“I know how you can repay me,” he said confidently.
Scyant’s eyebrow raised inquisitively, her smile never faltering. “And how would I do that?”
“Have dinner with me tonight. My quarters.”
She paused as she considered his offer. Nodding, she agreed. “I’ll be there at nineteen hundred.”
“I’ll see you then,” he said, his spirits feeling bolstered for the first time in quite a while. Still, the pain ached behind his eyes as though he had overused his powers once more. Scyant braced in a salute, which Yen returned before turning and leaving the weapons bay.
CHAPTER 11:
The Terran destroyer passed through the debris field now surrounding Othus and assumed an orbit around the planet. Fragments of metal and remains of former crewmen bounced off its hull. The view screen on the destroyer showed the swollen black sun, its heat sequestered and its darkness now throwing the planets in this galaxy into an unnatural night. Its crew was still cheering the destruction of the two Alliance Cruisers when it launched its small fighters and large bombers into the atmosphere of the planet.
The first few fighters dove quickly toward the planet, the dozens of ships pouring through the atmosphere glowed from the friction of entry like meteor showers in the night sky. They immediately began pursuing ships trying to leave orbit, streaking through the sky with deadly intent. The bloated merchant vessels were no match for the quick fighters and soon the sky was littered with explosions as plasma rockets and large bore automatic machine guns tore through the slower ships.
The larger bombers, slower on their entry but twice as deadly as the Terran fighters, moved into positions over the planet’s major cities. A single bomber took up orbit above Miller’s Glen, its sleek silver, arrowhead shaped hull glistening even in the unnatural twilight caused by the blackened sun.
Merchants and citizens alike throughout Miller’s Glen fled the city toward the spaceport, eager to climb its spiral body and reach their ships. The Terran fighters had ignored the spaceport, focusing instead on destroying the ships and recreational vehicles that scattered like insects under the assaulting Terran fleet. Those fleeing toward the spaceport felt a false sense of security; the slightest glimmer of hope shone in their panicked minds that there was escape from the impending massacre. Keryn and her crew, still huddled inside their hotel room, knew better than to hope. There would be a slaughter of the planet, and death would come from the bomber hovering above the city.
As people packed into the spaceport, its body filling with those who had run across the length of the city searching for escape, the bomber turned slowly in the sky, taking up station above the port. On the bottom of its sleek form, two doors slid open, exposing the black depths inside. With no more than a whisper, a pair of glowing orbs dropped from the ship, blue and purple plasma swirling within their core. As they fell deceptively slowly toward the planet’s surface, a thick ion trail followed in their wake, trailing a colorful menagerie of released energy. Engines whined to life along the spaceport, pilots eager to skip as much of their pre-flight checks as possible in their hurry. But none of the ships were quick enough to escape the two falling plasma bombs.
After striking the top of the spaceport, the bombs unleashed unholy energy. The port exploded outward, its debris shattering through the glass walls of the tall towers in the center of the city. Explosion after explosion rocked the port as the ships along its reaching arms ignited in the inferno. From the center of the explosion, a shockwave erupted. Out of town, trees were blown from their roots and rock formations crumbled under the assault. Inside the city, the devastation was much worse.
The shockwave rolled rapidly through town, not slowing at all as it leveled all the stone structures and warehouses closest to the spaceport. The thousands that died in those buildings had barely enough time to release a unified scream of terror before their existence was erased from the universe. As the wave rolled on, people closer to the center of town fled as ceilings collapsed on those indoors while the unlucky ones still on the streets were torn apart by stones and shards of wood as booths and carts that lined the street were transformed into flying instruments of death.
Within the hotel, Keryn and her crew dove for cover as the shockwave hit their building. The windows exploded inward and the air itself was replaced with a reverberating angry roar of unleashed power. The walls shook and pieces of the ceiling collapsed, smashing through the sofa and destroying the end table that had held the bloodied scalpel. They covered their ears as the sound of ripping stone erupted from the back room. The insulated wooden door that separated the rooms rattled as though possessed as the firestorm rolled over them.
Though it seemed like an eternity to Keryn, the door slowly quit rattling and a strange silence permeated the room. She took her hands from her ears and shook the dust from her hair and face. Her once tan body was coated with a pale white film; the air itself was full of the vaporized stone and wood, a direct result of the destruction of half the city. Glancing around, she let out a sigh of relief as Adam pushed his way from underneath a slab of the ceiling. A black-clawed hand burst forth from the ruined sofa on the far side of the room and Penchant, looking worse for wear, drug himself from the wreckage.
Laboring for breath, Keryn looked them both over. “Is everyone…” She was overcome with a coughing fit, her lungs struggling to take in oxygen amidst the thick particles in the air. Recovering, she tried to continue. “Is everyone okay?”
Neither Penchant nor Adam replied, both content to simply nod in agreement. Blood flowed freely from the reopened wound on Adam’s arm, the gunshot wound not even given a chance to heal before being torn again in the explosion. Keryn had never had much luck figuring out the physiology of the Lithids. Penchant looked no different than before, save the dust that clung to his body. But his movements seemed jerked and unstable, so she had to assume that he had not made it through the explosion unscathed, regardless of his tough exoskeleton.
Adam moved toward the door leading into the back room, his hand held over his face in an attempt to keep out the pollutants in the air. Leaning his hand against the wall, he pulled on the door but to no avail. The heat from the explosion had swollen the wood, jamming the door into its frame. Stepping back, Adam assumed a fighting stance before striking forward with his foot. The wooden door splintered on its hinges, hinges that were partially melted in the blast. The entire door collapsed inward, allowing Adam a surprising view of the city. He glanced around uncertainly. The walls and ceiling had all been torn free, finally resting somewhere further within the city. Only the thin floor remained, though even a section of the floor was missing. More importantly was what had previously been firmly attached to that section of floor.
Adam turned away from the destroyed back room. “Cardax is gone,” he said weakly. “Gone for good, if I had to take a guess at it.”
Keryn nodded, her vision blurry and eyes stinging as sweat pulled the plaster and dust into her eyes. Wiping them ineffectually with the back of her hand, she walked toward the balcony door. Pulling on the handle, she had to jump hurriedly out of the way as the door, frame, and part of the wall collapsed into the room. Stepping onto the gaping hole, she peered out into the ruins of the once beautiful city. In the center of town, the once proud emerald spires lay in ruins. The metal girders that had once held the towers aloft now jutted from their remains like rib cages of an animal graveyard. Fires burned freely from a multitude of structures, their flames leaping high into the artificial night.
Looking the other way, Keryn let tears flow freely from her eyes as she witnessed the decimation that had occurred when the two plasma bombs struck the lower city. Even through the thick smoke and debris, Keryn could make out the outline of a massive crater; a crater that took the lives of everyone within the once tall space port. The land around the crater was cleared of debris. Not even the foundations of buildings could be seen from where she stood and the ground itself looked smooth, as though the intense heat ha
d turned the ground to glass. She cried for all those who lost their lives; even those who were criminals and smugglers had deserved a better fate than this. But she cried most of all for the sounds that reached her ears: cries of those wounded, their limbs removed or pierced by debris. They cried out in a rising crescendo of pain and suffering. They begged for help and aid. They cried out for their loved ones who were dead or missing. Their cries fell on deaf ears.
Adam and Penchant joined her on the balcony. Even the guardrail that she had leaned against only a few minutes before was gone now, replaced by a warped metal interpretation of modern art. Looking toward the sky, Adam’s shoulders fell in defeat. Following his vision, Keryn saw the thick, box-shaped ships descending toward the surface. The troop transports from the Terran destroyer in orbit made their landing on the glassy surface outside the crater and, even from their distance, the trio watched wave after wave of Terran soldiers march off in organized military order.
Small fighters still scurried overhead, destroying what remained of those who tried to escape the planet. Other fighters shot off into the distance, searching the areas beyond the cities for survivors and those who tried to escape. The Terrans gave no quarter and had no mercy for anyone on the planet, whether Interstellar Alliance or merely civilian traders. The Terran destroyer sat in orbit, its ships patrolled the skies, and Terran soldiers now marched through the streets.
In less than thirty minutes, Othus had fallen to the Terrans.
CHAPTER 12:
Slipping a white silk shirt over his head and tightening the belt on his black hide pants, Yen turned toward the kitchen and retrieved the meal he had prepared earlier. He stared at the food, not sure if Scyant would be impressed with his attempt at culinary perfection, but he hoped it would be good enough to set the mood. Placing the food on either side of the table, he lit the two candles that stood in a candelabrum. The flickering candles accentuated the low lighting in the room. No sooner had he stood back to survey the evenings preparations then he heard a faint knock at the door. He walked to the door, taking a deep breath. Yen was surprised at the amount of nervousness he felt as he went to welcome Scyant to his home.
As the door slid open, Yen’s breath caught in his throat. Scyant’s dark hair had been pinned on top of her head, tendrils of which cascaded over her neck and shoulders like a fountain. Her blue dress, which clung tightly to her athletic body, accentuated the curves of her small but firm breasts and complimented both her tattoos and her burning eyes. Scyant’s scent filled his nostrils, a perfume that reminded Yen of distant oceans crashing against intimate beaches.
Ignoring the desire he felt for the attractive Wyndgaart, Yen motioned inside. “Please, come in.”
“Thank you,” she said, her voice barely a whisper. She seemed sheepish compared to the strong woman who had stood defiantly before Merric earlier that day. She stepped inside and, as she passed, Yen admired the large tattoo of a predatory bird splayed across her back. She turned to him once inside, her eyes seeming nervous and hesitant.
“You don’t think this is a good idea,” he said flatly, sensing her apprehension.
Scyant shook her head. “No, it’s not that,” she began. “I just want to make sure that I’m here for the right reasons. So many of the other Warrants take pleasure in hunting the officers on the ship to claim yet another notch in their bedpost.”
Yen’s thoughts roamed to Iana. “But you’re not like that?” he asked.
“No,” she answered quickly. “No, I’m not like that. I genuinely want to get to know you better.”
“Then why don’t you come in and have a seat before our dinner gets cold. I’ll let you get to know me for as long as the night lasts and then we’ll see where everything leads, no expectations.”
Scyant smiled and took her seat at the table, allowing Yen to push her chair in as she sat. They ate slowly, spending most of their time between bites asking questions of one another and laughing at stories shared from their days either in the Academy or on board other vessels. Scyant proved to be a fountain of comical stories about Crewmen mishaps within the weapons bay, stories that would have had her brought up on charges should someone like Merric find out. But she told her stories just the same, feeling at ease around Yen. To Yen’s dismay, he felt the pressure building behind his eyes once more and questioned, not for the first time, if she were truly here for her own reasons or because he had planted a subliminal suggestion for her to come to dinner. Pushing those doubts from his mind, he enjoyed her company as they ate and shared experiences. As he stared into her bright green eyes, the curves of her breasts heaving as she laughed, Yen felt his lust for her returning. His emotions rolled off him in waves, crashing against the far walls and rebounding, filling the room with psychic energy. His lust was overwhelming his control over his powers and Yen’s breath grew labored as his heart began to race. Eager for a break, Yen stood suddenly and grabbed both the plates.
“I’m…” he paused, his speech failing him. “I’m just going to clean these real quick, then I’ll be right back.”
Yen turned away and took the dishes into the kitchen, dropping them into the sink. The air around him grew hazy as the defined edges of the cabinets blurred in his vision. He leaned heavily, savoring the cool stone of the countertop as he struggled to regain control. Surging against his skin, Yen felt the power’s desire to be free crashing against his iron will, sending sparks roaring up and down his spine. He took a deep breath, not wanting to spend too long in the kitchen and give Scyant a reason to grow concerned. As he turned, however, he found her standing close behind him.
“I didn’t hear you…” he managed to say before she stepped forward, pressing her body firmly against his and kissing him deeply. Yen’s spine grew rigid as the power responded to her touch, pushing him forward as his lips hungrily sought hers again. They kissed without the playfulness he had experienced before with Keryn, but with an animalistic passion. As he struggled for breath between moist lips and probing tongues, Yen managed to push her back to arm’s reach. Part of Scyant’s hair had fallen, disguising half her face in shadows. Even in the darkness, he could see her eyes burning for more as her chest heaved with desire.
“Are you sure you want this?” he asked breathlessly. “Are you sure you don’t want to take it slower?”
Gently pushing his hands away and gripping firmly the front of his shirt, Scyant stared into his eyes. “I’ve never wanted anything more,” she purred. “Now why don’t you show me your bedroom?”
Leading him by his shirt, Scyant took Yen from the kitchen and through the dining room, halting only briefly as she searched for the light in the bedroom beyond. With it found and dimmed so that only a soft ambient light filled the room, she led him inside. Releasing his shirt, she reached behind her and untied the strings that held her dress so close to her body. She let the straps fall over her shoulders and slipped the dress down to her waist, cupping her supple breasts coyly with her hands. Glancing over her shoulder, she whispered softly.
“Get undressed, then you can watch me.”
Yen hurried to pull the white shirt over his head and undid his belt, tossing it across the room in his haste. The shoes tossed aside and socks removed, Yen pulled free his pants and stood before her, naked. Smiling as she admired his body, Scyant slipped the dress to the floor and removed her hands, revealing her naked body. Yen’s breath caught in his throat as he ran his eyes along the length of her body. As he stepped forward, another jolt of pain ran through his mind and he paused, staring at Scyant as though seeing her for the first time. To his mind, her behavior seemed like that of a fantasy, not a real woman. His power was flowing freely from his body, and Yen was afraid of knowing what influence it had on Scyant’s behavior tonight.
“Scyant,” he said, “I’m not sure this is such a good idea. I don’t think you’re doing this for the right reasons.”
Scyant placed a finger on his lips before grabbing him firmly around the waist and twisting, sending his s
prawling onto the bed. She climbed onto the bed next to him and slipped a leg across his body.
“Let me decide if I’m making the right decision or not,” she said, her voice quivering with anticipation.
She rocked up on one knee, placing the other leg across his body and straddling his prone form. Reaching down, she ran her fingers down his chest, pausing as she lowered her hips into his. Her back arched in pleasure and a soft moan escaped her lips as their bodies merged. Yen’s own body exploded with pleasure, the feeling heightened by his wayward power. Every move of her body sent spikes of warmth radiating through his abdomen as she rocked back and forth in rhythm with his hips. Yen sat up, his previous doubts forgotten as he embraced Scyant, her legs wrapping around his back and they continued to move in unison. They kissed, her lips greedily searching for his in between haggard breaths and groans of pleasure. Yen closed his eyes, letting his senses fade away and focusing only on the motion of their two bodies. Around the pair, wrapping around their writhing bodies like a cocoon, the air wavered wildly like dancing flames in a fire, reflecting the heat of their combined passion.
They moved together, his breath leaving him in rough grunts in response to her ever-increasing moans. He opened his eyes as she moaned louder and he froze in place. Where Scyant had once stood, Keryn now straddled him, writhing in the same pleasure Scyant had moments before. She continued to move, opening her own eyes and looking into his concerned face.
“Don’t stop,” Keryn moaned. “Please don’t stop.”
Yen felt his power roar from his body like an avalanche in response. His hips moved of their own volition as tendrils of power stretched from his body, touching, caressing, and probing Keryn’s. Her hitched breath and cries increased as his power enveloped her, caressing all parts of her body as they made love. Keryn’s hips began to move quicker as her moans grew increasingly louder. Yen felt warmth spreading in his stomach and tried to fight against it. His passion was like a tidal wave that he was trying to stop with only a single towel. As Yen felt himself become overwhelmed with the motion of their rocking bodies, he heard Keryn scream out in pleasure, her body tightening against his as he matched the ferocity of her orgasm.
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