Tommy (continued)

Ah, shit. Here comes trouble.

Three kespan soldiers were walking down the sidewalk approaching them. The two in front wore confident smirks and walked with an exaggerated strut that made their hips and tails sway from side to side, while the third ambled along behind, flustered and blushing. He could tell they were off duty by the state of their uniforms. Normally, the cat aliens covered every inch of skin in their tight-fitting pneumatic bodysuits, but while the one in the back was in full uniform, the two lead kespans were almost bare-chested. While they still wore the power armour on their arms and legs as well as field projectors across their backs, they were clad in only enough fabric in front to cover their bosoms.

Except that wasn’t quite true, because as they got closer, he realized that beneath their larger upper row of breasts, two more rows of smaller pert nipples were bared shamelessly to the wind, glistening with alien sunscreen.

The one in front’s grin widened. Crap, they’d noticed him staring.

“See Dimni, I told you,” the lead Kespan said, cocking her head back at the flustered young soldier as she ran a rough tongue over sharp teeth and leered at the pair of men. “All these human males are the same. Suckers for bare bellies.”

“You like what you see human?” The second one purred, massaging one of her lower breasts, her eyes fixed on Tommy’s crotch as he shifted uncomfortably. “I bet you’d love to see us all swollen with milk, wouldn’t you? I don’t know that you’d be able to help us make that happen, but…” she flicked her eyes up to his reddening face. “We could always give it a shot.”

“Now, ladies.” Robert’s tone was even, but he only mostly hid a quiver of unease as he turned to face the trio. “Don’t tease the lad too much. He’s newly engaged and nervous ahead of his wedding day, he didn’t mean to stare. You’ll have to forgive us, but we’ve really got to—”

The lead alien tutted, still sidling up to Tommy as he edged away. “Oh, my boy, you can’t possibly think you’ll be able to satisfy a wife without any practice, do you? Why don’t you come and get some hands-on experience with us?”

The second alien grinned and nodded enthusiastically, while the third one’s ears were steadily turning more and more red, her face averted but eyes darting between the two men and the pavement. It was strange to recognize an expression of teenage anxiety on an alien’s face, but he was pretty sure that’s what it was.

“Um, girls? I don’t think they—” the third alien began, but she was quickly shushed by the ringleader, who took another couple of steps closer to Tommy, bringing her just within arm’s reach.

“So how about it handsome?” she purred, trying to close the distance again, prompting Tommy to take a half step back. Robert slid in between them. “No? What a shame,” her eyes moved to Robert, and she frowned at his stony face. “You as well? Here I thought at least one of you would be up for some fun. Oh well.” She smirked at Tommy. “Just a kiss from you then.”

“I… what?” Tommy managed.

“A kiss. I know you humans understand the mechanics,” she said, taking another step forward as Tommy backpedalled. Robert moved to try to get between them again, but as he did, the second Kespan grabbed his arm, her bodysuit hissing menacingly as it fed enough power into her limb to prevent the man’s hand from reaching down toward his emergency beacon. Tommy grabbed at his own belt, and his blood went cold. Nothing. His stomach dropped out from beneath him as his hand met empty space. He’d left it upstairs, unused, in the same box it had arrived in. “Now, now,” the advancing Kespan said, brushing past Robert as the older man’s face reddened with anger. “Let’s not blow this out of proportion. All I want is a kiss from this handsome young thing, and then we’ll be on our way.”

“All we want,” corrected the second grinning Kespan, still holding Robert by the arm. “Don’t go hogging all the pretty boys to yourself Mayla.”

“All we want then” the lead alien grinned. “A kiss for each of us. And one for Dimni too. That’s three little kisses, and we’ll be out of your hair.”

Tommy’s breaths were coming fast and shallow, his heart pounding in his chest. The back of his throat ached with the urge to say something, to do something, and the roar of his blood filled his ears, so loud that he couldn’t even hear himself as his lips formed the only word he could manage.

“No,” he mumbled and then flushed with anger and shame as the word came out muffled by the collar of his shirt and the kespan leaned in, that smug hungry grin getting closer.

“What was that pretty thing?” she asked, strutting closer, and he jumped back, adrenaline surging through his body as if by delayed reaction. “I could have sworn I heard a yes ple—"

“FUCK OFF YOU MURDERERS!” He couldn’t stop it. A full year of hurt and pain came spilling out of him like boiling water from a broken faucet, and he pulled back a fist. The punch flew true, arcing toward the grinning alien’s nose and he followed through with his hips in a textbook right hook.

In a gracefully fluid and seemingly effortless motion, she ducked it smoothly, her grin only widening.

“Tommy, NO!” Robert screamed, pulling at the second alien’s grip, which only tightened, dragging him down to his knees “Ahhh, you bitch!”

“Oh, you’ve done it now human,” the ringleader crowed, straightening up and grabbing at the front of Tommy’s shirt. “Assault on an Imperial soldier. First, we’re going to have to search you, thoroughly. Then, we’re going to have to take you back to command and—”

“HEY!” a sudden voice boomed across the street, female, with the tinniness of translated speech. “What the FUCK are you doing to that civilian?!”

The soldiers straightened up, looking around. The street had cleared of humans upon the arrival of the kespan soldiers, but on the opposite side of the road, a new face was striding angrily across the pavement. Another kespan, her body clad in an irregular kind of armour that Tommy didn’t recognize from any of the soldiers on the news. She was flanked by a small group of similarly garbed aliens, all kespans too. They didn’t walk with the regimented steps of the military aliens he’d seen, but instead with a fluid stalk, heads up and eyes casting about in every direction for hidden threats.

The soldiers’ loss of confidence was momentary. Once she’d seen who was approaching, the lead kespan growled back at the advancing woman. “Mind your own business merc,” she snarled. “This is a matter for the Imperial military to resolve.”

“Well if that’s the case, I’ll be submitting my own report to your superiors,” the newcomer replied, coming to a stop about five meters from the group, and Tommy took note of the gleaming metal strapped to her chest. Whatever the firearm was, it was larger by three or four times than the pistols on the hips of the soldiers, and as the rest of her posse formed up around her, Tommy spotted more weapons; rifles and even a bandolier of what looked like grenades strapped to the vest of the furthermost kespan, whose well-scarred wrinkled face was tinged with grey.

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

The newcomer crossed her arms before continuing. “I do after all have a pretty telling recording of your woman—” she nodded to the second soldier, who scowled, “laying hands on one of these gentlemen first. Now I didn’t catch everything that was said, but this baby…” she patted a small box on her shoulder rig, and the lead soldier’s eye twitched in irritation “…this baby can pick up directional audio from a good long way. I don’t want to waste any more of my crew’s time than I already have by getting involved here, but if you make me go back and dig through my recordings to retrieve that audio, I might just be upset enough to make sure it finds its way into the right hands. That said…” she raised an eyebrow, looking between Tommy and the alien who was still holding him by the collar, “I’d much rather we all just got on with our business like grown women. Let the human go.”

“He just tried to strike me,” the lead soldier replied, but her eyes were flickering between the newcomers— Tommy counted six of them— and their holstered weapons warily. “Who the hell are you anyway?”

“Captain Mirai Ke’Anut of the She-Steps-Silently,” the new alien, unblinking. “Private contractor.”

The soldier’s lips drew back into a sneer. “Fucking pirates, that figures. You’re interfering in a military investigation. This is your last warning, back off and make it fast. You smell like ch’k’niar, and I don’t want that stench anywhere near me.”

“And you smell like a randy virgin keshmit who’s about to make a very, very bad decision,” the captain’s voice lowered as several of her crew’s hands edged closer to their weapons. “I might be PMC, but I have Commander Val’atur on speed dial, and I very much doubt she wants to be disturbed by some randy grunt’s petty teenage bullshit. You’ve given me your final warning, so here’s mine. Leave the humans alone, or I will let your commander decide who was in the wrong here.”

The soldier swallowed, her eyes breaking contact with the newcomer, nerve clearly broken. “Tch,” she spat, then shoved Tommy away, sending him flying back almost a full meter to land on his butt. She wheeled about, gesturing to her two flunkies. “Come on, we’re leaving. They weren’t much fun anyway.”

The one with her hand still gripping Robert’s arm scoffed. “They can’t just—”

“I said we’re leaving,” the leader barged past her, and the grip around Robert’s arm loosened enough for him to squirm free. He rubbed gingerly at his bicep, glaring back at the soldiers as they retreated.

The third soldier, the quiet one in the back dropped her ears and glanced back at the humans as she turned to leave. An expression that might have been shame flickered across her face, and her lips worked themselves, trying to form words but failing. After a few seconds, she followed her compatriots.

“Well, that was invigorating,” the newcomer who’d introduced herself as a Captain remarked, shrugging off the tension that had built in her shoulders. “Nothing like a standoff against some Imperial soldiers to work up an appetite.” She turned to Robert, and nodded, her head falling low enough to almost be considered a bow. The smallest of her crewmates gasped but was silenced by a cuff to the head from the grizzled-looking veteran in the back. “I’m sorry for their behaviour. They are young, hot-headed, and probably fresh off the new fleet. They lack perspective,” she scowled as she straightened up. “Not that that’s an excuse mind you.”

Tommy rose from the ground, his brain was still trying to process the sudden turn of events, adrenaline coursing through his body as his legs started to shake uncontrollably. He’d heard about how dangerous some of the invaders were to be around, but he’d never felt so useless before, so helpless than in the grips of that alien woman’s power armour. Something stirred, hot and heavy in his gut. Shame again, this time with a bitter side plate of indignation. One day he’d find out how strong they were without their tech.

He struggled to get his quivering legs under control as his foster father stepped forward to greet the newcomers.

“You don’t need to apologise for them,” Robert scowled, still massaging feeling back into his arm. “Thank you for the help, Captain.” He rolled his shoulder one more time, then held out his hand to the alien, who raised an eyebrow.

“Oh, believe me, it was my pleasure,” she said. “I love handing primped-up keshmit their asses every now and then. Bonus points if they’re military.” The rest of her crew grinned alongside her as she looked down at the offered hand. “I am to shake it with my own, is that correct? I have never done this before.” She held out her own hand but did not immediately take Robert’s. “In my culture, it is poor form to touch a male without his express permission.”

“Could have fooled us,” Tommy mumbled, and Robert glanced at him out the corner of his eye before turning back to the Captain.

“That’s right,” The older man acknowledged, then took her clawed hand in his own. “Up and down like this.”

“Curious,” the Kespan remarked, then stepped back to a respectful distance. “What is the origin of this gesture?”

“A demonstration of peaceful intent,” Robert replied. “Offering the dominant hand to show that you are not holding a weapon.”

“I see,” the alien tilted her head in consideration. “That would not have been the case for our people in the distant past. Too easy to claw at the wrist. Thank you for entertaining my curiosity.”

“No worries at all.” Robert nodded. “Again, thank you for your help. I’m afraid that we really should get moving though. My wife will worry if we’re gone too long.”

“Of course,” the captain waved a hand, then paused as Robert turned away. “Ah, before you go—” the alien held up a finger, and Tommy froze on the spot, his blood running cold. The pink alien smiled sheepishly, gesturing to the rest of her crew behind her. “My girls and I are new to this region of your planet and are looking for some authentic local food. The fabricated stuff is fine, but it’s been a long time since we’ve had a freshly cooked meal. Can you recommend us a place?”

Robert blinked in astonishment, and in the brief second of pause, the youngest Kespan’s stomach chimed in with a cavernous growl. Her ears went back, and she scratched her head, her tongue sticking out in a manner that Tommy might have found cute if he weren’t so high-strung.

“I’m not sure what you can and can’t eat—” Robert began, but the captain motioned dismissively.

“We’re all up to date on our inoculations,” she said. “As long as it isn’t corrosive or radioactive it should be fine. We’ll scan everything just to be sure anyway.”

“Well in that case… I’m guessing that you don’t have an aversion to meat?” The Kespans ears all visibly pricked up, several tails flicking with excitement.

“We want to try as many different meats as possible actually,” the captain grinned. “I would have led with that, but I heard that many of your species don’t eat meat.”

“Vegetarians and vegans are a minority, but there are many, yes,” Robert said, rubbing his stubble as he mulled it over. “There’s a steakhouse just two blocks east of here called Joe Grills that we visit fairly often. They’ll even cook it blue for you if you prefer your meat on the rawer side.” More tails started twitching. “I’d tell you to try American barbeque but…” he trailed off. “I’m not sure how hospitable they’d be to you. No offense.”

“America is in the north, yes?” the captain asked grimly, and her face fell when Robert nodded. “I see. That is understandable. Maybe one day. In the meantime, we shall try this house of steaks. Thank you for the recommendation.”

“You’re welcome,” Robert said, moving off the sidewalk. “Come on Tommy, let’s go.”

Tommy didn’t need to be told twice. The shaking in his legs seemed to lessen as he walked the short distance to the car, but the second he collapsed into the passenger seat the real quivers began, his whole body jittering like a nervous chihuahua.

Robert sat in silence for a long moment, then turned the keys in the ignition. “I’m not going to say that what you did there was wrong,” he said calmly as the station wagon pulled out into traffic.

Tommy’s entire body sank into the bucket seat. “Sorry,” he murmured. “I forgot my beacon. You even reminded me, and I still forgot.”

“And that’s a mistake you only need to make once,” Robert’s tone was even and measured. “I’m not worried about that happening again. It’s everything else I’m concerned about.” He glanced across at Tommy, then looked back at the road. “They were being cunts, and you were well within your rights to say that to them, but you can’t forget that they can afford to be that way. You could have gotten yourself hur—”

“Raped.” Tommy cut in, and the word was hollow as it left his mouth. “I could have gotten myself raped. Like Joe from school.”

The conversation went quiet. For a minute, the road noise was the only sound intruding into the cabin before Robert sighed deeply. “Not your fault,” he said at last. “Not really. But please be more careful. I spent my first nineteen years as a dad worried about Bridget getting herself into that kind of trouble. Now it's both of you I’ve got to worry about, and I don’t know how to have that discussion with another bloke.”

Tommy sat for a few seconds, wishing that the moulded seat would swallow him up. “I get it now,” he said eventually. “I know I said I understood earlier, but I didn’t. Those fucking suits man. I couldn’t do shit.” Great, now there were tears. He brushed them away. “Let’s just go home.”

The rest of the car ride was silent.