Claimed By The Alien Warrior Kezon

by Eden Ember

  The door still wouldn’t budge. What if something happened? How would she escape the room? Looking around, Blaire found nothing with which to override the panel on the wall. It remained dull gray instead of the usual green, which in times past would have meant an unlocked door.

  Her hand met with the door as she thumped it several times. “Hello? Anyone out there? Hello?” She kept banging and calling for help. Finally, someone happened by.

  “Yes, Blaire? Can I help you?” Came the voice. It wasn’t Kezon, but one of the crew members on the ship.

  “Yes, please get Kezon. I need to see him at once,” she pleaded.

  “Very well,” the crewman replied with a nod.

  “Thank you.” The crewman closed the door and left to find Commander Kezon.

  Several minutes went by as Blaire paced the floor, going over in her mind what she would say to him. When footsteps approached, the young woman straightened herself and faced the door. Her lower lip slid between her teeth, a nervous habit she had not had in a long time. Today was different for her, though. There were things that had to be said, and she worried what Kezon’s reply might be.

  Chapter 13

  Kezon

  Kezon hesitated outside of Blaire’s quarters. After their conversation earlier, he wasn't sure that he wanted to see her. A ship’s crew member told him that she had asked for him. The Hjott commander sighed before straightening his stance. He placed his hand on the door panel, unlocking it so that it would open. Once inside, Kezon braced for Blaire’s harsh remarks as he turned to see her sitting in a chair and smiling at him. The Terran woman seemed considerably calmer than she had been when he left her earlier.

  "Yes, you wanted to see me?" he said as he closed the door behind him.

  "Yes, you can thank your crewman for me. I appreciate him for fetching you so quickly. Kezon, I have come to realize that you're probably weary of me right now, and I'm very sorry for that. I know that I can be a difficult person to get to know and I suppose what surprises me the most about you is that you would have any feelings for me at all. Especially after the way I've treated you this entire time," Blaire said.

  "We've had a few good moments," Kezon replied with a warm smile.

  "I've given you more grief than a few good moments. I wouldn't blame you at all if you wanted to send me back to the Terran system immediately.”

  Surprised, Kezon sat down in another chair in the small quarters while hoping to make Blaire feel more at ease. Seeing her like this, sweet and smiling, was a change from the way he had left her earlier.

  "What can I do for you, Blaire?" he asked.

  Blaire laughed. "I truly can see why you're being so formal with me. After a good nap, my whole disposition has changed. Kezon, I really want to know more about your uxormea and specifically why you think it burst with me. Please explain it to me," she said.

  "I already told you, the uxormea only bursts when a Hjott is around someone who is his destined mate. You've made it very clear that you do not wish to be that, so there's no point in talking about it any longer," Kezon remarked.

  "Kezon, I'm sorry for being so negative to you. I simply want to know what would happen if you don’t claim a mate when this happens?"

  Kezon sat back in his seat and took a deep breath. "The thing is, fate or destiny is something we don't understand fully. While one Hjott has their uxormea burst when they're around a Terran, or another female Hjott, or another being, there are others who never experience it. There are those who go through their entire lives with their chests remaining barren and cold. There are those who say that deep down, our hearts know what we want or need. If you decide that you don't want me, I will go through life with, what do you Terrans call it, unrequited love. We don't do things the way that you do as a Terran, we do not date. I cannot be with anyone, unless my uxormea has told me it is meant to be. Believe me, it's not something that I had planned, especially when I came all the way to Earth and met you. It wasn't exactly a planet or system that I wanted to visit, but I went because I was told to go by my higher command. Please understand, I'm as surprised by this as you are," he told Blaire.

  "We are worlds apart because my people have a very different culture. Humans come together and then split apart several times throughout their lives. I guess I never did that because I think it’s idiotic, honestly,” Blaire replied.

  A spark of hope settled over Kezon. "So, you've never had a relationship with another human male?" he asked.

  "No, I haven't. Like I said, I was more married to my work and to my career than I was in finding a mate, if you will.”

  "Well, I've never had a mate. My uxormea has never so much as given me a glimmer or spark for any other female being. And like I said, I didn't set out for planet Earth thinking that I would meet a female Terran who would cause my uxormea to burst. To me, this is an incredible thing and something that I never thought would happen. You know, my brother Kedun had his to burst with another Terran. He told me that it took him by surprise as well. He and Aryn were working together on a mission as she was a Qetesh agent who came to help us. It took her by surprise too, in fact," Kezon noted as he smiled.

  "Interesting. The King of Jatra mated with a human, right? In fact, when I was told about this mission, I took it upon myself to do a little research about your home system. She was a slave in his palace before the uprising. An Aulius had captured her while at an out-station waiting to go into galactic military training. I find it surprising that the King of Jatra would fall for a human slave, especially one who served his sister," Blaire commented.

  "That's just it, King Thras had no idea that his uxormea would burst with her. It was a complete surprise for him," Kezon replied.

  "I believe there are others too, from what I have read.”

  "Oh yes, the commander of the Jatra military, Oszul. He worked with Treasure on a mission, and his uxormea burst while working with her."

  "Did King Thras or Oszul or your brother, Kedun, claim these Terran females against their will?" Blaire asked.

  Kezon flinched a little at the question. "No. While we are very direct in how we deal amongst our kind, we feel compelled to treat other beings differently. Unfortunately, female Hjotts are not as common as males in our system. It is probably why we have evolved to where we accept others whose genes are a close enough match to allow procreation. Thras, Oszul, or Kedun claimed none of these Terran females against their will. I will not claim you without your consent either, Blaire. Please know, I am very attracted to you. As a matter of fact, I held an attraction for you before my uxormea burst. I would absolutely be happy if you were to become my mate, but I will not force you to do so," Kezon promised again.

  "So where do we go from here? I feel like you are stopping me from doing my job because you now have a subjective feeling for me," Blaire pointed out.

  "It means that while I am around you, I will do everything I can to protect you whether you accept me as your mate or not. If you choose not to, once we finish the mission I will escort you back to planet Earth and will leave you there. But you need to know, I am prepared to die to save your life. I will not hesitate to do so.”

  "That's heavy stuff. Can you put aside your feelings for me long enough to let me do my job, though?" Blaire asked.

  "I will help you do your job, but I will never put your life in danger. I tie everything inside me to you whether you will have me or not. I will, for the rest of my life, attempt to keep you as safe as I can. It will tear me apart to drop you off on Earth because I would have to leave and come back to the Vada System without you. That is not what I want, but out of respect for you and your wishes, I will do that.”

  "Wow, you keep dumping the heavy on me. No pressure," Blaire replied as she laughed and fidgeted in her seat.

  "Look, we’re both here on Arthexei to stop the cyborgs. That's why I brought you all this way. I will help you do what you came to do to the best of my ability. But I will not put you in harm's way, Blaire. I would rather die m
yself than put you in harm's way.” Kezon also moved around nervously in his seat. The conversation was a welcome one, but it caused him to feel more uncertain about his relationship with Blaire than he had before.

  "You're still not answering my question. You know that for me to do this job correctly I will be in some danger. I agreed to it and I'm here and ready to do what I need to do to help your system. I don't need you going all caveman on me and stopping me from doing what I need to do, Kezon.”

  "Caveman? You have called me that before. I know what you need to do, and I will make certain that we carry out this mission. But I will keep you safe as well, Blaire. My feelings for you go very deep, and I can't stop the way I feel about you now. I wish you could understand that better. If it weren't for my uxormea and the feelings I have for you now, I would put you directly into that facility and wait for your signal to come get you. But I can't do that right now. I just can't."

  Chapter 14

  Blaire

  Blaire shook her head as she sat back in her chair and regarded Kezon. The alien had confused her to the point that she didn’t know what to think anymore. The scientist had wrapped her entire life with a devotion to her studies and her career. Blaire spent so much time and had made so many discoveries that she couldn’t fathom the thought of not continuing with her work. And yet, her heart seemed to pull her into a new direction. A heart that had lain dormant for so long was now awakened. Kezon’s revelation had thrown a monkey wrench into her life, and she was uncertain of what to say or do next.

  "Kezon, I really don't know what to say here. I don't know what you want me to say and I am so confused at the moment," she told him.

  "Blaire, if there's anything that I want to say to you it's this; I beg you not to sneak away to the enemy’s base of operations. Working as a spy is very dangerous to say the least. These are the enemies of the Vada System and they are driven to do whatever is necessary for victory. If they were to discover that you are a Terran, and that you are working with me, they would not hesitate to kill you. They are ruthless people, Blaire. They attempted to kill my brother, and they tried to kill Oszul and Treasure as well. Their goal is to overthrow Jatra and King Thras along with his mate Chera. This is the struggle we face, and this is the reason they're building the cyborg army; to not only defeat us, but to destroy us. They don't even want to imprison us. They want to eliminate each and every one of us.” The Hjott’s warrior’s eyes looked hard at the Terran woman.

  Blaire watched as Kezon spoke to her and noticed the intense angst in his face. There were deep worry lines on his forehead that seemed to appear as he spoke to her. He was worried. A powerful Hjott warrior was afraid that everything could fail and that he would see the end of his people.

  The career scientist in her was a hardened person, though actually Blaire wasn't so unfeeling that she couldn’t sense what was happening. Kezon suffered because of her. She glanced at the floor as she thought about everything and realized what he was saying was right. What good would it be if the enemy killed her before the mission was complete? Blaire needed to be careful with her plans.

  "Okay, I will agree to your terms and do things your way. I can see now that what I had planned to do is a little reckless," Blaire acquiesced.

  Kezon breathed a sigh of relief. Blair realized how much the man must care for her to be so adamant and so honest. She felt terrible for the way she had worried him earlier.

  Blaire stood up and walked over to Kezon. Even though he was sitting down, the commander could almost look the young scientist directly in the eyes. She’d seen him as a big brute, but she had also seen his softer, more vulnerable side too. Blaire doubted that he had ever shown this vulnerable side to anyone else besides her. Being that he was an alien warrior and that his uxormea had never burst for anyone before, she was certain of that fact.

  “Relax, Kezon. I promise I won’t run off like I threatened to do earlier. I’ll wait for your command. I realize that I don’t know the enemy like you do and that I’m a little out of my element here.” Blaire smiled softly at him.

  Kezon seemed visibly relieved as he breathed a sigh of relief. “Okay, Blaire, thank you.”

  “You can trust me. I’m a little hard headed, but when I give my word to someone, I mean it.”

  Kezon smiled at her, his jaw still tensed. “Okay, I believe you. Thank you. You gave me quite a scare back there. I don’t mean to be so brutish about it, as you say, but you need to understand why I do the things that I do,” he replied.

  “Yes, I know, you’re uxormea inclines you to be overprotective of me,” Blaire says with a nod.

  “That and I promised your people on Earth that I’d take excellent care of you,” he added. Kezon stood up from his seat and walked to the door. With a few swipes on the panel beside the door, the ship’s commander unlocked and opened it. He held out his hand to Blaire before they made their way to the lab.

  “I’m just curious. How would you have gotten into the enemy’s computer so quickly if you had fooled them into accepting you? Surely they wouldn’t have been so trusting so quickly.”

  Blaire smiled. “I would have used an access panel somewhere in their facility. Your own intelligence has discovered that they are very common throughout the place. After looking at the basic coding they were using, I was confident I could hack my way in.”

  “Interesting. Your superiors highly recommended you, Blaire. They said you are a complete genius. I gather you are much smarter than the average Terran.” Kezon chuckled.

  Blaire understood that just as she assumed that Terrans were smarter than Hjotts, Hjotts probably assumed the same thing in reverse. She’d need to give Kezon credit for being as intelligent as her. He could pilot a starship across the galaxy through wormholes and keep an enemy ship from capturing them. That certainly required both skill and considerable forethought.

  “I have a photographic memory, Kezon. I can memorize things that I need to memorize. I could even replicate the coding of the virus from just about anywhere now that the coding is perfected. Just give me a few moments in at any computer access in the facility and I could do it, with or without the nanobots.” Blaire grinned at him as she bragged a little, her eyes sparkling as she walked to the computer station and pulled up the AI virus from the computer. “I remember what I put into this, as if I’d studied for it for weeks. It’s why I’m so good at what I do. It’s why I ran the lab back on Earth. They wouldn’t send you all the way across the galaxy for someone who wasn’t able to do this. I know what I’m doing, Kezon. And no, not all Terrans have photographic memories. It’s a blessing and a curse,” Blaire said as she laughed.

  “How so?”

  “Well, I mean, sometimes I see things that I shouldn’t see and the details are stuck in my mind forever. I have learned to pace my brain and categorize what I need to commit to memory and to push out what I don’t.”

  “I think you would have struggled at the enemy’s facility. Remember, they have alien tech and you don’t know Aulius language as well as you think, coding or not. You also would be at a disadvantage with their technology.”

  “Computer language, believe it or not, is fairly universal. We’ve studied it from other systems, and the binary system remains the same. Though you may be correct with the hardware itself, I could figure it out. I suppose it wouldn’t match the Hjott machines you have on the ship.”

  “We planned to deliver the virus via the uplink using nanobots, remember? There is a universal computer language native to the Vada System. Urflon had planned to convert it to a more familiar form for you.” Kezon spoke of the ship’s technology wizard.

  “I guess I thought that I’d figure that out once I got there. I learned the Hjott computer system fairly quickly,” Blaire said as she smiled proudly at him.

  “Still, we’re not sending a Terran over there alone. That would put you into a difficult situation and you know I’m not willing to risk that, even if my uxormea hadn't burst,” Kezon breathed.

&
nbsp; Blaire stepped to the workstation and pulled up the crude model of the cyborg she had created. Kezon stared at it, obviously pleasantly surprised by her ingenuity. She smiled to herself as she pulled up the program on the computer. Then she turned to him to display her genius at work.

  "This is a crude model cyborg. According to Urflon, it will be close to what the cyborgs actually are in their cybernetic makeup. I want to demonstrate what will happen when the virus is uploaded." Blaire used the holographic screen to put in a few commands so that the crude cyborg would work. The little arm began moving, as if marching. Kezon watched, amused at the toylike quality of the model.

  "And this is the virus; uploading it now," Blaire said as she pulled up the file and released it into the model. After a few seconds, the crude model of the cyborg shook and then a thin film of electricity moved over it until it fell over, apparently dead. The Terran scientist turned to him, smiling at her accomplishment.

  "Will it be as fast?" Kezon picked up the dead model.

  "Oh, yes. And I will push it throughout the entire cyborg army, no matter where it is in the Vada System. It will render every one of them completely useless. And I also have the ability to pass the virus from the cyborgs to any other control systems they may have hidden in the system. It will completely wreck their electronics, Kezon.”

  “Impressive! Now we have to figure out how to get into their facility on the other side of Arthexei and deliver the virus.” Kezon set the cyborg model down.

  “I very much want to help you with the execution of the virus. Only I understand how this works and only I can fix any problems that could arise with the program. I hope you understand how important it is that I go,” Blaire said as she placed her hand over his large six-fingered hand.

  All Kezon could do was smile and shake his head.