by Kahaula
“Once all 5 have been tagged, Ally will be the only one left topside for the ball,” I scowled a bit but respected her request to have a more visible role, “Remember, only the 4 of us have the upgrade to the facility’s internal communications, but regardless, keep the chatter to a minimum,” Hs’tar touched the new black signet ring of organic metal around his right pointer finger emblazoned with my Battle Queen crest. The only difference was the ring of star maps on the shield. Half were star maps for Ula Nui and half were for Earth. Merooth’s ear piercings now also held the same crest on them, though his were much flashier surrounded with sparkling red gems.
“I’ve made sure all the guards have their new uniforms—,” Hs’tar seemed to know where my mind was already headed.
“And all the decorations, wall hangings, and entertainment have the new crests or are in keeping with the red, black, gold, and silver of Ula Nui,” Merooth beamed.
“We’ve already started the branding roll out for the contracts department, media, and local signage,” concluded Mel.
“Fuck me, we’re really doing this,” I breathed out in stunned disbelief.
“This is how it had to be, Welo,” Mel’s encouraging smile shined like a small ray of sunlight, “How all this went down just proves your plan was the only option that was going to give us a real fighting chance.”
“Thank the Gods for my cynicism,” I frowned. Merooth’s laughter boomed through the office as they all rose up from their chairs.
“My deadly mate, you still don’t take compliments half as well as you do your mates,” Merooth winked saucily.
“Aaaah! Ewww, I don’t want to hear about your sexcapades,” Mel dramatically covered her ears and ran from the room with Merooth hot on her heels laughing and trying to tell her more. I circled my desk and sat on the edge chuckling.
Hs’tar’s eyes locked with mine and he languidly prowled forward. He pushed my legs forcefully open with his body. His molten burnt copper eyes poured every unspoken word and thought into my own before he cupped my face and kissed me. My thighs clenched his hips deeper and tighter, tingling with every electric impulse connecting us. His lips captured my own, stamping his life right into each stroke and sip of my lips.
“Until tomorrow night, my Stars.” He kissed me softly and gently one last time. He pulled from my embrace and with one last look of adoration, left me to my thoughts.
I softly touched my lips and thought of how far Hs’tar and I had come. I thought back on everything from my first kill in the old arena to L’Ryx’s pained face as he realised I had used him somehow. All these threads of spider’s silk connecting us to each other and to the future. I took a silent moment to close my eyes and pray to Haumea and Menrva. I begged the Red Ruler to help us birth a new viable life for ourselves. And I asked humbly for Menrva’s permission to weave the tapestry I had spun in the defence of my people, to grant us victory.
I took a deep breath, and got back to work.
L’Ryx
“Now who looks like shit,” I smirked at the sweaty snarling face of General K’Tos as he barged his way into my room.
“That-That Commander Melinda is a fucking sadist,” he spat. R’Tok looked to me in curiosity but I held my tongue. Whatever had shoved a shock stick up K’Tos’s ass would soon prompt him to tell me all about it. “10 hours, L’Ryx! 10 hours to travel through a zig zagging maze of fucking solar system mines for a planet I could see out my front view screen!” He roared the last bit shaking his fist up at the sky.
“Is that why you’re covered in sweat and stink like a rzzok in heat?” I asked sweetly. I desperately tried to hold in my laughter, because I’m sure there had to be more to the story.
“2 hours in our environmental controls started malfunctioning,” he lifted his wrinkled and soaked uniform shirt to sniff it and grimace, “My engineers told me our computer system overloaded trying to predict and counter possible mine explosions,” he unbuttoned his shirt and let it hang open, exposing his sweaty chest. “Then the fucking navigation crashed! I had to listen to some pretty brown haired human female talk to me like I was new to flying ships for 8 hours as she ‘guided’ us through the cloud of death that ‘somehow’ seemed to only congregate around our ship. I know how to fly my own fucking ship, damnit!”
“So only the Night Flower made it through?” I tried to sound concerned but watching K’Tos blow up made me feel a bit better at my loss of control earlier.
“According to Commander Melinda it was for my armada’s safety, since this new defence system is still glitchy,” K’Tos grumbled.
“How convenient,” mumbled R’Tok. Rumbles of agreement came from behind K’Tos. His equally stink and miserable officers filed in past him and into the adjoining rooms.
“Here, this might explain a few things,” my humour died a quick death as R’tok replayed the last conversation I had with Welo. We had all but packed up the command centre, except for a few consoles. Cleaning up the broken and bloody main holoscreen had helped me to focus and rein in my spinning mind. K’Tos sucked in a shocked breath as he watched High Council Leader R’Til tell me to kill Welo.
“She got into my environmental controls, didn’t she?” He asked quietly. All traces of earlier rage were wiped away. The change was so stark and sudden that I narrowed my eyes at K’Tos and waited.
“What?”
“When I realised what Welo had done I punched my fists bloody into the main holoscreen,” I eyed him with suspicion, “My own men had to hold me back so I could get my shit together.” I circled around him evaluating his utter lack of response “I show you evidence that someone was able to crack our security—more than that—the High Council’s homeworld security and you’re just what? Calm?”
“Did you look into the laws I told you about?” K’Tos’s jaw muscles ticked but he remained steady.
“I know about the laws and that I’m Star Kissed,” K’Tos nodded in relief and rubbed at the scars near his chin. “I also figured out that we must have been adjusted as a species by the ancient technology.” K’Tos’s eyes snapped to mine and I saw a small hint of fear that made me rock back physically, “What aren’t you telling me?”
“A lot, I’m sure,” he rolled his eyes and went to step around me. I grabbed his arm and held tight.
“I’ve made my decision,” I whispered tightly, “and my men support me.” His eyes widened a fraction. Having my men know what he had tried to share with me was a source of surprise and anxiousness for him.
“And how do you intend to do, whatever it is, you’ve decided?”
“Publicly. Very publicly,” I showed him the pictures of just outside the Blood Palace where hundreds of staff and security ran back and forth decorating and preparing for tonight’s welcome ball.
“Good,” his grin was positively mercenary.
Hs’tar
No one knew that all five central world ambassadors had been planetside for the last three hours. They were currently sequestered, and being plied with what Merooth called ‘light entertainment’ until they were to be shuttled over in style to the Blood Palace.
We couldn’t just get them inebriated and have the girls take what they needed. We needed them to show up and show their clearly uncoerced and un-manipulated faces at the welcome ball. Right now I didn’t envy Merooth his role.
I frowned and felt a stab of regret. Merooth had honed his skills through a gauntlet of blood and degradation. I shuddered at one of the worst memories I carried. After Merooth had lost his match a displeased slave owner, who had lost credits placing a bet on him, purchased him for the night.
The old leader was all too happy to hand him over, only asking that the slave owner not kill Merooth. The added condition had the desired affect of enraging the slave owner. The old leader had said Merooth was famous for his dancing—he wasn’t—and the favoured mate of the infamous Battle Queen because of it.
The slave owner had broken both Merooth’s legs and made him dance for hours before violati
ng him. Then he let his men fight for the opportunity to do the same to Merooth. They fought like rabid animals, to the slave owner’s delight, as they all knew Merooth was as close as anyone was getting to the Battle Queen.
Merooth had smiled and laughed along with the slave owner the whole time goading them into fighting harder. In the end the fight assuaged the slave owner’s bloodthirstiness so much that he sent Merooth back to the cages without making good on his promise to let the winner have Merooth as well.
He had only smiled at me afterward, when the old leader had me move him from the regen chamber back to his cell. I was so angry, but before I could lock him back in, Merooth had kissed me. He said I should be smiling too since his plan had worked.
Merooth had overheard the old leader tell the disgruntled slave owner that if he was still unsatisfied he could purchase a night for me too. He could even spend a little extra and Welo would be made to watch. Merooth had made himself so thoroughly entertaining in his pain and simpering rapport that the slave owner had forgotten all about the offer.
I loved Merooth as deeply as I did Welo. He found a way to still be beautiful inside and out after everything we had been through. He hadn’t become jaded like Welo and I. His kindness was tempered by his cunning and drive to do anything to protect us.
I trusted in him.
We all trusted in him to play his part.
Merooth
“And then I said, ‘what do you mean that’s not your tentacle’!” I nudged the grey skinned male in the shoulder. This ambassador out of all the five already in this large pre-party room was the most relaxed. He laughed and I grabbed another glass of green ale. I plopped down heavily, letting the alcohol spill over slightly.
“You, my friend, are going to be too drunk for your own mate’s party!” He laughed harder but didn’t move away or comment on how close I was sitting.
“Ahhhh, my deadly mate!” I shuddered and smiled lasciviously, “I’ll be lucky to survive the night! She’s so insatiable after parties.”
“Just after parties?” He chuckled companionably.
“I think it’s all the stress,” I leaned in as if giving him an important secret, though I was sure half the room could hear my ‘whisper’, “She’s a gladiator through and through, but I think she’s too rough for nice things like parties,” I pouted and nodded to nothing in particular.
“Is that why she dresses you so sparingly?” Sniped another ambassador from two seats over, “Or is that just so she has easy access to your cock?” I snorted a laugh and ignored the obvious insult, but my prey next to me paled to light grey.
“Both,” I waved my cup around and licked my lips slowly at the bitchy male ambassador who had insulted me. He’d have to do better than suggesting I was no better than a kept whore, if he was trying to insult me. I put my cup down on a nearby surface and leaned in intimately to the ambassador I was targeting. His people tended to be decent and modest; a soft approach would work well. I ran my finger along the jewel studded garment he was wearing and watched his eyes become hooded with desire. “You have such beautiful clothing,” I bit my lip suggestively and tilted my head. I let my hair hang just over my eyes shading them in mystery.
“They’re...,” he gulped and I could see him trying to reach for his composure, “They’re to show my rank as ambassador and each gem has cultural significance connected with...,” he trailed off watching my hands.
“How are they connected?” I fingered the gems one after the other. I schooled my eyes to be innocent and full of open curiosity. He cleared his throat.
“Merit,” he whispered.
“Oh,” I breathed just as softly, “I earned mine as well.” I let the insinuation stun him as I guided his hand to one of the ear piercings Welo gave me. I wrapped my fingers gently around his so that he cupped the organic metal between his fingers. “This was a gift from the Battle Queen herself.” I laced my fingers with his and threaded them through the jewelled necklaces around my throat. The chains tinkled as he knotted his fingers through them to trail along my soft pelt. “These were also a gift from my deadly mate.”
The ambassador came to his senses and pulled away. He looked around and blushed when he saw the bitchy ambassador sneering at him. I smiled genuinely at him and gave him a reassuring pat while I sipped my ale.
“Good job, Merooth,” Ally’s laughter coloured her words, “One down, 4 more to go.”
L’Ryx
”What the...,” R’Tok’s strangled whisper spoke for all of us. I thought roaming The Pit had prepared me for whatever was going to be thrown our way at the welcome ball. I was wrong. So, so wrong.
“You’re Star Kissed to that?” K’Tos openly pointed up ahead at the thousands of people roaming outside the entrance to the Blood Palace. Around the two of us we had four sets of officers in their finest honour guard uniforms. Boots polished to a shine and sashes pressed crisply. We stood out and yet blended in with the sheer menagerie of the undulating masses.
Bubbles blew out from the throne floor’s windows, some popping shimmering colourful clouds of dust onto the people below. Some of the bubbles were big enough that I could see people fucking in one of them before it safely landed twenty feet to the right of my men. One floated pasted us with an actual rzzok wearing a pink poofy dress around its hips. It tumbled over itself, starting at us in just as much confusion as we felt.
General K’Tos’s jaw hung open as we all watched the rzzok’s bubble pop. It scampered off towards the nearby park like its ass was on fire. I started to laugh. Really, what other reaction could I have?
“And what is this now?” K’Tos asked in exasperation. I had never seen him frazzled but I didn’t think anyone was going to hold it against him in the face of what we were all seeing. I watched as a familiar masked face approach.
I had not realised until this moment how massive the male was. He stood at least two heads taller than I and K’Tos. Dark tufts of fur at his elbows and groin accented his rough brown skin. His muscles and hoofed feet gleamed and sparkled from layers of different dust that must have splashed on him—along with other fluids—as he made his way to us. His only adornments, beyond the mask, were the thick chains wrapped around his torso and hips. Today he only carried a red electro-whip.
“General L’Ryx,” he bowed low to me, “General K’Tos, a pleasure I’m sure.” His voice was so deep it was like a rumbling mountain speaking.
“I never got your name, last time we met,” I tipped my head. His laugh was like an earthquake.
“Our Queen calls me Minotaur,” he chuckled and motioned into the crowd, “this time, she wishes for me to guide you, so you arrive in a timely fashion,” he teased. Before I could say anything he turned his back on us and started back towards the entrance of the Blood Palace.
“We better keep up,” I shook my head and ignored the looks R’Tok and K’Tos gave me. Minotaur took us on a twisting and turning route sometimes stopping completely, but never looking back to see if we followed. I looked around and realised he was trying to avoid walking us through the different dusts or shimmering clouds that came from the burst bubbles.
“Oh, wow,” drawled out one of K’Tos’s officers, “the colours are singing!”
“And they taste so pretty,” said another. I looked over my shoulder in confusion and watched as both men willingly followed the beautiful females and males that caressed their faces. Before I could yell out a warning they disappeared into the crowd. Minotaur stopped and chuckled.
“Fear not, Generals,” he looked over his shoulder at us, or at least thats what I assumed since I couldn’t see his eyes, “no harm will come to your people, so long as no harm comes to ours.”
“Form up!” Commanded General K’Tos. “Don’t let any dust or mists get on you. Keep your wits about you!” Minotaur laughed darkly and continued on.
By the time we reached the guarded guest lift up to the throne room’s floor we had less than half our officers still with us. Minotaur stood silently i
n the lift with us, not even his chains moved as he breathed. I felt the unease of our remaining men heavy in the air. It was only made worse as we looked around us.
When we had first entered the lift we saw the beautiful lifelike mural of the Rainbow City inlayed into the back wall flanked on the left and right by scenes of rebellion and victory. However as we turned around to face the front what I saw made me sick to my stomach. On every surface was a continuous mural showing in vivid and graphic detail the horrific lives lived by the Battle Queen and others when this was still a slave world.
This was a deft and visceral political move. See our beauty; see our strength. It was so like Welo that my heart squeezed both in pain for her and in awe for what she and her people had overcome. Her brilliance and tactical mind worked on so many levels I marvelled as to why she had ever shared herself with me.
The doors opened and we filed out on autopilot. Minotaur bowed to me one last time and disappeared into the mingling crowds. As large as he was I couldn’t see at all where he had gone. If K’Tos had thought outside was bad, I didn’t even want to know what he thought now.
More floating bubbles carrying food, drink, and people glided and bobbed from chamber to chamber. A lilting melody flowed through the main throne room and masked dancers in all manner of finery spun and dipped. They mesmerised onlookers, pulling some in to dance with them. Their skin dusted in red, black, gold, and silver caught the warm shifting light.
A masked human female in a large pale silver dress twirled away from the crowd towards us. Her dress was wide and layered with soft silver and metallic blue tassels. She swayed from side to side her hands held out and tipped up. Her beauty and grace clashed with the silver half mask she wore. It was gruesome. One eye socket was black as if she only had one functioning eye, the rest of it was covered in slashes and nicks.