“Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! What are they doing?!”
Oliver heard the surprised yell of Steven to look down and zoomed his eyes closer.
Nova, sensing his master had made way for a surface escape and intended to leave sent a message to the others it was time to see the outside at long last.
Powder blue collars released the fabric and rather than wear their armor in lethal battle mode, they were covered in a sleek black suit, but a large and a small bulge on their backs began to form something. The larger bulge being placed in the shoulder and the smaller set above their hips. The larger pair formed and stretched into a duo of birdlike wings, but the back bulges had slid down to either side of the hip into a pair of large open canisters that showed angled fins of a fan. A whirling gust blew out the back of literal engines and lights emanated out of their chest, shoulders and helmet covered foreheads.
With a mighty roar, Nova ran hard, the feathery wings flapping to gain lift till enough speed was reached that the thrusters could carry them.
“They can fly!” Steven yelled as twelve Ligers flew in military-like formation with Nova in the lead. “WHOA!”
“They must want out real bad.” Visor chirped.
Nova asked for permission and got it. With a flap he and the others flew straight up and out. Oliver grabbed the others with a gentle telekinetic squeeze and followed them out. Renee had to change into armor rather than a sheer sinful gown. Oliver had to fly fast to keep up with the ascending Ligers impatiently wanting freedom.
None imagined they could fly, but it was sure a surprise. Their lights sure helped navigate in the total darkness.
Out flew the twelve who hadn’t seen the light of day for over twenty five millennia. When Oliver reached the surface he found all of them lined up, eyes closed and felt the fresh wind caress their beautiful coats. Absorbing their armor to feel it all. From them Oliver felt their joy to see the wide open world again without a ceiling or wall around them. He felt their pleasure.
Only Oliver didn’t jump as each and every one of them took a deep breath, threw their head back and roared with all their might so loudly the vortex twenty kilometers away was silenced. The air shook with their call. They were free and felt alive once again with purpose.
Without fear Oliver landed among them and rubbed some of their backs, expressing his own happiness to see their majesty in the afternoon sunlight. “You guys go have some fun. I’m going to get my fighter and come right back.”
Nova made it clear where his master goes, he does, but let the others go. Eleven scattered in different directions with one purpose, to truly run without obstacle.
Not one to tell the stubborn king no, Oliver again flew, but Nova had wings out and matched his set pace towards the raging vortex spinning strong yet again. The ships were fine after Oliver uncovered the boulder. The surprise though came when Nova bit down and ripped out the second seat to climb right in. Just ripped the seat right out of the bolts in the floorboard. Oliver was too shocked then. Nova though informed that this is how it was done. The king acts as a second pair of eyes in fighters. They lived or died together. Strangely, without the other chair, Nova somehow managed to fit the great bulk. Still, Oliver decided he needed to alter the ship to enlarge itself to accommodate the insufferable feline. That would take some work, but wasn’t too difficult. The Flare was made of still living wood coursing with nanites. A little reprogramming wasn’t hard, just time consuming. It was already too late to scold him for the seat’s destruction.
Renee told them to throw the seat in the River Skipper and then they were off. The flight back was faster and only Oliver landed the Flare by the entrance where the wind break was perfect. The rest flew back down the hole with plenty of room. Nova joined the run of his comrades and were impossible to see, but he felt the connection and slid into it to see through all their eyes as the world blurred around them, but their speed and fast processing minds made it safe. Eventually Renee’s shuttle scans told the shaft was perfectly safe. “Captain, I’m throwing up the windbreak. I’ll send a stream down it for visual confirmation.”
“Ready, Lad.”
Power flowed and formed kilometer across tunnel through the sky, before he lifted a palm and let loose a bright kinetic stream that Jake easily spotted leave the planet. He flew his doubly large shuttle filled with Stephanie, Jessica, Andrea and a dozen more scientists he had under as his crew. In the cargo area sat Rose along with the entire three Elder councils on the planet that were picked up in the night with the passing of the Wind Quake season, sixty three Elder reptiles in all and they were eager. He flew into a straight tube without any form of turbulence after the stream was canceled. After safe reentry they clearly saw the vortex off to the right, but located the yellowish glint of the Flare and a gaping round hole.
Oliver waved to those waving at him as they flew right on in. It was clear he wasn’t going to make the Ligers go back down. He didn’t want them feeling all this was a dream and wake up all alone as a nightmare. They were out and he wouldn’t damped their spirits.
While the day passed he got to work on adjusting the Flare for its new occupant. Great satisfaction lasted as Renee’s wanting to have his child rather badly was nearly all he could concentrate on, that and having his way with her loudly vocalizing her orgasms in the Queen’s bedroom.
After initial shock had worn off, he let the good feelings ride and guide. The cats had stopped running flat out and were having fun leaping gorges and dangerous areas with lithe grace. He liked to watch how they played while absently rewriting the Flare’s form into something much more suitable. It took all the remaining daylight hours to finish, but would take a good week to slowly grow the extra fibers. To feed the ship he poured rich pulverized granite and turned it into a muddy soup with water in the compartment where roots would rapidly absorb nutrients and water to fulfill the new fighter parameters.
A change alerted to him look up and start smiling. “Renee, you realize I can see you even when you turn invisible. I see psionic electricity all the time.”
Ridding of the barrier that allows light particles to slide and warp around her body made Renee appear. “I know, but I had to get away.” She again was in the sexy thin material. Renee then stepped onto the wing and sat down directly in his lap to lean her head against his chest, giving a delicious view of her bountiful breasts from above.
“I take it you had enough?”
“Before I punched Andrea so she would shut up and sit down, bet your tight hard ass I had more than enough.” She sighed. “Damn that woman is a bundle of energy. I thought her request at Havannah in the first meeting was bad, but she’s down there running her hands all over the sculptures. Fondling them to be more accurate. She climbed some, went swimming in the water along the hall’s sides, ran through the floors and every room in the castle in little more than the blink of an eye talking so fast I got whiplash. Damn, even with my speed she was hard to keep track of. She must have leveled a whole forest of coffee beans.”
“What did she think of your clothes?” He chuckled, wrapping his arms over her stomach, but she grabbed his arms and placed them securely beneath her breasts.
“Jessica about choked me for looking so damn sexy and wants similar attire along with all the girls Papa flew in. Seems like I won’t be the only one taken with the craze to wear clothes of our ancestors. I bet if Papa publishes his findings every outlet and designer will be salivating to make every woman look as good as me.” She snorted. “Papa was the only reasonable person down below, but he let Andrea go running off after I assured him nothing dangerous was around. I did though open the secret chamber and tell the stuffy AI to answer all Papa’s questions. I swear Vladamin flicked me off when I turned around.”
Oliver laughed and was so infectious she joined in. “You can’t hide you loved it.”
“No… guess I can’t.” She looked up, emerald irises sparkling. “Olly, have you thought about what I said?”
“About having a child?
”
“You know it.” She sat up and turned, spreading her legs to sit with her legs wrapped around his waist. “You were happy, but never gave me an answer.”
“I thought I did when we became one body… I want to make children with you. I want to have beautiful daughters and strong sons. Everything is so hectic, but I want you to bear my children. My Ligers are telling me they’ll help keep you safe and the females want to have cubs and have them bound to our child after they train them.”
“Really?”
“I never lie to you and I won’t start now. Seems like the females want children as badly as you and gift them to our bloodline. Especially Nova’s strongest mate.”
“She gave me that impression yesterday. Well? Are you going to batter my oven so I can cook up a cute little bun?”
“I’m yours to command, Milady.”
She raised a lone eyebrow. “Milady? Don’t start going medieval one me. And if you are mine to call, our next destination is Zerika. Plenty of Beasts there to feed a pregnant Solarian woman and potentially Ligers too. We’ll seclude ourselves after opening up another city and I’ll drop an egg to kick start our family. Thirty might be a little young, but I want to hold my own child in my hands.”
“You may need to be careful. Don’t forget our child…”
“Will fit in my hand in about three months, I haven’t forgotten. I did some research and though it will be too premature compare to a human, on Earth are marsupials who bare babies in a pouch. Think it’s called a kangaroo? I’ll use my clothes to make a pouch on my breasts to feed it a mother’s milk. Don’t worry, I’ve thought about it carefully. Even purchasing deodorizing cleansers so our hellion’s ass doesn’t kill you with that creepy sense of smell you have going up there. So look forward to it. As soon as we leave, you are all mine for three months. We’ll seclude ourselves so I don’t kill anyone I care about of the pussy persuasion. Right now though mine is ready for another hammering talking about all this.” Before she could say another word he was already inside paradise.
Early the next morning a mental nudge roused Oliver and even with only his seat, it was bed enough to barely sleep with Renee squeezed tight and their legs tangled together. Looking down over the closed cockpit were the intelligent blue eyes of Nova.
Renee awoke to his change of sleep, being sensitive after a full night of making love and it was predawn. She sat up and willed on another flimsy style of clothes, rubbing out her gritty eyes. “Morning.”
He kissed her and opened the lid to hop out and vigorously rub Nova’s large head. “And good morning to you all as well.” The big cat purred loud and deep. “I take it you all had a lot of fun and scared quite a few Drakes while you were at it.”
“They did what?” Renee climbed out as he went to another who butted his chest with her head. “Tell me that didn’t hurt anyone.”
“No no. They are blindingly fast and can cover a great deal of ground. They were bound to be spotted. These three happened upon a nesting school were new Drakes go to learn to fly.” He roughly pushed and they pushed back even harder. “The council warned not to attack if they spotted my Pride. And they did good. They asked me before showing themselves before you and I turned in.”
“Stars, Lad, you got some big pets!” Jake Dorgen happened to appear then and his loud, gravelly voice had the Ligers turn and growl.
“Easy. This is Renee’s father. His voice is just a little louder than normal. Yes, Nova, humans don’t naturally grow to be so large.” Oliver said.
One of the males padded over to sniff Jake’s hand and got a welcome pat. The giant Scotsman didn’t seem at all overwhelmed to the Ligers’ sizes like Oliver and he was much taller than most anyway. “Good, Lad. Don’t get all territorial on me. Be nice to me or you’ll get yer balls clipped off to make you more compliant.”
Apparently they were reading his intent and the three mates suddenly all nine females jumped upon Jake, teeth bared. Jake was not one to be underestimated and his eyes burned dark green to lift himself up after seeing they didn’t go for the kill. “Ye can’t take a joke eh.” To prove it they barred their teeth and yowled.
“Papa, just stop trying. Think of them like old Marines. They don’t play around on some things, especially when you threaten their mate. They don’t know you. To them you are a threat. Insinuating neutering isn’t a good first impression when those gals want more kids.”
“Intelligent buggers.” He muttered. “Sorry, Lasses. Sometimes me jokes aren’t well taken.” They accepted the apology with a grunt, but was watched closely.
“So Papa, is Andrea still going strong?” Renee smirked and flew up to give him a hug and kiss on the cheek.
Jake chuckled deeply. “She curled up about two hours ago after finding writing on the Queen’s child diary. She was a fertile one that. Me bride-to-be finally ran out of steam. I warned ye not to try and be her shadow. It’s still trying to catch up.”
“A child’s diary?”
“Aye, Lass. She found it after scouring every nook and cranny in the bedchambers. It was a paper book of some kind that doesn’t look old at all. Well, more a tome to be accurate. Andrea says from what she read, the Queen’s spawn were well loved and cherished.”
Renee’s mental gears whirled in overdrive. “I want that book before I have that baby.” And dove down the tunnel.
“Yes, keep her out of trouble.” Oliver suddenly said and two Ligers jumped down after their mistress, sliding on the winged form of their need.
“Lad, what just happened? Why does Renee seem so…” He was at a loss for words.
“Renee and I are planning on finally making a family. After we check out Zerika we are going to spend a few months away.”
“Good fer ye, Lad. I’ve been still wanting a grandchild. Especially with me new son growing in his mother’s womb. I’ll try to make this find be as short as humanly possible. Once all is recorded we’ll continue on to Zerika and I’ll do the research during FTL so we don’t need to spend months here. I’ve already got a preliminary accurate city scan that it’s already twenty three percent complete down to the tiniest detail. Roughly three days and we can continue on.”
“Do be in a hurry on my account.” Oliver said as he leaned against Nova and threw an arm over his soft furry back.
“Lad, in the thousand years I’ve lived, I don’t need as much time as I did back when I figured out the Geo Record. I can recreate anything and everything and take it with me. Besides, that Vladamin is obnoxious and stuffy. He isn’t as kind as that Alleia lass. I’ve spent all night probing, but like ye told me to expect, he wasn’t a conversationalist. Lad, I am sorry about ye being last of yer kind. Must be hard.”
“It is. No one can answer my questions of why. But my woman did help me to focus on what I do have. I have her, you and everyone aboard. That’s enough.”
“Regardless, Lad, don’t ye hesitate to come to me if ye need to get something off yer chest. A captain always listens to his crew. So tell me about yer fine looking companions.”
“Well, this here is Nova, the king of this Pride. The others don’t have names nor seem to need one. As you already saw, they are fast and telepathic to a sense. They can’t form words like Sparky or Creelin, but they have their own way to get their minds across…”
On and on Jake listened and laughed as Oliver launched his shield and the Ligers literally played fetch.
As he talked and played he watched and listened through the minds of the two that followed. From them he saw Renee flying right inside the Pyramid, greet Sparky and Rose affectionately and sped up the stairs in search of one spritely individual.
Renee found Andrea huddled up against the far wall of the Queen’s chambers, out on a balcony that overlooked the city, but she was sitting, her back against the stone wall. Open on the floor was the thickest paper book Renee had ever seen and she had seen some from Stephanie’s rare archeology collection. But between Andrea and the tome lit up a holo-screen running a translati
on program. Hearing footsteps, Andrea looked up from what she was reading and had a natural reaction.
She tried to backpedal at the sight of two behemoth great cats silently padding closer. Only she had nowhere to go. She had backed herself into a place with no way out.
To break the fear Renee snatched up the book and sat down beside Andrea who shook. “Relax, they won’t hurt you.” To prove it the felines laid down on a freshly swept floor and seemed completely serene. They even began giving themselves a tongue bath.
Andrea slowly came out of it and looked over to find Renee reading without technology’s aid, eyes unfocused. She took many deep cleansing breaths before trying to change the subject. “This wind Queen was quite a slut. I already like her.”
“Me too.” Renee winked at the older caramel colored woman in a revealing blue and gray flight suit. “But your translator pales to how her words form detailed images in my head. Look.” Renee chipped into Andrea’s tablet-crystal and from her mind appeared the beautiful Queen Fru making passionate love to her one true Match and father to near uncountable children. “Apparently she was a great artist to make the act of intercourse into a dreamy ideal. She writes wistfully and so dramatically.”
“Wish my translator could do it like your brain.”
“Limitations of Tech. Unless you break the AI ban, this is what you get.”
“So why are you here so early? I’ve only napped two hours. So I know what time it is.”
“I’m learning what to look forward to and watch out for when I drop a kid from my uterus.” Renee stated casually, turning the page. “Oh, this chick was very kinky. No wonder she embodied the wind. Hmm… didn’t know that… more sex… more sex… first birth… okay, she made the marsupial pouch too. Hunger increase expected… killed a handmaiden she thought of as a sister for touching her Match and regretted it greatly after the heat cooled… Oh.. so she can drop a litter of rugrats after the first was weaned. Six births in one delivery. No wonder our wombs can drop more than one egg at a time. Fast ability to repopulate and they had population restrictions too. I damn sure am not dropping that many in one batch. One to start with will be fine.”
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