by Vi Voxley
No sense of humor, that one.
"I'm coming with you," Audrey said.
Her heart leapt at the possibility.
6
Tieran
With practiced ease, Tieran allowed his hands to move over the connection points of his armor, pressing and squeezing on the invisible pressure points. Like a waterfall, the nanobots that made up the armor fell off of him, reconfiguring themselves in a neat, folded heap of what looked like simple gray fabric on the floor.
Tieran bent and picked up the armor, placing it on a nearby shelf in his austere, unadorned quarters aboard the Vehement. It weighed almost nothing then, though it could be as heavy and as sturdy as any metal when the situation called for it.
Clad only in his underwear, the Commander of the Palian paladins padded to the bathroom, rolling back his shoulders and cracking his neck as he moved.
The day had been hellishly long.
Too long, he thought mildly, turning on the faucet in the shower, the water coming out at just the perfect temperature immediately.
He shucked off the underwear and stepped into the flow, relishing the warmth as it spread over him, loosening his muscles. The fight with the mech was still imprinted on his mind, along with the Jorcossi-led catastrophe that the rest of the day had been. Now, the Vehement had set course to track down the Jorcossi ship. After making sure that everything was ready for the possibly long chase, Tieran had excused himself from the bridge.
It wasn’t exhaustion or anything the like that plagued him. Paladins didn’t feel that, or at least certainly not after just a day of struggles. It would take a week of no sleep and constant battle at least to truly knock him from his center, yet Tieran felt oddly… displaced.
He frowned, the water trickling down his wide, powerful form.
Throughout the preparations, the work, and the worry, he’d caught his attention wandering far too many times. It always went to one person. Audrey Price. It was as if she was magnetic, somehow.
It serves to reason. She is the most important part of tracking down the Jorcossi before it reaches the Fearless, he reasoned with himself.
Logically, it made sense. The Governor of Verien was an asset, an extremely valuable one. There should have been no doubt in Tieran’s mind about taking her along, seeing as she could track the missing lifestone. Yet he had hesitated, for no other reason than for her safety.
The life of one does not outweigh the lives of the many, Tieran reminded himself resolutely, slicking his hand through his short hair as the jet flow came with intermittent bursts of lather.
So why did the thought of putting Audrey in any kind of danger strike him as so… impossible?
Curious.
Little was known about the Palian paladins to begin with, but there were more secrets to the valiant core of elite warriors than the galaxy could ever guess. Though at the base of their genetic makeup, they were Palians, everything else was entirely different from the slim, mild race.
Taking a cue from the Corgans in a way, the Palians had built the paladins as the very peak physical and mental images of what a warrior should be. Their genetic code was spliced together, using markers from several races to complete the ultimate warrior.
Their physical build was akin to the Brions. Their strength was augmented by choice splicing of the hardier races of the galaxy, including the Nieven – allowing them to go without rest if they so choose, or to hike for days without a hint of exhaustion.
They even had some Corgan in them. No other race could be so brutal when the necessity rose, and there was plenty of brutality included in the job of a paladin.
From birth, they were extensively trained in not only combat, but the mental strain that came with it. Each paladin was logical to a fault, directing their choices based on reasonable outcome models and weighing best and worst case scenarios – like any Palian, with perhaps less compassion to them than the rest of their race could boast.
From the very first day of their lives, every paladin knew what they had been put in this galaxy to do.
To protect. To serve. To help.
All of these notions were as integral to a paladin as was their glaive, the building blocks of a magnificent warrior. They knew that their entire existence was in the service of others, that their life was designed to be selfless. If a paladin needed to sacrifice himself or herself for the good of the many, they would do so without question, knowing with absolute certainty that it was the right thing to do.
All a paladin could wish for was a mission served and civilians protected. They desired for nothing of their own – for that was not selfless, after all.
As the commander of these elite warriors, Tieran was the epitome of all of this.
So that was why it was all the more disconcerting that he found himself needing something.
Audrey Price. The sharp-tongued governor that could make him forget that the galaxy was crumbling around his very feet and that it was his job to stop it.
It is illogical, Tieran told himself, a stern frown on his expression as the water washed off the soap. She should not have such an effect on me. Perhaps the stone does more than simply augment power?
It was an interesting notion, but Tieran had to discard it as soon as it came to him. The truth was, his interest in the feisty governor had not sprung out of nothing this very day.
No, he’d felt a draw towards her from the first day he laid eyes on her, commanding the miners with that wide smile constantly on her lips as he watched from the shadows, unnoticed. She’d… enthralled him. Like he’d been living in darkness and she was a flicker of light, promising and teasing at something different on the horizon.
It almost felt like the descriptions of the Brions finding their geshas that Tieran had read during his training.
You are not Brion, he reminded himself.
But it was the reason he had chosen to stay, if he was being truthful. Originally, he had only been meant to set up the paladins on Verien before leaving to oversee the initiation of other garrisons around lifestone mining planets. Yet he found himself curious unable to leave the icy rock… to leave her.
When the news had come from his brethren that Verien was deemed as one of the top possible locations to find the mythical stone, he had latched onto the information far too willingly. The choice to leave had never crossed his mind again.
Now, it had been proven as the sole right thing he could have done, but the decision had not come from pure logic. Not by a long shot.
Tieran sighed.
The day had shown that he was as deadly as ever, his senses as sharp as they needed to be. There was no question of his capabilities to continue on his position. If there were, he would have to go to Geroy, his second in command, let the man know that he has deemed himself unable to lead, and give over command.
In fact, the thought of Audrey coming to any danger had made him more precise, more brutal, more straightforward in his approach. So perhaps it was a good thing, then?
He closed his eyes, willing the troubled thoughts out of his mind. It was not the paladin way to mull over things that would not bring palpable gain. He would simply have to deal with whatever it was that was distracting him.
Which was, of course, easier said than done.
Visions of Audrey danced in his head. Those long, gorgeous tresses of silver-blonde, those bright green eyes, that delicious body… By the time Tieran’s senses made some sort of a reappearance, his palm had locked around the base of his thick cock, slowly moving up and down the length of the shaft.
Gritting his teeth, Tieran leaned back in the hot jets, his hand starting to move faster. Every now and then, he’d roll his thumb over the head, spreading the bead of precum that appeared, all the while imagining what it would feel like having Audrey right there with him. Her hot mouth doing something other than sassing him for a change…
“Spirits be damned,” Tieran grunted, bracing himself with one hand against the cool metal of the stall wall as he jerked
his cock in an ever-increasing rhythm.
He wanted to know desperately what Audrey tasted like. How she’d respond if he touched her, if he kissed her, if he ran his hands down her gorgeous curves and worshipped her tits and pussy… Picturing the way those big green eyes would widen when he slammed into her came so easily to him, how she’d gasp when his cock pounded her open.
Feeling sexual desire was nothing new to a paladin, but that, like everything else, was regulated. They saw it as nothing but a physical urge that required satiating. But this? This was something so much more.
He didn’t just need release, he needed her. Only her. Only Audrey would do. And fooling himself into thinking it was just sexual was a fool’s errand as well.
A growl split in his throat as his palm slicked over his shaft again, just as he imagined Audrey taking him into her mouth. Looking up at him while she sucked and lapped and lavished him with the same kind of attention he wanted to give to her… It was too much.
With a guttural groan, he let loose, the hot, sticky cum shooting on his palm and against the wall of the shower stall. Tieran pounded his fist against the metal for a moment, his muscles straining as the picture of Audrey in his mind slowly faded.
It wouldn’t be gone for long.
She might just be the end of me, Tieran thought, finally opening his eyes again and meeting the gray reality of his day.
One thing he knew without question, though. Now with Audrey on board the Vehement, heading straight into danger with him, he’d have to be more vigilant than ever.
But that was hard to do when all he wanted to focus on was the smart, brave woman that was accompanying him on this mission.
For the first time in his life, Tieran wanted something. Something for his very own. And he didn’t know what to do with that knowledge quite yet.
7
Audrey
Tieran was with her every time Audrey took the bracelet off.
It was nothing short of subjecting herself to some sort of voluntary torture. The feeling wasn't even pain as much as it was so incredibly intense that it left Audrey feeling hollow and dull afterward. Although it passed, they weren't exactly moments that she looked forward to.
Tieran, she learned, was relentless, but not uncaring. The commander explained his orders to her on the first day away from Verien and left no room for argument. For her part, Audrey tried hard not to argue, but it was difficult for someone used to being in charge.
"I have no desire to cause you pain," the commander told her. "Once a day, the pilot needs a course adjustment to keep us safely on the trail of the enemy. That is the absolute minimum I can do for you, but I promise to demand nothing more.
“The Vehement is faster than the ship the Jorcossi has. We are steadily gaining on them, so with a little luck, we might be able to catch them before they reach the Fearless."
She nodded slightly. It made sense. Because she had been the one to touch the lifestone that was now in the possession of the Jorcossi, she could sense it through space. While the stores in Verien called to her as well, it was more like something in the back of her mind if she focused on the missing one.
The lifestone that the Jorcossi now held was like it was connected to her, tethered to her very being. If she could embrace the pain that came with allowing the power of the lifestone to channel through her, she could track it and lead Tieran and the crew to it.
"Do we know where the Fearless are?" was Audrey's first question, naturally.
She noticed it made the commander frown, something he seemed do only when he felt somewhat powerless. Audrey could only imagine men like him didn't appreciate the sensation.
It was endearing, in a way. She had never met anyone like Tieran, not even close. The man was a walking, talking sense of honor, even if it was infuriating at times. He never missed any of the moments when Audrey had to remove the protective shield, standing staunchly by her side, one of his hands around her chest and the other supporting her pointing arm.
She would shake in his embrace, both from the burning sensation of the lifestone's call and the need to be closer to the paladin.
Audrey had no idea if he knew of the effect he had on her. He was at once an open book and a complete mystery to her. He didn't let emotions show easily, but when he did, they were honest and true.
After she slapped the bracelet back on, Tieran made sure she got to rest and heal. Most of the time it meant being around him, which he didn't seem to mind.
In short, the man was driving her crazy in both the best and the worst ways possible.
Almost a week had passed when Audrey came upon Tieran training in the Vehement's fighting pit. She had been wandering the ship, admiring its beautiful, simple aesthetic.
Other species cared very little about what their ships looked like, but everything was important to Palians. Their vessels were sleek and smooth and pristine. Only the fighting pit looked out of place, littered with heavy-looking machinery and ugly mechs.
Audrey let out a small yelp of surprise, seeing the thing Tieran was fighting. It was something straight from one of the more graphic depictions of hell, a slithering reptile with a tongue as long as she was tall. She knew it wasn't the real deal, but on another level it very much was, filling most of the pit with its long body.
Compared to the beast, Tieran seemed outmatched, but he kept eluding the fangs of the basilisk that aimed to nail him to the floor.
When the first unguarded moment passed, Audrey could hardly spare the reptile a look. Her eyes were fixed on Tieran, fighting the mech without wearing his armor for once. She licked her lips, staring at his chiseled body without shame.
Fuck me, that man could make a girl cum by looking at her. And by a girl I mean me.
A slight blush rose to her cheeks at that thought. She fought hard to make it disappear just as quickly.
The commander of the paladins looked like someone who vanquished things like that monster as an easy pre-breakfast ritual. His body was trained to perfection, every muscle moving gracefully under his smooth skin taut over them. He was magnificent to behold, powerful and fast, every inch of him working in accordance with others to keep him alive.
Sweat beaded on Tieran's skin and Audrey was caught off-guard by how much she wanted to run her tongue over him, to taste him and smell the pure testosterone he was.
I'd like to taste a whole lot more of him, too.
The fact that Palians had warriors had come as a surprise to Audrey as it did to all Terrans. In that moment, she dearly hoped the mysterious paladins didn't possess the skills of the Brion warriors, who were said to be able to hear a feather drop. If that applied to Tieran too, Audrey was sure there would be nothing left of her dignity.
It was very difficult to maintain eye contact with someone whose body she wanted to shamelessly worship with hers.
She'd nearly forgotten about the fight. Audrey cried out in warning when Tieran stumbled back, leaving himself unguarded for a second. She could see the commander's eyes flicker to her and opened her mouth to scream when the beast bore down on him at once.
Audrey couldn't even see him move, but suddenly Tieran had regained his footing and slammed his glaive right through the mech's throat. With nigh superhuman strength, he twisted the creature's thrashing head around and slammed the glaive into the floor with his opponent's head still stuck to it.
He allowed it one more look before shrugging his shoulder back. Then, he lifted his gaze and walked slowly to her, with the creature thrashing wildly behind him, going still after a few moments.
Audrey’s mouth gaped open.
Wow.
Tieran stopped in front of her, a small smirk on his lips telling Audrey that she probably was giving her lust away a little bit. She could no longer help it. Up so close, his easy confidence and authority were as palpable as the paladin himself.
Audrey had to restrain herself from simply dashing into his arms, asking him to do whatever he wanted with her.
This is no
way for a governor of a damn planet to behave, she chided herself, but the words didn’t seem to have much of an effect.
Definitely not as much as Tieran was having on her, anyway.
"Was that one of the Fearless?" she asked instead.
Tieran looked back to the pit, where the mech was already being transported away by the AIs.
"One of them, yes," he said. "Killed more than a thousand years ago, so they might have gotten some details wrong. But it helps, I suppose. You never know which one you're going to get."
"What do you mean?" Audrey asked, genuinely confused. "Aren't all the Fearless the same?"
She feared it had been a stupid question, but even if it was, Tieran gave no indication of that. The Fearless were not something openly discussed in most civilized societies. Frankly, most everyone seemed to be more interested about ignoring the fact that those nightmares of deep space even existed.
"No," he replied. "The Fearless aren't a species, as such. At least we haven't been able to confirm they are. There are some similarities to them, but no two have ever been the same."
Audrey hadn't known that. Ever since she was little, the Fearless had featured in all the ghost stories, but that was just about everything she knew about them. Back on Terra, she'd heard many versions of the tales.
Some had horns, others had the monsters breathe fire, some couldn't be killed unless you died too and so on. She had always thought they were the additions of individual storytellers, added to make their retelling stand out.
"So we don't really know what the new Fearless looks like?" she asked. "How do you even know it’s them, then?"
"Signs, as I said," Tieran explained. "They are all extremely powerful and capable. And they are always driven by a purpose. They can't be stopped by any reasonable means and drawing attention to themselves is as natural as breathing for them."
