by Calista Skye
“It doesn't matter that much where we go,” he states and flies us out of the hangar.
“Not as long as we're together,” I agree. But I kind of liked Titan. Or what's inside it, to be specific.”
“The shark?”
“Umm… not just the shark. I actually didn't like it so much. But the ocean, sure. I liked that. And there must be more things to explore if it's a small copy of Earth.”
“There is. And I look forward to exploring everything with you. And exploring you.” He gives me the sexiest smirk ever.
“Don't worry, you will. You have a whole lifetime.”
“I can't wait.” His tail comes up beside me and rubs one nipple from the outside of the improvised wedding dress.
“You won't have to.” I put my hand on his crotch, and it immediately swells under my palm. “Neither will I, I guess.”
“Not for that,” my husband replies. “You'll never need to wait for that. But like you say, we have a lifetime. I'll just set up a course here. Like so. Titan next.”
“I like that course,” I state, tingles intensifying as the tip of his tail moves further down. “Titan and a lifetime together. Doing something that we can both be proud of. How do you feel as an ally to our Resistance?”
“Surprisingly good. It may be a lost cause, but it is a worthy one.”
“It's not lost, warrior. Not with you on our side. We'll make a real difference.”
His tail strokes up along my thigh, going inwards. “I think we can agree on that.”
“It will be nice.”
“It will be sensational.” He puts his big hand on the lightspeed lever, the ship trembling with the barely contained power of a thousand suns, ready to fling us away into the stars.
I put mine on top of his. Light brown on blue. Not a bad combination. “Oh, you have no idea.”
He leans over to kiss me. “I actually have a pretty good idea about it. That's what makes it so exciting.”
With my other hand I grab the tip of his tail and squeeze it. I don't think I've ever been this happy. “You know what, warrior? You're absolutely right.”
He kisses me again, just because he can.
Then we push the lever all the way forward.
Epilogue
- Xan'tor -
My home planet is a chaotic patchwork of various clans, and I have to be very careful how I approach it from above. Some clans will fire missiles at any unknown ship, and I want to be especially careful today.
Still I chance a quick, high-altitude circuit of the Tantt clan and their lands. It all looks calm, no encamped armies ready to attack my clan. No missiles, no military radars.
My clan's territory also appears peaceful. No burning towns, no battles, no preparations that I can see. The clan stronghold is not burning, and its gardens have not been turned into training areas for infantry. It should make me happy, but it only creates a cold fury in my soul.
I land in the fortress spacefield, close and lock the hatch very securely. I have something very valuable in there right now.
Marching into the Clan Head's office, I notice the relaxed atmosphere and the new and expensive-looking furnishings. I feel a grim determination fill me. This is not at all what I would expect from a clan under siege.
The various guards and officials know me and don't dare to stop me. My arrival has clearly been broadcast to everyone here. If war were close at hand, I would have been stopped by many layers of heavily armed guards. This is not right at all.
“Greetings, Xan'tor,” Clan Head Lios'rot says from behind the huge desk in his office. He gets to his feet with great dignity. Many of the old, powerful men in our clan are here, lounging in comfortable furniture. Greni'ot and Cruf'ter are the youngest here, except for me. Nobody is in armor, nobody carries war weapons. They all look fat. And rich.
“We are glad to see you, dear Xan'tor. After many years, you return to your roots. For a little while, anyway.”
I stop in front of his desk, ignoring the others in the room. “For a little while only, Clan Head? Not much of an invitation.”
“Well, you know how it is. Our great sons are much more valuable for the clan when they're out among the barbarians, earning money for the defense of their kind.”
“I see. The defense, you say? I had a look at our lands. And those of the Tantt. And those of the Mur clan. If you hadn't told me otherwise just a week ago, I could have sworn no war was imminent.”
The Clan Head looks quickly around the room, then down. “Ah. That. Yes, in the meantime, tensions have thankfully lessened. Considerably. War is now not imminent, but still, it is better to be prepared.”
“So you will now not have any need for the great amount of money I have made from the Bululg?”
Lios'rot's eyes glitter with greed. “I knew you would come through for us, Xan'tor. Of course your contribution is always very welcome. War or not.”
I study my fingers on one hand. “After what you told me, I expected to see battles everywhere. Towns burning, the rivers running red with blood. And yet, there is no sign of any war preparations. Not by us, not by the Tantt. None, Lios'rot. Not a single warrior. Are you sure that what you told me last time was true?”
Cruf'ter stands up fast. “You are coming dangerously close to accusing the Clan Head of lying, Xan'tor!”
“No,” I explain patiently. “I am not coming dangerously close to it. I am actually doing exactly that. Lios'rot, you are a liar and a cheat. You have no honor. You may no longer lead my clan. How do you respond?”
A shocked silence descends on the room. I have just challenged the Clan Head to a duel over the leadership of our clan. It's an ancient right that is hardly ever used, because the Clan Head is normally the best leader in the clan and everyone wants him to stay on. But I don't think Lios'rot is much of a leader anymore.
He looks shocked. “You're challenging me here, in my own office, Xan'tor? There's no need for this. We are all on the same side, all from the same clan. Take a seat, rest for a while. Enjoy some mead. Take a stroll in the garden! Recent times have been tough for you, I understand. We have placed demands on you that were too heavy and too many.”
“I need no rest,” I state calmly. “I am under less strain now than ever. But you leave me no choice. You told me a lie, urging me to work for the Bululg to fund the defense of the clan because the Tantt were planning an attack. That was only eight days ago. Do you wish me to believe that the Tantt suddenly changed their minds? I think there was never any danger. You just wanted money. Now defend yourself. We will fight unarmed.”
Lios'rot ages a decade in three seconds. Then he sighs heavily. “If you really want it like this, then there is no need to fight. I know you would crush me within the first heartbeat. My body is worn out in the service of our people. I warn you that being the Head of this clan is not an easy task. And we do need funds. Lots of it. Perhaps the Tantt aren't ready yet. But we are surrounded by enemies on absolutely all sides. Some day, they will attack.”
“And we will be ready.” I straighten. “Lios'rot, the clan thanks you for your service. Go now and enjoy the rest of your life in peace and whatever honor you think you deserve. I hereby take over the responsibility and authority of Head of Clan Ramm. Any objections?”
None of the men say anything.
“Very well. Everyone else, begone. I will deal with each and every one of you as I see fit.”
I watch as they all shuffle out, some with angry glances at me, some with ingratiating smiles. The latter will be the ones that need the most watching.
“Greni'ot, stay for a moment.”
My cousin waits until everyone else have left the room. “Yes, Clan Head Xan'tor?”
“I will stay here for a week and make the most important changes, but I will have to be off-planet a lot during my reign. When I'm not here, you will be my deputy. Do you accept?”
He bows. “Of course, Clan Head. I thank you for the confidence.”
“Oh, I don't trust yo
u, Greni'ot. But you were a part of the conspiracy, so you will do your best to get on my good side. That's the most I can expect from this clan, it seems.”
“I understand, Xan'tor. Hopefully I will be able to earn your trust in time.”
I sit down on the desk and give him a little smile. “I think you will. Meanwhile, cousin, how crazy am I? I mean, the Tantt are clearly not ready to move. Or even considering it. Are we in danger?”
Greni'ot shrugs. “No more than usual. Lios'rot probably made it up, then convinced us. But it soon became obvious the Tantt were not planning anything special. I'm sorry, I should have checked before we alarmed you.”
“Yes. You should. Well, it can't be helped now. And it may have worked out for the best. Oh, sit down, Greni'ot. I'm not angry with you. What did he want the money for, anyway?”
Greni'ot takes a seat in a chair facing the desk. “Lios'rot? He has taken up collecting art. For the clan, he claims. But it's all stored in his house. Funny, that. And the art he likes is very expensive. Now, to answer your question, I think what you just did was pretty crazy. On a scale from one to ten, it's a solid six or seven. It's been centuries since we changed Clan Heads by challenge.”
I nod. “I have done many crazy things lately, and somehow they have always worked out better than I could dare hope. I think this is just another thing like that. I even got married.”
My cousin raises his eyebrows. “You did? Congratulations. Which clan?”
I smile merrily. “Clan Carver!”
He frowns. “Carver… not a Major Clan, obviously. A Minor Clan, then? Surely not an Untouchable!”
“Alien!” I explain, grinning like a madman because it is insane, but it is also entirely glorious. “An alien clan. She's from a planet called Earth. I set out to find the best woman in the universe, and that's her. Mila is her name. She's from a warrior clan, too.”
- - -
Many hours later, I go back to my ship.
The hatch closes behind me. “Where is my love?”
Mila comes down from the control room and aims a huge gun at me for a second before she lowers it. “Ohmigod,” she says in her alien way. “Where have you been? I was worried sick! I thought maybe they'd killed you or put you in prison…”
I take her into my arms and kiss her, letting the gun clatter to the floor. “On the contrary. They made me Clan Head!”
She frowns. “They did? Really?”
I laugh. “Don't act so surprised! You know I enjoy bossing people around. Yes, really. That makes you the Clan Head's wife. Very important position.”
She looks up at me with her crystal clear eyes. “So now you're the leader of your whole clan? Isn't that a big job?”
I grab her around her waist and lift her so I can kiss her lips without bending down. “It - mwah - is. And I had a few - mwah - things to deal with - mwah - from before. It will be - mwah - a busy life. But there will be no Bululg, and that makes - mwaaah - it worth it.”
“What does it mean for us, though? We don't have to live here, do we?”
I arch my eyebrows. “Of course we do. We have to live in a small hut. No electricity, no technology. We'll grow our own food. Tilling the fields. Wearing rags. It's a matter of honor. As a leader of warriors, you have to show that you can handle austere living. Didn't you know?”
She tries to push away from me. “What? Are you serious?”
I nod, very seriously “No. I'm not. We'll live in the base with your sister and the crazy guys, and we will go here sometimes. My most important work is still away from here. In fact, my life is wherever you are.”
Mila smiles and strokes my head. “You are such a tease. And then you say something like that, and it sounds like you mean it and I just melt. You do it on purpose, I'm sure. So you're Clan Head, huh?”
“Indeed.”
“That kind of makes me want to give the Head head.”
I frown. “To give the what?”
She gives me a coy little smile, and my crotch starts swelling because I just know something good is about to happen.
“To give the Head head. Haven't you heard of it? It's all the rage. Put me down, and I'll show you.”
- - -
- MILA -
The safe house close to the Bululg facility is the way I left it, except someone from the Resistance has pulled the curtains back the way they were, a discreet sign that they have been there. It makes me happy – they have still not given up on Emma and me, so they make their way past the safe house once in a while to check for signs that we've been there.
I arrange the curtains in the agreed way again and leave a short, coded message stating that I'll be back three days later.
When I return, Davis is there already. He's wearing jeans and a black sweater. His hand is inside his bright blue fanny pack, which must contain a gun. He's taking no chances, and he shouldn't. He's the leader of the Illinois Resistance Brigade, military rank of lieutenant colonel.
I'm not in uniform, but I give him a tight salute because it puts me in the military mindset. And because I'm genuinely proud to be in the Resistance.
“Private Mila Carver reporting, sir!”
He returns my salute like the officer that he is. “At ease, private. Security check?”
“There's nobody else here, sir.” I assure him. “I checked it. Nobody is watching. Not a soul within over a mile.”
He smiles and shakes his head in disbelief, taking his hand out of the concealed holster. “You're here. I wouldn't have thought it was possible. We know you and Emma were taken, and we thought that was it. Nobody has ever returned from Bululg captivity. And two young women… that should have been it for you. Take a seat, Mila.”
I sit down on the couch. “It pretty much was, sir. Until it wasn't.”
I tell him the story as briefly as I can, focusing on the military and intelligence aspects, using pictures and video on my cell phone for support.
“So the way it turned out,” I finish up, “the Resistance now has a base in space and some pretty good allies who are willing to help our cause. And a small spaceship.”
Davis is extremely bright, but even he takes a good while to digest it.
“Okay,” he finally says. “This is better news than we have ever had before. Incredible! Easily worth a Medal of Honor. But that will have to wait until the war is won. Are these aliens dependable?”
I shrug. “Probably. But we have already uncovered one traitor, so there are no guarantees. And sir, you might have a spy in your own brigade. I'm not sure, but during the break-in it kind of felt like the Bululg knew that Emma and I were coming.”
Davis nods. “We already suspect we've been infiltrated. We'll get to the bottom of it. You didn't find anything in the facility?”
“We actually found some interesting stuff. Or Emma did. Seems like your suspicion was correct, sir. The Bululg really wanted Earth for something else. Selling women is more of a bonus. As it turns out, sir, Earth is very special.”
I tell him why, and then we make plans for the future. It takes hours. When we're done, the Resistance has a space branch.
Davis leaves, taking with him the unused MREs. None of us will ever come back to this house again, and we can't waste resources.
I saunter out to the two-seater, take off and set a leisurely course straight up.
Beloron was able to retrieve the ship, just wandering into the Bululg station and flying off with it. Emma rewarded him with a chaste peck on the cheek, but from the way she looks at him I think she would probably like to give him a lot more. Well, kid sisters can be unruly and I'm not going to stop her. I've done weirder things myself.
As I leave the atmosphere, I prepare to enter lightspeed and go straight back to Xan'tor's base. I've only been gone for a few hours, but I already miss my huge warrior husband with the even bigger heart.
And I have some news. Turns out he's bred me good, as confirmed by the Resistance-affiliated doctor I went to see this morning. Well, I hope my man won'
t freak out.
I shake my head again. To think I ever thought of him as a creep…
On a whim I change my mind and point the ship towards the Moon. The trip from the Earth that once took astronauts three days inside their little tin can takes my old spaceship just over ten minutes, and then I'm soaring above the gray, cratered surface.
'Whenever you see a moon, look very closely at it,' Frox said. And if Emma and I are right, our own Moon right here is more interesting than anyone would ever have guessed.
I take out my cell phone. The battery is still about half charged, but one of these days I have to get a new charger for it. They don't have 110V AC outlets in space, looks like. It's a freaking scandal.
“Ingrid, take a report.”
“I'm ready, Mila.”
I lean comfortably back in the seat, putting my feet up on the dashboard in front of me. “Title: Field Report Number Three. By Captain Mila Carver, Commanding Officer Space Brigade, Earth Freedom Army. One. I am still in space...”
© Calista Skye 2020
To be continued in Alien Freak, Summer 2020
Dear reader,
I hope you liked Alien Creep, the first part of my new Alien Breeders series!
It's a little different from my previous series, Caveman Aliens and Fire Planet Warriors, because this one takes place on Earth or close to it. That means we're not limited to just one alien planet, so the adventures can get bigger and the alien hunks more diverse. I would expect a lot of variation in the stories, our heroes, and maybe even in our heroines? Or will they all be Earth girls? We'll see – in this case, the sky is not the limit. I intend to have a lot of fun with this series, and hopefully you will too.
Xan'tor must be pretty scary in his Combat form, if just the sight of him caused the Earth leaders to surrender. I actually think there must be more to that decision than Mila realizes. I certainly hope that if we ever have to actually deal with an alien invasion, we'll defend ourselves and our freedom to the last.
