Desert World Savages

by Lace, Lisa

"If we do manage to free your brother and get to your planet, what can I expect? Are your people tolerant of differences?"

  "You mean, will they accept a Terran as the mate of a member of the royal family?"

  "Yes."

  "As a culture we embrace diversity, but if you suspect that royalty is treated differently, you are right. We have strong traditional elements in my nation, and the ruling family is looked at to uphold traditional values. But remember, Tracy, technically I'm not royalty."

  "From what I gather, the Dus strongly influence governments under the banner of the Aligned Worlds. How much pressure will they put on your family to give me back to the Aligned Worlds government?"

  "I see what you’re worried about. Tracy, we value family above all else. I can't imagine my uncle giving you to the Aligned Worlds when we are so solidly mated. He would never hurt me that way."

  "But Dr. Akar said we had a failed mating."

  "I don't believe that, and I never will. Remember how things changed for us while you were in the med bay? Now that I know they removed your contraceptive implant, I understand why. The hormones were interfering with our bonding."

  Rev's face took on a different look. "You can see for yourself that I don't have the same drive to deliver the mating bite. When we arrive on my homeworld, we will visit with the Priestesses of Endra. They will examine my mating claim, and when they return their verdict, there will be no more questions."

  "Who are the Priestesses of Endra?"

  "Traditionally, they preside over mating claims, challenges, and rituals."

  "Wait? There can be a challenge to a mating?"

  "Sometimes family objects, but more typically it is a rival or some other party. Challenges from males are more common than females, but it's not unheard-of for a woman to make a mating challenge."

  "We have that too."

  "You do?" Rev sounded doubtful.

  "Sure, there are all sorts of reality and talk shows that challenge people about their relationships. Some do DNA tests to check paternity of a child, and other shows have people compete for a man’s or a woman's affections."

  A look of horror spread across Rev's face. "That sounds barbaric."

  "On my world it’s considered entertainment."

  Rev had been sucking again on his goigo, but when Tracy said these last words he choked on the paste. Tracy handed him a pouch of water.

  "My word, woman," he said once he had recovered, "what a place you come from."

  "Don't judge. At least we don't secure mates by injecting venom into them.” She laughed at her own joke then turned serious. “What do they do to investigate a mating claim?"

  "I don't know. It's never happened in my lifetime. Most of us don't follow the old traditions anymore, and the traditions were steeped in secrecy anyway. I know we will spend some time in the temple, both together and apart, while the priestesses apply different tests to our bond."

  "That seems so strange to me. On Earth it is easy to get married."

  "Married? I'm afraid that doesn't translate."

  "Two people exchange promises of lifelong love and commitment to each other. It's a civil and a religious ritual for some people. It is formalized by the exchanging of rings and vows before an official. It is full of beauty and meaning. People often cry at weddings."

  "Sounds time-consuming and soggy. I like my way better."

  "You would, you horny alien."

  "Our ritual is full of beauty and meaning too."

  "What is your ritual?"

  "We have sex in front of the priestesses."

  "What? Oh, hell no. I'm not having sex in front of anybody."

  "Why not? Are you ashamed of what we do?"

  "No, of course not."

  "Then what is the problem?"

  "Witnesses. People watching."

  "If it makes you feel any better, they are hidden behind screens. It is as if they aren't there, and I'll make you think of nothing other than me."

  Tracy gave Rev a doubtful look. "That doesn't make me feel any better." She sighed. "I guess I have a lot to learn about your planet, your people, and your customs."

  "No doubt, but I have no worries about your ability to learn quickly. Now, let's get some sleep. We've had a couple of busy days." Rev pulled down a panel to reveal a folding bed.

  "What about the ship?"

  "It's on automatic pilot. If there is a problem, a warning will sound. Come. The best part of the day is here."

  "The best part?"

  "Yes, lying next to you and holding you."

  "Turn off the alarm clock," Tracy groaned. An insistent buzzing filled the cabin. She shook her head and realized the noise must be the ship's warning.

  Rev lay next to her lightly snoring.

  "Honestly!" said Tracy. "Do all men sleep through everything?"

  She shook Rev and called his name.

  "What?”

  "There’s an alarm going off."

  “Ah, just a second."

  Rev sat up, sleep still in his handsome brown eyes, and slid off the bed. He moved to the pilot's console and touched a button to silence the sound.

  "It's a distress beacon from another ship."

  He hit another button, and a mechanical voice came through the ship's speakers. This is an automated distress beacon from Jer'hym trading vessel Ceichis. This is a code black distress call. Asking for any or all assistance.

  "What does that mean?" Tracy asked.

  "I think it means their propulsion systems have failed, and they are drifting in space."

  "What are we going to do?"

  "Well, we'll see if we can help."

  "Help? We're on the run."

  "Do you want them to die in space?" Rev asked directly.

  "No, of course not."

  "We have an obligation to help if we can." Rev pressed a few other buttons on the control panel. "This is the vessel Amon Rith. How can we be of assistance?"

  What followed was a series of jabbers that Tracy didn't understand.

  "Please use Standard speech. You are aware Jer'hym does not translate well."

  "Yesss. This issss ship Ceichis. Pleassse asssisst. Enginessss not work."

  "Is that how they are supposed to sound?" Tracy was shocked at the voice issuing from the speakers. Rev looked like an alien but sounded like a person. These noises were unlike any language she had ever heard before.

  "Yes, they are invertebrates. They can't vocalize the way humanoids do." He turned his attention back to the panel. "What do you need, Ceichis? We have limited resources."

  "Need transsssport. We pay."

  "Our next port of call is Chougyrc."

  There were more jabbers and hisses then, "Yesss. We go there with you."

  "Rev? Intergalactic hitchhikers? What do you know about them?"

  "Quite a lot, actually. The Jer'hym are an intelligent and peaceful people. Because their environment is weightless, they are naturals at space flight. They come in different colors, mostly light yellow and brown for males, silver and blue for females. Jer'hym have two wings, two clawed arms, and four legs. Some people think they look shifty, but that's because their round eyes sit on the top of their heads and can move three hundred and sixty degrees."

  "They aren't humanoid?"

  "Definitely not."

  "They sound like snakes with wings."

  Rev snorted. "You and your fear of snakes."

  "You seem to know quite a bit about them."

  "Yes. In my first tracker assignment I was paired with a Jer'hym inspector. She was fascinating to work with."

  "She?"

  "The Jer'hym are a matriarchal society, and females hold the majority of the jobs. In the case we were working, males were abducted for sale to brothels. The males have a unique quality in their singing voices that can bring many humanoids to orgasm."

  "Sounds like the Sirens from Greek mythology back on Earth," said Tracy. "And what about the females?"

  "Yes, the females enjoy their singing
too, in much the same way."

  "That's not what I meant!”

  Rev chuckled, and Tracy became more annoyed. "Are you bothered by the idea of a Jer'hym female singing to me...before we knew of each other's existence?"

  "That's not...I mean...well, I guess." Tracy felt embarrassed. She was not a jealous person, yet she was practically seething at the idea of an alien female singing to Rev. Even more ridiculous was that it happened before he and Tracy had even met.

  Rev's eyes danced with delight as he studied her reactions. "Well, the experience is impossible to put into words."

  Tracy felt her face flushing. "You can't?" she croaked.

  "Nope. Because the females can't sing a note."

  "What?" Then she saw Rev laughing at her. "You! You're teasing me!"

  "I couldn't resist. You're cute when you're possessive."

  "I am not possessive. Okay, maybe a little. It's your fault."

  "Of course. I have total control over your feelings."

  "What? No, you don't."

  "Then I can't be held accountable for your possessiveness, right?"

  Tracy crossed her arms. "Probably has to do with your alien venom, trying to bind me to you."

  Rev smiled. "You are supposed to be resistant to my venom, but maybe Dr. Akar lied about that too.” Seeing the look on Tracy's face, Rev got serious. "Let's see what we can do for the Jer'hym."

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  It took a few hours to find the Jer'hym craft, but when they did, it was in obvious distress. The long cigar-shaped vessel looked broken, and part of it was attached at an odd angle.

  "That will be a challenge to dock with," Rev remarked.

  "Uh-huh," said Tracy. She sat in the copilot's chair, still a little annoyed with Rev for teasing her. She sat up and took notice though as Rev piloted the transport closer to the disabled vehicle. As the distance closed between them, Tracy realized the Jer'hym ship was much larger than their transport. She wondered how many Jer'hym were on the ship. "Rev," she said, "That's a big ship."

  "Yes, it is a trading vessel. Much of the space is used to carry goods."

  "What's going to happen to it?"

  "Well, if the Jer'hym are lucky, when we reach Chougyrc, they can put in a salvage claim and recover their vessel."

  "And if they aren't?"

  "Someone will have salvaged it before they file their claim."

  “Well, that doesn’t seem fair,” Tracy mumbled to herself.

  "Ceichis," said Rev, "We have visual sighting and will dock with you shortly. Please be ready to disembark."

  A high squeal came over the speakers, and Tracy’s hands flew up to cover her ears. "What is that?"

  "I don't know," said Rev, frowning.

  More confused, screeching gibberish came over the speakers, but finally someone responded in Standard. "We are ready, Amon Rith."

  Tracy watched as Rev carefully maneuvered their small ship to align with the other vessel. Every movement of the transport felt like it took a long time, as if she were watching things in slow motion. Finally, their ship jolted slightly.

  "There we go," said Rev with relief in his voice. "Docked. No problems."

  "Pretty good, Rev," said Tracy.

  He smiled at her. "Thanks! Even experienced pilots have trouble with docking."

  Tracy's heart skipped a beat. "Hang on a second...you're not an experienced pilot?"

  "I have a license to pilot ships in emergencies, and I have all the training."

  "When you and I have a moment, we are going to have a serious talk about your communication skills."

  "Let's go greet our guests first."

  Tracy and Rev looked into the airlock of the Jer’hym ship expecting to see a welcoming party but saw nothing.

  "I wonder where they are," Rev said.

  "Rev, I don't like this. Something seems off."

  "They are probably just getting their things together. They may have been broadcasting that signal for a long time."

  Rev pulled down a space suit hanging on the wall next to the airlock.

  "What are you doing?"

  He handed her one as well. "Suit up," he said.

  "Why?"

  "Standard procedure in a transfer. Just a precaution in case something goes wrong."

  Rev handed her a pair of boots next. They looked unusual to her, heavier than others she had seen. "These are gravity boots. The Jer'hym don't have gravity fields on their ships."

  Tracy grumbled as she pulled on the space suit and then the boots. Nothing about this seemed right to her, but the space cop wasn’t worried, so she supposed she shouldn't be. So what was bothering her exactly?

  Rev looked her over after he put on his suit and nodded in approval. "Looks good."

  "Yeah," she said.

  He put the helmet on her head and twisted it on. "These suits have three hours of air, but we should only be using them for a few minutes." He put on his own helmet and gave it a twist. Rev looked at her intensely through his helmet’s face shield. "You know, since meeting you, I've gotten to think of space suits as very sexy. I think being unable to touch you makes me want to touch you."

  Sex. Always sex with this guy, Tracy thought. "You just keep thinking good thoughts. We can explore the deeper meaning of that later."

  They turned back to the airlock and still didn't see any Jer'hym.

  "We should rethink this, Rev. Any hitchhiker should be ready, willing, and able to climb aboard their free transportation."

  "Perhaps they are in more distress than they let on."

  Rev hit the button to open the airlock seal before Tracy could protest. When it opened, he ushered her in.

  "Shouldn't I wait in our ship?" said Tracy.

  "What happened to fearless Tracy? Besides, we work on a buddy system and need to back each other up."

  "Uh-huh," said Tracy, liking this less and less.

  Rev sealed the hatch to their own ship.

  "Now what?" Tracy asked.

  "We knock on the front door." Rev reached out with his gloved hand and literally knocked on the hatch.

  The hatch released, and Tracy was almost knocked off her feet by the whoosh of air that came from the Ceichis. She couldn't see much. It was totally dark. Rev switched on the light in his suit, and Tracy switched hers on too. He poked his head into the alien craft.

  "I don't see anything," he said.

  "Understatement of the year," said Tracy.

  Rev eased inside the cargo ship and motioned for her to follow. They turned left and headed up a long passageway. The gravity boots were difficult to walk in, but without them movement would have been impossible. Several things flew past them as they walked, unhampered by the force of gravity.

  A flash of golden tan fluttered at Rev. "Get out! Get out!" the creature screeched. "Trap. Tried to warn you."

  Tracy stared in amazement as the creature fluttered in front of Rev. A tail as long as its body swished in agitated motion, its wings flapping backward. Two perfectly round silver eyes with black slits for irises sat at the top of its head, flicking back and forth.

  A flash of laser fire burned into the Jer'hym, and its wings stopped flapping.

  "Duck!" yelled Rev as he pulled a laser pistol from its holster.

  Tracy found it difficult to move swiftly in the space suit and heavy boots. All she managed to do was stumble gracelessly. Suddenly, she felt an arm wrapping around her neck and pulling her head up. Something hard pressed against her head. "Rev!" she choked out.

  Rev turned and held his gun up. "Don't hurt her."

  The lights in the corridor went on. Tracy saw two rough-looking aliens standing behind Rev holding laser rifles to his head. Another stepped around her and her assailant. His skin had a reddish cast to it, and he was dressed in a leather jacket and pants. His head was bald, and a gold hoop hung from his ear. "What do we have here?"

  A different kind of humanoid came up to the man who’d spoken. He was short and had thick, dark body hair everywher
e. "Captain, their ship doesn't have a thing. It's just a stinking transport."

  "No, Tul," said the red alien. "I think they are some valuable cargo. There was something on the net about these two. Fugitives." He turned around towards Tracy and looked her over. "Pink, yes. Not so pink as the ladies of my world, but still a pleasing blush, like a pale flower, and the green one is a tracker."

  He faced Rev again. "At least he used to be a tracker. What made you run, tracker?" He spit out Rev’s title like it was a curse word.

  "Got tired of dealing with scum like you," spit Rev.

  "You have no reason to be impolite," said the man. "Especially in your current situation." He turned to Tracy again. "I ain't never seen your kind. Halc, take off her helmet."

  The man holding Tracy twisted off her helmet. The red alien walked up to her and inspected her neck. "A mating bite." He pushed her head to the side to inspect it.

  "Take your hands off me," spit Tracy.

  "Got fire, this one. I approve, tracker. More than one bite? Isn't that unusual for your species?"

  "Go to hell," said Rev, struggling against the men holding him.

  "I'll meet you there later," the man said. "I suppose we haven't been introduced. I'm Feltin Kor, captain of my little ship, the Bone and Blood."

  "Pirate," spit Rev.

  "Have you not taught him better manners?" said Kor, looking at Tracy.

  "He's only saying what I feel," said Tracy.

  "Yes, I’ve heard that. Mated hearts beat as one." He made a motion with his hand. "Bring him closer, boys. Unlatch that suit of his, and Halc," he said, pointing to the one holding Tracy, "do hers."

  Rev struggled as a couple of the pirates undid the seals of his suit and pushed him forward. Tracy stood, her heart pounding in her chest, but she held her head high. She wouldn't give this pirate the satisfaction of believing he’d frightened her.

  "Don't feel bad, tracker, we've had as many enhancements as you’ve had. Just as strong as a tracker, only there's more of us."

  Kor put one hand on Rev's chest and then felt around with his other until he found Tracy's heartbeat. Rev growled when the pirate touched Tracy. "Easy there. Just testing the legends." He closed his eyes, focusing on the rhythms under his fingertips.

  "The old legends are true! Your hearts are beating together. Remarkable. Tell me, tracker, can the bonding be broken?"