The Mercenary's Dawn

by L P Peace

  Makios shifted in his seat, his body language defensive. ‘Why?’ he asked after a few moments had passed.

  ‘He would make an interesting ally and a source of strong fighters.’ Thanesh had a feeling they would need strong fighters in the upcoming solars. ‘I want an introduction. Out of official channels.’

  Makios considered, then nodded.

  ‘That I will do.’

  Thanesh dropped Makios, accompanied by Jarit, off at Alethia’s room. She was still obviously angry that he acted like a vashni at the observation deck, but there was little he could do to make it up to her with the smuggler around.

  Her face looked better. The redness was gone. So too were the emerging shadows that had marred her face the last few rotes. Her skin was back to the beautiful white it had been when Thanesh first saw her. Her angry blue eyes stood out against the white on white. The pale pink of her lips, the only other colour on her face.

  Thanesh remembered the kiss from two rotes previous. He wanted to repeat it.

  Instead, he went to Medbay and got a full report from the doctor there.

  She was responding well to treatment, but there was damage the doctor couldn’t undo at this point. Some cells would develop mutations and grow out of control. Cancer, Alethia had called it. It was the same disease that had taken her mother.

  ‘I want you to contact the Amaran medical ministry,’ Thanesh said, a cold sliver of ice in his heart. ‘Get all the help on this you can.’ Tevin nodded, and Thanesh let him go back to work, leaving for the bridge.

  How susceptible to this cancer thing were humans? He knew there were similar diseases in other races, and they were treated with varying degrees of success. When he got to the bridge, he would contact the doctor and demand he pull data from every resource they had access to.

  Thanesh moved down the halls of the Calaia, acknowledging his officers as they saluted him in passing. He felt responsible to do the best for his people, both those made on Teralis and those who were born or joined later. For those of his brothers that meant finding them an anchor. Tessa, wherever it was, would become that anchor. He was planning on changing their world and even their idea of what they were and where they came from. The magnitude of it wasn’t lost on him, but neither was the opportunity. If they could breed with human females, it would open up a future he and his brothers had only dreamed of.

  ‘Sir.’

  Thanesh looked up and saw Korren walking towards him, his long legs eating up the deck between them.

  Korren looked around warily. ‘Kallis.’

  Thanesh nodded in acknowledgement and led the way to the observation deck.

  Thanesh ushered Korren into the room. It was the same one he’d brought Alethia and Makios to earlier. The room was almost entirely black, with little in the way of lighting. It was large and filled with small clusters of seats where groups could talk privately. There were three groups in the room, nine crew in all.

  ‘I need the room,’ Thanesh called.

  They all stood and made their way out, saluting Thanesh as they passed. He acknowledged each one.

  When the door closed behind him, Thanesh walked to the viewscreen on the other side of the room. It filled the wall and brought the void of space inside. He stared at the flashing stars and wondered what it would be like to vrok Alethia against it in this room.

  Turning before his thoughts could get carried away, he studied the second-in-command and saw the telltale licks of whip scars on his neck.

  Korren was born to an Inadiine after an encounter with one of his men. Solars later, Thanesh was walking through a market on Donasune, the Ledaan homeworld, when his mother approached him. The Ledaan who owned them had almost whipped Korren to death that morning. Thanesh had bought mother and son legally, before beating the Ledaan until he was in the same state he had left the boy in.

  These scars, however, were new. Korren had returned from a mission cycles earlier with them and no memory of his time away. Thanesh’s people were looking into it, but so far, no one knew where he had been or what happened to him during the several cycles that he was missing.

  ‘There weren’t many leads. I finally got a report from Amaran intelligence,’ Korren said, his shoulder muscles flexing when he saw Thanesh looking at his scars.

  ‘Amaran intelligence?’ Thanesh met Korren’s eyes.

  Korren nodded. ‘Around seventy solars ago, they arrested a Cealin they believed was an agent. Turned out he was an exile.’

  ‘An exile?’ Thanesh stepped closer.

  ‘He was exiled from Cealis three hundred solars ago because of a failed military experiment.’

  Thanesh felt the breath knocked from him. He walked over to the viewport and watched the stars streak across the black of space.

  ‘It cannot be a coincidence.’

  ‘No, sir.’

  ‘Gather all executive officers,’ Thanesh said. He looked at Korren. ‘I have learned some things about our people. It is time to share it.’

  ‘Has this got anything to do with the human?’

  Thanesh nodded. ‘Comm Keral in on it. We will disseminate the information across the fleet later, but I want my direct chain to have all the information now.’

  Korren nodded and left.

  The face of the unknown Cealin drifted once more into Thanesh’s mind. This time, he heard a voice; it was indistinct and whispering, soothing and cajoling. He felt the ghost of a stroke along his arm and barely resisted the urge to rub the sensation away. He stayed there for several long minutes, getting his thoughts in order, before turning to make his way to his office.

  ‘Human?’ Keral’s voice was rough, scratchy.

  ‘From them. Yes,’ Thanesh confirmed.

  ‘Vrok.’ Keral was shaking his head. ‘Did we… have families? Mates? Young?’

  It was a question he’d been avoiding asking himself since he learned of The Violation. Did he have descendants on Earth? Did he have descendants in slavery out here?

  ‘We may never know for sure as individuals. We will have to look into it.’

  ‘And Kallis is back now, on… Teralis.’ Jarit sat forward in his seat. His shoulders were slumped, his hands between his knees.

  ‘Well, that has to be where our people are,’ Tallus, Thanesh’s chief-engineer snapped. ‘We should go there. We need to—’

  ‘Tallus.’ Thanesh held up a hand to silence his friend. Tallus took a deep breath.

  ‘My son was on the Chaldon,’ Tallus pleaded.

  ‘I know, my friend. We will retrieve Soran and all of our people.’

  ‘What if they are dead?’ Tallus asked, his face was bleak. Chaldon had been missing for a long time.

  ‘Then we will destroy them.’

  Tallus nodded. Sitting back, he scraped his hands over his face.

  ‘First, I am sending a reconnaissance team to Teralis.’ Thanesh looked at Korren. ‘Put a team together. You will lead it.’ Korren nodded.

  ‘Next, I have ordered all ships to cluster. Stay in their sectors, but group for protection. We cannot afford to lose any more of our people.’

  Thanesh turned to the screen. ‘Keral, anything on the half-Kuyon?’

  ‘I am close.’ He nodded.

  ‘What are we going to do about humans? About Earth?’

  ‘We are going to protect Earth,’ Thanesh said, ‘and if I have to kick down the door of every vrokken house in the galaxy, we are going to end human slavery.’

  It was a significant promise. Thanesh did not care; he would see it done. He had lifetimes to achieve it.

  ‘The Protectorate is crazy about you.’

  ‘He told you that?’

  Makios nodded. ‘Not that he had to. He almost beat the vrok out of me when we got back to the interrogation room earlier. Or he tried anyway. I hope he got his head checked out.’ He was laughing but watching Alethia carefully as he spoke.

  ‘You hurt him.’ She grimaced at the sound of her voice.

  Makios shook his head, grinning
at her.

  There was a chime at the door. Alethia glared at Makios. ‘Come.’

  Thanesh walked in, his eyes looking from Makios to her and back again. Makios started laughing.

  ‘As you can see, he’s fine.’

  Thanesh looked at Alethia and smiled. ‘You were concerned for me?’

  Alethia scratched at an eyebrow, using it as an excuse not to look at him as her face flamed with embarrassment. ‘Not really,’ she lied.

  Makios laughed harder.

  ‘I take it I have a bunk somewhere?’ Makios asked.

  ‘Jarit is waiting to take you there.’

  ‘Then I suggest you two talk.’ Makios got up and walked to the door. The scarred Protectorate was waiting outside.

  ‘Protectorate,’ Makios said. Alethia couldn’t help but note the slight hostility in his voice.

  Jarit nodded in response. ‘Kathen.’

  They stared at each other in silence for a few moments after Makios left. Thanesh pushed himself off the wall and crossed the room to the chair. He sat down, crossed his arms over the back of the chair, leaned his chin on them and regarded her.

  ‘I am sick of talk,’ he said finally.

  ‘I know,’ she nodded.

  ‘I cannot force you to trust me, Alethia. You know my feelings. My plans. The rest is up to you.’

  Alethia nodded. ‘I know. You can’t prove or betray my trust if I don’t give it to you.’ Alethia’s throat closed. She forced a breath through, though it was shallow, laboured. She stood and crossed the room until she was standing before him. He watched her move in front of him, a wary, but hopeful look in his eye.

  ‘I can’t choose to trust you with Tessa. It can’t be just my decision.’ Her voice quivered as she spoke again. ‘But I can choose to trust you with me.’ She leaned down, placing her hands on his face. Thanesh raised his chin and met her lips halfway.

  Thanesh withdrew and stroked a finger across her cheek. ‘Are you sure, Alethia?’

  Butterflies had erupted in her stomach at the touch of his lips. Swallowing, she nodded, unable to talk. She was afraid, but she needed him. She’d come to terms with it.

  It was Alethia that resumed the kiss. But Thanesh, who slipped his fingers into her hair and pressed her closer, kissed her deeper.

  He stood, pulling Alethia into his arms and off the ground, and kicked the chair away.

  ‘Alethia, if all you want to do is kiss, tell me now.’ He breathed into her mouth.

  Alethia shook her head.

  Thanesh groaned, their lips met once again, his tongue slipping inside her mouth. She met it with her own and they explored each other.

  Thanesh lowered her slowly, breaking the kiss as she slipped out of his grasp until she stood on the floor and they were looking at each other. She could see the heat she felt reflected in his eyes.

  Alethia reached down and pulled her dress off in one smooth motion. Her underwear had been wrecked on the planet, so she stood before him naked, shivering and feeling more vulnerable than she had ever felt before. Doubt crept in.

  She looked at Thanesh and saw him staring down the length of her body. His lips were parted, his desire clear on his face, and her doubts bled away.

  He must have caught some trace of it when he looked into her eyes. ‘Alethia? ‘

  She reached up to his face, tracing a finger over his lower lip, then his upper. She pulled his upper lip away from his fangs and inspected them.

  ‘Deadly?’

  He smiled. ‘No. I am not sure why the Cealin gave them to us, but they cause euphoria in our bed partners. Increase and drag out pleasure.’

  Alethia shivered. ‘That could be helpful,’ she admitted. ‘If my nerves take over.’

  ‘I will not bite you unless you ask.’

  Alethia nodded. Dropping her fingers to his uniform top, she pulled at the asymmetric join down the front that ran from his left shoulder to just above his belt clasp.

  Thanesh’s fingers replaced hers and he pulled the top open and off. His belt and pants followed a few moments later. He ripped off the last of his clothes and stood before her naked.

  Alethia had enjoyed the sight of Thanesh when he took his top off by the stream. Now, under such different circumstances, she had a whole new appreciation for his body.

  She refamiliarized herself with him. The curve of his neck and the vein that caressed his Adam’s apple. His cheekbones, lips, jaw. Her eyes travelled down to his chest and stomach. Each muscle was defined. It enhanced his pectorals and ribs, which strained in thick lines towards his six-pack. His chest fell in a V-shape. His narrow hips sat under his developed obliques, which turned into a distinct Adonis belt that cradled his abdominal muscles.

  A single vein travelled down his abdomen and into his groin. Alethia wanted to trace it with her tongue. Shocked by her own thoughts, she glanced up at Thanesh, who stood still, allowing her to study him.

  She took his hand and traced a finger over the vein, tendon and finger delicately, noting his sharp claws, then turned his hand over to study his fingers and palm. Tentatively, she placed his hand over her breast. His touch burned and sent pools of heat to her core. Alethia’s eyes slipped closed and she moaned. She heard Thanesh groan in response. His hand slipped from her control, and he ran his thumb over her nipple. She felt it harden and send a shock of sensation between her legs. Her breathing sped, becoming shallow.

  Thanesh’s other hand rose and claimed her other breast.

  ‘Alethia,’ he whispered, leaning down and smelling her hair.

  Her shock turned into a liquid heat which spread throughout her abdomen and down to her core. She gasped. Thanesh’s hands left her breasts. One slipped back into her hair, the other around her waist, and he pulled her close to him.

  She could feel the heat of him pressed against her. His cock pressed against her stomach, caught between the two of them.

  ‘The bed?’ he asked.

  Alethia’s eyes met his; she could only nod.

  He bent, lifting her so that she was looking down at him. He carried her the short distance to the bed and sat on the edge, placing her so that she straddled his lap.

  He was so tall, that once she was settled in his lap, he still looked down at her. She shifted until she was on her knees, straddling him and they were closer to being eye-to-eye.

  Alethia looked down at his cock.

  It stood between them, thick and white at the base and deepening to dark pink as it narrowed. The glans was a darker pink still and bulbous. It was utterly different from the Ualha she had been with. Longer, smoother, but intriguing in shape. His skin was stretched over what looked like chambers running up half the length of his cock. Across the side and back, just above that point, three large bumps pulsed slightly to the beat of his heart. They gave way to a long frenulum, which tipped his glans towards his abdomen.

  Alethia looked up into Thanesh’s eyes. Her nerves were taking over again, but she was determined to go through with this, determined to give herself to Thanesh and this moment.

  When he opened his mouth to speak, she reached over and silenced him with hers. His hands reached around her once more. One slipped down to her rump. He caressed it, massaging her and sending shocks of heat to add to the growing pool in her abdomen. The other hand traced lazy paths up and down her spine. Thanesh pulled her closer to him, pushing her against his hardness. Alethia gasped, closing her eyes and breaking the kiss, her hips rocking against him. She heard Thanesh hiss and she opened her eyes to see him close-eyed, open-mouthed.

  His hand pressed harder against her, increasing the friction of her movement. She enjoyed the sight of him like this, she realised and couldn’t stop the moan that slipped from her in response.

  The pool of heat was intensifying into liquid pleasure. Thanesh’s cock dropped stones of sensation that rippled over and through her body, casting away reason, thought, logic and left her clinging to him in gasping desperation.

  ‘Alethia,’ he whispered against her.
Her pussy quivered at the sound of his voice, clenching around nothing.

  ‘Thanesh, please.’ She searched his pale amber eyes. He was watching her face with an intensity she had only seen there before when he faced the Ulidon. As though assessing her moves with the same calculation he had used on them.

  ‘No,’ he whispered. ‘I am going to make you cum, Alethia. But if I enter you now, I will cum too and I mean for this to last.’

  Thanesh pressed her harder to him, increasing the rhythm until every nerve in her body fed back to the point of contact between her and Thanesh.

  Her whole body seemed to reorient as she was suddenly on the edge. She lost her attempts at keeping to Thanesh’s rhythm and fell against him. Thanesh kept the movement for her and a moment later, the waves crashed over her. Alethia cried out, her muscles froze, she closed her eyes, but there was no darkness there. Instead, white detonated behind her eyes as pleasure flared between her legs, peaked and slowly fell.

  Thanesh was speaking to her, but she couldn’t make out words, only the soft tones of his voice as he stroked her back in long, languorous strokes.

  ‘Thanesh,’ she managed to whimper.

  ‘My beautiful Alethia.’ His voice was clear and full of emotion.

  Alethia was the most beautiful female he had ever seen. Watching her lose control, watching her climax, was the most beautiful sight he had ever beheld.

  She leaned against him, encased in the warm cocoon of his arms and recovered.

  He continued rubbing her back until she shifted and looked up at him, her cheeks pink from a combination of her orgasm and self-consciousness. He would take that from her. He would make her squirm, writhe and cum until she was used to every sensation, every noise she made and no longer embarrassed by any of it.

  He would never be used to it. Each whimper and moan sent a shock of need to his cock until it throbbed and kicked against him, demanding to be sheathed inside her.