by Stella Cassy
“But you can breathe fire,” Yvette said.
“Yes,” I nodded. “We can breathe fire… but it requires effort and energy. We cannot keep a steady stream of fire going. The Pax will have educated themselves on our weaknesses.”
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “Maybe I should have another look at your coms system,” Yvette said. “See if I can do anything more to fix the broken connections.”
“Come with me,” I said. “We need to get to the control center and see about our progress.”
We left my chambers and made our way out of the commander’s quarters. The ship was quiet; the mood in the air was unusually somber. Yvette walked just behind me, but after a moment she sped up moved into step beside me. A slave didn’t usually walk side by side with his or her owner, but I allowed it, despite the looks we received from the two Drakon we passed on our way to the control center.
Only Bletchgor was in the control center when Yvette and I arrived. He was staring at the monitors and chartering our course through the vast galaxy. I could see from the monitor that his current route would take us to Thirren five solars from now. That would be too late.
“Bletchgor,” I said the moment I entered.
The orange tint on his white scales seemed to ripple as he stood. His eyes passed over Yvette, but he didn’t say a word.
“Commander.”
“We have a situation on our hands,” I revealed. “The Pax Alliance are on their way to Thirren as we speak.”
Bletchgor’s mouth fell open. I might have laughed in his face if the situation hadn’t been so dire. “It’s true,” I confirmed. “We need to turn on our light speed engines.”
Bletchgor’s eyes went wide. “We don’t have the capacity—"
“We only need them to work for two solars at the most,” I said. “By that time we should be in Thirren.”
Bletchgor didn’t even hesitate. He turned towards the control center and pressed in his thumb against the authorization key that opened a large black box that sat towards the side of the main panel. Nestled within the black box was a small red button that was directly linked to the light speed engines. One push and the Wyvern would be pushed into light speed travel.
“Commander?”
“You are cleared for light speed activation,” I said formally.
Bletchgor pressed his hand down hard on the red button and the ship seemed to purr with new energy. For a second nothing happened, and then everything happened all at once. The empty space in front of us seemed to twirl together to form a strange looking wormhole with pinpricks of light around its edges. Stars seemed to dance momentarily into the swirling whirlpool that faced us and I felt the ship move into it as though it were being sucked in.
I felt Yvette lose her balance and slam into me from the back. I grabbed her around the waist and held her close to my chest as we prepared to jump into the light speed tunnel. One, two, three… and we were off. There was a moment when my head spun and my eyes saw stars with ribbons of crimson running through them, and then the ship settled back into stillness and I saw that we had made the jump and the light speed engines were functioning at full capacity.
“Good,” I said, feeling only marginally better. We were on our way.
“Bletchgor,” I said. “Move aside. Yvette is going to take another look at the coms systems.”
Bletchgor’s face darkened immediately. “I’ve been trying through the whole night, Commander.”
“She was able to fix our direct line with Gyygnar,” I pointed out.
Bletchgor stepped aside reluctantly and Yvette moved towards the control panel, gazing at the series of buttons, knobs and wires like it was a puzzle waiting to be solved. I could tell that she was excited by the prospect of being useful. I could see that her intelligence hadn’t been valued up until this point and she was desperate to put her faculties to use.
There was something oddly titillating about watching her work. It almost made me forget that there was a battle on the horizon… one that I wasn’t altogether certain we could win.
17
Yvette
I had to work under the direct scrutiny of the white-scaled Drakon. His eyes were sharp, his breathing heavy and his stares seemed designed to trip me up. I reminded myself that I had been under enemy fire more than once in my life. I just needed to keep my head down, power through and concentrate on the task at hand.
The wires that set up the Wyvern’s complex coms system were intricate and beautifully arranged. There were red wires that attached to individual ships within the fleet, black wires that connected to the internal coms system on the ship and blue wires that were meant to transmit voice activated messages directly to Thirren.
Most of them had been completely destroyed in the asteroid hit. It wasn’t plain to see from where I stood, but I knew the coms box that was attached to the head of the ship would be where the main problem lay. Getting to it would require a space suit, a lot of oxygen and a significant amount of knowledge that I was not sure I had.
“Well?”
Bletchgor again. That was how he had been addressing me through the last hour. I turned to him, my eyes rife with impatience. “It’s a complex disconnect—"
Bletchgor raised his eyebrows and his large scaled brow creased into rock like fragments. “Is that so?” he asked sarcastically. “Imagine that.”
I gritted my teeth together and turned back to the coms system. “I’ve rewired some of these links,” I said. “I’ve got you connected to three more ships in the fleet.”
I turned to see Bletchgor’s face fall slightly. I could see that he was trying to minimize my small victory. “Only three?” he asked, in somewhat of a delayed reaction.
“It’s three more than you managed to fix,” I snapped back.
The gnarly looking Drakon’s eyes snapped to my face and he pulled himself up to his full height. My instinct was to shrink back but I refused to let him see my fear.
“What did you say to me, slave?” Bletchgor demanded, as he took a threatening step towards me.
“Enough!”
I turned to see Ranel standing at the entrance to the control center. Tailing him was the massive Drakon with black-brown scales.
“Bletchgor, I left you to supervise,” Ranel said impatiently. “Not harass.”
“All slaves are ours to harass,” Bletchgor growled.
Ranel moved towards the other Drakon. He was a few inches taller than Bletchgor and his shoulders were broader, but it was the expression he wore, a look of such undisputed authority that I watched as the younger Drakon shrunk back.
“I was under the impression the human was my slave,” Ranel said in a dangerously low voice. “Not yours.”
His tail flicked insidiously behind him and I wondered what it said about me that excitement bubbled hot and insistent in my chest.
“Apologies Commander,” Bletchgor said quickly. “She was working slow.”
“Good,” Ranel replied. “It means she was being cautious. Any luck rewiring the system?” Ranel asked as he turned to me.
I looked behind me at the wire panel. “I’ve made three new connections. The other wires were too damaged to save.”
Ranel nodded with satisfaction. “Well done,” he said to me before turning to his second commanders. “Bletchgor, Gormson… send messages out to all three ships. Inform them of the situation and command them to transfer to their light speed engines. We’re setting course for Thirren. Make sure to ask about their coms systems. If they’re working, have them contact the rest of the ships in the fleet and make them all aware of our new course of action. Can you handle that?”
“Of course,” Bletchgor bristled.
“Yvette,” Ranel said abruptly. “Come.”
I followed Ranel out of the control center, throwing a pointed side-glance at Bletchgor. He gritted his teeth and I could tell he wanted to growl full in my face but Ranel’s presence was the only thing preventing him from doing so. I had to suppress
my smile as I followed Ranel through the Wyvern’s neutral interiors to the commander’s quarters.
We walked inside to the smell of charred meat and strong wine. The trolley had already been brought up and it sat comfortably by the fireplace. Ranel walked straight to the trolley and tore himself off a large hunk of meat. The broken leg in his hand was so large that it would have taken my two hands to keep it steady.
As Ranel opened his mouth to take a bite, I saw the razor-edged glint of his fangs. They gleamed with powerful intensity and reminded me of just how predatory a species the Drakon really were. I watched as he tore at the meat with ease. The red-pink flesh glided apart like butter and its red-brown juices dripped down Ranel’s claws and onto his hand.
“Eat,” Ranel said, glancing over at me absentmindedly.
I walked over to the trolley and stood opposite him. Usually the trolley would have been filled with at least six to eight different choices. There’d be an array of vegetables, different types of meats, breads and wine and maybe even a thick sustaining porridge of some sort. But this trolley had only one large platter of meat that sat next to a tall pitcher of strong wine that had the scent of cinnamon and chocolate.
“Go on,” Ranel encouraged me.
One glance at the trolley told me that there were no utensils on hand. I sighed and tore of a piece of meat using nothing but my fingers. I realized just how tough the flesh really was. It had melted away like butter only under Ranel’s powerful claws. I lifted the meat up to my mouth and gave it a sniff. Its scent was strong and oaky and it felt stringy in my hands.
I bit into it and tore at it with my teeth, using as much force as possible. It took some effort but finally the flesh came apart from the bone and filled my mouth with its luscious juices. I stood there chewing as my stomach growled with satisfaction and meat juices coated the sides of my mouth. I had taken my second bite when I looked up to realize that Ranel was staring at me with amusement.
I touched the sides of my mouth self-consciously, trying to wipe away the gravy that clung to the sides of my face.
Ranel’s smile deepened somewhat and I realized that something about seeing me eat like a savage was appealing to him. I realized that I was too hungry to worry about being graceful while I ate, so I abandoned my attempts at eating prettily and just dived right back into the hunk of meat in my hands. I tore at the juicy flesh with increased enthusiasm until my hands and wrists were well and truly stained.
“Wow,” I said, realizing how happy my palette was. “This meat is just… amazing.”
“It’s Brynor,” Ranel told me.
“Brynor?” I repeated. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard—"
“The two headed beast of Chyra?” Ranel asked. “Their meat is tough but succulent.”
I nodded. “It certainly is,” I said, licking my fingers dry. “It tastes amazing.”
I bent down to the second level of the trolley and pulled out the washbasin that had been placed there. It usually accompanied any meal that was particularly messy to eat. I dunked my hands into it and sighed at how comfortingly warm it was. I realized belatedly that I probably should have asked Ranel for permission first. I looked up at him out of the corner of my eye, but he looked calm and unbothered by my presumption.
“Sorry,” I mumbled. “I should have let you—"
“I don’t need to use it,” Ranel said, showing me his clean claws. He hadn’t made the mess that I had. Then Ranel pushed the platter of Brynor meat towards me in a gesture of offering, but I shook my head. “Thank you,” I said fervently. “But I’ve had my fill.”
“Some strong wine then,” Ranel said, pouring me a goblet of wine before I could give him consent.
He offered me the glass and I reached out with my wet fingers and took it willingly. The goblet was heavier than I had anticipated. It was made of thick silver encrusted with jade stones set in diamond shapes that surrounded the goblet’s bowl. I sipped the strong wine and felt its bold flavor punch my tongue. I winced, trying to pick out familiar flavors. I did detect a slight hint of cinnamon, but it was lost beneath a stronger, perfumed taste that coated my tongue and turned it to fire for a few short seconds.
“Too strong for you?” Ranel asked.
“I… I’ve never tasted anything like that before,” I admitted.
“It’s made from the sand berries of Nadar-Gastollon,” Ranel told me.
“Nadar-Gastollon,” I repeated. “Where’s that?”
“Alagor,” Ranel replied.
I felt my head spin and I wondered if that was the wine working or just the knowledge of how immense the galaxy really was.
“How do you keep track of it all?” I asked. “All the planets and the different species that inhabit them?”
“You find a way,” Ranel said with a shrug.
He was finished his own goblet of strong wine in a couple of gulps and I realized that he was trying to curb his agitation and worry. I don’t know what compelled me. Maybe it was the way he kept glancing broodingly towards the fire like he was looking for a solution. Maybe it was the way his eyes seemed to burn with a vicious rage that flamed just beneath the surface. Maybe it was the strength I saw in the tough lines and graceful angles of his face.
I found myself standing up and walked around the trolley to Ranel. I lifted my hand, after hesitating only a moment, and placed it gently on his chest. He stared at me with starving eyes and I realized in that moment what he was starving for.
He leaned into me at the same time I bent down to kiss him. It was a soft, tentative kiss. One might even have described it as romantic. But I could taste the suppressed panic in its edges, the burgeoning worry that was born out of helplessness and uncertainty. Ranel needed to be comforted. He needed to be distracted and I realized that I was more than willing to do both.
I felt his one large arm wrap itself around my waist. With one swift pull, he had me on his lap. I adjusted myself on top of him so that I was straddling him and then I wound my fingers through the brittle darkness of his hair.
I felt his body respond beneath mine and I felt his erection hard against my thigh. Moisture pooled between my legs and my hand eased down to wrap around his cock. His hands were at my back and before I knew it, his claws had reduced my slave’s garments to shreds. He threw them to the floor, adjusting me slightly so that he could remove his own trousers as he stared at my breasts. He looked for a moment like a painter considering his subject. Rather than self-consciousness, I felt exhilaration.
This was not exactly new territory for me anymore. I had slept with Ranel once before, but this time felt different somehow. There was intentionality to the moment. He wanted me and I wanted him, and we were both acknowledging as much by succumbing to the carnal desires of our bodies.
Ranel lifted me up slightly and pulled me back down on top of his cock. I gasped as he slipped inside of me in one fell swoop. My heartbeat raced higher and higher and there was a moment when I was actually gasping for breath. He didn’t start slow this time. In fact, he fucked me hard… insistently, with a purposeful power that made me realize I would have a hard time walking straight tomorrow. I rode the wave. This was precisely what I wanted. Being a slave had taught me the importance of numbing myself to the world. If you were numb, then everything hurt a little less.
But I had also realized that numbness was a poor armor to don. It was flimsy and it chipped away at the slightest burgeon of hope. I clung to Ranel as his cock slipped in and out of me. I uttered a silent prayer of thanks that I was able to feel this.
I felt him growl against my neck and I sighed, letting my hands run down the scales of his arms. Tough as they were, I enjoyed the feel of them. I felt the sharp intensity of Ranel’s fangs against my neck and the thought of him biting me actually sent a shiver of excitement down my spine. As his lips parted against my ear, I felt pressure against my lobe. He was pulling at it with his lips, taking care not to tear off my ear with his teeth. Was the danger part of the excitement of being
with someone like Ranel?
I didn’t spend too much time thinking about it. In all honesty, I didn’t really care about the answer.
18
Ranel
She lay naked, cocooned in the protective circle of my arms. Her flesh was soft and warm; it felt like fine silk against the course spikiness of my scales. As I rubbed myself against her, she sighed, uncaring of my body curved around hers. Her eyelashes fluttered softly in sleep and I found myself reaching out to touch the side of her face.
She stirred slightly but her eyes remained shut. I slipped out of bed and walked over to the floor where my breaches lay. I slipped them on before donning my leathers and crest. The ship was vibrating slightly. It was not something that Yvette would have noticed, but the Drakon on board certainly would. The ship was not supposed to be vibrating like that; it was a tell-tale sign that our light speed engines were losing steam. If that happened, we were at risk for a crash and, at our current position, it would mean certain death.
Of course the majority of creatures on board the Wyvern were Drakons. We could shift into our dragon forms and save ourselves. But our slaves would be lost to us. I turned to Yvette, whose hair was strewn about the sheets in a mess of tangled curls. Would I be able to protect her if that happened? The thought clung to my mind and made me lethargic. I shook off the worry and moved to the other side of the room where the internal coms unit was set up.
I beeped into the control center and a second later I heard low breathing on the other side.
“Bletchgor?” I asked.
“It’s Deveron, Commander. We’re approaching Thirren… we should be there in thirty-seventeen microns.”
“Good,” I nodded. “And the light speed engines… they’re holding up?”