In Service

by Mima

  Sprawled on the gray mats, she looked warm and alive. “I’m just a server, Kor. You’re sweet to worry, but we have to do what’s right, even when it’s hard. We promised when we signed up.” Malla’s voice was deep and soft from the sex.

  Kor turned just his head and looked back down at her. Then he walked out. Shon wondered where he’d go. Two days ago, he knew Kor would have gone to some friendly women and blown steam off in sex. Now, he wasn’t so sure.

  His erection was still laser-sharp in his pants, aching fiercely. Vel went and helped Malla up. “I still want to see you fire the other weapons, and I want to see you try hand to hand.” Looking at Shon, Vel raised an imperious brow. “Why don’t you let me work with Malla a bit, and you can go read her file.”

  Bastard. He knew Shon would be practically crippled if he tried to enter some grappling with Malla while sporting the monster between his legs. Vel knew he hadn’t come and was giving him an out, while rubbing in his past failure. Instead of sending Vel out, like Vel expected, though, Shon nodded. Vel’s silver eyes flashed in annoyance. He wanted to talk to Grady. Two could play the false-good-guy routine.

  “Sure, Vel, thanks. Make sure you check her out on knife work, too. It’s the favored weapon on Dunru. I’ll talk to you later, Malla.”

  “All right, Shon.”

  He managed to limp stiffly out the door and to his room. Taking a small towel from the lav, he hissed as he wrapped it around his dick. He leaned against the wall and thought about her in his bed. The feel of her lips on his neck. The feel of his fingers in her cunt. The curve of her ass in his palm. How badly he’d wanted to sink his fingers into her anus. He thought of the berry thickness of her nipples, and how when he blew on them, even the areola around the tip rose up, pebbled, flushed. She handled his penis well, with a firm grip and long, hard pulls. She’d been interested in his ribs, spending time there with her face, her hands…

  He hissed as he came in a long, burning pulse. Then his knees shook and he pulsed again. His neck failed and his head fell back to the wall, and another squeeze took the base of his balls. Glancing down, he watched his abs stand out as one last wave of pleasure dribbled white cum into the dampening towel.

  Dumbly, Shon stared at his softening dick, the cum shining in his dark pubic hairs.

  That was one of the most spectacular orgasms of his recent experience, despite the fact that he couldn’t remember the last time he’d had to resort to masturbation when he had an erection. A blinding tactical insight came to him.

  Malla was the woman that was either going to get his team killed for love of her, or forge them into an unstoppable, untouchable powerhouse. She was more than a powerful server. More than a loving woman. More than a capable partner. She belonged to their team in a way they’d never known. Maybe from even before they’d met her. It only remained to be tested, in a trial by fire, if she was the agent of their destruction or salvation.

  * * * * *

  Strangely enough, it was hard to concentrate on Vel’s large, demanding presence when she knew Shon was reading her file. Vel feinted and jabbed. She tried for his wrist and he stunned her with an upper chest palm-hit with his other hand. Shon was reading about the bug attack. Vel spun and tried to get a back-handed kidney strike in but she planted her feet and used his momentum to pass him around. Shon would know more of what she was

  capable of. That was a good thing.

  Vel kicked her legs out from under her. She spun, throwing her body into his, using her weight to take out his knees. It didn’t bring him down, but it did drive him back in an awkward stagger. She rolled up, immediately in position.

  He rushed her. He was actually about the same height as a bug, but bug pincers drove up from the floor, not in overhead strikes. She avoided the knife this time, going for groin and solar plexus. She ended up with thigh and rib. She had to dance away as he tossed the knife and flipped his hand, trying for a reverse grip strike without having to move his body.

  He waited for her to rush him this time, moving his hands in complicated patterns, feinting with knee lunges and shoulder tilts. She wasn’t as good at attacks. The bugs hadn’t waited. They were an all out avalanche. She watched until he gave one of the fake feints, then fell into a lunging sweep to his opposite side. Again, she failed to make him fall, although she scored an impact.

  “Good enough.” Vel stood up straight, and disengaged the light cone on the fake laser knife. “Do you mind sharing what the fuck was so important you couldn’t be bothered to be in the moment?”

  “Do you mind telling me why you only moved with human speed?”

  “I wouldn’t want to risk my soul when it’s just practice.”

  “What?” Malla was shaken. Had Vel just declared her his soul?

  “Haven’t you heard, lovely? We’re parasitic humans. We’re Spirit-cursed because we have to drain off others’ rightful spiritual energy.”

  Malla gasped, cheeks instantly heating with rage. “Oh! That poo out of Mobinga! It wouldn’t surprise me if there was some sort of bug traitor behind it, trying to scare people away from being tested as servers!”

  Vel grinned, his face lighting up for the first time since she’d gone to bed with him and Grady. “Poo? Wow, is it as bad as all that?”

  Malla laughed, more because of his smile than anything.

  “Am I really good enough?”

  “You’re good enough to survive a clumsy first rush and give Grady time to get to you.”

  Vel’s smile disappeared. “Now, let’s do some guns.”

  She was firing the third gun, a sweetly modified midrange with two heat-seekers on it, when they saw Grady fill the door. She was getting so she wasn’t as surprised when she saw his size each time.

  “Hey, lover. Hey, Malla.” His voice was so deep, his face cautious. His reserved masculinity was modified by the bed sheet wrinkles in his face.

  “Hey, Grady.” Malla set the gun down, making sure to power it off. She looked at Vel from the corner of her eye. He’d been so hurt. When she first saw him afterwards, he’d looked so cold. She’d landed like an explosion in their relationship, bonding much faster than normal through the trauma of healing them. She knew they were everything to each other.

  She had no intention of ever coming between that, despite caring for both deeply.

  Vel still hadn’t said anything, but he seemed to be thinking. He and Grady locked eyes.

  There was tension, and then, somehow, there was heat.

  Malla swallowed, relieved. “I think I’m going to go wash up, if you don’t mind, Vel.”

  “No. Finish the last gun. Grady, get in here and get your clothes off.”

  Grady moved into the room, walking with easy, graceful motion despite his size. He never took his eyes off Vel, even when Malla picked up the fourth gun, checked it, powered it, and fired. By the time she set it down, his shirt was on the ground, and his pants were coming down. He’d been barefoot. And he’d gone without underwear. Mmmm.

  “Thanks, Malla. Good job. Can you put them back in storage for me?”

  Malla swallowed. “Sure.”

  “Grady, you and I are going to talk.” But then Vel fell silent, and undressed himself.

  “Sounds good.” Grady swung his arms, stretching in a ripple of muscle.

  Malla had hung two guns when she heard the first strike of flesh on flesh. She couldn’t finish her task. They were too terrifying. She’d seen Luo train at Base. She’d seen vids of them in battle. She’d never seen her men move like this, doing this kind of violence to each other. Sinking to the floor, she tried to get her breath.

  They were both relatively pale. Grady’s bulk balanced the fiery presence of Vel’s hair.

  Other than those markers, there was nothing to really see. There were no details her eye could catch, because there was nothing but blurring shapes. They both seemed to move as fast, and hit as hard. Within a few moments, the first spray of blood flew across the mats.

  Malla put her fist to
her mouth.

  Then, for a moment, the creamy blurring of skin paused, and they were locked in a kiss.

  Grady twisted his head and spoke against Vel’s lips. “Do you still taste her on me? If you’d stayed, you could have fed from her cunt.”

  The blurring continued, arms and legs distinguished by their length and position only.

  Another pause, and they were frozen in a straining tableau, Grady’s huge hand wrapped around Vel’s thigh, Vel’s hands on Grady’s neck.

  Grady’s voice rasped around the pressure on his throat. “Can you imagine it, Vel? My cum, and hers, just waiting in her softness.”

  Grady tossed Vel backwards, and he flipped, landed in a crouch. Then there was only a long period of blurring punctuated by grunts and blows. Another spray of blood, and then Vel was standing with his back to Grady, Grady’s mouth buried in his neck, Vel’s arms pulling at Grady’s hair. The look on his face was not one of pain.

  This time it was Vel who spoke. “You made me like it. I liked punishing you. You’re the only gentleness I get, Grady. Don’t make me do that to us.”

  A shaky breath eased from Malla as they went into their fight again. She stood, using the wall, carefully averting her eyes. She finished putting the other two guns away, and triggered the security cap on the case. Glancing up, she saw they were on the ground, rolling and flipping. A streak of red on the gray mats was accompanied by a short shout.

  Malla walked along the wall, moving toward the door. A low moan reluctantly drew her eyes. Heart pounding, she glanced out into the room. Grady straddled Vel’s waist, leaning forward to avoid the reach of Vel’s kicking legs that were trying to hook his body.

  One of Vel’s arms was trapped painfully under him, held there due to Grady’s bulging muscles pressing down on that shoulder. A hard forearm was across Vel’s neck, shoving his head back. The other set of arms were still wrestling. Grady ignored the bloody furrows Vel occasionally landed. It wasn’t long before Vel fell still, panting, legs splayed.

  An enormous erection rose from his groin, pointing toward Grady. Malla couldn’t see Grady’s groin, as his thighs were up along Vel’s ribs and his body was bent forward.

  “Malla.” Grady gasped, massive chest working hard.

  “Y-yes?”

  “Get the lube out of my pants.”

  Malla blinked, considered.

  “Malla.” Grady didn’t raise his voice. He just reminded her. She stood and got the lube.

  “Now put it on him. Do it slow. Work it into every centimeter.”

  Malla approached the straining men. She eyed Vel’s loose legs warily. “His legs…”

  “Tell her.” Grady slapped down another strike from Vel’s arm.

  Vel struggled, then fell back. “I won’t hurt you, Malla.”

  Swallowing, she knelt behind the wall of Grady’s back. She was between Vel’s legs, and his erection was just wonderful. She squirted the lube into her hands, feeling her damp thighs heat. Kor had left a mess, of course, but now her folds were sensitive from the exercise with Vel. From watching Grady and Vel.

  She wanted to tell them how beautiful Vel was, but she also knew she was an accessory to the moment, not a full participant. This was a continuation of what had happened in bed.

  Grady had submitted to Vel’s anger there. This time, he was forcing Vel to submit. Malla got the distinct feeling this didn’t happen very often.

  Malla put her hands on Vel, and nothing could keep her from sighing with pleasure.

  She absolutely loved hard dick. Soft penises could look silly and floppy, an extra part on a honed warrior’s body. But a hard dick belonged. It was part of the dangerous, thrilling package. She started at the base, and because she’d been mad at Vel for hurting Grady in bed, she was slow, and thorough. She danced too lightly in one place, rubbed too hard in another.

  She traced all the way up one vein and dragged her nail down another. She rubbed the rim of his head, and patted gently over his crown.

  Then she went to work on his balls. Vel shouted, finally, legs jerking, and his body bucked and twisted despite the force Grady applied. Grady leaned down and she heard them kiss, moaning, groaning, growling, wet sounds of continued battle. She worked the lube all over Vel’s balls, and along the crease of his groin, and then came to his ass. She eased her finger in.

  Vel stiffened, feet planting hard on either side of her, and shouted.

  “Yeah, lover. Oh yeah. Put him in me, Malla.”

  Grady’s ass was all sculpted muscle. His anus was puckered and pink, open in a small circle from being well-stretched. Malla wrapped her hand around the base of Vel and bent him enough to set the tip to Grady’s rosette. Grady shifted his thighs, and rocked back. She watched his skin stretch around Vel’s crown, and close tightly over the head, causing him to shout.

  Grady sighed. “Malla, lovely, that’s great. Hold his balls.”

  Her hands were shaking, breasts aching, and clit throbbing. She took one ball in each hand, cupping them softly. Then she watched Grady fuck Vel from above, even though he was the one being penetrated. It was aggressive. It was dominant. It was beautiful. Grady’s balls hung down every time he rose on Vel. Vel would try to lift his hips to follow Grady up and meet his down stroke, but Malla tightened her hands, forcing him to stay still. She actually felt his balls get harder, smaller, as Grady worked him longer.

  Grady came down with almost all his weight, and cried out, a shiver rippling over him.

  Vel keened, a short, male cry, and Malla saw his balls pulse. She massaged them, and Vel shouted louder, longer. “Yes! So good, lover.”

  After a moment, she let go, and sat back, breath short.

  Suddenly deciding she was not content to be an accessory any longer, she stood up, struggling out of her pants, her running shoe hindering her at the ankle as she ripped one leg free. She moved around to their heads. Grady was kissing him, softer, but still hard and passionate. Malla pushed at Grady’s head, urging him up by putting her hand under his throat and lifting.

  His eyes were such a bright blue when he rose up, surprised. Malla fell to her knees, and moved over Vel. “My turn.” She lowered her spread thighs over Vel’s face, setting her hands on his cum-coated pecs where Grady had come all over his torso. She braced herself with locked elbows and leaned in to nip at Grady’s chin. He tucked it under and kissed her back at the same moment Vel licked up her slit.

  “Fuck. Grady, I taste Kor.” Vel still spoke with jagged breaths.

  Grady groaned, taking his arms away from pinning Vel down and settling his hands on her head, holding her still for an angled, deeper kiss.

  Vel began to lick her deep, and Malla didn’t understand how Grady knew to pace his tongue to the exact same rhythm. She came in moments, grinding down with her hands, crying into Grady’s mouth, letting her weight rest on Vel’s face. She let her light flash out from her well, and that sweet moment of connection where someone outside of herself tugged on it, recognized it, and drank it in. Her men fed. In a moment, she rose up, shivering.

  “Ah, guys, you can use me in your arguments anytime.” Malla swung off of Vel’s face.

  Grady sat up and did the same, chuckling at Vel’s groan.

  “We’ll see if you like that idea when I’m on the winning side and use her against you, lover. Then let’s see you chuckle.”

  Grady helped him sit up, kissed him swiftly. “Do you doubt that I will? Really?” His voice was little more than a rumble. He stared at Vel, head cocked. Then kissed him again.

  Vel sighed, shaking his head.

  “Now I really need to go get cleaned up.” Malla grimaced, feeling sticky.

  “How lucky for us. We’re just heading that way.” Vel stood first, and held out a hand to both of them.

  “I’ll let you two go --”

  “Malla.” Vel stopped her graceful exit. He looked at her, gray eyes soft and dark, his lips tipped. “You’re going our way. You’re with us.”

  Oh. Heart trembli
ng, lips trembling, tears trembling on the tips of her lashes, she nodded, and put her hand in his. It was rough, the elegant fingers belying thick skin. Vel pulled them both to their feet, wrapped his long arms around each of their waists, and led them to his room.

  Chapter Nine

  Ten hours later, Malla sat on the floor of the tiny fighter pod. Vel and Kor had the two pilot chairs. They worked seamlessly. Vel had rigged harnesses for the rest of them, since there were no other chairs. Grady seemed to take up the entire floor. Shon sat on one side of him, still furiously working two vid plates at once, scowling down at them. Malla was at the back.

  She was wearing a newly modified set of Luo armor, taken in from Kor’s backup armor.

  She was only marginally less armed than the men. There was a close-range gun on her ankle, a midrange strapped to her left arm and at the back of one hip, a long-range next to her to be worn crosswise on her back over her backpack, and she had two heat-seeking loblollies on her belt. Vel had braided her hair into two tight, close braids that went from her temple along her skull to her neck, and then braided those together in a band at her nape.

  As they took their leave of the station, Grady appeared to be asleep sitting straight up next to her. She relaxed against his side, laying her head on his shoulder. The Luo armor didn’t intimidate her. Smiling, she remembered this was how she’d first met him, although he’d been helmeted then. She supposed it was reasonable to expect, after her travel experience, being greeted by two armored Luo at her destination would be terrifying. She hadn’t considered them hostile for a second. Taking one look, she’d known she was safe.

  Malla yawned. Kor glanced at her and smiled. His hair looked lighter than usual against the black interior of the ship, the black of his armor. Blue tinted his face from the navigation screens. He looked away, back setting their course. Vel’s hair was fiery gold, made molten by the red pilot screens. He was a natural pilot, elegant hands moving masterfully over the complex screens and slides with an almost disdainful confidence, despite the fact the ship was overloaded. And not designed for interstellar.