by Cher Hollis
When they met, the lightness of her face was slightly red. He’d seen the Variants that way before and they called it excitement.
“Will this do, Khan?” Balice asked.
His voice was tense, as he harshly demanded, “And the price, Balice.”
For one click, Balice looked like an Esa he’d thundered at, and then she seemed to gain control, looking up at him while she slowly pulled the long cloth she wore open. Inside, there was nothing covering the white curves of her body.
Khan was rocked that Balice would trick him into seeing a thing so striking. He stomped closer, and the force of it made her close the cloth and step back from him.
“I fight to the end this cycle! No dance. No Talis!” he thundered.
Yet she did not shrink away, as any Esa he’d just shouted at would do. Instead, she became braver and lifted her small height, without fear, to look up at him.
“You do not frighten me, Khan.” She raised her small chin. “I know what I can do to you, in one second. So stop growling at me!” Her tempting lips pushed forward. “Khan, you made the bargain, remember? Now can we go?”
Khan gazed down on the little creature, which he knew he could squash without much effort, and he liked her unsupported bravery. He leaned closer and shadowed her smaller shape, as he ordered, “You will do as I command or I cannot vow that your existence will survive.”
She tilted her head to look up at him. “I promise to follow your commands, Khan. Can we go now?”
Balice decided that the Esa bred for battle were rough and crude, not unlike many human men she’d had to deal with. That night though, Khan seemed to have more of the primal animal in him. Khan stepped back and another growl rolled from his massive chest, and then he turned and strode down the corridor.
Khan stopped outside the entrance, and Balice caught up to him, out of breath. She saw they were there before any other Esa had arrived, and she watched Khan’s black eyes as they shifted down to her.
“What of Korpal, Balice?” he asked, surprising her with the question. They were both taking a daring chance, because if Korpal found out she had coerced Khan into this, Korpal would be livid. And she didn’t think Korpal would like the price she paid. A price that excited her so much that probably made her more reckless.
“He’s too busy to see I’m gone, and he will never find out from me that I’ve been here,” she promised, or they would both be in danger, which made the thrill of it even more daring.
“That must be true, Balice,” Khan warned.
It made Balice angry that Khan would question her trust. Hadn’t he realized she would be in as much trouble as he would, if Korpal found out she was there?
“I’d be more worried about him finding out what I’m going to give you for this, than the idea I’ll see your mysterious games,” she said with some anger.
Balice noticed that Khan completely ignored her fit of anger, because he started giving her instructions.
“We are here first. You will not leave until all Esa are gone. I will come for you. Stay far back and hidden, until the game starts. Never let an Esa see you here. No noise, Balice. Can you do that?”
“I will do as you command, Khan,” she said. “Did I hear the translator right that you will fight to the death?”
She had assumed knowing the Esa, that the fights would be violent, but she hadn’t known some would be to the death. It made her hesitate.
“Yes,” Khan said. The click he made for the word was deep and the translation was even deeper in her ear.
“I want you to win, Khan. I know you will,” she said. “Only, why is it to the death? This isn’t a war?”
Khan rumbled deeply. It felt as if a mighty spike of Talis had shot through him because Balice was certain he would win. He waited before he answered her, not used to sharing with a female. They were still unknown, even though very good to be close too.
“I command the Esa. There are Esa who try to take my command. They need to end my existence to have it. I take the challenges. They make my command strong.”
“I understand,” she said. “You are a great warrior, and I will be so happy to see you win.”
Balice’s eyes showed the truth of what she said, and Khan felt more unknown pleasure move inside him that had nothing to do with looking at her or the feel of her strong Talis. But he tried to contain it, as he ordered her to a dark corner on one of the many decks around the battle circle, where the opening had been draped with cloth.
“Flagg will guard the other side of this cloth when I go. He will let no Esa enter here.”
For the next thirty minutes, Balice stood in the shadows with Khan at her side as the decks above, below, and next to her filled with the massive Esa. Her hiding place was under the first level of the Kalic, which was a place that had held K-4 fighters, but had been cleared for the Esa games.
The decks curved around the walls and surrounded an open circular area, which was like an arena floor below where she stood hiding. When the time came, all overhead lights were turned off, except for in the center of the makeshift arena floor.
That covering of darkness let Balice step forward. She knew she wasn’t a shrinking flower, and she craved excitement. So that night she wouldn’t disappoint the mighty Khan—she would show him how brave and daring she could be.
As she watched, it started out mildly enough with bouts of wrestling. Her translator couldn’t pick up what the Esa were shouting on every side of her. She could only detect throngs of clicks, growls, and snarls. But as she watched, she saw that the Esa contestants were surprisingly agile for their height and powerful bulk.
Khan stood behind Balice, and he battled a fierce war as he watched her. It was a battle between the hot rise of Talis and his need to be ready for his challenges. He knew he should leave the female, to prepare for his fights. Two Esa challenged him, and he would fight them at the same time.
Yet Balice’s Talis was strong—and more, her existence by his side held him. The height of his structure shielded her from view and let her stay forward to see below. The dark cloth she wore covered her well in the darkened outer rims of The Game’s.
Still, he could see her excited looks and the star-white skin on her face. He wanted the cloth she wore to fall to the ground, so he could look longer at the unknown he’d seen under it. The vibration inside him droned deeper with his stubborn thoughts.
Balice started to jump in excitement, and Khan could see she was about to call out when she shoved a bit of the cloth she wore into her mouth. He was impressed with her wisdom—she could be trusted to keep her vow to remain hidden and silent. Except for the jumping.
Khan thought she could be braver because he stood next to her. But he didn’t want to fight an entire legion of Esa to remove her, if her arousing presence were found. He could feel how powerful battle-lust and the new female Talis were together. The need to touch Balice was strong.
He finally reached out one stout red limb and he clamped it around her small body, then he pulled her back against his bulk.
“You will be more careful, little Balice.”
His translation was to the top of her head, while his upper limb flexed over the two enticing mounds she had. Strange stirrings battled through him. She moved those firm mounds in his tightening hold, as stronger pleasure edged through him from the first feel of her pressed to him.
It wasn’t her pale flesh that excited him, which he’d thought about touching for many clicks, but it was her tempting shape he could feel through the light cloth she wore. She was so small for his size and he heard her release a breath. It was a sign that his order would be followed, and she gave up her wasted struggle and pressed into him.
Balice felt the strength of Khan’s arm as he held her and she relaxed slightly in his one-armed embrace. She had been getting carried away. The wrestling bouts were exciting. The Esa appeared powerfully built and muscular, but in fact were very agile.
The next contestants had entered the arena and each
of them carried the Esa version of a sword. The noise of the Esa spectators had grown louder, and it filled her with contagious exhilaration.
“Will they kill each other?” she asked Khan in awe, as she tried to tilt her head back on his chest to talk up at him.
“No, the first to spill essence wins the challenge.”
Balice stuffed the cape back into her mouth and prepared to watch the match. The swords clashed together driven by the force of each opponent. The surrounding Esa banged for more, and Balice’s excitement grew as she picked the one she thought would win. When the Esa drew the first essence, as Khan had called it, the match was over.
Each event stopped with the first draw of essence, and Balice noticed that Esa blood flowed as red as humans, while she enjoyed the combat and admired their demonstrations of skill. It was worth the price, she decided, as exhilaration heated her cheeks.
“I leave, Balice,” Khan said, as he set her down on her feet. “You will remain hidden and silent. None can control the Esa when they are full of fighting rage.”
Balice obediently pulled the hood more securely around her head. “I will, Khan. I promise.”
She thought Khan’s slightly curved eyes looked more vivid than usual as he stood and looked down at her for several moments with his deep rumbling drone an exciting sound around them.
“When will you fight?” she asked, with a hitch in her breath.
“The death battles are next. I fight last. It is my right.” Then Khan slowly turned away from her and his carved, armor-like body moved with fluid power as he pushed through the concealing curtain.
“Please be careful,” Balice whispered after him, then she turned back to the death challenges about to begin.
What followed next was beyond any horror she could imagine. There was bout after bout of murderous annihilations as Esa essence flowed red across the arena floor. Unable to watch, Balice cowered back and shoved the edge of her cape into her mouth so she wouldn’t scream, as the exhilaration she’d felt earlier floundered terribly.
As each new bout began, she forced herself to step forward, while white and shaking, to see if it was Khan’s turn. When it wasn’t, she returned to hide. Even a battle-scarred human soldier would have had a hard time watching the terrible carnage that happened below her.
Balice found watching the Esa spectators just as horrendous. They were worked into amazing frenzies. She wished she hadn’t been as foolish as begging to come to The Games, and wished she could run away. But then, she thought about—
Khan.
She knew him, and she was surprised to find she didn’t want him to be hurt.
A new bout was about to begin, and she pressed forward to see if it was Khan. Immediately, she saw the black armband of central command; however, even in the sea of replicas she would always know it was Khan.
She realized she was terrified for him—she didn’t want him to die. So she watched with stricken fascination and held back her gasp of shock when she saw Khan had refused the use of weapons. He didn’t even wear his Eslic or Esloc.
“No, no,” she whispered. She couldn’t watch, but she couldn’t stop.
He was magnificent as he strode with animal power to the center of the arena floor, where he bent his knees into a half crouch, which accentuated his armored haunches made of tight crimson. He raised his long arms out for balance and the action swelled the flexible plates of his redden biceps and expanded the roped bands in his forearms. His long head rotated back and forth slowly with his piercing eyes ready.
Thoughts of an alien predator at the peak of virility flashed through Balice’s mind. Her heart leaped and she trembled with half longing and half fear as the power of the moment held her suspended.
The gallery grew silent as Khan’s two Esa opponents entered. Balice’s mind froze when she realized Khan would be fighting two at once. One of the Esa chose a sword, extended to its full length. The other chose an Eslic with its three pointed lancets. The challengers began circling Khan slowly and he followed each turn, as he seemed to wait for their first move.
The Esa with the sword attacked with a lunge, and Khan sidestepped the sword’s lethal point. Then Khan fell into a roll as the other Esa threw his Eslic and it barely missed Khan’s head. The roll carried Khan to the feet of the Esa, who had thrown the Eslic. In one fluid motion, Khan was on his feet and turned with his hand outstretched to catch the automatically returning arc of the Eslic.
Khan caught the Eslic and swung it low, anticipating the Esa behind him crouching. Khan sliced the Eslic through his opponent’s thick neck, and he continued his follow-through with his arm fully extended. He released the Eslic—it flew like a shot and buried itself into the chest of the sword wielding Esa. That Esa fell back onto the deck with an enormous thud.
Thundering for the fight faded in waves as the quickness of the confrontation caused a delayed reaction. Then a resounding uproar shook the arena, as Khan with his arms held high circled in victory. Balice was stunned and she felt her heart pound with amazement at Khan’s ability.
After that, the Esa spectators steadily made their way out of the gallery, and Balice still shivered with excitement, while she waited in her hiding place and listened to their departure. After a while, it seemed to take so long for Khan to appear, she started to wonder if she should try to leave by herself.
But she remembered her promise to Khan, and then she heard movements on the other side of the cloth hiding her cove.
Khan had ordered Flagg to push every Esa from the area, and then to close the docking gates, guarding them so none could enter. If Flagg wondered at the strange orders, he did not show it. He understood Khan enough not to ask.
Then with energy still vibrating through him from battle, Khan reached the hanging cloth and jerked it aside with a fierce pull. As the drive of victory thundered through him, he took a forceful step toward Balice.
“I will have the price, Balice. Now.”
Balice backed up at his fierceness, and she exclaimed, “Not here, Khan. It is too open and there is Esa blood everywhere. I cannot dance here.”
Khan’s reaction was swift and decisive. He jerked his large alien hand forward and ripped the cloth from her, then he tossed it over the railing to fall below. Balice cried out as she backed away, while she tried to hide her uncovered body with her hands.
Khan’s vision filled with her and the sight pounded through his mighty bulk, as his voice boomed, “You wanted to see the games. You made a bargain. I battled to the death, ending two Esa who tried to take my command. I still command all Esa. I fought strong. Now, I will have my price from you, Balice!”
Balice stared up at Khan and saw his great chest heave as an air of alien power vibrated from him. She knew she had no choice, as she stood before his inhuman power. She’d made the foolish bargain to begin with.
But she also knew one thing better than him and his alien dominance. She knew who really held the power between them, so she unashamedly let her hands fall away from her bare breasts.
Finally, Khan looked as if he hesitated, while a thunderous drone vibrated from his chest.
Balice started to sway from side-to-side as she raised her arms over her head. Then she tiptoed slowly toward him.
“Watch closely, Khan. You’ve never seen this before.”
Event Three: Bo (Variant Mission)
It began to dawn on Vytor that he was completely alone and totally isolated. The realization came about slowly through the madness that had seized him, until it remained his only coherent thought.
“What have I done?” he cried into the echoing silence of his mind.
He tried desperately to catch one Makkars thought. But his mind flew against the blocked links of all Makkars as if ricocheting sharply off solid surfaces. Not one of his Circle Brothers would open up to him.
He was lost.
He was living with quietness so deep, so encompassing, he couldn’t have imagined such a horrific state of being. The soul wrenching humilia
tion of being alienated from his Circle Generation and his entire race shook him to the core.
Vytor knew his shame was horrendous; a shame that made his banishment from his link with the Makkars worse.
That shame drove him away.
He fashioned a ship. Pulling together what bits of sane thought he had left and he assembled a vessel molded for one Makkar. The vessel was an extension of his essence. It was his dynamism wrapped around a tangible framework of molded metal, giving it the anatomy of form.
When he’d finished, he merged with the form of his ship. Then he was a fusion of matter and antimatter, creating a fabric for his new life.
Never before had one Makkar ventured alone without his Circle around him.
It was a pioneer effort and what was once Vytor could be seen spiraling through the blackness of space as a brilliantly lit green star.
His name was Colonel Bo Wyatt, and Cassie thought that even though United Earth Defenses had assigned him there, Colonel Wyatt was clearly not happy about it. Although, Cassie wondered if his rugged features ever showed anything but sternness. He looked to be about her age of mid-thirties, but she’d known by the particular color of his silver-gray hair that he was a Variant, so logically that meant he would be older than she was.
He was well over six-foot tall with broad-shoulders and a muscular build typical of the men from his genetically enhanced race. His light silver hair was cropped short in a military buzz-cut, but it was his eyes that had caught her off guard. They were a magnetic and compelling blue.
She’d immediately felt uncomfortable under his intense scrutiny, and she strangely wished she could get rid of the frumpy disguise she’d been wearing.
“As I said, Colonel Wyatt, your new assignment is to escort Miss Ela Cassandra De La Fluenta to the U.S.S. Regan.” Lt. Colonel Black leaned back in the dispatch chair behind the wide terminal desk in his private office. “The Regan is now stationed in the fifth quadrant of The Way. And, for this covert mission Miss De La Fluenta will be using the alias Private Cassie Ramona.”
