by Corin Cain
To be honest, that’s the worst part – hearing his laugh. I’d rather take the kiss of the lash than suffer this – the shame of losing respect in front of my crew.
“You can’t do this!”
I take a defiant step forward, hands on my hips…
…but the grin on Aelon’s face tells me he feels he most certainly can do this – and that he fully intends to.
Even more humiliating? The two Aurelians guards are now leering at me, too – and I know they’re imagining me over Aelon’s lap, being disciplined by his huge hand.
But that’s when the Captain’s smile softens for a second. In a more contrite tone of voice, he grudgingly admits:
“You’re right, Tasha – I can’t do this… At least, not without your agreement. So, what’ll it be, Captain Tasha? Twenty lashes for each of your crewmembers?” His slate-grey eyes flash. “Or a spanking for you?”
My hands ball into fists. I can’t believe this!
Of course, I know he’s testing me. I remember what Captain Aelon told me in his private chambers just minutes earlier. This damned Aurelian thinks he knows me so well...
He thinks I’d never willingly let my crew see me weak – so he’s confronting me with a choice that’s really no choice at all. Aelon wants to know which I value more – my pride, or my crew.
He wants to know if I’m willing to humiliate myself in front of the very men whose respect I was willing to fight for. He knows that I’ll lose either way – either they’ll hate me for letting them take the lashes they’ve been sentenced to, or they’ll lose all respect for me when they see their tough, capable captain being manhandled and spanked like a naughty little girl.
But pride lives deep inside us, and it isn’t as easy to crush as Aelon might think.
I take a deep breath and stand up to my full height.
“I’m their captain. I’ll bear their punishment.”
I turn and look at my men – my face defiant as I meet each of their eyes in turn, before finally locking my gaze with Chris. I want him to look into my eyes as I say this – to know that I’m sacrificing something much more precious to me than anything I’d lose beneath the crack of a lash.
“I’ll take the spanking.”
As I say the words, I turn back to Captain Aleon – and I can instantly see the surprise in his slate-grey eyes. That gives me a little surge of triumph.
Captain Aelon misjudged me – he thought I’d be too proud to accept a spanking, and that he’d have the chance to break me utterly with the threat of the lash or the airlock. He’s both impressed and surprised that I’d call his bluff.
But there’s no coming back from this, though. My crew will never be able to look at me the same way again if I submit to Aelon’s punishment.
How could they? How could big, burly miners like Chris follow a leader after watching her being spanked and humiliated over the knee of a dominant man? Even now, Chris and his cronies are snickering, and my cheeks burn a deeper shade of red at their mirth.
The fuckers! Don’t my crew understand I’m doing this for them? If it wasn’t for Theme – poor, vulnerable Theme – I’d have been better off letting them suffer the agony of the lash. Instead, I’m being punished twice – once by Captain Aelon, and again by the mirth of the very men I’m suffering this indignity for.
If there’s any comfort from this, it’s that Theme is looking up at me like I’m an angel – descended from the heavens to save him. He understands what I’m sacrificing, even if Chris and his cohorts don’t.
For Theme – for that man who’s barely more than a boy – I’ll bear this shame. I know he wouldn’t survive the twenty lashes, even with Aelon’s promise that he wouldn’t kill my crew, so my sacrifice will not be entirely in vain.
For Theme, I’ll suffer the greatest disgrace imaginable.
Aelon has regained his composure. He looks at me, and purrs:
“The punishment will be administered tonight. You’ll have a few hours to look forward to it.” Then, he clicks his fingers – turning to the two guards. “Take her to the female cells.”
And, like that, the towering Aurelian commander turns away – leaving me with the two Aurelian soldiers. I stand there with my cheeks burning – wanting more than anything else to be anywhere but here. I don’t want to be near that snickering, selfish jackass Chris a second longer – in fact, it’s a relief when the nearest Aurelian guard cocks his head at me, motioning for me to follow him.
I’m led out of the brig by the two guards, and I breathe a sigh of relief as I escape their cells. A moment later, I find myself in a long hallway, headed towards the other wing of cells – those reserved for female prisoners. As we march down them, flanked on either side by those Aurelian guards, I notice the blinking lights overhead, and the dark pits where a few of the bulbs have burned out.
Interesting. As huge, intimidating and impressive as The Instigator is, I am starting to realize that Captain Aelon’s warship is old, and it’s starting to show the impact of decades of wear and tear.
So many clues and questions lay in front of me now – the presence of the Scorp on that moon, and the information Captain Aeon had received about the Wayward Scythe and my stolen cargo. Who is this cocky, swaggering commander? What are he and his triad doing here?
And how can I use that information to my advantage? To escape – preferably with the treasure we’d stolen, and subsequently had stolen from us.
One thing is certain – I need to squeeze as much info out of the Aurelian commander and his men as possible.
I start with the guards. As they lead me down the corridor, I demand: “Why are you guys here? Who is paying you to clear the Scorp nests from that moon?”
The Aurelian guards don’t stop walking. In fact, they don’t even acknowledge my question. It’s like they’re walking a dog, rather than escorting a real, live human prisoner.
Instead of a response, all I get is the view of the towering Aurelian guard in front of me. He’s got a big, broad back that I get to stare at as he walks ahead. His light armor can’t hide the muscular frame of his massive body. It’s intimidating to think that even the subordinates on this ship – the guards and engineers – are built to the same towering, God-like scale as Captain Aelon and his triad.
I’m led maybe a hundred feet down the corridor before the guards stop me in front of another set of huge, steel doors.
Finally, the tallest of the guards turns to face me – looming over me like a mountain. For the first time, he actually speaks to me – scowling: “I have some advice for you, human. Don’t test Captain Aelon. He’ll break you.”
Even by the standards of Aurelians – who are notorious for hiding any hint of emotion – the warning comes across as cold and serious. The guard’s slate-grey eyes are like those of a statue as he glares at me. I shiver, letting his words sink in.
I suspect the warning wasn’t given without reason. On the surface, Captain Aelon might seem like a too-full-of-himself, overconfident braggart – but underneath that surface…
…I can feel the danger emanating from him.
I remember back to when Aelon he was confronting that Toad captain – Hoplan. Aelon was doing everything he could to provoke a reaction from the Toad commander, right down to using that insulting nickname of ‘Hopper’. Aelon seemed almost disappointed when Hoplan had turned and fled.
I realize now that Captain Aelon lives for the chance to challenge people – and that he’ll never back down. I’ll have to play him extremely carefully to stand any chance of getting out of this situation alive.
With the guard still staring at me, I demand:
“If Captain Aelon’s so dangerous – why doesn’t he go down to that moon? Why does he send you guys down there if he isn’t willing to go himself?”
It’s a question I’d wanted to ask Aelon myself, but I hadn’t got the chance before my crew had tried to stage their ill-fated escape.
I’m pushing my luck, though. My question throws
the bravery of this guard’s commanding officer into question, and the result of that could go either way.
This Aurelian standing in front of me has a deep, ragged scar running down his cheek that he most certainly didn’t get from shaving – so I’ve got no doubt that he’s confronted the same Scorp menace as I’d seen Aelon’s battle-brothers return from fighting.
The guard stares down at me with those cold, slate-grey eyes – such a trademark of his species – and yet I detect the same heat lurking beneath them as I did when Aelon and the other Aurelians stared at me. It’s a heat that I now realize is always present when one of this all-male species is in the presence of a woman. I can’t help but be reminded of how small and vulnerable I am in comparison to these towering warriors; and how hungry they all appear for me.
The guard snarls: “There’s more to being a captain than being tough – you of all people should know that. Don’t question the Captain’s bravery – he loves to fight. The only thing Aelon likes more than killing Scorp is killing Toads – but he’s needed here.” Then, the guard jerks his head towards the doorway we’re standing in front of. “Now, shut your mouth and get inside.”
He unlocks the door, pulls it open, and gives me a light shove to make sure I stumble forward.
I find myself in a cell, similar to the one that Chris and the others were being kept in, but noticeably more isolated than the general brig.
As soon as I step inside, I hear an excited voice.
“Tasha!”
As my eyes adjust to the dimmer light, I see a face that gives me the first comfort I’ve felt for hours – that of Sawoot.
Despite being a captive, my first officer grins as I stand there, the door slamming shut behind me.
If it wasn’t for the sight of Sawoot, I’m sure the clang of the cell door would have filled me with despair – but, instead, I’m glad to be reunited with my best friend.
I step forward and look around the cell. While the men of my crew were locked in a general brig – similar to what Law Enforcement might call the bullpen - Sawoot has been relegated to a smaller and infinitely more comfortable dormitory-style cell. The room I’ve found myself in is bare, but clean, with more amenities than the cell that Chris and the others had access to.
I’m not sure if this cell is more luxurious because it’s designed to house female prisoners, or it’s reserved for higher-ranking captives, but I’ll take it. There are two sets of bunk beds, plus a doorway that must lead into a private bathroom instead of the steel toilet that the men are all forced to use, on full display in front of the rest of the prisoners.
Sawoot jumps up from the bunk she’d been lying on and we embrace each other with a big hug. I know it’s only been a few hours, but I’m so grateful to see her again. My first officer is like the sister I never had.
For a second we embrace, relishing in each other’s company. When we finally break off our hug, Sawoot sits back down on a bottom bunk and looks up at me.
“So, what’s he like?”
Typical. Anybody else might ask what the plan was, or how I intended to escape. Sawoot, instead, is more interested in my impression of the man who’s imprisoned us.
“The Captain? He’s a cocky bastard.”
Sawoot grins. “I saw the way he was looking at you – he couldn’t get enough. That might be our ticket out of here.”
I scoff: “I don’t think that’s very likely.”
Sawoot’s eyes flash. “Don’t be so sure. I mean, we’re not getting turned in to the authorities, are we?”
I look away, my cheeks burning.
She has a point. There’s no reason for Captain Aelon not to hand us over to the Aurelian Authorities – not unless there’s a reason he’d like us, or rather me, to stick around.
But I don’t want Sawoot to read too much into this.
“He told me he doesn’t know yet.”
Sawoot laughs. I don’t know how she can be so calm at a time like this.
Well, I guess she’s not the one who’s bottom is going to be turned red during a humiliating, public spanking later – although I don’t believe Sawoot is aware of that, and I’m not in any hurry to tell her about that humiliating development.
“Don’t look so offended,” Sawoot is oblivious to my thoughts – she thinks I’m sour-faced because she’d suggested that Captain Aelon desires me. “This could work to our advantage. The Captain’s an Aurelian, after all. They all think with their cocks.” Her eyebrows twitch. “If that’s the case, work it. You’ve heard how big Aurelians are – you could probably lead him around by that thing!”
My cheeks burn red.
“Sawoot!” I feel a hot flush shudder over me. “This is a life or death situation – not a time for jokes. We need to be rational.”
“Oh, I’m not joking,” Sawoot warns. “I’m being extremely rational. We’re prisoners on an Aurelian ship, and we’re facing forty years behind bars – if we live long enough to get thrown behind them. We’ve got to use every advantage we have – and if Captain Aelon’s into you, that’s potentially useful.”
She sits up on the bunk bed. As our resident expert on the subject of Aurelians, it’s worth listening to her ideas – no matter how much they make me bristle.
“Think about it, Tasha,” Sawoot continues. “Aurelians are all prideful bastards, and they’re all protective of human females – verging on possessive. If Aelon fancies you, he’s not going to let you just slip through his fingers. He won’t just hand you over to the authorities…”
“No – but if you’re right, he’s not going to just let us go, either.”
Sawoot nods in agreement.
“Listen,” she continues. “I had a friend who was in a harem for a few years. Those Aurelians didn’t want her to leave when she asked to. Shit – she said they’d probably have kept her against her will if it wasn’t for Queen Jasmine’s laws.”
Queen Jasmine had been the one to dictate that any human woman who’d served in an Aurelian harem for three or more years was entitled to a full education at an Aurelian institute of higher learning; and that the Aurelians who owned the harem had to let her leave to pursue that education if she requested it.
“They’re crazy possessive,” Sawoot continued. “My friend said that if any other man had even looked at her the wrong way – well, let’s just say that they’d lose more than just the eyes that had offended her. The Aurelians would kill to protect her – or even just to protect her honor.”
I shudder. I’m not sure if that sounds like chivalry or psychosis.
“You can use that to your advantage,” Sawoot insists. She leans forward, as if her mind is already formulating a plan. “What else did you learn about the Captain? His name’s Aelon, right?”
“Yes, Captain Aelon,” I nod. “I don’t think he’s aligned to the Aurelian Empire, but he doesn’t seem to be Rogue – or he’d have…” My cheeks burn. “Well, if he was into me, he wouldn’t have gone through this rigmarole. He’d have just taken me, if you know what I mean.”
Sawoot eyes flash.
“Oh, I know exactly what you mean.”
She does, does she? I think about it myself. Captain Aelon is arrogant, infuriating… and relentlessly sexy. The thought of him forcing himself on me – taking me whether I wanted him to or not…
…it’s disgusting. Repellent…
…but it also makes my breath quicken and my nipples harden. I imagine that towering commander tearing my clothes off… Throwing me onto the bed… Bending me beneath him as he claims me with his huge cock.
Fuck, what is wrong with me?
Flustered, I shake my head and look back at Sawoot. She’s sitting on the bunk, her tongue stuck against her cheek as it is any time she’s scheming and plotting.
“Tell me,” my first officer eventually looks up. “Is Aelon alone? Or does he have a triad?”
I grimace. “A triad – and they’re even worse than him.”
I pace up and down the cell, getting my thou
ghts in order. I don’t want to mention the shameful punishment I’m facing, since that would make it all too painfully real and inevitable. I need a distraction.
But my mind keeps returning to the spanking I’m facing.
A spanking! I’m a master criminal and a starship captain, and I’m going to be spanked like a miscreant little minx! It’s so humiliating to have all of my skills, experience and expertise – as a criminal, entrepreneur, and pilot – forgotten and ignored; all in favor of making me squirm and gasp and cry out at the hard, punishing hands of one of those towering Aurelians.
Speaking of which – which one of those towering bastards will mete out my punishment?
Will it be Captain Aelon himself? Arrogant and imperious, calling me names as he turns my backside red with firm spanks of his huge hand.
Or will it be his battle-brother, Vinicus – who oozes raw, beastly power. Perhaps Iunia, who seems so aloof and reserved – so different than the other two members of his triad.
I shiver. What is it going to feel like to be spanked in front of a crowd of leering, hungry Aurelians? Not to mention my own crew. I still feel a hot surge of anger when I remember how Chris snickered and laughed as I learned about my fate. I was saving him from agony at the receiving end of an Aurelian lash and he saw fit to laugh at me?
I shake my head. I can’t think about it - not right now. I’ll drive myself nuts.
Instead, I look back up at Sawoot and answer her question.
“The other two members of his triad are a couple of brutes – warriors to the core. They’re called Iunia and Vinicus – they could practically be twins.”
“All Aurelians look like twins,” Sawoot scoffs.
“No,” I shake my head, “these two really look similar – or maybe that’s just their attitude.”
I slump down onto the bunk opposite Sawoot.
“Anyway – it looks like Captain Aelon is here commanding a battalion. They’ve been recruited to clear out a Scorp infestation on that moon.”
