by Athena Storm
I redouble my efforts, straining not to cum until Daphne does. Her lithe, little body writhes about, and her moans are loud enough they could be heard in orbit. It’s almost enough to drown out the wet squishing sounds of my weapon stabbing into her again and again.
Daphne grinds her pelvis into mine, giving me permission to cum at last. I cry out, my eyes watering as my body is allowed to relieve its tension at last. She wails, her hands going up to my wrist. Slender fingers encircle my joint but don’t attempt to remove my hand from her throat. If anything, she’s pushing me to use more pressure.
I collapse on top of her, both of us panting heavily. The sweet, salty scent of her sweat mixes with her juices to create a compelling aroma emblazoned upon my mind. My hand, which has been choking her, now moves up to tenderly caress her smooth, high cheek.
We kiss again, without the urgency of imminent copulation. Then we go back to the ‘cuddling’ she was so adamant was a necessary post coital ritual, but I find that I am perfectly satisfied to lay there and do nothing with Daphne in my embrace.
Seventeen
Daphne
I’m still catching my breath. My whole body courses with low tingles and I feel loose at the joints. Completely spent.
Duric is crouched a few steps away with his back to me. Still naked, it’s a fine view, and I can see the ripples of muscle on his back as he works on whatever is in his hands. A low crackle of static whines into the cave.
“What are you doing?” It’s my best wicked tone – I don’t use it very often, and it may be a little rusty. He glances over his shoulder and lingers a moment. I’ve rolled up onto my elbow to face him, so he can get as much of an eyeful of me as he wants.
So much for our tryst being a one-time-thing. After this last tangle, all I want is to do it again and again. As many times as possible. Because, I’ve never had an experience like it in my life.
“Searching for frequencies.”
“You’re what?”
“My long-range communicator.” Duric has turned to profile so we can see each other without him having to crane his head, “It was in my parcel.”
“What about it?”
“It has the capacity to intercept some open band communications if the sources are nearby. I’m searching the region to see if any more Odex are nearby.”
This grabs my attention and I sit up more fully, a series of cracks running along my spine from all the released tension.
“Are there any?”
His lips pull tight and an exasperated snort blows through his nostrils.
“It’s hard to tell. I can’t get a clear reading on any of the channels, and even primary long-range communication is out.”
“It’s the magnetic field.”
Duric looks at me blankly.
“It must be the magnetic field of the planet interfering with any transmissions. Now come back over here.” Having satisfied at least myself with the solution I’ve offered, I want him to focus his attentions on me. Given what I can see of his nether regions, it seems pretty clear he could go again. I’m flattered by his body’s response to seeing mine and want to reward his prowess.
“We don’t have the time, Daphne.”
It’s my turn for the blank stare.
“We can’t stay here. We have to move.”
Alright. If it’s time for serious conversation, I’m going to pull the blanket around myself and cover up a bit.
“What do you mean move?”
“Look,” he scrubs a hand across the ridges on his brow. “Eventually the Odex are going to realize two of their crew are missing. And when they find them, it’s going to be pretty obvious they didn’t just stumble and fall.”
“But we’re in here.”
“Maybe they’ll find the cave, maybe they won’t but we can’t risk staying here.”
“Even if they find us,” I reason, “there’s no way they can get in. You have a hard time squeezing through that opening, they wouldn’t stand a chance.”
“They don’t have to get in. All they would have to do is wait for us to come out. They may already be out there for all we know.” A little smirk pulls at his mouth, “We weren’t exactly making an effort to keep a low profile in here.”
A smile breaks across my lips in spite of itself. “I’m sure they could hear us for miles.”
“You,” he chuckles, “they could hear you for miles.”
We share grins over it, but he’s got a point. This safe haven could just as well be a trap. Our tomb.
I concede the point.
With a brusque nod, Duric sets about tucking everything into his satchel. His manner is brisk, efficient and fast. He’s ready to move, now.
“Wait. Wait a minute, Druic.” He pauses and turns his eyes to me. “We can’t just tear out of here and head off up the mountain. We need a plan.”
“Leaving is the plan.” He busies his hands again.
“No, listen to me,” I put my hand on his shoulder to still him and he huffs out a long breath, avoiding my eyes. “Duric, we’re a team now. And if we’re going to leave this place behind, it’s not just to flee. We need a solid course of action, otherwise we’re just beating time exhausting ourselves until they catch us. And when they do, this time we’ll be too worn out to fight back.”
Duric nods once gently, then again with a decisive snap. He lets the bag in his fingers fall and rolls back on his rump so we can face each other. Smiling lightly, he flicks his palms my way, inviting.
“Alright, Daphne. What do you propose?” A scant few hours ago, those same words would have been a challenge, laced with disregard. Now, it’s a legitimate question.
And I come up short.
“I don’t know.”
He rocks back, letting out a bleat of good-natured laughter. It’s infectious and I shake my head at myself, letting my gaze drop. And my eyes find his communication unit.
“Duric, we need to get to higher ground.”
“Do we?”
“Listen, if the magnetic fields are interfering with your communicator, maybe we can get better reception if we get to higher ground. Climb the highest peak we can find and send out a signal. That kind of elevation might even make us easier to find if we can get the Alliance to send out a team.”
He considers for a beat, then shrugs.
“That’s a good plan, human woman. Well done.” My spine rankles a bit at the term, until I see the look on his face and realize it’s a term of affection now. He’s making fun of himself for disregarding me.
We gather our clothes from where they were flung aside and get ourselves dressed. He might think he’s being sneaky about it, but I and tell Duric is watching my body as I cover myself.
Folding the blankets into the pack, we make a last sweep of the small space to ensure that nothing of value is being left behind. Satisfied, we bid our little haven farewell and take the more difficult, if drier path to shore.
There’s a pretty healthy ration of food, and I know how to spot more along the way. Duric recommends we head back up above the cave for fresh water and a better view of the horizon. I’m anxious to head directly back to where the dead Odex are. It’s the place that seems most likely to meet more of them.
Nonetheless, when we make it up the hill to the stream, their lifeless trunks are all that await us. While I kneel with the canteens, Duric scans in every direction.
“There,” he says, pointing to the north east. Looking after him, I can see a peak that rises above the others.
“At this distance,” I say, “that looks like a solid three day walk.”
“For you,” he says without looking at me, but the sly smile gives him away.
“Do you think you’re up for it” I fire back.
In answer, he scoops me up under his arm and fords the stream. I pound against his sides and protest, but as soon as we reach the other bank, he sets me down again.
“You can be a real shit, you know that?” I’m burning up at him. I thought we were pas
t this.
“What,” he teases, an impish gleam washing over his face, “I didn’t want you to get wet.”
My flush of outrage vanishes in the pure childish playfulness of his taunt. Shaking my head at him, all I can do is chuck his forearm.
“Let’s get a move on.”
“Yes, Commander,” he says with mock respect. It would be infuriating if he weren’t so disarming about it all. The Vakutan are not renowned for their sense of humor, but I’m learning to consider the individual above the studied species.
Because this man checking his gait to keep pace with me continues to surprise me with his intelligence and charm. Add those to his physical abilities both as a combatant and a lover, and it’s a startlingly winning combination. I’m in danger of finding him very attractive indeed.
The effort he’s making to remain alongside me becomes more and more obvious the longer we walk. Everything in his nature is begging to bound ahead and force me to keep pace. It’s a lovely gesture, but it’s no way for us to reach our destination with any kind of efficiency. If we’re going to beat the odds, I need to be pushing my limits.
“Duric.”
“Daphne.”
“Why don’t you make out ahead. I’ll keep up. That way you can get a feel for the terrain and determine the best path for our crossing.”
“You think so?” He seems skeptical.
“I do,” I say. “Besides, having you scout out ahead puts our strongest team member forward in case we encounter any more Coalition members looking to cause trouble.”
Whether or not it sounds like an excuse, he pulls a frowning smile and nods vigorously.
“I’ll say it again: that’s a good plan, human woman. I think I shall keep you.”
“Well,” I say looking into his eyes, “we are good caretakers, after all.”
Eighteen
Duric
As we press deeper into the jungle, the growth is more ancient. Enormous trees with the strange triangular leaves stretch up nearly out of sight, their dense foliage blocking all but the most determined sunlight from reaching the forest floor. This moon has been relatively untouched by bipedal sapient species, so there are no paths to speak of.
At first, I forge on ahead to plot our path, keeping to Daphne’s plan. But as the jungle encroaches upon us ever tighter, I soon find that my larger frame makes for slower progress through the dense undergrowth.
Thus, I’m only a few paces ahead of Daphne when my belly rumbles loudly enough for her to hear.
“Duric, let’s stop for a rest and eat. I still have some roots and berries left.”
The prospect of eating more of the sickly sweet berries turns my stomach. Likewise, tough, flavorless roots aren’t the most appetizing either.
“I am tired of eating vegetation like some herbivorous mammal. I desire protein. Meat.”
“I know the feeling. I’d like nothing better than to chow down on a New York porterhouse with a baked potato, but for the time being that’s just not possible. Have some berries, please. You need to keep your strength up.”
Heaving a heavy sigh that flares out my nostrils, I relent. We find the ancient, gnarled roots of the towering tree-like plants make for comfortable seating, particularly with a soft coating of moss.
Daphne uses my knife to slice the roots very thin, so they curl like ribbons. Then she wraps the thin sheet of fiber around an eyeball sized berry. She smiles, and holds it up in front of my mouth. Smiling, I open my mouth and allow her to feed me. Though it’s the same food we’ve been eating, the tartness of the root compliments and tones down the sweet berry’s flavor. She manufactures several more of the treats before we run out of berries.
Despite her protestations, I insist that she eat the last one. I’m not sure how long humans can go without sustenance, but I wager it’s a great deal less than the several weeks we Vakutan can starve ourselves. Mind you, it’s a miserable several weeks, and we lose muscle mass and performance almost every day, but we can survive it.
Then we continue on, my eyes peeled for any sight of danger in the gloomy jungle. Our pace slows to a crawl, as we have to scamper over gnarled and twisting roots or around the massive boles of the triangle trees. We come across small amphibious creatures, too small and slimy to easily capture—and I tried several times. Their flat, smooth orange skin isn’t exactly appetizing, but I’m certain that they would be more sustaining than berries.
Unfortunately, they’re much too fast for me to catch. Worse, they have a habit of creating boroughs beneath piles of fallen leaves, so Daphne and I both stumble several times when we think we are stepping on solid ground but wind up plunging our ambulatory limbs into muddy trenches.
It’s a hazard we learn to avoid by careful observation and picking our path around likely boroughs, but it slows us down even further. Eventually we come to a rise in the land, an ever increasing incline hidden by the dense jungle.
Daphne’s covered in sweat, constantly blinking it out of her eyes and swiping a forearm over her face in a vain effort to keep it dry. I’m not suffering as badly, thanks to my anatomical advantages in this environment, but it’s still rough going.
We come across a four meter high sheer cliff, with roots thrusting out at odd angles. It won’t be a hard climb for me, and I believe that Daphne can use the roots and other vegetation as handholds.
Putting my hands on her rump once again, this time for a practical purpose, I lift her high enough to reach the lowest vine. To her credit, Daphne clambers up the rock wall like a champion, quickly nearing the top.
That’s when she puts her hand around what she thinks is another vine. Just when her full weight is upon it, the brownish green tendril comes alive, writhing like a snake. Daphne screams, feet scrambling for purchase on the nearly sheer wall as she stares at the tapered end of the creature. Whatever it is, plant, animal, or other, it has a maw. The tapered end splits in two to reveal slime covered protrusions somewhere between teeth and thorns.
“Duric.” Her voice is full of panic, spurring me on to greater speed. Smoothly, I pull my khaffi stick off its harness and bring it up to my shoulder in rifle position.
“Hold still.”
“Hold still? You’re not even going to try and shoot this—“
Crack.
The tendril explodes into splintered, fibrous wood and gooey green fluid I sincerely hope isn’t venomous or toxic, because some of it gets on Daphne’s face. She falls off the cliff, still holding the demolished bit of creature in her hand. I catch her easily, and she continues to scream for a few seconds until she realizes she’s safe. Daphne looks at the thing in her hand and then throws it away with a grunt born of both disgust and fear.
“Are you alright?” I use a handful of leaves to wipe away the green gunk from her face. “Does it burn?’
“No, actually, it’s kind of soothing, like aloe.” She peers up at the vines and roots, and points her finger. “See, there’s several more of them. Oh, how I wish I had the necessary equipment to take samples and catalog them. This moon is a biologist’s treasure trove of undiscovered species.”
“Maybe we can come back, after we are rescued.”
We look at each other and then break out into a laugh. Once again, she scales the cliff, careful to avoid the strange tendril like creatures. Once she’s safely over the cusp, I pull myself up with an ease that somewhat frustrates my companion.
She assists me with a hand up on the final leg of my climb, and again my belly rumbles.
“The Odex are going to hear us if you don’t fill your belly soon.”
“We have no time for a serious hunt, woman.”
“Don’t be an ass. I know that. But if we happen upon some sort of prey animal, then I think we should make a go of it.”
I decide it’s not worth arguing about and take a moment to assess our new position. After clambering to the top of the cliff, we seem to be on a plateau or butte. The rocky surface is clear of most vegetation, being too solid for root plant
s to take hold. A few blue pools of rainwater sport something akin to aquatic arachnids, but they are barely the size of my thumbnail and not worth trying to gather for sustenance. The sun beats down upon our heads as the hanging gas giant dominates the sky.
“Hell of a view.”
I start at Daphne’s voice, and take in the sight of the jungle spreading out below and around us. The peak which is our goal is shrouded in mist, and it appears as if a storm system is brewing off toward our relative west. Considering we don’t know which hemisphere of this moon we crashed on, it could be west or east, but I’m not that concerned about being precise.
“It is beautiful, it its own way.”
Daphne glances over at me, a frown wrinkling her features.
“What’s the Vakutan home world like?”
I smile when I turn to regard her.
“It’s not the planet we were originally from, of course. It’s a largely aquatic world, with three quarters covered by salt oceans, but there is plenty of room on the continents for our people. Seismic and volcanic activity sometimes damages our cities, but in return our farm land is among the richest in the Trident Alliance. The Vakutan supply a great deal of the produce consumed the the Alliance member worlds.”
“You’re proud to be farmers?”
I look at her askance.
“Why would I not be? There is no nobler task than providing sustenance for you people. In fact—“
“Shh.” Daphne puts her hand on my forearm and glances about. “Do you hear that?”
I pause, eyes narrowing as I attempt to find some sign of the Odex. Then I hear it, a snuffling grunt that doesn’t sound like any species I’m familiar with.
Dropping into a crouch, we carefully pick our way across the butte until we reach the far edge. I settle down upon my belly and peer over the ridge, finding a quaint little meadow with a merrily bubbling stream running down the center.
