Alien Breeder

by Honey Phillips

  “Good. You said the male is their father?”

  “Yes.”

  “He is in critical condition. We are not sure if he will live.”

  Her heart ached as she looked at the girls. He hadn’t been much of a father, but he was the only one they had.

  “And the others?”

  “Merely unconscious as you said. The older female will be placed under confinement. The younger one will be watched until she awakes.”

  She breathed a sigh of relief that no one else had been injured.

  “What do you want to do about the children?” he asked.

  “They will stay with me, of course.”

  “You said you were injured.”

  “It’s nothing. This is going to be hard enough on them. They will be happier here than anywhere else.”

  A sigh. “Very well. But you will be treated for your injury immediately.”

  “Yes, all right.”

  “Keep this communicator with you. I will notify you once I have more information. The medic is coming to join you now.”

  He disconnected.

  “What happened, Sarah?” Jane asked.

  “Do you remember that I told you that a sick lady was here? She hurt some people.”

  “Did she hurt Tigga?”

  “No, but he’s asleep now.”

  “S’rah?” A voice called from the front of the garden and she stood up, swaying a little. Exhaustion was setting in and her arm throbbed in a slow steady ache.

  Both girls stood up with her and she thought briefly about asking them to stay, but she didn’t want to let them out of her sight. As they entered the main part of the garden, she recognized the large Yehrin warrior waiting for her.

  “T’bukka. What are you doing here?”

  “I was transferred down to the planet to supervise one of the breeding centers,” he said absently, his eyes fixed on her arm. “What happened?”

  “I’m sure it’s just a scratch.”

  “You will let me look at it,” he ordered, then noticed the two little girls peeking around her skirt. “And who is this?”

  “This is Jane and this is Tabitha.”

  “I am pleased to meet you,” he said.

  “We had popsicles and Sarah didn’t but she’s all red,” Jane informed him. Tabby’s thumb was back on her mouth.

  “Then we should clean S’rah’s arm, should we not?”

  “You said you only had combat medical training,” Sarah said nervously.

  “Do not worry, S’rah. I will not hurt you.”

  Rather to her surprise, he did not. Carefully keeping his body between her and the girls so they couldn’t see her injury, he cleaned away the blood to reveal a long shallow gash. He spread a healing gel on the wound, then wrapped it with a material that clung lightly to her skin, leaving a barely visible bandage.

  “Your arm will be stiff for a few days,” he warned.

  “I’ll take it easy,” she promised. “Where is T’gana?”

  “He has been restrained to the bed.” For the first time, a flash of humor crossed his face. “It is a most interesting bed. Indeed, a most interesting room.”

  “I want to see him.”

  “You are not concerned that he will hurt you?”

  “He has never hurt me, and he never will.” Her eyes filled with tears. “I’m afraid the fact that I was hurt is what caused this to happen.”

  “It is possible,” he acknowledged, “but until he is awake, we can not be certain.”

  “I want to see him,” she repeated.

  “Very well.”

  A small hand tugged on her skirt and she looked down to see Tabby staring up at her.

  “Tigga,” she whispered.

  “Do you want to see him too?”

  “Both of us,” Jane said.

  Sarah gave T’bukka a helpless look, but he only shrugged. “It is your decision.”

  Looking down at the two pleading faces, she didn’t have the heart to refuse. She knew how much she longed to see him, to make sure he was still with her, and she suspected that they both felt the same way.

  “Okay, girls. But you have to be very quiet.”

  They both nodded solemnly and took a hand, Tabby taking her injured left arm in an amazingly delicate grip. Together they walked to the bedroom. Her heart sank as she looked at him. Even unconscious, he was not at peace. His head tossed restlessly, and she could see the sheen of sweat on his brow. His wrists and ankles had been chained to the bed.

  “Is that really necessary?”

  “Those were the orders. And you can see that he is not under control.”

  “If I quiet him, will you release him?”

  He hesitated, then nodded. “All but one restraint. If you can quiet him.”

  “Girls, please stay here.”

  They both stared up at her, eyes wide, and nodded. Praying that she hadn’t overestimated her influence, she crossed the room. As soon as she got close to the bed, his nostrils flared and his head stilled.

  “S’rah?” he mumbled, then resumed his restless movements.

  “Yes, my warrior. I’m here.” She crawled up on the bed next to him and stroked his head, murmuring softly, telling him that she loved him. His head stopped tossing, although his hands still grasped at nothing. A muffled curse sounded from behind her and then Tabby appeared on the other side of T’gana. She didn’t say anything, just gently patted his cheek with one small hand. Jane was seconds behind her, ducking under his outstretched arm and snuggling against his chest. A chest that gave a great sigh and relaxed. T’gana settled into a normal, peaceful sleep.

  “I can not argue with that,” T’bukka said. He released all but one ankle chain. “Are you going to stay with him?”

  She looked at the girls, already snuggled like kittens against his big body and felt exhaustion tugging at her.

  “Yes.”

  “I will remain in the room,” he said. It was clearly not up for debate.

  “If you insist.” Too tired to make any additional protests, she tucked herself under T’gana’s other arm, pillowing her head on his massive chest. As she drifted off to sleep, it occurred to her that all she really needed to do to get the family she had always wanted was to get shot and tie a man to her bed. She was still smiling when she fell asleep.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  As T’gana drifted awake, he felt S’rah’s soft body tucked against his side and he smiled. He’d had a horrible dream where she was helpless and injured on Klendat and the knowledge that she was with him now helped to chase away the lingering unease. As he started to turn to her, he realized that more warmth surrounded him. T’bitha had her head buried in his neck and J’ne was curled under his arm. He gave a contented sigh, then frowned. What were the girls doing here? Had Cr’stal failed to retrieve them?

  A distant memory of Darryl yelling intruded on his thoughts and unease crept up his spine. Despite the presence of his girls, something felt very wrong. Unwilling to disturb them, he raised his head to survey his surroundings. A Yehrin warrior stood at attention by the windows, watching him intently.

  “Sub Commander T’gana,” he said quietly. “Are you yourself?”

  A frustrated growl threatened to escape, but he kept his voice equally quiet. “Of course, I am myself. Officer T’bukka, why are you here?” His hearts started to race. “Is there an issue with the breeding contract? S’rah chose to stay with me.”

  “No, that is not why I am here.” T’bukka hesitated, his eyes sweeping over the sleeping females. “It would be best to continue this discussion without the presence of the females.”

  “I refuse to wake them.”

  T’bukka bowed his head. “Then we will wait.”

  He put his head back down, but his mind refused to settle. He remembered being in the garden, showing T’bitha the first set of training moves, and then… A dark cloud blocked his memory, but he kept probing at it. The monitor! The monitor had warned him that someone approached. No, no
t someone, the older female with the piercing voice. That voice, so much like the bugs sending their war cries into the night. His chest started to ache, and he remembered that it ached then, as he listened to her screech.

  A confused mix of impressions flashed across his mind, the black desert, S’rah under the rock with him, S’rah falling… Suddenly frantic, he ran his hands over her. She was here, she was breathing, she was—he found the bandage. She was injured. He had failed her. The pain reached deep into his soul and broke him. Blackness descended, not the darkness of Klendat, but the color of his failure.

  “T’gana, you’re awake.” S’rah’s voice sounded happy but her happiness did not reach him. He was trapped in the darkness.

  “What is it? What’s wrong? Are you hurt?” Her beautiful face hovered over him, pale eyes anxious, but he closed his and shut her out. He did not deserve to look upon her.

  “T’bukka, I think something is wrong,” she said urgently.

  “If you will take the small females, I will examine him.”

  “I don’t want to leave him.” He could hear the tears in her voice, but he could not push aside the darkness. She deserved someone far better to comfort her.

  “Please, S’rah. You may return as soon as I have finished.”

  “All right. I’ll be right outside.” He felt her lips touch his forehead, a brief spark of light and warmth, and then they were gone.

  “If I pick up Jane, can you hand me Tabitha?”

  “I can carry the child,” T’bukka answered. Some distant part of T’gana protested—the male should not be carrying one of his girls—but the voice was buried under the weight of his failure.

  “Sarah, why are you crying?” J’ne asked, her voice thick with sleep.

  “I guess it’s just been a difficult day, sweetie. I’m going to take you and Tabby into the other room so T’bukka can examine Tigga.”

  “Is he better?”

  “He… woke up for a few minutes.” Her voice cracked. “He’s asleep again now.”

  “But I missed it.”

  “It was just for a few seconds. I’m sure he’ll stay awake longer next time. Come on now.”

  First J’ne left his side, then he felt T’bitha’s warmth leave his neck, leaving him cold and bereft in the dark.

  A moment later, T’bukka returned. “They have left the room.”

  It had not been necessary to tell him. He felt the emptiness.

  For a few minutes there was silence except for the faint hum of a scanner. He paid no attention to either the scan or the fact that it ceased, and the silence deepened. T’bukka sighed.

  “Open your eyes, warrior,” he ordered. “I need to take your report.”

  Years of military discipline finally forced his eyes open. Officer T’bukka stood next to the bed, his expression stoic but his eyes sympathetic. They would not remain so once he was aware of T’gana’s failure.

  “What happened?” T’bukka asked quietly.

  “I failed to protect my female. She was injured because I am too damaged to function as a warrior.” His voice sounded oddly distant in his own ears.

  “Can you tell me how that occurred?”

  “No. I was more on Klendat than I was here. I remember that she fell because I was too late to stop the female with the weapon.”

  “What happened to that female?”

  “I used the blast tube.”

  “Did you kill her?”

  With the question, another memory surfaced—the voice urging him to keep the weapon on stun.

  “No. It was not set to kill.”

  “Was anyone else present?”

  “I am not sure. I think, perhaps, the worthless human male who also lives on this street.” A bitter laugh threatened to emerge but was buried under the weight of his failure. “Who am I to say that he is worthless?”

  A click broke the silence and he felt a weight lifted from his ankle. Ah. He had been chained. He could not summon any outrage. In fact…

  “Why are you releasing me?”

  “You did not cause any harm. Despite your condition, you disabled the female. You did not wield your weapon thoughtlessly.”

  “I was too late.”

  “Perhaps. Perhaps not. If you had not stopped her, she could have killed every person present.”

  “Are you going to take me back to the ship?”

  “No. Your female does not think it would help you heal.”

  “Heal? I incurred no injury today, but nothing will help me heal.”

  “I believe that there are three females in the next room who would help you if you would let them.”

  “I would not ask it of them.” He closed his eyes against the pain.

  “You do not need to ask. You just have to let them.”

  When T’gana did not respond, he heard T’bukka sigh and move away. The door opened and closed, and he gave himself up to the darkness, floating down the long tunnel to oblivion.

  Sarah met T’bukka anxiously as soon as he emerged from the bedroom.

  “How is he?”

  “Not well. Physically, he is fine. Mentally, he is suffering greatly.”

  “But why? He protected us.”

  “You were injured.”

  “It’s nothing.”

  “It is something to him. It is always hard for a warrior to know that his female has been injured. It is more so if he believes that he is at fault.”

  “Why does he think that he was at fault?”

  “He believed that he was back on Klendat and he does not think that he reacted quickly enough to the threat presented by the older female.”

  “That’s ridiculous.”

  “I agree that it is not rational, but I am not the one who believes it.”

  He hesitated, then looked beyond the kitchen into her room. Tabitha was still asleep on the couch and Jane was coloring.

  “Do you know what happened on Klendat?” he asked quietly.

  “No. Just that it was bad.”

  “We have encountered a new species, the Saviji—bugs. They are smart, vicious, and their technology rivals ours.”

  “A’rathia told me that they were the first enemy you have encountered in many years that represents a true threat.”

  “She is correct. Klendat was our first true test. Sub Commander T’gana led a squad of thirty warriors in an attempt to take down a communication tower. But it was a trap and they were pinned down for over a week before T’gana managed to destroy the tower and find a way out. Only thirteen members of his squad survived, and his leg was severely damaged. I am surprised that he was able to keep it.”

  Her eyes filled with tears, but she refused to let them fall. “He’s very brave.”

  “He is. He was awarded our highest honor. He refused it.”

  “Why?”

  “Because so many warriors died. He saved almost half of his males under impossible conditions, but he thought only of those he had lost.”

  “What can I do to help him?”

  “You are his L’chka. Your touch, your very presence will help him.”

  The familiar pang struck her heart. “I am not. He has not claimed me.”

  T’bukka sighed. “That is… unfortunate. It was obvious from the first day on the ship that he wished to do so. If he had, I suspect it would be easier for you to help him heal now. But you can not abandon him.”

  “I have no intention of abandoning him.”

  “Good. This will be difficult, S’rah. He has retreated deep within. You must do whatever you can to bring him out of those depths.”

  “I will,” she vowed.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Sarah took a deep breath, fighting back the tears again, and gave T’bukka a shaky smile. Her eyes went past him to the two little girls in the next room.

  “I should call the hospital and find out how Darryl is doing. Do you know where he was taken?”

  He raised his wrist com and clicked rapidly with his claws, then handed her the communica
tor. Apparently, the Yehrin didn’t worry about privacy laws because the male who answered had no hesitation in disclosing all of the details. The news wasn’t good. The bullet had nicked his heart as well as his lungs and despite an operation to repair the damage, he had yet to regain consciousness.

  Somewhat to Sarah’s surprise, Crystal was at the hospital at Darryl’s bedside, so she asked to speak to her. When Crystal answered the phone, her voice was hoarse from crying.

  “I’m afraid he’s not going to wake up,” she sobbed.

  “I’m sure they’re doing everything they can. I have the girls here with me or I would come sit with you.”

  “Oh yes, the girls,” she said vaguely. “Are they okay?”

  Sarah bit her tongue to avoid snapping at the girl. “They’re fine with me. I’ll take care of them.”

  “I know you will.” Crystal choked back a sob. “Do… do you think you should bring them to see him? Just in case?”

  “I don’t think it’s a good idea right now. If—I mean when—he regains consciousness, I’ll bring them. Are you by yourself? Is there someone I should call?”

  “Becca’s here. I only just met her, y’know, but she’s been a really good friend.”

  “I’m glad you’re not alone. If anything changes, will you call me?”

  “Yeah, of course. Thanks, Sarah.”

  “You take care of yourself, Crystal.”

  Sarah hung up and sighed.

  “What am I going to tell them?”

  “Perhaps wait to see if they ask. It has been a difficult day.”

  “You are a master of understatement, T’bukka,” she said drily.

  He smiled and stood up. “I must return to my post.”

  “You’re sure that T’gana is all right?”

  “Physically he is fine, and I can not provide the assistance that he needs. Is there anything I can do for you before I leave?”

  “No, thanks. You’ve been very kind.” She got up to accompany him to the door, but as they entered the front hall, a sudden thought struck her and she stopped. “Unless… You’re pretty strong, aren’t you?”

  “Strong enough,” he said cautiously. “Why?”

  “There’s a guest bedroom upstairs with twin beds where I was going to put the girls, but I would feel better if they were down here closer to us. Could you help me bring the beds down here?”