by Lee Savino
"They aren't attacking at all?" I ask, completely baffled by this change in Vgotha tactics.
They have never had compunction in the past about attacking when they know they have a chance of winning. The only reason the ship we'd been pursuing had fled without a fight had been because it was outgunned and engaging with us would have been a suicide mission. What I was seeing here was completely different. One of the scouts reported that he practically ran into one of their advance guard—which meant that he was hopelessly outclassed and should be dead. Instead, he'd been allowed to slip away. The tone of his report sounded as confused as I felt.
"No, High Commander," Corin says, shaking his head. "All the reports are the same. The scouts have become more and more reckless, almost as if they're daring the Vgothas to come after them and yet... nothing other than sightings."
"What are they up to?" I murmur, scrolling through the readout, my disturbance growing.
New tactics that make no sense are far more concerning than even a fully armed armada. Changes that cannot be anticipated, for reasons unknown, can do far more damage than a frontal attack, even by a larger force.
"I thought about hailing you, but I did not know what to say." Corin sounds exasperated. "High Commander, I need to report that the enemy has been sighted but they have not engaged... we have no casualties..."
"Well it would have gotten my attention." My lips quirk. "But none of this is exactly urgent, is it?"
"No, and I did not want to interrupt your time with your Tribute." Now there is a thread of envy in his voice, which I do not begrudge him. Still, as much as I appreciate the sentiment, I know I cannot allow it to continue.
My duty must come first.
"Next time, if something unusual is happening, report in." I closed the readout and meet his gaze. "I may not come to the bridge, but I do want to know." I realize that I would not have appreciated the interruption, but having seen the readout and reports for myself, I am uneasy about what the Vgothas are doing. Besides, before Dawn arrived, Corin would not have hesitated to hail me. I should not allow her presence to change that.
"Yes, High Commander." He nods smartly, his fist coming up to pound against his chest in salute.
"Dismissed. Enjoy your break."
As Corin leaves, I turn my attention to the current situation. The scouts are being reckless, but I cannot blame them. Still, we need to know what the Vgothas are up to. I am about to hail Arkdhem when I realize I have re-assigned him to watch over my Tribute rather than command the scout ships. I send my communication to Rorick, second in command of the scout ships, instead.
"Bring up the vid screen, with the information Rorick is about to send," I command. Immediately, the screen on the far-left lights up and a moment later is filled with the patterns the scout ships have been flying and where each Vgotha ship was spotted along the lines... and where they dropped out of sight again.
Examining the display, I feel my jaw clench.
Some of the places the Vgothas have been disappearing from make no sense. There is nothing there that should hide their ships or the trails.
"High Commander?" The hesitant voice of Borodem, one of my communications officers, interrupts my thoughts. His focus is also on the display, his worry writ clear across his face—and he is not the only one. "The Vgotha... they have some kind of new camouflage technology, don't they? That's the only explanation for this." He waves his hand at the display, his question bolstering my own conclusion after examining the data.
"Unfortunately, I think you may be correct," I say grimly.
What I still don't understand is why they're using it to play with our scouts rather than blowing them away.
Still, I contact Rorick again. The scouts need to be extra careful. While the Vgotha are playing with them for now, there must be some endgame coming up that we can't see. They are doing it for a reason, which means we must be extra vigilant and not play into whatever plot they've concocted.
I am surprised that the emotions welling up inside of me as I try to determine the Vgotha's motivations are as much anxiety and protectiveness as they are determination. I have always considered myself protective of my warriors—we are all each other has after all... or, at least, we were. I realize now that I have lost the edge of that worry.
There has been so much death over the years, so much loss, and as we continue our quest for revenge we mourn each life ended as it happens, but it is acceptable. Each warrior knows the risks, each gives his life willingly so that we may obtain our ultimate goal—justice and revenge for our people and safety for the rest of the universe from the Vgotha scourge.
Now though...
I have someone to protect who isn't a warrior. A life on board who did not choose to be here. Who did not sign up for revenge or justice. A helpless female life, who has already roused my protective instincts more than once.
I have been so focused on attacking for so long, realizing that I now have something to defend... no wonder my anxieties are sharper. But knowing the reason does not help to allay them.
Silently, I send a non-verbal message to Arkdhem, requesting an update.
I receive a response in a matter of moments.
Dawn is conscious but still in with Medik; they are conversing.
I am relieved to hear that she is awake, but not entirely soothed. My immediate impulse is to return to the med bay, no matter that I am on duty, to look her over for myself. For a moment I am tempted to direct Arkdhem to bring her to the bridge when she is finished in the med bay but doing so would not be constructive. It would definitely be distracting.
As the leader, I am the one who must set an example for my warriors, especially since I have decided the Tribute program is to continue. They will witness how I handle my own Tribute and follow my example. We cannot have a bridge full of Tributes, so I will not bring her here again.
While we cannot separate the two parts of our lives—warriors into civilians with mates and families—we can at least separate our Tributes from our time on duty. Even if the desire to have her by my side makes me feel as though I am perpetually missing something.
The feeling of relief when Bogdan comes to take command of the bridge is overwhelming and unsettling. Normally I am reluctant to take leave of the bridge, now I am practically impatient to hand over command and find my Tribute again. Just the thought of knowing I will soon be able to touch her again has my seela beginning to writhe beneath my armor.
The difficulty I have in controlling my emotions is also unsettling, although I manage to keep my armor to a light, neutral gray, letting none of my impatience show as I update Bogdan on the situation.
There were several sightings of Vgotha ships while I was on the bridge, none of them engaged with our ships. Not even the pilot who decided to pretend he was having some kind of shields malfunction, making him the perfect target. Bogdan is as confused as I am, although no less vehement in his passion to eradicate the Vgotha threat.
"Perhaps we should engage in force," he says, studying the map the scouts' explorations have created, as well as the pattern of appearances by Vgotha ships. "They appear to be testing their capabilities rather than engaging, but the size of these ships would not be able to withstand an assault by this ship. The scouts' firepower isn't enough and so far, they haven't approached any of the fighters."
“Or perhaps that’s exactly what they want,” I murmur, frowning at the map. Even as I feel the tug to go and find my Tribute and bury myself inside of her, to feel her presence beside me, I force myself to focus on this threat. It is a threat to her as well. Bogdan has made a good point, which is why he’s a good second, but I do not agree with his instincts to rush in. “See if we can get any fighters close to their ships… we will continue to pursue them at a slower pace for now, unless one of their destroyers appears. So far we’ve only seen the smaller ships but there must be one that they’re reporting back to. Send the scouts further out to see if they can locate any larger ships. I want to see wh
at they do next.”
Bogdan grimaces, but nods his head in agreement, seeing the wisdom of letting events play out. While we can take on a destroyer—and win—it will not necessarily be easy or without loss of life. Caution may not come naturally to him, but he is smart enough to recognize when it is needed. We will go forward with our eyes peeled.
Done with my duty, I barely recognize myself in the eager warrior who practically races from the bridge. Normally I would linger, although not too long so as not to undermine Bogdan’s authority now that he’s on duty. Instead, I am walking as quickly as I can without feeling rushed, my tech already reaching out to hail Arkdhem.
As usual, he responds immediately.
We are back in your cabin, High Commander. She asked for any texts on our history and customs and has been reading them for a while now.
I am more than pleased with Arkdhem’s response. Both because of her interest in learning more about us, beyond the information Frllil would have imparted during her initial training, and because she is in my cabin. While I would not confine her there unless necessary or if she needs to be punished, the possessive need riding me is soothed a little by knowing she is alone and in my rooms.
Not that my stride slows at all, for I am still eager to join her, but my chest feels a little less tight and my shoulders relax. Although Ardkhem had informed when they’d left the med bay, I had not felt as though I could ask for frequent updates while I was on duty. The rest of the crew would surely have noticed. I must set the example for how Tsenturion warriors with Tributes should act, for I will not require my men to behave differently than I myself do. Once we have more Tributes, the crew on duty cannot be constantly checking in on their Tribute, therefore I cannot do so.
Perhaps it would be wise to designate a room in the ship where Tributes whose warrior is on duty may stay, so that the warrior will know where she is and will not be distracted by wondering, the way I have been. The idea has merit.
When I arrive at my cabin, my Tribute is sitting curled up in the corner of the couch, while Arkdhem sits on the other side, both of them reading. The translator the Jabol gave her should allow her to read any of the texts I possess, and she seems engrossed.
As always, Arkdhem jumps up to salute me when I enter. “High Commander.”
“Arkdhem,” I respond, acknowledging him. “Thank you for escorting my Tribute. You are relieved.”
“Thank you, High Commander,” he says, before turning. “Farewell, Dawn.”
“Bye,” she says, smiling at him, placing the book she is holding down and rising to her feet. As she turns her blue eyes towards me, I can already feel my body responding to being in her presence. My seela begin to move, my cock engorging. I barely take notice of Arkdhem leaving the room.
“Dawn,” I say in greeting, and am rewarded with her entire face lighting up. She does like being called that. Very well. It does not satisfy me as much as claiming her with her title, but I do enjoy seeing her pleasure.
“Master,” she says, smiling up at me. My armor flashes gold before I order it to recede, and the nanotech flows over me to my back, leaving me naked and erect in front of her. Her eyes widen as they drop to my groin, and I can practically taste her arousal as it surges.
“Come here,” I command, holding out my hand. She moves to me, but to my surprise she does not take my hand. Instead, she drops to her knees in front of me, her hand reaching out to wrap around the base of my cock, caressing the sensitive bulges located there which hold my seed. I groan at the sensation of her delicate fingers caressing me, and my seela immediately reach for her hand, stroking it. When I speak, my voice is strained. “What are you doing, Dawn?”
“Something that we do on Earth, but which I haven’t heard or seen mention of here,” she says. There is something almost mischievous in her expression and I am unsure of what to do.
Then she leans forward and licks the flared head of my cock, and the sensation is exquisite. I groan, my hands coming forward so that I can sink my fingers into the pale strands of her hair, holding on for all I’m worth as she begins to explore my cock with her tongue. It’s an act I had never even considered, and when she opens her lips and takes the tip of my cock into her mouth, my knees buckle.
Hot. Wet. But deliberate. Her tongue moves like a prime seela, stroking and exploring, and eliciting the most exquisite pleasure. It was perverse, there is no breeding benefit and yet… I don’t want her to stop. While the manuals had made mention of this activity, it had not particularly appealed to me at the time. Human cocks are different, and I had no interest in a Tsenturion woman’s mouth, so I did not think I would have one in hers.
I was wrong.
I groan, thrusting my hips forward, my hands tightening in her hair. It is just like in her texts. The very unusualness of the activity adds a piquancy to it that I find greatly appealing, on top of the physical pleasure running through me. She hums with pleasure and I shudder, thrusting more deeply and causing her to pull back slightly.
“Enough,” I growl, because I do not know how much more I can take without losing my control and I do not wish to harm her. My fingers grip her hair, pulling her mouth off of my cock, with much reluctance on my part.
I pull her up against me, taking her parted lips in a fierce kiss as I begin to yank her dress from her body. The fabric falls easily away, and I carry her to the bed, her legs around my waist, and she whimpers as the underside of my cock rubs against her wet heat, my seela stimulating her plump lips.
We practically fall onto the bed, her touch and kisses frantic, as if she is as desperate for my touch as I am for hers. I feel as though I have waited another thousand years for her, my need is so great. I do not bother with bindings or tormenting her, having her mouth around me had been enough torment for us both. Instead, I pull back my hips and thrust home, making her cry out as she clamps down around me in happy ecstasy.
Just being joined with her fills me with satisfaction, a sense of rightness, of gratification, that I have never found anywhere else.
Once I am inside of her, some of my need is soothed… just enough to allow me to keep my initial thrusts slow and steady, rather than pounding into her without care. She writhes underneath me, a sob rising in her whimpering cries as I move, stroking her insides with my cock and her outsides with my seela. I grunt, fisting my hands beside her head, pumping in and out of her and doing my best to hold onto my control.
“Yes… Please… Gavrill… Master… harder, please!”
My name on her lips, her desperate plea, and all my careful efforts at holding myself back are undone. I oblige, taking her as hard as I want to, enjoying the high cries of her pleasure filling my ears. My seela latch on to her as she clenches around me, and we both tumble into erotic oblivion.
Dawn
Cuddled up against Gavrill’s side, I stroke my fingers over his broad chest, enjoying the moment of intimacy. He has me tucked up against him, my head resting on one arm while he strokes my lower back, his other hand caressing my bottom and the leg that he has draped over his hip.
I know that I only have a limited amount of time before the quiet moment turns to ardor again. Is it just his libido or is the physical influence of the bonding that Medik referenced? I can only hope it’s the latter. As much as I enjoy having tons of orgasms, I want the physical connection to lead to an emotional one. I want the bonding… I want Medik’s hope to be realized, because I think that’s the most likely path to happiness for me. It might even be the only path, because of the way my own emotions are becoming engaged; if they aren’t returned it’s going to hurt. A lot.
“Master, why is there no mention of the Vgothas in any of your books?” I ask.
I knew what Frllil had told me and so I understood the references the other Tsenturions made toward their enemy, but I’m still curious. I don’t know what they look like, how formidable an enemy they are, or how likely the Tsenturions are to be able to get their revenge. I did know that we were currently chasing
Vgotha ships, but that was about it.
His muscles tense beneath my fingers but relax again as I continue stroking.
“We did not know anything of them when those books were written,” he answers, his voice quiet. Sad. “Before they destroyed our planet, we had never even heard of them. They targeted us because they discovered the Jabol had reached out to us for protection.”
That I knew from Frllil. According to him, the Vgotha had been trying to either enslave or eradicate the Jabols for a long time. The peaceful race was very intelligent, scientifically superior, but they were not warriors. So they’d gone searching for protectors and found the Tsenturions; but the Vgotha were so merciless, so cruel, that they thought nothing of massacring an entire planet to keep the Jabols vulnerable.
“Have you ever seen one?” I ask.
“Why do you want to know?” Gavrill leans back, so he can frown at me. There’s some suspicion in his expression, although I can’t imagine what he thinks he should be suspicious of. I swear I feel a touch of jealousy as well. I almost roll my eyes at the irrational idea that he would feel possessive or jealous because I’m asking about his enemy, but with him looking directly at me I don’t dare.
“I’m just curious,” I explain. “This is a whole new idea for me. I’ve never had an enemy before, and now we’re chasing after a whole fleet of them.”
“You are not, my warriors and I are,” he says almost fiercely. I might have taken offense at being left out if I couldn’t sense his sudden surge of protectiveness. I squeak as I find myself being turned over onto my forearms and knees, his hands coming down on top of mine to pin me in position with my ass high in the air. I can feel his seela stroking against my bottom as his cock hardens. “You will be protected and cared for, and the Vgotha will never be close enough for you to worry about them.”
