“Thank you for your hospitality, Commander,” Kyr responded, placing a steadying hand at the small of her back. He could feel the tension radiating from her.
The Commander waved away the thanks and ushered them into the dining area. A long, glass table had been laid with an assortment of fruit and other foods that she didn’t recognize. The strangeness of her current situation came rushing back to her at that instant. What if the doctors had been right all these years, and what she was seeing and hearing was simply a product of a warped and broken mind? Panic clawed at her. The presence of a warm hand at the small of her back offered reassurance. She could feel Kyr reaching out to her mentally. The bond was there, harder to access when they were less intimately connected, but still she felt it. It offered her a measure of peace and comfort that she’d never had before.
Taking a seat at the table, she allowed the staff to serve her. She had no idea what the customs were on, well it wasn’t really a planet, but a space station. Deciding to observe others and follow their lead, she studied the others present at the impromptu gathering. They were obviously very important people. The richness of the fabrics adorning their bodies bore testament to that. The women’s clothing was shocking, incredibly so. One wore a gown similar to hers, but completely diaphanous. She might as well have been wearing cling wrap for all that it hid. The sheer, gossamer like fabric floated over her skin, revealing one rouged nipple, the other bared entirely by the asymmetrical cut of the gown. The woman also wore nothing under the gown, and her shaved mound was visible, as was the jewelry that adorned it.
“I understand that on Earth, where you have been, that the custom is for women to cover their bodies entirely,” the woman said, a hint of challenge in her voice.
“It varies, really,” Wren replied, coolly. “There are certain cultures where women must cover everything but their eyes, others where women may wear whatever they choose, so long as they are not revealing their breasts or genitals. There are even certain individuals on Earth who call themselves naturists and prefer to go without clothing altogether. Most of us are somewhere in between, however.”
The woman shuddered, “I would never live somewhere that required me to hide my body. The universe has blessed us with pleasing forms, and it is a crime to hide it.”
“Perhaps I will adjust to that way of thinking, in time, but at present, I prefer to keep some things a mystery, at least to most people.”
“Commander,” Kyr began, interrupting a conversation that could not end well, “Has there been any news on the locations of the other Sentinel Mates?”
The Commander smiled sadly, though the expression did not match the coolness of his gaze, “I’m afraid not, Lieutenant Nivarre. The others may well be lost to us forever. Had that Aldacyian ship not been recovered and the incriminating records of Wren’s escape discovered, we might never have found her.”
Wren felt ill. Memories were suddenly there, indistinct and fuzzy, but more than she had ever recalled before. She’d been so little, not quite six. The Aldacyians had been dragging her away from a ship and into the woods to meet someone. One of them had stumbled in a small hole and she’d jerked away, running deeper into the trees.
“Wren? Wren?”
Wren shook her head and pulled herself back to the present. One of the servants held out a small bowl of something that she couldn’t quite identify. “No, thank you. I’m sorry, but I just don’t feel very well.”
“My poor dear! What a difficult few days this has been for you... You must be exhausted. You should rest, Wren.”
“Precisely, Commander. Thank you for being so understanding,” she replied, her smile as sickeningly sweet as his. They had to get out or they would both be dead by morning, she thought.
Hearing her thoughts clearly, Kyr spoke, “With your permission, Commander, I would take Wren on a tour of the station. After being cooped up aboard ship for so many days, the activity will be helpful.”
“Of course! A romantic stroll is always a perfect end to the evening!”
As they rose, many of the guests chatted quietly amongst themselves. Wren could feel their curious gazes on her. The Commander rose and held out his hand to the mostly naked woman, “I have chosen you, Ilira, to be my companion for the evening.”
She curtsied, her breasts swaying with her movements. “I am honored to serve you, as always, Commander.”
Kyr rose then, “Forgive me, Commander, but I think the festivities might be too much for Wren. She is not yet accustomed to our ways.”
The Commander nodded, “Certainly Lieutenant. Enjoy your tour of Sector F9, my dear.”
They left quickly. Outside the door Wren met Kyr’s gaze and said, “Do I even want to know what is going on in there?”
He shrugged, “I told you that our attitudes about sex are very different here. Taking a woman in front of others, so that they too may benefit is a common practice.”
“So he’s going to fuck her in front of everyone else there for their entertainment?” she asked, needing to hear him say that.
“And for his. The Commander loves to perform,” Kyr responded. “You may be more comfortable if you change. I doubt you’ll wish to be walking around openly in that gown,” he said as they entered their chamber.
“Okay. I want out of here, Kyr. Just being in his presence makes my skin crawl.”
“You’re certain that he’s involved in the disappearance of the sentinel mates?” Kyr asked.
Wren wasn’t offended by his doubt. The truth was that she still doubted herself all the time. But she couldn’t afford not to listen to her instincts. There was too much at stake. “Yes... but don’t ask me how, because I don’t know. It’s the same way that I knew which of the creepy doctors and orderlies to never be alone with when I was a kid.”
Kyr clenched his fists. The anger that filled him when he thought of her alone, vulnerable and unprotected, was foreign to him. He’d never been one to experience strong emotions. He’d been told that finding his mate would change things for him, but he hadn’t imagined it would be so intense. Still, it wasn’t something he could focus on at that moment. Keeping a clear head would keep them alive and get them to safety. “I will never let anyone harm you again,” he vowed.
Wren met his gaze, saw the sincerity in his eyes, and the feelings that she’d been trying so hard to hold at bay, welled up inside her. He’d asked before if it mattered why they were together, in that moment, she realized she didn’t care about the how or why, only that it was. “So this HC scanner--where is it and how the hell do we get there?”
“That is where we are going now. The medical center here has one and I have friends who work there who will help us... They will also get a message to Lexian. Our shuttle is fast, but not fast enough or powerful enough to get away from the entirety of F9’s forces.”
Thoughts of Lexian prompted vivid recollections of their earlier conversation and she shivered. “Do you love him?”
“That is a difficult question. He and I have been together for many years, trained together, fought together. But my feelings for him are very different from my feelings for you.”
“But you are attracted to him.”
Kyr let out a heavy sigh as they entered their chamber. “These questions are why I did not wish you to know. On Earth, did ancient warriors not engage in sex with one another? The Spartans and the Greeks?”
“Well, yes... but that was because they often spent months at a time away from women.”
He met her gaze levelly then, “We have never had women, Wren. Our entire lives have been spent in the company of men, all of us wondering what it would feel like, what it would be like to finally know the touch of our mates.... Genetically, we are more in every way. They created us with more testosterone and higher sex drives because it would also make us stronger, more aggressive and better fighters.”
“I’m jealous,” she admitted. “I didn’t think I would be, but I am.”
“Lexian and I fulfilled one a
nother’s base needs... but we were both waiting for the day that we would find our true mates. What we discussed earlier, it does not have to happen. It would only make things worse.”
Wren shook her head, “No. I’m being silly about all of this. I’m still coming to terms with things, Kyr, but I feel it when you touch me, when you look at me. I can feel the connection between us. There isn’t any doubt in my mind that we do belong together... and regardless of anything else that happens, we will stay together.”
He smiled then, pulling her against his chest. “I wish that I could stay in this room with you... that I could sink into the softness and heat of your lush body.”
“We have to do this. If the others are going through even a tenth of what I experienced... It was horrible to always feel alone and different, to wonder if I really was crazy. Sometimes I still wonder.”
“You are not alone now. You will never be alone again.”
“Let’s get this done and get the hell out of here.”
“When we leave here, Wren, he will know. We’ll be fugitives and he will search every corner of the galaxy for us,” Kyr warned her.
“Does that mean I don’t get to go hang out at the Sentinel barracks and see all the hot guy on guy action?” she asked teasingly.
Kyr smiled. “No... but if Lexian can get here with another ship, we will provide all of the action you desire.”
They left quietly, nodding to the guards in the hallway as they exited the relative luxury of the Commander’s apartment. Once again they used the transporter. Wren didn’t think she would ever be accustomed to that. After reaching the street, Kyr headed away from the bay where their shuttle was docked and continued down busy corridors.
“Where has everyone come from?”
Kyr smiled, “Many come from other stations, other planets, even other galaxies. When planets trade with one another, the deals are generally made here.”
Wren shuddered lightly. “Many of these deals include trading women?”
Kyr nodded. “Yes. For most, it is a contract to establish a brothel on a particular planet or station. For others, they contract for mates... what would have been termed mail order brides on Earth. These females are not slaves, Wren. Most choose to enter these arrangements willingly and are healthily compensated for it, others choose to do so as a way of settling a family’s debts or because they come from planets that lack other resources. Slavery is not permitted by the Core 7 Alliance.”
It didn’t make it sound much better to her, but at least she didn’t worry that women were being forced into slavery. Rather than focusing on things she had no control over, she asked, “So where are we going to now?”
“The plan, once we lose the guards that are trailing us, is to double back to Medical Bay and access the scanner.... Do you see that crowded entrance ahead? We will turn in there. It’s a market, always crowded, and we can lose the guards in there with ease, without making it apparent we were trying to.”
Wren nodded and they moved in that direction. The crowd was thick and raucous. People were trading, haggling and bartering. There were strange animals in cages that looked like nothing she had ever seen before. Other stalls were selling food items and yet other were selling jewelry and clothing. It was loud and chaotic. She stuck close to Kyr as they wove in and out of the crowd, before ducking into a small alley between two structures. They waited there in the shadows as the Commander’s guards walked past.
Kyr led Wren from the small alley and the exited the market quickly, heading back toward the Medical Bay and the bay where their shuttle was docked. They reached it without incident and Wren breathed a deep sigh of relief. Kyr identified himself to the guard on duty and asked for a doctor by name. The guard assured them that the physician was on duty and then ushered them inside.
Wren felt ill. It didn’t matter where in the universe you were, hospitals apparently all looked and smelled the same. Her skin felt too tight and her lungs simply refused to cooperate and draw breath. She clutched at Kyr’s hand, “I can’t do this. I was wrong.”
At that moment an older man stepped into the hallway. He had long white hair that was tied back in a braid and he wore a simple uniform of a dark pants and a white tunic. He bowed to Kyr and Wren. “Welcome, Kyr. Welcome. I am so happy you have arrived.”
“Thank you, Amri,” he said. To Wren, he added, “Amri is a respected physician and an old family friend. He and my father served together.”
Struggling to pull herself together, Wren said, “It is a pleasure to meet you, Amri.”
“Amri, this is Wren Marlowe. My mate.”
Amri clapped his hands together in front of his face and bowed his head before raising his hands skywards. “The heavens be praised! Welcome, my dear child! Welcome. But why have you come to this place and not to my home, Kyr? Nura will be most displeased that you did not visit with her!”
“We are not really here to visit, Amri. We need access to an HC Scanner. Wren’s memories of the night the girls were taken has been tampered with. We must access those memories to learn who was responsible, and hopefully track the others.”
Amri’s smile faded. “I will help you do this, but it is very dangerous, Kyr. Things here are not as they would seem.”
Kyr nodded, “I am beginning to understand that. Thank you, Amri.”
Amri reached for Wren’s hand. “You will come with me, child. It does not hurt, but it is very noisy,” he explained.
“Kyr?”
“I will stay with you,” he said, walking behind her.
They entered a small room at the end of the hall. In the middle was a white chair. Eyeing the wrist and ankle restraints on the chair, Wren balked. “No, no,” Amri said. “Those are not for you. We will not need them, so long as you can hold still.”
Wren nodded and allowed him to help her into the chair. Her hands clenched the arms of the chair brutally, her knuckles showing white. While Amri placed the tiny electrodes on her forehead and behind her ears, Kyr sat down at a desk in the far corner of the room and began to type on a holographic screen that appeared in front of him. He spoke quietly, but she knew that he was contacting Lexian to ask for help. When Amri had finished and began to walk away, panic hit her full force. Memories of the treatments she had undergone as a child assailed her.
Suddenly, Kyr’s hands covered hers as he crouched beside her. “Nothing and no one will harm you,” he said.
“I know. I just want this over with.”
“Now,” Amri said, moving a large hoop into place around her head. “This will move around very quickly.... you must not move or it could injure you. It will be very loud. Try not to jump.”
Wren agreed and he stepped over to a desk where he pressed a series of buttons. The loop around her head began to circulate, growing faster and faster. The whirring sound was deafening and the site of the loop moving at the dizzying pace before her eyes nearly made her ill.
“Close your eyes,” Kyr said. “I will be here.”
Wren did as he suggested and the roaring of the loop began to fade away. Instead, she was in a room with other girls. It was at one of the many hospitals she had been in as a teenager. Memories began to crowd together in her skull, pushing their way forward, jumbling over top of one another. Suddenly, she was a child again and was being walked through the woods by the Aldacyian. His hands were rough as he jerked her along behind him. The memories shifted further back and again she was in a room with several girls, but they were all very small children. Suddenly, the Aldacyians appeared. But they were not alone. The Commander was with them and another man. The events swirled by so quickly, even faster than the loop that spun around her.
Eventually she became aware of the slight whirring sound of the loop again, and the change of rhythm as it slowed and eventually stopped. Opening her eyes, she found that Kyr was still beside her and that Amri was there to remove all the electrodes from her. “I remember everything,” she said.
“I know, my dear,” Amri said. “I ha
ve copied all the recovered images onto a VID file for you. You must take it with you when you leave here and get it to the proper authorities. Now, you must leave quickly. It is too dangerous for you to stay here. F9 is called a neutral zone, but it is not, truly. Many people disappear from here, and I do not wish to count you amongst them.”
Wren rose to her feet. She was slightly dizzy, but otherwise felt fine. “I don’t know how that thing worked, and I’m not sure I want to.”
Amri chuckled, “It is a simple process really. Mild electrical currents are targeted to activate specific areas of the brain, in this case, the hippocampus, which is the memory center. It is not harmful, and the current is mild enough that I doubt you even felt it.”
She hadn’t, and she knew enough about electric shock to be glad of it. Wren accepted the small object that he handed her. It looked similar to a computer flash drive though the shape was slightly different. A noise in the corridor set her heart to pounding. “That is not good.”
Amri ushered them to a small panel at the far side of the room, “This takes you out through the air ducts. If you follow it all the way to the end, there will be an access panel that leads out to the main corridor near the shuttle dock.”
“Come with us,” Kyr said. “We will get Nura and take you both with us.”
Amri shook his head, “Nura is not well, Kyr. We are both very old and very ready to leave here and take our place in the heavens. But you and your mate are just beginning your lives... I look forward to guarding your children from the skies. Go, my friend.”
They ducked into the access panel and listened as Amri fastened it behind them. They had gone only a few yards when they heard the sound of shouts, followed by the unmistakable sound of weapons being fired.
“Oh, god! We have to go back,” Wren said.
“We can’t, Wren. I don’t think they will kill Amri. As a doctor he is too valuable, but they will try to frighten him, and us. If we go back and place ourselves in their grasp, it will all be for naught.”
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