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Etterian scimitar Kevol
Officer’s quarters
12254 Years, 10th Month
Malo awoke with a start. Alodon’s hell. He rubbed his gritty eyes. Everything ached, from his shoulders to his legs, but sleep was elusive when his mind plagued him with every possible scenario—the worst ones. Was his Caro being tortured? Raped? Was she dead already? His heart lurched at the thought. She was still alive. Her death would trigger the Ethera’s crippling agony as well as expand the void. The Ethera current displeasure was bad enough. Throwing his feet over the side of the disheveled bed, he rested his elbows on his knees and rubbed his face.
They’d received many responses to their enquiries. Ronin had sifted through them with only a few promising to be more helpful. More helpful? Malo wanted to punch something. They had nothing. They raced toward Yithia without knowing for sure if their destination was accurate. She might still be on Earth. He could be traveling away from her, and he hated the helplessness that paralyzed him.
Maker.
Pain lanced through his chest on a constant basis. He craved her smile, her witty conversation, just holding her hand, and needed to find her with a growing urgency. The Ethera compelled him, but there was also an intense fire in the region of his hearts he couldn’t explain. It drove him more than the Ethera ever could. He knew not the name of this emotion. When she was with him, it burned as well but with light and not this debilitating darkness.
“Operations Commander.” Tias’s voice cut through the silence.
Malo frowned at his O.D.I and wondered if this had disturbed his slumber. “Yes, Tias.”
“I may have found her.”
Malo burst into a run, sans footwear or tunic. He didn’t care that he looked like his mind had embraced the void. Any information on his Caro mattered more to him than portraying professionalism or following his cursed code. He burst into Tias’s office and strode to where the male punched keys on his multi-lit console.
“Scans have shown the presence of a human female on one vessel. It’s an Etterian scimitar.”
Malo stilled. His mind reeled. This made no sense. “Etterian? Why? Why target Caro?” His anger rose.
“If I may continue, Operations Commander?”
Malo scowled at Tias but grunted, giving his permission while conveying his apologies.
“Scans also show the presence of a Maloidian female. I thought this unusual, so I traced the ship’s flight path. The Etterian vessel hovered over Argaxx for approximately one hour. After which, it traveled to Earth with no dockings made en route.”
“Not Yithia then,” Malo whispered, his thoughts racing. Who had he angered that originated from Argaxx? The last dealing he had with a Maloidian was Imarri... That cesu! Alodon’s balls, she wouldn’t dare. “The scimitar’s signature?” He pinched his lips, knowing the answer but asking anyway.
“Iqiniso’s. It seems Ambassador Barro did not bother to change it to Maloidian.”
“He is a proud male and her uncle. The truth is revealed.” Malo paced, trying to push aside his fury to get to the heart of this. “Imarri? Why would she...do something like this?” He ran a hand over his face, cold stinging the edges of his mind. “We are allies. I did not sense any animosity on her part.”
“It explains who took Lady Caro, who the Maloidian female is in the scans.”
Malo grunted. All valid points. When he found Caro, he’d take Imarri to task, perhaps solve the mystery. Had he offended her by not escorting her to Argaxx himself? Her sensitivity to her ranking was notorious. Or was this more personal? Had his pseudo-seduction hit a nerve?
“Comm Alllero,” he commanded Tias.
The male punched keys, making the communication request on Malo’s behalf, which was accepted within minutes. The elderly queen’s crystal clear image appeared. Her black markings had almost disappeared, but Malo believed it made her eyes bolder, more intimidating. He smiled with fondness at her.
“Malo, my favorite Etterian male, what seems to be the need for this comm?”
Thanks to the Ethera, warmth filled his chest, something he’d never experienced toward her. “My dearest Queen Alllero, you are as breathtaking as usual.”
She giggled. “A sweet talking Etterian? Maszaks, this must be important.” Her black gaze traveled his exposed chest then she grinned. “Not that I will complain if you comm me dressed as you are.”
“Conversations with Citus inform me that I am not your only favorite. I am deeply disappointed.”
She dismissed his comment with a wave of her delicate hand. “What is the matter, Malo?”
“My Dar Eth has been taken, my queen.” He inched closer to the display vid so she could see his eyes.
She leaned forward as well, studied his face for a few moments, then beamed, jiggling her hands palms forward in applause. “But...this is wonderful. Xeus must be ecstatic.”
Malo rubbed the back of his neck, trying to keep the exhaustion at bay. “He has also been blessed, my queen.”
“Truly?” she gasped then giggled like a youngin. “I will comm him later to congratulate him. I assume it happened recently? Especially since my Serratu Kayarra have not informed me of such.”
The Serratu Kayarra or Silent Sirens were infamous among all operatives. The Maloidian females were trained in all manner of seductions and promised to make anyone’s erotic dreams pale in comparison. Imarri headed up this band of skilled females. Malo smothered a snort. She could learn a lesson or two from Caro.
“Yes, we found a compatible species that sparks the Ethera.”
Alllero pursed her lips. “And she is the reason you look like death?”
“I suspect a Kayarra stole her.”
Alllero’s unibrow arched before anger darkened her markings.
He continued. “Our investigation indicates the vessel carrying my Caro last docked at Argaxx with ties linked to Barro.”
Alllero tapped her chin. “Mm. I trust your sources, Malo. What you need from me will be granted. You truly are my favorite.”
“Thank you, my queen, I...need her,” he answered with all honesty, expecting to surprise the queen but not caring. He violated no code if he shared how he suffered.
Alllero stared at him for a few minutes, her face inscrutable. She glanced down, then his arm buzzed, receiving a message. “Those are my codes to the Serratu Kayarra’s data cubes. Agent Imarri is not aware I have these, and I would like to keep it so.”
“Thank you again.” He thumped his chest, pinning his fist there as a sign of deep respect.
“She has softened you, Malo. It weakens and strengthens you.”
He winced. “I am aware of this. Once I have her in my arms, I will take every precaution.”
“And bring her to meet me when you find her.”
“I will do so, my queen.”
She gave him a curt nod and ended the communication.
“Operations Commander, I received a message from the Iqiniso. The source is unknown. The message has merit though.” Tias tapped the console.
“Truth?” A message from within the ship? A traitor on board or his Caro reaching out to him? Excitement burst through his exhausted body, and he bounced on his toes.
“Imarri has her. That’s all it says.” Tias displayed the message on vid. “A confirmation, Operations Commander.”
Malo clenched his fists, his vision red. “Comm Imarri.”
“Operations Commander Malo, what a surprise.” Her voice reached through the blank display vid. “I apologize, we are experiencing technical malfunctions. Perhaps comm me at a later stage when I can see your image?”
He gritted his teeth, unable to demand he return his Dar Eth. Doing so might jeopardize Caro’s safety. Maker. He’d have to play nice. “Scans reveal you are near this worthless mid-grade planet called Earth. I was hoping you would join me for dinner... An apology of sorts for my impolite behavior.”
“Dinner?” She sounded intrigued. “I must decline. An urgent request from Queen Alllero has me returning to Argaxx. Perhaps next time?”
Urgent? He scowled. “I am deeply disappointed.”
Tias waved at Malo, then pointed at the display vids. There, in a cell, was his Caro. She slept on the floor, one hand to the side exposing a delicate wrist. The Ethera’s demanding cries for her quietened, easing the pounding headache behind his eyes. He stroked the display vid, trailing along Caro’s cheek. She was well and alive. He released a breath and gripped Tias’s shoulder in thanks.
Hope fluttered in Malo’s chest like trapped omeika.
He sighed at his strange comparison. Omeika were indigenous carnivorous fish that reproduced at such a rate that they stained Etteria’s seas red. They were exported in great quantities since the flavor of them mimicked the consumer’s favorite dish. They fluttered when out of the water, an image the sensation in his chest emulated.
“I will comm you on my return to Etteria,” he said to Imarri.
“Please do, Malo.” She ended the comm, that alone told him she thought herself superior.
“Accepting the comm granted a stronger access to the scimitar’s system.” Tias flicked his fingers and sent the images to Malo’s O.D.I. reminding him of Queen Alllero’s message.
What it contained tore a war cry from him, one he hadn’t used since Gikaet. He leaned over to show Tias the code, not prepared to forward it lest it be traced. When Tias punched the code into the system, images flashed on the various display vids.
“They have quite an in-depth file on you, Operations Commander,” Tias said.
Malo focused on the display vids and scowled.
“Various wagers have been set and never met. The largest odds are on bedding you.”
“Not a word more, Tias,” he threatened though he didn’t mind the humor crinkling the corners of Tias’s eyes. “Investigate each Etterian male they have on file. And create notifications for anything unusual. When they alert you, comm me immediately.”
Malo paused at the door, glancing over his shoulder at Tias. “Good work,” he muttered then sauntered to his quarters. Intoxicated by their progress, he notified Pilot Afax to set course for Argaxx.
Be patient, my Caro. I am coming for you.
~*~
Unknown Spaceship
Cold, Metallic Cell
2254 Years, October – Day Five
Caro rested against the wall. She was thinking of naming her stick ‘Vinnie,’ for ‘vindictive.’ She’d developed an affection for the inanimate object and hoped she got to keep it. When the door swished open for the second time that day, she scrambled to her feet. She palmed her katac when it was just Bezu who’d stepped into the cell. He held no bowls or water packets, and his three-fingered hands twitched.
“Bezu?” Caro winced at her squeaky voice. Only thing she should fear was Malo never finding her.
“I heard her...Imarri mention Operations Commander Malo. Is this true? You are his?”
“Yes,” Caro said, not hesitating. She was Malo’s, if and when he saved her. Where the hell was he? What was taking so long? For someone with his authority, he sure was struggling to find her. The male had a battleship at his beck and call, for tart’s sake.
“He’s the most feared operative,” Bezu said. “Many owe him favors.”
She blinked. Operative? Feared? So, not an engineer as she’d suspected. She grinned.
Bezu ran his black gaze over her. “If you are his, as you say, then you are his Dar Eth.”
“Dar Eth?” Caro echoed, trying to look like she had no clue what he was talking about.
“I understand why you must hide this from her, but it is pointless to pretend with me. We are aware the Etterians are finding their mates among your people. This does not concern me, Caro.” He sank down the wall to sit on the floor. He’d come to talk. “I do not want Malo killing my spawn or me for my involvement in this stupidity.” He rubbed the left side of his shark head, like a bald man stroking his non-existent hair. This close, tiny silver jagged markings ran along his thick neck to where it met his upper arms. “I sent a message to your Malo, revealing who took you. I cannot do more lest I anger the Maloidian. She is vindictive, a trait I admire, but...”
“Your spawn.” Caro nodded while smothering an inner squeal. Malo knowing where she was...made all the difference to her. Hope blossomed anew, saturating the bleeding darkness that had stained her heart of late.
“I can make your stay comfortable, although, she must not suspect.”
“Would...would you mind talking to me? I need the company,” Caro said, desperate to converse with someone other than herself.
Bezu jerked away. “You wish to...talk to me? In what regard?”
“About you, any subject will do.” She folded her arms across her chest and bounced on her toes. Standing still only made her colder. “What’s your world like? Your spawn? How’d you end up indentured to her? You could read an instructional manual if it means I don’t have to listen to myself think.”
His lips curled upward in what appeared to be a grimace, but when he hiss-laughed, she realized he’d found what she said amusing.
“Very well, Caro. I shall stay after each meal. You are shivering. I find this temperature perfect. As a Maloidian, Imarri does too. I was not aware your species cannot tolerate temperature fluctuations. Come with me.” He rose and approached the door. Pressing a tiny camouflaged panel to the right, he gestured to her to draw closer. He took her hand, his touch gentle, and held it palm down on a screen. A white light scanned her, then a symbol flashed in green. “Now the cell will modify the temperature to your core.”
The urge to hug him came over her, but she wasn’t sure how he’d react. So, she settled on giving him the biggest grin she could form. “Thank you, Bezu. I was so cold I was scared if I fell asleep I wouldn’t wake up.”
“That is possible?” He gaped, revealing massive sabreteeth.
She rubbed her arms and sighed, relishing the warm air circulating the room. “Yes. We become hypothermic then our bodily functions just cease.”
“I never considered that other species could be this...”
“Squishy?” she teased.
“Vulnerable,” he said, and his lips curled again.
“That too,” she chuckled.
“To reveal all your teeth is to imply an interest in me, Caro. I do not find you...” He scanned her again. “Attractive.”
She squeaked and stepped back, creating distance between them. “It does? I’m sorry. We smile when we’re happy.”
“This is good to know. I shall not take your invitation seriously.”
She studied him for a moment, learning his subtle tells, the ones that revealed his humor, worry, fear, or horror. “What do you do when you’re not stealing Earthian females?”
He susurrated while flicking his knee. “I must serve my remaining months, then I am free to farm.”
“Are you serving time as a punishment?” Caro asked as gently as she could.
She couldn’t ask him outright if he was a criminal or a slave. It might offend him, and from where she was standing, he was the only one willing to talk to her. She slid down the wall next to him, though not too close.
“Each Yithian must serve our king and Yithia. Every five solar rotations or years, I abandon my spawn and mate for the cold confines of a slave ship. This is preferable to mining the black rock in the deserts surrounding Mascroba.”
She scowled. What a choice—slave labor or military service. “Mascroba?”
“The royal seat of King Urio, our great and illustrious ruler. Though, there has been talk of a rebellion.”
“There’s always talk, even in peaceful times,” Caro said.
“You speak truth, Caro.”
“So, what do you farm?” She couldn’t picture sharklike males as farmers.
“Ah, in the depths of our oceans, areemi grow wild. Their orange and purple leaves are sweet and tender. When I farm, my estuuba—your word is family—will eat well.”
“That’s a noble goal, Bezu. Can I let you in on a little secret?” She raised her hand to touch the side of his head like he’d done earlier. His skin was cold, clammy, like how she imagined a fish’s scales would feel. It was pretty though, the way the yellow light played along his shimmering skin. “On Earth, many centuries ago, there were sea creatures, fierce, powerful, and feared by Earthians. These creatures were called sharks, but we persevered and annihilated them all. The Great White reminds me of your species, of Yithians.”
“The Great White...shark?” He activated his O.D.I. “I see the resemblance.” He hiss-laughed and tilted his arm to share the holographic footage with her.
“They say, millions of years ago, there was a Megalodon, a massive shark.”
He tapped the cuneiform and an image of a Megalodon appeared. “Our royalty reach that size after many years of rulership. It is why they are chosen to rule. None dare challenge them.”
“What? Your King Urio is that size?” She bounced on her backside, her eyes widening. “Under the circumstances, I don’t want to meet him but...a real honest-to-goodness Megalodon?”
“I too shall share something you may not know, Caro. An operative gifted the king with an Earthian female. Footage was sent to all Yithians. The operative claimed she was a half-breed, part Etterian with her black hair and short name. The king sold her to the Maloidian Ambassador Barro, none the wiser.”
Caro gasped. Monkey’s bananas! How dare these...aliens sell humans like cattle. The owner could do anything to this woman and no one would say anything, right?
“Is she...alive?”
“Yes, Barro sold her to Etteria’s Prince Citus. This is why Imarri has an Etterian scimitar since Barro is her estuuba.”
So the plot thickens. Caro grinned. In Etteria’s clutches, she might be able to ask Malo to get this woman freed. “The purchase price was this ship?” Holy noodles, how much did one of these cost? “How rich is this prince?”
“The Etterians are beyond wealthy, but this matters not to them. Nothing is as important as a Dar Eth, Caro.”
She patted his forearm. “I will make sure Malo doesn’t harm your estuuba, Bezu.”
“Thank you. We will land on Argaxx before your Eth reaches us. His influence is great... It is this I fear.”
“If Imarri or your commanding officer find out about your message, will you promise to sneak off the ship and hide in Argaxx?”
“To what end?” Bezu shook his head. “If I do not complete my service, my estuuba suffer.”
“I hate that I can’t help you, Bezu.” She squeezed his three-fingered hands.
“It is kind of you to offer, Caro. Just ensuring they survive is enough for me.”
“Oh, I’ll do that without you asking.” She stared at his long fingernails sharpened to a point. “No estuuba should be collateral damage.”
“Your species is demonstrative and kinder than expected.” He studied their clasped hands.
She released him. “Yes, well, there are good and bad in all species,” she blurted.
“It is a weakness Yithians will take advantage of.” Bezu shifted to face her. “You must hide this, and it is best you show fearlessness toward Maloidians and Yithians.” He squeezed her hand like she had done. “You have done well so far, Caro. This is almost over.”
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