Starlight [Warriors of Dareen] (Siren Publishing Classic)
Page 1
Warriors of Dareen
Starlight
Kara Johnson has learned the hard way that she will always be alone. Her father died, and the man she thought she loved cheated on her. She has built walls around her heart to make sure no one can harm her again. Then a sexy FBI Agent shows up at the sheriff’s department where she works and turns her world upside down. She spends her days fantasizing about all the ways he could force her to submit to him, not believing he would ever be interested in her.
Joran is on earth hunting his enemy. He sees Kara, and suddenly she is all he can think about. He wishes he could keep her, but their laws are clear that humans must remain unaware of their existence. When Kara is attacked, Joran is forced to reveal himself. Joran gets his wish to keep Kara for his own. He uses dominance and his alien senses of truth seeking and empathy to win her heart.
Genre: BDSM, Contemporary, Science Fiction
Length: 51,778 words
STARLIGHT
Warriors of Dareen
Sara Anderson
EROTIC ROMANCE
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
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A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK
IMPRINT: Erotic Romance
STARLIGHT
Copyright © 2014 by Sara Anderson
E-book ISBN: 978-1-62741-932-1
First E-book Publication: July 2014
Cover design by Harris Channing
All art and logo copyright © 2014 by Siren Publishing, Inc.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.
All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.
PUBLISHER
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
Letter to Readers
Dear Readers,
If you have purchased this copy of Starlight by Sara Anderson from BookStrand.com or its official distributors, thank you. Also, thank you for not sharing your copy of this book.
Regarding E-book Piracy
This book is copyrighted intellectual property. No other individual or group has resale rights, auction rights, membership rights, sharing rights, or any kind of rights to sell or to give away a copy of this book.
The author and the publisher work very hard to bring our paying readers high-quality reading entertainment.
This is Sara Anderson’s livelihood. It’s fair and simple. Please respect Ms. Anderson’s right to earn a living from her work.
Amanda Hilton, Publisher
www.SirenPublishing.com
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DEDICATION
To my husband for encouraging me.
To my amazing friends, Lee, Kytyn, and Katherine who walked this journey with me. Thank you for the time you spent letting me pick your brains and reading this every time I changed it. You all are amazing.
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
About the Author
STARLIGHT
Warriors of Dareen
SARA ANDERSON
Copyright © 2014
Chapter 1
“Report,” Captain Aster commanded as he stepped onto the command bridge, the alert-status lights around the bridge glowing red. The effect was ominous. He had been roused from sleep by the commander issuing an alert that would ready the crew for a fight. Captain Aster walked onto the bridge appearing calm, completely in control, and ready for battle. Joran wondered how the man managed to look like he’d had a full night’s sleep.
“Shara war cruiser, Captain,” Commander Joran replied while making sure all the weapons systems were ready and at full power.
“Have you confirmed it is the ship sought in the attack on the colony?” he asked while staring at the screen that showed the tactical reports.
“Yes, sir,” Commander Joran replied, his body tense and eyes bright. “These are the inktas we seek.”
“They sure have gone a long way to try and escape Dareen justice,” he spat, his tone full of disgust.
Lieutenant Sunter gazed at the screen that gave them a clear view of their enemy. Thanks to their ship’s cloaking systems, they were able to follow the Shara vessel unseen. “They are scanning the planets of this system. I can only guess they are looking for a place to hide.” His lips curled into a sneer. “Cowards murder women and children, then look for a place to hide. Moontars.”
“Open a communication channel. Let’s give them a chance to surrender.” His tone held the loathing they all felt. They wanted blood for blood, not surrender.
Joran opened the channel. “Shara warship, you are to surrender your vessel immediately and answer for crimes committed against Dareen agricultural colonies.”
The vessel turned. They did not look like they were going to surrender. Joran grinned. Good. He wanted a fight. He wanted to see Shara blood shed this day. Rape, murder, and beatings of his family unit deserved blood for blood. Nothing mattered to him anymore but vengeance. It was his reason for going on every day. Every Shara he killed was for his brother, his brother’s children, and his brother’s bonded. His justice was Shara blood, not capture and trial.
“Shara vessel is powering up weapons,” the lieutenant stated calmly while he manned the scanners that reported every movement of the ship they sought.
“So it is a fight. I see,” the captain said, taking his chair with a grim smile on his face. “Arm all weapons.”
The Shara vessel fired, but the Dareen ship’s shields held easily. They barely even felt the blast of Shara’s weapons hitting their shield.
“Return fire. This is going to be too easy.” Captain Aster almost looked bored as he gave his orders. “Take those moontars out.”
Joran’s brow creased. Aster was overconfident. Just because they had been on the run and getting supplies from non-Alliance worlds that did not mean they were incapable of damaging them.
The Shara’s weapons again came to full power and they fired. The ship rocked slightly with the blast but again, the shields held. Perhaps the captain was right, this would be too easy.
“I am getting some strange readings from the vessel.” Sunter studied his sensor readings nervously.
“Keep a watch and report any changes,” Captain Aster ordered. “Keep firing.”
Joran felt his own blood rushing through his body. Again he was the hand of vengeance for his slain family. His hands flew over the console as he took aim and then fired.
“Direct hit. They have major system damage.” Sunter cheered. The blast ran over the Shara vessel, causing it to glow in an orange hue.
Several of the vessel’s lights blinked as their systems tried to recover from the energy blast. “They have not stopped to maintain their vessel,” Sunter said, grinning viciously. “It is almost embarrassing watching them feebly try to power up their weapons,” he added.
“Whether they were an easy kill or put up a good fight will have no bearing on the recognition you receive for bringing in the murdering moontars.” Captain Aster grinned as he discussed his enemy’s capture.
“They are powering up their weapons, Commander.” Sunter’s gaze was ferocious as he watched them try to take aim. “There is something strange, though.” His look was tense. Joran studied him as tendrils of unease climbed up his spine. Sunter was not one to worry over nothing. If he saw something that put him ill at ease then they needed to take notice.
“Evade, and prepare to return fire,” Captain Aster commanded.
Joran’s hands flew over the instrument panel, aiming weapons while Sunter evaded their enemy’s energy weapons.
“Direct hit.” Sunter’s cheer was less enthusiastic as they watched the Shara’s vessel glow orange while the shields absorbed the energy.
“At this rate, this will be a short—” Captain Aster was cut short with a sharp jolt that knocked several crewmembers to the floor. Alarms warned of fire and systems that had gone offline.
“What the hell was that?” Aster asked while crewmembers pulled themselves off of the floor of the bridge.
“They have a plasma missile.” Sunter stared in shock as the Shara vessel turned for another shot.
“How in the seven hells did they get their hands on a plasma missile?” Aster’s face was stunned with shock and growing anger.
“I don’t know, sir. I thought the Alliance had them all confiscated from the pirates that sold them.”
“It would seem they missed some. Take that ship out.” The captain leaned forward and his lips were curled in a snarl as he stared at the ship.
Joran concentrated on the weapons console so he could make their energy blasts precise, so the Shara’s weapons could not recharge. He directed his fire at their power systems, thinking if they had no power they could not charge weapons.
“Their power system is overloading. They will soon be dead in space.” Sunter looked at his sensor readings with a feral look of victory on his face.
“Take them out. I want the ship destroyed,” Captain Aster ordered in a rare display of anger.
Another blast rocked their ship. This time the crewmembers were better prepared and kept their seats.
“Weapons are offline, Captain.” Joran’s hands flew over the controls while he tried to get the weapons back online. His face was twisted in fury. No matter what he tried, the instrument panel was dead.
“What?” Captain Aster snarled. “Get them back online.” He thumped his fist onto his console as if he could make the weapons work.
“They’re evacuating, Captain,” Joran warned as he watched the shuttles depart the ship. “Their last blast must have been a desperate attempt to disable our ship so they could escape. Cowards would rather run than fight.”
“Get me my weapons online and take those inktas out,” Captain Aster demanded, pacing the bridge while watching his enemy move closer to the only planet in the system that was populated.
“I can’t get the weapons online, Captain. Those cowards are going to make atmosphere.” Joran growled in disgust as more than forty Shara escape pods approached the planet’s atmosphere.
“Track where they land. I want them either arrested for trial or exterminated.” Aster stood before the view screen watching the Shara escape.
“I am tracing their radiation signature as they go in for a landing,” Joran announced as he watched his sensors closely.
“I want a full report on the planet they are landing on, Sunter,” the captain demanded as he continued to pace the bridge. His hand curled under his chin while he paced. Everyone that was not watching sensor readings for their escaping enemy watched their captain, wondering what his next move would be.
Sunter read over reports on his own view screen and listened in to broadcasts coming from the satellites orbiting the planet. “They are a young planet, Captain, advancing quickly, but not space-faring or aware of other races.”
“Damn,” the captain swore. “This is the worst case scenario.” He continued to pace. “Commander Joran, prepare a team to track the Shara. Let’s try and keep our asses out of trouble with the Alliance this time. Sunter, gather a team and get to work on the systems those moontars took out. Profax, get your communication team and a security team over to the Shara vessel. I want to know how and where they got their hands on plasma weapons. Someone either sold it to them or they stole it. I want to know.”
“Yes, Captain.” Profax stood from his communications console and left the bridge.
Joran started sending out orders to warriors he wanted to take down to the planet with him. If the universe was on his side, they would get the Shara and be done with this planet quickly.
* * * *
Joran stood with his handpicked team, going over their final instructions. “We have all studied this race’s culture. While most of your time will be tracking, try to keep away from the human population on this planet,” he told them all sternly. “If any of the humans noticed our firefight out here, they have not said anything over communications. I can only assume that means the two larger planets they call Jupiter and Saturn blocked it from their view. The universe smiled on us this time.”
“Yes, Commander,” the Dareen warriors agreed. They had assembled in the war room. The walls were lined with view screens displaying images and information about the world they orbited. Several others picked up the signal from satellites broadcasting data back down to the planet. The warriors readied themselves by studying the various signals, focusing on the area the escape pods landed around. They still wore the dark-blue uniforms of the Dareen military, but they would soon change into clothing that would make them blend with the human population.
“The humans are innocent and must be kept out of our conflict at all costs. The Shara cowards most likely want to hide instead of attack, but if any humans come close enough to them, they will attack. We all know the crimes this ship’s crew committed, which led us to hunting them like the moontars they are. If while hunting the escaped Shara you come across human conflict, stay out of it,” Joran warned sternly.
Warriors Varnis and Sunter growled. They all had studied the strange culture of the humans. Their women were expected to fend for themselves by working and were sent out unprotected.
Joran gave a stern look at his warriors. “No excuses will be accepted for failure to comply. Alert human law enforcement and let them deal with any human matters.”
Several other warriors looked unhappy, but all eventually agreed. “We will be going down cloaked so we do not raise any suspicions out of the humans’ surveillance. Let’s complete our mission and go home at last.”
“Understood, Commander,” the warriors all agreed, as they stood as one from the tables they all sat around while Joran prepared them for the
ir mission. It could be a long time before they had a chance to drink together as warriors again.
“With the universe’s blessing we will defeat the Shara quickly and be gone from this planet without incident.”
Chapter 2
Kara sat at her desk in the Crawford County Sheriff’s Department office. On her tidy desk, she had piles of department paperwork she needed to get done. Normally, she was a very efficient secretary for the sheriff. She had received praise for her job as well as gifts at every holiday, with cards expressing appreciation for her job well done. When the sheriff from the next county over had come to collect a prisoner, she had overheard him trying to talk her boss into letting him take her home with him. It had brought a smile to her face, hearing him tell the other sheriff how he could not survive without her. She was sure he was exaggerating, but it was nice to hear the words of praise. These last two weeks, however, after some FBI agent showed up, she had been anything but efficient. It was a mystery why he was there. Some guessed he was tracking escaped fugitives, while others said there were some thefts on federal land, so the feds were dealing with it. She knew there were thefts out at the mine lately, but surely the FBI would not deal with that unless it was really all about terrorists.
Kara could not help but lick her lips while she watched him through the protective curtain of her hair. He was standing next to Deputy Marshall’s desk going over police reports with him. She swore every time their eyes met, she felt a spark. She imagined he found her sexy, though that thought left her holding in laughter. Sexy women had hard, toned bodies and could wear skimpy dresses without flesh hanging out. Still, the fantasy of him wanting her left her daydreaming about him instead of getting her work done. Thankfully, no one commented on it. Trying to explain why she was daydreaming and letting it slip she was having sexual fantasies about the new FBI agent would be mortifying. She could see it now, Deputy Marshall’s reproachful look as he tried to gently explain to her that any man that good-looking would never go for a woman of her body type.