Defender of the Stars

by Lucee Joie

“I’m sorry,” he says and I am forced to look at him, to stare deep into his eyes.

  Which makes me believe that he isn’t just apologizing for this moment in time, that he might also be admitting his guilt for past transgressions.

  I can only hope.

  “Hello?”

  Ece turns. As he does so, he presses a small device into my hand. Discreetly, I slip it into the front pocket of my jeans. The laser is not deadly but it will give me the chance to run if it turns out that the Brux already knows about Ece’s mutiny.

  This remote location was chosen so that we could get a feel for what the Brux already knew—or what they didn’t. If it turns out that Ece’s father has decided to go public with his son’s escape, with his obvious mutiny against the Galactic Union, we stood half a chance of killing any Brux we should come across and hiding their bodies before anyone else found out. On the chance that their bodies were ever discovered, we would be long gone, already aboard our small reconnaissance vessel and on our way back to the main ship.

  We hoped this planet, and the people on it, were none the wiser to our rebellion, though. Being such a small planet, insignificant to the Union, really, to have them know about the defection would mean that everyone knew.

  Well, everyone except Earth, most likely. Since the Union liked to keep humans entirely in the dark about everything. Although to be fair, our own government also had a pretty good say in the matter as well. They couldn’t have their people knowing that aliens existed, that they were abducting their women for nefarious reasons.

  The general public also couldn’t find out that occasionally the government did trade with them.

  Like, that one time, all those people decided to storm Area 51, to prove the existence of aliens and how one woman survived but knew too much and had to be given to the Union. Ece had told me the story a long time ago, in a tender moment. Or, so I had thought.

  While the woman had escaped, Ece was quick to point out that the woman was now in exile, never allowed back on Earth and a fugitive across the galaxy. That is what happened if women rebelled against the Union—and their own kind. It was a beautiful, horrible, devastating cautionary tale that I had held on to for many different reasons over the years.

  “Hello,” Ece said, cheerfully. “What a wonderful day for a walk.”

  “On vacation?” the Brux asked.

  “Yes,” Ece replied, pulling me in closer. “My breeder just found out that she is pregnant.”

  I wanted to punch Ece for rubbing that in my face. After all our time together, I never fell pregnant once. It was also the reason he dumped me. Breeders were only any good if they actually produced offspring and I couldn’t even seem to do that.

  I smile at the Brux, trying to ignore Ece’s words but fearing that my grin is tight, that this will somehow reveal our secret. I am nervous enough about how this conversation could go; I needn’t add another reason for the Brux to dally if they don’t know about the rebellion on the Leonida yet

  The Brux stares at me. His eyes, with their strange double pupils, are probing me. I break contact first, looking down to try to cover my shame.

  “Are you okay, miss?” he asks.

  I nod, still not able to look up.

  “She has been unwell, morning sickness, I think they call it on their planet,” Ece interjects. “I thought your heat pools would be just the thing for her. Are we close?”

  “Not far,” the Brux replies but I swear I can still feel his gaze on me. “You are following the wrong track, though. Once you reach the river, you need to cross over and double back. There is signage from the other side of the river to help you.”

  “Thank you,” Ece replies and starts to move off.

  The Brux reaches out, takes my arm, causing me to stand still.

  “Are you sure you’re okay?” he queries once more.

  I close my eyes for a brief moment, taking in a steady gulp of air and square my shoulders. Looking up, I open my eyes, trying harder to smile genuinely this time, and grin from ear to ear.

  “Of course, I am.”

  Chapter Four: Ece

  “I thought they were going to question you further,” I say once the Brux has moved on. We are approaching the river now and this is the first time that I have dared to speak since leaving the group behind.

  Shirley responds by punching me in the arm and storming off, her chains jangling loudly.

  I knew I shouldn’t have mentioned her being pregnant. It was the first thing that came to my mind and I blurted it out too quickly before I really had a chance to think about it, to stop myself.

  Of course, she would be angry at me. I totally get it. I wish I could take back the words, that I could have said something else. But the words are out there now and it is a game we will likely have to play should we bump into any more Brux.

  “I’m sorry,” I say quietly. It is something that I have said a lot lately, especially to Shirley.

  It makes me realize just how much of a jerk I have been. I may be important; I may have been raised in luxury. But I should have known better. I saw how miserable my father’s human pet was all this time. I could see my stepmother’s anger writhing away under the surface. I didn’t want Shirley to end up like that, a hot mess of anger and regret. “Seriously, I wasn’t thinking.”

  Shirley continues to ignore me, striding off ahead and down the path that will take us to the heat pools for which this planet is famous for. I have no choice but to follow her. I can hear the hum of people well before we close in on our destination.

  Besides my own planet, I really haven’t seen much of the galaxy. Considering how seriously my father took the breeding program, he mostly kept me on board the Union’s main ship. To have the first recently born female of our kind also be of our blood was his ultimate plan.

  However, I could get used to Bruxland. Its cooler climate reminded me of space, of the place that I was actually most comfortable with. But, the vegetation, the feel of wind across my fur, that was something you would never get on my own planet, a dry, harsh place filled with nothing but red sand.

  No, this place was an oasis compared to the other places I knew.

  “We’re here,” Shirley says. Her voice is bland and I know that she is still angry at me, that she will probably always be angry at me now.

  The heat of the pools hits us as soon as we leave the canopy of trees. There are people everywhere. Mostly, there are Brux but mixed in is a variety of races, many of which are seated in the pools of hot water. The Brux, even on their own planet, seem designed only for servitude.

  “Welcome,” a female says as we approach. She smiles warmly at Shirley. When she turns to me, the smile is still there but her eyes become black voids. Even here, her kind doesn’t like my species.

  I reach into my pocket and pull out my Galactic Union card. I have almost handed it over before I realize my mistake. The easiest way in the universe to be traced is to use my card.

  “Actually, let me pay in cash today,” I say, grinning at the woman. She shrugs at me and I make sure to count out more than required, hoping that a tip will soften her disregard for me.

  It doesn’t.

  “Enjoy your stay,” she says before moving off to check on another guest.

  I wrap my arm around Shirley’s waist, trying to ignore the fact that she shies away from me, that her chains hinder a truly affectionate embrace. Regardless of what she thinks of me, we need to look the part. She needs to pretend that she likes me.

  Me, well, it’s not really pretending.

  Her skin is warm beneath my fingers and it brings back memories. Most of them are bad ones, of our time together, of the time when I thought humans were beneath me, a breeding option only. Yet, there was that one night, that moment in time when we connected on a much more personal level.

  If only I hadn’t been such a dick after that. If only I had admitted to her that I had feelings for her—real feelings. Instead, I shied away from what I really felt, scared that my fa
ther would belittle me, or look down on me for loving a human, even though he had his own pet. No, I had pushed her away, telling my father that she couldn’t conceive and that I needed another human in her place.

  It was me who had ruined it all.

  No wonder Shirley hated me.

  Steam rises from the pool as we approach. I slip off my shoes and Shirley does the same. Reaching over, I release her from her chains before stripping off my clothes. I notice that Shirley is hesitant.

  Humans are funny like that. Nudity seems to shame them.

  “Leave your underwear on if it worries you,” I whisper into her ear. Her scent overwhelms me and I want to lean in closer, to lick her neck, to find out if she still tastes the same on my tongue.

  I feel her body tense up and step back, giving her some space. Continuing to take off my own clothes, stepping into the hot water, I avoid eye contact with Shirley but hope all the same that she is watching my naked form.

  Looking out across the sea of bodies, all within their own pools, I wait for the splash of water before looking back, giving Shirley the privacy that she needs. I am surprised to see bare shoulders.

  She is naked.

  My body reacts immediately.

  She smiles as she sinks into the water and, for the first time ever, I think I see the real Shirley, the human as she would have been back on Earth, back before my kind abducted her and screwed it all up.

  “Do you have heat pools back home?” I ask.

  She has closed her eyes and leans back against the edge. Her nipples are just poking up out of the water and I sit on my hands rather than risk further ire from her.

  “Yes,” she replies, not even opening her eyes. “They are far away from where I lived but I did get to visit them once. If I close my eyes, this feels exactly like home.”

  She is silent then, her body stiff in the water, her shoulders drawing up and I fear she is going to cry again.

  “I am sorry for what happened to you,” I say. “My race has not been kind to yours. I wish it had been different. I wish you had the option of going home.”

  Even though we were fugitives, I would never risk any of the women on board our ship by allowing them to return home. It would be nothing but a death trap for them—or worse.

  A single tear escapes and runs down Shirley’s cheek. Without even thinking, I reach out and wipe it away.

  “Refreshments?”

  Another Brux is standing in front of us, her tight curls colored a strange shade of pink. It clashes with her skin.

  “I would love a drink,” Shirley says, reaching up and taking what is on offer. After a long sip, she actually groans. “Is this a pina colada?”

  The woman nods. “Our climate is warmer to the North so we can grow many of your fruits and vegetables.”

  “Well, I don’t care how much this costs you Ece, but you need to keep these coming.”

  I smile at her, really smile at her, and she actually responds for a moment. But then she remembers that she is mad at me, and her face drops. I reach over to my pants next to the pool and pull out a wad of money.

  “We’ll have a room too,” I say.

  The Brux smiles at me and takes the money. She rustles around in the apron tied at her waist before coming up with a key.

  “For your room,” she says as she leaves.

  Shirley continues to sip at her drink and I watch her discreetly. She has sunk further into the water and her breasts are no longer exposed. As she moves, her foot brushes against mine. She freezes for a moment but doesn’t move it away from me.

  I also relax further into the water as the heat takes effect. I have never experienced anything like it and the addition of a room was mostly so that I could continue to experience the warm bliss of the water. Heading to the city can wait a day.

  As I sink further down, my thigh slides against her, my wet fur snagging a little against the smoothness of her supple skin.

  Looking up, I catch her gaze. She is staring at me and I can’t work out what she is thinking. There is no anger there, at least. That is an emotion I know well on her face.

  Her green eyes are searching and I want to ask what she is thinking but I hesitate.

  She finishes her drink and clicks her fingers to catch the attention of a Brux passing by as she sets her empty glass down on the edge of the pool.

  “Another one, please,” she says before turning back to me.

  The wall of the pool is slippery with algae and mineral deposits and she slips. A splash of water erupts as she ducks under the water, her body crashing into mine, her legs wrapping around me and I feel the heat of her core as it clashes with my stomach.

  Reaching out to help her, one hand finds her deliciously soft breast, the other her waist. I quickly remove one hand and secure both at her waist, pulling her up from the water.

  She sputters as she breaks the surface, then laughs. “Thank you.”

  Her brunette hair looks black now and plasters her body. Long strands are also caught in my fur, creating a curtain of hair between us. She reaches up and pulls the long strands free, her hand bumping against my own as I have the same idea.

  I clasp her fingers, not wanting to let her go, wanting to bare my very soul to her. Her eyes flash as our gaze meets. Her hand is warm in mine and I bring it to my lips, unable to resist the attraction that I have for her.

  “Your drink, ma’am,” a server says, breaking the moment and Shirley finally pulls free.

  I have tasted her skin briefly, my tongue flickering out and sampling her. It will have to be enough for now.

  Chapter Five: Shirley

  The room is strange, made in what seems to be freeform cob. It is quaint, in its own way, I guess.

  “It smells like wet cat in here,” I say with a laugh as I drop to the bed. It has been so long since I have had alcohol that it has only taken me two drinks to get a buzz happening and now everything is funny. Still, I continue to drink.

  I look towards Ece and he is watching me quizzically. Putting up one arm, he sniffs at it tentatively. “Are you implying I stink, or is the smell of cats a good thing? Because this is the way I always smell.”

  “You most certainly do not always smell like that!” I exclaim. “Cats are a good thing, wet cats, not so much.”

  Looking towards the ceiling, I watch the sky as it darkens through the glass. It would be fun to watch the night sky in this manner. It also reminds me of my captivity. I have spent way too long staring at the stars and hoping to be free. Although, the potential of watching the sky lighten in the morning fills me with joy. Sunrises and sunsets were something never seen from space.

  Ece lies down on the bed next to me, also watching the sky darken. His odor intensifies. I wrinkle my nose and scowl at him. Scooting over, I keep my distance. Both are learned responses, automatic things that I no longer think about. To be mad at Ece is in my makeup now. I do not even need to think about it, my irritation towards him is just always present.

  Yet, I could still smell the heady aroma of him underneath the wet stink. It reminded me of that one time, the only time when we had both let our defenses down.

  Even with the giddy buzz of alcohol, I still didn’t want to allow that to happen again. After all, it was just opening myself up for more rejection.

  “Is this the way it looks from your planet?” Ece asks, nodding towards the sky.

  “It is,” I reply, watching the blue of daytime bleed out into the purple of dusk. “What about on your planet?”

  “It is similar,” Ece replies. “Not as magnificent as this, though. It just kind of gets dark all of a sudden. There are not as many colors as this.”

  It is my turn to nod and we are quiet for a while. “The Brux today seemed oblivious to you. Do you think they know about your rebellion from the Galactic Union and were playing dumb? Could they possibly call in the authorities?”

  I start to freak myself out. We haven’t really thought this through. What if our cabin was being surrounded no
w and that we were trapped?

  “I’m not sure,” Ece replies, turning away from the darkening sky briefly to look at me. I refuse to engage. Instead, I keep my eyes focused firmly skyward and try to slow my breathing. It is a near-impossible task. Eventually, though, Ece turns back to the window above us and I try to contain my sigh of relief. “This section of Bruxland is fairly remote. Even if this planet does know about our defection, it is possible news hasn’t traveled this far. I don’t think we need to worry so much about a possible trap. The Brux are not that smart. If they knew about what happened on the Leonida, they would not have been able to hide it. However, I think that tomorrow we should venture into the closest town, it’s probably not good to stay in one place too long.”

  I’m not sure I want to leave yet. However, this is a rushed mission. We need to find out if it is safe for all of us to land. I peer at the sky, wondering where our ship is, wondering if they are looking down on us and trying to work out exactly where we were.

  Even still, I found I couldn’t wholly concentrate. Instead, all I could think about was Ece, of how we were alone in this room and that I had had way too much to drink already, even as I reached out to take another sip of the pina colada I had brought back to the room with me.

  No, I didn’t have time to be thinking about Ece, about that jolt of his touch in the heat pool as he brushed against my nipple. I could have kissed him at the moment it happened, the power of his touch was so engaging.

  Blushing, I still couldn’t believe that I had chosen to take off all my clothes. I know the Ochek do not care so much about nudity. However, I did—especially in front of him. Yet, at that moment, when Ece had actually appeared to be concerned about my embarrassment, I had rebelled out against him. His words made me want to do the exact opposite as if I had something to prove to him.

  Or, maybe I was just trying to show him exactly what he was missing out on.

  Yes, that was more like it.

  Getting out of the pool had been awkward, though. Even though I had been drinking, I knew that his eyes were on me, that he couldn’t stop staring at my body. It made me uncomfortable, but not in a bad way.