Cutlass Sharpened

by H. Lee Morgan, Jr

  “You never know, Steven.” Oliver shrugged, but Renee noticed a very faint smirk on Oliver’s lips. She didn’t know what it meant and didn’t like it.

  Having the highest class of psionic potential, Renee was also a telepath and slid inside Oliver’s untrained and open mind. What she saw made her breathless. Asserted dominantly in his mind, she saw how he saw her. She had, up to this point, restrained from intruding in a person’s sanctuary. But what she saw made her rethink her own feelings. She saw herself as a wild animal in his mind. She knew she was hot for such a tall and muscular redhead, but to him she was all there ever could be. She saw how he pictured her body in perfect detail, holding her close and claiming her lips all for himself. How her breasts would push against him. She saw she fit perfectly in his mental embrace, wanting him as much as he wanted her. It was only imagined, but almost so vivid she could believe it was real. Oliver idolized her. She consumed his very thoughts.

  There was more. She saw why he was confident and it both scared and thrilled her to the core. She pulled back with none being the wiser aside from Sparky staring right at her with an all knowing grin she could not figure out. She tried seeing via telepathy on the emerald Drake, but he closed himself off and ever so slightly shook his head. Renee knew a warning when she saw one.

  “Then we better see if you gotten any better, Brother. We’re about to make the jump to Zerika in a few hours. Your free time is about to be taken up.”

  “Then we better make it interesting.” Oliver said in such confidence Steven’s triumphant smirk disappeared. “Everyone, go get ready. You too Deegen. You’re joining everyone to keep me from capturing Renee. Jessica kindly wrote a randomizing program for me.”

  “Spread out.” Stone told everyone and both human and not moved away.

  Up at the console Oliver began quickly tapping on the screen. Everyone looked down as blue targeting symbols appeared somewhere on their body. Oliver alone got a red circle painted in the middle of his bare back that started clothing itself into a skintight material similar to Renee’s voluptuous white flight suit. But that was not all. Six more cubic humanoid holograms appeared all around the room. Renee though had a green light put on her. He held a hand over the game start button to say “Renee, you are now the ball for Zero Ball. The extra players are programmed to keep me from you whatever the cost. Everyone is to keep me from you too, but know that Jessica upgraded the gravity randomizer to switch faster and faster the closer I get to you. It will change faster than Deegen.”

  “Won’t that help you? Your reaction timing it super human.”

  “It would if it affected anyone other than me. The rest of you will be in zero gee the whole time.”

  Renee’s jaw dropped along with everyone aside from the stationary and lifeless blue players.

  “The game will start in, five, four, three, two… one!” and he pressed the start button.

  Weightlessness took over everyone and the first hologram came in for a tackle, but Oliver kicked off the wall and rotated perfectly to dodge the attacker. He flew at Renee and went from zero to three times Earth gravity in a blink, hit the ground and sprang aside as Rose went to chomp down on him, using her wings as perfect balancers midair. Oliver did a back handspring that belied his bulk and grabbed Bell by a paw and threw her into Stone who could not entirely dodge. When it lowered to half Earth, Oliver leapt around Steven, grabbed a wall and kicked off it.

  Renee dodged and watched Oliver suddenly drop ten meters at well above their usual four gee limitations. He landed hard at around six to seven, but rolled with it. Spinning past Steven doing a double kick. He snatched Visor by a talon and threw him at Sparky who was aglow with frustration and desire to fight. Oliver came at her again and she watched as the shifts grew more random the closer he got all the while expertly avoiding thirteen expert fighters, five being hologram.

  Oliver’s body moved lightning fast thanks to superior tendons and ligaments. He could see it all, but his body could keep up unlike everyone else’s. He endured extreme pressures while avoiding every well aimed strike to reach the goal. Renee no longer had that shitty grin. Her eyes glued to him the entire time and moving away when getting too close. Move, jump, leap off walls and ceiling, avoid incoming warriors. All to one end.

  Renee began breaking out into a sweat as he began harassing her faster with each passing minute. His body moved with grace, speed, power and endurance. He was sharp, moving as needed and expending the bare minimum. What was most disconcerting he seemed completely composed and at ease in a maelstrom of activity.

  In just fifteen minutes Renee could no longer stop and pick her next point to jump and go to safety. He kept nipping at her heels. She’d make feints and he no longer fell for them. Watching her for so long, he picked up the tiny clues of her plans.

  Then she tried a double fake, she went to lean one direction, stopped, went the other, stopped and tried returning to the previous way and expected to see Oliver fly past on her right side, but then something consumed her vision and her gasp inhaled the strong scent of man. His warmth flooded through her suit and into her own hot body. Her senses reeled, caught completely off guard. Her arms had a mind of their own and circled around whatever held her so possessively. To top it all off a deep male voice vibrated through her with promises of passion and protection. “I finally got you, Renee.”

  “You did.” She heard herself say so sweetly, she didn’t realize her own voice.

  Renee recovered as soon as she heard the buzzer blare. Her feet hit the ground and she pulled away to force her arms to release. It was damn hard. She wanted to rush right back in, but the triumphant smile made her hormones get pushed down.

  “Oliver! You are one bad ass motherfucker! You’ve been holding out on us.” Steven hollered as they let go of one another.

  “Then you should know he defeated me in single combat this morning.” Said Stone.

  “NO WAY!” Deegen flustered.

  “We witnessed the match.” Rose’s delicate mental voice spread to everyone. “My mate and I saw to five matches. Our new protégé bested him four out of the five in single sword combat in the sands and in the ring. Ten matches were overall witnessed.” She let known as she folded her wings over her sleek body. Her glow disappearing to its natural pink.

  “Then that means…” Whispered Steven.

  “When Oliver is recognized by the bother and sisterhood, he will lead us to glory. Not me.” Said Stone and it seemed a weight was lifted of his wide shoulders. It was clear Stone was quiet and reserved, but few knew he didn’t like acting as leader. He only filled the role because their ways say the strongest warrior guides. By being bested, Oliver now held that title.

  “I won’t believe it till I see it.” Announced Renee after clearing her throat.

  An eyepiece snaked itself over Stone’s eye as he typed on a flexible keyboard built into his left forearm. He then hit a final key and flashed the information to his brothers and Renee.

  Her chip received the file and in conjunction with the imagination of her brain she took the video and audio file to render a three dimensional battle only she could see, but decide to link it to the training room’s holographic systems. Stone’s armor had multiple built in cameras and speakers that are activate when the Hunter’s bodily reactions ready for combat.

  In the sand pit appeared Sparky and Rose standing to either side of the pit where Oliver and Stone circled around one another like wolves stalking each other. Each carried a wooden sword in one hand.

  And so everyone watched the fighting and for ten minutes the room cracked with sounds of wood clashing and wood slapping bodies. But on they watched as Stone was bested by Oliver’s superior strength and inhuman speed that not even experience could contend with anymore. Then over to the ring and again Oliver clearly won another four battles and lost the last as Stone fought with sheer determination to not go down without a fight.

  “Daaamn!” Deegen drew the word out. “Stone, not even Steven and me
together could take you down.”

  “Our brother is gifted.” Stone said proudly. “And there is a certain matter that needs to be completed. Ms. Dorgen?”

  “What?” She blinked.

  “You were captured, Ms. Dorgen.”

  “Oh the kiss.” She turned around. “You got me fair and square. And a promise is a promise after all.”

  Oliver cracked a half grin. “Rain check.”

  “What?” Renee blinked again and snickering went on behind her.

  “Don’t you know what a rain check is? It’s still common even after a millennia. The goods aren’t ready, but I get first pick when the shelves can be restocked. A guaranteed offer at a later date.”

  Renee threw a hand on her hip and narrowed her emerald stare maliciously. “Claim the kiss now or it’ll expire.”

  He waved a finger tauntingly. “You never specified when I could kiss you, only that if I caught you I’d get one.”

  “Now or never, Asshole.” Her eyes began to glow and hairs began raising in psionic irritation.

  “Oh just shut up, Red. I’ll get that kiss when I take you out on a date when we reach Verard.”

  “Date? What date?” She stepped back, again caught off guard before realizing something else. “And who the hell are you to tell me to shut up?”

  Oliver winked and suddenly he was at the door. “Renee, you’re going to be mine one way or another. So save those lips. I plan to make them be used for more than a single kiss on my… mouth.” He then vanished out the door.

  Renee was hot on his heels, as scarlet as her hair. “Fucker! Get your ass back here and seal the deal! I’m not saving it for you or suck you off!” She flew out the door too.

  Visor, perched on Steven’s shoulder said “I bet the next Beasts’ eyeball Renee will be fully mated before the end of the year.”

  “I give it the night we reach Verard.” Steven took the bet. “Those two fight like cats and dogs. It’s clear he’s the only one insane enough to want to be mated to the Hellcat. He gets under her skin like no one else.”

  “If she doesn’t kill him along with the rest of us to get that kiss over and done with before she tears the ship apart.” Satellite chirped, landing on Stone’s left shoulder.

  “Uh, ruys, rhy ris the wall mooring?” barked Bell as her hackles began to lift and she crouched down, baring her teeth. Weapons readied.

  “Sorry, had to trick her.” Came Oliver’s whispering voice before his full head mask drew back to reveal his grinning face. The plank pattern of his clothes changed into a light brown shirt and blue jeans. A chameleon aspect. “She would have caught me and given me the what for.”

  “So your armor can do camouflage too? Sweet!”

  “I can’t become invisible like a Phantom, Steven.”

  “And she has no idea you tricked her huh?”

  “I hope not.”

  “Well I do now.” Renee sneered. Oliver was lifted off the ground and flipped over. Her outstretched hand held him there. “I was still chipped into Stone’s armor when you showed your hand. You’re fast, but I still would have got you before reaching the elevators. Prepare yourself.”

  Before Oliver could fight back, Renee’s gloved hand caressed the back of his head and sweetly soft lips pressed to his. She made it quick, but memorable, hanging upside down. She pulled back with an evil smile. “Now we’re done.” Then released her hold.

  Oliver fell on his head and groaned in mild pain of the awkward landing.

  Before he could think badly she caught him suddenly off guard at the open door saying “Oliver, this date of yours better be spectacular or you’ll regret it for the rest of your long life. Make it count. You got one chance.”

  And left.

  “Did you all see what I just did?” Satellite chirped and fluffed his wings.

  “The Hellcat just accepted a date!” Visor beat his wings too.

  “Isor, looks like your rartner’s wager is more romisin.” Bell howled to the eagle.

  “Be mindful. She may still be hacking your armor.” Sparky’s words shut them all up.

  Oliver though felt his heart racing and in a way he never experienced. He could still taste Renee’s sweet lips on his. Her arousal was like nothing he experienced to date and her saliva was now part of him. It was his first kiss and he was instantly addicted. Until that kiss he thought he was fooling himself. Not he was positive she was going to be his. He would fight tooth and nail to make her see him as he saw her. And she gave him a chance and he’d do it right, but alone. He knew it had to be all him. He could not ask others or she would know. He had to surprise her. That was the only thing so far which had given the best results.

  Renee hated romance. She despised it. That he knew already.

  Eventually Oliver made it up onto the deck alone after taking a needed shower. It was to be his first time in FTL and know about it. He hurried to the rail, getting in position seconds before First Mate Abdul’s voice sounded ship wide. “Jump in ten minutes. I repeat. Ten minutes.”

  Oliver stared out into the Sapphire Nebula, taking in its grand painting on the largest canvas in the universe. Dust, gas and everything else looked so amazing with the array of already formed stars as a backdrop. He felt at peace staring into the heavens. He belonged to them and wanted to see them all.

  Caught up in all the grandeur he barely heard “Five. Four. Three. Two. One.”

  Swirling energy appeared in front of the Dorgnox and spread wide as a subspace wormhole opened wide. The Sapphire Nebula disappeared in a spiraling rainbow of colors. There was no sound in space and the great ship didn’t even shake as it got enveloped. Oliver only noticed a great brightening in the back of the ship where the thrusters fired them through the shortcut of normal space. Oliver had seen pictures, but revealed before his eyes was a sight he’d never soon forget.

  He was so caught up in it he didn’t realize he was no longer alone.

  Renee had snuck up and enjoyed his childlike awe at FTL space. She stayed quiet, watching him and the spinning hues going from white to black and back again with every imaginable color gradually changing in between.

  They stood there in silence for over an hour, enjoying the view.

  That is till the colors suddenly vanished. “Something’s not right.” Renee said.

  “Emergency. Emergency! Prepare for crash landing.” The alert sounded.

  Rising in front of the Dorgenox was a great jeweled sphere of blue and green. The planet Zerika, wild and untainted by overdevelopment from human hands appeared. Only it was too close and Oliver’s calculating mind knew the orbit the Dorgenox tried to make had gone askew. He wove an arm around Renee and drew his sword which plunged to the hilt into the railing. Renee didn’t fight him as the ship began shaking as the forward shields ignited in the Zerikan atmosphere. The planet seemed to disappear under friction of atmosphere, but up on the bridge Abdul Krabble spun the antique wheel seen on sailboats of old. It rotated the Dorgenox’s underside towards the planet.

  A great fireball became the Dorgenox as the ship’s engines cut out, but the advanced gravity actuators rotated the Dorgenox into landing procedures. He pulled back on the grand wheel and the nose of the ship lifted, creating maximum surface area so the atmosphere slowed its deadly descent to manageable parameters. Abdul was not worried the ship’s shielding would fail. It could take much more punishment than reentry could ever deal.

  The real problem was the planet. If not slowed, the Dorgenox would buckle and be lost forever.

  Using intuition gained by countless exploits, Abdul dropped the nose and fought to keep the violently vibrating ship from tearing itself apart.

  The flames vanished to be replace by clouds that passed through in a second. Below awaited the jungle planet. A double sonic boom shook the sky as the ship began doing side to side motions, slowing itself further, but there was no runway or safe landing area to offer assistance.

  “Hold on!” Oliver yelled over the noise and Renee turned, her hai
r snapping out with her eyes blazing, as she held him tight. She created a secondary barrier around them both and others for seven kilometers around, holding them still with her power alone.

  Ground rent like the trees that passed below like miniature plants. Hills like rocks. The Dorgenox shook violently and eased slightly as it hit a wide river, but cut past it into another chunk of land, slowing faster and faster.

  Sudden weightlessness happened for a few seconds, shooting off a cliff for a hundred meters. Then with a shudder a blast of water shot up both sides of the ship. Momentum slowed and came to a stop as the bow ran aground less than half the length of the Dorgenox, the other half stinking out in the water.

  “You alright?” Oliver looked worriedly down at the woman in his arms. She didn’t respond. “RENEE!”

  The yell snapped her from the terror gripping her. Her hair settled down some as her eyes looked down and through the ship, connecting to life support sensors. “People are hurt. I need to get to med bay right now.”

  She went running across the deck and he matched her pace. “What can I do?”

  “Stay up here and deal with any Beasts that may get through the barrier.”

  “Alright. Check yourself for injuries first. If you are bleeding internally and pass out you’ll be no good to anyone.”

  “Don’t worry about me, Dumbass. This is what I do. You just keep Beasts off my sweet ass or you won’t get that date.”

  “Alright, Red. Let me know if you need me.”

  “I need you about as much as a tumor.” She grinned and charged ahead as he stopped, sword drawn.

  Oliver’s flexible mask still covered his head, the cape flaring out as he stood tall. Seconds later he heard Stone’s voice in his ear. “Oliver, where are you?”

  He touched his ear and said “Out on deck keeping an eye out for Beasts, but there is a lot of ground to cover. What is your situation?”

  “Up on the bridge. I see you down there.” Oliver turned and looked up at the window high above the main airlock into the bowels of the Dorgenox. Bright morning sunlight glinted off the few undamaged parts of the man’s silvery armor and helmet covered head. “The ship’s in bad shape. The main thruster and guidance system was too taxed with so little Booster Oil to stay in proper FTL. It shut down. I’m reading sixteen hull breaches from the emergency landing. The gravity strip running the length of the Dorgenox has multiple injuries and can’t lift itself off the ground. Steven, Visor, Deegen and Bell are on their way to the major breaches till they can be plugged before the Beasts find an easy access point. Shields and low gravity aboard are still operational, thank the stars, but best to not take a chance before the ship seals itself. Stay down there. I’m sending Satellite to be an extra set of eyes for you. You know his com. Till we get the captain’s orders, stay there and take care of any pests.”