by Linda Mooney
Table of Contents
Cover Page
Chapter One - The Ben Objure
Chapter Two - Captives
Chapter Three - Discovery
Chapter Four - Encounter
Chapter Five - Confrontation
Chapter Six - Precorut
Chapter Seven - Attack
Chapter Eight - Intent
Chapter Nine - Light
Chapter Ten - Plymon
Chapter Eleven - Orders
Chapter Twelve - Insight
Chapter Thirteen - Warmth
Chapter Fourteen - Release
Chapter Fifteen - Threat
Chapter Sixteen - Handoff
Chapter Seventeen - Good-bye
Chapter Eighteen - Truth
Chapter Nineteen - Solace
Chapter Twenty - Apology
Chapter Twenty-One - Unknown
Chapter Twenty-Two - Distress
Chapter Twenty-Three - Origin
Chapter Twenty-Four - Decision
Chapter Twenty-Five - Taken
Chapter Twenty-Six - Shock
Chapter Twenty-Seven - Reunited
Chapter Twenty-Eight - Snatched
Chapter Twenty-Nine- Resplendent
Chapter Thirty - Others
Chapter Thirty-One - Diversion
Chapter Thirty-Two - Future
About the Author
Table of Contents
Cover Page
Chapter One - The Ben Objure
Chapter Two - Captives
Chapter Three - Discovery
Chapter Four - Encounter
Chapter Five - Confrontation
Chapter Six - Precorut
Chapter Seven - Attack
Chapter Eight - Intent
Chapter Nine - Light
Chapter Ten - Plymon
Chapter Eleven - Orders
Chapter Twelve - Insight
Chapter Thirteen - Warmth
Chapter Fourteen - Release
Chapter Fifteen - Threat
Chapter Sixteen - Handoff
Chapter Seventeen - Good-bye
Chapter Eighteen - Truth
Chapter Nineteen - Solace
Chapter Twenty - Apology
Chapter Twenty-One - Unknown
Chapter Twenty-Two - Distress
Chapter Twenty-Three - Origin
Chapter Twenty-Four - Decision
Chapter Twenty-Five - Taken
Chapter Twenty-Six - Shock
Chapter Twenty-Seven - Reunited
Chapter Twenty-Eight - Snatched
Chapter Twenty-Nine- Resplendent
Chapter Thirty - Others
Chapter Thirty-One - Diversion
Chapter Thirty-Two - Future
About the Author
Vall’s Will
An Erotic Sci-fi Romance
By
Linda Mooney
VALL’S WILL
Copyright © 2013 by Linda Mooney
ISBN 978-0-9859300-6-6
Warning: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 (five) years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.
Names, characters and incidents depicted in this book are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental and beyond the intent of the author or the publisher.
No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the author.
Editor: Diana Castilleja
Cover Art: Linda Mooney
Chapter One
The Ben Objure
Captain Willis Tayte stood on the bridge of her ship and watched the ongoing chase through the view screen. The ugly, insectoid vessel in front of them continued to bob and weave as it tried to evade their smaller ship, which relentlessly dogged it.
“Distance,” she commanded.
Before navigation could respond, a bright green beam shot out from the belly of the vessel. The plasma ray struck their force field, but was dispersed in a glowing sheet of color. Will glanced down at the navigation board a few feet away. They were down to less than sixty percent power on the shields, but that should be enough to hold them until they caught up with the ship.
“Distance!” she repeated.
“Sixteen hundred kilometers, Captain!” Her navigator grinned and added, “And closing fast!”
“Stay on her, Magnus. She’s going to be prize booty for us when we haul her back to Segu Minor Four.”
“Aye, Captain.”
“Major booty prize,” Plymon added with a wink. “I’ve never seen an Objurian ship that large.”
Will glanced over to see her Sub-captain nearly drooling. She knew the man thirsted for the hunt, and a prize like the one they were pursuing was worth the dangers of any retaliation the other ship tried to use against them.
“Magnus, do you have the smallest doubt this could be a queen ship?”
“None, Captain. She’s among the rarest of the rare.”
“Captain?”
Will glanced over where Plymon was running the scanners.
“We show eighteen life forms on board,” Plymon informed her. “The majority appear within sentient range.”
Sentient range. That meant the ship was carrying prisoners. Or slaves.
“How many of them Objurian?”
“Six.”
“That means there’s twelve possible captives. Can you tell if any of them are humanoid?”
“Only one, so far.”
Twelve possible captives. That word alone made her smile. It was one thing to take over an Objurian spaceship. It was double luck if the ship was carrying valuable cargo. Having the ship house a rare queen Objurian was nearly unheard of. But to find one with a load of methenite and slaves was like having credits in the pocket and the universe at your beck and call, both at the same time. Add in the fact that one passenger was humanoid, and the Regents would probably pin a medal on her.
Of course, some of those supposed captives could be members of the crew, but it was highly unlikely, considering the Objurian penchant for warm flesh.
The ship in front of them lashed out again, this time with a disruptor beam.
“That’s the last of the lot for them,” Magnus announced. “Their weapons tanks are empty.”
“All right. Let’s land on that thing and claim ownership.”
Plymon punched the boarding button. Immediately, the lights in the bridge, as well as all over the Trinity of Hope, dimmed for the flashing red alarms that signaled they were about to take the ship. The accompanying claxon squawked like an angry horned eris bird. Will drew a finger across her throat, and Plymon turned the sound down on the bridge.
The Objurian ship continued in its effort to shake them, without luck. The Ben Objure had spent all of their energies discharging their weapons. With their engines depleted, they were starting to coast to a stop. Will watched with nervous anticipation as Magnus steered them over the top of the ship, looking for a large enough place to land.
“There.” Stepping off the command platform, she moved toward the view screen and pointed to an area off to the lower right. “Quadrant four. That looks possible.”
“I was thinking the same thing.”
The swift Regency craft flew low over the site before swinging around and approaching it on the second pass. Compared to the huge alien ship, theirs was barely a tenth of its size. But in space, size never d
etermined which race or species was superior. In the end, it always came down to ability, determination, intelligence, and firepower. Already they could tell the enemy ship was sputtering. The Objurian crew was feverishly squeezing every last ounce of juice out of the dying engines. Will shook her head. The vessel probably ate massive amounts of matter to keep itself going. She vaguely wondered how often the crew was forced to stop and refuel the behemoth. She glanced over at the communications officer. “Granth, send them our terms.”
“Done, Captain.”
“Any response?”
“Not even a ‘fekk you’.”
“How inhospitable. Very well. Let’s set her down.”
Four landing spikes emerged from the underside of the Trinity. As the vessel touched down on the hull, they dug deep into the skin, embedding themselves far enough into the ship’s outer layer to prevent themselves from being dislodged. Automatically, everyone fastened themselves in their safety harnesses. Will was in her command chair and strapped in before the navigator called out, “Gear secured.”
The words were barely out of his mouth when the Objurian ship let out a high-pitched screech that filled the bridge. Will clenched her teeth against the squeal until Granth dropped the volume. At the same time, they were violently thrown from side to side as the craft tried to shake them off. Although the head brace protected her from the worst of it, Will wished for the umpteenth time that someone would invent a more stabilizing device. She would have a top-level migraine before this was over.
Unable to evict the Trinity using their first method, the enemy ship started whirling. When that didn’t work, it tried to reach back with its extendable clawed arms to pluck the Regency vessel off its back, but Magnus had set them down well out of range. Will watched as the pitted metal arms futilely snapped meters away.
“Captain, she’s sending out a distress call.”
“Block it.”
“Way ahead of you.” Granth grinned at her, and she smiled back. Thank the heavens for such a well-trained crew. After only nineteen months, they worked so smoothly together, they could already anticipate most of her commands, as well as each other’s moves.
The arms finally withdrew. The Objurian craft ceased its gyration. Will took a deep breath of relief. The enemy had accepted its fate, which meant Stage One was over. Now came Stage Two. The dangerous part.
“Plymon, ready to assist me with boarding the ship?”
“I’ll meet you at the docking station,” the man told her, and left the bridge.
Will laid her hand on the screen on the command chair arm. “Withdraw cage. Calling security. Peersoff!”
“Peersoff here, Captain.”
She stood as the last of the straps that had kept her secured withdrew back into the chair. “Meet me in docking. Bring two men with you.”
“On my way,” the man crisply replied. He didn’t need to ask why. Everyone already knew what their strategy protocol was when overtaking an enemy ship.
“It’s all yours, Magnus,” she instructed as she headed for the internal lift. His reply was faint when she stepped into the lift’s void and placed her hand on the sensor panel.
“Accepted, Captain.”
“Docking.”
The lift shot her through the ship’s many levels. Although she knew she was traveling at a high rate of speed, it felt more like she was being buffeted by a thousand air nozzles, all blowing on her at every angle. The pale blue glow from the lift’s inner panel was her lone light source, and she watched the display tick off the levels until she reached the docking area. When the darkness in front of her dissolved, she stepped out into the large chamber where the four members of her team were already waiting at the far end. Plymon spoke up as she approached.
“The tube has punched through.”
“Good. Any sign of resistance?”
Peersoff glanced up from a monitor. “None so far, but you know that doesn’t mean anything when it comes to the Ben Objure.”
“Fekking scavengers.”
Will turned around at the soft curse. It had come from Beese, one of Peersoff’s men. “Don’t begrudge them their way of life. It’s because they’re scavengers that we’re allowed to make a tidy profit.”
Beese grunted, but with a smile.
“Is it true there’s a humanoid on board?” Gorin asked. He was the second man from security.
Plymon nodded. “Regardless of the fact, don’t automatically assume that the humanoid is a friendly. I’ve seen Ars Van Turins as crew members on Objurian ships.”
“That’s correct,” Will added. “There’s also twelve other undetermined species on board. Your orders are to treat everything as an enemy until proven differently. Where are we landing?”
“A small storage bay, near the bridge.”
“Mmm. Sounds like a good surprise tactic. Are we all prepared?” Seeing everyone nod, she smiled. “Set external shields to stun, not kill. I want prisoners, not bodies. Peersoff, watch our backs.”
She pulled her personal aura around her. The thin, misty-white shelter surrounded her like an outer shell. Reaching up to her collarbone, she punched the middle of three nodules, and the protective case took on a bluish glow. Without looking to see if the others had also encased themselves, she entered the tunnel opening.
The interconnecting tube had embedded itself into the Objurian ship’s outer hull, then drilled a hole into the vessel, adjusting for gravity and atmosphere. The tunnel was larger than the ship’s inner-connecting transport tube in order to accommodate them while they were enclosed within their protective gear. Will could feel the pull of gravity from the Trinity lessen as she gently dropped inside the alien ship. As soon as her feet connected to the strange floor, she stepped away from the exit to make room for the next man. Everyone was on board within seconds.
Light. Her aura brightened at her mental command. Around her, the others’ suits helped to make it easier to see inside the murky ship. Plymon moved to stand beside her.
“Did someone ever figure out why it’s always so fekking dark inside these haulers? Do the bugs have an aversion to light?”
“When you find out, let the rest of us know, all right?” Her senses told her which direction they needed to take. She tilted her head toward the exit. “We go silent from here.”
They moved swiftly and quietly, their plasma shields natural extensions of their bodies and virtually weightless. Will often thought of hers as more like being surrounded by a protective cushion of air. Air that could either stun or kill, as well as protect.
An Objurian stood guard in the main corridor, outside the bay. The creature was so large, it blocked all the light coming from their shields. It never saw Beese raise his arm and shove his fist in its direction. When a thin sliver of plasma shot from his hand, the alien shuddered upon contact. Its multitude of thin legs collapsed beneath it, and the Objurian slumped onto the floor before it could send out a warning.
Will continued toward the bridge. The others kept in a tight rank behind her.
Huge panels opened up to the control center. Immediately, they met with four Objurians clustered in the middle of the bridge. Will recognized the strategy as a cold shudder went through her. She had heard of a bug ball, but this was her first time to encounter one. Somewhere within that seething mass was their leader. Their queen.
Translate. “Admit defeat, and you will not be killed.” She tried to keep her voice firm, and hoped the others wouldn’t hear her rising fear. Their combined auras barely managed to dispel the darkness within the room.
The huddled aliens quivered slightly, a tightly packed conglomeration that moved as one, but none of the creatures responded. Will tried again. “Your ship is now the property of the Coalition of Regents of the Surro-Gambit galaxy. You are now our prisoners.”
There was a faint noise that vaguely sounded like a no. Will felt her stomach cave in as her instincts screamed a warning inside her head.
“Join hands!”
In the s
plit-second that followed, the ball of aliens exploded outward.
Chapter Two
Captives
Will threw her hands out to her sides as she yelled out her order. The others were already in position when her armored fingers connected with theirs. Their semi-circular phalanx formed an impenetrable wall of strength. With their auras set to stun, the Objurians literally sizzled upon contact as the aliens tried to overrun them.
Despite knowing her feet were firmly attached to the hull, and that nothing short of a megaton antimatter blast could penetrate her armor, Will unconsciously grunted as the creatures slammed into them. Two fell in an unconscious heap. A couple staggered back. The eye of one Objurian focused directly on her, knowing the sound had come from her. Will saw herself reflected in the lidless red eye. To outsiders, they were either anonymous glowing humanoid figures, or, as she was to an Objurian, an ethereal-like being encased within a semitransparent suit of light.
The insectoid creature gave a human-like snarl and launched itself at her again. This time, Will didn’t flinch when it slammed into her and screeched in pain or frustration, or both. The thing slid down her body aura to lie at her feet.
As one, they let go of hands. Will shook the Objurian off her foot and stepped to the side.
“When will these fekkers learn they can’t charge us?” Gorin asked no one in particular.
“It must be instinctive,” Plymon responded.
Will looked up to see what the aliens had been protecting. The queen sat on a small dais, its legs wrapped around itself like a small child huddling in the cold. A small child capable of tremendous evil, she reminded herself. Before she could raise a fist to incapacitate it, Peersoff took care of the job. “All done. They’ll remain in stasis until we reach the star station port, and Regent officers can escort them to holding pens.”
“All right. That’s our six,” Plymon announced.
Peersoff was quick to correct him. “Six Objurians, but we’re still looking for twelve other species, one of which is definitely humanoid. And don’t forget, some of those life forms could be working on their side.”
