by Lexi Ander
Dargon's casual stride turned into a stomp as he left the maintenance dock. Who was this Rathmar? He would rip off the lizard's tail if he touched his chosen. He halted mid-step, then staggered, so incensed he raised his voice in loud profane cursing and possibly stomped a foot or two. He would not allow it; he hated humans, despised what they stood for, what they did in the name of progress, and how they killed for the sake of greed. He reviled all of them. He forced himself to breathe slowly through his anger, slowing the double thrum of his hearts until the red haze cleared.
Well, obviously all of them with the exception of one silver-eyed paradox.
All the way back to his ship he barked chuffing growls, scaring people out of his path with the thundercloud following him. What did the human mean that he was going home?
Zeus knew that any other day he would have been incensed by the behavior of his crew—if he were not having problems keeping himself together. Gripping the walkway railing like a man hanging on for dear life, he almost chased after the Dar Massaga until he heard the words between his brother and the infuriating male.
He did not need to be entangled with someone just as prejudiced as Rathmar. What was it about him that attracted hiders? Rathmar had desired Zeus from the beginning and had hated himself for what he deemed a weakness. After all, Zeus was not even a warlord as a royal son usually was. How could Rathmar lower himself to desire someone too weak to be admitted into the academy, much less a human who could never be fully Mar'Sani? Those were the words Rathmar had used the last time they had been together.
Zeus could confess he had been running from the silent and public ridicule of certain Noble Houses. None of the whispers had reached the emperor's ears, for if they had, more Houses would have been banished to the wastelands. Zeus could not allow that to happen because of him. Just as he declined to fight the academy for their faulty test scores that would send someone to prison for fraud, he walked away—again. He knew his own worth, as did his family, and it was all that mattered to him.
"Has he harmed you?" Azaes appeared at his side, the clawed hand placed between his shoulder blades lending Zeus emotional stability.
"No, brother, he was here to schedule repairs for his ship. He did not touch me."
Azaes hissed in irritation. "He did not have to with the amount of mating pheromones he pumped into the air."
Zeus hid a smile as he watched the Asani frolic around the space dock. They enjoyed the effects of the pheromones. At least they kept their clothing on this time.
"Give me a moment to wrap things up, and we will leave for late meal."
Azaes stroked him a couple of times. His instinct must have told him Zeus needed the contact. Patting his shoulder, Azaes joined his personal guard to wait. Four of the Elite Honor Guard had been assigned to Zeus, adding to Hadon's security detail.
Zeus flagged the work order for the fusion engine on the merchant ship Oethra 7, Captain Dargon Kal-Turak. The Dar Massaga appeared to have been considering eating Ton when he approached them. When Dargon pinned him with those brilliant green eyes, Zeus had been caught in their snare. The pupils were elliptical, like those of the Mar'Sani people, but Zeus did not read reptilian on him. That Dargon was dangerous, obviously a predator of some kind, though a little contradictory with the external package. Not to imply Dargon appeared weak, just too pretty, and possibly prone to preening.
The Dar Massaga had a single line of eye-catching copper hair pulled back in a row down the center of his head, starting at the brow and running to the nape of his thick neck. It had been neatly braided, the tip brushing the top of the man's fine ass. His nose was somewhat flat, the nostrils broad over full, plump lips. He had a strong square-ish chin, and when he spoke, he flashed glimpses of sharp teeth. His skin had a gold brown, a sun-kissed look, and he was covered with a fine fuzz not unlike the body hair Zeus had noticed on some of the humans, just more delicate and almost invisible against his golden skin.
Zeus had been mesmerized by Dargon's ears, teardrop in shape and lined with rings of stones similar to what Zeus wore in his hair. He thought if he studied them long enough, he would be able to discern their meaning. The sides of Dargon's head were tattooed with tantalizing glyphs in stripes that Zeus's fingertips itched to trace.
He had researched data on the Dar Massaga race after his brothers voiced their concerns, though he had not had time to do much digging. The species were marsupials—and he wondered if the male had pouches as well as the females. Zeus had also discovered they had a symbiotic relationship, which they openly displayed. The deep green torque around Dargon's collarbone had not seemed out of place. Dar Massagas were fiercely protective of their symbiote, but it did not stop Zeus from wondering what the creature felt like.
Why did Dargon have such a devastating effect on him? Zeus had been rock hard the moment he looked into those captivating eyes. As tantalizing as the Dar Massaga was, however, Zeus could not afford to get involved with him. He had already met his quota for self-abuse when he stayed as Rathmar's lover. He did not relish another bout of verbal and emotional manipulation. It was bad enough he had allowed it to happen once. Lesson learned. He only had a couple of days left. The Dar Massaga would be disappointed if he thought Zeus would simply fall into his bed.
The work order completed, Zeus turned the crew over to the evening manager, who promptly vented the bay to clear the air. Zeus met Azaes by the exit, and they were immediately surrounded by the Monticore. Hadon took his place one step behind Zeus as they headed to his quarters so he could change for late meal.
Zeus could see disgust mixed with concern in Azaes's expression. "I do not want you around the Dar Massaga. His body reacts to your presence, but he truly despises humans. He is too stupid to recognize you as Mar'Sani. If he gives into his instinct and mates with you, he could react poorly once he returns to lucidity. He may harm you in retaliation."
"I understand what you are saying, but his ship needs a master mechanic. I will more than likely see him again. Have no worries. It is not my intension to fall into bed with him or anyone else before leaving the station."
They waited outside Zeus's quarters while two of the guards swept in and cleared the area before Azaes and Zeus were allowed to enter. Azaes paused until they were within the privacy of Zeus's suite before he continued. "I know what Rathmar did to you." Azaes's voice was low and deadly. "You did not come to us. Why?"
Zeus heard Azaes's teeth snap together. His heart plummeted at his brother's comment. He had been too distracted by Dargon the first time Azaes had mentioned Rathmar's name. Zeus looked down at the dress uniform lying on the bed, refusing to look at Azaes just yet. He had to reclaim control of his emotions first. He had hoped to keep his family from discovering his failed relationship with Rathmar. Too ashamed of what he had allowed to happen, he feared how his brothers, his family, would regard him after they learned his secret.
"How long have you known?" Zeus asked.
"The skink bragged to his little ring of marionettes not even a lunar moon after you left. He disappeared when you did, and I did not put the two together until he came back to court bearing a scar. I want to see what House Cordyl did to you."
Zeus's shame was so great, he felt as if he stood on the scorching black sands of Inferno. "Does Father know?"
Azaes paused. Zeus did not hear him approach, but suddenly Azaes stood next to him. "Why did you not come to us—come to me? You disappeared for a week and then we received a message from the station regarding your safe arrival."
"I told Shaneva."
"But not me!" Zeus flinched at the pain in Azaes's voice.
"I am sorry, brother," he choked out. "I was ashamed."
"Why? How much have you kept from us? I do not understand, Zeus."
As children, Zeus had shared everything with the twins. He trusted them with everything—until Rathmar. He had been so desperate for an intimate bond. He was not sure his family could understand. They were so different in some ways, he and them. Th
e twins were never in need of willing or adoring partners.
"Rathmar did not want anyone to know. He was mortified by his attraction to me. I thought time would allow him to come to terms with how he felt. He could be so loving and sincere, and then he would go through bouts of guilt. He believed his family would turn him out if they discerned he had been intimate with me."
Azaes released an angry noise. "He was your friend. You spent all of your spare time together. You are a son of Emperor Valdor Vondorian. Anyone would be honored to be your Amor!"
A bitter laugh escaped Zeus. "No, there are those who do not see me as anything other than a human monkey. I will never be more to them."
"Father will …"
"No! He cannot keep banishing Noble Houses because of me!" Zeus turned and faced Azaes.
His brother grasped Zeus's flushed cheeks between his palms. "You are his son! Any—" Azaes's nostrils flared. "Any who insult you, insult the emperor. Affronts cannot be overlooked or allowed. The rumor of what they did to you goes beyond a mere slight. Show me."
"No, Father will—"
"I will not tell Father."
Zeus searched Azaes's face. "Swear—swear to me you will not do anything ill-advised."
"Why do you think Mestor is not here? He could not promise not to kill Rathmar, so he stayed behind."
"And you can make that promise?"
"Yes."
Zeus released a suffering breath. He had carried the burden alone for years. Laying the uniform out on the sleep platform, Zeus released the clasps of the mechanic's cargo with shaking fingers and withdrew his arms from the sleeves before he let it drop over his wide shoulders to his waist.
"Zeus …" Azaes whispered in shock. Cool fingers traced the jagged lines as he counted the deep scars.
A guttural noise rolled out of Azaes, long and low, a signal of danger that ended on a note closer to a whine. Azaes was hurting. He took his duties as protector seriously. Zeus had not allowed his family to defend him, and that action had hurt them.
"I apologize, brother. I could not explain to you how this happened. Father would have been crazed by the smell of my blood, and I could not hide what had happened. A friend took me in and cared for me. I went to visit Shaneva. I swear she had been expecting me because she had these beads waiting for me." Zeus touched the stones woven into his hair.
Azaes gripped Zeus's shoulders, and they stood that way for a moment. Zeus let go of the burden the secret had yoked to him. So far, Azaes had acted with restraint, but Zeus understood what it cost Azaes.
"Brother," Azaes whispered. "Please … never withhold from us again. You do not have to stand alone. I never want to wonder why I am not worthy of your trust again."
Zeus gazed over his shoulder, eyes feeling wet with unshed tears. "I did not want to bring shame upon Father's House."
"You have been listening to the wrong Noble Houses. You are stronger than any of us. I hope one day you will come to know the power you have." Azaes's grip on Zeus's shoulder tightened. "You have always brought honor to the House of Vondorian and are more worthy of the title of Prince than I am."
Dargon made it back to his ship without murdering anyone. It was close though. He ran into a group of Terren coming out of the cantina. They bumped into Dargon without a word of apology as they continued on their way. He sniffed them as they passed by and scented only sour sweat, chemicals, and even sickness on one. They appeared dull and unremarkable compared to Zeus, and he could not understand why there was such a contrasting difference.
On the bridge, the GyrFalconi, Axis de la Rynch, worked the navigation charts. Almost as tall as Dargon, Axis had dark brown skin and a plume of red-tipped gray feathers instead of hair. His round eyes were black with an outer ring of yellow; his wide, bone-plated nose made him appear flat-faced.
Axis glanced up from the charts when Dargon stomped onto the bridge. "This is the second time today you have stormed onto the ship in a foul mood. Have we been discovered by the psi-tracker already?" Axis was immune to psi-attacks, sensing, and probes. They slid off him like water, but that also meant he was unable to detect a psionic presence.
"No—we are safe for now. How much longer until we arrive at our destination?" Dargon knew the answer before he asked, but he needed a safe topic to allow his boiling blood to cool.
"With the fusion engine repaired it will be thirty standard days to arrive at headquarters, another two to reach Valespia. If the engine cannot be fixed, we will have to use jump gates, and it will be closer to sixty days. If we use the gates, they will be able to intercept us easier."
"The station has a master mechanic, a human called Zeus, who will start working on the engine tomorrow." There were several crew members who despised humans just as much as he did. Axis being one of them.
"I will let the crew know. No use harassing the only person who can get us running again."
Dargon handed over the maintenance docking information and codes. "Make sure you let everyone know not to harass the mechanic."
Axis regarded Dargon. "Captain, is he the reason why you have been cranky?"
Dargon's mouth worked as he disregarded a half-dozen replies. "He is not like the other humans. I do not want him hurt."
"I will pass on the word, but I cannot promise what the others will do."
"It was not a request. It is an order," Dargon snapped. "Just because we have been operating as a merchant ship for the last two standard years does not mean they can do whatever they want when not on duty. The assignment is far from over, and this crew still reports to me. I will deal harshly with anyone who harms him. Do I make myself clear?"
Axis's black eyes narrowed at Dargon. "Got it." He swiveled his chair back around to the navcharts, ignoring Dargon.
Dargon could not blame Axis for his hatred of the Terrens. His people had been genetically altered by the humans, skipping their natural evolutionary process so they could use the GyrFalconi as slaves to work the mines. His species had lost their wings, their ability for personal flight, because of the forced alterations. Most of Aries 7 remembered their winged ancestors, or they were like Axis, who had had his wings removed when he was young. Dargon had seen the scars.
Regardless of everyone's prejudices against the Terrens, they had a job to do and they could not—he could not—be sidetracked by a human. While the repairs were being made to the engines, Dargon needed to make sure Zeus would not accidentally discover their cargo. In the mess hall of his vessel, he found two people who would help him.
Madux Manx was the ship's Chi-Lin psi-healer. The tall, feline race looked remarkably human with blue eyes; and his humanoid hands and feet had strong retractable claws. Though his body was not covered in fur, his skin was black with gold rosette spots. His lion's mane grew much like human hair, dark, soft, and flowing down his back.
Sitting with Madux was the Catalani assassin, Amlyn. Barely one and a half meters tall, she was half as tall as Madux. Although humanoid in body shape with humanoid hands and feet, her face was more feline in appearance with swirled, brown and white short fur over red-brown skin. Her russet gaze watched him approach, tail flicking back and forth.
"Axis sent us the message about the human. Why cannot we mess with him?" She flashed a mischievous hint of fang.
"How are our guests?" Dargon asked.
Amlyn's gaze broke away, reminded of their purpose.
"Better than they were," Madux replied. "My psionics are not compatible with the Fal'Amorics so I have been helping Mayra as an assistant medic. There are a couple who are still in critical condition, but the others were aided by medicine and a restricted diet."
Dargon gave both Madux and Amlyn an uncompromising stare. "The station has only the one master mechanic to work on the fusion engine. If he is accidentally hurt then we will have to use the jump gates, and we all know how easy it would be for them to track us down that way. We need him, but while he is on board, make sure he does not wander into restricted areas, or that the Fal'Amoric
come onto the common level. Amlyn, set the Orions at the doors. Madux, you or Mayra need to stay with our guest. We do not need to blow our cover. I will have Abechan scout for the tracker while I make sure we are restocked. I do not want to stop again until we have reached our destination."
Madux and Amlyn asked a few questions before they left to make their arrangements. He hoped the human would not be more trouble than he was worth.
*~*~*
The Oethra 7 was logged as a merchant class ship. Zeus held back an ugly snort. This was a Tradeline 3.2 modified long-range scout ship. The beauty was a streamlined, wingless body equipped with vectored thrust and, if lightly loaded, able to take off and land vertically. He noticed the turret bay door underneath the body.
Were they scouts, Imperial Patrol, or pirates? The moment he came aboard he had been watched. They were good, sly even, but he listened to his other senses and not to what his eyes told him. He counted at least six Orion troopers. They were bigger than he thought they would be and not even slightly humanoid. The mantle included the head and body as tall as he was with a single row of black eyes circling the crown. They had nine tentacles, currently tucked into the mantle, only displaying the three short walking limbs. In combat, those nine tentacles extended four to five meters. The end of each appendage held a diamond-shaped pad with small, retractable, triangular claws covering the surface that could shred through most armor in seconds. This small troop had similar blue coloring to their skin with blue and yellow scales on their armor plates indicating they were from the same familial clan.
Hadon followed behind Zeus as the little L'Eema, who introduced himself as Otho, led them to the engine room. Hadon's posture changed when they boarded, and he walked closer to Zeus when they approached the biggest Chi-Lin psionic Zeus had ever seen. The guy was massive, two and a half meters tall. There were so many dangerous species on the ship Zeus's opinion began to lean toward pirates. He needed to be vigilant. He could not be positive about his assessment, but he would rather err on the side of caution than be caught off guard.