by Terry Frost
“I’ll get Commodore Jeeves to retrieve your things. You just make sure you stay here,” Allen said then walked out of Dr. Piner’s room.
“I take exception with Arvin calling it a catfight?” Victoria said
“Well, it would be a cat fight, Victoria. You both are feline you know.”
“That isn’t the least bit funny, Morgan.”
Chapter 47
An hour after Colonel Hammer was taken to his guest room, he couldn’t shake the strong urge to ask if he could see Empress Katin. To try and settle himself, he walked over to a small chest sitting next to a container that held ice. He opened the chest and inside was a square bottle containing an amber colored liquid. He twisted the top off the bottle and smelled its contents. It smelled like aged bourbon to him.
Jak dropped two cubes of ice in the glass then poured a fair amount of the elixir into the ice. He walked over to the large window and pulled back one side of the curtain and looked out as he took a small sip of the contents of the glass.
The taste was similar to his old trusted whiskey he had acquired a taste for many years ago, a smooth Kentucky Bourbon blend. He smacked his lips and the drink was exactly what he needed to calm himself.
Looking out the window a thought came to him this city is quite large and I don’t think I’ve ever been told the name of it. I see several lights starting to turn on as the sun is beginning to set.
As Jak completed his thought, a knock sounded from the door of his room. He sat his drink down and walked to the door and opened it. Standing in the hall was the beautiful Mogan.
“Good evening, Mogan. For what do I owe the pleasure of your company?”
“Empress Katin has sent me to escort you to her private chambers, Colonel Jak Hammer.”
“Excellent, Mogan. I’ve been wondering if I was going to receive an invitation to visit with the beautiful empress.” Jak came out of his room and said, “Lead the way.”
Mogan took Jak to the door of Empress Katin’s private chamber then she knocked. They both heard the empress say, “Enter.”
Jak pushed the door and it opened and he said, “After you.”
Mogan walked in as Jak followed her into the empress’s chambers. “I have brought you, Colonel Jak Hammer, Your Grace, per your request.”
When Jak saw her sitting on the edge of her huge bed his heart started to pound. She was only wearing a sheer wrap on her body and as she stood up he could see her ample breasts and her nipples were aroused and her power of seduction claimed him immediately.
“Thank you, Mogan. You may go.”
“As you wish, my beloved Empress,” Mogan said and walked out of the room closing the door behind her.
As if floating on air, Empress Katin moved seductively to her lover and said, “I have yearned greatly for you, Jak. If I had not heard from Cina when I did, I was ready to order a fleet of my Predators to go find you and bring you to me.”
Jak pulled her tightly to him and said, “I have greatly yearned for you too, Kish,” Jak said, remembering Katin’s first name.
They kissed passionately as Jak listened to her moaning with anticipation of things to come. She reached her right hand down to his manhood and found a very aroused Jak Hammer.
“Yes, it is true. You have yearned for me, my love. Come, make love to me now. I need you inside me.”
Jak picked her up and began walking hurriedly to her bed when suddenly another knock came at her door. Jak sat her down and the second her feet hit the floor she spoke loudly, and said, “I commanded to not be disturbed. Go away or you will pay for your insolence.”
Standing outside the door was Mogan and Admiral Allen, who was holding a long curved sword and scroll in his hands. Mogan said, “My most humble apologies, Your Grace. But the Human Commander, Admiral Allen is with me and has requested you allow him to see you immediately.
Jak thought holy shit. Why is he here?”
“This is disturbing to me. Your admiral had better have a good reason for coming to my chambers this close to our evening gathering.” Katin adjusted her wrap, walked to the bedpost and put on a less revealing robe, then said, “Enter.”
When Allen walked in he was shocked to see Jak standing next to the empress, and thought mister, you and I will have a little talk about this later.
Allen walked up to the couple and bowed his head only slightly, then said, “My apologies for interrupting, Your Grace. I wouldn’t have come here if not for an important matter concerning High Mage Cina.”
The couple noticed the sword and scroll in Allen’s hand and he could tell from her expression the empress understood the meaning of the sword and scroll. She held out her hand signifying she wanted Allen to hand her the scroll, which he promptly did.
The scroll’s seal had been broken and Katin opened it and started to read. She folded it up and handed it to Mogan. “Why is my High Mage challenging the Admiral’s Doctor Stavens to a battle in the Ring, Mogan?”
The High Mage desires a battle with the doctor for the affections of the admiral, Your Grace.”
“Do you know if Cina, has imprinted on the admiral?”
“It is my opinion that she has not, but greatly desired to, Your Grace.”
“It would please me if you were to find Cina, and tell her I commanded there will be no challenge for the rights of love for Admiral Allen until I have had time to speak with her. Now go find Cina, and tell her I will summon her shortly.”
“As you wish, my beloved Empress.”
A few seconds after Mogan had left, Katin asked the admiral to join her at a small table with a single chair sitting in front of a couch built for two near a large window with closed curtains. Katin took Jak’s hand and the two went and sat on the couch. Allen’s right eyebrow shot up as he pulled the chair out and sat down.
“My apologies, Admiral. I’m sure you are not familiar with Aborian customs, so let me enlighten you. Do you understand the meaning of imprinting?”
“Yes, the term was explained to me by our Empath, Doctor Piner.”
“So many doctors. So your Doctor Piner has the ability to read emotions. I have similar abilities myself. I’ve found those qualities to be a very advantageous to my rule of Abor. This matter is not in its critical stage and that makes you a lucky commander, Admiral.
“If High Mage Cina would have already imprinted on you, there would be nothing I could do and would be bound by my Chief Warrior’s honor to be compelled to allow the battle for your affections between your doctor and my High Mage to take place in the Ring.
“We Aborians have imprinted on our chosen life mates for thousands of years. Normally when our female race imprints, it is beyond their control. Their minds and hearts take over and once the object of their affection has been imprinted, there is no stopping it.”
Katin raised her hand and said, “I can count on this hand how many Aborian females have had the ability to deflect the imprinting until they know it is time. I know of two, and one was me and the other High Mage Cina. She must really be wanting you, Admiral, because her untimely behavior is unbecoming of my most proud Cina.”
“Pardon me, but did you just say you were one of them but no longer are?”
“That is correct. My life mate is sitting next to me right here, right now.”
Allen’s eyes shot over to Jak and all Jack could do was admit he and the empress were in love. Allen had a million thoughts running through his head when hearing the revelation but decided to go with it for now.
“My wholehearted congratulations to both of you. Love is the most important aspect of life, for I know because Doctor Stavens has imprinted on me.”
Jak almost crapped his pants when he heard his commander say what he did. Allen saw the shock on this Colonel’s face and quickly added, “It’s true, Colonel. Victoria and I have been in love long before I was given command of Colossus.”
“This news pleases me, Admiral. It will make it easier for me to command Cina, to stand down with her challenge. N
ow, I must summon Cina, so she and I can come to an understanding. Our gathering will be in less than two hours, so please leave so I can prepare.”
They stood, and Katin, hand in hand with Jak, walked to her door then she let go of Jak’s hand. The two men bowed then exited the room. Allen didn’ t say a word as they walked in the direction of their guest rooms.
But before getting to the rooms, Jak had to say something and did. “Admiral, I’m sorry I hadn’t told you about Katin before now. Our relationship isn’t something I was looking for, it’s just that she has extraordinary powers of seduction and I’m in a trance each time I’m with her.
“Our first private time together happened immediately after our first seeing each other, and I was powerless to refuse her advances. She explained to me after nearly killing me during our passionate evening together, that I was her Chakin.”
“And just what is a Chakin.”
“The father of her children.”
“Well, I’ll be cock blown, Jak. You sure have gotten yourself into a mess. Would I be remiss in asking if I need to find me another colonel.”
“No, sir. She and I have at least talked about my duty to you and everyone on Colossus.”
“It will be damn interesting to see how that goes, Jak.”
Chapter 48
The evening meal went as according to plan and Empress Katin’s talk with High Mage Cina must have worked, as during the meal Victoria felt as if Cina was a completely different woman than before. She was pleasantly cordial and engaging with Victoria throughout the evening meal.
The talk among the Humans at the dinner table was mostly about the size of the two massive birds served as part of the main course. The birds looked like turkeys from Earth but they were twice the size of Earth’s turkeys and covered in a sweet tasting brown glaze.
Empress Katin was seated at the end of the long table with Colonel Hammer seated next to her on her right. Admiral Allen and Doctor Stavens were seated to her left. Further down the line and sitting on the same side as the admiral sat Vice Admiral Petrov and next to him was Dr. Piner.
Seated next to Hammer was the High Mage, then Tage Doni, then Mogan, and Commodore Jeeves, then, General Dubois. Dubois couldn’t hear what Jeeves had been saying to Mogan but she was laughing quite often.
The meal went on for an hour and a half, then Empress Katin announced it was time for the important meeting about the next step in the mission of Elimination Hive. The group began to leave the dining area as they were escorted to the room where the meeting would take place.
Empress Katin asked that Jak follow the group to the room, also telling him she would be there as soon as she had a minute to talk to Admiral Allen. Jak thought her request was odd to be wanting to converse with his admiral without his presence but said nothing to her.
Allen thought I wonder what this is all about. Guess I’ll find out soon enough.
With everyone gone to the meeting room, it was just the two of them still seated at the dining table, with the exception of two bodyguards positioned far enough away so they couldn’t hear the conversation.
“I wanted to take this time to speak to you about your thoughts on the importance of finding a new home for your people, Admiral. Would you not agree that should be at the top of your list of priorities?”
“Most definitely, Your Grace.”
“So why is it you would take the risk of losing your ship and all your people while hunting down the Hive?”
“I hope you would agree that eliminating a threat to all the worlds within the Hive’s reach is necessary for the security of all our worlds in the future. How can I go about searching, and hopefully finding a new world for my people if we have to live in fear of being killed by those monsters?”
“That consideration is honorable, Admiral, and I know you are an honorable Commander. But the galaxy is full of monsters, as you call them. Abor has been attacked a few times over the last several thousand years and not by the Hive.”
“I did not know that Your Grace and that news alarms me somewhat.”
“Of course you don’t know that. Your kind has only just now begun traveling through the stars. Abor’s historical teachings are well documented with information of attacks by species with designs to conquer other species and their worlds.
“Most of those species aren’t looking for a food source as the Hive but their goals are to enslave their captives so they can do the work needed for their personal existence. My people have a great advantage over you Humans and unfortunately the Daakie as well. We have over the last few hundred years been able to build our military to a point where we can protect what is ours from those would be attackers to our way of life, but you cannot because you are too few.
“It would please me if you do not leave our conversation without knowing you have friends on Abor and at any time in the future, you should ever need us I will pledge to be here to come to your aid.”
“Thank you, Your Grace. On behalf of myself and my people, we are honored by your friendship. But I get the feeling you haven’t told me the real reason for this conversation. Am I right in that assumption?”
“Yes, your assumption is correct. Before you and I go into the meeting it is important that you know we have to come to an agreement between us prior to the meeting.”
“Understood. What are we agreeing on?”
“It pleases me to say I would be in favor of sending more than enough of my Predators to assist in the destruction of the Hive that has enslaved the Daakie homeworld. And having many years of experience in their tactics will allow the Daakie the security of knowing they will have a dozen or so Predators that will remain behind after the Hive nest’s destruction while they rebuild their navy.”
“Do you have that many ships to allow you to take on such a daunting task and still protect your planet?”
“You understand that a ruler of people can’t divulge the true strength of their defenses, even to friends, but I’ll just say we have more than enough. But since you seem to honestly be concerned about the welfare of Aborians, I will let you in on the unspoken.”
“Okay, what is the unspoken?”
“Our engineers have been working tirelessly on a new fleet of warships. We do not speak of such matters with anyone outside of our constructors until they are built. I have given them their new name and it pleases me to tell you they are called Raptors. They are several tons larger than our Predators and house many more capable and destructive weaponry. My beloved Empress Kyno taught me the importance of never being complacent in our ability to protect ourselves.
“A wise empress, indeed, then thought I appreciate you sharing this with me but please get to the real reason we are having this conversation.
Katin could sense the Admiral’s frustration in wanting her to get to the point of the conversation and said to his surprise, “The reason I have told you what I have is I am going to tell those waiting on us that I will give them what they need, but it depends on you agreeing to my desires.”
“And if I may ask, what are the desires?”
“It is honorable that you want to help eliminate the Hive but that task will need to be done without the help of you and your Colossus. My desire is purely self-serving and the thought of my one true love being taken from me because of Elimination Hive does not please me.”
What she said shocked him and the thought of not helping in the Hive cause wasn’t sitting well with him. “How can you ask this of me. I would feel ashamed if I didn’t help my friends, the Daakie, get back their homeworld?”
“Didn’t you and I agree your main concern was to find a new home for your people?”
“Yes, but I thought we would pursue that when we destroy more Hive, their nests, and get Planet Daak back in the hands of the Daakie.”
Empress Katin felt she was doing the Human a favor by providing her people’s assistance and was not used to being challenged or questioned, but she was trying exceptionally hard to not be demonstrative, but i
t seems she has no choice.
“I have been patient with you, Admiral Arvin Allen, and now I must tell you that if you don’t agree to stop this madness, and go on with searching for your homeworld, I will have to decline my help.”
“All of this is because of your concern about Colonel Hammer?”
“Precisely. Jak is my Chakin. I will not submit to the thought of my child’s father dying in the pursuit of a species that I believe have great numbers throughout this galaxy. You have my offer and should you agree, it would please me greatly. So, now is the time to give me your answer as I’m sensing they want us to come to the meeting.”
Allen was fighting with himself but knew the empress’s argument had merit, and if he didn’t agree, that wouldn't be in the best interest of his Daakie friends that had already lost so much. He sat in thought for several long seconds before looking into those mesmerizing eyes of the empress and said, “ I agree, Your Grace. I cannot in good judgment stand in the way of my friends getting their homeworld back.”
“That pleases me greatly, Admiral. Now lets you and I give them the good news.”
The news that Empress Katin was to send a large fleet of Predators, including five of her new Raptor warships, was applauded by all in the meeting room. Katin asked they stay on Abor for another week so the Raptors could be space tested to her chief engineer's satisfaction. During the tests, the Raptors would be performing attack maneuvers, weapon’s simulations, jumping, and on-demand cloaking.
As the meeting closed, Burseq Maalik, who was now actually, Caid Maalik, pulled Admiral Allen aside to talk to him briefly.
“You do not need to explain the details of your conversation with, Empress Katin. I feel I know you well enough to say you wouldn’t have declined to help us if you didn’t have your hands tied because of the empress’s desire for the Colossus not to participate in the rescue of my people from enslavement.
“I must tell my king about the new arrangement, but before I go I tell you I place your friendship in high regard and will never forget it. Be safe in your search for your new home and do try to let me know how you and your people are doing.”