they would. We can test the theory when we get out of here. I’m starting to think we

  should try and steal that Centurion.”

  She stopped in mid-suck, red pulp dribbling from her lip. “You’re not serious.”

  “Well, if they think I’m dead, I doubt if they imagine you would steal it.”

  She licked her lips. “I guess so.”

  Her sudden frown startled him. She’d gone tense, listening. “What?”

  “Can you hear that?”

  A low-pitched thrum. An aircraft, moving slowly. Searching. Coming this way. They wouldn’t be able to land; the jungle was too thick. And they’d be taking a huge risk to fly down this narrow part of the

  subsidence but they could use heat sensors.

  He grabbed her hand and dragged her into the pool. “Get under the waterfall.”

  She swam smoothly, arched her body and disappeared beneath the surface. He dived and kicked

  strongly, the roar of the falls loud in his ears. He hadn’t done this sort of thing since he’d been a boy, still on Ceres, before his family was massacred. He popped up beside her. The falling water formed a

  glittering, translucent sheet. It should be enough to fool heat sensors and they wouldn’t be visible here in the shelter of the rocks. “Keep down.”

  The water cooled him, sucked the remaining heat from the wound. He couldn’t hear the aircraft any

  more, the sound drowned by the falls. Another minute. She shared a look with him. He slipped forward, to the edge of the curtain of water and peered into the sky. Nothing. He gestured to her and they swam back to the steps.

  “We’ll go for the Centurion tonight,” he said. “After we’ve had some sleep.”

  She grinned, her green eyes sparkling like sun on new leaves. “Just sleep?”

  “Hmmm. Maybe not.”

  Chapter Twenty

  Allysha’s techpack glowed brightly in the lift foyer. They’d changed the admin password to the system but that hardly mattered; she always left a loophole for herself. “Looks like they’re not patrolling

  anymore.”

  “They don’t have enough staff,” Brad said. “They’ve set up guards at the most likely places, though, and the exit from the mine.”

  “That’ll make life difficult.”

  “I think we can get around it.”

  They had to get out the front entrance to reach the Centurion, past two guards and then more guards at the landing pad. Easy-peasy.

  “Now check; are our IDs still in your quarters?”

  Well, of course they would be, but she checked anyway. “Yes.”

  They took the lift to the second level and followed the route she’d taken to collect the antivenin. As she’d hoped, the ptorix tunnel was still sealed. She opened the door and they hurried to the main tunnel while she kept checking security. One in the control room, two in the hangar, two at the front entrance, two in stores, one in the kitchen, one in her room and another two on the landing pad.

  “Show me,” Brad said. “Who’s at the front entrance?”

  She brought up the pictures from the personnel records. “Hey, they’re miners.”

  He nodded. “They don’t have enough security staff to cover everything for a whole day. Good. That

  gives us an advantage.”

  “It does?”

  “Yes. Neither of them have a background in the military, for instance, or it would have shown u
p on their profiles.”

  “Yes, but they have weapons. You realize, don’t you, that as soon as we step into that drive they’ll see us?”

  He simply ignored her, as though it didn’t matter, damn it. “Can you block their comlinks?”

  “Just for those two?” She checked the system settings. Yes, easy enough, a simple transmit and receive setting for an ID. “Yes. Now?”

  “No, not yet.” He switched to implant. “You will stay hidden until I tell you.As soon as I step into the tunnel, you kill those comlinks. Understood? ”

  Huh.Whatever you say . Who did he think he was? “Okay.”

  He pulled out his pistol, checked it, caught her eyes in a meaningful glance, and stepped into the tunnel.

  Allysha deactivated the two comlinks and connected to the sensors so she could see what he was doing.

  The guards stood on opposite sides of the closed entrance. Stood was probably the wrong word. One

  of them yawned and rubbed a hand over his mouth. The other one swung his laser rifle in an arc as if to give his arm some exercise. Tired and bored, they didn’t see Brad immediately. He walked toward them

  as if he belonged. But then again, they’d been told to look for a woman, hadn’t they? The one who’d

  yawned straightened up, jerked his head at his colleague who stopped swinging the rifle. They both

  turned toward Brad.

  “Drop the weapon, Stone, and put your hands on your head. Come out, little lady, or your boyfriend

  gets it.”

  Ludovic. His voice dripped gloat. Where had he come from?

  “Stay where you are,” Brad said through his implant.