by Voxley, Vi
She parted her lips in answer to his asking for entrance. He deepened the kiss, tasting her. She could feel their tongues answering the dance the other offered. Ryden took one hand away from her ass and pushed it up into her hair, pulling her tighter into the kiss.
Aria couldn't believe it was happening. It was so good, so forbidden, so absolutely crazy to do it.
"I still think this is a horrible idea," she whispered when they broke for air.
"Don't worry," Ryden replied, grinning. "I have no intention of letting either of us die."
There was something in those words that made reality come back to her. When the general said that, while groping her roughly, Aria forced her mind to focus and ignore the desire boiling inside her.
That was what Sota had warned her about. It might have sounded romantic to some other girl, but Aria heard a different point to what the general had just said. It meant Ryden would protect her because he wanted to fuck her. That same protection wouldn't necessarily fall to someone he didn't hope to bed.
Aria pushed him away, feeling sick. The look in Ryden's eyes terrified her then. She was shaking, from cold, from desire, from fear.
Before he could say anything to make her explain why she suddenly only saw the monster, Aria whispered, "Leave."
Never in her life would she have imagined he actually would. Aria was prepared to yell at him, but she didn't need to. The single word was enough. Ryden's eyes turned very cold, but he said nothing as he gave her one more look and left, inclining his head slightly.
Only after the doors had slid shut after him did Aria allow her legs to give in and she slid to the floor, feeling as far away from relaxed as it was possible to be.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Ryden
Nothing could distract him.
Since he left Aria's rooms, there wasn't a single thing that could have taken Ryden's mind off the woman. He couldn't get the image of her, gorgeous and terrified, out of his mind. As a man who usually had answers to everything, he didn't know what had changed her mind so abruptly.
All he knew was that one moment Aria was kissing him, sweeter than any woman he'd ever had before—and the next she was as cold as ice, looking at him with fear he never wanted to see in those beautiful blues again.
He tried every way of trying to get the little Terran out of his mind, but it simply wasn't doing the trick. He went to check on Captain Algos, finding him hard at work. Ryden didn't know whether to be impressed or upset with him for not giving him a distraction. He could have used something to work through his frustration.
His desire for her was so great that he had even considered the possibility that she was his fated.
Ilotra wasn't the place where he'd expected to find his other half, though. Brions bonded to their destined for life, forming a sacred couple of the gerion and the gesha, the strongest connection that existed. Ryden knew it was up to him to find his gesha, as was the Brion way. Only the males experienced the recognizing moment, a single fraction of time when everything in their lives became clear. It was said the world itself was different from that point on. Every Brion waited for it, looked for signs that they would finally be one through being a part of something so unique. The moments were usually special somehow, marking great joy or great fear. There had been plenty of fear during their short time of knowing each other. Yet Aria hadn't looked so afraid even when her life was in danger.
It bothered him. No, it was more than that. For some reason, he couldn't bear the idea of Aria seeing him like that. It was how his enemies saw him, as a figure of terror. That emotion had no place with her, but he couldn't let his image slip, not with all of Ilotra at stake.
From Captain Algos, he made a brief trip back to the Conqueror to see if everything was in order there. It was. It was his ship, after all, and he didn't appoint fools to man it in his absence. How disappointingly competent. Ryden left in a sour mood, unable to banish Aria from his mind.
He went to see the sealed-off hangar and found repair crews hard at work. He took a serious look at the shield generator slowly coming online. Soon it would provide them with a nearly impenetrable roof. In a way, Ryden felt unchallenged. If the shield came up, there would be little chance of the Clayors doing any serious damage to Ilotra.
After hours of trying to find anything to distract him, Ryden gave up. He had told High Senator Eleya the truth. Protecting Ilotra was a job for an administrator. He knew he'd be useful once the attack began, but until then he was in no way needed to oversee the shield generator coming online.
Like a true Brion, Ryden was left with only one option—the one all warriors used to ease tension other than finding someone to bed—but that was out of the question now. He couldn't imagine anyone else with him but Aria. That option felt lost to him now.
He went to train. Ilotra was a huge complex, and it had everything, including training areas fit for Brions. The general was pleased to find they got something right, at least. He chose a practice routine and let the mechs come at him until he lost himself in a whirl of blades, blood, and broken metal.
He almost sliced off the hand of the warrior who came to give him the news. Ryden was about to give the young Brion a hard lesson about sneaking up on a warrior lost in a battle when he saw the look on his face.
"What happened?" he demanded.
"There has been a break-in, General," the warrior reported at once, standing on guard.
"The Clayors?" Ryden asked, cursing himself for not thinking of the possibility sooner.
He'd thought all of the enemies had been killed by him and the explosion, but Ilotra was a whole moon. There were thousands of places to hide and lie low. He should have sent out search parties and patrols to make sure no more of the hive mind remained on the moon. He'd been distracted. The general swore it would not happen again.
"We are not sure, General," the warrior said, clearly afraid. "It might be them."
"Where was the break-in? What was taken?" Ryden growled, already moving out of the training area.
"In the Terran ambassadors' quarters," the warrior said, nearly running into him when Ryden stopped.
"Casualties?" he asked hoarsely.
"None that we know of, General," the man hastened to assure him. "But an ambassador was apparently taken hostage."
Ryden didn't need to ask. Somehow, he already knew. It made sense. The traitor on Ilotra was very smart, it seemed. And quick. Anger rose in his heart as he marched right back to the rooms he'd left only hours ago.
As he went, he gave orders he knew he should have given first thing when he got to the fortress.
"Secure all the hangars. Nothing leaves or arrives without a thorough search. No Clayors get out of here, no new ones get in. Send out patrols and search parties, root out any possible remaining enemies.
"Kill on sight. We have nothing to discuss with the hive mind and they can't be interrogated. Make the shield generator Captain Algos's top priority. It has to be protected at all costs. Send a unit of our warriors there, a strong unit. The shield cannot fall."
The warriors following him nodded, leaving in different directions to carry out his orders. The image of Aria, kidnapped, swam before his eyes. He tried to banish it, but it wouldn't obey. Then she appeared hurt. Hurt badly. Dead. He gritted his teeth.
He'd promised to keep her safe and now he had failed in that. He wouldn't rest until the ones responsible for it were dead. And if any harm had come to Aria, it was better if Ryden didn't get to them first.
"Find our ambassadors," he told the last warrior. "Tell them their immediate—and only—task is to find the traitors on Ilotra. They have to have a hunch where to begin, at least. Have them draw up a list of all the ambassadors who knew of the Clayors and report it back to me, to begin with. Go."
He arrived at the Terran quarters alone. They looked empty and deserted without Aria. There were signs of struggle everywhere. Broken glass, turned-over furniture. He picked his way through the mess, trying to discern what h
ad happened.
At first glance, it didn't look like a Clayor attack. They were much more organized and more tidy by all measures, but there was something almost controlled to the mess. If they'd wanted, the general didn't think anyone would have even discovered the break-in, but they had. Meaning they'd wanted it to be found.
There was something else. Someone had wanted her as a hostage rather than treating her as a bystander. The mess in the rooms was only around Aria's quarters and inside them. They went straight for her and knew where to find the woman.
It told Ryden a lot, but it didn't give him a straight answer.
He was deep in thought. Distracted even, only minutes after he'd sworn not to let his feelings get in the way of his duties again. The enemy targeting Aria had changed that. Someone was intent on making it personal, but that was a very ill-advised course of action. Brions never forgot and they never forgave. It was always a bad idea to provoke them.
The enemy was very quiet, but not careful enough. The general heard the Clayor champion coming in the last possible second, and he turned sharply to avoid the razor-sharp knife aimed at his heart.
He jumped out of the way, instantly hyper-aware of his surroundings, slipping easily into battle mode. All Brion warriors had that; it was their genetic gift. So there was still a Clayor in the quarters. That was also something to look into later. How could something so big move around undetected?
The champion was alone, but it was clear he was nothing like his smaller, weaker brethren. Ryden was pleased. That was the first enemy to face him head-on, even if he did try to stab him first. But at least the champion didn't turn and run. Instead, the towering Clayor, with knives as long as Ryden's arms in both hands, started circling him.
The general moved with him, not letting the enemy out of his sight. The regular Clayors were easy enough opponents, but the champions were different. The hive mind paired together strong individuals to create them, and every once in a while, it got very lucky. The Clayor before him looked like a real fighter.
With his spear in hand, Ryden waited for an opportunity, for the enemy to show weakness. But apparently the hive mind wasn't as foolish as he'd hoped. That was bad news—but it gladdened him even more to have found a worthy target.
Finally, he attacked. The Clayor crossed the knives in front of his chest to stop the spear, but it had miscalculated the strength of the weapons. Ryden locked them together on purpose, knowing he couldn't let the champion swing those knives around. One lucky hit and he was dead, while the hive mind would have simply been out of one warrior.
The knives were holding the spear in place, but it was damaging them to do so. The champion noticed that too, the way the spear's blade was slowly but surely cutting into the knives. It was known there was no match for the spears. The champion should have known better. Once he realized his mistake, he broke the lock and pushed himself away. Ryden stumbled back and the champion was on him in a second, the knives slashing wildly at his throat.
Clumsy, clumsy, Ryden thought, blocking the blows easily. The hive mind must really hate me.
It was no wonder. Through the eyes of the others, it surely witnessed the deaths of the Clayor delegation.
He let the champion approach again, giving it an in. The Clayor came as it was supposed to, lured further into the room. The few steps he took back gave Ryden time to see the damage he'd done to the knives. He noted the cuts and the gashes. He knew he could count himself lucky to wield the weapon he did. Against any other, the champion would have undoubtedly triumphed already.
He knew it was important that he time the attack correctly. One wrong move and the hive mind would slice his head off, blunted edges or not. The champion, a towering, exaggerated version of the average Clayor, certainly looked like it had the strength to simply knock his head off his shoulders.
The enemy came at him, irritated and tired of games. Ryden agreed. It was better he finish the fight and get back to the tasks that were truly important.
He stood his ground, trading lightning-fast blows with the champion. The knives and spear threw sparks into the air as they fought. The only thing that could be heard was their panting and the shrill sounds of the weapons coming into contact with each other. Ryden knew he was better and stronger from the first moment they clashed. It didn't take long for the champion to realize that too.
The Clayor’s blows turned erratic then, desperate for a lucky hit.
It was what the general had counted on. For all the hive mind was, it still couldn't entirely control every single entity in its web. There had to be a shred of individuality or they wouldn't have functioned as separate beings at all. They were all the hive mind, but deep, deep down they were something of their own too.
And Ryden was trying to piss off the self of the champion. Cutting him, causing him pain, urging him on. The champion was strong. It was entirely possible for him to win or at least give Ryden a good fight, but he didn't choose to. He wanted to end Ryden quickly, be done with him before he tired.
When he judged that the moment was right, the general dropped his guard a bit too obviously. The champion fell for it. The hive mind didn't. For one confused second, the Clayor's body was trying to do two different things—strike at him and back away to regain his stance. It left him twitching awkwardly somewhere in between. And a moment was all a Brion general ever needed.
He struck a blow, but not at the champion. Aimed at a right angle, the spear hit the knife in his left hand. It broke into shards. Another destroyed the other knife and the champion was left weaponless. He was still a huge warrior, but Ryden was clearly a better fighter. He saw the hive mind realizing its defeat and then... it left. The champion stood stunned in the middle of the room, looking more confused than any being Ryden had ever seen. A creature with self-awareness turned on for the first time. The death blow was more like a mercy kill by that point, as the Clayor collapsed on the ground.
Panting, looking down upon his fallen enemy, Ryden noticed something next to it. A note, scribbled in a hurry. The couch had been knocked over it, so Ryden hadn't seen it before.
He read the note and his body shook with fury. It said:
"You have a weakness in your defense, General."
CHAPTER TWELVE
Aria
For the longest time, Aria saw nothing.
There was only darkness after the kidnappers blindfolded her. The attack had been so sudden she hadn't even had the chance to cry out and call for someone before she was gagged. Aria had tried to struggle and fight back, but found it to be impossible. Strong, merciless hands had gripped her, hurting without care. It was clear her well-being wasn't a priority. The realization should have terrified Aria, but it only brought stubborn determination. She was not going to be some weeping maiden. She was an ambassador of the Galactic Union, and rescue missions were bound to be swift. All she had to do was hold on until then.
Then she only struggled to find out as much as she could about her attackers. Thrashing around, she finally came to the conclusion that the ones who had broken into her quarters... were Clayors. Judging by the voices she heard and the way they dragged her along, they were considerably taller than her.
Which meant Clayor champions. Still on Ilotra. It made her blood run cold.
Thinking of Ilotra's safety before my own. There is something wrong with me.
Despite the horrible situation she was in, Aria almost laughed, realizing that none of it would have happened if she hadn't sent Ryden away. It had been the right call, Aria knew that, but the general would never have let them take her. In fact, she was sure he was going to tear her captors to pieces once he caught them.
After what seemed like an eternity, they finally stopped. Time to learn why she was there. So far the enemy hadn't hurt her, but there had to be a reason why they needed her, right? Aria saw no benefit in deluding herself into thinking she was safe.
The blindfold stayed, but the gag was removed from her mouth. Aria coughed.
"
Let me go," she said then, as soon as her vocal chords obeyed her again. "The punishment for abducting an ambassador is extreme. I haven't seen you yet, I don't know who you are, so if you just cooperate—"
"Terran," a voice very close to her said, the hissing edge marking the speaker as a Clayor. "After all we've done and all we're about to do, taking you is the least of our concerns."
True. Also not comforting at all.
Aria thought of the explosions, of the war declaration and the incoming armies. The enemy had no fear of dirtying their hands, they'd shown that.
They probably wouldn't hesitate to kill her if she was no longer useful to them either. That was not a pleasant thought, but Aria refused to let fear take her.
"What do you want from me?" she asked.
It was better if she knew from the start. Aria figured then she could plan how to delay them. She didn't trust Ilotra's security to find her. They hadn't been able to locate the champions so far. It would be a miracle if they did now. She was on her own, but she was far from helpless.
Ryden, she thought then, the general's name jumping into her mind.
Aria shook her head clear. A man like that couldn't be relied upon to help, to save anyone. He was a killer; his job was to end lives, not preserve them. She doubted her disappearance was a priority issue, considering Ilotra's other problems. The enemy was right about that, at least.
"We want you to help us," the Clayor was saying.
Ha-ha. No.
"You seem to have everything under control," she said carefully. "You've managed to elude our security."
The Clayor laughed.
"That is not the problem," it said. "This moon is not run efficiently."
Tell me about it, Aria agreed silently.
"The Brions concern us a lot more. We didn't know there would be an army here. We are not pleased."