KIRAN

Ka’atari Warriors 1

Copyright © 2020 by Kenzie Kelly.

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All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the copyright holder.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

Background image: NASA, ESA and the Hubble Heritage Team (STScIAURA)-ESAHubble Collaboration

Brushes by Obsidian Dawn http://www.obsidiandawn.com

Cover and formatting by Kenzie Kelly.

Contents

Chapter 1             3

Chapter 2             13

Chapter 3             20

Chapter 4             25

Chapter 5             32

Chapter 6             45

Chapter 7             53

Chapter 8             59

Chapter 9             68

Chapter 10             74

Chapter 11             83

Chapter 12             91

Chapter 13             96

Thank you for reading Kiran!             103

Give Mouse a Treat!             104

ABOUT THE AUTHOR             105

CHAPTER 1

First contact happened nothing like expected. No giant ships came down and blew up the White House, no spindly limbed creatures slinked through cornfields, no ships crash landed in the desert. Destroying the Eiffel Tower was almost expected.

It was human hubris that aliens would target Earth. Instead, the blue planet and its residents were just bystanders in the wrong place during an intergalactic war. Two ships firing at each other dropped out of hyperspace just shy of Earth orbit.

One of them ran through the Russian space station, obliterating it on impact.

Cora was in the main lab of the joint U.N. station, Shangris, bored out of her mind watching blobs float around a petri dish through the eyepieces of a microscope. She'd been waiting on delivery of another petri dish swimming with similar blobs when the alarm sounded. A calm voice echoed through the halls. "Evacuation protocols initiated. Please make your way to your designated emergency shuttle."

The blaring sirens cut off, but the station lights pulsed red while the voice continued urging everyone to evacuate. Cora finished her notes on the single-celled organisms' behavior and gathered her things. She took time to grab a box of binder clips, which for some reason were scarce aboard the station and she wasn't about to have anyone walking off with hers during another drill. In the doorway, she heard the first pings against the hull. She reversed her course, skirting her work table to the large window at the back of the lab.

Two giant ships shot lasers at each other. One was sleek, like the body of a fish whose fins pulsed as they shot out laser fire. The other was rough, with sharp angled faces and bristling guns. She stood transfixed until more pings sounded. Following the source of the sound made her gasp in horror. Shrapnel from all that was left of the Russian station skittered along the hull. Bodies floated among the debris. She jumped when an arm hit the window, then spun and ran for the door.

Cora joined the rest of the crew sprinting toward the shuttles. An older gentleman she didn't recognize stumbled and fell. She stopped to help him back on his feet. Movement outside the window caught her eye, and he kept going without her. A vaguely humanoid shape with a round, almost transparent body and tentacles instead of legs smacked into the station. It hung on, despite being slowly covered in ice crystals. Black eyes narrowed before it slammed its fist into the window, snapping Cora out of her trance.

The crowd had passed her by and the only people she saw as she raced to catch up were the station's marines running in the other direction to the command center. She flattened against the hull to let them pass. They had the largest contingent of marines aboard any of the stations, which had made her feel safe.

They were decked out in tactical gear and ready for a fight, but it didn't make her feel any safer.

She entered the shuttle bay in time to see the last of them leave the hanger.

"Fuck."

Like all the crew, they gave her basic weapons training before her tour began. She thought it was ridiculous. The only threat was from Bob in accounting who had a tendency to get too handsy when drunk. She certainly didn't think a bullet was the appropriate resolution for that problem, no matter how much she wished it were. Cora made her way to the locker next to the hangar door and pulled out a rifle. She released the magazine, checked for ammunition, and then panicked when she thought she'd forgotten how to put it back in. When she heard the snap confirming it seated back into the rifle, she swung the strap over her shoulder like the badass she absolutely wasn't and ran back the way she'd come.

The tentacled humanoid had fallen away from the corridor window. In its place was the last shuttle, making good time pulling away from the station. The tip of the nose had just begun to glow as they hit Earth's atmosphere when the sleek alien ship fired a solid beam. It cut through the shuttle like a hot spoon in ice cream and the two halves fell away, burning and breaking apart as they skipped along the atmosphere.

Cora hiked the strap of the rifle on her shoulder and ran. The Shangris shuddered beneath her feet and she braced against the hull. The floor listed to one side. They'd lost the stabilizing thrusters.

She was almost to the command center when a hole in the hull opened in front of her. She turned back but not quick enough. Her feet shot out from under her and she landed hard on her knees. She hurtled toward the breach, scrabbling for purchase on the slick floor. A loud siren blared and looked over her shoulder to gauge the distance to the next breach door. She curled into a tight ball as the emergency protocols kicked in and the door slammed down inches away. Her hands stung from being dragged along the deck and her knee twisted, but she hauled herself up and made her way back to her only remaining option—the lab.

Nine women huddled in the center of the room looked up with wide, frightened eyes. "What's happening? Where did those ships come from?" The tall woman's voice shook. It was clear she was struggling to stay calm.

"I don't know, but looks like we finally have proof that alien life exists."

Two of them shook their heads at Cora, denying the evidence outside the window.

"The shuttles are gone." A pretty blonde said. Someone in the back started weeping.

"I know." Cora made her way to a stool and fell onto the seat. Her knee throbbed in protest, but she ignored it. "We're also cut off from the command center. A hull breach in section four triggered the emergency door."

"We're going to die." The tall woman whispered.

Cora knew she had to shut that shit down before it infected the others. "No. We're not. The marines are still here, so there's still a transport somewhere. They designed this lab to contain dangerous biologicals and chemicals, which means it's reinforced and can be locked down. We'll shelter here, and wait for rescue."

"What if it doesn't come?"

Cora recognized the brunette standing at the window. They'd never formally met, but she was the lead botanical researcher and seemed smart and competent. She never sent samples to be analyzed without proper documentation. "They'll come."

"They'd better come fast."

From the cast-off body armor and the rifle on the floor, Cora pegged the woman as a marine. She didn't ask why she wasn't defending the station with the others. The answer was lying on the floor. She kneeled over Emily—a cute, perky blonde with curls like Shirley Temple and a personality that could make a goth emo turn kawaii. Everyone on the station knew Emily. She was a constant ray of sunshine, which you'd think would antagonize just about everyone, but you just had to love her.

She'd been reduced to more of a "cloudy with no chance of sun." Blood matted the right side of her head, seeping through a makeshift bandage. The marine was checking a tourniquet just above her right knee. The bottom of the leg looked like what you pull out of a paper shredder after it's jammed. Lines of blood on her shirt radiated across her belly and chest, snaking out from her side like lightning. To say she was in trouble was ridiculous. Why she hadn't died already was a mystery.

Not a minute later the sound of gunfire echoed down the hall. Two women screamed. Cora shushed them.

The brunette had moved to stand next to her, and Cora heard her whisper in wonder, "They're using live ammunition."

Cora didn't even realize live ammunition was on the station. They could only use dummy projectiles, bullets with rubber tips so they wouldn't puncture the hull. If the threat was bad enough for the marines to use real bullets, it was bad.

The marine looking after Emily asked, "Does anyone else have medical training?" No one nodded. She stared at Cora. "I should be out there helping."

"You are helping." She waved at the prone figure on the floor. "Besides, we need you more than the rest of your unit."

A small band of them came into sight, backing down the hallway loaded down with even more tactical armor and firing at an unseen enemy. Lasers sizzled where they hit their bodies, going through their armor like paper. The men screamed as they fell.

Cora jumped up and craned her neck down the hallway, pressing her cheek against the wall to keep from exposing herself. She couldn't see their attackers, but she heard them. Under the sizzle of burning flesh, there was a sound like someone dragging a wet rope mop down the hall. As the ominous sloshing grew closer and more marines fell, Cora slammed her hand against a red button on the wall.

A thick glass door slid out and sealed the lab. Internal air handlers kicked on along with quick cycle filters designed to remove any particulates. They backed further away from the door. Some of them screamed again. The sound was deafening in the soundproof room. Cora shushed them again, angrier this time. They could hear nothing from outside. Only the women's hard breathing and frightened shuffling scored the silent movie playing on the other side of the door. They watched as three of the tentacled aliens slid past, saw the returning gunfire trickle and then stop.

One of the screamers was at it again when the aliens' attention turned to them. Their thin arms pounded on the door, testing it. One shot their weapon at it, but the door held. They began feeling the edge, looking for a way to open it. Cora braced herself against a support beam and shouldered her rifle. She took a deep breath and focused on the nearest target.

Kiran didn't think this small station was worth time better spent getting control of the Scozid ship, but they had involved an unknown race in an inter-galactic war. Even if they weren't the ones to initiate the jump to this far-flung corner of space, they would clean up the Scozid mess. As always.

"This vessel won't hold."

Kiran nodded at Turo, the lone Trelxak on his team. He trusted the cyborg with his analysis of the structure's stability. "We'll sweep for survivors. Take out any Scozid along the way."

They made their way through an airlock already hissing from small punctures. "Turo, how much time do we have?"

"Not long. Maybe five minutes."

"Right. Let's be quick about this then."

They moved with efficiency through what was left of the station. Most of the rooms were sealed with blast doors. Kiran's helmet crackled with updates from the Talia. The Scozid were still fighting, but their tactics were becoming desperate. They knew the larger warship was gaining the advantage.

As they cleared the station, a large piece of shrapnel flew through the hull and embedded itself in Turo's thigh. Alarms blared. They made it to the other side of the blast door just as it slammed down.

"I'm glad we don't have to go back that way." Craix chuckled as he looked at Turo's wound. "It hit nothing important. You'll be fine."

Turo nodded. "I could have told you that."

"Well your reflexes weren't fast enough to get out of the way, so I thought maybe you'd broken."

Turo showing emotion was rare, but Craix always got under his skin. "Cut it out." Kiran's command sobered them.

They were nearing the end of their sweep when the station shuddered. A support beam above Craix gave way and fell. He got a hand up and caught it, but the sharp tip sliced open his palm.

Turo leaned over and looked at the gash after Craix threw the beam aside. He deadpanned, "You'll be fine. It hit nothing important."

Craix growled, but let it go.

Brak, Kiran's second in command, tapped his arm and then the side of his helmet. Kiran turned the main com feed off and stopped to listen. Weapons fire. The five warriors jogged toward the sound, slowing as they reached a corner.

Kiran told Turo to take point. His cybernetics would allow him to get a complete picture of whatever was around the bend in a fraction of a second. His movement was too quick for the others to see. He gave the team a rundown of what he'd seen. "There are at least a dozen bodies stacked in the hallway." He grimaced. "Looks like the Scozid grushnuge went right through their primitive armor. They didn't stand a chance. There are six Scozid. Three are examining a door, the rest appear to be watching the rear. All are armed."

"All right." Kiran said. "Check your gear. It's time to pop some Scozid."

Cora knew her rifle would be no more effective than those of the dead marines. She didn't even have live ammunition, but it made her feel better to keep it trained on the aliens still trying to get inside.

The one centered in her scope exploded in a shower of fluid. The others backed away, raising and firing their weapons. She couldn't see who was shooting. Whoever they were, they were a lot more effective than the marines. The two she could see popped like water balloons and what was left fell out of view. For several seconds all the women saw was red, oblong disks of weapon fire.

"Who's firing, and what the fuck were those things?" The brunette kept her voice low.

"I have no idea." Cora matched her tone, knowing if the others overheard them it might raise the panic levels in the room. "The juicy aliens made mincemeat of the first marines. Maybe special forces?"

A man came into view. Larger than any marine she'd seen before and covered head to toe in black tactical armor, he fired a rifle at the aliens. When the alien's weapons found their target his armor split and smoked, but still he advanced.

Cora ran to press her cheek on the wall and get a better look. Two crouched men and three standing fired without flinching despite being hit over and over by the alien lasers. The nearest man dripped blood from a gash in his thigh. The one standing in the middle had blood dripping from his glove. She shuffled to the other side of the door to see the retreating aliens. All she saw was a thick puddle of goo on the floor.

The weapons fire died out, and the crouching men stood. One disappeared down the hall before returning, nodding at the others. All five of them turned to look inside the lab, the faceless visors in their black helmets reflecting the frightened faces of the women.

One soldier stepped forward and put his hand on the door. Someone behind her screamed.

"Oh for star's sake, shut up!"

Cora nodded her thanks at the brunette, glad she didn't have to say it. The man knocked on the door and she backed up, leveling her rifle at him. "Who are you?" She enunciated every word so he could read her lips through the door.

He laid his weapon on the floor and held his hands out.

She pantomimed taking a helmet off. "Identify yourself."

He turned back to the rest of the squad. Their helmets bobbed and shook accompanied by big hand gestures making it obvious they argued. One held up his hand and the rest went still. He stepped up to the door and slowly removed his helmet.

Cora stared into bright green eyes. His skin was blue. He had a square jaw, a straight nose, and the look of someone who knew how to win a fight. Cora checked the instinct to back up another step.

He tapped on the door and then motioned to open it. She shook her head. "Oh, hell no."

His lips moved and he again motioned to open the door.

Cora enunciated, "No."

His lips thinned and his eyebrows slashed down. He pointed to the weapon on the floor and held his hands palm up.

She nodded at him. "Yeah, I get it. You come in peace. I'm still not opening the door."

A woman who had been silent separated from the group. "Shouldn't we let them in? They saved us!"

Cora snapped her head around and looked at her. "You're kidding, right? We don't know who these aliens are. They could be the bad guys and the squid things could have been the good guys. Hell, they could both be bad guys. We're not opening that door until someone human is on the other side of it."

While she stared down the other woman, the one who'd been weeping darted past them both and smacked the release button. The door whooshed open and the acrid smell of burned flesh, plastic, and unidentifiable things flooded the room.

Cora's eyes stung and tears streamed down her face but she kept her gun trained on the blue alien in front of her.

She blinked her eyes, frustrated at her blurred vision. She imagined this was what tear gas felt like. Through the haze of tears, she watched a frown cloud his face, turning him from intimidating to downright terrifying in an instant.

She snugged the butt of her rifle into her shoulder.

He let out a string of foreign words accented with clicks and growls. Another opened a pocket on the thigh of his pants and pulled out thin metal cylinders. The alien in front of her grabbed one and bent it in half with a snap before shaking it like a glow stick. He twisted it open to reveal a small, thin sheet. He shook out the cloth, pantomimed wiping his eyes and then held it out to her.

She lowered her rifle and accepted it. She cut her eyes at him as she brought it to her face. It smelled of clean air and she took a chance, rubbing one eye. It was cool and her eye cleared. She wiped her other eye and saw the other alien handing out similar cloths to all the women.

"Thank you." She croaked before clearing her throat.

He nodded in acknowledgment.

How can he understand me?

He stepped back and waved down the hall, pointing the direction he wanted them to go. Several women dashed out and ran. Cora kept her finger on the trigger while her alien spoke in that guttural language. One of the other soldiers peeled off and followed them.

The brunette botanist stepped up next to her again. "I don't think we have much choice. The station is falling apart. We have to go with them."

Cora gave her a hard look but sighed in resignation. "I guess you're right. But I'm keeping the gun."

She smiled. "Please do."

The botanist stepped out and made her way down the hall, followed by the rest of the women. They picked their way around what remained of the squid-like aliens, trying hard to ignore the pile of soldiers bodies. Two of the remaining aliens peeled off and walked behind, weapons pointed at the floor. Cora still stood inside the lab, staring at the alien in front of her. He backed up, angling his body to give the last alien room to get inside the lab. That one bent to Emily, clicked a rapid string of words as he pulled things out of a pack. He sprayed a foam substance on her, covering her wounds. It crackled as it hardened. Then he slid his hands underneath her, careful not to injure her further as he picked her up. He nodded to the marine and she stood, following him out. The last alien stood like they had all the time in the world, waiting for her to leave.

Cora sighed again and limped out.

They'd almost reached the hanger when a loud snap echoed through the hallway, heralding a concussive blast. She threw her hands over her ears and fell to her knees. The station shuddered under her, metal screaming as it twisted. She was thrown into the hull with a crunch she suspected was her arm breaking.

Fucking space. If I get on the ground, I'm never leaving it again.

The solid body of the alien wrapped around her, protecting her from further harm as they slammed around the interior until she lost consciousness.

CHAPTER 2

Kiran braced while the station spun. He could see the group ahead of him, the rest of his team protecting the other women as well as possible. The centrifugal force stabilized and provided a gravity of sorts. He cradled the now unconscious woman in his arms and stood. They weren't far from their shuttle.

He called out, "Time to go!"

All of them started jogging. Two women ran panicked, but his team directed them in the right direction. Along with the soft body he carried, one other had passed out when the final thruster failed. Another was severely injured when they found the small group of survivors. Craix carried the former and Turo, despite having the nasty gash in his thigh insisted on carrying the latter. He'd patched her up as well as possible, but she was in bad shape.

Kiran glanced at his charge. She had been limping and there were abrasions on her shoulder. His hate for the Scozid increased, but as he looked at her the hate morphed into something else. His body tingled and his cock jerked to life.

He tamped the desire down, surprised at his lack of control. Kiran needed to stay focused on the mission, not the way she fit against his body. He almost slipped on what remained of a Scozid and reprimanded himself for being so easily distracted. This was not the time or the place.

Kiran could see their shuttle clamped to the hull of the station over the heads of the women in front of him. The airlock they had used to board had given way and was now just twisted metal. He caught up to Brak, who had taken point and saw their shuttle had sustained damage when the airlock broke. Not enough to worry, but enough to make him want to be off the station even more than before.

"Options?"

"I can float across and send out the manual ladder, but it means opening the blast door. The women don't have any protective gear. I don't know how robust their bodies are, but if I had to guess they won't survive the exposure."

"Brak is correct. This race's lungs aren't strong enough to withstand a lack of atmosphere." Turo stared at the woman in his arms.

Kiran thought it was the most emotion he'd ever seen on the cyborg's face. Interesting.

A woman with dark skin and close cropped hair stepped up. Her eyes were wide and she trembled, but she was keeping it together. "Can you understand me?"

Kiran nodded.

She let out a breath. "Great. There's another airlock at the end of this section," she pointed. "But I don't know if we can still get there."

Kiran looked at Brak, who was scanning the faces of the scared women. He knew they were doing the same thing—weighing the odds. "Brak, fire up the shuttle. See if you can maneuver as close as possible to the station. You and Rozal can use the extra helmets to get them across. Turo, you and I will take the injured to the other airlock. Once everyone's on board, meet us there."

Brak sprung into action. Rozal tried to communicate the plan to the uninjured women while Kiran, Craix and Turo took off at a jog carrying the unconscious survivors along with four others who had broken bones or lacerations severe enough to tax their bodies, but slight enough they'd kept their feet.

It wasn't a smooth trip. Broken supports, arcing electrical wires, and various other debris crowded the hall. They arrived at the airlock, the station shuddering and jerking as more of it fell apart. It seemed intact and their shuttle hovered just outside. Kiran shifted the woman in his arms and in a coordinated effort with Turo they managed a good enough seal.

The shuttle door opened and he let the others board before him. "Status."

Rozal answered. "We got all but one of them on board."

Kiran glanced around the cabin. "You didn't stay with her?"

He shook his head. "She refused to come." He nodded his head at a woman sobbing in the back and lowered his voice. "She tried to explain to her it was their only chance at survival. The woman just kept yelling no and ran back the way we'd come."

Kiran frowned, but he'd seen such panic in stressful situations before. "Understood."

He stepped onto the shuttle and heard the door hiss closed behind him. "Let's get these women to the surface."

Cora's alien clicked a seat restraint into place over her shoulders and hips. She was in a shuttle, and she could hear the low conversation of the others buckled into seats behind her. It was hard for her to breathe and she pushed against the restraint.

The alien gave her a sharp look and shook his head. He put a gentle hand on her shoulder and pressed down.

"Okay, I get it. Be still."

He seemed pleased she understood and nodded. He bent to the side and placed her rifle across her lap.

Startled he would give her weapon back, she looked up at him and said, "Thank you."

He gave her the barest hint of a smile. His eyes scanned her face and he smoothed a lock of hair behind her ear. Her breath hitched, and she wasn't sure if it was the tightness of the restraints or the sudden pull she felt toward this hulking blue alien in front of her. He exhaled hard and then joined the others at the front of the shuttle.

Cora looked at the botanist, strapped in on her left. "What's happening?"

She scrunched her face. "The station lost the last of its thrusters and started spinning. Soon after, the spin gave us enough centrifugal force to provide a kind of gravity and we made our way to their shuttle. The airlock was shredded, but they got three of us across. The young, dark-haired girl panicked and ran back into the station. She's the only one who didn't make it. Did you know her?"

"The girl who opened the lab door?"

"Yeah, that's the one."

"No, I didn't."

"Seems like the only one who might have is the blonde. She begged her to come with us, but it was no use."

She paused and Cora heard quiet crying from the back. "How did the rest of us get on board?"

"They took you and the others who were injured or unconscious to another airlock and we picked you up. We've pulled away from what little of the station was left." She shuddered. "Be glad you missed seeing it. The whole place was torn apart. It's a wonder any of us made it out. These guys," she nodded at the aliens, "saved our lives. I'm Stephanie. I've seen you around but we've never formally met."

"I'm Cora. I'd say it was nice to meet you, but..."

Stephanie chuckled. "Yeah. Saying anything is nice doesn't feel appropriate at the moment."

"Where are they taking us?" Cora looked around at the ship. Other than a language she couldn't read on all the panels, it seemed like any other shuttle. Built for utility rather than comfort. She shivered as the cold of space set in.

He hadn't been looking in her direction, but the alien turned around. He frowned at her.

Another chill wracked her and his frown grew deeper. "S-s-s-sorry. I can't stay still. Too c-c-cold."

He stomped past her to the back of the ship and she cringed. It wasn't long before he reappeared, carrying a big, fluffy blanket. He tucked it around her. She closed her eyes in bliss and thanked him again. "Keep this up and I'll owe you."

He snorted and watched his fingers move along her jaw and down her neck.

Desire shot through her and she inhaled. Okay, all right. Getting hot and bothered by big blue here is the way my body's handling stress? She shrugged. Let's go with that then. Better than being scared shitless.

His eyes closed and he leaned in, taking a deep breath. A sharp word from the front of the cabin broke the moment and he resumed his post with the other aliens.

Cora's face flamed. She looked at Stephanie, but the other woman smiled.

"Yeah, it's weird. I don't know if any of the others are reacting like this, but I am. Mine's the one on the right, with the scar."

Cora saw the alien she was talking about and noticed he glanced in their direction every so often.

Stephanie shook her head. "My guess is that it's some kind of pheromone reaction."

"Well, whatever it is, it feels better than being scared." She adjusted her blanket and saw her alien glance over. Making sure she was okay? After the upheaval of that afternoon, it felt kind of nice.

"Hard agree with you there."

"Are the others holding up?" Cora turned her head to look, but she and Stephanie were in the first row and the seat's high back coupled with the restraints kept her from seeing the other women.

"Emily's still unconscious. I think she's in bad shape. The one with the implants is hovering over her. I guess he's the medic. Everyone else is okay for the most part. Nothing more serious than some broken bones, deep bruises and cuts. Physically, anyway. Miranda is still crying and the blonde is pretty shook from losing her friend, but so far most are holding up as well as expected. Considering." She looked up and waved a hand around the cabin.

"Yeah. It's a lot." Cora stole a glance at her alien. He was standing at the front, leaning against a control panel. He looked back at her and her breath caught. She looked away. "Do you know where they're taking us?"

As if to answer, the shuttle banked and Earth came into view. Stephanie sighed happily. "Home."

Before the shuttle finished its turn the windshield filled with the massive hull of the Scozid ship. The Talia took its place in the windshield as the shuttle straightened. Both ships were still firing at each other, surrounded by clouds of debris being dragged along in their wakes.

The shuttle got caught up in the debris field and several of the women whimpered as the sound of metal pinged off the hull.

Brak was doing his best to navigate around the larger pieces. "It's going to get bumpy."

Kiran braced himself. Rozal did the same on his other side. Craix was strapped in as co-pilot and Turo was still with the injured woman.

Kiran was keenly aware of the woman buckled into the seat behind him. She was soft and had fit perfectly in his arms. Her eyes were green, but not bright like his own. They were a dark, mossy green that reminded him of the small trees that grew on his home planet. Her dark hair curved to her chin and strands kept falling in her eyes. The top of her head just reached his shoulder, but she would hold her own against any warrior. He thought he could smell her, but it had to be his imagination. The acrid odor of the dying station must be burned into his nose. Thinking about how she felt in his arms stiffened his dick, and he shifted his stance.

They were taking them to the surface. He would leave her behind and never see her again. The thought made his chest tighten. The shuttle vibrated as it entered the wake of the larger ship. He looked back to check on her, and she nodded.

"I'm fine, just get us out of here."

A blinding blue light flooded the cabin. Brak let out a string of curses. Kiran only had time to yell, "Fuck!" before it swept them into the jump wake. When they came out, the Scozid ship was gone, but the Talia sat on their port side.

Craix let out a breath. "At least we're not stranded."

One woman mumbled, "Jesus, what now?"

The voice of the Talia's captain crackled from the console. "Please tell me I still have my warrior team."

Kiran answered. "Yes, sir. We're all intact, although Turo has a nasty wound."

"I'll have Malven prepare a pod in the med suite."

"We'll need more than one. We're heavy nine survivors from the station."

The line went silent for several seconds. The one word response held a wealth of meaning. "Understood."

He looked back in apology at the soft form who'd said her name was Cora. There was no way they could get them back to their planet. When he realized that meant he could keep her, his body reacted. An almost electric sensation fired his skin, his heart pounded in his chest and his cock strained at the fastenings of his pants. He clenched his fists as the urge to touch her intensified.

He had to close his eyes and breathe slowly and deliberately to regain control.

Rozal touched his shoulder in concern and then jerked his hand away. "You're fevered."

Kiran opened his eyes and looked at him. He pulled back in surprise.

His voice was a near whisper. "It's not fever, is it? It's rhun."

CHAPTER 3

After the blinding flash of light, only the shuttle and the angular ship remained. The sleek, fish-like ship had disappeared. The shuttle docked on the larger ship after a slow approach. Cora's alien unbuckled her harness, helped her to stand and settled the blanket around her shoulders. The pads of his fingers were soft as he touched her cheek. Her clit clenched and she stifled a moan. He abruptly turned and walked out into the hanger.

There was a lot of mutual gawking as they led the women through the ship. There were smaller, colorful aliens with fur and tails scurrying among the ships that crowded the hanger. Tiny lizard creatures darted in and out of engine compartments and stared at them with bulbous eyes. More warrior aliens milled around, trying too hard not to focus on them.

Cora tripped over a cable and as if by magic the steadying hand of big blue appeared. Her broken arm throbbed and reminded her to watch where she was going.

A long hallway ended in a sizable open room with pods arranged along the back. Blinking panels and trays of instruments were along another wall. There were two tall, thin, lavender aliens wearing dark purple uniforms. Cora knew a lab when she saw one. She just hoped they weren't the subject of study. She and Stephanie shared a look.

The big alien who had some facial implants and a nasty looking gash in his thigh had led the way carrying Emily. A pod slid open when he neared and he placed her inside. When the lid closed over her, a screen appeared. One of the purple aliens tapped on the screen and the pod began pulsing with light. It then pushed the protesting soldier into another pod, not taking no for an answer.

The other lab worker looked at the other women, clacking its teeth as it spoke. One by one it sent the girls to either a pod or an exam table. They led Stephanie to a table just before Cora was pushed into a pod. Lucky me. At least it's warm in here. They'd taken her blanket and in the few seconds before the pod closed a chill to settled in her bones.

The pod pulsed to life and she tried not to panic as various mechanical arms prodded her arms and legs. Even the bed shifted beneath her and small pricks waved over her shoulder. The pod's ministrations paused and her eyes grew heavy.

Kiran stood out of the way as the Molzaeds tended the survivors, all the while telling himself it wasn't just Cora he worried about. Malven was bent over the pod housing the critically injured woman, while their assistant wandered between the exam tables, assessing injuries and applying healing salve where needed. Kiran tried to look casual as he leaned against the wall.

Craix joined him and mimicked his stance. "Rhun, huh?"

Kiran's sharp look had the other warrior holding up his hands.

"Rozal's not known for using a low voice." He looked at a woman with long brown hair sitting on a table. "Besides, I know exactly how you feel."

Kiran kept his mouth from falling open, but the wonder was evident in his voice. "You too?"

"Yeah. Turo as well."

"Brak and Rozal?"

Craix sighed. "Nothing yet, but who knows." He lowered his voice to a whisper. "How is this possible? It's unheard of for one Ka'atari among our entire population to experience rhun in a year, and yet here we stand, three in less than one day..."

Kiran shook his head. "I don't know."

"If these earth women call to us at this great a rate, the implications are staggering." Craix straightened as the Molzaed finished with his woman.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves. For now, we need to get them settled. They can use the adjunct crew area. See if there's a Viv'aks available to serve as guide. I'll brief them as a group when the rest are healed."

Craix nodded and walked away as if being pulled toward his woman by an invisible force. Kiran didn't blame him. He felt the same drive to assure himself Cora was okay inside the pulsing med pod.

He moved to stand over it, marveling at the woman inside. Her bravery was almost as big a turn on as her soft body. He couldn't wait to explore every inch of her. Kiran snorted at himself. He had no idea if earth women experienced anything like rhun. He hoped so. His arousal was already at an almost painful level.

He knew about the call of rhun as every Ka'atari did. He never thought he would be lucky enough to experience it. His father had, but it was both a blessing and a curse. He always told him that having a child was the greatest blessing of his life, but Kiran knew it came at a steep price. It devastated his father when his mother chose not to stay after his birth. She fulfilled her duty and left them both.

His heart pounded hard in his chest. He would approach this with logic. Satisfy his part in ensuring the future of the Ka'atari, but keep his heart out of it. He shoved aside the nagging feeling that his heart might already be in it.

Quiet voices grew louder and Cora realized someone stood over her. She blinked and the face of big blue came into view. Her body flamed to life. She committed to the sex dream and reached a hand up to touch him. As soon as she did, everything came rushing back.

Should have known. I would have been in better underwear if it was a dream.

He pulled back and was replaced by the face of the purple alien. She could hear the clacking teeth of the alien's language in the background as it said, "How are you feeling?"

She looked around in confusion. "How...?"

"The med unit has repaired your injuries. The arm was broken in two places, so anesthesia was administered to make the repair more comfortable for you." It checked a small screen and nodded in satisfaction before repeating itself. "How are you feeling?"

"Cold."

"Yes, it seems your bodies respond to rhun in unexpected ways. We are hopeful after you join your systems will regulate."

"You're speaking English, but I don't understand." Cora pushed herself upright. "Actually, how can I understand you?"

"We have fitted you and your companions with standard translators."

Cora waited for more explanation, but when it wasn't forthcoming she prodded, "Which are?"

"Nano devices implanted in the ear canal which translate all known languages into your native tongue."

"Right." Cora blinked as that set in. She scanned the lab and saw that only one pod continued to pulse, and aside from the other purple alien and big blue, the room was empty. "Where are the others?"

"Fen'ies has taken them to a common area and assigned rooms. Kiran wished they wait for you to wake before the Ka'atari explain what they can." The alien's thin arm swept toward the door where he waited. "If you have no other physical complaints?"

"Nope. Aside from freezing, I feel pretty damn good all things considered."

The purple alien nodded and stepped back, giving her room to stand. "If your status should change, please return."

She started walking toward big blue but paused to turn back and smile at the doctor. "Thank you."

Both of the purple aliens gave her a slight bow. "Our pleasure to heal."

Big blue turned and settled a blanket around her shoulders as she left the room. She fell into step beside him.

"You are well?"

His voice was low and rumbled through her, almost a physical caress. She took a deep breath to steady herself. "My arm doesn't hurt, my knee is stable and better than new. Hell, even the scrapes on my shoulder are gone."

"The Molzaeds are talented healers. We are lucky to have them aboard." He glanced down at her. "And your mind?"

She snorted. "Look, I'm in survival mode. At some point this will all hit me and I'll have a nervous breakdown, but right now I'm just trying to figure out what the hell is going on, where the fuck we are, and how we get home."

He nodded, but said nothing more as they walked.

That scared her more than anything that came before.

CHAPTER 4

Kiran spent the short walk from med bay to the new women's quarters scanning Cora for any hint of a remaining injury. He knew the Molzaeds were unmatched in their physical knowledge and healing abilities, not to mention technology honed to perfection over several centuries, but he couldn't stop himself. It was a wonder he didn't run into a wall with all his focus on her instead of his feet.

Everything about rhun was surprising, but the urge to protect her was overwhelming. Aside from a brief absence to update the captain, he had spent the time she was in the med pod standing over her. Malven told him there was nothing for him to do, but watching the lights pulse as the tech repaired her made him feel better.

None of his peers had felt the call, so there was no one to ask for advice. His father was home on Kifoth and miles from any communication array. Not that Kiran would ask him. It would be like poking a wound, and even though they didn't always get along, he loved and respected his father.

Kiran's mother had almost broken him. He spent a few years living far beyond the reach of other warriors, raising his son in feral solitude. When Kiran had grown enough, he re-entered society. His father explained it was "just time to be back among people," but he knew better. His father had given up peace so he could be trained in the traditions of the Ka'atari. Kiran soared through the ranks and commanded his own team before graduation.

The same team who depended on him to be a capable leader now. He couldn't afford to be distracted by the woman walking next to him. It would be detrimental to their entire mission for him to focus entirely on her curves, the way her hips swayed as she walked, the soft swell of breasts just beneath the neckline of her standard issue uniform.

He took a deep breath and cursed as his body flared to life, his temperature rising enough he was tempted to rip off his clothes and stand naked before her.

No, not stand before her, but grab her and press her to the wall, feeling her against him and breathing her in.

He saw her shiver out of the corner of his eye and remembered Malven saying as rhun made him hotter, it made her cold. She drew the blanket wrapped around her shoulders tighter. The only way they would relieve the chill and fever was to mate and every small tremble of her body made it harder not to drag her off to his quarters like a rutting yelsh.

He walked looking straight ahead, controlling his breathing and focusing on gaining control. He used every technique he had learned to stay calm and collected in even the fiercest battle. He tunneled his vision to focus on a distant spot, letting everything else fall away. The voices of the survivor's were indistinct background noise as they grew closer to the gathering. He concentrated on relaxing the fists clenched at his sides.

He ran straight into Brak.

Cora heard big blue let out a string of curses as they stepped into the room, but the small group of women caught her attention. There were so few of them, sharing a shell-shocked look.

They were gathered in a common area that turned out to serve as both kitchen and dining room. Worn tables crowded the floor with just enough room to walk between them. Everything was haphazard, somewhat out of place and awkward looking. Cora guessed this ship wasn't so much designed as it was put together by a hodge podge population of many different races.

"Cora!"

She ran to Stephanie and hugged her tight. They might not have known each other before, but they forged their trauma bond into friendship and Cora was glad to have an ally. "How are you? Are you all right?"

She laughed. "I feel better than ever! They even fixed a shoulder injury I got ages ago." She swung her arm in a wide arc to show her.

"That's amazing. Is everyone else okay?"

Stephanie nodded. "Everyone but Emily. She's still in the med pod. They think she'll pull through, but she had a lot of internal injuries. From what they've said, if she'd stayed on Shangris she'd be dead. The others are okay. Freaked out to varying degrees, but hanging in there."

"Have they told you anything?"

Stephanie shook her head. "You weren't gone long enough to miss anything. They fed us and gave clothes to those who needed them, but otherwise we've just been sitting here on our asses waiting for you."

"For me? Why?" Cora sank into the seat next to her friend.

She pointed her chin to the alien watching Cora. "Your alien, Kiran, is the leader of the Ka'atari aboard this ship. He wasn't about to debrief us without you."

Cora's jaw fell open. "What about yours?"

She smiled and a slight flush crept up her cheeks. "Craix. He, Kiran and three others make up the team of warriors assigned to this ship. That's really all I've been able to figure out."

She was about to ask a ton more questions when Craix walked to the front and held up his hand. She heard Stephanie sigh and giggled under her breath. Fucking hell, I'm giggling. I must be in shock.

She snapped herself straight and focused on Craix.

"We know you have a lot of questions, but we can't answer all of them right now."

The women grumbled.

"Not because we withhold things from you, but because it's a vast amount of information. You'll each be given a tablet containing a more extensive knowledge base. You'll be able to explore what interests you without being bored to tears by what doesn't." He paused and glanced at the other soldiers standing with him. "We are warriors from the planetary system Ka'atari. We've been tasked with pushing back the Scozid who have spread death and destruction across the galaxy. You saw them during the battle. Their tentacled legs make them easy to spot."

I'll say.

"The largest governing body is the Denchui Alliance and encompasses most of the known universe. The alliance helps maintain peace between worlds. Scozid were once part of the alliance, before we knew planets near their territory had been overrun, the populations subjugated, tortured, and killed. Many races were lost entirely."

Cora noticed the Ka'atari's expressions turn cold and angry. Okay, Scozid are the bad guys. Does that mean we're with the good guys? Or do they just think they're on the right side of this conflict?

"A small number of these populations stole a ship and made their way to the Denchui seat. Once their crimes came to light, the alliance censured the Scozid. They didn't take well to being punished."

"I'll bet," Stephanie mumbled.

"We freed the rest of the races under Scozid rule during a brute force attack some months ago. Since then, the warrior races from the Ka'atari system have hunted the Scozid still outside their territory in an effort to push them back behind boundaries set by the alliance. We were following one such ship when it jumped into your planetary system. My team," waved at the warriors standing with him, "came on to your station to ensure no Scozid remained, and return any survivors to the planet's surface. We feel certain there were no Scozid left alive on or near your planet. The Scozid jumped to escape and our ship followed suit. The shuttle entered the Talia's wake and was pulled through the jump with her."

"What does that mean?" The tall blonde, Cora thought her name was Gabriella, asked.

"It means we can't go home." Zoranna had been assistant to the station director. A no-nonsense, dark skinned woman with short hair, she was blunt and never minced words. They'd gotten along well.

Her statement raised alarmed voices from the entire group. From his position at the front of the room, Craix looked like hot metal was being shoved under his fingernails. He looked at Stephanie with such apology that even Cora wanted to go comfort him. Stephanie shifted in the seat next to her.

When the women's voices rose in volume, Kiran stepped forward. He raised his voice enough to be heard. "You are safe on the Talia, and we are working to find a solution to the problem of returning you to your planet. In the meantime, we have prepared quarters for you. As Craix stated, tablets are available if you wish to learn more about us, the conflict, our history, or anything regarding the known universe. Entertainment and current events modules are also available. If you need anything, ask a Viv'aks and they will help."

He pointed to one of the furred, tailed aliens. This one was robin's egg blue. It gave a shy smile and a small wave. It was so cute, Cora couldn't help but grin.

"This is Fen'ies and she's agreed to serve as a guide until you acclimate to the ship. There are areas of the Talia you should avoid for your own safety."

"Or hide what you really want with us."

Stephanie leaned over conspiratorially. "That's Anela. She's a marine. She's the very definition of badass, and from what I can tell, is the sole reason Emily is alive."

Kiran sighed and ran a hand through his short hair. "Mistress, as I've explained we want only to return you home. I'll have one of us escort you through these areas in the name of transparency if you like. There is nothing nefarious on the bridge or in the engine room, but being unfamiliar with our technology increases the risk of injury."

Anela snorted, but sat back in her chair.

"Fen'ies will show you to your quarters." He once again pointed to the bright blue Viv'aks. He turned and the five warriors in the room gathered in conversation. It was clear the women had been dismissed.

Fen'ies had a soft voice with a melodic quality. That's why Kiran picked her as the women's ambassador. She kept up a stream of conversation as she gathered the women and led them from the common room, talking about herself, her race, and her home world. Theirs was not one impacted by the Scozid, but they were sensitive empaths and eager to help in the fight against them.

For Kiran, the chatter was background noise. He was focused exclusively on Cora. She seemed relaxed. Her resilience amazed him. Even in the most stressful moments aboard the station, she had kept calm. Her bravery and ferocity standing up to his team and protecting the other women made him smile with pride.

"You are well?" He resisted the urge to clear the croak from his throat.

"You keep asking me that, big blue. What would you do if I said no? That I'm far from okay?" She stopped walking to stare up at him.

"Big blue?" He tilted his head in confusion.

"A nickname."

When he was still confused she gave him a blank stare.

"Nevermind. To be honest I can't say if I'm well or not. This whole thing still hasn't sunk in yet. It doesn't help that every time you touch me or hell, even look at me my body responds like a bitch in heat." Her eyes closed and she let out a small moan. "Or when you move away it's like being dumped in ice water."

He couldn't help himself. He leaned down, nuzzling her neck and taking a deep breath. He didn't touch her anywhere else, but he may as well have ripped her clothes off and stuck his tongue in her. His legs damn near gave out.

He straightened and backed up and it felt like someone had thrown him in a vat of lava.

Panting, she stared at him. "What is that?"

"It is our bodies responding to rhun." His eyes were closed and his muscles tense. He was once again struggling not to grab her, strip them both naked and sink into her. Intellectually, he knew he needed to get control of himself. But his intellect wasn't in control at the moment.

"What is rhun? How do we..." she waved her hands between them in frustration, "make it stop?"

"We don't." He reached for her but stopped before they touched. "Malven said he didn't think humans have anything close to an equivalent. It's a biological imperative." He stopped, struggling to formulate an explanation that would make sense to her, while trying not to overwhelm her with the compulsion he felt. The desire was winning. He had to get away from her. "I have to go. I'll look in on you later." He didn't get three paces from her before turning. "It might be best if you read about rhun on your tablet."

"Yeah, I'm getting that might be a good idea."

He practically ran from her.

CHAPTER 5

The human women were afforded their own area since the ship was not at capacity. Each was the same, small and utilitarian. There was a porthole window showing nothing but the blackness of space and the occasional distant star. A bathroom held a serviceable toilet, a washbasin that filled when you passed a hand over it, and a recirculating water shower. It was much the same as her cabin on board the Shangris.

The bed and a small storage unit dominated the main space. The tablet and a basket of necessities were on the bunk. Cora flopped backwards onto the mattress. It was soft and warm and she didn't bother getting undressed. She just pulled the blanket over her and fell asleep.

Soft chimes invaded her dream of being wrapped in strong blue arms. Fen'ies let her know dinner was being served. Cora almost declined, but then she explained that the women were eating apart from the rest of the crew so they wouldn't be overwhelmed with the various foods and customs.

Dinner was a quiet affair. All the women were lost in their own thoughts, and after brief introductions, they picked at the food and retreated to their rooms.

Cora smiled as Stephanie slipped away with Craix. It reminded her she still hadn't looked up rhun on her tablet. It would probably be best to find out what was happening between her and Kiran before they ran into each other again.

She plumped the pillows and made herself comfortable before flicking a finger across the screen. A robotic voice asked for her name, race and preferred language. A circle swirled for several minutes before the message "setup complete" appeared on screen. A much milder, though no less artificial voice asked, "What can I help you with?"

"The Ka'atari." Might as well start with the basics.

"The subject: Ka'atari planetary system, contains six thousand, seven hundred and twenty-seven pages of data. Would you like to narrow your search?"

"Well I'm not going to read six thousand pages tonight, am I?" She pulled the blanket back over her legs. "What sections are available?"

"Sub-sections of Ka'atari data are: Planetary system, Individual planets, History, Shared Culture, Shared Biology, Shared Technology—"

"Shared Biology."

"Opening. Please wait. This may take several minutes."

"I'm not going anywhere." Cora set the tablet down and made herself a more comfortable nest in the bed. Since the tablet still wasn't finished, she stuck her head into the hallway. Fen'ies rounded the corner, her tail swishing behind her. After asking for a plate of snacks that Fen'ies delivered like the best room service ever, Cora returned to her bed-nest. A few crackers later, the tablet opened to the first page of her requested section.

A Short Treatise on the Biology of the Ka'atari Warrior Races

By Jeffery Tinsdale

Fellow of the Alliance, Biological, Anthropological, etc.; Societies,

Author of 'A Brief Recountation of the Tzindali Wars'

She groaned. "This sounds like a real page turner."

The soothing voice said, "Turning the page."

"Is there an index in this book?"

"No."

"Table of contents?"

"No."

"Anything about sex?"

"The Ka'atari races exhibit two sexes, Male and Female, and multiple chosen genders. Exploring in further detail revealed—"

"Stop. Is there anything about rhun?"

"There are two pages on rhun, the Ka'atari mating process. Would you like me to read them?"

Mating process? "I can read, just turn to the pages."

"You're welcome."

Cora snorted. As advanced as these aliens seemed to be, their assistant technology reminded her of what they had on board the Shangris. Which sucked. After a few seconds, the tablet blinked and the screen filled with text.

Ka'atari Rhun

The Ka'atari mating call is a biological response between two individuals. "Rhun," which translates to mate, manifests as an overwhelming desire on the part of both parties. Arousal intensifies until copulation. None of the population could expound on the effects of ignoring rhun, since there has not been a case of such in recorded history. Howsoever, there are tales of individuals being separated for some time after initial onset. These oral anecdotes tell of the individuals becoming so sensitive that the mere appearance of their mate causes spontaneous orgasm. It was cautioned that other partners cannot alleviate the state of arousal and may even lead to further discomfort.

I began a search for the biological processes spurring such a reaction to evolve. On study of ancient texts, mention of a great epidemic was found. Based on recorded symptoms and historical context, I believe said epidemic to be a result of Alliance emissaries introducing X-514 into the population. An estimate of loss is 70-80% of the species, with a higher percentage in concentrated population areas. On the brink of apparent extinction, the Ka'atari evolved a biological mechanism to ensure sufficient genetic diversity. Though copulation is enjoyed freely between consenting adults, fertilization and viable pregnancy is only possible between mated pairs.

This 'rhun' bonds two individuals who are compatible biologically. My hypothesis is that it also bonds pairs who suit intellectually. During my time of observation on the planet, I found very few unsuited mated pairs. Those rare examples fulfilled the duty to procreate, satisfying rhun, before finding a more acceptable partner.

Rhun has become more rare in recent times, with only one in one hundred individuals experiencing it. Further study is needed to ascertain if the genetic pool is shrinking (which I suspect) or if another catalyst is at play.

Because of its rarity, I could not sufficiently study a recently mated pair and thus have no insight on the mechanism at work alerting the two individuals. Pheromones are an obvious theory, as I observed males enjoying the smell of their mate, often carrying small items containing the partner's scent. A tactile component may also be at work as mates were observed initiating and prolonging physical contact as often as possible.

The actual act of copulation between mated pairs and unmated individuals was studied through anecdotal evidence, as this author had no care to witness it first hand, even in the name of scientific study. With this research I determined there was little difference between mated and unmated copulation preferences, although mated pairs stated a much longer time period, higher frequency, and increased satisfaction.

Further research is warranted in this area.

It does appear that rhun can be initiated between the Ka'atari and individuals of another race, though how many races and what, if any, properties they share is as yet unknown.

Cora tossed the tablet to the end of the bed. Perfect. Either I fuck big blue or I spend who knows how long perpetually turned on. Ain't that some shit.

The next morning she searched out Stephanie. She was the only one in the same situation who wasn't in a coma. At the very least they could talk through the problem.

She tried Stephanie's room, but it was empty. She went in search of Fen'ies next and found her in the common area. She said hello to some of the other women who were milling about before getting Fen'ies' attention. "Where's Stephanie?"

"Oh," The fur around her mouth blew out with her exhale. "Stephanie chose to stay in Craix's quarters."

Cora grinned. "Has she now?"

"Yes."

"Can I visit her?"

"Of course." She waved toward the other side of the ship. "They house the warriors in the forward area of the ship."

"Great, thanks." Cora walked toward the warrior's quarters. A large training area dominated the space, with compartmented rooms around the outside. She stood in front of the array of doors for several minutes, trying to work out which belonged to Craix.

She shrugged and just started knocking. No answer at the first three doors, but the fourth was answered by Stephanie.

She grabbed Cora in a fierce hug. "It's so great to see you!"

Cora was pulled into the room. It looked the same as the ones assigned to the women.

"I've felt pretty isolated over here, but it was just silly not to move since I was here all the time anyway."

"So what happened?" She took the seat she was offered.

Stephanie sat across from her. "After the brief, Craix spent every moment he could in my vicinity. The proximity drove me crazy and, well, here we are."

"Fuck."

"You haven't given in yet?" Stephanie whistled. "You're a stronger woman than I am."

"To be fair, we haven't been around each other all that much yet, and every time we are it's like I'm possessed by a porn star and I want to climb him like a flag pole."

Stephanie laughed. "Yep. Been there." She sighed. "I hate to say it, but you might as well give in sooner rather than later. It's confusing as hell still, but at least my inner porn star is quiet. Not that we aren't fucking like bunnies every moment he's around, but before I wouldn't have been able to sit and have a conversation with you. At least now I can think when he's not around."

Cora shook her head. "I'm not a virgin or anything, but I like to choose who I have sex with instead of it being some alien evolutionary mandate."

"Look, I get it. The whole idea is kind of repugnant if you examine it. The only consolation is they don't have a choice either. From what I understand, they feel the same thing we do—only 100 times worse."

"There's also the bigger question...what if we get pregnant? I mean, that's the whole point of this thing, right? To have little blue babies?" Cora slumped in her chair.

"Yeah. I'm trying not to think about that part of it yet."

"How can you not?"

"Honestly?" Stephanie turned bright red. "The sex is superb."

Cora's eyes bugged. "That good?"

Stephanie fanned herself. "You have no idea."

"I guess I'll find out."

Her friend nodded. "Look on the bright side, we aren't going home anytime soon, and these guys can take care of us. We won't have to make any hard decisions like where to go or how to feed ourselves. The others might not be so lucky."

"How are you so accepting? We know nothing about these aliens. What if they only think they're the good guys? What if they're the bad guys and we'll find out we've been on the wrong side of this war the whole time?"

Stephanie considered that for a moment and dismissed it with a wave of her hand. "I don't think so. Look at how many species they have on board. Not just the other warriors, but the support staff. If they were the bad guys, the support staff like Fen'ies wouldn't be able to hide it. Hell, they wouldn't want to."

"Maybe." Cora was still skeptical, but she was smart enough to admit it might be that if they were the bad guys, it would be easier to resist Kiran. The last thing she needed was to fall in love with an alien.

They were silent for a while, lost in their thoughts. Stephanie lightened the mood with a bright smile. "Now tell me about this dangerous animal it seems you've tamed. All the warriors are agog you're still alive."

Kiran waited for Captain Anzaes to finish giving the first mate updates. He timed his arrival with the shift change on purpose. He wanted a private conversation with the captain. They had known each other for many years, having been in training together. Kiran trusted the fellow Ka'atari and knew him to be a fair and skilled leader.

Anzaes was only an inch or two shorter than him, but broader in the chest. He had glossy black skin that sported bronze stripes and an easy smile cultivated to put others at ease.

"Walk with me." He waited for Kiran to fall in step beside him. When they gained sufficient distance from the bridge, he sighed. "It has been a long day, and I'm tired. I don't suppose this conversation can wait?"

"I'd rather it not, but I promise to be brief."

Anzaes nodded. "I assume this is about our extra passengers?"

"Yes."

"I thought as much. I had a junior navigator explore known system maps in an attempt to find the women's homeworld. It would be easier if we knew which direction to look. Even though the Talia's sensors mapped our location while we were there, she found no known points of reference. Locating that planet again will be challenging. We would need access to that Scozid ship's jump records." He sighed again and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "The alliance council has flatly refused to put any further resources into the effort. I'm afraid they're stuck with us."

Kiran didn't acknowledge the relief and excitement at knowing Cora wouldn't be leaving soon. "I understand, and hinted as much when I briefed them." It was Kiran's turn to sigh. "That's not entirely what I wanted to talk with you about." A wave of heat rushed over his skin and he clenched his fists. "Craix and I are rhun with two of the human women. We believe Turo is as well, though she was the most injured and is still in a med pod."

Anzaes stopped mid step and looked at him in shock. "Three of five?"

Kiran nodded.

"That's unheard of."

"Malven and his assistant are trying to discover if this is a freak accident, or if the likelihood of human women being rhun is higher. If it's the latter, the implications are—"

"Staggering. We'll have to tell Sucaen."

"Yes, but," Kiran tried to think of a tactful way to say what he was thinking, then decided to be direct. "We should wait until the Molzaed have a more definitive opinion on the rate of rhun with this race. He can be volatile when it comes to this issue."

"That's good council. His desire to have a child of his own is well known, and it may influence him. I'll have to tell him when we reach Lannidies, so let's hope the healers have a working theory by then."

They clasped wrists when they reached the captain's quarters and he turned to leave.

"And Kiran," Anzaes called, "see that you three get on with it. I don't need unsatisfied rhun warriors on my ship."

Kiran grinned. "Yes, sir."

Hands slid up her legs, grasping around her waist, lifting her. She felt the slide of a tongue along her neck and dropped her head back with a moan. The soft bed caught Cora when she was tossed, followed by a cage of muscle. Arms pressed on each side of her chest, knees pressed to her thighs. She felt rather than saw the man lean toward her, inhaling before sucking one nipple into his mouth.

She gasped as pleasure shot through her body. Her legs tensed, her toes curled and she pressed up against him.

"Patience," was whispered in her ear.

She whimpered and tried to drag him closer, pulling on his shoulders and back, but he didn't budge. Cora reared up against him screaming in frustration and he disappeared.

She woke covered in sweat and panting.

Fen'ies burst through the door, searching the room with wide eyes.

Cora managed to sit up, but the slight pressure on her clit made her want to moan. She settled for closing her eyes. "What's wrong?"

"You were screaming. Are you unwell?" The fur on her tail had stood up, making it appear three times its normal size.

"Yes, but it's nothing you can help with." Cora stood up, squeezing her thighs together and take a deep breath. "I think I'll take a walk. Is that okay?"

"Of course. Just avoid the dangerous areas that are marked." She hesitated in the doorway. "If you're sure I can do nothing?"

"Oh yes, I'm sure."

She still seemed distressed, so Cora softened her tone. "It's all right, Fen'ies. It was just a," incredibly erotic, "dream."

She accepted that explanation and left Cora to wander the ship.

They originally built the Talia for transporting supplies and short range defense of Alliance outposts. A full crew was one hundred souls, but they had lost near half of that number due to crew fatigue and several battles with the Scozid. Even with about sixty-five on board, the ship felt empty. It being the middle of the night didn't help. She passed only a few others in uniform who were part of the night shift.

It wasn't as if she could get lost. The Talia was the same size, or even smaller, than the Shangris. It had two main levels with the bridge above. She wandered around the housing level, nosed around in the kitchen a bit, and was headed back to her room when she saw a ladder to the lower level. It would just be the hangar, med bay, maintenance, and engineering, but she wasn't ready to go back to bed and it would serve to pass a bit more time.

The ladder put her down at the back of the hangar. She'd seen that already, so turned to explore the other direction. A warning sign marked the first door in the hallway. She kept going past two more. The hallway ended in a final door that opened into a large cargo hold. An air lock dominated the back wall, and she assumed it served as the loading door.

On the left, crates stacked to the ceiling were secured with a spider web of straps. On the right, a string of large cages supported tiers of smaller ones. A horse sized animal, it's body like a hippopotamus with a pig snout and tiny eyes snuffled at the bars of the first cage. The eyes of smaller creatures shone from higher cages.

What the hell? There's a zoo in the cargo hold?

She walked along the row. Most of the larger cages were empty, and from what she saw, a lot of the smaller ones as well. She stopped at the very last cage. At first, she thought the inhabitant was a big cat, maybe a leopard. It was curled at the very back, blinking at her with stark yellow eyes.

She sat down, propped her back against the wall and crossed her ankles. "Hey."

The animal raised its head, but didn't move. Cora noticed a card at the top of the cage door. It read: Planet Kaiter; Accerth System. S. preuvret. "Well that didn't help me at all." She sighed and let her head fall back against the wall. "So what do you think I should do about my little mating call problem? I mean, the dude is built and unless his dick has three heads I imagine the sex would be nice... but. There's always a but. What if they're the bad guys? What if this call thing is total bullshit and they've slipped me some drug?" She picked at a loose thread on her pants, then glanced at the animal.

He or she had moved to the front of the cage and was sitting pretty staring at her. It was a sleek animal, with dark gray fur, large tufted ears and a muzzle more like a dog's than a cat's. A matching pair of horns curled up and back just inside its ears. This close she could see subtle spots in its fur. It stood no less than three feet tall on long legs. It had huge paws and a long, sluggish tail that swished back and forth.

"Aren't you a pretty kitty?" It was far from a cat, but she didn't think it would mind.

In response, it opened its jaws to reveal row upon row of razor-sharp teeth. They curled inward like a shark's and the cute furry 'cat' turned terrifying. Its tongue whipped out, wiping its nose and then disappearing as it closed its mouth.

In the same sing song voice, Cora said, "That was frightening."

The animal turned and rubbed its length against the bars of the cage, then gave her a look of anticipation. When it repeated the motion, she put her hand up flat to rub it. No, her. As soon as her hand touched the impossibly soft fur, she knew she was a she.

She rubbed herself against the bars. "Are you going to bite my hand off if I reach in to pet you?"

With great caution Cora did just that. On the next round, she sank her hand into the soft fur at the animal's shoulder. She knew it was an apex predator on its home world, and a communal animal. It was very, very lonely and would not bite her hand off. Her name was Tobriv.

"Hi Tobriv, I'm Cora." The preuvret slow blinked. "I'm lonely too. You have some sort of... touch... communication ability?"

Tobriv opened her mouth and what came out was a clicking noise. Almost like a purr, but much more staccato.

"I'll take that as a yes."

The big preuvret stretched and then put a paw through the bars of the cage. Cora took it in her hand. "How did you get here? I hope they aren't keeping you for some kind of zoo. I'll break you out if they are."

Images flicked through her mind. A dense forest of trees standing high on stilt-like roots, an entire colony of preuvret, adults lounging while the young played in dappled sunlight. Panic and chaos as nets appeared from above, scooping them into bright sunlight that gave way to prodding by painful sticks. They fought every time a Scozid appeared to take them from too small cages. Tobriv watched as they took away her family, one by one, never to return.

Other strange animals were put into the cages, and one by one, they disappeared as well. Then the face of a Ka'atari warrior, speaking in a low tone and tossing bits of fish. The too small cage being opened into a much larger one, where she is now.

Tears streamed down Cora's face. "You've lost everything." She squeezed Torvid's huge paw and shook her head. "I'm so sorry."

Torvid sent her an image of herself.

"Oh, I've not lost near as much. The only family I had left was a distant Aunt I haven't spoken to in years. All I've lost is the ability to go home."

They sat, hand in paw, for a long time in silence, comforted by each other's presence. At some point, Cora fell asleep.

CHAPTER 6

"Aaaieeeee!"

Cora's eyes flew open. She was on the floor, her head pillowed on Torvid's forearms that were stuck through the bars of the cage. She sat up and darted her eyes to find the source of the high-pitched squeal.

Fen'ies stood at the door, bouncing from foot to foot and wringing her hands together. Cora heard another small squeak before she ran from the hold.

Cora shared a look with Torvid. "What was that all about?"

Torvid mentally shrugged.

"I guess I should go." She looked at Torvid, and the cage that held her. "I should ask before I let you out." Cora considered that for about two seconds. "Better to ask for forgiveness than beg for permission, right?"

She undid the latch and Torvid rubbed herself against Cora's legs as she came out.

They'd started to leave when three warriors slid into the room, weapons drawn. She recognized Craix in the center. Fen'ies stood behind them, still wringing her hands.

"Come here." His voice was dead calm.

"What'd I do?" Cora started walking forward, but Craix stopped her with a hiss.

"Slowly, woman. Do not provoke the preuvret."

"Provoke her?" She looked at Torvid, who shrugged again. "She's my friend."

"That animal is not your friend." She didn't know the one on the left's name, but she disliked him.

"Yes, she is." She looked at the three of them blocking the doorway. "Please move. I'd like to go back to my room now."

"You're not going anywhere with that thing."

Oh yeah. It wouldn't take much for her to hate this guy. "Her name is Torvid."

Craix sighed. "Why must human women be such trouble?"

"Is that a rhetorical question?"

He hung his head. "Just, come here. Please."

"Fine." Cora moved forward, Torvid right on her heels. The three warriors snarled.

"Without the preuvret!"

Torvid hissed. Cora put a hand on her neck. "Sorry, no can do. She goes where I go."

"Impossible. Those animals are dangerous. They've been known to rip a warrior's head from their shoulders."

Cora gave Torvid an 'is he serious?' look. Torvid gave an apologetic shrug. "Well, I'm sure they had a very good reason."

Craix growled in frustration and stepped forward.

Torvid showed her teeth.

He flipped a switch on his weapon and the barrel lit up. "Don't make me hurt her. If you've managed to tame the animal, get it back in the cage and step away."

Torvid sank into a crouch, hissing and whipping her tail. Cora grabbed a hooked pole off the wall and moved in front of the preuvret. "Don't make me hurt you, Craix."

Kiran arrived in the middle of the standoff. Cora watched as his eyes bugged and his jaw dropped. He regained his composure and strode forward, hands on his hips.

The image sent a flush of heat over her skin. Blushing makes it difficult to look like a badass.

"What are you doing?"

With his voice came the ghost of his tongue sliding up her neck. She straightened her spine and locked her knees. "Trying to go back to my room."

"And that?" He cut his eyes to Torvid.

"She's coming with me."

"Preuvret are dangerous, Cora. They've evolved into perfect killing machines over millenia. They can—"

"Right, I know. Rip a warrior's head from their body. I got that part. But she's my friend, she's lonely and so am I. She'll behave." She looked at Torvid, who closed her mouth, tilted her head and perked her ears, looking as innocent as a newborn kitten.

Kiran inched closer until they almost touched. "I will ease your loneliness."

Kiran knew if he leaned in, if he touched her, they wouldn't stop. They would be naked and having sex right there in the cargo hold in front of anyone who cared to watch.

The idea sobered him, and he took a step back.

Cora shook her head, as if she'd just come to the same conclusion. "I'm sure you would."

"Will."

She waved his definitive statement away. "But that's neither here nor there. Right now I want to go back to my room and take a nap. I've got a crick in my neck from sleeping on the floor for star's only knows how long and I need a shower. So if you don't mind, tell the big lugs over there to get out of the way."

"You slept on the floor?"

"I couldn't sleep so I wandered around and ended up here. Torvid's a great listener and at some point I fell asleep." She looked at him with eyes that defied him to tell her she'd made an unwise choice.

He hung his head and sighed in resignation. "Your trust in the preuvret is misguided."

"No, it isn't. She won't bite anyone's head off."

"How do you know?" He crossed his arms to keep them from reaching for her.

She mirrored his stance. "Because she told me."

"She... told you?"

She sighed, dropped her arms and cocked her head at him. "Yes. She told me. Look, it's a whole thing but I really am exhausted. I'll be happy to talk all about it after I've slept. Can we go now?"

A piece of her hair had fallen over one eye. The short, choppy cut matched her spunk. He took a moment too long smoothing it back behind her ear. "You make me want to give you everything."

She snorted. "That's a dangerous thing to say."

"You are the most infuriating and sexiest woman I have ever met."

It threw her off guard. "Thank you?"

"I am lucky to call to you." His eyes closed and he took a deep breath, swaying on his feet toward her. The image of her soft curves pressed against him popped his eyes open.

"That's nice of you to say. I need time to wrap my head around this whole thing." She flapped her hand between them.

His stomach flipped. "You find me lacking."

Her eyes went wide. "Oh no, it's not that. There is nothing," she cleared her throat and her cheeks turned an adorable pink, "lacking about you. I just... I just need time."

He smiled. "I understand." He didn't, but for her his patience was boundless. He stepped aside and gave her a small bow as she passed him.

The others also moved aside to let them leave. Some moving several feet more than necessary, keeping a wary eye on Torvid.

The big animal rubbed its length against his legs as she passed. He swore she was smirking.

He made the quick decision to escort them back to Cora's room, just in case they ran into trouble along the way. She had to have been aware of his presence, even though she refused to turn around. As they walked, he got hotter. He stripped off his outer jacket and tied it around his waist. Her step faltered, but she kept going.

She detoured to the refrigeration until and snuck several fish for the preuvret, who chirped and purred as she ate. She passed him as they came out and he inhaled. He saw her chest rise in response.

He moaned. "It is getting harder not to touch you."

She closed her eyes as she let out the breath. "Yes."

She turned around, and he'd moved so close it was a wonder she didn't hit him as she turned. She backed through the door into her cabin, reaching for the controls. He let the door close between them. He would give her time. He would let her come to him. The state they were both in, he knew it wouldn't be long.

He turned and dragged his feet down the hall.

He made it halfway to his cabin before he went back and slapped his hand against the panel, fighting for control as the door slid open.

Cora could be honest and say at this point her resistance was just the principle of the thing, but that was a thin excuse. She dug deep and decided it was fear. Afraid she would like him, even grow to love him. Afraid she would get so comfortable she wouldn't want to go home.

She flopped back onto the bed. Torvid huffed and moved to give her another four inches of space. She closed her eyes but couldn't stop debating the pros and cons of giving in to Kiran.

The voice inside her head argued she had nothing to go home to. How bad would it be to love someone like Kiran?

Her body knew she'd given in before her mind did. Her clit clenched and she squeezed her thighs together, which only made it worse.

She heard the door slide open but didn't bother cracking her eyes until she felt the bed dip. Kiran loomed over her, not touching but caging her in with strong arms and legs as he crawled up her body. "I tried to leave. I told myself I'd be patient and give you time, but I don't think I can give you more."

She traced his body with her eyes and noted Kiran was in a similar state, and her eyes bugged to see just how big he was. She'd seen a few cocks in her life, but nothing like that. She swallowed hard and he stiffened.

The struggle was evident in his face and she knew it reflected hers. Her body flared to life and she barely noticed Torvid slipping off the bed and padding into the bathroom. With a will of its own, her body rose to meet his. She expected a frenzy when they touched. A frantic scramble to get their clothes off and sink into each other. It surprised her when the opposite happened.

They wasted no time getting naked, undressing each other and only pausing when a limb got in the way. Once they were skin to skin, everything slowed. It felt like they had all the time in the world. Every touch was intense, every slide an experience.

Kiran ran his hands from her shoulders, down her chest and over her stomach and she bucked with his touch. He sat back on his knees, his dick extending up and out like a rigid pole. She almost giggled at the image of her climbing the thing, but the sound caught in her throat when she noticed raised circles ridging his length. He was preoccupied with running his hands over her body. She decided two could play that game and grabbed his cock.

He hissed and leaned in to kiss her, their dueling tongues setting her skin on fire. After being cold for so long, the heat was intense. She let go of him to grab his shoulders as he sucked and licked his way down her body. He shifted his weight, pulling her legs apart and settling between her knees. Grabbing her hips, he anchored her as his mouth fell on her folds, his teeth tugging at her clit.

She exploded. The orgasm was stronger than any she'd had before, almost violent in its intensity. He held on, securing her hips to the bed and staying with her until the tremors faded. He kissed the inside of her thigh and she moaned as her walls clenched.

He crawled up her body until they were eye to eye, the head of his huge cock teasing her entrance. She squirmed, wanting to pull him in to her, but he kept her still.

"Tasting you has ebbed the fire. I can wait if you are still unsure."

"Oh hell no." Cora grabbed his hips and pulled. "Touching you has only stoked mine."

He groaned at her words and pushed forward. He was so big, and filled her so completely, she felt every single ridge as he entered. She moaned, wrapping her legs around his hips and pulled.

He took the not-so-subtle hint and surged forward, pinning her to the bed before sliding back out and ramming home again. Over and over he pumped into her until they were both panting and frenzied, pulling at each other as they slammed their bodies together. He pushed one last time, grinding himself into her and shouting as he came.

He pulled out, dropping back and tugging her hard to his mouth, which had her fisting the sheets and arching her back, feeling like she'd splinter ribs. Her mouth opened in a silent scream as she came again.

They lay there, still intertwined with Kiran's head bobbing on her stomach as she panted.

His voice rumbled through her when he spoke. "You are so beautiful."

She snorted. "You're just saying that because the earth moved and it was mind blowing."

He looked up at her, caressing her face and smoothing her hair. "You are the most beautiful creature I have ever seen. You are a fierce champion and lover. I hope I prove worthy of you."

Cora's heart thumped. How could a man so fierce be so gentle? "You're not so bad yourself."

CHAPTER 7

They were thrown to the floor as the ship listed to the right. Cora heard Torvid scrabbling for purchase in the bathroom, hissing and growling. Kiran was on his feet before she said, "What the fuck was that?"

The cabin door slid open and the sound of a distant alarm flooded the room. They could see other people running past the doorway before Fen'ies popped her head inside to shout between pants, "Evacuate to the shuttle bay!"

"Again?" Cora grunted as she pulled herself up using the side of the bunk.

Kiran was dressed by the time she got upright. "I'll see what's happening." He looked back at her as he hauled himself up and out the doorway. "Head to the shuttle bay. Try to stay out of trouble."

"No promises."

The ship lurched back to the left, throwing her into the bed. Torvid slid on top of her. "Ow."

The big preuvret agreed. Cora patted her head. "Not to worry, I've been through one exploding space station, I'm sure we can survive an exploding spaceship." She swore the alien cat gave her a skeptical look.

She congratulated herself for being agile enough to pull her clothes on despite the lurching floor. She started for the door and the captain's voice reverberated through the ship. "We've had a hull breach on the main level which knocked out the stabilizing thrusters. The Creesachs are patching it, but we must acquire parts for a permanent repair. As a precaution, all non-essential crew should board a shuttle in the event an evacuation is necessary."

The ship jerked and shuddered beneath her feet. It was like walking on a trampoline, only far less fun with a lot more nausea. Most of the way there another roll to the right sent her shoulder-first into the wall. Torvid skidded on the smooth metal surface before extending her claws and piercing the metal flooring. She looked at Cora in triumph.

"Yeah, well, I don't have crampons for feet."

The trip was agonizing. Torvid's every step was a deliberate punch into the floor. Cora winced at the damage to the deck left in their wake, but she couldn't fault the preuvret. Cora was forced to walk at an awkward angle, her hand out in case she needed to catch herself against the wall. Getting to the shuttle bay was a long process. The ship seemed stable in its starboard lean, but a couple of times they had to crawl over unsecured items piled against the wall.

They entered the shuttle bay to chaos.

"So much for evacuating." Cora leaned against the door, mouth open at the sight of three shuttles stacked on top of each other at the far end of the hangar. "I guess they weren't secured either."

Torvid humphed.

There was a crowd of crew sitting along the wall near the shuttles. Stephanie waved to get her attention, and then cocked her head and mouthed, can you believe this?

The ship bounced, tilting further. Several women screamed. Cora shouted, "Fuck!" She grabbed the wall and waited for the ship to settle before joining her friend. "How do you think we're going to land like this?"

"Not well." The brunette sighed. "If I have to die, at least it's after the best sex of my life."

"I can second that."

Stephanie whipped her head. "Yeah?"

Cora sighed. "Yeah. It got so intense I couldn't ignore it, and once we got started there was no stopping." She blushed and grinned at her friend's knowing look.

Stephanie's smile was bright. "Told you the sex was awesome." The ship shuddered. "Of course, if we live and get to have awesome sex again, that would be good."

"Yeah."

Torvid had stayed near the entrance, keeping watch or unwilling to give up her perch Cora wasn't sure, but when the ship started rattling and bucking like a bronc she came loose and tumbled down the incline. She hit the wall next to Cora with a grunt and hissed.

"I don't like it either, but there's nothing I can do about it." She reached out and buried her hand in the fur around the preuvret's neck. Her alien cat friend was more pissed than afraid, and it helped settle her own nerves.

One of the crew opened the bay doors, then climbed into the topmost shuttle. Cora assumed they were determining if it could fly. Smart, but now that only an airlock shield stood between them and the outside they could see what was happening. Miranda squeaked and passed out. Anela, the marine, strung an impressive number of curse words together. Cora scanned the rest of the small group of earthlings.

"Where's Emily?"

Like most of the others, Cora only knew her in passing. She remembered her as an effervescent blonde who talked non-stop. People tended to refer to her in terms usually reserved for baby animals.

"She still hasn't been released from med bay," Anela answered.

Cora winced.

Stephanie rushed to add, "They still think she'll recover, it's just taking a while, and they need things not on the ship."

"Let's hope we recover from this landing." She waved toward the open end of the bay and watched as the planet's surface loomed larger and larger. She didn't get a good look at it, just an impression of brown and green, before the ship tilted.

The crew member who'd gone into the shuttle popped his head out and started yelling for people to get on board. Cora still had her hand in Torvid's ruff, and the image of the horse-sized hippopotamus pig popped into her mind. "We won't leave them." She watched as everyone else piled into the shuttle. She waved the others off after letting Stephanie know she was going to the cargo hold to check on the other animals. Despite the Talia listing again, the shuttle made it out without further damage.

They made the short trip to the cargo hold and found the majority of the cages in good shape. The animals seemed to be okay, if a little upset at the sudden transformation of the ship into a trampoline. It was definitely a distressing situation. Cora did her best impression of someone calm and collected, keeping a soothing tone as she checked each cage.

The floor dropped out and sent her flying. She landed hard, in an abrupt and painful manner, on the sharp edge of a small cage. Fire licked down her thigh as her skin ripped open. She looked down at her thigh muscle and the blood pouring out of her. "Dear universe, that's enough! Now fuck off!" She got her shirt off and tied it around the wound before passing out.

The Talia landed hard on its starboard side. Kiran was outside command, out of the way but close enough if needed. He bounced off the wall and braced himself better before the port side grounded with a whump.

Less than a minute later, he and the other warriors strode into the shuttle bay to make sure everyone else made it off without injury. The shuttle landed just behind the Talia. He was knocked sideways and almost fell when the preuvret ran into his legs. He was aware of the others readying their weapons as the animal pushed its nose into his hand. The image of Cora, bleeding in the cargo hold, flooded his mind.

He turned and ran, yelling at no one in particular to have the Molzaeds ready a med pod.

His foot slipped in her blood as he lifted her and he fell hard on one knee. All he felt was the panicked need to get her help.

From the cargo hold to the med bay was the fastest he'd ever covered a distance. He was aware of the woman in his arms and every drop of blood falling from her leg as he ran. He prayed to every god he knew, and then he prayed to all those he'd ever heard of, that he'd gotten to her in time.

Malven was ready and waiting next to an open pod. Together they stripped away her pants and the makeshift bandage. Malven punched instructions into the control panel, waiting as it hummed to life. He turned to Kiran and put a soft hand on his arm. "She will be fine. She did good, binding the leg. If she hadn't..."

Kiran blocked the what if thoughts that threatened his sanity. Malven pushed him toward the assistant healer who probed his knee before smoothing on healing gel. They didn't try to make him leave her side, instead bringing him a chair. The repair took more than an hour but Kiran didn't move until the pod opened.

He hovered over Cora and let out a breath of relief when she blinked up at him. "Are you all right?"

She nodded. "Good as new." She swung her legs out and sat on the edge of the pod.

"The captain has asked everyone to meet in the shuttle bay."

"Okay, but," she looked down at herself, "I think I should put on pants."

The captain stood on a crate so everyone could see him. "We've landed—"

Anela yelled out, "Crashed!"

Several of those gathered giggled. Cora liked her.

He cleared his throat and started again. "We've landed on the trading planet Grusnov. It's not the worst planet in the galaxy, but it is far from the best. We suggest you," he looked over the crowd but lingered on the humans, "stay on board while we negotiate for parts. If you choose to leave the ship, make sure you have a warrior escort at all times. Repairs will be done in as efficient a manner as possible." He waved toward a small group of the lizard like aliens who scurried down the ramp and onto the surface. "As you see, the Creesachs are already hard at work. We anticipate being able to take off within six hours. I'll be keeping the warriors updated and will announce when repairs are complete."

Stephanie popped up like she was bobbing for apples. "I'm going!" Craix gave her a stone faced look. In response, she put her hands on her hips.

Cora's money was on Stephanie. Sure enough, after a beat, Craix nodded once. Stephanie relaxed and looked back at her. "I will not stay on this stuffy ship when there has to be all manner of alien plants outside."

"I'm not going to stay behind either."

"Yes, you are." Kiran appeared at her shoulder, a fierce look on his face. "I'll be negotiating the purchase of parts. I won't be able to escort you."

She jutted her chin at him. "I can go with you. Plus I have Torvid."

Kiran looked at the animal, who stretched up to her full height, whipped her tail back and forth and bared her fangs. Cora had to admit, she was intimidating.

Kiran sighed and ran his finger down her cheek. "Fine. But no wandering! You stay with me. And if I say we're leaving, we're leaving."

CHAPTER 8

The planet's surface was covered in jagged patches of brown and orange coarse, hard-packed sand that butted up against areas of verdant green grass spiked with trees that towered over her. Stephanie will be in hog heaven. The other women chose to stay on the ship with the bulk of the crew. She, Torvid and Kiran left, taking Brak and Rozal with them.

It appeared the Ka'atari and the preuvret were well known. They were given a wide berth by everyone they passed.

Paths were laid out straight from a cluster of landing pads with no care whether they crossed sand or grass, but the footing was even. Torvid availed herself of a tree trunk they passed, rubbing her entire length along it, then turning to do her other side. She loped to catch up with them, shaking out her fur.

Cora scratched between her horns. "Feel better?"

The preuvret purred.

In short course they entered a large settlement. An open air market dominated the main space, ringed with buildings made of a mix of sand blocks and timber. Vendors shouted the merits of their wares and dancers with jewel-colored skin enticed men to join them. Everywhere she turned there was something vivid and extraordinary to look at.

Cora walked sandwiched between Kiran and Torvid. She felt safe, but checked that her rifle's strap was secure. She also had a knife hidden in her boot. She was more comfortable with a rifle, but Kiran insisted she take it, just in case. She didn't ask in what kind of case she might expect to need it.

One dancer approached them, ignoring Cora and going straight for Brak. He was large, with a rugged face accentuated by a nose that looked like it was broken one too many times and failed to heal straight. The flaw made him look more dangerous—and more appealing. His easy smile and natural charm only enhanced his image. It was understandable she'd ignore the rest of them. She pushed herself against him hip first before rolling her body flat on his chest and snaking an arm around his neck. He grinned before setting her aside. "Maybe later."

She pouted and trailed her hand down his arm as they walked away.

An alien as wide as he was tall stepped in front of her and waved six arms in her face—all of them holding bright swatches of gauzy material. "Make you pretty dress from these." Drool fell from his open maw as he spoke.

"No thank you." She tried not to recoil.

Just when she was about to pull the toddler "Are we there yet?" whine, they arrived. Their destination was a nondescript building with a large arched opening. There were no lights inside, but once Cora's eyes adjusted she could see. A rough-hewn table sat at the back of the room with three aliens varying in levels of weird facing them. Other creatures were scattered on the floor, sitting on dull mats or pillows. Half of them were tinkering with machines, and the other half looked stoned out of their gourd.

The warriors marched to the alien seated at the far right. As she got closer, she realized that it wasn't three aliens, but one with three heads. Can't be polite to have my mouth hang open. What she could see of the body was nondescript, but each head was wildly different. The left was long and sinuous, with no mouth to speak of and no visible ears, just four black dots she assumed were eyes. Its skin was smooth and gray. The middle was wide with a short neck. Horns rimmed the edge of its bowl like skull. It was a dark, cracked brown like leather left in the sun for too long. She couldn't see eyes or a mouth and wondered if it were more like an appendage than a head.

The one on the right was a more normal shape, though everything was a tad too large, making it look off in that way you can't quite put a finger on. Kiran stepped up to the table and laid his hand palm side up in front of it. "Fair space, Trade."

A hand that looked like three stuffed sausages appeared and mirrored the gesture. "Distant stars, Warrior. What can I do for you?"

"Our ship is in need of repair. We hope Trade has the parts for purchase."

The fat hand flipped, the fingertips smoothing the surface of the table. "You have a list of the required parts?"

Kiran nodded. "Of course." He slid a tablet no larger than a deck of cards across.

Cora thought the alien would crush it in his thick fingers, but he managed quite well when a skinnier arm ending in a pincer appeared from his other side. What kind of environment evolved this thing?

"It seems we have what you need. You have payment?" Trade's eyes lit up with calculation.

Big blue nodded. "Denchui credits."

The alien cut his eyes at Kiran. "Credits are good, yes?"

"Yes, they are good credits. We need the parts delivered right away."

Trade tapped its pincer hand and a loud humming came from the gray head. The warriors looked relaxed, but she could tell they were more alert than calm as they waited. She shuffled her feet and tamped down the urge to hum the Jeopardy theme song. After about ten minutes a lumbering, short creature with a wide back and short limbs appeared. He had a crate on his back, held in place with one flat hand. His other dragged a path behind him on the floor.

Cora thought he looked like a moving rock.

The creature stopped in front of Rozal, who opened the crate and looked through the parts inside. "One of them is missing."

The Trade creature's heads, Cora wasn't sure if that was his name or occupation, nodded. "The final part is off site." He waved to an alien sitting on the floor sporting the look of someone who had taken way too many recreational drugs. "Ottex will escort you."

Kiran narrowed his eyes. "I will give no credits until our entire order is fulfilled."

"Then all parts shall remain until you return." The sausage fingers tapped the table.

He shook his head. "No, repairs must be started immediately."

"Then you will leave collateral." Trade's pincer rubbed the middle head's chin. "Perhaps we keep your creature."

The way he pointed, Cora didn't know if he was talking about her or Torvid.

Kiran and Brak spoke in unison. "No."

The tone of their voices made even Cora want to shrink away. Torvid, on the other hand, lowered her body and bared her teeth, hissing.

The alien seemed unaffected. "We need collateral. Make sure you don't take these parts and leave. We will take good care of it."

Cora inched closer to Torvid and buried her hand in the preuvret's ruff. Images of the alien in pieces flashed through her mind. She turned her back to the table and motioned Kiran over. He backed up, standing close to keep their conversation as private as possible. "As much as I hate to say it, we have little choice."

He glanced at Torvid. "I don't think it's a good idea."

"I don't like it either, but we need those parts and I don't think they're the type to budge."

Kiran scrubbed at his cheek. "Will she stay if you stay with her?"

"Which one of us are you talking to? Which of us is the collateral?"

"Does it matter?"

Cora huffed. "I guess not. We'll be fine either way. Do you trust them?"

He looked at the alien over her shoulder. "Not really, but I trust you and Torvid. I've seen you handle a rifle and with Torvid as backup I know you will cut down anything that tries to harm you."

That gave her the warm fuzzies and she grinned. "Damn right we will. What about you?"

"Rozal will escort this crate to the ship so the Creesachs can get started. Brak and I will go with Ottex and get the remaining part."

"Stay safe," she whispered in his ear. "I'm not near done with you."

He smiled at her in a way that sent heat flooding her skin. Leaning down, he kissed her cheek.

She bit his earlobe and heard the air hiss through his teeth. She pulled away and grinned, waving airily as they left. As soon as they were out of sight, she faced the alien and put her hands on her hips. "So what is there to do around here?"

"You've completed rhun."

Brak's voice seemed loud after the silence of the last few minutes. Kiran was lost in thoughts dominated by Cora. Leaving her made him nervous. Not because he thought her in danger. No, his small warrior was fierce and capable. Even without the preuvret by her side. One of the other earth women was timid and prone to crying, so he knew it wasn't a trait shared among their race. She handled the battle to leave the space station and all the challenges thrown at her since with courage.

Instead, it was being separated from her that hurt. The call was pulling him to her, but it was more than that. She had become a large part of his life in such a short time. On some level, it scared him. Despite the fear he wanted to run full speed with her into the future.

They followed Ottex, who hadn't said a word since they left Trade. Kiran was worried about their guide's ability to find anything. He swayed and stumbled and weaved from one side of the path to the other, but so far his course was relatively stable. It was nice to be out of the confines of the ship so he would be patient a bit longer.

"Yes." He grinned at his friend. "I never thought it would happen. I never dreamed of it happening." He shook his head. "The stars have strange ways, Brak. The odds of a Ka'atari being called are one in one thousand at best, and yet, three human women have called to us."

Brak looked over at him. "Yes. It makes you wonder if they are particularly suited to rhun."

Kiran nodded. "The Molzaed are exploring that possibility for us. I've already spoken to the captain about it. He agrees that if they are more likely to rhun, we must tell Sucaen. We plan to give the healers until we reach Lannidies to have a more definite answer on that point."

"Smart." Brak adjusted the rifle strap crossed over his chest. "The chief's desire to rhun is well known. He may not be able to make an unbiased decision. I admit, the idea is enough to give the rest of us hope."

Kiran grabbed his friend's shoulder. "I'm sorry. It must be hard for you and Rozal."

"No. We are happy to see our friends mated. Besides, any jealousy evaporated when we realized it would be entertaining to watch the three of you struggle." Brak's booming laugh was infectious.

Kiran endured continued good natured teasing until Ottex waved toward a hole in the ground.

"Down, down."

Kiran and Brak looked at each other, then back at Ottex. "You first."

The alien led the way. Kiran and Brak shared a look.

"I don't like this." Brak leaned over the edge.

"Neither do I. Let's get the part and get out of here." They followed Ottex, now on high alert. The hole soon opened into a cavernous warehouse flooded with brilliant lights. When all three were off the ladder, Ottex bobbed and weaved his way through long rows of shelving units. At the opposite end of the room, he stopped and pointed up.

"There, there."

Kiran reached for the part and put it into a pack at his waist. As they turned to leave, a small mech rolled into view at the end of the row.

Both of the warriors crouched, swinging their rifles into position. The mech paused, but continued on its way.

"Maintenance bot?"

Ottex turned and ran, disappearing among the shelves.

"Fuck!" Brak ran after him.

"Let him go. Let's just get out of here."

Brak nodded and they jogged for the ladder. They were halfway through the warehouse when weapons fire erupted from their left. Kiran winced as he watched Ottex crawling between shelves several rows over, desperate to get away from one of the small mechs firing on him. Even after the alien ceased moving, the mech continued to fire.

Another appeared in front of them. They rolled in opposite directions, using the shelves for cover. As they took out one bot, another would take its place. Kiran lost count of how many they'd disabled, focused on finding a path back to the ladder. They weren't wearing full armor, and he wanted out before he and Brak sustained damage.

Brak had brought a full complement of weapons, but most were too risky to use in a confined underground space. The mechs didn't share the same self-preservation.

The first one to lob a grenade missed, but the explosion rocked the shelves, dumping the contents onto the floor. The warriors pivoted to avoid the falling junk. The bots weren't as fast getting out of the way. They struggled to free themselves from a tangle of wire and mangled metal. Brak and Kiran used the time to sprint for the ladder.

Halfway up it dawned on Kiran they were now sitting ducks. The bots started firing, but every shot went wide. Then just as fast as the fight had started, it stopped. He looked back just before they lost sight of the room to see the mechs crowded around the base of the ladder, sparks and smoke pouring out of them. He didn't stop to wonder what happened.

He kept telling himself Cora was fine. She had Tobriv and could take care of herself. His anxiety turned to fury as they stormed into Trade's building. Tobriv was in the middle of the floor, laying on a thick pile of blankets and chewing on... something that looked suspiciously like a limb. A puddle of glowing goo oozed from one wall. Cora sat at a triangular table with Trade and another creature, playing a game of vermklack. Everything came to a halt as Brak and Kiran rounded on Trade.

Both of his arms shot into the air. "Warriors are undamaged! This is not unexpected, but still good. I shut them down as soon as they communicated the alert."

The warriors said nothing. Kiran threw a mangled piece of mech in front of him. Cora looked at it, then to Kiran, and finally to Trade who looked a bit pale. She asked, "What happened?"

It was Trade who answered. "The mechs malfunctioned. As reparation, Trade will not charge for the part or port fees. You retrieved it?" When he got no response, he continued as though they'd answered. "Good!"

Kiran addressed Cora. "Let's go."

"You're okay? Both of you?"

He reached out and stroked her cheek. "Yes. But the sooner we leave, the better."

"Can we finish this round? Trade taught me to play and I'm cleaning the floor with them."

He scowled, but nodded.

Knowing they needed to wrap it up in a hurry, the third player used a spiked hand to throw his tiles on the table in triumph.

Trade tsked. "Not so fast, my friend." He laid his tiles out one by one, and all his heads looked victorious as he revealed his superior hand.

Cora snorted. "You guys are such suckers."

The other two groaned as she put down her tiles, raking in the large mound of credits from the center of the table. She stuffed them into every pocket she had, then jumped out of her chair, causing a few to escape. She retrieved them and took Kiran's hand.

He looked her over in concern. "You are all right?"

"Yes! I mean, we had to kill someone, but other than that it's been fun."

"Do I want to ask why you had to kill someone?"

She tilted her head before answering. "No, I don't think so." She smiled up at him. "You were right though. Tobriv can bite a head clean off." Cora grinned and looked back at Tobriv. "Who's a good alien kitty?" The preuvret purred.

Brak stared in horror at the large animal who had paused to look up at them, with what was bone sticking out one side of her mouth. "I think I'm going to be sick."

CHAPTER 9

The Talia was peeking into view when the Creesachs descended on them with raucous squeaks. They swarmed around Kiran, who grunted and handed them the part from his pouch.

Cora watched as they skittered off, clicking at each other. "Is Trade native to this planet?"

"No. There aren't any sentient creatures native to Grusnov. It was a barren planet with no atmosphere before the traders attempted to terraform it. As you can see, it wasn't entirely successful. Enough to create an atmosphere, and water, but the lush planet they wanted remained interspersed with the original barren sand."

"What does your planet look like?"

His face relaxed and he smiled. "My planet is lush and filled with plant and animal life. Both of which can be unforgiving. There are dense forests and a vast sea that covers almost half the planet. "

"Will we go there, or stay on the Talia, or do you live on the council planet?"

They were in the main level ship's hallway and he stopped, grabbed her and pushed her against the wall, covering her with his body and kissing the daylights out of her. Her body reacted and she would have climbed him right there if he hadn't pulled back.

His intense stare made her head swim and her body strain to get closer. "What was that for?"

"You will go home with me."

"Where else would I go? It's not like I can go home. And I can't leave you until I get pregnant so,...?" She cringed when his face fell. "I didn't mean it like that."

He moved further away. "You are free to go where ever you wish when rhun is fulfilled. Ka'atari are welcome to go their separate ways."

"Few do though, right?" A shadow of something crossed his face. She wanted to ask what was behind it, but was too slow.

"It's not unheard of." He started walking again. "If that is your choice, I will make sure you have everything you need to live in whatever manner you desire."

Cora smoothed her hand down his powerful forearm, curling around to capture his hand. "Please understand, Kiran. On top of being ripped away from earth—the only planet I thought existed until a few days ago—is the fact I know nothing about your culture, your race, or even the politics at play in this galaxy." She took a deep breath. "It's... a lot. I didn't mean to upset you."

"I understand." He leaned in and put his forehead against hers, but his eyes remained distant.

It looked like he might say more, but a crew member interrupted them. "The captain wants to see you, sir."

Kiran groaned. "I'll be there in a moment."

"He also would like to see Cora." The ensign swallowed hard. "And the preuvret."

It was Cora's turn to groan. The animal in question had laid down next to the couple, bored with their antics. Cora reached into Tobriv's fur. She gave her the mental shrug Cora was learning was part affront and part amusement.

Cora looked at Kiran with a wince.

The bridge was a hive of activity, but instead of being chaotic it was a well choreographed dance. Like the other warrior races, the captain was human looking. His ears came to a soft point and his skin was a rich black shot through with thin stripes of bronze. His uniform was unadorned and utilitarian. He didn't need rank insignias—his confidence marked his station.

His arms were crossed and his lips pressed into a tight slash. He glared at her, then Tobriv, and back to her before turning to Kiran.

"Captain Anzaes, I'd like to introduce Cora, my rhun."

"It's very nice to meet you, captain." She wondered if she should curtsy.

"I am pleased to make your acquaintance. I wish it were under more favorable conditions."

Fuck.

"It seems your pet has caused an incident we need to address." He picked up a photograph and held it out for her to see. "Do you recognize this male?"

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. "Um, yes. That would be the guy who insisted I sell him Tobriv. I kept telling him she wasn't for sale, that I had nothing to do with it—she chose where she wanted to go and who she wanted to go with, but he seemed to think I should be able to force her. Then he pulled a gun on me," she winced, "so she ate him."

She kept her eyes on the captain, but saw Kiran turn toward her in shock. "That's the owner of the leg?"

"I'm afraid so." Cora patted Tobriv's head. "To be honest, he was kind of a dick."

Captain Anzaes's lips twitched. "I don't disagree, but the issue is that he was the planet representative's son."

"Oh." Cora looked around the bridge and saw all the crew members looking at her with a mix of amusement and horror. "I could send him an apology letter? Sorry my friend ate your asshole son?" Snickers sounded from the bridge.

The captain spun to locate the offender, but everyone turned to their stations and became engrossed in their tasks. He looked back at her. "That would be a start. He's also asked for restitution."

"What kind of restitution?" Kiran sounded wary.

"He hinted that he would be happy with credits."

"I can do that!" Cora walked to a chart table and began pulling coins from her pockets. They formed a small mountain when she finished. "Is this enough?"

The crew stared at her vermklack winnings in awe. Even the captain looked impressed. "I think that's more than enough. I'll have it delivered along with sincere apologies on our behalf. Please see that your pet stays out of trouble for the remainder of our journey." He looked at Tobriv. "If another incident occurs, I'll be forced to put it back in confinement."

Tobriv hissed and Cora smacked her horns. "Behave." The preuvret humphed and then raised her tail. The slow hiss of her passing gas was plain for everyone to hear. Cora swore she could see the grin on her face just before the worst smell in the known universe flooded the bridge. "Oh my god what is that?"

Her hand was still in Tobriv's fur, so the image of the male in question popped into her head. Cora couldn't decide whether to laugh or gag.

On the walk back to Kiran's quarters they kept "accidentally" brushing hands. The heat between them increased along with their pace. They were speed walking when they hit the door. They didn't wait for it to shush closed behind them before tearing at each other's clothes. The uncertainty surrounding her new situation and the Ka'atari all flew out of Cora's head as the need to get as close as possible to Kiran intensified.

Once naked, they crashed into each other, licking, kissing and groping in a frenzy. "Christ, does this ever stop? Or get less intense?" Cora moaned when Kiran pushed her back on the bed.

"I don't know."

He yanked her legs apart and the cool air hitting her folds made her groan and arch her back. He pushed her knees up, opening her further before plunging into her with a growl. He slid his hands down the inside of her thighs as he pumped into her, circling her clit with one thumb while the other hand held her steady. The ridges on his cock hit her in all the right places and all it took was her looking up at him to send her into convulsions of pleasure.

He held his thumb still, waiting for the first wave to pass before attacking her again. She exploded, crying out with the intense release. Her pussy grasped at him, wanting all he could give.

He rammed his cock home at a furious pace until finally his own release came.

It took a while for their breathing to return to normal. They were still entwined when the ship vibrated and shuddered, pulling away from the surface of Grusnov. Cora felt Kiran's dick pulse to life and her body responded without hesitation.

He took the time to reposition them on the bed before sliding down and settling his shoulders between her thighs. He spent the rest of the ascent timing his fingers and tongue to take advantage of the ship's tremors as it fought free of the planet's atmosphere. With the last jolt, he slid into her. He rocked, sliding in and out of her as they lifted from the bed. He used the short bit of float before the gravity systems activated to position them just right. When the Talia's long range engines kicked on, they plummeted to the bunk. He slammed on top of her, penetrating her to the hilt and filling her like she'd never been before.

The orgasm was earth shattering. He smiled down at her and she laughed. "You know, back on the Shangris I promised myself if I ever got on solid ground I'd never go into space again, but now I'm thinking you could persuade me."

He chuckled before rolling out of bed and pulling clothes on. "There is a space station orbiting Kifoth that serves as a communication relay for the Ka'atari system. Perhaps we can be an envoy. It would mean making the trip at least twice a month."

Cora propped her head on her hand, watching as he moved around the room. "So we're going to to your planet then?"

Kiran stilled and looked at her. "It is your choice, of course. You may stay on the council planet."

"What choices do we have? I mean all the women, not just me." She stood and pulled on her pants. "I'd like to get the other women together and give them options as a group."

Kiran nodded and kissed her, lingering over the contact. He looked into her eyes and brushed her hair with his fingers. "The alliance will arrange for each of you to have enough funds so finances won't dictate your choice. There are many planets and many jobs available, and we will do what we can to ease placement. I suggest they stay on the Talia, Lannidies or one of the Ka'atari planets until they're comfortable navigating society."

"Good advice."

"You should ask Fen'ies to put together a small primer on the options that would suit each of you best."

"I will." Cora followed as he left the cabin.

He paused and smoothed her hair. "I will support what ever decision you make."

She smiled up at him. "Thank you."

CHAPTER 10

Fen'ies helped her gather good options for all the human women, save Emily who was still in a medically induced coma in med bay. When they felt like they had enough choices for each, they gathered everyone around a large table in the common room.

"Everything has been... a lot. We should start a group therapy for ex-pat Terrans." Cora giggled and some others followed suit. "We were still in shock when we introduced ourselves, and I don't know about you but I don't remember much of those three days." Several nods encouraged her to continue. I'm Cora. I was a lab tech aboard the Shangris. I joined the crew for excitement and adventure. I didn't know I was signing up for quite this much." She nodded to Stephanie to get the circle going.

"I'm Stephanie. I was lead plant biologist. I was on board because none of my colleagues were crazy enough to go."

Anela was next. "I'm Anela. I was part of the marine unit assigned to the Shangris. The post was supposed to be boring." She laughed.

"My name is Zoranna. I know most of you saw me standing behind the Shangris director. I was his assistant." She blinked a few times before saying in a quiet voice, "He was in the media room."

Everyone knew the media room was one of the first to go.

The next woman gave her a quick hug. "I'm Gabriella. I'm a xenobiologist. People whispered about me on the station as being the crazy lady who believed in aliens." She snorted and rolled her eyes. "I'd throw it in their faces, but I think most of them are dead."

The next stood and chased her words out. "Razili. I'm a chemist." She sat. Gabriella rubbed her back, and she smiled in thanks.

"I'm Miranda. I was the lead physicist's assistant." She looked at the ceiling for a moment. "He was an asshole."

Everyone laughed.

The last of them sat forward. "I am Willow. Anthropologist and the station's indigenous culture expert." She looked at the group. "To be honest, I never knew why a space station needed an anthropologist, but here I am."

"I wish we had all met before, and whatever we decide we should keep in touch." The women nodded in agreement with Cora. "For now we have choices to think about. After the Shangris disintegrated and we were sucked through a wormhole—"

"More like a tunnel created by their light-speed tech," Miranda interrupted.

"Right. What she said." Cora smiled at her. "The result is that we are now in an entirely different region of space. The crew did map our solar system, but there aren't any reference points that link it to their known space. Which means the odds of us getting back to earth are slim to none. We are on our way to Lannidies, the planet serving as Denchui Alliance's headquarters. The alliance is like the U.N. back home." She took a deep breath. "The council wants to talk to us since we're a new race from a never before mapped area of space. Zoranna, you're used to dealing with politicians so I was hoping you could represent us?"

"Sure."

"Great. Since Lannidies is a major hub, I asked about what sort of choices we have as far as our future is concerned. You can stay there or travel on to the warrior's planetary system aboard the Talia. They've advised we should stay in one or the other until we learn a little more about," she shook her head, "everything. They won't stop us from branching out on our own, but we're in the deep end of an unfamiliar ecosystem and we don't even know what the predators look like. Either way, they're setting up funds for us to make sure we don't have to make hasty decisions."

"What are the pros and cons of Lannidies versus the Ka'atari planets?" Gabriella asked.

"They assured me you'll find work on Lannidies, and the crew will stand as references if need be. Most of those positions will either be in the political sector, or service industries supplying the politicians. From there, the universe is your oyster. Traffic to and from the planet is non stop and the universe is vast. Just be smart and research where you'd like to go.

"The warrior planets don't use currency, per se, but more of a barter system. Practical skills will be of more value on those worlds, although Kadeya, the Trelxak planet, is all about technology. You'll be taken care of on any of the Ka'atari planets. Women are valued and respected as equals. Fen'ies and I have made lists of careers and planets you might enjoy. Those, along with more about the cultures of the alliance, the major planetary systems of members and the warriors are on your tablets."

"So politics or labor?"

Anela broke the silence. "There's also the war against the Scozid, and thus a military need for those like me who prefer to fight."

Several women looked at her in horror, but Willow seemed intrigued.

"Every career that existed on Earth exists out here—along with things I've never heard of. There's no need to decide now. We have a few days before we get to Lannidies."

Cora's statement served as an adjournment of the meeting, and the women opened their tablets to read and discuss the options Fen'ies had gathered for them. Stephanie would go on to Kifoth, of course, and Zoranna decided to stay on Lannidies. Anela revealed she had already spoken to the captain. He had arranged for her to transfer to a Trelxak ship. The cyborg warriors planned to leave the council soon after arrival to patrol the border between alliance and Scozid space. They were itching for a fight, and so was she.

Stephanie sidled up to Cora. "What are you going to do?"

"I have to go where Kiran goes until we sort this whole rhun thing." She slanted her eyes at her friend. "How are you so calm and accepting of all this?"

She shrugged. "I've always wanted to have kids, I just hadn't met the right guy. I guess I see this whole thing as a bit of fate. Plus," she leaned in and lowered her voice, "I'm falling in love with the big guy."

Cora jerked. "That fast?"

She smiled. "Yeah. I never was the love at first sight type, but maybe for me it's love at first mind-numbing orgasm. Or the second—or tenth. I suspect it's a combination of the mechanics of rhun, whatever they are, and proximity. Plus the pixie dust of mysterious things that make you fall in love with someone."

Stephanie moved off to mingle and left Cora pondering her own feelings. Could she fall in love with Kiran? Did she want to? There was nothing waiting for her back on Earth, even if they somehow found a way to get home. With Kiran she felt wanted, protected, and equal. Things she hadn't felt in a long time. If she ever had.

Tobriv pushed her nose into Cora's thigh. Then there was the matter of her preuvret friend. She couldn't imagine another society welcoming her, what with her disturbing tendency to eat people. Not to mention the noxious gas that came after. She didn't think the excuse of 'but they're all bad people' would get them very far.

"What would you like to do? I can take you home." She ran her fingers through the soft fur at her neck. Tobriv looked at her with sad eyes. The image of her home came to mind, then everything dissolved. There was nothing left for her there. Cora bent and kissed her between the horns. "I understand. Seems like we both have more waiting ahead of us than we left behind."

After an hour of listening to the others, she slipped out of the common room with Tobriv on her heels. She was wandering aimlessly and found herself outside the medical bay. She hesitated in the doorway, but Malven saw her and waved her in. They were standing over the pod that still contained Emily. "How is she?"

Her question snapped awake a Trelxak warrior who had fallen asleep at the pod's side. "Who are you?"

Tobriv hissed. Cora shushed her. "That's a fine how do you do. I'm her friend. Who are you?"

He stood up. He was as tall as Kiran, and just as wide. But where Kiran's skin was a smooth blue, this warrior was beige. He could have passed for a human with a bad tan if not for his size, and the thin metal lines that ran around one eye before tracing the side of his neck. Feeling brave with Tobriv and Malven present, she moved closer and looked him in the eyes. His hands fisted at his sides, showing one of them traced in the same metal lines.

Cora was about to repeat her question when Malven stepped forward. They made a small circle with one hand over the pod, and it lit up with orange and green lights, foreign words flashing across a screen. "Her condition is stable, but continues to be perilous. We are not sure why she isn't improving. There are more advanced facilities on Lannidies. She will be transferred there when we arrive."

She nodded. She would like to pick at the warrior more, but something made her stop. Lines of worry and exhaustion patterned his face. Something told Cora he was frightened for Emily.

She turned for Kiran's cabin. No sense in wandering around bored when big blue is close by and more than willing to entertain me. Her pace quickened.

The mental image of bunching muscles and the sheen of sweat sent her into overdrive. Fuck. She'd avoided thoughts dwelling too much on Kiran—or more precisely on Kiran's body and what it could do to hers—but now she was hip deep in arousal and wondering if she could pull off running through the hallway. She did her best impression of an Olympic speed walker.

She made it inside before someone caught her dazed, panting and squeezing her thighs together. The cabin was empty. She flopped back on the bunk but couldn't lay still. She got up in frustration and paced the small room back and forth and back and forth before muttering fuck it and stripping. She laid back on the bunk and ran her hands over her breasts, down her stomach and onto her thighs. In her mind she saw Kiran between her legs, his hands moving up, opening her folds and teasing her opening.

The vision was so vivid she almost came right then. She licked her lips and drew her fingertip up, resting it on her clit and pressing. She moaned, the silence in the room making it seem louder than it was which fueled her desire more.

She swirled her finger in a circle, pushing the hard nub ahead of it. Slowly at first, then picking up speed and adding pressure. She moaned again and quickened her pace. She was close when the door opened.

Kiran growled. "You should have waited."

"I couldn't."

"You should have called for me."

"I don't know how."

He tore at his clothes and dove between her legs, shoving her hands aside and replacing them with his own.

Cora cried out as the wave hit her and again when he left her, sighing with pleasure when he returned to shove inside. She had worked herself to a frenzy and he responded in kind. He lifted her hips and she lifted one foot onto his shoulder, urging him deeper, faster and harder.

He came with a shout and rolled them in the bed so she lay on top of him. After a few seconds, he took her hips and began to move. He was still hard inside her. She rocked back in surprise and as he circled her clit with his thumb, she started to ride.

Landing on Lannidies was not what anyone would call fun. The central planet of the Alliance was a very popular place, and ship traffic reflected that. In its less than optimal state, the Talia took umbrage at hovering over the crowded pads for more than an hour waiting for clearance to land. As time wore on, the engines became louder in their protest. By the time they finally set down, the passengers and crew heard pops and pings which revealed later to be various parts of the ship falling off in frustration.

As soon as the ramp lowered, several crew members raced off the ship and into the dock area, presumably to seek employment on sturdier vessels. Everyone else milled about in the hangar. Tobriv stayed close to Cora and she stuck close to Kiran. Stephanie and Craix, plus two of the other Ka'atari warriors, rounded out their small group. Cora watched as the beige cyborg walked Emily's pod down the ramp, followed by Malven. Anela and the other two Trelxak on board followed.

"Going to check out their ship. I'll be back in time for the council meeting," she called as she passed. The others would stay on board until it was time for Fen'ies to escort them to what Gabriella referred to as 'the exhibition.'

For the past three days, when she wasn't being twisted into pretzel orgasms by Kiran, she was reading the history and culture of the triplet planetary system that contained Kifoth. The Trelxak and the Rucieth shared the planet Kadeya. It had temperate weather, but almost every native plant and animal was deadly. The technology in the Trelxak's cybernetics and the Rucieth's armor plating were developed to keep them alive.

The ice planet Kocylite was similarly home to two warrior factions. The Azars had a reputation of being rash and savage and held a low opinion of most other races. They had joined the fight against the Scozid, not for any altruistic reason, but because they loved to fight. From everything Cora had read, they were damn good at it. Rozal was an Azar, but something told Cora he wasn't as reckless as he'd like everyone to believe. The Okan were cunning and deliberate. Their ability to strategize and see the big picture as well as all the small moving parts made them excellent leaders. Captain Anzaes was an Okan warrior.

Then there was Kifoth. According to the tablet, it had an orange atmosphere and tectonic plates that shifted constantly. One scientist described it like feeling as though you are standing on a moving platform. Great chasms open and mountains spring up in weeks, if not days. The landscape is always changing. Even the non-sentient beings on the surface have evolved the ability to move, plants and trees uprooting themselves and moving much like tumbleweeds.

It was no wonder that system had produced warrior races. All three of the planets were unforgiving environments and barely classified as habitable. She and Stephanie would have to toughen up if they wanted to survive.

Or maybe she should stay on Lannidies. The thought crossed her mind once or twice, but was always rejected. She hated politics and the subtle machinations of navigating among politicians. No, she'd leave that to Zoranna and others like her who thrived on that sort of thing. Give her a shifting tectonic plate any day.

As if to test her mettle, the ship rumbled beneath her feet. The two women exchanged a glance and then nonchalantly double timed it down the loading ramp and onto more solid ground. Only it wasn't ground, but a landing pad several hundred feet above the surface. A wide bridge connected the pad to the main building.

There were small vendors along the bridge hawking cheap souvenirs and easy flesh. Stephanie made a face. Cora thought it was the display of women, men, and who only knew what that was, offered for sale, but it offended her for an entirely different reason.

"Not a single blade of grass. No plant life anywhere."

Craix smiled at her. "This planet was barren long before the Alliance chose it for their headquarters."

"They could've planted some trees."

He leaned down and kissed her. "Kifoth is full of plants."

She wasn't mollified. "We're not on Kifoth yet, and all this concrete makes me nervous."

Kiran turned to Cora. "There is time before you need to speak with the council. My team is meeting with the Ka'atari chieftain." He hesitated. "Can you stay on the ship? This planet is dangerous for reasons more than physical."

She was already shaking her head. "Nope." She waved at Tobriv. "I can't stay cooped up in our cabin and we'll just be in the way on the ship. Stephanie and I will stay together, and Tobriv will be with us. We'll be fine."

He didn't look happy, but he didn't argue. He pulled out a small communicator and handed it to her. "For emergency."

She'd never admit it, but being able to call him in as backup if she needed made her feel better. She tucked it into the thin pack she wore around her waist.

He took a knife and its sheath off his belt and fastened it onto hers. "For extra backup." He leaned down and kissed her before dropping a small peck on the tip of her nose. He turned and made his way across the bridge with the rest of his team.

"I hate to watch him leave—"

Stephanie finished for her with a sigh. "But I love to watch him go."

They both dissolved into laughter as the very fine asses on their warrior mates disappeared into the building.

CHAPTER 11

It took about ten minutes for the women to decide what they'd do to pass the time. While they were debating, Gabriella joined them. Since they didn't know what options were available, they decided to just wander until something struck their fancy. They passed a bar first. Cora could see a rousing game of vermklack happening in the back. Stephanie urged her to play, having heard of her exploits on Grusnov, but she thought better of it. Being a political seat, there were way too many notable dignitary assholes present, and she didn't want to explain another horrible Tobriv fart.

They found a pretty courtyard with a fountain and street food vendors and they tried several things, never examining the food too closely.

They wandered the area for about an hour, chatting with each other and those friendly and brave enough to approach and ask about the preuvret. It turned out Gabriella was clever and observant. She was striking and attractive, with an air of not giving two fucks what others thought. She was easy to like.

They were smiling and laughing as a very young alien sporting antennae and webbed hands smacked Tobriv on the nose in the guise of petting her. After clearing it with her, Cora assured the horrified parents it was fine and the big animal was smitten by the child's antics. She huffed and nosed the little one and it laughed in that carefree way of the very young.

They attracted a small crowd of people awed at the big preuvret and the tiny child. Gabriella tapped Cora's arm and nodded toward a very large body in the crowd. From the size, he had to be a warrior. He wore a long cape with the hood pulled up, his features disappearing in the shadow.

"Isn't that an Azar?"

Cora looked closer at him, but still couldn't make out any identifying characteristics. "How would you know? I can't tell."

"They're bigger than the others. Plus, look at the crowd, no one wants to get too close."

She was right. Even though people were crowding for a better look at Tobriv and the child, they were careful to give him plenty of space. While they were puzzling over him, he reached up and lowered his hood.

"Definitely an Azar." Cora shuddered. But where Rozal had an easy smile and a devil my care attitude, this one was huge and looked very mean. Scars criss-crossed his forearms and marked his face. This warrior was throwing off definite "don't fuck with me" vibes. He was staring at Gabriella.

Cora startled when Gabriella took a step toward him. She grabbed her arm. "Nope."

The other woman looked at her in confusion, and when they looked back, the warrior was gone. Cora turned to Stephanie. "We should go back to the ship. Now."

"What happened?"

"We can talk about it on the way."

They gathered their things, said goodbye to the child and its parent with as few words as possible, and made a beeline for the Talia. Halfway there, Gabriella planted her feet.

"I have to go back."

"No, no," Cora shook her head, "no you don't." She tugged on her arm but the blonde wouldn't budge.

"You don't understand." Her eyes were wild and shone with unshed tears. "I have to go back. The further away we get, the worse I feel. There's a gnawing in my stomach and my heart is pounding and I can't explain it but it has something to do with that warrior."

Stephanie rubbed her back. "It's rhun."

Cora frowned. "Fuck." She moved to stand in front of the other woman. "Look, I get it, I do. The good news is the orgasms are outstanding. The bad news is that we," she made a circle between them, "are expected by the council in just a few minutes."

As if on cue, the communicator in Cora's pouch squeaked to life. Kiran's muffled voice rose from her hip. "Time to return to the ship, ladies."

She grabbed it out and hit the button. "On our way." The communicator tucked back in the pouch, she made sure Gabriella looked her in the eyes. "As soon as they are done with us, you can go to him."

She shook her head. "How will I find him?"

"It's like magnets. Only it doesn't matter how far apart you get, you'll still be pulled in each other's direction. And then..." Cora slapped her hands together.

"Yeah, like that." Stephanie laughed.

The council insisted that all nine earthlings be present. Emily, still in a coma inside the med pod, was floated in next to the others. The idea anyone would mess with her with the Trelxak standing guard was laughable, but they still surrounded her as they walked. Tobriv followed behind the group, and her silent presence made Cora feel better.

The council chamber resembled a pie with a slice missing. Several tiers of seats faced the open area where the women lined up in a loose crescent. There wasn't a single unfilled seat. The low chatter of a large crowd quieted when they entered. They looked at each other, not sure what the crowd expected of them. Cora was about to yell "Boo!" when Tobriv moved to sit beside her. Rumblings and whispers waved through the room.

A squat green alien standing on what looked like a frisbee flew into the chamber. It had a narrow, flat head sporting a tiny tuft of bright pink hair. Wide oval eyes of silver blinked from rolls of skin that started just below its hair and spread outward in all directions before landing in a heap on the flying disk. A laughably small cape was tied around what Cora assumed was its neck with fancy cord.

Its voice boomed over the crowd. "Silence!" The volume lowered, but they could still hear whispers. The creature harrumphed. "Send your queries. This will be a single speaker assembly, and I shall speak." The disk, and thus the alien atop it, zoomed to stop mere inches from the women. "Who speaks for you?"

"I do." Zoranna took a step forward. The alien shot back several feet as if she was contagious.

Cora had never been more glad she wasn't Zoranna.

Over the next two hours they lobbed questions and answers at each other. Most were to appease curiosity, but a few were pointed. Zoranna answered them all with grace and a politician's talent for telling only as much as she wanted to reveal.

The request to map a path to Earth was universally denied.

Captain Anzaes stepped up next to the women, startling Cora, who hadn't realized he was there.

"I'd like you to reconsider that point." His voice commanded attention.

The aliens' folds rippled as it zipped to face him. "Captain, you may speak."

Cora didn't think he needed permission, but the captain bowed to acknowledge the moderator.

"The planet these women come from is rich in natural resources. Water, mineral, biological—the variety and availability is impressive. It is a tempting prospect for the Scozid. Without a doubt, they will want to go back. When that happens, Earth has no defense against them. They will ravage the planet. The Alliance is committed to protecting such civilizations. It would be a breach of directive to allow this to happen."

Murmurs rose through the crowd. The speaker flew higher to look Anzaes in the eyes. "The council has decided. Focus on current members first. Push the Scozid back. Then resources may be given to find this planet." He spun toward the assembly, his tuft of hair whipping around. "If there are no other queries?" His body bobbed up and down on the disk like a spring, revealing his skin underneath the folds to be bright orange. "Meeting adjourned."

Several members of the council surged forward, surrounding the women. They gawked and examined, some even reaching out to touch them. Anela swatted away a hand reaching for her. Cora grabbed Tobriv's neck and backed up, feeling the press of the aliens. Stephanie reflected her own rising panic. She was about to bolt when she heard the march of heavy boots. A dozen warriors pushed through the crowd, creating space between the council and the women. The speaker sputtered and bobbed on his disk, flashing orange, but the warriors ignored his protests. Kiran touched her forearm in question and she nodded. "I'm okay."

The wall of broad backs in tactical armor bristling with weapons drove a wedge between the women and the crowd. They fanned out and created a path to the exit. Cora and Tobriv led the way out without hesitation. Cora fell back to walk with Stephanie and Gabriella while the others didn't stop until they were across the bridge and back on the Talia.

The blonde stopped them at the edge of the span. "You were right." She nodded toward a hooded figure standing next to a building.

Stephanie smiled at her. "You're sure? We could make him come with us."

"I'm sure." Gabriella hugged them. "It's okay. What's one more adventure on top of all the others?"

"Keep in touch. Zoranna will keep up with all of us, since she's staying here on Lannidies. Let her know where you are." Cora swallowed the lump in her throat.

With one last smile, Gabriella walked away. They watched as the warrior met her halfway. He turned and lowered his head toward them before they disappeared into the crowd.

Kiran shared a glance with Craix. He shook his head. "That's four now. That can't be mere chance."

The communicator at his hip chirped, signaling it was time for the warriors to meet with their chieftan. Kiran was reluctant to leave Cora so soon after the press of the council, but it was a meeting he couldn't skip. She assured him they'd be fine stuffing themselves with treats from the market and sent him off with a kiss.

Captain Anzaes took the lead when they met with Sucaen since they were fellow Okan. Where Anzaes' skin was glossy black, Sucaen's was a matte gray. Even his bronze stripes seemed muted next to the captain's brilliance. Kiran, Craix and Turo waited as he told the Ka'atari chief that all three warriors were rhun with human women.

Sucaen sat down hard. The room, like most of the council representative offices, was spartan but comfortable. There was a single desk for the chief's assistant. Several comfortable chairs were arranged to facilitate discussions. Anzaes took the one facing Sucaen and gave him time to process.

It took a minute. Sucaen shook his head in disbelief and looked to Kiran. "Is this true?"

"Yes. We also witnessed a fourth pairing. An Azar on the planet called one of the women."

Anzaes called Malven into the room. "Have you been able to make any hypothesis regarding rhun and the humans?"

"Yes." The healer folded his hands and took a seat. "I caution that these are hypothesis which need further testing, but it appears that humans have a higher percentage of biological compatibility with the Ka'atari than any other race encountered so far."

"What sort of higher percentage?" Sucaen's voice boomed in the absolute silence. Everyone present was frozen in a mix of focus and shock.

"Preliminary findings indicate fifty to seventy percent."

One warrior stumbled. Another gave a sharp bark of hysterical laughter. Sucaen sat back and stared at Anzaes. "What is the current rate of rhun?"

"Less than one percent."

All the air was sucked out of the room. Kiran and his squad waited as the other warriors digested their shock. Sucaen recovered first.

"Are we sure these rhun will result in viable offspring?"

Malven nodded. "Indications suggest there are no impeding factors in embryo creation." He looked to Kiran. "Tests for pregnancy have so far been negative, but it is early, even for a classic rhun pairing."

"How long until we know for sure?"

"Perhaps a week, maybe longer. Human women are fertile for a short period during a longer cycle. The biological changes caused by the call have interfered with our ability to pinpoint when this window occurs for each individual. It is reasonable to expect that the call itself triggered fertile conditions." He bowed his head. "I should point out that although our findings are correct, to be confident we will need a larger sample size."

"But the chance of humans being rhun is higher?"

"We believe the ratio difference to be significant."

Sucaen nodded and called for his assistant. "I want a list of available ships and the top five navigators."

"The council will not like us using resources to do something they refused."

"Captain," the chief stood, "I don't give a fuck. We're talking about the survival of our race. We've done our part in the Scozid conflict, and we will continue to do so. But we will also find that planet."

"Understood."

By the time Kiran returned to the Talia, news of the human women's ability to be mates to Ka'atari had spread to all three of the cousin planets. News of him having rhun with one had reached far enough on Kifoth to reach his father. The message he sent held far more meaning than words. It simply read, Be careful.

Kiran stared at the warning on his tablet and let the flood of emotion it sparked run its course. His mother's rejection had broken his father. Lovers were readily available, and he hadn't understood for a long time. He did now. The thought of Cora leaving after bearing his child made his chest constrict. He told himself he would be detached. It was just a biological necessity. He could fulfill the call without involving his heart.

He knew it was a laughable idea. The overwhelming need he felt for her—not just physical but emotional—overrode any idea he had about staying distant. She was part of him, and letting her go would break him just as it did his father. He was determined not to let that happen. He needed to figure out how to make her stay long enough for her to fall in love with him.

CHAPTER 12

Cora wandered the market again, flanked by Stephanie and Tobriv. She didn't wonder what the special meeting with the Ka'atari leader Kiran and Craix left them to attend. She knew it was about them and rhun.

The same merchants were hawking the same wares and they stopped by a few stalls they'd missed before, feeling luxe fabrics and tasting small morsels. They ignored the open stares and whispered comments that followed them, even though they felt like exhibits in a zoo. The two women might have been able to fly under the radar of the aliens bustling through the market, but the addition of Tobriv made it impossible.

Cora followed when she bounded to a particular stall whose roof supported various scaly and slimy creatures. Cora laughed. "I take it you like these?"

Tobriv huffed and purred.

"All right, which one?" She pushed her fingers into the preuvret's fur and saw one of the larger fish with flashing silver scales. It was the length of her arm and twice as fat. She pointed to it. "One of those, please."

The merchant moved to wrap it, but Cora stopped him. "Just throw it in her direction." She twitched her head toward Tobriv and laughed. When she put the coins in his hand, he grabbed her wrist. His fingers were long and ended in small spheres covered with backward facing spikes. The pupils of his slitted eyes cut to a point behind her shoulder, and he whispered, "Be mindful."

She grabbed her hand back when he released her. It wasn't until she turned around and saw a large alien staring a little too intently at Tobriv that she understood. She sidled over to where Stephanie was deciding between two vivid fabrics. Trying to be as nonchalant as possible, she tapped her on the shoulder. Stephanie screamed and jumped a foot in the air.

"You scared the shit out of me!"

"I didn't know you were so jumpy, sorry."

Stephanie leaned in. "I'm not, but there's this weird alien that's been following us around the market."

"Yeah. The fish seller pointed him out to me. Told me to be careful. Maybe we should head back?"

She nodded and paid the merchant for both of the scarves, shoving them into a bag. When they turned to leave, the alien stood over Tobriv who was purring as she chewed on the last of the fish. Cora quickened her pace.

She'd planned to just walk by, calling Tobriv without stopping, but the creature stepped in front of her before they reached the preuvret.

It was a portly alien with pale skin scattered with blotches of pink and blue that looked like bruises. It had a short neck and long limbs and hitched its pants up in a nervous tick sort of way.

Cora said, "Excuse me," and tried to go around it, but it moved to block her path.

"I will purchase your pet." His voice held a cultured, entitled tone. Definitely the voice of a person used to getting what they wanted without being questioned.

Cora sighed. Not again. "She's not a pet, she's a friend, and she's not for sale."

His eyes scrunched in confusion. "Everything is for sale."

"No." There was no point in trying to explain to someone like him. She decided the best approach was a direct one. Plus, she'd rather get back to the ship—and Kiran—than fight with this asshole.

Just the thought of falling into bed with big blue made her cheeks flush.

She smiled and once again tried to sidestep him. This time when he moved in front of her, two similar aliens stepped up to flank her and Stephanie. From their outfits and the weapons on their hips, they were bodyguards. Great.

"You don't know who I am, so I will forgive the insult. And perhaps you did not understand. I am not asking if I can purchase the animal. I am telling you I will have it. You can either take compensation, or we will remove it with force."

He was starting to piss her off, but she needed to stay calm. She didn't want Tobriv eating some royal jackass and getting in more trouble. She peeked around him to see if Tobriv had noticed and she was on her feet, head down and focused on him. "Look, you must be a powerful person and I am sorry if you feel offended by me, but I'm trying to save you a world of hurt. You won't get her with money, and you won't get her with force."

He sighed at her like she was a reluctant child. "So be it."

Cora tossed their communicator to Stephanie. "Go." She nodded and slipped into the gathering crowd. "Mister, I will appeal to your self preservation one more time. Don't do this. The last person who tried to pull this shit ended up with his head bitten off."

"I assure you my guards can handle both this creature—and you."

Well they can't say I didn't try. Tobriv was looking at her in question. Cora shrugged. "They want you to go with them."

She crouched into a pouncing stance and growled, showing those impressive rows of teeth. The absolute twat just laughed like the display of aggression amused him.

Cora backed up a few steps. She'd rather not get blood all over her. Again.

Kiran wasn't running, but he was damn near it as he entered the market. It wasn't hard to know where Cora was. A large crowd had gathered around her and the grand chancellor of Zonrulara. One of the chancellor's bodyguards was approaching Tobriv. The other was watching Cora.

He ought to let Tobriv bite the smug look off the chancellor's face, but it would likely mean her death. That would make Cora sad, and he couldn't have that. Plus the murderous thing was growing on him.

Brak shook his head. "Either the guard is too stupid or too scared of the chancellor to realize he's about to die a horrible death."

Kiran walked into the circle outlined by watching spectators and put himself between Tobriv and the guard. Brak took up position just behind him.

The chancellor bit out a curse. "Move."

Kiran smiled at him. "As a Ka'atari warrior in service to the alliance, I feel it is my duty to save your guard from certain death."

The guard in question let out a shaky breath and mumbled, "Oh thank stars."

Brak laughed.

Cora stood a few paces away, shooting daggers at the chancellor with her eyes. Kiran slowly shook his head at her. "Are you all right?"

"Yes." She gave him an innocent look. "It's not my fault. I told them what happened to the last guy."

He tilted his chin down and frowned at Tobriv. She closed her mouth and quit growling, which was an improvement. He took a steadying breath and plastered a pleasant expression on his face. "Chancellor, this animal is under Ka'atari protection."

"You speak above your station, warrior." He puffed himself up and smoothed his jacket before closing the gap between them. "I will have it. You do not have the wherewithal or the power to stop me."

"Perhaps not." Kiran further closed the distance between them. "But I have the might and I guarantee you will not take her from this square."

His eyes widened. "You lay your hands on me and you will be severely punished."

"Maybe." He gave the chancellor an evil grin. "But it would be worth it."

The alien's splotches darkened and he backed up several steps. "This isn't over."

"Yes, it is."

The chancellor hiked his pants up and pulled on the hem of his jacket before storming into the crowd, his guards making a path by shouting, "Make way!"

Cora gave him a kiss on his cheek, as if she were innocent. "Well that was exciting."

He rolled his eyes and swatted her cute ass as she walked by. He needed to get her and her preuvret friend away from this planet. There were too many high-powered dicks around, and he was being won over to the preuvret's method of dealing with them.

Despite her projected swagger, Cora was relieved when the bridge to the Talia came into view. She laughed when Torvid loped ahead, turning to look back at them with her tongue hanging out. She chased her and pretended to catch her tail. She outran Cora, but it was fun to let off steam after the stressful day.

She was in the middle of the bridge, just jogging now, when her foot took way longer to land than it should. The ground had moved away from her. Or maybe I've moved away from the ground? When she landed it was rough. Her ankle rolled with a snap and she crumpled. She heard Kiran shout and saw Torvid pivot and race toward her, and then she was falling, lost in a cloud of dust and manhandled by chunks of bridge.

A large slab hit her head and the lights went out.

CHAPTER 13

Kiran was smiling as he watched Cora and the preuvret playing ahead of him. Then the ground fell out beneath them. His knees cracked as he landed.

"Cora!" She collapsed in a heap, both he and Torvid sprinting toward her from opposite sides of the bridge. Neither of them made it. The bridge collapsed and she disappeared.

By the time Kiran reached the edge of what remained of the bridge, Brak was already running toward a set of stairs. He could hear the cries of others startled or injured by the earthquake, but all he saw was the image of his mate falling.

His heart constricted as he followed Brak down the side of the dock and he pushed his legs faster.

The pile of rubble at the bottom of the trench was massive. There was no way they'd clear it, but they tried. Torvid appeared next to him and butted his hand. He understood. She could smell Cora, was small and maneuverable, and would find a way to her.

He pulled Brak away from the pile. "Torvid's going in. She thinks she can find her."

He watched as the animal squeezed into what seemed an impossible space, the tip of her tail disappearing with a twitch. The wait was excruciating. His eyes focused on the hole. He could hear Brak saying soothing words, but the rush of blood in his ears drowned it out.

Craix made it down, skidding to a stop in the dust. "It's the Scozid. They've attacked."

They looked up as the Talia roared to life and sped into the sky. "Cora?" Craix asked.

"Torvid's gone in to find her." Brak pointed at the tiny space.

Craix shook his head. "It was incredible. There's no way down from the platform. The thing just... jumped.

That got Kiran's attention. "Torvid jumped?"

Craix nodded. "There's blood where she landed, but she didn't stop. She took off to you. That's all I saw before I started down the stairs."

Kiran resumed his vigil, staring at the void that contained his mate and willed the preuvret to find her and get them both out.

A Scovid fighter lined up in the trench, firing at the ships still docked. Those that could took flight, but they targeted the engines of most, crippling them. Blast waves spread from others that exploded under the attack. Shocks caused the remains of the bridge to rock and shift. Kiran screamed in frustration and resumed digging. He couldn't just stand there while it crushed her.

Sharp edges and twisted metal supports shredded his arms but the pain in his chest was far worse. Brak pulled him back and pointed to Torvid's wiggling, jerking tail, emerging from the rocks some distance away. He ran and grabbed her hips, helping her pull. Brak and Craix joined the line and together they slid her out, her jaws locked around Cora's shoulder.

The preuvret opened her mouth, careful not to cause more damage.

Kiran cradled Cora in his arms, trying to lessen the impact of his race up the stairs. He went straight to the captain's lounge in the dock offices, where he knew they kept a med pod. He started yelling for a Malzaed as soon as he cleared the door. They rushed to strip off her clothes. While one assessed the many injuries to her body, another punched commands into the pod. A third was asking him questions, but he couldn't speak through the lump in his throat.

Brak answered for him. She'd been under the stones for almost thirty minutes. She wasn't underneath when the bridge collapsed, but fell with it. As far as he knew, she was healthy before. Kiran was rhun to her and wouldn't leave.

The questions answered, the healer turned to evaluate Kiran's injuries. He tried to shrug them away, but they just kept trying. Eventually he just stood and let them minister to him. He positioned himself far enough from the pod to not impede them, but close enough to see her through the port. She was pale, covered in bits of bridge and unmoving.

He croaked, "Torvid?" around the lump in his throat.

Brak kept his voice low. "Craix carried her up. She's in another pod and the Malzaed says she'll recover." He touched Kiran's shoulder. "Scozid have landed. We need to fight."

"I'm not leaving."

"Of course not. Craix and I are."

Kiran nodded, but didn't turn as they left.

It was an eternity before a healer approached him and said, "She is not out of danger yet," with a soft voice, "but we will save her."

Cora grabbed the edge of the pod and pulled herself up. Kiran was in a chair, pulled up close, elbows braced on his knees and head in his hands. The steady rise and fall of his back told her he was asleep.

Next to him laid Tobriv. Cora winced at her friend's injuries. Several patches of fur were missing, revealing angry red scrapes. All four paws and one whole leg were bandaged. The tip of one of her horns was broken off.

She planned to swing her legs over and get up as quietly as possible. What happened was that she swung her legs around successfully but as soon as she tried to stand up they didn't work. She fell in a heap and let out a startled cry.

He lifted her in his arms and wrapped her in a blanket. "Easy, I got you." He rested his forehead on hers and she wrapped her arms around his neck, holding tight.

"I thought I lost you."

She pulled him tighter. "I'm not that easy to lose." She pulled back to see his face. There were dark circles under his eyes and several days of beard on his cheeks. He was gaunt, his color dusty instead of the deep blue she knew. "What happened to you?"

He gave her a rueful smile. "You did."

"What happened?"

"Scozid attacked the planet. We never dreamed they would be so bold. It smacks of desperation and intelligence officers are working overtime to figure out why."

"The bridge disappeared." She scrunched her face, trying to remember.

"It collapsed and you went with it. Torvid saved you. She pulled you out when none of us could get to you." He traced a line of small crescent scars framing her shoulder.

"Oh wow. That looks like that hurt."

He chuckled. "I'm sure it did. Good thing you were out cold."

"As often as I've been in them, I should buy stock in the company that makes these pods."

He shook his head. "What?"

"Nevermind. Speaking of these magical healing machines, why isn't Torvid in one? Can't they do more for her than that?" She waved at the bandages.

He pursed his lips. "They did their best to get her to stay in the pod, but as soon as she regained consciousness she fought them. When she made it clear things would get bloody, they gave up. She wanted to be next to you. Actually," he gave the preuvret a chiding look, "she spent most of the time staring at you through the pod window."

Tobriv had stood and shoved her nose against Cora's belly. She grabbed the preuvret in a fierce hug. "I love you too."

She looked around the unfamiliar room. "Where are we?"

"On board the first ship I could find headed to Kifoth. My father is there and can help look after you."

"Wait, what?" She turned in his arms to get a better look at him.

"The alliance is planning to mount a full scale offensive. No more skirmishes trying to push the Scozid back to their own space. It's all out war. Everyone who can is being asked to fight, those that can't were asked to give what they have to the effort."

Cora stood up, holding the edge of the pod to steady herself. She must have been pretty broken. She usually came out of the Molzaed beds feeling like a million bucks. "No. Nope. Absolutely not." He tried to help steady her but she pushed him away. "You are not leaving me behind."

"You don't understand—"

"I think I understand perfectly, Kiran." She tried to walk away, but the edge of her blanket—the only clothes she had at present—was stuck under his leg. She yanked on it before screeching in frustration. She stamped her foot and huffed at him.

Time for a toddler tantrum apparently.

"I have escaped from a disintegrating space station, been pulled through a wormhole on a ship that started falling apart, dealt with asshole aliens on two planets, and been buried with a bridge. I'll not stand to be left behind while you go gallivanting around the galaxy!"

"You forgot being mated to an alien."

She snorted. "That part's not been that bad."

He grinned. "Glad to hear it."

"Don't change the subject! I'm going with you." She crossed her arms over her chest. "No more arguing. If you argue I'm gonna have Torvid bite your head off."

"I'm not arguing."

She stopped and gaped at him. "Then what's with all this 'I'm going to war and you're staying with my dad' crap?"

"I never said you were staying and I was going. Just that he could help look after you. He's thrilled to meet you, by the way."

She sputtered. "But..."

"Malven said you need to rest. As you noted, you've been through a lot of traumatic events and although the pods are good, they aren't infallible. Your body needs time away from exploding space stations and crumbling bridges. At least two months."

"So you're not leaving?" She dropped into his lap.

"No, I'm not leaving you." He drew a deep breath. "But you might leave me."

She was gaping again. "Where would I go?"

He blinked and looked away. "The chief of the Ka'atari has decreed we find a path back to Earth. He already has the finest navigators working the problem. I assure you they will find it."

"Oh." She felt tiny.

He held her tighter. "When they do, I will let you go."

"Oh." It became very hard to breathe.

"Before that happens, I need you to know something."

His eyes were almost frightening in their intensity. "All right."

He took a deep breath and gathered her close. "I will let you return to Earth. It will devastate me, but I will. I thought I could stay detached from you. To satisfy rhun without involving my heart." He dropped his head into her neck. "I was a fool. If you leave, you will take my heart with you. I love you with everything I have and everything I am. I won't stand in the way of your happiness, but I am begging you to stay with me."

She swiped at the tears on her cheeks and punched him in the shoulder. "Didn't I already say I'm hard to get rid of?" She pulled him to her and kissed him for all she was worth. "I love you. I'm happy with you."

"Does that mean you don't want to go home?"

She rolled her eyes. "Silly warrior. I am home."

THANK YOU FOR READING KIRAN!

I sincerely hope you enjoyed Kiran and Cora’s story.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kenzie grew up in Bluff Park, a suburb of Birmingham, AL in a very improper Southern household. She now lives in a suburb Northeast of Atlanta, GA. She married her college sweetheart and has two sons. She is adored by a Pit Bull and tolerated by two cats. She drinks far too much Diet Coke and feels like she can tackle anything as long as she has a book showing her how.

Though other interests have come and gone, four obsessions have remained constant: horses, photography, reading, and writing.

Her job as chief child wrangler and household CEO consumed most of her energy (creative and otherwise) until April 2017 when the characters in her head demanded their stories be told. She’s been writing ever since.

You can connect with her by visiting her website, signing up for her newsletter, or emailing her.

Also by Kenzie: The Empyrean Series (Romantic Fantasy)

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. NO PART OF THIS PUBLICATION MAY BE REPRODUCED, STORED IN A RETRIEVAL SYSTEM, OR TRANSMITTED IN ANY FORM OR BY ANY MEANS, ELECTRONIC, MECHANICAL, RECORDING OR OTHERWISE, WITHOUT THE PRIOR WRITTEN PERMISSION OF THE COPYRIGHT HOLDER.

Table of Contents

Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Thank you for reading Kiran!

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