by Shae Mills
Jim staggered backward and stumbled down the stairs that led into his living room. Korba shut the door with calculated precision and then stood very still. Jim regained his footing and held onto the back of the couch for support.
Chelan stared at the Warlord, his face hidden. His English was flawless, but the Iceanean accent was unmistakable. Chelan knew he was perfectly capable of eradicating it but had chosen not too. Just what country he could have emanated from was impossible to deduce, but something of Russian descent was close.
Chelan looked to Jim, his skin nearly as white as his shirt. “Ah, Jim. I’d like to introduce you to...” She stopped, her mouth agape. She looked up at Korba and then smiled. “By the way, who the hell are you?”
Jim’s jaw dropped. “Don’t you know him?” he squeaked.
Chelan looked to Jim casually. “Well, yes. He’s my husband. But explaining him creates somewhat of a difficult situation.”
Jim’s wide eyes stared at the eerie shroud. Chelan’s trained eye caught a chuckle beneath the garment, but it was nothing Jim would ever detect.
Slowly, Korba reached for his hood and drew it back. Chelan’s reaction was probably no less intense than Jim’s. It was at this moment, on her home ground, next to Jim, that she realized fully just how utterly alien Korba was. She shuddered. But Jim was frozen.
Korba’s azure eyes pierced the man. His gaze did not waver as he deftly swung his shroud from his shoulders. Tossing it to the side, he removed from behind his back a large rifle-like lazgun.
Jim’s eyes widened farther, the glazed orbs nearly popping from their sockets.
Chelan remained quiet as she studied the two. There was simply no contest, weapons or not. Through the black Imperial uniform there was no disputing the presence of every taut, concrete-hard muscle. And in the subdued lighting of the room, Korba’s eerie catlike eyes cut through all that lay within their path. His thick long hair, shimmering with an unreal iridescence, framed his flawless bronze face. Though his stance was relaxed, the lazgun cradled in his massive arms, his air was that of indisputable dominance. A ferocity emanated from him, a fact that appeared not to be lost on Jim.
Chelan straightened slightly, remembering her first few days on RIBUS 7 as a captive, and she shivered involuntarily. If only she had known then the true specter of all that swirled about her! As it had been, she had been just as shocked as Jim at the sight of this alien man.
She cleared her throat, not knowing exactly what to say or do. Finally, she looked up at the unwavering Warlord. “Ah, my Lord, may I introduce you to an old acquaintance, Jim Ruthers.”
Jim looked at Chelan frantically. “Where the hell did you pick him up from, a freak show?”
Chelan looked at the disheveled executive. “Space, actually.”
Unexpectedly, Jim’s face cracked a smile as the planes of his jaw hardened. “Ah, now it’s clear.” He released the couch and stepped up to her. “You hired some clown to come here and intimidate me for some perceived wrongs of the past, hey?”
Chelan did not like the sarcastic emphasis Jim placed on the word perceived, and once again her anger fledged. “Look, you stupid ass. Would I hire someone over six years later to come here and threaten you? What would I accomplish by that?”
“I don’t know. Maybe it’s just taken you that long to find the nerve to confront me again.”
Chelan turned to square off with him, her face red with rage. “Years ago, Korba’s comrade Dar—Jason, to you—rescued me from you on more than one occasion. Dar was subsequently killed in battle. The details are of no consequence to you. It’s only now that I’ve been afforded the opportunity to come here and deal with you again.” She glanced back at Korba. “But just why I’ve come here to contaminate myself with your presence is not altogether clear.”
Jim’s anger was festering. “Not only were you off your rocker six years ago, now you’re positively schizophrenic. You’re a raving loony! Space? Who do you think I am, some lowlife idiot?”
Chelan grinned. “That’s pretty accurate of you, actually.”
Jim’s color had returned, and now he too was flushed with ire. He grabbed her by the arm and shoved her toward Korba. “Now, you will take your flunky and get out of my home before I get really angry and throw you out.”
Korba cocked an eyebrow. “And how would you propose to do that?”
“That’s it!” Jim shouted, and he headed for the phone. “I’m calling security. I don’t know how you got past them in the first place.”
The first muted shot obliterated the phone into a fine mist. The second shot hit Jim mid-back. The man crumpled to the floor like a discarded dishcloth. Chelan’s eyes bulged. “Oh my god, you killed him!”
Korba smirked. “I wish. No, he is only stunned.” And he walked over to the fallen figure and looked down at him.
Chelan clutched at her chest and then jumped as the front door opened. Another shroud entered and headed straight for Jim. Chelan watched as the warrior picked him up, slinging Jim’s limp body over his shoulder like a sack of flour. Then the warrior strode out of the apartment. Chelan’s jaw dropped. “W-what is happening?”
Korba swung his gun to his back and then smiled at her. “Jim is going for a ride. He is about to become a little more refined, a whole lot more enlightened, and definitely humbled.”
Chelan took a peek out the door but there was no one in sight. Korba donned his shroud and then ushered her out. He closed the door quietly. “Come on—it is time to go.”
“Go where?”
“You will see.”
Chelan followed obediently up the stairs to the roof, but her head was spinning. As they reached the top, she looked up just in time to catch a glimpse of a shadow disappearing into the night sky. Korba handed her her shroud, and in no time they were off, searing through Earth’s atmosphere.
Within moments Chelan felt the ship come to a rest. As the ebony hood slid back, Chelan realized she was still on Earth. No wonder he had not given her her uniform. She glanced up, instantly enchanted by the star display above her, pinpoints of light spread about like glitter on a velvet tapestry. She felt her Warlord’s hand under her arm, urging her to stand.
Chelan flinched and finally directed her attention to Korba as she rose. “Where are we?”
“You will see at dawn.” And he helped her out of the cockpit.
Chelan clutched at him, unable to see the lines of the ship, or Korba, for that matter. In the dead of night, the eerie blackness afforded both by the black material of his shroud and metal of the ship rendered them spectral holes enveloping her.
Finally, her feet touched terra firma. Korba led her slowly away from the ship and then pressed her to the ground. Chelan felt around, her fingers eventually encountering a tree, and she leaned back against it. “How long till dawn?”
“About four hours.”
Chelan blinked. “What do we do till then?
Korba chuckled. “We could do a lot if only you could see.”
Chelan stared at the shapeless form next to her. Her fist connected firmly with his midsection, a satisfying “oooh” reaching her ears. “I will point out that it is your fault, my Lord. It is you who lacked foresight and picked a handicapped alien for a mate.”
“Handicapped, hey? I can think of a few things we could do to wile away the hours, activities that do not require your vision.”
Chelan felt a spear of heat surge through her. “So could I,” she whispered, drawing him down on top of her.
THEIR TIME TOGETHER was slow and sensual. She lay naked upon his shroud, his body warming and shielding her from the cool night air. He paid slow, careful attention to every beautiful inch of her, especially her very full breasts. He was not sure how long they would be on Earth and, as a consequence, how long she would be away from Shanna. So to ease any discomfort during their visit, he drained her sweet milk, savoring every drop, every luscious sensation, every ounce of her gift to him.
As dawn approached, Chelan lay
cocooned in his shroud, nestled in the hollow of his shoulder, her eyes misted with love and tranquility.
Suddenly, she sat bolt upright and clutched at her pounding heart, her eyes wide. Korba drew in a deep breath and sat up beside her. She looked frantically from tall alpine fir to fir. Then she held very still, spying the rock peak that hovered shyly above the tree tops. She looked at him, her voice strained. “Why did we come here?”
Korba pushed to his feet and began dressing. “You know where we are?”
Chelan’s eyes welled. She swallowed a lump in her throat but remained silent. Then she reached for her clothes and scrambled into them. She wiped at her tears as she squatted down and tied her laces. The morning sun warmed her back, but it was of little consolation. Dressed, she straightened, and took full measure of her surroundings.
Korba stepped up beside her. He watched her carefully and then placed his hand on her rigid shoulder. “What do you feel?”
Chelan finally took a breath and acknowledged the sharp ache in her chest. “Happiness... and loss.” She hugged herself. “Warmth... and shock.”
She looked up into his azure eyes, his concern plainly etched in his handsome face. “Mostly, an overwhelming sense of sadness,” she added as she stared at him. “How did you know of this place?”
Korba glanced past her to the splendor of the upper alpine meadow. “Dar gave me the coordinates as soon as he told me all. I needed them in order to pick you up when I could.” He looked down at her. “That time never came.”
“Why did you want to come here?”
“I wanted to see where you had spent a time of your life, a time lost to me.”
“But why? Surely, this only serves to sadden you.”
“Oh no, my Lady,” Korba uttered. “This is a special place to me because much of this represents some of the happiest moments in your life.”
Chelan looked down as her hands met his. “And some of the worst,” she mumbled. “I lost Dar here, my freedom, and ultimately you and the Empire.”
“I did not mean to upset you, Chelan.”
She smiled up at him. “I know, I just...”
“You just what?”
She released him and peered about the meadow. She shivered. “I just do not know why you would bring me here.”
Korba stared at her back and spoke in a soft whisper. “I wanted you to have closure. And I wanted to experience you here as Dar had done. I wanted to love you in your domain.”
Chelan’s trepidation turned into a flood of warmth. “How was it?”
Korba surrounded her with his arms. “It was wonderful.” Then he turned her to him. “But now I would like to love you again in the warmth of the sun.”
Chelan hugged him close and then teased his lips with her tongue. “You will, my Lord, but not here.”
His hands traced over her pink cheeks. “And why is that, my Lady?”
Chelan braced herself. “Do you know of the other meadow?”
“Yes,” he answered simply.
Chelan smiled. “That is where Dar and I made love. That is where I became pregnant with Jason. I want to share that place with you, but first, I must deal with this spot and all its memories.”
Korba took a step back, his eyes soft. “As you wish, my Lady. I understand.”
Chelan stepped around him and then hugged herself tight. Here was where she had stayed with Dar before all hell had broken loose. Here was where he had left on his mission. And here was where Talon had dragged her back to just in time to witness the final carnage. Her eyes were wide as she circled the meadow, her more dire memories assaulting her.
Korba watched from where he stood, giving her time to assimilate all. Finally, stopping near the center of the clearing, she stood still. Without looking at him she spoke. “There. That is where the first shot hit. Both of Dar’s men were instantly killed.” She turned 180 degrees. “My doctor was behind me. When I turned, he was hit. His upper body vaporized.”
Her gaze rose and cast over the forest below Korba. “I ran, that way, and then down, but I did not get far.”
Korba took a step forward, but she raised her hand, the simple gesture halting his advance.
She turned again and glanced to her side. “Talon brought me back through there.” Then she faced her original direction, and pointed. “All Dar’s men were stacked there.” Her eyes narrowed and she exhaled slowly, her feelings temporarily ineffable. Her voice became a soft whisper upon the morning breeze. “Talon’s warriors fired upon their bodies... and everything was gone.”
Korba watched her with concern and then looked about him. To this day, he still didn’t understand how Talon’s men had been able to ambush them so easily. All Dar’s men were equipped with sensors. And the Warlord had set up satellite outposts on Earth, around the solar system and far beyond. Some warriors would have been stationed just over the mountain crest. Nothing could have made it past them. It was as if ghosts themselves had descended upon the Warlord’s men.
Korba looked back at the still woman.
Her voice was mellifluous and warm. “Nature is beautiful. She has healed all the wounds created so long ago.” She turned and smiled at Korba. “It was all so long ago.”
He took a step toward her and then froze at the frantic look that suddenly formed over her features. “What is it?” he asked warily.
“He is here.”
Korba’s eyes widened, the hair on his scalp prickling. “Who?” he whispered, reaching for the lazgun at his back.
“Fremma?” she croaked.
Korba’s eyes became calculating slits. “What are you—” But he stopped as the two of them were hit with a sudden blast of cold air. The wind swirled about Chelan, lifting her silken hair high above her head and twisting it into a vortex. She covered her eyes and remained very still.
Korba was stunned. Then as quickly as the phenomenon had begun, it stopped.
Chelan took several deep breaths and stared at the dumbstruck Warlord. “Did you feel it?” Suddenly, not waiting for his reply, she ran to him. “We have to go soon.”
“Go? Go where?”
“RIBUS 7. Fremma, or something I cannot explain, wants us to go to RIBUS 7.” And she began toward the forest.
He grabbed her by the arm. “Wait!”
Chelan turned and looked up at him. “Wait for what?”
Korba ran his hand through his long, thick mane. “Look, I felt it too. My sixth sense aside, this was uncanny. I do not know what kind of phenomenon that was, but I do know there is no rush to leave. Regardless, we must proceed with caution.”
Chelan took time to calm herself. She looked down. “You are right.” With the toe of her runner, she kicked aimlessly at a small clump of grass. Then her smile returned. “As I recall, we have some unfinished business in a clearing up there.” And she began to back away from him seductively.
Korba’s eyes narrowed further, their luminescent glow stalking her every move.
Chelan grinned and then turned. She walked into the trees and up the slope. She was warm once again. Though she could hear only her own soft footsteps, she knew Korba was just a breath behind her. Shortly, she stepped into the upper meadow and looked up at the jagged peaks above her. Korba’s arms surrounded her from behind, his rock-hard muscles no less yielding than the material forming the mountain. “It is beautiful,” she whispered.
Korba nuzzled in under her hair. “No more beautiful than you, my Lady.”
Chelan smiled and leaned back into him. “Up just a little farther is a lovely little pool fed by a clear mountain spring.”
Korba kissed the side of her neck, his lips tracing up to her ear. “Are you saying you want to go for a little soak?”
Chelan chuckled. “Actually, no. It is too bloody cold.”
“I would keep you warm.”
She closed her eyes, her hands floating over his forearms. “I know, but right now, I just want to make love to you here. I want to look up at the blue sky as I feel you slip over me, and
in me.” But Chelan did not feel the heated response from him she expected. Instead he became stone still.
“Do not move,” he growled ominously.
Chelan’s breath caught and she opened her eyes. Suddenly her knees went weak. “Oh shit,” she breathed.
Korba straightened almost imperceptibly. “A friend of yours, I presume?” he whispered.
Chelan could not speak. She stared at the full-grown black bear, its coal eyes staring back at her from the edge of the meadow.
“Tell me quick, my Lady, all you know of the creature, or I will have to destroy it.”
Chelan’s nails bit into his forearms as he hugged her tight into his chest. “Bear,” she whispered. “Black,” she clarified. “They sometimes attack humans for food.” Chelan swallowed. “They usually move off unless they are protecting young or a food cache.”
Korba sniffed the air. “I smell no flesh near.”
Chelan flinched. “It could be anywhere.”
“What about young?”
Chelan shook her head slowly. “No, too big, it is a boar.”
“A what?”
“A male,” she answered almost harshly.
Korba began releasing his hold on her. His right arm reached to his back toward his lazgun.
Suddenly, the bear exploded forward. Korba did not have time to grab the gun. He threw Chelan behind him and stood up tall, meeting the bear’s challenge straight on.
Chelan fell to her hands and knees and stared at the spectacle before her. It all happened so fast.
The bear charged, its hackles raised. Korba bellowed at it, and instantly, the huge carnivore skidded to a halt not thirty paces away. Korba moved ever so slowly and drew out his gun. He calmed his heart and aimed.
Chelan glanced up at the Warlord. “He bluffed,” she cried nearly soundlessly.
Korba took a deep breath and then held it. He watched as the massive animal backed up, its teeth bared, its broad head swaying to and fro. It huffed and then stopped.
Korba’s skin prickled. “How many times does it bluff before it eats us?”
