by S. E. Smith
He knew part of his fear was the depression Toolas told him about. He still feared Gracie might try to end her life. He had argued that point with the Confederation Council when they heard about her being alive. Since at least one human sat on the Council, the news was unbelievable. The Council originally wanted Kordon to send Gracie to Paulus, the capital city but he refused citing a need for her knowledge in the Alluthans. It took every ounce of his patience not to order the Human Council member’s residence from being destroyed when he insisted Gracie be returned as soon as possible. It was only when the Council members request was overridden by the other members that Kordon was able to breathe a sigh of relief.
He returned afterwards to the communication’s room and practically dragged Gracie out. Between her conversation with Mohan where she admitted she missed the human male, Chance, and the slimy human councilman, Kordon needed to reassert his claim on Gracie. They had come together in an explosion of need. When Gracie suggested she be on top, Kordon fought the idea. A Zion Warrior was always on top. It gave him the control. But, one look at Gracie’s pouting lips and twinkling eyes made Kordon give in with a disgruntled grunt. Now, as she lay draped across his chest with him still locked to her, he wondered why he never tried this position before as it allowed him to enjoy the view of her tantalizing breasts while giving him deeper access to her sweet channel. He found if he pushed up as she came down he could easily touch her womb while sucking her pert nipples.
“Knock it off!” Gracie said sleepily in Confederation Standard.
Kordon’s eyebrows rose as he chuckled. “Knock what off?”
“You’re thinking of sex again.” Gracie said rubbing her cheek against his bare chest.
“Why do you think I’m thinking of sex?” Kordon asked with another chuckle.
Gracie rose up enough to look into Kordon’s dark blue eyes. “I can feel you moving inside me.” Gracie whispered. “I can feel the bands moving and stretching me and the tip of your cock is like fine fingers rubbing deep inside me and turning me on again.”
Kordon’s eyes turned even darker the more Gracie described the feeling of having him deep inside her. With a deep groan, Kordon wrapped one hand around the back of Gracie’s head pulling her lips down to his while his other hand began massaging her ass.
“Ride me again, Gracie.” Kordon said softly against her lips as he lightly ran his fingers along the inside curve of her ass causing Gracie’s breath to catch and her back to bow. “Ride me.”
“Oh Kordon, you say the most wonderful things.” Gracie said as she began riding her warrior.
Two days later, the Conqueror was in orbit around the small moon containing the New World Dome mining colony on Stratus Moor. The Conqueror’s long range sensors did not detect anything unusual but Kordon’s gut was telling him something entirely different. Mohan opened communications with the mining colony and the director-elect welcomed them. A small welcoming party greeted them. Kordon and Quan both wanted to leave Gracie and Mohan on board the warship but both were unable to let the women be that far from them.
Gracie smiled as a woman not much older than her with a small girl on her hip stepped forward to greet them. She was the foreman’s wife. Kordon reluctantly nodded that the women could go with Delaira while the men talked. Kordon wanted to see what type of defense systems were in place.
“Your daughter is very beautiful.” Gracie said as she followed Delaria through the tunnels of the dome city. “How old is she?”
“Lara will be a year old in a month.” Delaira said with a smile.
Mohan giggle when the little girl waved her arm at her trying to pat her fur. “She is adorable.”
The women spent several hours exploring the small market some of the miners’ wives set up to trade together and enjoying refreshments. Delaira shared the trials and tribulations of being the wife of a miner but she also shared the joys of it being a close knit community. They were making their way back towards the mining offices when an explosion knocked them against the wall. The lights flickered for a moment but stayed on. Delaira tightened her hold on Lara as she started to cry.
“There must have been an accident in one of the mines. It doesn’t happen often but it does happen. I will take you to the offices then I must see if there are any injuries.” Delaira said quickly.
Mohan gripped Gracie as another explosion rocked the complex. Screams could be heard in the distance and small fires were beginning to pop up as cabling was knocked loose. Red emergency lights filtered through. Mohan froze as she heard static coming through the comlink from the Conqueror.
“We are under attack.” Mohan said holding the comlink against her ear. “An unknown ship has appeared. The Conqueror is taking heavy fire. It is returning fire but the fighter ships have a shield protecting them.”
Gracie paled as she heard Mohan’s description. “I need a computer. I need a computer now!” Gracie said frantically.
Delaira held the sobbing infant against her and nodded. “This way.”
Gracie, Mohan, Delaira and her daughter struggled to climb over a crumbled rock wall blocking the corridor. Delaira coughed as dust filled the air and quickly wrapped her scarf around her and her daughter’s heads. Mohan and Gracie were left with trying to stretch their shirts up high enough to cover their noses and mouths. All around them screams and shouts could be heard. Delaira pushed open a door and stepped inside.
“Go. There is a console with emergency power. I must go check on the others.” Delaira said before she disappeared down the darkened corridor before Mohan or Gracie could stop her.
Gracie moved over quickly to the console and straightened the chair. She sat down at the console and began punching in a series of commands looking to see if she could tap into the Alluthans’ computer system again. Sweat beaded and ran down her face creating a dirty path but she ignored it. It took almost ten minutes but she was finally able to find an open door. She slipped inside and began typing a simple but effective virus that would take their systems offline for a little while. It wasn’t her best virus or her most effective but it replicated quickly. She was breathing heavy from a combination of fear, adrenaline, and dust. Mohan sneezed several times. Gracie punched in the command and sighed. If it was going to work they would know in a few minutes.
“Gracie, we need to leave now.” Mohan’s fear-filled voice said. She was looking out of the doorway down the corridor. “I do not recognize those coming towards us. My instincts tell me to run.”
“Go, Mohan. I have to disable this or they can stop it. I didn’t create a very complicated virus. Go and I will catch up with you.” Gracie whispered as her fingers flew over the keyboard.
“No, we go together. I will not leave you, Gracie Jones.” Mohan said pulling a small laser pistol out of her holster.
Gracie worked as fast as she could before she felt confident it would take a while for anyone to unravel what she did. She pulled the power on the computer console and rose up heading for the doorway where Mohan was standing looking out.
“Go now.” Mohan whispered pointing to a corridor across from them.
Gracie nodded and moved rapidly through the doorway followed by Mohan. They climbed over the rocks hoping the sounds of falling rocks, distant screams, and popping electrical wires would cover them. Since neither of them knew their way around the maze of tunnels, they decided to find a good place to hide and wait for the warriors on the Conqueror to find them. Neither one would admit to their fear for their life mates. Gracie couldn’t imagine finally finding love again only to lose it a second time. She jerked to a stop as she realized she did love Kordon. Not in the same innocent way she loved Chance but with the love of a woman for a man. Mohan looked back with a question in her eyes when Gracie didn’t follow her immediately. Gracie shook her head silently and motioned for Mohan to continue. She loved Kordon. Gracie trembled with fear at the thought of never seeing him again. What if he was trapped, hurt…or dead?
Mohan motioned for Gracie to mo
ve back as a group of Alluthan warriors went by dragging several women behind them. Gracie recognized them from the market place. They were crying and begging for the creatures to release them. A scream from behind the group made Mohan and Gracie jump. It was Delaira. She was holding the limp body of her infant daughter against her. Two of the creatures were working to remove the child from her mother’s arms. Delaira was fighting the creatures before one of them pulled Lara’s small body away and dropped her onto the hard ground. The other creature pointed a device at Delaira’s head, a short flash burst out and Delaira collapsed next to the body of her daughter. The creature that dropped Lara bent over and picked up Delaira’s unconscious body and tossed her over its shoulder.
Gracie stared at the tiny body of the little girl who barely an hour ago was giggling at Mohan. It was Earth all over. Gracie knew she couldn’t let it happen again. She pulled the laser pistol out of Mohan’s hand, walked up behind them, and aimed it at the back of the creature holding Delaira. She fired two short blasts into the head of each one of them, watching as they collapsed. Her virus was working. Their body shields were down which meant the shields protecting their fighter ships would be down soon. Gracie walked over to where Delaira lay. She knelt down and felt a faint pulse. Standing, she turned to look at Mohan whose eyes were frantically searching the dusty darkness looking for additional creatures. Gracie knew what she needed to do. The virus would barely touch the mother ship. The only way to stop it was to be on board and upload a virus directly into its systems.
“Stay with Delaira.” Gracie said quietly to Mohan not looking at her.
“Gracie?” Mohan whispered as she touched her arm. “Where are you going? What are you planning?”
Gracie turned and looked at Mohan. “I can stop them.” Gracie said softly. “I can stop this from happening again. …To your world, to other Delaira’s.” Gracie said stepping away.
“I cannot let you go, Gracie Jones.” Mohan said determinedly. “I will not let you.”
Gracie turned and smiled sadly at Mohan. “You have to.” Gracie said taking another step away before she started jogging after the other creatures.
“Gracie!” Mohan called out frantically behind her. Gracie raced through the narrow opening of the corridor the other creatures went through. Turning, she fired the laser pistol up at the ceiling blocking Mohan from following her. “Why, Gracie. Why must you do this?”
Gracie’s choked back a cough as the dust began to settle. “It was my destiny to be here. I have to stop them from harming any more worlds. Maybe this is why I lived.” Gracie said wanting to reach out and touch her friend one last time but afraid if she did she wouldn’t be able to leave. “Mohan, tell Kordon…tell Kordon I’m sorry and that I love him.”
“Gracie!” Mohan whispered frantically trying to pull the rocks away from the entrance. “Gracie!” She cried out again watching as Gracie’s tiny frame disappeared into the darkness.
Kordon cursed when he felt the first explosion. He called out to the Conqueror to find out what was going on. A group of unknown fighters appeared as if out of nowhere. The Conqueror was taking heavy fire. The starboard engine was offline. Fighters were being deployed but their energy bursts could not penetrate the shields around the other fighter ships. Bran was transferring power to the shields. Visuals from the fighters stated enemy ships were landing on the small moon. Quan, Douglen, and Kordon could feel the explosions further off.
“I need to find my wife and daughter.” Douglen said pulling open a cabinet to reveal a multitude of weapons.
He tossed several to Kordon and to Quan. “Let’s go.”
Douglen was a former mercenary who decided to settle after meeting Delaira during one of his commissions. Both had found love and peace within the mining community and he was damned if he would let anything destroy it. Moving through the dark corridors with the ease of experience, he was able to take maintenance tunnels to by-pass some of the tunnels that were blocked. Pushing against one of the doors, he came out into a tunnel not far from his last communications with Delaira.
“This was where Delaira said they were at last check in.” Douglen choked out as smoke and dust thickened the air.
Kordon nodded. “Check each section. Bran says the attacking force has some type of shield protecting them.”
Quan turned as another explosion rocked the mining colony. “Lead the way.” He said grimly to Douglen. He wanted to find Mohan and Gracie.
The three men formed a triangle, Douglen in the center as he knew the tunnels with Kordon flanking his left side and Quan his right. Each man moved silently. Douglen held up his hand. He motioned there were two targets coming towards them. Each man moved into a crevice and waited. When it was clear it was the attacking creatures and not some of the miners, Douglen opened fire with his laser rifle. The burst glowed brightly as they flashed over the shields protecting the creatures. The creatures kept advancing pulling up their own weapons. They moved side-by-side, seemingly unconcerned with the fact they were being fired upon.
Kordon gritted his teeth as he fired shot after shot just to watch them flare harmlessly in front of the creatures. He didn’t even flinch when one of the blasts from the creature’s laser fire ripped through his uniform cutting a deep cut through his thigh while another shot cut a path along his shoulder. Pain blossomed than faded as he pushed it away.
“Shit!” Douglen said as he went down on one knee.
“How bad?” Quan called out firing blast after blast as he moved across the corridor to cover Douglen.
“Through the calf.” Douglen bit out.
“We are just sitting targets here. We have no defense against them unless maybe hand to hand.” Douglen said as he continued firing at the creatures getting closer and closer to them.
One creature leaned over a boulder blocking half the corridor. Kordon watched as he pulled his arm back and slammed his fist into it. He did it four times before the boulder cracked into pieces. The damn thing must have weighed five hundred pounds or more.
“Shit!” Quan said. “Hand to hand is out.”
Kordon growled in frustration as the two targets walked through the remains of the boulder. There was nothing stopping them from killing all three of them now. Pulling his laser pistol up, he stepped into the corridor and walked towards the two creatures firing round after round. It was the height of insult that they did not even bother to return his fire. It was almost like they were enjoying the fact they could kill them at any time.
They were within a few feet of Kordon when he raised his laser pistol at one of their heads with a curse. “Arrogant bastards! Zion warriors do not die without a fight.” Kordon said as he pulled the trigger again.
Kordon waited for the creature to finally respond to his presence. He didn’t know who was more surprised, him or the creature, when the creature jerked back a step before collapsing. Half of the creature’s head was missing. Kordon didn’t wait for the other creature’s response. He turned and fired.
Quan came up behind Kordon with a grin on his dirty face. “Why didn’t you do that in the first place?”
Kordon stared down at the two creatures frowning for a moment as his mind race through all the possible reasons their shields failed. Every one of the reasons pointed to one person – Gracie.
“Gracie.” Kordon said softly his head jerking up to look down the corridor. “It was Gracie.”
With an oath, Kordon began moving down the corridor more rapidly. His stomach began to twist at the thought of her being in danger. She had better have found a place to hide or he was going to whip her ass. Kordon turned when Douglen called out for him to go to the right. Kordon raised his laser rifle firing at the creatures in the corridor ahead of him without stopping. Quan was firing as well. None of the men slowed down. They simply jumped over the remains and kept moving. Douglen called out the next corridor should open into a small cavern used as a market. Kordon reached the entrance to it and stopped, pressing back against the wall to see if
it was clear.
Overturned carts, shattered barrels, and trade goods littered the floor. Quan pressed against the wall across from Kordon and scanned the area. Douglen leaned back against the wall next to Kordon and grimaced. The wound in his leg burned and blood still trickled from it. He muttered a curse and ripped the sleeve off his shirt and tied it around the wound.
A slight sound to the left caused all the men to freeze. It was so soft, they almost missed it. Kordon nodded to Quan to move to the right while he would go around to the left. Kordon motioned for Douglen to hold back and cover them. Douglen nodded pulling his laser rifle up.
Kordon skirted the edge of the cavern moving slowly along the wall. He stepped over a small pile of broken dishes being careful not to step on any. He had the laser rifle pressed tight against his shoulder moving carefully back and forth as he scanned the area. Quan motioned he was going around a stall. Kordon gave a brief nod and continued around the back of another one. The noise came again…a soft whimper that was cut short. Kordon came around the side of the stall at the same time as Quan came around the one across from him. There was an overturned cart with a sheeting of colored cloth over it. Quan mimicked pulling it off and raised three fingers. Kordon nodded and moved into position.
