His Human Captive

by Stella Rising

Bakan grunts, smirking. “Haley, it’s the very reason you’re here. I wasn’t the one who plucked you from your primitive, decaying planet and whisked you in front of the Council. If not for Kest, I would be blissfully unaware of your existence. Even without Kest’s protective claim on you, harming you would be completely counterproductive to me.”

  I try to pick apart his words, looking for obvious lies, but I can’t find any. Insults, sure.

  “What do you want, asshole?”

  Bakan grins. “I’m here to offer you some information Kest probably has not provided, and to make a proposition.”

  “What is it?”

  “I’ll get to that,” he says. He steps in closer and picks Kest up. As I watch, Bakan sets Kest down on the bed, making sure a pillow rests beneath his head. When he finishes, he stares at me intently, eyes crawling over my naked, bound body. Licking his lips, he folds his arms behind his back and steps away, giving me space.

  “Haley, I admit that you’re a surprisingly beautiful specimen. If you were not claimed, I’d be tempted to take you every which way, but I’m a Dominar and a praetor, not some kind of human savage. I don’t take what isn’t mine.”

  “Fuck you.”

  Bakan retrieves from his pocket a small, round disc, like a hockey puck. He lifts it into the air, where it hovers and begins projecting a large, highly detailed hologram.

  It starts off as a planet, one with dark oceans and tan continents; zooming in reveals sprawling cities of small buildings, like in undeveloped nations. Looking closer reveals sandy fields where humanoid beings toil under a hot sun, their skin tanned and leathery from exposure. There’s no advanced technology of any kind in sight.

  “What’s this?” I ask.

  “Vakhsa. A prison planet,” Bakan replies. “One of several used by the Dominars.”

  “A what?”

  He sighs, turning off the hologram. “Haley, if my people invade Earth and begin dictating terms, don’t you think there will be people who resist us?”

  “Yeah…”

  “There are thousands of humans who stand to lose out by our rule: oppressors, exploiters, hypocrites… the worst of humanity. They will be selected for exile, sent to live out their days scratching at the dirt for their survival.”

  Maybe Bakan’s somehow messing with my nanites, because this doesn’t sound too terrible to me.

  “Why not just put them in our own jails?”

  Bakan’s eyes light up in surprise. “Good question, human. We send people to prison planets so that they can experience a life of powerlessness and unending struggle—the kind of life to which they condemned their fellow man without the slightest shred of remorse.”

  Then it happens: I imagine Chadwick Thorpe on Vakhsa, far from his cushy office and assistants, forced to tend fields for bare subsistence… the idea is wickedly appealing. I have to push the fantasy from my mind. After weeks on Ohalessa, it’s hard to imagine a world as horrid and inhospitable as Vakhsa belonging to the Dominars. Yet, should I feel bad for wanting people like Thorpe sent to a prison planet? We put bad people in jail all the time on Earth. Thorpe tried to have me killed—is it wrong that I want him to pay?

  “How do you feel about condemning your fellow humans to such misery?” Bakan asks, his voice taunting, full of invective—like he already knows my answer.

  “If it’s just the worst humans,” I mumble. “The ones responsible for our planet’s problems…”

  He laughs, a deep, hearty rumble. “You’re so naive, it almost hurts, Haley. If I thought humanity’s problems were caused by just a few bad apples, we wouldn’t be having this conversation. This is where Kest and I most strongly disagree. He thinks invading and making some changes will fix Earth, but I know better. Removing the troublemakers won’t be enough. New ones will take their place, and Earth’s problems will persist. When it does, the full human population will be vacated to planets like Vakhsa.”

  Tears begin to trail down my cheeks and fall to the bed below. I look to Kest, wishing he’d wake up. “What would happen to Earth?”

  “It will be reclaimed and most likely reseeded.”

  How could Kest not have told me any of this? Was he trying not to scare me? Did he think I didn’t need to know? Or was he afraid of what I’d do if I knew?

  “The people who get exiled… can they ever come back?” I ask. “Can they return once they’re…” I search for the word. “Rehabilitated?”

  Bakan’s face falls in disappointment, then twists into anger. “Technically, yes,” he growls. “If the exiles can form a stable society, one that proves they’ve abandoned their destructive ways, they would be granted departure from the prison world.”

  That’s something; there’d be hope, at least. “How long would it take?”

  Bakan shakes his head. “That’s unknown. It’s never happened.”

  “Never?”

  Sighing, he approaches me slowly and reaches for my bonds. Working the knots free, he lets me down. My wrists ache, and I rub the imprints in my skin left by the ropes.

  “All of our prison colonists have met the same fate: extinction. The same issues they had on their home world persist, and the extinction we sought to prevent happens anyway—probably because it was inevitable,” Bakan explains. “Humans are an inferior species, destined for self-destruction. That is why it is better to leave them with spears and rocks instead of atom bombs.”

  I’ve had as much as I can stand from the praetor; with my hands free, I’m tempted to jump him, to make him feel some of the pain he’s caused me. And yet, I have no doubt that’s what he expects the human to do. Instead, I gather up the bed’s blanket and cover myself.

  “I want you to leave, Bakan. Tell me your damn proposition so I can say no, and to fuck off.”

  He smiles. “You’re not a coward, I’ll give you that, human.” He takes a seat next to me, and as he does Kest utters a mild groan. “Agent Kest sees that in you, and more. Considering his storied past, that’s a compliment even I won’t deny.”

  “Get to the point,” I seethe, trying to scoot away.

  “Fine. Haley Feyn, if my people invade Earth, humanity will eventually find itself exiled to a prison world, where it will devolve into anarchy and destruction. If we leave Earth alone, I expect the same will happen. Either way, you are doomed. However, if you think you can make a difference on Earth—if you can take what I’ve told you and get humanity to change—then I will give you transport back. All you have to do is show the Council how disgustingly human you can be.”

  Holy shit.

  “You want me to sabotage Kest.”

  “Correct. In fact, when you return to Earth, you will have all the tools you’ll need to live like a queen. Your nanites can hack human computers with ease. Within minutes of your return, you could have a bank balance worth billions. You could destroy anyone who stands in your way, and live to a ripe old age in total comfort and security.”

  He thinks I’m greedy and totally self-centered, I realize. He thinks all humans are.

  “I could show my people what I’ve experienced, out here in space. They would see the danger, and work together to fix our world.”

  Bakan laughs as he gets up. “You could try. I wouldn’t count on it working, but that’s just my opinion, and what do I know? I’ve only spent tens of thousands of years studying primitive civilizations.”

  “Go fuck yourself, Bakan,” I snap.

  “Please ask Kest to forgive my intrusion,” he says as he heads for the door. “And think about my offer, human. You won’t get a better one.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  Kest’s eyes open, and he stares at the ceiling for a second before springing to his feet, fists raised, ready for a fight.

  “Hey, it’s alright,” I say, pulling Kest into a hug. “He’s gone now.”

  “Haley!” He kisses me and squeezes me tight. “Are you okay? What happened? One second, I was—”

  “It was Bakan. He stunned you. He said he’s sorry for t
hat. But he didn’t touch me. I’m okay, just a little shaken up.”

  “I swear, I’ll fucking kill him,” Kest growls.

  “I’m fine,” I say, reaching for my clothes.

  Kest finds his suit and starts to dress as well. “What did he want?”

  “To scare me; to make me think you’re wrong and he’s right.”

  Kest takes my hand and leads me out, his pace hurried. “Is that it?”

  I don’t answer at first, remembering Bakan’s proposition. What if he’s right? “Yeah, that’s it.”

  Frowning, Kest takes my hand and pulls me in close as we walk. His grip is tight enough to hurt, and though he sees my discomfort, he doesn’t let go.

  “I swear, I’m fine,” I say. “Bakan loved pointing out that he’s above killing inferiors like me.”

  “I’m not taking any chances, pet. He never should have found us. My ship is on its way to pick us up. We’re going back to the Dominus.”

  Within minutes, we’ve boarded and taken off. I find myself heading for the back of Kest’s ship. I can’t bear to watch Ohalessa disappear out the cockpit window, and I don’t want Kest to see me cry. I knew that we would have to leave the paradise planet, and soon, but I wasn’t prepared to leave it behind so quickly. It’s such a beautiful world, and odds are I’ll never get to go back.

  I remind myself that I may never see Ohalessa again, but now I have a way to get back to Earth. Yet, for some reason, the idea doesn’t comfort me as it should.

  Kest gives me a few minutes, possibly sharing my sorrow. I’m still fighting back the tears when he calls me to come see something.

  The Dominus is in sight; we’re headed right for it, and we’re not alone. Around us are thousands of ships waiting in lines that stretch all the way out to the space station. We’re passing them, flying unimpeded toward our destination, in a lane all to ourselves. Outside our trajectories are massive ships, long and pill-shaped.

  “What are those?”

  “Warships,” says Kest. “Here for security.”

  There must be dozens of them, and I know why. “And all these little ones, they’re the Council.”

  “Yeah.”

  “Holy shit. There’s so many.”

  He nods. “The fate of a species is going to be decided. We take this very seriously.”

  No pressure, right?

  * * *

  Before we dock, Kest checks in with Briette, who apologizes for not being able to track Bakan to Orandropa.

  This time when we arrive, we are met by a full honor guard. A dozen multicolored Dominars surround us, rifle-like weapons held at the ready.

  Kest takes my hand and brings it to his lips for a kiss. “Haley, I hope you don’t mind, I’ve had a surprise planned for our return. I think you’re going to enjoy it.”

  I force my lips into a weak smile. “Yes, sir.”

  I don’t want to tell him, but I’m tired. Bakan’s warning still haunts me, I’ve got thousands of Dominars preparing to see me as an ambassador for my species, and the last place I want to be is a damn space station.

  Yet, by the time we reach our destination, Kest can’t hide his excitement, and it’s rubbing off on me. Grinning, he stops in front of a hatch and gestures for me to head inside. The hatch hisses open, and I certainly don’t expect what’s there: another door. However, this one has a knob. Round and bronze, Colonial in design, with a push-in privacy lock, it looks like it came from Earth.

  “Go ahead, open it,” says Kest.

  Aside from eating, turning that doorknob is the most human thing I’ve done since the day Kest and I met. Although it’s only been a few weeks since we first met on that subway train, that feels like…

  Another world?

  Entering the room, a frisson passes through me, and my fatigue washes away like footprints in the surf. Rather than the quarters of a ship, the space before us looks just like a nice New York apartment—a tad small, but fully furnished, modern and stylish. Decorating the walls are framed fine art prints, a flat-screen TV, and several full bookshelves. Black-clothed couches form an L in front of the TV and behind a nook leading into the kitchen.

  “Is this real?”

  “One hundred percent,” says Kest, smiling proudly.

  “How?”

  He shrugs. “Briette went while we were on Ohalessa. Took her about a day.”

  I step inside and lie down on the couch, using a side cushion as a pillow. “Thank her for me.”

  “I will. The fridge, by the way, is fully stocked. There’s fresh eggs, chicken, and beef; several kinds of cheeses; a dozen vegetables; condiments; soft drinks, beer, and wine; and a chocolate cake and blueberry pie. The pantry has snacks, dry ingredients, cooking oils—you name it. And if there’s something else you want, we can synthesize it. You won’t know the difference.”

  My jaw hangs open. I’m truly speechless.

  “Haley?”

  “Yeah…”

  “Try the TV.”

  For a second, I expect the nanites will do the work of turning it on, but nothing happens. I spot a remote control on a glass coffee table in front of the couch. The TV comes on, showing a selection of movies and shows. Scrolling through at top speed, the choices are seemingly unending.

  “I was thinking we could have an Earth Night,” says Kest. “We can stay in, watch whatever you like. We’ve got board games, music. Anything, Haley.”

  Now I can’t help it, and don’t hide it: tears drip freely. I open my arms to hug my Dominar, as happy as I felt back on Ohalessa. Maybe I’m confused and the old trappings of Earth will lose their appeal after a few hours, but I’d been ignoring my homesickness. Kest saw it, though. He knew.

  I blink away the last of my tears and sigh as his powerful hand rubs my back. “There’s something I’d like to do, actually. I don’t see it here, but I think you could arrange it.”

  “Anything, pet.”

  * * *

  It takes Kest about ten minutes to fabricate what we need and find us the space we need, but then we’re ready.

  “So you know the rules?” I ask, straightening out my short white skirt.

  Kest twirls the tennis racket in his hand and bounces the ball on the court. “I do. Shall I serve?”

  He double faults twice before managing to get a serve in. His superior strength might come in handy in combat, but it causes him to send tennis balls flying way out, some of them hitting the chain link walls around the court without touching the ground. I win the first game at love.

  “Bested by a human,” he laughs. “I don’t believe it.”

  “You’re not letting me win, are you?” I tease.

  “You want me to do my best? Because I will learn this game and kick… your… ass.”

  I stick my tongue out at him. “You’re on.”

  My first serve aces past him. On the next he makes contact, but shanks it wide. By the fourth point, he manages a return that flies high, setting me up for the easy volley.

  We continue to play out the set, Kest getting better with each game. By our third set, he’s got the game down, knowing how to position himself on the court, anticipate my strategy, and make use of his extraordinary strength. He still dunks plenty of balls into the net, but when he learns how to really serve, there won’t be any stopping him. Also, I’m soaked in sweat by the end, but he looks like he just came off the bench.

  “That was fun,” he says. “Did you play professionally?”

  “No,” I laugh. “But I played a lot in college. I was good.”

  “Still are, pet.”

  He scoops me up and slings me over his shoulder, making me scream in shock. “Kest!”

  “You need a shower, pet,” he says, slapping my ass.

  Groaning from his touch, I don’t argue.

  The shower he takes me to reminds me of one found in the master bedroom of a vacation home, rather than a gymnasium locker room, but I don’t mind the upgrade. The hot water feels heavenly on my skin, and the soaps and shampoo
smell of magnolias and almond. But, most of all, I want him badly. As much as I love the apartment he created for me, and humoring me with a tennis match, what brings me the most comfort out here, in a strange universe, is him.

  “Feel better?”

  I grin, running my hands over his bulging chest. “Yes, sir. This has been wonderful.”

  He brushes my hair, and lets his fingers work their way down my back. “I’m glad.”

  Biting my lip, I feel his cock hardening rapidly. My warmth aches, searching for satisfaction. “Kest…”

  He takes my arms and pulls me up, then slings my arms around his neck. “Hold on, pet.”

  I clasp my fists together, hanging from his enormous upper body. Without being told, I swing my legs around his abdomen, clinging as best I can to his wet skin. He grunts happily, kissing me hard, our tongues twisting together as he takes hold of my legs.

  I rear my head back, gasping blissfully, as he drives his cock into my hungry crevice. He thrusts vigorously, drilling me relentlessly. The shock of taking him in all at once sends my head spinning, but I don’t care—it feels too good.

  “Is this how you like it? Wet, hard, and fast?” he asks, pounding me deep while holding me aloft.

  “God, yes,” I moan, gritting my teeth. “You make me… so fucking… hot.”

  “You want to come, pet?” he asks, slapping my ass.

  My heart races, and my toes curl along the rough shower floor. “Please, sir. Let me come.”

  “Beg,” he commands, slowing his torrid pace.

  I mewl, desperate for release. “Please, sir!”

  He pumps me faster, but it’s not enough.

  “Please, fuck me, master!”

  Kest grins, giving me a little more, turning in the shower so the hot water streams through my hair.

  “I need your cock so bad! Please, sir!”

  He returns to full speed, spanking my ass relentlessly. I scream and dig my fingers into his back; he doesn’t seem to mind. His silver skin practically shines in the water, and his joyous grunts get louder by the second.

  “All right, pet. You may come.”