by Juno Wells
Bradon flashed her his most magnificent smile. He was pleased that the others were talking amongst themselves and no one seemed to be paying much attention to their conversation. Once they approached the shuttle that changed, as everyone gathered in the smaller space.
He saw her glancing around at the accompaniment of Davarian warriors and saw the exact moment she realized most of the males were visibly aroused. To their credit, they were trying their best not to look at her.
She rolled her eyes at him and murmured, “That’s warriors for you, always thoroughly excited about a pending battle.”
A frown creased his brow ridge. “If you think our warriors get a hard-on for fighting, you don’t know Davarian warriors very well. They only get a hard-on for sex.” They hadn’t had a chance to get a shower after having sex. The blatantly sexual scents coming off them were clearly distracting his warriors. They would need to shower soon, for the males to be able to focus on the coming battle.
Bradon was getting envious glances from other men. That had never happened to him before. It felt good to be openly admired by such an intelligent and desirable female. Intent upon enjoying every single second of her attention for the duration of the night, it occurred to him that the time limit on her companionship was the reason he kept up the verbal exchange when there were more pressing matters at hand.
It was regrettable that he had only from sunset to sunrise to enjoy the one female he’d ever truly wanted. If not for being a Regent, he’d claim her and be satisfied with one lifetime of joy. Unfortunately, that was not to be. He’d suffer an endless number of cycles of loneliness, and his heart would still beat long after her precious body had turned to dust. His throat closed up with emotion as he struggled to come to terms with the inherent unfairness of his situation.
The shuttle docked with their flagship. Belanna went to the bridge to coordinate the offensive. She was their primary military commander and had been in continuous communication with her fleet as they rushed to the shuttle.
Bradon drew Grace to side and headed for his private quarters. His priests were already preparing them a bath. They were laying out crisp clean uniforms as well.
His fiery human was drawn to one priest in particular who was unloading weapons from a trunk. Bradon smiled to himself. It would be more accurate to say she was attracted to the weapons he was sorting. She tossed her pretty blue hair over her shoulder and bent over to select weapons. Everything about his small human called to him, her slight but fierce form, her wit and cunning, and the way her face lit up when her eyes landed on him. As if trapped in his gaze, she moved towards him. The priests laid out the weapons she’d selected alongside her clean clothing. This woman fit so seamlessly into his world, one might think she was born to it.
It was nearing midnight by Earth standards. If they had been on her world, their time together would be ending with the start of another day. Thanks be to the gods, they were still aboard a Davarian vessel. They marked the passage of time differently. A Davarian day was sunrise to sunrise. That meant he had a few more precious hours with her.
As she approached, Bradon sat on the bed, and scooted back against the wall. “Are you worried about your missing crew?”
Coming onto the bed and kneeling in front of him, she answered, “Of course. We were all taught basic skills in surviving and escaping capture. Our crew person is probably hunkered down somewhere planning his own little offensive. That’s what I would be doing.”
“You sound sure of yourself.”
“If I don’t believe in my own judgment, who will?”
“Others believe your skills make you invincible in battle. I believe you risk what others won’t and have luck on your side.”
Grace laughed. “You might be on to something there. I hear your wisdom knows no bounds.”
Bradon put his hand over his chest. “Ouch. You never miss a chance to wound me, do you?”
“I was told verbal quips and sparring were a favored Davarian pastime.”
Tossing her a lopsided grin, he teased, “You’re better at it than most.”
Grace dropped forward onto her hands and knees and crawled across the large bed to him. His fangs dented his bottom lip, watching her large breasts sway as she moved. Opening his arms, he welcomed her when she climbed face first into his lap. “I hear the Davarian also have sensitive noses. What do you say we get ourselves a little dirtier before we bathe?”
One of the priests spoke up. Ralon was strict, and not shy about speaking his mind. “It is not recommended that warriors engage in sexual intercourse before they go into battle. It makes them weak and decreases their chance of survival.”
Ralon assumed that Bradon would be fighting, simply because he always fought by their side, rather than sending his soldiers into battle alone. This battle was an exception because the Warrior Queen would not tolerate interference in her little war with the Traj. His people would see a priest leading troops as necessary when he was ruling alone, but presumptuous and absurd if he attempted to usurp the authority of the Warrior Queen. Making war was her specialty.
Grace must have thought the man’s concern was for her, because her head whipped round to look at him. “What’s it matter? In your world, I have an expiration date of sunrise.”
Bradon started to reply but Ralon spoke again, his eyes shifting from Grace to the one he served. “Your bath is ready, my Regent.”
Grace glanced between Bradon and his assistant. When the Regent didn’t speak, she turned over her shoulder, caught the priest’s attention, and said sternly, “You all may stay and mill around, doing all the million and one things you do around here. However, you will refrain from giving your opinions about our sex life. Again, it’s an only-till-sunrise thing, so you should be able to manage it.”
Bradon gave a swift nod of his head. “Out Ralon, and take the others with you.”
The room emptied immediately. Grace teased, “Its good being in charge isn’t it?”
“Not really. I must risk my life constantly to protect the freedom of my people, while enjoying no personal freedom myself. I think the term humans use is, ‘it sucks’.”
“Speaking of which, I believe, I have some reciprocal stuff to do to you.”
Bradon’s eyes got big and the thought of her putting her mouth on his cock stampeded through his mind.
“You got it, gorgeous. I’m going to tie you up and tease you until you beg.”
Bradon smiled and pulled her out of bed. “Perhaps you can waylay me after the battle. I know you did not appreciate my priest’s intrusion, but Ralon is correct. Battle, then sex, is the proper order of things.”
“What’s with you regents and being obsessed with the proper order of things?”
“Trust me on this.”
“That’s what was so aggravating. We have the same belief among our people. It’s just not what I wanted to hear.”
“That happens to me all the time. It’s one of the reasons that I just let them get on with it, rather than questioning their every move.”
“You’re lucky to have them. I like knowing you are well cared for. It will make leaving you for short intervals easier to bear.”
Bradon found that he was panicking inside. His new obsession was talking like this, was having a real relationship that might continue past sunrise. What kind of life was she expecting to have with him? Did she realize life with him meant twenty years of never doing what you want, and forty years of sleeping in a jar? His life was an endless cycle of honor and duty. No sane person would want that for themselves. Then there was his hideous body and his inability to make children. She was young and beautiful. She would want to make more like herself. The verse would be better for having more Graces in it.
He suddenly blurted out, “I can’t make children.”
His eyes got big. Why did he say that? His brain had malfunctioned, and now his darkest secret was out in the open.
Grace giggled, the soft feminine sound tickling his dick. Freez
ing, he tried to shove down the swell of lust rising in his chest. “That ranks right up there with my, ‘I’m no virgin’ comment. It’s okay. I never really thought about having children anyway. Good grief, can you imagine that for a minute? They would be some thrill-seeking, smart-mouthed brats.”
Bradon looked into her eyes and realized she was telling the truth. Suddenly, a thousand thoughts were running through his head. Was she serious? How could someone so beautiful and intelligent not want to procreate? Wasn’t that a priority for all humans? It certainly was for his kind.
It occurred to him that she was young. She just couldn’t imagine herself as a mother. She would definitely want children someday. If she were stuck with him, she would never get them. No, he was already growing too fond of this human female. He liked her too much to subject her to his desolate life. He would do right by her, even if it shattered his soul.
They took turns cleaning each other while they kissed and cuddled. She touched him so easily, and with such enthusiasm. It made him wonder if she even noticed his skin was different. Though it looked perfectly normal, it felt strange. Maybe she thought all Davarian were such as him.
That couldn’t be true. She had been touched by his priests. They all had soft, perfect skin. He remembered she didn’t seem to care for their touch. He was experiencing a terrible intra-psychic conflict. He wanted her desperately. He thought she might want him too. However, the whole situation was destined for failure, and he didn’t want to see her hurt.
When they exited the bath, the priests were back, and they assisted them with dressing. Both loaded themselves with weapons. In fact, Grace loaded herself rather heavily, ringing her body with extra battery packs for her laser pistols. Though it made Bradon feel certain she knew how to handle herself in a battle, it didn’t do much to still the fear growing in his soul. He was developing a huge protective streak when it came to her. He spoke quietly to one of his priests, who left the room. He felt a compulsive need to get some protection under her, before sending her out to face the Traj.
They headed for the bridge and were met by a team of six warriors, all Davarian. Bradon explained, “These men are my private guard. They will accompany you, and act as your fighting unit. Whatever you tell them, they will do. I would appreciate getting them all back in one piece, so please value their lives as I would.”
Grace touched him on the cheek with the tips of her fingers. “I will do what I must, to protect the people on this planet. Securing the safety of the Davarian citizens down there is my mission objective. All else, including finding my missing crew, will be a secondary concern. Having said all that, I will not take undue risks with their lives.”
Bradon placed his hand over hers, turning his lips in to kiss her palm. “I could ask no more of you than that.”
9 Snipe Them All
Grace
The lift opened onto the bridge, and once again the Queen was in full flow. She stood at a table with several senior military officers and waved them over. Grace saw a 3D image of the planet and began memorizing the battle plan. Belanna turned to acknowledge their arrival on the scene. “The humans will be lucky to arrive in time to join the battle. However, they should be online for a strategy session any second.”
“What’s going on?”
“Our spies have gathered information from several Traj that were captured in battle. We believe they attacked our outpost because a shuttle containing humans landed there looking to trade.”
Bradon nodded. “That would make sense. Fraxion Four is one of our primary trade centers.”
The Queen responded curtly. “I want us ready to defend our settlement when we hit Fraxion Four’s air space.”
Two beeps sounded off. One of the officers voice-prompted a com panel, and Commander West’s holographic face came up.
“Greetings, Commander West.”
Captain Drake’s form crowded into view beside West. “Good to see you, pilot. We’ve encountered more Traj ships. We’ve taken over two so far, a third is dead in space, and the fourth made run for it.”
Grace asked, “Why are targeting us so hard? Are they after supplies?”
The captain frowned. “They appear to be after women. Word reached their ears that humans are breed-compatible with several other species, and they’re intent on securing as many of our female crew as possible.”
Shock roiled through her stomach. “They’re after women? Who says we’re compatible with other species?”
Belanna answered, “I do. The discovery was made during the routine de-con procedure when we met face-to-face for the first time. Our scans are quite thorough.”
Great. Human women were some new resource for the locals to fight over. That changed everything. They’d have to increase security and be careful of exploring uncharted terrain. Aliens trying to get their hands on human women would put their entire deep-space mission at risk, maybe even forcing them to seek sanctuary on a friendly planet with good defenses. Grace tried to pick back up with the thread of the conversation.
“Once we finish dealing with the Traj ships that attacked our vessel, we’ll head straight for Fraxion Four and join the battle. I’m sorry, we have our hands full right now.”
“The Davarian fleet will keep you informed of our progress in clearing the Traj off our outpost. Once they are driven away, expect them to resume tracking your females.
“Flushing the remaining Traj out of the vessels is where I put must my resources. Once that mission is complete, we’ll devise a plan for keeping our women safe.”
Queen Belanna dipped her head slightly. “My offer to absorb your crew into our society stands.”
The captain nodded. “It may come to that if we can’t get a handle on the Traj raiding parties.”
Belanna responded with a new idea. “We have no use for Traj vessels. You are within your rights to take them by right of conquest. Perhaps having more ships would enable you to better protect your people.”
“We’ll bear that in mind.”
Bradon asked, “Do you have any other intel that might have a bearing on this battle?”
West glanced at the captain before answering. “Are you aware that your outpost is rich in Imolum deposits in a couple of remote locations? We thought at first that’s what drew the Traj to this planet.”
Belanna smiled ruefully. “The Davarian consider it our backup supply, for when the commodity gets scarce. You may have wondered why we mounted a full-scale response to an attack on one small outpost. We did so because the planet is of strategic importance. We ask that you keep that bit of information to yourselves. I don’t want us out here every other lunar, for some crazy scheme to harvest it.”
West replied, “Roger that. We’ll meet you on the ground as soon as we’ve finished up with the ships. We are turning the Traj over to you folks. Please be ready to take them.”
Sneaking a glance at Grace, Belanna responded, “Roger that?”
Grace gave a slight nod, acknowledging that she’d used the human slang word correctly. Belanna’s smile was fleeting. It was the first glimpse of her playful new friend that had emerged since news of the attack on their outpost.
Bradon asked, “What landing site do you want us to clear first?”
Motioning to the other warriors, Grace spoke up. “How about we clear the landing site and you come later. In most societies, regents are kept out of the line of fire. There are only three of you left. It would be a shame if one of you ended up injured or dead.”
The warriors’ gasped and Belanna’s harsh voice filled the air. “Grace, you are a guest on our vessel. You have no authority here. You will refrain from giving orders in my presence, and you will especially refrain from giving orders to a Regent. I found it entertaining in the beginning, but now it’s getting old. Your insubordinate attitude will not be tolerated.” Looking her over, she tacked on, “Moving forward, you are permitted to give recommendations only.”
Turning to Braden, Belanna stated sternly, “Sorry old f
riend, the impertinent human is correct about one thing. Until I slumber again, I am in charge. I’ll not risk my dearest friend. When it is your reign, you will see danger enough.”
Bradon began to object, but the Queen interrupted him. “You aren’t setting foot on that planet. You can come down when we have cleared the last Traj, and not a moment before. I’ll not risk your safety, on your Awakening Day. You’re not even at full strength yet. Let me protect you this once, while you cover us from the air.”
Grace could see the moment he gave in to his ancient friend. His eyes closed and his shoulders slumped. “As always, your wish is my command, my Queen.”
Grace jumped up on her toes and gave Bradon a chaste kiss on the lips. “Sorry about the bossiness.”
“Do not worry, my sweet little kitten. If you do it again, I’ll put you over my knee. We both know what that leads to with you Earthlings.”
“Well, the sooner we clean out the Traj scourge and find my missing crew member, the sooner we can get back to that.”
“I’ll begin reviewing scans for the Traj vessels your family captured, and see if I can piece together what happened. Enjoy you little battle.” Stepping back, he intoned. “Victory to Davaria.” His warriors sounded off enthusiastically all around as they looked into each other’s eyes. This man was her one. She could feel it all the way down to her bones.
Grace took a shuttle, and her six-man escort of elite warriors hit the tarmac within the hour. There was a skirmish as they exited the craft, where they took some fire. They immediately began clearing building, staying together as a unit. The Davarian were experienced fighters. They fanned out in a traditional attack formation, kept cover between themselves and incoming fire, and protected each other’s backs. They worked like a well-oiled machine and simply absorbed her into their ranks.
She got verification through her earpiece that other teams were landing all over the area. Belanna had broken the landing site up into sectors. Each team was expected to clear their area as efficiently as possible.
