“Probably early teens, human-wise.” Yelena answered before Bellatrix chuffed. “True, Matrix is pretty focused.”
Bethany Anne turned to look down at the black male who was looking up, but his eyes seemed vacant. “Why does he look like he isn’t with us right now?” she asked.
Bellatrix chuffed and the sense of someone being home returned to Matrix’s eyes. He barked back at his mom and looked at Bethany Anne, tilting his head sideways. “Okay,” Bethany Anne said to the pup. “You’ve got my attention, what is it Matrix?”
The little guy barked twice. “Uh,” Bethany Anne turned to look over at Yelena, her brow furrowing. “I get that the five little ones want to search and find their human partners, but why is Matrix talking to me? With Ashur as my partner, wouldn’t that be weird?”
Yelena looked at Matrix and Bellatrix. “Any help here, Trix?”
There were a few moments of chuffing and high-pitched barks, with an occasional lower bark from Bellatrix as the two women listened to the conversation between the dogs.
After a little while, Bethany Anne’s eyebrows just about made it up to her hairline.
TOM!
Yes?
Have you been talking with Matrix?
Yes.
How are you doing that?
I can reach out and speak to minds, Bethany Anne, as long as the other minds are capable of communication. The puppies, like their parents who have been through the Pod-doc, are certainly capable of communication.
What… uh… what have you been talking about?
He likes to talk about space and being ‘out there.’
Out where?
Space.
Yelena noticed the Queen was having an internal discussion and waited. Then, Bethany Anne closed her eyes and put her head in her hands.
“Is everything okay?” Yelena asked.
“Yes,” she answered, then shook her head and changed her reply. “No.”
“What’s wrong?” Yelena asked, wondering what could have changed Bethany Anne’s earlier carefree attitude.
There was a pause before Bethany Anne answered. “My resident alien has acquired,” she peeked out from between her fingers, looking down at Matrix who was staring back up at her, his little tongue hanging out, “A four-footed friend who wants to go see space with him. Which means seeing space with me, too.”
Matrix sat back on his haunches a little straighter before barking up at Bethany Anne.
So, can he stay with me? TOM asked his best friend in the universe.
Bellatrix chuffed, and Matrix turned to look at his mom and barked back.
“Ashur!” Bethany Anne called to get her companion’s attention.
Scott called back into the room, “Sorry, he left a couple of minutes ago to grab something to eat.”
Bethany Anne slowly lifted her face, leaned back on the couch, and looked up at the ceiling. “That little shit knew,” she complained after a moment or two, “I’ve been played.”
Yelena was able to successfully keep a grin off of her face, but Bellatrix chuffed, and Matrix jumped into Bethany Anne’s lap. She barely noticed the young German Shepherd curl up as she absently petted him, her mind on a million other things as she stared up at the ceiling.
Yes, Yelena had to agree, you’ve been had.
How the hell, Bethany Anne wondered, does one have a ride-along alien that acquires a dog he can communicate with? Who the fuck thinks this shit up? Seriously, somebody stop this damned asteroid, I need to get off…
Bethany Anne could tell TOM was talking and the pup was, as far as Bethany Anne could determine, communicating right back.
Fuck my life… she thought as she realized she was petting Matrix and rolled her eyes in exasperation. One more fucking time!
QBBS Meredith Reynolds, All Guns Blazing
Shun smiled at the bouncer outside of the most famous bar on the asteroid, All Guns Blazing. The bouncer, a large Were by the name of Tim who had been with the Wechselbalg since the beginning, nodded to the trio. When Tim was at the door, there were rarely any problems inside the bar.
A few of the people inside knew Shun, Zhu, and Jian. While the Weres were interested in meeting Jian, Shun from backchannels to give the quiet Chinese man some personal space. So the Wechselbalg were interested, but not nosy.
Or you answered to one of the Queen’s Own.
As a genetic Werecat, Jian was a bit of an anomaly on the Meredith Reynolds. Shun thought there were two others on the ship, at least if the rumors were true.
Shun took the entrance that went to the bar, as opposed to the more family oriented side and nodded to the bartender on his way to a table with three chairs around it. The proprietors of this place didn’t believe in trying to shove too many people too close to each other.
Now that Shun understood the makeup of some of the people, and their propensity to fight?
It made a lot of sense.
Zhu and Jian were already there talking when Shun pulled up his chair. He had barely sat down when a waiter swung by and dropped two Snow beers. “Xiè xie,” Shun called out to the waiter who raised a hand over his shoulder to acknowledge the thanks as he deftly caught a bottle that was tipped over and grabbed another empty on his left as he walked to the bar.
Some of these people were so damned dexterous they should join the Royal Circus, he thought.
“We have news,” Jian said. Shun turned to his friend and raised an eyebrow. Stephen, the Queen’s confidante, had found out Jian was a Wechselbalg before his two best friends had known. Because of this, and even though he was incredibly reserved, and the least likely of the three to speak, he ended up as their liaison with the Etheric Empire.
Now, it was time to face the choice they had to make. They needed to figure it out and decide what to do next.
“We have been given the option of sticking together, choosing military jobs, or civilian jobs,” Jian told his friends.
“But they have jobs for us?” Zhu asked, and Jian nodded. “Good, I’m getting bored,” Zhu commented as he looked around. “I’ve got to figure out how to pay my bar tab.”
Shun smiled. Zhu was a hard worker. The three of them had been working out with each other, taking advantage of the many facilities available to those on the asteroid. Heck, they even had a place where you could enhance or reduce the gravity. Once, Jian wasn’t paying attention, and he moved the control to three Gs. It had been painful just to move. Getting up off the floor would have been worse had Shun not thought just to call out for Meredith’s help. The EI quickly returned the gravity to normal.
“First, let me confirm which way we’re going, military or civilian?” Jian asked looking at his friends.
Zhu shrugged. “I’m not done paying those aliens back yet. Those bastards started everything that ended up killing Bai, and they’re still out there.”
Shun nodded. “Agreed. I’m not satisfied. What did the English playwright say? I’ve not had my pound of Kurtherian flesh, yet?"
“Good thing you two agreed because I already told them we were choosing the military.” Jian smiled at his surprised friends. “What do you want me to say? I’ve known you two long enough to finish your sentences.”
“How could you finish our sentences when you can’t speak a whole sentence of your own?” Zhu asked as he picked up his beer, using it to point at Shun. “He talks, Bai and I argued, and you chose to act like the silent and wise type,” he finished and took a swig of his beer. “God, I’m going to miss this when we transfer out of this area.”
“That’s because I am silent and wise,” Jian said. “Or, at least I’m still wise,” he added, “and I was wise enough to hear you confirm my decision before I told you, right?”
Shun took a swig of acknowledgment. “Okay,” he started, setting his beer down, “now that we understand you’ve been hiding your wisdom from us because you’re a wise but selfish bastard, what’s the rest of the news?”
Jian regarded his friends for a moment before re
plying, “I’ve been asked if I want to be upgraded to full Cat.” Zhu, who had his beer halfway up to his mouth stopped in surprise.
None of the men spoke for a moment. “Options?” Shun asked.
Jian shrugged. “In the military here, there are different specialties. The Rangers, not our style. The Guardians for Wechselbalg and the guardian Marines who back up the changelings. They form teams, and there are always two Marines with one changeling.”
Shun started nodding while Zhu looked at him, comprehension dawning. “So, Zhu and I would be the Marines?”
Jian nodded.
Zhu’s eyebrows had furrowed before realization hit. “So we three would be a team?” He pointed at Jian. “You would change,” he then pointed to Shun and himself. “And we would protect you?”
Jian nodded again.
Zhu smiled. “Hell yeah! You take a clawed hand,” Zhu said as he put his fingers out and slashed through the air, “and rip each Kurtherian a new asshole while Shun and I keep all the other bastards off your back.” He looked over at Shun, smiling.
It was Shun’s turn to be confused. “You’re okay with Jian being a Cat?”
“What?” Zhu replied. “Why not? Wouldn’t you want to be a Cat if you could? I might have shot them as often as I was able, they were the enemy after all. But you can be impressed, even envious, as you kill them, and look at how hard they were to kill! Never fail to appreciate what you can about your enemy, or you lose an advantage to them.”
“Sounds wise,” Jian answered slowly. “But why am I surprised this wisdom is coming from you?”
“Well, I read it.” Zhu explained, smiling. “But it still fits. Nevertheless, the bigger question is if you wish to do this, Jian?”
Their table grew quiet as Jian became the focus of his friends, and after a minute he nodded his head sharply. “I’ve talked with my parents, and they agree. It would honor Bai to take what the Kurtherians meant to use as a way to subjugate humanity and use it to keep humanity safe instead.”
“Well,” Shun smiled. “Seems like we have an agreement. What’s next?”
Jian shrugged. “We have to meet a small group of Guardians for a test.”
“So?” Zhu said. “What could be so hard about one more test?”
3
QBBS Meredith Reynolds, Queen’s Workout Area
Kiel’s click-click as he walked offset the click-click-click-click of Kael-ven’s four legs as the two Yollins passed the first set of guards.
The first guards were there to make sure you knew and intended to be entering the Queen’s workout area. Ass-kickings, they would tell you, would happen after you passed this first post.
The two Yollins spoke with the guards who told them to wait a couple of minutes.
Two idiots would be coming back out shortly.
A few minutes before, two Wechselbalg had not realized that Eric and Gabrielle were an item and decided to say they were here to have a friendly spar with the Captain of the Queen’s Bitches.
One of the guards questioned the Wechselbalg, “I’m sorry, did you say you were here for a friendly spar with the captain?”
“Yes, she uh, she invited us,” The first stated and turned to his partner who nodded vigorously.
“Right,” the guard turned to his partner. “Chuck, would you be so kind as to inform Gabrielle her friendly sparring match is here?”
Chuck was a better actor than his partner, Steve. He picked up his tablet, selected the captain’s number and informed her that two Wechselbalg were here for her, he looked at the time on the tablet, 3:25 PM friendly sparring match with them?
The two Wechselbalg were passed through, huge smiles on their faces. When they turned the corner, Chuck lifted up his tablet again and punched three numbers and waited for a response.
A female’s voice responded, “Hello, infirmary?”
“Yes, this is Chuck down in workout,” he replied.
“How many?”
“Two,” Chuck replied.
“Type?”
“Wechselbalg.”
“Time?” she inquired.
Chuck replied with only a moment’s hesitation, “I imagine about one minute after they start, so call it a couple more minutes?”
“Oh, someone being stupid?” the voice said on the other side of the line. “I’ll have them right over, and I’ll get Peter. When they get healed, he’ll be here to deliver his own punishment.”
“Understood, thank you.” Chuck disconnected.
Four minutes later, two Wechselbalg, each with two broken arms and two broken legs, whimpering as the blood ran down their heads, were being carried out. Chuck put up a hand to stop the infirmary personnel. He snapped his fingers in front of the one that had spoken for them. “Just so you know, there ARE no friendly matches down here. Everything is training as hard as you can. So, be thankful she only broke your arms and legs.”
“Thankful?” the guy asked, confusion in his voice as he spoke around a mouth and jaw just then starting to heal.
Chuck looked at him. “Well, yeah. If she wanted, she could have killed you for unauthorized use of the Queen’s area.”
Moments after they were carried out, the two Yollins entered. Kiel nodded to Steve and Chuck and pointed his finger back towards the door. “Someone came in here for a friendly match?”
“Yeah, I can’t believe that’s the third one,” Chuck agreed and waited for a green light on his desk to turn on. “You guys are good.”
Kiel’s mandibles clicked together. “I wonder who could be whispering the rumor that you get to spar with Gabrielle if you use that code phrase?”
“Or has been adding the picture of her on the backchannels?” Kael-ven concurred as the two Yollins passed through the security station. Steve and Chuck both stared at each other before grabbing their tablets and looking to see what the Yollin Captain was talking about.
Five minutes later, Chuck looked down the hallway towards the sparring rooms. “Son of a bitch…”
Bethany Anne entered a few minutes after Kiel and Kael-ven. “Sorry for being late.”
Kiel looked at her feet, where a smaller, black version of Ashur was trotting beside the Queen. “Just curious,” the military commander asked as he pointed at her feet. “Has Ashur been replaced?”
“What?” She looked down. “No, this is Matrix, one of Ashur and Bellatrix’s children. Say hi Matrix, these two have the implants and can understand.”
Matrix’s little bark greeted the two Yollins.
“How does he have such ability to understand but is so… small?” The Yollin captain asked.
“He isn’t that young. He’s a little small for his age, but dogs mature relatively quickly. I’m told that Matrix is ahead of his siblings in some ways.”
Matrix barked again. “Yes, not in size, unfortunately,” Bethany Anne agreed.
“And Ashur is where?” Kiel asked.
“Keeping his treacherous ass out of my sight while I cool down.” Bethany Anne replied. “This little addition to my menagerie isn’t my partner, he works with TOM.”
That caused both Yollins to stop and blink. “You have a Kurtherian talking to an Earthling dog?” Kiel asked.
“Oh please,” TOM’s voice came out of the speakers. “Not all Kurtherians are evil warmongers.”
“True,” Kael-ven agreed slowly, looking at Bethany Anne and then the speaker. “But I’m not aware of any Kurtherians except those from the Seven who have slipped out of their genetic programming and not killed another being.”
There was a moment of silence before TOM replied through the speaker system, “I blame my connection to Bethany Anne for that.”
Kiel started chittering in laughter. “He has a point. There have been no Kurtherians who have had to undergo such a stressful existence inside of…”
“Are you begging for another ass-kicking, Kiel?” Bethany Anne asked the taller Yollin. He grinned as well as he could and put up his hands while he shook his head.
“Da
mn,” Kael-ven muttered. “Here I was hoping two of us would have a regular sparring match.”
Bethany Anne smiled, raising an eyebrow. “I’m sorry, is the Yollin revolutionary feeling a little put out?”
“He should,” Kiel said. “Since working out with you, he has become more formidable in our matches.”
“Oh?” Bethany Anne asked, turning to look at Kiel. “How so?”
“He beats me about forty percent of the time now,” Kiel answered. “I attribute his improved abilities from working out with you.”
“So, why aren’t you using your friendship to work out with the Bitches?” she asked Kiel.
This time, it was Kael-ven who chittered his laughter. “Because they treat him like you do me, and it took him half a day in the Pod-doc to recuperate.”
Bethany Anne shrugged. “Pain is an excellent teacher.”
“Yes,” Kiel agreed. “It taught me not to spar with Eric when he was upset about Gabrielle.”
“Well, there’s that,” she said. “Human males are very protective of their females. Even females who can take care of themselves. I imagine someone slighted her and Eric did something. Then she was upset with him for being a typical guy, and they got into a fight. He comes here, where friendly matches aren’t allowed, and there you go.”
“Yes, there I went,” Kiel agreed. “Straight into the Pod-doc nursing both my wounds and my ego.”
This time, both Yollins watched as Bethany Anne’s eyes displayed extreme amusement, but her lips were pressed together. Finally, she lost it and started laughing, covering her mouth as she looked at the Yollins.
“At least the mouth now is in sync with the eyes,” Kael-ven commented. “I was confused.”
“Word,” Kiel said. His captain turned to look at him. Kiel shrugged. “I blame William.”
“Okay,” Bethany Anne finally got her amusement back under control, “as funny as this shit is, and it is funny, I need to learn how to fight a four-legged Yollin, Kael-ven, and you’re my only option.”
“Lucky me,” he said. “Come, search the universe for other races, find their planet, meet them, and get your ass kicked all afternoon.” He turned to speak to Kiel. “Somehow, the recruiter I spoke with failed to mention that little bit of information when I signed up to lead the expedition.”
Kurtherian Gambit Boxed Set Three: Books 15-21, Never Submit, Never Surrender, Forever Defend, Might Makes Right, Ahead Full, Capture Death, Life Goes On (Kurtherian Gambit Boxed Sets Book 3) Page 2