Jin-Bennu

by Vivienne Savage

  “Pet?” he repeated, squeezing her thigh. “Explain, Veryn.”

  "They're more likely to believe I'm submissive to you and of no threat, if we fit a certain....”

  Bennu’s stomach churned with disgust. "You plan for me to identify you as my slave."

  "Yes."

  "You injected yourself with... with that poison to pretend to be my slave?"

  "It isn't poison, Bennu. I'm a genetic researcher. These drugs and serums have been deemed market safe for decades. And as long as I'm on them for a limited time, it's reversible."

  "Impossible woman."

  "What? How else were you going to present me to a group of anti-human Lexar? Your lover? Your friend? You think they'd accept that?"

  "I do not like any of this. If you come to harm—"

  "You won't let that happen. I trust you. These Lexar will see me as a submissive and docile gene splicer, and my recognizable traits will be concealed. Most of all, they’ll believe I belong to you.”

  Trust. She said as much now, but he wondered if she truly meant it. Her earlier assumptions still stung, a deep wound he didn't understand.

  Bennu didn't like it, but they had no choice.

  They could either feign one of the worst relationships in the universe or return to the Exemplar a failure. One placed them in peril, but the other guaranteed they would never attain the opportunity to infiltrate the rebel group again.

  And that jeopardized every galaxy under imperial rule.

  8

  Days spent in tight quarters with a terse, obstinate Lexar male were not exactly what Veryn had in mind when she stowed away on his ship. No, she planned on a two-day trip that involved lots of kissing and even more fucking. A final fling before responsibility took her back to Albion to learn what it took to become a queen.

  Were they reporting her missing yet? It had only been a week since the ceremony. She wondered if Nia thought her lack of messages meant her seduction of the mighty Bennu was going well.

  Dear, Nia. You suck.

  Veryn snorted quietly at her own thought.

  "What was that?" Bennu called back from his seat at the command console.

  "Nothing. Just thinking about things."

  He turned the chair around and leaned forward, bracing his elbows on his knees. "Such as?"

  "Do you really care?" The moment the words left her mouth, she winced, regretting them. "Sorry. That was rude of me."

  "It was, but under the circumstances, you shall be forgiven."

  "Thanks." The silence, the weight of his gaze, was unnerving. "I was thinking about Nia, all right? Trying to decide if she was too busy to worry about me not messaging yet."

  "Ah, I should have known she was a part of this."

  "Part of it? I only did it, because she put me up to it."

  "Do you humans always do mischief when told?"

  "Only by our best friends in the whole 'Verse. Wouldn't you if Amun suggested something potentially..."

  When Veryn searched for a word and failed to find one, Bennu suggested, "Meddlesome?"

  "Yeah."

  "He has before. Prior to becoming an exarch, he was not always the very model of Lexar law and obedience. Seems we were always in trouble. Then he began to ascend in the ranks and....” Bennu trailed off, wistful nostalgia in his expression, emotion seeping from a mind normally quieter than deep space.

  He never let her feel anything from him before. Not once.

  Veryn treasured that moment. "Did you drift apart?"

  "On the contrary, he took me with him, and there was no longer time for mischief or hijinks. I did not want to let him down or for rumors of favoritism to surround our friendship. I knew I could never be anything less than flawless."

  "I didn't think Lexar participated in petty gossip."

  "Not gossip as you know it, but our reputations. The way we present ourselves, our honor—those are of great importance. Our people value such things. It keeps us from being..."

  "Human?"

  A faint smile touched his lips. "I was going to say savages, but even that feels coarse and uncivil. Instead, I will say these values make us who we are. Humans have many flaws but many strengths as well."

  "Yet your people, some of them, want to see us cowed."

  "They do. It is no different than the humans who believe they should rule the galaxy. Humans who have aligned themselves with the Zacaedy in their effort to gain control."

  "And soon I'm going to have to deal with all that bullshit." She sighed and sat up, pushing a hand through her hair. The short cut was strange and new.

  "You won't be alone. Besides, Princess, it is not yet guaranteed that you will assume the throne. Your queen may survive her procedure. The best surgeons among both our races will be there."

  "I know."

  She hoped, rather. Nothing was set in stone no matter how much she hoped and prayed to any listening deity out there that Aunt Cate pulled through.

  "Do you think the rebel faction wants to work with the Zaecady?"

  "Highly possible. It is the intelligent choice to undercut one's enemies and forge a new alliance. We cannot defeat the Zaecady, and the rebels have no faith in your chemical. They believe it will damage planetary surfaces and cause unpredictable changes."

  "We've tested it! We are still testing it. We promised Empress Tal-Jin Maat that we would spend every day leading up to the deployment of the agent guaranteeing it can be used on multiple planetary surfaces and in space without lasting impact."

  “I know this, Veryn.”

  “We’ve taken samples from thousands of organisms. We would never suggest risking the safety of the universe’s many biomes.”

  "They do not believe."

  "What do you believe?"

  Bennu sucked in a slow, deep breath. She waited, patient, watching as he gathered his thoughts, the lines of his body flexing. "I know the gas works on the Zacaedy. I know initial tests show there will be no effects on land. I also know none of those tests are long term. However, I do not believe as these radicals do that we will be destroying ecosystems and planets. But there might be changes, yes. Changes I believe we'll be able to manage."

  "That’s... that's a well thought out answer."

  Bennu grinned. "I am more than muscle."

  So he was.

  It was also the first time he smiled at her since they embarked on their strange new journey. The first time he smiled since she watched the terror fill his eyes and disapproval tighten his jaw, all because the Lexar loathed unnatural modifications to their bodies.

  Bennu hadn't touched her.

  Veryn wondered if he found her tainted now.

  This mission is too important. Physical contact is irrelevant until it's necessary.

  "You really are." Veryn slipped into the copilot's seat. "Tell me why you aren't an exarch yet."

  "Because I do not have such an aspiration. Yet. Amun thinks I am ready. He showed as much when he had me act in his stead when we first rescued your team from Killandor 2."

  "You mean when he deceived Nia into thinking he wasn't in charge?"

  "No, when he officially placed me in command as a test of my abilities before he met her."

  "Uh huh." She smiled as she said it, enjoying teasing him. "Still, that doesn't answer my question. You performed admirably, so why aren't you an exarch yet?"

  "My service was not yet done on the Exemplar. It has been only a year, and our arrival on Aaru was the first break we have had in a long while. Would your ships transfer a capable officer in the middle of an operation?"

  "Point."

  "And now I am in the midst of one more. How could I lead a vessel of my own when there is greater need for my service here?"

  "I don't understand that. Why you? Are there no other Lexar willing to go undercover?"

  "Why not me?" His lips drew into a tight smile that barely touched his eyes. "I am Amun's closest friend, his brother and comrade. He trusts me above all others. More than that, my mental shi
elds make me an excellent agent."

  "So Amun thinks there may be spies on your side of things as well. He had to send someone he trusts implicitly."

  Bennu said nothing, which only confirmed her guess. So she dropped the subject and stood, needing to stretch out. His cramped personal ship didn't allow much space for wandering. Still, it was worse for him.

  "What about you?" Bennu asked, words cutting through the silence. "Should you not be on your way to Albion to take your place alongside Queen Catherine? I had no idea you were a royal."

  "I wasn't. It's... it's complicated."

  "I am certain I will understand if you explain it."

  A fit of childishness swam over her like an ocean wave. Before Veryn could reel in her fit of pique, she whipped back to him, "I could also understand your situation, but you haven't cared to explain it."

  It was worth it, if only for the shocked expression. Silver eyes widened and a delectable mouth fell open in surprise.

  Then his expression hardened. "You are not Lexar. I am under orders and therefore not compelled to tell you anything in regard to sensitive, military affairs. Do not make this personal, Veryn. I will see you safely home, but at the moment, my mission will not allow for it, and I have told you more than I should have."

  It was already personal from the moment she fell for him.

  Rather than admit as much, she drew the veil tightly around her thoughts and emotions, steeling her expression behind mental walls more secure than the royal vault. She settled on the edge of the cot, since it was her night to sleep in relative comfort while Bennu slept on the floor.

  Lexar single-width beds fit the enormous aliens like a twin-sized mattress. For her, it was spacious and wide, its cushion pillowing her every angle with comfort.

  It would be wiser to share it.

  It would be more foolish to trust her hands to obey if his body were mere inches from her.

  Regret bludgeoned into Bennu the moment he spoke the words. There was no need to be harsh, though he'd meant every one. Everything he tried with her always turned out wrong somehow. The whole situation was a mess, and if he had any good sense, he'd abandon the mission and get her to safety.

  And they'd lose their chance to dig out the cancer at the heart of their society.

  "Get some rest, Princess," he said in a kinder tone. "I have holovids and a few games available."

  Veryn remained silent. So long a time lapsed that he expected nothing at all from her and was positive she'd ignore him until they reached their destination.

  She proved him wrong.

  "Games?" she spoke after a solid two minutes of crushing silence.

  "Yes."

  Veryn made an unpleasant sound, unbecoming of a lady, and turned her back on him. "I doubt we play the same things. No, thank you."

  "A strong assumption to make without looking first. It is true I do not favor the popular Spellbound servers and—what are they called, Sandboxes?—but you do not strike me as one to live a fantasy life either. However, if you wish to remain bored, by all means, do so."

  His digital library included mainly tactical and puzzle games. He found them soothing. The one standout in the list was a human horror game.

  "Spellbound is a waste of money," she muttered without rolling to face him again. “They move the goalposts every season. You can never win.”

  At last, something to agree upon between them. He should have realized her gripe with Spellbound was the frequent updates to content, a feature that prevented a player from actually reaching the top.

  The next awkward silence between them seemed to stretch without end. Increasingly frustrated by the situation, he played a game of cards against an AI opponent to pass time.

  "Don't play the pharaoh. Play the general," Veryn spoke up from the bed.

  "I thought my games did not interest you," he said without turning, hiding his smile.

  "They don't," Veryn mumbled, though it sounded like a lie to his ears despite her closed heart, shuttered mind, and hidden expression.

  He played the general, won his hand, then started the next match.

  "The queen—"

  "Is the obvious choice. I agree," he said. "Sometimes, you must sacrifice to end up with the result you want." He played the queen card and glanced over his shoulder at her. "I will lose her. For now. In the end, she will be back in my hand."

  He played another match against the AI, then a third, all the while aware of her breathing, of her restless mind making fleeting contact in the pattern of a woman who wanted to speak but was too proud, or maybe too hurt to dare.

  He'd done that. Intention meant nothing. Results were what would always be remembered.

  He hurt her.

  "Would you like to play a round?" he asked.

  "No, I'm fine."

  "I meant play a round with me. Not the AI."

  "Really, I'm fine," Veryn insisted. After a brief pause, she added, "Honestly, after watching you play, I know I'd be thoroughly trounced."

  He laughed, and Veryn smiled, breaking some of the tension between them.

  "Please forgive my harsh words earlier," he said, smile fading to a solemn expression. "But you must also understand I accepted this mission, because I believe I am one of the few, if not the only, Lexar who can successfully pull it off. Amun did not ask me because I am expendable. He asked me, because he trusts me. Trust is more important than ever these days. The Zacaedy have corrupted so many. Not only humans."

  "Are you unable to trust me?"

  "Veryn, this is not a sole matter of trust. These are men who would kill you and consider the sacrifice to be for the greater good of the Lexar. I cannot involve you any further. If they knew you were—"

  "What? A psychic? Bennu, you didn't know I was a psychic. My status isn't publicized in any UNE records, because my mother and Cate knew it would provide an advantage if....” Her expression fell. "I never wanted this. To be queen. They used to joke about it when I was a child. Every activity I engaged in was chosen for its educational value and whether it would mold me into a better princess. All that time, it never felt real to me. I bloody knew it would be my father or some other sycophant chosen by Parliament. I never thought....”

  "You hid who you were all this time. One could assume you were a spy for United Command, staying on our ship as long as you have without revealing your true identity.”

  Veryn remained so very quiet that the silence between them provided an answer all its own. What gray noise there had been from her thoughts vanished. A slow feeling of apprehension coiled in Bennu's gut. Someone trained her well. Too well. Not a human.

  One of ours.

  "Veryn," he said quietly, all interest in the game vanishing. "Are you a spy?"

  "Yes."

  "Does Nia know?"

  "No."

  How long? he wondered. Had she been assigned to Nia's science team to report on their results? How much since then had she passed to United Command regarding the Exemplar?

  "Is that the reason you're on my ship?" he asked, a soft, dangerous edge to his voice.

  "To spy on your holiday at home with your family?" Veryn arose from the bed and stood, stiff-spined. "I didn't know about your mission. You made it a point to let everyone know you were taking leave for non-military reasons, and I fell for it, because—" Abruptly, she stopped. A flicker of emotion danced around the edges of her thoughts like a wisp of steam escaping a kettle. Then nothing more. "It doesn't matter why, and I'm along for your mission until you can safely release me to a UNE vessel."

  "You've been on our ship. My mind may be locked down, but many others are not so gifted. Amun, for example. He has an iron will, but even a strong enough psionic could pierce his mind."

  Was it possible she had done that exact thing? He wondered briefly but ultimately determined she was not lying. Her anger, her incredulity, were genuine.

  "You must be careful not to lock your mind down so firmly," he said in lieu of an apology. "It will give you away.
I am certain they employ their own psionics."

  The tension didn't fade from her shoulders.

  "You're a dick," was all Veryn said before she marched from the cabin entirely, and the swish of the hydraulic door leading to the restroom shut behind her.

  Forward one step, back two more. The dance seemed never-ending.

  9

  Prior to exiting the vessel and placing magnetic boots to the rocky asteroid surface, Bennu activated a rebreather field around his face. The shift in gravity required footwear and attire designed to anchor visitors to the ground without robbing them of mobility.

  Bennu loathed visiting the prison.

  Three Lexar and two humans met him at the stated coordinates.

  "You must be Bennu,” said the woman at the forefront, a massive Lexar in jet combat armor flanked by two armed men.

  "Who else would I be?"

  The woman smirked, the movement in her cheek deepening the deep scar that ran from her temple to her chin. "Call me Vashta. This is Khepri and Massui," she said, gesturing to the two hulking Lexar men with her. She didn't bother naming the humans.

  "Now that we are assembled, let's cut to the chase and discuss the purpose of this meeting." Bennu had a reputation to live up to as the alpha of a ship. If he showed weakness, they'd rip him to ribbons mentally as well as physically. A fight of five against one was not in the cards. "Why am I here?"

  "We require your insight. On the other side of this little rock exists a prison where many of our comrades have been wrongfully detained," said Khepri, who loomed behind Vashta with such presence Bennu immediately took him as her general.

  "I see. I imagine my combative expertise will be needed as well."

  "We aren't without skills," Khepri said, "but yes, another renowned warrior does not hurt."

  "More, you are trusted," Vashta added, a devious smile curving her lips. "The great and powerful Jin-Bennu, Alpha of the Exemplar, can walk through those doors and gain entry without suspicion."

  "May I ask what use I am to you and our goals if my cover has been immediately blown? Whatever I may have done for you as an operative aboard the Exemplar will be forfeit."