by Shae Mills
Then she cried out with surprise as he grabbed her and instantly flipped her to her back. She clutched onto his powerful shoulders as he entered her again. Each time he thrust into her, her entire body tingled with desire, each penetration begging for the next. Her hands coursed down his perspiring body and over his hard buttocks. Then she curled upward and bit into his neck.
Korba clenched his teeth, her bite drawing blood, his lust spurred on by the sting of pain. He felt her nails rake his flesh, and he exploded. He speared into her one last time as deep as he could. Then he collapsed onto her in a quivering mass.
Chelan adored his weight upon her, his massive body dwarfing her, comforting her with his strength and security. She grinned as she lapped at the warm fluid that oozed from the small wound she had made. “You still lust after the pursuit of blood, my Lord. You crave it.”
Korba’s azure eyes opened to hers as he threw back his head. “As long as it is mine, my Lady, and not yours.”
Chelan’s fingers traced his jaw and lips. “You are distracting me from my task.”
He grinned. “Yes, and successfully. And by the way, you fit so perfectly in the command chair, your body splayed out for my taking.”
Chelan pushed against his chest. “Where I fit is anywhere near you, period.”
He sat back on his heels, his erection finally receding. Chelan watched as he began concealing himself in his uniform, his hand touching his sated maleness causing her mouth to water once again. Grappling for control, she sat up and shuffled to her knees. She kissed him on the lips softly once. “I have to shower and then go to the children.”
Korba nodded, a gleam in his eye. “Showering alone?”
Chelan yanked on his hair and then grabbed her gown. “Alone.” And she rushed from the Command Center and into the workout room before she could change her mind.
Korba watched her disappear and then looked down over his glimmering chest. He needed to shower too, but for the moment he did not wish to lose her scent. He stood and stretched his massive frame. Then his eyes narrowed and he punched a few buttons on the console.
“Rayik here, my Lord.”
“Progress report.”
“All normal, Sire. And Zane requests that you and the Lady Chelan meet him for dinner on RIBUS 5, if you wish, my Lord.”
Korba smiled. “Tell him we will be there.”
“Yes, Sire.”
Korba glanced toward the workout area, his keen ears netting the sound of the shower. Then he looked back to the console. “What is the status of the mission, to Calley?”
“All is up and running, my Lord. Dredon is leading it as you ordered.”
Korba’s eyes lit once again. “Good. Tell him I will meet with him within the week. He is not to contact me directly in the meantime.”
“Understood, my Lord.”
Korba turned the switch off.
He looked back toward the workout area, a sly grin traversing his handsome features. He leaned back against the console and crossed his arms over his broad chest. Then he chuckled. “Jim, was it?” he whispered. “Seems to me that young man could use a lesson or two.”
The Warlord glanced up at the ceiling and then chuckled again. “In my estimation, Dar let you off a bit too easy.” And he shook his head with amusement.
Before the rendezvous with RIBUS 7, he had some fun and games planned, and Calley was going to be the perfect playing field. A powerful Earthling named Jim, Chelan’s old boyfriend, was going to be the ball. And just where the man would land was yet to be determined.
Chapter 7
RIBUS 1 STREAKED THROUGH the galaxy on her journey to her long-ago, mostly destroyed sister-in-arms. The next couple of months went by quickly for Chelan as she divided her time between her children and the incoming data on RIBUS 7. Today was no exception.
Chelan awoke to an empty bed in the little blue room off the workout area. Dressing quickly, she headed for the diplomatic suite to relieve Marri.
There she found the beautiful warrior stretched out on the floor, bouncing a very happy little girl on her belly.
Chelan smiled and then sat down beside them. As soon as Shanna’s brilliant eyes found her mom, her little hands stretched out with excitement.
Chelan reached for the six-month-old child and cradled her in her lap. Instantly Shanna’s dexterous fingers managed Chelan’s gown and found her way to her breakfast.
Marri sat up and smiled. “She slept well all night. Jason was up early and off with Rayik for a long overdue tour of the Bridge. Right now, he is with the tutors.”
Chelan nodded and looked down at Shanna’s head, her gleaming blue-black hair now framing her perfectly proportioned face. Her eyes were upon Chelan’s, their green-blue stare unrelenting. Chelan smiled down at her, and Shanna smiled back, temporarily losing her grip, milk dribbling everywhere.
Chelan laughed at her daughter and then looked at Marri. “She seems to be doing well on solids now—the food we have tried, anyway.”
Marri nodded. “Another couple of months and I think you will be able to do without me.”
Chelan looked down and shrugged. “Oh, I do not know if I want any night shifts back.”
Marri reached out and held one of Shanna’s slender little hands. “Actually, night feedings are getting few and far between now. She should stop them soon.”
“For you, maybe, on an Iceanean schedule.”
Marri frowned. “I did not think of that.”
Chelan peered around the room, toys, computers, and strange gizmos everywhere. “No shortage of entertainment, is there?!”
Marri chuckled. “Your children are of the Emperor. The gifts pour in continually.”
“Even on a battleship.”
“Yes, even here.”
Chelan nodded. “When will Jason finish today?”
Marri leaned back on her hands. “I do not know. Ilan is on board. I think the two of them have something planned for later. How about you? What are you up to?”
“Not much at the moment. Korba has been busy with Lethiason and Zane poring over the data on RIBUS 7. Maybe I will join them.”
Marri smiled. “Exciting, isn’t?”
Chelan quivered. “It is fascinating. I have been looking over Salinger’s shoulders in the recon lab for weeks now.”
“Ah... the head of recon. He is the best.”
“That is why Korba has him working on it.”
Marri stared off into space. “I cannot wait to walk her decks again.”
Chelan looked down as Shanna finished her meal. The little girl swiveled in her lap and helped herself to Chelan’s other breast. When both were resettled, Chelan glanced at Marri. “If you go, take me with you.”
Marri’s eyes widened. “What do you mean? Of course, you will go.”
Chelan smirked. “I do not think his Lordship’s going to chance having me traipse around a bombed-out battleship.”
“We will see,” countered Marri. “By the time we arrive, parts of her will be safe. The salvage crews and the engineers have been there for months now working on the engine rooms and restoring power.”
Shanna stopped nursing and looked over at Marri. Then the child rolled out of Chelan’s lap and began crawling over to a large stack of toys. Chelan sighed. “I see I have been replaced.”
Marri chuckled. “Oh well, it is bath time anyway. Why don’t you run off somewhere? I am okay here.”
Chelan rose to her feet, excitement consuming her. “Thanks, Marri. I think I will pay Salinger another visit.” And she ran from the room. She skipped down the corridors and eventually entered one of the main reconnaissance labs.
Salinger swiveled in his chair, his smile greeting her warmly. “My Lady.”
Chelan pulled up a chair next to him and sat. “Salinger, what is new this morning?”
The warrior nodded to the large 3-D image forming before them. “Feast your eyes, my Lady. The salvage team now has a full complement of remote-controlled orbs and rovers traversing
the thousands of kilometers of RIBUS 7’s corridors. Our team here is mapping her in depth, surveying the damage in all areas, including the noncritical sections. We want a complete picture of her. It is slow going, but it is fascinating.”
Chelan felt her heart thudding in her chest as the complex image continued to form and expand. It was as though she were in the cockpit of this particular orb as it floated about what Chelan realized immediately was the main aft Bridge. It was not much different than being there, and her breath caught.
Salinger smiled. “Fantastic holographic displays, aren’t they?”
Chelan gasped. “It is unbelievable.” She found herself bracing herself as the orb floated down the semicircular arc that formed a portion of the Bridge. She felt as though she herself was going to step down the stairs before her. Then, once in the center of the Bridge, the orb began a slow rotation of the large circular room.
Chelan looked at the blackened main screen and then to the consoles that lined it. Work stations came in and out of view. Helmsman and communication stations, scanners, computers, weapon control systems—everything was in place. Chelan licked her lips as the orb continued its 360-degree scan. “She is still perfect,” she whispered.
Salinger nodded. “Yes, she is. She is untouched here. Whether we can bring her to life is another matter. Massive damage to power linkages have been reported.”
Chelan leaned forward and watched as the orb began moving toward the main doors. Stopping in front of them, she squinted as a large rod-like projection protruded from somewhere within the orb. It pressed in to the center of the doors, and suddenly, they snapped open.
Chelan jumped. “How did it do that?”
“Sound pressure waves. The sound waves are at frequencies that mimic the security access codes required for entry to the Bridge. Once they are given, the pressure wave emanated will force the doors open. That is how we got the orb in there to begin with.”
“But if she is powerless, why does any part of the security system stay intact? Why would it recognize the codes at all?”
“A lot of times it does not recognize anything, and we have to break in. But in some areas, especially sensitive areas, the system has its own backup separate from the main ship. The redundant system is fed by separate power sources, and in this case, as with others, the stream is coming from the one functioning engine room while still having a default system that provides energy extracted from an outlying power-generating plant in a separate area of the ship. Though RIBUS 7 is mostly devoid of power, her Bridge is still secure, even after all these years.”
Chelan watched as the orb traversed the connecting corridor. “Where is the light coming from?”
“It has been restored along here, apparently. The Bridge too, but the functioning power grid is being tapped only just enough to operate the lights. They do not want to try activating any of the equipment until it is manually inspected. We would not want any malfunctions or explosions.”
“What of the forward Bridge?”
Salinger frowned. “There is a crater there the size of a small moon. It is gone. So is that whole section of the ship.”
Chelan watched the orb’s slow progress along the abandoned corridor. “Why so much damage at the forward end?”
“Talon’s battleships must have had intelligence about Fremma’s whereabouts. From what I have seen, they kept hitting the same area with successive percussion drops, each one breaching successive layers of the ship until they reached her heart. I am sure they were going for Fremma and the main command. Obviously, they were right. If they were guessing, both bridges should have been breached.”
Chelan sat back in her chair, her rage festering. “I am not sure why they chose to blow her to pieces bit by bit. They probably could have taken her out in one massive volley once she was crippled.”
“Talon was not of our culture. He took hostages, you being his most valuable. Fremma and his First Officers would have also been a massive strategic play against Korba. In other battles around the galaxy, his people did take some of our best.”
A cold chill seeped through Chelan’s veins. “I suppose I fared better than the warriors taken.”
Salinger’s muscles tightened. “What you initially endured was not for the faint of heart. But overall, yes, at least you survived. The warriors did not. Though we were losing the war, we never negotiated anything. Nor did we give up our ships. Once Talon realized that his bargaining tools were of no value to him, the hostages were eliminated.”
Chelan rubbed her hands down her arms attempting to dissipate the bite of Salinger’s revelations. “Thank the stars they did not capture Fremma.”
Salinger glanced at her. “He stood his ground, my Lady. He gave it his all, but it is obvious by the scans coming in that he was vastly outgunned. It was good that he at least left the ship. If he had stayed, it would not have gone well for him in any manner.”
Chelan had to fight back her anger. “And as it was, nothing went well for him in the end.”
Salinger’s voice was but a whisper. “If he had been taken, it would have been so much worse.”
Chelan took a deep breath and attempted to calm herself. Then she leaned forward again, redirecting her dark thoughts as she watched the display. “Where is the orb headed now?”
“Toward the central training area.”
Chelan saw the light in the corridor begin to dim. Then it faded into darkness and the orb stopped.
Chelan shuffled to the edge of her chair. “What is happening?”
Salazar looked at a screen to his left. “It is taking readings.”
“Readings of what?”
“Air quality, temperature, contaminants, et cetera.”
Chelan glanced at the data. “And?”
“And... take a look.”
Chelan watched as the orb shone a powerful light about it. She gasped. It was as though she stood at the edge of a jagged precipice. As the orb scanned up, Chelan could see cold, dark space. “Oh my god,” she whispered.
Salinger manipulated some controls. “It seems this is where the corridor ends. The next section is around the corner at approximately nine hundred meters. This hole extends down... three decks. The hole to space you see there has penetrated... eighty-seven decks.”
Chelan’s jaw dropped. “Eighty-seven decks,” she said, and groaned. “How can she ever be repaired?”
Salinger looked at her. “My Lady, this is one of her most grievous wounds. Many other areas are intact. One of our first tasks will be to seal the external breach here so that crews can eventually work in normal atmospheric and gravitational conditions. We will begin to use our rovers soon. They are mechanical workhorses that we can control remotely. They will save manpower and will work in the more hostile environments, like here.”
Chelan watched as the orb scanned the serrated blackened metal. Some areas had been melted and seared, reminding her of nothing short of a small nuclear explosion. “But the damage—why so much here?”
Salinger studied a schematic of RIBUS 7 that rotated to his left. “Let us see. Some officers’ quarters and the men’s training rooms...” He hesitated and squinted at a translucent image of the ship. “One upper engine room and one of the main laser weaponry systems. It was a good shot, or rather, a series of shots. In fact, I would venture that they were just a bit off target. A few more degrees to the left and they would have hit one of the biggest hangars.”
Chelan sank back into her chair. “From looking at the initial pictures sent back from ships circling here, I knew the damage was extensive. But this is horrendous.”
Salinger nodded. “I concur, my Lady. But she fared much better than RIBUSes 8 and 10. They are but floating bits of debris.”
Chelan rubbed at her brow. “But RIBUS 7’s crew fared no better.”
Salinger released the controls and sat back in his chair. “You are right, unfortunately. She is devoid of all life.”
Chelan looked over at the warrior. Like all Iceanean
men, he was handsome, his blue-black mane meticulously feathered and extending down past his shoulders. His bronze flesh was accented by piercing azure eyes and perfect white teeth. She watched him as he rested his ebony hands in his lap, his jaw working. “What are you thinking?” she whispered.
He took a deep breath. “I was in the Telfor Sector when this happened. As the reports came in, I can remember feeling every hit as though our own ship were taking them.”
Chelan looked down. Then suddenly she became uncomfortable. When she felt his eyes penetrating her, she shrank into her chair.
“My Lady?” he uttered with concern.
Chelan chewed nervously at her cheek. Then she leapt to her feet. “I have to go.”
Salinger was on his feet instantly. “My Lady!” he called, halting her retreat. He stepped in front of her. “I know what you are thinking, and you are wrong.”
“You cannot possibly know what I feel.”
“No, but I understand.”
Chelan clutched at her gown. “And it makes no difference to you?”
“What, that you ended up marrying Talon?”
Chelan felt the wind knocked from her. She attempted to sidestep the officer but he countered her.
He almost broke protocol by touching her, but he caught himself. “You had no part in this. You were not responsible for anything that happened. You were not aligned with him, not even through the act of marriage.”
“Do you not think that all would have been better off if I had not been on board his ship?”
“RIBUS 7 was already down. And yes, Korba and Dar lost maneuverability, but the outcome would inevitably have been the same.”
Chelan hugged herself and glanced away, her heart heavy. “I hear your words as I have heard Korba’s and many others, but I still feel so responsible.” She turned around and looked at the display, the orb still scanning and recording the devastation. “If I had not gone to Earth...”
“He would have found you no matter where you were.”
“But still, no matter the strategy behind the marriage... I ended up with him... the enemy who killed so many of our own,” she whispered.