by Maree Dry
“No.”
“Viglar said it will grow back.”
“Yes it will.”
“If I was a weak human male, what would I do now?”
Julia bit her lip and drew him down against her. “First he’d kiss my ear until it was all better.”
A brief flash of red in his eyes and then his lips stroked over her ear. His tongue left a moist streak.
She shivered and goose bumps broke out in places on her body. She’d thought she was so angry she couldn’t feel pleasure.
He kissed her ear, lapping at it until she giggled.
“Then what would the weak male do? The one I would kill if he ever tried to touch you?”
Julia giggled and stroked his bald head. “He’d kiss me, touch me everywhere.”
Her alien was a fast learner. He had her moaning and twisting within seconds.
***
The next morning, they had breakfast with him insisting to feed her and her playfully refusing to let him.
He stopped suddenly with the fork in the air. “You do not hate me.”
“I could never hate you, Zurian.”
He leaned his forehead against hers. “I have to report to Zacar. You are to rest.”
Julia smiled the most innocent she could manage. “Of course.”
***
Zurian went to the main cave, nodded at Zacar, and then immediately went to the infirmary. “My breeder retained brain damage from your operation.”
If Viglar had not been the only Zyrgin on this backward planet who could help her, Zurian would have beaten him senseless for this.
Viglar turned to him. “Why would you think this?”
“A few days ago she said she felt like a chocolate.”
Viglar picked up his handheld. “Did this happen more than once?”
“Last night she said she was two chocolates.”
Viglar made some notes on his handheld and then looked up, sympathy in his every gesture. “You need to bring her in for more tests.”
Zurian nodded and went to join Zacar.
Zacar waited for him in the main cave. “The leader wants us to report.”
Zurian nodded and they walked through the long narrow tunnel they’d equipped with explosives, set to blow if ever the mountain was breached. They reached the door to the restricted communications room and Zurian allowed the security probe to scan him. Zurian and Zacar stood with their boots planted wide and hands crossed behind their backs, a show of respect for their leader.
“Zyrgin home world, leader,” Zacar ordered.
The leader’s hologram appeared before them. They saluted. As always, Zurian thought the hologram did not reflect the real presence of the leader. He’d met the Zyrgin. After the terror of his childhood, it said a lot that the leader could have such an impact on him.
“You have not reported in at the specified time,” the leader of all the Zyrgin territories said.
His hologram towered over them and, as always, Zurian had to fight the urge to shuffle his feet like a new recruit.
“We had a battle,” Zacar said.
The leader’s look sharpened. Like all Zyrgin warriors, he couldn’t resist a good battle or tales of a good battle. He’s been known to join in the worst battles, suddenly appearing and turning the tide.
“It did not afford us any honor,” Zacar said. “These humans are weak.”
The leader stood with his arms across his chest. “Yet, you took breeders from among them, from these people incapable of a good battle.”
Zacar stiffened and Zurian balled his fists behind his back.
“My breeder is a woman of strong spirit, as is the breeder of Zurian.”
“I know of the malfunction of the machinery and the operation on Zurian’s breeder,” their leader said very quietly.
Zurian gnashed his teeth together and stayed still, keeping his eyes on the image of their leader. They had long suspected that he had devices hidden among their equipment.
“Zurian’s breeder is doing well,” Zacar said.
“I demand retribution,” Zurian said quietly.
For a long time, the leader simply looked at him. The leader was fully aware of Zurian’s situation. If not for the Zyrgin in front of him he would have been killed--never been allowed to become a warrior. In spite of that, Zurian would not allow him to harm Julia.
“I will have a full report on her progress from the doctor.”
“Yes, my leader,” Zurian said and gnashed his teeth to suppress the urge to tell the man to keep out of his business.
“The humans are aware of your presence. I had given instructions for you to remain unnoticed. You will forfeit two months’ pay.”
“Yes, my leader.”
“How?”
“We suspect Parnell found out about our presence.”
Zurian relaxed slightly. Julia’s connection to the family who might be responsible for the information getting out might be kept from the leader a little longer. If only he could give her small warriors, it would guarantee her safety.
“Your equipment, how much damage?”
“Azagor is separating the working equipment and listing all the malfunctioning devices.”
“Five other colonies reported malfunctions.”
“How did we suffer an equipment malfunction?” Zurian asked. “I have never heard of such a thing happening.”
“We caught the Zyrgin responsible,” the leader said.
“A Zyrgin did this?” Zacar asked.
They had suspected treason but he and Zacar both thought it was sabotage on one of the conquered worlds.
“It was a deliberate act of treason.” The leader paced in front of them and Zacar and Zurian exchanged uneasy glances. “From preliminary reports, it seems the problem is higher up than the technicians. The chief of production had tried to warn me but I was blocked from talking to him.” The leader’s smile was all teeth. “The traitor imagined I did not know what happens in my own empire.”
“Someone dared speak for you?”
That was an offence punishable by death. By law, anyone might approach the leader. If it had to do with the well-being of warriors, a technician would never be refused an audience.
“He will soon beg for death,” the Zyrgin said.
“Can you understand them?” Julia whispered to someone behind him.
Zurian had read of a human expression that said your blood froze in your veins with fear. He’d scoffed at the human weakness. Now he realized it was a physical phenomenon that could even happen to a Zyrgin.
He was cursed with a breeder who could break into the control room while still recovering from brain surgery. He saw Zacar stiffen and they took a step closer to each other, trying to look as if they’d shifted their weight and stood should to shoulder. Zurian stood so tall he thought his neck might permanently stretch into odd proportions.
“That raises an interesting point,” Zacar said and Zurian hoped he had succeeded in keeping the leader’s attention on them. “The explorers have a technique to keep a prisoner alive for many months while still administering extreme torture.”
“Why are you telling me this? Have you managed to capture one of those purple freaks?” the leader asked, still pacing.
“No, my leader, we have had a communication from the explorer,” Zacar said.
Zurian could feel Zacar’s tension. His own heart was beating double time. He couldn’t even remember a rumor of a time when a breeder had dared approach a control room.
“I think he’s bigger than the others,” Natalie whispered.
Did the stupid woman not realize, after so long with Zacar, that Zyrgins had exceptional hearing. At least Julia had the sense to keep quiet. The leader’s hologram continued to pace up and down before them. Zurian and Zacar tried to broaden themselves as well as standing taller.
“Such respect from my warriors,” the leader said oh so softly.
“Let get out of here, I can’t understand a word they’re saying and
that big dude is scary.”
“Yes, let’s go before he sees us.”
If the breeders would stop their infernal whispering, they might all leave this control room alive.
“Too late, I have already seen you. Present yourselves,” the leader said in perfect English and Zurian heard Julia draw a deep breath.
He stepped forward. “My leader, I take full responsibility for this breach of security.”
Julia came to stand next to him, her shoulder just above his elbow. “It’s not Zurian’s fault. I was tinkering with his handheld and then Natalie invited me for tea. I thought about this room and I sort of just tinkered a bit with the door.” She looked around the control room, obviously determined to see enough to get her killed.
“I will take her punishment, my leader,” Zurian said, also in English.
“Punishment? What punishment?” Julia squealed.
If they needed to make a quick getaway, he could make her scream and they could run while it incapacitated the other Zyrgins, he thought with inappropriate humor.
“This is a secure area. Anyone caught here is put to death,” the leader said and watched her with an intentness Zurian did not like.
She moved closer to Zurian, almost disappearing behind him. Then she lifted her chin and pushed her shoulders back. Zurian had this overwhelming urge to just fall on the leader’s sword and get it over with.
“You cannot blame, Zurian. I’m a terribly nosy woman--uh--I mean breeder. But I plan to be much better in the future,” she promised earnestly.
Their leader might think she was promising to be less nosy but Zurian knew her well enough to know she was devious and meant, in the future, she would still be nosy but did not plan to get caught.
The leader turned to Zacar. “Why don’t you introduce your breeder, as well?”
Zurian and Zacar exchanged uneasy glances. This was not normal behavior. The Zyrgin had killed over smaller issues.
Breeders were only ever introduced to the Zyrgin during formal festivals and events. And then, rarely, only at his invitation.
Zacar led Natalie forward and the two women moved closer to each other. Once again, it was Julia who spoke out of turn.
“It really isn’t Natalie’s fault. She only came along because--uh--because I was determined to see what’s behind the door. You know, she has two little warriors she was good enough to breed for you people. Anyway, then I got the door open at that precise moment and it appeared as if she was doing a B and E with me, but she wasn’t.”
“B and E?” the leader asked.
He looked at Julia with an interest that did not sit well with Zurian.
“You know, breaking and entering.”
“What a quant way to describe treason,” the leader said smoothly.
Julia flinched and then lifted her chin. No doubt preparing to say something more that would get her killed.
Zurian didn’t think, just stepped in front of Julia and kneeled before his leader, vaguely aware that Zacar was doing the same.
“I will take the punishment--”
He broke off, stunned, when Julia came and knelt next to him, her face raised in earnest to the leader. “I am the only one here who should die for treason. Although, it wasn’t so much treason as curiosity.”
“I thought you said humans are cowardly,” the leader said in the old language while he stared down at Julia with a quizzical look.
Zurian knew the leader kept pets, and he fervently hoped the leader found Julia amusing, like his pets, but not amusing enough to want her for his own. Zurian would fight him to his last breath, but the Zyrgin was the strongest of them all.
“We found exceptional breeders,” Zacar said.
“Do you think they’re discussing putting our head on pikes,” she asked Natalie in a whisper.
Zurian closed his eyes but quickly opened them again in case he had to jump in front of her. There was a transport outside. If he could get her to the transport, he could maybe get her to a galaxy were the Zyrgin had no influence. The shuttles were designed to be able to go long distances, if needed, since they doubled as escape pods.
The Zyrgin threw his head back and laughed. Next to him Julia’s body jerked.
“They may go,” the leader said in Zyrgin, still chuckling.
Zurian didn’t try to tell her to leave. He simply took her arm and led her out. He nodded to Zacar who was doing the same. He took Julia to their dwelling.
“Wait here for me. Do not try to leave again.”
She nodded and he briefly put his forehead against hers. He left her and hoped this time she stayed put.
They returned to the control room to continue their meeting. Without referring to the breeders again, the leader continued in the old language. “The traitor sold the working devices to the Solarians and then rushed production into new ones using inferior materials and not doing proper testing.”
“He should have the death of an enemy of Zyrgin,” Zacar said. “He is a traitor to Zyrgin and should be punished accordingly. Zurian has suffered much because of this traitor.”
“He will be executed.”
“What about the devices sold to the Solarians?”
They had never allowed their technology to fall into the hands of other races. Technology from conquered planets was adapted to suit them, and they frequently stole technology from planets yet to be conquered. Zacar had recruited Azagor from the alien technology department shortly after his third change and just before they were to leave for their mission. They had hoped the planet they planned to conquer had technology he could adapt for Zyrgin use.
“I have dispatched warriors to retrieve it.”
“The Solarians will become a problem soon,” Zurian said. He merely voiced what they all knew.
“Plans are under way to deal with them.”
The Solarians had strong defenses and their technology was one of the most advanced in their galaxy. None of them mentioned that their leader’s continued unaccustomed leniency was at fault. They all knew the reason for his actions toward the Solarians.
“You will update the tactical databases with anything learned from the humans.” The leader looked at Zurian. “Your breeder will be all right?”
“Yes, my leader.” She’d better be, or he would personally go to the Solarian’s home planet and hunt down the people responsible for the malfunction.
“Her family presents a small threat to our occupation of Earth,” the leader said. “I believe they call themselves the Denver Corporation.”
Zurian stiffened. He’d hoped the Zyrgin would be unaware of Julia’s connection to them.
“We will deal with her family,” Zacar said.
“And if they need to be terminated, where will her loyalties lie?” the leader asked.
“I believe losing her family will sorely grieve her,” Zacar said. “I would never disobey an order my leader, but may I suggest an alternative?”
In Zurian’s opinion, the fact that they dared suggest alternative courses to plans showed their leader’s greatness. He was the first leader flexible enough to adapt to the changes happening all over their galaxy. Under his leadership, the harsh rule of colonies had eased.
“Go ahead.”
“They call themselves a corporation as if they are a business. In reality, it is a huge criminal organization. We can raid them, take their resources, and force them to battle us. They would appear the aggressors.”
“That is acceptable. What of this Parnell?”
“He is sending humans, soldiers, and Raiders to this location. Soon we will have a mighty battle.”
“Do you require additional warriors?”
Zacar stiffened. “No.”
“Very well,” the leader said. “Dismissed.”
They saluted and left the control room.
“You need to deal with your breeder,” Zacar told him.
“Only a woumber would punish a woman recovering from an operation.”
“I agree. But she
needs to understand the gravity of this situation. If he’d been in a different mood, he could’ve killed her.”
Zurian nodded and returned home. He stopped and stared at Julia who had opened one of his tablets and was peering at the insides, muttering to herself.
“Was a near death experience not enough for you?”
She jumped up and clutched her chest, saying some words his translator did not recognize. “Would you please learn to make a sound when you walk?” she then demanded. “You scared the wiring out of me.”
He enjoyed her reaction too much to ever stop, but he was not a stupid Zyrgin so he did not tell her this.
“Wait, did you say near death experience.”
“Yes.”
She took a step back. “You’d actually kill me.”
“You suggest I disobey a direct order.”
She made strange squeaking noise “He ordered you to kill me? What happens when you disobey a direct order?”
“I will be executed,” he told her.
“What? Just for refusing to kill your own breeder?”
He noticed how quick she was to use their word for her, now that she thought her life was in danger. “My leader ordered me to punish you.”
She did not need to know Zacar merely instructed him to make sure she understood the dangers.
“You’d hurt me?”
“No.”
She relaxed and smiled at him. “I knew you wouldn’t do something like that. You are too puffed up about honor and stuff like that.”
He suspected “puffed up” was some kind of insult.
“What do you suggest I do? I cannot disobey a direct order.”
None of the other warriors would believe this strange discussion with his breeder—the fact that she was disrespectful, and he was a deviant who enjoyed it, was for their dwelling only.
She put her hands on her hips and tapped her toe. “Well, you need to show that you were obedient and all that.” She paced a bit and then stopped and smiled at him. “I can go without food for a few days.” She squeezed her hips and scowled down. “Couldn’t hurt,” she mumbled.
“I would never starve you. Do you think me a woumber?”
