by Voxley, Vi
"I will go to Ilotra," he told Eleya, already turning and walking away, "let them know."
"Gladly," he heard the High Senator replying with a hint of laughter in her voice. "I'll tell them you're their problem now."
Ryden grinned, but his mind was already on Ilotra, his hand resting around his spear, always ready. There had been no painstaking plotting, no planning that had led to this moment. He had seen his opportunity and taken it. He'd feared his first task as a general would be an inglorious one, but he'd been wrong.
Glory awaited him, glory like nothing else. To fail would be to die, but that was all he'd asked of the fates. A chance to die or triumph—it was all a Brion warrior needed.
CHAPTER FOUR
Aria
Aria was standing in the biggest hangar on Ilotra, staring out of the huge view screen. Traffic around Ilotra was busy as always, ships coming and going with smaller vessels and transport drones shuffling between them. Without an AI to point out the correct ship, it was almost impossible to distinguish any of them.
She'd been told she couldn't possibly miss the Brion warship.
Her assistant was looking into the space around the fortress as well, a concerned expression on his face.
"They look nervous, don't they?" he asked.
Aria had to admit it was true. There was a fidgety sort of unease about the ships. In peaceful times, Ilotra was a center of trade as well as politics, creating a busy but excited atmosphere around the armored moon. It wasn't unknown for a huge flock of ships to connect to each other with long, airtight corridors, making it possible to travel around them without venturing into open space.
With the threat of war upon them, there was nothing of the sort. Ships jumped into hyperspace as soon as they were clear of Ilotra's gravity and vice versa. Vessels bound for Ilotra clearly couldn't wait to be under her protective shadow, safe and sound in its immense hangars.
"Yes," the young ambassador allowed. "What do you expect, Elik? Clayors are on the warpath. Against the Galactic Union. Something that ridiculous hasn't happened in ages. Not in our lifetime, certainly."
"You're not worried?" the assistant asked. "They could be right upon us."
Aria looked at her reflection on the screen, which was transparent and filled with stars. A young, confident woman stared her right in the eye. An ambassador, no less. Only she wasn't a full-fledged ambassador yet. Terra had only five ambassadors appointed, and the others had seniority over her. Her pink lips, usually smiling, were drawn into a tight line. Long straight honey-colored hair fell in two neat lines over her shoulders. The form-fitting gown she wore over her curvy body—the GU's pure silvery white marked with an ambassador's sash—should have given her power beyond her comprehension. Only it didn't, yet. All she had to do to get into the big boys' club was control a temperamental warlord. Easy peasy.
Aria regained her composure. She could pout about them clipping her wings at some other time. Right now she had a job to do. A task she did not relish.
"No," she told Elik. "Clayors are insane, but they're not magical. All reports say they're delayed in the Delta sector."
"By the Brions," the assistant added carefully.
"Yeah," Aria sighed, "by them. I'll eat my favorite hat if they ever let us forget that."
"They're the best we have," Elik pointed out. "It's better to have them with us than against us."
"So they keep saying."
Elik was quiet for a moment.
"You don't like them very much, do you?" he asked.
"I have a long memory, that's all," Aria said dismissively. "But Terra likes them right now, because of that woman binding to one of their generals. We're friends."
"Your tone says plenty about that."
Aria sighed again.
"It's not that I hate them," she explained. "All species in the galaxy have their place, and so do they. But they've proved time and time again that the only thing they're really good at is waging war and making trouble for the rest of us. Inviting them to protect us is pretty much just choosing one kind of trouble over another, hoping they'll leave us less broken than the Clayors would. And I'm supposed to greet this new general who has come to tell us what to do."
"I heard Ambassador Sota say something different."
Aria laughed.
"Yes," she admitted. "My secret task is to make sure he doesn't start a civil war, their temper being what it is. How do they imagine I control a Brion general? Sota thinks I can talk to him, make sure he doesn't blow up like they all do."
"I take it you don't agree."
"Talking. I think I need tranquilizers and a very big stick to even make him listen. They don't listen to anyone. Notice how the Brion ambassadors aren't here? They know it's futile. If this new guy wants to have things his way, he will."
"But you'll try."
"Of course I'll try," Aria said. "And I better succeed. But I'm just saying that if he tears this moon a new one, there might have been nothing we could have done."
Elik looked like he was about to say something about that, when a new light blinked to life close to the system's edge. A huge... something appeared suddenly in the system, with a flash so bright even the screen couldn't entirely filter it out. Aria and Elik both yelped at the horrible brightness, blinking to regain their sight.
"That was a ship," Elik said, unbelieving. "That was the flash of a ship coming out of hyperspace. How big is that thing?"
Aria didn't answer. She was too busy staring, wide-eyed, at the newcomer slowly coming closer.
All right, she thought. Sota was right about this at least. I really can't miss the Conqueror.
The ship was gigantic, practically a floating fortress itself. It was so huge that smaller vessels had trouble getting away from it and some transport drones were simply dragged into its wake. For a terrible second, Aria wondered if it could rip Ilotra itself out of orbit if it came too close.
But the Brion warship stopped right outside of the gas giant Ilo's gravity pull. Aria tried to wrap her head around the fact that it was actually very, very far away. It should have been impossible for her to see anything at such distance, but there it was.
General Ryden's flagship was an ugly beast, Aria thought, but she knew it was on purpose. Brions were experts in using every intimidation technique they were aware of to win their wars. Their warships were not built to look aesthetically pleasing. They were built to look like they could tear through smaller moons.
They had. They would again.
As they watched a flotilla of smaller ships appear from the Conqueror, Aria couldn't choke back panicky laughter.
"Yeah," she said, absently smoothing her gown and checking her reflection again before turning to walk to the hangar. "The commander of that ship is sure to listen to reason."
***
The fighter landed smoothly in Ilotra's main hangar.
Aria felt nervous, despite herself. She was living in interesting times, as the old curse said. The Galactic Union had ruled the known and explored universe in relative peace for hundreds of years. It had to be the year she came to work there that an actual war broke out. The intelligent, vicious Clayors had been a problem for decades, but their active aggression came as a surprise to everyone.
It was an unpleasant one for most. Brions, however, seemed to almost be enjoying themselves. After being the bad guys for so long, the grin on the collective face of the bloodthirsty species was unmistakably wide when the GU came to ask for their help.
The main council had called for someone to consult and advise them. They'd meant an elderly warrior or someone else with not much to do. Expertise—and tact—was called for, so the council could be assisted in making important decisions.
The Brions sent them a general.
Aria suspected it was something of a practical joke, only it wasn't funny in the slightest. En route, the general had been informed of the war efforts so far. He'd sent back a curt message that didn't translate very well from the complicate
d, ever-changing Brionese. It was quite obvious what he thought of the Union's attempts, however. Aria knew he wouldn't be in a great mood.
And it fell to her to break the news to him as gently as she could.
All of that was immediately washed from Aria's mind when the doors slid open and General Ryden emerged.
She'd thought she was prepared, honestly. The rumors of the Brion men were legendary, after all. They weren't even allowed on Terra.
Apparently meeting Brion ambassadors hadn't desensitized her one bit to the warriors.
General Ryden made her feel like she had only been given eyes for the purpose of seeing him.
Tall and powerful, he was the most gorgeous man she'd ever seen. Aria barely reached his broad, muscular shoulders. He walked with confidence that said he had no equal, the sheer presence of him taking her breath away.
Aria had wondered before what the man would look like, and she had her answer. He looked like the commander of a warship so huge it had to approach celestial bodies with care. Aria also noted he looked like he wrestled bears for a workout. Or maybe merely for fun.
His bright green eyes settled on her at once, catching her in the intense gaze that nearly toppled her. The general was a massive walking powerhouse of a warrior, an ancient, ever-lasting image of a real man. He drew the looks of everyone in the hangar with ease; he was the center of attention as naturally as he breathed.
She remained standing only with great effort. Her mouth watered, hungry for him with an intensity she had never felt before, honestly scaring her a little. Aria's entire body demanded that she throw herself at him and beg to be fucked until she couldn't walk, while her mind was screaming at her to be professional for God’s sake.
All her life Aria had thought herself better than falling for a guy that easily, but there she was, being proven all wrong.
Her Brionese was usually pretty good for a human. Only right then, under the burning gaze of the general, Aria desperately searched for even a single word.
"Err," she finally said. "Hi."
It was the most informal and disrespectful term for hello in the Brionese language, as she realized a second later.
The general gave her a look that Aria couldn't entirely interpret.
"I'm so sorry, General," she hastened to add, desperate to make amends before her treacherous body fucked up any more of her carefully put-together effort to seem like she knew what she was doing. "You caught me off guard. I am Ambassador Aria Harris of Terra. The council has bid me to welcome you to Ilotra."
Way to establish authority, she thought bitterly.
She had expected the general would hurt her for the insult she unwittingly gave, but instead the man still looked at her.
"You have no reason to be afraid," he said.
Aria felt her legs buckle. Brion men had a naturally deep voice, but she suddenly longed to hear the general speak more. It didn't matter what he would have said, as long as he kept talking in that sultry, sexy voice that made her tremble. Hopefully not visibly.
What is wrong with me? she thought, he's not that hot! Okay, so he is, but that is no reason to be quivering before him! Who even quivers? I don't think any woman has done that since the eighteenth century.
"I do not fear," she lied.
A small, slight grin appeared on the general's lips. It was the single most maddening thing Aria had ever seen. Her composure was slipping so fast she could feel it. She didn't ask for much. All she'd wanted was to approach the Brion general, say her piece, and walk away with dignity.
Well, so much for that. Pride she had already given up on. Pride had remembered its vacation days and packed its bags. Pride was long out of the door, but she'd be damned if she let dignity follow it out.
The smile on General Ryden's face was pushing her control to the limits, though. It softened his otherwise harsh features, bringing forth a devastating spirit that Aria felt drawn to.
"Yes, you do," the general said. "Don't bother with lying, even if it comes naturally to your kind. You can't hide fear from a Brion."
That was probably true, but Aria felt her temper rising.
"What do you mean 'your kind'?" she asked, forgetting to address him properly.
"Ambassadors. Politicians."
The words sounded like curses on the general's tongue. Aria realized that her own animosity toward rough, rash brutes was answered by a man who hated schemers and liars.
Oh, this will be a fun task.
She took a deep breath, trying to take hold of herself. No matter what the Brion thought, she was still an ambassador and she had a job to do. No unbelievably hot hunk of a warlord could tell her different. She only hoped he couldn't read her attraction as easily as he read her fear.
"General," she tried again. "I understand you've been told of our efforts to coordinate this war."
Ryden's expression turned thunderous in an instant.
"For your own good, I hope those clumsy, ill-advised schemes weren't your actual efforts."
Funny how a voice so sexy can say such dickish things.
"With all due respect, General," she said, praying that her anger didn't edge into her tone. "We do not have the military training you do."
"I am aware," Ryden said, an arrogant smile on his lips. "That is why I'm here. You shouldn't have tried to act without my word."
He's unbelievable. I mean, what an unbelievable jerk. I don’t care how damn sultry his eyes are.
Aria wondered what would be the odds of her not yelling "I told you so!" into Ambassador Sota's face the next time she saw him. The general was a typical Brion. She saw no way to reason with him, even if what he said sort of made sense.
"There is one more thing," she made herself say. "It might be possible this doesn't have to come to a full war."
The change was instant. She hadn't realized the general had been at ease before he drew himself up to his full height, towering over her with such ferocity in his eyes that she took a step back.
"I told you not to fear," the general boomed. "There has been a development. You should have told me that first."
Aria considered protesting since the matter wasn't urgent, but bit her lip. No good ever came from arguing with a Brion.
She tried to mimic the precise, short speech she knew the Brions preferred when dealing with military matters.
"The Clayors sent ambassadors of their own," she said. "They want to negotiate. They're saying it's not them attacking us, but a small extremist part of their army."
Everything happened very quickly after that. The look of surprise on Ryden's face would have been enjoyable in any other moment. Before she could react, Aria found herself dragged along by the general's strong arm around her waist. A small whine escaped her lips, enjoying being in his arms despite the apparent danger and the complete lack of dignity in being carted around like that.
"Take me to them," the general ordered, "at once."
"Why?" Aria demanded. "Of course you can meet them, but we don't have to rush—"
The general turned to his men and barked short orders to them. Aria understood only fragments of it, but there was something about danger, attack, and reinforcements.
"You don't negotiate with Clayors," Ryden growled, pulling her along. "You might have destroyed Ilotra in one day."
"But—"
"You let yourself be fooled. They don't have factions. They don't have extremists. The Clayors are a hive mind."
CHAPTER FIVE
Aria
Aria wanted to protest against that ridiculous accusation, but the look on the man's face told her he wasn't joking. And the Brions knew the enemy better than anyone. He had no reason to lie.
Oh God, please no, she thought. Please make him wrong.
She'd thought hive minds were a myth, something out of fiction, but Brions weren't known to joke about war. Their sense of humor was morbid as hell, but it didn't come into play when they were in actual danger.
Aria's sense of justice was at war
with itself. She hadn't honestly thought that she could stop the general from doing things his way, but not even in her worst nightmares could she have predicted everything falling apart in two minutes. So far, the general confirmed all her fears. The man was the living embodiment of shoot first and ask questions later, but if he was right... God, if he was right, there would be no one left to judge their choices.
So she rushed Ryden through the corridors of Ilotra, watching the man take it all in. She wished he could see the fortress on a better day and not be greeted by what happened. Then, maybe, he'd care enough to protect the people as well as the moon itself. That was Aria's biggest fear—the Brions taking everything too literally. He'd been called to defend the moon, not the council and the crew. She hoped he could do both.
Her sense of duty told her that she should have warned the Clayors, in case the general was wrong. After all, she'd been tasked to make sure the exact thing Ryden was planning to do didn't happen. But the problem was, she believed him. She'd felt there was something off with the Clayors delegation from the start, but she hadn't been able to put her finger on it.
Still, Aria wondered if she was doing the wrong thing. Either with leading Ryden straight to the Clayors, or with letting him take the blame for their deaths. In her heart, she knew she couldn't have stopped him even if she tried. If an army stood between him and his goal, he wouldn't have turned back.
They found the Clayors in a huge atrium that served as a waiting room for most council meetings. It was a room only in the broadest of terms, so large and so vast that Aria couldn't see its end far over the horizon. Gleaming, pristine white surfaces marked it as a common room designated for the GU's ambassadors. She could see many of her colleagues from all over the galaxy lounging there, waiting for the next session.
Everyone who saw them turned their heads to stare. It was no wonder. Brions tended to have that effect on others, Aria had noticed.
The Brions saw the Clayors at once and, of course, the enemy also saw them.
The Clayors had never been one of Aria's favorite species. There was something eerie and unsettling about them long before they came into open conflict with the Union. Their long, elongated bodies and wide eyes made them very alien-y.