Wisely, Jo kept quiet, she knew that she was inexperienced and had a lot to learn. Sighing Acorus said “Just do as I ask please Jo”.
“Yes sir” Jo took a kaftan off a guard and popping into a quiet corner turned round and asked “Would you unfasten my armour please?”
Acorus followed her and undid her armour. As she went to step out of it, he wrapped his arms round her bare belly and said “Trust me, Jo. No one has been hurt and will not be if I can help it”.
“I know, it’s just that I know how frightening the Sceriae look. Especially to girls raised on horror films” she said relaxing into his embrace. Putting on the kaftan Jo asked where he was going and he answered nowhere, he’d wait for her.
Taking a deep breath Jo opened the door into the room. The two guards were standing at attention and saluted as Jo entered; nodding at them she told them to relax. The girls were huddled in a corner hugging each other and crying quietly. Jo spoke to them.
“Hello, I’m Jo. Lord Acorus has asked me to speak to you. To tell you that you are not going to be harmed. Please stop crying and come and listen to me. I need to sit down even if you don’t and she sat down in one of the chairs ranged round the room.
The girls were all looking at her in astonishment “You’re human” one of them said.
“Yes I am, Joanna Collins from Leeds. Now Lady Jo-Anna of Scerior, mate to Lord General Acorus”.
“What! That monster is your husband” another said.
“The Sceriae don’t use the word ‘husband’, but yes that’s right” Jo answered smiling at her.
“How can you bear it?” The girls had stopped crying and were gathering round Jo.
Jo could see that the guards were anxious for her safety so asked the girls to sit down on the chairs and listen to her. As concisely as she could she told them of her abduction, her fear, and how she was now. Then she told them about Scerior, how beautiful it was and what a pampered life they would have. When she told them why they had been abducted they became absolutely still and silent.
“I’d rather die” was what most of them said.
Looking at them Jo smiled sadly, “That is one thing that can easily be arranged. Basically the Sceriae are decent and kind. In their universe they are highly respected. But the saving of their race is one thing they will not negotiate. If you choose to die then that is your choice, I chose to live and I’m so pleased that I did”.
Jo stood up to leave and one of the girls said “Oh my god, you’re pregnant!”
“Yes I am. My daughter will be born in a few weeks, Lord Acorus is her father. As you can see I am happy, healthy and cared for by both the Escorii and the Sceriae. On this trip, I walked alone on Earth and happily came back to my life here. There are so many amazing things for you to see if you accept your destiny”.
Jo took her leave and left the room. Acorus was waiting for her as he had promised.
“That was so difficult, I’m glad it’s over” she said.
“How were they?”
“Wishing they were dead” Jo sighed “I think that a lot of them will resist whoever they are given to”.
“You really think they will fight and risk being killed?”
“Yes, I really think they will, they think they are superior to the majority and can’t really believe that anything will happen to them” Jo replied honestly.
“What can we do?”
“My advice is to send them back with the senator’s daughter and the mentally challenged gypsy girl”.
“That would be sixteen females released”.
“Far better than having to kill them finally anyway. They will never carry daughters for Scerior. Believe me please, Acorus”.
“If we send them back then any future females we take will think that if they are difficult we’ll just take them home” Acorus insisted.
“Well, if that happens you can just punish them and rape them. But you don’t know the Americans. They won’t give out any information about aliens. They never have” Jo told him.
Turning, Acorus put his hand up to her face “I am listening to you my love. But what if the females on the other two ships are the same? How many will we have to take back? I must think about this”.
“I know love” Jo put her hand on his “Lets see what they are like on the other ships before you decide”.
Acorus took his helmet off and laid his face against hers “Oh Jo, I hate all this. I tried to ignore what we were doing to another species, because the Sceriae had to survive. How many females must we tear away from their homes before we have secured Scerior’s future?”
“There are hundreds of human/Sceriae females almost at breeding age”, Jo said “You have brought your race back from the brink. I understand what you have had to do and I love and admire you. With the raids this time we’ve helped girls and I think that’s what we must do in future”.
“Yes you’re right, I’m afraid I made a mistake this time, but it is done. These will be different females to the ones from the slave trade. We will have to think hard who has them. Mm, I’ve decided we’ll send the sixteen back and in future only take females who will be grateful to be rescued”. Acorus turned and gave orders to the guards.
With Jo he turned towards the hangar deck where the senator’s daughter was being kept. Once there Jo changed back into her armour, and they took a fighter ship back to Acorus’s star ship. The senator’s daughter was very quiet; too terrified to speak, and when the fighter took off she sat in her seat shaking from head to toe. The Escorii technician was still filming everything as he had from the beginning. The part where the girls had been seized and stripped had been erased, so the film jumped from Acorus’s speech to them boarding the fighter.
Once on Acorus’s ship they took the girl straight to Jo’s quarters where Tchu and Tjai were waiting for her. When she saw the room, especially the large bed dominating it, she sobbed and collapsed between the guards who had been holding her up. Acorus and Jo went into the bathroom where Jo helped him off with his armour. Slipping on a kaftan Acorus led Jo back into the bedroom. Going to the girl Acorus lifted her up and she stared at him in amazement.
“Oh my god, you’re human” she said in a Boston accent.
“No, I am Sceriae. Lord General Acorus, commander of the Sceriae army, and this is my lady, Jo-Anna, who is human like you”.
The girl looked in astonishment at Jo, who put up her hands and removed her helmet.
“But your skin!” the girl said, her eyes going back and forward between Acorus and Jo.
“It isn’t skin, it’s armour, to protect us from races who are, indeed, very ugly and nasty” Jo explained “If you’ll excuse me a minute, I’ll go and take it off”.
Going into the bathroom followed by Tchu Jo took her armour off and slipped on a kaftan.
Re-entering the bedroom she went to the girl and said “Don’t be frightened, we are going to take you home”.
“Home, but why” the girl asked.
“Come and sit down. Tchu would you get us all a drink please” Jo led her to a chair.
The girl sat down looking dumbstruck. Acorus and Jo sat on a sofa opposite her and Acorus dismissed the guards, and the technician took up a position that would show all three on the film. Once they had all received a drink Acorus told the girl why human females were being abducted. Looking at Jo the girl said “You were abducted too! Are you pregnant?”
“Yes I am, my daughter will be born in a couple of weeks”.
“You know it’s a girl then?”
“Yes, our hormones are managed to make sure we only have female babies, they will be half human and half Sceriae. Then when they have babies they will be three quarter Sceriae and a quarter human, and so on. Tell me what is your name?”
“It’s Natalie, tell me Jo, are you happy?”
>
“Yes I am, very. To start with I hated the Sceriae. But they were kind and looked after me as if I was a princess. I was frightened but knew that it was up to me whether I survived. I decided I would live and I’m glad I did as I love Acorus very much” Jo told her smiling at Acorus.
“B... but, he’s an alien” Natalie stuttered.
“He’s the same as a man, just bigger! Jo said throwing a look at Acorus who was smirking. “Life on Scerior is wonderful, no disease, everyone has the same standard of living. The Escorii who look after us were rescued from a dying planet by the Sceriae thousands of years ago. They were given the chance to move to a planet that would sustain them but they liked life on Scerior so much they asked to stay. They are not servants and have the freedom to do anything they like. The Sceriae are looked up to all over their galaxy, but unfortunately us humans are the only specie they have found who can breed with them. Otherwise they would never have bothered with Earth”.
“Why haven’t they asked us to help them?”
Jo raised her eyebrows “Ask who? They only knew that there were always wars on Earth. No central government, and you know how your authorities hide details about aliens. They would only want to use the Sceriae’s advanced technology for weapons!”
Natalie thought hard and then nodded her head sadly. Then she said “What about the girls who were stripped naked? Were they punished or raped?”
“No, I spoke to them and told them what I have told you, but they were too stupid and arrogant to listen. We are sending them back because they will be too much trouble. The Sceriae males do not want to rape females, they prefer seduction and enjoyable sex” Jo told her.
Acorus turned to Jo and put his hand on her stomach and said “And we’re very good at it”, then grinning at Natalie he continued “It’s a pity you’ll never find out”.
Flushing Natalie looked down and said “Do all Sceriors look like you?”
“Sceriae, not quite as good” Acorus laughed.
Jo slapped him and said “The main problem they have is terrible big headedness”.
Looking from one to the other Natalie asked “Why are you sending me home? Is there something wrong with me?”
“There certainly isn’t anything wrong with you, you’re very pretty” Acorus said smiling at her.
Jo couldn’t believe it, he was flirting with her. Frowning at him she said, “We know your father is a senator and a lot of the girls Lord Acorus took from the academy, are from well to do families. We were worried what America might do. Who would they blame?
They can’t harm the Sceriae, so we have made a film of this, the star ship, fighter ships, space etc for you to take back to Earth”.
“Have you got more girls than the ones from the academy?”
“Yes, but they are girls and children who were in the control of white slavers. They are happy to go to Scerior, it will be paradise after their hell on Earth” Jo explained.
“Why don’t you send all the girls from the academy back?” Natalie asked.
“That will not happen” Acorus stated firmly “They will be good for Scerior. Now enough. We have told you all you need to know. As soon as it is dark on Earth, you and the troublemakers will go back”.
Natalie opened her mouth, but one look from him shut her up.
Acorus turned to Jo “I will leave you for a while as I must check that the film is good to send to Earth”.
Once he had gone Natalie turned to Jo and asked why he wouldn’t send the other girls back.
Thinking about her answer Jo said “What you have to remember is that the Sceriae have been superior to all specie they have known about for many thousands of years. They are always in the right as far as they are concerned. To them we humans have always been lesser beings; they have watched us since our cavemen days. What they see now doesn’t impress them. We fight each other, humans kill other humans. The slave trade has disgusted them further. Not just the state the girls are in, but the children who have been bought and sold to be abused. They think that humans are not very clean. When girls are first taken from Earth they don’t smell good to the Sceriae. On the way to Scerior we are detoxed, because as the Sceriae are vegetarian they can smell dead meat and the chemicals we use, on ourselves. Actually I can now smell how different humans smell to how the Sceriae smell. You know if they wanted to, they could take Earth and take all the females they want, but to them that would not be honourable. As for Acorus he has been in power for a long time and his word is law”.
“He is frightening isn’t he?” Natalie said, obviously wondering how he treated Jo.
“Yes, at first I was terrified, but he was kind and gentle. He is a skilful lover and I love him and trust him”, Jo smiled “Since he got to know me, he respects me and has made me his official mate. A great honour, I can tell you”.
“You seem relaxed and happy, but, were you raped and how could you go on if you were?” Natalie asked, really wanting to know.
“No, I wasn’t raped, he seduced me. I hadn’t known that sex could make you feel like that”. Jo told a little lie, admitting that she had been the cause for Acorus raping her.
“But he’s so big, everywhere”, Natalie said, wincing.
Jo laughed “Yes, isn’t he. But lovely with it!”
Natalie laughed too “I don’t know whether to feel jealous, do I really have to go home?”
“Of course you do. Think of your parents, that’s where I was lucky, I suppose. I’ve got no family on Earth, buy now I’ve got a large family on Scerior”.
At that moment Acorus came back and said that the girls who were going back were being transferred to an empty star ship, and it was time for Natalie to go. Turning to Jo he asked her to help him with his armour. Leading her into the bathroom, he took her in his arms and told her that he hated having to leave her so soon. Cuddling into him Jo told him that he didn’t have to leave her, she could go with him.
Shaking his head he said that she was too close to giving birth to risk the asteroid belt twice more. Knowing it was pointless to argue Jo sighed but kept quiet. As she fastened his armour they discussed the prostitutes that he was going to collect. Oesega’s spies had discovered about one hundred professional call girls, all good looking and in great demand. The spies knew their usual movements pretty well, so they reckoned that two or three nights would see them all captured. Once the three star ships were full Acorus would rejoin his fleet, transfer to his own star ship and they would head back to Scerior.
Acorus also pointed out to Jo that she would be better employed talking to the American girls who he had taken from the academy. When Jo wondered how she would manage such snobbish, rich girls, Acorus laughed and told her that she was now Lady Jo-Anna, future Queen of Scerior. Nobody from anywhere was more highly placed than her.
Advising her to keep them frightened, Acorus kissed her briefly and left, taking Natalie with him. Once they had gone Jo suddenly felt weary. Sinking onto a sofa she realised what a busy traumatic day she’d had. As usual Tchu and Tjai joined her, and she smiled at the realization that she would never be alone again.
When Tchu asked if she was hungry she laughed and said “Aren’t I always?”
After a meal, shower and massage, Jo fell into bed and was asleep in minutes.
Chapter 41
Jo slept soundly until Tchu arrived and woke her. Feeling refreshed she had a quick shower and dressed in a richly decorated tunic and trousers. It was one of her favourites in a pale cream, embroidered with flowers of gold and pink thread. Tchu put her hair up in an ornate chignon and threaded fine gold chains through it. Putting dainty gold studs in her ears and gold bangles on her arms, she felt ready to face anything.
As she ate breakfast of rolls, similar to brioche, and fruits and nuts, she discussed how to approach the ‘rich kids’ as she called them, with Tchu and Tjai.
Tchu advised her to be superior, proud and sure of herself, and not try to be too friendly. She mustn’t let the girls think that she was the same as them. Whoever they were given to would not be higher in Sceriae society than Acorus. Although she’d had a working class background, Jo’s grandfather had always told her that she should never consider herself inferior to anyone.
However, how to deal with these rich girls worried her. Deciding to follow on from how Acorus had frightened them she decided to take four guards, in armour with their face masks closed and scales standing out.
Tchu suggested that she and Tjai should put on their dress outfits, which would make them stand out from their sisters in working dress. Jo was delighted with their suggestion so they hurried off to change. As she was by herself Jo straightened the bed and put the breakfast dishes on a tray. When Tchu and Tjai returned they had brought two more Escorii with them to make the bed and clear the table. Tchu tutted at Jo saying that it wasn’t her job to make beds and tidy up, but Jo told her that she’d always looked after herself and that she’d wanted to be busy not sitting worrying about the girls she had to deal with. Tchu and Tjai looked amazing, their gowns were made from a thickly embroidered stiff material, with full sleeves and a stiff upright collar, which made them look very regal.
Walking to the hangar deck they collected four guards to go with them and boarding a fighter ship headed to the star ship full of girls from the American academy. When they reached the girls quarters the two guards outside sprang to attention and saluted Jo.
Telling all the guards to close their face masks and make their spines stand up, Jo squared her shoulders and lifted her head high. A guard opened the door and they all entered the room. The guards fanned out so there were three on either side of her with Tchu and Tjai standing proudly by her side.
The girls were spread out around the room eating and talking, all seeming quite calm. Tjai told Jo the extra calming oils were being used during their massages. Looking round Jo could see how attractive and healthy they all looked. So different from the girls taken from the slave traders. Most had long hair and many had long legs to go with it. Their skin was lightly tanned and their eyes were bright. Perfectly shaped eyebrows and white straight teeth all spoke of a pampered background. Somehow Jo didn’t feel as sympathetic to them as she had expected. When they saw Jo they stopped eating and turned to look at her. There were gasps and then a barrage of questions.
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