Out of Darkness

by Anna Carven

  As for the mercenaries and Emin, Jia still had no idea what had happened to them. The mercenaries had been given a parachute to share, and Emin had jumped out of the cruiser after them, deploying his own parachute. They’d never been seen after that, and Jia assumed they’d been swallowed by the unrelenting ocean.

  That had been a month ago.

  Now, the Kordolians found themselves waging the war against the Xargek on a fresh archaeological dig site in the Sahara desert, holding at back a menace that threatened all of Humanity. For some reason, the mysterious Xargek ‘ship’, if it could even be called that, had landed in the middle of the Sahara desert, in a place now known as Naea. It was short for ‘North African Economic Alliance,’ but Naea sounded far more exotic. The disgusting creatures had made a nest in the dense network of catacombs beneath the shifting desert sands, and they were proving very difficult to exterminate.

  Where the Xargek went, the Kordolians followed, and Jia had been lucky to find a job in the small skyport settlement of Fadar, an oasis-town that served as a transport hub for the workers and businessmen who came to this part of the world. A huge solar industry had developed in Naea over the last hundred years, and flying over the area was a spectacular experience, as one caught a glimpse of millions of glistening solar harvesters, arranged in perfect concentric circles. It was a treat for anyone who enjoyed architecture and geometry.

  The auspicious role of Small-Flyer Hull Mechanic didn’t pay nearly as well as her old space mining job, but Jia didn’t mind. She was here for one reason only.

  Jia sped down the road, passing not a single soul as she made her way towards Fadar. At this time of day, everyone was inside, enjoying the coolness of their well insulated homes.

  She left the main road and passed down a narrow alley lined with bikes and small bot-cars and the occasional sleeping dog, before passing through a small square decorated with a fountain and a grove of olive trees.

  Jia turned into another narrow alley, took a left and stopped at the familiar blue door that marked the entrance to their residence.

  As she entered, removing her helmet, she found the place cold and dark.

  That meant only one thing.

  Kalan was home.

  “Lights on,” she said, as she passed into the living room, activating the automatic lighting. Kalan was there, reading in the dark. He set down his datapad, greeting her with a fanged smile. He was sitting in the low grey comfy chair, the one they’d made love in so many times.

  “You’re home.” She was pleasantly surprised.

  “The Humans are trying another chemical concoction on the Xargek.” Kalan wrinkled his nose. “We told them it wouldn’t work, but they are insistent. The smell was unbearable, so we left. Those fucking catacombs have poor ventilation as it is, and we’re not going back in there until the gas has dissipated. There will be time for killing when the sun goes down.”

  “Luckily for me,” Jia grinned, as she unfastened her coveralls.

  Kalan returned her smile. “Perhaps,” he said teasingly, although she could see the obvious bulge at the front of his robes. He wore a set of black robes that he’d had custom-made at some local autotailor. The robes were loosely belted at his waist and showed off his muscular chest and abs. Apparently, they were standard Kordolian attire.

  Jia liked them very much.

  “I had some news from Rykal today,” Kalan informed her. “Apparently, the Human peacekeeper called Varga has a lead on the group who ordered the annihilation of Fortuna Tau. There is a secret organization on Earth made up of representatives of the most powerful corporate entities. If enough evidence is found, I will go after them myself.” He shook his head. “Fools and idiots. They are everywhere.”

  “Just wait and see,” Jia said cautiously, catching the dangerous undercurrent to Kalan’s words. “We can’t go killing people indiscriminately on Earth. There’s a process to this kind of thing.”

  “We shall wait and see,” Kalan repeated cryptically, but offered her no more information than that.

  Jia shrugged, not wanting to thick of such matters right now. She slipped off her coveralls, letting them fall to the carpet, her feet sinking into the plush weave as she walked across to Kalan dressed in only her panties, bra, and a thin cotton tank top. He looked her up and down, his smile widening. “You are beautiful, my Jia, even after you have spent a day working in that dust-trap. Why do you not just stay at home and allow me to take care of you? I would see to your every need, and I would make love to you at every opportunity.”

  Jia snorted. “I would be bored out of my mind,” she declared. “Besides, you see all these nice, homely things we have here? “She looked down at the cozy white rug she was standing on. “They cost money, and someone has to bring home the dough around here.”

  “I am fortunate to have such a responsible mate,” Kalan said proudly. “Now come here and attend to your most important responsibilities.”

  She straddled him, intentionally brushing her pussy against his erect cock. Her delicate purple lace panties were soaked with moisture.

  Kalan pressed a thumb against her pussy, stroking her through the thin fabric of her underwear. “I do like these kinds of garments.”

  “I chose these because they match your eyes,” she teased, “Ugly Eyes.”

  “Indeed. But I chose you because you match me,” Kalan retorted, drawing her down into a long, slow kiss.

  Jia returned his kiss, moving with him as their bodies responded in the way that nature had intended.

  Out here in the vast desert, surrounded by heat, dust and terrifying alien insects, she realized that she’d found her home.

  With Kalan.

  And she was happy.

  “You are the part of me that was missing for so long,” he said again, as he had told her so many times before. “And now that I’ve found you, Jia of Earth, I am never letting you go.”

  “Likewise, Kalan of Kythia,” she replied, as she fell into his warm embrace.

  Dear readers, thank you for taking the time to read my book. I do hope you enjoyed it.

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