by Vivian Venus
Liliandra laughed and covered her chest with her arm, and then made a fist with her hand. I felt the button of my pants pop and then they fell open at the front. There was an invisible grasp around my cock and it pulled free. I licked my lips and groaned, and Liliandra slowly let her arm down, exposing her chest. I quickly hardened at the sight, and her formless fingers wrapped around my entire length and began to slowly stroke me. I shivered and groaned as she began to do things that I couldn’t even imagine could be done with a physical set of hands and fired back at her, jutting my hand out and stripped her bare save for the pendant I had carved for her. I lifted my hand and Liliandra let out a little squeak of surprise as she lifted in the air and landed onto the work bench. Her eyes widened and rolled back slightly with a look of unrestrained pleasure as I worked my repulsor technique on her. She tightened her grip on me, almost forgetting the new strength she had. She managed to collect herself and glare hungrily at me, eyes full of desire as she continued to try out her new toy on me.
She moaned loudly, arching her back and pressing her hips out at me, her tiny body quivering as I touched her. She spread her legs wide and I enjoyed the sight of her, so small and pink and glistening with wetness. Delicate and gorgeous, I could smell the delicious scent of her arousal filling the sterile air of the workshop and it only made me harder. She tightened her grip again, this time more controlled, and tugged me towards her. I followed her pull, walking towards her until I was standing over her lying there on the work bench, my cock pointing straight at her opening. She reached up and wrapped her arms around my neck, pulling me down.
“God, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about being fucked by you,” she murmured before kissing me. Liliandra had been the first person I had ever kissed – it wasn’t an Ezrok custom, but I had taken it upon myself study the technique when I was assigned to earth. I was glad that I had. Her tongue slipped into my mouth and I met her with my own, exploring and probing. I took her by the waist – her slender, tiny waist – and shifted my hips forward just slightly so that the tip of my cock spread her gently, slowly losing itself inside of her. Then she jerked her hand back and I thrust forward, her invisible grasp pulling me inside her. We both gasped, her from my girth suddenly filling her up, and me from the enveloping warmth of her around me.
I pumped deep into her, fucking her on the work bench as I continued to pleasure her with my repulsor. Liliandra did the same, her gloved hand held out as her other hand clutched her breast, her eyes fluttering closed. I felt her grip around me even as I fucked her, an impossible feeling that was drawing out my climax with no restraint. I gritted my teeth and had to grab the edge of the table to steady myself out of fear that I might break her if I continued to grip her around the waist. She moaned my name and that was enough to send me over, and I felt her shake and her grip at me with clenching spasms as she came too. I thrust in deep and let out a strained growl as I came inside of her, filling her up with my seed, making her mine forever.
“I think it works,” she panted, her hands caressing the muscles of my chest.
“It would appear so,” I breathed. I kissed her and then slowly withdrew out of her. “Let’s get dressed. Something tells me Magna wouldn’t appreciate it if she came in and saw us on her imported Ezrok work tables.”
I helped her down off the table, and she picked her underwear off the floor and slipped them up her legs. I went and collected my clothing and pulled them on. “Now we need to modify your knife,” she said, fastening her bra and pulling on her shirt. “Get the repulsor manipulator in there and tune it so that it emits an inverse pulse to the frequency the Veldarian’s shield is at.”
“Sounds easy enough,” I said.
She held out her hand. “Your knife, please.”
I brought it to her, placing it gingerly on the bench. I wasn’t used to handing over my weapon to anyone, not even the woman I would wield it for, but I trusted her and so I would let her do her work on it. She looked at me. “Don’t worry, I’ll take care of it,” she said. I let out a deep breath and took a step back.
She set to work, opening up the hilt and going at it with the tools. She opened up a module on the repulsor glove and used a tool to draw out a tiny component which she delicately placed inside the handle of my energy knife. She looked like she was performing a surgery, leaning over my knife with her hands deftly working the tools. She replaced the hilt panel and sealed it, then picked up the knife with both hands and respectfully handed it back to me.
“Done,” she said. “Turn on the energy field.”
I hit the activator and the blade thrummed to life, the metal eventually glowing a hot red. “It turned on. How will we know if it will penetrate the Veldarian’s defenses?”
“We won't,” she said, “until we try.”
I turned it off, its dangerous hum dying down to a buzz, and then slid it into its sheath on my belt. “One thing,” she said, putting her hand on my arm. “I’m pretty proud of my work considering what I had to work with. But remember, these are untested components…I don’t know how reliable it will be. You may only have one shot at this.”
“One shot is all I need,” I said. “Don’t worry.” I kissed her, and she squeezed my arm with her small hand. She smiled at me, but a worried look crossed her face. It was something different than the looks she had given when we were escaping the EzRan building or even at the MSE station – this look was one of concern only for me and my safety. I kissed her again. “Don’t worry,” I said, doing my best to reassure her. Defeat was never an option…
“Got what you needed?” Magna asked when we emerged from the workshop. She gave me a little wink and I felt my face growing hot again, unsure if she had been aware of our little session.
“Yes, thank you, Magna,” Liliandra said.
“Don’t thank me, thank your boyfriend. He’s paying for it.”
“The Ezrok high command will be in touch with you to settle the bill,” I said.
“I know they will. If there’s one thing you Ezrok are good for its paying what you owe. Now get out of here, Rey. Go catch your Veldarian.”
We left Magna’s warehouse and were greeted by the cool, dry evening air, the Martian sunset shimmering red behind the haze of pollution streaming from the factories.
“I’d never seen the factories up close like this,” Liliandra said. “It’s a shame, really. You’d think we would’ve learned from the mistakes we made on Earth.”
“Eventually, Ezrok clean technology will be accessible outside the Citadel,” I said. “The outer city will change. Once the Veldarian conflict is over and we can relocate more resources.”
“We shouldn’t have to wait to rely on the Ezrok to take care of it for us,” she said. I couldn’t argue with that, though the Ezrok did feel it was part of their duty to take care of the worlds we conquered. Man provided resources, we provided technology. And now humanity, or at least one human, would provide the key to defeating the Veldarians for good.
My com buzzed and I held my finger to my ear. “Line open,” I said.
“Reylar!” It was Commander Grahf. From the sound of his voice I knew something urgent was happening. Then I heard energy fire in the background.
“Commander! What’s going on?”
“No reason to stay hidden. The Veldarian has shifted pursuit and is focused on eliminating the secondary targets. Its come to the hospital!”
“Doctor Howardson,” I said.
Liliandra couldn’t hear Commander Grahf, but when she heard me say the doctor’s name she perked up, her eyes wide. “Richard? Did something happen?”
“Get over here, warrior!” Command Grahf shouted.
“Yes, sir! Reylar out. Come on, Liliandra, let’s go!” I bolted into a run.
“Wait, Reylar!” Liliandra shouted, sprinting after me.
“We need to get to the hospital! The Veldarian has shown itself and is targeting your colleagues!”
“Oh God!”
People shouted
in surprise as we barreled down the street, knocking through the few who straggled around outside the shop fronts looking at the wares. We skidded around the corner to the alleyway where I had left the ship. It was there, a trio of young men were standing by the side of it spray painting graffiti onto the body. They looked up and saw us hurtling at them, their eyes widening in surprise. I didn’t stop or say a word, I smashed into the group of them with my side sending them all sprawling and tumbling out on the ground like an Ezrok cruiser breaking through an asteroid field. I pulled open the door and we jumped in, the engines sputtering to life and taking us soaring up over the city and back towards the inner Citadel.
EIGHT
LILIANDRA
I WAS FRIGHTENED. There was an unfamiliar part of me that wished we could just run away together, leave and hide away from the Veldarian and everything else. Mostly it was because I was afraid of losing him.
Reylar pushed the tired old ship to its limits, pulling out from traffic and flying through undesignated airspace towards the wall. “You’re not going through the checkpoint,” I pointed out obviously. “You’re going to fly over the wall.”
“Damn right.”
I could see the MSE troops gathering on the wall waving glowing beacon sticks at us. Reylar tapped his ear. “MSE Border Operators, this is Ezrok warrior Reylar Ven Erz, incoming transport ship. I will be making a restricted crossing over the wall, do not call off pursuit, we need full reinforcements including a cryo containment unit at the EzRan general hospital. Repeat do not call off pursuit, follow my lead.”
We shot over the wall, and on the other side black MSE security ships rose up and hurtled after us, their lights flashing and sirens blaring. They surrounded us in formation and a voice crackled over their amplification system. “Warrior Ven Erz, your ship is too slow. Transfer to one of our vessels.”
Reylar looked out the viewport window and a ship rose up next to us, it's door sliding open. “We’re going,” Reylar said. My heart leapt.
“What?!”
“We’re getting out.”
“We’re flying right now!”
Reylar opened the door and wind tore through the cockpit, sending my hair fluttering wildly around, and he held out his hand. “Don’t be afraid. I’ve got you.”
Trembling, I took his hand and he pulled me close to him wrapping his arm around my waist. Then without another moment of hesitation he leapt out of the side of the ship.
I screamed, seeing the street and the tops of buildings flash below me hundreds of feet down before being cut off by the black floor of the MSE ship. The door shut and Reylar set me down. “Holy shit,” I breathed.
“Welcome aboard.” The pilot turned around. It was sergeant Rocco from the MSE station. His face was bruised and had a bandage wrapped around his forehead, but he was okay. He gave us a quick salute.
“Get us to that hospital, sergeant,” Reylar said. “It’s good to know you made it out.”
“Yes, sir,” he said and engaged full throttle. Reylar threw his arm around my waist to keep me from flying back from the sudden acceleration.
The squadron of MSE ships was soon joined by even more reinforcements flying in from the station until we must’ve looked like a black cloud in the sky. I could see the hospital building just ahead now, it was a tall, conal pyramid shaped building, all white and and covered in shimmering reflective windows. A haze of smoke puffed out from one of the upper floors, and my mind flashed back to the horrific episode that started all of this. I shivered, trying not to let panic creep over me. Reylar, his hand still around my waist, squeezed me closer.
“I’m going to finish this,” he said to me. “Don’t worry.”
MSE forces had already gathered around the outside of the hospital and were evacuating people from the lower floors. “We’ll enter through the side,” Reylar said, and the sergeant brought the ship hovering up to the floor where smoke was creeping out from a blown out wall-sized window.
“Extend the ramp,” Reylar commanded, and the door to the side of the ship opened and a ramp shot out and connected to the building. “You stay here,” he told me.
I shook my head. “No,” I said stubbornly. “I’m coming with you. If the unit in that knife malfunctions what are you going to do?” Of course I knew that if that did happen, it would probably be too late to do anything about it. But I didn’t care. I wasn’t going to leave his side.
He stared at me for a moment and then smiled. “Stay close,” he said. “Until I take on the thing.”
I nodded. Reylar drew his knife and activated its humming blade, and I followed behind him as he crossed the gangway to the building. A screen of smoke made it difficult to see inside until flashes of energy fire illuminated the haze. I drew the pistol I kept at my waist knowing it would be useless, but it somehow made me feel more assured. Reylar charged in through the smoke. The inside was a hospital bedroom blasted to rubble, the far wall smashed down revealing the inner waiting and office area. Huddled up against the wall was Richard and Gina, and next to them were two MSE soldiers who had their weapons trained over the remains of the wall. In the very inside of the building fires smoldered and I could make out the silhouettes of two figures locked in combat. One was Ezrok, the other the blobular form of the Veldarian.
“Gina! Richard!” I shouted, and we ran up to them. I threw my arms around them both and they hugged me back, shocked at my arrival.
“Lily, what the hell are you doing here?”
“Here to end this,” I said, looking up. It was up to Reylar now, all I could do was watch and hope that I right.
REYLAR
Commander Grahf was purely on the defense, using his attacks to keep the Veldarian from advancing on the doctors. The Veldarian was attacking relentlessly, with the commander barely dodging its arms as they shot out like deadly spears, using his beam staff to parry and fire off blasts to knock the creature back.
“It won't take any damage,” he huffed as I ran up to join the fight. “Shit!”
“Fall back, sir,” I shouted. “I have a weapon modified to break through its shield!”
He gave me a quick nod, whirled his staff and flipped away. “Come on, Veldarian scum,” I hissed, holding my knife in a reversed grip. “You remember me?”
The Veldarian was silent except for the disgusting thick gurgling sound its body emitted when it moved. It seemed to shiver in recognition, and then attacked. Its tendrils shot out at me and I dodged, swinging with my knife and knicking one of its arms with my blade. It nearly severed it and the Veldarian shuddered and let out a shrill shriek, pulling the arm back and reabsorbing it into itself.
“Seems like it felt that,” I muttered, and then went in for the attack.
Unlike the fight in the station, this time the creature wouldn’t even let me get near it. It knew I could compromise its defense. I swung at it, charging and trying to get past the seemingly endless onslaught of defensive attacks that pushed me back. A swinging tentacle caught me in the stomach and flung me against the wall and I flipped back onto my feet. The thing was on me in a second, gliding over the floor at full speed, its tendrils posed with needle like ends like the horns of some terrifying animal, ready to spear me right into the wall. I had barely a second to react, rolling myself out of the way. It smashed into the wall sending up a cloud of grey dust and I picked myself up on one knee, turning to get back on the offensive when the Veldarian swung out from the dust with one thick appendage. I swung my knife up, but too late – it sliced through half of the arm but didn’t sever it, and I felt my weapon wrenched from my grip. A second arm burst out of the smoke and swept my feet from under me, and I crashed to the floor. It had happened in seconds, and I knew I was defenseless.
“Shit,” I hissed. The creature burst out of the dust, barreling down onto me. I watched as its spear tentacles formed and emerged from its body, coming to finish me. I turned to the direction of my knife – it lay on the ground just a few feet away, I would have to be quick…
It felt like everything had frozen. The creature stopped moving. Liliandra crouched on the floor where she had thrown the knife, staring with wide eyes. I held the knife firmly into the creature, and then gritted my teeth as I pushed the blade in further. The Veldarian let out another high pitched shriek and then threw itself back away from me, smashing against the wall and thrashing about, it's body convulsing madly.
It had worked.
I retreated back, offering my hand to Liliandra who took and stood up next to me, and we watched the Veldarian assassin’s last moments of life disappear, its body shaking and trembling until finally all fight had gone from it.
The MSE cryo team had been quick to get their preservation containment unit in, and I felt in a slight daze as men in white bio suits rushed by pushing a large coffin-like metal box. I put my hand around Liliandra and guided her back to her friends, who rushed up and hugged her. Commander Grahf gave me a nod and slim smile. Soon the entire floor was filled with MSE soldiers, and the cryo team pushed the hovering coffin which now contained the remains of the Veldarian out of the room. Liliandra ran up to me, jumped into my arms and threw her arms around my neck and kissed me. It was enough to knock me back fully into reality.
“Thank you,” I said, “for saving my life.”
She grinned and kissed me again. “Don’t mention it.”
EPILOGUE: LILIANDRA
I SMILED, trying to hide my nervousness as the holo-cams flashed, lighting up the stage in a flurry of white. On the gigantic holo-screen on the wall behind the podium, were the words “Dedicated to Doctor Elsa Marquand” with a photograph of her smiling in her white lab coat. The Martian president and the Ezrokian high general both stood in front of me, and I bowed my head as the president draped the Civilian Honor Badge around my neck right next to my precious wooden charm, and then shook my hand. Off to the side, both Richard and Gina stood with their own medals already glimmering around their necks.