Reaper Inc.

by Thomas Wright

  Queen Tazleaha said, "Prime Minister Aok, it seems I have left some things on your planet Hyson. Could you grant me permission to have them removed and brought home? I will send a freighter not a warship to retrieve them. My freighter will have some arms to defend against the small band of Allith that seem to call that area home but nothing other than that."

  Alona answered. "With the emperor’s permission, I will send a communication to the fleet when you provide the transponder code of your ship."

  Ben had not moved, his head still lying on his arm on the table. The queen, knowing or unknowing, had begun to stroke his head running her fingers through his hair. Everyone at the table noticed, some not so happy about the whole situation. The Queen noticed the frowns and scowls and smiled.

  "I know you all now. I know what you mean or meant to him. I know his animal side that just wanted to take some of you to his bed. His love prevented his lust from taking over.

  I know how you screamed Lorelei, as he cut your fingers from your hand because of the child Natalia and his love for her like a father and Emily, who had to be popular and in the end he protected you from your popular boyfriend. You knew he loved you but he wasn’t good enough. Now you scowl at a queen who could order your body ripped asunder in your next breath. Xamand, would you have them bring Benjamin a strong drink?"

  The queen whispered a few words and was quiet for a second and Ben opened his eyes and sat up. He looked at her first then looked around the table. No one spoke and some tried to pretend like nothing had happened.

  "Ben," the queen said, "I will share my life with you when you are ready. I will show you my life from a small child until now. I am far older than you so it will take some time. It may even be terrifying at times but you should have no pain watching, you are a warrior.

  The servant arrived with drinks for the whole table. Ben's had a clear liquid with different fruits he had never seen before in it. He hoped they were fruits. He plucked one out with his fingers and put it in his mouth. It was sweet, nothing like he had ever tasted before. He took a slug from the drink and his eyes watered. A warning label would have been nice. He sipped the next swallow. He looked around the table and some of the tension he had felt earlier had drained away. Some more of this alcohol and they would be dancing on the tables soon.

  Food was brought and Ben was happy to see the queen eating cooked meats, vegetation, and fruits. He had another drink while he ate some roast animal. Food was taken to the demonoid and the two large insects. Ben was on drink number three. The general must have been feeling his liquor; he was bragging about all his personal exploits to Alona, E'Aria, Emily, and Lorelei. He had Nedra next to him and kept elbowing her to get her to agree thus solidifying his statement.

  Ben laughed. "It’s the same everywhere you go."

  "What is that, the bragging and war stories?" the emperor asked.

  "Yeah, we have a saying where I come from about those who brag loudest and longest usually have the littlest cocks." He held his fingers about an inch apart to emphasize his statement. The emperor burst out laughing and Nedra managed a smile. Captain Dakkon nodded his agreement and the general shot up out of his chair pissed.

  The general yelled. "You mock me and embarrass me in front of my emperor."

  "You did that to yourself with your wacked out stories trying to impress the alien girls. You should have been trying to impress Nedra. She is an attractive member of your race."

  "She is a number of stations below my own. I have no interest in a mate that far down in our social standings."

  "Damn, you are cold-blooded talking about her like that and you with small male parts thinking you are all that" Ben should have let it go but he was having fun for the first time in weeks. The emperor started to intervene and tried to calm the seven foot six, three hundred twenty five pound general, but the ass chewing he had got a little earlier courtesy of Ben must have still been hurting. The general bolted towards Ben.

  The queen moved faster. Ben saw a blur as she flipped off the table, catching the general in the chest, knocking him on his ass. Ben didn’t know if anyone saw the demonoid move but it was just there on top of the general, holding him in place with his teeth in the general’s neck. To its credit, it hadn’t broke the skin yet.

  "Captain Dakkon, would you get a couple of guards and put the general to bed?"

  "Yes, your highness."

  "Thank you, captain."

  The queen sat in the empty seat next to Ben instead of sitting across from him. Things began to resume and take a normal course of conversation. Some stood up and excused themselves and headed to their rooms for the evening. Ben felt a hand on his leg.

  "What would you have done if I hadn’t been here?"

  "My plan was to get under the table calling him more names and trying to kick him in the knees."

  "You would have cowered and antagonized him from under the table like a coward while you sit amongst the most powerful leaders you have ever known?" The queen sounded shocked.

  "Wow, you sure know how to ruin a buzz. He would have beaten me like a dirty rug. Besides, I was having fun at his expense. There are a number to things that are universal no matter what galaxy, universe or bar you’re sitting in."

  "What are these words of wisdom, did a wise man pass them on to you?"

  "Yes, my training instructor in boot camp. He said don’t insult a man’s mother or his man parts. I don’t know the general’s mother so I left her out of it."

  "He may not forget or forgive you when tomorrow comes."

  "Yeah, probably not. Tomorrow I am not going to feel so good so if he wants to take a shot, he can. Besides, he shouldn’t have insulted Nedra like that. Talking about her like she is less important than him."

  "You have many things to learn if you live in this part of the universe."

  "And you need to learn what it means when your hand is placed where it’s at." Ben smiled a hundred and eighty proof smile; it was definitely going to hurt tomorrow.

  The emperor had been talking to the others who were left still nursing their drinks. He had one ear and eye on Ben and the queen. "Maybe there will be peace if the queen is successful. Ben will do what is right in the end even if it comes to a war. He doesn’t know the Cjittan on Hyson would follow him instead of the queen. Maybe others would too."

  Chapter 19

  "Oh damn!" Ben held his head with both hands. He was in his bunk on the Claymore. He still had his armor on and he had to hit the head something fierce. He stood and fell back down as the mallet pounded both sides of his head. At least it felt that way. The door to his quarters opened and someone entered but he didn’t feel like looking to see who.

  "Whoever you are, would you please just shoot me. Then tell General Dick that I'm dead."

  "Who is General Dick?" a voice he didn’t quite recognize asked.

  "Aw shit, who are you?"

  "I am Colonel Dakkon. We have met already."

  "What are you doing in my quarters, colonel. What am I doing in my quarters?"

  "What do you remember last?"

  "The third grade."

  "I don’t understand. What is that?"

  "Forget it, are you taking me to jail?"

  "Oh no, I have been assigned to escort you and watch over you. Hold still your Captain Aok gave me this for you." She pressed the injector gun to Ben’s neck and pulled the trigger. The sound of compressed gas, a small pinch and ten seconds later, his head was only humming. Ben sat up and started unbuckling his armor. He took off his boots and stepped out of it leaving it on the floor. He looked around for his weapons and found them lying across a chair.

  "I need to shower and eat, then you can tell me how much trouble I am in."

  Colonel Dakkon nodded and followed Ben in his boxers to the shower. He dropped those at the door and put them in the clothing refresher. She heard the water start and Ben making noises.

  "Are you ok?"

  "Yes, do I sound that bad?"

  "You w
ere making odd noises."

  "I was just working out some aches and pains. Did I get my ass beat last night? I'm sore."

  "You assaulted the Queen of the Cjittan!"

  "Oh, is that all? I take it I didn’t do so well against her."

  "No, not so well. It was a very poor example for someone of your reputation."

  "You sure it wasn’t her demonoid body guard? He seems pretty bad ass."

  "Oh no, it was the Queen."

  "Did any of my crew try to help me?"

  "Does laughing uncontrollably and encouraging the Queen to "Beat your ass," I quote, help you?"

  "That was Lorelei?"

  "Yes, I believe so and the one called Emily."

  "Traitorous biotches!" Ben said then laughed. "I guess I deserved it."

  "Yes, it seemed you did. Your actions were not appropriate, although in my opinion had you been somewhere more private, you may have had a better outcome."

  "Ok, spill, what did I do?" Ben shut the water off and grabbed a towel from the locker.

  "After you insulted the general, the queen intervened. You were talking to the queen, she was inquiring about your behavior with the general. You spoke back and forth then you said something like "Come here baby," I quote again, and pulled her face to yours. Your crew explained it was called a kiss which is a sign of affection. The emperor stood and moved around to sit with your crew and watch. The queen pushed you away when you said "What the hell." It was your tone that got you in trouble you; sounded angry. I don’t think she knew what you were saying. Your crew filled me in."

  "Oh, I did all that?"

  "There is more."

  "Great, let’s hear it."

  "You started to move back in towards her and she punched you in the chest, knocking you over in your chair. You lay there trying to speak and used the word "bitch" again with the same tone and she drove her fist into your mid section and all the air gushed out of you."

  Ben looked down at the bruises on his abs and chest. "You can leave, colonel. I believe I am going to lock myself in the ship until this is all over. Pass on an apology to the emperor and the queen and even to that dick General Raza."

  "You humans are a strange species. Your Captain Aok approached the queen and apologized for you. She stated that you are, no matter how angry, almost always respectful to any female. She had never witnessed you like that and felt it must have been that you consumed too much of the drink and it had caused the obvious side effects everyone was witnessing. She bowed to the queen asking her to accept the apology on the behavior of you and the crew."

  "Great, now she will hold that over me till I die."

  "You, however, did not seem to grasp what was going on and continued using what your crew described as a poetic string of foul words. Captain Aok then kicked you and told you to "Shut the hell up," I quote. You slowly stood up and gave the captain an angry stare, turned and walked away from everyone. The emperor assigned me to follow you and get you safely to your apartment but you didn’t go in that direction. You asked one of the guards how to get out of the "damn place" and walked in the direction he pointed. I intercepted you and tried to bring you back but you threatened to kill me if I didn’t take you to your ship. I messaged your request and was told to comply and brought you here. You seemed to calm down once you were onboard and I helped take off your weapons. I laid them down and heard the sound of you hitting your bunk. That was about ten of your earth hours ago."

  Ben wore his towel to the mess, surprised to find Adam and Lorelei there making some food.

  "What do we have to eat around this place?" Ben asked.

  "I will make you a hangover shake, I am sure you got the hangover hypo already or you wouldn’t be walking," Adam said then laughed. Ben unlatched one of the chairs from the floor and sat down. The Colonel did the same and sat down.

  "Can I get you anything, Colonel Dakkon?" Adam asked.

  "Make me a similar drink. It smells good."

  Adam made both drinks but Ben’s had two shots of vodka, the colonels didn’t. Ben heard people walking through the ship. It sounded like they had stopped at someone's quarters then resumed their journey. He sat in a towel with wet hair; now was not the time that he wanted to see anyone.

  Ben asked, "Colonel, would you go see who that is and if they want me, send them away."

  "I don’t work for you. I am escorting you in order to keep any further incidents from happening." It was too late to avoid whoever was in the corridor so Ben just sat and drank his breakfast. There were two sets of footsteps, one slightly heavier than the other. He watched the colonel out of the corner of his eye for her reaction. He saw her brows arch then come back down. He was shirtless, shoeless and in a bad mood. He hoped it was just some of the crew.

  "May we join you?" E'Aria asked.

  "Yes." Colonel Dakkon answered.

  "No!" Bens answer immediately followed hers. The colonel sat on his left, E'Aria stood at his right and an eye-popping display of colors appeared directly in front of him. Long platinum hair cascaded down to her waist. Last night, she looked like a Valkyrie or Norse Goddess in her gold and silver armor and but today, she looked like an elf maybe, but not some thin wistful solemn creature as they were often portrayed. It didn’t matter, he was supposed to be mad at those two. The queen had a multilayered, multicolored fabric wrapping around her body starting just under her arms. It was tight enough to accentuate the positives all the way down to the floor. She wore a separate piece over and off her shoulders.

  "We are here to apologize," E'Aria said looking at Ben. "The queen feels she may have been out of line although I have told her a number of times she was not. I agreed to apologize as well and feel you also need to, Benjamin."

  "How about we don't and say we did, if anyone asks."

  "How about we do, so we don’t have to lie if anyone asks," E'Aria said getting angry.

  "How about you and her go play diplomat and work out some peace shit between all of you and leave me alone."

  Colonel Dakkon said. "Maybe this is not a good time, how about we let him rest some more and broach the subject later."

  "We need to discuss some things before the ball tonight, regardless of apologies," E'Aria said. "Ben, you need some new clothes for the ball tonight. The colonel will accompany you to some clothing shops where you will get fitted and purchase something appropriate to wear. Just tell the clothier what it’s for and they will know."

  Ben said, "No! I am going to my quarters."

  E'Aria said, "Fine! Go, coward."

  Adam approached the table with Lorelei in tow. Ben stood and left yelling over his shoulder for the colonel to stay away also. Lorelei sat in his chair looking at E'Aria.

  Adam asked, "Can I get your highnesses anything to eat or drink while I have the kitchen up and running.” E'Aria picked up Ben’s glass, it had two inches left in the bottom. She took a sip.

  "I will take one of these."

  "With or without the vodka?"

  "With."

  "Can I taste it?" the Queen asked.

  "I will take one too with the vodka, whatever that may be."

  "It is an alcohol but not like what we were drinking last night. I can’t believe he drank three drinks," Adam said. "I didn’t even finish my first."

  "So his behavior was caused by the drink and nothing more?"

  "No, there are more reasons your highness," Adam said. "He is still mourning and blaming himself for Andrea's death. He is angry, sad, selfish, self destructive and he knows it. He doesn’t want to be around people because he doesn’t want to hurt anyone else. In our species, alcohol effects can be depressing or overly exciting. We call it a buzz where one loses their inhibitions. He just let go last night. He picked a fight, kissed a girl, got his ass kicked. In a different crowd, different place, that is every Friday night for some guys."

  "He means that is a very common occurrence in certain social environments," Lorelei said. "We have never seen him act like that ever. He needs to do it
again but maybe with a different crowd. Work some shit out, so to speak."

  "No he doesn’t."

  "No use us arguing about any of it. Let’s go Lorelei and do some shopping. We will see you all later," Adam said. Lorelei grabbed his arm as they went out the door."

  ****

  Ben lay on the bunk in his quarters thinking he should slip out and buy himself a few things. He may not go to the ball but he may want to venture out and sightsee. He could buy Natalia some gifts. He didn’t want a baby sitter. Maybe he could slip out while she was in the mess. He dressed quickly, a tee cargo pants and his boots.

  ****

  "Colonel Dakkon. I have some preprogrammed translator nanites that will add to your current translators and help you understand Ben speak. I don’t know how long the emperor will have you assigned to him but even for a short period of time, they may help you. They will also be just as useful in communicating with the other humans in my crew."

  "That would be fine, Captain Aok. Can we do that now before I go check on him?"

  "Sure. Your highness, maybe you would benefit from the nanites also?"

  "It seems it may be prudent."

  They walked to medical where E'Aria loaded up a hypo injector with the nanites suspended in a solution to help prevent irritation at the injection site. Once the shots were administered, she had them sit for a few minutes to monitor for any immediate reaction. E'Aria examined them both and they left to find Benjamin.

  Colonel Dakkon, E'Aria and the queen saw Ben exit the ship and head for the crowd leaving the space port. It was the private portion of the port so it wasn’t a large crowd and Ben did his best to stay amongst the taller Allond pedestrians.

  "Queen Tazleaha, Princess Aok I will see you this evening. Enjoy your day." Colonel Tawniz Dakkon started at a normal pace then her strides grew longer as she worked on shrinking the distance between Ben and herself.

  ****

  "Do you think she will catch him?" Queen Tazleaha asked.

  "Yes, I believe she will. She will not want to have to explain to the emperor anything other than she followed his orders and everything is fine."