Space Dragon Allepexxis

by C. K. Pershing

  “I’m sure he’ll be fine,” the elf said, and Paress blushed in embarrassment. “Unless you guys are together? But nothing I read about you…”

  “God no,” Paress laughed. “No, no worries there. He’s like my brother and best friend, but that doesn’t really describe it.”

  “He’s your Companion,” she said with a grin.

  “Yeah,” he agreed. “That he is.” Finally looking away from Casten completely to focus on Wyndred, he said, “As far as me being a hero, I don’t know about that. Seems like people throw the word around way too easily.”

  And then he suddenly got a wild streak and pulled her close. As he did so, he used his telekinesis to probe her body, lingering on the small folds between her legs. “But I hope you’ll keep your promise to treat me like one,” he whispered before biting one of her long ears. Casten would be so jealous— enough about Casten, you idot!

  She shivered and through his telekinesis, could feel her getting wet from his psychic touch. “I never break a promise,” she sighed. “And something else— this Marine can take whatever you can dish out, so don’t hold back.”

  Paress smiled at the defiance in her voice. It seemed like Marines would forever have chips on their shoulders when dealing with those in the Navy— of which Paress was technically a member, despite being a Space Knight.

  Well, he had to impress her not just for himself…but apparently also for the honor of the Navy thanks to the subtle physical challenge from a Marine. Here’s hoping! he thought as he grabbed another champagne from a passing waiter. As he took a drink, he sent a telekinetic wave that penetrated deep inside her body. From that, he got a good idea of what would stimulate her the most…

  She almost collapsed against him, and screamed into his shirt at the intense feelings she was suddenly experiencing. He held her up with one arm while holding his drink with the other. Finally, she managed to stand up on her own and pulled her face from his shirt. From eyes wide with shock, tears were streaming down her cheeks and she looked as if she had been drooling slightly.

  Did I got too far? Well, she said she could take anything I could dish out, he thought.

  “We’re leaving this party right now, you bastard,” she finally growled. “We’ve got things to do.” She gave him a slightly murderous smile that he found extremely attractive.

  He smiled back and they left the party soon after.

  The next morning, Paress woke up to find himself alone in the bed he had shared with Wyndred. He and Casten had both been given grand rooms in the palace to stay the night, before heading back out to continue their pirate-hunting mission.

  “Hello?” Paress called. “Wyndred?”

  He got up and went into the bathroom to find a drawing on the giant mirror done in lipstick. It was a pretty good likeness of Wyndred done in a cartoony style with her legs spread and fingering herself. Out of her moaning open mouth was a word balloon that said, “Thanks for giving me something to think about when I’m lonely. —Wyn”

  Paress smiled and shook his head and took a picture of the drawing before wiping it off the mirror with a towel. He vaguely remembered in between bouts of sex her saying something about wanting to be a cartoonist, and he had to admit he wouldn’t mind seeing more of her comics if they were like the one she’d left for him.

  He walked out of the bathroom looking at the photo of the drawing on his data pad and rubbing his cock in remembrance of last night when he realized Casten was sitting on the edge of his bed, reading through a book.

  “If you need to take care of yourself, do it quick because we’ve got an appointment,” Casten said absently while thumbing through the pages.

  Paress’ hand dropped away from his cock and he said, “Well any chance of that happening disappeared as soon your rude ass came into my room without knocking.” He looked at the door. “I guess she didn’t lock it on her way out.”

  “Oh no, it was locked,” Casten assured him. “But do you really think one of these old locks could keep me out?”

  “No, but I thought maybe it would make the point that I didn’t want to be disturbed.”

  “That’s a good one,” Casten said just before Paress telekinetically slammed the book closed on Casten’s fingers. “Hey, ouch!”

  “You’re lucky I don’t slam it shut on something else,” Paress warned. “But enough of that. What’s this appointment you’re talking about?

  “With the emperor. In about fifteen minutes.”

  “What?” Paress almost screamed. “Where?”

  Casten tilted his chin toward the window where light was streaming in, overlooking the airfield where the Emperor’s yacht, Allepexxis, and other spacecraft were sitting. “He’s seeing us on the Brynwal.”

  “Really?” Paress said as he pulled on his shirt and fastened his jacket over it. “That’s awesome!”

  “Damn right it is, now let’s go!”

  They arrived at the gantry leading up into the beautiful little starship with two minutes to spare.

  “Space Knight Handrel and Companion Casten,” Paress said to the royal guards at the bottom of the gangway. After a moment of checking a data tablet, the guards let them through. As they walked farther up the gangplank and out of earshot of the guards, Paress said, “Can you believe they actually checked to see if we belonged here? How can they not know who we are?”

  “They know,” Casten said. “They’re just busting our balls to show us who’s in charge in their little world.”

  Paress nodded. “Yeah, that sounds about right.” At the top of the gangplank, a steward stopped them and they went through the same procedure all over again. Paress looked at Casten who winked in return. They were soon led inside.

  Although smaller than most warships, at almost 200 feet long the Brynwal was still very luxurious with almost every square inch of interior space swathed in soft, supple material and brightwork. The effect was inviting and bright and Paress had to remind himself he was on a starship and not a cozy country retreat.

  The steward opened the door into a study. The Emperor was sitting at a desk surrounded by books on subjects ranging from military history to theology. There were beautifully detailed models of ships from the watercraft era in cases against the wall, but Paress also noticed some starship models too.

  “His Majesty, Emperor Gaius Sanctus Siegfried Francesca II,” the steward announced. Paress and Casten bowed as the steward continued, “Presenting Space Knight Paress Handrel and Companion Casten.”

  The Emperor, who had been looking at a data pad with a terse expression, set it down and stood up from his desk. “You may rise.” He turned to the steward, “Please bring the refreshments. The steward bowed and went out the door, closing it gently behind him.

  The Emperor turned back to Paress and Casten. “Thanks for coming, but I suppose you really had no choice, eh?” He let out a slight chuckle and gave Paress a pat on the shoulder.

  “No Your Majesty,” Paress breathed.

  Siegfried chuckled some more. “Alright, don’t worry. I’ll keep this short. You saved my cousin and more importantly, this planet. You were at the right place at the right time and didn’t hesitate to act. A lot of people were killed by Ange, but a whole lot more would have died if you wouldn’t have been here. And when I think of those damnable Aldonis taking over… They enjoy roasting our people to death and eating them. Sometimes they even eat them while they’re still alive.”

  The Emperor pounded his fist down on the table next to him and narrowed his eyes. “One day there’s going to be a reckoning, and it’s going to be the epitome of a come-to-Jesus moment for them…” He took off his white cap and ran his fingers through his hair. “But that day isn’t today.”

  Paress had heard that the Emperor could be surprisingly candid and plain-spoken, but he still found himself surprised by his ruler’s words. He could only nod as there was a slight knock at the door and the steward entered carrying a tray with some finger foods and drinks. The Emperor gestured to a small
table and after setting the tray down, the steward bowed and left.

  The Emperor handed a glass to Paress and then Casten before taking one for himself. “I’m promoting you to captain,” he said to Paress. “Both of you will also receive a significant pay increase beyond the normal captain’s salary. Your Hyper Battle Machine will receive the Golden Bands and you’ll each receive the Easter Legion Star.” He raised his glass in a toast. “Congratulations.”

  Paress, stunned by what the Emperor had just said, could only quietly raise his glass dumbfounded before blurting out. “Your Majesty, this humble Space Knight doesn’t deserve…”

  “Yes you do, and you know it. Don’t try any false modesty with me because I can see through it— just accept what I’m giving you and all will be right with the world.”

  Paress was stung by the Emperor’s words. He truly didn’t think he deserved so much for such a relatively short amount of work. Okay, maybe he could agree to the rank increase to captain. All the great Space Knights were at least captain. Johnny Vogel was a captain. He could even go with the salary increase. But the Golden Bands and the Easter Legion Star? I don’t know…

  “Thank you, Your Majesty!” Casten was saying with a deep bow, and Paress hurriedly followed suit with his own thanks.

  “I’ll do everything I can to never make you regret your kindness,” Paress said.

  “I said before that I’ve known and taken an interest in various Space Knight,” the Emperor said. “Needless to say, you two have moved to the top of the list.” He slapped Paress’ back and laughed. “No pressure!”

  Paress let out a worried laugh which only made the Emperor laugh harder. “Here have a couple of snacks before you go.”

  “I’m sorry, Your Majesty, but just now, I don’t think I’m very hungry,” Paress said just as Casten easily popped a couple grapes in his mouth.

  “Suit yourself,” Siegfried replied and Paress was relieved to see that the Emperor wasn’t offended.

  Not wanting to leave the moment hanging, Paress quickly scanned the room and spotted a small model of a starship on the Emperor’s desk. “Is that the Sieglinde?”

  The Emperor’s eyes brightened. “Yes it is! You know her?”

  “Casten and I are admirers of Vice-Admiral Lansen,” Paress said, thinking of the Sieglinde’s captain. “In fact, we were talking about his fights against the Aldonis just as I was about to engage their fleet…”

  Siegfried’s face flashed a moment of pain before he said, “Yes, Sonni was, and still is, I dare say, a bit of a hard head when it comes to the Aldonis. He’s 93 now, but would happily come out of retirement to fight those bastards if I asked him to.”

  Seeing the look on Paress' face, the Emperor laughed, “Yes, the irony of me at 105 talking about bringing Sonni out of retirement at 93 isn’t lost on me. But the fact is, he was so damn driven for so long. First against the Aldonis, then the pirates, then the Aldonis again when him and Space Knight Aliss teamed up against them… When he finally decided to rest and leave the battlefield, I jumped at the chance to retire him before he changed his mind.

  “He’s got at least another good fifty years in him, but it would be a crash in morale if something happened to him. A national hero— a national treasure— dying. So better to keep him and his gang happy and kept safely away from danger for the good of the Empire.”

  Paress wanted to tell the Emperor that the same thing would have happened if something bad happened to the Emperor himself. The Emperor, seeing Paress’ expression, waved his hand dismissively. “No, I’m at nowhere near the same level as Sonni with the public imagination. I readily admit that I have a sort of popularity but a lot of that comes with the title. Sonni came up from nothing. He’s a folk hero and that kind of person is much more important to the people.” He looked at Paress earnestly. “If you keep doing the kinds of things like what you did here, the Empire may find itself another folk hero to love.”

  Before Paress realized what was happening, he noticed he had tears in his eyes. “Excuse me, your majesty!” he said as he wiped them away. “I don’t know what just happened, but your words were very moving.”

  Siegfried smiled and patted his arm. “It shows that my faith in you isn’t misplaced. Being a light to those in need is a very noble thing and your tears show that you take that responsibility with a true heart and not simply a means to fame. I’m even more justified in making you a member of the Legion and giving you the bands.”

  Casten stood closer to Paress, lending his support through proximity.

  “Overall, I’m a hard man,” the Emperor said. “I’ve had to be. When I lost my Empress at such a young age— and then to deal with so much constant warfare— I had to rely on my faith to get me through. At first, I chafed at being called the Warrior Priest, but as time went on, I realized that people need symbols to help them through hard times. And if being one of those symbols could help my subjects with their fears, so be it, I would be the Warrior Priest.”

  Paress and Casten both shared a look of shock at the Emperor’s candor. In that moment, the ruler suddenly seemed so much older and tired. He nodded. “It’s those who are more than just symbols that make the real difference.” He stared long at Paress until Paress couldn’t help but make eye contact. But to his amazement, nothing happened. The Emperor seemed immune to Paress’ psychic lock as he said gently, “Sometimes we become symbols in ways we didn’t intend. But as long as you keep justice in your heart and work for the good of those who depend on you, your true value will shine through.”

  Suddenly, the world seemed to shatter into hundreds of shards of glass and Paress could see in each of those shards different events. The wreckage of Francescan starships tumbling helplessly through space, a white porcelain angel, a man and a small young girl, dead Hyper Battle Machines, hideous monsters coming out of the bodies of people, planets burning, another young girl– this one very pale with long blonde braids and covered in blood, an old man with scraggly white hair and beard, and a shining man.

  Paress felt his knees buckle and he almost collapsed, but Casten grabbed him and held him up. “Whoah there! Are you alright?”

  Paress blinked, the visions quickly leaving his mind. He gritted his teeth trying to hold on to them, but they flickered away like ghosts. “What was that?” he blurted to the Emperor, forgetting for a moment who he was talking to.

  The Emperor stared back. “You saw something.” He shook his head. “I’ve never been able to see what others see. But you’re only the third time this has happened in my life and try as I might it can never be explained or reproduced. What did you see?”

  “I can’t remember,” Paress said. “People…fires. I don’t know.”

  “Nobody ever remembers,” Siegfried said with a sigh. And then he was suddenly back to being the strong, steely Emperor Paress had always known. “Whatever it is, we have to reflect on its meaning and be vigilant. I will say that the other two times were Space Knight Lila Aliss and my Empress Hyndyn, so take from that what you will.”

  “Lila Aliss…” Paress said.

  “The first pilot of #34. You know. Denxeiter,” Casten offered in mock aid.

  “Johnny’s Machine,” Paress said with a little irritation. “Yes, Casten. I know.” He turned to the Emperor. “I apologize, Your Majesty. It’s just that our current mission is the continuation of the one started by Space Knight Johnny Vogel, the current pilot of Lila Aliss’ Machine.”

  “I see. Well, I pray that #34’s second pilot has better luck than its first. Lila disappeared into Resonance,” the Emperor said. “A shame and a real loss. She was an absolute scourge to space pirates. Some people think she was a bit of a pirate herself, but they’re wrong.”

  “Resonance,” Paress said. That single word described so much. If a Space Knight pushed himself beyond his normal limits, there was a very rare instance where he would synchronize completely with his Hyper Battle Machine in another worldly phase, or “Resonate”. The power levels of both pilot
and Machine would spike to extremely high levels just before the pilot would suddenly disappear without a trace, leaving the Hyper Battle Machine empty.

  Lila Aliss was lost to Resonance while fighting the Golden Path of Enlightenment Army, a race of crystalline beings that emerged from uncharted dark space on a holy crusade to convert the galaxy to their religion. During the second year of the war against them, Aliss had been in a desperate battle to singlehandedly save a planet from a massive invasion fleet while waiting for reinforcements.

  When all was lost, she pushed herself beyond all safe limits and after a very brief explosion of power, disappeared before she could do anything. The Golden Path of Enlightenment Army had been stunned by what they witnessed and while they decided what to do with her empty Machine, the Francescan reinforcement fleet arrived and drove them off before recovering #34 Denxeiter. It would be almost another nine years before Siegfried II personally led a battle fleet to destroy the Mystic Caste that controlled the Enlightened and bring the war to an end with the aliens’ surrender.

  “I spoke with Space Knight Aliss two weeks before her final battle,” the Emperor said. “And that was when she had a similar experience to yours just now. I told her to be careful but considering the circumstances what else could she do? And since she shocked the Enlightened by going into Resonance, she did give us enough time to get there and save the planet.”

  He turned to Paress. “That said, I want you to promise me that no matter what, you never go into Resonance. No matter how bad things look. Don’t do it. We don’t know what happens to those who disappear. I sometimes stay awake the entire night thinking about the possibility that Lila Aliss may be inside of some kind of never ending Hell or limbo. Resonance could very well be a fate worse than death.”

  Paress nodded. “I agree, your majesty, and you have my word to never attempt Resonance.” He glanced at Casten, and they shared a smile. “We’ve had more than a few conversations about this and frankly the whole thing terrifies me. If I’m destined to die, it will be as myself— not some ghost trapped in Resonance or something worse.”