by Anna Carven
Sera’s eyes went wide. Things had just gotten complicated. “Are you saying we’re doomed, then?”
“No. I will not allow them to threaten your species.” The conviction in Xal’s voice surprised her.
“Sounds like you need to get your house in order, Kordolian.” She fought to keep her tone calm and steady. “But what do you need me for? It seems my article really has nothing to do with all this.”
“You’re here because you are the one asking questions. That’s your job, isn’t it? To ask questions and seek information and share it with the people of Earth. I want you to be a witness to what happens next. You will shadow me and record my actions, so you Humans can judge for yourselves whether we are truly a threat to you. I’m not interested in placating your people with diplomatic niceties until this issue is resolved. There is too much room for panic and confusion. I’ll let the record speak for itself.”
“But-” Sera paused, lost for words. This was definitely not what she’d been expecting. He wanted her to go with him into space? Despite all her reservations, the thought sent a tiny, excited shiver down her spine. “Surely it would be more appropriate to have observers from the Federation accompany you.” The words felt like sand in her mouth as they came out. She wanted this story; she didn’t want to hand it to the Federation’s propaganda machine.
“I want someone impartial, someone who takes initiative. That is you, Sera Aquinas. You were the first Human to reach out to us. As a reward, I’m giving you exclusive access to our world. The first to break the news gets all the credit, am I correct?”
Even if it was just an educated guess, he was damn accurate.
“My father doesn’t have anything to do with this, does he?” Suspicion clouded her thoughts.
Xal turned, walking over to where she sat. “Why would I care about what your father wants, Sera? I asked for you because you were the only one sensible enough to approach us and request an audience instead of clamoring like an idiot at the gate. That means you’re not afraid to think for yourself.”
He looked down at her, a swirling storm in his eyes, mirroring the fury of the weather outside. As Sera stared up at him, a flash of lightning lit up the room for a split-second, and he became a dark figure; a creature out of a gothic fairytale.
His amber eyes held savage anger and pain and longing.
Hello, Kordolian. There you are.
Here was the Kordolian she’d been expecting. He was utterly alien; fierce, terrifying and beautiful.
Then the moment passed, and that look was gone.
But it had left a powerful impression on her.
She had to go with him. She needed to find out more about this dark, seductive race, who were not at all what they seemed, or what the stories made them out to be. There were always two sides to a story.
And she had to understand why this male, who had come to her planet seemingly out of nowhere, was looking at her like this. And why did her body respond in kind?
Ever since he’d dropped down beside her in the rain, a delicious warmth had been present, starting in her core, rippling up and down her spine, spreading into her pussy, which throbbed with need.
She had a sudden, overwhelming urge to fuck this beautiful demon, and that was totally absurd. That was why she had tried to run away before.
She had known this was going to happen. The intensity and suddenness of her lustful emotions scared her, and fear did strange things to her. The first time she’d met Xal, she’d tried to be sensible and run away, hoping the attraction would fade away. But twice was one times too many. Sera had a habit of embracing the things that terrified her.
Keep it professional, Sera. For fuck’s sake, keep it professional.
“We leave for Silence in a half-phase,” Xal growled, his voice a low, barely contained rumble. She saw a bulge at the front of his midnight robes. Oh, shit. It was the swell of his erection. It seemed the feeling was mutual. “That should be enough time for you to prepare.”
Sera’s breath caught. Temptation coursed through her. She was aroused. Sweet Jupiter; he was aroused.
She could tempt him right now. She had such power over him right now. It would be so easy. No-one would know.
As if reading her thoughts he bent down, taking a deep breath, inhaling her scent, his lips just inches from her ear. “Female, you do not want me like this,” he whispered, his warm breath tickling the side of her face. Sera froze, resisting the urge to turn her face and look him in the eyes.
Then he was gone, stalking out of the room, leaving her to deal with her sudden, aching need.
What was that just now?
She curled up into a ball, putting her feet up on the sofa, holding onto the warmth and arousal that had spread through her.
She couldn’t believe she had been tempted so easily. She’d almost broken one of the rules of her job.
Never fuck the news.
Especially when said news was a big, silver, horned Kordolian Prince.
She knew now that there was no way she was going to miss out on boarding their warship, because this was too big of a story to pass up on. And she was determined to understand what he had meant by that last little statement of his.
You do not want me like this.
Idiot. She had wanted him just fine. Why resist it?
CHAPTER FOUR
Sera snapped a few discreet photos with her link band as they neared the massive Kordolian warship called Silence. The trip from Earth’s surface to this point had been awkward and convoluted. First, they’d boarded a Federation craft, which had navigated a turbulent route through the storm and out of Earth’s atmosphere. Then, they’d docked at an immigration station and boarded a small, black Kordolian transport. Sera had stayed at the back, avoiding eye contact with the Prince, silently observing the Kordolians. The General had piloted the craft. He hadn’t spared her a second glance ever since they’d left Earth. There were several other Kordolian soldiers on the ship, and they’d also ignored her.
The General’s mate, Abbey, had been left on Earth after much vocal protesting and a terse argument. Sera had been astonished at how the small woman had stood up so fiercely to the General. Abbey had wanted to go with them, despite the potential danger. But in the end, something the General said had made her hesitate. After that, Sera had actually witnessed the terrifying warrior murmur soft apologies to her, promising her he would be back soon.
Wonders would never cease.
Then two armored Kordolian soldiers, members of some sort of Kordolian special forces, had appeared out of nowhere, because General had overbearingly insisted that Abbey needed protection. The small, feisty woman had rolled her eyes but had eventually grudgingly accepted their presence. Their strange exo-suits were similar to what the General wore, and they’d shared a quiet camaraderie that set them apart from the other Kordolian troops.
So that was how Sera had ended up as the only Human aboard this spacecraft. She sat alone as the Kordolians went about their business with a quiet seriousness that was almost scary, and the General and Xal conversed quietly in Kordolian.
As they neared Silence, a docking bay started to open. The giant battle cruiser was all sleek lines, designed for speed and stealth. Its body bristled with all kinds of artillery and hundreds of tiny blue lights winked from hits hull.
It was way beyond anything they were capable of constructing on Earth. Humans had only been able to engage in serious commercial-level space travel during the past century, and they rarely went beyond the seventh sector. This thing, if Xal were to be believed, had made it all the way from Kythia, in Sector One, to Earth.
And apparently, they could blow Earth to smithereens if they wanted to.
The enormity of what was happening struck Sera. These guys were here, and if they wanted to stay, they would stay.
Far off in the distance beyond Silence, she could make out another looming black shape. It blotted out the stars, floating in space like a dark aberration.
That must be the enemy ship. She shuddered. They were far too close for comfort.
They floated into the dock, the massive black doors closing behind them. Inside it was dark, with only a few blue lights illuminating the area, casting the cavernous space into shadow. The airlock depressurized, and the hatch of their small transport opened. Sera waited until the soldiers and the General had exited.
Xal was the last to leave. For the first time since they had left Earth’s atmosphere, he spoke. “Welcome to Silence,” he murmured, as he came to stand beside her. “After you, Sera.”
Oh, so he was back to being polite, was he?
Sera flashed him an annoyed sidelong glance. He returned her look with a smoldering amber stare.
What was that look for? He was confusing the hell out of her. Damn him.
She gathered her bags, which were full of expensive recording equipment, and made her way down the ramp. Surrounding them were various spacecraft, some large, some small, and all made from that light-sucking black metal. The General and his soldiers were disappearing into some other part of the ship, and a line of guards greeted them with a fist-on-chest salute.
She’d left the relaxed seaside atmosphere of Nova Terra and ended up on a Kordolian Imperial warship. As far as she knew, she was the only Human on board.
“So what’s my brief, Prince Kazharan?” She put on her best professional face. “How exactly do you want me to ‘shadow’ you?” If this environment intimidated her, she sure as hell wasn’t going to show it. And if Xal wanted her to record everything, then she damn well would record everything, no matter how sensitive that information might be.
“I told you,” he growled, falling into step beside her, “you will call me Xal. Formalities aren’t necessary.”
“I’m here in a purely professional capacity,” she replied as they passed the guards. They gave Xal the same salute. “Such overfamiliarity wouldn’t be appropriate, especially if we’re going to be recording.”
Xal shrugged. “It won’t stop me from calling you ‘Sera’.”
Sera rolled her eyes. Stubborn male.
They passed racks and racks of weapons and rooms full of complicated machinery and devices. Sera couldn’t make out the detail too well because the lighting was so dim. Xal stopped in front of one of the rooms, holding up a hand. “Wait here,” he whispered, and before she could say anything, he disappeared.
He returned a few minutes later, startling her as he emerged soundlessly from the shadows.
“Here.” He handed her a small metallic device. “It goes in your ear. It’s a translator. Kordolian to Universal. You’ll be needing it.”
“Thanks,” she murmured, surprised by his sudden thoughtfulness. Or perhaps the Prince was just trying to ensure that she understood everything perfectly because it suited his agenda.
That was more likely.
“We won’t waste any time,” Xal said, increasing his pace. “We’re going straight to the bridge, and we’re going to make contact with the enemy ship. Just stay out of vision when you’re in the room. I don’t want them finding out there’s a Human on board.”
“Why not?” Sera couldn’t fathom how her presence might be significant to these hostile Kordolians.
“As I said before, Humans are of value to our race. We wish to find Human mates. The Empire have a different agenda. They would conduct medical experiments in order to study Human physiology, or they would take Humans as slaves. I can assure you, their methods are not gentle.”
Sera suppressed a shudder. She couldn’t imagine what a race of technologically and physically superior beings might do to Humankind. “And what makes us so interesting, Prince?”
“Well theoretically, someone like you could have children with someone like me.”
Sera almost choked. She glanced up at him, searching for any trace of mischief. Was he having her on? But he seemed dead serious. And he just had to phrase it like that, didn’t he?
“And why can’t you guys just take, uh, partners from your own species?” She felt she already knew the answer, but she had to hear it from him.
“There haven’t been any females born on Kythia for an entire generation. No-one knows why.” Sadness crept into his voice. “My race is dying, Sera. In one more generation, we’ll disappear.”
“But you’re here now. You would even accept the fact that someday, all Kordolians might be hybrids?”
“The possibility excites me. That our legacy might be passed on; that we won’t become extinct. Unlike my mother, I don’t buy into the concept of racial purity.”
There was something so desperately sad about what he had told her. The Kordolians had colonized and plundered for centuries, and now, they might be gone in the space of a single generation.
The collective Universe might breathe a sigh of relief, but an entire race would be lost.
The corridor ended, opening out into a spacious command center filled with monitors and holoscreens. The technology packed into this wide room was beyond anything Sera could comprehend. Several Kordolian military types were busy operating the equipment. Instead of being symmetrical, the room curved around in an irregular, organic shape. The passage they’d taken must have sloped gently upwards, because they were now on the upper level of the ship.
“The Bridge,” Xal murmured, for her benefit. “It’s the heart of Silence.”
Sera felt around in her bag for a recorder drone. Her fingers closed around the small metal device, which was the same model as the one the General had destroyed. “I’m okay to record in here?”
“We have nothing to hide,” Xal shrugged. He led her to a seat in a dark corner of the room. “Stay here and watch. And wear your translator. You’ll need it.”
She took a seat and started preparing her equipment, sinking back into the shadows even though she knew every Kordolian in this room could see her perfectly.
Xal rubbed his temples, a pained expression crossing his face. He closed his eyes for just a few seconds, and in that moment, he looked weary and vulnerable. But then he rose to his full height, staring straight ahead, appearing every inch the regal, formidable Prince.
“Are you ready, Sera?”
He left her in the shadows with her recording devices.
~~~
A huge holographic projection opened up above the bridge. Xal had left her and gone to take his place in a large, throne-like chair at the centre of the bridge. The General sat to one side; a dark, threatening presence.
If these were the good guys, Sera wondered how fucked up the bad guys had to be.
Because of one small decision to knock on a door and ask for an interview, she was on a Kordolian warship, about to observe an exchange that could change the fate of humanity.
Two Kordolians appeared in their vision. One appeared older, and was dressed in some kind of military uniform. His close-cropped hair was black at the temples, graduating to white, and he carried a bit of excess weight about him.
The second was dressed in a way Sera hadn’t seen before. He wore bright orange robes and had dozens of piercings in both of his pointed ears. He even wore some kind of makeup, his eyes lined with black, a shading of dark pigment brushed across his cheeks.
For a moment, all the Kordolians just stared at each other, saying nothing. Sera put one of her drone-cams into recording mode, fascinated.
If looks could kill.
Finally, Xal spoke. “General Daegan and Luron Alerak. You’re a bit far from home, aren’t you?” His voice was as cold as ice. Sera’s translator kicked into gear, seamlessly converting Kordolian into Universal.
“Xalikian.” The guy in the orange robes, called Alerak, cast his haughty gaze over the Kordolians. He was fiddling with a large jeweled ring on one hand. “I could say the same about you and Akkadian.”
“What do you want, Alerak?”
“It’s simple, really. You and Akkadian have stolen something very important to the Empire. Our Infinite Mother wants her fleet back.” He shifted his gaz
e to the General. “Where is our Fleet Station, Akkadian?”
The General returned Alerak’s haughty glare with one of his own, although his was more like a death-stare. “You are deluded, Alerak. The fleet is mine, and my soldiers will never go back to the Empire. They go where I tell them to.”
“You will give up the Fleet Station, or we will turn this useless planet below us into ash.”
“Attack Earth and I will destroy you, the High Council and the infernal Empress herself,” Akkadian snarled, baring his fangs.
Alerak laughed, an uneven, high-pitched sound. “You wouldn’t dare.”
“Try me.”
Xal held up a hand, as if to calm the General down. “Why are you here, Alerak? You know the General doesn’t make idle threats, so state your intentions.”
This time, the older guy, Daegan, leaned forward. “Prince Xalikian,” he began, striking a more conciliatory tone. “I know the past few revolutions have been difficult for you, and you and your mother have had a significant misunderstanding. Although you acted rashly and assaulted the Infinite Mother, she is willing to overlook past transgressions. Will you not consider dropping old vendettas and returning to Court life? If you forget this nonsense with the Humans and return of your own accord, she is willing to forgive you.” He spread his hands wide. “As you can see, we have committed no acts of war upon you.”
So this guy was the good cop to Alerak’s bad cop.
Xal laughed, a low, desolate sound that sent chills through Sera. “You expect me to believe that after what she did? Do you take me for an idiot, General Daegan? I would suggest that you return to Kythia and tell my mother that she will never have an heir. When she dies, the Imperial throne will remain empty.”
“Xalikian,” Daegan tried to placate him. “Your mother is not evil. Everything she has done is for the good of our people. She never issued a kill order on you, Prince. That was all lies and rumors, spread by the ordinary folk to turn you against her.”
