“I have to go now,” I said to him, my heart bleeding at the thought.
He gave a sinister growl and then turned away from me, his huge body gliding across the floor and disappearing into the next room. I understood, but it still hurt. But how could I expect him to sit still and watch me walk away with another male and not act out? I understood him perfectly. I could only hope that he would also understand me.
Chapter Seven
I crossed my arms over my chest and examined the four figures standing in front of me. They didn’t look like any scientists I’d ever encountered. They looked more like bouncers, or orderlies in a psychiatric ward. They were rough looking, especially for females.
“These are my colleagues from the Royal Sciences Academy. They are specialists in xeno-biobehavioral health, xenobiology, and nanotechnology.”
“They look like jarheads to me,” I said.
It was a strange kind of Mexican standoff. P’tah and her three colleagues faced off against Meck, Detack, Nedan and me. Puva was our ace in the hole. She was silently monitoring the entire situation from her comm station.
“I’m not much of a fighter, but I know the ship’s computers like the back of my hand. I can get in and out of most of the ship’s systems,” she’d explained.
The mission was simple; get through this “examination” without injury and avoid being removed from the ship at all costs.
“Even if that means welding the doors shut,” Nedan warned us before we arrived.
“We can spend some time getting to know each other first. We can postpone most of the physical tests until the next cycle, right?”
All eyes diverted to the speaker. She was short and flabbier than any Troitek I’d ever seen. She was probably the bio-behavioral guy. She attempted to smile, but it looked too practiced to be genuine. She clasped her hands in front of her and took a step forward, separating herself from the group.
I instinctively took a step back. I knew this move. I’d seen it at parties and in clubs a lot. It was the “I’m a nice guy, not like all of my friends” maneuver. I wasn’t buying it.
“We can talk if you prefer.”
Her eyes went wide with shock.
“She can speak? Is she speaking or is this the new translating program?”
P’tah grinned.
“I thought their mouths and larynx weren’t adaptable to our language,” said the other guest.
“She is speaking on her own. She has modified and adopted tonal techniques to compensate for the sounds she can’t make on her own. It sounds a little odd at first, but her speech is discernible. She still hasn’t adopted our use of idioms and adages. She -”
“She is standing right here, and she can speak for herself,” I interrupted.
P’tah gave me an annoyed look, but I ignored her.
“Oh yes, of course,” said the chubby scientist.
“Do you have names or should I call you Larry, Curly, and Mo?”
The three newcomers looked at each other again and then back at me, unsure if they should answer my question or punish me for demanding that they, well respected Troiken thinkers, introduce themselves to me. The human. The outcast. The subject.
Nedan shifted slightly, preparing to punish anybody who might be brave enough to speak out of turn. It was important to establish dominance early. If not, these four would harvest my organs for their damned research. I tried not to look at P’tah. The feeling of betrayal was still too new and too raw for me to even speak to her.
“Oh, of course,” said the chubby one. “I am Setam; I am a senior lecturer at the Academy. You know P’tah. This is L’rna, xenobiologist, and Xya, a leader in nanotech.”
“And what are your ranks?”
Setam’s smile slipped from her lips as she floundered for a reply.
“I know a military man when I see one. The way you move, and the neat haircuts all tell me that you aren’t excited academics. You’re military, which means you’re either trying to figure out how to turn me into a weapon or you want to experiment on me in the development of a weapon.”
“You are perceptive,” said Xya, an amused smile on her lips.
“So, which is it?”
“Does it matter? One way or the other, you will have to comply. The only real question is what you want to protect and what you are willing to give up,” she said.
Her compatriots seemed unsettled by her words but didn’t dare to comment.
“You must outrank them. So, you are the one I should be talking to,” I said.
Xya’s tail flicked once in the air behind her. She was enjoying this game. If I wasn’t careful, she would outmaneuver me and then it would be game over.
“Hey, we’re all friends here. Aren’t we?” P’tah stepped forward to join Setam in a bid for civility.
“We are not friends. I am a human, and you are the scientists who want to experiment on me.”
“We have been experimenting on you since you arrived on board. You shouldn’t have any objection to a few more tests.”
Xya’s eyes never left my face. She was hoping to provoke me. It made sense. If I attacked her, she would have every reason to haul me off of the ship.
“I did what I had to for survival. I will continue to do what I must to survive. And, since you don’t think that you need my consent to use my body for your research, I don’t see any reason why turning myself over to you would guarantee my survival for very long. Do you?”
From the corner of my eye, I could see Setam watching our exchange with growing excitement. L’rna maintained her position beside Xya observing me without any real interest. Her fascination, it seemed, was more in the data that I could provide than in me as a specimen.
“True,” Xya said.
“So, it seems we are at an impasse. I am sorry to have wasted this much of your time, ladies. Have a safe trip back to wherever you came from,” I said, turning to leave.
L’rna snorted in defiance.
“Let it go,” Xya warned.
“She insults us, and her Master allows it,” she hissed.
“It is not an insult. She is not Troiken, she cannot know that turning her back on her betters is a punishable offense,” Xya said, louder.
“You should bring her back to the station and teach her some manners,” L’rna said, her feet shuffling on the floor.
Nedan slid into the space between me and the jumpy xenobiologist, his weapon at the ready.
“I will escort you back to your quarters, Diem Sava,” he said without taking his eyes off of L’rna. She stamped her foot and grunted at the male’s interference.
“Sava?” Setam exclaimed.
“Diem has impressed a number of our crew members,” P’tah explained.
“Of course. Anybody who can ingratiate herself with the Commander of the vessel is worthy of some respect, no matter what she did to get his attention.”
I should’ve ignored her and walked through the doors, but I couldn’t let it slide. I felt a build-up of nervous energy under my skin and the rush of adrenaline through my veins. For a few precious seconds, my world came into perfect focus, and I felt invincible.
“What did you say?”
“You said it yourself,” Xya added. “You did what you had to do to ensure your survival.”
“Disgusting,” L’rna spat.
“It is best that we all mind our manners,” Satem interjected.
“Oh, we are well past that point now,” I said, falling into a fighting stance.
“Is this low-life challenging me?”
“You’re no challenge at all,” I said.
As soon as the words were out of my mouth, I knew I was in trouble. I had fallen into their trap, and the only way out was through bloodshed. I shouldn’t have taken the bait, but I couldn’t bring myself to regret it either.
Meck and Detack drew their weapons behind me, and Nedan stepped to the side, allowing me a clear line of sight to my enemy.
“Let’s all calm down,” P’
tah said, stepping into the gap. Nedan swung his blade in a large arch, driving her back.
“This does not concern you,” he said softly.
“This is ridiculous, she doesn’t have any right to deny us,” L’rna pushed Xya out of the way and stepped closer to me.
“I am not a thing. I am a sentient being. I have every right to deny you, and to die fighting.”
“That’s fine by me. Your tissues don’t need to be living for you to be useful,” Xya said.
“Bring it on!” I growled.
“Bring it on? What does that even mean –” L’rna reached out with her hand, and I took my opportunity to strike first. I grabbed her fingers in mid-air and sliced upward with my blade with all of my strength, tugging the hand free from the arm at the wrist.
Everybody in the room looked surprised, including my guards. Nobody expected me to make the first move, but I couldn't afford to miss out on the moment. I dangled the dismembered limb in front of her face.
“Your tissues don’t have to be living to be useful either,” I said, choking back my lunch. I handed the hand to Nedan, who flung it at Detack with a secret smile.
L’rna crumbled, cradling her arm against her chest as the thick, sticky, sweet smelling blood stained her uniform. Setam rushed over to her and P’tah stood frozen to her spot.
“I thought you said she wasn’t a savage!” Xya shouted.
“I am not a savage. I’m Diem, daughter of Kearney, a warrior clan from the planet earth. I am the mate of the Red Dragon from the house of Rakesh. And this bitch offended and insulted me.”
I turned my back on them again and then exited the lab as fast as I could without looking like I was running away. I didn’t allow myself to breathe easy until I was back in my quarters. As soon as the doors closed behind us, I heard the internal locking mechanism seal it shut
“Well done, Sava,” Puva’s voice rang out from the ship’s com panel.
“Thank you,” I said. I struggled to stay upright on knees made of jelly.
“I have locked the doors just in case they decided to get bold. They won’t be able to bypass the doors unless they have the time to cut through them.”
“How are you?”
“I am well hidden and well supplied. Don’t worry about me, Sava. I will let the Commander know the situation and keep you updated,” she said calmly before cutting the connection.
I looked around the room at the warriors. They all looked at me with a new kind of respect. One that wasn’t born out of my association with somebody they respect. I was the one they respected. I had proven that I was not a weak human who needed a babysitter. I was a fighter, and they could respect that.
“So, what now?” I turned to Nedan.
“Now they will go to the Commander, and he will have to make a decision.”
“Oh no!”
“No, Sava,” Meck interjected. “He will take it personally. It will become a personal matter, an assault on his name and his family. He can defend you since you are a female from his house.”
Was it wrong to be relieved by the thought of Rakesh going to battle on my behalf? It was medieval, but I was more than willing to be the damsel in distress this time.
“I don’t know what possessed me to do that,” I said, shaking my head. “I am sorry for getting you all involved in this mess. I didn’t know what else to do.”
“What are you saying, Sava!” Detack roared, a childish grin on his face. “This is the best thing I've done since I signed on to this ship. I never liked those Academy types.”
“You are too important to the Commander, and he is too important to us all to walk away.”
“Why is he so important?” I plopped down on the seat in the corner, feeling fatigued suddenly.
“He is the Red Dragon,” Meck said it as if that was an answer.
“The Red Dragon is a myth. Or at least he was always seen as a myth. The Troitek Empire is a mighty empire, Sava, but it is a stagnant one,” Nedan said.
“The Red Dragon is supposed to bring in a new age, or something like that. He is supposed to show us something we’ve never seen before.” Detack looked almost deliriously happy.
“It’s all myths and legends. Nobody really knows, but –”
“But even myths are powerful weapons,” I finished.
Chapter Eight
It was like a prison, but I couldn’t complain. I stayed in my quarters and had my meals brought to me. I was never alone. NEVER. Meck, Detack, and Nedan took turns watching over me. Puva never showed up but made her presence known with regular updates on all of the crew’s movements, safe from her hiding place.
Rakesh, it seemed, was less than sympathetic to L’rna’s plight and the concerns of the Academy about whether or not I posed a serious security risk.
“He isn’t too happy with the Chief Science officer either, though he hasn’t gone so far as to punish her yet,” Puva reported.
“He won’t. She is his sister, after all.”
Nedan seemed surprised by that revelation but said nothing. His eye had completely healed, ahead of schedule and he was officially back on duty. He was proving to be a fastidious and serious male. He took things like honor and rank very seriously and would not let any slight against my reputation pass unchecked.
“He’s only like that because disrespecting you is disrespecting him,” Puva said cynically.
I didn’t agree, but I kept my own counsel on the matter. I’d seen the way he watched Rakesh. It was the way old ladies stared at statues of saints while praying the rosary. His devotion to me was an extension of his belief. One that he had yet to give voice. One that I knew better than to challenge.
I didn’t see Rakesh for three cycles. Each cycle that passed was harder and harder to bear. By the third cycle, I could feel my body weeping, mourning his loss. Although Puva assured me that he was alive and well, I began to believe that he was dead and Puva was lying to placate me.
Just as I began to lose my grip on what was real, and what was my mind cannibalizing itself, Rakesh burst through the door. He looked like he hadn’t slept at all and his eyes were wild. His breathing was heavy as if he’d been running and he barreled into my body, tackling me to the ground. Nedan immediately made himself scarce, stepping into the corridor and letting the door close behind him.
I clasped Rakesh close to my chest, holding on as if he might dissolve under my fingers. He buried his face in my neck, licking my skin, panting, his hands gripping a thick handful of my hair, pulling until it was painful. I didn’t wince. I didn’t cry out. I needed it. I needed the engulfing flames of his touch.
“Diem,” he grunted. The sound of his voice reverberated through my being.
“Are you okay?” I squeaked.
“My Diem,” he growled, leaning back and looking into my eyes.
“How can I serve you, my Lord,” I said, half-mocking.
“I need to bond,” he said. “But, I am afraid you are still very fertile, and it would be unwise to engage in such activities at this time.”
I snickered.
“There are other activities that we can engage in that will help to ease your need and won’t put me in any danger,” I informed him.
“Really?”
His tail swished through the air, his eyes wide at the prospect.
“Yes, my Lord,” I said softly.
He inhaled deeply, nearly stealing my breath from my lungs.
“Let me see you,” I asked.
He looked confused by my request.
“All of you,” I insisted, running my hands across his forehead and cupping his cheek.
“No!” he growled, sitting up and rolling back onto his heels.
“I want to see it. I need to see that you are whole. I need it,” I begged.
“I’m not sure I can control it. I might hurt you again,” he said.
“I don’t want you to control it. I am his as much as I am yours. I need you both, and you both need me.”
“It is
not a pet, Diem. It is a dangerous animal that lives under my skin.”
“And sees through your eyes and loves what you love.”
“Love?”
“Yes, love. What you feel for me is called love.”
He shook his head and snorted. The very idea left a bad taste in his mouth.
“Maybe it will be easier to maintain control if you stop thinking of him as being something separate from you. Embrace him. He is you and you are not yourself without him.” I sat up, tucking my legs beneath my bottom and sitting on my knees.
“How can you ask me to put you in danger, Diem?” he said, his intentions warring with his instincts.
I laid my head on his chest and listened to the same sonorous drumming that seemed to breathe life back into my cells.
“Whether I like it or not, your life and my life are connected. You will not hurt me. Not really. The real danger is trying to keep your whole self away from me. It’s like trying to dam up a waterfall. Eventually, it will burst,” I argued. I wound my fingers in his bright red mane, letting the strands slip through my fingers.
“I cannot,” he said, pulling away from my touch.
“Then trust me. Do you trust me?”
“With my very being,” he said quickly.
“Then trust me to keep myself safe. Trust my judgment. Trust me even if you can’t trust yourself.”
I turned my face upwards and ran the tip of my tongue along his bottom lip, tempting him.
A low purr began to rumble in his chest, his tail curling around my waist as he pulled me closer to him. I watched as his eyes changed, flashing bright red. His gaze became wilder and less aware, but his embrace remained gentle and protective.
“Hello lover,” I said, smiling.
He snatched me up, pulling me into his lap as dipped his head back into the crook of my neck, inhaling deeply and licking the sensitive skin along my collarbone.
“I have missed you,” I said, rubbing my face against his thick mane.
He shifted, cradling me in his arms, careful to keep his fingers away from my flesh. I looked down at the normally flat and squared digits and caught sight off his talons, deep gray mutations of his normally flat nailbeds.
A Pet For The Commander: The Complete Series Page 14
