To Clan and Conquer (Clan Beginnings)

by Tracy St. John

  Sweet fire pooled at the base of his front cock. Degorsk was coming. As if in slow motion, he felt the delicious burning slide up the shaft, filling it up as a muscular contraction squeezed it tight.

  Thick streams pulsed out, fountaining as he shrieked. Bursts of agonized elation poured out, raining down on the seat before him. There was a low roar behind him, and the throb of Lidon’s eruption inside his ass joined in. The Nobek’s howl rang in his ears.

  Degorsk’s body sagged in Lidon’s grip as the last expulsions left his body. It was only then that he realized he had come without a hand on his cocks.

  Lidon pulled free in a stream of cum. “Damn, I haven’t gotten off that hard in a long time,” he said. He stood, tucking himself back into his formsuit.

  Tranis had two handfuls of cloths he’d found in one of the bins. He wiped the seat clean and tossed them away. Then he opened the crotch of his formsuit, letting his rigid cocks spring free. “Lie on your side, Imdiko.”

  Degorsk was a shaking mess after the one-two punch of punishment and fucking. However, he obeyed without a thought against the Dramok’s orders, though he actually fell over instead of gracefully lying down.

  It wasn’t unheard of for military discipline to include the miscreant servicing those involved in carrying out his punishment. Degorsk had expected to be fucked following the beating.

  He lay on his right side, his legs bent up. Tranis knelt just behind his aching ass and lifted the top leg, settling it in the crook of his arm. He braced his other hand next to Degorsk’s head and leaned over him. The Dramok brushed a gentle kiss on his cheek.

  “You are a gorgeous man, Imdiko. The sight of this amazing ass under the strap is one I will never forget.”

  Degorsk blinked up at him and smiled. As far as punishments went, he thought things hadn’t been so bad after all.

  Tranis rooted his primary dick in Degorsk’s ass and sighed, his lips curving into a smile. His hand closed around the Imdiko’s front cock and held tight, stroking from base to tip. Heat immediately made Degorsk’s cocks hard again. He gasped and gave Tranis startled eyes.

  The Dramok chuckled. “I thought you might not be quite done. Spilling when no one is even touching your prick? That’s a lot of need, you know.”

  “Fuck,” Degorsk groaned. “I don’t know if I can stand anymore.”

  “You might have to take another nap,” Tranis agreed. “Or you could have a stim tab. I’ve got a few with me.”

  “You rely on those too much.” Degorsk was having trouble keeping up with the conversation. Tranis’ grip was firm on him, making it hard to think as his hand moved up and down the medic’s cock.

  “Nag.”

  “Stubborn, crack-skull.” The insult came out breathily without the slightest bit of venom.

  “Ready for me to fuck you?”

  “Always.” The word fell out before Degorsk could censor it.

  Tranis chuckled and kissed him again. He drew his hips back, making his dick slide deliciously through Degorsk’s channel. Then he rammed back in, simultaneously hitting the hot spot inside and the Imdiko’s sore ass cheeks. Degorsk wailed.

  “That’s it. Feel it all.” Tranis grunted as his groin slapped hard against bruised flesh.

  Degorsk could only lie there and take it, ache and bliss churning down low in his loins, roiling in that spot beneath his cocks once more. Tranis leaned all his weight on him, pinning the Imdiko and making him helpless. The Dramok’s hand whipped up and down his cock, stimulating Degorsk until he could barely draw breath. Desperate need closed over him again, stealing all rational thought as Tranis fucked him hard and fast, making that hard ball of fire grow until it seared a new path up his cock. Degorsk screamed piercingly.

  Hot cum splattered his stomach and chest as he released. Tranis kept pumping the medic’s cock in his fist until the last drop had been milked. Then he stiffened and groaned between gritted teeth as he shot into Degorsk’s ass, filling it with liquid heat.

  The Imdiko closed his eyes, enjoying the pulsing sensation of the cock inside him. Tranis was twice the Dramok of many he’d known, men decades older than him. Maybe age wasn’t supposed to be part of the equation. It sure hadn’t stopped Degorsk from falling in love with him.

  Still, Tranis had said he wasn’t looking to settle down yet, a completely understandable decision for someone building his career. Degorsk wondered how many years it would be before the gorgeous Dramok would declare his readiness to clan. He wondered if he dared to hope he and Lidon would still be around when that happened.

  Chapter 10

  Degorsk took one of Tranis’ stim tabs, getting him back up under his own power again. The hours passed as they waited for some sign of the destroyer or an attack force. The three men were glad to find food rations on the shuttle and that they were still edible. Tranis and Lidon lounged on the bench seat, its back raised once more. Degorsk ate standing up. It hurt too damned bad to sit.

  Yet the ongoing heat of his ass had him half-aroused again. The Imdiko thought he might continue misbehaving … in a couple of weeks or so. For now, he’d try to stay out of trouble with his companions. They had really worn him out, or at least it felt that way. Degorsk had seen the effects of truly severe disciplinary beatings, and he couldn’t imagine dealing with that kind of pain. The light touch of his tunic and trousers was something of a trial, even though he suspected Tranis and Lidon might have gone easy on him.

  They ate to the sound of the occasional hiss from the frequencies they monitored, hoping to hear something from Piras. After a few minutes of quietly eating cryo-preserved meats and vegetables, Tranis glanced up at Degorsk, who was doing a lot of shifting, trying to find a stance that put as little strain on his aching flesh as possible.

  Though the portable medical scanner had confirmed Degorsk had suffered no more than superficial bruising, Tranis’ tone was concerned. “How’s the ass, Degorsk?”

  “Perfect, judging from how hard it made you come.”

  Lidon snorted laughter at that jab then sobered. “You can take a pain inhibitor, Imdiko. As head of disciplinary action, I find you’ve suffered enough.”

  Degorsk raised an eyebrow. “That’s not regulation. The penalty for insubordination excludes pain relief.”

  “It also includes a much worse beating than you received. If we’d done it for real, you would be bleeding profusely and incapable of standing. What you got was just enough to satisfy Piras you were punished if your disobedience ever comes up.”

  Tranis sighed and tossed aside his meal container. “Which it will, since you have no good reason to be here. I can’t allow you to heal the evidence of discipline, but the captain doesn’t have to know you took something to remove the pain. Take the inhibitor, Degorsk. It’s not pleasant to watch you endure the misery.”

  Degorsk was touched that they’d gone easy on him, just as he’d suspected. Not that he was going to complain about it. He still bristled a little to know they offered him an out they’d never give themselves.

  He stuck his chin out. “Thanks for the consideration, but if you’re not ordering me to, I’d rather not.”

  Lidon arched an eyebrow at him. Tranis frowned.

  Degorsk shrugged. “I must have a streak of Nobek in me or something. The pain isn’t all bad, as far as I’m concerned.” He lifted the hem of his tunic a little.

  They looked at his crotch. Both men grinned.

  Lidon said, “So I see. I can’t wait to tell Piras what an idiot he is.”

  Tranis’ gaze was thoughtful. “I hope I’m never so stupid to give up someone of such worth.”

  He glanced at Lidon then looked again at Degorsk. The Imdiko’s heart sped up. Was Tranis interested in them? Before Degorsk could come up with some goofball remark that would ruin the moment, Captain Piras’ voice spoke, bringing the other two to their feet.

  “Piras to Commander Tranis.”

  Tranis and Lidon were in the piloting chairs in an instant. “Tranis here, Captain.”r />
  “We are under attack. I repeat, we are under attack and heading in. Five enemy craft have been engaged, one destroyed. Is the colony evacuated?”

  “Yes, Captain.” Tranis exchanged a look with Lidon. They appeared excited, while Degorsk felt a sick roll in his stomach. Despite his hatred of too many casualties, he should be on that destroyer, treating the wounded. Damn Piras for putting him off the ship. The man was an unmitigated asshole.

  Tranis was continuing to talk while he and Lidon scanned space. “Return as fast as you can. We have a defense set up. Sending coordinates now.”

  After a moment, Piras replied. “Copy that, on our way. I’m not sure we’ll make it or that your defense will be of any use.”

  Lidon asked, “Who is the enemy?”

  “Tragooms. Weaponry is of Bi’isil, Adraf, Dantovonian, and Yeknas origin. They also have a fully intact and functioning Earther battlecruiser.”

  Lidon’s eyes brightened. “Transmit stats on that Earther ship, Weapons Sub-commander.”

  Another voice spoke up. “Acknowledged, sir. Transmitting now.”

  A new free-floating vid sprang up among the others. It looked like so much babble to Degorsk, but Lidon and Tranis leaned forward excitedly, pouring over the information.

  Tranis unleashed a string of expletives that would have made a more stressed Degorsk proud. He had apparently forgotten the shuttle’s com link to the destroyer was still open.

  Piras managed to sound amused. “My thoughts exactly, Commander Tranis. It’s huge and heavily armed. Definitely more than enough to put us down.”

  Tranis flushed a little at his oversight. “Time of arrival, Captain?”

  “Fifty clicks, if we can keep ahead of that Earther ship. I think we can outrun it if we don’t lose anymore engines, and we’re keeping the other three enemy craft busy with our single-man fighters. I’ll keep the channel open so you can monitor the situation. If we don’t make it, get those colonists headed towards the fleet.”

  “Understood. Good luck, Captain.” Tranis cut transmission to the destroyer while leaving monitoring open. He looked again at the alien battlecruiser’s information. “Will this shielding work against that Earther ship?”

  Lidon pursed his lips. “The weaponry isn’t exactly cutting-edge. The technology is a few decades behind ours. There’s just so much of it. If they unleashed everything at once, it would probably short the shielding out.”

  Degorsk knew he didn’t have nearly the expertise as the other two and he certainly didn’t understand the diagnostics that were giving them pause. He couldn’t help but say, “Um, can I make a point that’s probably already occurred to you both?”

  Tranis glanced at him with interest. “Go right ahead. All input is encouraged.”

  Degorsk said, “Piras came upon five ships, including that Earther one. Tragooms don’t get along well enough to work together like that.”

  Lidon nodded. “Usually, no. Once in a great while it does happen though.”

  “As you’ve mentioned before, and I’ll buy that. But from what I’m picking up from your conversation, this Earther battlecruiser is big. Can I assume it will take a large crew to run it? A really, really large crew?”

  Lidon looked over the information again. “To fly such a ship and use all its weaponry, yes. It would take a great number of people.”

  “Maybe too many for a Tragoom leader to bribe enough of a crew to run it effectively?”

  “Perhaps, but I don’t believe in luck.” Lidon seemed to be considering Degorsk’s suggestion carefully. He opened the com link. “Weapons Subcommander, send me the data of the Earther battlecruiser’s attack on our destroyer.”

  “Data transmitting now, Commander.”

  A new readout appeared, and again Lidon and Tranis looked over the information carefully.

  “Laser cannons, plasma guns, and percussion explosives. No fighters, though it should have a complement of hundreds,” Tranis mused.

  Lidon jerked a nod. “The weapons that were used were fired at a quarter of the ship’s abilities. Degorsk may be right that the cruiser is undermanned.”

  “With the other three ships, it’s still more than enough firepower to take out our stations one at a time. Along with a colony’s defensive shielding, such as what we have here. Then a single battle drone takes out the entire colony itself.”

  “But the Tragooms don’t know we’ve set this surprise up. They won’t be expecting it. We still have a decent chance with this tactic, Commander.”

  Tranis snorted. “I’ll take even a not-so-decent chance. Waiting for Piras is going to be taxing in the meantime.”

  Degorsk sighed. “So we’re essentially screwed? Well, at least I got decently laid before I die.”

  The other two men rolled their eyes and shook their heads, but neither of them could keep from smiling.

  * * * *

  Lidon forced himself to put Degorsk to the back of his mind and concentrate on the transmissions coming from the destroyer. Piras’ open channel fed him every moment of the running battle. After a few minutes of helpless listening, the Nobek had to stand and pace to bleed out the tension. Every report and order fed his growing need to do something.

  “Earther battlecruiser continues to fall behind, Captain.”

  “Not far enough. It will still be on our heels when we get to Wetor.”

  “Incoming fire from the Yeknas vessel!”

  “Brace for impact.”

  “Damage to port cargo holds. No essential systems affected.”

  “Fighters, concentrate main fire on the Yeknas ship.”

  “Yeknas continuing to gain.”

  “Dantovonian ship trying to flank.”

  “Evasive.”

  “Incoming fire.”

  “One engine hit. Loss of fifty percent of its power. Re-routing system.”

  “Fighters converging on Yeknas. It is dropping back.”

  Tranis had also gotten up from his piloting chair. He leaned against the back of it, his head down, arms folded over his chest as he listened. “I’m surprised the Tragooms don’t send out fighters after ours. That’s all that’s keeping them from taking out the destroyer.”

  Lidon nodded. “I think Degorsk had it absolutely right. They don’t have the crew to spare. They weren’t ready for destroyer-class fighter squads.”

  Degorsk said, “It’s like they were here simply to punch a hole in the Empire’s defensive boundaries and not looking to engage right away. But four colonies and half a dozen defense stations scattered hours across … that’s a big fucking hole. What are they hoping to send in?”

  Lidon and Tranis stared at him. Then Tranis spoke, his tone disbelieving. “That can’t be. Tragooms absolutely cannot band together well enough to attempt an invasion of that size and scope.”

  He looked at Lidon, his face pale. A shudder went through the Nobek, though he didn’t show it on the outside. Tranis was right about the absurdity of a Tragoom invasion, of course. But the Tragooms did have the numbers if the impossible was ever to happen. And the signs were there.

  Lidon said, “They aren’t taking spoils. There were five ships before Piras took one out. They weren’t fully manned, but they wouldn’t have to be to knock out as much of the perimeter as they have. Instead of running now that they’ve been seen, they’re trying to take out the destroyer, perhaps hoping to silence it before it can alert anyone.”

  Tranis looked ill and pissed off all at once. “Only a small attack force to start with because a full-scale invasion would set off our sensors with plenty of time for our forces to mobilize. Take out those sensors, and we have no idea what’s coming before it’s already deep into Empire space.”

  “Leaving us scrambling to defend our territory. With potentially catastrophic results.”

  Degorsk scowled. “We should take prisoners and interrogate them.”

  Lidon gave him a vicious smile. “Tragooms are thieves and liars. They’ll tell us nothing of interest. ‘Let those of no
nexistent virtue be exiled for the preservation of the people.’ Or exterminated.”

  The Imdiko sighed. “I am so far out of my element when it comes to Tragooms.”

  “Not at all.” Lidon could have kissed the man right now and not just because Degorsk was his lifemate. “You saw clearly what was staring us in the face all along. The rest of us are blinded by our so-called ‘knowledge’ of Tragoom tactics. Some chieftain of that misbegotten race has actually pulled enough of them together to challenge us.”

  He was interrupted as the destroyer’s transmissions turned frantic.

  “Direct hit!”

  “Damage report.”

  “All starboard engines offline. Down to forty percent power.”

  “Dantovonian vessel coming in.”

  “All weapons stations, concentrate on Dantovonian vessel. Fire at will.”

  “Fighters, keep the other ships off us.”

  More orders. More reports of damage. Lidon stood absolutely still, his fists clenched at his sides, able to do nothing but listen as the destroyer fought for its life. Tranis was in a similar stance. Degorsk’s eyes were wide with fear and he was chewing on his lower lip.

  “Dantovonian ship hit. All power systems offline. It’s drifting, Captain.”

  “Resume heading, as fast as you can go.”

  Degorsk relaxed a little. “That’s two Piras has taken out. He’ll get decorated for sure if he survives this.”

  On the heels of that, another transmission made the Imdiko tense again. “Maximum speed is only forty percent, Captain. What engines we’ve got left are full out.”

  “Earther battlecruiser is catching up, sir. We may not get to Wetor’s defensive shielding before it is within firing range.”

  “Do your best. It’s all we’ve got at this point.” Piras’ voice never wavered for an instant. “We’re still here, Commander Tranis. ETA, ten clicks.”

  Lidon and Tranis sat back down at the console. Degorsk stood behind them, staring at the vids.

  Tranis unmuted his com. “We’re ready for you, Captain. All you have to do is get behind the defensive system satellites, and you’re safe.”