Captives of the Kratzen (Hearts in Orbit)

by S. C. Mitchell

  “No. No I don’t.” A passionate sigh escaped his lips as they closed on hers. His tongue penetrated. His erection thickened and pulsed boldly against her belly.

  Heat, like she’d never experienced before, exploded within her core as desire rose within.

  He broke the kiss. “You have no idea how much I want to—”

  A whoosh from the back of their cell drew both their gazes.

  One of the back panels slid toward the ceiling, opening a doorway to the outside. At least they now knew where the door was.

  Two of the roaches scurried in, blasters held at the ready. One of the mantis-like creatures followed them into the cage.

  The mantis pointed one of his appendages toward her.

  Frack.

  Carter jumped in front of her. “You don’t touch her.” He spoke through gritted teeth, his tone almost a growl.

  Despite the danger, she found comfort in his protective stance. She’d always had to stand on her own. She’d never had someone like this at her side.

  But he wasn’t at her side now. He stood in front of her. No way. She wasn’t about to let him take a fall for her.

  Fisting her hands, she stepped up beside him. “You’re not taking either of us without a fight.”

  “It’s harder to protect you if you’re not behind me.” Carter was rigid, ready to strike out at the bugs in front of them.

  “If I’m behind you I can only look at your ass not cover it.” They were in this together.

  Their exchange must have confused the bugs. The two roaches turned to look back at the mantis as blaster fire echoed through the opening from outside their cell, drawing the attention of all three.

  As one, Tina and Carter lunged forward. His fist connected with the jaw of one of the roaches as she brought her leg up in a roundhouse kick on the other.

  As she twirled, Tina noted a small silver figure standing in the doorway.

  Kirtl.

  The Blarmling blasted the mantis as the two roaches dropped to the floor.

  “We need to go. Now.” Kirtl blasted the two roaches for good measure as he waved them toward the doorway with his other.

  Carter took her hand, pulling her with him. “How did you get free?”

  Rolling his purple eyes, Kirtl tilted his head. “I can read minds, remember? It just took me a while to decipher their language enough to find their hidden buttons.”

  The Blarmling could read minds. Probably knew exactly what they’d been doing before the bugs entered their prison. And what they’d been about to do. Heat flushed Tina’s cheeks, but she tamped down her embarrassment. Kirtl had always been very discrete.

  Another roach lay face down outside their cell doorway. Near it, Kirtl pulled the lid up on a large container. “Here. Hurry. We probably don’t have much time.”

  Inside, all their clothing and gear.

  Tina grabbed up her shipsuit and undergarments, pulling on her clothing as quickly as possible. Still, she took a moment to sneak one last peek at Carter’s ass as it slid into his pants. Hopefully not the last time I see that.

  She was ready to give up everything she’d been brought up to believe. This wasn’t sex with an alien. This was making love with a man, a man she had feelings for.

  He wasn’t a Quendorian. In her youth, Quendarians were shunned for even suggesting a relationship with an alien. Yes, even with Quendor’s extreme isolation in the galaxy, there were those who found love somewhere else. They’d be shipped off planet so their aberrant relationship couldn’t infect the general population.

  Purity gives the Quendorians their superiority.

  That superiority hadn’t helped at all when the pirates started raiding city after city. Kingdom after kingdom. The isolation only kept out potential allies who would have helped. In the end, Quendor fell completely under the influence of the Pirates of the Dark Nebula and the once proud race was reduced to slavery.

  Sex with an alien?

  Making love with this man?

  Hell, yes. Just as soon as they got out of here, and she could get a little alone time with Carter Arcturus.

  Chapter 5

  Carter buckled on his holsters. A blaster at each hip gave him a real boost of confidence.

  They were going to escape.

  Hell, we don’t even know where we are.

  Kirtl shook his head. “We may not know where we are, but the Dzlozians seem to. Their minds are very human-like, though much of their language is still a mystery to me.”

  Now that they were dressed and equipped, Carter motioned the others to follow as he crept down the hallway at the side of their prison room. It opened into the passageway he’d seen through the translucent panel inside. “The Dzlozians?”

  He held his blasters at the ready, but saw no sign of movement to either direction. The roadway led past dozens of cells like the one he and Tina had been imprisoned in.

  “Them.” Kirtl pointed to the cell holding the two blue-skinned humanoids. “I believe they were captured like us, to be studied. They are frightened and angry at the bugs and each other.”

  “Should we free them?” Carter’s gaze traveled to the two aliens in the cell across the roadway who still appeared to be arguing with each other. “Would they be friendly?”

  “I believe so.” Kirtl shrugged as he trundled across the broad hallway leading to the narrower access hall to the cell across the way. “In any case, their ship is our best hope of escape, and it would be convenient to have someone with us who knows how to fly it.”

  Bug ships needed four hands to fly properly and lacked proper atmospheric pressure as the aliens’ chitinous exoskeletons served to protect them. Short trips by humans in bug ships had happened, but an extended journey would be next to impossible without some serious modifications. Something they probably didn’t have the time or skill to achieve.

  Carter nodded and led them toward the cell doorway. “Then we’d better get them out of there. Any idea what they are arguing about?”

  The convenience of having a mind-reading Blarmling with them was never more comforting.

  “The female appears to be mortified to be naked in front of the male, whom she blames for their predicament.” Kirtl pushed a sequence of buttons on the outside of the doorway, and the panel slid upward.

  “Txin fromna al saminzide!” The bold male voice held rebuke in its tone.

  As they entered, the two blue-skinned aliens turned toward them.

  “Ansetted,” the female asserted.

  The male jumped in front of her, his hands fisting. “Boftine?”

  Tina placed her hand on Kirtl’s shoulder. “Can you translate, Kirtl?”

  His mind whirling as he tried to make sense of the alien language, Carter hadn’t even considered that they probably had the perfect translator with them.

  “Jome kuim.” Kirtl raised both hands and stepped toward the aliens. “I’m telling them we’re friends . . . I think.”

  Carter motioned the two toward the doorway. Hopefully gestures would be interpreted the same.

  “Con fruin,” the male replied, striding forward. In lower tones he added, “Shen contender. Tuba ton benidictined.”

  Kirtl nodded. “I believe he just told the female to stay behind him, and that he didn’t completely trust us.”

  “That makes sense,” Tina added. “If our positions were reversed I probably wouldn’t trust them either.”

  She pulled back outside, opening up the box similar to the one that had held their clothing and equipment.

  “Oh, chon kanamuchi!” The female Dzlozian, her cheeks a bright pinkish-purple, pushed past the male to dig into the container. She pulled out a long, brightly colored orange and yellow print kimono-type dressing gown and threw it over her head.

&n
bsp; A slight smile creased the corners of the male Dzlozian’s mouth. He shook his head as he pulled out a pair of billowy, black slacks and a black and purple, print tabard.

  Once covered, the female extracted a delicate pair of strappy sandals and some heavy purple boots. She threw the boots at the male, hitting him in the chest as he rose from pulling on his slacks. “Tardend pumla!”

  When finally dressed, the male turned toward them. He bowed, then placed his hand, fingers splayed, on his chest. “Toblemos hebe Tendle.” Gesturing toward the female, he added, contempt rolling in his tone, “Klemos hebe Rolanda.”

  Kirtl nodded. “He says his name is Tendle, and she’s Rolanda. They are happy to see us, yet remain angry at each other.”

  “I’ve gathered.” Carter nodded.

  The Dzlozians didn’t appear to have any weapons on them, or in the container. Considering how they were glaring at each other, that was probably for the best.

  Following Tendle’s example, Tina placed her hand on her chest. “Tina.”

  “Tee-na,” Rolanda mimicked.

  Did they really have time for this? Bugs could be anywhere here.

  Kirtl shook his head. “No bugs in the vicinity right now. We have time and they don’t fully trust us yet. It is important to gain their confidence, I believe.”

  “Okay,” Tina said before he could utter a sound.

  Had she been thinking the same thing as he?

  Kirtl shot him a wink. “Yes she was, and before you did.”

  Okay, sometimes having a mind-reader around bordered on irritating. Carter clapped his hand to his chest. “Carter.” Then smacked Kirtl on the shoulder, probably a little harder than necessary. “Kirtl.”

  Nodding, Tendle extracted a small device from the pocket of his tunic. He and Kirtl exchanged some words in Dzlozian as he manipulated the buttons and switches.

  Kirtl had the audacity to chuckle. “We’d best get going. Tendle says their ship is this way. They were captured and brought here in it.”

  They followed Kirtl out of the containment area into a web of corridors. In the close quarters, Carter feared running into guards at every turn.

  “I am taking us around the loudest of the bug noise.” Kirtl continued to trundle ahead. “Still, I might miss one or two. Many don’t have much running through their little brains, so it would be best to keep alert.”

  With the Dzlozians weaponless, Carter suggested Tina take up the rear position with her blaster drawn and ready. They were more apt to encounter bugs from the front, and his two blasters and Fleet combat training gave him an edge in effectiveness.

  Not that he doubted Tina’s more than apt fighting skills. She was lithe, a good shot with a blaster, and when the chips were down, a nasty scrapper. Once, while they’d still been refugees hiding in Port Hubble, he’d seen her stop a charging pirate with a knee to the balls and a jab to the eye. She’d finished him off with a round house kick that sent the man flying into a trash compactor.

  It hadn’t been pretty, but it sure as hell was effective.

  After twenty minutes of creeping, scampering, and holding up, they wove their way through the huge complex. Kirtl led them flawlessly until they turned a corner to encounter one of the roaches, its blaster held at the ready.

  “Look out.” Kirtl’s warning came a bit late.

  The creature swung around, leveling its weapon at them.

  Throwing himself forward, Carter pushed Kirtl down, then ducked to dodge the incoming plasma bolt. Shooting from the hip, he blasted the bug.

  The Blarmling growled. “I swear that thing didn’t have a thought in its stupid head before I turned the corner. I never heard him.”

  Or the poor little guy was working that amazing mind of his a little too hard.

  Kirtl harrumphed. “Not a chance.”

  The sound of the blaster shot still reverberated in the hallway as Kirtl pulled himself to his feet.

  “Yes,” he affirmed, “they heard that. Hurry.” He scampered off ahead.

  Blarmlings could move very quickly, despite their stubby legs. Carter had to sprint to keep pace. He hoped the others could keep up.

  Ahead, a hallway opened to the left. Kirtl paused, holding Carter back. “Wait here. Don’t follow.”

  Before Carter could stop him, Kirtl bolted forward, somersaulting across the opening. Shots rang out from the left, hitting the wall as Kirtl tumbled past. Then two dark figures came around the corner, turning toward the fleeing Blarmling. Carter took them out from behind.

  As they fell, he noted Kirtl standing ahead with his head cocked. “All gone. Come on now.”

  Carter rushed to catch up with the scampering Blarmling. “That was reckless.”

  “I thought it necessary.” Kirtl brushed off the admonishment. “And I trusted you to take care of me.”

  And if Carter had been too slow, one of the bugs could have gotten a clear shot on Kirtl. This section of passageway offered no alcoves or side passages for anyone to duck into for protection. “From now on, let me take the chances. Please?”

  He was, after all, a trained Fleet marine. And Kirtl was only a child, barely two years old.

  Kirtl harrumphed. “An adult by Blarmling standards. You humans are just coddled too long.”

  Shaking his head, Carter raced behind the scampering Blarmling, hoping the others were keeping up. “I didn’t say that. I thought it.”

  “Not my fault. I’m very busy processing everything and you think very loudly.” Kirtl skidded to a halt before a branching hallway to the right, holding up his hand to stop the group.

  Footsteps behind him caused Carter to turn and check if the others were all there. The two blue-skinned aliens were barely breathing hard. They looked to be in very good shape.

  Tina’s shape was also excellent, not that he had the time to admire it. She checked behind, turning in profile, her breasts rising and falling attractively with every breath.

  Focus. And not on her breasts.

  “Good advice.” Kirtl’s eyes glazed. Presumably the Blarmling was scanning ahead for any brain activity.

  He could definitely stay out of my head for a while.

  “Sorry. As I said, you think very loudly.” Kirtl slid around the corner, motioning Carter to follow. “There’s another mind here.”

  The hallway was empty ahead. “More bugs?”

  “No.” Shaking his head, Kirtl trotted on. “This is a human mind, thinking in Galactic Common. A mind from our galaxy.”

  Had someone else been captured? “Can you tell who it is?”

  “No one I have touched before.” Kirtl reached for the door knob.

  The Blarmling was too brave for his own good sometimes.

  Carter pulled him back. “Let me go in first.”

  Chapter 6

  Carter moved cautiously into the chamber, his blasters at the ready.

  A cloying, musty odor hung heavy in the air. Bright overhead lighting illuminated a dense white smoky fog that rolled through the room like the sulfa fumes on Tarness 12, limiting his visibility. A mechanical sound, like a motor or engine, hummed with a vibration he could feel through the souls of his boots, accented by the occasional crackle of electricity.

  A presence loomed. Something unseen. Gooseflesh crept up his arms as a chill slithered down his spine.

  “Hello? Is there anyone here?” Who was this poor soul? What were the bugs doing to them?

  “We meet again, Carter Arcturus.” The voice, cold as the grave, reverberated like a shouted whisper in an empty auditorium.

  And he recognized it.

  “Kristin Devenport?” His gut chilled. She’d captured, beaten, and tortured him, leaving him for dead on a cold, backwater planet. Only the timely arrival of his friend and ship’s captain, Rik
Mazar, had saved his life. His recovery had been long and hard.

  “Oh, you remember.” Even the syrupy tone she affected held a razor’s edge. “And I’ll bet you thought I was dead.”

  She should have been. She’d jettisoned herself into the midst of a swarm of bug attack craft right before the ship she’d been on jumped through the wormhole back to the Milky Way. How had she survived?

  Kristin Devenport was a murderous terraleach who didn’t deserve to live.

  Still, she was a human, trapped on an alien planet. “Where are you? We’re escaping. We’ll take you with us.”

  Time enough to put her on a prison planet, where she belonged, once they got her back to the Milky Way to face justice.

  With a click, overhead fans kicked in and the mist dissipated.

  Kristin chuckled. “Oh I doubt very much that you’re escaping. And what reason would I have to join you? When I return to the Milky Way it will be as its conqueror.”

  Her face appeared out of the mist, towering over him in the chamber. Her slim arms, bare to the shoulder emerged next, then her torso. Black, chitinous armor covered her breasts and stomach, linking her to the horror that appeared below.

  An insect-like exoskeleton encased—replaced?—her lower extremities, and it was massive. Supported by four raptorial legs, each easily five meters in length, the bulbous body ended in a scorpion-like stinger tail and raised Kristin’s head close to five meters above the floor.

  She’d always been a monster, now she looked the part.

  “Okay,” he said, aiming his weapon as he back peddled, “no way we’re taking that with us. Let’s go.”

  Tubes and wires connected Kristin’s insect parts to huge machines that whirred and buzzed against the back wall, restricting her movement in the vast chamber. Still, she lunged toward Carter, pulling her restraints taught.