by Corin Cain
Moments later, the door to the main cockpit area opens, and my battle-brothers join me at their stations. I can smell Allie on their skin. Our prisoner wore no perfume when we took her; and yet her own, natural scent is a thousand times more enticing to me.
The three of us – myself, Kitos and Hadrian – were forged into a Bonded warrior triad by the fires of battle. We saved each other’s lives a hundred times over during our hundred years of service to the Aurelian Empire. We’ve become best friends – as fighters, killers, and Law Enforcement agents.
But now, we’ve become something else together.
Now, we three are criminals.
Not a word is said as we take in the situation. During our one hundred years of service to the Aurelian Army, we three would often sit in silence as we descended on our drop points – reflective just prior to drinking the blood of battle.
Right now, it feels like that – like the moment before a great conflict.
This isn’t how it’s supposed to be. This should be a time of joy. We’ve done what only a handful of Aurelians ever get the chance to: We’ve found the one woman in the universe who can give us purpose.
We’ve found the one woman among countless billions who can bear us sons. I can feel her, right now. She’s so close to us I can almost touch her. Her aura is inside my mind – filled with strength and determination. Allie is no weak-willed human female, who needs to be told what to do. She’s a true firebrand – who’ll fight for what she wants as fiercely as we will.
But right now, Allie is stressed – I can sense it through our Bond. I wish I could go to her and tell her that everything is going to be alright – but I can’t. I have never lied to my triad, and I vow never to hide the truth from my mate.
Things are not going to be alright.
Kitos is scanning the dead space ahead of us, his fingers on the triggers of the first Orb-Cannon. I feel safer with my two battle-brothers on the weapons, rather than trusting the AI – even though, out in deep space, with our signals muted, we aren’t expecting any trouble.
But if I’ve learned one thing, it’s that not expecting trouble doesn’t mean trouble won’t find you anyway.
“What do we do?” Kitos demands, his eyes narrow as he scans ahead of him.
Kitos’ aura has thin tendrils of nervousness woven through it – the same strands that I once weeded out of my own mind with training and meditation. Inwardly, I explore Kitos’ aura. The lines of stress are clearly there – but at least they’re still manageable.
It’s important to know that. A good leader must understand his men. Kitos is under control.
It’s Hadrian I’m worried about. He hasn’t said a word – not since he and Kitos returned from Allie. I sense a dull violence lurking within him.
My mind rushes over our options.
One thing is clear – we’ve screwed up. We’ve mated with a prisoner – violating the strict statutes of Aurelian Law Enforcement.
Although have we screwed up? How could we deny her, since Allie is our Fated Mate?
There’s no easy answer – no way of telling if we’ve done the right thing or not.
I take a deep breath.
“The noble thing to do would be to turn ourselves in when we arrive on Colossus,” I tell my battle-brothers. “We explain that we lost control in the presence of our Fated Mate. We can hope that Law Enforcement will grant us leniency, but we can expect harsh judgement.”
I pause, about to answer the question I know my battle-brothers are poised to ask.
“Allie will go free,” I tell them. “She can’t be held accountable for her crimes any longer – due to our… breach.”
Breach.
What a word for it.
It sounds so harmless when you say it like that – like using the wrong cutlery at a fancy human dinner.
In reality, there’s nothing harmless about it. Aurelian justice is harsh. Fucking a prisoner can send you to an Aurelian prison for life – or, worse, see you executed in the arena of the Gods; with your shameful demise broadcast for the whole universe to witness.
Our transgression is dire. The Aurelian Empire already has a weakened hold over many sectors. Now, we three have forever tarnished the authority of the Aurelian Law Enforcement agency.
Hadrian presses down on the trigger of his Orb-Cannon - suddenly blasting a whirling asteroid out of the air.
I wince. I’d have preferred to keep our weapons signals hidden… But I have to forgive him for the outburst. I can sense the stress he’s under.
“Fuck that,” my battle-brother snarls. “If we take Allie to Colossus, they’ll take her from us – just you watch. You know Queen Jasmine will make an example out of us for touching a human prisoner.”
The way he says the word ‘human’ with such disdain. It’s like he forgets that he was balls deep inside a human female – our human female – just minutes earlier.
But what Hadrian just said isn’t untrue. Our Queen, Jasmine, has been ruling for over two hundred years now. In that time, she’s sired a dozen sons for our Empire – but that’s the only good thing she’s done, in my eyes.
Jasmine has her triad under her thumb – even the mighty Emperor. Under her rule, humans have been given everything – more rights, freedoms, and even the opportunity for planets and systems once under Aurelian protection to become ‘independent.’
The Empire has weakened considerably under Queen Jasmine. She puts the desires of humans above the needs of our own species.
Kitos slaps his hand against the console in front of him. “I’d rather live as an outlaw than spend the rest of my life in prison. They’ll lock us away – keep us from her. She’s our Fated Mate – and we can’t lose her now.”
I sigh.
I’ve failed my triad.
No. We were tricked.
Allie knew exactly what she was doing.
She knew we couldn’t bring her back to Colossus if we fucked her. Now she’s got what she wanted. First, she fooled that triad of Elites – now us.
Fated Mate or not – one thing is clear…
Whatever we do, we can’t trust her.
I can’t let our Bond cloud my judgement. I know already, though our Bond, that Allie craves her freedom even more than she craves to be our mate.
Anger suddenly surges up in me at my own stupidity. How can I even imagine a future in which Allie bears our sons? She’ll disappear at the first opportunity, Fated Mate or not. How could I have been so stupid? How could I have let this happen?
Hadrian can sense my frustration. I didn’t mute it across our Bond – another failure on my part.
But Hadrian isn’t angry. He murmurs: “If you hadn’t taken her, Daccia, we’d have never known, one way or another. We would have lived and died always wondering if she’d been the one.”
Kitos sighs too, nodding.
“Without even knowing it, we would have put our Fated Mate in jail. We’d never have seen her again. One way or another, you made the right choice, Daccia. You made the right choice.”
But it’s a choice we can never take back. It’s a choice we’ll all have to bear the consequences of.
A leader leads. A leader takes the burden. I am the leader of our triad.
But, with the support of my triad, things become crystal clear.
“We aren’t expected back on Colossus for almost thirty standard days,” I tell my triad. “We have time, at least – the most valuable resource in a battle. We need to prepare for life once Law Enforcement learns what we’ve done. We need to liquidate our accounts, fix our ship’s Orb-Drive, and then stay under the radar – for as long as it takes to shift outside of the Aurelian Empire’s territories.”
I turn in my seat to look at my two battle-brothers.
“They’re going to send men after us. We may have to kill our former brothers. This, we must do for the sake of our Fated Mate.”
Hadrian’s aura loses the dull sense of violence. He was looking for an outlet in the confusi
on of the moment – and punching, hitting or crushing things is normally his solution.
Now, though, he knows I have a plan. Now he feels my certainty.
“Agreed,” my battle-brother nods. “It’s our only option.”
A wave of pain suddenly rises in me. I can feel the fear and stress emanating from Allie.
She must have heard tales of the Bond before. Humanity is both terrified and fascinated by the link between Aurelians and human women. I can only guess at the lies Allie has been told about the Bond.
She might have even heard the common falsehood that the Bond is a form of mind control – that it will force her into subservience.
But in truth, it’s oh, so much more. The Bond can’t make you do anything you don’t want to…
It can’t create needs in you.
…but what it can do is draw out all the dark desires you’ve kept buried deep inside. The things you refuse to admit you want, even to yourself.
Just look at me, and my two battle-brothers. Because of the overwhelming power of the Bond, I’ve lost my career. My home. My honor.
And yet, potentially, I’ve gained so much more.
Now, Allie won’t suffer the same fate as most other humans – to live a short, bright life before winking out. Now she’s been Bonded with us, Allie will live for thousands of years – all through the mysterious power of the Bond.
Allie is feisty and cunning, though – and I’m glad I have two other allies in dealing with her. Somehow, I know she’s going to be more than a match for all three of us even combined.
But all we have to do is convince her that a future with us is better than a life alone – out there in the cruel, uncaring universe. We can give Allie our devotion. Our strength. Our protection.
In fact, if it ever came to it, I’d give her my life.
But is it enough? Is all I have going to be enough for her?
“Hadrian,” I order, “take the controls. Stay on course… for now. We don’t want our signals to show us veering off path. Not yet.”
Kitos cocks his head questioningly. “Where are you going?”
“To speak with Allie. She needs to know we aren’t taking her to Colossus.”
Hadrian snorts. “She already knows that. She knew that even before we did. She played us like an Aurelian flute.”
I snort. My respect for Allie only grows. She was trapped, alone, and without weapons – imprisoned on a ship headed for her a jail cell. As a captive, she had only one weapon at her disposal – and yet she used it to get exactly what she wanted.
We’ve already lost the first battle against her. I’m not too confident about the next one, either.
“She does know it,” I admit, “but it will still be good for her to hear it from my mouth. She’ll have questions about the Bond.”
I stand, thinking over everything I’m about to say to Allie. Suddenly, the comms-link flashes.
I wince, seeing it’s Inspector Haratar calling us. Dammit, his instincts are so keen I’ll have to watch every word so I don’t slip up.
“Your eyes,” Kitos warns.
My eyes?
By the Gods! I nearly forgot!
The proof of our deed is right there in our eyes. Mine changed the moment I Bonded with Allie – turning from the slate-grey ubiquitous to all Aurelians, to the hue of the brightest diamond. Thank the Gods for Kitos and his sharp mind.
“AI,” I demand, “answer the call – but no video! Cut the video feed and then accept the transmission.”
The AI beeps – and a moment later, the hologram of Inspector Haratar appears in front of us.
“Apologies, Inspector,” I announce – knowing he’ll be confused not to see our images on his own display. “The damage to our ship was more extensive than we first thought. Video feed is having issues – along with engine, shield, and reporting. We may need to divert for repairs.”
Inspector Haratar doesn’t give much away, but I was looking for signs of suspicion. I immediately see the tiny furrow of his brows. I realize I’ve already spoken too quickly, without any form of greeting. It’s as if I have something to hide.
For a moment, the Inspector General is silent. Then he quietly says:
“That’s acceptable, Lieutenant Daccia. It coincides with what I require from you, in fact.”
I raise an eyebrow – not that he can see it.
“A triad of Law Enforcement agents has captured two smugglers. They’ll rendezvous with you on the planet of Salcus. They’re only three standard days away. You’re just two. You’ll be taking custody of their prisoners for transport to Colossus. I’ve added funds to your mission budget for repairs and living expenses. Divert your course.”
The information sets my mind racing.
Salcus. I haven’t heard much about this planet. I know it’s on the outskirts of Aurelian rule, just beyond the Empire’s control. Slavery, murder, and drugs are all part and parcel of the planets on the outskirts of the periphery.
“AI, set course for Salcus.”
Inspector Haratar pauses. “The two smugglers aren’t dangerous, and they’re only facing five years imprisonment. I don’t imagine they’ll risk anything that could increase their sentence. I shouldn’t foresee any complications with this pickup. I’ll send over the brief.”
With this pickup.
Haratar said everything by saying nothing.
He is suspicious something might happen while we transport Allie to Colossus.
Too bad for him it already has happened.
The files Haratar transmitted arrive almost instantly. The two smugglers’ profiles appear on the three-dimensional display. I give them both a brief glance. Humans, both in their mid-thirties, both wanted for ‘soft crimes’ – in this case, trying to bring merchandise onto an Aurelian-protected world without paying the import tax. They’ll get a slap on the wrist – which, for the robust Aurelian courts, means five years imprisonment.
“Everything looks to code,” I close the holograms. “We’ll make the pick-up and bring the prisoners back to Colossus. Is there anything else, Inspector Haratar?”
I’m aching to get off this call. There’s something off about the Inspector. His eyes are a little too squinted. I’ve seen this expression on his face before – but only when something doesn’t add up during the testimony of a supposedly friendly witness.
But the Inspector isn’t giving anything away.
“Very good,” he says coolly. “Now, tell me – is your prisoner cooperating? Or has she caused any new problems?” There’s a pause, before Haratar dryly adds: “I’m glad I assigned your triad to the case, Daccia. Something in my gut is telling me she won’t be a simple transport assignment.”
A thin line of sweat burns at my eyes.
My eyes. Those glittering, gleaming, diamond eyes. My traitorous eyes.
My heart pounds. Inspector Haratar is already getting suspicious. The clock has started ticking for just how long we can hide what we’ve done.
“It’s been pretty standard since our initial problems,” I lie. “We’ll send over a full report once we collect the new prisoners on Salcus.”
Haratar smiles, and my anxiety lowers. Suddenly, he seems back to normal. I’m confident he still trusts us. He even gave me praise earlier – something that would have once filled me with pride.
Now I feel shame. Inspector Haratar is like a father to me – or as close as one as you can get, in an all-male society that normally breeds through the cryo-chamber cloning process.
Yes – like a father to me. For that reason, he doesn’t expect me to be the one to drive a knife through his guts. It’ll be his own trusted men who’ll tarnish the honor and reputation of Aurelian Law Enforcement.
To add insult to injury, Haratar adds: “Very good. Bring this one home and I can guarantee your promotion.”
He cuts the feed with his characteristic abruptness, and I clench my jaw.
There was once a time in which the promise of a promotion would have been ever
ything I’d wanted. Now, I know I’ll never be allowed to wear the uniform of Law Enforcement again – and we’ll all be arrested if they discover what we’ve done.
But I don’t have the luxury of fear. As the leader of my triad, I can’t let doubt sink into my mind.
I turn to Kitos and Hadrian.
“This changes nothing,” I promise. “We’ll go to Salcus. We’ll find a way to avoid detection while our Reaver is repaired. Then we’ll get the fuck out of here. We’ll go far, far away from the Aurelian Empire – somewhere they’ll never follow us.”
Hadrian and Kitos look up doubtfully. On Old-Earth they had an expression about “the long arm of the law.”
Well, Aurelian Law Enforcement has a very long arm.
I don’t have answers for them right now. I nod towards the hallway, instead.
“I’m going to speak with Allie. She needs to know what the Bond means.”
She needs to know – because now, everything depends on her.
14
Allie
I sit on the huge bed, where a short while ago Hadrian and Kitos roughly mated with me.
It’s enormous – built for the frame of a seven-feet-tall Aurelian warrior – and it swallows me up.
Talking of which – there are now three foreign presences swallowing me up; inside my fucking mind…
…and yet I’ve never felt so alone.
My mind churns as I try to make sense of what just happened.
It all seemed so simple at the time – my plan, I mean.
Step one - seduce the Aurelians. Make them disgrace themselves and force them to set me free. By the laws of their own Empire, they’d have violated such a basic prisoner right that I could no longer be held accountable for even my own former crimes.
It was a foolproof scheme. I’d spent years studying the nuances of Aurelian law just in case this exact situation arose...
This exact situation. Fuck! I never saw this situation coming.
In trying to be free of them, I instead linked myself irrevocably to those three Aurelians.
I reach inside my thoughts and feel the Bond. In my mind. It’s quieter now – but the presence of those three Aurelians still remains there.
