by Kayla Stonor
“A report extracted from a data response to a more general question. I demanded a census of humans on Dralexi, aligning its wording with the Qui’s general directive to grant humans the right of free passage throughout her empire.”
“Why would Dralexi give you that?” Tennant asked.
“Exactly,” Gabrielle said, her hand gesturing agreement. “A data response for a specific request made sense, but Dralexi is independent, and you’ve said they’re reluctant to give up their human workforce. So why cooperate with a census? Have they changed their minds?”
“Dralexi’s government did not supply the data. If they knew of my interest in Ben Rooster, they might arrange a mining accident before our arrival, or have him disappear for leverage. I enlisted a source on Dralexi who cares for Saiorse. They secured the information and later, confirmation of life. So we need to extract Ben Rooster, and the reason I agreed to your presence on this trip, Colonel Tennant, was to ensure Rooster’s cooperation.”
Tennant nodded, the first sign he recognized a sound premise behind Oltu’s approach “Ben won’t trust a K’lahn, a team from your forces will spook him,” he rested his elbows on the table and leaned forward, “but I’m only one person, in alien territory.”
“You’re one human accompanied by a Qui in human form, in a mine full of human workers. Two is enough for the extraction; a greater team will be noticed. Between us we can circumvent security.”
“What about the rest?” Gabrielle asked. “We’re here to secure the release of all humans.”
“That is a matter I will deal with after your brother’s safe extraction.”
She blinked. “You?”
“What do you suggest?”
“I represent Earth. That’s why I’m here. If Earth’s ambassador stands beside the First Lord of the Qui Empire, the Dralexin will begin to see the humans as more than slaves.”
“Persuading the Dralexin to give up their workforce will require more than a display of diplomatic influence.”
“Maybe you’re right, but you can exhaust the peaceful options first.”
“Instead of what? Ah, you believe I intend to destroy Dralexi piece by piece until I get my way?”
Gabrielle’s gaze did not waver. “You threatened Earth with annihilation.”
“That was different, and I have dealt with Dralexi before–” Oltu stopped, cursed inwardly. Gabrielle provoked him and he had no defense with her.
“Ah yes, Saiorse is your tribute, and Dralexi’s former queen.”
Oltu stared, her statement taking him by surprise. “Saiorse told you this?”
“Saiorse said little of her former life. I can however read.”
Oltu relaxed. He’d granted them access to portions of the ship’s database, including Dralexi’s history. “Yes, Saiorse was Dralexi’s queen.”
“Why? Why would Saiorse agree to be your tribute? Did she agree?”
“Saiorse wished her world to remain independent and Dralexi would never have won a war against the Qui.”
“Why did you agree? You hate that Earth is independent.”
Oltu glanced at Tennant. The colonel watched them both, assessing everything, judging him. Claws pushed through his fingers and Oltu placed his hands under the table, suppressing an urge to rip out the man’s throat. Emerging claws slowly retracted beneath human nails. “Tradition is important in the Qui Empire, and tributes have secured Dralexi’s independence for generations.”
“So why didn’t your father offer Earth the same deal?” Tennant asked.
“Would Earth have agreed?” Oltu snapped.
“We weren’t given a chance!” The colonel’s voice rose. “Your father didn’t offer Earth the chance to join his Empire... or offer a tribute for independence... or anything! The K’lahn just invaded out of nowhere!”
“Earth was an undiscovered world. Transmissions revealed both your existence and a rapid technological advancement. Investigation discovered a population out of control and on the cusp of space exploration. Your historic record showed an aggressive proclivity for war and the Emperor–”
“Your father,” Tennant inserted.
Oltu ground his teeth. “My father, elected to crush a potential threat to his Empire!”
“Oh my god,” Gabrielle murmured, shock in her eyes.
Riding a wave of anger, a need to stamp down his rival, Oltu realized Gabrielle’s agitation too late. Tennant smiled; smug and virtuous. The colonel calculated Oltu could not harm him without incurring Gabrielle’s wrath. He made a grave error thinking this would save him. Oltu’s honor protected Gabrielle, not the man in her bed, and Sonestra’s order did not preclude Oltu from locking Colonel Tennant in the brig for his own safety!
Oltu focused on Gabrielle, the quickest way to defuse his ire.
“You know this,” Oltu pointed out. “Your father asked these same questions.” He’d told them nothing new and yet Gabrielle radiated sadness, disappointment. She evaded his gaze, fiddled with her fingers.
Skal.
He’d reminded her he had once been the enemy and now she sat there dispirited, her fiery passion vanquished. Oltu hated to see her this way. He wanted the equal who challenged and held him accountable for his actions, a woman strong enough to battle her demons, and assured enough to command a Qui to his knees on his own ship.
Why would Gabrielle withdraw this way unless she cared?
Hope rekindled. He tried again.
“You know this, Gabrielle. I was ten Katar years when the K’lahn invaded Earth. I cannot change what happened between our peoples and it takes generations to consign past wrongs to the annals of history. I can start to make amends. I can restore your brother to you, I can bring hope to your people on Dralexi, I can help protect Earth from the Surashan. Our alliance has become important to me.”
*****
Gabrielle needed space.
After Oltu and Cale ceased their futile spat, they’d thrashed out details for a surgical strike to extract Ben from the mine. A diplomatic offensive had been next on the agenda. Now Gabrielle’s mind was overloaded with information, her body craved Oltu, and her emotions crashed and soared in his presence—he affected her on every level. She despised her reaction to Oltu’s presence more for the confusion it raised than irritation at being attracted to a Qui.
Cale was no help.
He walked her back to her room, his presence setting her teeth on edge.
The Thrak ‘Yla had miles of corridor and Gabrielle wished she’d tried a link shaft, a breakneck means for traversing the ship, anything to avoid this awkward tension between them. If Oltu was her storm, Cale was her calm, usually. Not today. Not since he’d declared his love and asked for her back. Watching him and Oltu lock horns had been an eye-opener. Cale had been the malevolent undercurrent, a silent assassin, provoking, drawing Oltu out to show him in his worst light.
Oltu’s appeal for forgiveness, the chance of redemption, had touched her heart, a flash of humility that renewed her hope in his commitment to her mission, a tacit admission that his feelings for her required him to prove his worth and he accepted the challenge. Cale could be wrong. Perhaps Oltu wasn’t manipulating her into his bed. He’d done nothing on this journey to warrant the accusation. Something had changed in him, something from within, a change so fundamental even his tributes worried over him.
Cale turned towards her. “I’ll be busy the next couple of days. I need to work with the weaponry and tech we’ll be using. You gonna be okay?”
She tensed. “I’ve plenty to do.”
“Sure.”
She glanced at his stoic face, wished she could see inside his head. Cale hid his feelings well, their emergence sudden and unexpected, like this morning... like that day he dumped her out of the blue.
They walked on in silence, deep in their own thoughts.
Cale seemed intent on walking her back to her quarters. He needn’t have. The corridors were busy, the K’lahn mid-shift, but few paid them attention. The aliens w
ith their scaly skin and lizard eyes showed only a reserved respect, the ship’s crew used to their presence. Oltu’s protection ensured her safety. Gabrielle roamed the Thrak ‘Yla at will, no longer wary of every K’lahn she strayed across, even when they directed her elsewhere.
As they reached the guest residence, the traffic dissipated.
She stopped and turned, placed a hand on his chest.
“Cale, about this morning.”
He looked down on her, a spark of emotion leaking out. Wariness. “Gaby, don’t–”
“I must. It’s not fair, on you, on either of us. We’ve been thrown together, on an alien ship, and you’re feeling protective, which is sweet, I appreciate it, but the reasons... why we didn’t work out, before, they still exist. God, nothing’s changed, has it? What happened with Jaden; that was a catalyst, to our break-up, I mean... the Qui treaty wasn’t the issue, it sure wasn’t the cause, because I don’t get that...”
She sighed. “The problem between us is older than that.” If those scum hadn’t found her, if she hadn’t gone off the rails, if the K’lahn hadn’t captured her brother... “Cale, please don’t let what happened to me define your future. You got away–” His hands rose to grab her and she flinched.
He frowned, withdrew, backing up a step, shaking his head. “You’re running again.”
“I’m not. You ran,” she said, chin high, angry now. “I stayed put.”
*****
Oltu stood outside Gabrielle’s door and sent the private message via his personal tablet, studying the ship’s auto translation against his written K’lahn, determined to conquer Gabrielle’s language so he wasn’t dependent on his translator implant forever. Sonestra mastered English easily enough, Jaden had learned K’lahn, and the human language was easier than most Oltu had bothered to learn.
He pressed the entry chime, unwilling to use his ship-wide access to barge in on her. The door opened to darkness. No one greeted him. He stepped in, pupils dilating to let in more light. He scented her presence, heard her movements in the dimly lit bathroom and worried her headache had returned.
“Are you in pain?” he called out.
“I’m fine.” She sounded surprised, appeared in the doorway. “Lights up,” she said, relieving his concern. “I was sleeping.”
“My apologies for awaking you.”
“I needed to get up anyway.” She paused, her eyes dropping to the one-piece suit in his hand.
Oltu presented his gift. “You asked to use the pool.”
She beamed with excitement. “I read up on it. I thought to swim with the gym clothes I have with me.”
“Body-tight clothing works best. The force fields are sensitive. I have some free time. If you wish, I can show you.”
She walked over, accepted the white swimsuit with a smile, and his offer to instruct her.
Oltu led her to the nearest shaft. He’d noticed Gabrielle avoided the ship’s internal transport system forcing a long walk to and back from the command bridge in the company of Colonel Tennant. With the colonel training in the armory, Oltu decided to address the problem. The pool arena required a route several levels down to engine level.
Gabrielle shook her head. “I’m happy to walk. I don’t like to feel trapped.”
“The force fields in the shaft are similar to those used by the pool.” He stepped in and visible force fields encased him. “The force net molds to your body ensuring stability. The ship’s gravity suspension uses similar principles.” He stepped out, the force field dissipating on detecting his shrug. “Remember when we flew–”
She chuckled. “If I recall correctly, we fell, and you didn’t do that particularly well either.”
For a second, Oltu could not answer, entranced by her laughter, caught by a sense of pride that he’d prompted her amusement, one they shared. His voice lightened. “You panicked.”
“And you paralyzed me! I was terrified.”
“I responded to the gravity of the situation.”
“You saved my life.”
Their eyes locked, and Oltu suddenly found the air hard to breathe. If he hadn’t found her, or had arrived a few minutes later... He growled, found his voice and gestured to the shaft.
“I’m suggesting something similar to calm your response, but less extreme, more like the sedative effect I used to ease your headache. I want you to try this. If you cannot manage the link shaft, you will struggle with the pool which requires active participation.”
“You’re offering to desensitize me.”
She had supplied the word he was looking for. “Can you trust me?” he asked.
“That is the right question, and for the reward of a swim, I think I will.”
Oltu worked through her words and realized if he’d asked do you trust me she would have said no. Gabrielle qualified her trust. He had much work to do. Extracting her brother safely assured her favor, but until then he wanted her to associate his company with pleasure.
He reached out and when she did not object, touched her earlobe, expressing an oil containing a calming agent. “We wait a few seconds.”
She nodded, took a deep breath, and studied the platform.
“What if the fields fail?”
Oltu pointed to the circular gap between the platform and the wall. “These studs operate as mechanical brakes. When the link shaft is in motion, the fields expand, pushing the brakes into recesses in the shaft wall.”
Gabrielle crouched for a better view of the supporting brakes, and the vertical drop below. “So if the force fields fail the brakes automatically pop back into place.”
“An unpleasant jolt, but not life-threatening.” He re-entered the shaft and held out a hand.
She hesitated, placed her hand in his, and he pulled her in, turning her to face the exit. His cock hardened against her curves.
“Um...”
He dipped his head, releasing a seductive pheromone as his lips brushed her hair, inhaling her exotic nectar. “For this, I have no cure.”
She gasped as the force fields encased them, a fine network of barely visible fibers.
“Test them. The field will not allow your reach beyond the platform perimeter, but you have a small range of movement.” He raised his head. “Move fast and you feel resistance, move slowly and the force field gives way. I will put my arms around you. The first few times can be disorienting.”
*****
She felt safe in his embrace, exhilarated. Credit the pheromones, maybe, but chemicals were not the source of Oltu’s uncharacteristic patience, his willingness to explain the mechanism, his pleasant demeanor. The sudden descent stole the air from her lungs.
“Breathe, Gabrielle. I have you.”
Her heart settled. The walls were so black she could not tell they moved. The sensation of falling receded.
“When I have time, I will improve the suspension transfer,” Oltu whispered in her ear.
She nodded, encouraged that she could. A corridor appeared, the platform easing to a smooth stop. Oltu flexed muscles and the cobweb force field disappeared. She jumped out and looked back at Oltu who was laughing.
“Well done,” he commented, his smile lending him a light-hearted roguish look that had Gabrielle’s pulse racing. He pointed at the shaft opposite them. “This one runs perpendicular to the hyperdrive.” Mention of the engine made her aware of a thrumming in her body, or was that a reaction to Oltu. “Then we go up,” he added.
In all, the journey took a few minutes leaving her horny as hell. She hoped Oltu accompanied her back again.
The pool arena was deserted, no doubt at Oltu’s command. She changed in an ante room, the swimsuit covering her scars. She discovered Oltu had changed into tight-fitting shorts similar to a wetsuit cutting off mid-thigh, and sexy hot. He sported an uncomfortable-looking bulge and the dull ache between her legs bloomed back to life.
Oltu stilled, his eyes ablaze, and then he was striding towards her. Heart leaping, she shot her hand forward, and he stopped, a millimeter short of her outstretched fingers. His hands fisted then flexed, his expression intense, focused on her, shifting waves of brightly colored scales breaking out across his body. Her throat went dry and her body pulsated with longing.
A devil possessed her.
She snagged the top of his shorts and pulled him forward. Her arms wound around his neck, her fingers in his hair. He followed her direction, giving only what she demanded. Her lips rose to meet his. His kiss electrified her, infused her with an intoxicating passion that welcomed his hand stealing around her waist and drawing her close.
He pulled back his kiss, his lips moving to nibble her skin, dropping tiny kisses that meandered to her ear. “Trust me,” he murmured.
She nodded, wanting to know what he had in mind, experiencing only excitement when he scooped her into his arms, undulating mounds of strapping muscle. He walked to a rectangular section in the floor.
“Pool on.”
Water that did not exist surrounded them to mid chest, warm and fluid, pressing against her.
“Increase depth.”
The water rose to her neck, Oltu supporting them as he rose into the air, carrying her with him. She clung to him.
“I’m going to let you go on three,” he prepared her, “hold your breath, or you’ll feel the force fields in your airway, which can be unsettling. You’ll sink, and I will bring you back to the surface.”
“Or I can swim.”
He smiled. “One, two.”
She took a breath.
“Three.”
It was the most incredible sensation, sinking but with the force fields supporting her body weight. Kicking her legs, she propelled up, Oltu’s hands enclosing her waist. They bobbed in the open air, their bodies mashed together, paddling to keep their heads above the force field, her hair perfectly dry. Energy glimmered against Oltu’s chin.
She laughed and Oltu grinned. She hadn’t seen him grin before and she loved the friendly look it gave him.