Ignite: A Sci-Fi Alien Warrior Romance (Inferno Force of the Drexian Warriors Book 1)

by Tana Stone

  “I appreciate the necessity of it,” I said. “I just wish The Reveal hadn’t changed things so quickly.”

  “You’d rather be on a waiting list for a mate until your balls withered away?”

  I crossed my arms over my chest. “My balls have never been in any danger of withering away.”

  “Pleasure planets? Don’t you tire of them?”

  I didn’t tell my friend that I viewed the pleasurers in much the same way as I viewed Inferno Force. Both provided me the excitement and intensity that I craved. I couldn’t imagine one of the small humans being any type of match for my sexual desires.

  I didn’t answer Vekron. Instead, I pinned him with my gaze. “I take it your name is on the list?”

  His eyes returned to his work. “Not yet. I’m waiting until my next tour is up.”

  I released a sigh. “At least that’s two of us who aren’t pining away for a bride.”

  “Don’t dismiss it so quickly,” he said with a chuckle. “Commander Dorn seems happy, and there’s never been anyone as committed to Inferno Force and battle as him.”

  I nodded. I hadn’t served under the commander when he’d been in Inferno Force, but his victories against the Kronock were legendary. “Weren’t there rumors that he and his tribute bride didn’t get along at first?”

  “More than rumors. According to Serge, they despised each other. She almost killed him once.”

  “A human female almost killed an Inferno Force warrior?” I asked, my voice dripping with disbelief.

  “She pushed him into a holographic ocean, and he almost drowned.” Vekron grinned as he told the story. “Then she jumped in after him naked and dragged him out.”

  “Those don’t sound like the actions of a weakling human.”

  Vekron dropped the wires he was holding. “What made you think humans are weak? Their smaller stature?”

  I shrugged. “We’ve protected them for so long it’s hard not to think there’s a reason they need protecting.”

  “We served alongside Captain Brok’s mate. She’s no weakling.”

  “Maddie?” I thought back to the woman we’d rescued from an alien planet, but not before she’d saved our captain and fallen for him. “She’s different.”

  “How so?”

  I couldn’t tell Vekron that the human was different because she was like me—a thrill-seeker who’d been chasing danger so she’d feel alive. It was a secret she’d shared with me once, when I’d complained about a slow mission. She’d survived an accident when she was younger, and I’d survived a deadly illness, leaving both of us with the unquenchable need to chase danger—and prove we were tough enough to survive anything.

  It was why Maddie had ended up battling her way off an alien planet and why I’d risen so quickly in the ranks of Inferno Force. Neither one of us backed down from danger, or could give up the thrill of it. But there were few females like her—and even fewer who were humans.

  I twitched up one shoulder. “She was willing to give up a fantasy suite and life on one of these stations to be with Brok on a dingy, Inferno Force battleship.”

  Vekron thumped a hand on my arm. “Love makes you do crazy things.”

  I frowned at him. Love was the last thing on my mind, and the last thing I needed to distract me from getting back to the fight. I hadn’t put my name in for a tribute bride for a reason. Now all I needed to do was power through until the station was finished, and I could return to a world that made sense to me. My momentary fascination with Zoey was a fantasy that I had no intention of indulging.

  “One more reason to avoid it like the Neerian plague.”

  “Neerian plague?” Jaxon, one of our fighter pilots—and another Inferno Force transplant—shuddered as he walked toward us. He wore his black Drexian flight suit, his dark hair pulled back in a low ponytail, and insisted his friends call him Jax. “Don’t tell me someone on board has it?”

  “No,” Vekron said. “Kalex, here, was comparing it to love.”

  Jax barked out a laugh, throwing his head back. “Sounds about right, but why are a bunch of Inferno Force warriors talking about love? We used to talk about how many alien females we could bed at the same time, and how many Kronock we’d killed.”

  “That sounds better than discussing tribute brides,” I said.

  “Agreed.” Jax’s expression darkened for a beat, reminding me that he was one of the few Drexians who was also not enthused about human females.

  I shot Vekron a look before turning my attention to the pilot. “Everything looking okay out there?”

  “No sign of the enemy.” He pretended to snore, slumping his head to one side.

  Vekron shook his head, but I laughed. “As much as I despise the Kronock and am glad we repelled them, a part of me would love just one small attack.”

  “Sounds like you need to get off the ship and clear your head.” Jax tossed me a metal ear cuff. “How about joining me for a fly-about?”

  I hooked the cuff on my ear, glad for another way to get some distance between myself and the space station. And the astro-architect who was driving me to madness. “All right, Jax. Let’s go.”

  Chapter Six

  Zoey

  “I’ve been crushed!” Serge gasped from underneath me as we both lay on the stone walkway of the promenade.

  The steel beam from above had hurtled down, barely missing us as I knocked Serge off his high-heeled, platform boots and out of the way. I hadn’t had time to do anything but tackle him, pushing him as far and fast as I could and landing squarely on top of him. The Gatazoid lay on his back, his already wide eyes bugged out as he sucked in uneven breaths.

  “Actually, you weren’t crushed.” Nina hurried over and helped me stand, then gave Serge a hand up, pulling him off the ground so forcefully his feet caught air before touching down, the orange boots clomping on the paving stones.

  Reina rushed over, giving Serge a quick once-over and brushing some smudges off his jacket. “But you would have been, if Zoey hadn’t pushed you out of the way.” She glanced over at the long beam that had landed a few feet from us, the steel shiny, if a bit dented.

  Serge followed her gaze, and his skin took on a greenish hue. “That almost hit me?”

  “I can’t believe you didn’t hear all the yelling from above,” Nina said, looking up.

  “Or from us,” I added.

  The voices above were still bellowing, although now there were workers running along walkways and down scaffolding to reach us. An accident like this was not something that could be brushed off, especially one that had almost killed two people. Explanations would need to be made and safety measures redoubled. We couldn’t afford mistakes this late in the game.

  Serge scanned the ground, spotting his device and taking shaky steps to retrieve it. “I was distracted by Mandy’s call. She insisted she had some juicy gossip for me about one of the tribute brides back on the Boat.”

  I tapped my own energy helmet and the field around my head hummed. “We may have these, but even they won’t protect you from a falling beam. You have to be alert in a construction zone. The promenade may look complete, but this whole station is still under construction.”

  Serge nodded, his eyes finding mine. “You saved my life.”

  I patted his shoulder. “I’m just glad you’re okay.”

  The inclinator doors at the far end of the walkway opened and several burly workers emerged, their faces creased with worry as they ran forward. I recognized the general foreman, William, as he reached us and heaved in a breath. He was one of the many humans who’d been brought to the station to assist with the project, and so far, his work had been impressive.

  “Is everyone okay?” He scratched his brown beard nervously, as he looked at each of us.

  “We’re fine,” I said. Despite my own fury that such a sloppy and dangerous accident had happened so close to the end of the project—or at all—I wasn’t going to yell at him in front of everyone. I’d meet with him later and in p
rivate to figure out exactly what the hell had happened, and which heads needed to roll.

  “I don’t know how that happened.” He scratched more furiously at his beard. “The cable holding the beam snapped.”

  I peered up, squinting to see a dangling metal cable that had previously held the steel beam. “That’s our thickest cable.”

  William nodded, cutting his eyes to the beam lying on the ground that his other men were inspecting. “It shouldn’t have had any problem with a beam that size.”

  I tipped my head back again, searching for frayed ends on the cable, but saw none. “Let’s break for today. I’m sure everyone’s nerves are shot after that, and I’d like you to pull aside the cable for inspection.”

  “If we’re shutting down, I can inspect all the cables,” William said. “Make sure it’s not a problem that might repeat itself.”

  “Good idea.” I let out a weary sigh. “We’re both going to need to meet with Captain Kalex about this. He’ll want a full report.”

  William’s mouth compressed into a thin line. “He won’t be happy if this means more delays.”

  No, he wouldn’t. But it was one thing to protest delays because of design changes. It was another to have an issue with them because of safety. I refused to put my name behind a project that wasn’t completely safe. If the cables were snapping now, what would happen after they’d been in use in the station for years? I’d witnessed horrific disasters back on earth that could have been prevented during the initial design and construction—if people had been willing to take the time and spend the money to make it right. That was not going to happen on my watch. I didn’t care how much the captain complained.

  “Let me handle the captain,” I told William, who looked both grateful and wary.

  The workers lifted the beam and carried it off, with William giving me a final nod and following them. Serge shuddered and looked away from the retreating beam.

  “I could have been under that,” he said in a trembling voice. “Nothing but a stain on the walkway.”

  Reina stifled a cry, putting her bony fingers to her lips. “Don’t talk like that.”

  “Well, it’s true.” Serge’s voice sharpened, regaining more of its imperious quality. “I owe a debt of gratitude to Zoey.”

  “Really,” I said. “It’s fine. I don’t consider you in my debt. Anyone would have done the same.”

  Serge shook his head vigorously. “Not true. You risked yourself to save me. I’m forever in your debt.”

  “How about you cut me some slack on the fantasy suite changes and we call it even?”

  Nina sidled up to me. “You’re sure that’s all you want? Now’s your chance to secure promises that he’ll never make another outrageous demand.”

  Serge pursed his lips at her. “Very funny. As if I’d make a request that wasn’t completely necessary.”

  Reina let out a tiny squeak.

  “An automated garment conveyer belt for your personal closet?” Nina asked, tilting her head at him.

  “A necessity,” Serge said. “With my wardrobe, it’s impossible to see all my options without exhausting myself walking from one end to the next. If you ask me, every closet should have one.”

  I waved my hands to stop the debate. “Like I said, I’m fine. No repayment needed. All I want to do is find out how this accident happened, and ensure it doesn’t happen again, and that the station is safe to open.”

  “You work too much, hon.” Reina took one of my hands in hers. “There has to be more to life than work.”

  “Not at the moment, there isn’t.”

  Serge rocked forward on the toes of his boots. “Because you don’t have time, right?”

  I narrowed my eyes at him, not sure I liked where this was going. “Right.”

  He bounced up and down. “Then your worries are over, sweetie.”

  “I don’t have any worries,” I said. “At least not about changing my life.”

  Serge took the hand that Reina wasn’t holding and patted it. “Of course, you do, but not to worry. Serge is on the case.”

  “What case?” I asked, trying to keep my tone from sounding snippy.

  “Yeah.” Nina peered at Serge over the top of her glasses. “What case, exactly?”

  Serge drew in a significant breath, puffing out his chest. “Finding our astro architect here a mate, of course.”

  “A mate for Zoey?” Reina’s eyes sparkled as she joined Serge in bouncing up and down on her toes. “What a wonderful idea.”

  “No, it’s not a wonderful idea,” I said, pulling my hands back from both of them. “It’s a horrible idea. Who says I want a…mate?”

  “Why would you not?” Serge fluttered a hand in my direction. “You’re attractive, youngish—”

  “Youngish?”

  Serge gave me a cursory glance and a sugary smile. “Let’s face it, darling. You aren’t one of my usual twenty-five-year-olds.”

  “I’m only twenty-eight,” I spluttered. “That’s hardly old. Wait, why am I trying to sell myself to you?”

  “Why are you?” Nina was looking at me with barely concealed amusement.

  “Which is why I said youngish.” Serge released an impatient breath. “But don’t worry. Not all the Drexians are as particular about age. And you’re quite striking, even if you refuse to wear alluring clothes. Yes, yes. This shouldn’t be too difficult. I should be able to come up with a match for you.”

  I inhaled deeply to calm myself and prevent me from screeching like a howler monkey. “I don’t want a match. I have no intention of getting married. Not to a Drexian. Not to anyone.”

  Serge laughed as if I’d just said something both absurd and amusing. “You can’t mean that. Everyone wants to find their perfect person. Besides, happy couples are my specialty.” Without waiting for my response, he turned to Reina. “Come on, we’ve got work to do.”

  And with a swish of his hips and a clippity-clop of his platform boots, he bustled off to the inclinator with Reina close behind him.

  “What the hell just happened?” I said, rubbing my temples.

  “I’m not completely sure.” Nina put an arm around my shoulder. “But I think you’re the newest tribute bride.”

  Chapter Seven

  Kalex

  I lowered myself into the rear seat in the fighter’s cockpit, pulling the safety straps across my chest. It had been a long time since I’d flown in such a small vessel, but instead of making me feel claustrophobic, the close quarters were comforting. I breathed in the scent of engine fuel as I savored the sounds of the hangar bay—the clanging of tools on metal, the roar of engines firing, the voices raised to shouts to be heard over the cacophony.

  The rest of the Island might be sleek and polished, with white corridors, pulsing, colored lights, and strange music wafting through the air, but at least the hangar bay felt like a real ship. The floor was unpainted and stained by fuel, and the beams high in the vaulted ceiling were exposed. Whenever I got homesick for an Inferno Force battleship, this was where I came.

  Jax plopped down behind me, his pilot’s seat facing away from me. Drexian fighters were designed for the second flier to operate weapons from behind, and the 360-degree view of the clear cockpit dome made it a tactical advantage to have the second shooter facing any rear threats. We couldn’t see each other, but we could easily hear each other even before activating the helmet comms connection.

  “So how rusty are you, Captain?” Jax asked, clearly enjoying teasing his fellow Inferno Force warrior.

  “I hear it’s like riding a Felaris hover bike. You never forget.”

  Jax sighed. “Felaris.”

  “Are you wistful for the hover bikes, or the pleasurers?”

  “There’s nothing like a night with a pair of Felaris twins.” Jax strapped himself in and pulled down the cockpit dome.

  “No arguments from me, there.” Instead of pulling my thoughts away from the nights I’d spent being pleasured by two eager and talented Felaris f
emales, I allowed my wind to wander to the raucous evenings when my Inferno Force crew docked at a pleasure planet. Anything to keep my mind off Zoey.

  “Kalex?”

  Jax’s voice finally snatched me back to reality, and I noticed that he’d powered up the engines, the noise rumbling into my bones and sending anticipation skittering through me.

  “Sorry. I got lost thinking about those talented females of Felaris.”

  Jax laughed loudly, the sound filling the compact cockpit. “We might just be going on a fly-about, but I do need you focused.”

  I cleared my throat and shifted in the seat, glancing down at the readouts on my console and gripping the control stick. “Systems fully functional back here, and my mind is wholly focused on our flight.”

  “Glad to hear it, Cap.” Jax flipped a few more switches and the rear dampeners disengaged, as our ship started to move toward the gaping mouth at the end of the hangar bay that led into space.

  Before I could say anything else, the ship rocketed forward, and I was thrust forward, against my restraints. The force of us barreling across the hangar bay and bursting through the energy field into space made it impossible for me to talk and even a challenge to breathe. Once we’d breached the ship and had vaulted into the blackness of space, Jax eased up on the thrusters.

  I drew in a breath. “You always take off like that?”

  “I have to make sure my combat takeoffs and landings don’t get rusty.”

  “Does that mean we’ll be coming in hot when we return?” I asked, not sure whether I liked the thought of a hard landing that would rattle my teeth, or if I dreaded it.

  “Let’s see how we do out here, first,” Jax said. “You might not need the combat landing.”

  I bristled at this. “You think I need a reminder of combat?”