Warmth. Radiating, intoxicating warmth. Hera’s soul basked in her unfathomably comfortable reality. She lingered in that purgatory known to all who have clinged to a dream even as their conscious mind slowly opened the curtains of awareness. Hera truly did not want to move, and she lavished herself in that indulgence of sedentary limbo.
She finally moved, not to rise, but to bury herself deeper into the pocket of heaven she found herself enveloped in. Her arms stretched out, wrapping around and pulling tightly to her bosom the warm glow of intoxicating comfort.
“Well good morning to you too.” a soft low rumble reverberated in her chest, and the warm piece of heaven wrapped itself around her.
Hera’s conscious mind flared to the surface as memory flashed like a slips-pace jump, bringing with it the details of the previous evening. She thought about pulling away in shock, but she couldn’t bear the thought of separating herself from heaven itself. Her eyes fluttered open to reveal that she was indeed where she thought she was, pressed up against the side of her Jacob without a shred of fabric between them, save his shorts, covered in naught but a sheet that had ridden down over the night, and now lay clumped about their waist. “Morning” she mumbled, still deciding what to do as she looked up at him from her position.
Jacob was looking down at her with a soft smile, she felt his fingertips begin tracing soothing shapes into her skin up and down her back, and through her mane. “I didn’t want to wake you. You looked happy.”
Hera realized that she, even in a position this compromising, was still supremely happy as she let out an unconscious little purr as he continued his finger doodling. “I am.” She admitted after a long moment. The two of them didn’t move from each other, relishing the long moment until Hera felt a slight fizzing sensation in the back of her mind. She felt a pang of surprise as the sensation electrified her senses. She had never felt it before, but every Delmar woman knew instinctively what that fizz was. Hera realized that she had made her decision. A wave of possessiveness and need boiled through her veins as her body prepared itself. She would take this man for her own. He was going to be hers, and that thought ripped a low mating growl from her chest as she raised up slightly to bear her fangs at him. His expression changed instantly at that sound as he recognized her hunger. His arms released her as she slid her body up his side, and his breath quickened when she shifted to slide her chest across his pecks until her face was millimeters from …
There was a knock at the door, and Hera froze just as her mother’s voice floated into the room. “Breakfast is ready soon.”
Hera couldn’t breathe, ‘This is what Frie and Lyrian had meant when they described it as more important than air’ She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Her eyes pleaded with Jacob to do something.
“Thanks Mrs. O, we will be down in a minute” Jacob called out, never taking his eyes off of Hera. The two of them heard a faint, “ok” as footsteps resumed once more and grew fainter
Hera didn’t care that Jake could see and touch her anywhere he chose, not anymore. “Jake?” She finally got out as her body came down from its heightened instincts. “I need… I need to talk to my parents…I want them.. I want them to approve.” she whispered. Her whole body was shaking now, coming down from the hormone dump that involved getting this close to claiming a male without following through. She couldn’t hold herself up any longer, and she heaved for air as she collapsed onto his chest, shaking violently.
“Shhh…” he coo’d, pulling the sheets over the both of them and coiling his warm arms around her, pressing her body to his as she clung to him. Slowly, his warmth and his soothing tone settled her being. “You don’t have to claim me now. know that I belong to you. And I will belong to you after we win over your parents.” She looked up at him finally and he bore his teeth at her, “and if they don’t approve,” he growled, “I will claim you, myself. By MY old ways” he rumbled.
Hera almost dared him to do it, but she had promised her parents that they would be involved after their absence with Frie’s claiming. She groaned and slid off of Jacob’s chest as he headed for the shower. He showered quickly and they swapped as he dressed while she showered. She found one of her favorite outfits hanging in the bathroom when she shut the shower off, having never heard Jacob enter or leave.
The two appeared at the breakfast table a few minutes later.
——————————————
The armored shuttle flashed out of slip space within 10,000 kilometers of USN Phobus. It had been a somber, and terrifying trip for the captives as the huddled as far away from the armored beings as possible. Growrmun had stayed with them, not in fear, but in comfort. He answered what he could, and attempted, with Silu’s aid, to calm shaky nerves and frightened stares. The Marines stayed outwardly silent, chatting among themselves on their internal coms so as to not terrify the freed captives further. The shuttle lacked the facilities to remove their armor, so the Marines were still stuck inside them for the next few minutes.
There were no windows in the vessels crew compartment, even the pilots were behind solid ablative armor and flew with sensors and alpha sync alone. A light bump signified their arrival as the hum of power slowly faded as the aircrew performed their shutdown checks. A few of the captives jumped as the ramp lowered and a pristine light shown into the shuttle from outside.
R’Ben shivered in the strange blanket that had been draped over him. He was not cold, he was terrified. He knew the truth. The galaxy had not seen them in generations, but he recognized the blade strapped to the faceless suit of armor. A blade that marked its wearer as the return of a species that nearly wiped out his people. He wished that he was still in the slave pens on that dreadful station. His skin flickered through the colors given to it through biology as he watched the ramp lower. He knew his fate, his was a weak species; he would be culled. The blinding light flared into view as he exited to his doom.
“Name, and species?” R’Ben blinked, his mind wrenching to a stop as a Delmar female, in a strange yet undeniably military uniform smiled down at him.
“Wa.. what?” He stammered as his mind spun its wheels.
“You are Siraf, right? You are a long way from home. What’s your name.” The gentle voice asked a second time.
“R.. R’Ben just R’Ben” he stammered. The Lycan that had been part of the team that took him walked past, catching his eye. The large for his species male walked up to the massive armored killer just as a series of arms descended from the small hanger’s ceiling and began disconnecting large portions of the armor to reveal the last being he ever expected to see. The Human that stepped out of the armor was still wearing a sub layer of a void suit of some sort, but was no longer encased for war. He smiled at the Lycan that had “saved” them and shook his paw once before departing deeper into the ship.
“Human?!?” R’Ben gasped as he spun and looked at the walking uniforms more closely. More Human faces, mixed with almost as many Delmar faces walked by as he openly gawked.
“Well of course. This is a Legion Warship after all.” The Delmar woman in a Human uniform smiled warmly at him.
“But… I saw the tapes… they are violent…. We aren’t safe…” R’Ben gawked just as one of the human officers walked up.
“Any issues, midshipman?” He said to the Delmar woman.
“No, Sir. He’s just a long way from home.” She said with a smile.
“Hmm” the man glanced through his pad for a moment, “Siraf, I don’t think we have encountered them just yet.”
“You wouldn’t have, their home world is on the other side of the Unity from us-up arm. They don’t usually stray far from their home world. Amphibion development, I pulled his requirements from the mainframe” the midshipman responded.
“Good, give him a solo room. It looks like he needs heightened humidity. I’ll send these to Doc and chef for their needs respectively,” he spoke with a gentle firmness of command before turning to R’Ben with a genuine, cordial smile, “welcome aboard.” The Human officer stated.
The Delmar snapped off a salute that was returned before turning back to R’Ben, “Let’s get you checked out. A lot has happened since you were taken.” she said gently.
If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.
R’Ben was too shocked to do anything but follow.
————————————
Cory stood against one of the canopy trees as he gazed out over the sands covered shoreline. The wood for the bonfires of the winter celebrations was just beginning to be constructed, but he was having a hard time feeling the season… this would be the first holiday season he would spend at home as an adult, and it was not by his choice. Ma and Pa had refused to leave his side in the hospital, but the truth was, he needed space.
His shoulder was healing, slowly. The nanites were slaving away as he stood there knitting his shoulder blade back together, but the shot had vaporized a sizable chunk of his bone and that took time, and resources to heal. It was one of the reasons he was on a protein and calcium-rich 4 meal a day diet, to feed the nanites what they needed to mend him. For the next week however, his arm was in a special sling designed to keep everything aligned and monitor the progress.
He took another bite from his “sandwich”. The mobile human food was another thing he was getting used to. Humanity’s craving for exotic Delmar dishes was equaled by Delmar’s fanatical adoption of Human culinary ideas as well. In any restaurant, his sandwich would have cost a supreme premium, being from not cloned, but real meat from the largest herbivore to roam Delmar. Early records of their people had long considered Gruvarette too dangerous to hunt, but their meat was considered a delicacy and was scavenged from a freshly dead animal throughout Delmar history. His brother in law, however, was not Delmar. He had quietly taken to the woods each year to actively hunt what he had dubbed “Delmar Elk”, bringing home one of the older Bulls home each year. An entire beast, unspoiled by rot or predation was an enormous amount of food, and Mac had always spread the meat out among family and friends. Cory’s father had given him a cut the Bull Mac had taken just before he departed for Sol. It was a cut of carefully smoked and cured shoulder that Icario had sliced thin and put in stasis. It made a sinfully glorious “sandwich” and Cory had made them a delicious addition to his current rotation of meals.
He popped the last bit of his meal into his mouth and chewed appreciatively as he watched the waves, resting his hand in the pocket of his trousers. His forearm came to rest on a bump at his hip, and he grimaced at another change he noticed with himself. The bump was a Delmar copy of a Human Gauss pistol, and it rode in a holster just under his flowing summer shirt. His ridicule of human kinetic weapons had been thoroughly erased by the defense of Celest, and his new weapon was breaking in his own personal awkwardness with being armed. He had been taught how to use one while on Celest as part of cross-training that all crew authorized to arm themselves had to take, and he had bought the same make and model as the ship's weapons, in case Celest ever returned to service.
Celestial Traveler was, well, she was destroyed. If she had been any other ship than one of the storied original three, purchased by a burgeoning young clan Helyon, she would have been scrapped. Cory feared that she might still be beyond repair. She had given herself protecting her crew, and the price had been high. Her keel was fractured in multiple places, and her pressure vessel seams had more ruptures than intact portions. She would not sail again for a long time, if ever. Cory had been offered the Captaincy of a replacement ship if Celest had to be scrapped. Cory had fought back tears when he read the recommendation letter his captain had written the morning before the attack. She was planning on retiring in 5 or so seasons, after she finished mentoring Cory as her replacement. That letter was now public record, but the original still rode in his pocket. His good hand fingered the edges of the folder, thinking on the woman who had been almost an aunt, and who had taught him everything he knew about out traversing the Void. His thoughts were still distant when he felt a touch on his arm.
“Are you ok Lieutenant?” Cory turned to the voice and was met by a cascade of long dark hair, framing gemstone green eyes, lightly make-up kissed cheeks, and punctuated with lightly glossed full lips. Those features were currently creased with question and concern as they did a quick, yet professionally thorough glance over of Cory’s person.
“Doctor Young? I’m sorry, I didn’t recognize you at first” Cory was taken aback as the tightly pulled back hair, professional frown, and scrubs were nowhere to be found; replaced by a waterfall of curls, a warm smile, and a Delmar style Poncho with flowing white pants.
“Jackeline, or Jacky outside of work. You seemed pained, is there something wrong with the sling?” She started, “I can check it quickly if you like.”
Cory gave her a sad smile, “I’m in no physical pain, thank you Jacky. And It’s just Cory. I hold no berth to be called an officer, at the moment.”
“I.. hadn’t heard… I know we took Celest under tow, but I had not been told how badly she was damaged.” Jacky smiled gently.
“She most likely will not sail again. They will try. she is a one of the original three, but I don’t think she can be repaired.” Cory finally put to words what he truly feared true.
“I’m sorry,” Jacky said somberly before shaking herself, and suddenly changing the subject, “This is my first shore leave on your home-world, and I have no idea where I’m going or what’s good to see. I could use a guide; I pay in ice cream and alcohol. Know any good hires?”
Her little pitch triggered something in Cory, and a chuckle forced its way out that turned into a laugh, “I suspect I could scrounge one up,” he looped his good arms elbow out to her, “I think I know just the starting place”
Her arm was looped in his in a flash and they started off down into the sand toward the shoreline. Several steps later he turned toward her, “What’s ice cream.”
Cory discovered The mighty doctor Jackeline Young snorted when she laughed.
—————————————
R’Ben sat in his room. Soaking in the moisture through is skin. They had even found moss to serve as bedding instead of sheets that got all too sticky with his kind.
Siraf were an amphibian species that had just achieved space flight toward the end of the formal hostilities of the Corth/Vorath conflict. He was average for his species at 1.2 meters tall, and while he could stand on his two largest hind legs in tight vertical spaces, his species were naturally quadrupedal with two arms near the top of their torso. To a human, he would have looked like a four foot tall poison dart frog with 4 total jumping legs, two thin arm like legs and hands that worked as manipulators, and color-changing capabilities closer to a cuddle fish.
R’Ben had been passed around from slave trader to slave trader as a kind of walking/ hopping attraction. Because his species rarely ventured far from their home system, his kind tended to become a sort of exotic slave pet that could do dishes. Eventually his kind’s porous skin would pick something up that would kill them, and the Doctor on this vessel had in fact removed two such viruses and purged his body of a built-up of surfactants from his long years as a servant. He had not breathed this easy in over a decade, and he fully opened his pores for the first time in recent memory. He soaked in the moisture for an hour before he felt fully rejuvenated, and he settled into his moss for a long sleep. He was just beginning to doze off when his stomach made it known that there were higher priorities than slumber. R’Ben groaned as he once again closed his skin’s pores and prepared to brave the Human vessel once more.
It took him all of 2minutes to find the mess hall. He followed the smell of food as his stomach urged him on. He was about to get in line when he saw a man in a funny white hat wave him over to the side.
“You are the Siraf I was told about!” The jovial Human shouted as he waved him over. “I was told you might be stopping by and to grab ya before you killed yourself on the chow line.”
“I’m quite capable of keeping myself alive thank you.” R’Ben bit back, more than a little incensed.
“I don’t mean to offend… but it is Taco Tuesday. There is ALOT of Capsicum in that line up there.. your people absorb stuff through your skin, right?”
R’Ben flashed through all of the colors of shock and horror before finally stuttering, “Why are chemical riot control weapons in the kitchen!” He croaked out.
“For flavor, of course!” The chef laughed. “We Humans consume Capsicum as a sort of seasoning on some foods. It’s little more than an ingredient in hot sauce to most of us. It’s why I pulled you aside. I had a plate that meets your diet put aside and sealed. I wouldn’t want to kill off a first contact.” He finished.
“First contact? But you are already very close, it seems, with Delmar. “ R’Ben responded.
“Well, yea. But we have barely met everyone outside of their homeworld’s sector, unless there are another 4 foot tall giant frog species running around..” the chef chuckled.
“I beg your pardon!” R’Ben flared up, truly angry.
“Easy bud. You just look a hell of a lot like a species of amphibian back home” the Chef said more seriously, “here look.” He showed R’Ben a picture of a small frog on someone’s hand. “It’s a little wild for some of us who grew up with those critters to meet one the size of a… well.. you. Imagine meeting one of us, only we were size of a Saurian.”
“You would look like a giant tailless monkey” R’Ben got out between croaking laughs, accompanied by a belly laugh from the chef, “Ok, I get your point, now about that food.”
“Right here. Bon Apatite, just stay away from anything red and you should be fine at the tables.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.” R’Ben nodded gratefully for the plate and headed off to find an empty place. It was the dinner rush, but he found a place in a booth near the back that had no containers of red murder on the table and began to eat.
He was halfway through a plate of wildly alien, yet completely satisfying food when the doors opened and the giant Human from the armor walked in. R’Ben stopped eating, watching the man intently as he went through the normal line and started searching for a seat. R’Ben froze as he realized that his booth was one of the only seats available, and the human, still wearing the Vorath dagger, was headed his way.
“Ya got room for one more” Alex Collins asked with a smile, “’place is packed!” He joked.
“I uh..” R’Ben faltered.
“We pulled you out of the station today. It’s ok, I’de wanna be alone too. I can find another spot.”
“No.. Uh.. I must get used to being in strange places. Come, it is fine. Just keep the red stuff away from me. Capsicum is… dangerous to my people.”
“You got it, I’m Alex Collins.” The big man set the bottles of sauce he was toting on another table and sat down with his plate, “I don’t think I got yours.”
“R’Ben, just R’Ben. My people do not have sir names as you would know them.” R’Ben explained.
“Well, nice to meet you R’Ben. I’de shake your hand, but I was carrying’ hot sauce. Prolly ought’a play it safe.” Alex said between bites of a gloriously over filled crunchy taco. “How are you settling in.”
“My room is quite adequate. It’s been a while since I could relax my skin. Your doctor did his homework, they got it right with the moisture levels.” R’Ben began eating again. Alex was a confusing one, undeniably dangerous, yet actively trying to put R’Ben at ease. He respected the attempt and forced himself to relax and continue with his meal. “Where did they find the moss?”
“They probably printed it. We have a couple of micro fabs on board. Did they get it right?” Alex offered.
“If it’s fake, I was fooled.” R’Ben admitted, “I might get the first good sleep in a decade,” he said mournfully.
Alex nodded, not wanting to press. He inhaled his last taco and decided to give the amphibious survivor his space, “have a good one. Thanks for the seat.” He stood to leave but was stopped by a moist hand on his arm.
“Sit. I need… I need answers… to that..” R’Ben’s skin flashed a few different colors that Alex didn’t understand, but the man’s voice was cut with severity as he nodded to the dagger on Alex’ hip.
“You know what it is.” Alex said quietly, sitting back down.
“A Vorath dagger… I need to know, why you carry it with pride…. That’s an officers model… One that was most likely passed down for generations” R’Ben stated seriously.
“That’s news to me, how do you know so much about the Vorath..” Alex matched the mood of the conversation.
“I was a captive for… almost 30 years.. passed around as an oddity and a skilled butler… My mental escape was.. manuscripts… I have read much about the Vorath… some from prime sources… If I had access to the library of two of my masters ago, I might be able to tell you which family… where did you get it.” R’Ben asked very carefully.
“It was given to me, from a certain point of view.” Alex turned slightly, lifting his shirt to show a jagged scar across his side. “The Vorath that gave it to me did not survive the exchange.” Alex stated flatly.
“Humanity has met them in battle?” R’Ben asked, surprise bleeding into the mixture of the conversation.
“We beat the Vorath… they sent an asteroid full of antimatter guarded by a battle fleet… we turned them into dust then boarded their command ship. Its survivors and the ship itself are being interrogated and examined respectively, last I heard. Why are you so interested.” Alex asked the last question with deadly intent. These were not normal questions.
R’Ben, to his credit, did not flinch. “Because I saw a dagger, with the same familial design on the station two weeks before you rescued us.. and the cloaked figure who brandished it was significantly bigger than you, Mr. Collins.”