Ensign Probus

by Wendie Nordgren

  Fitz continued as if I hadn’t spoken. “She hates it when we fight amongst ourselves and threatened if we did so, we would have to cockfight before she’d ever touch us again.”

  Clark asked, “Chicken fights? That’s barbaric.”

  Fitz shook his head. “No, not with poultry.”

  I said, “This is nonsense.”

  Yukihyo said, “Oh, no it is not. Your threat of having to cockfight has saved Gravy many a time.”

  Clark asked, “Saved me from what?”

  Izaac lifted his right fist and then his left. The two of them glared at each other.

  Had my happy, peaceful family been nothing but an illusion? I turned to run to my bedroom where I planned to secure the door and cry, but Eli left the wall, picked me up, carried me to the couch, and sat with me on his lap. I noticed his feet were bare. “Rules are rules. Why do you think I’ve never beaten Drex bloody?”

  “As if you could,” Drex sniped.

  Nico appeared ready to beat them all bloody.

  Yukihyo spoke over everyone. “The rules are no hitting with fists, feet, knees, elbows, or skulls. You can only fight with your cocks.”

  I said, “You all can’t be serious.”

  Eli said, “Oh, but we are. If either of them doesn’t choose to participate, they can forever say goodbye to your touch. We’ll see to it.”

  Beyond pissed, Quaid stripped out of his uniform.

  Nico chucked off his boots and ripped out of his shirt. “I will beat the shit out of you with my dick.”

  Once the two of them were nude, Yukihyo and Fitz secured their wrists behind their backs with stretchy bands as a reminder not to use their fists.

  “5,000 credits on Nico. Shit. Look at the damn thing. No wonder he got a son from Teagan,” Zared said.

  My husbands yelled bets while Nico and Quaid stood facing each other in the center of my sitting room. My cheeks burned. “This is humiliating. Just stop it.”

  Drex said, “Oh, no. They wanted to fight. Let them fight.”

  Using a vid-screen, someone made the sound of a bell, and the cheering began.

  Nico’s dick rested along his thigh and lifted a little only to fall again. Quaid wasn’t having any better luck with his own dick.

  Zared yelled, “Slap ‘em! Give a hip thrust and swing that bad boy!”

  Quaid and Nico looked each other in the eyes and then looked down at their flaccid cocks.

  The anger, hurt, jealousy, and confusion left me at once in an eruption of uncontrollable giggles. I pointed at the two of them standing before each other and unable to get their dicks hard and laughed even harder. Over my own fit, I could hear everyone else laughing. The tension had broken.

  “It hurts knowing you don’t find me the least bit attractive,” Nico quipped through his laughter.

  “Apparently, I don’t do anything for you either,” Quaid replied.

  “It’s the hairy chest, Quaid. I like a smooth chest with two soft mounds on it. Like that one.” Nico pointed at my chest.

  Eli bounced me on his knees, making my boobs jiggle.

  Nico and Quaid let the bands on their wrists fall and came over to kneel before me.

  “Please, forgive us,” Quaid said.

  Nico said, “Yes, there’s no fight left in us. We’ve learned our lesson.”

  “Alright. I forgive both of you.”

  To Izaac, Clark said, “I’m never fighting with you again.”

  “Oh, darn,” I muttered.

  Both of them shook their heads at me.

  Nico took me from Eli’s lap and stood with me in his arms. “Quaid, we have more effusive apologies to make.”

  Standing, Quaid said, “If you gentlemen will excuse us.”

  Nico laid me on my bed while Quaid secured the door. Soon, I was as naked as they were. The moment we touched, I knew the truth of every word Quaid had spoken, and he knew all of the troubled thoughts that had plagued me.

  “I’m sorry, Lady Bosh.” He whispered his words between my thighs before plunging his tongue between my folds and circling the tip of his tongue around my nub while spiraling pleasure through me.

  I arched my back, thrusting my breast farther into Nico’s mouth. Stars burst behind my eyelids, and cool air rushed to chill me where Quaid’s mouth had left, but he made his way up my body and filled me with a cock which was no longer softly resting along his leg. He filled me and warmed my inner thighs with his hips. His hairy legs rubbed against my smooth ones, and I moaned as he spiraled pleasure through me over and over again until I was drunk with it.

  It was morning before they had finished making love to me. They might not have been able to harden to cockfight each other, but they’d had no trouble turning to steel for me. Satisfied and physically exhausted, I played with the sexy blonde hair on Quaid’s chest. Then, I asked the inevitable question whose answer I dreaded to hear. “When do you have to go back?” Just asking it made me feel fragile and sad.

  He hugged me close and kissed the top of my head. “I can stay with you for as long as you remain in Galaxic space. When you return to Parvac, I must return to my ship.”

  Nico asked, “Are you currently following any orders?”

  “No, only to foster continued peaceful relations.”

  “Oh? Did they order you to make up with me?”

  “No, Lady Bosh. However, it is well-known that you are none too pleased with Captain Espanoza. Sneaking aboard a Militia ship would have had disastrous consequences for you if not for your diplomatic standing and had she pursued it. Eric had to do quite a bit of begging to her on your behalf.”

  Nico said, “She’d do well to drop it. We have proof she sent her own teams to board our ships.”

  Quaid grunted in acknowledgement.

  Nico said, “We have greater concerns. A criminal cartel made first contact with a technologically advanced alien species, capable of wiping out civilizations, and rather than how did you put it? Rather than fostering peaceful relations, they imprisoned, tortured, and forced it into servitude. We rescued it. However, if big brother comes looking for him and wants payback, we and possibly those three surviving hybrids will be all that stands between our civilizations and annihilation.”

  Quaid said, “You’re right.”

  “We can’t keep working at cross-purposes like we just did. Our governments need to join forces and not simply through ineffectual non-aggression treaties and ambassadors. We need to form something new.” I snuggled down between their warmth trying to banish the fear angry aliens had caused within me.

  Quaid asked incredulously, “A single government for all of our planets?” It was obvious he thought such a thing would be disastrous and lead to wars.

  “No, nothing like that. We need to create a separate entity, equally represented by each of our species, but separate from our governments but answerable to them. It should be strictly for dealing jointly with universal security.” I chewed my fingernail and pondered the dilemma.

  Nico chuckled. “If anyone can pull off such a lofty goal, it’s you.”

  “No, not me, but I know who to ask for help.”

  “Who?” Quaid asked.

  “The Lady Gina Montgomery. Who else?”

  Quaid said, “Perhaps, you should first speak to Emperor Probus.”

  I sat up and crawled over him on my way to the shower. “You’re right.” I paused and turned to them. “If our family is truly healed, we need to prove it. We need to work together to save the woman Henry told us about.”

  Quaid ran his fingers through his hair. “To do that, we all need to be on the same page and share with each other what we know.”

  “Let me shower, eat, and talk to Papa.”

  Nico gave himself a sniff and made a face. Then, he and Quaid joined me in the shower.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  After replenishing our energy with a breakfast of chicken and waffles, compliments of Ms. Reeves, I called Papa. I wasn’t surprised to learn he had already been debriefed
.

  He sat behind his desk in the Palace on Parvac and studied me. “Your cooperative security idea has merit. Prove to me it has a chance, and I will take it under advisement. In the meantime, I support your effort to find the other surviving member of the Asylum’s crew. She might be able to shed some light on the involvement of those who as of yet remain hidden. However, I must insist that you take upon a less active role.”

  “But, Papa!”

  “No, Teagan. I have already spoken to Eli and Cormac. You are officially reassigned to research and diplomatic duties.” His eyes had taken on a seriousness which I knew meant that he intended to be obeyed. “You may have the Inquisitors report to you all of their findings, but that is all.” His mouth formed an angry line. “As promised, you and your team were allowed to shadow a team of Inquisitors in the field. Now, it is time once again to focus on your studies and to let those who have completed their training do their jobs.” He paused, and I thought better of interrupting. “A space battle? You fought in a space battle?” He’d been trying to hide his true feelings. He was furious.

  I sat back in my chair.

  He said, “I suggest, until the time when you return home under the armed escort of both of those warships, that you enjoy some of the sights with your ladies. Surely, in their conditions, you don’t intend to continue dragging them off into blaster battles and explosions? You may not give much thought to your own safety, but certainly their lives and those of their unborn children matter to you.”

  His words didn’t have his intended effect of making me feel guilty. Instead, they infuriated me.

  “First off, what did you expect me to do? Did you think I would sit in my Imperial quarters and watch on the vid-screen while Cormac’s ship was destroyed? There were too many of them! You might not like the fact that I fought with everyone else, but it was necessary. Everyone aboard needed to do his or her part, and if I had to do it over again, I would. I wasn’t endangering my babies or myself, we were already in danger. I was fighting to protect them, and I did a damn good job of it. Furthermore, I never forced my ladies into a dangerous situation. You act as though the plan to attend the Day of the Dead festivities and use us as a distraction was all my idea. It wasn’t. We were going to follow Terre, Violet, and Phillip, but we had to change our plans.”

  “No, but it was your idea to run off blindly wherever some unknown alien entity led you. And another thing, you can thank Cormac for cleaning up Thunderdrop’s mess. It was bad enough that he killed a man in front of a Galaxic Militia captain. Luckily, she agreed not to mention his involvement in her report at Eric’s behest. Do you want your companion’s visiting rights to Earth revoked?”

  “He was protecting us.” I’d forgotten about the male who Thunderdrop had filled with neurotoxins and left in the bar. I frowned about it but jabbed my finger at my vid-screen. “With the alien, I did what I thought was right.”

  Papa slammed his fist down on his desk. I could see veins throbbing in his temples. Both of us stared at each other in anger.

  Then, Papa said, “I don’t mean to belittle your contributions, but I don’t know how to make you see reason. Once again, you’ve put the Warrior Caste into an uproar.”

  “I’m not responsible for their feelings.” I crossed my arms over my chest. I’d learned that in therapy with Fitz.

  Papa rubbed his forehead. “Most of them want Cormac dead.”

  “Why? His leadership throughout this crisis has been exemplary.”

  Papa closed his eyes and instead rubbed his temples. “He allowed a female to engage in a brutal battle, one that claimed the lives of seven of his Inquisitors. It wasn’t just any female which would be bad enough. He allowed a pregnant female, an Imperial princess, to fly into battle, and don’t say it. I know Yukihyo was your co-pilot. You’re not just a pregnant Imperial princess carrying one helpless unborn babe, but one who carries two within her womb. Stars. He allowed you and two unborn princesses out of the relative safety of his ship and into the fray. You could have been killed. I’m of a mind to throw Cormac to them.”

  “Papa, why can’t you love and accept me for who I am? I am a pilot. It’s a part of me. It’s in my blood. The only time I truly feel like I belong in my own skin is when I’m flying.” I didn’t bother trying to hide my hurt behind my anger.

  “Daughter, if I didn’t love and accept you for who you are, I never would have allowed you to leave Parvac space. I would have selfishly kept you here, and no one would have faulted me for it, not after the time which was stolen from us. However, there you are with only two warships protecting you, and one of those two captains has abilities to protect you which I am currently questioning. Everything dear to your mother and me is at risk, you and our grandchildren. However, because I love you for who you are, you are there and not here where I could better keep you safe, so do not dare to question my love. You don’t know what it costs me each time you leave. When my little granddaughter sent me a video titled, ‘Mommy and Daddy go Boom,’ I thought I might die.”

  I forced myself not to look away from his face, even though I felt like pulling a Neema and hiding under the table.

  “How would you feel in my place? How would you feel if it were Peter, Niklos, or Neema?”

  I frowned, fearing the day would come. “I’d probably throw up.”

  Some of the anger and fear left his eyes with my admission. “Exactly. No more, Teagan. No more battles in fighter ships at least while you’re pregnant. Promise me.”

  “I promise. I won’t fly into any more battles in a fighter ship while pregnant. Look, I know you don’t like it, but Cormac treated me like he would anyone else under the circumstances. He treated me like a skilled fighter pilot, and I didn’t disappoint him. I did my job.”

  Papa jabbed his finger at the screen. “If you tell your mother this, I will deny it, but you did do a good job, and I am proud of you, but stars.”

  “Alright, Papa. Truce. I won’t take any risks. I’ll be careful. I promise. Clark is willing to let me fight vicariously through him anyway. I can take him up on it for a few months, even though I can kick his ass in a fight.”

  Papa shook his head and rolled his eyes at me. “I’ll believe it when I see it.” He pointed his finger at me again, but I staved off any further remonstrations by raising my hands in surrender.

  When I rejoined the others and since I had Papa’s approval, I called a meeting and invited those whose cooperation was tantamount to my success.

  Then, before my guests were set to arrive, I sent my ladies and their husbands to a Parisian spa in France where I took the liberty of paying in advance for everything they could possibly want, including lunch. Rovek was eager to spend time with Tracy regardless of the circumstances. Having nothing against being pampered by beautiful women, Phillip was happy to go. Xavier and Jazon seemed to be conspiring to manipulate the minds of the attendants to leave them alone, but Tracy quickly put a stop to those plans. It was Kaoti who worried me. He wasn’t pleased. In fact, it was a good thing he was sworn to protect me. Otherwise, I’d be in some serious trouble.

  “Lady Aegisthus,” Clark called.

  Violet turned to the guys, and they bowed to her. “Yes?”

  “Since you are visiting Paris, we thought you might enjoy a diversion. We are aware of the time you sacrifice with your husband on the account of our training and wished to show you our appreciation.” Clark sent something to her vid-screen.

  “Oh, how lovely! Kaoti, look!”

  Cedrenus said, “We thought you might enjoy this. It is a private painting lesson with a renowned master.”

  Stayton said, “It seemed fitting since your master spy so willingly gives to us the benefit of his tutelage.”

  “All supplies are included,” Binder added.

  Curious, I looked over her shoulder. It was a study of the male nude. Violet only had to provide her own model. I snickered. The look Kaoti gave the guys would have frozen the nipples off Jemaphera Totesh on a sweltering
day at the beach under Epopeus’ suns. As it was, it gave me chills. However, he had tortured them enough during training. Now, it was his turn.

  I said, “Oh, Violet! It looks like so much fun!”

  “Oh, yes! I can’t wait. Come along, Kaoti.”

  Kaoti followed after the mother of his daughter and woman who was currently pregnant with his son. He’d do whatever she wanted him to do, and the guys had known it. Kaoti turned to stare at them, but instead of showing fear, they waggled their fingers goodbye at him and smiled.

  “You are so going to pay for this,” he silently mouthed.

  All of them had gone to board the tour shuttle by the time Cormac boarded my ship. I approached him as he exited the lift. He bowed low to me. “Cormac, I spoke to Papa, and he told me what trouble I’ve caused you.”

  “I’ll deal with the ramifications of my actions. In the heat of battle, I made a logical decision, not an emotional one, and I stand by it. In the course of doing what is right, we must sometimes do that which we least wish to do.”

  His words made something clear to me. He hadn’t been trying to win my favor by allowing me to fight, he’d been doing what he had to do to defend his ship. Cormac did respect me. I decided to ponder all of his past interactions with me later and at great length.

  For now, my attention shifted to the lift. Merick stepped from it and looked at Cormac as if he were a squished bug under the sole of his boot. I began to fear that in allowing me to fight, he had ruined his career, and I didn’t know what if anything I could do about it. Yes, I could postpone our return to the Empire for a while longer. Stalling might help while tempers cooled, and I knew my husbands would protect Cormac. Dario and Yukihyo would support him. That knowledge made me feel better. I was sick of the Warrior Caste getting their panties in a twist every single time I did anything which they considered to be unseemly.