by Abella Ward
Sent to a far distant system to pick up plans for the human rebellion, Andromeda is captured by the Dolcivs Lord, Historan Strath. But Strath is not part of the Regime conquering Earth. He is his own Lord and answers to no one.
Being Strath’s prisoner is more tempting than terrifying. Strath is wealthy and powerful and enticed by Andromeda. Can Andromeda free herself from Strath? Will she be able to bring the plans to the rebellion? Or will she fall for him instead?
Chapter One
I couldn’t stop my leg from jiggling. This was a problem. I was wearing handcuffs and every time I nervously fidgeted, the chains around my wrists would rattle. It was an unnerving sound. The jangle echoed around my cell, a stark reminder that this would most likely be the last room I ever saw.
The walls were made of a stainless steel that was colored dull gray, with a single raised bed and one sink. The room was dark, with only one bright light on overhead. The ship that picked me had looked massive. There could have easily been ten thousand souls on board. The guards had been efficient, my jail cell was inescapable. I didn't know who it was that snatched me, but I could tell that escape would not be easy.
I forced myself to stop fidgeting. I needed to be calmer than this. Whoever had me was trying to psych me out. They were leaving me alone in this cell to slowly drive myself crazy. I had no idea how long it had been since I had been dumped in here. At least two days, maybe three, with nothing to do but stare at the bare walls around me. A few hours ago a guard had come and placed the cuffs on my wrists, but he hadn’t been back since.
It had been a trap. I didn’t know if the trap was for me or someone else, but it had worked. I came out of hyperspace practically on top of a giant ship. In the few moments it took my computer to re-align I was vulnerable and in that moment the great ship swallowed my tiny one easily.
The troops had taken a while to find me. I hid down in one of my smuggling compartments secreted away far in the bowels of my ship. But they knew someone was onboard. The guards tore her apart until they found me. I had been stripped of my weapons, my clothes, even my boots. Now I was in a simple jumpsuit – unflattering to my curvy figure - and a pair of socks, nothing else.
I didn’t recognize the insignia on the uniform of the men who captured me. The decal was a series of dashes and dots. It wasn’t the insignia of the current rulers, the Dolcivs Regime. Their symbol was easy to recognize, a solid circle surrounded by a circle of dashes and another one of dots. Whoever had me wasn’t a recognized Lord in the Regime. He was a Lost Lord, and a powerful one by the look of it.
I couldn’t take the waiting. It was driving me crazy. I stood up and began to pace back and forth. It took six and a half steps to walk the length of the cell. I began to march back and forth as my mind tried to figure out where I had gone wrong. I had been working as a smuggler for over eight years and I had never been caught before.
The job had been from a reliable client, the information passed through my broker as is the norm. The unnamed client (who is always unnamed in my business) needed something picked up in a far off system that was out of the Regime’s control. Out of the way pick-up and delivery was my specialty. I had a fast ship and I knew how to fly her. Usually, I could get in and out without anyone even knowing I was there.
I hadn’t been expecting an ambush. There was always the chance I might encounter someone on one of my jobs, but I never landed right on top of someone else.
The chances were billions to one, it was near impossible that two ships would just happen to be in such close proximity. Space is big, really big. It’s rare to run into another ship. No, it had been a trap. Whoever had set up this job had specifically sent me here. They wanted me in particular.
I had paced the length of the room ninety-seven times when the door swung open. I turned to see a Dolcivs guard standing waiting for me. Dolcivs were like humans, only bigger, stronger, and faster, their eyes were bright blue and they shined under the lights of my cage. I was already considered short, but curvy by human standards, so the eight foot tall Dolcivs warriors towered over me.
The guard grabbed me by the upper arm and wrenched me out onto the platform. I hurried to keep up with him, practically running to meet his strides.
“Where are we going?” I asked. But he didn’t say anything. Neither had any of the other guards. They were well-trained. The prison on the ship was half-empty. I passed a few cells, where sullen-looking Dolcivs and a few humans silently watched me pass.
I was led to a lift that rose up and up through the massive ship. Finally, the guard swiped his palm across the electronic pad and the elevator door opened to reveal an opulent suite.
This wasn’t what I expected. My feet sunk into plush red carpets. The walls were covered in video screens that showed the starry space outside. We were in the orbit of a large gas giant and reds, purples and yellows swam along the surface of the planet. There were comfortable-looking chairs interspersed in the room and a long bar along one wall.
I only had a moment to take this all in before I was pulled into the next room. It was dark inside and I could barely see anything. The only light that entered the dim room came from the red planet below us.
“Unchain her and leave us,” a strong voice commanded.
The guard nodded once, unlocked my cuffs and then stepped out the door. I remained frozen in place. I stared into the darkness trying to discover who my captor was, but I couldn’t see anything other than a few vague shapes. There was what looked like a great bed in one corner and then past that, a sunken area with a couch facing the view of the planet.
I didn’t move. I didn't know what was expected of me. It seemed like I waited a very long time, shifting from foot to foot.
“Andromeda Nus,” the voice said.
I didn’t answer.
“Listen well, Andromeda, for this is your one and only warning. Do not ignore me and do not waste my time with lies. I can easily rip the truth from you, but I would rather you give it to me. This would be best for you. Do you understand?”
“Yes,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper.
“Are you Andromeda Nus?”
“Yes,” I answered.
“You will address me as Sir, or My Lord.”His voice was low and smooth, but commanding. I craned my neck to try and get a better view of my captor, but I could only see shadows. The outline of a Dolcivs face, nothing more.
“Yes, Sir,” I corrected. I should have known. The Dolcivs take their rankings and titles very seriously. If he was a Lost Lord, as I expected, he would care more than most.
“The famed smuggler, Andromeda Nus.”
“I never knew I was famed, Sir,” I replied.
“But you are,” he said. “Come and step into the light.” I swallowed heavily, my stomach in knots. I moved slowly through the room, carefully picking my way in the darkness.
He was sitting on the couch, his arms outstretched on the back of it. I could barely make out his features. He had a strong jaw and long dark hair, his eyes followed me as I walked in front of him, taking in every inch of my body.
“There,” he said. “Stand in the light.”
I moved to where he indicated and stood with my arms crossed.
“Put your arms down,” he said.
I complied, my heart pounding in my chest. I knew that if I resisted him, he would bring his guards in and they would make me do whatever this Lost Lord demanded. It was better to appease him in these small ways.
“Spin around, slowly,” he ordered. My heart sped up even more as I slowly spun in a circle. I could feel him watching me, practically devouring me with his eyes. When my back was turned to him I felt a shiver run up my spine and I could not help but shudder. I heard him give a low sigh when I did.
Finally, I was facing him again. I was trying to stand perfectly still. I didn’t want him to know how terrified I was at this moment. This trap had been laid for me. He must have known my true purpose for taking the job that put me in this system. Did
he guess that I was no normal smuggler?
I wasn’t here to just work a gig. I had ulterior motives. Hidden deep in the storms of the planet below us was information. Plans and designs of Dolcivs ships that were vital to the mission of the human rebellion. They were waiting somewhere in the planet beneath me. Unless this Lost Lord had already found them and now he was just playing with me like a cat plays with a mouse.
What was he going to do to me? It wouldn’t matter. No matter what, I would never talk. I would never tell him anything. I would take these rebel plans to my grave. I would never help the Dolcivs.
“They didn’t tell me you would be so fair,” he said. “When they told me it was a female smuggler that was sneaking through my security lines, I imagined someone older. Someone a little more worn-out. But you are fresh and delicate as a flower. How have you managed to be in such a dangerous business and keep that pretty face of yours intact?”
“I don’t normally get caught, Sir,” I said. I didn’t know what else to say. He wouldn’t accept any lies and he would know if I was lying. Dolcivs were hyper-aware, they could sense the smallest tics and facial expressions that indicated someone was lying. The truth was all I was left with.
“Yes, you are very good at your job. Even I must accept that,” he said. “Come here and sit by me.”
I walked over to him avoiding eye-contact. I sat down on the small couch next to him, our legs almost touching. I sat straight, taking up as little room as possible. This wasn’t what I expected. I thought I would be in a room with a desk and a bright overhead light. Not this.
“Champagne?” he asked. “It’s the real thing, from earth.” I could smell the cologne he was wearing, it was something spicy and enticing. He was so close. I was too aware of his massive presence. He must have been two feet taller than me. He looked down at me. His hand, still resting on the back of the couch, was only inches from my skin.
He took a glass of the amber liquid and took a sip and then handed the drink to me. It was a Dolcivs tradition. It proved there was no poison in the drink. It had the added benefit of passing microbes around, the Dolcivs immune system was unparalleled.
I took a sip. The drink smelled sweet and tangy and the effervescent bubbles danced across my tongue. I was aware there might still be poison in the glass. This Lost Lord was twice the size of me, he could easily handle a dose of poison strong enough to kill the likes of me. But I had no choice. To deny the drink would be a great offense and I was still hoping there might be a way for me to figure out a way out of this. He hadn’t mentioned the plans yet, only the smuggling. Was there a chance he had no idea why I was really in this system?
“Cheers,” he said, lifting his glass. It was such an oddly human gesture. I lifted my glass and hit it gently with his.
Chapter Two
“I am Historan Strath, Lord of Gashtad Island and Mareland by the Sea. My lands were destroyed in the Great War of Dominion, which is when my people took to space. I am the King of this vessel and Supreme Ruler of all who reside on it.”
I had guessed right. The Dolcivs were a warrior race. A generation ago a great war had rocked the Dolcivs planet. There had been two movements: the Regime who wanted to move into space and conquer other worlds and the Lost Lords who thought conquering and invading other planets unnecessary.
The Regime won. The Lost Lords saw their lands destroyed. They had no other choice but to move their people and industries into these giant spaceships and seek out other worlds and other lands to claim as their own.
“So, you aren’t with the Regime?” I asked him.
He shook his head and replied, “I do not war with the Regime, nor do I answer to them. My ship and my worlds are outside of their control. I have no business with them and they little business with me.”
“They’re taking over my planet,” I said. I was breathing a little easier. Maybe he didn’t know what my secret mission was. Maybe this was just some strange coincidence.
“A decision I do not agree with,” he said with a shake of his head. “Those in charge of the Regime thought taking Earth would be easy. Our technology far outstrips yours and we are stronger. They thought your planet would be easily taken. I warned the leaders of the Regime taking earth would be no simple task. I warned them the humans were smart and wily and would fight down to the last man for their freedom. And now I have been proven right.
“I have long been a great admirer of your people. I have studied human artists, writers, histories. Your culture is so fascinating and peaceful. Your search for meaning and enlightenment through art amazes me. I think we should have studied you, not overtaken you. But mine was a voice of the minority.
“I have no fight in the war between my people and yours, Andromeda. All I care about are my ships, my people and my dominion.” His voice was low, he was so close to me and yet I could not make out the details in his face. He was just a handsome smudge, but a dangerous one.
“I don’t know what-”
“You’ve been sneaking across my borders. You’ve been stealing goods from my planets and moving them out of this system,” his voice was dangerous now. He was looming over me.
“If this is about taxes I can get you the money,” I said quickly.
“I don’t want your money. I want to know how you do it. I want to know how you get around my sensors and how you hide cargo.”
“I can’t tell you that,” I said staring at the carpet in front of me. “I would lose all of my work, it would end me.”
His giant hand reached out for my chin. His touch was gentle, but firm, as he turned my head to look at his. He was in the light now and I could see his bright blue eyes, his strong jaw, his strong arms, his head of thick dark hair that reached his shoulders.
He turned me to face him and said, “Either you will tell me of your own accord or I will make you tell me.” I blinked back tears. This wasn’t what I had expected. I knew someday I would eventually get caught, but I thought I would be in a torture chamber somewhere. Not here, in the bedroom of some Lost Lord.
I felt powerless. I had no weapons, no defenses, no one was going to come looking for me. How long would I last under torture? What would I tell him if he asked? Wouldn’t it be better to start answering questions now while I still had some sense, or was that the coward’s way out?
“Besides, were you to give me this information, I would keep you here on the ship with me. Your smuggling career would be over. I have many humans in my crew. All of them are free and happy and able to rise as high as their intelligence and wit allows them. I do not keep slaves.” I was grateful to hear that. Many of the Lost Lords weren’t so gallant.
“Come with me,” he said as he stood.
I stood up as well. He turned towards the bed and my heart stopped. But thankfully he kept walking to another door. He opened it and my eyes winced as a bright light poured forth. He motioned for me to enter first.
It took a moment for my eyes to adjust. I was in an old-fashioned looking room. Paintings lined the wall. Real paintings, not digital copies. They were all nudes, breasts and hips seemed to pour from the frames. Pale, curvy human women lounged on the grass and peered into pools. They lined the walls, sultry eyes and parted lips everywhere I looked. Strath definitely had a type.
“This is my favorite, Venus of Urbina, by Titian.” The painting was a serene looking woman, completely nude. She was reclining on a couch, twirling a strand of hair on one finger. “Look at the way she stares, unashamed, into the painter’s eyes. She hides nothing.”
I stood awkwardly and looked at the pictures. Unsure of what to do or say. I could see him clearly now in the bright light. He was wearing a dark, toga style robe favored among the Dolcivs. He was handsome, there was no denying it.
“I value human culture. I collected these pieces right after the first wave of the invasion. I’ve kept them safe. You see, Andromeda, I’m not in the practice of destroying valuable things. I treat them well. You could be a valuable thing. I could treat you
very well,” he said as he took two steps closer to me and I stood still.
He stood over me, putting his hands on my shoulders. He was so strong. He could have crushed me without even trying.
“Will you work with me, Andromeda?” He asked. “Will you tell me how you are able to smuggle items through my security? Or shall I discover the information the hard way? The way that will leave you broken? It is your choice. What do you choose?”
I hesitated for just a moment and then nodded. He didn't know about the rebellion or the plans. He was just a Lost Lord showing off his wealth. I could give him a few of the codes I had and then find a way to get off this ship and back onto mine. If I played this right, I could survive without any scars.
He stared into my eyes, but I wasn’t technically lying. Finally, after a moment, he let me free and a sigh escaped my throat. But he wasn’t done with me yet. He brought a hand to my cheek and with one finger he traced the outline of my jaw and then traveled lower - down my neck and past my collarbone. He found the top button of my jumpsuit and he grabbed my collar and pulled me closer to him. I was pulled against him and then he tugged on my jumpsuit breaking the string that held the top button. The button popped free and fell down to the ground. He looked me over, taking all of me in, but I avoided his eyes looking past him and praying that he would stop.
Finally, I had to look into his eyes. Dolcivs eyes had no white to them, just a shining blue with a dark pupil. His bright blue eyes were searching mine and his lips were parted. For one moment I was sure he was going to kiss me. My stomach fluttered and I wasn’t sure if it was from excitement or fear.
He let go. He unclasped his hand and I stumbled back a step. “A guard will show you to your room. You are not to leave it. Everything you need will be provided to you. Do you understand?”
“Yes, My Lord,” I said, oddly out of breath.
“Good,” he said. “I can be very kind, Andromeda Nus. But I can be very cruel as well. Don’t forget that.”
